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WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Bruce Grimm Jr. and Danielle Boykin were both given honorable mention status as NAIA All-Americans to conclude their outstanding 2011-12 campaigns.
Grimm was also named First Team NCCAA All-American while Boykin earned Second Team All-American honors from the NCCAA.
Grimm led the Lancers to a 24-8 record and a second-straight appearance in the NAIA National Championships. He also sparked Grace to their first Mid-Central College Conference Tournament championship with a career-high 35 points against Saint Francis.
For the season, Grimm tallied 18.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also went over 1,000 career points as a Lancer in just his second season, finishing the year with 1,003 career points.
Boykin was one of the primary reasons Grace’s women’s basketball team enjoyed its best season ever. Her 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game were second on the team, and she also hit 44 percent of her attempts from the field and 81 percent of her free throws.
The Lady Lancers finished with their first winning season since 1991-92, and they recorded their first 20-win season in program history with a final 20-15 record.
Grace went to their fourth consecutive NCCAA National Championship and had their best showing ever with a third-place finish in the tournament.
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – Grace’s men’s basketball team concluded an outstanding season with a disappointing 59-56 loss to No. 22 Briar Cliff (Iowa) in the first round of the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Tournament.
The 11th-ranked Lancers (24-8) made several charges in the second half but could never quite wrestle the lead back from the Chargers (22-10).
To start the game, Bruce Grimm Jr. ended two-and-a-half scoreless minutes of basketball when he nailed a triple for the game’s first points. Grace’s 3-0 lead proved to be their only lead of the game.
Briar Cliff hit six 3-pointers in the opening half while Grace struggled to convert their shots. The Lancers missed numerous close opportunities in the first half and trailed by as many as 10 points.
Dennis Williams was one of Grace’s rare offensive bright spots in the first half when he tallied all eight of his points before halftime on 4-of-5 shooting from the field.
Williams, along with Grimm and Duke Johnson, combined to score 24 of Grace’s 26 first-half points. The Lancers entered the halftime break trailing 34-26.
The Chargers extended their lead to double digits early in the second half and led 41-30 with 16 minutes to play.
But the Lancers got their first burst of momentum with a 10-0 run over the next three minutes, thanks to three points apiece from Johnson and Elliot Smith.
The teams battled back-and-forth before Grace finally tied the score at 47-47 when Greg Miller converted an old-fashioned 3-point play from a rebound putback.
Grace struggled offensively after evening the score, however, allowing Briar Cliff to open up a six-point lead with 6:23 left.
Karl Columbus and Miller scored on Grace’s next two possessions to cut the gap to two points, but Briar Cliff’s Ben Sitzmann answered with four of his career-high 18 points as the Chargers regained a six-point edge.
Grace countered with a 3-pointer from Smith to make it a one-possession game with 1:56 remaining, but the scoring would end there.
Trailing by three points with less than a minute remaining, Columbus came up with a steal with 20 seconds left when Grace turned on the fullcourt press.
Grace set up their offensive play, but Briar Cliff blocked Miller’s 3-point attempt out of bounds.
On the final possession for the Lancers, Smith hoisted a contested 3-pointer from the left wing which missed, but Columbus snagged the offensive board and dribbled back out to the right corner for the potential game-tying 3-point shot. His attempt was on line but just short as time expired.
“The first half is where we put ourselves in jeopardy,” said Grace head coach Jim Kessler. “We battled back like we have all year, but we made a couple key turnovers that hurt us. We had a lag on offense in the first half, but defensively I thought we played good enough to win.”
In his final game as a Lancer, Duke Johnson led Grace’s scoring with 15 points on 6-of-12 from the field. He added 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks from the post.
Freshman guard Columbus was a spark off the bench in the second half with all 10 of his points coming after halftime. He made 5 of his 8 field goals and added 2 assists and 2 steals.
Grimm finished with 10 points and four boards, and Miller (7 points) and Smith (6 points) rounded out Grace’s scoring. Grimm also went over 1,000 career points as a Lancer in the loss, finishing the game with 1,003 career points in just his second season.
For the game, the Lancers shot 40 percent from the field and were only 3-of-14 from beyond the arc (21 percent). The Chargers finished at 42 percent shooting for the game.
“We missed a few shots that normally we would make in the first half. We had the high-low open for us all night, but we just weren’t patient with it,” Kessler continued. “We made a lot of runs in this game, and ultimately I’m disappointed for our seniors. At the same time, it was nice to see Karl [Columbus] step up and show a lot of potential.”
The loss ends the careers for Grace seniors Duke Johnson, Jacob Peattie, Dayton Merrell and Ben Euler. The quartet brought Grace to a national tournament appearance in each of the last four seasons with Peattie (redshirt senior) becoming the first Lancer to make four NAIA Nationals appearances.
BRANSON, Mo. – Thursday night will begin Grace’s foray into the 2012 NAIA National Championships. The Lancers will square off with Briar Cliff Universitiy (Iowa) on Thursday at 7:30 pm CST (8:30 pm EST).
The Lancers (24-7) are making their fourth trip to the NAIA Championships in the past five years and will hope to avenge a first-round exit in the 2011 tournament.
The Chargers (21-10) are led by Jake Shipley who averages 18 points and five rebounds a game. Taylor Murren is the other Charger scoring in double figures with 12.2 ppg.
Briar Cliff is making its eighth appearance in the NAIA Championships and finished No. 19 in the final regular-season poll.
To follow exclusive behind-the-scenes updates from the men's basketball team, visit Grace's athletic blog at http://gclancers.wordpress.com/. Included in the blog are photos, videos and posts tracking the team on their quest for a second NAIA title in program history.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grace's men's basketball team will take on Briar Cliff (Iowa) in the opening round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship, as the official bracket revealed on Wednesday.
The Lancers, the 2012 MCC regular season co-champions and tournament champions, will play their opener against Briar Cliff at 7:30 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, March 8, on the campus of the College of the Ozarks.
The Briar Cliff Chargers were No. 19 in the final regular season poll for the NAIA's Top 25 and received the seventh at-large invitation to the tournament.
The Chargers (21-10) are making their eighth appearance to the NAIA National Championship. Briar Cliff has an all-time record of 2-7 in Branson and had their most recent appearances in 2011 and 2009 (both first-round losses).
The Lancers (24-7) will make their sixth trip to the NAIA National Championship, including four times in the last five years. Grace has tallied an 8-4 record in the tournament.
The Mid-Central College Conference placed four teams in the 32-team field with Indiana Wesleyan (No. 13), Marian (at-large) and Saint Francis (at-large).
NeuLion is the NAIA's Digital Media Partner and official video-streaming company of 10 select NAIA National Championship events. The first 30 matches of the men's tournament will be available via live video stream for $29.95 and any single day can be purchased for $9.95. Also, one can purchase the all-tournament package of all four basketball tournaments for $49.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.
To read the NAIA's release, click here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – For the first time in the Orthopaedic Capital Center’s history, Grace has cut the nets down.
Grace punched its ticket to the NAIA Division II Basketball Championships in Branson, Mo., with a 79-75 thriller over Saint Francis on Tuesday night, taking home the 2012 MCC Tournament championship.
The Lancers (24-7) earned their first conference tournament title in program history and their sixth trip overall to the NAIA DII Championships – including four of the past five seasons.
Bruce Grimm Jr. proved unstoppable all night as he dazzled his way to 35 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
The OCC crowd was at fever pitch from the tipoff and had little reason to drop its level of excitement in the title bout.
The Cougars (21-12) grabbed their largest lead of the game early with a 14-8 advantage after six minutes of play. The Lancers soon after leveled the score.
Grimm added six of his 16 first-half points in the final 2:10 of regulation, and his driving layup in the waning seconds gave Grace a 36-31 lead at the halftime break.
Saint Francis fired back to start the second half, however, and ended a 12-2 run with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 43-40 lead.
The teams played about as evenly as possible for most of the second half. Over a 14-minute stretch in the half, the lead was never greater than three points in either team’s favor.
Freshman Karl Columbus and Grimm were instrumental in keeping Grace close. Columbus added eight points and four boards in his 13 second-half minutes.
Grimm finally began to swing momentum Grace’s direction when he pulled up for a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Lancers ahead 63-61 with six minutes to play.
Greg Miller muscled his way to a pair of low-post buckets on Grace’s next two possessions as the frenzied OCC crowd erupted with the home team leading 67-61 and only 4:33 remaining.
After a basket from the Cougars, Columbus banked in a shot in the lane, and Grimm scored twice in a row to establish a 10-point lead for the Lancers heading into the final minute.
Saint Francis scored from beyond the arc to cut the gap to seven points, but Jacob Peattie leaked free for a fastbreak two-handed jam on the inbounds pass out of a Saint Francis timeout.
The Cougars continued to foul over the last minute of play and managed to slice Grace’s lead to 78-75 after a contested 3-pointer from Q Owens swished through with 10 seconds left.
But Elliot Smith hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line with 6.7 seconds on the clock, and Saint Francis misfired on a desperation shot in the final seconds as Grace held on for the tournament championship.
Grimm’s 35 points tied a career high he set earlier this year in a double-overtime win against Bethel College. He finished 12-of-25 from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line while playing all 40 minutes of the game.
Miller and Columbus each tallied 13 points and five boards, and Duke Johnson added 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocked shots.
The Lancers hit 55 percent from the field, including 16-of-25 in the second half (64 percent). Grace held a dominant 52-36 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded Saint Francis by three (34-31).
The Cougars shot 43 percent for the night and were 47 percent from the 3-point line. Owens led Saint Francis’s production with 24 points.
The 32-team field and the tournament bracket for the NAIA DII Championships will be revealed on Wednesday. Stay up-to-date with Grace’s draw in Branson on Grace’s official site www.grace.edu/athletics.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Tuesday night's championship game for the Mid-Central College Conference between Grace and Saint Francis will be video streamed live for free at http://www.livestream.com/gracelancers.
The Lancers are seeking their first MCC tournament championship in program history. A win for the Lancers (23-7) will also secure an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Championships.
Grace was the 2012 regular season co-champion for the MCC and has already more than likely earned an at-large bid to the NAIA national tournament, but the Lancers will hope to cut down the nets at the Orthopaedic Capital Center on Tuesday night with a tournament championship.
The Lancers swept the Cougars in the regular season, with an 81-70 victory at home on Jan. 14 and an 89-87 win in Fort Wayne on Feb. 11.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s defense put the clamps down on Marian University on Saturday, holding off the Knights 62-53 to earn a trip to the 2012 MCC Tournament championship game.
The Lancers (23-7) will host the University of Saint Francis on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Orthopaedic Capital Center with a berth to the NAIA Division II National Championships on the line.
Despite being swept in the season series with the Knights (19-10), No. 13 Grace took the lead within two minutes of tipoff and never surrendered the lead after that.
Grace held No. 21 Marian to under 35 percent shooting from the field in a tenacious defensive effort.
In the first half, Grace’s strong post play was a major storyline as they scored 16 points in the paint.
Midway through the period, Marian made a charge to cut Grace’s lead to 23-20 with less than seven minutes remaining. The Lancers subdued the Knights’ momentum, however, with an 11-2 run and maintained their pace to take a 36-26 lead into the halftime break.
Lancer post players Duke Johnson (11 points) and Greg Miller (7) scored half of Grace’s points in the opening period.
After going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first half, the Knights found their range after halftime. Marian drilled four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes of the second half, the last one bringing the Knights to within two points (44-42).
But the Lancers held the Knights scoreless over the next six minutes of action, going on a 10-0 spurt to end the last serious threat of the semifinal match.
Overall, Grace shot 44 percent from the field and held a plus-7 advantage in rebounds (33-26). The Lancers tallied 11 assists on their 21 made field goals.
Johnson led all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, dished out two assists and nabbed three steals.
Bruce Grimm Jr. finished with 13 points and four assists, and Miller added 12 points and eight boards.
With the win the Lancers advance to their second MCC Tournament championship game and first since 2008.
While the Lancers have more than likely wrapped up at least an at-large invitation to the NAIA Division II National Championships, they can clinch their fourth NAIA berth in five years with a win over Saint Francis on Tuesday.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace showed no signs of disappointment against Taylor on Wednesday night despite coming off a loss to the Trojans in their regular season finale just four days earlier.
The Lancers controlled the majority of play in their Mid-Central College Conference quarterfinal matchup, easing away for a 76-53 victory.
Five players scored in double digits for the Lancers (22-7), led by Bruce Grimm Jr.’s 19 points and Elliot Smith’s 12.
For the game, Grace shot 53.4 percent while holding the Trojans (20-11) to just 36.0 percent from the field.
The Lancers wasted little time taking over the game’s momentum. Trailing 7-4 in the early stages of play, Grace went on an 18-0 run over a seven-minute span and never trailed again.
Taylor responded with eight straight points of their own to bring the score back to single digits, but the Lancers still entered the break with a 34-25 lead.
Grace controlled the opening half on the boards with a commanding 21-6 advantage in rebounds. The Lancers grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the first half, four belonging to Miller.
Grimm asserted himself to start the second half with eight points in Grace’s 10-2 run to begin the period. His back-to-back 3-pointers capped off Grace’s spurt and put the Lancers ahead 44-27 with just over 14 minutes remaining.
The Lancers built their lead up to 21 points at the midway mark of the second half before Taylor showed signs of life. The Trojans brought the margin back down to 11 after Casey Coons drilled one of his six 3-pointers on the evening.
But Smith scored on Grace’s next possession, and soon after, the Lancers ended all hopes of a comeback with 10 straight points.
Grimm’s team-high 19 points came with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
Miller, Duke Johnson, and Karl Columbus each tallied 10 points. Johnson also added nine boards and four assists, and Columbus tallied five rebounds and two steals off the bench.
Overall, Grace held a plus-19 advantage on the boards (39-20) and tallied 18 assists on their 31 made field goals.
With the win, Grace will face Marian University in the MCC Semifinals. The Lancers will hope to get revenge on the Knights on Saturday at the Orthopaedic Capital Center at 3 p.m. after Marian swept the season series with Grace.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Junior guard Elliot Smith was included as a Third Team selection for Capital One Academic All-America®, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The Capital One College Division Academic All-America® basketball teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions who have earned at least a 3.3 GPA.
Smith currently holds a 3.91 GPA while studying accounting at Grace.
He averaged 9.0 points per game in Grace's regular season and helped the Lancers to their first conference title since 1993. He ranks in the top 50 in the NAIA in 3-point percentage (41.0 percent) and is shooting 72.5 percent from the free throw line as well.
To view the complete All-America Team, click here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – To cap off its first Mid-Central College Conference title since 1993, Grace's men's basketball team landed three players on the All-MCC teams led by junior Bruce Grimm Jr. as First Team All-MCC.
Senior Duke Johnson was named Second Team All-MCC, and Greg Miller received the Third Team nod in his sophomore campaign.
Grimm, who was named First Team All-MCC for the second time in his career, is pacing Grace this year with 18.0 points, 4.4 assists and 1.7 assists per game. The point guard was even more impressive in MCC play, bumping his scoring up to 20.0 ppg. Grimm was also a part of the All-Defensive Team after nabbing 48 steals during the regular season.
Johnson earned his second consecutive Second Team All-MCC honor by tallying 14.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in the post. He shot 52.2 percent from the field in the regular season and 73.4 percent from the free throw line.
During the regular-season finale against Taylor, Johnson recorded his 1,500th point and currently sits in 21st on Grace's all-time scoring list.
Miller's Third Team All-MCC award is his first from the conference. He enjoyed a breakout season with 11.8 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game. He sank 53.8 percent of his shots during the regular season, including 31.7 percent from beyond the arc.
To view the complete MCC awards listing, click here.
UPLAND, Ind. – In their regular-season finale, No. 7 Grace could not slow down Taylor’s offensive production as the Trojans came away with an 82-73 victory on Saturday.
Despite the loss, the Lancers had already wrapped up a share of the Mid-Central College Conference title but had to settle for a co-championship with Indiana Wesleyan.
The Lancers (21-7; 12-6 MCC) were more than efficient on offense with 21 assists on 24 made field goals and only seven turnovers, but the Trojans (20-10; 9-9 MCC) were not to be stopped on Saturday.
Taylor got off to an incredibly hot start by hitting 15 of their first 20 shots (75 percent) and finished 63.4 percent for the game. The Trojans drilled nine 3-pointers in the game, including a 5-of-7 performance from beyond the arc in the second half (71.4 percent).
Despite Taylor’s marksmanship to start the game, Grace still found themselves ahead in the first half until the final five minutes.
The Trojans propelled ahead of the Lancers for good when they ended the half on a 13-4 run to take an eight-point lead into the break.
Taylor continued their momentum and quickly opened up a 14-point lead less than four minutes into the second half at 50-36.
Grace made numerous charges at Taylor’s lead and cut the gap to seven points on five occasions after then in the second half, but each time the Trojans had the answer thanks to their superb shooting.
Bruce Grimm Jr. paced Grace’s offense with 22 points and four 3-pointers made. He added six assists and four rebounds and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Greg Miller (18 points) and Duke Johnson (17 points) were strong in the post for the Lancers as Miller was also 3-for-4 from the 3-point line. Johnson topped 1,500 career points in the loss and currently sits in 21st place all-time for Grace with 1,508 points.
Jacob Peattie finished with seven points and four assists, and Elliot Smith scored all nine of his points off 3-pointers in the second half.
Grace was not able to produce any scoring from outside of its starting lineup.
The loss puts Grace as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming 2012 MCC Tournament. The Lancers will get their shot at revenge shortly when they welcome the seventh-seeded Trojans back to the Orthopaedic Capital Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Grace eeked out a 55-54 win over Taylor at home on Jan. 7.
To view the complete seeding and bracket breakdown, click here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Junior Elliot Smith and senior Duke Johnson were honored for their success in the classroom and on the court when they were named CoSIDA Academic All-District.
CoSIDA honors student-athletes from the NAIA as well as NCAA Division I, II and III who have earned at least a 3.3 GPA. The members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) then vote through the district and national winners of eligible student-athletes.
Smith and Johnson each earned their first All-District award from CoSIDA this year. Smith currently is posting a 3.91 GPA as an accounting major, and Johnson holds a 3.33 GPA as a business administration major.
The results from the national CoSIDA academic winners will be announced on Feb. 20.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – One of the most thrilling chapters to the Grace/Bethel rivalry was added on Tuesday night when Grace took home a 100-97 double overtime victory at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.
Bruce Grimm Jr. turned in a career night with 35 points, and the Lancers earned at least a share of the Mid-Central College Conference title with the win.
In a classic battle that featured a buzzer beater, numerous clutch shots, eight ties and seven lead changes, Grace managed to hold onto the lead throughout the majority of the nail-biting minutes in regulation and both overtime periods.
Bethel was more poised out the gate, however, as they opened up a 31-17 lead just 15 minutes into the game. Grace made a slight push late in the half but still found themselves trailing by nine at the half, 38-29.
Although the Pilots (15-13; 7-10 MCC) led for the first 27 minutes of play, the Lancers (22-6; 12-5 MCC) began to find their offensive rhythm to start the second half.
After shooting just 21.6 percent in the opening period (8-of-37), the Lancers opened the second half with eight straight points thanks to a 3-point play from Duke Johnson and a 3-pointer from Jacob Peattie.
Greg Miller tied the game for Grace with a bucket, and Grimm gave the Lancers their first lead of the game at 48-46 with 12:24 to go in regulation.
Dayton Merrell was crucial in helping Grace out to a six-point lead when he buried three 3-pointers in less than three minutes, but Bethel refused to go down early.
Bethel’s Matt Schauss nailed a pair of shots from beyond the arc in the minute 1:30 to cut Grace’s six-point lead down to two. The Pilots managed to force a turnover on Grace’s possession to set up a game-tying layup from Michael Mislan with 15 seconds left.
Peattie had a look from beyond the arc to win the game, but his shot was off the mark, and the teams entered their first overtime period.
The teams traded baskets to start overtime, but Grimm sank a deep two-pointer then made a steal and long outlet pass to Peattie to put the Lancers ahead 86-82 with 1:31 to play.
Again, however, Bethel came back with a much-needed 3-pointer and then fouled Grimm with 17 seconds on the clock. Grimm made both shots to give Grace a three-point edge, but as the clock expired, Bethel’s Ryan Benner put up a floating 3-pointer from the left wing that swished through to send the game to double overtime.
In the second overtime session, Johnson and Grimm combined for eight points in the first three minutes to give Grace a 96-90 lead.
It looked as if the Pilots had another rally up their sleeves when they rattled off five points and had a chance to tie the score at the free throw line, but Zach Miller missed his second free throw, and Bethel was forced to foul Duke Johnson with 15 seconds left.
Johnson made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, but Merrell came up with a big offensive rebound and passed to Elliot Smith. Smith was promptly fouled and again made 1-of-2 from the line to put Grace up by three.
The Lancers fouled in the backcourt with 10 seconds to play to prevent another game-tying 3-pointer from the Pilots, and Bethel made 1-of-2 from the free throw stripe to cut Grace’s lead to two.
Bethel fouled again with five seconds left, and again Grace made 1-of-2 from the line. Grace returned the favor with a foul to prevent a 3-point attempt, and Bethel made the first free throw but committed a lane violation on the second and was forced to foul.
With two seconds on the clock, Merrell gave Grace a three-point edge from the charity stripe, and a fullcourt heave from Benner was off the mark this time as the clock expired.
Grimm was the man of the night with a career-best 35 points to go along with six assists and five steals in 47 minutes of play. He made 10 field goal attempts and was 13-of-17 from the free throw line.
Johnson finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks in the post, and Greg Miller posted his seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 boards.
Merrell had 13 points and six rebounds on the night, and Peattie nailed two 3-pointers for eight points.
The Lancers earned at least a share of the MCC title and can claim the championship outright with a win in their season finale at Taylor University on Saturday at 3 p.m. Before this year, Grace had not earned an MCC title since the 1992-93 season.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – One of the best rivalries in the NAIA will write a new chapter on Tuesday night with a doubleheader at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.
Both the women's and the men's contests hold great significance in the Mid-Central College Conference standings with only two games remaining in the season.
In the women's game starting at 6 p.m., the Lady Lancers are currently 18-10; 10-6 MCC and are on a four-game winning streak. Grace can tie Bethel for second place in the MCC with a win Tuesday night. The Pilots (19-8; 11-5 MCC) were upset by Grace 67-61 on Jan. 10 and will be looking for revenge.
On the men's side, Bethel will be hoping to play the role of spoiler. The Lancers (21-6; 11-5 MCC) are currently tied atop the MCC standings and need only to win out to secure a share of the conference title. Grace is on a three-game winning streak in the series with the Pilots (15-12; 7-9 MCC), including a 77-69 win on Jan. 10.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – No. 5 Grace and No. 20 Saint Francis took turns dealing blows back-and-forth in a classic MCC duel on Saturday, but it was the Lancers who survived by pulling off a 89-87 victory.
Grace shot a remarkable 54 percent from the field in the win, including 16-of-27 on their attempts in the second half to outpace the Cougars in a furious offensive outburst at the Hutzell Athletic Center.
Bruce Grimm Jr. led Grace with 26 points on 10-of-19 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Grimm led the Lancers in points, rebounds (8), assists (4) and steals (2).
The Lancers (21-6; 11-5 MCC) jumped out of the gate with an 8-2 lead before surrendering eight straight points to the Cougars (18-10; 9-7 MCC).
Saint Francis extended their lead gradually throughout the half and led by as many as 12 at 49-37 with under two minutes left in the period.
But Grace forced three turnovers in the final minutes and rattled off seven unanswered points to cut the gap to 49-44 at the break.
The teams played level through five minutes of the second half, but the Lancers used an 11-2 run midway through the half to grab the momentum. Grimm scored six points, and Elliot Smith added four points during that pivotal spurt for Grace.
Grace managed to hold onto their lead for most of the frenetic final minutes as both teams traded crucial baskets down the stretch.
With 1:48 to play, the Lancers opened up a four-point lead when Dayton Merrell finished a layup from a Duke Johnson lob pass, but the Cougars quickly answered with a 3-pointer from Q Owens.
On the next possession, Smith scored to put Grace ahead 88-85 but was once again answered by Owens with a two-pointer of his own with 51 seconds left.
Grace called a timeout to set up their offensive possession, but Grimm misfired on a 3-pointer with the shot clock expiring. Owens sped down the floor for Saint Francis, but his contested shot was off the mark as well, and Dayton Merrell was fouled after corralling in the rebound with 6.6 seconds on the clock.
Merrell made the first free throw to give Grace a two-point edge but missed the second. The loose ball batted off Greg Miller’s hands towards Grimm, who managed to dribble out the final seconds and secure the victory.
Smith finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting with three 3-pointers, Duke Johnson had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Miller added 11 points and six boards.
Tannan Peters scored seven points by hitting all three shots he took off the bench, and Merrell chipped in with seven points as well.
The Lancers won the rebounding battle with the Cougars by two but held a plus-8 advantage in the second half. Grace also only turned the ball over eight times.
Grace is currently tied with Indiana Wesleyan atop the MCC standings with one week remaining in the season. They face longtime rival Bethel College on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at home and then take on Taylor University on the road on Saturday at 3 p.m. in their regular season finale.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team watched their halftime lead quickly dissolve as No. 24 Marian University ran away with a 70-54 victory on Tuesday.
After a strong first half, the Lancers (20-6; 10-5 MCC) squandered a four-point lead when Marian went on a 15-3 run to take control of the game early in the second half.
The Knights (17-8; 8-6 MCC) opened up a double-digit lead midway through the second half and never looked back. All in all, Marian outscored Grace 41-23 in the second half.
With the loss, Grace moves into a tie with Indiana Wesleyan atop the Mid-Central College Conference standings with three games remaining in the season.
Duke Johnson, coming off the bench for the second straight game due to an injury, led Grace with 16 points, 6 boards and 2 blocks in 28 minutes.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, but the Lancers ended the half on a 9-4 spurt with five points from Bruce Grimm Jr. to enter the break ahead, 31-29.
Unfortunately, Grace unraveled soon after that point.
Grace’s zone defense held Marian to just 37 percent shooting in the first half. The Lancers, on the other hand, found their shooting touch in the opening half by making 12-of-20 shot attempts.
After scoring 18 points in the paint during the opening period, the Lancers were held to just eight points in the paint after halftime. Grace struggled with a 27-percent performance from the field in the second half, including 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.
The Knights tallied 13 assists on their 26 made field goals with only eight turnovers. They managed to grab nine steals from the Lancers, who turned the ball over 15 times in the loss.
Greg Miller tallied a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a pair of blocks, and Grimm finished with 10 points and five boards.
The Lancers will take on No. 20 Saint Francis on the road on Saturday at 3 p.m. after the women start the doubleheader with Saint Francis at 1 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's men's basketball team improved three spots to No. 5 in the latest edition of the NAIA Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
They have appeared in the top 10 of the NAIA poll in each edition during the 2011-12 season and lead a pack of four conference teams appearing in the poll.
Last week, the Lancers (20-5; 10-4 MCC) secured their fifth 20-win season in the last six years and 18th in program history.
Grace currently holds a one-game lead atop the Mid-Central College Conference with four MCC games remaining.
The Lancers face a crucial week against a pair of teams appearing in the Top 25, including at home against No. 24 Marian (Tuesday, 7 pm) and on the road against No. 20 Saint Francis (Saturday, 3 pm).
Listen to both games this week live on Stretch Internet.
To view the complete Division II poll, click here.
To view action photos from Grace's 2011-12 season, click here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Bruce Grimm Jr. won his second Player of the Week award from the Mid-Central College Conference in the last four weeks and his first NAIA and NCCAA Player of the Week awards.
Grimm was crucial in a pair of important MCC wins last week over teams that were receiving votes in the NAIA Division II poll. He averaged 28.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game and turned in a career-high 34 points with five 3-pointers in a win over Goshen College on Saturday.
In addition, he posted a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio for the week (10 assists, 2 turnovers). Overall, he shot 50% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc.
Grimm, who became the third individual from the MCC to garner the NAIA weekly award this season, played a key role in No. 5 Grace’s wins at Spring Arbor (Mich.), 75-66, on Jan. 31 and against Goshen (Ind.), 90-76, on Feb. 4. The junior guard opened the week with 22 points and four assists against the Cougars, before posting a career-best 34 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including five 3-pointers, against the Maple Leafs. His showing against Goshen gives him four 30-plus point performances in his career.
Grimm was also MCC Player of the Week for Jan. 9-15 of this year.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Bruce Grimm Jr. poured in a career-high 34 points with five 3-pointers as No. 8 Grace cruised to a 90-76 victory over Goshen College on Saturday.
With the win, the Lancers (20-5; 10-4 Mid-Central College Conference) maintained their one-game lead atop the MCC standings and secured their fifth 20-win season in the last six years and 18th in program history.
Grimm and Greg Miller got Grace off to a fast start with eight points apiece as the Lancers went ahead 16-6 in the first five minutes of play.
The Maple Leafs (17-9; 7-7 MCC) managed to hold the Lancers to three free throws by Dayton Merrell over the next five minutes, allowing Goshen to slice Grace’s lead to 19-16.
But the Lancers ended the half by scoring 23 points over the final eight minutes, including a deep 3-pointer from Grimm in the waning seconds to put Grace ahead, 45-30.
Goshen was unable to come closer than 10 points the remainder of the game. As a result, the Maple Leafs began to foul with three minutes remaining, and the Lancers converted 10 free throws during that span.
Grimm’s 34 points came on 10-of-18 shooting and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. He added 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a game-high 6 assists without a single turnover.
Miller tallied the game’s only double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end.
Merrell converted 8-of-9 from the charity stripe to finish with 10 points, and Duke Johnson came off the bench after being injured the last two games to total seven points and five boards in 20 minutes.
The Lancers held a dominant 42-29 advantage on the glass, scoring 13 second-chance points and 34 points in the paint. The team made exactly half of their field goal attempts in the first half (14-of-28) and the second half (12-of-24) and sank 41 percent of their 3-point attempts.
The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, finished with 38 percent shooting from the field (26-of-69) and 29 percent from the 3-point line (8-of-28).
With only four MCC games remaining, the Lancers lead the chase for the conference crown by one game over both Indiana Wesleyan and the University of Saint Francis. Grace will hope to get revenge with Marian University when the two square off on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Orthopaedic Capital Center. The Knights upset the Lancers 66-57 in Indianapolis two weeks ago.
SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Grace’s basketball team played an inspired first half en route to a 75-66 victory over Spring Arbor on Tuesday, a win that gave head coach Jim Kessler his 650th career victory.
The Lancers dominated play in the first period, holding the Cougars to 23 percent from the field (5-of-22) and went into the half with a comfortable 34-17 lead.
No. 8 Grace pushed their lead up to as much as 20 points in the second half and kept Spring Arbor at bay to maintain their one-game lead in the heated Mid-Central College Conference standings.
“We came out and did what we need to in the first half,” Kessler said. “We passed the ball around well and created advantages for ourselves throughout the night. We had several players step up. A road win is a road win.”
Kessler’s milestone makes him one of only nine active NAIA basketball coaches who have reached 650 coaching wins. His all-time record currently stands at 650-498.
“I have had the privilege of coaching a lot of great players over the years who have made me look good,” Kessler remarked. “I consider myself fortunate to be where I am now, and I praise the Lord when I think about these experiences.”
Spring Arbor scored the first points of the game, but the Lancers (19-5; 9-4 MCC) did not trail again after a free throw from Dennis Williams put Grace ahead 3-2.
Although Grace led for practically the entire first half, they took control by closing out the final seven minutes of the half on a 14-4 run.
Elliot Smith was an offensive spark with 10 of his 13 points in the first half, including all three of his 3-pointers.
Grace was on cruise control in the second half, rarely letting their lead dip into single digits despite playing without Duke Johnson for the second straight game. The Cougars (15-10; 6-7 MCC) managed to slice the margin to eight with 51 seconds left, but Grace made 3-of-4 from the foul line to coast to victory.
Bruce Grimm Jr. led Grace’s offense with 22 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jacob Peattie was efficient on the offensive end with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor to go along with a pair of steals.
Williams added 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Greg Miller chipped in with 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
Despite shooting just 4-of-19 from beyond the arc (21 percent), the Lancers hit 48 percent from the field compared to 43 percent for the Cougars.
The Lancers will face Goshen College at home on Saturday at 3 p.m. Grace has five games left in the MCC season and currently leads Indiana Wesleyan and Saint Francis by one game in the standings.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's men's basketball team continued its stay in the Top 10 of the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll with a No. 8 ranking in the latest edition released Monday night.
The Lancers (18-5; 8-4 MCC) have been ranked among the top 10 best NAIA programs in each poll this year. They received 285 points in the poll, behind overall No. 1 Northwood with 374 points.
Grace currently holds a one-game lead atop the MCC standings and is one of four MCC schools in the Top 25 (No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 21 Saint Francis, No. 24 Marian).
Grace will face two conference teams in the "receiving votes" portion of the poll this week. They travel to Spring Arbor, Mich., to take on the Cougars on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and then welcome Goshen College to the Orthopaedic Capital Center on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Listen to both games on Stretch Internet.
Click here for exclusive action photos from the men's team this season.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team seemed on its way to an important conference win over Huntington University on Saturday despite playing without Duke Johnson.
But a 16-0 run late in the second half gave the visiting Foresters the momentum they needed to hand the Lancers their second-straight loss on Saturday, 77-81.
The Lancers (18-5; 8-4 MCC), who were led by a career-high 33 points from Bruce Grimm Jr., led by as many as 11 points in the second half but could not finish the job.
Grace led 66-55 after a rebound-basket from Dennis Williams with 8:15 left in the game, but the Foresters (14-10; 6-6 MCC) rattled off 16 unanswered points over the next three minutes. Huntington capped off their run with back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor to take a five-point lead they would not relinquish.
The Lancers did their best to retake the lead, but their shots at crucial moments did not fall. Huntington secured the upset by going 6-for-6 on free throws in the final 21 seconds.
Huntington found their shooting touch in the first half by hitting 60 percent from the field, but Grace scored 10 straight points midway through the half to take control and went into halftime ahead 41-36.
Grimm was nearly unstoppable in the opening period with 18 points on 5-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Overall, Grimm’s 33 points included a 12-of-13 performance from the free throw line and three assists.
Williams totaled 14 points with 7 boards and 2 steals, and Karl Columbus finished with seven points and six rebounds off the bench.
The Lancers only turned the ball over nine times but could manage just seven assists on their 28 made field goals compared to 13 assists on 26 field goals for the Foresters.
Grace, who holds a slim one-game advantage atop the MCC standings, will take on Spring Arbor on the road on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's fan section will be decked in red on Saturday for Grace's "Red Out" of Huntington University for Saturday's men's basketball clash on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The first 100 fans wearing their RED ZONE T-shirts into the Orthopaedic Capital Center will receive a free hot dog.
Saturday's conference clash will be televised as TV-46's "Game of the Week" and can be viewed later Saturday night or on Monday at 6 p.m.
The Lancers are currently ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll and hold a two-game lead atop the Mid-Central College Conference. To view action shots from the 2011-12 year, click here.
Listen to the game live at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/grace.portal# or follow with live stats.
MARION, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball nearly wrote a comeback for the ages when they chopped an 18-point deficit down to three in the game’s final eight minutes. But excellent shooting from Indiana Wesleyan allowed them to hold the Lancers off down the stretch for an 82-74 victory on Tuesday.
The Lancers (18-4; 8-3 MCC) trailed by as many as 21 points in the second half, but they refused to go away and made numerous charges late in the game.
Grace’s last run was a 21-6 spurt fueled by five 3-pointers. Jacob Peattie buried two of the treys as did freshman sparkplug Niko Read. The last 3-pointer from Dayton Merrell brought the Lancers all the way back to within three points at 73-70 with 1:52 remaining.
But the Wildcats (14-9; 6-5 MCC) iced the win with five free throws in the waning seconds as they ended the game on a 9-4 run.
Despite the loss, Grace maintained its two-game lead atop the MCC standings as a result of the other conference finishes on Tuesday.
The Wildcats produced their second-best shooting percentage of the season by hitting 30-of-50 from the floor (60 percent).
In the first half, Indiana Wesleyan was even more deadly. The Wildcats misfired on just nine of their 25 field goals, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Grace saw their first-half deficit balloon up to 13 points on two occasions but managed to keep the score within single digits for the majority of the opening half.
The second half was a different story, however. The Wildcats used a pair of 8-0 runs to open up their largest lead of the game at 60-39 with 11 minutes left in the game.
Read, a reserve freshman guard, was a major factor in Grace’s comeback. While playing only the final eight minutes of regulation, Read tallied 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist. He finished 4-of-5 from the field and made both of his 3-point attempts.
But despite Grace’s ability to mount a massive comeback on the strength of their outside shooting, the Wildcats held on for the upset at the free throw line.
Peattie led Grace in scoring with 14 points to go along with five boards and three assists. He sank 4-of-5 from beyond the arc including all three attempts in the second half.
Greg Miller finished with 13 points and eight boards, and Merrell and Elliot Smith each made a trio of 3-pointers and tallied with 11 points.
The Lancers lost the battle of the boards by eight overall but forced the Wildcats into 18 turnovers.
Indiana Wesleyan had a 27-7 advantage in free throw attempts, yet could only manage to net 63 percent from the charity stripe.
The Lancers will continue MCC action when Huntington University comes to the Orthopaedic Capital Center on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be featured as TV-46’s “Game of the Week.”
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's men's basketball team held steady at No. 4 in the latest edition of the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
The Lancers (18-3; 8-2 MCC) will put their ranking to the test this week, however, with a pair of games against MCC teams that appear in the receiving votes portion of the NAIA poll.
Grace received 301 votes, behind overall No. 1 Oregon Tech with 338 votes. Other MCC teams in the poll include No. 17 Spring Arbor and No. 21 Goshen.
Grace will travel to Marion, Ind., looking for revenge at Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Grace slipped 65-55 in an early-season matchup with the Wildcats when IWU was ranked No. 1. Indiana Wesleyan has gone 5-9 since that win, however, and now find themselves outside the Top 25.
On Saturday, Grace will welcome Huntington University to the Orthopaedic Capital Center for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
Grace currently has a two-game lead atop the MCC standings. They are in pursuit of their first MCC title since 1993. The Lancers have appeared in the Top 10 of the NAIA poll all season-long.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Dennis Williams scored a career-high 16 points as Grace featured a well-balanced attack to march past Mount Vernon Nazarene 89-63 on Saturday.
The Lancers (18-3; 8-2 MCC) opened up a double-digit lead midway through the first half and never looked back, helping maintain their two-game lead atop the conference.
“As a team, we took a punch against Marian the other night and had to recover,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “Duke [Johnson] hurt his back and was limited tonight, but other people stepped up in his place with Dennis [Williams] and Greg [Miller]. Bruce [Grimm] did a great job of floor management, and Jake [Peattie] and Dayton [Merrell] were big offensively. This was truly a team effort. We stepped up in the face of adversity.”
Williams was a major factor in the first half with 12 points in just 10 minutes of action. Grace used a 9-0 run and 14-5 spurt to gain separation from the Cougars (8-14; 2-8 MCC) and entered halftime ahead 44-30.
Jacob Peattie started the second half red-hot with 11 points in a five-minute stretch. Peattie drained two 3-pointers and also converted an old-fashioned 3-point play in the run. The Lancers opened the half with a 15-5 run to take a 27-point lead with 14:44 remaining.
The Cougars, who won the turnover battle against the Lancers (11 to 15), struggled on the glass. Grace grabbed 20 offensive boards and held a plus-17 advantage overall in rebounds.
Greg Miller pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds. His impressive statline included 12 points, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals as well.
Peattie led Grace in scoring with 17 points and five assists. He knocked down 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc.
Dayton Merrell tallied 12 points, and Bruce Grimm Jr. added 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
Williams’ 16 points came on 7-of-11 shooting. He also rejected four shots in just 18 minutes of action.
Overall, Grace held Mount Vernon to just 37 percent shooting from the field. The Cougars, however, drilled 10-of-22 from the 3-point line.
The Lancers produced a 46-percent shooting performance from the field and made 80 percent of their free throws (16-of-20).
Grace will hope to avenge an earlier MCC loss when they travel to Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Marian University continued its upset trend by taking down No. 4 Grace 66-57 on Tuesday night.
The Lancers (17-3; 7-2 MCC), who had their six-game winning streak snapped, struggled to just 38-percent shooting from the field. Marian, on the other hand, shot just under 50 percent from the field while knocking down half of their 3-point attempts.
Duke Johnson led all scorers with 24 points, but his effort was not enough to hold off Marian’s upset.
The Knights (13-7; 4-5 MCC) are now 5-1 against Top 25 teams in the NAIA.
In the first half, Johnson was Grace’s primary weapon with eight of the team's first 12 points.
Marian led for all but one minute of the first half, but Grace managed to stay close thanks to Johnson’s production. The Lancers took the lead at 24-22 with 2:57 remaining on a pair of Johnson free throws.
The Knights, however, ended the half on a 9-1 run, including two free throws from a technical foul by Bruce Grimm Jr. Marian went into the break with a 31-25 lead.
Johnson continued where he left off in the first half, scoring or assisting on 17 of Grace’s 18 points over the first 10 minutes of the second half.
But the Knights were not to be stopped on the offensive end on Tuesday.
Marian hit at a 55-percent shooting clip in the second half and drove their way past the Lancers throughout the final 20 minutes of action.
The Lancers managed to cut Marian’s lead to five at 50-45 with 9:08 left on the clock, but Marian bumped their lead to double digits soon after.
A pair of 3-pointers by Grimm and Dayton Merrell in the final three minutes of action brought the Lancers back to within six points, but the Knights hit 5-of-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch and held on for the upset.
Johnson’s production came on 6-of-11 shooting and 12-of-16 from the free throw line.
Greg Miller, who played 30 minutes after sitting out the past two games due to injury, added 13 points and nine rebounds.
No other Lancer scored more than six points (Grimm, Elliot Smith).
Overall, the Lancers took care of the basketball with 10 turnovers, but their poor shooting from the field doomed their cause.
The Lancers will hope to regain their winning form when they host Mount Vernon Nazarene on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Cougars’ head coach Matt Moore was a Lancer guard and former assistant coach under Grace’s Jim Kessler.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – With their sixth straight win, Grace's men's basketball team was awarded by moving up one spot to No. 4 in the NAIA Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
The Lancers (17-2) are off to their second-best start in program history and received 313 total voting points in the poll, behind overall No. 1 Northwood (Fla.) with 343 points.
Grace has been ranked in the top 10 nationally for all six polls this year. Before this year, however, the Lancers had not reached a top-10 ranking since the 1992-93 season.
With a two-game lead atop the Mid-Central College Conference (7-1 MCC), Grace will look to keep a tight grip on first place with a pair of MCC games this week. On Tuesday evening, Grace will travel to Marian University where Grace has not won since Dec. 2, 2008.
On Saturday the Lancers will host Mount Vernon Nazarene University and their coach Matt Moore, a former Lancer player and assistant coach.
Listen to both games live on Stretch Internet here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Junior point guard Bruce Grimm Jr. was named the Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Lancers to two impressive MCC wins.
Grimm averaged 21.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.0 spg, including tying a career high with 31 points in a win over No. 18 Saint Francis on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, he tallied 12 points, 3 boards and 2 steals in a road win over rival Bethel College.
In the two wins, Grimm nailed four 3-pointers (36 percent) and was 75 percent from the foul line.
The Lancers are off to their second-best start in program history, behind only the 1982-83 squad that started 26-2. For the season, Grimm leads Grace in scoring (16.0 ppg), assists (5.0 apg) and steals (1.9 spg).
Grace will play at Marian University on Tuesday night and will host Mount Vernon Nazarene on Saturday.
Listen to both games live on Stretch Internet here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Bruce Grimm Jr. tied a career high with 31 points as No. 5 Grace continued its impressive tear through the Mid-Central College Conference with an 81-70 victory over No. 18 Saint Francis on Saturday.
Grimm, along with Duke Johnson (19 points) and Dennis Williams (10), combined for 60 of Grace’s 81 points to keep the Lancers atop the MCC standings.
The Lancers (17-2; 7-1 MCC) are off to their second-best start in program history, behind only the 1982-83 squad that started 26-2.
Grace used a 12-2 run early in the game to open up a 19-9 lead in the first half, but the Cougars (13-7; 4-4 MCC) clawed its way back into the game and eventually used a late 3-pointer to take a 31-28 advantage at halftime.
Johnson came alive from the low post to start the second half, scoring nine points to highlight 12 unanswered points from the Lancers. Johnson finished 5-of-7 from the field to go along with five assists and two blocks.
Williams, who started in place of the injured Greg Miller, contributed all 10 of his points in less than seven minutes late in the second half. Grace led by as much as 18 points, thanks in large part to Williams’s points down the stretch.
Grimm’s 31 points included a trio of 3-pointers as well as 6 rebounds, 5 assists and only 1 turnover.
Williams, who played 29 minutes, hit five of his six shot attempts to go along with four boards and two blocks.
The Lancers valued the ball as evidenced by their eight turnovers. Grace also nabbed seven steals (two apiece from Grimm and Elliot Smith) and forced 12 turnovers defensively on Saint Francis.
In the second half, Grace’s priority to get the ball down low allowed them to connect on 17-of-29 from the field (58.6 percent).
Grace will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., on Tuesday for a matchup with Marian University at 7 p.m.
MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Duke Johnson’s 15 points and 18 rebounds paced No. 5 Grace, who won their third straight game over Bethel 77-69 on Tuesday.
The Lancers (16-2; 6-1 MCC) strengthened their grip for first place in the Mid-Central College Conference with an impressive performance over their rival Pilots (12-7; 3-4 MCC).
Bethel was poised to take the lead trailing 20-19 midway through the first half. But the Lancers ended the opening period on a 24-10 run, sparked by a trio of 3-pointers by Elliot Smith, to take a 44-29 lead at the break.
Johnson drilled his only 3-point attempt of the game in the waning seconds of the first half to cap off a strong opening 20 minutes of action.
Although the Lancers could not maintain their 56-percent shooting clip from the first half, they compensated by turning the ball over just three times in the second half.
Grace managed to build its lead up to 18 points and never allowed the margin to reach single digits after halftime.
Johnson’s offensive damage was impressive considering he commanded two Pilot defenders most of the night. In addition to his scoring, Johnson tallied 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks on only one turnover in 34 minutes of play.
Smith tied his career high with five 3-pointers on nine attempts for 17 points. He also added a pair of assists and a pair of steals.
Karl Columbus was a vital player off the bench with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He also pulled down five rebounds in 22 minutes.
Bruce Grimm Jr. scored 12 points with two steals.
Grace’s final eight-point margin could have been greater had they not turned in their worst free throw performance of the season. The Lancers could only hit 8-of-21 from the charity stripe (38.1 percent).
The Pilots, on the other hand, shot 50 percent from beyond the arc but only 31 percent on 2-point field goals.
Grace now has a two-game edge on top of the MCC. They will host the University of Saint Francis on Saturday at 3 p.m. following the women’s Grace/St. Francis game at 1 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team will travel to Mishawaka, Ind., tonight to play longtime rival Bethel College as the newly minted No. 5 team in the nation.
The Lancers, who enter Tuesday’s game with a 15-2 record, are off to their best start in 20 years. The last team to begin a season this strong was the 1991-92 squad that started 16-2 en route to an NAIA national title.
Grace is coming off four straight victories, including a perfect 3-0 record last week against MCC teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
The all-time series with the Pilots is about as close as it can get. Through 116 games, Bethel has a slight edge at 59-57, but the Lancers hope to continue their current two-game winning streak against the Pilots tonight.
Bethel brings an 11-6 record into tonight’s game and currently stands tied for fifth in the MCC with a record of 3-3.
The Lancers are alone at the top of the conference with a 5-1 record.
Listen to live audio of the game at 7:30 p.m. on Stretch Internet. The men’s game is the second-half of the doubleheader as the women’s Grace/Bethel game tips off at 5:30 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Trailing by one to No. 19 Taylor, Grace proved its mettle when Greg Miller's baby hook scored with 4.7 seconds left allowed No. 7 Grace to come away with a 55-54 victory on Saturday.
Bruce Grimm Jr. led all scorers with 19 points, and the Lancers (15-2; 5-1 MCC) secured their best start in 20 years.
With their 15-2 start, Grace is now off to its hottest beginning to a season since the 1991-92 squad that began 16-2 en route to the NAIA national championship.
In a game in which neither team led by more than six points throughout, the Trojans (13-5; 2-4 MCC) thought they were headed into halftime ahead. But Karl Columbus had different thoughts as his halfcourt heave at the buzzer swished in to put Grace up 32-31 at the break.
Midway through the second half, the Lancers scored six straight to go ahead 45-40 for their largest lead of the game with 11 minutes to play. But the Trojans came back with seven unanswered points, and a pair of 3-pointers allowed Taylor to go ahead 50-47 with 6:17 remaining.
Grimm did his best to keep Grace close by scoring six points down the stretch.
Grace still trailed by two points with less than a minute to play when Grimm drew a foul. He was only able to hit 1-of-2 from the line, however, and Taylor’s Casey Coons was sent to the free throw line at the opposite end with 20 seconds remaining.
Coons, who entered the game as a 94 percent free throw shooter, missed the front end of the bonus shots and gave the Lancers a chance to retake the lead.
After Grace’s first shot missed, the rebound attempt was called a jump ball which gave Grace possession out of bounds.
Miller caught the inbounds pass in the lane, made a move to his left and rose above the Trojan defender for the game winner.
Coons tried to steal the win at the buzzer for Taylor, but his 3-point attempt drew the back of the rim.
Miller’s game winner was his only basket of the game.
Grimm added seven boards and four assists to his point total, and Duke Johnson finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Karl Columbus made an impact off the bench with7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in 26 minutes.
The Lancers held a plus-11 advantage in rebounds, despite shooting just 38 percent from the field.
The Lancers will hope to stay on top of the MCC when they travel to Bethel College on Tuesday. Grace will play a doubleheader with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s game to follow at 7:30 p.m.
GOSHEN, Ind. – In a Top-15 matchup that determined who took over the driver’s seat in the Mid-Central College Conference, No. 7 Grace pulled away late from No. 12 Goshen to win 73-58 on Thursday night.
Jacob Peattie scored 9 of his 19 points in the final 5:30 of regulation, and Bruce Grimm Jr. added 17 points to move the Lancers (14-2; 4-1 MCC) into sole possession of first place in the MCC.
Grace stayed in front for the majority of the first half, building their lead up to 12 points on a three-point play by Dennis Williams with 3:33 left in the half.
Two fouls on Duke Johnson held him scoreless in only four minutes of action in the first half, but Grace’s bench stepped up with 10 points combined from Williams and freshman Karl Columbus. The Lancers entered halftime ahead 34-24.
The Maple Leafs (13-4; 3-2 MCC) slowly chipped away at Grace’s lead in the second half, eventually going ahead 46-44 with 10:20 remaining in the game.
But the Lancers came through with a 10-0 run, starting with a 3-pointer by Dayton Merrell, to take a nine-point lead.
Grace built its lead up to 16 points late in the game, and the exclamation mark on the victory was a fastbreak dunk by Peattie with 1:27 to play.
Both teams turned the ball over 10 times, but Grace’s defense was key by holding Goshen to 31 percent shooting from the floor.
The Lancers, who were outshot 18 to 8 from the free throw line in the first half, reversed roles and attacked the basket in the second half. Grace took 28 foul shots compared to 10 for Goshen after halftime.
Peattie made 6-of-7 from the floor, and Grimm’s 17 points came with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
Greg Miller had a productive evening with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Williams finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and an assist in 21 valuable minutes off the bench.
The Lancers will play their third conference game of the week when they host Taylor University on Saturday at 3 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – On a night when Greg Miller poured in a career-high 24 points, Grace’s game with Spring Arbor came down to two free throws from Bruce Grimm Jr. with 5.4 seconds left.
After Chris Bellamy’s runner from the baseline put Spring Arbor ahead 67-66 with 10 seconds remaining, Grimm rushed down the center of the court and drew a foul on his layup attempt.
Grimm calmly sank both attempts, and Bellamy’s 3-point shot at the buzzer was off the mark as the Lancers held on for the 68-67 win.
With the victory, the No. 7 Lancers (13-2; 3-1 MCC) move into a tie for first place in the Mid-Central College Conference with Indiana Wesleyan and Goshen, both of whom lost tonight.
“A win is a win, that’s the bottom line,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “They made some really big shots tonight, and they’re a really good team. We’ve gotta be able to win games like this in the conference so I’m pleased.”
The Cougars (11-5; 2-2 MCC) stayed in front for most of the first half and grabbed their largest lead of the game at 22-15. But Grace’s defense picked up its intensity to force several turnovers and shift the momentum.
The Lancers proceeded to run off 10 straight points and ended the half on a 22-8 run to take a five-point advantage into halftime.
Grace opened up an 11-point lead at 64-53 with 6:43 remaining. Spring Arbor cut that lead in half with just under four minutes to play, and the Lancers missed five straight shots down the stretch to allow the Cougars back into the game.
Miller’s 24 points came on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor. He buried four 3-pointers and also blocked three shots in an impressive performance.
Grimm finished with 13 points, 4 boards and 3 assists. Nine players in all scored for Grace. Dayton Merrell had seven points, and Duke Johnson chipped in with eight.
Overall, Grace handled the ball well with 11 turnovers. They were just under 50 percent shooting from the floor at 49.1 percent.
Bellamy led all scorers with 30 points. Only four players scored for Spring Arbor in the game.
The Lancers continue MCC play when they travel to Goshen College on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Grace’s attack was running at a near record-breaking level in their 122-58 dismantling of Cincinnati Christian College on New Year’s Eve.
The Lancers (12-2) started the game off on a 24-8 run and never looked back, entering the break ahead 51-27.
Cincinnati Christian (5-12), who only dressed five players, gave up 71 second-half points to the Lancers, who played 10 players.
Greg Miller nearly etched his name in the record books by hitting 9-of-10 from the field for 20 points. Miller’s mark was one make away from tying John Boal’s 10-for-10 performance against Tennessee Temple in 1984. Miller also hauled in 10 boards.
Bruce Grimm Jr. also nearly added himself to the record books. While he made his only shot of the game (a 3-pointer), his 14 assists in 22 minutes of play were two assists shy of Grace’s single-game record of 16, which is shared by Neal Frantz (1983) and Jerry Ryman (1968).
Overall, Grace made 49 field goals with 38 assists, hitting 69 percent from the floor. The Lancers’ offensive output was their greatest since scoring 129 points on 52 field goals made last season against Ohio University-Eastern.
Duke Johnson led Grace in scoring with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. He added 10 rebounds and four blocks in 22 minutes.
Elliot Smith drilled five 3-pointers on seven tries for 19 points to go along with four assists.
Tannan Peters added 13 points, and Karl Columbus chipped in with 12 off the bench.
Lee Ross finished with 5 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds off the bench as well.
With the win, Grace concludes its nonconference season and enters the final portion of its Mid-Central College Conference schedule as the No. 7 team in the nation. The Lancers will play Spring Arbor University on Tuesday at home at 7 p.m.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Midway through the second half, Grace’s men’s basketball team appeared to be on its way to their 12th win of the season.
But a massive 25-4 run by The Master’s College allowed the host team to grab momentum on their way to an 80-68 win over the seventh-ranked Lancers.
Greg Miller got the Lancers (11-2) going early with 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give Grace an early lead. Grace stayed on top for most of the first half and took a 35-30 lead into halftime when Duke Johnson swished a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the first period.
In the second half, Grace built up its lead to nine at 43-34 before the wheels came off completely.
Over the next eight minutes, The Master’s outscored Grace 25-4 including a run of 10 straight points and another spurt of 11 points in a row.
After all was said and done, the Mustangs (10-2) were ahead 59-47 with 8:34 to play. With the momentum on their side, The Master’s held off any thought of a Grace comeback down the stretch.
The second half was controlled by the Mustangs on all fronts. They connected on 57.6 percent of their field goal attempts while only committing three turnovers. The Lancers did not record a single free throw in the second half while the Mustangs hit 7-of-10 from the charity stripe after halftime.
The Lancers nailed 11 3-pointers in the game, four of which came from Miller. Miller led the team in scoring with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Johnson added 17 points in 26 minutes of play before fouling out.
Elliot Smith buried three treys in the game to go along with four assists, and Bruce Grimm Jr. chipped in with 12 points and four assists.
The Mustangs outshot the Lancers 17-4 from the free throw line largely due to the fact that The Master’s was whistled for only six fouls in the game.
The Lancers will have their final nonconference game of the year when they travel to face Cincinnati Christian on New Year's Eve at 2 p.m.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Greg Miller’s 22 points led four Lancers in double figures as Grace eased by Holy Names University, 83-69 on Monday.
The No. 7 Lancers (11-1) used their balanced attack in the first half to grab a double-digit lead. They entered the break ahead 43-31.
But the Hawks (5-10) refused to go away easy. Neither team was able to separate themselves in the second half as Grace outscored Holy Names 40-38 over the final 20 minutes.
Miller’s 22 points came in 29 minutes of play. He nailed 10-of-13 from the field to go along with a game-high eight rebounds.
Duke Johnson added 16 points and six boards, Jacob Peattie tallied 10 points and three steals and Bruce Grimm Jr. chipped in with 11 points and eight assists. Grimm also drilled a pair of 3-pointers.
Off the bench, Dennis Williams proved to be a spark with 7 points, 5 rebounds and a block in 10 minutes of action.
Overall, Grace’s 20 turnovers were mostly nullified by shooting over 50 percent from the field. The team had an incredible 17-for-29 shooting performance (58.6 percent) in the second half.
The Lancers also forced the Hawks into 38.8 percent shooting. Holy Names took 20 three-pointers but could only manage to hit five of them.
The Lancers continue play out West with a matchup with The Master’s College tomorrow.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – In a dominant display, No. 6 Grace used an impressive defensive effort to grab its 10th win of the season with a 78-47 victory over Roosevelt University.
Overall, the Lancers (10-1) forced Roosevelt into 23 turnovers and held them to 31 percent shooting from the field.
“This was a good team effort all the way around,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “It took a little while to get going, but once we did we stuck to what worked. Defensively, I was very pleased with our effort as well.”
Grace made the first burst late in the first half. Both teams played fairly close through the first 13 minutes of play, but a 12-0 run allowed the Lancers to enter the break ahead 31-17.
The Lancers’ defense forced the Lakers (2-6) into 10 turnovers in the half while holding them to just over 30 percent shooting from the field.
That late run by Grace carried over into the second half on a much larger scale. The Lancers opened up the final period on a 28-6 run that put the game well out of reach.
Grace substituted liberally throughout the game with 12 players seeing action in the first half and 14 Lancers making appearances overall.
The Lancers were led in scoring by Greg Miller and Duke Johnson with 12 points apiece. Miller was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and also hauled down a game-high eight boards.
Bruce Grimm Jr. finished with eight points and six assists, and freshman Karl Columbus came off the bench to produce six points and four assists.
Tannan Peters also chipped in with eight points and four rebounds in 15 minutes of action.
The Lancers next turn their attention to California for their upcoming road trip. Grace will play two games at The Master’s College, first against Holy Names University on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and then against The Master’s on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s back-and-forth game with Daemen College appeared to be headed toward overtime when Jim Regan’s layup tied the game 69-69 with 10 seconds left.
But Bruce Grimm Jr. took the ensuing inbounds pass, raced down to the left baseline and drained a 15-footer with seven seconds left to provide the final score of 71-69.
Daemen went for the win at the buzzer, but their 3-point attempt was off the mark, and No. 6 Grace managed to stave off the upset bid.
“We had to make some big plays at the end – we needed big stops and big shots,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “I was particularly pleased that we didn’t panic at the end when breaks didn’t go our way. This was a good team effort, and I’m proud of them.”
The Lancers (9-1) were able to grab the game’s first lead, but soon enough the zone defense initiated by the Wildcats (5-4) led to Daemen taking control. Daemen went on a 11-0 run to take a 17-10 lead.
Grace eventually found their way through Daemen's zone, managing to tie the score 33-33 entering halftime.
The second half started much better for the Lancers as Grace opened up a six-point lead – their largest of the game.
But Daemen looked to deal the final blow to the Lancers when they went on an 18-0 run over a four-minute span to take a 57-45 lead with 11:20 remaining.
Once again, however, the Lancers showed resiliency and finally retook the lead at 64-63 on a Jacob Peattie 3-pointer with 2:47 to play.
Each team made a pair of free throws and a two-pointer down the stretch, and Grimm had a chance to give Grace a three-point cushion at the free throw line with 21 seconds left but hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to set up the final two possessions.
“This was a very athletic team, more so than most teams we will see,” Kessler continued. “Their zone threw us for a little bit of a loop, but our bench gave us some big minutes, and I was very pleased with the depth we showed.”
Grimm led the Lancers with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Greg Miller finished with 15 points, Duke Johnson added 14 points and eight boards, and Elliot Smith had 10 points.
Overall, Grace outrebounded Daemen by nine which helped make up for their 19 team turnovers.
The Lancers will look to secure their 10th win of the season on Saturday when they take on Roosevelt University at 3 p.m.
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – In a classic back-and-forth Mid-Central College Conference game that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes, Grace held on for a 77-75 win at Huntington University on Saturday.
Duke Johnson, who hit 9-of-10 shots, played a crucial role down the stretch for Grace.
With the score tied 59-59 with seven minutes remaining, Johnson scored four straight to give Grace breathing room.
Huntington, however, stormed back to take a two-point lead with 3:21 to play. But Johnson again had the answer with buckets on back-to-back possessions to give the Lancers (8-1; 2-1 MCC) a 73-71 lead they would not relinquish.
Down the stretch, Grace’s defense held and free throws from Bruce Grimm Jr. and Greg Miller iced the win for the Lancers.
Grimm was the offensive leader for Grace, pouring in 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting. He also pulled down four rebounds and had three assists and two steals.
The Foresters (8-3; 1-2 MCC) stayed ahead for the first 15 minutes of the first half, leading by as much as eight points, before a basket by Miller gave Grace a 22-21 lead.
The teams traded baskets for the final five minutes of the half, and Grimm ended the half with a basket in the final seconds as the teams headed to their locker rooms tied 31-31.
The Lancers earned their biggest lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Miller to make the score 45-39 with 15:11 to play.
Huntington had plenty of resolve to battle back, but Johnson’s shots in the final minutes proved to be the difference.
Johnson finished with 18 points in just 20 minutes of play after struggling with foul trouble. He managed to pull down six rebounds in those minutes to lead all players.
Miller tallied nine points and four boards, and Elliot Smith hit a pair of 3-pointers for his 10 points.
The Lancers, who hit 54.7 percent of their shots overall, stepped it up in the second half to nail 18-of-26 from the floor for nearly 70 percent (69.2 percent). Grace buried five treys in the second half on seven attempts as well.
Defensively, Grace produced seven steals – two from freshman Karl Columbus.
The Lancers welcome Daemen College and Roosevelt University to the Orthopaedic Capital Center on next Friday and Saturday respectively. Grace’s game with Daemen is at 7 p.m., and they play Roosevelt at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – In an early-season battle between two of the nation’s top teams, No. 4 Grace could not unsettle top-ranked Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday night, falling 55-65.
On a night where snowy, freezing conditions delayed the tipoff of the highly anticipated Top 5 showdown, Grace’s ice-cold shooting touch allowed the Wildcats to win the battle of the two unbeatens.
The Lancers (7-1; 1-1 MCC) hit 15-of-54 from the floor in the game for a woeful 27.8 percent and managed to connect on only 25 percent of their 3-pointers.
The Wildcats (8-0; 2-0 MCC) used a 12-0 run near the beginning of the game to open up a 15-6 lead, and Indiana Wesleyan never trailed again.
The teams traded baskets into the half as Indiana Wesleyan led 33-26 at the halfway mark.
The game seemed to continue that trend until midway through the second half when Grace made its run. The Lancers, trailing 43-35, scored 10 of the next 13 points to cut the score to 46-45 on a pair of free throws by Dayton Merrell.
Bruce Grimm did his best to keep Grace’s hopes alive late in the game. He scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in a five-minute stretch, but Indiana Wesleyan slowly but surely pulled away. The Wildcats iced the game with six free throws in the final minute of play.
Grace’s poor shooting was most evident in the second half when they made less than 25 percent of their shots and less than 19 percent of their 3-point attempts.
Although Grace only committed 12 turnovers all game, they were outrebounded by 14 by the Wildcats.
Duke Johnson battled foul trouble with nine points on seven shot attempts to go along with six boards, and Merrell and Greg Miller each finished with seven points.
The Lancers will hope to bounce back in MCC play on Saturday when they play at Huntington University at 3 p.m.
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – Grace men’s basketball team won by 22 in their conference opener on the road against Mount Vernon Nazarene by the score of 91-69.
The Lancers, who placed five players in double-digit scoring, earned their seventh straight victory to open the season.
The Cougars (4-3; 0-1 MCC) in their MCC debut led 10-9 to start the game, but the Lancers rattled off 11 unanswered points to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Mount Vernon battled back, however, to cut the margin to four, but Grace was able to build their lead back up to 10 on a deep 3-pointer by Jacob Peattie as the first half expired.
After Grace had earned a 21-point lead at the midway point of the second half, Mount Vernon mounted their comeback attempt on the back of their 3-point shot.
The Cougars, who hit 11 treys in the game, hit four 3’s in less than four minutes to chop Grace’s lead in half. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Ben Severns made the score 71-62 with 5:31 to play.
But Elliot Smith drained a 3-pointer of his own on the next possession, and Grace put the game out of reach with an 18-1 run.
“For our conference opener, I’m happy with how our guys came to play today,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “Offensively, we handled the ball well, and I thought we weathered the storms each time Mount Vernon made a run.”
Grace, who outscored Mount Vernon 38-11 in bench points, was led by Greg Miller’s 19 points in 24 minutes off the bench. Miller nailed 9 of 12 shot attempts to go along with six rebounds and three assists.
Duke Johnson had a well-rounded night with 14 points to go along with six boards. He also recorded a game-high seven assists with zero turnovers.
Bruce Grimm Jr. tallied 18 points, 4 boards and 3 assists, Peattie finished with 15 points and six boards and Smith added 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
Overall, Grace’s defense forced the Cougars into 21 turnovers and held them to 40 percent shooting from the field. The Lancers, on the other hand, tallied 18 assists on 13 turnovers and connected on over half of their field goals (52.2 percent).
For Kessler, he earned the first victory over Cougars’ head coach Matt Moore in their head-to-head coaching matchup. Moore played under Kessler for four years and was also an assistant coach at Grace before taking Mount Vernon’s head coaching position.
The Lancers will continue MCC action with a Top 10 matchup with Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday. No. 9 Grace will host No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan at the Orthopaedic Capital Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The updated NAIA Top 25 poll will be released the day before on Monday.
ALBION, Mich. – Grace’s men’s basketball team won its second tourney of the young season with senior Duke Johnson leading the way.
This time, the Lancers defeated the host school Albion College 78-67 in the Mike Turner Tip-off Tournament on Saturday.
Johnson was named Tournament MVP for the second time this season with 15 points. He nailed 9 of 10 from the free throw line and added three assists as well.
The Lancers (6-0) had trouble distancing themselves from the Britons (1-1) in the first half as the score was tied six times before halftime.
But Grace used back-to-back 3-pointers by Elliot Smith and Jacob Peattie to turn a one-point deficit into a 38-28 lead at the break, and the Lancers never trailed after that run.
Grace maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second half, but Albion made a push with four minutes to play. A trey and a pair of free throws brought the Britons to within five at 70-65.
Greg Miller dealt Albion the final blow, however, with four straight points to thwart Albion’s comeback attempt as Grace held on for the 11-point win.
Six players, including all five starters, scored 10 or more points led by Smith’s 16. Smith hit 4 of 5 shots from beyond the arc.
Bruce Grimm Jr. added 12 points, 5 assists and 3 steals, and Peattie tallied 12 points, 5 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Miller nailed five of his six shots for 11 points to go along with a game-high seven rebounds, and Dayton Merrell finished with 10 points as well.
The Lancers hit a sizzling 62.8 percent from the field, including 7 of 10 from the 3-point line. Although they committed 20 turnovers, they outrebounded Albion by five.
Grace will open its conference season on the road on Tuesday when they travel to MCC newcomer Mount Vernon Nazarene. The 7 p.m. tipoff features a coaching matchup of Grace’s Jim Kessler and former Lancer guard and assistant coach Matt Moore, who is in his third year as the head coach of the Cougars.
ALBION, Mich. – In an offensive showcase that featured 180 combined points, Grace’s men’s basketball team did just enough to put away the University of Akron-Wayne College 94-86 on Friday night.
The Lancers (5-0) will have a chance to win their second tournament of the young season when they play the host Albion College in the championship of the Mike Turner Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday.
No. 9 Grace led from start to finish against the Warriors but could not build a lead of more than 15 points.
Duke Johnson scored on three consecutive possessions for Grace to help open up a 19-9 lead early on, but as was the case much of the night, the Warriors would not go away.
UAWC slowly whittled down Grace’s lead to four at 35-31 with 7:33 remaining in the half, but the Lancers struck back to take a 58-45 lead entering the half.
In the second half, the Warriors hit four 3-pointers midway through the half to slice what was a 15-point margin into a 73-72 score with 7:32 to play.
But Elliot Smith canned a couple of well-timed treys to give the Lancers a manageable lead and allowed Grace to hold on for their eight-point victory.
Johnson and Greg Miller took team honors with 19 points. Miller was 8 of 13 from the field with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, and Johnson hit 9 of his 15 attempts to go along with a game-high 13 boards.
Smith hit three 3-pointers en route for his 18 points. He also tallied seven boards and three assists, and Jacob Peattie finished with 16 points.
Bruce Grimm Jr. ended the game with 8 points, 6 assists and 4 steals.
The Lancers’ championship game with Albion on Saturday will tip off at 4 p.m.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – In an early-season battle between two of the NAIA's Top 10 teams, No. 9 Grace College pulled away late over No. 8 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) to win 82-73.
Grace stayed in front for most of the game but could not manage to gather a lead of more than 11 points.
The Eagles (2-1) looked to sneak ahead late when they grabbed momentum and the lead at 62-61 with under six minutes remaining, but baskets by Duke Johnson and Jacob Peattie down the stretch helped the Lancers (4-0) seal the championship of the Hoops for Hope KCCCF Tournament.
“This was a very good Embry-Riddle team, and I think our guys rose to the occasion tonight,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “We stuck with our strengths and made plays when we needed to.”
The Lancers took a 13-12 lead five minutes into the game, and they would not relinquish that lead until midway through the second half.
Embry-Riddle turned up the defensive pressure late in the second half, and the Eagles were able to convert a few turnovers into points to cut into Grace’s lead.
The Eagles’ high moment came with 5:55 remaining when they converted a dunk and ensuing free throw for a three-point play to take a 62-61 lead.
But the Lancers responded with 10 straight points to seize control of the game for good. Johnson scored six in a row, including a two-handed jam, and Peattie added four during the game-changing run.
Johnson was named the Tournament MVP and finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. He nailed 10 of his 13 shot attempts and also recorded four assists and two steals.
Bruce Grimm Jr., who was also named to the All-Tournament Team, finished with 18 points, 8 assists and 6 boards, and Dayton Merrell chipped in with 11 points.
Jacob Peattie was named the Hoppus Mental Attitude Award winner. He tallied 12 points and four assists, and Dennis Williams added seven points and eight boards.
Greg Miller also had a well-rounded performance with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Overall, the Lancers held a plus-14 advantage on the glass and connected on 61 percent of their field goal attempts in the second half.
The Lancers will play in the Mike Turner Tip-Off Tournament in Albion, Mich., next weekend. Grace will play the University of Akron-Wayne on Friday at 6 p.m. then finish with the consolation or championship game on Saturday.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team opened the 2011 Hoops for Hope KCCCF Tournament with a 74-55 victory over Missouri Valley College.
The Lancers’ (3-0) defense made scoring hard to come by for the Vikings (1-2), especially in the first half when Missouri Valley was held to 16 points.
Grace got off to a fast start with Duke Johnson’s and-1 bucket in the game’s first 15 seconds, and the Lancers continued to dominate the game early.
Grace opened the game with a 19-2 run, sparked by six points apiece by Elliot Smith and Dennis Williams.
While the Vikings recovered offensively after Grace’s initial run, the damage was done as the Lancers had doubled up the Vikings at the half, 32-16.
The Lancers eventually built their lead up to a game-high 31 points with 9:26 remaining before coasting to their third straight win and a place in the championship game on Saturday.
Johnson took scoring honors with 17 points and seven boards, including a perfect 9 for 9 from the free throw line.
Smith buried four 3-pointers with 14 points, and Bruce Grimm Jr. tallied 14 points, 6 assists and 4 steals.
Williams just missed a double-double with nine points and nine boards, and Dayton Merrell finished with three points and five boards.
Overall, Grace outrebounded Missouri Valley by 10 and converted on 23 of their 27 free throw attempts (85.2 percent).
With the win, the Lancers set themselves up for a championship bout with No. 8 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Listen to the championship game live on Stretch Internet here.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's men's and women's basketball teams are gearing up for the 2011 Hoops for Hope KCCCF Tournament this weekend at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.
The suggested donation to watch the games is $5 which will go directly to Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund (KCCCF).
Four teams ranked in the Top 25 of the NAIA Coaches' Poll will be on display this weekend, including No. 9 Grace's men's basketball squad and the 24th-ranked Lady Lancers.
The women's side of the tournament is a classic format with No. 9 Concordia (Mich.) playing IU-Southeast at 2 p.m. on Friday and No. 24 Grace playing Northwestern Ohio at 6 p.m. Grace will then take on the ninth-ranked Cardinals at 3 p.m. on Saturday which will be preceeded by IU-Southeast versus Northwestern Ohio at 11 a.m.
In the men's tournament, No. 8 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) will open the weekend for the men with their matchup with Missouri Baptist at 4 p.m. on Friday. No. 9 Grace will play in the nightcap at 8 p.m. versus Missouri Valley. The consolation game on Saturday will be at 1 p.m. with the championship to take place at 5 p.m., potentially with an NAIA Top 25 clash of Grace and Embry-Riddle.
Each Grace basketball game can be heard live on Stretch Internet throughout the weekend.
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team shot a remarkable 63 percent in a 47-point second half, blowing past UC-Clermont in No. 9 Grace’s homecoming game.
The Lancers (2-0) used a 20-2 early in the second half to seize control of the game.
“We had some spurts where we played well, so now the focus is to get that play the whole game,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “We still have some kinks to work out, but the season is still beginning.”
Grace started the game out with a bang – or a dunk to be more accurate. After Grace won the tipoff, Bruce Grimm Jr. lopped a quick alley-oop to Jacob Peattie for a dunk in the first five seconds of play.
Peattie then went on to make a steal and throw down a second dunk barely 15 seconds into the game. After a quick miss by the Cougars (0-1), Peattie released early and got his third breakaway basket in a row.
Duke Johnson added four more free throws to help the Lancers out to a 10-0 lead.
The Lancers, however, would score only two more points during the next seven minutes to allow the Cougars to stay within striking distance as the half ended with Grace leading 42-31.
UC-Clermont managed to cut the lead to single digits with 17:07 remaining, but that’s when Grace started its run sparked by Grimm.
Grimm poured in 14 points over the next eight minutes to help the Lancers sprint away to a 30-point lead, and Peattie added six straight during Grace’s 20-2 run as well.
Although Grace committed 21 turnovers to just 12 assists, they helped themselves out with a plus-16 advantage on the glass.
Grimm took home scoring honors with 31 points on 10 of 18 from the field and 10 of 16 from the free throw line.
Peattie finished with 23 points on 7 of 10 shooting to go along with five steals, Duke Johnson had 12 points and six boards and Lee Ross tallied 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
Dennis Williams also added 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in 19 minutes of play off the bench.
The Lancers will host a quality field of competition next weekend at the KCCCF Hoops for Hope Tournament. Grace will face Missouri Valley on Friday at 8 p.m. and will play in the championship or consolation game on Saturday.
DEERFIELD, Ill. – No. 9 Grace started its 2011-12 campaign in convincing fashion with a 94-57 rout of Trinity International on Saturday.
The Lancers shot over 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from the 3-point line as everything seemed to go Grace’s way in their season opener.
“I’m very pleased with this performance for our first outing of the year,” said head coach Jim Kessler. “We handled the ball well and made the smart passes. It’s a long year, but this is a good start for us.”
Jacob Peattie took scoring honors on the night with 21 points on 6 of 10 shooting, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. He also nabbed four of Grace’s nine steals.
Grace started the game on a 14-3 run to set the tone for the game. Trinity International managed to battle back to tie the game at 18 apiece. But Grace stayed ahead and used a 13-3 run to end the half and enter their locker room ahead 43-31.
The Lancers opened the second half with 14 unanswered points to blow open the game, and they finished the game on a 15-3 run for the final margin of victory.
All five starters finished with double-digit scoring for Grace, led by Peattie’s 21 points.
Bruce Grimm Jr. finished the game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 0 turnovers, and Greg Miller tallied 13 points and eight boards.
Dayton Merrell had a well-rounded performance with 12 points, 7 boards and 6 assists, and Duke Johnson chipped in with 14 points and six rebounds.
Benjamin Euler came off the bench to add five points and four rebounds in 20 minutes of play, and Tannan Peters and Dennis Williams each finished with six points.
The Lancers forced the Trojans into 19 turnovers and held them to 37.9 percent from the field. Grace held a plus-20 advantage on the glass with 17 offensive rebounds helping their cause.
Grace will now prepare for their Homecoming matchup with UC Clermont on Saturday at 3 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After its third trip in four years to the NAIA Division II National Championships, Grace's men's basketball team has been ranked No. 9 in the Preseason Top 25 Poll, which was released on Monday.
The Lancers, a year after finishing 22-11 and 11-5 in the Mid-Central College Conference, have four of five starters returning.
Senior center Duke Johnson highlights Grace's lineup after leading Grace in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg) a season ago. He will be joined by junior guard Bruce Grimm Jr., who was named the MCC's Newcomer of the Year and an honorable mention to the NAIA All-American Team.
No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan, the reigning MCC champion, and No. 13 Saint Francis, the 2009-10 national champion, are the two other MCC schools in the top 25. Taylor University and Marian University appear in the receiving votes section of the poll.
Grace will open their season on the road against Trinity International at 7 p.m. on Oct. 29 before returning for their Homecoming matchup with UC Clermont on Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.
To see the complete release, click here. | http://www.grace.edu/athletics/mens-sports/basketball/basketball-stories-1112 | 23,229 |
Can I interest you in Week 10 picks crossed with an NFL mailbag that completely avoids the reprehensible Penn State scandal and barely mentions the NBA lockout? I can? Fantastic! As always, these are actual e-mails from actual readers.
Jaguars (-3) over COLTS
Q: I've never seen a fan base so unanimously in favor of losing every game in a season like the Colts fans right now. There is not ONE FAN that wants them to win a game this year. Bigger Colts celebration: Game they won the Super Bowl or game they clinch 0-16? When do their Luck jerseys go on sale? Week 12?
— Cody Pope, Springfield, IL
SG: Colts fans are definitely Lucked in. With four home games left (Jags, Panthers, Titans, Texans), I have to ask would you blame them if they started cheering for the visiting team during those games? Why not? Why not affect this thing? Take it from a Pats fan who rooted vociferously against the 1992 Patriots because I wanted Drew Bledsoe (and not Rick Mirer) — you feel bad for two months, but it's a means to an end. As soon as that franchise QB is throwing BBs for you, you realize, "I would absolutely do that again." And look, maybe you don't want to paint your face for the opposing team or anything, but you can make the process easier by (a) not wearing any Colts stuff to the games (no jerseys, no hats, no T-shirts), and (b) gambling large sums of money against your own team. Lay the three this week. Root for the Jags. It's for the best.
Q: Where would Andrew Luck fall in your (Week 8) QB power rankings if he was in the NFL right now?
— Kevin, Chicago
SG: If we were grabbing him from Stanford last Monday with the intention of starting him six days later? I'd stick him in the Matt Cassel Division (no. 20-21 range) with Cassel and Alex Smith. If we gave him six weeks to learn someone's offense and started him on Sunday? I'd bump him into the Older Steve Grogan Division (15-17 range). If he joined a team right after the lockout and had the past three-plus months to learn stuff? I'd stick him 13th in the "Borderline Franchise Guys" group just ahead of Matt Schaub. The important thing to remember: Keep him at least 20 spots higher than Colt McCoy and John Beck at all times.
While we're here: If I remade that list after two more weeks and last night's Chargers-Raiders shocker, Andy Dalton would jump to no. 14 (the last "Borderline Franchise Guy); Philip Rivers would drop to the "enigmas" division with Ryan Fitzpatrick (15-16 range); and Beck would fall out of the top 42 even though I listed only 42 guys. I think I'd have him 55th or 56th. I mean, have you seen John Beck play? The 2011 Redskins have the first NFL offense that revolves entirely around delayed screen passes.
Q: Can we change the phrase "it's like watching paint dry" for something that moves incredibly slow, or takes way too long, to "it's like watching Jim Caldwell blink"?
— Brendon Panther
SG: That doesn't work — Jim Caldwell doesn't blink. By the way, I had to pass along this recent Caldwell quote: "You can see [the Colts] are going to fight you until the end." You can? You just lost your past three games by a combined score of 120-24! I'm starting to wonder if this is a perfect gambling storm: you have an inept coach, an inept QB (Curtis Painter), a possibly inept legacy kid running the show (read this Bob Kravitz piece), a possibly lousy team that's been given an excuse to quit and a legitimate goal (bottoming out for the no. 1 overall pick) I mean, something like this might fall into our gambling laps once per decade.
Semi-related: Since Week 5, the 2-6 Jags lost to Carolina by six in a monsoon, played six other potential playoff teams and recently played Cincy, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston surprisingly tough (even beating the Ravens). They look a little undervalued here. You know, as undervalued as a team with a QB rating of 55.8 can look. Their last eight: at Indy; at Cleveland; home for Houston, San Diego and Tampa Bay; at Atlanta; at Tennessee; home for Indy. I see two tough ones in there and that's it. We also know that a seemingly lousy team catches fire during the second half every year, right? Why couldn't it be the Jags? And yes, the Committee For Dumb Gambling Bets wants me to mention that the Jags are 50-to-1 to win the AFC South right now only 3½ games behind the We-Self-Destruct-Every-Year Texans.
FALCONS (PK) over Saints
Q: In your recent column, you noted how odd it is for six of the NFL's 32 QBs to be named Matt. Not to go all Malcolm Gladwell on you but perhaps it's not so strange after all. Using Wolfram Alpha, you can see that the although the name "Matthew" is only the 16th most popular name overall, it peaked in 1983, making 28 the most common age of all "Matthew's." Now here's where it gets good, according to John Clayton the average age of starting QBs in 2010 was 28.3. There it is, the perfect storm.
a 29 year old guy named Matt (though not an NFL quarterback)
— Matthew S, Cincinnati
SG: You inspired me to look up 2010's most popular baby names. Did you know "Jacob" was one of the five most-popular boy names in 2008, 2009 and 2010? (My deputy editor, Dan Fierman, tells me that this happened because of Twilight. I don't know how he knows this, and frankly, I don't want to know.) You know what that means? In the 2030s, we might be headed for a glut of werewolf-inspired QBs named after Jake Delhomme and Jake Plummer! It's going to be the Great Depression all over again, only for depressed football fans who can't understand why their QB just threw it into double coverage again.
Q: I watched talking head shows non-stop for the five weeks leading up to the 2011 National Football League season. Never did anyone predict that Darren Sproles would be the summer's most important free agent signing. Does anyone know anything?
— Peter, Arlington Heights
SG: No. You're just figuring that out? Speaking of not knowing anything, allow me a random prediction: I see New Orleans blowing a winnable Falcons game with one of those frustrating "first-and-goal from the 8, 1-yard run on first down, incomplete on second down, 4-yard pass to Graham on third down, then incomplete on fourth down because everyone knows they won't run it" sequences that's haunted them these past two seasons.
Steelers (-3) over BENGALS
I was dying to pick the Bengals then I remembered that (a) the Steelers are coming off a loss, (b) Cincy hasn't beaten anyone decent except for Buffalo, and (c) half the crowd will be pro-Pittsburgh. Feels like the line should be 3.5 or 4; I'm grabbing the extra juice. Meanwhile
Q: One of my buddies is a big Bengals fan. We've been trying to get rid of Dalton's "Red Rifle" nickname in favor of "Roadhouse." Why? It's way more satisfying to yell at the TV after every bomb to AJ Green. It gives you so many possible lines to say during a game. Dalton gets leveled and scrapes himself off the ground? "Pain don't hurt." Dalton giving the pregame hype huddle speech? "I want you to be nice until it's time to NOT be nice!" Also, of course, "I used to f--k guys like you in prison," which can apply to numerous scenarios. It's also our duty to keep "Roadhouse" in the National Conscience; well, at least for people who don't watch TNT. Can you help us get this out there?
— Jesse, Louisville
SG: I don't know if I can not after this disturbing deleted scene from Road House surfaced a few weeks ago. Besides, I like the following idea a little more
Q: Can't we just call Andy Dalton "Shawshank"? It's right in front of us: Red and Andy.
— Joe, Winston-Salem
SG: (Furious that I didn't think of that first.)
Rams (+3) over BROWNS
Q: As I read your QB rankings, I knew it would not be an uplifting article for Browns fans. However, I thought to myself "Surely, Colt McCoy isn't THAT bad, right?" and began to rationalize reasons why he could be better. Then I began reading the article. And I scrolled
Died a little inside at the sight of Curtis Painter and Carson Palmer
and finally arrived at Colt McCoy's 40th out of 42 ranking. In the midst of reading the brief dismissal of his career, I sadly agreed to what I know to be true and reflected on the failed venture that has been Cleveland Browns starting QB Colt McCoy. In this moment, I realized that reading this article was Cleveland sports in a nutshell: a vicious cycle of hope and disappointment. I can't wait to read this article again in two years with #39 Cleveland Browns starting QB Kirk Cousins just below Miami Dolphins FB Tim Tebow and CBS Analyst Peyton Manning. Until then, please offer Browns fans some bit of hope.
— Brian, Akron, OK
SG: I will try my hardest
1. If you somehow win this week, that's going to be followed by everyone furrowing their brows and saying, "Wait a second, the Browns are 4 and 5?????"
2. Colt McCoy isn't John Beck.
3. You're three-point favorites in an NFL game despite not having a single skill position guy who will start for someone's fantasy team this week.
4. The NBA might be dumb enough to blow up this entire season, which means another year will pass without LeBron winning a title. That reminds me
Q: hi! im from a third world country. can you explain why in the US a 50/50 split is not considered even?
— @treyviscruz (via Twitter)
SG: I I don't know.
Bills (+5.5) over COWBOYS
Q: Suppose it's the pre-Viagra era and you are basically impotent. Once a year your wife gets all dressed up and goes out "with the girls", but is always dropped off the following morning by a guy with a mullet driving a Cadillac. While deep down it bothers you, you really don't want to say anything because you know that if she leaves you, you're definitely not getting anyone else. Isn't this what it's like being a Buffalo-resident Bills fan during that week when your team heads to Toronto?
— Chris, Louisville
SG: Pretty much. If you combine that e-mail with Buffalo's schedule right now (next three: at Dallas, at Miami, at the Jets), we might have to stop circling the wagons just to be safe. The good news: Vegas bumps every Dallas line because they're a "public" team, and the Bills looked so awful last week that everyone unfairly jumped ship on them (when, in fact, the Jets may have just been a bad matchup for them). You can almost see the "Buffalo 10, Dallas 0" first quarter coming. Hey, did you know Fred Jackson has 1,194 rushing/receiving yards right now, giving him a decent chance of (a) breaking Chris Johnson's all-time record (2,509 yards in 2009), and (b) finishing with three times as many rushing/receiving yards as a healthy Chris Johnson did two years later? Dumbfounding.
Broncos (+3) over CHIEFS
Q: Next year, shouldn't EA let people vote on the most HATED player to grace the cover? Let the fans pick who they want to give the shaft to? Like Tebow or Suh or Romo or, hell, even Favre? You know this is a good idea and should happen, sports czar.
— Grant G, Eugene
SG: Great idea. EA Sports would throw their bodies in front of it, but still, great idea. Just know that if Tebow isn't on the cover of next year's game, we've all failed as a society. We knew he had special powers, but bringing back the option play and making Willis McGahee a genuine fantasy starter again? This is incredible. I'm grabbing the points because the AFC West has taught us the following things so far
• Denver is better than Oakland.
• San Diego is better than Denver.
• Oakland is better than San Diego.
• Kansas City is better than Oakland and dead-even with San Diego.
Naturally, we need a "Denver is better than Kansas City" to complete the "What the F is going on with the AFC West?" cycle.
EAGLES (-13) over Cardinals
Q: Who in the hell first started saying "Wide 9" on TV this season that gave everyone else the idea to start saying it to sound smart? Broadcasters and analysts are busting it out every 30 seconds like no one has ever heard of it even though it's a basic football set that's been around forever. It's driving me nuts. And I'm high.
— Frank, Pittsfield, MA
SG: I'm equally confused. It's this year's "running downhill." Speaking of downhill, Arizona's chances this Sunday don't look so encouraging. Some numbers for you
• Combined record of the five teams that beat Philly: 28-12.
• Combined record of Arizona, St. Louis and Seattle against non-NFC West teams: 2-16.
• Philly has gained 199 first downs and given up 149. Arizona has gained 147 first downs and given up 193.
• Philly coverts 46.6 percent of its third downs; Arizona converts 30.9 percent.
• Patrick Peterson, a cornerback, has as many touchdowns for Arizona as anyone except Beanie Wells.
• Only 2.3 percent of all human beings have ever said, "I'm taking the points on the road with John Skelton" and lived to tell about it.
Q: Is Terrell Owens to Donovan McNabb what Jose Canseco was to steroids? An egomaniacal narcissist who was the first to expose something that no one wanted to believe and was totally discounted only because of who he was?
— Oren Levy, New York
SG: (Cut to the Philly fans nodding grimly.)
Texans (-3) over BUCS
Tasty matchup for the Texans: their ridiculous running game (1,396 yards, 4.5 YPC, 10 TDs, both Foster and Tate on pace for 1,100-plus yards) going against a lousy run defense (1,059 yards, 4.9 YPC) and a Bucs offense that's always playing from behind. Of course
Q: For the past four and a half months, I've been walking across America, raising money for heart transplant patients, raising awareness for organ donation and exploring ways to fight tedium amid eight hours in a cornfield or feed lot. I've even had occasion to read your columns, Internet connection providing. As I was approaching the Queen City this week I thought of your recent QB Power Rankings and the breakdown of Matt Schaub as the league's version of beige window blinds. Then it struck me, that Cincinnati is the Matt Schaub of U.S. cities. Has anything about the city been relevant since 1979 (The Big Red Machine, the Who concert tragedy and WKRP's "Turkeys Can't Fly" episode)? Have you ever heard someone excited to get back to Cincinnati, or conversely, decry what has become of the once-great Queen City? It's just there, as it always is. Couldn't Matt Schaub really be a metaphor for that which that stirs no discernible passions, interest or derision? As in Simon & Simon was the Schaub of '80s detective shows or John Jay was the Schaub of the Founding Fathers?
— Mikey Walks, Los Angeles
SG: And yet, those beige window blinds might be 7-3 and headed for a no. 2 seed by Sunday night!
PANTHERS (-3.5) over Titans
Q: Have an athlete and stock ever been more closely aligned than Chris Johnson and Netflix? Both rose to the top in 2009, were significantly overvalued this summer, they both crashed down to earth due to a series of public relations blunders and general unpreparedness to deal with the reality of their competitive environments. And if you're still holding onto both, you're royally screwed.
— Matt, Santa Monica
SG: So you're saying we should start calling Chris Johnson "Qwikster"?
DOLPHINS (-4) over Redskins
Q: I take my fan loyalty seriously, but the worthless Washington Redskins are pushing my F-ing limits. I am not about to jump ship, but I am also becoming increasingly convinced I will never get to root for a winner. I can see exactly what is going to happen to the Redskins over the next six months. We will finish the year 4-12 or 5-11 good enough for the 5th-10th pick. Indianapolis is going 0-16 and will get the number one pick. They will Draft Andrew Luck and put Peyton on the trading block. Hearing that he has the chance to grab a upper 30s QB who has had three neck surgeries in two years, Dan Snyder will immediately offer three first-round draft picks, two second rounders and Brian Orakpo for Peyton. Followed closely by Peyton only playing part of next season, getting hurt and then retiring. Leaving the Redskins with NO good draft picks for three years and a $90 million contract that we will of course agree to pay all of. FUCK MY LIFE! This is bullshit.
— Brian O., Washington
SG: Ladies and gentleman, your 2011 Washington Redskins!!!!!!!!!! At dinner with some friends in New York City on Wednesday night, we talked about how the hidden NFL story right now is the Colts diplomatically pretending they're not going to trade Manning next spring when everyone knows they'll pull a Montana/Chiefs on him if they get Luck. It's the smart move, and again, if you can't see it happening, I urge you to Google "Montana Chiefs trade." Someone will overpay for Manning — either a contender that's close (like the Niners), or a dumb noncontender who delusionally thinks Manning might put them over the top. And as we laid out the scenarios, my buddy House (Redskins fan) went on an expletive-laden tirade about Snyder overpaying for Manning and setting the team back five more years you know, just like Brian O. did. By the way, what would the odds be for an "Either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning will play quarterback for the 49ers within the next 36 months" wager? 5-to-1? 6-to-1?
Ravens (-7) over SEAHAWKS
Q: Simmons, why have you inexplicably abandoned the term TAINT (for Touchdown After INT) this year? You came up with a good thing. It made me smile every time I read it. Nobody wants.to hear you say pick-six. You are not a real reporter. BRING BACK THE TAINT! BRING BACK THE TAINT!
— Walshy, Easthampton, MA
SG: Fine, fine. I gave up on it after Tarvaris "Taint" Jackson never got any momentum — if he gives me one this weekend, I'll bring it back. Meanwhile, it's time to take the Ravens seriously: They had already whupped the Steelers, Jets and Texans and then on Sunday, they won The Game We Always Wondered If They Could Win With Joe Flacco in Pittsburgh. We'll see how he handles the noise in Seattle during an obvious Letdown Game. My guess: That was one of those tipping-point victories for the Ravens on Sunday night. I think they're locked in now.
(Fast-forward to me screaming: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING FLACCO????????????" in 48 hours.)
BEARS (-3) over Lions
You can almost hear the "PAY FOR-TE! PAY FOR-TE!" chant already. Speaking of getting deals done that should have been done a while ago
Q: I was watching Caddyshack for the 50th time on Saturday night and was struck by the similarities between Judge Smails and current day David Stern. No one likes him, there's a lot of snickering behind his back and seems wildly out of touch with the younger generation. The only way Stern can redeem himself is to bring out his family version of Lacey Underall for the next round of negotiations.
— Paul A., Melbourne, AU
SG: You just ruined Stern for me. Every time I think of the lockout talks now, I'm going to think of Stern letting his latest semi-terrible offer to Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher soak in, then staring them down, eyes bulged, and hissing, "Welllllllllllllll we're waiting." And yes, as my pre-holiday gift for you, that's the only time I will mention the increasingly hideous NBA lockout this week. If you want to read anything else about it, go here.
49ERS (-3.5) over Giants
I know your "Nobody Believed in Us" theory is usually only applied to playoff teams, but I'm wondering if we can make one exception this year's New York Giants. At the start of the season, almost every talking head had them finishing near the bottom of the division due to injuries and free agency losses. After squeaking out wins over Arizona and Miami, everyone said their 5-2 record heading into the Patriots game wasn't indicative of their talent level. Did you see the video of them in the locker room right after the Pats win? That video shows a team with the "Nobody Believed in Us" mantra, right?
— Ryan, Bristol, CT
SG: I'll have to take your word for it — I was going to watch it, but I decided to smash a beer bottle over my head instead. This looks like a bad matchup for them, though: Letdown Game, West Coast, windy, a good running team attacking their weak run defense, a little too much Brandon Jacobs, a little too much confidence for Eli (never a good thing for him), the one special teams blunder that's definitely coming, Trey Junkin flashbacks and most important, you can't say that nobody believes in the Giants anymore.
Patriots (+1.5) over JETS
The last time the Pats lost three in a row, I was still living in my apartment right behind the Store 24 in Charlestown and doing imitations of Joe the Alcoholic Counter Guy. Pack of Marlboro Lights, one Gatorade, one Lucky 7's scratch card, one bag of Sour Patch Kids, $13.74 out of $20, $6.26 is your change annnnnnnnnnnd we thank you! I miss that guy. Anyway, my New England Patriots do NOT lose three in a row. No matter how many drafts we blow, no matter how many undrafted free agents and stiffs we have playing defense, we do NOT lose three in a row. Got it?
Guy In Total Denial Right Now
Q: I am a huge Patriots fan and spent a lot of time thinking about the recent postseason losses going back to SB 42. They were always the top dogs and that is such a disadvantage. Every team that beats them acts like they just won the Super Bowl. Example — the Broncos in 2009, Jets in 2010 playoffs, Bills in 2011 to name just a few. What I said before this season even started was that I want the Pats to be the underdogs for a while. Get the pressure off them -—then maybe they can win in the postseason again ala 2001. What do you think?
— Caroline in NY
SG: Thanks for cheering me up. You're right — we needed to get back to the "NOBODY BELIEVES IN US!!!!!!!!!!!" days. Maybe that's Belichick's strategy here — maybe that's why he turned five picks in the first three rounds of the 2011 draft into a starting right tackle, an injury-prone cornerback who's already on the IR, third- and fourth-string running backs and a third-string QB, then littered the defense with so many no-names and also-rans that it seems like it would be impossible for the Pats to go 10-6 at this point. Caroline is right — we're right where we want to be! The Patriots are back, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If only Belichick had been able to fit Ochocinco in Albert Haynesworth's suitcase.
Q: When it is all said and done, shouldn't Herman Cain move to Revis Island? That way he can grab, pull, hold, & touch without any consequences.
— Ryan, Chicago
SG: (Afraid to say anything.)
Vikings (+13.5) over PACKERS
I actually like this matchup for the Vikes. I know, this is why I suck at gambling. Meanwhile
Q: The Packers are +200 to win the Super Bowl right now and Baltimore is next at +600. Everyone else is 10-to-1 or higher. That seems silly to me — we all know that the two best teams in early November are rarely the two best teams in early February. So knowing that, what semi-longshot Super Bowl bet is the best future bet right now?
— Rufus Simmons, Los Angeles
SG: Fine, fine, I wrote that one. Let's go backwards to figure this out. New England at 10-to-1? Not with that defense. San Francisco at 10-to-1? Not with Alex Smith. The odds aren't tasty enough for Houston (12-to-1) or the Jets (12-to-1). I don't like the Saints (15-to-1), Lions (18-to-1) or Cowboys (20-to-1). You're not roping me into the Bills or Falcons (both 25-to-1), and you DEFINITELY aren't roping me into the Raiders or Chargers (both 25-to-1). Even if the Eagles have great odds (20-to-1) for what their talent is, that's a sucker bet and we know it. I like the Giants at 15-to-1 (good QB, great pass rush, no glaring holes), but we'll get better odds next week if/when they blow the Niners game. That leaves two intriguing plays
Bears, 25-to-1: What if they're just good? How many teams have a top-10 QB and running back? How many years in a row can they make big special teams plays before we realize that it's not an accident anymore? What if that Philly "upset" wasn't so much of an upset? What if they thrash the Lions this weekend? These odds feel too high. Why would the Lions be 18-to-1 but Chicago 25-to-1? Aren't they even?
Steelers, 12-to-1: Here's the one that makes no sense to me. They're every bit as good as the Ravens; they've been there before; they can win anywhere; and they're headed for that no. 1 wild-card slot (no. 5 overall), which means they get to beat up on the AFC West champ in the first round, then play Baltimore again (probably) in Round 2. You really see the Ravens beating them THREE times? That's the best bet on the board right now. Then again, as I mentioned before I suck at gambling. And on that note, I'm off to attend the funeral for my Papelboner.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-4
Bill Simmons is Grantland's Editor in Chief, the host of the BS Report podcast, the author of the New York Times no. 1 best-seller The Book of Basketball and the co-creator of ESPN's Peabody-award winning "30 For 30" series. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook
Previously from Bill Simmons:
Sports Book Hall of Fame: Ghosts of Manila
The Career Arc: Eddie Murphy
Bill and Jay's YouTube Adventure
NFL Quarterback Power Rankings
Proactively Mourning the NBA
Behind the Pipes: Into the Arms of the NHL
Avoiding the Lockout and the Red Sox
We Need a Renegade Basketball League
A Running Diary of Game 162
Welcome to Amnesty 2.0 in the NBA
NFL Preview: It's All About Continuity
Summer of Mailbag V: Passing the Buck
Summer of Mailbag IV: Dawn of the Mailbag
Summer of Mailbag III: Attack of the Mailbag!
The Glorious Return of the Mailbag
Summer of Mailbag: The Revenge | http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7220622/welcome-national-mailbag-league | 6,201 |
When news happens, text CHRON and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email & phone.
Mancini asks for more
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini feels his team must improve quickly if they are to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds - but believes they do have it in them to go on and win the competition.
City, beaten 3-2 by Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in their Group D opener on September 18, are looking to get their European season kick-started on Wednesday when they take on German champions Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium.
"This is the second year for us in the Champions League and the second year that we got the worst group," Mancini said. "Like we have improved (over the years) in the Premier League, we need time to improve in the Champions League, but we don't have a lot of time - only five more games, and we need to improve quickly."
With Dortmund having begun with a 1-0 win over Ajax, the pressure is on the Blues to secure all three points if they are to avoid a repeat of their maiden Champions League campaign last term, which ended in failure to qualify from the group stages.
The Italian is optimistic, though, that if City do manage to up their game and make it beyond the group stage, there is no reason why they cannot then go all the way.
"We need to not concede easy goals to drop points like we did against Real Madrid. If we want to go through, we need to improve very quickly," he added.
City midfielder Jack Rodwell is fit for Wednesday's contest after missing two games with a groin problem, but full-backs Maicon (heel) and Micah Richards (ankle) are not yet ready to return to action, while centre-back Kolo Toure has not been registered for the competition.
It remains to be seen whether Joleon Lescott will be selected after he was dropped for the Real clash and once again did not feature in Saturday's 2-1 league win at Fulham. The England centre-half played a key role in City's title success last season, but is now in a more uncertain situation.
Asked if he had lost faith in Lescott, Mancini said: "He is one of the best defenders. But I have six or seven defenders and I made a different choice last week and in Madrid.
"Tomorrow I will decide again, but Joleon is an important player for us." | http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/uk_national_sport/9960954.Mancini_asks_for_more/?ref=rss | 521 |
London, Great Britain (HawaiiNewsNow) - Former University of Hawaii swimmer Melanie Schlanger won gold Saturday as the anchor of Australia's 4x100 freestyle relay team.
Schlanger swam her leg in 52.65 seconds, the fastest on her team.
Azad Al-Barazi, another UH alum, swam in the 100 breaststroke for Syria but did not make it out of the preliminaries.
Also Saturday, the U.S. women's volleyball team, featuring Punahou grad Lindsey Berg and Kalani alum Tamari Miyashiro, beat South Korea 3-1.
"We're thrilled. We got the win," U.S. captain Berg said. "One down."
copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved. | http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/19139558/www.hawaiinewsnow.com | 164 |
HEAD will present a very strong team at the upcoming Australian Open 2009. Besides World No. 3 Novak Djokovic and the two top 10 players Andy Murray and Gilles Simon, HEAD will also count on young guns like Marin Cilic and Victoria Azarenka.
On his way to World No. 1 ranking, Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, is stirring up buzz on the court with his new HEAD racquet. The racquet specifically designed for Djokovic’s style of play, has helped Djokovic to reach the semifinals in Sydney and given him the confidence to defend his title at the Australian Open.
In addition to Djokovic, HEAD has a strong team presence at the Australian Open, including three of the top 10 players entering the tournament. HEAD player Andy Murray, of Scotland, and Gilles Simon, of France, both take to the court with their HEAD weapons of choice, as part of nine seeded male pros and six seeded female pro players in the main draws.
The HEAD young guns are coming off a successful start to 2009 with Murray, Marin Cilic, of Croatia, and Victoria Azarenka, of the from Belarus, winning titles in the first week of the new year.
“With these strong players and success in early 2009, HEAD is looking forward to a successful coming year and beyond,” said Robert Marte, Executive Vice President of HEAD’s racquet sports division. “We have a very strong HEAD team, including established world ranked top 10 players and young guns who aim to be the top world players of the future.” | http://www.head.com/tennis/news/?region=fr&id=516 | 329 |
AS the Leinster squad enters the second-last block of games for the 2012/13 campaign, it is about ramping up more than winding down. February through May is what's commonly alluded to as the 'business end' of the season.
It's also the time when players' futures are decided, when seeds are sown for next year and plans are set in place. And though the role of the coach is to oversee the bigger picture as he bids to shape a side's assault on domestic and European titles, the often-times intense round after round of negotiations are usually undertaken by chief executive, director of rugby or team manager.
That process has been underway for some time and a lot of unseen work has been completed and, in most cases, put to bed.
After close to three years in the latter role, Guy Easterby knows at first-hand the importance of getting the job done. Though some players will leave at the close of play in May, the province expects to announce a batch of players that have re-signed and also some new signings over the coming weeks.
It is a job, he admits, that requires long hours and patience. But the positive end results are all that matters. "I enjoy working in a management role with Leinster because there are different challenges whenever you're trying to retain or recruit players," he said as the squad returned to full training after a week's break.
"At this time of year there's lots of activity going on with clubs trying to retain players whose contracts expire at the end of the season, and also clubs looking outside their current playing rosters in an attempt to strengthen their squads for the following season.
"When you're trying to attract a player from another club, or another country, you want to make sure that the environment in which you are hoping to bring them into is a positive one.
"As manager, part of my job is to do homework on potential recruits. The coaches will do a lot of work identifying certain players that they like in terms of their abilities and then we always factor in their personalities and attitudes as well because that is very important in us knowing that they will fit into the playing group off the pitch as well as on it.
"At Leinster we are pleased with the improvements we have made to our infrastructure. And though our new facilities in UCD are light years from where they were when I joined as a player back in 2004, a 20kg dumbbell is still the same weight whether you're in a brand-new gym or in a shed in your back garden!
"It's factors like hard work, discipline, skill and that little bit of luck that you always need that enable you to succeed in professional sport. And when you add in the quality of the coaches and trainers you work with as well as the players you train and play alongside, you hope that will help you get contracts over the finishing line, so to speak.
"As round after round of negotiations continue, you hope that the hard work will help result in what you hope will be a bright outcome.
"The real positive from a Leinster point of view is that invariably we have players that either want to remain here or want to come here. But sometimes meetings with one agent can take six or seven rounds. While negotiations with others might be more straight-forward.
"Really it depends on the agent or representative and the modus operandi of how he/she operates."
As the Six Nations roll into view, Easterby believes that Ireland are in good shape and can build up a head of steam in Cardiff tomorrow afternoon. Easterby has reason to enjoy visiting the venue, as most rugby-lovers also do, but knows Ireland will face into a typically spirited and talented Welsh side.
"The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is always a special place to be in, be it as a player or as a spectator. I remember being involved for the first time with Ireland back in 2001 (which Ireland won 36-6), and to stand on the pitch before the game and listen to the anthems was an incredible feeling.
"Then when the game starts up and you hear 'Land of Our Fathers' or 'Bread of Heaven' reverberating around the stadium, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I don't know what it is about the Welsh, but they're a nation blessed with good voices! They're also great rugby supporters who are passionate about their team, but respectful to sides who play the game positively.
"It's the same when you play against Scotland or France. Both of their anthems really get the adrenalin going, but of course nothing gets the blood flowing like your own anthem. It's hard not to get sucked into the Six Nations because the interest levels are so big and I love watching all of the different countries compete. The first game, as ever, is huge because, as the saying goes, you can't win a Grand Slam on the first day but you can certainly lose one. But I think Ireland will do quite well if they can keep their key men on the field over the five games."
Following that first international experience, the former Leinster scrum-half (who earned 64 caps for the province over two spells) featured for a Llanelli side who clinched the 2002 WRU Cup, while the 2011 Heineken Cup is also a standout memory.
Next weekend will see a return to Cardiff when Leinster face the Blues in the first of a four-game block before another March break, which sees two home games -- against Benetton Treviso and the Scarlets in the RDS -- sandwiched between back-to-back away ties. It's a crunch period, Easterby says, as the scramble for top-four places intensifies.
"The players had a good week off to get away from rugby and their attitude in training over the last few days has been really positive. With players away on international duty, at this time of year the group is quite a bit smaller and they players are looking forward to getting their teeth stuck into the PRO12 for a few weeks. Even though there was disappointment that we didn't manage to get into the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup, the guys deserve a lot of credit for getting 10 points in the last two pool games. It wasn't to be and they've picked themselves up and are really focused on a massive few weeks ahead."
A big few weeks ahead indeed in the Land of Our Fathers. | http://www.herald.ie/sport/rugby/right-guy-behind-plans-for-future-29044102.html | 1,339 |
The Golden Brett!
Son of the great Bobby Hull, the Golden Jet and fellow 1,000+ point scorer, Brett Hull was one of the reasons that the hockey card collecting craze took off in the early 1990's. Everyone wanted the 1988-89 O-Pee-Chee rookie card of Brett Hull.
His career total of 741 goals is the third highest in NHL history and he is one of five players to score 50 goals in 50 games. He was a member of two Stanley Cup winning teams (Dallas and Detroit) and is a past winner of the Hart and Lady Byng trophies.
With 1,391 points (741 goals, 650 assists) in 1,269 games, there is no doubt that Brett Hull was a premier sniper in the NHL. Hull even added another 103 goals in 202 playoff games.
Brett Hull currently serves as the Dallas Stars executive vice president and alternate governor.
I was lucky enough to pull a hard-signed autograph of Brett Hull from 2011-12 Upper Deck Parkhurst Champions. However, that card was a short-print and it was a no-brainer to sell it on eBay for $200+. Using some of the proceeds (about $20), I acquired this 2011-12 Panini Private Signings hard-signed autograph card of Hull in his classic St. Louis Blues uniform only days after I sold the high priced short-print. | http://www.hockeycardheaven.blogspot.com/2012/12/1000-point-nhl-player-autographs-22.html | 287 |
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NBA PM: China Won’t Rent Kobe
Posted By Alex Raskin On August 18, 2011 @ 5:27 pm In All,Main Page,NBA | No Comments
Just when it seemed Kobe Bryant was on the verge of signing a contract with a Chinese team, the Lakers superstar’s path to the Chinese Basketball Association is suddenly obstructed. Yes, Shanxi Zhongyu owner Wang Xing Jiang said that he and Bryant had agreed to terms; and even if that wasn’t totally true, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein was told by a source that Kobe “is conducting due diligence and weighing various options.” So as of early this afternoon, Bryant still had a choice to make.
Well Bryant’s decision is now much easier now that the governing body of Chinese basketball decided that they don’t want to be NBA players’ “other woman.” The CBA will not offer any “out” clauses in contracts, which means anyone who is currently under contract with an NBA team will not be signed. And if a free agent wants to give it a go in the CBA, he’ll have to leave the NBA behind for the duration of the contract regardless of whether or not the lockout ends.
The CBA wants to go steady.
But the biggest loser here isn’t Bryant, who was fabulously rich when he woke up this morning and remained fabulously rich after the CBA made its decision (although the $1.5 million per month that Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported would be nice for anyone). The loser isn’t even the CBA, which is essentially denying fans the opportunity to see players like Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki or Dwyane Wade while denying itself the revenue from increased exposure.
No, the losers here are Nike, Adidas and Reebok—companies working to prolong the sport’s popularity in China after the retirement of Rockets center and national here Yao Ming. The world’s largest population was going to get a first-hand look at American basketball beyond international competition. The Olympics can only offer two weeks of this kind of exposure every four years, but an entire season of Bryant in China could have turned into an athletic “Beatlemania.” What better way to fill the many new basketball arenas—most of which were constructed using NBA and AEG capital—than by touring a living legend throughout the country?
But the CBA doesn’t share the same objectives as American sneaker companies (Sonny Vaccaro reportedly went on the Chris Vernon Show and said Nike would pay Bryant to play in China). The game’s popularity is good for both parties, but the league wants to see sustained growth, and its not willing to sacrifice that for a brief relationship with some world-class players. In that way, the CBA is completely different than Europe.
The European teams are trying to round up as many Americans while they can in hopes of gaining an edge in their respective leagues, and possibly pocketing a few more bucks along the way. And owners in Europe are as diverse as the continent itself. Some have sterling financial reputations while other teams make it as difficult as possible to actually get paid. But no matter how they treat their players, European teams always want to be profitable and win.
The CBA, on the other hand, is government run, which can kind of kill the competitive spirit. It’s easy for the league to issue a mandate without the complaints of 30 billionaire owners who would otherwise be scrambling to rent NBA superstars for any amount of time. But the CBA doesn’t want to subject itself or its fans to the inevitable rejection that will take place when the lockout ends.
In the midst of a lockout and a recession, American athletic apparel companies were hurting for this opportunity in China. Nike’s stock jumped over 12 points from June 27th to July 8th, but has been subject to the erratic market ever since. Now the stock price is back down to where it was in late June (it closed today at 82.55). Adidas hit it’s one-year high on July 15th (57.42), but closed at 45.46 today.
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with any of these companies from a sponsorship point of view, but when two of the industries’ biggest cash cows (the NBA and the NFL) take turns locking out players and alienating fans, it’s hard not to feel the pinch.
The silver lining for America’s sneaker manufacturers is that college basketball promises to be as popular as ever. Much of the country’s top talent decided to return to school rather than wait through a work stoppage. A bump in NCAA Tournament exposure coupled with a labor resolution in the NBA could mean big things for the Nike and Adidas in 2012 (Reebok’s main squeeze is the NFL, so they’re not as effected as its rivals), but until then, both sneaker titans will struggle for advertising fodder.
Now would be a good time for India to start a basketball league with little-to-no contractual restrictions.
Delonte West, Aisle 2
Who knows if he’s serious or not, but former Celtics and Cavaliers guard Delonte West dropped an interesting Tweet today:
“It’s official.. Pride 2 the side.. just filled out a application at Home Depot.. Lockout aint a game..”
Of course, if West doesn’t like the orange vest, he can go play basketball in China. West is an unrestricted free agent.
RIP Scotty Robertson
Former Louisiana Tech, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Jazz coach Scotty Robertson passed away this morning in Ruston, La. at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer.
In addition to his coaching career, Robertson also played one season of pro baseball with the White Sox and holds a Masters Degree from the University of Arkansas. Most people will remember him as the Pistons coach who preceded Chuck Daly in Detroit. While Daly got a lot of credit for the development of players like Bill Laimbeer, Isiah Thomas and Vinnie Johnson, it was under Robertson’s tutelage where they made their initial strides. Perhaps Robertson’s best player in his time with the Pistons was Kelly Tripucka, who averaged over 20 PPG in his first five seasons, three of which were with Robertson.
Robertson is survived by his wife 61-year-old wife Betty Lou and his daughters Libby Robertson Power, Claudia Robertson Fowler and Vicki Robertson Page, as well as his 10 grandchildren.
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URL to article: http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-china-wont-rent-kobe
Copyright © 2012 HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors
Part of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group. | http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-china-wont-rent-kobe/print/ | 1,593 |
- 25 October 2012
Aaron Jamison, who recently completed his Extended Diploma in Horticulture at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus near Antrim, has gone on to even greater achievement by achieving a coveted "Medal of Excellence" at the recent Euroskills 2012 event in Belgium for Landscape Gardening & Design.
Aaron (from Crossgar, Downpatrick) is already part of the six strong UK squad for the Worldskills competitions. He went to the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Eastern Belgium as part of a two-person team. After three days of exacting work, Aaron and his team mate achieved a very creditable silver medal place, and Aaron was awarded a "Medal of Excellence" for his efforts. These are awarded to competitors who achieve the WorldSkills standard of excellence in their skill area.
Mr Johnston Shaw, world skills coordinator at the college said "we're really pleased for Aaron. The Worldskills team uses the Euroskills Landscape Gardening & Design event as a training event to hone the squad's competitive edge, and Aaron has shown that he's right up there with the best; we wish him well in his quest to secure a place on the two man team for the future Workskills Final in Leipzig, Germany next year."
Landscape skills are an important part of the learning package on offer to students of horticulture at the Greenmount Campus of CAFRE. If you would like any further information on the courses available at the college, please visit the CAFRE website www.cafre.ac.uk.
Former Greenmount student Aaron Jamison (from Crossgar, Downpatrick) taking part in the Euroskills competition in Belgium for Landscape Gardening & Design. | http://www.hortitrends.com/all-news-articles/12388-euroskills-landscape-gardening-success-for-aaron | 374 |
Will Aaron Green’s departure have a major impact on the 2012 season?
Brian: YES. If anyone tells you differently, ask them if the season will be end well if Rex or Ameer tears their ACL.
The depth problem behind Rex and Ameer becomes worse than it was last year when Green should’ve been redshirted in the first place. At least Green knew the offense and had touches with the ones at times.
Granted, Mike Marrow is going to be the guy to save Rex wear and tear especially in goalline/short yardage situations, but running back is one of those positions where a thick depth chart can save your hide.
Imani Cross better have a playbook and will have to learn quickly.
Derek: There are two big ways that Green’s departure hurts Nebraska.
First, in 2011, Nebraska put most of its major running back recruiting chips in the Aaron Green basket and now they walk away empty-handed. The Huskers will only sign so many blue-chip recruits per year. They need the ones signed to become great players.
Second, if Tim Beck’s going to run a no-huddle spread and have 80-plus offensive plays a game, he is going to need three or four healthy running backs. However, at 5’11″ and less than 200 pounds, Green probably wasn’t going to give Nebraska more than 15-20 quality touches a game, a la Marlon Lucky.
That’s not to say that he couldn’t provide a lot of value to the Huskers’ offense in their multiple running back formations and as a mismatch in the passing game. With Green gone, Jamal Turner is once again going to have to become a wild card that helps Beck get favorable match-ups.
The most disappointing thing is that Green is gone, but oh how I wish 230-pound Dontrayevous Robinson would have stayed around.
Brandon: In terms of having bodies on the depth chart, yes. Nobody is going to pass Rex Burkhead this year unless it’s due to injury. That’s not to say his backups aren’t talented, but No. 22 can do it all and will be leaned on heavily this year to win games.
The curious thing is why Green waited around until after the recruiting cycle and spring ball ended to make this move. Regardless, if Imani Cross can step up and fill the void left by Green (and I expect him to), it becomes a non-issue. | http://www.huskerlocker.com/articles/prop-48-part-ii-dennards-seventh-round-savior-and-playoff-problems-21175/3?doing_wp_cron=1369131639.1736800670623779296875 | 528 |
DALLAS – Defenceman Philip Larsen has played a lot of hockey since he left Dallas last spring, logging major minutes for Denmark at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and shining for Lukko Rauma in Finland during the labour conflict.
He may look like the same guy, but the Philip Larsen that arrived in Dallas for the Stars training camp last weekend is not the same player who finished the 2011-12 season there.
Since completing his rookie NHL season last April, the 23-year-old defenceman has accomplished quite a bit.
First, he fulfilled a huge role at the World Championship for the Danish national team, logging 25:05 of ice time per contest, ranking second overall in the tournament, all while facing the opposition’s top forwards every night.
Then, once the labour conflict in the NHL began on September16, Larsen joined several of his Danish countrymen skating with Lukko Rauma in Finland’s SM-Liiga and excelled in a key role on his team’s blue line.
Now that he’s back in North America, a more experienced and confident Larsen hopes to build on his solid performance from last year by absorbing more meaningful minutes in the shorter 48-game schedule that begins on Saturday.
“Of course you want to be a big part of the team, everyone wants to be,” said the slick-skating Larsen, who hopes to improve on his modest totals of three goals and 11 points in 55 games last season.
“If I can, I want to be better points-wise than last year, maybe help more that way, but of course, I’m a D-man, so defence is first. But I do what the coaches tell me. As long as the coaches are happy and you do what you’re supposed to do, work hard defensively, then the chances are going to come offensively, too.”
As a rookie, Larsen focused more on solidifying his defensive game, and the results were impressive, as he registered a +11 plus/minus rating, ranking tied for first among Dallas defencemen while averaging 17:57 of ice time per game.
“I thought he had a great year last year – for a rookie coming into the league, it’s tough,” said Stars defenceman Alex Goligoski, who was often paired with Larsen last season. “He got some good minutes and he handled them with no problem. It was fun playing with him – obviously, he’s good moving the puck. I think him going over to Finland and playing was a good thing. I would expect him to take the next step this year.”
Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan was happy Larsen played in Finland, noting that the Finnish game more closely resembles the North American style because it has more smaller-sized rinks. He feels the experience clearly helped Larsen’s development.
“I think he’s the guy that we can see maybe the biggest leap from,” Gulutzan said. “Sweden has real big rinks, it’s more of a tactical game, a puck possession game, but Finland – take a North American rink, take an Olympic sheet and mix them together for a little bit of a hybrid, so that game in Finland is a little bit more North American than the Swedish game. So he played a real pacey, kind of a North American game for the past few months and he played against the best players in that league. We’re glad he went over there. Add the World Championship to that, add the year of experience last year, and I think you’ve got a different player.”
Larsen’s performance with the Danish national team, even though the Danes barely avoided relegation with a 13th-place finish, represented a significant step up in responsibility for the 183 cm (6-foot-0), 86 kg (190 pound) defenceman.
“It was a lot of fun at the World Championships, and to play a lot – it was a lot of fun,” acknowledged Larsen, who added two assists and a team-leading 23 shots on goal in seven games. “It’s always nice to put the national team jersey on, no matter where you play and you put a lot of pride in it. We had a little bad luck – we played pretty good as a team, as good as we could, but we had some bad bounces and some trouble scoring, but it was a really fun tournament. We stayed in the top division and hopefully we can do better the next time we get to play there.”
Once the CBA expired and the labour conflict in North America began, Larsen found himself back on the ice with three of his Danish compatriots with Lukko Rauma, another valuable learning experience he enjoyed thoroughly. Joining him in Finland was Phoenix winger Mikkel Bødker, New York Islander centre Frans Nielsen, and Nielsen’s brother, Simon.
“Simon Nielsen, he’s a goalie in that league, so that was why Frans was there and we just came together, all of us,” explained Larsen, who ranked third in the SM-Liiga in ice time, averaging 26:16 per game while amassing five goals and 15 points, along with an impressive +11 plus/minus rating, in 27 games.
“It was a lot of fun, hockey-wise, they play a fun kind of hockey there. It’s a really fast game in Finland and they have some really good players. The rinks are smaller, which makes the games physical, too. All of us had a good time.”
Larsen pointed out that the four Danes hadn’t pre-arranged to all play together in Finland, it just ended up that way.
“I knew Frans was going there because of his brother, and me and Bødker have the same agent, and he said that me and Bødker could go somewhere together,” Larsen explained. “We played together with Frölunda in Sweden, so we’re really good friends from way back and he told us we could play for the same team. When he mentioned the team, I didn’t realize it was the same team that Frans was going to, so it was a funny coincidence. It was a pretty simple choice once we knew that all three guys would be there. We all know each other pretty well, so that was pretty fun.”
Of course, as much as he enjoyed the experience in Finland, Larsen is thrilled to be back in Dallas, geared up to help the Stars get off to a quick start and hopefully reach the playoffs for the first time in five years.
“I feel ready, I think all of us do, everybody is really excited to get going,” said Larsen, the Stars’ fifth-round selection (149th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft.
“Hopefully (the experience in Finland) helps and it was nice to have been playing coming in here. It’s 48 games, it’s full speed. Everyone wants to make the playoffs, so in a short season, you have to be ready from Game 1, so I hope I can bring some energy and some confidence from the Finnish League. It feels great to be back here. It’s here you want to play and I’m looking forward to playing the real games.” | http://www.iihf.com/sk/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/recap/7493.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=220&cHash=08b9ce8387 | 1,588 |
ZURICH – The Disciplinary Committee of the International Ice Hockey Federation has issued a provisional suspension on Belarus player Andrei Mikhalyov, after the player was tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine.
Mikhalyov is barred from club and international play pending a final IIHF Disciplinary Panel decision on further disciplinary measures.
The positive test occurred on 8 February 2013, during the Final Olympic Qualification, Group F in Denmark, when Mikhalyov was requested to submit to doping control. On 5 March 2013, the WADA-accredited Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory notified the IIHF that the Player’s A Sample tested positive.
Belarus finished second overall in Group F and did not qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Mikhalyov has not played for his KHL team Dynamo Minsk since 7 March. | http://www.iihf.com/sk/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/recap/7600.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=222&cHash=34dc3031a7 | 174 |
Dean Pantazi and Michael Ledo recap the Luers championship win, talk with head coach Steve Keefer and star Jaylon Smith, and preview the Snider state championship game.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "Your2Cents” comment.
© Copyright 2013 A Granite Broadcasting Station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/sports/121123_MOS-180661971.html?vid=a | 83 |
ATF: December 13
December 14, 2011
- Giovanni Soto (RP, Gigantes de Carolina): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K. Overall, Soto continues to pitch well in Puerto Rico and he looks to be 100% recovered from the left elbow neuritis which sidelined him for most of the regular season. He has now pitched in 11 games and has a nice 1.46 ERA and has allowed just 7 hits and has 12 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. He has also been equally tough on lefties (.167 AVG, .452 OPS) and righties (.182 AVG, .561 OPS). If you were going to be critical of anything of him this offseason it is his 7 walks.
Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).
Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale. | http://www.indiansbaseballinsider.com/blog/atf-december-13-5232 | 247 |
In football, a Hail Mary is a bold but desperate play -- often by a trailing team in the final seconds of the game. Think former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana heaving a touchdown pass to Dwight Clark with less than a minute on the clock to beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
That's the image that came to mind when Oakland officials announced in the final days of December that they had hired William Bratton -- one of the top law enforcement experts in the world -- as a consultant to help the city get control of the violence that claimed 131 lives in 2012.
It is the kind of stunning play that few people expected.
Oakland officials are hoping that bringing in Bratton -- one of the top minds in policing -- will be a game changer. The announcement was all the more surprising because it was barely a year ago that Bratton told The Wall Street Journal that things were terrible in Oakland.
"It's a perfect storm of bad," he'd said in December 2011. "Too much oversight, not enough support from city leaders, too few officers."
None of those conditions has changed, and crime has gotten even worse.
People can't even go to church or walk to the store in certain neighborhoods in East and West Oakland without getting shot in crossfire. All over the city, people are getting robbed at gunpoint and sometimes shot and killed in the process. It has gotten to the point where many
So now, Oakland officials have called on Bratton, who will start in February. His fee will be about $125,000.
Bratton was police commissioner in New York and chief in Los Angeles. In both cities, his tenure coincided with major reductions in violent crime, though there has been some dispute over how much of the decline was due to his policies. Bratton aggressively pursued "quality of life" crimes as a way of preventing an escalation into more violent crimes. He is also a strong proponent of using crime data analysis -- CompStat -- to determine where police should be deployed. In Los Angeles, Bratton was credited with building strong relationships in the community and led LAPD through reforms mandated by a consent decree in the aftermath of the Ramparts police scandal.
Oakland can benefit from his know how. The problem is, all Bratton can do is advise. Unlike in New York and Los Angeles, Bratton will not be the chief.
OPD already has a chief, Howard Jordan. Then there is the police consultant Robert Wasserman. There will soon be a compliance director appointed by Judge Thelton Henderson to oversee OPD's progress on the remaining Riders reforms. How much authority will Bratton have? Will Oakland officials listen to him?
Former Oakland police Chief Anthony Batts is a Bratton protégé. He told Oakland officials that he needed at least 900 police to patrol the city. He pushed for gang injunctions and youth curfews to get kids off the streets so they wouldn't be as likely to be perpetrators or victims of gun violence.
Oakland officials blocked his proposals at every turn until he threw up his hands and left.
Bruce Nye, founder of the citizens' advocacy group Make Oakland Better Now, believes Bratton can have an impact in Oakland -- if city leaders will listen to his advice and if his recommendations lead to a comprehensive strategy for violence reduction that includes a concrete plan for building the police department back up to strength. Make Oakland Better Now's position is it is impossible for Oakland to make substantial reductions in crime with just 600 officers.
"They are going to have to announce a comprehensive safety plan that gets the confidence of the community so that they feel it's worth hiring more officers," Nye said. "I think it's more than a Hail Mary in this case because we have some receivers who know what they are doing." | http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_22315742/tammerlin-drummond-oakland-throws-hail-mary-battle-against?source=most_emailed | 783 |
HALF MOON BAY -- The same ocean conditions that will yield the Mavericks Invitational will cause dangerous surf conditions in the Bay Area this weekend, and officials are urging beachgoers to be cautious.
The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory from 10 a.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday, leading the Coast Guard and National Park Service to warn people who visit area beaches or operate boats near the shore to be careful.
Officials are predicting waves as high as 8 to 10 feet. People who walk along the beach should stay away from the water line and never turn their back on the ocean.
Some beaches, such as those in Point Reyes National Seashore, are prone to "sneaker" waves -- strong surges of water that arrive unexpectedly.
"The big thing is for people to constantly be aware of what's going on around them," said Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Joshua Dykman. "Those waves can come up and sneak up on you, and that current can take you out pretty quickly."
Jeff Clark, organizer of the Mavericks big-wave surfing contest Sunday north of Half Moon Bay, said conditions will be "lully." In other words, there will be hard-to-predict lulls in between sets of waves. The waves at Mavericks are expected to be in the 30-foot range.
Contact Aaron Kinney at 650-348-4357. Follow him at Twitter.com/kinneytimes.
Where: Grounds of the Ocean Hotel & Spa, Princeton-by-the-Sea
When: 8 a.m. to sunset Sunday
How much: General admission tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the gate; VIP tickets are also available
Parking: Available for $15 at Half Moon Bay Airport on state Highway 1; from there visitors walk to the festival grounds
Tickets and information: www.mavericksinvitational.com | http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_22402933?source=rss | 397 |
fast little loans
London – Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says winning the Champions League success meant several veterans – himself included – avoided having time called on their Stamford Bridge careers.
The win over Bayern Munich in May's final gave billionaire owner Roman Abramovich the title he craved four years on from a penalty shootout loss to Manchester United in Moscow.
A difficult season had seen Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas making way for former player Roberto Di Matteo amid reports of dressing room unrest and differences with the players – including Lampard.
Had they lost in Munich the club might have jettisoned several of the old stagers, Lampard told The Times.
“If we had gone out of the Champions League, God knows what would have happened. Looking back, there probably would have been wholesale changes,” he told The Times.
“That's the beauty of winning the Champions League. We remain in the Champions League and can look at spicing things up with new players.
“I didn't really think at the time that that was the end, but looking back, it probably would have been the break-up of that team.”
Lampard said he is on good terms with Villas-Boas, now in charge at Tottenham.
“Looking back, we were slightly different personalities,” he said.
“What I found hard to handle was not so much the not-playing side, it was the communication – or the not talking about it.
“There are no hard feelings, certainly not from me. We sent messages after he left. I wish him all the best.” – Sapa-AFP | http://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/cup-competitions/lampard-cl-win-saved-our-careers-1.1369566 | 346 |
British PM Backs 'Jerusalem' as English National Anthem
England has launched a campaign calling to adopt a separate anthem for its soccer team during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying his personal choice would be the church hymn ‘Jerusalem,’ written by William Blake in 1916.
While the UK does not have an official stance on the issue, many believe that sporting authorities should be able to decide what is played before international games, The Telegraph reported.
Currently, most England teams line up to G-d Save the Queen, as the country’s football players did before matches in last month’s European Championships in the Ukraine. Teams representing Scotland and Wales, however, sing national verses such as Flower of Scotland or Land of My Fathers.
According to the report, other nominations have included Land of Hope and Glory, with music by Sir Edward Elgar and words by A.C. Benson, which was written in 1902, and the Negro spiritual Swing Low Sweet Chariot, which is popular with rugby fans.
“I’m delighted that the Prime Minister wants Jerusalem as an English anthem, ending the anomaly of England and the UK using the same hymn,” said Conservative Euro-MP Daniel Hannan.
Scottish National Party MP said that while he believes that England should have its own sports anthem, “it should emerge from the people rather than the Prime Minister,” adding that it “will be difficult to find a song that attracts general approval.”
“Why not have a competition putting the old anthems up against new songs, even put it to a public vote through a show like X-Factor and give everyone in England the opportunity to select their favorite choice?” he suggested. | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157884 | 367 |
Former Rangers skipper Steven Davis has revealed he would like to return to Ibrox one day.
The turmoil which surrounded the Govan club a year ago on Thursday after it lapsed into administration, subsequently followed by liquidation, led to an exodus of players.
The Northern Ireland midfielder, 28, moved last summer to Southampton who reportedly paid Rangers 'newco' £800,000 for him.
Davis explained his decision to leave his boyhood heroes while leaving the door open to the possibility of going back at some point in his career.
He told the Daily Record: "We were professional sportsmen and on the day it was announced Rangers were going into administration it was just a series of words to us until we absorbed the ramifications of what had taken place.
"I had just signed a new, five-year contract with the club and it had always been my intention to honour that agreement in full and devote the largest part of my career to the team I considered to be one of the biggest names in world football.
"I loved the club and the fans but I had to take a decision which was best for me, my family and the remainder of my career.
"There was so much uncertainty, so I was delighted Southampton made an offer that was acceptable and the club got money that they needed to keep going.
"It was the toughest decision of my life when I left for another club.
"I gave the team 100% every time I went out on to the park for Rangers.
"If everything goes to the plan I have in my head I'd like to come back and play for the club again before my career ends.
"I know there are different opinions about the players who left after administration but I still follow Rangers and they continue to mean a lot to me." | http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2013-02-12/saints-steven-davis-i-love-rangers-and-id-go-back-there-one-day/ | 368 |
Two Ivy Golfers Named GCAA All-America Scholars
Courtesy of Columbia Media Relations/Sports Information and
Penn Athletic Communications
Photo courtesy of Penn Athletic Communications/Hunter Martin
PHILADELPHIA -- Columbia's Clark Granum and Penn's Chance Pipitone have been recognized as two of 119 NCAA Division I players across the country as Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars for the 2009-10 season by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
Granum became the first men's golfer in school history to receive this honor. The Torrey Pines, Calif., native earned his third consecutive All-Ivy League first team selection this spring and was named to the PING Division I Men's Golf All-Northeast Region Team in early June.
During the 2009-10 season, Granum garnered a 74.0 stroke average over 24 rounds which ranks as the fourth-best scoring average by any Columbia men's golfer since the 1993-94 campaign. Granum saved his best when his team needed it most, as he fired a final-round 67 at the Ivy League Championship to help Columbia to its third consecutive conference title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Also a standout student, Granum is an electrical engineering major who currently maintains a 3.63 GPA. He was a Spring Academic All-Ivy League selection for the second consecutive year in 2009-10.
Pipitone graduated in May from the Wharton School of Business. He is the seventh Penn player to earn the All-America Scholar award since 2000, but just the first since 2003. To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status at the Division I level, an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least two full years at the collegiate level, participate in 70 percent of his team's competitive rounds or compete in the NCAA Championships, have a stroke-average under 76.0, and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2.
Pipitone finished the 2009-10 season with a 74.0 stroke average over 22 rounds, which was the team's best. In nine tournaments he was the Quakers' low scorer at four tournaments, second among Penn players three times, and third twice. Pipitone was individual medalist at the Caves Valley Intercollegiate, and earned All-Ivy honors for the second time in his career with a seventh-place finish at the Ivy League Championships. As a freshman in 2006-07, Pipitone was runner-up at the Ivy League Championships, then finished fifth at the NCAA West Regional to earn an individual bid into the NCAA Men's Golf Championships. | http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/mgolf/2010-11/releases/Two_Ivy_Golfers_Named_GCAA_All-America_Scholars | 548 |
Jacksonville Jaguars DT Kyle Love on playing through Type 2 diabetes: "I'm a fighter. I'm a warrior."
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley says rehabbing in South Florida best thing for three-time Pro Bowl RB Maurice Jones-Drew
Senior writer John Oehser takes a look at four issues from Week One of Jacksonville Jaguars 2013 OTAs from Tyson Alualu, to Montell Owens to Blaine Gabbert
Tera Barz to serve as field reporter
Jacksonville Jaguars add depth to defensive line by claiming former New England DT Kyle Love off waivers
Join jaguars.com senior writer, John Oehser, as he tackles the fans tough questions in regards to anything Jaguars and NFL related live in our chatroom. | http://www.jaguars.com/news/all-articles.html?id=10324 | 154 |
NASSAU, Bahamas - Head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore is not seeking to fool anyone or himself about the true nature of what lies ahead in the triple-bill of World Cup qualifying matches coming up in June.
Instead, he’s called a spade a spade.
“We know it’s going to be tough, but we know we ...more »
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Police attached to the St Elizabeth Police Division seized a firearm and several rounds of ammunition in the parish Tuesday.
Reports from the Junction Police are that between 2:00pm and 6:00pm officers conducted several raids in the area. An open lot was searched and one 9mm Cal Intratech sub-machine gun with serial number erased and two cartridges was seized. No arrests were made in the find.
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Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard (right) is sent off by referee Chris Foy. / Andrew Yates, AFP/Getty Images
This was no dive.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard kicked a ball boy who did not supply the ball fast enough for the midfielder's liking.
Hazard had a rush of blood to the head, but unlike the Coldplay album, his reaction was not mellow in the least.
Hazard landed a kick to the boy's ribs as he lay sprawled on the pitch. The midfielder was ejected for the kick, which came in the 78th minute with Chelsea down 2-0 to Swansea in the League Cup semifinal.
While Twitter erupted with incredulity, the Chelsea handle posted something that managed to compound an already bizarre series of events.
"Has football gone mad? Hazard is sent off for kicking the ball under a ball boy attempting to smother the ball rather than return it. #CFC"
Redundancy aside, this could be the most ridiculous thing a professional team has ever said publicly. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Hazard is looking at a lengthy suspension from the English FA.
Adding to the controversy, a post from the ball boy's Twitter account earlier in the day suggests he might have been planning to waste some time for the home side.
"The king of all ball boys is back making his final appearance #needed #for #timewasting"
Only in soccer.
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Chelsea's Eden Hazard kicks a ball boy | http://www.jconline.com/usatoday/article/1859487&usatref=sportsmod | 320 |
The items included 500 bags of Agua Sachet water, 150 cartons of Tropico fruit drink, ten bags of rice, Seven bags of sugar, bags of gari, powdered milk, bread, gallons of cooking oil and other toiletries.
In his short but impressive speech, Mensah said: “I was touched to minister to the in mates, hence the donation. This is my first time, and am more touched after seeing you.
“Some of you are here through no fault of yours, you are in your difficult moment, but don’t throw your hands in the air in despair, God knows best.
“I have heard your concerns, and will do all I could to contribute my widow’s mite. Next time I will make sure I come with some of my colleagues,” he added.
His inspirational words generated thunderous applause from the in mates, particularly when he pledged to attend to their sporting equipment needs.
Prior to the Stars skipper’s speech, the Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Eric Hini thanked Mensah for the gesture while some of the team mates appealed for sporting equipment and the construction of a volley ball and basket ball courts.
ADP Hini pointed out that sporting activities take some boredom from the inmates and keep them healthy in their reformation process.
A special football match involving two selected sides among the inmates , which saw Mensah performing the official kick off and inspection was played in his honour.
Skipper Mensah, donated a trophy to the wining team, while presented Puma football boots and his customized Black Stars shirt to the players who excelled as wee as to the Chief Superintendent Boye Odonkor, head of sports after the match.
In return, the D. David, chairman of sports, an inmate decorated Mensah with red yellow and green muffler in appreciation on behalf of his mates.
The Ghana defender left the Prison yard leaving good footprints as the first ever Black Stars player to visit the inmates. | http://www.johntherock5.com/index.php?!=News&news_id=474&!=News | 420 |
- Published on Wednesday, 09 January 2013 13:23
- Hits: 1802
The Journal is profiling CBHS athletes who have significant athletic contributions to their school. This week our focus is TT Carey and Dylan Farinet.
Friday, March 13, 2009, will forever cast a halo over the town by the river known as Colonial Beach. In that magical year, the Drifters boys’ varsity basketball team did the unthinkable. Utilizing a core of warriors led by Tristan “TT” Carey and Dylan Farinet, the Drifters traveled to the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond to narrowly defeat the Mustangs of Eastern Montgomery High, 77-75.
At the time, CBHS was the fifth smallest school in the state of Virginia, with a student population of 230. However, at 3:45 p.m., the Drifters put their school on the map, and their names in the record books for eternity, as the Mustangs’ attempts to tie the game failed.
Turning back the pages of time, fans who witnessed the impossible feat saw Carey at his best as he scored 37 points, including nailing the go-ahead basket with less than 20 seconds remaining. Carey also added 16 rebounds, and four steals, while Farinet scored 17 points, 19 rebounds, four assists and four steals to give their school their first-ever state title in 100 years.
As a team, the Drifters dominated the boards by out rebounding the Mustangs 57-31. After Carey nailed a short jumper to give the Drifters a 74-72 lead, Farinet nailed two foul shots to extend their lead to 76-74 with 16 seconds left. However, the Mustang guard Adam Sisson scored a crucial three-pointer to bring the Mustangs within one point, at 76-75. After Farinet responded by scoring one of two free throws, Mustang Brad Wooten’s desperation three-pointer fell short of its mark, just seconds before the buzzer sounded.
Nowadays, both Carey and Farinet are in the third year in college. While Carey is a captain/guard for the Longwood University Lancers, Farinet has become a fundamental part of the University of Mary Washington Eagles men’s basketball team.
Carey is the Lancers’ leading scorer with a current total of 211 points, while averaging 14.1 points a game, and 73 rebounds (4.9 average). He is the all time scoring leader at CBHS, and tied for the third-highest season total in Virginia High School league history. Carey is a sociology major with a minor in business management.
His numerous accolades include: 2009 Virginia Group-A and Virginia High School Coaches Association (VHSCA) Division I Player of the Year; in his senior year at CBHS he averaged 29.5 points and 9.6 rebounds; Region A and District Player of the Year; 2009 VHSCA All-Star Game, leading East team with 20 points.
After transferring from Virginia Wesleyan College, Farinet slowly made his way into the Eagles lineup. After playing in 14 games during the 2011-2012 season, when he shot 40% from the floor, scoring 13 points, including five points in a win over Frostburg State, Farinet has taken his game to a new level.
“Dylan has been great this year,” University of Mary Washington men’s head coach Rod Wood said. “It took him a little while to pick up our style basketball, and conversely it was the same for us to learn the best way to use his skills.”
Most recently, Farinet helped the Eagles defeat Washington & Lee (72-71) in overtime to win the Washington & Lee Tournament. Farinet scored eight points, acquired two steals, one block, and three rebounds.
During his high school basketball years, he was a consistent scorer who finished with over 1,000 points, while averaging over 24 points a game. Farinet was the complete shooting and point guard who was fundamentally sound in all aspects of his game. Like Carey, he earned a number of awards including First Team All-Virginia, a two-time All-Region honoree, and a first time All-Area honoree.
The one-two knock out combination of Drifter legends Carey and Farinet will forever live long in the hearts of high school sports fans. | http://www.journalpress.com/index.php/sports/cb-drifters/1318-dylan-farinet-and-tt-carey-journey-into-sports-history | 921 |
Derek McMillan, the video editor who spends eight hours a day digitally blurring the WWF logo in old wrestling footage, feels “grossly under-appreciated” for his talents.
“It’s not easy, the work I do,” McMillan said from the darkened confines of a video editing suite in WWE’s Stamford headquarters.
“I have to find every single WWF logo — on turnbuckle pads, ring aprons on fans’ signs — and blur them all out. It takes a keen eye and lots of talent.”
McMillan says he toils away in obscurity while millions of wrestling fans see his handiwork in archival footage and WWE Home Video Releases, yet nobody ever gives him a proverbial pat on the back.
“I know who the real superstars are in this company,” he said. “It’s the people like me, behind the scenes.”
Hired in 2002 after World Wrestling Entertainment lost a lawsuit filed by the World Wildlife Fund over ownership of the WWF acronym and logo, McMillan has climbed the ranks from “Junior Blurrer” to “Senior Vice-President of Logo Blurring,” though his actual day-to-day duties have not changed.
McMillan said he aspires to someday get a promotion to the more prestigious job of “Benoit Footage Deleter.” | http://www.kayfabenews.com/guy-who-blurs-out-old-wwf-logo-feels-under-appreciated/ | 306 |
NASHVILLE – Fourth-ranked Texas A&M notched another quality win today as senior Nazari Urbina won the last match standing to give the Aggies a 4-3 victory over 11th-ranked Vanderbilt at the Currey Tennis Center.
“Just simply in terms of the box score, it is definitely an excellent win for Texas A&M women’s tennis program,” A&M head coach Howard Joffe said following the match. “We were on the road, Vanderbilt has a very fine team, and it goes down as a very good win. I don’t know if we played our best tennis, but the tough nature of the match certainly revealed some of our character. It certainly has helped us with competing and also highlighted some areas that we need to improve in.”
A&M, playing in its first Southeastern Conference road match, improves to 3-0 in league play and to 9-1 overall after winning its seventh consecutive match. This also was the second straight match in which Urbina clinched the win in the last match standing, having also pulled off a heroic three-set victory in the Aggies’ momentous 4-3 win against then-No. 4 Florida on Sunday.
“One of the things I try my best to tell myself and the team is that when you play against the good teams, every win is very good and inherently the matches are very, very difficult,” Joffe said. “In a funny way this doesn’t feel like a nail-biter to me because (winning) is what I hope our ladies are expecting.”
A&M got on the scoreboard first by winning the doubles point. The 11th-ranked duo of Stefania Hristov and Cristina Stancu pulled away for an 8-4 victory at the No. 1 line to improve to 15-5 overall, 6-2 in dual matches and 2-0 in league play.
Seniors Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar and Wen Sun clinched the doubles point for the Aggies, winning three consecutive games to close out an 8-5 victory over 29th-ranked Courtney Colton and Lauren Mira at No. 2. It marked the highest ranked win for the Aggie tandem in a dual match this season.
A&M twins Ines and Paula Deheza and Vandy’s Frances Altick and Georgina Sellyn were knotted at 5-5 on Court 3 when the doubles point was decided and play was stopped.
The Commodores got off to a strong start in singles, winning the first set on four of six courts. Sanchez-Quintanar, ranked No. 6 in singles, was one of two A&M players to win a first set. The Spaniard improved to 27-4 overall and 8-1 in dual matches, winning the first seven games at No. 1 singles en route to a 6-0, 6-3 victory over 60th-ranked Mira to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead .
Antal put Vanderbilt within 2-1 as she got a straight-set 6-4, 6-3 victory over Hristov at the No. 5 line before Stancu defeated Casares, 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 2 line to put A&M ahead, 3-1.
With three matches still in action, the Aggies would need a come-from-behind victory on one of the courts to get the win.
Sellyn, ranked No. 64, downed Sun, 6-4, 6-3 to improve to 5-0 at the No. 4 line and put the Commodores within 3-2. The remaining two matches would be decided in three sets as Urbina and teammate Anna Mamalat had split sets after dropping their first sets at the No. 3 and 6 lines, respectively.
Mamalat, who was celebrating her 19th birthday, won her second set, 6-4, against Altick after dropping the first set, 6-3. Mamalat then built a 4-2 lead in a controversial third set, but Altick, helped the Commodores improve to a combined 11-0 at the No. 6 line, rallying to win the next four games to win the match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and tie the team score at 3-3.
Urbina, who had dropped her first set to Colton, 6-4, won the second set, 6-3, and jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the final frame. Colten got within 5-4 before Urbina finished off the match, 6-4, to once again clinch the victory for the Aggies.
“It feels good to come out on the winning side of it,” Joffe said. “I definitely think the slow start in the singles matches put us in jeopardy in the match, but today the veterans on our team got the job done for us. Again Nazari clinched the match. Stancu did a great job against a very fine player, and Sanchez, too. They got it done for us today.
“I didn’t get to see a ton of Nazari’s match, but I think she was a beat or two out of tune in her first set and once she got some rhythm, she was definitely in control of the match for the most part. She is so even keeled and it reveals some character. Everything that is good about college sports, Nazari is an advert for that. She is diligent. She is hard working. She is tough. She works hard in the class room and on the tennis court, so she deserves it.”
Vanderbilt, which entered the match 7-0 in the all-time series against the Aggies and 3-0 in home matches this season, saw its four-match win streak come to an end and drops to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in SEC play.
A&M closes out a two-match road swing at 44th-ranked Kentucky on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) at the Hilary J. Boone Varsity Tennis Complex in Lexington. The Wildcats are 11-3 overall and 2-1 in SEC play after defeating Missouri, 5-2, earlier today.
Links to live scoring of the Kentucky match will be available at AggieAthletics.com.
Visit AggieAthletics.com for more information on Texas A&M women’s tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women’s tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Aggie-Womens-Tennis/143874782434654
No. 4 Texas A&M 4, No. 11 Vanderbilt 3
March 8, 2013
Currey Tennis Center
1. #6 Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar (TAMU) def. #60 Lauren Mira (VU), 6-0, 6-3
2. #83 Cristina Stancu (TAMU) def. Marie Casares (VU), 6-3, 6-4
3. #67 Nazari Urbina (TAMU) def. Courtney Colton (VU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. Georgina Sellyn (VU) def. Wen Sun (TAMU), 6-4, 6-3
5. Ashleigh Antal (VU) def. Stefania Hristov (TAMU), 6-4, 6-3
6. Frances Altick (VU) def. Anna Mamalat (TAMU), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Doubles (Texas A&M wins the point)
1. #11 Hristov/Stancu (TAMU) def. Antal/Casares (VU), 8-4
2. Sanchez-Quintanar/Sun (TAMU) def. Colton/Mira (VU), 8-5
3. Ines Deheza/Paula Deheza (TAMU) vs. Altick/Sellyn (VU), 5-5 unfinished
Order of finish
Doubles: 1, 2
Singles: 1, 5, 2, 4, 6, 3
Texas A&M: 9-1, 3-0 SEC
Vanderbilt: 9-5, 2-1 SEC | http://www.kbtx.com/sports/headlines/Aggie-Womens-Tennis-Gets-Another-Clutch-Win-Defeat-No-11-Vanderbilt-4-3-196641031.html | 1,826 |
The campaign to rehabilitate Lance Armstrong's public image might include a return of sponsorship money paid by the United States Postal Service, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The cyclist, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, is in negotiations to return some portion of the agency's sponsorship money, the source said.
USPS was one of Armstrong's biggest financial supporters during the most successful period of his career, and millions of dollars were paid to finance the team's operations.
While total figures are not available, USPS paid more than $30 million to sponsor the cycling team between 2001 and 2004, according to documents reviewed by ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.
A representative from the USPS, which rarely comments on its relationship with Armstrong, declined on Monday to confirm the sponsorship totals.
The agency's sponsorship of the cycling team, even when Armstrong was regularly winning tour titles, was controversial. In 2003, the USPS Inspector General issued a report that was critical of the agency's practices, saying it was unable to verify the financial performance of sponsorships, and that the arrangements were "not effectively managed."
In October, Armstrong was stripped of his titles and banned from cycling after an exhaustive report from the United States Anti-Doping Agency put him at the center of a team-wide USPS doping conspiracy. Weeks later, Armstrong stepped down from the board of his foundation, Livestrong.
Media reports indicate that USPS support for Armstrong is also the subject of a whistleblower suit brought by Floyd Landis, Armstrong's former teammate who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs after winning a Tour title of his own.
Landis had accused Armstrong of doping, likely a violation of the team's sponsorship agreement with USPS. Whistleblower suits are kept under seal, and the Department of Justice has not publicly addressed the matter.
The government could decide to join the suit, and the New York Times reported Monday that Armstrong is in discussions to testify in the case against the team's owners and other officials. | http://www.kcra.com/news/money/Armstrong-in-talks-to-return-Postal-Service-money/-/11797182/18132670/-/15fw6ck/-/index.html?absolute=true | 410 |
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- Featured on 4
Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 16:11
EL PASO— A woman has died from her injuries after a car accident late Wednesday night at the intersection of Joe Battle and Montana in El Paso's far east side.
Simona Gonzalez, 82, of Mexico, died Thursday after being taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries after the crash at the intersection, police said.
An El Paso Police PIO said Gonzalez was a passenger in a 2010 Nissan Tiida (Versa) driven by 43-year-old Maria Gonzalez, of Mexico. Maria Gonzalez was making a left turn onto Montana. EPPD said she turned in front of a 2009 Toyota Corolla driven by 72-year-old Joseph Gibson of Arizona. The two cars crashed at the intersection.
Flor Gonzalez, 22, also of Mexico and also a passenger of the Tiida, Maria Gonzalez, and Gibson were all treated for injuries due to the crash.
EPPD said speed and alcohol are not factors in the crash. All passengers and drivers were wearing seatbelts.
This is the 27th traffic related death for 2011 compared to 29 at this same time last year. | http://www.kdbc.com/news/economy/woman-dies-injuries-after-late-wednesday-night-accident-joe-battle-montana | 245 |
NFL free agent Donte Stallworth was hospitalized Saturday with serious burns after the hot air balloon carrying him and two other people crashed into power lines, his agent said. The 10-year NFL veteran won't suffer any permanent damage from the accident in Homestead, said Drew Rosenhaus, Stallworth's agent. "He's going to be OK. He has some burns, but he's going to be fine," Rosenhaus said. "He will be able to continue his NFL career. The injuries are not to the extent they will jeopardize his career." Rosenhaus said one of the passengers was Stallworth's girlfriend, but he would not say whether she was hurt. A source close to Stallworth told ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss that Stallworth's girlfriend is in stable condition. The basket carrying three hot air balloon passengers crashed into the power lines while airborne, according to Miami-Dade Police spokesman Roy Rutland. | http://www.ketv.com/sports/Stallworth-hurt-after-balloon-hits-power-lines/-/9674600/19347362/-/62jnyy/-/index.html | 188 |
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Ben McLemore scored 16 points and No. 4 Kansas stormed back from a late double-digit deficit to stun Texas 64-59 on Saturday for win its 15th straight win.
Jeff Withey added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Jayhawks (16-1, 4-0 Big 12), who trailed by 11 points in the second half before McLemore steered a rally that prevented the reeling Longhorns (8-9, 0-4) from a badly needed victory in this troubled season.
Travis Releford added 12 points for Kansas.
Sheldon McClennan led the Longhorns with 18 points. Texas has lost four straight, its longest losing streak since coach Rick Barnes' first season in 1998-99. | http://www.kfdi.com/news/local/187651821.html | 166 |
News | Statistics | Player vs. Team | Utilization | Injury History | Depth Chart | Team Roster
Week By Week
Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:15:07 -0800
The Indianapolis Colts announced Wednesday, Dec. 9, that they have waived QB Shane Boyd from the practice squad.
Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:19:10 -0800
The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent C Keith Gray (Panthers), OG Andrew Radovich and QB Shane Boyd (Texans) to their practice squad Wednesday, Dec. 2. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:38:26 -0700
Brooke Bentley, of HoustonTexans.com, reports the Houston Texans may sign free-agent QB Shane Boyd (Texans) to their practice squad.
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:44:01 -0700
HoustonTexans.com reports the Houston Texans have released QB Shane Boyd.
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:43:29 -0700
The Associated Press reports Houston Texans QB Shane Boyd was 8-for-17 for 83 yards during the team's preseason game Thursday, Aug. 28.
Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:20:10 -0700
HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans QB Shane Boyd should receive a decent amount of playing time in the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 9, because the team plans on looking at him extensively.
Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:32:41 -0700
Megan Manfull, of the Houston Chronicle, reports the Houston Texans may sign practice squad QB Shane Boyd if QB Matt Schaub (concussion) is not available Week 9.
Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:56:12 -0700
The Houston Texans have announced they have signed free-agent QB Shane Boyd (Cardinals) to their practice squad.
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:48:29 -0700
The Arizona Cardinals have announced they have released QB Shane Boyd.
Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:51:54 -0700
Michael Seiden, of AZCardinals.com, reports Arizona Cardinals QB Shane Boyd is a candidate for the third quarterback spot on the roster.
More player news ... | http://www.kffl.com/player/12205/NFL | 466 |
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — While they are one of the hottest teams going into the postseason, there's a lot of past playoff futility for the Seattle Seahawks to overcome — nearly three decades worth.
Seemingly unbeatable at home, the road — especially in the postseason — has been a different tale for the Seahawks. It's been 29 years since Seattle last won a playoff game on the road. They've lost eight straight road playoff games since winning at Miami on Dec. 31, 1983, when only nine players on their current 53-man roster were even born.
On Sunday, Seattle (11-5) travels to the East Coast to take on another hot team, the Washington Redskins (10-6). The Seahawks have won five in a row, and seven of their last eight; Washington brings a seven-game winning streak into the game.
"If you want to be a good team you definitely got to be able to win on the road," Seattle defensive end Red Bryant said. "You never get a scenario exactly how you want it unless you fortunate enough to be like Atlanta."
The Falcons earned home field throughout the NFC playoffs by finishing 13-3. After being the only team to go 8-0 at home, the only way Seattle can return home for a postseason is if it somehow ends up playing Minnesota for the NFC title.
"In terms of us going forward, we've got to go on the road and we're looking forward to it," Bryant said.
There was a reason Seattle coach Pete Carroll hoped his team could get at least one home playoff game — the Seahawks have some forgettable road playoff losses.
After beating Miami in the '83 playoffs, the Seahawks were routed 30-14 by the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC championship game despite beating the Raiders twice in the regular season.
Seattle was routed at Miami in 1984 and in 1987 fell 23-20 at Houston in overtime after rallying to tie the game in the final minute of regulation. Seattle won the AFC West for the first time in 1988, only to get top-seeded Cincinnati in the playoff opener and a 21-13 loss.
After a lengthy drought with just one playoff appearance, the Seahawks started their run of success in the middle of 2000s with a wild-card berth and a trip to Green Bay in 2003. Shaun Alexander scored with 51 seconds left to pull Seattle even at 27 and force overtime where, after winning the coin toss, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck told referee Bernie Kukar, "We want the ball and we're going to score," as a playful jab to former teammate Brett Favre.
Hasselbeck then threw an interception on the first possession of overtime that Al Harris returned it 52 yards for a game-winning touchdown.
There was another overtime loss in 2006, this time at Chicago, and losses to Green Bay (2007) and again to the Bears (2010) to complete the eight-pack of road woes.
Carroll said the challenge this week is not getting wrapped up in playing on the road.
"There will be a feel about the playoffs, there's always a kind of air about it that you can sense it's different, but the key is not allowing that to factor in to what it really takes to prepare well and not miss the message," Carroll said. "They will be as excited to play, and I think everybody is going to have great focus this week just because it is the playoffs, but that's something we're trying to create on a regular basis so that when we get to this time we've already been there done that."
Seattle got a significant break in the schedule by landing the late afternoon Sunday game on the opening weekend. The Seahawks are following their normal regular season practice schedule and continuing with a trend of flying to the East Coast two days before kickoff that Carroll started in his first season.
Washington cornerback Josh Wilson knows the difficulty of making that West-to-East trip. He played for the Seahawks from 2007-09 and will now face his former team on Sunday.
"This game being at 4:30 actually may help them a little bit," Wilson said. "It's definitely tough when you have that 1 o'clock game. It feels like about 10 o'clock to you. You wake up three hours before the game, so it's about 7 o'clock in your mind. It's tough to travel that long distance."
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL | http://www.kgw.com/sports/185373401.html?ref=prev | 925 |
International Speedway Corp.'s financial plan to build a new NASCAR-style racetrack in South Kitsap would not be a good deal for Kitsap County, county commissioners Chris Endresen and Patty Lent said.
Under the financial proposal offered to state legislators, ISC has asked for an exemption from a tax on timber harvests as well as an exemption from a leasehold excise tax, which normally replaces property tax on public lands. The Florida-based company also wants to divert most of the local admissions taxes to help pay for the speedway.
"It's not a good deal for Kitsap County," Endresen said Monday night during an annual forum sponsored by Kitsap Conservation Voters.
She and Lent answered questions from an audience of about 40 people. The third commissioner, Jan Angel, did not attend.
ISC has offered to pay $13 million for "off-site improvements" — only a small portion of the road construction money needed, she said.
Widening Highway 305 from Bond Road to Hostmark Street would cost about $20 million, Endresen said, adding that the Poulsbo project is relatively small. "Thirteen million in off-site improvements (for the track) is not going to go very far."
It might be considered unfair to require ISC to pay for road improvements that will be needed eventually anyway, said Endresen, but would it be fair for the county to spend its entire road budget in one place?
Lent spoke more cautiously. She agreed with Endresen that the financial package had serious shortcomings, especially when it comes to road construction. But she acknowledged that she has been sitting "on the fence," to serve the county better in negotiations with ISC.
Both commissioners were careful not to comment on land-use matters. Under legal prescriptions, they must not only make a fair decision during land-use hearings but must maintain an "appearance of fairness," Endresen noted.
The commissioners did describe the permitting process, however.
For example, Endresen said she believes the speedway may need a rezone, which could move a potential decision into sometime next year.
"I'm not sure they can give us all the information we need to make a decision (this year)," she said.
Lent added, "It's hard to make a decision if we feel we only have half the information."
ISC has requested a rezone to allow commercial uses that could go beyond the speedway itself, such as retail services. Some people at Monday's meeting raised questions about whether ISC had already missed deadlines to make changes this year.
Answering questions on other issues, the two commissioners said they would like the Kitsap Economic Development Council to turn its attention from NASCAR to its long-range goal of bringing high-paying jobs to Kitsap County.
"After the EDC brought out the information on NASCAR, I thought they would go back to business as usual," Lent said. "They should be looking at what we have as a goal, creating jobs."
Lent and Endresen agreed that passage of Initiative 933 — the "property fairness" initiative — could mean the end of land-use planning in Kitsap County. The county could not afford to pay property owners not to build something, Endresen said, so developers would be able to ignore all land-use rules put into effect over the past 10 years.
If that happened, Endresen said, "I don't think people would be happy very long."
Lent said Kitsap County planners are studying how much developers are affected by new environmental regulations and whether anyone loses the use of his land under current rules. If I-933 passes, she said, a few people will benefit at the cost of everyone else. | http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2006/may/24/commissioners-question-iscs-speedway-deal/ | 777 |
The calendar has flipped to March, and several NFL teams are on a frantic pace to restructure contracts in order to become salary-cap compliant by 4 p.m. Eastern time on March 12.
The New England Patriots did a restructure with quarterback Tom Brady, while Pittsburgh did the same with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a few other players in its seemingly annual scramble to reach cap compliance.
The New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys are also in the midst of changing deals to lower cap numbers for the 2013 league year while adding cap dollars for future years. The cap is expected to be $123 million.
The deals for Brady and Roethlisberger also could affect what the Baltimore Ravens decide to do with quarterback Joe Flacco, with Monday (March 4) the deadline for teams to place franchise or transition tags on players. Currently, no teams have officially applied the franchise tag.
In addition, the Ravens might also be helped by a restructuring possible between the Detroit Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The non-exclusive franchise tag would result in a tender of about $14.6 million for Flacco, money that counts immediately against the cap. If the Ravens were able to negotiate a long-term deal with Flacco, it would likely mean a lower cap figure, and open the door for the Ravens to deal with other free agents like safety Ed Reed, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and cornerback Cary Williams.
With a non-exclusive tag, the player can negotiate with other teams, but an offer sheet not matched would result in two first-round picks as compensation. The exclusive tag, based on the five highest cap numbers at the position for 2013, prohibits the player from talking to other teams.
Prior to the restructures that lowered the cap numbers for Brady and Roethlisberger, the exclusive tender cost about $20.46 million. With Brady and Roethlisberger dropping out of the top five, it is now $19.136 million.
Stafford currently has the highest cap figure of any quarterback at $20.82 million, so a restructuring would further lower the exclusive tag.
As for teams looking for a quarterback, the market doesn't provide much in attractive talent. That resulted in Kansas City reaching a tentative agreement with San Francisco to acquire quarterback Alex Smith for a second-round pick this year (34th overall) plus a conditional third-round pick in 2014 that could become a second-round selection depending on Smith's performance. There is also a possibility that Kansas City might receive a third-day pick from the 49ers in the fifth, sixth or seventh round. The trade can't become official until after the league year begins. | http://www.koat.com/news/sports/2013-Free-Agent-Preview/-/9153850/19137626/-/a9qfvq/-/index.html | 543 |
Favored to medal: They can be three of the deadliest words to an Olympian.
Jill Camarena-Williams was favored to medal in shot put coming into the London Summer Games.
It's her second Olympics. She's been ranked top three in the world for women's shot put.
Heck, she's married to a physical therapist. But sometimes luck, or lack thereof, gets in the way.
Jill's back gave out one week before competition. But her spirit did not.
Jill competed with her trademark grace, guts and grin.
And, when I emailed an interview request to her last night with the always uncomfortable "I know this didn't turn out the way you wanted" line, she replied, "Yes, we're going to go sightseeing. Would you like to come?"
Does the pope like going to church?
And that's how Domi and I ended up on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral with the entire Camarena family.
Brother James is the one who gets the credit for suggesting she try throwing in the seventh grade. | http://www.koat.com/olympics/Deirdre-s-Diary-A-true-champion/-/15411192/16002426/-/item/0/-/rwgpl7/-/index.html | 227 |
Gerald Wallace is finally headed back to Charlotte. It's just going to take a while.
A week after the Bobcats' top scorer suffered a partially
collapsed lung against the Lakers, doctors cleared Wallace to
return home. But there's a catch: he still can't fly.
So Wallace left Los Angeles on Tuesday in a charter bus loaded
with movies and videos to pass the time. A team spokesman said they
expect Wallace to complete the 2,400-mile journey late Wednesday or
It's still uncertain when Wallace, Charlotte's starting small
forward, will play again. The Bobcats lost the final three games of
the West Coast trip without Wallace, who is averaging 16.4 points a
Wallace was injured on a flagrant foul by Lakers center Andrew
Bynum late in the fourth quarter of Charlotte's double-overtime win
on Jan. 27. Wallace, who also suffered a broken rib after getting
elbowed by Bynum, had a tube inserted into his left lung to help
restore full function.
Wallace was released from the hospital Thursday, but told he
couldn't travel until he met a specialist Monday to determine how
his lung had healed.
A cardiothoracic surgeon determined Wallace could travel, but
not fly because of concerns about how his lung would handle the
reduced air pressure of airplane cabins.
Bynum's foul was upgraded by the NBA to a flagrant-2 foul, but
he was not suspended. Four nights later, Bynum tore the medial
collateral ligament in his right knee and is expected to miss eight
to 12 weeks.
|There are currently no active polls at this time.
Click here to view other polls on our site and past poll results. | http://www.kolotv.com/sports/headlines/38952799.html?site=full | 375 |
The amateur element accounts for about 80% of the entrants -- including Tarek El Erian, who planned to be on his honeymoon during the race but put his wedding plans on hold after receiving a late wildcard entry.
"I'm grateful towards my wife-to-be because this is unthinkable in Egypt, but we postponed the marriage so that I could take part in the rally," he explained.
It is not just an event for the competitors -- the 2013 version will be televised in 189 countries, with an audience of 2.2 billion from start to finish.
But it will once again attract criticism, as has been customary since Sabine first came up with the idea after getting lost on his motorbike in 1977 in Libyan desert during another event, the Abidjan-Nice Rally.
France's Green Party once described it as "colonialism that needs to be eradicated" while the Vatican once called it "a vulgar display of power and wealth in places where men continue to die from hunger and thirst."
The race's history is entwined with tragedy. The helicopter crash which accounted for Sabine's death also led to the death of four others on board.
Just two years later, six people lost their lives, including a 10-year-old Malian girl struck by a competitor's car, and a mother and daughter killed when hit by a television crew's vehicle.
But for those who take part, the risks are part of the excitement.
Michel Merel, runner-up in the motorbike class in 1980, said fear was the biggest lure of the Dakar.
"The piste is like the ocean," he said. "It is wrong not to fear it. As for me, the piste makes me scared -- you don't mess around with it. You can't be an artist."
The race's most successful entrant is Stephane Peterhansel, a six-time winner of the motorcycle category who also has four car titles, including last year.
The Frenchman, 47, describes his Dakar years as "the most memorable of my life," reveling in the "complete emptiness, nothingness" of the desert tundra at night.
While Peterhansel will once again hope to make the headlines, Neathway is likely to be one of the unsung battlers just trying to make it home.
"I've always been a petrolhead and did motocross as a kid," he says. "Since recovering from my injuries, the Dakar has been the dream.
"Most people don't get to do that but I've got the chance. For me, the main thing is just to finish." | http://www.ksat.com/sports/Triple-amputee-takes-on-dangerous-race/-/478218/17963936/-/item/1/-/c7ti4g/-/index.html | 552 |
Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE PAR, Inc.
App is free through end of March
LUTZ, Fla., March 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PAR's direct-to-consumer concussion app, designed to help coaches and parents recognize whether an individual is exhibiting or reporting the signs and symptoms of a concussion, recently received accolades from former NFL quarterback Steve Young.
In addition, PAR is offering the Concussion Recognition and Response (CRR) app free until the end of March to recognize Brain Injury Awareness Month.
The CRR app was developed by concussion experts Gerard A. Gioia and Jason Mihalik. It provides instruction during the assessment of an injury, a return-to-play guide, and extensive concussion information.
"As a former NFL player, national spokesperson for the Positive Coaching Alliance, and someone who has personally experienced the significant effects of a concussion, I believe every parent of a young athlete and coaches should be fully aware of the signs and symptoms of a concussion in a young athlete," Young said. "To help them act and respond to this injury the right way, they need to have proper tools. Based on the great CDC Heads Up work that Dr. Gioia helped to create, the Concussion Recognition & Response App gives parents and coaches a great tool to identify kids with suspected concussions. It also is a great resource of information about concussions and what parents can do to help their child recover from the injury. This app should be a necessary part of every comprehensive youth concussion management and awareness program."
Young played 14 seasons of professional football, all but two for the San Francisco 49ers. He retired in 1999 with the highest career passer rating among retired players and six NFL passing titles under his belt.
Founded in 1978, PAR is a leading publisher of assessment instruments, software, and other related materials. Over the past three decades, PAR has earned a reputation for providing customers with innovative assessment solutions and unparalleled customer service.
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. | http://www.kswo.com/story/21652857/nfl-star-steve-young-endorses-par-concussion-app | 462 |
PORTLAND -- Except for the first three minutes, the Portland Trail Blazers went wire to wire in their 109-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night at the Rose Garden.
Damian Lillard scored 24 points as Portland (27-31) rolled past the injury-ravaged Timberwolves for only the second win in 10 games.
It completed a four-game series sweep for Portland, which had jumped to big leads in the previous three matchups, then held on for dear life to secure victory.
In this one, Minnesota's last lead was at 6-4, and the Trail Blazers led by as many as 18 points in the second half.
"Tonight it started from (the first) jump ball," said Portland center J.J. Hickson, who collected 18 points and 16 rebounds. "We didn't let up, except for a couple of possessions in the fourth quarter. Coach (Terry Stotts) called timeout, we regrouped and finished the job."
The Blazers got major contributions off the bench from rookies Meyers Leonard (12 points, eight rebounds) and Victor Claver (10 points) and from Eric Maynor (seven points and a career-high 12 assists). It was the third game in a Portland uniform for Maynor, acquired at the trade deadline from Oklahoma City.
Maynor played a season-high 31 minutes, often pairing with another point guard, Lillard, in the backcourt.
"It's fun to have somebody else who sees everything that's going on on the floor," Lillard said. "Eric sees what I see. He's thinking what point guards think when they're bringing it up the floor. He's looking for guys in their spots.
"He probably should have had 15, 16 assists. He did a really good job of making plays for us."
Derrick Williams collected 23 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (20-36), which has lost five in a row and 10 of its last 12 outings.
The Timberwolves were without their entire starting front line -- Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Love and Andrei Kirilenko -- because of injuries.
"We're just so thin because of all the injuries," said Minnesota coach Rick Adelman, who had only nine able bodies. "You go at it with the right attitude and keep busting your tail, eventually it's going to pay off. (The Timberwolves) competed the whole game, but (the Blazers) were just bigger and stronger. We need to get people back; we need some support."
The Blazers held a large advantage in rebounds (55-47), points in the paint (56-40) and assists (32-19).
Portland extended a seven-point halftime edge to 76-59 with four minutes left in the third quarter. The margin was 83-71 heading into the final period.
The Blazers closed the first quarter on a 12-4 run to go into the second period ahead 31-19. They took a 51-44 advantage into intermission, getting 11 points from Lillard, eight points and nine rebounds from Hickson and seven assists from Maynor.
Portland held the Timberwolves -- who got 14 points and five rebounds from Williams -- to 36.4 percent shooting in the first half.
NOTES: Hickson notched his 32nd double-double of the season. ... Maynor's 12 assists are second-most by an NBA reserve this season, behind only San Antonio's Manu Ginobili (15). Maynor also tied Lillard and Nicolas Batum for a Portland game high this season. ... Minnesota's Ricky Rubio flirted with his first career triple-double, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. ... Minnesota's piecemeal starting lineup included front-liners Williams and Mickael Gelabale who had combined for 41 starts this season. ... Minnesota's Brandon Roy received a rousing standing ovation from the Rose Garden crowd during the first timeout. Roy, who spent his first five NBA seasons in Portland, said before the game he hopes to return to practice soon and "be ready to play again in a week or two." He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Nov. 19 and has missed the last 50 games. "If he makes it back on the court, I'll make a judgment," Adelman said. "If he could do it, it would be great, but we'll have to see it in practice first." | http://www.ktbs.com/sports/Point-guards-help-Blazers-sweep-series-with-Timberwolves/-/144720/19156770/-/d5dkac/-/index.html | 908 |
Jonny Walker was signed as a full factory rider with KTM in 2012 after grabbing attention as a rising star in the Extreme Enduro scene. He first started riding at just nine, won the British Schoolboy Trials Championship twice and stayed in the top three until he was 17. Jonny was also the youngest ever winner of the Pinhard Prize, a UK accolade awarded to under 21, high achiever motorcyclists.
In 2008 and 2009 Jonny competed in the European and Junior World Trials Championships and then decided to tackle Enduro sport and it is here he seems to have found his spiritual home, especially in Extreme Enduro where he follows in the footsteps of KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak.
While a health setback (glandular fever) in the last part of 2012 was a slight setback to his preparation for the 2013 season, he started well by claiming second place in the season’s first big event, The Tough One in the UK. At just 21, he is considered to have great potential and is considered one of the most promising rising stars of the sport. In 2013 Jonny is riding the KTM 300 EXC
|Team||KTM Extreme Service Team|
|Data di nascita||27.01.1991|
|Obbiettivi||EnduroCross and SuperEnduro Championship|
|Moto||300 EXC 2013| | http://www.ktm.com/ch-it/factoryracing/mx/mx1/team/details/racing/profile/Rider/walker.html | 288 |
Wed June 13, 2012
New Doping Charges Filed Against Lance Armstrong
Originally published on Wed June 13, 2012 6:32 pm
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
And I'm Melissa Block. There's news today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, or USADA, has brought formal doping charges against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. USADA is the body that fights performance-enhancing drug use in Olympic sports.
Lance Armstrong has issued a statement strongly denying any wrongdoing, but the charges could cost him his Tour de France titles. Amy Shipley of the Washington Post broke this story today and she joins me now. Amy, you got a copy of the charging letter - 15-page charging from USADA. What evidence do they say they have against Lance Armstrong in bringing these charges?
AMY SHIPLEY: Well, they're relying, obviously, on witness testimony. They say they have 10 eyewitnesses to many of the allegations in the letter and USADA has brought forward something new in this charging letter. It claims it has samples from 2009 and 2010 that show evidence of the use of EPO, which is an endurance building drug. That's different than saying they have positive tests. But they are saying that they have evidence that he did use this drug.
BLOCK: What would that evidence be if it weren't a positive result?
SHIPLEY: Well, they have means at looking at markers in blood and finding evidence that something's going on there, maybe without finding the drug itself.
BLOCK: Well, it's interesting because Lance Armstrong has always said he's been tested hundreds and hundreds of times and has never tested positive. He'd issued the statement that we mentioned, calling this all a vendetta. You spoke with his lawyer, too. What did he say?
SHIPLEY: They do think it's a vendetta. And of course, the agency, it's not commenting on this. At least, they haven't talked to us, but they claim that they are out to clean up cycling. And by cleaning up the past they can do that.
BLOCK: There was a criminal investigation into Lance Armstrong and these charges of blood-doping brought by the attorney in Los Angeles. No charges were filed in that case. But now we have these charges coming from USADA. How do you square those two thing?
SHIPLEY: Well, I think USADA was definitely not going to take any action against Lance until that criminal case was resolved. And it's a lot more difficult, USADA doesn't have the power of prosecution. It can't bring criminal charges against Lance. It doesn't have subpoena power. So it's much harder for them to get evidence. On the other hand, their burden of proof is not quite the same. It's very difficult, actually, to win doping cases when you're charged. Historically, very, very few athletes have overcome doping charges, so this is truly a threat to Lance's legacy.
BLOCK: What happens now?
SHIPLEY: Well, he'll fight the charges, which means this will go to arbitration. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out.
BLOCK: And the immediate repercussions for Lance Armstrong? We mentioned that he could ultimately get stripped of his Tour de France titles.
SHIPLEY: If he loses the arbitration he will lose his titles. Immediately, he's banned from competition. He's not competing in cycling. He retired in 2011. However, he's been competing just for fun in triathlons. But he's banned from those Iron Man competitions.
BLOCK: OK. Amy Shipley, thank you very much.
SHIPLEY: No problem. Thank you.
BLOCK: Amy Shipley of the Washington Post talking about formal charges that were brought against Lance Armstrong today by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio. | http://www.kttz.org/post/new-doping-charges-filed-against-lance-armstrong | 848 |
A gym teacher and former college football player in New York City claims a 6-year-old boy beat him up and forced him into therapy.
John Webster, 27, stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 220 pounds.
He's no slight figure, but Webster told The New York Post that he recently fractured his ankle and injured his knee at the hands of first-grader Rodrigo Carpio and is now forced to wear a brace on his right leg.
"It's sort of like an angel-devil sort of thing," Webster said of the 4-foot-2 Rodrigo. He "looks like an angel, but then, all of a sudden, that halo turns into horns. It's been a nightmare. It's embarrassing. It's humiliating."
The confrontation started when Webster tried to take hold of Rodrigo's wrists while escorting him and other students to the school cafeteria, the Post reported.
Rodrigo began biting Webster. When taken to the principal's office, the boy kicked Webster in the ankle and "right on my knee. I felt a pop."
Webster's attorney, Andrew Siben, described the boy as a "tiny terror."
But Rodrigo's parents don't see it that way.
"The lawsuit is totally absurd," his father, Jorge Carpio, told the Post. "How could my little boy do so much damage?" | http://www.ktvz.com/news/Gym-teacher-claims-boy-6-beat-him-up/-/413192/16816928/-/9mxo8bz/-/index.html | 288 |
3 Educators Arrested After Allegedly Buying Cocaine
Court documents show that three educators were arrested in drug cases last week.
One of the men, 62-year-old Michael Beltran, a baseball coach at Cathedral High School, resigned from the school Monday.
Drug Enforcement Administration officials along with El Paso County Sheriff's deputies arrested Beltran Saturday for possession of cocaine.
According to court documents, undercover agents saw Beltran enter the passenger side of a pickup truck in a parking lot on the 1900 block of George Dieter. He allegedly bought a small bag filled with cocaine, documents state.
On Thursday, DEA agents also arrested Raul Gomez and Joe Paul Solis for possession of cocaine.
Gomez is a coach at Del Valle High School and Solis is a counselor at Frank Macias Elementary School.
Gomez and Solis allegedly bought the cocaine at a house in east El Paso under surveillance.
Copyright 2012 KVIA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | http://www.kvia.com/news/3-Educators-Arrested-After-Allegedly-Buying-Cocaine/-/391068/17725648/-/view/print/-/12hdt3e/-/index.html | 213 |
The National Football League is investigating whether draft prospect Nick Kasa was questioned about his sexual orientation during a recent scouting combine, a spokesman said Wednesday.
"Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello.
League policy states that teams "neither consider nor inquire about sexual orientation in the hiring process," Aiello said. "In addition, there are specific protections in our collective bargaining agreement with the players that prohibit discrimination against any player, including on the basis of sexual orientation."
Kasa, who played tight end at the University of Colorado, told CNN earlier Wednesday that during the combine, he was asked: "Do you have a girlfriend? Are you married? Do you like girls?"
"Those kind of things, and it was kind of weird," he told CNN. "But like they would ask you with a straight face, and it's a pretty weird experience altogether." Kasa did not say who asked him those questions.
NFL.com said that NFL teams "try to catch prospects off-guard when they interview them at the NFL Scouting Combine." The combine is a skills audition for NFL scouts and coaches before the draft, which this year will be held April 25 to 27.
Three years ago, however, the combine experienced controversy when Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland asked Dez Bryant, now a Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, whether Bryant's mother was a prostitute. Ireland was "roundly criticized," NFL.com said. | http://www.kvia.com/sports/NFL-to-probe-alleged-sexual-orientation-query/-/390654/19114700/-/5m4tne/-/index.html | 316 |
Posted: Nov 1, 2012 10:30 PM by Sam Salzwedel
Updated: Nov 1, 2012 11:04 PM
HUACHUCA CITY - A wildlife manager euthanized another bear Thursday.
The young male black bear was wandering around Quail Ridge RV Resort when somebody called 911. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has received about 100 bear calls since July.
Dennis Lewis was the person who called 911.
"You had a lot of the people that really enjoyed it," Lewis said. "It was like a free show."
Gary Miller has been at Quail Ridge RV Park since 1985. He has never seen a bear in the area.
"I like at the zoo," Miller said, "where they're behind a moat or something like that."
The bear was shot with a tranquilizer then euthanized.
It was first seen on a Fort Huachuca golf course. Arizona Game and Fish officers moved it to the Santa Rita Mountains, according to Mark Hart with AGFD.
"Imagine if you were plucked out of your neighborhood and put in a strange place," Hart said. "You'd probably want to get home too."
The Monument Fire in 2011 and lack of winter rain have limited the bears' food supply.
Game and Fish workers relocated 4 bears from the Huachuca Mountain area and 3 have been put down. Sonora, Mexico police shot a bear when it left its new home in the Patagonia Mountains, according to Hart.
A bear went 70 miles back toward the Huachucas after being moved to the New Mexico state line.
The Huachuca Mountains still have 35 to 65 bears, according to Hart.
The animals will start hibernating later in November but might return in the spring, according to Hart.
Earlier this year, Game and Fish authorized 5 extra permits to archery hunters. None of them were successful.
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Complete feeds of all KVOA.com stories | http://www.kvoa.com/news/another-bear-shot-near-huachuca-mountains/ | 563 |
Preview: LA at Chicago
Chicago Fire (6-7-6, fifth in Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (13-5-4, first in West)
All-time record: Series tied 15-15-3
Saturday’s match is a crucial one for both teams, albeit for different reasons. Chicago, five points behind San Jose for the eighth and final playoff spot, need a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. First-place LA don’t share the same concern – their playoff odds are good – but they’ll be looking to play well and put an end to a two-game losing streak.
The Fire will be missing two of their most important attackers in Freddie Ljungberg (yellow-card suspension) and Marco Pappa (international duty) this weekend. Despite that fact, they remain confident they’ll be able to push forward successfully against the Galaxy – against whom they scored three goals in a 3-2 win on Aug. 1 at the Home Depot Center.
“We’re going to lose a lot [without Ljungberg and Pappa],” Fire winger Patrick Nyarko told MLSsoccer.com. “But there are a lot of guys on this team that can step in and get the job done.”
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA come to Toyota Park with revenge on their minds. The Galaxy were embarrassed by the Fire in the teams’ first meeting – conceding three goals in the first 20 minutes in last month’s loss.
If they are to avenge that defeat, the Galaxy back four will have to improve. They have conceded 11 goals in their last 7 games, after conceding just 5 goals in their first 15 matches. Veteran Gregg Berhalter's absence has been a key to the recent slide, and although he trained lightly this week, he did not travel with the team to Chicago for the match.
Heroes & Villains
Landon Donovan vs. Logan Pause: Edson Buddle may have more goals, but Donovan remains the key to LA’s offense. American soccer’s poster boy runs the Galaxy attack with speed and precision, creating problems for opposing defenses all across the league.
Fire defensive midfielder Pause should see a lot of Donovan – who often drifts into the center of the midfield – and he’ll have to keep the Galaxy’s playmaker in check for the Fire to get a win. Expect Pause to play Donovan tightly and physically come Saturday afternoon.
Stat that makes you go “Hm...”
The Galaxy have not won a game this year after conceding the first goal.
Keys to the Game
- Press the Galaxy early, taking advantage of a potential lack of confidence.
- Don't let Donovan and Buddle get in a rhythm. Keep them rattled and LA don't take flight.
- Weather the early storm; don't allow Chicago to take a quick lead.
- Attack down the middle – use Donovan's speed against slow Chicago center back C.J. Brown.
OUT: DF Dasan Robinson (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: MF John Thorrington (R ankle contusion); MF Freddie Ljungberg (L calcaneal contusion)
OUT: MF David Beckham (L Achilles tendon surgery); QUESTIONABLE: DF Gregg Berhalter (viral complications) | http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2010/09/preview-la-chicago-0?quicktabs_news_blog_qt=1 | 705 |
Former NCAA coach leads La Sierra athletics board
Dec. 6, 2012
By Darla Martin Tucker
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – (www.lasierra.edu) A well-known university athletics director and basketball coach who led four teams to national tournaments is bringing his leadership skills to a fledgling athletics board at La Sierra University.
Stan Morrison, who retired August 2011 from 12 years as athletics director for the University of California, Riverside took up chairmanship this fall of La Sierra University’s Golden Eagles Athletics Advisory Board. The group, which is entering its second year of operation, met in October and will reconvene again on Jan. 15. In the meantime, board members have been given a game plan by their leader: they are to bring one person unaffiliated with La Sierra University to one game per month, and to come to the next board meeting with the names of two alumni with whom they can share the vision of La Sierra’s athletics department.
“Athletics can be the front window of an institution,” said Morrison. Sports scores and stories in the media serve as “a great way of introducing a university to a community.” Morrison advises the athletics administration at La Sierra and strives to support its needs through fundraising. Projects in need of financial assistance include baseball and softball field lighting, locker room expansions, play off travel costs and sports scholarships.
Morrison’s arrival at La Sierra has been met with enthusiasm.
“He is the best person we could have brought on board,” said Derek Robbins, head coach for the Golden Eagles men’s basketball team. “He’s been a successful player, a successful coach, and he’s done a great job as an athletics director. It’s a benefit to us that we can grow and follow his lead into the future.”
“It is an honor for our athletics department to have someone like Stan Morrison as the chair,” said Yami Bazan, La Sierra’s vice president for Student Life division that oversees the athletics program. “His lifework on and off the court is an inspiration not just for our athletes, but for our coaches, our athletics director, and those of us who are in leadership positions today. We are grateful and consider his leading of our athletics advisory board a God-gift.”
Morrison, nationally known for his work as a head basketball coach and athletics administrator at several schools, joined UCR’s Highlanders program in 1999. He led the program into National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I status and oversaw the expansion of the university’s sports offerings. Prior to arriving at UCR, he achieved national recognition at four other Division 1 universities – San Jose State, the University of Southern California, the University of the Pacific, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a coach he led the University of the Pacific Tigers, the San Jose State Spartans, and two USC Trojan teams to the coveted NCAA tournament.
Between September 2006 and June 2011 Morrison also served on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee that administers the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship and selects the 68 teams that participate. The committee was a key player in securing a $10.8 billion contract with CBS and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Morrison also previously served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament Committee and raised significant funds for the UC Santa Barbara 21-sport Gauchos athletics program while serving as its director between 1986-89.
Morrison’s background includes playing both collegiate and professional ball. He captured national attention as a center for the University of California, Berkeley Bears when the basketball team won the NCAA title in 1959, and when it earned a runner-up status in 1960.
He has served as personal coach and consultant to former Los Angeles Lakers’ center Shaquille O’Neal and continues to serve as a sports commentator for FOX Sports, Comcast Television and BAY-TV.
Since his retirement from UCR, Morrison has held the position of senior vice president of business growth at Security Bank of California based in downtown Riverside. He sits on the boards of about 10 nonprofits including serving as board president for Olive Crest, an organization that provides group homes for abused teenagers. He said he views his involvement with La Sierra as another opportunity for giving back.
“There is a very real commitment by young men and women student-athletes at La Sierra University. They deserve campus and community support,” said Morrison. “My 50-plus years of work in intercollegiate athletics, as an athlete, coach and administrator, have provided me with many experiences that put me in a position to possibly help and assist LSU in avoiding the pitfalls, hurdles and potholes that are out there.”
La Sierra’s Golden Eagles sports program is entering its third year with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The university offers men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer and baseball, and women’s volleyball and softball. The Golden Eagles volleyball team recently celebrated another high-performance year with its competition in the Association of Independent Institutions playoffs, an achievement that follows last year’s inclusion in the NAIA national championship.
On Nov. 19 the California Pacific Conference announced the Golden Eagles’ membership in its program beginning in the 2013-14 school year. La Sierra’s inclusion brings the Cal Pac total membership to 10 institutions.
Morrison’s connection with La Sierra took root in 2009 when La Sierra University Athletics Director Javier Krumm approached him for advice and mentorship in starting a board. Morrison talked about fundraising and suggested securing corporate sponsorships.
“The single greatest product any university has are its student athletes,” said Morrison. Athletes learn persistence, dedication and teamwork, he said. “Great teams, when they really succeed, they talk about how [they are] a family.”
“In sports …nothing is gray and everything is black and white. Can you make the free throw or can’t you?” he said. “It is a wonderful world where coaches can teach truth. You must live the truth if you’re going to be successful.”
In August, Morrison gave a presentation during a La Sierra athletics department retreat at Camp Cedar Falls in Angelus Oaks. He spoke about leadership, life choices and the price of greatness. “Leadership must go to extraordinary lengths to get extraordinary results,” Morrison told the gathering. It is a talk he has previously given to student-athletes, coaches, and business and industry organizations.
A leader needs to push a team through intense practice and discipline to achieve “redirection of energy, motives and focus,” Morrison says. “It is about taking control of yourself and releasing the ‘fight factor’.” Individual members must reach a level of personal commitment, or resolution in order for the team to reach the ultimate goal of inspiration, where their desire for perfection coupled with prior training and discipline causes them to inspire each other “and achieve seemingly impossible feats of physical and mental performance.” | http://www.lasierra.edu/ue2013/news/2000/feb2000/index.php?id=9147 | 1,493 |
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Two weeks after both players were named to the Capital One Academic All-District II football teams for the second straight year, Lehigh seniors Zach Barket and Ryan Spadola were named to the Academic All-Patriot League team, announced Monday. Both Mountain Hawk offensive standouts were selected to the team for the second consecutive season.
To be eligible for the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor. The football Academic All-Patriot League Team has 14 student-athletes to equal one-half the size of the sport's All-Patriot League first team.
Barket makes his second consecutive appearance on the Academic All-Patriot League team. Lehigh’s leading rusher in each of the last two seasons, Barket rushed for 525 yards on 139 carries in 2012 and scored five touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 18 passes for 110 yards. Barket’s best game this season was a 123-yard effort in Lehigh’s 17-14 win at Georgetown on October 13. The Schuylkill Haven, Pa. native enjoyed a career year in 2011, earning first team All-Patriot League honors after rushing for 706 yards and four touchdowns, while catching 33 passes for 329 yards and five scores.
An accounting major, Barket carries a 3.46 grade point average and has made multiple appearances on the Dean’s List and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. In addition to his Academic All-District and All-League honors, Barket was named a FCS ADA Academic All-Star in 2011.
A three-time first team All-Patriot League selection for his athletic performance, Spadola was honored for the second straight year for his classroom work as well. Spadola completed one of the finest careers for a wide receiver in school annals, falling just short of the Lehigh career records for receptions and receiving yards. He led the Mountain Hawks in receiving in 2012, catching 57 passes for 851 yards and four touchdowns and finishes his career with 232 receptions for 3,611 yards and 24 touchdowns.
A member of the Dean’s List and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Spadola carries a 3.31 grade point average majoring in supply chain management.
Lehigh senior wide receiver Chris Looney was voted the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football, as voted by the league’s sports information directors.
The Mountain Hawks finished the 2012 season at 10-1 for their third consecutive 10-win season. Lehigh had a league-leading 11 players named to the All-Patriot League teams announced Tuesday morning. | http://www.lehighsports.com/wireless/release.aspx?ArticleId=21839 | 599 |
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Since signing with hometown squad Harrisburg City back in March, former Lipscomb soccer star Garret Pettis has worked hard to build his reputation as a hard-nosed forward and earn playing time for an Islanders squad that ranks fifth in the United Soccer League after 13 games.
Pettis, who exited Lipscomb as the school’s all-time leading scorer after last season, has fit in nicely with his new teammates. The 6-foot forward has appeared in 12 USL matches, garnering his first professional goal on June 1 against Richmond in a 1-1 draw.
Lipscomb Sports talked with Pettis about the transition to the pros, facing MLS squads and his improvement since joining his team.
LS: How has the adjustment been for you?
GP: It’s coming together slowly. I expected to have some growing pains, especially since I missed a lot of preseason activities due to school commitments. Now I’m just trying to make the most of my opportunities, which are coming earlier in games now.
LS: I’m sure scoring your first goal must have been a thrill.
GP: Such an amazing feeling. It had been a few games since I had really done anything offensively. I came on in the 77th and scored on what was close to my first touch. It lifted a weight off my shoulders and was huge for us, since it drew us even with Richmond in a game that was called due to lightning a short time later. As nice as just getting a goal was, making it count in a tight game was even better.
LS: You scored twice in a friendly against Philadelphia Union of the MLS. How much of a boost was that?
GP: It was a tremendous confidence builder. It was my first start; even though it was a friendly, it showed that I could capitalize on my opportunities and opened the door for more chances in the future.
LS: Speaking of facing MLS foes, tell me about Harrisburg City’s run in the U.S. Open Cup. How much of a role did you get to play in it?
GP: It was incredible for us. We showed resilience as a team and really opened some eyes. My first appearance was against New England on May 29 and it was the craziest game I’ve ever been a part of. Tied after regulation, New England scored three goals in the first extra time period before we scored three in the games’ last ten minutes to tie it up before we won on penalty kicks. It was special to be part of that.
LS: How are you guys stacking up in the USL right now?
GP: We’re fifth right now, and most of the teams ahead of us have played a game or two more. We had a rough road patch that included losses to Orlando and Charleston, but we have some very winnable games ahead of us on the schedule. We hope to be in second or third before the play offs.
LS: You’re on the road a lot. How much of a physical and mental toll does that take?
GP: Traveling really zaps your energy level. I had never thought there was a competitive advantage to being at home, but not having to travel and spend time on a bus or plane or hotel room is an advantage, no question. I will say that it’s easier to focus on the road, but it’s very monotonous.
LS: What’s been the biggest surprise about this level of soccer?
GP: How important the little details are. There’s a lot of work, not just in practices but on your own to become better. You have to be self-motivated and you have to work out on your own whether it’s staying late after practice or just getting some time in the gym.
LS: Going forward, what do you have to do to continue playing at this high level?
GP: It’s important to remember the hard work that got me here and to focus on being a complete player. Coming out of college, I was solely focused on putting the ball in the net but here you have to value possession and know that the goals will come. I have to maximize that to be the best I can be.
LS: What did you learn at Lipscomb that’s helped you so far?
GP: I learned about chemistry and fitting in with the team and that’s been big for me in my first season here. It’s a team sport and we all have to work together. Like I mentioned earlier, the little things are more important than ever at this level and buying into a lot of what my coaches at Lipscomb taught me has been helpful.
|Copyright ©2013 Lipscomb University Athletics. All Rights Reserved.||www.LipscombSports.com| | http://www.lipscombsports.com/news/archives-print/2012-13/7341/pettis-making-most-of-opportunities-with-harrisburg-city/ | 1,018 |
Sebastian Coates is one of the most promising centre-backs in world football.
The Uruguay international was brought to Anfield from Nacional in August 2011 having been voted the best young player at the 2011 Copa America.
Standing at a towering 6ft 6in, he is renowned for his commanding aerial displays - both defensively and offensively.
Coates is also capable of executing spectacular goals like his scissor-kick at Loftus Road during his debut season in England.
The defender joined the Nacional academy at 11 and went on to break into the first-team seven years later, making his senior debut against Bella Vista in 2009.
Although he played just three months of the 2008-09 campaign for Nacional, his performances for the title-winning team led to the prestigious Uruguayan Championship Revelation of the Season crown.
That summer, Coates made his international bow, playing in the U20 World Cup where Uruguay went unbeaten in a group that also contained England and eventual winners Ghana.
The 2010-11 season proved to be another glittering campaign for the defender as Nacional clinched another title, while on a personal level Coates scooped the Uruguayan Championship Player of the Season and Defender of the Season accolades.
It led to a first senior international cap just a week before the Copa America finals in a friendly against Estonia. Injuries meant Coates was handed his chance to play in the tournament alongside compatriot Luis Suarez as Uruguay surged towards the trophy.
The youngster's composed displays belied his tender years and, as a result, earned the accolade of Young Player of the Tournament.
Coates is nicknamed 'Luganito' by Uruguay fans as he's seen as the natural successor to the current captain of the national team, Diego Lugano. Indeed, Lugano himself has spoken of his belief that our No.16 will go on to skipper his country.
First though he must look to become a first-team regular at Anfield.
Coates made 12 appearances in 2011-12 following a debut as a substitute away to Tottenham on September 18.
He then represented Uruguay in the 2012 London Olympics, though their tournament ended in the group stages. | http://www.liverpoolfc.com/team/first-team/player/sebastian-coates | 456 |
Oct. 29, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif -- The 10th-ranked LMU men's water polo team earned another important conference win on Saturday, defeating 12th-ranked UC Davis 8-5 in Western Water Polo Association action at the Burns Aquatics Center.
The Lions used defense to improve to 13-6 on the season and 9-1 in WWPA action. Goalies Kyle Testman and Gavin Wild combined to make eight saves and the Lions field players limited UC Davis (20-9, 11-4) to just 20 shots in posting a shutout second quarter that was the difference.
UC Davis opened the game with the first goal, but the Lions would get scores from Joe Ferretti, John Mikuzis, and Albert Samuels to take a 3-1 lead. The Aggies' Colin Hicks would score with just 19 second left to make it 3-2 going into the second frame.
The Lions would then score the only three goals of the quarter, holding the Aggies scoreless. Mark Menis scored a pair and Edgaras Asajavicius added another to give the Lions a 6-2 lead at the break.
The Aggies cut the lead in half with a goal to start the second half, but the Lions would score the next two - another by Asajavicius and a 6-on-5 by Colton - to push the lead to 8-3.
Wild would then keep the Aggies off the board the entire fourth quarter until they would score on a 6-on-5 with just five seconds left in the game.
The 6-on-5 was big for the Lions as they went 5-of-9 while holding the Aggies to just 1-for-8.
LMU continues its six-game homestand on Friday, Nov. 4 against Fresno Pacific at 3 p.m.
- GO LIONS - | http://www.lmulions.com/sports/m-wpolo/recaps/102911aaa.html | 395 |
The atmosphere created by the thousands of fans who filled the London 2012 venue was labelled ‘incredible’ by British rider Geraint Thomas, with the Velodrome track hailed as ‘really fast’ by Canadian athlete Tara Whitten and ‘a wonderful track to ride on’ by Britain’s Victoria Pendleton.
The UCI (International Cycling Union) also praised the ‘quality facilities’, ‘excellent arrangements’ and ‘unique atmosphere’ in the venue.
The four-day competition saw 340 riders from 48 nations and 18 trade teams compete in the Velodrome for the first time. The Great Britain team stole the show with two world records for Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott and Dani King in the women’s Team Pursuit and Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish in the Team Sprint. Joanna Rowsell also won a gold medal in the women’s Pursuit on Saturday before the electrifying atmosphere hit another level when Sir Chris Hoy won his second gold medal on Sunday in the men’s Sprint following his win in the Keirin.
As well as being a World Cup and the penultimate qualifier for London 2012, the event was key in testing London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) operations ahead of the Games. Key testing elements included testing the track, athlete flows in the venue, results and timing systems, sport presentation, as well the 1000-strong workforce and volunteers.
Debbie Jevans, LOCOG Director of Sport said of the event: ‘It was thrilling to see the Velodrome in full-swing with fantastic sport, thousands of spectators and a live TV audience.
'The UCI Track Cycling World Cup has given us a glimpse of the atmosphere and excitement we can expect in the Velodrome this summer.’
The place was alive in there, it was pretty special. We’ve never experienced an atmosphere like that and I am sure the low roof helps.Great Britain's Ed Clancy on the Velodrome | http://www.london2012.com/news/articles/london-2012-velodrome-praised-world-best-track-cyclists.html | 421 |
May 21 2013 Latest news:
Monday, July 23, 2012
Transfer news: Frank Lampard has only got one year remaining on his Chelsea contract, and has refused to rule out the MLS
Frank Lampard has refused to rule out a move abroad, with speculation mounting that he could head to the MLS next summer.
The 34-year-old, who has only one year remaining on his contract at Chelsea, was responding to questions on his future during the Blue’s pre-season tour of the USA.
“I’m not sure. I have a year on my contract at Chelsea and we have a big season ahead of us,” Lampard told reporters.
“It’s up to Chelsea to speak with me about my future and at that time, I’ll speak with them,” he continued. “I wouldn’t rule anything out at the moment.” | http://www.london24.com/sport/chelsea/chelsea_star_could_have_mls_future_1_1456075 | 193 |
March 29, 2012
2011-12 LONG BEACH STATE MEN'S GOLF
Tournament No. 10
at OGIO-UCSB Invitational
April 2-3, 2012
Hosted by UC Santa Barbara
Sandpiper Golf Club - Par-72, 7,068 yards
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Monday, April 2 - First & Second Rounds, 8 a.m. shotgun
Tuesday, April 3 - Final Round, 8-9:40 a.m. tee times
The Long Beach State men's golf team travels up the coast to Santa Barbara to take part in the OGIO-UCSB Invitational at the par-72, 7,068-yard Sandpiper Golf Club hosted by UC Santa Barbara. The two-day, 54-hole tournament begins on Monday, April 2, with first and second round action beginning with an 8 a.m. shotgun start, followed by the final round on Tuesday, April 3 with tee times ranging from 8-9:40 a.m. Live action will not be available on Golfstat.com.
OGIO-UCSB INVITATIONAL FIELD
LBSU will be among an 13-team field as seniors Kevin Lim and Kevin Roy, juniors Raymond Ho and Philip Chian and freshman Xander Schauffele will go up against the following teams with their latest Golfweek rankings: (38) Saint Mary's, (49) Long Beach State, (106) Sacramento State, (109) Loyola Marymount, (135) UC Santa Barbara, (160) Wyoming, (163) Southern Utah, (177) UC Riverside, (189) Santa Clara, (204) Cal State Northridge, (211) Seattle, (243) Cal State Bakersfield and British Columbia.
LAST YEAR AT SANTA BARBARA
49ERS FIGHT TO THE FINISH AT DUCK INVITATIONAL
LBSU tied for seventh place at last year's OGIO-UCSB Invitational, posting a 54-hole score of 37-over-par 901. Senior Kevin Roy led the way for the 49ers, tying for 10th with a 3-over 219, while fellow classmate Kevin Lim and junior Raymond Ho tied for 25th (+10). Junior Philip Chian tied for 52nd (+16). Oregon (-12) claimed the team title by 27 shots over tournament host UC Santa Barbara (+15).
LBSU trailed tournament host and No. 14-ranked Oregon by one stroke going into the final round. The 49ers and Ducks exchanged several leads on the final day, but it was Oregon that came out on top by just two shots to win the team title. LBSU completed the 54-hole tournament in second place at 15-under 849, finishing 14 strokes ahead of third place and No. 34 Saint Mary's. Senior Kevin Lim
and junior Raymond Ho
were the top players for the 49ers, tying for fifth at 2-under 214. Lim collected his second consecutive top-10 finish and third this season, while Ho recorded his second this year. Freshman Xander Schauffele
(-1) tied for eighth for his third consecutive top-10 and fourth overall, while junior Philip Chian
(+4) tied for 11th, posting his second consecutive top-20 this season. Senior Kevin Roy
(+2) placed 15th for his first top-20 this year.LIM NAMED BIG WEST CONFERENCE GOLFER OF THE MONTH
was named Big West Conference Men's Golfer of the Month for March. This is the first-ever monthly award for the senior from Seoul, Korea since being named Big West Co-Freshman of the Year in 2009. Lim recorded his second consecutive top-10 finish and third overall as he tied for fifth place at the Duck Invitational earlier this week. Lim recorded a career-low 66 in the final round of the Bandon Dunes Championship to help the 49ers come from seven strokes behind to tie for first place and share the team title with then-No. 3 Washington. This is the second consecutive month the 49ers have won the award as senior Kevin Roy
took home last month's award.
LBSU CLIMBS UP THE RANKINGS
With its second place finish at the Duck Invitational earlier this week and their win at the Bandon Dunes Championship last week, LBSU continued to move up in the latest rankings in Golfweek and Golfstat. In the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, LBSU is ranked 49th, while in Golfstat the 49ers comes in at No. 45. LBSU is the highest ranked team in the Big West Conference in both polls as Pacific comes in second at 96th (Golfweek) and 101st (Golfstat).
LBSU SHARES TEAM TITLE AT BANDON DUNES CHAMPIONSHIP
The 49ers came from seven strokes behind after 36-holes to tie for first-place and share the team title with then-No. 3 Washington. LBSU recorded a tournament low 279 in the final round to finish with a 54-hole total of 5-over 857. The 49ers also finished 14 shots ahead of then-No. 9 Oregon as the Ducks finished in third. This is LBSU's third tournament title this season as the 49ers shared the Bill Cullum Invitational title with Arizona State last October and recently captured the Folino Invitational last month at Industry Hills Golf Club.
LIM SIZZLES AT BANDON DUNES
Kevin Lim carded a tournament and career-low 66 in the final round of the Bandon Dunes Championship in Bandon, Ore. The senior from Seoul, Korea, completed the three-day tournament in second place, finishing just six strokes behind first. This was also Lim's highest finish since placing third at the Folino Invitational and recording a 68 in the second round.
ROY, SCHAUFFELE FINISH IN TOP-10 AT BANDON
Senior Kevin Roy and freshman Xander Schauffele collected top-10 finishes this past week at the Bandon Dunes Championship in Oregon. Roy recorded his second top-10 finish this season placing fourth at even-213, while Schauffele recorded his second consecutive top-10 finish this year as he tied for fifth with a 1-over.
LBSU FINISHES IN SIXTH AT FRESNO LEXUS CLASSIC
The 49ers finished in sixth place at 24-over 1104 (364-358-382) in the 16-team Fresno State Lexus Classic. Freshman Xander Schuaffle led the way for LBSU, tying for eighth with a 1-over 217 (70-73-74) and senior Kevin Lim tied for 14th at 3-over 219 (73-69-77). Oregon State won the team championship (+7), while Alex Ching of San Diego captured individual medalist (-7).
ROY NAMED BIG WEST GOLFER OF THE MONTH
Kevin Roy was named Big West Conference Men’s Golfer of the Month for February after his performances at the Folino Invitational and the Del Walker Match Play Championship. This is his first monthly award he has received from the Big West. The senior from Syracuse, N.Y., recorded his second top-10 finish this year and seventh overall in his career as he tied for ninth place (+5) at the Folino Invitational and helped the 49ers claim their second team title this season. Roy was the only 49er to win all three matches at the LBSU hosted Del Walker Match Play Championship at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach. He defeated No. 5 UCLA (3&2), No. 4 USC (2&1) and UC Davis (1UP).
LBSU HOSTS DEL WALKER MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
The 49ers came away winless in all three matches during the two-day Del Walker Match Play Championship hosted by LBSU at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach. In the opening round, the 49ers fell to No. 5 UCLA (3&2), No. 4 USC (3&2) in the second and UC Davis (3&2). Kevin Roy and Xander Schauffele won both their matches on the first day of competition and Roy and Raymond Ho won in the final round.
LBSU WINS FOLINO INVITATIONAL TEAM TITLE
Long Beach State recorded a 15-over-par 879 to capture the second annual Folino Invitational team title at Industry Hills Golf Club in the City of Industry. The 49ers won by two-strokes over Pepperdine (+17) and three shots over tournament host Cal State Fullerton (+18). Senior Kevin Lim led the way for the 49ers, finishing in third at even-216. This was the second team title for LBSU this year as the 49ers shared the Bill Cullum Invitational championship with Arizona State. The win also gave new 49ers head coach Mickey Yokoi his first victory at LBSU and his first career win as a Division-I men’s golf coach.
Mickey Yokoi NAMED 49ERS’ NEW HEAD COACH
On December 5, Mickey Yokoi became the 10th head coach in the 61-year history of the LBSU men’s golf program, replacing Ryan Ressa. Yokoi comes to LBSU after serving the past 14 years with the Arizona State men’s and women’s golf teams. Since 2002-03, Yokoi served as associate head men’s golf coach as the Sun Devils appeared in the NCAA Finals all nine years. Yokoi served one year as the head women’s golf coach at ASU, taking the Sun Devils to the 2003 NCAA Finals.
49ERS CLOSES OUT FALL SEASON AT GIFFORD COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP
LBSU finished in eighth-place at the 11-team Gifford Collegiate Championship in San Martin, Calif., to close out the fall season to the 2011-12 campaign. The 49ers completed the three-day tournament at the par-71, 7,360-yard CordeValle Resort at 57-over-par 1122. Freshman JJ Holen was the top player for LBSU as he tied for 25th with a 9-over 222.
LBSU SHARES BILL CULLUM INVITATIONAL TEAM TITLE
The 49ers shared the team title with Arizona State at the Bill Cullum Invitational in Simi Valley. LBSU completed the 54-hole tournament at 11-under 853 at the par-72, 6,801 yard Wood Ranch Golf Club. Two 49ers finished in the top-10 as freshman Xander Schauffele placed third with a 7-under 209 and senior Kevin Roy tied for 10th at 1-under 215.
LBSU OPENS SEASON AT THE PRESTIGE
The 49ers opened the 2011-12 season at The Prestige at PGA WEST, finishing in 16th place. LBSU recorded rounds of 301, 292 and 286 for a 54-hole score of 15-over 879. Senior Kevin Roy was the top player for the 49ers as he tied for 26th with a 2-under 214. Junior Philip Chian tied for 39th (+1), while freshman Xander Schauffele finished with a 4-over tying for 55th. Senior Kevin Lim tied for 77th (+13) and freshman JJ Holen finished in 82nd (+16).
LA QUINTA RESORT TO HOST 2012 BIG WEST MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Big West Conference Commissioner Dennis Farrell announced that the La Quinta Resort will play host to the 2012 Big West Men’s Golf Championship. The championship will begin on Sunday, April 29 and conclude on Tuesday, May 1. The Pete Dye designed Mountain Course is located right in the heart of the La Quinta Resort and is the former home of the PGA Senior Skins Game. The tournament will feature all nine Big West men’s golf teams which will play 18 holes each day of the tournament. The champion will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
FOUR 49ERS PLAY AT CAL POLY INVITATIONAL
Four 49ers played as individuals in the Firestone Grill Cal Poly Invitational at the par-71, 6,810 yard Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo. Freshman Kevin Teckakanoboon was the top player for LBSU, tying for 12th place at 7-over 220, followed by classmate Ben Heisey tied for 27th (+11) and junior Raymond Ho tied for 29th (+12). Freshman Matt Fliss finished at 23-over, tying for 56th.
MOTHER NATURE WASHES OUT HUSKY INVITATIONAL
Heavy rains forced the cancellation of the first and second rounds of the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational in Bremerton, Wash. Over an inch of rain had accumulated at the Gold Mountain Golf Course as the 49ers and the 15 other teams waited all day to see if there would be a break in the weather. But tournament officials had decided by the afternoon to cancel the first day of the Husky Invitational due to the inclement weather and course conditions.
The 49ers return to action, April 23-24, traveling to Orange County for the Anteater Invitational at Shady Canyon Golf Club hosted by UC Irvine. | http://www.longbeachstate.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/032912aaa.html | 2,827 |
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|Reports / Forum| | http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=message&action=recommend&id=136208&prev_url= | 99 |
MAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Michael Heller, Kent State
Senior, Stow, Ohio (Stow)
Event: All-Ohio Championships – 8k
Finish in Event: 2nd
Finishing Time: 24:37.15
Senior Michael Heller (Stow, Ohio) took second-place to pace the Golden Flashes to a sixth-place finish at the All-Ohio Championships Saturday (Sept. 29) at Elvin R. King Cross Country Course. Heller completed the course in a career-best 24:37.15, which was 3.01 off the lead. Kent State was No. 14 in last week's USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region rankings.
MAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Mackenzie Chojnacky, Toledo
Sophomore, Jerome, Idaho (Jerome)
Event: Kansas Rim Rock Farm Classic 6K
Finish in Event: 3rd
Finishing Time: 20:45.10
Mackenzie Chojnacky posted a 6K time of 20:45.10 (PR) at the Kansas Rim Rock Farm Classic last Saturday. Chojnacky finished third overall among 143 runners, leading the Rockets to a narrow second-place finish behind No. 8 Michigan. Led by Chojnacky, Toledo held the lead 35-37 until Michigan edged out the Rockets 33-43 in the final 200-meters. Toledo received the highest ranking in program and conference history on Tuesday, and Chojnacky is their top runner with two, top-three finishes in three races. Toledo's next race will be Pre-Nationals on Oct. 13 at Louisville.
Maria Moore, Akron
Sophomore, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Woodridge HS)
Event: All-Ohio Championships (5K)
Finish in Event: 3rd
Finishing Time: 18:07.43
Sophomore Maria Moore placed third at the All-Ohio Championships last weekend, finishing the women's 5K in 18:07.43. Paced by Moore's lead, the Zips, who are ranked No. 14 in the Great Lakes Region, finished fourth as a team at the annual competition. It was the second time in three meets Moore has been the Zips' top finisher after winning the Tommy Evans Invitational and finishing runner-up at the Buffalo Stampede a week later.
Zach Ahart, Buffalo
Hometown: Wheatfield, NY
Previous School: Starpoint HS
Event: Paul Short Invite
Finish in Event: 52nd of 332
Finishing Time: 24:57 (8K)
Additional Information: Ahart was UB's top finisher at the Lehigh Paul Short Invitational as the Bulls finished 18th among 37 teams. Racing against some of the region’s top programs, Ahart cut more than 20 seconds from his 8K time from the UB Stampede Invitational two weeks before.
Name: Shelby Janutol
Hometown: Troy, MI
Previous Schools: Troy HS/Ferris State
Event: Paul Short Invite
Finish in Event: 132nd of 360
Finishing Time: 22:23 (6K)
Additional information: Janutol was UB’s top finisher at the Lehigh Paul Short Invitational as the Bulls placed 29th among 40 schools which included 11 of the Northeast Region’s top 15 programs. It was the first time that the UB women had competed in a 6K race this season.
Terefe Ejigu, Eastern Michigan
Senior, Mount Cook, Wellington (Wellington College (New Zealand))
3rd at Notre Dame Invitational (23:39)
Senior Terefe Ejigu took third for the Eagles, Friday, September 28 at the 57th Notre Dame Invitational. The two time reigning Mid-American Conference Runner of the Week turned in a final time of 23:39 to lead the Eagles for the third time in 2012. The third place finish was made more impressive due to the caliber of the competition, as Ejigu took third in a field that contained ten of the top 30 teams in the country.
Victoria Voronko, Eastern Michigan
Sophomore, Moscow, Russia (University of Moscow)
3rd at Notre Dame Invitational (17:32)
Sophomore Victoria Voronko took third for the Eagles during the 27th running of the Women's Notre Dame Invitational. For Voronko, it marks the fourth time this season that she has been the top performer for the Eagles on the course. Voronko's finish also assisted the Eagles to a fourth place finish in the women's gold race in the field of 15 teams.
Dave Wing, Miami
Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS
Event: All-Ohio Championships (Cedarville University/Cedarville, Ohio)
Finish: 8th place
Junior Dave Wing paced Miami at the All-Ohio Championships Saturday, leading the RedHawks to a second-place team finish. He was Miami’s top scorer for the first time this year and third time in his career, finishing in eighth place in an 8K personal-best 24:52.8. He was running in a field of 44 teams, including four MAC schools, and 301 runners. He beat his previous best time by 13 seconds and has scored in Miami’s top three in all three races this year. The RedHawks finished ahead of all the other MAC teams in attendance, only trailing winner Cincinnati.
Jess Hoover, Miami
Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson HS
Event: Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational (Loyola University/Chicago, Ill.)
Finish: 13th place
Sophomore Jess Hoover was Miami’s top finisher for the third time in three meets this year Saturday at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational. She placed 13th in a 5K personal-best 17:58 to help the RedHawks take third as a team. Hoover trimmed 12 seconds off her previous best 5K time set last year. She was the top MAC finisher at the meet with two other teams (NIU and WMU) also competing among the 51 teams running. Hoover was just five seconds away from a top-10 finish in a field of 514 runners while helping the ‘Hawks finish ahead of Big Ten foes Northwestern and Purdue.
Name: Courtney Oldenburg
Institution: Northern Illinois University
Previous School: West Salem HS
Event: Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational (5K)
Finish in Event: 20th Place
Finishing Time: 18:09
Oldenburg followed up her record-setting performance three weeks ago with a strong 20th place finish at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago. With over 500 runners in the field, the senior from West Salem, Wis., crossed the finish line at 18:09 for a top 20 finish. Additionally, Oldenburg's finish helped the Huskies claim an 11th place team finish - a nine-spot improvement from the same meet last season - out of 51 teams.
Junior Juli Accurso took runner-up honors against some of nation's top collegiate talent at the 57th annual Notre Dame Invitational this past Friday at the Burke Golf Course. Accurso raced to a second-place after she posted a time of 16:35, finishing just six seconds behind Florida State's Colleen Quigley, who won the race in a time of 16:29. Accurso's second-place finish marked the third time this year in which she has placed in the top five. The Bobcat women competed in the Blue Race, which featured four nationally-ranked teams. In the team standings, Ohio finished the meet 14th overall. | http://www.mac-sports.com/News/tabid/969/Article/165675/mac-announces-cross-country-runners-of-the-week.aspx | 1,619 |
Raptors-Magic Postgame Locker Room Interviews
The Magic were initially scheduled to have a day off for Sunday, but that goes out the window when you get your rears kicked in by 35 points. Orlando players talked like a guys that were beyond frustrated and humiliated with a 5-game losing streak against teams they should have beat in each case. Nice to see Hedo back, but the main problems now are point guard injuries and abysmal defense.
Ish Smith: “It’s not going to be easy. Coach Vaughn constantly says that. Dig down…we’ll look at the tape tomorrow, get better and move on to the next.”
Hedo Turkoglu: “I was nervous in the beginning, excited to get back and with my team.”
Arron Afflalo: “We’ve got to do our best to get back to the basics of defense, our principles. To kind of give us some type of stability.”
Andrew Nicholson: “I’m getting a better feel for the game now. It’s coming, it’s definitely still early.” | http://www.magicbasketballonline.com/2012/12/29/raptors-magic-postgame-locker-room-interviews/ | 245 |
'Middle-aged' Prince William enjoys a night out with close friend Guy Pelly
Prince Harry has often joked that his brother has become decidedly middle-aged since his wedding to Kate Middleton last year.
The Royal couple are said to prefer nights in front of the TV watching their favourite DVDs and eating home-cooked meals at their Anglesey home rather than enjoying a night on the tiles.
So it was rather surprising to see William enjoying an evening out with close friend Guy Pelly at a private member's club in Mayfair.
Prince William with his Royal protection officer at a private member's club in Mayfair
Prince William will also be celebrating turning 30 on June 21 and Kate is said to be planning a huge bash
The Prince, who was not joined by his 30-year-old wife, was flanked by Royal protection officers and left the club looking rather bleary eyed in the early hours.
Harry will no doubt be pleased as he recently bemoaned his brother's quieter life and remarked William had become rather boring.
William is clearly getting some practice in as he is due to celebrate turning 30 on June 21 and wife Kate is said to be planning a party 'fit for a king'.
She is thought to be discussing ideas with some of William's closest friends and hopes to throw a party he'll never forget.
Close friend Guy Pelly, left, joined Prince William, who was flanked by protection officers, for the night out
Prince William's brother Harry has made jokes that his brother has become rather middle-aged since his wedding to Kate Middleton
Actress Naomi Watts who is due to play Princess Diana in a movie was also at the club with husband Liev Schreiber
Prince William and his wife Kate attend the wedding of Lady Emily McCorquodale to James Hutt
Earlier on Saturday the Prince was joined by Kate and brother Harry at the wedding of cousin Lady Emily McCorquodale to James Hutt.
Also spotted leaving the private member's club was British actress Naomi Watts and husband Liev Schreiber.
Watts has been chosen to play Princess Diana in a film about the final two years of her life. | http://www.mailonsunday.ie/news/article-2157186/Prince-William-enjoys-night-close-friend-Guy-Pelly.html?ICO=most_read_module | 445 |
Sony Online Entertainment and Major League Gaming Partner to Bring PlanetSide®2 to Competitive Gaming
SAN DIEGO and NEW YORK – Jan. 25, 2013 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), and Major League Gaming (MLG), the world’s largest eSports league, today announced a robust partnership to introduce PlanetSide®2 to MLG’s burgeoning competitive gaming audience. The year-long collaboration will span all of MLG’s properties including original broadcast programming, online competition and presence at MLG events.
Over the next few months, the PlanetSide 2 and MLG teams will work closely to develop ideal competitive gameplay features and settings to showcase the massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS). With MLG’s consult and significant community involvement, SOE has committed to creating a long-term eSports initiative within PlanetSide 2 that will highlight an exceptional massively multiplayer competitive gaming experience.
Additionally, SOE and MLG will collaborate to create original programming to air on the MLG network at www.majorleaguegaming.com and www.Twitch.tv/team/MLG. Details and a complete broadcast schedule will be released in the coming weeks. PlanetSide 2 players around the globe will soon after be able to compete via MLG’s GameBattles online competition site. Additionally, PlanetSide 2 gaming stations will be featured at MLG’s first Pro Circuit event of 2013 – the Winter Championship in Dallas, Texas, from March 15-17.
“PlanetSide 2 players are extremely loyal to their chosen Empires and when it comes to battling, they are beyond competitive and truly enjoy the in-game rivalries so it was the natural next step for us to bring PlanetSide 2 to the most competitive eSports organization,” said John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. “We’re excited for this opportunity to work with MLG and are confident that their competitive gaming expertise can turn PlanetSide 2 into a premiere eSports platform, allowing us to extend the game experience and deliver new ways for players to interact with other players and the broader community, while helping to further diversify and grow our audience.”
“From the first time I played PlanetSide 2, I knew that it made sense for the MLG community,” said Sundance DiGiovanni, CEO and co-founder of Major League Gaming. “I am excited to introduce the game to our audience and to see how it evolves along with the growing and evolving eSports landscape.”
Through the partnership, MLG and PlanetSide 2 fans will have greater access to the game through the community-driven programming, GameBattles and Pro Circuit event presence. Launched in November 2012, PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play title that has set the new standard for first person shooters. PlanetSide 2 offers an unparalleled gaming experience where players battle in massive environments alongside and against thousands of others engaging in intense air and ground combat that spans the alien planet of Auraxis. Players join one of three Empires – Terran Republic, New Conglomerate or Vanu Sovereignty – to fight in an epic war for ultimate control and territory domination. To play PlanetSide 2 now, visit: http://www.PlanetSide2.com.
# # #
ABOUT SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT:
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games. Best known for its blockbuster hits and franchises, including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, PlanetSide®, Free Realms®, Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™, DC Universe™ Online, and the recently launched PlanetSide®2, SOE creates, develops and provides compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms. SOE is building on its proven legacy and pioneering the future of online worlds through creative development and inspired gameplay design for audiences of all ages. To learn more, visit www.soe.com.
SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest, Champions of Norrath, PlanetSide, and Free Realms are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING:
Major League Gaming (MLG) (www.majorleaguegaming.com) is the world’s largest eSports organization with millions of LIVE viewers, fans and competitors around the globe. MLG enables gamers to compete, improve their skills, and socialize via the largest online destination for competitive console and PC gaming featuring more than 8 million registered gamers, and the annual MLG Pro Circuit featuring LIVE, in-person tournaments in cities nationwide. MLG broadcasts competitive play, analysis and more via online streaming to hundreds of thousands of fans in an average of more than 170 countries. | http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/planetside2-coming-to-competitive-gaming | 980 |
Date:Saturday May 2 2009
United are another step closer to a third successive Premier League title: we beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at the Riverside with a very assured performance.
It is no great secret that Middlesbrough are not one of our favourite opponents: we need to go back no further than the last two seasons when draws against Boro almost proved very costly during the run-in. And considering that Liverpool lost at the same ground we had reason to be worried.
And I was worried sick when I saw the starting line-up. Of course Fergie kept an eye on the Champions League semi-final second leg but Giggs and Scholes as central midfielders? We tried that at Craven Cottage and Fulham embarassingly dominated us in the first half, even when we had 11 men on the field.
However, we have to draw two conclusions here: Fulham are much better than Middlesbrough (no offence Boro fans but really) and United are in much better form than we were in March. Indeed, Ryan Giggs was possibly the best player of the game, along with Wayne Rooney who was just about unstoppable again.
It wasn't the prettiest of first halves though. Boro, now in horrible relegation trouble, pressed and harassed us from the off, displaying great commitment but very little creativity or cutting edge. United, meanwhile, looked dangerous with the ball but didn't really create anything. Two long shots from Rooney represented our best chances.
Indeed, Boro got closest to taking the lead when Aliadiere was played in but Foster saved his shot with his feet. Soon after Rooney played the ball up to Vidic who stayed forward after a set piece. The Serbian passed the ball towards Macheda who was blocked by Bates but it fell to Giggs who took a touch then struck it into the far corner. Brilliant goal from the Player of the Year.
We didn't pass the ball really well for the remainder of the first half but still should have added to our lead in the closing minutes: first Berbatov teed up Scholes who fired wide from a good position, then Berbatov himself could have scored but Brad Jones came racing out of his goal and cleared the ball with a last-ditch sliding tackle.
It was a little surprise for me that Macheda came out for the second half: the Italian teenager put himself about and was willing to probe the defence but nothing he tried has come off and he picked up a needless booking. Still, Fergie kept the faith with him and he was almost rewarded with a goal: the tireless Rooney burst into the box from the left, skipped past McMahon and pulled the ball back from Macheda who fired inches wide from the edge of the six-yard box.
You had to feel a goal was coming and the magnificent away support seemed to sense it, too: the travelling fans upped the volume even further while United upped the tempo even higher and soon we had our goal. A brilliant passing move, involving Macheda and Giggs finished with Rooney sending a lovely ball into Park's path and the Korean fired home from the edge of the area. Sweet strike, game over.
United fans get a lot of stick for being quiet at games but the truth is that our away support is possibly the best in the country. Old Trafford is a different thing, I admit but the atmosphere against Arsenal could not be faulted. Today the lads picked up where they left off and the vocal backing was fantastic throughout. After the second goal it turned into celebratory mood - and the players were beginning to enjoy themselves on the pitch as well.
Boro did not give up but they could not even test Ben Foster and if Jonny Evans will be needed against Arsenal, this was a very good warm-up for the youngster. The hosts looked deflated while United stroked the ball around splendidly. We could have boosted our goal difference but Tevez (on for Macheda after 55 minutes), Rooney and co. missed everything.
Eventually, what should have been a very difficult game against a team struggling for their lives became a routine victory - and routine victories are just about the best things when you aim to wrap up a title with a Champions League semi-final coming up.
By the way, the entire midfield that will surely play against Arsenal (Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson) was rested, as was Cristiano Ronaldo and Edwin van der Sar. Rooney doesn't look like needing a rest, indeed, it might have simply unsettled him a little. He's got momentum, he's got the bit between his teeth and it looks like United have it, too.
Seven more points. That's what we need to clinch the title. Man City home, Wigan away, Arsenal home, Hull away. Not the easiest of fixtures but neither can it be called a hellish run-in. Two wins, one draw and a defeat, that's all we need. Surely we can do that?
Date:Saturday May 2 2009
Carrick Reaction to West Brom Drama (Monday May 20 2013)
Don`t Call Me Boss Again (Monday May 20 2013)
Van Persie Claims Golden Boot (Monday May 20 2013)
Stats: West Brom v United (Sunday May 19 2013)
West Brom 5 United 5 (Sunday May 19 2013)
West Brom v United - Team News (Sunday May 19 2013)
Ferdinand Deal Lined-Up (Sunday May 19 2013)
No Meddling! (Sunday May 19 2013)
West Brom v United Preview (Saturday May 18 2013)
Another Everton Player Linked With United Move (Saturday May 18 2013)
|Man Utd||3||-||0||Aston Villa|
|West Ham||2||-||2||Man Utd|
|1. Man Utd||38||28||5||5||+43||89|
|2. Man City||38||23||9||6||+32||78|
|Fringe Players Exodus Led By Richard Dunne?
» Aston Villa : 21/05/2013 11:27:00
|Klinsmann takes a dive
» Everton : 21/05/2013 10:44:00
|Who Is Your Vital Arsenal Player of the Season?
» Arsenal : 21/05/2013 10:24:00
|The Abuse Of NUFC Has To End. Now!!
» Newcastle : 21/05/2013 10:01:00
|Hunt thanks fans following departure
» Reading : 21/05/2013 10:00:00
|Damned if we do
» Spurs : 21/05/2013 09:29:00
|Silly season is here!!
» Spurs : 21/05/2013 08:56:00 | http://www.manchesterunited.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=153278 | 1,408 |
|“For when I come to New York City”|
|Wednesday, February 06, 2013|
Story by Robin Elisabeth Kilmer
Gateway High School’s production has been recognized state-wide.
Two weeks ago Christopher Abeleda, 19, started chemotherapy treatment for his Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
In his room at the hospital, he is often surrounded by visiting family members—and his guitar and keyboard.
He spends his time learning to play songs from In the Heights on his keyboard after his drama teacher dropped by and gave him the sheet music.
“I’ve basically moved in here,” he said with a laugh during a phone interview from Florida, where Chris lives with his family.
Apparently, an unfortunate diagnosis is no need for a loss of humor.
He will be receiving inpatient treatment for another two weeks, and faces at least a two-year recovery.
He and his family were relieved to hear that he had an 80 percent chance of recovery.
But two weeks ago, Chris had a different plan in place for next week—particularly on Mon., Feb. 11.
On that day, he had planned on flying from Florida into New York City with his girlfriend Ruby to see In the Heights.
However, one week after purchasing the tickets, he ended up in the hospital after a basketball game with his brother.
“I started fainting and seeing stars,” recalled Chris.
A week later he received his diagnosis.
“I was still hoping to go [to the concert]. I was trying to break the record for fastest person to recover and get out of here,” he said, conjuring a chuckle.
That Chris would originally make plans to go to New York to see the musical, long before the diagnosis, seemed like a curious proposition to begin with.
His sister Mara describes her parents as strict, and that Ruby’s parents even more so.
But Mara readily admits she was a key player in instilling a love of In the Heights in her brother. Mara currently lives in Washington Heights—and only got her parents’ blessing to move to New York City after she made a PowerPoint presentation.
“As soon as my brother found out about this concert, he was on a mission to see it,” said Mara. “But the chances of traveling to New York from Florida to see the concert together seemed about slim to none.”
But Chris borrowed a page from his sister’s book and made a PowerPoint presentation himself to present to Ruby’s parents, explaining that she would be safe, and that he would cover their travel expenses.
“It took three weeks to get an answer,” recalled Chris.
But his efforts were not in vain.
The young couple was granted 24 hours to travel to New York City and visit under Mara’s supervision.
“I honestly didn’t believe it at first,” said Mara.
No longer incredulous about her brother’s capacity for victory, Mara believes that her brother’s persistence will help him in his recovery.
“It is that same voice and determination that is going to make him a winner against cancer,” she said.
At the end of Chris’s senior year at Gateway High School in Kissimmee, Florida in 2012, his drama teacher, Donald Rupe, announced that this year’s seniors would perform In the Heights. The school boasts an 80% Latino student population, and many of the musical’s themes resonated deeply.
Chris’s girlfriend Ruby would play the role of Nina, and his cousin Vincent would take on the role of Graffiti Pete.
Mara, a thespian herself, introduced Chris to the song “Breathe.”
And nothing was the same afterwards.
Even after he’d graduated from Gateway, his college roommates could attest to his devotion.
“All I found myself doing was listening, singing, and talking about In the Heights, so much so that my roommate and my friends started learning the lyrics because I was singing them all the time. I just had to be a part of the show somehow, or at least make myself feel like I was,” said Chris.
So he cultivated a role for himself as unofficial assistant director and returned from college on the weekends to watch his friends rehearse in their high school production.
It was so successful that the students earned a spot at the Florida State Thespian Society, where their production was chosen out of hundreds of other high school productions to be showcased at the largest thespian festival in the country. In March, they will be performing at Tampa’s Morsani Theater, before 5,200 students.
“Sometimes I would help by giving notes, or working on music with some of the Ensemble,” explained Chris. “A lot of times I just sat at the rehearsals and did nothing but watch. I loved every second of it.”
Until recently, he had trouble putting into words precisely the reasons for his enthusiasm.
His experience with his disease has helped him see what he loved so much about In the Heights.
“For awhile now, I’ve been struggling with the idea of wanting to leave home, or stick around. Kind of like Usnavi, I have felt like I’ve spent so much time here that there’s nothing new to do except the same old, same old,” he said.
“But these past few weeks in the hospital have truly opened my eyes to what home really is. I have visitors every day – an endless amount of love and support pouring from all over, just to support me in my battle,” said Chris.
A specific line in the musical from the song “Alabanza” resonated with him: “With patience and faith, we remain unafraid. I’m home.”
“It’s my favorite line from the show.”
Rather than get a refund for his plane ticket, Chris has decided to keep his airline credit.
“For when I come to New York City,” he said.
Tickets to the one-night only performance at the United Palace Theater of "In the Heights: In Concert" on Mon., Feb. 11th are still available at www.telecharge.com. Some specially priced tickets reserved for local residents are also being offered on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA). For more information, please call NoMAA at 212.568.4396. | http://www.manhattantimesnews.com/for-when-i-come-to-new-york-city/Print.html | 1,403 |
Looking to improve their depth at second base and present manager Buck Showalter with more options, the Orioles have claimed Alexi Casilla off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
The switch-hitting Casilla, 28, is a career .250/.305/.334 hitter in parts of seven seasons with the Twins. He's amassed 72 doubles, 14 triples, 11 home runs and 147 RBIs in 1,580 at-bats, and he's stolen 71 bases in 80 attempts.
Casilla has played 399 games at second base, 77 at shortstop and 10 at third base.
The Orioles are hoping that Brian Roberts stays healthy in the final year of his contract, but they can't count on it after he's been limited to 115 games the past three seasons, including 17 in 2012. He's recovering from hip surgery.
Casilla appeared in 106 games this year, batting .241/.282/.321 and going 21-for-22 in stolen base attempts. He also had a 5.33 range factor per nine innings at second base.
"We like his speed and defense, and also, he's a very accomplished base stealer," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "We think his skills will be additive to our team."
Duquette appears to be done searching for second basemen, which would remove the Orioles from consideration for free agent Jeff Keppinger, who's been linked to them.
"I think we have enough people on our roster to man the position," Duquette said.
Roberts, Casilla and Ryan Flaherty are candidates to start at second base. The Orioles must decide whether to tender Robert Andino and Omar Quintanilla contracts.
The Orioles now have 37 players on their 40-man roster.
Update: The Orioles outrighted outfielder Lew Ford, infielder Steve Tolleson and left-hander Zach Phillips to Triple-Norfolk, removing them from the 40-man roster. They also reinstated Roberts, pitchers Oliver Drake, Stu Pomeranz and Tsuyoshi Wada, and outfielder Nolan Reimold from the 60-day disabled list.
The flurry of moves now leaves the Orioles with 39 players on their 40-man roster.
Ford, 35, batted .183/.256/.352 with three home runs in 25 games for the Orioles in 2012, his first major league action since 2007 with Minnesota.
Tolleson, 29, batted .183/.227/.310 in 29 games over four stints with the Orioles in 2012.
Phillips, 26, pitched to a 6.00 ERA in six games and six innings with the Orioles in 2012. He made 42 relief appearances for Norfolk, going 2-2 with a 3.17 ERA.
Drake, 25, was recalled on Sept. 29 and placed on the 60-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis. He made three starts for Double-A Bowie, going 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings.
Pomeranz, 27, pitched to a 3.00 ERA in three appearances and six innings for the Orioles. He was placed on the DL on May 26 with a left oblique injury.
Wada, 31, had ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow on May 11 and missed the entire 2012 season.
Reimold, 29, batted .313/.333/.627 in 16 games for the Orioles before being placed on the DL on May 1 with a herniated disc in his neck. | http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2012/11/orioles-claim-alexi-casilla-off-waivers.html | 714 |
NT Falls To TCU, 4-1, In First Round
Mean Green Tennis Wraps Up Season With 18-6 Record
No. 3 seed North Texas fell to No. 2 seed TCU, 4-1, in the first round match of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday morning in College Station.
Tennis Signs Ana Sofia Cordero
Mean Green Adds Cordero of Puerto Rico
North Texas women's tennis head coach Sujay Lama announced the signing of Ana Sofia Cordero to a National Letter of Intent on Thursday.
North Texas Gets Rematch With TCU
Mean Green To Face Horned Frogs In NCAA Tournament
North Texas, who is the No. 3 seed, will take on No. 2 seed TCU on Saturday, May 11, at 9 a.m. at Texas A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center.
Tennis Celebrates 2012-13 Season
Mean Green Says Good-bye To Three Seniors
The North Texas tennis team celebrated its third Sun Belt Conference Championship in four years on Sunday night at its annual banquet. | http://www.meangreensports.com/SportSelect.dbml?ATCLID=205240306&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=1800&SPID=577 | 220 |
Lettermen's Association News
2012 North Texas Lettermen's Tailgate Area
Pre-game Lettermen Tailgating on Football Game-days
East side of Apogee Stadium located near Gate 4
The North Texas Lettermen's pre-game tailgate area is moving from the Athletic Center to put you closer to the tailgate adjacent to Apogee Stadium. The new lettermen's area will be located outside of Gate 4 on the east side of Apogee Stadium in conjunction with the Ben E. Keith/Budweiser tailgate.
The North Texas Lettermen's Association (NTLA) will once again partner with Ben E. Keith/Budweiser to help sponsor our exclusive lettermen only area. This partnership requires adherence to strict T.A.B.C (Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission) rules/regulations to apply to the NTLA's area. Per T.A.B.C. rules/regulations Ben E. Keith/Budweiser cannot donate product to the NTLA since the lettermen's area is located inside the T.A.B.C. licensed area.
North Texas Lettermen will have an exclusive area within the Ben E. Keith/Budweiser tailgate area for Lettermen only. Each member of the NTLA will receive (2) pre-paid drink tickets at the lettermen's check-in which are redeemable at the Ben E. Keith/Budweiser bar located just outside the lettermen's exclusive area. Lettermen will be able to purchase a catered meal provided by Sweetwater' inside the exclusive lettermen area for $5 per plate.
The NTLA Board Members and North Texas Athletic Department feel this is a great area to gain recognition to the NTLA while remaining in the heart of all pre-game tailgate activities.
2012 NTLA Tailgate Quick Facts:
Click here for the map
2012 Zeke Martin Homecoming Golf Classic
Friday, November 2, 2012
The Golf Club at Champions Circle
Lunch - 12-noon (Provided by Jimmy John's)
Shotgun start- 1 pm
$150 per golfer
Open to the public
Benefits the North Texas Lettermen's Association | http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?CONTENT_ID=238861&DB_OEM_ID=1800&ATCLID=67034 | 459 |
“Kid, you’ve come to the right place,” Hansen, who has been with WFAA since 1983, tells Corning in the 30-second spot (watch above). “I’m a legend in town. I’m just saying: get your name out there. Your name is the key. Trust me on this one.”
The end of the promo features a paint-covered Corning running away from a billboard spray-painted with his name as a police car gives chase. “Dale!” Corning shouts.
Uncle Barky’s Bytes reported the promo is an attempt to breathe new life into the WFAA newscast, which usually places third — behind KDFW, the Fox O&O, and KXAS, the NBC-affiliate –in the morning news ratings in Dallas-Fort Worth. | http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/wfaa-enlists-longtime-sports-anchor-dale-hansen-to-promote-morning-show_b22695 | 188 |
VOL. 126 | NO. 242 | Tuesday, December 13, 2011
MPD Investigates Molestation Reports Against Former AAU Dir.
By Bill Dries
The Memphis Police Department is investigating allegations of child sexual abuse by former Amateur Athletic Union director Bobby Dodd. But police investigators have not yet heard from the two men who claimed in an ESPN documentary that they were sexually abused by Dodd in the 1980s while they were teenagers.
Until or unless they make direct contact with authorities, the investigation is in a very preliminary stage, said Memphis Police Deputy Chief Dave Martello.
“We will go with the facts as they come to us,” Martello said, confirming that AAU officials called the police department Friday, Dec. 9, to report the allegations.
Neither he nor MPD Col. Mike Ryalls would say how many allegations AAU officials reported to them. They declined comments on particulars, saying it is an ongoing investigation.
But Martello said for the criminal investigation to move into a phase where charges are possible, someone would have to come forward and say they were sexually abused.
Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said her office frequently investigates cases in which allegations are made years after the alleged offense occurred.
But she added there is a complex set of laws governing the statute of limitations for not only sexual abuse crimes but other offenses.
“It’s a very technical area,” Weirich said, citing at least half a dozen changes in the laws over recent years.
At some point, police investigators may approach the two men seen in the ESPN documentary series “Outside The Lines.” But he also added that police could not force someone to file a criminal complaint. | http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/dec/13/mpd-investigates-molestation-allegations-against-former-aau-director/ | 354 |
New Orleans knocked off the last of the perfect teams when it beat archrival Atlanta 31-27 Sunday.
Jimmy Graham caught seven passes for a career-best 146 yards and two touchdowns, outdueling Tony Gonzalez as tight ends took the spotlight in the Big Easy.
Gonzalez finished with 11 catches for 122 yards and two scores for Atlanta (8-1), and became the first tight end to catch 100 touchdown passes.
"Tony, he kind of paved the way for me," said Graham, who like Gonzalez had a college basketball background before making the transition to NFL tight end. "It seemed like every drive I'm kind of going up against the things that he did the
Jabari Greer made a diving, touchdown-saving pass breakup on a late fourth-down play as the Saints (4-5) won for the fourth time in five games, keeping alive hope of getting back into the wild-card race after an 0-4 start.
Games can't get much wilder than San Francisco's 24-24 tie with St. Louis, the league's first stalemate in four seasons.
Greg Zuerlein kicked a 53-yard field goal in OT to win it—except the Rams (3-5-1) were penalized 5 yards for delay of game. He tried again from 58 as coach Jeff Fisher played for the win, and missed wide right with 2:42 left.
San Francisco's David Akers missed wide left on a 41-yard attempt that could have sealed it for the 49ers (6-2-1), who lost quarterback
And just when it seemed the 49ers—and Akers' typically reliable left leg—would have one more chance to win it, San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis was flagged for holding Lance Kendricks on third down. That extended St. Louis' last drive, a costly mistake in a long list of them on an uncharacteristically sloppy day by coach Jim Harbaugh's team.
Akers made a tying 33-yarder with 3 seconds left in regulation after Sam Bradford threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Austin Pettis with 1:09 remaining.
"I have to say, I've been doing this a while. I don't think I've ever been in a game like this," Fisher said. "As I told our guys, we had a number of chances to put the game away. And, unfortunately, we didn't."
Also Sunday, it was Houston 13, Chicago 3; Baltimore 55, Oakland 20; Denver 36, Carolina 14; Tennessee 37, Miami 3; New England 37, Buffalo 31; Cincinnati 31, the New York Giants 13; Dallas 38, Philadelphia 23; Tampa Bay 34, San Diego 24; Minnesota 34, Detroit 24; and Seattle 28, the New York Jets 7.
On Thursday night, Indianapolis (6-3) beat Jacksonville (1-8) 27-10.
The Monday night game has Kansas City (1-7) at Pittsburgh (5-3).
Idle this week were Green Bay (6-3), Washington (3-6), Arizona (4-5) and Cleveland (2-7).
SAINTS 31, FALCONS 27
At New Orleans, Drew Brees threw for 298 yards and three TDs for the Saints, who made a late goal-line stand to preserve the win. Brees is 11-2 against Atlanta since joining New Orleans in 2006.
"No one is going to go around crying or panicking or anything like that," Gonzalez said. "We're a good team. Our confidence hasn't changed."
49ERS 24, RAMS 24
At San Francisco, on the first play of OT, Bradford completed an 80-yard pass to Danny Amendola that took St. Louis to the 2, but the play was called back for an illegal formation.
The previous NFL tie was between Philadelphia and Cincinnati, 13-13 in 2008. San Francisco played its first tie since 1986.
"It just feels like it's unfinished business," San Francisco cornerback Tarell Brown said.
"I think anyone would like to keep playing. I really don't know what good a tie does," Bradford said. "It's frustrating when you play a game and you put so much into it during the week and during the course of it, today five quarters, you'd like to come away with either a win or a loss."
TEXANS 13, BEARS 6
At Chicago, the Texans improved the AFC's best record to 8-1, equaling Atlanta's mark in the NFC, as well, by beating another league power.
Arian Foster finished with 102 yards rushing and a touchdown catch, and the Texans intercepted Jay Cutler twice before knocking him out of the game with a concussion.
Foster was the only reliable offensive weapon on either side, particularly in the first half when he ran for 85 yards and made a sprawling catch for a 2-yard touchdown to put Houston ahead 10-3.
Cutler completed just 7 of 14 passes for 40 yards with two interceptions in the first half, while Jason Campbell threw for 94 yards in the second half for Chicago (7-2). Brandon Marshall managed 107 yards receiving but also dropped a pass in the end zone. Matt Forte never got going, running for 39 yards.
RAVENS 55, RAIDERS 20
At Baltimore, Joe Flacco threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns as the Ravens set a club record for points.
The Ravens (7-2) scored on six of their first seven possessions against the struggling Raiders (3-6), who have yielded at least 40 points in two straight games for the first time since 1962. The 55 points tied an Oakland record for points allowed, a mark set in 1961 and matched in 1981.
In the fourth quarter, Jacoby Jones took a kickoff 105 yards for 55-20 lead.
"Obviously, we had success," said Flacco, who also ran for a score. "We ran the game plan and it worked well. We stuck with it. We scored points early and continued to score them."
BRONCOS 36, PANTHERS 14
At Charlotte, N.C., Peyton Manning threw for 301 yards and a touchdown. Manning threw his 420th touchdown pass to move into a tie for second place on the NFL's all-time list with Dan Marino. He trails only Brett Favre (508).
Denver coach John Fox, who coached the Panthers (2-7) for nine seasons, downplayed his return all week, but celebrated with a few fist pumps Sunday.
"You just feel good to win," Fox said. "You put a lot into these things. It is seven days of hard work and countless hours. It's all for naught if you don't win."
Von Miller harassed Cam Newton all day and Trindon Holliday returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown as the Broncos (6-3) won for the fifth time in six weeks. The Broncos sacked Newton seven times, including once for a safety, and Miller pressured him into an interception Tony Carter returned 40 yards for a score.
TITANS 37, DOLPHINS 3
At Miami, the Titans made quite a turnaround defensively.
Colin McCarthy returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown, and Tennessee had four takeaways. The Titans came into the game on pace to set an NFL record for points allowed in a season, but they stymied Miami by intercepting Ryan Tannehill three times and recovering a Reggie Bush fumble to set up a touchdown.
Tennessee (4-6) rebounded from a 51-20 loss a week ago against the Bears that prompted owner Bud Adams to put the organization on notice.
For Miami (4-5), the home loss was the most lopsided since 1968.
PATRIOTS 37, BILLS 31
At Foxborough, Mass., Devin McCourty ended Buffalo's hopes with an interception in the end zone and New England kept Buffalo winless at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots (6-3) let a 17-3 lead slip to 34-31 with 7:47 left on Ryan Fitzpatrick's 2-yard touchdown pass to Donald Jones. Then the Bills (3-6) held the Patriots to a 27-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 2:06 remaining.
Buffalo moved to the New England 15 before Fitzpatrick threw the ball right into the hands of McCourty while trying to hit T.J. Graham.
New England is 11-0 against the Bills at Gillette since it opened in 2002 and 20-2 overall in its past 22 games against Buffalo.
BENGALS 31, GIANTS 13
At Cincinnati, Andy Dalton threw a career-high four touchdown passes—each to a different receiver—and the Bengals ended their four-game losing streak.
The Bengals (4-5) took advantage of a fumble and Eli Manning's two interceptions, which set up third-quarter touchdowns. A.J. Green caught one of the TD passes.
"I just feel like this is a good stepping block for us," said Green. "I put a lot of pressure on myself."
The Giants (6-4) head into their bye with back-to-back losses and a lot of issues, especially on offense. The Giants turned it over four times in the second half.
COWBOYS 38, EAGLES 23
At Philadelphia, Dwayne Harris had a 78-yard punt return for a score, Brandon Carr returned an interception 47 yards for a TD and Tony Romo threw for two scores.
The Cowboys improved to 4-5, and are second in the NFC East, 1 1/2 games behind the Giants.
The Eagles (3-6) lost Michael Vick to a concussion after consecutive bruising hits in the second quarter and have lost five straight games under coach Andy Reid for the first time in his 14 seasons.
Nick Foles filled in for Vick and briefly rallied the Eagles until the Cowboys started showing some touchdown versatility. Romo hit Dez Bryant on a 30-yard pass on the final play of the third quarter, and Harris and Carr scored their TDs in the fourth.
"Critical win for us," coach Jason Garrett said. "I thought the effort was there. I thought we were focused the whole game."
BUCCANEERS 34, CHARGERS 24
At Tampa, Fla., Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes and the surging Buccaneers scored on a blocked punt and Leonard Johnson's 83-yard interception.
Freeman has thrown for 13 TDs with one interception in his past five games, helping the Bucs (5-4) win four times to climb over .500 following a 1-3 start.
Philip Rivers threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns for San Diego. He was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to ruin any chance of the Chargers (4-5) coming from behind.
VIKINGS 34, LIONS 24
At Minneapolis, Adrian Peterson raced 61 yards for the game-sealing touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, padding his NFL rushing lead with 171 yards on 27 carries for Minnesota.
Peterson had 120 yards in the final 15 minutes, 10 1/2 months after reconstructive surgery on his left knee, and has 1,128 yards on the ground. Christian Ponder bounced back from a rough game with 221 yards and two touchdowns on 24-for-32 passing for the Vikings (6-4).
Calvin Johnson had 207 yards on 12 catches, including a touchdown for the Lions (4-5), but Johnson's lost fumble near midfield on the previous possession put Vikings rookie Blair Walsh in position for his fourth field goal.
SEAHAWKS 28, JETS 7
At Seattle, Russell Wilson threw touchdowns of 38 yards to Golden Tate and 31 yards to Sidney Rice.
Wilson was harried for much of the day by the multiple looks from the Jets' defense. But the Seattle rookie responded with key throws, hitting Tate on the opening drive then connecting with Rice early in the fourth quarter to give Seattle (6-4) a two-score advantage. Tate added a TD pass on a reverse to Rice later in the fourth quarter.
Mark Sanchez struggled in his reunion with Seattle coach Pete Carroll, his former coach at USC. Sanchez threw a costly interception at the goal line in the first half then fumbled at the Seattle 32.
Muhammad Wilkerson's fumble return for a TD was the only score for New York (3-6). | http://www.mercurynews.com/raiders/ci_21979735/nfl-rdp-no-unbeatens-lots-drama-mdash-and | 2,572 |
The popular, 27-year-old fighter, who's the son of a famous boxer by the same name, tested positive for marijuana in September after his first professional loss. Chavez (46-1-1) was suspended for nine months from the date of the fight and fined $900,000, which amounts to 30 percent of his $3 million purse for the bout against Sergio Martinez.
Chavez, who spoke by phone from Mexico, said through a translator that he was sorry for his actions and had taken the drug to curb his stress eight or nine days before the much-anticipated fight.
"I know I committed a big error. It was a mistake," Chavez told the five commissioners. "I let a lot of people down."
The commission could have banned him for one year and penalized him for up to 100 percent of his purse.
However, his lawyer, Donald Campbell, asked for leniency, arguing that the marijuana wasn't a performance enhancing drug. He also said Chavez deserved credit for acknowledging that he used the drug.
"I'd like to fight as soon as I can," Chavez said. "But I'm willing to accept anything you guys have because, like I said, I made a mistake, and I'm willing to take the punishment."
Chavez's failed test was revealed shortly after his dramatic loss to Martinez Sept. 15 in front of a sellout
In 2009, Chavez tested positive for another banned substance after his fight with Troy Rowland in Las Vegas. He received a seven-month suspension from the Nevada commission.
Chavez was arrested on drunken driving charges last year in Los Angeles, and struggled to make weight for a championship bout last February against Marco Antonio Rubio in San Antonio, Texas.
Commissioners were split on the punishment, voting 3-2 in favor of it. Commissioner Skip Avansino suggested a fine of 10 to 15 percent of the purse, saying Chavez appeared contrite about the violation.
But others, including Commissioner Pat Lundvall, contended the punishment should be closer to the 30 to 40 percent figure other fighters have faced for second-time infractions. She argued the commission should take a strong stance on marijuana, even if criminal penalties for the substance are light.
"While there can be great debate as far as in the public as far as the benefits and adverse impacts of ... marijuana in general, that's not up for debate in this commission," Lundvall said.
After the hearing, Campbell called the punishment "excessive" and said he would talk with his client about possibly challenging it. | http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headlines/ci_22689206/boxer-chavez-jr-suspended-fined-over-drug-test | 524 |
05/30/2006 4:55 PM ET
Pitchers of the Week
For the week ending May 28
By Benjamin Hill
Kris Wilson, Columbus
1-0, 0.56 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 16.0 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 14 SO
It's no surprise that Wilson was nearly perfect in his two starts for the Clippers this week. The right-hander loves pitching at home. He's 3-0 with a microscopic 0.30 ERA at Cooper Stadium this season, compared to his road record of 0-2 with a 3.96 ERA. Wilson's week was highlighted by a complete-game shutout against Rochester on Tuesday. He gave up six hits and struck out five Red Wings without walking a batter. He was also strong against Buffalo on Sunday, giving up one run on seven hits while striking out nine in seven complete innings. Wilson didn't collect a win for that effort, though, because the Clippers bullpen gave up eight runs in the final two innings of a 9-4 loss to the Bisons.
Pacific Coast League
Jason Windsor, Sacramento
2-0, 0.82 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 12 SO
Windsor has been nothing short of spectacular since receiving a call-up to the River Cats on May 11. The 23-year-old has won all four starts he's made at the Triple-A level, including two this week. The California native tossed six shutout innings against Iowa on May 22 and followed that up by allowing just one run over five innings against Portland on Sunday. Perhaps Windsor has forgotten how to lose; after coming up short on Opening Day, the right-hander has gone 8-0 over nine starts at two Minor League levels.
Michael Connolly, Altoona
2-0, 1.29 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 14.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
After failing to get past the sixth inning in his first nine starts on the season, Connolly turned in a pair of near identical seven-inning gems this week. The 23-year-old right-hander earned victories on Tuesday and Sunday by allowing one run on two hits over seven frames. Connolly is now 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in May after compiling a 6.04 ERA in April.
Mark Alexander, Jacksonville
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 G, 0 GS, 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
The Suns have won nine games in a row, and Alexander has earned a save in five of those. The 25-year-old right-hander converted all four save opportunities he met this week. On Thursday he entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning and induced a double-play ball before coming back to toss a scoreless ninth. Alexander's 11 saves rank fourth in the Southern League; he has struck out 39 batters in 25 innings.
Juan Gutierrez, Corpus Christi
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO
Gutierrez made just one appearance on the week, and it was a doozy. On Wednesday, the 22-year-old right-hander allowed four hits over seven shutout innings while striking out nine as the Hooks completed a four-game sweep of Wichita. Gutierrez leads the Texas League with 63 strikeouts, while his 61 innings pitched ranks fifth.
Gregory Smith, Lancaster
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO
Smith has reeled off six straight victories and has yet to lose a game in 10 starts this season. On Friday, the left-handed Louisiana native tossed 8 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against Lake Elsinore before Jose Lobaton connected for a double. The 22-year-old then retired the game's final two batters to earn his second complete-game shutout of the season.
Scott Lewis, Kinston
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO
Lewis averages approximately four innings a start, but he almost always dominates for the short amount of time he appears in the game. The 22-year-old left-hander has allowed just two earned runs over 41 innings this season, and has racked up 56 strikeouts against just four walks. Lewis tossed nine shutout innings this week, four against Salem on the 22nd, and five against Winston-Salem on the 27th.
Florida State League
Jason Jones, Tampa
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO
Jones did not allow an earned run over 12 innings in two contests this week, and his 2.01 ERA ranks fourth in the Florida State League. The 23-year-old right-hander is 5-0 on the road this season, and two of those victories came this week. On Tuesday, Jones allowed an unearned run over six innings against St. Lucie. On Sunday, he fired six shutout frames against Lake County.
Ramon Garcia, West Michigan
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Garcia has pitched spectacularly all season, as his 6-1 record and 1.69 ERA amply demonstrate. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old left-hander turned in a near-perfect outing, allowing just one hit over nine dominating innings as West Michigan coasted to a 3-0 victory over South Bend. Garcia retired the final 23 batters he faced.
South Atlantic League
Brandon Durden, Asheville
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 10 SO
Durden recorded a pair of victories this week, the first time this season he has notched a win in back-to-back starts. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old left-hander yielded an unearned run on five hits over six innings. On Sunday, he surrendered an unearned run on three hits over seven frames. Durden's two outstanding performances lowered his ERA in May to a sparkling 2.29.
Benjamin Hill is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. | http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060530&content_id=85515&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp | 1,457 |
Midseason Grade: INC
Final Grade: INC
Joined Team: Drafted in the 7th round of the 2005 Entry Draft.
- Leopold (5)
- One game as a 7th defenseman
- TOT 8:30 (12th)
- EV 8:09 (12th)
- PK 0:00 (13th)
- PP :23 (11th)
*Rank is based on total minutes, not average per game.
Best Month: January (3 games, 0 points)
Career Highlights: Cumiskey was named to the AHL All-Star team
Report: This was a disaster of a season for Cumiskey on several different levels. Not only did a late-January shoulder injury knock him out in a season where he would have had a golden opportunity to get some NHL experience, but the early part of the season was a ridiculous development shunter as Cumiskey was shuttled 4 times between Denver and Cleveland and was a scratch for 15 of the 21 games he was up with the Avs.
In essence, the entire season was a complete write-off.
Fun Fact: Cumsiskey played in just 34 games between Lake Erie and Denver - the lowest total of his professional career.
The Kyle Cumiskey Drinking Game: Drink when someone bigger than Cumiskey is on the ice Drunk potential: Severe
What I Said Last Year: "As much as I like Cumiskey's surprising play in his own end, he needs to create some offense if he wants to stick around in Denver. And I hope he does, because I could easily see him becoming one of my favorite Avalanche players."
2008 Salary (and Cap Number): $475K ($552K)
2009-2010 Status: RFA ($522,500 QO)
Outlook for 2009: Cumiskey remains an intriguing character; he's small, but he can skate like the wind. With the lost season, we don't really know any more or less about Cumiskey's ability to make it in the NHL. I still feel it boils down to whether he can become comfortable with his offensive game. If he can find his offensive mojo, I think he can become a rather useful defensemen for the Avs. He needs an opportunity to play, though. Watching games from the press box is doing nothing for his development.
Next Up: Derek Peltier
Where will Cumiskey spend the bulk of his time next season?
On the ice with the Avalanche (33 votes)
A healthy scratch with the Avalanche (15 votes)
Playing for Lake Erie (30 votes)
Playing for another team (3 votes)
81 total votes | http://www.milehighhockey.com/2009/6/8/879015/final-grade-kyle-cumiskey | 559 |
Peverley Becomes 12th Admiral to Win the Cup
Jun 15, 2011
Milwaukee, WI—Rich Peverley became the 12th former Milwaukee Admiral to hoist the Stanley Cup after the Boston Bruins won hockey’s ultimate prize with a 4-0 victory over Vancouver in game seven on Wednesday night.
Peverley elevated his game in the finals against the Canucks, averaging over 16 minutes of ice-time per game, while scoring a pair of goals and adding two assists. The 28-year old center won at least 60% of his face-offs in six of the seven games during the series and he was promoted to the Bruins top line when Nathan Horton went down with an injury.
The Guelph, ON native played in 176 games over three seasons from 2005-2008 for the Admirals. He helped Milwaukee to the Calder Cup Finals in his rookie campaign and led the team in scoring during the 2006-07 season, averaging more than a point per game with 68 points in 66 contests. Peverley was traded from the Atlanta Thrashers to the Bruins this season and totaled seven points on four goals and three assists with Boston in 23 regular season contests to go with 12 points (4g-8a) in 25 contests in Boston’s march to the Cup.
Peverley is the first former Admiral to win the Stanley Cup since Mark Eaton did it with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2009.
Season tickets for the Admirals 2011-12 season are on sale now for as little as $135. For more information, or to purchase season tickets, fans should call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550. Don’t forget to follow the Admirals on Twitter (@mkeadmirals) and on Facebook! | http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/home/news/2011/06/0615cup.html | 364 |
Derek Llambias accepts the Geordie club are not going to become as internationally known as Liverpool or United overnight
Newcastle have confirmed they are currently in discussions over a pre-season tour of Brazil in an attempt to increase their global profile.
The Geordie club announced a new sponsorship deal with money lender Wonga earlier this week and managing director Derek Llambias has revealed the next part of their plan to improve the club's brand awareness.
"We're trying to improve all the time, our next step is to try and improve globally," Llambias told reporters. "We're a great national brand. We've got a touch overseas, which is great but it's not global and this whole brand needs to be global.
"That's our next target over the next three or four years - to try and get sponsorships in a global environment. Maybe that puts another player on the pitch. Yes, we're talking about pre-season (Brazil). The World Cup's coming up so it's a good opportunity."
Llambias concedes the process of raising the club's profile internationally is a slow one, but said the club do have a plan they are implementing.
"We're also working on different products. It's a game plan we've been working on for a while. It's a slow process - you can't do it overnight. Liverpool didn't do it overnight, Manchester United didn't. It's a slow process," Llambias said.
"Newcastle is a big brand. We just need to get it out there with more backing from different communities. I'm not sure that's what it's about for Mike and I. It's all about the management of the team."
If you think the Wonga sponsorship deal is bad, check out the Top 10 most embarrassing shirt sponsors ever | http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/newcastle-set-for-brazil-pre-season-tour-1373016 | 379 |
Striker who's adamant the club gave him green-light to drive to QPR ahead of proposed move also wasn't given dressing-down on return to training
Peter Odemwingie has escaped a fine over his deadline-day drive to Queens Park Rangers.
Despite suggesting he would be severely punished for what has been described as an unauthorised departure, West Brom chiefs appear keen to come to a more amicable solution.
Odemwingie has never wavered from his insistence that he had been given permission to leave the club's training ground for London.
The striker is adamant that he HAD been allowed to leave the training ground by Baggies technical director Dan Ashworth.
As such, Odemwingie has vowed to fight any attempt to punish him for leaving and West Brom are keen to take the sting out of the situation.
On his arrival back at training on Monday, there were no meetings held and Odemwingie was not given any kind of dressing down.
Instead, he trained with team-mates Youssouf Mulumbu and Claudio Yacob - the rest of the squad were given the day off following Sunday's loss to Spurs.
The Mirror revealed on Tuesday that some West Brom players are set to give Odemwingie an icy reception when they come together later this week.
It comes after the Nigerian appeared to pledge his allegiance to QPR, believing his signing was a formality before his embarrassing drive back to the West Midlands. | http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/west-broms-peter-odemwingie-wont-1587548 | 305 |
Call the fashion police - it's the world's worst dressed footballers (Picture Special)
With World Cup fever kicking in, we know footballers can look good on the pitch but they haven’t always known how to dress off it…
When it comes to clothes many seem to share a rare talent for scoring hilarious own goals. For the very first time, in all their glory, Dodgy Football Fashion brings you the outrageous collection of professional footballers’ what not to wear.
From crushed velvet flares that scream “Do my balls look big in these?” to jumpers we wouldn’t even use for goalposts. It’s a dressing-up room packed with surprise faces and jokers who would be up front in any manager’s foul fashion formation.
Perfect Father's Day gift Dodgy Football Fashion £9.99 is on sale here www.mirrorcollection.co.uk | http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/David-Beckham-Kenny-Dalglish-Gary-Lineker-Johan-Cruff-and-the-world-s-worst-dressed-footballers-Picture-Special-article454169.html | 191 |
May 18, 2012
MIT Places Five on Capital One Academic All-District At-Large Team
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Seniors Columbus Leonard (Mill Valley, Calif.) and Anastasia Vishnevetsky (Orange, Conn.) along with juniors Matt Hohenberger (St. Louis, Mo.), Wyatt Ubellacker (Georgetown, Ky.), and Molly McShane (Lake Bluff, Ill.) were selected to the Capital One Academic All-District at-large team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday. The five student-athletes will represent MIT on the national ballot and will vie for Academic All-America honors to be voted on later this month.
March 13, 2012
MIT Water Polo Team Posts Highest GPA in the Country
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT water polo team was recently honored by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC), as Coach Mark Lawrence’s squad recorded the highest cumulative grade point average of any team in the NCAA. In addition to the team recognition, nine individual student-athletes received All-Academic accolades from the ACWPC.
January 6, 2012
Cheney Appears in Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT sophomore Craig Cheney (Sherwood, Ore.) will appear in the upcoming edition of Sports Illustrated set to hit newsstands on Monday, January 9. Cheney will be featured in the popular “Faces in the Crowd” section of the magazine, which profiles the accomplishments of college and high school athletes.
November 21, 2011
Leonard and Cheney Named to CWPA All-North Team
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT senior goalkeeper Columbus Leonard (Mill Valley, Calif.) and sophomore Craig Cheney (Sherwood, Ore.) were tabbed to the All-Northern Division first team by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) at the league’s annual awards ceremony on Friday night. Leonard was tabbed to the all-league team for the third year in a row while Cheney picks up his second selection, after earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.
November 6, 2011
Water Polo Takes Fifth at CWPA Northern Championship
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT water polo team posted a 2-1 record over the weekend at the Collegiate Water Polo (CWPA) Northern Division championship and earned fifth place in the tournament, thanks to an 11-7 win over Fordham University on Sunday morning. Craig Cheney (Sherwood, Ore.) led the squad with 10 goals in three games as Tech also downed Connecticut College, 12-4, on Saturday night while falling to Harvard University, 11-10, in overtime.
October 15, 2011
Water Polo Splits a Pair of Divisional Games Saturday
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT water polo team played its final two Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Northern Division games Saturday, welcoming Connecticut College and St. Francis to the Zesiger Center pool. The Engineers came away with a split, defeating Connecticut College, 14-6, while falling to the Terriers, 13-3, to wrap up their league slate at 3-3 (7-13 overall).
October 13, 2011
Benedick to be Inducted into CWPA Hall of Fame
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Former MIT water polo and swimming & diving coach, and current Assistant Director of Athletics, John Benedick, will receive a prestigious and well-earned honor next month, with his induction into the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on Friday, November 18, in conjunction with the CWPA Eastern Championship banquet.
October 8, 2011
Engineers Fall Just Short to No. 23 Brown, 7-6
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT nearly came up with its first win over Brown University since 2004, at it lead for most of the first half and tied things up as late as 2:20 remaining, before ultimately falling, 7-6, to the Bears in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Northern Division action on Saturday night. With the loss, the Engineers are now 6-12 overall and stand at 2-2 in the CWPA North. Brown, who is ranked 23rd in the latest CWPA national poll, improves to 8-5 and picks up its second win in league play (2-1).
October 7, 2011
MIT Downs Rival Harvard, 8-4
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Andrew Dorne (Irvine, Calif.) scored four straight goals during a 2:07 stretch in the third period to help lift MIT over Harvard University, 8-4, in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) action Friday night. The win is the second straight for the Cardinal and Gray in league play as it improves to 6-11 overall and 2-1 in the CWPA Northern Division.
September 24, 2011
MIT Splits a Pair of Road Contests to open CWPA North Play
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The MIT water polo team traveled to the New York city area on Saturday to take on Fordham University and Iona College in a pair of Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Northern Division games. Both games were closely contested, with Tech coming away with a 12-11 win over Iona in the nightcap, after falling to Fordham, 10-9, in overtime earlier in the day. The Engineers are now 5-11 overall and 1-1 in league play.
September 22, 2011
Columbus Leonard Makes Another Big Save
MIT water polo goalkeeper, Columbus Leonard, recounts an eye-opening experience on a trip to Nicaragua last spring.
September 18, 2011
MIT Water Polo Completes West Coast Swing with Three Wins
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The MIT water polo team, ranked No. 6 in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III poll, traveled west to California for a four-day trip over the weekend, taking on some of the top squads in the area while there. The Engineers participated in Posada Royale Invitational at California Lutheran University while out there, in addition to playing three games at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. The Cardinal and Gray picked up three wins against four losses during the road trip.
September 11, 2011
Engineers Defeat George Washington at Princeton Invite
PRINCETON, N.J. – The MIT water polo squad picked up its first win of the 2011 campaign with a 7-2 victory over George Washington University on Saturday evening as part of the Princeton University Invitational. The Engineers dropped three other hard-fought contests over the weekend to Iona College, 11-10, Santa Clara, 8-6, and the host Tigers, 14-7.
September 3, 2011
MIT Water Polo Hosts Home Invitational
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT water polo team hosted its annual Invitational on Saturday, welcoming Brown, Cal Baptist and Harvard to the Zesiger pool for the season opening competition. The youthful Engineers dropped three hard-fought contests on the day, falling to 0-3 to start the 2011 campaign.
September 2, 2011
Water Polo Opens Season with Home Invitational Saturday
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In what has become an annual Labor Day weekend tradition, MIT will host its annual water polo Invitational in the Zesiger pool this weekend, welcoming local foes Brown University and Harvard University, in addition to the squad from California Baptist University. The host Engineers will square off against all three teams on Saturday, September 3, beginning with a match-up against the Crimson at 9:00 a.m. Cal Baptist also draws each of the three opponents, while Brown and Harvard will both play a pair of games.
August 18, 2011
MIT Debuts Fifth in CWPA Preseason Poll
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT water polo team will open the season as the fifth-ranked team in Division III following the release of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) preseason polls. The Engineers finished fifth in the same poll at the end of 2010 and sit behind fellow CWPA member Johns Hopkins, whom the Cardinal and Gray defeated in the final of the Division III Eastern championship a year ago.
July 29, 2011
MIT Releases 2011 Water Polo Schedule
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT water polo program will begin a new era under new head coach, Mark Lawrence, when it opens play with the annual MIT Invitational on Saturday, September 3. The Engineers will welcome local foes Harvard and Brown, as well as Cal Baptist, to the Zesiger pool for the one-day event.
July 27, 2011
Lawrence Selected By MIT As Head Water Polo Coach
Mark Lawrence was named MIT’s new head water polo coach it was announced today by MIT Director of Athletics, Julie Soriero. Lawrence, who brings over 15 years of coaching and playing experience to the Engineers’ program, will be making the move to Cambridge from California where he has been the club director and head coach of the Ohlone Renegades Water Polo Club in Fremont, California.
MIT Athletics Fall 2011 Webcast Schedule Set
Cambridge, Mass. – Webcasting is back for the 2011-12 season for MIT Athletics, with a schedule that includes 26 different contests lined up for the fall it was announced today. Games for field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s water polo will all be included in the lineup. | http://www.mitathletics.com/sports/m-wpolo/2011-12/news?dec=/printer-decorator | 2,036 |
MLBTR Glossary Rumors
- Teams have to pass players through revocable waivers to trade them after the July 31st deadline.
- Players acquired after August 31st can't play in the postseason.
- Teams will often put most of their players on waivers to determine interest, since they don't have to give up every player who's claimed.
- Unclaimed players can be traded to any club in August (or even September).
- Teams don't have to trade players who are claimed. They can hand the player and his salary over for nothing.
- If a team places a player on waivers after he is claimed, but not traded, the team loses the right to pull its player back. In other words, the waivers are revocable at first, but not revocable afterwards.
- Clubs have two days (48.5 hours) to deal claimed players, but they can only negotiate a trade with one team. Teams have two days to complete a deal regardless of which day of the week the claim takes place on.
- If only one team claims a player, he can only be dealt to that team.
- If more than one team claims a player, he can only be traded to the claiming team in his league with the worst record.
- If a player's only claimed by teams in the other league, he can only be dealt to the claiming team with the worst record.
- Teams cannot pass players on the disabled list through waivers.
A few months from now, when the season ends and players file for free agency, teams, agents and players will navigate a new system for determining free agent compensation. Here’s a brief primer on compensation under the sport’s new collective bargaining agreement:
- Type A and Type B designations have been eliminated. Instead, teams will have to make players a qualifying offer to be eligible for draft pick compensation.
- The qualifying offer, which will be determined by averaging the top 125 player salaries from the previous year, is expected to fall in the $12-13MM range for the coming offseason. All qualifying offers are for the same duration (one year) and the same amount ($12-13MM).
- Teams will have until five days after the World Series to make qualifying offers and the players will have seven days to accept.
- Once a team makes a qualifying offer, the player has two choices: he can accept the one-year deal or decline in it search of other offers. If he declines the offer and signs elsewhere, his new team will have to surrender a top draft pick (the selection doesn't go to the player's former team).
- Teams that sign free agents who turned down qualifying offers will surrender their first round picks. However, the forfeited picks don't go to other MLB teams. Instead, the first round simply becomes condensed.
- The first ten selections in the draft are protected. Teams with protected picks will surrender their second-highest selections.
- The player’s former team will receive its compensatory selection at the end of the first round. Teams now obtain one compensatory selection, instead of two.
- If teams don’t make a qualifying offer, the player can sign uninhibited.
- Only players who have been with their clubs for the entire season will be eligible for compensation.
Baseball is a numbers game and we use lots of stats here at MLBTR. Some of them are easy to understand (Prince Fielder hit 38 homers in 2011) and some of them aren't as simple (he posted a -5.2 UZR/150 last year). So here's a guide to some stats you see here and elsewhere. It's not meant to be comprehensive; there are lots more useful stats than the ones that appear below, but these are some important ones:
- OBP - On-base percentage shows you the percentage of time a player reaches base. The league average now hovers around .325. The NL got on base at a .319 clip this past season and American Leaguers reached at a .322 clip. To compute OBP, add hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches as the times on base, and divide this total by the sum of the player's at-bats, walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifice flies.
- SLG - Slugging percentage measures a player's extra base power. To calculate SLG, divide a player's total bases by his at-bats. Power hitters like Fielder and Albert Pujols regularly slug over .500, but league averages were approximately .400 this past season.
- You'll often see us list a player's batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (always in that order) like this: .280/.340/.450.
- UZR/150 - The defensive metric Ultimate Zone Rating estimates the runs a defender saves or costs his team. UZR/150 shows a player's impact per 150 games played. Check out this two-part explanation for more detail and keep in mind that it's best to look at multiple seasons when evaluating a player's defense with UZR/150.
- K/9 - The number of batters a pitcher strikes out per nine innings pitched. Pitchers struck out 7.1 batters per nine innings in 2011.
- BB/9 - The number of batters a pitcher walks per nine innings pitched. Pitchers walked 3.1 batters per nine innings in 2011.
- HR/9 - The number of home runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. Pitchers allowed 0.94 homers per nine innings in 2011.
- GB % - The percentage of batted balls that are ground balls. The Cardinals led MLB with a 47.7% ground ball rate in 2011, while the Diamondbacks had the lowest ground ball rate in the league: 41.9%.
- SIERA - Skill-Interactive Earned Run Average estimates ERA through walk rate, strikeout rate and ground ball rate, eliminating the effects of park, defense and luck, according to Baseball Prospectus. It's one example of a defense independent pitching stat (DIPS).
Check out Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus for lots more stats and check out our transactions glossary and the one at Cot's for explanations of transactions terms. MLBTR first published a version of this post on April 2nd, 2010.
It's officially September, but the trading season isn't necessarily over. Here's what you need to know about dealmaking after August.
Trading in September is a lot like trading in August. Players who have cleared waivers can be traded to any team, but players who have been pulled back from waivers can't be traded. However, to be eligible for postseason play "a player must be on the Active Roster, Disabled List, Bereavement List, or Suspended List of that club as of midnight EDT on August 31 of that year," as Keith Law explains in this ESPN article. Because of that rule, most deals occur before September.
Trades do happen in September, since acquisitions can help teams reach the playoffs. For example, the Phillies famously traded for Sparky Lyle in September of 1980. Lyle was a major contributor for the '80 Phillies team, even though he wasn't able to play in the postseason en route to the team's first World Series title.
A version of this post was originally published in 2009.
Here are the details behind next Monday's deadline for signing draft picks:
- The deadline is typically 11:59pm on August 15th. It gets pushed back during years that August 15th falls on a weekend.
- The deadline doesn't apply to college seniors and it doesn't apply to players drafted out of independent leagues or those who don't play college baseball again between two drafts.
Here's what happens to players who don't sign:
- High schoolers who enroll in a four-year college program after being drafted aren't eligible again until after their junior year of college or their 21st birthday. For example, Mark Prior wasn't available between 1998, when the Yankees drafted him, and 2001, when the Cubs did.
- Drafted players who go on to attend junior college are again eligible after their freshman and sophomore years.
- College juniors who don't sign are available in the next draft.
- Players can't be drafted by the same team twice in a row unless they give permission.
This post was originally published on June 10th, 2009. Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
Matt Capps, D.J. Carrasco and Kelly Johnson were all non-tendered last offseason. One year later, we’re well on our way to welcoming another class of non-tenders to the club. It can be a confusing kind of transaction, so here’s an explanation of what exactly a non-tender is.
To tender a player a contract is to offer a contract, but non-tenders refer to a specific kind of offer: offers of arbitration. Rules and precedent shape the kind of salary a player can expect through arbitration, so players under team control usually get raises through the process.
For example, Joey Votto isn’t eligible for free agency yet, but he and agent Dan Lozano have some say in his future earnings. If the Reds offered Votto $750K in arbitration this offseason, Lozano and Votto could counter with a $4MM proposal and win. Arbitration can be expensive for teams, since a player’s salary depends in part on his previous earnings and comparable players.
Players generally earn $400K or so for their first few major league seasons, so they’re usually relatively cheap in their first arbitration seasons, but players entering their second, third or (for super twos) fourth arbitration seasons stand to make more money if they’re tendered an offer.
If an arbitration eligible player hasn’t performed well, but projects to earn a considerable amount, his team will likely consider a non-tender. That means they have turned down the option to negotiate a contract with that player through arbitration, but it doesn’t mean the player’s going to sign elsewhere.
Jonny Gomes and Jack Cust both re-signed with their former teams after being non-tendered last winter. Both took paycuts, so the Reds and A’s saved money, but they risked losing the players to rival teams. (After a player is non-tendered he hits free agency and can sign anywhere.)
It’s complicated, but here’s what you need to know: teams non-tender players when they would rather risk losing the players to another team than go through the potentially expensive arbitration process.
Ever wonder what the smallest possible payroll is? You couldn't field a major league team for less than $10MM this year, because the major league minimum is $400K. Players with at least one day of service time and players who have been on the 40-man roster for two or more years make at least $65K, even if they're in the minor leagues. Minimum salaries at the major and minor league level increase regularly to account for the cost of living, but do not decrease, even if the cost of living drops.
Here's some detail on the international signing period, which begins today:
- Players born outside of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico aren't eligible to be drafted; they're signed as free agents instead.
- The signing period begins July 2nd.
- The youngest eligible players for this year were born in late August and early September, 1994.
- This year's international free agents must turn 17 by September 1st 2011, or the end of their first pro season, whichever is later.
- Players don't make their pro debut until the calendar year after they're first eligible to be signed.
- They can sign with any major league team.
- Players can sign after August 31st if they don't do so immediately.
- A number of players older than 16 will sign as well.
- Check out this article by Baseball America's Ben Badler to see how the Reds signed Juan Duran before anyone - even his own agent - thought he was eligible.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Kiley McDaniel and Ben Badler. This post was first published on June 17th, 2009.
If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you know all about the July 31st deadline, but we can never be too clear when discussing the busiest trading day of the year.
Teams looking to deal players without first putting them on waivers must do so by 4pm EST on July 31st. Last year we saw Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez and Jake Peavy dealt at the deadline. This year Lee, Roy Oswalt and Corey Hart are some big names to watch.
There are two major reasons the 31st tends to be such a busy day. Teams have developed a good sense of their place in the pennant race. Sellers no longer have illusions about contending and buyers have a clear idea of their needs. Secondly, teams want to deal before August, when pulling off trades for top talent becomes much more complex.
This post was originally published June 25th, 2009.
Top draft picks can ask for however much they like each summer because nothing officially limits the amount teams spend on their draft picks. Bud Selig presents each team with a recommendation for its slot, but the clubs don't have to stick to it. Here's a quick explanation of slotting:
- Selig recommends a limit to keep bonuses down.
- There are no direct consequences for a club that awards a big bonus.
- Teams aren't supposed to know what the recommended bonuses are for other slots.
Thanks to Murray Chass's recent article on the subject. This post was originally published June 9th, 2009. | http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/mlbtr-glossary/ | 2,878 |
'Old-School' softball team still going strong at Berston Field House in Flint
FLINT, MI – Berston Field House is the gathering spot on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-noon for a local softball team labeled "Old-School."
Practicing softball is the common denominator that has continued to bring the group together for nearly 30 years.
Old-School works so hard because its teammates enjoy being the elder statesmen of the Berston Inner-City Slow-Pitch Softball League. In its 28-year existence, the old-timers have won a league title at least 16 times – according to them.
"This is something that we've been doing all of our life," Shortstop Houston Tipton said as he watched his teammates swing their bats at practice. "We've got guys that are out here that can hardly walk sometimes, but they come out and play. We're inspired to play because we love to do it."
The team's oldest player (65) can boast that he was born around the time Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947. The youngest (52) witnessed Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics form its dynasty in the 1960s.
For casual sports fans, slow-pitch softball isn't that popular, but for "Old-School" – formerly known as Super Fly -- and the six other squads competing in the Berston league, the game is a way to bring the Flint community together.
"People don't only come down here for the softball, but for the Berston mystique," Tipton said. "You've got people in the field picnicking, having family gatherings, the young folks circling around in their cars and the people that prop up on the hill. People look forward to it."
Anywhere from 300-600 people show up each week while thousands have gathered in the area on previous occasions. Violence is rarely ever an issue.
"Every now and then you might have a knucklehead that starts some violence but they resolve it real quickly," said Flint resident Wilfred Carr, who has been coming to the softball games for many years. "All you have to do is talk to them and tell them not to come down here with that. Other than that, it's just a nice spot to come down here and enjoy yourself. With all of the stuff that is going on in the city, this is a nice place to come."
The Flint Parks & Recreation Department doesn't provide any funding for the league. Technically, the city owns the property, but many of Old-School's players manage the day-to-day operations to keep the diamond in good condition.
Sixty-year-old Rickey Nichols has been dragging the field,
cleaning the bases and bringing training equipment for Old-School for the past
decade. Old-School's head coach Kermit Reeves also chips in whenever needed.
Reeves, 60, was a standout player/coach in his prime until carpal tunnel syndrome prevented him from participating in 2007. He first started in 1978 but took on a full-time coaching role ever since his ailment began to hold him back.
"Just about everybody on our team is retired," Reeves said. "We used to travel all over the country for tournaments, but we stopped about 10 years ago. At least two weeks out of the month we went somewhere, but we can't compete with them young guys anymore because we can't run."
Fans have become accustomed to hearing announcer Don Walker
crack jokes during the games.
They see longtime umpire Mike Harper refereeing the action and Commissioner Robert "Dee Dee" Malone evaluating the contests. Without much promotion, everyone still understands the importance of the league. Former Flint Mayor Don Williamson was a proud supporter of the organization while he was in office and Attorney Glenn Cotton likes to campaign for the 68th District Court Judge position during the games.
Cotton has two signs mounted around the diamond and entertains all questions on why he should be appointed to the spot.
"Being raised in Flint, Berston has always been the center of the community," said Cotton, a 1985 Flint Carman-Ainsworth graduate. "So if you didn't come down to Berston you didn't know what was going down. This is a vital place because if you aren't coming down here you aren't campaigning."
Although the league predominately consists of African-Americans, there are also Mexican-American and caucasian teams competing as well. Diversifying the culture of the games has been a point of emphasis recently.
"We've got a lot of support from a lot of the older people in the community," said Derek Neely, a 33-year-old who plays for Team 7, which is sponsored by Mark Ingram's Foundation. "They come down and watch us every Sunday. We go to Dawn Donuts on Clio Road and they ask us what time the games start so it's almost like being in the major leagues to a certain extent."
Old-School (9-4) is currently second-place in the softball league's standings. Last week they fell 25-23 in their battle with School-Ties. On Sunday, Aug. 5, Old-School will take on Team House at 6:45 p.m. They're usually the perennial favorites to win the championship each year and admirers love to flock to the weekend games.
"This is one of the best kept secrets in Flint," Walker said of the league. "We do this week after week. This is about family and community around here. We're trying to raise awareness in terms of voter registration issues, welfare issues, school issues...you name it." | http://www.mlive.com/sports/flint/index.ssf/2012/08/berstons_softball_league.html | 1,189 |
Crew View: Higuain not the only hero for surging Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio — While Federico Higuaín has rightly been spotlighted during the Crew’s four-game winning streak, consider for a second an unsung hero in forward Justin Meram.
It was Meram (above), a second-half substitute, who took a leading ball from Higuaín and set up Eddie Gaven for the stoppage-time winner last Wednesday against Philadelphia.
And while it was Higuaín’s exquisite free kick on Saturday that Chad Marshall headed in the 80th minute to draw even with Montreal, the dead ball was a result of Meram drawing a foul by Lamar Neagle 16 minutes after entering the match.
WATCH: Meram gets “bulldozed”
Meram was in position for a header off the Higuaín restart when Marshall, in the defender’s word, “bulldozed” his teammate.
“I saw the ball,” Meram told MLSsoccer.com after the match. “I thought I was going to get a flick but I kind of got trampled.”
Marshall got the goal while Meram went headfirst into the turf then had it smashed deeper when Montreal defender Nelson Rivas inadvertently fell on him.
Meram sported a swollen nose yet nearly got the winner in the 90th minute but couldn’t bend an open shot around goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
The Crew (12-8-6) eventually pulled out a 2-1 victory when another reserve, Emilio Rentería, headed a service by Higuaín in the 93rd minute.
“If I don’t score or get an assist and we win, all smiles here,” he said. “My mindset has changed in that aspect. This is the second half of my second year [in MLS] and I kind of like it like that. When you’re a team player and contributing anyway possible, you’re going to play more.”
In addition to Meram’s and Rentería’s exploits off the bench, Tony Tchani entered deep into the match vs. New England on Aug. 25 and assisted the 86th-minute decider by Jairo Arrieta.
All the late dramatics are happening despite playing six times between Aug. 15 and Saturday.
“We seem to find that last gear and keep on pushing, even though the legs might have been heavy,” midfielder Eddie Gaven said following the Montreal match.
Also not to be forgotten among the role players who’ve made an impact recently are midfielder Cole Grossman, who scored his first goal against Houston on Aug. 19, and rookie goalkeeper Mat Lampson’s two wins in relief when Andy Gruenebaum was injured. | http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/09/03/crew-view-higuain-not-only-hero-surging-columbus | 596 |
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UFC president Dana White is none too happy about the news that Alistair Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone prior to his fight at UFC 146 . White was on a media confe...
UFC President Dana White is none too happy about the news that Alistair Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone prior to his fight at UFC 146.
MONTREAL – UFC President Dana White said the organization "probably" will cut Nick Diaz if the title challenger fails his drug test at Saturday's UFC 158 event.
Dana White told the UFC 156 media, including MMAWeekly.com, that there was an irregular drug test result at UFC on FX 7 in Brazil, but that "it f---ing was not Vitor Belfort!"
White says roughly 80 percent of the UFC roster would test positive if random, year-round drug testing was implemented.
Random testing would cost $1 million or more, but a doctor said the benefits of curtailing drug use are worth it.
Pat Healy manned-up after testing positive for marijuana following his UFC 159 bout with Jim Miller, but he was not only suspended and had his fight turned to a no contest, he also loses $13...
Pat Healy on Tuesday revealed that he tested positive for marijuana following his UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen victory over Jim Miller on April 27 in New Jersey. | http://www.mma-core.com/news/search/Dana_White_Pissed_Overeems_Positive_Drug_Test_No_Decision_Regarding_UFC_146 | 285 |
Monarchs Take Step Back-man
BRIDGEPORT, CT – The Manchester Monarchs lost their second consecutive road game as right wing Sean Backman led the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-1, at the Webster Bank Arena on Saturday night.
Manchester (14-14-2-2) is in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 32 points. Bridgeport (16-12-1-2) is in second place in the Northeast Division with 35 points.
“Better execution and a greater sense of urgency at defining moments of the game continues to be our message to the team,” said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris. “We need to be more determined to channel our efforts in a positive directions individually and collectively.”
The Sound Tigers took a 2-1 lead with Backman’s second goal of the game at 17:30 of the second period. Forward Chad Costello carried the puck behind the Monarchs net and sent a pass out in front that deflected off the stick of left wing Mike Halmo positioned at the right post. The puck trickled through the slot toward the left face-off circle. Backman swooped in and banged in the loose puck for his third goal of the season.
The Sound Tigers opened the scoring at 1:39 of the first period with a goal by Backman. Backman carried the puck down the left wing and to the bottom of the left wing face-off circle. The right wing flipped a tough angle backhand shot up and over Monarchs goaltender Martin Jones for his second goal of the season. Halmo picked up an assist on the first goal of the game.
Manchester tied the game at 1-1 with a goal by right wing Tyler Toffoli at 8:46 of the first period. Center Linden Vey gained the Sound Tigers zone along the right wing boards. Vey skated to the right wing half wall before centering a pass to Toffoli between the hash marks. Toffoli one-timed the pass and snuck the shot by Bridgeport netminder Anders Nilsson low on the glove side for his 14th goal of the season.
Center Casey Cizikas gave the Sound Tigers a 3-1 lead at 18:44 of the middle period. Left wing Brandon DeFazio caused a turnover as the Monarchs started a breakout. DeFazio gained possession of the puck at the right point of the Monarchs zone before finding Cizikas entering the zone. Cizikas skated between the face-off circles on a partial breakaway before fading to the left post and wristing a shot that squeaked through Jones for the goal.
The Sound Tigers extended their lead to 4-1 with a power play goal by left wing Nino Niederreiter at 9:42 of the third period. Center Johan Sundtsrom sent a pass to defenseman Ty Wishart at the right point. Wishart launched an indirect slap shot that Niederreiter redirected from the hash marks. Niederreiter’s redirection found the back of the net for his 16th goal of the season.
Jones (7-13-2) took his 13th loss of the season stopping 25-of-29 shots. Nilsson (7-7-0) earned his seventh victory of the season making 31 saves on 32 shots.
Manchester went 0-for-1 on the power play. Bridgeport was 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
Notables: The Monarchs are 9-2-0-0 when they play on a Saturday this season…The Monarchs are 0-3-0-0 against the Sound Tigers this season…Right wing Tyler Toffoli scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season.
The Monarchs will head home to host the Worcester Sharks in their annual New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Verizon Wireless Arena at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 31. Catch all the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey with Ken Cail on the Monarchs Radio Network WGIR.com and at www.manchestermonarchs.com, presented by Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. | http://www.monarchshockey.com/news.php?nid=4579&startdate=2013-01-11&next=1 | 874 |
Monarchs Caught In A 'JAM'
MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Monarchs fell to left wing Jonathan Audy-Marchessault’s hat trick and the Springfield Falcons, 7-5, at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Tuesday night.
Manchester (17-17-2-2) is ranked fourth in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. The Falcons (21-9-3-3) are in first place in the Northeast Division with 48 points.
“We certainly got to learn how to defend better.” said Monarch Head Coach Mark Morris. “We have to learn how to keep the puck out of the net. We've had a lot of work in the last week and a half trying to work on our D-core. There is a lot of disarray right now with so much movement going on in the organization so there is not a whole lot of continuity. There are certain areas that we have to be a lot more proficient at and that is defending our net. We made it awfully easy for them to stand around and have second and third pokes at the puck. When you score five goals, you should be winning hockey games.”
Springfield gained the lead for good at 11:26 of the third period with a power play goal by Audy-Marchessault bringing the score 6-5. The puck bounced around in a scrum in front of the net before bouncing out to defenseman Nick Holden at the top of the right wing face-off circle. Holden sent a pass to Audy-Marchessault who one-timed the puck for his third goal of the game and 16th goal of the season.
The Monarchs opened the scoring with a goal by center Robbie Czarnik at 6:21 of the first period. Czarnik received a pass from right wing Stefan Legein and then wristed a shot from the left slot. The puck beat Springfield netminder Allen York high on the glove side. Monarchs defenseman Nick Deslauriers also recorded an assist on Czarnik’s third goal of the season.
Springfield retaliated quickly with a goal less than a minute later at 7:17 by Audy-Marchessault. The play started with center Nick Drazenovic sending the puck down the right wing boards to Audy-Marchessault in the right wing corner who took a bad angle shot. Monarchs netminder Peter Mannino denied the initial shot but produced a rebound in front where Audy-Marchessault followed up his shot and put it through for the goal.
Springfield took the lead at 2-1 with a goal by center Michael Chaput at the 11-minute mark of the first period. Left wing Ryan Craig put the puck on goal but it was deflected away to the bottom of the right wing face-off circle where Chaput was waiting. Chaput’s shot beat Mannino for the goal. Chaput’s fourth goal of the season was also assisted by right wing Tomas Kubalik.
At 16:58 of the first period, Monarchs left wing Marc-Andre Cliche scored to tie the game at 2-2. Right wing Brian O’Neill sent a long pass from the left wing corner to center Andy Andreoff behind the net. Andreoff found Cliche in the right wing face-off circle for a wrist shot resulting in his sixth goal of the season.
With 1:11 left to play in the first period, Audy-Marchessault regained the lead for Springfield with a power play goal pushing the score to 3-2. Audy-Marchessault skated from the left point down to the left wing face-off circle where he fired a shot through a screen. Audy-Marchessault’s shot beat Mannino high on the stick side for the goal.
Monarchs goaltender Jean-Francois Berube entered the game in relief of Mannino at the start of the second period.
The second period scoring opened at the 1:55 mark with a goal by left wing Wade MacLeod giving Springfield a 4-2 lead. MacLeod received a long pass down the right wing boards springing him on a partial breakaway. MacLeod broke through the slot pulling the puck around a sprawled out Monarchs defenseman and roofed a wrist shot high on the glove side of Berube.
The Monarchs closed the gap to 4-3 with a goal by Deslauriers at 7:09 of the second period. Right wing Brandon Kozun sent a pass from inside the left wing face-off circle across the ice to Deslauriers at the right wing half wall. Deslauriers skated to the bottom of the right wing face-off circle and fired a bad angle shot that deflected off of a Springfield defenseman’s stick and into the net for his third goal of the season.
At 16:32 of the middle frame, Monarchs left wing Tanner Pearson tied the game, 4-4, with a power play goal. Center Linden Vey out-hustled two of Springfield’s defensemen to win the puck at the right point. Vey found Pearson in the right wing face-off circle. Pearson gained control of the puck and wristed a shot on goal producing a rebound in front. The rookie left wing followed up by jamming the puck in the back of the net for the goal. Center Jordan Weal also assisted on Pearson’s 10th goal of the season.
Springfield took the lead back just 43 seconds into the third period to make the score 5-4. After the Monarchs attempted to clear the puck out of their defensive zone, center Chris Collins intercepted the clear at the center point and quickly sent a pass to right wing Tomas Kubalik in the right wing face-off circle. Kubalik skated to the bottom of the circle before he wristed a shot that beat Berube for his ninth goal of the season.
Monarchs center Andy Andreoff tied the game at 5-5 with a goal at 9:28 of the third period. O’Neill kept a loose puck alive just outside of the Falcons zone where Andreoff took the puck and entered the zone on the right wing. Using a Falcons defenseman as a screen, Andreoff wristed a shot from the right wing face-off dot beating York high on the glove side for his fifth goal of the season.
Springfield ended the scoring for the night with a goal from Chaput at 15:48 of the third period. Craig controlled the puck at the right wing half wall before passing up to defenseman Theo Ruth at the right point. Ruth sent a pass to Chaput who was in between the two face-off circles, where he fired a shot that found the back of the net midway up the stick side for his fifth goal of the season.
Mannino (9-5-0) made eight saves on 11 shots in the first period. Berube (0-1-0) took his first loss of the season stopping 13-of-17 shots in relief of Mannino. York (3-3-0) earned his third victory of the season making 22 saves on 27 shots.
Manchester went 1-for-5 on the power play. Springfield was 2-for-2 with the man advantage.
Notables: Monarchs center Linden Vey is on an eight-game point streak (0-12=12)…Monarchs center Jordan Weal has three points (2-1=3) in his last four games…Monarchs left wing Marc-Andre Cliche recorded his 64th career goal in a Monarchs uniform which ranks is eighth most in franchise history.
The Monarchs will travel to play the Worcester Sharks at the DCU Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 18. Catch all the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey with Ken Cail on the Monarchs Radio Network WGIR 610 AM, WGIR.com and at www.manchestermonarchs.com, presented by Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. | http://www.monarchshockey.com/news.php?nid=4596&startdate=2013-02-11&next=1 | 1,695 |
The Albany Tech College basketball program has been so successful that other technical colleges in the state have started their own programs.
Now Albany Tech is ready to start a new holiday tradition.
The Albany Tech men and women will host their holiday classic that will be played for the first time at the Albany Civic Center.
The tournament has attracted several top area men's and women's teams including Darton College, South Georgia Tech men and Alabama Southern.
This event last year was held during Thanksgiving.
Titans head coach Sylvester Patterson says the school believes pushing the event back to just before New Years will allow local basketball fans to see some of the top teams in Alabama and Georgia in action.
The tournament is also a big deal for the Titan players who are looking forward to playing in the Civic Center.
"We want to come in an experience the feeling of playing in this big arena. It seats around 3,000 or 4,000 people. My guys have never played in anything this big. Especially, if they haven't made it to a state championship game. We just want to open up in the Civic Center. Bring the people in and let them check out what we do," said Albany Tech head coach Sylvester Patterson.
Adults who bring a canned good to be donated to the Food Bank will receive $2 off their admission price on Friday and Saturday.
Here is Friday's Schedule for the Albany Tech Titan Classic at the Albany Civic Center.
12:00pm Chattahoochee Tech vs Alabama Southern women
2:00pm Darton College vs ASA College women
4:00pm South Georgia Tech vs Alabama Southern men
6:00pm Albany Tech vs Middle Georgia Tech women
8:00pm Albany Tech vs Middle Georgia Tech men
Copyright 2012 WALB. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
715 South Jefferson Street | http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/20436182/titan-holiday-classic-moving-to-civic-center | 384 |
One down, 11 more to go. There wasn't much shock on Tuesday night's "Dancing With the Stars" elimination show. No one wanted to be the first celebrity sent packing, and after the first nine couples were told they were safe, it came down to an unsurprising pair of duos: Landing in the bottom two were tennis superstar Martina Navratilova and her professional partner Tony Dovolani and pop singer Gavin DeGraw and his partner Karina Smirnoff.
Before it was revealed who would be going home during the first elimination show of the series' 14th season, the tennis pro said that much like when she had a bad tennis match, she was hoping that she could come back next week a victor. Turns out, she won't have the chance. In her Monday night performance of the jive, she messed up from the start of her routine, and her score suffered for it. "That was sad because I love your approach to the routine," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told her. Head judge Len Goodman said during the first week of the show that he thought Navratilova was elegant and refined, but didn't think her foxtrot from that first performance was "too careful." The 55-year-old's poor performance landed her at the bottom of the leaderboard. "It was an amazing experience. I wish it had lasted longer. I gave it everything I had, I just blew it yesterday. I wish everybody great luck," Navratilova said after being told she was going home. | http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1681924/dancing-with-the-stars-martina-navratilova.jhtml | 318 |
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A weekend trip to the Steel City proved to be a rough one for the University of Rio Grande volleyball team, as the RedStorm dropped three of its four outings in the Pioneer Invitational hosted by Point Park University.
On Friday night, Rio suffered a 3-1 (25-19, 26-24, 22-25, 32-30) setback at the hands of the University of Northwestern Ohio before falling in straight sets to tourney host Point Park, 25-13, 25-23, 25-18.
Saturday’s schedule opened with a disappointing 3-2 (25-18, 17-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-11) loss to Asbury (Ky.), before the RedStorm salvaged a 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22) triumph over West Liberty (W.Va.) State.
The weekend left head coach Billina Donaldson’s club, which was playing without the services of freshman outside hitter Kelsey Beatty, with a 4-5 record overall. Beatty suffered a badly sprained ankle earlier in the week, which also forced her to miss last Wednesday’s match at Shawnee State.
Senior outside hitter Whitney Smith and senior middle blocker Erin Sherman led Rio in the loss to UNOH with 15 and 12 kills, respectively. Sherman also tied freshman middle blocker Alex Phillips for team-high honors with five blocks.
Junior setter Kelsey Martin finished with 27 assists, while junior setter Kayla Landaker added 15 assists and senior libero Lauren Raines had a team-high 17 digs.
UNOH, which posted a second win in as many tries against the RedStorm in upping its record to 12-1, was led by Lauren Maxwell with 47 and 13 digs. Emily Crowell and Casey Gates added 24 and 17 kills, respectively, while Ellie Comes had 19 digs.
Cierra Anderson also had 18 digs for the Racers and Lauren Macuga was credited with 10 digs in the win.
In the loss to Point Park, URG failed to have a player reach double figures in kills and finished with a season-low .085 hitting percentage. Sherman had a club-high five kills and three blocks, while Martin finished with 12 assists and junior defensive specialist Nicole Ogg had 10 assists.
Lindsey Oberacker and Livia Caluori had nine kills each to pace the Pioneers (9-1), while Taylor Pugilese collected 31 assists and Alyssa Hall had 10 digs. Nicole Wurstle and Keaton Sausman had four blocks each for PPU.
Saturday’s loss to Asbury saw Smith post a team-high 19 kills to go along with 14 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Betsy Schramm had a season-best 14 kills, while Martin had 36 assists and Raines finished with 17 digs. Phillips and Sherman tallied four blocks each.
Mackenzie Burke had a team-high 33 assists in addition to 10 digs for Asbury (2-5), while Kelly Cole had 23 digs and Jessie Bartlow chipped in with 21 assists. Sarah Sterling and Morgan Newton had 19 and 10 kills, respectively, with Cari McMullen contributing 11 digs and Kaity Bradley finishing with a match-best six blocks.
The RedStorm prevented the weekend from being a complete disaster by downing West Liberty in its final match. The Hilltoppers had just a .108 hitting percentage in the loss.
Smith again led the way for URG with 18 kills, 15 digs and four blocks, while Sherman and Schramm had 12 kills each. Sherman also had five blocks.
Martin (25) and Landaker (18) combined for all but two of Rio’s team total in assists, , while Raines had 24 digs and sophomore defensive specialist Jocelyn George had 10 digs.
West Liberty (3-5) got 26 assists and 16 digs from Chelsea Byrge, while Rachel Zeigler had 11 kills and 11 digs and Nikki Sadecky posted 12 kills. Courtney Pyeritz and Gabbie Davis tallied 16 and 10 digs, respectively, while Emily Mellie had six blocks.
Rio Grande will attempt to get back to the .500 mark for the season when it returns to action Tuesday night, traveling to West Virginia University Tech for a 7 p.m. first serve.
The Golden Bears bring an 0-2 mark into Tuesday’s contest, dropping straight-sets decisions to both Virginia Intermont and Ohio Valley University. | http://www.mydailyregister.com/view/full_story/20103452/article-Rough-weekend-for-RedStorm-volleyball?instance=popular | 946 |
Washington State was certainly in the mood to talk this week after a spirited win over UNLV. The theme of the news conference on Monday was simple: we're getting better. And who can argue with that?
Coach Mike Leach on play of QB Connor Halliday:"He's way ahead of schedule for a guy who's only played a handful of games. He doesn't have many snaps under his belt. I thought he played really well when you consider that. I think he's talented. As far as explosive and going downfield – really good at that."
Leach was also quick to point out that it isn't just about Halliday, but about the other parts of the team as well. The offensive line affects the quarterback, who affects the receivers and so on.
Coach Leach with regard to the offensive line:"I think our O-line is getting a little better, which I think helped. I think we had a couple of receivers make some big plays, which I think was good. I think we shouldn't have had any three and outs, which continues to be a problem."
And just like the first two games, Leach preached the need for more consistency.
Coach Leach on Marquess Wilson:"I think Marquess can play better. And I think Isaiah Meyers, I think the steadiest guy we've had at receiver has been Isaiah Meyers. [Wilson] needs to focus… I think obviously he can catch. Everybody knows he can catch. They weren't difficult ones. Occasionally guys drop balls, so he'll catch them."
There was a question about the Pac-12 possible instituting an injury report system similar to the one employed by the NFL. Leach was asked whether he would go along with it if every other team agreed to it.
"I would still refuse. I would still be elusive on it. It would still violate the HIPAA law, which would be interesting to me if the Pac-10 could get that law overturned. Nah. It's nobody's business. And plus, obviously, if some kid doesn't want to you to know, why should you? No, I still wouldn't tell."
Connor Halliday, who threw four touchdowns in last week's win said he doesn't know whether he will start Saturday's game against Colorado. But all he can do is all he can do.
"If I get a chance I'm going to do everything I can to be successful. If my role needs to be on the sidelines cheering on Jeff [Tuel] that's what I'll do. If my role is to be out there playing I'll do that as well."
Halliday on whether there is a building confidence in the locker room:"I think there's confidence building in the locker room. Every time you can get a win streak going – granted, it wasn't against the stiffest of competition, so we'll see…. But it would be great to get a three-game winning streak."
If the Cougars win on Saturday it will be their first three-game win streak in six seasons.
Linemen on both sides of the ball often get overlooked. Leach feels the line is making progress though, and so do the players.
"I think it was our best game so far, but I think, as a unit, we haven't played a complete game together," said center Elliot Bosch.
Bosch admitted the offensive line started to let down as the game went on.
Defensive lineman Ioane Gauta on how he feels about the progress of the defense:"Just the chemistry, the front seven – we got closer in camp, and as the season progresses we just get to know more about each other… and get a feel of how important we are to each other." | http://www.myfoxspokane.com/news/sports/story/press-pass-pullman-week-3-starting-qbs-marquess-wilson-and-improvement | 774 |
Summerville Plays Wednesday
Summerville Bear Country logo
Tuolumne, CA -- The brackets have been released for the NorCal regional boys basketball tournament.
Summerville High School is coming off a big win Saturday, having defeated Liberty Ranch 63-52 in the Division 4 CIF Sac-Joaquin championship game. Coach Ben Watson's crew has been seeded number five in the Division IV bracket. Summerville will host Orland, at home, this Wednesday at 7pm. To view all the brackets, click here.
To read a recap of Saturday's game, click here.
Written by BJ Hansen
If you see breaking news, traffic or weather contact us at [email protected] or the News Hotline at 532-6397 | http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/2002155/Summerville-Plays-Wednesday.html | 157 |
The addition of a couple of girls from basketball helped open things up for the Lady Trojans. Victoria Elizalde took advantage of the Southside defense to slip four goals into the net for Beeville. Heather McKinney added two, and Tori Munoz, also back from the hardcourt, contributed one goal. Assists were from Kennedy Trevino, Heather McKinney with two, Elizalde and MacKenzie Harvey.
The Trojan girls led comfortably throughout and took a 5-0 lead into the halftime break. The Beeville girls added two more goals in the second 40-minute half to ice the win.
“We played with more intensity and with an overall better attitude. We still have a little ways to go, but it was a much better attitude and overall performance on Friday,” said head coach Don Ledesma.
“Every game we play from here on out will be the most important game of season as we try to stay in the district race.”
The Lady Trojans played Harlandale on Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Beeville girls will return to Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday at 5:30 p.m. to tackle Floresville in the first game of the second round of District 57-4A play. | http://www.mysoutex.com/view/full_story/21830589/article-Lady-Trojans-pick-up-first-district-soccer-win- | 266 |
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - For over three years, the Phoenix Coyotes have been owned and operated by the National Hockey League. That arrangement is not about to change anytime soon after the latest prospective buyer missed a deadline to buy the troubled franchise.
Greg Jamison had until Thursday evening at midnight to complete the purchase, but the deadline came and went with no sale to announce.
So, now it's back to the drawing board for a club that somehow has managed to achieve a surprising level of success on the ice while battling bankruptcy and other financial difficulties over the past few years.
Other suitors like Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf failed in attempts to buy the Coyotes before Jamison, but this latest botched sale stings the most.
Jamison, the former part owner and CEO of the San Jose Sharks, made assurances time and time again that raising the money to purchase the Coyotes would not be a problem. In late November, after agreeing to a 20-year, $308 million lease agreement with the city of Glendale, Ariz., to take control of Jobing.com Arena, Jamison said he would complete the sale within 30-60 days.
Many people took Jamison at his word and it seemed like this was a done deal until doubt began to creep in this week. Rumors began floating that Jamison didn't have the money and when Glendale mayor Jerry Weiers reported before the deadline on Thursday that an attorney for Jamison called him Wednesday night looking for an extension, the sale seemed as good as dead.
Sure enough, the deadline passed without any good news to announce and Jamison has been labeled a fraud or worse by folks who had a lot riding on his ability to successfully purchase this team.
There's also the case of longtime Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who tested free agency last summer but ultimately chose to stay with Phoenix. Doan said all along he wanted to remain a member of the only NHL franchise he's ever played for, but another reason he decided to re-up with the Coyotes was due to assurances from Jamison's camp that the club was going to stay in Glendale.
Now that the Jamison bid has imploded the future of the franchise in Arizona is once again in jeopardy and one wouldn't expect Doan is happy with the turn of events.
Jamison delivered a prepared statement upon failing to reach the deadline, and in it he claimed "our journey to purchase the Coyotes will continue." Of course, it's more than a little bit delusional for Jamison to think he'll ever get a second chance at buying this club. After all, it wasn't just Doan he let down, Jamison left an entire community of people in the lurch.
The city of Glendale is being crushed under the weight of debt largely created by its ownership of Jobing.com Arena and it needs somebody to rescue them. Jamison was supposed to be the man to deliver Glendale from its arena problem. He was supposed to buy the nearly 10-year-old building from the city and Glendale would pay him $15 million a year to operate it.
Now, with Jamison failing to meet the deadline to raise the funds for Jobing.com Arena, the city is left in ownership of its white elephant.
There will be shortage of suitors to buy the Coyotes in Jamison's wake, but selling this franchise will never be easy as long as the NHL insists the prospective owner promises to keep the team in Glendale.
For some reason, the NHL believes it can turn the desert into a viable hockey market despite 16-plus years of evidence to the contrary. Since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996, the Coyotes have constantly struggled to make ends meet and low attendance is one of the biggest factors creating the financial issues.
Despite making the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and getting all the way to the Western Conference finals last spring, the Coyotes are dead last out of 30 NHL teams in attendance this season. On average, the Coyotes are drawing 12,406 fans a night through five home dates, or more than 2,000 less a game than the 29th-ranked Columbus Blue Jackets, who are never a good measuring stick for success.
With Jamison exposed as an unsuitable owner, the lingering question is how will the NHL proceed with the sale of the Coyotes. If they open up the market place to include ownership groups that want to move the franchise to somewhere like Seattle or Quebec City than a deal could be made in a matter of months. But, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would have to renege on his promise to keep the team in the Phoenix area for that to happen and that seems highly unlikely at this stage.
In fact, Weiers said he was contacted by Bettman on Thursday morning and he ensured Glendale's mayor that the NHL is still committed to keeping the team in Glendale. Not surprising, considering the existence of a team in Phoenix is tied directly to Bettman's legacy. As we saw during the lockout, the commissioner is not the type of person who caters his decision-making to outside demands and he'll do whatever he can to make hockey work in Glendale despite the ominous signs that it never will.
The Jamison farce should have signaled the end of the NHL's Phoenix experiment, but Bettman will make sure that it doesn't. | http://www.mytvwichita.com/sports/nhl/story/Top-Shelf-Jilted-Coyotes-begin-owner-search-anew/5Ch1uCIDlkmMCwmzOD-GXA.cspx | 1,098 |
TOWNSEND -- In the 2013-2014 seasons North Middlesex High School's basketball teams will be forced to play their postseason hoops out West. The MIAA, when asked to comment on the proposal, said that simply too many teams were qualifying for the District Tournament in CMass. Division 2.
To the average high school hoops fan the process of realignment is always baffling, but in certain circumstances it is necessary. The reasoning behind the shifting of teams is to extend the opportunity for more teams to qualify for the postseason.
"This alignment business is complicated," said MIAA Public Relations Coordinator Paul Wetzel. "There is a number of factors that go into it, and it isn't unusual that we have schools with some of their teams in one grouping and some in another."
Enrollment numbers are a huge player in determining where a team will play in the postseason. As it stands at the moment, North Middlesex is one of the smaller high schools in Division 2 Central Mass. with an enrollment of just more than 1,000 students. In college athletics it is an regular occurrence to have a Northeastern team playing in the Western Bracket, when there is a regional closer to the school.
To put it bluntly, the reasoning behind this move is to help level the playing field a bit. As the district qualifier rules are written, a team only has to win half of their games in order to qualify for district play. The equation used to determine who moves and who stays depends
The Patriots appear ready for the move, and it doesn't seem like an appeal to the MIAA's decision is coming anytime in the near future. Looking at the enrollment figures of MIAA sanctioned schools, North Middlesex is considerably much smaller than the majority of the schools in their division.
North Middlesex boys' basketball head coach Erik Dellasanta was part of the study regarding moving teams from Central Mass. out West. Dellasanta made mention that Eastern Mass teams need to win 11 games to make the tournament, while Central Mass. needs to win around six.
The biggest concern from fans and people around the programs on the move was in regards to the regular-season schedule. North Middlesex will remain in the Mid-Wach B, and the opponents will only change come tournament time. It's a statewide tournament, and this way more teams will have a crack at the title.
"We have a little bit over 1,000 kids right now," said Dellasanta. "All Division 2 teams in Eastern Mass. are 1,000 and above. To align North Middlesex in the western region of the state in Division 2 is only right by our kids in my mind."
If North Middlesex was to qualify for the District Tournament this year, they would compete in the Central Mass. Division 2 bracket.
"The biggest thing for us at North Middlesex is to get ourselves better and compete," said North Middlesex athletic director Mike Dawson. "It's all about the spot-the-ball mentality. Put the ball down and let's play. We will go wherever they tell us to go. It doesn't matter who we play." | http://www.nashobapublishing.com/sports/ci_22448756 | 641 |
Long-awaited Sports Act coming
Posted Thursday, December 6 2012 at 23:39
- Namwamba working round the clock to streamline operations, also promises to table 2012 Games report
Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba intends to table the eagerly-awaited Team Kenya 2012 London Olympics report in Parliament next week.
At the same time, the minister reiterated his commitment to giving the Kenyan sporting fraternity the long-awaited Sports Act before the term of the 10th Parliament elapses. Namwamba said that the country needed to know the truth behind Team Kenya’s poor showing at the London Olympics, adding that delaying the report was tantamount to doing injustice to tax payers.
Namwamba’s predecessor, Paul Otuoma, trashed the first London 2012 report presented by the National Olympics Committee-Kenya in October, saying it “didn’t address the real issues” that resulted in the dismal show yet the country presented what was considered the best ever squad at the Summer Games.
Namwamba was speaking at a colourful ceremony hosted by Nation Media Group on Wednesday evening in honour of Nation Sports Editor Elias Makori who won the IAAF World Journalist of the Year award during the IAAF Gala in Barcelona a fortnight ago.
Long distance runners
Makori became the first African journalist to be accorded that distinction.
From a projected haul of 11 gold medals, Kenya settled for only 2 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze medals from the London Olympic Games.
“Making this report public will not be aimed at victimising anyone but laying the ground work on what needs to be done to improve our performance at Rio 2016.
“ I’m committing myself to ensuring that the report will be brought to Parliament and the Sports Bill is passed before the 10th parliament lapses,” said the minister, who was accompanied by his deputy Kabando wa Kabando.
Also present were renowned long distance runners Lorna Kiplagat, Tegla Loroupe, former national cricket skipper Asif Karim and Cricket Kenya chairperson Jackie Janmohamed
Namwamba regretted that recommendations made in 2009 by the late Sports Permanent Secretary, Kinuthia Murugu following the 2008 Beijing Games, where Kenya hauled 6 medals, were ignored as Team Kenya prepared for London.
Four nominated journalists
Namwamba said he will ensure the recommendations in London report are used as a guide towards the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. “We should not be allowing ourselves to forget taking action after coming up with remedies,” he said.
Namwamba said Makori’s achievement was historical by virtue of being the first journalist on the continent to be bestowed with the award.
“It was a joy to read his articles that were spiced with a sense of humour and for sure it must be a joy to work with you,” said Namwamba. “It shows how sports can transform the nation.”
Nation Media Group’s chief executive officer, Linus Gitahi, said: “Makori went hunting and came back with a kill. You have always upheld your virtues and we congratulate and celebrate you for that.”
Makori was among four journalists nominated for the award in the last two years with Frenchman Alain Billouin winning the 2011 award. | http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/football/Long-awaited-Sports-Act-coming/-/1102/1638536/-/cvxb05z/-/index.html | 696 |
Detroit Pistons Assign Khris Middleton And Kim English To Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Middleton was drafted 39th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Pistons. The Texas A&M product has appeared in three games this season averaging 1.3 points, 0.7 assists and 0.7 steals. He scored a season-high four points and recorded two steals at Houston (11/10).
English, the 44th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft from the University of Missouri, has seen action in 10 games with the Pistons this season. He scored a season-high eight points twice [vs. Houston (10/31) and at L.A. Lakers (11/4)]. English is averaging 3.2 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting 50% (8-16) from three-point range.
For in-depth analysis by website editor Keith Langlois and special video interviews, visit www.pistons.com, the official source for information and inside access to the Detroit Pistons. | http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-assign-khris-middleton-and-kim-english-fort-wayne-mad-ants?quicktabs_nba_pistons_ticket_center=0 | 214 |
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A day after acknowledging he failed a drug test for cocaine last year, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said he used marijuana and amphetamines while he was a player.
"When you're young you make mistakes," Washington said Thursday. "I wish I could take back some of the mistakes I may have made, but I can't."
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Washington would keep his job. He said the team was aware Washington used drugs as a player.
"There's a distinction between what people do in their youth vs. later in life," he told a group of reporters, according to the Web site of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"I'm sure there are things in our past we're not proud of. Ron could have avoided the question or lied and chose not to. I'm not going to punish him for being honest. That doesn't excuse the behavior but that's reality," Daniels said.
Washington made his latest admission before Texas played a "B" game against Milwaukee on a practice field.
On Wednesday, Washington said he tested positive for cocaine in a Major League Baseball test last July. He told Rangers management and MLB about the cocaine -- he said he used it only once -- before the test result and offered to resign. Texas president Nolan Ryan and team management allowed him to keep his job.
Washington did not detail how often he used marijuana and amphetamines, or describe what kind of amphetamines he took. The 57-year-old Washington played 10 seasons in the majors, mostly as an infielder for Minnesota in the 1980s -- a decade when cocaine and amphetamine use in the majors was not uncommon.
Washington said his mistakes from years ago have nothing to do with the issue he's facing now.
"I made mistakes in my younger days," he said. "I want to get past it, move forward and get back on the field and start winning some ballgames."
All-Star third baseman Michael Young, the team's longest-tenured player, said what Washington did as a player was a non-issue in his eyes. He said discussion about amphetamine use among players in the 1970s and 1980s was a "slippery slope."
"We're hopeful this will bring us together, and we can rally around each other a little more," Young said. "Asking about dissension or a distraction, it's a fair question. But it's not relevant in this clubhouse. We have a solid group of guys in here and they're not going to judge somebody on a mistake and not on their worst moment."
All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton, whose own drug troubles have been well chronicled, reiterated Thursday that he appreciated Washington's approach.
"The way he has handled the situation, I have more respect for him now," Hamilton said. "He didn't hide behind anything, didn't make excuses. He was honest and that's a quality you want in a leader, somebody who recognizes the mistakes and can tell you about them so you can learn from it."
Washington said he's received several messages from family, friends and former players over the past 48 hours and that "it was all love.
"These people know Ron Washington," he said. "I am a good person. No, I'm not a good person. I'm a damn good person. And I'm proud. And I fight. And I'm hungry. And I made a mistake." | http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/Washington-I-Also-Used-Marijuana-Amphetamines-88543762.html | 704 |
Photos and VideosMore Photos and Videos
Autumn Driscoll / Connecticut Post
Central High School cheerleaders, junior Tedah Chan, left, and senior Heidi Medina, strike a pose in the team's new uniforms Wednesday Sept. 29, 2010 at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport. The cheerleading squad is not happy with the uniforms which they say are ill-fitting and violate league rules because the tops reveal midriff. Photo credit: Autumn Driscoll / Connecticut Post
Some high school cheerleaders in Bridgeport think their new uniforms show too much skin and they want town officials to do something about it.
Heidi Medina, a former captain of Central High School’s cheerleading squad, stood before the Bridgeport Board of Education last week, took off her oversized sweats and revealed her revealing cheerleading uniform, the Connecticut Post reports.
"We ask with the utmost respect you (to) do anything in your power to help us," Medina said, according to the Post. "I don't feel comfortable wearing this."
The uniform that has the teens red faced and angry includes a quarter-length top that shows cheerleaders’ midriffs and over-sized sweats, the Post reports.
Nyasia Clemons, a senior, said the uniforms violate league rules that require uniforms, when “standing at attention, apparel must cover the midriff."
Denise Clemons, assistant superintendent for secondary schools, told the Post that the new uniforms are appropriate, that the sizes were based on sizes students gave last spring, but that the city's athletic director would purchase black body suits for the girls to wear underneath the uniform.
The girls’ complaint comes soon after a study on college cheerleaders was released that determined that women, especially those wearing midriff-bearing uniforms, are at risk of developing eating disorders. | http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Cheerleaders-Dont-Want-to-Show-So-Much-Skin-Bridgeport-104276828.html | 376 |
A South Florida high school track coach's lead foot left his team stranded miles from home after he was arrested for speeding Friday, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Walter Chambliss, 26, was arrested driving 86 mph in a 70 mph zone on State Road 91 in Fort Pierce, according to a FHP report.
Chambliss, an assistant track and field coach at Homestead Senior High, was driving members of the school's team to a meet in Gainesville when the arrest happened, according to the South Florida Times.
According to the report, Chambliss was driving without his driver's license. A check of his record found numerous suspensions for failure to pay and failure to appear in court, the report said.
Chambliss also wasn't authorized to be driving the rental car, and the vehicle was towed, the FHP said.
Authorities arrested Chambliss and he was booked into the St. Lucie County jail. He was later released and it was unknown whether he has an attorney.
The students would have been left on the side of the road until one called his parents, who convinced FHP troopers to take the kids to a nearby truck stop where relatives arranged to pick them up, according to the Times.
"At first I was shocked and couldn’t believe what I was hearing," said Clayrinski Wilson, parent of two of the student athletes. "I called the [school’s] athletic director [Aaron Harris], and he told me it was not a school issue and they had nothing to do with it."
Wilson said he'll file a formal complaint against the school and wants an investigation into the incident.
Calls to Harris and the school for comment weren't immediately returned Monday. | http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Students-Stranded-After-Homestead-Track-Coach-Arrested-During-Trip-146681695.html | 358 |
“I look at the success I have had in tennis as a journey, not a destination,” he said. “For me, the doing is more important than the outcome.”
For success in any activity, in or outside of sports, Marcus Vickers of Premier Sports Facility Management, the company with which Clayton County has contracted to handle all activities at the Tennis Center at Clayton County International Park, believes the journey Ashe spoke of must also begin with a solid foundation in tennis.
That is why he and Justin Blanton, aquatics program coordinator at Clayton County International Park off Highway 138 in Jonesboro, has formed the first Clayton County Tennis Center Summer Camp, which began June 4 and continues through August.
More than 20 youngsters, ages five through 17, are taking park in the camp. The program offers several tennis package options. Campers can attend the morning camp from 8 a.m. through noon or the afternoon camp from 1 until 5 p.m. or attend for the entire day
Vickers decided to offer a summer kid’s tennis camp this year because the interest was evident following the results of a survey as to what opportunities Clayton County residents would like to see available this summer at the park and beach.
“Although our summer camp is centered on tennis, we wanted to offer the kids a true, full, summer camp experience,” he said. “As such, we integrate tennis with a litany of other summer camp activities at the park which our youngsters can participate in, like going to the beach here or playing on the playground equipment.”
Kareem Burrows, 17, son of Dannet Bailey, is taking part in the camp and he feels, even in the short time he has been in the camp, he has made significant progress in his tennis game.
“I believe my game is not only getting better, but is getting better at a faster rate,” he said. “I wanted to improve on all aspects of my game, from my serve to my forehand and backhand strokes, and I have already seen a difference.”
Vickers said the daily on court tennis instruction is preceded by a warm up and stretching period followed by light footwork drills, inclusive of sprints and calisthenics, prior to the actual instruction.
Vickers said the camp, which is designed for youth tennis players from beginners to advanced, remains focused, “on this being a sport a player can play his entire lifetime.”
“We are strong in teaching the fundamentals, the right footwork and techniques, so the game can be enjoyed for a lifetime,” he added. | http://www.neighbornewspapers.com/view/full_story/19189686/article-Clayton-County-Tennis-Summer-Camp-teaches-lifelong-sport-enjoyment?instance=clayton | 551 |
LRU 59, Winooski 36
ORLEANS–Alex Beauregard had a game-high sixteen points and Shaquille Urie added eleven as the Lake Region Rangers rolled past the Winooski Spartans 59-36 on Monday evening.
Things were relatively close early, as the Rangers put up thirteen points in each of the first two quarters, compared to 9 and 8 by the Spartans.
The third quarter saw the game shift completely over to Lake Region when they took off, outscoring Winooski 17-2 in the period.
Beaugard had six of his sixteen in the third, while Urie was behind him with four.
Sixteen more points for the Rangers in the fourth sealed the deal as the team stays undefeated at 7-0 while Winooski drops below .500 at 3-4.
Lake Region's next challenge will come this Saturday when they host Enosburg in a rematch from the Lamoille Tournament Championship game where the Rangers won 50-45.
Game time is at 2:30.
BURKE–It was a great day for the Falcon Nordic skiers on Monday, as the girls took home a first place finish, and the boys a second.
The race started out with the JV racers, and North Country shined their as well, with Parker LaCourse coming in second and Fred Petzoldt third.
Beka Young was fourth for the JV girls.
In the varsity races, starting with the boys, Brian DeLaBruere was the first one home in fourth places, followed by Sam Brunnette in 11th, Dan Decelles in 12th, Alex Charboneau in 13th, and rounding out the top five was Brad Dopp.
Haley Jo Tetreault led the girls across the line with her 3rd place finish. Jade Dandurand was 7th, Laura Smith 12th, and Brianna Grimm 15th.
Next up is a Classic at Stowe on Friday.
LYNDON CENTER–Donna Lawson, a senior forward on the Lyndon women’s basketball team, has been named to the New England Women’s Basketball Association Honor Roll for the period beginning Dec. 10, 2012 and ending Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013.
During that period, Lawson amassed 61 points, 27 rebounds, eight steals, eight blocked shots and three assists. She had 15 points nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocked shots in a 61-50 win over Plymouth State on Saturday, Dec, 15 before posting 13 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks in a the loss to the College of St. Joseph on Tuesday. Friday, she collected 26 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and one assist in the 64-56 win over Thomas and capped the week with 22 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in a 65-57setback to the University of Maine at Farmington. | http://www.newportvermontdailyexpress.com/content/local-round-2?quicktabs_2=2 | 629 |
LSU kicker Drew Alleman (30) reacts to kicking the game-winning field goal with punter Brad Wing (38) in overtime as the No. 1 Tigers beat No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The defenses lived up to the billing in the latest Game of the Century. Neither No. 1 LSU nor No. 2 Alabama could reach the end zone Saturday night, not even with extra time.
The Tigers aren't complaining.
They now have the inside track to the BCS title game.
Drew Alleman kicked a 25-yard field goal in overtime to lead LSU to a 9-6 victory over Alabama, which missed four field goals and squandered another scoring chance by throwing a goal-line interception — simply too many mistakes to overcome in this fierce defensive struggle.
"It didn't go by the script," LSU coach Les Miles said. "The key is to keep fighting, to find a way."
Find a way, these Tigers did.
With a lot of help from the Crimson Tide.
"It's a difficult pill to swallow," said receiver Marquis Maze, who was hobbled by a leg injury and was at the center of two key miscues in the fourth quarter. "If everybody executes in the red area, that wasn't even a close game. The defense played outstanding."
Alabama missed four field goals, including Cade Foster's 52-yard attempt after the Tide got the ball first in the extra period. LSU appeared to win the game on Michael Ford's run around left end after taking a pitch, but he stepped out of bounds at the 7.
Two plays gained nothing, so LSU (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) sent on Alleman to attempt his third field goal of the game on third down. Alabama (8-1, 5-1) tried to freeze him by calling timeout, but he calmly knocked it through to set off a wild celebration by the visiting team.
A small contingent in purple and gold chanted, "LSU! LSU! LSU!" The players ran to the far end of the field to celebrate with their band and the fans who made the trip from Louisiana.
"Before I went to bed last night, I was preparing for it," Alleman said. "It's every kicker's dream, and I got to live it."
The crowd of more than 100,000 at Bryant-Denny Stadium — most of them dressed in crimson — sat in stunned silence as LSU celebrated its victory in only the 23rd regular-season matchup between the top two teams in The Associated Press rankings.
LSU still must win its last three regular-season games — No. 8 Arkansas is the toughest test — and then would have to get through the SEC championship game. But the Tigers are the clear favorite after winning another huge game away from home, emerging with the victory in a matchup between the two teams generally considered the best in the land.
And what if the BCS formula pits LSU against Alabama again in the national championship game?
"I'd be honored to face that team again," Miles said.
The Crimson Tide isn't giving up.
"They only beat us by three," Maze said. "I hope we get that chance."
If a rematch doesn't work out, Alabama will long be moaning about how this one got away. Foster missed two first-quarter field goals, and Jeremy Shelley had one blocked before Shelley finally made one from 34 yards. Alleman kicked a 19-yarder on the final play of the first half, leaving the teams tied at 3 even though the Crimson Tide clearly had the upper hand.
Interceptions set up both field goals in the second half. Foster made one from 46 yards after Jarrett Lee threw his second pick of the game, then Alleman connected from 30 yards after AJ McCarron's ill-timed throw was picked off by Morris Claiborne.
"Defense wins ball games," Claiborne said. "That's all I've got to say about that. You come out and you prepare hard and play like we did tonight, and you come out on top."
Outside of the kicking woes, Maze was at the center of two decisive plays in the fourth quarter that helped finish off the Crimson Tide. First, with Alabama threatening at the LSU 28, he took a snap in the wildcat formation and tried to surprise LSU with a pass. Tight end Michael Williams broke into the clear near the goal line, but Eric Reid hustled back to snatch it away as both players tumbled to the ground at the 1.
Reid wound up with the ball, the officials ruled it an interception and a replay upheld the call.
LSU failed to pick up a first down, and it looked as though Alabama would get it back in good field position to take another crack at the LSU end zone. But Maze, favoring his leg, couldn't catch the long line-drive punt. He turned away from it around his own 40 and the ball rolled all the way to the Alabama 19.
Afterward, he said his injury had nothing to do with it — the ball struck a wire that allows a television camera to hover above the field.
The Tiger got it out to around midfield on their final possession of regulation, then had to punt it away. Alabama took over with only 52 seconds left and settled for overtime.
"Our season was at stake," Claiborne said. "We knew where we want to be at the end of the season."
Unlike Notre Dame's infamous 10-10 tie with Michigan State in another 1-2 matchup in 1966, when the Irish ran out the clock at the end of the fourth quarter, this one could not end that way.
Though even with extra time it will go down as the second-lowest scoring No. 1 vs. No. 2 game in the 75-year history of the AP poll. The fewest points in a 1-2 game is zero, the famous Army-Notre Dame scoreless tie in 1946.
"When you get blown out, you've got lots of issues and problems," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "I don't think anybody could watch that game and say Alabama doesn't have a really good team and didn't play a really good game. We just didn't win."
The buildup to the game resembled a Super Bowl, especially with both teams getting a couple of weeks to prepare. More than 100,000 fans squeezed into Bryant-Denny Stadium. Tens of thousands more converged on Tuscaloosa without tickets, content to just tailgate, soak up the atmosphere and watch the game on televisions outside the stadium.
Two ferocious defenses lived up to their billing. Alabama came in allowing just 6.9 points and 44.9 yards rushing per game, leading the nation in both categories, and the second-fewest passing yards. LSU wasn't far behind in any of those categories.
The Crimson Tide finished with 295 yards, while the Tigers won with just 239.
The Game of the Century it wasn't, at least in the first half. Alabama missed three field goals. LSU was called for a pair of facemask penalties and Lee threw the first of his two interceptions. Both teams were flagged for silly penalties, such as substitution infractions and an offsides on Alabama that extended LSU's only decent drive of the first two quarters.
With the defenses dominating, it became clear the game would come down to which team could take advantage of its rare opportunities.
For all of Alabama's heralded recruiting classes under Saban, it was clear the Crimson Tide didn't devote a lot of time to finding a kicker. Foster was wide right from 44 and 50 yards before Saban switched up. The coach sent in Shelley, his short kicking specialist, for a 49-yard try, but that didn't work out so well, either. He drove it low — right into the outstretched hands of the LSU defender Bennie Logan.
Finally, the Tide drove it close enough to actually make one.
Trent Richardson slipped out of the background to haul in his second long pass completion of the first half, a 39-yarder down to the LSU 19. The next three plays produced only 2 yards, so Shelley trotted out again to a few nervous groans from the crowd. Those turned to cheers of relief when he knocked it through, giving Alabama the lead with just under 4 minutes left in the half.
It didn't hold up.
Jordan Jefferson, who wound up taking most of the snap instead of Lee, guided the Tigers down the field, most notably on a 34-yard completion to Russell Shepard when Alabama botched its deep coverage and left only one guy to cover two receivers.
That gave LSU first-and-goal at the Alabama 8, its first serious scoring chance of the game. The Tide's defense stiffened, even after being called for holding, and LSU came uncomfortably close to running off too much time.
With 8 seconds left and one timeout remaining, the Tigers handed off to Spencer Ware from the 2. He powered into the middle of the line, tried to keep his legs going but was eventually whistled down while LSU frantically signaled for a timeout. The clock stopped with 1 second left, though the officials put an extra tick back on.
Alleman knocked through the chip shot to send the teams to the locker room tied at 3.
Richardson, a Heisman Trophy candidate, had a solid game with 23 carries for 89 yards and five catches for 80 yards. It wasn't enough. Jefferson did just enough, completing 6 of 10 passes for 67 yards and running 11 times for 43 yards.
Alabama no longer controls its own fate in the race to get to the title game.
LSU took care of that.
"Whoever the folks are who make those decisions will make those decisions based on the full body of work of every team in the country and choose which teams are the best," Saban said. "I really can't speculate on a hypothetical situation and it's really not our focus right now, anyway." | http://www.news-daily.com/news/2011/nov/06/no-1-lsu-wins-fg-battle-no-1-bama-9-6-ot/?features | 2,088 |
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