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This list shows notable sports-related deaths, events, and notable outcomes that occurred in May of 2006. Deaths
27: Craig "Ironhead" Heyward 16: Dan Ross 14: Jim Lemon 11: Floyd Patterson 4: Jim Delsing 3: Earl Woods
Sporting seasons
Auto racing 2006:
Formula One; GP2; BTCC Indy Racing League NASCAR; Busch; Craftsman Truck World Rally Championship
Cricket 2006: England
Football (soccer) 2006:
England (general) Scotland Denmark: Superliga Argentina
U.S. and Canadian sports 2005–06:
2006 Stanley Cup playoffs; 2006 NBA Playoffs 2006 MLB season
31 May 2006 (Wednesday) Football: Pre-World Cup friendlies 1 – 1 2 – 0 1 – 0 3 – 1 2 – 5 Baseball: Roger Clemens returns to baseball by signing a contract with the Houston Astros. The deal will pay him up to $12.6 million for the rest of the season. On Tuesday, he is to pitch for the Lexington Legends, the Astros' Single-A farm team, for whom Clemens' son Koby plays. (AP) Football: Chelsea F.C. announce that they have signed former A.C. Milan and FC Dynamo Kyiv striker Andriy Shevchenko for a British record transfer of £34 million. BBC, UEFA Cycling: 7-time winner of the Tour de France Lance Armstrong is cleared of drug abuse allegations dating back to 1999. (Forbes) 2006 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 5 Detroit Pistons 91, Miami Heat 78 Miami leads series 3–2
30 May 2006 (Tuesday) Football: Pre-World Cup friendlies With only nine days to go to the start of the World Cup, coaches are fine-tuning their teams and tactics. (Guardian) 2 – 0 1 – 1 1 – 0 3 – 1 At 17 years and 75 days, Theo Walcott becomes the youngest person ever to play for the senior England team. 2 – 2 Japan take an unexpected 2-goal lead over Germany before being pulled back. 1 – 2 Colombian goalkeeper Luis Enrique Martinez scores a goal with a goal kick that went the entire length of the pitch. 3 – 0 2006 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 4 Phoenix Suns 106, Dallas Mavericks 86 Series tied 2–2 NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 6 Buffalo Sabres 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1 (OT): Danny Briere's overtime power play goal forces a seventh game Thursday (June 1) at Carolina. Series tied 3–3
29 May 2006 (Monday) 2006 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 4 Miami Heat 89, Detroit Pistons 78 Miami leads series 3–1
28 May 2006 (Sunday) Baseball Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run, a two-run shot off Byung-hyun Kim in a home game against the Colorado Rockies. The home run puts Bonds past Babe Ruth for second place on the career homer list, behind only Hank Aaron, who had 755. The Rockies, however, go on to win 6–2. (AP) Cycling Giro d'Italia: German sprinter Robert Förster wins the last stage of the Giro. Ivan Basso maintains his position and has therefore won the Giro. Auto racing Formula One: Grand Prix of Monaco Championship leader Fernando Alonso wins the Monaco Grand Prix after his main rivals fall by the wayside. He wins by 14.5 seconds from the McLaren of Juan Pablo Montoya, while David Coulthard finished 3rd, to ensure the first podium ever for Red Bull Racing. No champagne was sprayed on the podium, as a mark of respect to the CEO of Michelin, Édouard Michelin who died in a boating accident on 26 May. (Formula One), (BBC) IndyCar: 90th Indianapolis 500 Sam Hornish Jr. wins his first-ever Indianapolis 500 after beating Marco Andretti by just 6 feet, despite having to serve a drive-through penalty 30 laps from the end after leaving the pits with his fuel-hose still attached. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup: Kasey Kahne wins the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, North Carolina 2006 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 3 Dallas Mavericks 95, Phoenix Suns 88 Dallas leads series 2–1 NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 5 Carolina Hurricanes 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 (OT) Carolina leads series 3–2 CHL Memorial Cup The Quebec Remparts get a measure of revenge against their QMJHL championship counterparts, the Moncton Wildcats by defeating them on their home ice 6–2 to win the 2006 Memorial Cup. Cricket: Sri Lanka in England: Second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham: England defeats Sri Lanka by six wickets. After winning the toss and batting, Sri Lanka were dismissed for a paltry 141, the wickets shared equally between the five used English bowlers. England's reply of 295 was centred on a century (142) by Kevin Pietersen; the next highest English score was 30. Muttiah Muralitharan claimed his 52nd five-wicket haul and his 15th ten-wicket haul, taking 6/86. A 125-run partnership between Michael Vandort and Tillakaratne Dilshan guide Sri Lanka to 231 in its second innings, an overall lead of only 78 runs: England reached the target with six wickets to spare. (Cricinfo Scorecard)
27 May 2006 (Saturday) Rugby union: 2006 Super 14 Final Crusaders 19, Hurricanes 12: The Crusaders win the first Super 14 title after beating the Hurricanes in a game that was dampened by the conditions. Thick fog covered the ground close to an hour before kick off and despite talks to delay or postpone the game, the final went ahead as scheduled. Many fans in the ground and watching on television were unable to see much of the game and also hampered the calling of the game by the commentators. While the fog overshadowed the game itself, the Crusaders completely dominated territory and possession throughout the match. Much of the game was decided on penalties before Casey Laulala dived over late in the second half for the first try of the match and gave the Crusaders a seven point advantage and secured their sixth Super Rugby title. Stuff (Sport) Auto racing: Michael Schumacher is disqualified from pole position for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix after it is ruled that he intentionally spun at Rascasse hairpin as time in the third and final session of qualifying ran up slowing down the cars behind him, including Fernando Alonso who then qualified 0.064 seconds off Schumacher's pace. Schumacher is relegated to the back of the grid, while Alonso will start from pole, promoting Mark Webber to 2nd. Alonso's teammate Giancarlo Fisichella is docked his three fastest laps for blocking David Coulthard, resulting in a demotion from 5th to 9th on the grid. (BBC) Cycling Giro d'Italia: Ivan Basso wins the penultimate stage of the Giro, his third so far. Basso also takes considerable time out of all the other competitors, and with one stage to go, he has a 9-minute over the next placed rider in the contest for the Maglia rosa. Mixed martial arts Current UFC Lightweight Champion Matt Hughes defeats former UFC champion Royce Gracie in the first round at UFC 60. 2006 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 3 Miami Heat 98, Detroit Pistons 83 Miami leads series 2–1 NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 5 Edmonton Oilers 2, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 1: Behind a 32-save performance by Dwayne Roloson and a 10-for-11 penalty-killing unit, the Oilers return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990, winning the series 4–1, and are the first 8th seeded team to play for the Cup since the current playoff format was adopted in 1994. American football NFL Europe: Behind running back Butchie Wallace, who is named the game's most valuable player, the Frankfurt Galaxy defeat the Amsterdam Admirals, 22–7, to win World Bowl XIV.
26 May 2006 (Friday) 2006 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 2 Dallas Mavericks 105, Phoenix Suns 98 Series tied 1–1 NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 4 Carolina Hurricanes 4, Buffalo Sabres 0 Series tied, 2–2 Cycling Giro d'Italia: Juan Manuel Gárate wins the 19th stage of the Giro, a tough mountain stage over seven hours. Ivan Basso maintains his firm hold of the Maglia rosa.
25 May 2006 (Thursday) 2006 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 2 Detroit Pistons 92, Miami Heat 88 Series tied, 1–1 NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 4 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 6, Edmonton Oilers 3 Edmonton leads series 3–1 Cycling Giro d'Italia: Stefan Schumacher wins his second stage of the Giro in a sprint finish between 5 breakaway riders. Ivan Basso maintains his firm lead in the provisional General Classement.
24 May 2006 (Wednesday) Rugby league State of Origin, Australia: New South Wales 17, Queensland 16: In the series opener at Telstra Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales narrowly defeats Queensland 17–16. Despite holding a 14–0 half-time lead and being ahead 16–6 late in the second half, NSW had to hold off a late charge from the Maroons who managed to tie the game with a few minutes left in the game. Brett Finch who had been rushed into the side over injury concerns, kicked a successful drop goal with a minute left in regulation to win the game. Game 2 will be on Wednesday June 14 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.(ABC, Australia) 2006 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 1 Phoenix Suns 121, Dallas Mavericks 118, Phoenix leads series 1–0 NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 3 Buffalo Sabres 4, Carolina Hurricanes 3 Buffalo leads series 2–1 Football (soccer) MLS: Lewis Wolff and the ownership group of the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball enter into a three-year exclusivity agreement permitting them to receive a new MLS franchise for the San Francisco Bay Area if they come up with a deal to build a soccer-specific stadium. (ESPN.com) Cycling Giro d'Italia: Leonardo Piepoli wins his second mountain stage of the Giro. Ivan Basso again gains more time on his rivals in the contest for the Maglia rosa.
23 May 2006 (Tuesday) 2006 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 1 Miami Heat 91, Detroit Pistons 86 Miami leads series 1–0 NBA draft lottery: The Toronto Raptors won the 2006 edition and will select first in the 2006 NBA draft on June 28. NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 3 Edmonton Oilers 5, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 4. Edmonton leads series 3–0. Cycling Giro d'Italia: Ivan Basso wins his second stage of the Giro, again a mountaintop finish, and builds on his lead in the Maglia rosa.
22 May 2006 (Monday) 2006 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semi-Finals, Game 7 Dallas Mavericks 119 San Antonio Spurs 111 (OT): The Mavericks go to the Western Conference finals for the first time since the 1984–85 season and eliminate the defending champion Spurs in the process. Phoenix Suns 127, Los Angeles Clippers 107: The Suns sank the Clippers thanks to fifteen three-point baskets, and will face the Mavs starting Wednesday (May 24) in Dallas. Thoroughbred racing: After six hours of surgery, Barbaro stands on his repaired right hindleg, making it more likely he will survive his injury at the 131st Preakness Stakes. His racing career over, if he recovers he will be retired to stud. (ESPN.com) NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference Final, Game 2 Carolina Hurricanes 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 Series tied 1–1 Cycling Giro d'Italia: Paolo Bettini wins his first stage of the Giro. No change in the top of the provisional leaderboard as Ivan Basso remains in the Maglia rosa.
21 May 2006 (Sunday) 2006 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semi-Final, Game 7 Detroit Pistons 79, Cleveland Cavaliers 61: The Pistons stifled LeBron James en route to a rematch of their 2005 NBA Eastern Conference Final against the Miami Heat. NHL 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference Final, Game 2 Edmonton Oilers 3, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 1. Edmonton leads series 2–0. Sweden wins the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships, defeating the Czech Republic in the final, 4:0. Football – Football League Championship Playoff Final Leeds United 0–3 Watford: Aidy Boothroyd's first full season in charge of the Hornets, ended with an easy victory over Leeds in the play-off final. Goals from Jay DeMerit, Darius Henderson and an own goal by Leeds goalkeeper Neil Sullivan gave Watford a supposed £30 million windfall. BBC, . Cycling