Search is not available for this dataset
text
stringlengths 114
528k
| url
stringlengths 16
403
| token_count
int64 33
125k
|
|---|---|---|
Wigan Warriors have chosen to face defending champions Leeds Rhinos in Super League's qualifying semi-finals.
The Warriors, who finished top of Super League in the regular season, had the choice under
the 'ClubCall' system.
The other qualifying play-off winners, St Helens, will face Warrington Wolves, who had been Wigan's other option.
Super League play-off semis
- Fri 28 Sep: Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos
- Sat 29 Sep: St Helens v Warrington Wolves
The qualifying semi-finals will take place on the weekend of 28-29 September, with Wigan and St Helens both having home advantage.
The winners will meet in the Grand Final at Old Trafford on 6 October.
Wigan have already done the double over Leeds in the regular season, but
lost to them in the Challenge Cup semi-finals,
and will have the chance for revenge on Friday at the DW Stadium.
Leeds coach Brian McDermott said: "It [the cup semi-final] may count more for Wigan in terms of motivation but we won't read much into it.
"They beat us twice in the league and it wasn't a great day for us at home when they put 50 points past us."
In Saturday's second semi, Challenge Cup winners Warrington will travel to Langtree Park for a quick rematch against Saints, who
beat them 28-6 in the first round of the play-offs. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/19692140 | 306 |
Devils' day in the Sun
The South Delta Sun Devils' biggest fan may have been absent from the sidelines Saturday as the local varsity football team trounced the Mission Roadrunners 31-14 to claim their second provincial AA championship in five years, but the memory of Belinda Weitzel was in the hearts of every Sun Devil player on the field.
The Sun Devils players dedicated this season to memory of Weitzel, mother of lineman Rhys Weitzel, who passed away from cancer earlier this year.
"She was a huge supporter of the team for years," says running back David Mann.
The team had stickers made to honour her, which they wore on their helmets throughout the season.
"That made the guys play that much harder," says Mann. "We weren't just playing for each other, we were playing for her, in her memory.
"I think she would have been proud of us."
It would be hard not be.
The Sun Devils overcame all manner of adversity this season to finish with a perfect record, and even when things went wrong, some how everything managed to work out in their favour.
For much of the season, the Sun Devils struggled with injuries.
"We had seven or eight games where we were missing our best players," said head coach Ray Moon. "Seven to 10 injuries per game was not uncommon. We had three to five starters out most of the season."
In the end, the injuries may have been a blessing for the team.
"It really brought the players together, and got them playing as a team," says Moon.
The Sun Devils' bench made the most of their opportunities to play, something Moon says will benefit the team next year
"They really made the best of it."
As the season progressed, the perfect season itself became somewhat of a burden for the team to bear.
"That definitely put a target on our back," says Moon.
Throughout the adversity the Sun Devils faced, the team's seniors help lead by example.
It was an easy role to fill, says Mann. When you're that close for four and a half months at a time, you become more of a family than a team.
"We've all played together our whole lives," he says. "We're more than just teammates."
The Sun Devils were the first to get on the board Saturday at B.C. Place, as Jeremy Gordon-Carmichael was able to march the ball into the end zone on the team's third possession in the first quarter. A successful two-point convert put South Delta ahead 8-0.
Despite repeated forays into Roadrunners' red zone in the first half, the Sun Devils struggled to score and missed a 35-yard field goal attempt.
"We had four or five drives stalled at the Mission [20-yard-line]," said Moon. "It was frustrating, but we knew we could get yards on them. It was just a matter of converting."
A successful field goal put the Sun Devils ahead by 11. However a Mission touchdown put the defending AA champions back within four points at the half.
While the Sun Devils defence was effective at shutting down Mission quarterback Kevin Wiens and running back Evan Horton in the first half, the Roadrunners' stars found their footing in the third quarter.
Wiens ran the ball 40 yards to give Mission their first lead of the game, before the Sun Devils answered back later in the quarter with a TD of their own.
After an unsuccessful convert attempt, South Delta held a narrow 17-14 lead going into the final quarter.
The Sun Devils changed up their defence from a four-man to a five-man front, and the effects were immediate.
"That's when we started to shut down their running game," said Moon. "That's when the tides began to turn."
With Mission pinned deep in their own end and electing to punt, Moon opted for speedy Will Kraynyk at nose tackle in place of six-foot-four Mitch MacLeod.
Kraynyk managed to block the punt, while Ryan Marquardt pounced on the ball in the end zone to put the Sun Devils up 23-14.
Things got worse for the Roadrunners after that. On the ensuing kick off return, Wiens fumbled the ball, only to have the Sun Devils recover.
A handful of plays later, Kyle Menzies found his way into the end zone on a 12-yard run. A successful two-point convert put the Sun Devils ahead 31-14, making it a three-score lead.
With the clock winding down and the Roadrunners desperate to score, the Sound Devils could smell blood in the water.
"We figured they'd have to air it out, so we dropped back to a four-man front, and switched our backs to a zone coverage," said Moon.
Sure enough, defensive back Denis Olivera picked up an errant pass for an interception to give the Sun Devils possession.
"From then on, we just settled into a slow and safe running game," said Moon.
Three plays - the blocked punt, the fumble recovery, and the interception - changed the outcome of the game, says Mann.
"You could see it on their faces they were beat," he says.
For a select few, like Mann, university football in the NCAA or CIS looms on the horizon, but for the majority of the team, Saturday's win marks the end of their football career.
"It was the biggest game of their lives," said Moon. "And I couldn't be more proud of them." | http://www.bclocalnews.com/sports/182407831.html | 1,160 |
Prater had the coverage on WR AJ Green on a deep route when Andy Dalton uncorked a ball that left no one doubting his arm strength. The ball traveled over 70 yards in the air before Green, despite good coverage from Prater, made one of his trademark acrobatic goal line grabs over Prater.
Shaun Prater will have better days to be sure. Few receivers in the league can do to cornerbacks what AJ Green does on a regular basis. And maybe Prater should give an interview to Greg Cosell and assure him that Any Dalton's arm strength is just fine.
Dre Kirkpatrick was back on the field Monday taking reps at corner. Leon Hall is still rehabbing his Achilles and veterans Nate Clements and Adam Jones were also sidelined with minor injuries. That left free agent acquisitions Jason Allen and Terence Newman lining up against the first team offense most of the time.
As far as the offense is concerned, Brandon Tate is still holding the slot opposite AJ Green with the starting unit, but Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu are coming on quickly. Watch out for UC product Armon Binns though. The coaching staff is very impressed with his precise route running.
And congratulations to T Andre Smith who missed last week's workouts for a good reason: he got married. Smith was back at right tackle on Monday. He and his bride have yet to honeymoon. That's dedication!
Related VideosReturning Soon!!!!
No related posts. | http://www.bengals101.com/2012/06/05/welcome-to-the-nfl-shaun-prater/ | 302 |
Panthers take pair from South Adams
Eastbrook capitalized on a slew of early errors by South Adams, scoring seven runs en route to a 10-9 win in the first game of a varsity baseball double header Saturday at Harry F. Anderson Field. The Panthers led from the outset in game two and swept the twin bill by taking the nightcap 10-7.
The games were scheduled to take place at Eastbrook, but were moved to South Adams after the Starfires made the trip to Grant County only to realize the field was too wet for play. Eastbrook played as the home team in both contests.
South Adams trailed 7-2 after one inning in the first game, and finished with five errors in the field. The Starfires (6-5) outscored Eastbrook 7-3 the rest ...
Read the full article in the E-Edition.
You need to be logged in to post comments on this article. | http://www.bernetriweekly.com/sports/panthers-take-pair-from-south-adams | 195 |
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Korea' started by Elliad, Dec 24, 2008.
Just ran across this and thought it was interesting. Luis Robles (24) is a goalkeeper for 2. Bundesliga club Kaiserslautern. He is of Puerto Rican and Korean descent. He is eligible to play for the United States, Puerto Rico and Korea. Kaiserslautern are currently 2nd (tied with 1st with 31 points).
A little old, as it was posted on Naver a week or so ago. This makes me pessimistic about our chances at the U-20 World Cup in Egypt. Why get rid of Cho Dong-Hyun?
Yeah, Cho Dong-Hyun did a great job at the last U-20 World Cup. But I guess it could be a launching pad for Hong Myung-Bo's coaching career. He might be a good coach for KNT one day.
I saw this Ahn Jung-Hwan compliation. It really makes me think how good he could have been if he worked a little harder.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DElg4GQ0XRM"]YouTube - Korean Legends: Ahn Jung-Hwan[/ame]
Ahn Jung-Hwan was released by Busan recently, and he was then linked to a move to the MLS but it looks like no clubs are interested, so he might be forced into early retirement like Ko Jong-Soo if he doesn't take an offer soon. He hasn't been with the KNT in a while either, but I'm hoping he'll be used as a supersub at the 2010 World Cup one last time.
the thing is, i think ahn jung hwn should have just stayed in Japan and Lee Chun Soo should have just stayed in Korea. I'm not really sure if the issue is work ethic. some people just adjust poorly in foreign surroundings.
Yeah, the J-League was the best fit for Ahn. But he does have a reputation of not being a hardworker. Other than his early years with Busan and his career in the J-League, he's never played particularly well for his club, but he always seems to save his best games for world cups, where it matters most. Also, stamina is probably his main weakness, which is why he's usually a sub for the KNT. He's been compared to the lazy genius kid that slacks off during the semester but then crams right before the final exams and aces them.
I'm not sure why Lee Chun-Soo hasn't had any success in Europe though. He has always been rather inconsistent throughout his career. He's been cut from Suwon, I believe, and he's in no form to be on the KNT anytime soon either.
Jung Moo's house
평창동인가요...좋네요 집. 저 좋은 집 놔두고 광양에 있으려니 얼마나 짜증이 났겠습니까. 허감독님도 잘못하다 귀경(歸耕)길에 오를 수도 있다는것을 아실테니 좀 더 열심히 하시겠죠.
LWJ about his weight yet again.
I can't believe that LWJ weighed 86kg in 2002 when he weighs 90kg now. 76, maybe, but just 4kg lighter?
He's a lot more than 90 lol.
Hwangbo Gwan, an ex Korea NT player now the vice president of the J-league club Oita, says the K- and J- leagues should merge for the mutual survival and growth of both leagues...
I had a chance to talk to him briefly during the PPC. He doesn't sound too bright, tbh.
Who the fcuk are you?
in the other news...
Carlo Ancelotti as Manager kkkkkkkkkkkkk
Hong Myung Bo KNT U-20 Head Coach
안정환·이근호 ‘새 둥지’ 어디로
I really don't understand why Lee Geun-ho is dragging his choice.. why doesnt he fcukin hurry up and sign already..
He's modest and waiting to make the right choice, and i think thats important.
We have a good player here, lets not lose him.
Lets imagine he signs in a big club, he's gonna break his teeths and will be mentally ********ed up for the rest of his career.
All i hope for him, is to become the best korean striker ever.
이근호 “국내이적 완전포기”…해외이적 가능성
한국의 루카 토니, 정성훈의 '2008 그리고 2009' [1편]
이근호 "네덜란드행 베어벡이 길 열었다" | http://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/korean-football-miscellaneous-ii.892043/ | 1,282 |
Jun 9, 2007 01:31 PM EDT
Greg Hixson and Tom Austin Jr. Get Wins Before Rain Claim Balance of Black Rock Program
By RICH VLECK
DUNDEE, NY - With a thundering band of storms brushing through the Northeast on Friday night, the Black Rock Speedway program hustled through to get the majority of the card in. But at 8:15, just after the sportsman feature, the night’s action would not only get rained out, it would become poured out.
The Hoselton Auto Mall and Home Necessities sponsored the night, which only ran two features. Ironically, the two features that ran were those sponsored by each of the night sponsors. With two of the eight features, as well as all the heats, completed, along with 102 cars in the pits, there will be a various number of rain dates used to make up these features.
Greg Hixson rekindled his form of 1991 when he won the Mr. DIRT Sportsman Championship as he picked up his first win since his return in the Hoselton Auto Mall Crate Sportsman Division.
The former Black Rock Speedway Head Starter paced the field from the drop of the green flag, a position that he has been used to this season due to the handicap, but on a humid and sticky night, he would stay there the entire distance.
“Scott Schrader helped me out a bunch and got this car running a lot better tonight,” said a jubilated Hixson in Victory Lane.
The driver of the Swarthout Recycling/ Doug Kent’s Bowling Center No. 1s ran the bottom lane to perfection and pulled away from the competition to leave no doubt that he is fully back.
Daryl Hilkert also had his best run of the season, coming home in second in his No. 4.
Justin Wright continued to stay strong in his No. 19w, despite scraping the outside wall on lap 6 but was still able to hang on to third.
Eric Giguere’s first trip to Black Rock resulted in a solid fourth place showing, with Dave Yehl also stepping up to the occasion, rounding out the top-five.
Brian Wilson took the lead when the first lap of the Home Necessites bandit feature was finally completed, after Kailey Wassner rolled her No. 82 over the bank in turn three after contact with Josh Sharpsteen.
Wilson would hand over the lead to Erica Bell who would not be able to hold off the dominant “Rocker” Austin, as the point leader took the lead on lap 7 and would not look back, capturing yet another win on a superb night for “The Rock” at “The Rock”.
Other 2007 winners Kreg Crooker, Erica Bell and Dylan Cecce would finished behind the No. 88a, with Cody Moorehouse rounding out the top-five.
The 358-modifieds had 20 cars and saw Dave DuBois from Corfu, NY pick up a popular heat win in his No. 012. They will run their feature on July 6.
The super stock heat win went to the ageless Sparky Hills from Gang Mills. Their attention will turn towards the $1,000-to-win Bud Foster Memorial next week, with the make-up for this Friday taking place July 27.
The Ladies’ Street Stock/ Pro Truck race will be postponed until July 20 when they will rumble in the combined class event.
The Street Stocks, Pro Trucks, and 4-cylinders will all have their features made up next week on a night sponsored by Suzuki Motorcycles. Racing action will pick up at 6:45 p.m. and be just $10 for 10 features, including a $1,000-to-win Super Stock event. | http://www.blackrockspeedway.com/news/newsItem.php?tag=2&year=2007&item=52 | 801 |
There are times where I know what you all are thinking, "Martin has got to be one of the most negative fans ever."
Yeah, I get it. And I'm not discounting that at times. I'm disillusioned. Rooting for Cleveland and Wake Forest is taxing. I'm only 24. It shouldn't be this way.
So I decided to do something I don't do enough: reflect. And I'm glad I did.
Despite a lot of bad news, unfortunate circumstances and sour moments, there is still plenty to be thankful for as a Demon Deacon fan in 2011...1.) Tanner Price, Chris Givens, Josh Harris, Michael Campanaro and the Wake offense-- Deez doods are fun to watch. I rail on Lobo from time to time, but there are some real playmakers in this offense, and when it gets going, it's a thing of beauty. Assuming Givens comes back next year, the o-line improves and J-Roc gets right, things should be even brighter in the future.
2.) Travis McKie -- There weren't a lot of positives to the 2010-2011 basketball season, but McKie shined. He's a truly special player for the Old Gold and Black. This season, he picked up right where he left off, and in an always-talented league, Travis is one of the best in the ACC.
3.) Chase Fischer -- Shooters gonna shoot. And Chase will have plenty of opportunities to do so this season. It is going to be fun to watch him grow as a player.
4.) The Super 6 -- Darkest Before Dawn and all that jazz. Arnaud Moto, Codi Miller-McIntyre, Devin Thomas, Tyler Cavanaugh, Aaron Rountree and Andre Washington compose the future of the Demon Deacons. Although my expectations are tempered after the five-man 2010 class is already down to three, these six players seem like a special bunch. They're easy to root for, talented, and reload WFU when it needs it most.
5.) Soccer and Golf -- With basketball and football down last year, it gave a spotlight to other Wake Forest sports, and man, a few shined. The Lady Deacs are tearing it up in both golf and soccer, and the men's teams are trending up.
6.) The Wake Forest Community -- We've been through a lot. But if there's one thing I've learned as a Cleveland fan: ordeals bring fans closer together. I've gotten to know some really great people in the last year, on Twitter, on BSD, on the message boards, in tailgates, and elsewhere, and I'm still as proud as ever to be a Demon Deacon. | http://www.bloggersodear.com/2011/11/22/2581508/a-sixpack-to-be-thankful-for-in-2011-demon-deacon-sports | 568 |
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Bloody Elbow gives you a brief glimpse of every fight from tonight's UFC 156 event in Las Vegas, including the UFC debut of Strikeforce transplant Bobby Green against Jacob Volkmann.
The UFC 156 preliminary card features 3 Strikeforce migrants, and Bobby Green (19-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is one of them. He'll face Jacob Volkmann (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) tonight in the lightweight division, one of 3 lightweight fights on the card.
Both of these men are in top form, at the moment. Green has won his last 4, while Volkmann has gone 6-1 since dropping his first two UFC fights. Volkmann vs. Green is one of the usual 4 fights in total that will air live on FX at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, before the PPV broadcast commences at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT.
How do these two stack up?
Volkmann: 32 years old | 5'9" | 71.5" reach
Green: 26 years old | 5'10" | 71.5" reach
What have these two done recently?
How did these two get here?
Volkmann was brought in by the UFC on short-notice as a welterweight, and he had an incredibly difficult first two fights. His debut was against then-top 10 WW Paulo Thiago, then his next fight was against Martin Kampmann in 2010. Unsurprisingly he lost both, and that prompted a drop to 155 lbs, where he rattled of 5 consecutive wins. The Minnesota native was then pitted against British grappler Paul Sass at UFC 146, but Sass submitted Volkmann with a triangle-armbar in the 1st round. Volkmann then fought in Minnesota in October against WEC veteran Shane Roller, recording a submission win and his first finish in the UFC.
Green is a veteran of both Strikeforce and King of the Cage, with wins over Charles Bennett and Daron Cruickshank. In Strikeforce he dropped his debut fight against Gesias Cavalcante by split decision, but he rattled off 4 consecutive wins following the defeat. His last win was a decision win over the previously unbeaten Matt Ricehouse. Green comes in as the underdog against Volkmann, who will hold the advantage both in wrestling and in submissions.
Why should you care?
Admittedly, it would be a surprise if Green were to win. The question is whether or not Volkmann, who has been criticized for dull fights in the past, can notch a 2nd straight finish. | http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/2/2/3930320/ufc-156-fight-card-primer-preview-bobby-green-vs-jacob-volkmann/in/3689821 | 538 |
The Boonville Pirates soccer team may have missed the playoffs after losing to top-seeded Southern Boone of Ashland 2-1 in the semifinal round of the district playoffs in Fulton.
But if you consider that Southern Boone is still playing today, the one-point loss against the Eagles looks better and better each day.
While closing out the season at 6-17 overall and 1-11 in the North Central Missouri Conference, the Pirates appear to be raising a few eyebrows after landing three players on the Class 1 District 7 All-District Team.
Junior Nathan Green and sophomore Tyler Drew were both selected to the first-team in the district while senior Eric Warren was a honorable-mention all-district selection.
Boonville soccer coach Tim Brown said even though the Pirates were the youngest varsity team around while starting at least seven sophomores in every match this season but one, they still managed to finish with a record of 6-17 overall, which is the most victories ever in a season at Boonville.
"We also had some other records set this year: we scored the most goals in a season as a team with 42; we had our first ever 20 goal scorer; we won two matches in a row for the first time; we won an away conference match for the first time; and we recorded our first-ever district shutout," stated Brown.
Drew, two-year starter, led the team in every offensive category this season. Brown said Drew had 116 shot attempts, 65 shots on goal, seven assists and 23 goals in 23 matches and started the new single-season record for the boys program; the previous record was 16 goals. He also became the first Pirate striker to make the all-conference team, Brown said.
As for Green, Brown said in his opinion Nathan is the most underrated goalkeeper around.
"He consistently keeps the team in matches," Brown said. "Unfortunately, he is surrounded by inexperienced defenders, so the 10 miraculous saves he makes every match are overshadowed by the three goals he allows on the approximately 20 close-range shots per game he faces."
As for Warren, who transferred to Boonville two weeks into the season, Brown said he had no idea what to do with Eric. "Incredibly athletic and full of confidence, Eric eventually found his home at left back, and we were glad to have him, if only for one season," Brown said.
Other first-team selections were: Hayden Salmons, Price Meentemeyer, Nate Sapp, Landon Bartel, Calvin Bill and Jacon Moore of Southern Boone; Jesus Gonzalez, Patricio Herrera, Jose O. Garcia and Jose "Greg" Reding of Missouri Military Academy; and Jakob Hull and Trevor Neal of Fulton; and Allen Rodriquez of Montgomery County.
Players selected to the honorable-mention team were: Dylan Wright of Southern Boone; Jacob Priester of MMA; Brian McCarty of Fulton; and Jacob Cunningham of Montgomery County. | http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/article/20121116/SPORTS/121119169/1019/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE | 616 |
|The Sox aren’t disguising an interest in Marco Scutaro (seen here with the A’s). (File/Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)|
Scutaro aboard as shortstop
He agrees to terms on 2-year deal with option
Despite the uproar about a potential position move for Dustin Pedroia this week, that won’t be necessary. General manager Theo Epstein and the Red Sox found their new shortstop - yet again. This time, the position falls to Marco Scutaro, the 34-year-old late of the Blue Jays.
The Sox have agreed to two years of Scutaro’s services, pending a physical, with the deal including an option for a third year, according to a baseball source. It was first reported on a Venezuelan newspaper website, liderendeportes.com, last night.
The Sox have spent the week working out the details with Scutaro, requesting his medical reports. Scutaro missed the final two weeks of the 2009 season because of plantar fasciitis.
“The people of Boston called again and asked for my medical report, and [we] are working on it,’’ Scutaro told Diario Panorama, a paper in Venezuela this week. “I have to go to a doctor to confirm that I am OK about the injury I had at the end of the season.’’
Scutaro worked out for Allard Baird, Epstein’s assistant, Tuesday in Florida, according to a team source.
Scutaro hit .284 with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs for the Blue Jays last season. He also had a .379 on-base percentage and slugged .409, each career highs.
Combined, Sox shortstops had a .235 average (26th in the majors), a .297 OBP (25th), and slugged .358 (20th) in 2009. Epstein was vocal after the end of the season about Jed Lowrie’s need to prove himself at the major league level, saying the Sox could not count on him to be their everyday shortstop at this point.
Scutaro is an above-average fielder, according to Fangraphs.com. His Ultimate Zone Rating was 0.9 at shortstop last season, just above average. Julio Lugo came in at -13.4 last season, and Alex Gonzalez was at 6.7.
Scutaro’s signing was made more palatable Wednesday when reliever Billy Wagner signed with the Braves. The departure of the Type A free agent gave the Sox Atlanta’s first-round draft pick, making it easier for the Sox to give up their first-round pick to the Blue Jays to pick up Scutaro. For the shortstop, his old home in Toronto was less desirable because the Blue Jays signed Gonzalez and versatile infielder John McDonald.
With the Sox grooming their likely shortstop of the future, signing Jose Iglesias this summer, the team was interested in getting a short-term deal to allow the 19-year-old Inglesias to mature in the minors.
Amalie Benjamin can be reached at [email protected]. | http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/12/04/scutaro_aboard_as_shortstop/?comments=all&ia=8716027 | 669 |
Boyd says he used cocaine with Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dennis “Oil Can’’ Boyd’s new tell-all book, “They Call Me Oil Can: My Life in Baseball,’’ which hits bookstores in June, should be a blockbuster if the stories are similar to what the former Red Sox pitcher told WBZ’s Jon Miller yesterday at JetBlue Park.
Boyd, who spent eight of his 10 major league seasons with the Red Sox, admitted he was under the influence of cocaine two-thirds of the time he was on the mound.
“Oh yeah, at every ballpark,’’ he said. “There wasn’t one ballpark that I probably didn’t stay up all night, until four or five in the morning, and the same thing is still in your system. It’s not like you have time to go do it while in the game, which I had done that.
“Some of the best games I’ve ever, ever pitched in the major leagues I stayed up all night; I’d say two-thirds of them,’’ said Boyd. “If I had went to bed, I would have won 150 ballgames in the time span that I played. I feel like my career was cut short for a lot of reasons, but I wasn’t doing anything that hundreds of ballplayers weren’t doing at the time; because that’s how I learned it.
“It was something that I had to deal with personally and I succumbed. I lived through my life and I feel good about myself. I have no regrets about what I did or said about anything that I said or did. I’m a stand-up person and I came from a quality background of people.’’
Boyd, who will paint a picture of support and disdain for some of his former Red Sox teammates in his book, said, “All of them didn’t rally around me. All of them knew and the ones that cared came to me. The Dwight Evanses and Bill Buckners . . . it was the veteran ballplayers. Some guys lived it; they knew what you were doing, and the only way they knew was they had to have tried it, too.’’
Boyd contends he was blackballed from baseball and his career cut short because he was different.
“The reason I caught the deep end to it is because I’m black. The bottom line is the game carries a lot of bigotry, and that was an easy way for them to do it,’’ Boyd said. “If I wasn’t outspoken and a so-called ‘proud black man,’ maybe I would have gotten the empathy and sympathy like other ballplayers got that I didn’t get; like Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Steve Howe. I can name 50 people that got third and fourth chances all because they weren’t outspoken black individuals.’’
How did he get away with using cocaine? He was never tested.
“I never had a drug test as long as I played baseball,’’ he said. “I was told that, yeah, if you don’t stop doing this we’re going to put you into rehab, and I told them . . . I’m going to do what I have to do, I have to win ballgames. We’ll talk about that in the offseason, right now I have to win ballgames.’’ | http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2012/02/09/oil_can_boyd_admits_using_cocaine_while_pitching_with_red_sox/?camp=pm | 769 |
CAP CANA, Dominican Republic — Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano doesn’t play golf. But he attends the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic every year to support a man he has come to regard like an older brother.
Cano readily admits that he has no personal enmity for any of the Red Sox players. The rivalry exists more in the hearts of the fans than it does on the field. Cano would even happily welcome former Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis to the Yankees.
Youkilis, who was traded to the White Sox in June, is a free agent and weighing offers from the Yankees and Indians. New York has $12 million on the table for one season, Cleveland $18 million for two years.
The Indians offer a chance for Youkilis to play for Terry Francona again. He also is from Ohio, having been born in Cincinnati. But choosing the Yankees means having a better chance at returning to the postseason.
With Alex Rodriguez expected to miss at least half the coming season because of a left hip injury that will require surgery, Youkilis could play a significant role with the Yankees.
Seeing Youkilis in pinstripes would be strange. But Cano hopes that will be the choice Youkilis makes.
“Everything stays on the field. I’ve gotten a chance to talk to him and he’s a nice guy. I’ve had a chance to meet him at the All-Star Game, and he always seemed cool in talking with everybody,” Cano said. “There’s some guys that, the way they play the game, you say this guy is not a nice person. But he’s a great person.”
Youkilis has antagonized the Yankees over the years with his aggressive style and it’s probably no coincidence that their pitchers have hit him 17 times, five times last season alone.
Joba Chamberlain sailed two fastballs over Youkilis’ head in 2007 and was suspended for two games. Youkilis has to be restrained when he stepped toward the mound in 2008 after Chamberlin threw a pitch up and in that sent him sprawling in the dirt.
Cano laughed at the idea of Youkilis sharing a clubhouse with Chamberlain.
“It would be nice,” he said. “But those kind of things, I don’t think [Chamberlain] ever hit him on purpose. I would tell you that he would be the first guy who would be happy to see him on our team because we know he’s the kind of guy who would help us a lot because he’s been in a situation like that before. He can hit and he plays the game the right way.”
Cano will be a free agent after the season. At 30, he is in the prime of his career and stands as one of the best second basemen in the game. He also has enlisted Scott Boras as his agent.
Already there is talk that Cano will not give the Yankees any discount and will be difficult to sign.
“I’ve never been in that position before. I hear guys say it isn’t fun when you’re going to be a free agent. But I’ve got another year and I’ve got to go out there and perform and help the team win a championship again,” he said.
“You always want to stay with your people. But this is a game and it’s a business. It’s a business and we’ll see what happens.” | http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/12/cano_yankees_wo.html?comments=all&ia=13955698 | 757 |
Originally Posted by boxingfeind
pacquiao agreed after 2 years of excuses giving him plenty of time to get the roids out his system plus he knew if he did`nt agree more people would suspect that he`s juicing.
Floyd - "I want to clean the sport, that is why I made my own Olympic style testing." Later on he was caught by his own Olympic style testing and failed on 3 occasions. LMAO!
Mayweather positive tests 3 | http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12735500&postcount=143 | 99 |
LOS ANGELES, September 29 - Following a triumphant return to the East Coast this July, junior welterweight contender and former World Champion Zab "Super" Judah returns to Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, November 6 to take on one of his toughest tests to date in Argentinean knockout artist Lucas Matthysse in a battle for the NABO junior welterweight title..
Also featured on the HBO Boxing After Dark…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 30, 2010 at 12:58pm — No Comments
The news this week that former junior welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi signed with Golden Boy did not come as a surprise to me. After all, I had written of its likelihood two weeks ago, and a couple of days later spoke to Malignaggi about it when we were in Los Angeles -- where he was meeting with company officials -- for the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora fight.
What did surprise me was Malignaggi's uncalled for attack on his…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 30, 2010 at 12:43pm — No Comments
By Lem Satterfield
As reported earlier by BoxingScene.com, junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, imprisoned since April 2009 after pleading guilty to a charge of gun possession by a convicted felon, was released from Bastrop Federal Prison, Bastrop, Tex., on Thursday morning, will spend the remaining months of his sentence in an Austin, Tex., halfway house.
While the target date for his comeback was November 6 at…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 30, 2010 at 12:36pm — No Comments
By Ryan Burton
BoxingScene.com recently spoke with promoter Gary Shaw about a variety of topics.
The focus of our conversation wound up on his junior middleweight Alfredo Angulo's immigration issues. BoxingScene recently reported that HBO would not air or finance any more of his fights until he could prove his right to work in the country.
Michael Marley's article that ran on Boxingscene went into detail…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 30, 2010 at 8:03am — No Comments
Amir Khan is being lined up for a possible clash with Floyd Mayweather this time next year.
Golden Boy Promotions are hoping Khan will successfully defend his WBA light-welterweight title against Marcos Maidana in December before unifying the division by taking on the winner of Timothy Bradley v Devon Alexander.
That would boost Khan's pay-par-view profile in America to make a fight with Mayweather viable, in the event…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 28, 2010 at 12:18pm — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 28, 2010 at 11:57am — No Comments
According to BoxingScene.com Lou DiBella has allegedly said that there have been discussions with Showtime for Glen Johnson to replace Mikkel Kessler in the Super Six to face Allan Green sometime in November. DiBella says a date is not certain but he pointed out the Nov. 6th date for the JuanMa Lopez-Rafael Marquez undercard as a potential date.
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 28, 2010 at 11:45am — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 28, 2010 at 8:33am — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 27, 2010 at 12:36pm — No Comments
By Lem Satterfield
In a few short weeks, Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs), nicknamed, "The Cannon," and riding a streak of three consecutive first-round knockouts, will get another shot at the title on Oct. 16 opposite 39-year-old, nearly 6-8 WBC king Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 knockouts). Another heavyweight has also been on Briggs' mind.
WBA heavyweight champion David Haye took shots at Klitschko for his decision to…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 27, 2010 at 11:14am — No Comments
ARLINGTON, TX - Former World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK will be embarking on his professional comeback, headlining the televised undercard for the 12-round World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight championship between combined 10-time world champions CONGRESSMAN MANNY PACQUIAO and the “Tijuana Tornado” ANTONIO MARGARITO. Pavlik will be taking on Texan BRIAN VERA in a 10-round bout. The pay-per-view undercard will…Continue
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 27, 2010 at 9:55am — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 27, 2010 at 8:37am — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 26, 2010 at 9:49pm — No Comments
By Lem Satterfield
In response to an earlier story that was posted on BoxingScene.com, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum has come out swinging. During a recent video interview with AOL FanHouse, Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya expressed his interest in an all-Mexican mega-fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Golden Boy's hot prospect Saul Alvarez. Chavez Jr. is promoted by Golden Boy's business rival, Top Rank.
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 24, 2010 at 12:49pm — No Comments
NEW YORK–The Group Stage 3 matchups in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, the unprecedented boxing tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the world’s best super middleweights, have been rescheduled for November 27, it was announced today by Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager for sports programming on the network.
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 24, 2010 at 12:40pm — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 23, 2010 at 3:13pm — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 23, 2010 at 9:54am — No Comments
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 23, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments
Below is the current working bout sheet for Top Rank’s November 13 Pacquiao-Margarito mega-show at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas:
Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito
Kelly Pavlik vs TBA
Guillermo Rigondeaux vs Ricardo Cordoba
Mike Jones vs Jesus Soto Karass
Robert Marroquin vs TBA
Richie Mepranum vs TBA
Jose Benavidez vs Winston Mathis
Joe Hanks vs TBA
Mike Lee vs Keith…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 22, 2010 at 4:55pm — No Comments
By Tim Harrison
WBA jr. middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KO) withdrew himself from Top Rank’s December 4, 2010 pay-per-view fight card, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. Cotto was originally in talks for a fight with the WBC’s number one contender, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. When Chavez was removed from consideration by his handlers, Cotto reviewed offers to fight another Top Rank Promotions prospect, Vanes Martirosyan,…
Added by BoxingSocialist on September 22, 2010 at 3:43pm — No Comments | http://www.boxingsocialist.com/profiles/blog/list?month=09&year=2010 | 1,540 |
Pacific's brawn drain is world rugby's gain
Back then ... the 1961 Fijian team in Australia. Photo: Australian Rugby Union Archives
Some call it modern-day blackbirding. Australia stopped using Pacific islanders in sugar fields 95 years ago but they are back, on the playing fields this time carrying the hopes and dreams of four of the six nations competing in this weekend's Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
One fifth of all World Cup players are of Pacific island background, from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Pacific islanders are playing for the Wallabies (seven), All Blacks (eight), England and Wales (one each). The United States field seven, Japan three.
What caused such a brawn drain?
The rise of the islanders is a happy confluence of supply and demand: In Australia, the private school systems that once served as player humidicribs have let the side down with sport taking a backseat to academic success; New Zealand has been swamped by Polynesian immigration and they have forced their way into national teams by talent and sheer numbers; the globalisation of rugby has suddenly made Pacific islanders bigger, stronger and faster than almost any other peoples, the men of the match.
Robert Dewey, assistant professor of history at DePauw University in Indiana, has made a study of rugby in the Pacific. He says the sport is segregated and played outside formal coaching structures , developing an exciting style of ''our own game'' that revitalised rugby across the world.
Rugby, he says, was appropriated as a ''national game'' among Tongans, Samoans and indigenous Fijians.
''Early rugby played an important role in expressions of village pride and masculinity, partly because so many of the traditional institutions into manhood had disappeared,'' he says. ''In more recent times, cast in the role of perpetual underdog, the successes and occasional upsets provided by island teams on the pitch went a long way to popularising rugby at home, beyond the elite groups which had initially played the game … It became the national game as well as a catalyst for regional connections.''
Rugby was borne into the Pacific by God and Queen Victoria.
Marist Brothers took the game to Samoa, while in Fiji, colonial administrators established a ''Native Union'' in 1913 that continued until World War II when local teams started to outnumber colonial sides and they ran out of grounds. In Tonga, locals returning from Newington College in Stanmore introduced the code but acceptance was boosted when royal patronage arrived thanks to the interest of Prince Tugi and then his son, subsequently King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.
Pacific islanders proved so talented on the rugby field that there are some who believe this might be the reason they were put on Earth.
If African DNA travelled across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the US to produce the world's best sprinters and boxers, some football tragics believe it is not too big a stretch to believe the Polynesian DNA must have started out of south-east Asia three millennia ago to embrace its manifest destiny - rugby.
Yet, the powerful nations of the Pacific resisted Polynesian domination, even after rugby union embraced professionalism and abandoned amateur status in 1995.
Professor Dewey says the truth is that the island nations are too small and too poor to be treated as equals.
''Lacking television revenues and significant sponsorship, barred from the executive decision-making, excluded from the repeated expansion of what became the Super 14 competition … increasingly in debt and on the wrong end of lopsided score lines against the game's top teams, Pacific rugby's administrators faced a bleak set of circumstances.''
He says Pacific administrators were nearly unanimous in allowing players to seek their fortunes overseas, even if it meant donning Wallaby or All Blacks jerseys. They flooded the ranks of rugby league and even started showing up in US gridiron teams. Over the years the likes of Lote Tuqiri, Joe Rokocoko, Sione Lauaki, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins and Willie Ofahengaue left their island homes. Tonight, Samoan-born centre Manu Tuilagi takes the field for England against France. His brother Alesana represented Samoa until they were knocked out but usually plays for Leicester Tigers in England.
How long before an Island of Origin series? | http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/pacifics-brawn-drain-is-world-rugbys-gain-20111007-1ldla.html | 902 |
8 - Angela Dunn
|High School:||St. Agnes Academy (Texas)|
2000: An All-Tournament selection at the season-opening Holiday Inn Express Tournament at Stony Brook, Dunn finished the season with 2.94 kills per game, second on the team, and 1.45 digs per game ... Also had 20 blocks (two solo) and 13 service aces ... Posted 13 double-digit kill outings, including two 20+ outings ... Also had four matches where she notched double-digit digs, and had four double-doubles, including a career-high 25-kill, 25-dig effort to help Brown defeat Northeastern 3-2, the only Ivy School to defeat the Huskies in 2000 ... Had a career-high 82 attack attempts in addition to three service aces at Northeastern ... Posted a career-high .625 hitting percentage (10-0-16) against Quinnipiac in the Stony Brook Invitational with a .480 (12-0-25) mark in hitting against Stony Brook in the same tournament, en route to the All-Tournament honors ... 1999: Dunn posted double-digit kills in four of her first five outings, and finished the season with 10+ kills in 15 matches ... She finished with a 2.80 kill per game average ... Dunn hit the 20-kill mark in matches against Maryland-Baltimore County, and twice against Northeastern ... She also had 14 digs in the Sept. 25 match with Northeastern ... She killed 11 of 19 attempts in a three-game match against Pennsylvania, stepping up for three assists and adding two blocks for one of her best all-around performances ... Had 45 total blocks, including six at UC-Irvine ... Before Brown: A highly skilled all-around player, she was invited to tryout for the USA Junior National Team ... Invitations are awarded to the top 60 high school female players in the country ... Captain of her St. Agnes Academy team, earning the Volleyball Tiger Award (MVP) and Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston Volleyball team honors ... Named to 5-A Texas All-Star team, earned 5-A All-Texas first team honors and District 3-5A first team honors ... Led her team to the finals of the 5-A Region, winning the District 3-5A Championship ... As a junior, her team won the 5-A State Championship, and Dunn was named All-Tournament ... She also earned a spot on the 5-A All-State team as a junior, and the District 3-5A first team ... Had an article published in Volleyball Monthly, titled "Finding Success in Failure" ... Personal: Played club volleyball for Texas Elite ... Concentrating in International Relations. | http://www.brownbears.com/sports/c-volley/mtt/dunn_angela00.html | 565 |
Some kids just like to get as many offers as they can. The next few months will let us know if he's serious about us being his #1. Obviously, if thats the case, we should expect a visit, hopefully for the spring game.
Originally Posted by redguard117
It's funny his coach says he's wide open when he says OSU
is his #1 choice and it isn't even close | http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/2121853-post6.html | 86 |
Follow Bucknell Alum J.R. Holden at the Olympics
Aug. 5, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Another unlikely chapter in the amazing basketball story of J.R. Holden unfolds later this week, when the Pittsburgh native and 1998 Bucknell graduate suits up for Team Russia at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Holden's underdog career path is now well-documented. First, he transformed himself from a lightly recruited guard into a 1,300-point scorer and a two-time First Team All-Patriot League selection at the Division I level. Then, after going unwanted by the NBA, Holden launched a successful and lucrative overseas career that has taken him to Latvia, Belgium, Greece and Russia. He is now one of the top stars in European basketball, where he has led the powerful CSKA Moscow team to the 2006 Euroleague title, and as a naturalized Russian citizen, he nailed the game-winning jumper to give Russia the Eurobasket 2007 championship and a berth in the Olympics.
Early Sunday morning Holden, who is Russia's starting point guard, had 17 points and seven rebounds in an 89-68 loss to the United States in a pre-Olympic exhibition game. Among Holden's Russian teammates are Utah Jazz star Andrei Kirilenko and former Kansas Jayhawks center Sasha Kaun, who played against the Bison in Bucknell's memorable first-round upset in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
Russia will compete in Group A at the Olympics (the U.S. is in Group B), and its first game in pool play will be at 9 p.m. (Eastern) on Saturday, Aug. 9 against Iran. See the list below for the full schedule of Russia's games. The Lithuania and Argentina games are scheduled for at least partial coverage in the United States on MSNBC. Additional games can be seen online at www.nbcolympics.com.
When Holden takes the floor in Beijing this weekend, he will become Bucknell's fourth Olympian. The first was Dave Morley, who swam for his native Bahamas in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Cindy Ryder Matthes '88 competed for Team USA in rowing at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, while rower Brett Wilkinson '98 was also a member of Team USA at the 2004 Games in Athens.
Also of interest, former Bison coach Pat Flannery will be in Beijing for the Olympics as an invited guest of Holden.
Russia Olympic Basketball Schedule (all times Eastern, add 12 hours for Beijing time):
Important J.R. Holden links: | http://www.bucknellbison.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/080508aaa.html | 526 |
Bucknell Women's Track and Field In First After Day One Of PL Indoor Championships
Feb. 22, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's track and field team wrapped up the first day of competition at the 2008 Patriot League Championships at Gerhard Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon, completing the pentathlon. Bucknell sophomore Amy Mantush (Drums, Pa./Hazleton) and senior Denise Manero (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) scored for the Bison, placing third (3,368 points) and fourth (3,044), respectively to collect 10 team points and tie Lafayette for first place at the conclusion of day one.
After one event, Bucknell and Lafayette are tied for first place with 10 points. Holy Cross follows in third with nine points and Navy sits in fourth with two points, while Army, American, Colgate and Lehigh remain scoreless. Lafayette's Kristen Kalinowski took home first in the pentathlon, compiling a point total of 3,539.
To start out the day, Mantush led the Bison in the pentathlon 60-meter hurdles, placing third with a time of 9.49 seconds (810). Manero followed in fifth, stopping the clock at 9.81 (748), tying her season best in the event. Junior Rebecca Eppleman (Chester Springs, Pa./Great Valley) placed ninth with a time of 10.33 (652), establishing her season best for the event. Kalinowski posted the fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles (9.04; 902).
Kalinowski went on to lead the way in the second event, notching a first-place finish in the pentathlon high jump (5 feet, 7 ¼ inches; 867). Mantush recorded a second-place finish in the high jump, tying her season-best mark of 5-6 (830). Manero also recorded a season-best distance in the event, tying for third (5-2 ½; 724) while Eppleman finished fourth (5-1 ¼; 689).
In the third event of the day, Kalinowski posted the furthest distance, 33-7 ½ (546), in the pentathlon shot put. Mantush once again led Bucknell, taking fourth in the shot put with a season-best distance of 31- 6 ½ (504). Eppleman finished in seventh (29-7 ½; 466) and Manero followed in 10th (27-6 ¾; 425).
Mantush took first in the pentathlon long jump with a distance of 17-6 ¼ (654) while Manero tied Holy Cross' Olivia Pruszko for second (16-7 ¾; 578) and Eppleman finished in eighth (14-11 ¼; 441).
In the final event of the day, Pruszko stopped the clock at 2:16.96 (865) to record the fastest time in the pentathlon 800-meter run. Mantush went 2:40.25 (570) for eighth, Manero finished in 2:40.35 (569) for ninth and Eppleman recorded a season-best time of 2:45.26 (514) for 11th, bringing her point total to a season best of 2,762 for ninth overall.
The 2008 Patriot League Championships will resume Saturday and run through Sunday afternoon, Feb. 24. Saturday's events will start with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon at 8:45 a.m. Field events will follow at 11 a.m., and running events are set to begin at 1 p.m. | http://www.bucknellbison.com/sports/w-track/recaps/022208aac.html | 770 |
Mark Saccomanno and the Hooks can only speculate on what his numbers would have been like if his season hadn't started two months late.
However, there is one statistic that is to Corpus Christi's liking - when Saccomanno homers, things bode very well for the Hooks, which was the case once again on Thursday night.
Saccomanno hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning as the Hooks downed the Tulsa Drillers 6-5 at Whataburger Field. The victory gave the Hooks (29-25 second half, 70-53 overall) three wins in the four-game series against the Drillers and kept Corpus Christi at least a half-game behind Midland for first place in the Texas League's South Division.
In a back-and-forth game, Saccomanno provided what proved to be the decisive blow. His two-out, two-run homer shot to the left-field berm off Drillers reliever Alberto Arias barely eluded leaping outfielder Jud Thigpen and gave the Hooks a 6-4 lead. Saccomanno's homers have been timely and significant, as the Hooks are 11-2 in games in which he's gone deep.
"I've got to go with coincidence," said Saccomanno, whose ninth-inning single tied Wednesday's game, which the Hooks won in 10 innings. "I try to get a base hit every time I'm at the plate. I don't think I'm trying to get a base hit more in a big situation, otherwise I'd be striking out all the time. I've got a good approach going, and I'm going to try to stick with it."
The homer was Saccomanno's 14th of the season and came in his 237th at-bat of the season. Last season, Saccomanno hit 12 homers in 514 at-bats and didn't have one until June. His season didn't begin until June 2 this year because of a broken wrist suffered during an exhibition game. Since returning, he's driven in 44 runs in 67 games.
"He had a real good spring for us, and it was unfortunate that he got hurt because I was looking forward to him having a pretty big year," Hooks manager Dave Clark said. "The power numbers are there, and he's got to build that average (.232) up better and cut down on those strikeouts. He's been doing that as of late."
Fittingly, Thursday's game hung in the balance until Hooks closer Paul Estrada got Matt Miller to ground out with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth to seal the win.
"It's just good to get a series win against a good ballclub like them," said Hooks outfielder Hunter Pence, who hit a two-run homer in the third inning. "We're both already in the playoffs and there was a different feeling in the air. Every game was a battle all the way to the finish. It was just a well-played series by us and fortunately, we came out on top."
Contact Greg Rajan at 886-3747 or rajang@ caller.com | http://www.caller.com/news/2006/aug/18/good-luck-charm/ | 661 |
Richard Hinds As 2012 draws to a close, Richard Hinds looks back at a huge year for AFL in the first of a series of year-enders.
Richard Hinds IN 1961, everywhere else, John Kennedy was the generation-defining US President advocating hare-brained schemes such as lunar exploration, liaising with Hollywood starlets and inspiring a nation with...
Richard Hinds Talking with Josh Kennedy before tonight's preliminary final, you raise the subject of his famous family apologetically.
Richard Hinds After a triumph of such fluctuating fortunes, and with such an incredible crescendo, you search for the difference. The act of skill or heroism; the piece of sheer good luck.
Richard Hinds In those last 10 minutes, the Swans were subjected to the most onerous test of mind and body imaginable.
Richard Hinds Privately, the Sydney Swans have confessed to some ambivalence about their ongoing relationship with ANZ Stadium in recent years.
Richard Hinds By coming from 20 points down at half-time to beat Hawthorn on Sunday, Sydney made a statement. "Legitimate", "genuine contenders", "the real thing". | http://www.canberratimes.com.au/afl/teams/hawks/by/richard-hinds | 241 |
The third race of the Apollo Bicycles Summer Season saw the sun out and stay out for the entire morning, allowing riders to enjoy the idyll spring conditions.
Bunch sprints were the order of the day, with little wind present making it relatively easy for riders to conserve energy in the big bunches. As usual there were plenty of break away attempts in all grades, but the only ones to succeed came in B and C Grades.
Peter Risely (The King’s Men) got away midway through the B Grade race, and initially worked with Alistair Stuart to open a commanding lead. When Stuart’s legs gave out in the final 10 minutes, Risley proved well and truly up to the challenge and maintained his 20 second lead as the finish neared.
A late chase by Trent Brown (Fitzroy Cycles), David O’Leary and Luke Postelthwaite came close to crossing the divide before disintegrating, leaving Risely with an unbeatable lead for the final lap. Sean Hanneberry made short work of the sprint for second, finishing ahead of Lachlan Holliday, David Randall (Bicycle Superstore) and Tom Russel.
Lisa Hanley (Cycling-Inform) sprinted well to take the women’s win ahead of Ruby Greig-Hurtig (Melbourne Designed Floors) and Sarah Riley (LIV-Giant).
What started as a break of five in C Grade, with Alex Nazarewicz, Angus Lyons, Thomas Slingsby, Tomarsh Loki and Cameron Letty opening a significant advantage on the peleton, was whittled down to two soon after the half way mark as the pace set by youngsters Lyons and Slingsby proved a little too hot.
The pair went on to lap the C Grade bunch at the 4o minute mark, and before long Lyons was off the front again and eventually soloed home for an impressive (and B Grade ready!) win. Slingsby couldn’t quite match Lyons second break, but worked with Ed Smith (Kelly Cycle Coaching), James Harrison and David McLean to open another break on the main bunch to romp home with second place. His companions rounded out the podium.
In the C Grade women’s field, the hard working Sam de Ritter (Giant) was too strong, and took the sprint comfortably ahead of Carolyn Fraser and Melissa Kah.
Late attacks from David Sturt, (Cycling-Inform), Vaughan Bowman (Hometec) and Murray Spink (Giant) weren’t enough to derail the sprint trains in the closing laps of the A Grade race. Warren Knevitt (O’Mara Cycles) ended up stuck on the front a little too early, which allowed the Cycling-Inform express to take over, but it was Daniel Nelson (Croydon Cycleworks) who cleaned up with his maiden win by a clear margin.
Brendan Rowbotham (C-I) held on for second ahead of a fast finishing Dale Woonton. In the next rank were Danny Kah (C-I), Garry Pollack (O’Mara) and Zane Hunter (Seight Custom Clothing).
Alex Holden was another debutant on the winners’ list, with a great sprint to take the D Grade prize ahead of the consistent Serge Krepak, Sebastian Presley, Ben Walkerden (Trail Mix) and James Sgardelis. Alana Field (Felt) claimed the women’s win with a determined ride in her first appearance in the big leagues.
Photos courtesy David Stannus an Michael Eaddy. Mike’s full gallery can be seen at https://plus.google.com/photos/103110114927998248117/albums/5798989930975654881
|A Grade||50 riders|
|B Grade||61 riders|
|Women’s B Grade||5 riders|
|C Grade||48 riders|
|1||Angus||Lyons||Ballarat – Sebastapol|
|Women’s C Grade||6 riders|
|D Grade||35 riders|
|2||Serge||Krepak||Southern Masters t|
|Women’s D Grade||2 riders|
|F Grade||30 riders| | http://www.carnegiecycling.com.au/2012/10/14/glenvale-crescent-crits-sunday-october-14/ | 911 |
Prep Basketball: Defending champ Lincoln defeats Somerset 62-43 in girls 12th Region Tournament
Tiandra Hocker is hugged by a Lincoln County teammate as she comes to the bench during the fourth quarter of Lincoln's 62-43 victory over Somerset on Thursday in a girls 12th Region Tournament first-round game at Pulaski County. Hocker came off the bench to score six straight points in the Lady Patriots' 23-4 run. (Nancy Leedy / February 28, 2013)
The Patriots jumped out to a 23-17 lead in the first quarter Thursday night, then struggled through offensive slumps in the second and third periods before making some adjustments and coming away with a 62-43 win in the first round of regional tournament at Pulaski County.
“I talk to the girls all the time about a game being a lot like a puzzle, and that if the pieces don’t fit together it makes things ugly,” Lincoln coach Cassandra McWhorter said. “It was like we were missing pieces in the middle of the game, but at the end we got it put together and it came out a pretty picture.”
The pieces started coming together for Lincoln (25-5) near the end of the third period when Ciara Saylor bombed in a 3-point goal to ignite a 23-4 run and turn a 32-27 lead into a rout. Lincoln had scored only three field goals in a span of 13 minutes, 40 seconds over the second and third quarters before Saylor swished the nets for the 3.
“Those second and third quarters went really slowly,” McWhorter said. “We quit pushing the ball, and their defense, zone, had a lot to do with it. Some of our shots weren’t falling and our intensity on defense let down a little bit. It was kind of an ugly stretch right there in the middle of the game, but towards the end of that third quarter and into the fourth quarter we got things going the way we wanted. We really got things rolling and finished strong, which was important.”
Kourtney Belcher followed the Saylor trey with a bucket in the paint and Sydney Harris put up a jumper to close the third quarter with Lincoln on top 39-29. Harris, who finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals, tallied seven of her points in the run, including a 3-point goal to open the fourth quarter.
Emily Fox, who led the Patriots with 19 points, four rebounds, two steals and two assists, also drained a 3-pointer to boost the lead. Saylor added two free throws and reserve forward Tiandra Hocker came off the bench to score six straight points, four off turnovers, as Lincoln extended its lead to 55-31.
“When those pieces come in and we put them all together right, things look good. And that happened tonight for Tiandra. She was a big piece for our puzzle,” McWhorter said. “Sydney struggled a little bit the first half and was a little frustrated, but she did a good job of stepping up and hitting shots in the second half that helped get things going.
“Then we bring Tiandra in off the bench. She gave us a huge lift with energy and momentum. Out there in the press she was able to get some layups because of deflections and their turnovers, and got things rolling for us.”
Virginia Scott, who led Somerset with 17 points and four rebounds, sank two free throws during the Lincoln run and Miranda Mills, who had 10 points and seven rebounds, scored on a putback.
Lincoln, which shot 47 percent (22 for 47) overall from the field, blistered the nets during the 23-4 run, going 11 for 13. Lincoln was 7 for 19 from 3-point range and 11 for 14 at the free-throw line.
Somerset (13-18) was at 37 percent (12 for 43) overall from the the field, but only 1-for-13 during Lincoln’s scoring blitz. The Jumpers were 5 for 15 from 3-point range and 14 for 16 at the free throw line.
The Patriots beat Somerset, the 47th District runner-up, 60-42 in the regular season, but the Lincoln coach admitted she was anxious about the rematch.
“Regular season is regular season and at tournament time anything can happen,”¿she said. “I was a little concerned coming in because it had been almost a week since we had played, and I was wondering how they’d come out. But we have the advantage of having the boys region tournament right there at our place, and our girls had seen in three of the four games in that tournament that the district runner-up won the first game. I think it opened our eyes to things.
“They knew that Somerset was capable of coming in and beating them.”
Lincoln trailed 11-8 early when Rachel Spangler scored on a putback and Fox drove the baseline for two points to put Lincoln on top to stay 12-11. The margin was 18-17 with less than a minute left in the first when Fox went inside for a bucket then stepped behind the arc for a 3 to make it a 23-17 ballgame.
Scoring was at a minimum in the second quarter, with Lincoln holding a 6-4 edge to post a 29-21 lead at halftime. Fox scored first in the second half to give Lincoln its first 10-point lead. Erica Ford hit a 3-point goal for Somerset and Scott collected three free throws to trim the lead down to 32-27 before the Pats put the game away.
“I think we are a little anxious and reserved at times, but I think experience and cool heads came through tonight, and the eagerness to come out on top prevailed in the end,” McWhorter said.
Lincoln outrebounded Somerset 32-21. Madison Brooks had six rebounds for Somerset.
Lincoln had 15 assists, 14 turnovers and nine steals while Somerset had five assists, 13 turnovers and seven steals.
Lincoln will now play Mercer County on Monday in the semifinals. Mercer advanced by beating McCreary Central 57-51.
12th Region Tournament
At Pulaski County
Somerset 17 21 29 43
Lincoln County 23 29 39 62
SOMERSET (13-18) — Bethany Edwards 8, Erica Ford 3, Madison Brooks 2, Virginia Scott 17, Miranda Mills 10, Kaitlin Johnson 3.
LINCOLN (25-5) — Emily Fox 19, Ciara Saylor 5, Sydney Harris 12, Rachel Spangler 4, Kourtney Belcher 9, Chansler Gilbert 5, Kelsi Honaker 2, Tiandra Hocker 6. | http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews/sports/highschool/amn-prep-basketball-defending-champ-lincoln-defeats-somerset-6243-in-girls-12th-region-tournament-20130301,0,1094500.story | 1,422 |
The ball handler who fakes and then drives past a defender for an easy score. A pass rusher who leaves a would-be blocker in his wake on the way to sacking the quarterback. A setter who manages to maneuver both body and ball in the blink of an eye to make the perfect pass for the kill and match-winning point. These are all reasons agility and quickness are such prized physical attributes in modern sport.
Efforts to become markedly quicker or more agile, however, aren't always successful. Genetic limitations, technical deficiencies, and inferior training activities are among the major obstacles.
Developing Agility and Quickness helps athletes blow past those barriers thanks to the top sport conditioning authority in the world, the National Strength and Conditioning Association. NSCA hand-picked its top experts to present the best training advice, drills, and programs for optimizing athletes' linear and lateral movements. Make Developing Agility and Quickness a key part of your conditioning program, and get a step ahead of the competition.
200 pages. 2012.
About Us | Security & Privacy | Terms & Conditions | Shipping | Affiliates | Advertise With Us | Help | Contact Us | Site Map | Drake University Distance Learning | Gift Certificates | Request a Catalog | Print Order Form | Promo Codes
© 2013 Championship Productions, Inc. | http://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/p/Performance-Training/Developing-Agility-and-Quickness_GB-00853.html?crm=c-1472 | 274 |
The last five regular season matches between the Fire and the Crew have ended in 2-2 draws. This one also could have ended in the same manner if the Fire had not blown several chances to at least put a shot on goal and make Columbus goalkeeper Will Hesmer work. The Fire managed a total of 16 shots but only 2 of them were on goal. Columbus managed only 3 shots on goal but they finished their chances.
Patrick Nyarko will need to find the scoring touch at some point this year if the side is to seriously contend for even the eigth playoff spot. So far noone other than Marco Pappa has shown the ability to actually find the back of the net.
The Crew's first goal came from Andrew Dykstra's bobbled attempt to coral a through ball. Dykstra's inability to consistently and efficiently handle the ball on crosses, shots, and through balls is beginning to make a defense for Jon Busch's release seem very dubious. "You can put the first goal on me. The guy went through my arm and then the ball and made it tought for me and maybe I should have come in harder." said Dykstra after the match.
To read the rest of this story, visit Chicago Now | http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2010/07/players-ratings | 254 |
"In reviewing my remarks ... it's clear that I chose my words poorly and that an apology is in order for these inappropriate comments," Pinkett, a two-time All-American for the Irish who spent six seasons in the NFL, said in a statement. "I am deeply sorry. ... I understand that there may be consequences to my actions and accept whatever discipline is imposed."
Pinkett had said Wednesday on WSCR-AM 670's "The McNeil and Spiegel Show" that he saw a positive side to the discipline that Irish coach Brian Kelly has deemed necessary to impose on some high-profile players.
Kelly suspended running back Cierre Wood and backup defensive end Justin Utupo for two games for violating team rules. He also is sitting quarterback Tommy Rees and linebacker Carlos Calabrese for the season opener Saturday against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, because they were arrested last May.
"I've always felt like, to have a successful team, you have to have a few bad citizens on the team," Pinkett said. "That's how Ohio State used to win all the time. They would have two or three guys that were criminals and that just adds to the chemistry of the team. So I think Notre Dame is growing because maybe they have some guys that are doing something worthy of a suspension, which creates edge on the football team.
"You can't have a football team full of choirboys, you know? You get your butt kicked if you have a team full of choirboys. So you have to have a little bit of edge."
Asked later in the radio interview if he was serious about the "criminals" remark, Pinkett held firm.
"Oh, I absolutely meant that," he said. "Chemistry is so important on a football team. And you have to have a couple of bad guys that sort of teeter on the edge to add to the flavor of the guys that are going to always do right. You look at the teams that have won in the past ... they've always had a couple of criminals."
Pinkett hedged only in the type of "criminals" he had in mind.
"I don't want any mass murderers or rapists," Pinkett said. "I want guys that maybe get caught drinking that are underage, or guys that maybe got arrested because they got in a fight at a bar, or guys that are willing to cuss in public and don't mind the repercussions of it. That's the type of criminal I'm talking about."
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick disagreed with Pinkett.
"Allen Pinkett's suggestion that Notre Dame needs more 'bad guys' on its football team is nonsense," Swarbrick said in a statement. "Of course, Allen does not speak for the university, but we could not disagree more with this observation."
Kelly addressed Pinkett's remarks after the Irish practiced Thursday in Dublin.
"I don't know what (Pinkett) was trying to say," Kelly told reporters, according to CBSSports.com. "I can't put any logic to it. I can't wrap my brain around it." | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-pinkett-bad-citizens-good-sign-for-irish-20120829,0,5495574.story | 646 |
The NHL suspended Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen one game after his hit to the head of the Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa during Tuesday night's game at the United Center.
Watch the video explanation from the NHL here.
The Hawks veteran, who suffered a severe concussion during last season's playoffs after an illegal hit from the Coyotes' Raffi Torres, had to be helped off the ice and did not return to the game.
In his video explaining the suspension Wednesday, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan called the hit, "an illegal forearm to the head delivered recklessly and forcibly.
"While it might be true Hansen initially reaches up to play the puck in the air, he changes the position of his arm and delivers a sharp, careless forearm to the back of Hossa’s head," Shanahan added.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Hansen will forfeit $7,297.30.After the game, Hansen said he did not believe the hit warranted any discipline from the NHL.
"It's out of my hands," Hansen said. "The game is happening very fast out there. It's up to them to look at it now. I don't believe there is out of what I saw.
"We were both kind of jumping for the puck. He grabs the puck first and as I'm coming down I kind of land on him a little bit. Apparently, I hit him in the back of the head is what the ref was telling me once I come down. It's hard for me to tell what really happened.." | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-canucks-hansen-nhl-hearing-20130220,0,4148238.story | 330 |
- REUTERS/Jim Young
Khloe Kardashian will reportedly be joined by her sister Kim's first husband Damon Thomas on season two of "The X Factor," as the reality TV star has been confirmed as a new co-host.
Kardashian, 28, will co-host the reality singing competition show with renowned TV host Mario Lopez and while she is said to be thrilled about her new gig, a potentially awkward run-in with Thomas, who divorced Kim in 2004, threatens to overshadow the entire show. Thomas will reportedly join the show as a mentor to the show's contestants.
Thomas, a renowned music producer, was married to Kim, 31, for four years before they eventually parted ways and he has openly spoken about their relationship through the media often painting the twice married E! reality star as a fame obsessed woman with no morals.
"She can't write or sing or dance, so she does harmful things in order to validate herself in the media. That's a fame-w---- to me. It's just not cool at all," Thomas told In Touch magazine during a 2010 interview.
"Kim is obsessed with fame. Jealousy is a big thing [with Kim]," he went on adding that when he knew her, Kim would "do whatever it takes" in order to get ahead.
Thomas, who has reportedly worked with a number of Hollywood stars including singer Pink and Babyface, and Kardashian could become ratings boosters for the show which is constantly competing with "American Idol."
"We're sure Simon [Cowell] is going to have great fun with this," a source reportedly told RadarOnline.com. "You know the tension is going to be unbelievable between Khloe and Damon."
Other big names include Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid, who recently joined the show's all-star judges panel. Kardashian and Lopez will begin their hosting gigs in early November. | http://www.christianpost.com/news/kim-kardashians-first-husband-joining-khloe-on-x-factor-openly-criticized-her-after-divorce-84145/ | 394 |
Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords stood next to her husband in court Thursday as he spoke directly to Jared Loughner, the Arizona man who tried to assassinate the then-congresswoman in a January 2011 shooting.
"Mr. Loughner, you may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven't put a dent in her spirit and her commitment to make the world a better place," former astronaut Mark Kelly said.
Giffords was seriously wounded when Loughner walked up and shot her in the head during her meet-and-greet event with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store on January 8, 2011. A federal judge, a congressional aide and four others were killed and 12 other people suffered wounds.
U.S. District Judge Larry Burns sentenced Loughner to serve the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. The punishment includes seven consecutive life terms plus 140 years.
"The evidence clearly shows that he knew what he was doing, despite his mental illness," the judge said.
Loughner, 24, spoke just once, confirming to the judge that he would make no statement before sentencing. "That is true," he said.
Beside the dramatic appearance by Giffords and her husband, nine other victims spoke at the sentencing hearing held in a packed federal courtroom in Tuscon.
Kelly, in an interview Thursday evening with CNN's Piers Morgan, said hearing what they had to say "was really a tough thing" for Giffords.
"Gabby said afterwards, for her the biggest emotion was just sadness," Kelly said. "To hear story after story of what the impact of this horrible day had on people was really difficult."
Much of the time, those words were directed toward the 24-year-old Loughner, whose lawyer stroked his arm at times.
"You pointed a weapon at me and shot me," said Susan Hileman, who was wounded by Loughner's Glock pistol. "Over last several months, I wanted to take you by the shoulders and shake you and scream at you."
"It's an awful situation," she said, looking straight at Loughner, "and it's all because of you."
His victims gathered that day "to witness democracy in action," she said. "We brought family and friends. You brought a gun."
Mavanell Stoddard described how her "precious husband," Dorwin Stoddard, was fatally shot as he fell on top of her to shield her from the onslaught of bullets.
"Somehow when you shot him, I got out from under him," Stoddard said. "I was screaming 'Oh God, oh God, help me.' I said to him 'breathe deeply,' and he did. Therefore, I believe that he heard me said 'I love you.' "
He died in her arms her minutes later, she said. "Then I passed out because you had shot me three times," she said. "You took away my life, my love, my reason for living."
"I am so lonesome," Stoddard said as she stared directly at Loughner. "I hate living without him. No one to hold me, no one to love me, no one to talk to, no one to care. I forgive you. As a Christian, I am required to."
Mary Reed, who was among the wounded, blamed Loughner for introducing "my children to something sinister and evil."
"My children will forever remember the moments of people when they died, the smell of blood everywhere," Reed said.
"Jared took their lives, their bodies, but he will not take their spirit," victim Pat Maisch said.
Pamela Simon, one of the Giffords congressional aides who was wounded, said Loughner is reminder "of our society's failure to provide adequate mental health."
"Jared, I know you did not choose this illness that led to this horrific tragedy," Simon said. "When you were a student in middle school, and I was a teacher there at the same time. You were a regular kid."
U.S. Rep. Ron Barber also spoke.
"The physical and mental wounds will be with us forever," said Barber, who was hit in the leg by a bullet.
He spoke of watching congressional aide Gabe Zimmerman -- "one of my dearest colleagues" -- die. "He was my go-to guy, a human being with so much compassion," Barber said. | http://www.click2houston.com/news/Loughner-sentenced-to-life-for-shootings/-/1735978/17331600/-/item/0/-/10jhl3u/-/index.html | 941 |
Emergency financial manager Joyce Parker is expected to meet with Allen Park residents to discuss the city's priorities.
A town hall meeting is scheduled Tuesday evening in the city's Performing Arts Center.
Allen Park officials earlier this year asked the state to do a preliminary review of its finances. Gov. Rick Snyder placed Parker over Allen Park's finances last month.
Parker is expected to answer questions about her role and steps she plans to take to help turn things around. Residents will be asked what city services are most important to them.
Benton Harbor, Pontiac, Ecorse and Flint are other cities with state-appointed managers. Public school districts in Detroit, Highland Park and Muskegon Heights also have managers. | http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Emergency-financial-manager-to-discuss-priorities-during-meeting-with-Allen-Park-residents/-/1719418/17482716/-/2nkxeb/-/index.html | 145 |
Kim Hughes has worked as a Clippers assistant for seven seasons after serving the previous five years with the Denver Nuggets. Hughes started with Denver in 1998 as Director of Scouting before being named Director of Player Personnel and also was a Nuggets assistant coach in 1998-99. Before joining the Nuggets, Hughes spent seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks as a head and regional scout. A member of the 1975-76 ABA All-Rookie First Team with the New York Nets, the former University of Wisconsin star (1970-74) played six years in the NBA and ABA and also played professionally in Italy.
I don't know much about Chicken Man's successor. It's great that Dunleavy has finally let go of his dream of coaching a fully healthy team but where does that leave us? In all the euphoria is it possible things could get worse? In Clipperland, we all know that just when we get happy about something, things can always get worse...
I am sure that Steve is on the case as I type this but I figure that the Nation could contribute by commenting below with any facts/stories on the new coach. Who is Kim Hughes? Will he do better than Dunleavy?
I seem to remember him filling in for Dunleavy twice and I think he was 1 and 1 but I could be wrong. Can anyone confirm or clarify?
Does anyone remember what he was like as a player? Does anyone have any insight into his coaching philosophy? Is he just a carbon copy of Dunleavy? Does he favor running? Is he a motivator?
Share your thoughts below. | http://www.clipsnation.com/2010/2/4/1295846/who-is-new-coach-kim-hughes | 326 |
In the past few years, the Laguna Beach High football program has come up with several "firsts."
On Monday, the Breakers added another one to an already impressive list.
Five members of the football team have been selected to the 2012 All-CIF Southern Section Southern Division Football Team. It's the most players, in a single year, in school history that Laguna has placed on a Southern Section team.
The previous high had been two Laguna players named All-CIF in a single season named All-CIF, and that happened on five occasions.
Named to the elite club this year is two-way lineman Spencer Anderson, receiver/special teams player/cornerback Robert Clemons, linebacker/offensive guard Blake Hester, running back/defensive back Drake Martinez, and defensive back/kicker Robbie McInerny.
Anderson (line), Clemons (wide receiver) and Martinez (running back) were named to the offensive team. Hester (LB) and McInerny (DB) were named to the defensive team.
Laguna now has 40 All-CIF players in its 78-year varsity football history.
"Their selection reflects all the hard work and dedication these kids have put into the program, not just this year, but for the last two years," said Mike Churchill, who coached the Breakers the last two seasons. "They are the heart and soul of this football team."
2012 Southern Division Team
Coach of the Year: Scott Meyer, Corona del Mar
Offensive Player of the Year: Cayman Carter, QB, Sr., Corona del Mar.
Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Huff, DE, Sr., Garden Grove.
Laguna Beach: Spencer Anderson, OL, Sr.; Robert Clemons, WR, Sr.; Drake Martinez, RB, Sr.
Corona del Mar: Griff Amies, K, Sr.; Giovanni Gentosi, OL, Jr.; Tony Reese, WR, Sr.
Estancia: Robert Murtha, RB, Sr.
Garden Grove: Angel Martinez, Utility, Jr.; Christian Rodriguez, OL, Jr.
Katella: Taj Ashmeade, RB, Jr.
Los Amigos: Noe Perez, WR, Sr.; Jerry Saldivar, RB, Sr. | http://www.coastlinepilot.com/sports/tn-cpt-0118-allcif-football-laguna-20130117,0,1800427.story?track=rss | 483 |
We continue the list today with number 64 in our countdown with Baylor sophomore RHP Logan Verrett. He is from Corpus Christi, Texas where he attended Calallen High School where he played under Steve Chapman.
He led the team to a 2008 Texas Class 4A state title and a number nine national ranking in the final Collegiate Baseball/Easton Sports rankings. His senior season of high school saw him dominate the competition with a record of 18-0 with a 0.67 ERA, 167 strikeouts, 12 complete game and three shutouts. He was also good at the plate with a .455 average with seven home runs, 33 RBI and 46 runs scored. He received several awards including 2008 MaxPreps All-American, 2008 EA Sports All-American, 2008 Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A Player of the Year and first-team all-state pitcher selection while also earning second-team TSWA all-state honors at third base. He wasn’t selected out of high school as his commitment to Baylor was so strong.
Verrett appeared in 20 games (five starts) as he was primarily used out of the bullpen. He finished the season with a 7-1 record including three saves and a 5.13 ERA during 54.1 innings of work. His biggest issue last season was the fact that opponents hit at a .329 average. He was solid at striking out batters with 64 for an average of 1.18 per inning pitched. Verrett had a solid summer where he played for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He went a perfect 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA in five appearances (four starts). He struggled with his control this summer as he walked 16 in 23.1 innings but ended up striking out 32 batters. Baseball America rated him the 22nd best pro prospect in the league.
If Verrett can become a more polished pitcher and get more consistent in throwing strikes, he can challenge Gerrit Cole for the top spot in the 2011 MLB Draft. We believe that Verrett will be able to find his game this season and become a solid starter in the Baylor rotation.
Here is some video of Verrett from his start against Houston on February 22nd 2009. The video is courtesy of Texas Leaguers.
You can check out the rest of our Top 100 by clicking here. | http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2009/11/17/top-100-countdown-number-64-logan-verrett-baylor/ | 477 |
Player of the Year Anthony Davis, only a freshman, highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All-America Team. Davis, the nation's leading shot-blocker, led Kentucky to a 30-1 regular season record. Davis is joined on the First Team by Thomas Robinson of Kansas, Draymond Green of Michigan State, Doug McDermott of Creighton, and Isaiah Canaan of Murray State.
McDermott is joined on the First Team by fellow sophomores Mike Moser of UNLV and Will Barton of Memphis. Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's and Ramone Moore of Temple round out the squad.
Canaan is joined on the First Team by fellow guards Scott Machado of Iona and Damian Lillard of Weber St. A pair of senior forwards round out the squad in Dominique Morrison of Oral Roberts and Ryan Pearson of George Mason.
Xavier star Tu Holloway headlines CollegeHoops.net's Preseason Mid-Major All-America teams. He's joined by fellow seniors Andrew Nicholson of St Bonaventure and Drew Gordon of New Mexico. With the likes of Xavier, Temple, New Mexico, Gonzaga, and Memphis all capable of making runs in March, this could be a banner year for the Non-BCS conference schools.
CollegeHoops.net First Team All-America
Player of the Year Evan Turner and super-freshman John Wall highlight CollegeHoops.net's 2010 All-America teams. Turner averaged 19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 5.8 apg while helping Ohio St finish tied atop the Big Ten standings. Wall averaged 16.8 ppg and 6.2 apg, helping lead Kentucky to an impressive 29-2 record and an SEC title. They are joined on the First Team by Wall's teammate DeMarcus Cousins, Villanova leader Scottie Reynolds, and Big 12 Player of the Year James Anderson. | http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college_basketball/awards/all_american | 391 |
Thwaites crash to Acme....
Thwaites FC were defeated again on Sunday in the 7-a-side league after
crashing to a 3-0 defeat against Acme. We are unable to give you a detailed
report as our reporter got very drunk on Sunday evening and he cannot
remember large chunks of the game.
The brewery side were 2-0 down by the break, however hardly deserved to be
losing as they played some immaculate football. Midfield maestro Jamie
Hopwood was impressive in the centre of midfield as he carved open the Acme
midfield several times. Hopwood, however is set to miss out on Thwaites two
games on Wednesday evening as he was pole-axed late in the game. The
jet-heeled midfielder raced forwards with the ball but he was kicked 6 foot
up in the air. Hopwood has a badly bruised ankle and a gashed knee. He will
join Damian Tabbinor on the sidelines as he has a rib injury which kept him
out of Sunday's encounter.
Dan Logan, who now seems to have put the stories of him being gay firmly
behind him had a solid game in defence with Southworth. Manager Southworth
was at fault for the first goal as he inadvertently passed the ball back to
keeper Slater to concede a penalty which set Acme on their way.
Despite Dominic Hopwood causing Acme all sorts of problems as he hit the
post twice and bar once Acme sealed their win with a third late on as keeper
Slater was unable to prevent a pin-point shot across goal. The brewery team
remain second from bottom of the table, just one point above P & B FC.
P.Slater 7 - Had very little to do apart from pick the ball out from the
back of the Thwaites goal.
D.Logan 8 - Solid Performance
D.Southworth 8 - At fault for the first goal, made amends with several good
S.Tormay 8 - Steady in the midfield engine room.
J.Hopwood 9 - Ran the show before being clattered. Slowly getting back to
the form we all know he is capable of.
S.Tipton 8 - Gave Acme cause for concern with his quick feet.
D.Hopwood 8 - Deserved a goal after hitting the woodwork on three occasions.
Referee: Wakefield 3 - Made some awful decisions, did not punish the Acme
player who clattered Hopwood. If the roles would have been reversed Hopwood
would surely have seen red. | http://www.communigate.co.uk/lancs/thwaitesfootballclub/page128.phtml | 546 |
NEW ORLEANS -- Veteran wide receiver Randy Moss said Tuesday that he wants to return for another season. He won't commit to the 49ers, though.
"I've thought about it," Moss said at the main media day in the run up to the Super Bowl. "I really want to play another year."
When asked if he wanted to re-sign with the 49ers, Moss said: "I don't know about that."
Moss signed with the 49ers in the offseason after sitting out one season. He caught 33 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns in 18 games this season.
His leadership, production, attitude and work ethic, among other things, prompted coach Jim Harbaugh to say that he wants Moss back next season.
Moss, who turns 36 in February, said he
"It's like a dream," Moss said. "I really didn't expect this."
Now that he's here, Moss said there's one more piece of business to take care of, regarding this season and his career.
"I've won a championship on every level," Moss said, "and I've always told myself that I wanted to win a championship on this level. To have a Super Bowl ring, my career would be complete."
Player after player Tuesday raved about Moss' leadership, work ethic and on-field production.
It sounds as if the only one not sold on Moss returning to the 49ers is Moss. | http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci_22472797/super-bowl-2013-49ers-randy-moss-wants-one?source=pkg | 297 |
KENNY CHESNEY PAY-PER-VIEW PLANNED
If you missed Kenny Chesney's "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" tour, fear not -- it soon will be coming to a pay-per-view station near you.
The special will be taped at the Denver Pepsi Center on October 24th, and promises to be an exciting event.
"You only get to headline arenas and sheds for the first time once," says Kenny. "It was such an amazing year for us that I wanted to have something to remember it by. The fans have given us so much this year and this is my way of giving something back."
According to reports, the two-hour special will not only feature Kenny's musical performance, it will also show behind-the-scenes footage of the day of the show, as well as some personal moments with Kenny while in the Bahamas.
"We wanted to give them a sense of what it is I do when I'm not out there onstage with them," says Kenny. "You don't realize until you get into producing something like this just how personal it can be."
Kenny's pay-per-view special will be available through DirecTV, and it will air sometime in the second half of next year. | http://www.countryweekly.com/news/kenny-chesney-pay-view-planned | 262 |
A collection of news and information related to Kim Johnsson published by this site and its partners.
Displaying items 1-1 of 1 » View courant.com items only
Jeremy Roenick scored his ninth goal of the season and defenseman Kim Johnsson added three assists as the Philadelphia Flyers downed the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2, in their annual Black Friday matinee at the Wachovia Center. The win extends the Flyers'...
Nov 28, 2003 |Story| Allentown Morning Call | http://www.courant.com/topic/sports/kim-johnsson-PESPT003708.topic | 105 |
Trainer Kelly Schweida plots Doomben return for Better Than Ready
- From: The Courier-Mail
- January 20, 2013
BETTER Than Ready will build momentum for a likely autumn cameo when he has a Doomben jumpout tomorrow.
Trainer Kelly Schweida plans to run the Randwick 1200m track recordholder first-up against older horses over 1110m in a race at Doomben next Monday.
"Hopefully there is no trouble securing a start in that race. That will tell us where we head to next," Schweida said.
"Melbourne is in the back of our mind, but with his rating, it's going to be hard to get a run in some of those good races.
"The other option is the Royal Sovereign Stakes inSydney.
"At this stage the plan is to give him just the two runs then put him out and get ready for the winter carnival.
"Because he last raced on October 20, it would have been too long to wait until our carnival, so I decided to ... just keep him ticking over.
"At this stage we are hoping to have a crack at the top races here. But if he doesn't measure up, then we can always drop back a cog."
Better Than Ready boasts a powerful formline, having beaten Jolie Bay in the Brian Crowley Stakes before that filly went to Melbourne and finished within a length of Nechita in the Group 1 Coolmore.
Nechita is a likely winter rival for Better Than Ready.
Trainer John Thompson said she was two months into a three-month recovery after having bone chips removed.
"She must have done it when she won the Coolmore and we were fortunate that they were fresh chips and they got them early," Thompson said.
"The autumn is out but the good sprints in Brisbane are definitely an option for her."
Patinack's Tea Rose Stakes protest winner Longport is back in work and bound for the traditional autumn series for fillies.
Thompson will give her the chance to stay, with the 2000m Group 1 on Slipper day the determining factor on whether the daughter of Casino Prince will press on to the Oaks.
John McNair has indicated Hay List may resume in the Newmarket Handicap, the race he won last year with a record 58.5kg.
Hay List is said to have fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for almost 12 months, and McNair is endeavouring to get the hulking sprinter fit.
Peter Moody has indicated Black Caviar would also be nominated for the Newmarket.
Nash Rawiller hopes to return to riding from a broken ankle on February 16, where he wants to partner Lazer Hawk in the Apollo Stakes. | http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/superracing/trainer-kelly-schweida-plots-doomben-return-for-better-than-ready/story-fn67v0c5-1226557712578?from=public_rss | 579 |
Atkins Lady Devils beat Two Rivers
OLA — After a 14-day layoff, the Atkins Lady Red Devils earned a 52-44 hard-fought 3A-4 Conference road victory over the Two Rivers Lady Gators on Friday night.
The Lady Red Devils (6-6, 2-2 3A-4 Conference) led 11-8 after the first quarter and extended their lead to 18-16 at halftime. The Lady Gators brought the game within one point by the end of the third, 36-35, but Atkins outscored Two Rivers 16-7 in the fourth to earn the victory.
Area schools bid for tournaments
Three schools from the Arkansas River Valley have submitted bids to host state and regional tournaments in 2013. Bids are submitted to the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) every Jan. 1 and are voted on by the board of directors on Thursday.
The Russellville School District submitted bids to host the Class 6A state softball and volleyball tournaments as well as the 6A state track and field meet. The Hector School District submitted bids t...
Dardanelle JH teams in tournament finals
DARDANELLE — The Junior Lady Sand Lizards and Junior Sand Lizards advanced to today’s championship games of the junior high invitational tournament inside Sand Lizard Gymnasium.
Dardanelle’s junior girls defeated Western Yell County 36-10 on Wednesday, then Van Buren Butterfield 28-16 on Thursday to improve to 10-4 overall. The Junior Lady Lizards led Butterfield 8-3 after the first period, then held Butterfield scoreless to take an 18-3 lead...
Conway basketball teams sweep RHS
The Russellville Cyclones dropped their 7A/6A-Central conference opener against the Conway Wampus Cats 54-45 Friday night at Cyclone
Gymnasium despite a physical and impressive display against a favored opponent.
The Cyclones (8-7, 0-1) were just one step behind Conway (10-3, 1-0) all night.
“We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well all night,” RHS head coach Codey Mann said after the game. “When we don’t shoot it well early, we’ve got to b...
Hector SG fall to Perryville
PERRYVILLE — The Hector Lady Wildcats fell to the Lady Mustangs 60-38 in nonconference basketball.
Hector slipped behind 15-10 after the first quarter and were able to keep it close at the half, 28-22. The score was 41-32 after the third, but the Lady Mustangs turned on the heat in the fourth and outscored the Lady Wildcats 19-6 to take home the victory.
Leading scorers for Hector were Kasey Rook with 22 points, Lauryn Tereza with seven poin...
RHS to host Conway in conference opener
Not only are the Russellville Cyclones and Lady Cyclones opening 7A/6A-Central Conference play tonight, they’re opening it against an old rival — Conway.
“Anytime you play Conway, you can throw the records out the window, so to speak,” Cyclones head coach Codey Mann said. Few other match-ups get the study athletes more excited and ready to play.
But there are a string of challenges to overcome if Russellville expects to walk away with a vict...
Apaches tournament runner-up again
ALMA — The Pottsville Apaches couldn’t overcome the host Airedales in the second half and fell 74-72 in the championship game of the Alma tournament.
Pottsville (12-3, 3-0 4A-4 Conference) led 19-12 after the first period, but Alma regained the lead 38-36 at halftime and held on to a 52-51 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Three Apaches scored in double figures: Michael Perry netted 26, Travis Cole had 19 and Tyler Weaver added 10.
Sigle earns Tri-County Defensive Player of the Year
DARDANELLE — Sand Lizards senior defensive end Ethan Sigle was voted The Courier’s Tri-County Defensive Player of the Year by coaches from the area and The Courier staff — a result which Sigle said came as a complete surprise.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It means so much to me that it wasn’t just my coach that thought that, but that the other coaches thought that, too.”
Despite behing lauded by his coaches and teammates as possibly th...
Lady Lizards defeat County Line
Dardanelle High School’s Rusti Tharp hit 3-of-4 free throws with Saturday’s game on the line and helped the Lady Sand Lizards beat County Line 52-47 at the Bank of the Ozark Classic.
Dardanelle led 9-4 after the first period, 27-16 at halftime and 33-31 after the third quarter. Stefanie Traigle led the Lady Lizards with 17 points and five rebounds. Amy Duncan netted 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Tharp added five assists.
Cyclones’ slow start halts victory
GREENBRIER — The Russellville Cyclones could never overcome their slow start in the final game of the consolation round of the Battle for the Brier tournament Saturday afternoon. The Mountain View Yellow Jackets were 27-of-30 from the free-throw line en route to a 55-44 victory over RHS.
The Cyclones (8-6) started the first quarter cold and allowed the Yellow Jackets to jump to a 9-4 lead. Cody Underhill hit a layup near the end of the quarte...
Lady Cyclones split at Harrison; Cyclones win at Greenbrier
HARRISON — The Russellville Lady Cyclones won their second game of the season in the consolation round of the 24th annual Lindel Thomas Classic with a 36-33 nail-biting win over the Bergman Lady Panthers on Friday.
Russellville (2-8) will face Valley Springs at 12:30 p.m. today. The game will be broadcast locally on KCAB 980 AM. The Cyclones’ 1 p.m. game in the Battle of the Brier tournament in Greenbrier will be broadcast on KCJC 102.3 FM.
Cyclones fall against Searcy
The Russellville Cyclones fell to the Searcy Lions 57-50 in the first round of the “Battle for the Brier” tournament held in Greenbrier on Thursday afternoon. When it was most critical for the Cyclones (6-5) to stay hot, Russellville went cold.
The Cyclones never led in the second half, but were able to tie it 43-43 near the five minute mark of the fourth quarter. Searcy answered with a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach.
With 2:51 left in...
Perry named Tri-County offensive player of the year
POTTSVILLE — For those who at attended Apaches football games throughout the 2012 season, it was a familiar play.
Junior quarterback Michael Perry would line up in the shotgun formation, receive the snap and take off running to the right. Moments before he reached the line of scrimmage, he would plant, cut to the left and disappear upfield — often all the way to the goal line.
Perry wracked up 1,200 yards rushing, 700 yards passing and 19 to...
Dardanelle Lizards beat Booneville
DARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Sand Lizards defeated the Booneville Bearcats 60-34 on Tuesday.
Dardanelle grabbed a 19-12 lead at the end of the first quarter and didn’t look back. At the half, they led 31-20. After three, 46-25.
Leading scorers for Dardanelle were Trent Latham with 29 points, Will Lawrence with eight, Mark Gathright with seven and Drew Davison with six.
Lawrence lead the team in rebounds with 12, followed by Anthony Merino wi...
Jr. Lizards top Booneville
The Dardanelle Junior Sand Lizards earned their first conference victory of the season with a win over the Booneville Junior Bearcats 34-26 on Monday.
Dardanelle lead 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, but slipped behind 18-11 at half time. The Junior Sand Lizards continued to trail in the third quarter, 24-20 but pulled it together in the fourth to come away with the victory.
“We played a very sloppy first half,” Dardanelle head coach Jar...
Apaches, Cyclones swim teams compete in Springdale
SPRINGDALE — The Pottsville Apaches and Russellville Cyclones swim teams traveled to the Jones Family Center for last week’s Fayetteville Holiday Invitational. Fayetteville won the boys division, followed by Fort Smith Southside, Bentonville, Conway, Heritage, Har-Ber, Mountain Home, Springdale, Siloam Springs, Russellville, Rogers, Mulberry, Clarksville, Pottsville and Vilonia.
The Apaches two-man team’s 14th-place finish was earbed by Aaron...
2012 Tri-County Coach of the Year
HECTOR — When Mark Taylor took the head coaching job for the Hector Wildcats, the team had only won two games the last two seasons and didn’t even field a team in 2009.
This year was different. Hector finished 5-5 overall, 5-3 in the 2A-4 Conference — good enough for not only a first-round state playoff berth, but a home playoff game at that.
While the team’s record was not the best in the Arkansas River Valley, those five wins elevated the...
Cyclones bombard Lake Hamilton
HOT SPRINGS — The Russellville Cyclones snapped a two-game losing streak with a 75-47 nonconference win over the Lake Hamilton Wolves on Friday night. The Wolves had 24 turnovers to Russellville’s 11 throughout the game — a statistic that contributed to the Cyclones’ (6-4) victory.
Andy Campbell opened the game doing what he always does — sinking a lot of three-point shots. Campbell hit two early in the first quarter and Dakota Young added a ...
Coach Wiedower reflects on highs and lows
The Russellville Lady Cyclones head basketball coach Steve Wiedower has seen his share of ups and downs over the years. Last year, he led the Lady Cyclones to the 6A state-finals, where they were defeated by Little Rock Parkview.
But Wiedower has only been coaching at Russellville for four years. Before that, he spent seven years at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, eight years at Greenbrier High School and one year at Morrilton. | http://www.couriernews.com/pages/sports_high_school/push?per_page=20&x_page=12&class=&rel=next | 2,311 |
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali admitted that fifth place for Fernando Alonso
in the Canadian Grand Prix was without question a "disappointing race result," but despite the fact that it hadn't worked out he insisted that he didn't regret going for the win.
"We have tried," Domenicali told TV reporters in Montreal. "We have tried to win."
Alonso himself agreed with the philosophy: "I feel good. We tried to win the race," he said. "I'm proud of the team and happy we went for the victory.
"We tossed the coin in the air and we waited to see the result and it didn't work. At least we tried and we were not happy with second. In the end it was too many laps and in the end we ran out of tyres quite suddenly and it was too late to pit."
"It didn't work out - not because of the strategy but because of the tyre degradation," he added. "I want that to be very clear because there will be confusion tomorrow, from people who don't understand the race."
Domenicali confirmed that the team had been caught out by how quickly the tyres' performance had fallen off when they were finally pushed too far.
"At the certain moment we felt that the tyres could have lasted and then when you reach the cliff it was too late to pit," he said referring to the 'cliff' that the tyre performance goes off when the degradation reaches a critical margin. "At a certain stage, speaking also with Fernando, the tyre seems to last so we took the chance."
But instead the tyres went off in the space of virtually a single lap, leaving Alonso as a sitting duck to those faster cars behind him to bump him off the podium by the time the chequered flag came out.
Even so, "You see on the podium there is two drivers with one stop," Domenicali pointed out - so it hadn't been such an outrageous strategy, it just hadn't worked out for Ferrari.
"We need to work now on the tyre degradation because without the tyre degradation at the end we could have been in a different position today," he summed up. | http://www.crash.net/f1/news/180721/1/ferrari_we_tried_to_win.html | 454 |
I've got that 'give me some gridiron' feeling in my groin again because I've been waiting all spring and summer for Sunday night.
-Leah Bonnema (Stand Up Comic)
Preseason football starts next month and I for one am ready. Many of my friends aren't into football so I thought I might try to wet some whistles with a little How to Enjoy Guide for the Games.
If you don’t know a lot about football but desperately want an excuse to host a party centered around a 7-Layer Bean Dip or just love it when Faith Hill sings “I’ve Been Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” in a black leather one piece causing all of America to do a collective Pledge of Allegiance, you can learn almost everything you need to know about football by watching The Blind Side, The Replacements, Remember the Titans, Rudy and We Are Marshall.
I also think that you should watch the movie Hoosiers, which is actually a basketball movie, but has some really good jargon in it that you can throw out randomly in conversation: “I know everything there is to know about the greatest game ever invented!”
The only problem with learning football trivia via the silver screen is that one can get their facts mixed up: "What did I think of last year's Super Bowl? I loved it when Keanu Reeves danced to 'I Will Survive' with the back up squad! No? Maybe that was in 2010.”
If you don’t have a favorite team but dream of owning a jersey or perhaps a key chain with a team logo on it you can always choose one by the color of their uniforms, that way you know it will coordinate with your bag. As a side note never refer to uniforms as outfits because people tend to get upset when you do that and you are immediately outted as a non-sports person.
Also, never call team practice rehearsal time – even though there might be some similarities between a starting line up and A Chorus Line, we don’t point that out. However I do think it’s acceptable to flash a jazz hands and bust into a step ball change lunge during halftime; great commercials are always exciting.
Even for those not particularly sports inclined it can still be fun to cheer with wild adandon, it burns all the calories from the bean dip and also provides a place to put all your pent up frustration. If you had a tough day you can release a lot of anger by yelling “Hey number twenty-two, get it together! It’s not like you have to work in an office with Mary, talk about a tough defense!” Plus the person you are venting at is not related to you, in fact they can’t even hear you, so there are no hurt feelings.
A good go-to move in any sports bar environment is to randomly yell “Put your shoulder down” (a line I stole from the Rock in Gridiron Gang). Feel free to slide in “There’s no Crying in Baseball” from A League of Their Own, which isn’t played with the same type of ball at all but you can work it into the dialogue anyway, I’m all about equal opportunity.
Some football games are so exciting that I get so anxious I think I might skip a period. Here's to a great season! | http://www.crazytownblog.com/crazytown/2012/07/hurry-football-hurry-fast.html | 707 |
Send us news by text, start your message CN News and your send photos and videos to 80360
'Olympics effect' boosts job market
The Olympic Games delivered a boost to Britain's jobs market after official figures showed another drop in unemployment as the part-time workforce soared.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the jobless total fell by 7,000 to 2.59 million in the quarter to July - an unemployment rate of 8.1% - after a big jump in the number of people in work, with London one of the biggest gainers after hosting the Games.
But the so-called "Olympics effect" masked a less rosy picture outside London, with some regions suffering hefty rises in unemployment. And experts fear there could be an Olympics hangover now that the temporary boost from London 2012 is over.
Figures show that outside London, unemployment rose by 23,000 in Yorkshire and Humber in the three months to July and by 16,000 in the West Midlands. Northern Ireland was also badly affected, with 10,000 more jobless in the quarter.
The ONS figures revealed that London accounted for 91,000 of the 236,000 rise in the number of people in work in the quarter to July, which is the largest quarterly rise for two years.
The total number of people now in work stands at 29.6 million.
There was also a big fall in those claiming jobseeker's allowance, down 15,000 between July and August to 1.57 million - the largest monthly fall since June 2010. London accounted for 5,500 of the fall in the so-called claimant count, providing further evidence of an Olympics boost.
Other figures revealed the number of part-time workers leapt by 134,000 to reach 8.12 million - the highest since records began in 1992. The number of Britons working part-time because they could not find a full-time job also hit a record high of 1.42 million.
Samuel Tombs at Capital Economics said while the headline drop in unemployment was encouraging, the detail of the ONS report showed a "less impressive picture". He added that other recent employment surveys suggested many of those taken on for the Olympics "will struggle to find work now that the Games have finished".
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said the Government needed a long term plan of job creation to ease the UK's economic woes. He said: "For families suffering the misery of unemployment, any decrease will be welcome news, but it is clear when you look at the bigger economic picture that any talk of growth is premature." | http://www.creweguardian.co.uk/news/national/9924539.print/ | 536 |
It appears as if your browser is not displaying the |
Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) information properly.
CSS Drop Down Menu by PureCSSMenu.com
Chesapeake Potomac Invitational Bonspiel
March 9th - 11th, 2012
The assignment of names to positions (Skip, Vice, etc.) is completely and
entirely arbitrary. Each team was composed of members of the two clubs, (or in
some cases two pairs of curlers from Potomac), and it is up to the teams to
decide who plays what position.
Yes, your event coordinator can take changes and will have the web pages
updated in a reasonably timely manner.
This page was last modified: Sat Mar 3 2012 10:35 AM. Eastern Time
Send email to the Webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 - 2013 Potomac Curling Club, All Rights Reserved.
501(c)(3) Sports Education Foundation | http://www.curldc.org/events/meltdown_2012/teams.php?eventID=54&selected=9 | 206 |
Find out more here: http://www.usacurl.org/curlingrocks//index.php?option=com_content&task=v...
Press News & Events
Download the application form here in Word format: http://www.usacurl.org/curlingrocks//images/project2018_app_revised.doc
U.S. National Championships 2013 – High Performance Program (HPP) decision.
In keeping with the USCA’s High Performance Program goals of building toward long-term sustained competitive success, two men’s and two women’s teams from within the 2012-13 High Performance Program will receive byes into the 2013 USCA National Championships. This decision was made by USCA Director of High Performance Derek Brown after considerable discussion and feedback from a number of athletes, Athletes Advisory Council members, coaches, and USCA board members.
Both the Men’s and Women’s National Championships will have 10 spots available as follows:
• 2 High Performance Program teams
• 2 Order of Merit teams
• 6 open qualification teams
The High Performance Program teams will be confirmed in early June 2012, after the HPP advisory group has made the selections and team invitations for the 2012-13 season.
Here is a brief look at Elizabeth's athlete bio: http://www.usacurl.org/curlingrocks//index.php?option=com_content&task=v...
Curling photo gallery of Elizabeth: http://www.curlingrocks.net/gallery-list/elizabeth-busche-2012-junior-ch...
Elizabeth Marie Busche
Elizabeth was born at St. Mary’s Hospital, Duluth, MN, on September 12, 1992; died at home on May 3, 2012 after a short battle with cancer. She was a 2007 graduate of Holy Rosary School, 2011 graduate of the Marshall School, and was a freshman at North Dakota State University – Fargo.
Elizabeth was the vice skip of the 2012 Junior Women’s National Curling Championship Team and Team USA who recently participated in the 2012 Junior World Curling Championships in Ostersund, Sweden.
Elizabeth was preceded in death by her grandfather James Otto in 2002.
Elizabeth is survived by her parents, Keane & Jane Busche (Duluth, MN); grandparents, Roberta Otto (Duluth), Christ & Joyce Busche (Duluth, MN); many great-aunts & uncles, many aunts & uncles, dozens of cousins, and many friends.
In lieu of flowers, Elizabeth’s parents created a curling charity in her memory; memorials may be directed to Elizabeth Busche Memorial Fund, c/o Duluth Curling Club, 327 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802.
To read the press release, please visit http://www.curlingrocks.net/sites/default/files/press_pdf/rjm.pdf | http://www.curlingrocks.net/news/team-usa-play-bronze-medal-2012-world-mixed-doubles-turkey?page=18 | 622 |
Recap: Notre Dame vs. Miami-Florida
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III ran all over a shaky Hurricanes defense on Saturday as No. 9 Notre Dame dominated Miami-Florida, 41-3, at Soldier Field.
Wood ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Atkinson ended his night with 123 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries for the Fighting Irish (5-0), who have won the first five games of the season for the first time since beginning the 2002 campaign 8-0.
Cam McDaniel and Theo Riddick each added a rushing touchdown, as the Irish racked up 376 yards on the ground.
Everett Golson was benched to start the game due to a violation of team rules, but entered in the first quarter following a gift penalty from the Hurricanes. He threw for 186 yards on 17-of-22 passing and ran for 51 yards on six carries as Notre Dame remained unbeaten at Soldier Field in program history with a 10-0-2 record.
"I thought Everett grew up today," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "He did some really good things throwing the football for us. Managed some pressure situations very well. And he had his best week of practice."
Stephen Morris threw for 201 yards on 18-of-35 passing for the Hurricanes (4-2), who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Jake Wieclaw accounted for the only Miami points with a 28-yard field goal.
Notre Dame opened the scoring on its first possession of the game. Tommy Rees threw a pair of incompletions over the drive's first three plays as the Irish were faced with a 4th-and-5 on their own 16.
They were then handed a gift as Miami was flagged for roughing the punter, giving Notre Dame a first down on the 31.
Golson took over under center after the penalty and led the team to the Miami 10-yard line. where the Irish faced a 2nd-and-7. On the play, Golson raced to the goal line and dove for the score, but lost the ball.
It appeared the Miami had recovered in the end zone, but the call was overturned and the Irish got the ball on the Miami 1. Riddick then capped the 10-play, 88-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown push.
On the ensuing drive, Miami responded with an 8-play, 45-yard march, capped by Wieclaw's field goal.
Notre Dame began its next touch on its own 25 and marched 70 yards in 12 plays before Kyle Brindza knocked a chip-shot 22-yard field goal try through the uprights early in the second quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Irish got the ball back at their own 20 with 12:24 on the second-quarter clock. Golson completed five passes during a 14-play, 65-yard drive which culminated in a 32-yarder off the foot of Brindza, widening the lead.
After Wieclaw shanked a 47-yard field goal attempt wide left, putting an end to Miami's final drive of the first half, Notre Dame got the ball back with 1:02 left
Golson got his team within field goal range with one second left, but Brindza missed the 34-yard attempt, keeping it a 13-3 game at the half.
The Irish opened the second half with a 6-play, 81-yard drive, which was highlighted by a huge 37-yard run by Wood to the 2. The senior tailback scored on the ensuing play.
Miami was forced to punt on its next possession and Notre Dame got the ball back on its own 14. From there, it was the Atkinson and Wood show. The Irish went 86 yards in 12 plays -- all runs by Wood or Atkinson -- and Wood capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left in the quarter.
"They ran the ball effectively," Miami coach Al Golden said. "They rotated three running backs in there and I thought they blocked well on the perimeter and as I said, we compounded by not making any progress on offense with the football."
Notre Dame started its next drive on the 34 after forcing another three-and- out. Facing a 1st-and-10 on the 45, Atkinson galloped around right end and down the sideline for a 55-yard score.
McDaniel capped the rout with a 1-yard touchdown push with 1:06 remaining.Game Notes
This was the 25th all-time meeting between the schools and the first since the
2010 Sun Bowl. Notre Dame won that meeting, 33-17, and has captured all three
previous meetings on a neutral field ... Notre Dame leads the all-time series,
17-7-1 ... The Irish have won five in a row for the first time since 2006 ...
Miami fell to 41-28 all-time against top-10 opponents ... Notre Dame has not
allowed a touchdown over its last 12 quarters of action and has not trailed
at any point this season. | http://www.cwarkansas.com/sports/cfootm/l.ncaa.org.mfoot-2012-e.35606/game.aspx | 1,065 |
Questions abound about the 2009 edition of the Harrison County Thorobreds baseball team. Will they be able to score runs? Will they be able to find an ace starting pitcher to replace Brandon Martin? Will their defense hold up?
After the first two games of the regular season on Monday and Tuesday of this week, the answers are yes, yes and yes.
Harrison County, ranked eighth in the state in the coaches’ pre-season poll, routed host Owen County on Monday, 18-0, then came back on Tuesday with a less-than-inspired 5-1 home opening win over Deming. | http://www.cynthianademocrat.com/sports/todayssports?page=147 | 126 |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Federal officials say a Ukrainian hockey coach has died of a suspected suicide while in custody in Philadelphia on child-molestation charges.
A prison spokesman says 48-year-old Ivan (ee-VAHN') Pravilov (PRAH'-vuh-lahv) was found unresponsive in his cell at 3 a.m. Friday.
Prison spokesman Darrin Howard says a preliminary investigation suggests the death was a suicide. An autopsy is pending.
Pravilov was a mentor to several NHL and U.S. college players.
He was indicted last month on charge he fondled a 14-year-old Ukrainian player at his Philadelphia apartment, and later threatened a teen witness.
Pravilov had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His defense lawyer did not immediately return messages about the death Friday. | http://www.daily-jeff.com/ap%20sports/2012/02/10/official-ukrainian-coach-found-dead-in-pa-cell | 183 |
» Nick Green's 100 Percent Soccer blog
A year ago, the Galaxy played a crucial September home game and were thrashed, 6-3, by FC Dallas.
The club rebounded with resolve, not allowing a goal in the final five games of the regular season and winning four times during a streak that carried it to the MLS Cup.
When they face Chivas USA on Sunday, the Galaxy will be coming off a 2-0 loss at home to New York in which they did not even get a shot on goal until the 66th minute.
Might this be another start of a championship run?
"Well, losing 6-3 is a little different than 2-0," team captain Landon Donovan said. "We're not that kind of team anymore that's going to lose that way."
Last week, the Galaxy still were playing without central defender Gregg Berhalter and the other central defender, Omar Gonzalez, who was forced to sit for a game with a suspension.
"It was a little bit of a wake-up call but that being said, we were down two of our better players and two of our center backs and leaders, and any way you slice it that's a different game with Omar and Gregg in, no question," Donovan said. "We're still good. Fortunately we had the weekend off and guys could get away and relax.
"We watched some tape and realized the things we did wrong. I think we have it dialed in pretty well of what went wrong last week and we're going to try to correct it this
The Galaxy (15-6-5) lead the league with 50 points with four games remaining. They are trying to become the third team in MLS history (after the Galaxy in 1998 and San Jose in 2005) to amass as many as 60 points in a season, but they also are trying to fend off Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, Columbus and New York to capture the Supporters Shield and home-field advantage for the playoffs.
After facing last-place Chivas (7-14-4, 25 points), the Galaxy will travel to play expansion Philadelphia (7-13-6, 27), then close with home games against Colorado (11-7-8, 41) and FC Dallas (11-2-13, 46).
"The goal is to win as many as we can," Donovan said. "We know (Sunday) is a game we should win. Philly's a game we should win, we think, and then we have two games at home to finish the season. It's very possible to win all four."
David Beckham, who has reported chest congestion for a week, took the day off Friday. Also missing were defender Leonardo (thigh) and midfielder Dema Kovalenko (adductor strain).
Better news on the injury front comes from Berhalter, who has been sidelined for six weeks by a neck strain.
"We'll see how he's feeling tomorrow," Coach Bruce Arena said. "But he's had a couple of weeks of training now so hopefully he can give us some minutes."
Beckham surprised everyone by playing the full 90 minutes against New York in only his third game back from Achilles' tendon surgery.
"I was surprised, but if anyone can do it he can," Donovan said.
"He's always been fit and mentally he's very strong."
Forward Edson Buddle, who leads MLS with 14 goals and is one away from tying his career high, said the Galaxy's morale didn't slip after the loss to New York. "We have a locker room that's positive," he said, "and the team's been like that most of the year." | http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_16234063 | 760 |
Jordon James has been buried in the UCLA running back rotation all season.
Then there's his hair, a shocking gold mohawk that the redshirt sophomore somehow buries beneath his gold helmet every week. James said it's earned him the nickname "Blade," la the vampire-slaying comic book hero, from coaches.
"Everybody's telling me if I cut it," he said Tuesday, "they wouldn't know who I was."
James has still enjoyed a fair amount of anonymity this season - he hasn't touched the ball more than 10 times in a game - though that could change Saturday against Stanford.
When the season began, James was behind Johnathan Franklin, Malcolm Jones and Damien Thigpen on the depth chart. Jones has since transferred and Thigpen tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Saturday against USC, leaving James in line for plenty of looks against the Cardinal.
Relative to that of most of his teammates, it's a big week of practice for James.
"I'm not really doing anything different," he said, "just trying to practice hard, learn the defense, get ready for Saturday."
That's not entirely true. James was involved in kickoff-return drills Tuesday as the Bruins seek to replace Thigpen's 26.9 yards- per-return average, best on the team and second in the Pac-12 only to USC's Marqise Lee.
James, who has returned just one kickoff this year, hasn't been told if he will be the primary kickoff return man Saturday. But for now he's
With his close-up about to commence, he won't dare cut his hair.
"Actually," he said, the sun shining on his tall gold 'hawk, "I just cut it after the game on Saturday." | http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_22039953/rb-jordon-james-and-his-mohawk-set-primetime | 371 |
Rodgers throws late TD, Packers beat Saints 28-27
Published: Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers threw a go-ahead touchdown to Jordy Nelson in the fourth quarter, and the Green Bay Packers shook off a week's worth of controversy with a rally to beat the New Orleans Saints 28-27 on Sunday.
With Packers fans howling about what appeared to be yet another bad call — this time by the regular officials, not the replacements — Garrett Hartley missed a 48-yard field goal attempt with just under three minutes remaining, costing the Saints a shot at the lead.
Rodgers threw for 319 yards with four touchdowns and an interception for the Packers (2-2).
Drew Brees threw for 446 yards with three touchdowns for the winless Saints (0-4). Brees has thrown at least one touchdown in 47 straight regular-season games, tying the NFL's all-time mark set by Johnny Unitas.
With the win, the Packers were able to put Monday night's controversial replacement official-driven loss at Seattle behind them. But even with the regular refs back this week, the Packers and their fans still nearly were dealt a crushing blow on a blown call.
After Rodgers' touchdown to Nelson, Darren Sproles appeared to fumble the ensuing kickoff but officials ruled that he was down by contact. Replays showed that the ball clearly came out but the Packers were out of replay challenges, leaving Packers fans screaming at the officials for the second week in a row.
Brees then led the Saints into field goal range, and Hartley hit a 43-yard attempt — but the Saints were called for holding, forcing Hartley to line up a 53-yarder. The Packers then were called for encroachment, leaving Hartley to try a 48-yarder and he missed it wide left.
It was a sigh of relief for the Packers, who spent most of the week in the middle of a nationwide firestorm after a last-second decision by replacement officials cost them a game at Seattle on Monday night. The play was a burden for the Packers to bear, but likely played a significant role in the NFL agreeing to a deal with its regular officials during the week.
Referee Jeff Triplette struck a triumphant tone during the pregame coin toss Sunday, announcing that "it's great to be back, gentlemen!" A handful of Packers fans came to the game dressed as officials, and some brought signs showing support for the regular refs.
The honeymoon didn't last long, though. Fans howled for an offensive pass interference call after Brees threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston late in the first quarter, but no flag was forthcoming. The boos intensified as a replay was shown on the stadium video boards.
With the Packers leading 21-14 in the third quarter, fans — and Packers coach Mike McCarthy — were on the officials again when McCarthy challenged a catch by Jimmy Graham but it wasn't overturned.
The Packers had too many men on the field for a Saints field attempt later in the drive, giving New Orleans first-and-goal on the 1. But the defense held, forcing a 20-yard field goal by Hartley to cut the lead to 21-17 with 9:41 left in the third quarter.
Rodgers marched the Packers down the field again but needed attention from the team's training staff after a face mask by New Orleans' Malcolm Jenkins. Rodgers came out of the game for one play and backup quarterback Graham Harrell came in — then tripped and fumbled as he tried to hand it off, allowing the Saints to get the ball back in the middle of a scrum.
Brees then found Joseph Morgan wide open behind the defense, and Morgan shed tackling attempts from the Packers' Sam Shields and Tramon Williams on his way to an 80-yard touchdown and a 24-21 lead with 3:49 left in the third quarter.
Things then got even worse for the Packers, as Rodgers then threw an interception to Patrick Robinson on a deep throw intended for Jordy Nelson. Brees then completed a pair of third-and-long situations, and the Saints drove for a 27-yard field goal by Hartley to take a 27-21 lead with 13:04 remaining.
With the Packers trailing by 6, Rodgers threw an 11-yard strike to Nelson as the Saints' Corey White tried to wrap his arms around the ball at the same time as Nelson — briefly re-creating a scene eerily similar to the controversial game-ender in Seattle on Monday. This time, though, Nelson clearly came away with the ball and spiked it emphatically.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20120930/WIRE/120939998/1191/sports04?Title=Rodgers-throws-late-TD-Packers-beat-Saints-28-27 | 1,018 |
Women need to shout from the rooftops if footballers are to be rewarded
A 23-year-old England international said publicly this week the team were not being paid enough money to play football.
This may not seem unusual in the current climate but I’m not talking about Theo Walcott and his apparently never-ending contract saga at Arsenal.
The player in question was Sophie Bradley, the Lincoln Ladies, Great Britain and England defender. Yes, a woman.
Vocal: Bradley (centre) has publicly said that England's top women are not being paid enough
More from Laura Williamson...
- LAURA WILLIAMSON: Peacock hopes to cut a dash and avoid blade row 19/05/13
- Laura Williamson: Save me from the swirling madness as Fergie goes viral 12/05/13
- Laura Williamson: The battle against doping should also include arrogant ball sports 05/05/13
- Laura Williamson: British Athletics needs to seize the moment and cash in... just like Jess, Mo and Co 22/04/13
- LAURA WILLIAMSON: Arsenal struggle to keep Wolf from the door as Germans earn first-leg advantage 14/04/13
- Laura Williamson: Looking for some exposure? Maybe try exposing yourself 07/04/13
- LAURA WILLIAMSON: Rise above the trolls, Paula, but now head for the exit 31/03/13
- EXCLUSIVE: As UK Sport's record £355m investment in British athletes begins, Sportsmail speaks to those who have already seen gold from the funding boost 31/03/13
- LAURA WILLIAMSON: Boat race sponsors turn tide for women rowers at long last with equal funding and prestige 24/03/13
- VIEW FULL ARCHIVE
In an interview with BBC Sport, Bradley said, quite calmly, that England’s centrally contracted players need to be better rewarded, not only for the job they do on the pitch but for their role in the ‘progression of the game’.
They earned £16,000 a year in 2012 and have called in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) because they are unhappy with the £2,000 increase on offer from the FA, a figure PFA chief Gordon Taylor called ‘embarrassing’.
There are also wrangles about the 24 hours a week players are allowed to supplement their income with a second job.
Bradley, for example, works in her parents’ care home alongside training twice a day, six times a week in the build-up to the new season in March. England captain Casey Stoney reached the age of 30 before she did not have to rely ‘consistently’ on her overdraft.
Compare the FA’s offer with the £20,804 an athlete who has achieved a top-eight finish at world or Olympic level would receive through UK Sport’s World Class Performance Programme and you see Bradley and her team-mates have a valid point.
Of course they do. How can your training be effective if you have to work in an old people’s home when you should be resting? It’s utter nonsense.
Yet even more pertinent is that Bradley has decided to speak up and fight her corner. Note that her comments did not come via an agent or through an anonymous ‘club spokesperson’. She is not whingeing, moaning, asking for millions of pounds or inviting comparison with the wages earned by the men. She just wants to feel valued.
This is an important moment not only in the women’s game but for sportswomen generally. The ‘ever so humble’ and ‘we’re just glad to be here’ act belongs to another era.
Crowd scene: More than 70,000 people watched Great Britain's women beat Brazil during the Olympics
WHAT THEY SAID
Toni Minichiello, Jess Ennis’s coach, after hearing Don Valley Stadium could be bulldozed to save Sheffield council £700,000 a year.
‘Not much legacy in a pile of rubble, is there? Can’t inspire all that many kids by showing them a demolition site, can you?’
Just five months ago there were calls to rename the stadium after Ennis, Sheffield’s golden girl.
The England women’s cricket team flew economy to Sri Lanka for the Twenty20 World Cup last year while the men’s side turned left when they got on the plane. The women also received a much lower daily living allowance, yet bowler Holly Colvin said ‘everyone was happy’ with their lot.
I do hope this was just an agreed party line to keep attention focused on events on the pitch, because it was crushingly disappointing to hear at the time.
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard female athletes shrug their shoulders after yet another snub and say: ‘I’m not in it for the money. I’d probably still do it for free.’ It drives me insane. They may as well have ‘doormat’ written on their foreheads.
Winner: Steph Houghton scored the only goal as Great Britain beat Brazil 1-0 at Wembley
Nobody is suggesting they are motivated by money (let’s face it, you can’t be, given the relatively meagre rewards for female athletes), but you need a certain amount of cash just to compete in your sport and even more to do it well. It is no coincidence that the best-funded teams and athletes tend to achieve the most.
If women’s football is to capitalise on the attention it generated during the Olympic Games it needs to act now by instilling a greater level of professionalism from the very top of the game.
But it is still an important step forward that we’re even having the conversation.
AND THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WEEK
At Goodison Park to meet Everton and England midfielder Jill Scott, a new columnist for Mail Online. The corridors lined with pictures emanated history and tradition. It’s a proper football ground - not a soulless stadium - in every way.
Saw my first gold postbox in Marlow, Bucks, which honours Paralympic rower Naomi Riches’ success in the mixed coxed four. The locals, however, were significantly less impressed. ‘It still works the same, you know,’ said one bloke.
Naomi Riches (second left) has a gold postbox in Marlow in honour of her Paralympic gold medal
Guilty of jumping on the new year fitness regime bandwagon, along with the rest of the UK. I’m still, however, recovering from my first class with an instructor called Sphinx wearing an all-in-one Lycra suit adorned with the Union flag.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Laura Robson breaking into the top 50 in the tennis rankings, where she joins Heather Watson.
It is the first time since 1987 that two British women have achieved this concurrently.
When you consider Robson was born in 1994 and Watson only two years earlier, this feels like a landmark moment. | http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2261834/Laura-Williamson-Women-need-shout-rooftops-footballers-rewarded.html | 1,523 |
HUNTINGTON - Sometimes the most important things that happen on a football field aren't what's done. It's what's said - or not said.
Is a receiver in motion? Is a formation shifting? If one player stays quiet, that could mean the difference between a big stop or six points. It's something the Marshall football team's defense has dealt with through the first six games of 2012.
Communication issues have been a significant ingredient in the problems the Thundering Herd defense has faced this year, said defensive end Jeremiah Taylor.
He and the Herd hope it gets fixed by 7 p.m. Oct. 20 when the Herd visits Southern Miss (0-5, 0-1 Conference USA).
"It can change the game," he said. "When you have a guy go in motion and doesn't say anything, if they don't communicate that he's coming over, that leaves huge holes in there."
Taylor offered as an example the Herd's 51-41 loss to Purdue. The defense didn't communicate as necessary in the first half. Thus, Marshall's defense allowed four touchdowns, including one on a 41-yard pass and one on a 35-yard pass. That contributed to Marshall's 42-14 halftime deficit, and that doesn't include a 50-yard completion and a 21-yard completion by Purdue in the first quarter that were nullified by penalties.
Then the defense rededicated itself at halftime to speaking up on the field. The Boilermakers scored nine points in the second half and allowed Marshall back into the game.
The Herd's goal for the second half of the season is to be vocal from opening kickoff to final gun. That's easier said than done sometimes, as Marshall's defense has introduced several players to new positions.
Herd defensive coordinator Chris Rippon moved three safeties to outside linebacker this season - redshirt freshman D.J. Hunter, sophomore Raheem Waiters and sophomore Evan McKelvey, who was lost for the season during the Ohio game after injuring his knee. Redshirt freshman Armonze Daniel moved from linebacker to defensive end. On top of that, redshirt freshman defensive linemen Jarquez Samuel and Steve Dillon are in their first year on the field.
All that newness can lead to a bit of tunnel vision, Rippon said.
"They want to be perfect," he said. "They are great kids. They are into it. They know what they're doing. But when it's on the line, they're going to take care of themselves to make sure they don't hurt the team."
So the less-experienced players will focus more on their immediate tasks - whether they're positioned correctly on the field and what they must do depending on the offense's decisions. As they're focused so intently on what's in front of them, they may miss some of what's going on around them. Or they may see it, but in their inexperience, aren't confident enough to make a call to the rest of the defense. | http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/MUSports/201210100193 | 627 |
Alemany had four medalists at the Megatron wrestling tournament Saturday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Aubrey Jackson went undefeated during the event and won the heavyweight title for the Warriors.
Alfredo Orozco finished in second place at 132 pounds, Khalil Swinson placed fourth at 170 and Enrique Castillo took sixth at 195.
In other wrestling:
Zinkin Classic: Granada Hills' Sohrab Movahedi finished fourth in the tournament after opening with three straight victories at 182 pounds.
Movahedi wrestled top-seeded Ryder Newman of Green Valley High in Nevada in the semifinals Saturday and came within an inch of winning.
Movahedi made his move with the score tied at two with 10 seconds left. During his move, he accidentally grabbed the singlet of Newman and was called for a penalty, which awarded the defending Nevada state champion one point and gave him the victory.
The Granada Hills senior then dropped to the consolation round and wrestled defending Texas state champion Matt Meyer, who had lost to Adrian Salas of Clovis in the other semifinal.
The third-place contest was also tied at two with seconds left until Meyer made contact with Movahedi's nose and took him down, scoring two late points and winning the match by two.
-- John Wareham
Mark Keppel 61, Valencia 46: The Aztecs (8-2) defended their title at the
Samantha Lee, an all-tournament selection, added 15 points for Keppel, which defeated Canyon in last year's final.
Kalia Summerlin and Jennifer Anumba were all-tournament picks for Valencia. Jasmin Dimson had 13 points and Anumba scored 10 points for Valencia (8-2), which reached its second final at Burroughs in three years.
Granada Hills 59, Burbank 55: Danielle Ward, an all-tournament selection, had 16 points and Kristi Nishida added 13 points for the Highlanders (6-3) in the Magnolia Park Optimist Club tournament at Burroughs.
Jamie Gonzalez had 15 points and Aja Locke scored 13 points for Burbank (1-7), which suffered a 52-50 loss to Agoura earlier Saturday. Courtney Seidler and Locke both had 10 points for Burbank.
Sierra Canyon 71, Rock Canyon (Colo.) 65: Kennedy Burke had 30 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Trailblazers (7-3) in the Division N third-place game of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix.
Cheyanne Wallace had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks for Sierra Canyon, which got 12 points from Zoe Goss.
Burroughs 71, Arroyo Grande 49: Sidney Ortega had a career-high 26 points to lead the host Indians (6-2) at the Magnolia Park Optimist Club tournament.
Delaney Nicol had nine points and Davina Del Castillo added eight points and eight rebounds for Burroughs.
Providence 48, Crescenta Valley 34: Estelle Glorioso had 15 points and Katia Dabbaghian added 10 points for the Pioneers (7-4) at the Magnolia Park Optimist Club tournament.
Sammi Lamb led C.V. (2-6) with eight points.
Maranatha 45, Canoga Park 35 (OT): Emily Calderon had 14 points for the Hunters (0-16) in a overtime setback in the Magnolia Park Optimist Club tournament.
Carter 38, Kennedy 32: Amber Island had 11 points for the Golden Cougars (4-8) in the Magnolia Park Optimist Club tournament at Burroughs.
Agoura 49, El Camino Real 33: Kim Jacobs had 17 points to lead the Chargers at the Magnolia Park Optimist Club tournament.
Brittany Mazal added 11 points for Agoura (7-3). Cora Chan had nine points for ECR (5-5).
Mira Costa 61, Harvard-Westlake 47: Lindsey Tse had 16 points, six steals and five assists for the Wolverines (5-6) in the seventh-place game of the gold division of the Santa Barbara tournament.
Teeana Cotangco added nine points and Natalie Florescu had eight points for the Wolverines.
Louisville 53, San Gabriel 29: Nicholle Aston had 24 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks to lead the Royals at the Cantwell Sacred Heart tournament.
Riley Farrell added nine points and 15 rebounds for Louisville (7-3).
Renaissance Academy 51, Bell-Jeff 34: Karl Vaskys had 15 points as the Wildcats captured the Bellarmine-Jefferson tournament title.
K.J. Okmanas and Martin Gaizauskas each scored 10 points for Renaissance Academy (7-3). Malcolm Regisford had eight points and 11 rebounds for Bell-Jeff (6-6).
Burroughs 60, Garfield 37: Lawrence White had 21 points and six blocks to lead the Indians (7-1) to a third-place finish at the Bell-Jeff tournament.
John Cutone added 12 points for Burroughs.
Sacramento 70, Chaminade 68: The Eagles (7-2) fell in the St. Hope Elite Classic championship game on a shot at the buzzer by Sacramento (6-2).
Despite the loss, Jaron Marin was named MVP, scoring 23 points for the Eagles.
West Ranch 74, Oakland 57: Ako Kaluna had 39 points and 18 rebounds for the Wildcats (7-2) at the St. Hope Elite Classic in Sacramento.
Calabasas 56, Palm Springs 48: Alex Monsegue scored 18 points and Michael Hayon scored 13 points for the Coyotes (10-1) in the third-place game in the Palm Springs tournament.
Campbell Hall 78, Righetti 74: Aaron Holiday had 41 points, with Kahlil Simplis adding 19 points and five assists for the Vikings (9-3) in the Mission Prep Christmas Classic Elite Division.
Crespi 62, University 48: Virginia-bound London Perrantes scored 20 points to lead the Celts in the fifth-place game of the San Fernando Valley Invitational.
Max Heidegger had 18 points, including five 3-pointers, and Perrantes also added seven assists for Crespi (6-4).
St. Genevieve 72, Muir 56: Will Meyers had 22 points to lead the Valiants at the San Fernanado Valley Invitational.
Aaron Requena contributed 18 points and Linwood Foy added 12 points for St. Genevieve (8-3).
Notre Dame 75, Camarillo 66 (OT): Luca Ferrari had a game-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead the Knights to a ninth-place finish at the San Fernando Valley Invitational.
Ryan Ducar contributed 24 points for Notre Dame (6-3). Corbin Covey had 16 points, with Jacob Alonzo and Ardavan Seif each adding 12 points for Camarillo (8-3).
Valley Torah 76, Concordia (Sylmar) 22: Nathaniel Liberman scored 33 points in two quarters and Duvid Stock added 15 points for the Wolfpack (9-2) at St. Genevieve.
Diamond Bar 2, La Cañada 2 (DB wins in PKs 5-4): The Spartans (6-0-2) made four of six penalty kicks in the setback in the Ayala tournament final.
Armand Bagramyan and J.P. Schadel each scored in regulation for La Cañada, which beat Rialto 2-0 in the semifinals.
Monroe 4, Vaughn 0: Carlos Pacheco scored twice to lead the host Vikings at the San Fernando Valley Invitational. Jeff Cordova and Alexis Jauregui had a goal and Gary Sanchez added two assists for Monroe (4-1-3). | http://www.dailynews.com/preps/ci_22249121/high-school-sports-roundup-alemany-wins-four-during | 1,686 |
The Campbell Hall girls' tennis team continues to find new ways to outlast quality opponents.
Instead of racking up another easy victory as it attempts to win a third Div. I championship in four years, the Vikings used a pair of big comebacks Tuesday to propel themselves in a 13-5 victory against University High of Irvine at Weddington Tennis Courts.
The victory was sweeter than usual after the Trojans (4-1) beat Campbell Hall (5-0) twice last season; once in the regular season on games and 11-7 in the semifinals.
"It was a big deal," USC-bound Zoe Katz said. "We were nervous going in, but knew it would be such a big win for us. This brought us together. I have never seen us so connected this year. That is bigger than the victory. We were all pulling for each other."
Katz was dominant in sweeping her three sets and the Vikings didn't lose a single singles set. Katz only dropped two games.
"I wanted to make a statement," Katz said. "This is my last year and I didn't want to go half-hearted. My mindset was every point counted, every game counted because it could be close."
Katz's teammates made things exciting in two crucial comeback victories.
Campbell Hall's Conner Calabro and Ifeoma Kuchler somehow managed to secure a 7-6 (6) victory against Alyssa Rudin and Kyla Scott after trailing 5-1.
Calabro and Kuchler blew a golden opportunity with three set points to break serve for the victory, but then regrouped
"We were a bit nervous but just got focused," Kuchler said. "We communicated and figured out how to close."
Calabro credited it to chemistry, especially after she and Kuchler rallied from a 5-4 deficit and set point down Sept. 12 against Santa Barbara to prevail 7-5.
"We make such good partners," Calabro said. "We get negative sometimes, but always pump each other up. It's never over till it's over."
Freshman Emma Higuchi also came through with a clutch performance against Kaiulani Boyer in the second round.
Higuchi trailed 4-1, but rallied for a 6-4 victory.
Higuchi executed a perfectly placed drop-volley shot leaning to her right and placing the ball just over the net on the left side on a tough angle to stop Boyer in her tracks.
"I knew I just had to make it," Higuchi said. "I wasn't expecting that result or that shot to go so well. I just started playing more positive. I was getting down on myself early. I had to do it for my team."
Although the doubles team of Alexis Pereira and Joy Kim lost two sets, Calabro and Kuchler used their first-set comeback victory to propel them to a sweep, putting Campbell Hall over the top.
"The girls have heart," Vikings coach Steve Kuechel said. "They want to win. They want to compete. Championships are not won in September. They are won in November. We have a long way to go. That was a very good win against a quality opponent." | http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_21577977/comebacks-carry-campbell-hall-girls-tennis-over-university | 679 |
Coach backs Ponting for Ashes
Australia coach Mickey Arthur Tuesday backed veteran batsman Ricky
Ponting to be a key figure in next year's Ashes series in England,
saying the former skipper was “not going anywhere”.
Australia are fresh from a successful 2-0 tour of the West Indies but
Michael Clarke's men have no further Tests until their home series
against South Africa in November.
Ponting was dumped from Australia's one-day international squad in
February, meaning he will not be playing much cricket in the lead-up to
South Africa.But Arthur moved to quash speculation that the 37-year-old
champion run-maker could be leaving the team.
“I know there was a lot of media pressure and talk around Ricky, but
Ricky's not going anywhere,” Arthur said on his return from the West
“We hope Ricky's scoring enough runs to go to the Ashes in England.
“Ricky is definitely no way considering retiring, I wouldn't have
thought from my conversations with him, and he'll be fit and ready to go
against South Africa.” | http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/05/02/spo03.asp | 241 |
A collection of news and information related to Randy Moss published by this site and its partners.
Displaying items 1-12 of 303 » View dailypress.com items only1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11-26 Next >
Standing outside coach Doc Holliday's office early in the summer of 2010, Marshall assistant coach Phil Ratliff still wasn't exactly sure what he'd have to tell Holliday to sell him on the fact Tron Martinez was the right fit for the Thundering Herd....
BLACKSBURG — Receivers are divas. They change their names, prance in the end zone and crave attention. They're high-strung, selfish and temperamental. Or so it seems in an era of T.O., Ochocinco and Randy Moss. Virginia Tech's Jarrett Boykin is...
Virginia concluded the first half of Mike London's first season as coach with a grim reminder of how far the program has declined. Inept from the first snap Saturday night, the Cavaliers lost at home to North Carolina for the first time in 29 years. The...
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — If there's one lesson to be learned from Tom Brady's return to the NFL, it's a simple one: the New England Patriots are never out of contention with their star quarterback on the field. That message came through above the...
Daily PressOfficially, Tom Brady has a "sore shoulder," the result of being crushed to the turf by massive Albert Haynesworth. It caused enough discomfort for him to spend quite a while on the bench flexing and rotating his throwing arm, trying to work out...
Summer is waning, "The Office" is in reruns, and the baseball team of my misspent youth stinks as usual. But it's not just the calendar, Dunder Mifflin and the Orioles that have me bluer than B.B. King. It's this week's sports television fare, brought...
ReutersThe Sports Xchange Pats' Brady not surprised by Welker's departure New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday that he wasn't surprised by Wes Welker's free-agent defection to the Denver Broncos, since he understands the nature of the...
The Hartford CourantNew England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday that he wasn't surprised by Wes Welker's free-agent defection to the Denver Broncos, since he understands the nature of the business. "I don't think anything surprises me anymore in the NFL," he...
The conversation about if Brian Urlacher would reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame likely shifted to when after the 2010 season. Now it's worth wondering if there is a spot for Urlacher in Canton, Ohio, as a first-ballot inductee come 2018, when he...
ReutersLeading receiver Michael Crabtree appears to be the second devastating loss for the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. The Super Bowl runner-up in February, the 49ers could be without Crabtree for most or all of the 2013 season. USA Today reported Wednesday...
Contra Costa TimesSANTA CLARA, Calif. Coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed that 49ers No. 1 wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered a torn right Achilles tendon and that Crabtree underwent surgery Wednesday morning. Harbaugh also said that Crabtree is not expected to miss the...
ReutersThe Sports Xchange NFL Team Report - San Francisco 49ers - INSIDE SLANT The severe injury suffered by 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree occurred during a 7-on-7 drill Tuesday on the first day of OTAs and he had surgery Wednesday morning. "He was...
Sep 23, 2011 |Story| Hampton Roads Daily Press
Aug 6, 2011 |Column| Hampton Roads Daily Press
Oct 16, 2010 |Column| Daily Press
Sep 15, 2009 |Story| Hampton Roads Daily Press
Aug 28, 2009 |Story| Daily Press
Aug 26, 2009 |Column| Hampton Roads Daily Press
May 23, 2013 |Story| Reuters
May 23, 2013 |Story| Hartford Courant
May 22, 2013 |Story| Chicago Tribune
May 22, 2013 |Story| Reuters
May 22, 2013 |Story| McClatchy-Tribune
May 22, 2013 |Story| Reuters
Original site for Randy Moss topic gallery. | http://www.dailypress.com/topic/sports/football/randy-moss-PESPT005235.topic?page=1&sortby=taxrankprof | 888 |
There was an unexpected 35-minute delay in the game due to a power outage. There was a dramatic last-minute attempt by the San Francisco 49ers to win the game.
Then, there was a Dodge Ram commercial that paid tribute to farmers.
The late broadcasting legend Paul Harvey narrated:
“And, on the eighth day, God looked down on His planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker,’ so God made a farmer.
“God said, ‘I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board,' so God made a farmer….”
Hear the entire narration in the video above.
After the ad appeared, several dairy farmers who are known as social media champions got on Facebook and thanked Dodge for the ad.
The ad appeared in the fourth quarter of the game. | http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-news/media/THE-big-Super-Bowl-surprise-189603701.html?email=yes&cmntid=112883212 | 204 |
PHILADELPHIA — O.J. Mayo missed the free throw that the Mavericks needed, but he nailed the job of analyst afterward.
On a night when the Mavericks played about as hard as they have all season and gave themselves a chance to win even after six consecutive turnovers in the fourth quarter, Mayo didn’t want to hear about how gutsy they played.
“If you want to take some type of moral victory, yeah,” he said. “But we’re better than that.”
The results aren’t showing that, yet. But Mayo’s attitude was commendable nonetheless after the Mavericks fell apart, regrouped, then finally succumbed, 100-98, to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center.
They changed lineups and got the desired impact in terms of a much more passionate showing than they had in the humiliating loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Saturday. The Mavericks fought hard and were in an 81-81 game with less than nine minutes to play.
Then, three fast, ugly turnovers. After a timeout, there were three more giveaways.
No matter what lineup is on the floor, one fact never changes in the NBA: It’s hard to score when you don’t have the ball. The Mavericks were giving it away faster than Santa Claus throws candy canes to kids. The Sixers moved ahead 91-81 before Vince Carter hit a 3-pointer.
The Mavericks had just seven turnovers in the first three quarters. They had eight in the fourth.
“That was the game,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “They were untimely to say the least and completely out of character to how we had played to that point. We got to eliminate those things, and in games like this, it’s about how you manage mistakes.”
After the flurry of turnovers, the Mavericks made a spirited comeback. Carter was relentless, getting an offensive rebound and a layup with 35.9 seconds left to bring the Mavericks within 100-98.
The Mavericks forced a tough shot from Jrue Holiday and had the ball with 17.4 to go. Mayo then was fouled on a drive to the basket with 2.7 ticks showing.
When he missed the first one, he had to intentionally miss the second.
“I’ll take it every time,” Mayo said of the situation. “In and out. Then I had to miss the next one. That’s the way it goes. I thought it was in.”
The second miss got tipped out to Jae Crowder, who flipped a desperation jumper that banked off the glass and the rim but never found the net.
“I thought I banked it in,” Crowder said. “It was just a little long.”
The frantic finish came after Carlisle had juggled things at the start, inserting Crowder and Dominique Jones into the starting lineup and having Darren Collison and Elton Brand come off the bench.
The latter twosome came up big.
Brand, in his first game back in Philly, where he played four seasons, had 17 points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes. Perhaps it could be argued he deserved more time the way he was playing.
Collison energized the team off the bench with a lively all-around game.
“I love the effort,” Carlisle said. “I thought we fought our butts off. And we got unlucky when O.J. missed the first free throw.”
As for the move to bring Collison off the bench, the crux of it was to create a better defensive team to start the game. That didn’t work when the Sixers hit their first seven shots.
But owner Mark Cuban gave his seal of approval to the move.
“We’ll keep adjusting until we can find a team that wants to play defense,” Cuban said. “We’re going with what we got. Our guys should be able to defend better. It’s not good right now.”
The Mavericks took a baby step Tuesday.
It was a start. But it wasn’t nearly satisfying enough.
Follow Eddie Sefko on Twitter at @ESefko. | http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-mavericks/headlines/20121127-sefko-spirit-cant-make-up-for-mavericks-sloppy-effort-in-loss-to-76ers.ece?ssimg=802356 | 912 |
UPDATE (12:40 p.m.): Barbaro euthanized. Yes, this will be a huge story today, whether you like Barbaro or not. I will personally miss him -- don't forget: I picked him to win the Derby.
New-ish name! New-ish look! Have you read the post below about the blog's new look? (And don't forget: It's now www.danshanoff.com.)
Super Bowl XLI: The Bears arrived yesterday. The Colts arrive today. The media mayhem begins now. What I want to know: Are any of YOU going?
UPDATE: The biggest sensation of Super Bowl Week? Sarah Spain. Is she the new Jenn Sterger? Only if she parlays this into Maxim. (No, getting on da WSCR morning show in Chicago wouldn't count. Nor would an interview with Sean Salisbury on Chicago's WMVP. Has he sent his application to be her Super Bowl seat-mate via camera-phone yet? No?)
Tiger wins Buick, 7th Tour win in a row: Apparently, "parent-to-be" status is going to be pretty good for Tiger this season.
It's like Woods and Federer are playing in their own exclusive game of "Can you top this?" en route to legacies as the best ever in their respective sports.
NBA: Suns win 17th in a row. Nash has 23 pts, 15 ast. How many MVP voters are sorry they gave him the award last year (it should have gone to LeBron), because Nash is even more deserving THIS year. (But they can't possibly give him the MVP three years in a row... can they?!)
Officer Shaq: Some idiot allegedly hit Shaq's Escalade and tried to flee the scene. Little did he know that Shaq fancies himself a lawman. Shaq gave chase, caught up to the guy and
beat his ass called in the real cops to close the deal.
More NFL: Cowboys hiring Norv Turner? Really, does it even matter? It's a caretaker job until new O.C. Jason Garrett is ready. (Again: If it is ultimately Garrett's job, why not just give it to him now?)
Meanwhile, isn't the NFL fining Reggie Bush $5K for taunting Brian Urlacher superfluously adding insult to injury? After all, Bush's taunt inspired the Bears to kick the crap out of Bush's Saints.
Barbaro in trouble? He had some risky surgery this weekend, and now he's had a set-back. The Barbaro Watch is on.
College Hoops: So maybe Oregon IS the best team in the Pac-10, especially after No. 3 UCLA lost to Stanford yesterday.
Women's College Hoops: I really had high hopes for
MLB Hot Stove: Are the Red Sox really going to get Todd Helton in a trade with the
Missed this weekend? Well, for starters, my kid's very first words may very well have been the tagline for a sports-apparel company's TV ad. | http://www.danshanoff.com/2007/01/monday-0129-am-quickie-will-new-blog.html?showComment=1170081780001 | 648 |
Women's college basketball: Baylor beats Irish to cap perfect 40-0 campaign
Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
DENVER — Brittney Griner and Baylor left no doubt they're head and shoulders above any team in the country. In fact, they're perfect.
Griner had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks to lead Baylor to a dominating 80-61 victory over Notre Dame in the NCAA women's basketball championship on Tuesday night, capping a 40-0 season for the Lady Bears.
"Looking back when we get older, I'm always going to remember this moment, always going to remember confetti falling and being here with my team," Griner said as she and her teammates hugged and celebrated.
They became the seventh women's team to run through a season unbeaten and the first in NCAA history to win 40 games. It was the second national championship for Baylor, which also won a title in 2005.
Baylor did it in a nearly wire-to-wire victory, finishing with a flourish in a season when anything less than bringing a title back to Waco would have been a huge disappointment.
The 6-foot-8 Griner was right at the center when the Lady Bears took control. Every time Notre Dame made a run in the second half to cut into the deficit, Griner had an answer. She showed a wide array of post moves hitting turnaround jumpers and hooks that the Irish had no way to stop — even when they collapsed around her.
"Brittney Griner comes to work every day," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "A lot of great players think they're all that and they half go through drills and they come to practice and they dog it. That child comes to work and brings her work pail every day."
Notre Dame fell short in the title game for the second straight season. The Irish lost to Texas A&M by six points last year.
Coach Muffet McGraw's senior-heavy crew did finish the season with a decided edge over rival Connecticut — the Irish won the Big East regular-season title and defeated the Huskies in three-of-four meetings, including the national semifinal.
But like every other team this year, Notre Dame couldn't solve Baylor and the most dominant player in women's basketball.
"She made great shots, she's a great player," McGraw said. "She was unstoppable."
Griner, selected The Associated Press player of the year, also was named most outstanding player of the tournament.
"We wouldn't be here without my team," the junior said. "All the awards — none of that means anything. If I don't have my team here, we can't get this."
All-American point guard Skylar Diggins did all she could to keep the Irish (36-4) in the game, scoring 20 points. But senior Natalie Novosel had just five points, going 0-for-11 from the field. Devereaux Peters, also playing in her final game, was saddled with foul trouble because of Griner. She scored seven points.
Diggins "played a great game," McGraw said. "She's just a big-time player and she didn't get a lot of help today."
Like Griner, Diggins has pledged to return for her senior year — both could join the WNBA — and will try to make a third run at the title.
Notre Dame had an early 9-8 lead before Baylor took over with a 12-2 run. The Irish were down by 14 in the first half before cutting their deficit to 34-28 at the break. They got as close as 42-39 and had the ball, but Griner asserted herself, scoring nine of the next 19 points for Baylor to seal the victory.
"They went on a run there," Diggins said. "I just remember we cut it down to three and went on a run. I saw 10, 12, 14, 16, 19. We couldn't get rebounds when they missed shots."
- BYU basketball: Dave Rose hoping Tyler Haws'...
- Stump the Smith: Can you answer the questions...
- Utah Jazz: No lottery luck, so Jazz remain in...
- ESPN trivia guru: University of Utah graduate...
- High school softball: Copper Hills earns a...
- 4 reasons why you need to paraglide at Point...
- Hard work, dedication pay off for Utah's Karl...
- Results from Tuesday's high school softball,...
- High school baseball: 5A, 4A state... 55
- BYU basketball: Dave Rose hoping Tyler... 24
- Bodyguards allegedly beat up 2 fans who... 19
- Utah Jazz: No lottery luck, so Jazz... 19
- Dick Harmon: BYU coach Mike Littlewood... 15
- Utah State football: New coach Matt... 11
- Hard work, dedication pay off for... 11
- If hired, Jeff Hornacek will face same... 10 | http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765565777/Womens-college-basketball-Baylor-beats-Irish-to-cap-perfect-40-0-campaign.html | 1,033 |
Dave Einsel, Associated Press
HOUSTON — Carlo Festuccia, Edoardo Gori and Kristopher Shaun Burton scored on tries and Italy took advantage of two American red cards in the second half to beat the United States 30-10 in a rugby match Saturday night.
The match was the first international, non-soccer event held at the downtown, soccer-specific stadium, which opened in May. The announced attendance was 17,214, a record for a U.S. match on American soil.
Riccardo Bocchino made three penalty kicks and two conversion kicks for the Italians. Paul Emerick scored the lone try for the Americans before he was ejected in the second half for an illegal tackle. Andrew Suniula also earned a red card for the Americans, who played two men down for the final 23 minutes.
Italy took the lead less than three minutes into the game, when Festuccia scooped up an errant lineout throw by the Americans, outran the U.S. defenders to the line and grounded the ball for the try.
Left-footed fullback Chris Wyles booted an early penalty kick, but Bocchino answered with a penalty kick only two minutes later for a 10-3 lead for the Italians.
The Americans drove deep into Italy's zone and Emerick made the final run set up by a lineout for the first try for the U.S. Wyles made the conversion to tie it at 10-all. Bocchino booted another penalty kick from the right side with eight minutes left in the half, and Gori found a gap in the U.S. defense and sprinted 40 yards for another Italian try.
Early in the second half, Suniula earned a red card after a late tackle on Bocchino. The U.S. defense held its own with only 14 players, but then Emerick was whistled for not wrapping up on a tackle and earned a red card.
Bocchino booted another penalty kick for a 23-10 lead, and Burton put it out of reach with a diving try in the final five minutes.
The teams were meeting for the first time since September 2011, when Italy beat the U.S. 27-10 in pool play of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Mike Tolkin was hired as the new coach of the U.S. squad in February to replace Eddie O'Sullivan. Earlier this month, the Americans lost 28-25 to Canada and defeated Georgia 36-20, and Tolkin said the June matches have been a launching pad for the team's progression toward bigger events in the future.
The next World Cup comes in 2015 and the 7-on-7 version of the sport will be added to the Summer Olympics in 2016.
"We've tried to change a lot around from our team mentality, to how we play the game," Tolkin said. "This has been a starting point for us and I think we've progressed well."
Italy has already automatically qualified for the World Cup in 2015. The Italians defeated Canada 25-16 in Toronto last Friday and lost 37-22 to Argentina on June 9.
Ireland and Scotland are scheduled to play in the U.S. in the next two seasons, but the dates and venues have not been set.
- BYU basketball: Dave Rose hoping Tyler Haws'...
- Stump the Smith: Can you answer the questions...
- Utah Jazz: No lottery luck, so Jazz remain in...
- ESPN trivia guru: University of Utah graduate...
- 4 reasons why you need to paraglide at Point...
- High school softball: Copper Hills earns a...
- Results from Tuesday's high school softball,...
- Hard work, dedication pay off for Utah's Karl...
- High school baseball: 5A, 4A state... 55
- BYU basketball: Dave Rose hoping Tyler... 24
- Bodyguards allegedly beat up 2 fans who... 19
- Utah Jazz: No lottery luck, so Jazz... 19
- Dick Harmon: BYU coach Mike Littlewood... 15
- Utah State football: New coach Matt... 11
- Hard work, dedication pay off for... 11
- If hired, Jeff Hornacek will face same... 10 | http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765585552/Italy-beats-US-30-10-in-rugby-match.html | 882 |
Johnny Bucyk Autographed Bruins Puck with Inscription
This item is in stock
Hand Signed Johnny Bucyk Hockey Puck
Choose "HOF 1981" or "556 Goals" Inscription
Autographed by Johnny Bucyk at a DC SPORTS Signing
Includes a DC SPORTS Certificate of Authenticity
Optional "DC SPORTS Authentics" Hologram Placed on Back of Puck
Johnny Bucyk signed this Hockey Puck at a DC SPORTS signing. Johnny Bucyk has appeared at DC SPORTS numerous times, most recently in 2011. All Johnny Bucyk autographs are sit-down signatures ensuring the highest quality autographs possible. All Pucks are hand-autographed using a paint pen and are shipped in protective cases to ensure they arrive safely.
Johnny Bucyk is a Hockey Hall of Famer who played most of his career with the Boston Bruins. He amassed over 500 goals and 800 assists during his 23 year NHL career. He is still the Bruins leader all-time in points scored.
All of our Johnny Bucyk Autographed Memorabilia is backed 100% by our DC SPORTS Certificate of Authenticity. We will add our Tamper-Proof Hologram to the back of each Johnny Bucyk signed puck at no charge upon request. | http://www.detroitcitysports.com/servlet/the-5303/%22Johnny-Bucyk-Autograph-Puck%22/Detail | 264 |
Lance Armstrong cheated, lied and vindictively bullied for much of his cycling career, while lifting the sport and his own profile to unprecedented heights. (Getty Images)
Please, don't pretend to be outraged or shocked by Lance Armstrong's pitiable televised penance tonight. And please, don't be duped again by the man's motive.
This is why mythology in sports is dangerous, because super-human feats can be performed by super-flawed humans. Armstrong cheated, lied and vindictively bullied for much of his cycling career, while lifting the sport and his own profile to unprecedented heights.
Now he's broken by deceit and desperate to preserve his wealth (reportedly around $100 million) and what's left of his reputation (very little). The defrocked seven-time Tour de France winner reportedly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs when he spoke with Oprah Winfrey earlier this week. The two-part interview airs tonight and Friday night, and it's important to recognize the mutual motives.
Winfrey scored the big sit-down to pump her fledgling Oprah Winfrey Network. And Armstrong granted the big interview not to seek forgiveness, but to appease the overseers of cycling and to satisfy the U.S. Justice Department, which is contemplating whether to join a whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong.
His sad plea probably won't work, because his monstrous ego won't permit a full confession. Oh, he might soften some ugly perceptions, but his name is ruined and his legal battles are just starting. It's the price one pays for arrogantly donning the cloak of invincibility.
Armstrong, 41, is a man long driven by survival instincts, from his remarkable recovery from testicular cancer to his repeated denials of cheating. He wants his lifetime ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency reduced so he can compete again in sanctioned triathlons. He wants to start over after being accused by a dozen former teammates in a USADA investigation of masterminding "the most sophisticated doping program on the planet." The report last October was devastating, yet Armstrong's initial response was to call it a "witch hunt."
Since then, most of his sponsors have dumped him and his charitable foundation pushed him away, and he deserved every blast of scorn. Armstrong finally stopped fighting the charges, but I doubt wallowing in Oprah's chair will accomplish all he hopes. He reportedly isn't supplying specific doping information, which the USADA requires to reconsider its penalties.
More likely, this is the sordid end to a complex tale that many saw coming, the Armstrong mythology stripped bare. I'm not going to pretend I care about cycling, and I'd guess many Armstrong fans didn't either until his extraordinary story began to unfold.
He overcame cancer to become one of the dominant athletes in the world, racing through the French Alps every year, chased by those bitter foreigners who dared to challenge our mighty American. At the same time, he was raising millions for cancer patients through his foundation, Livestrong.
That money is real and the impact important, and in the grand scheme, Livestrong's good outweighs Armstrong's bad. But fundraising isn't quite as noble if you're also raising millions for yourself, and doing it under false pretenses. It's not nearly as honorable when you not only deny every charge, but try to destroy your accusers.
Former teammate Floyd Landis, also accused of doping, has filed a federal whistle-blowing lawsuit against Armstrong for allegedly defrauding the U.S. Postal Service, the team's sponsor.
Others who were threatened and attacked by Armstrong are set to fight back, including the Sunday Times of London, which once paid $500,000 to settle a libel suit brought by Armstrong. Another former teammate, Frankie Andreu, was publicly lambasted when he and his wife, Betsy, first suggested Armstrong was cheating.
In sports and in life, people want to believe in the unbelievable. That's why baseball's home-run era was so wildly celebrated. Now, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and other steroid-tainted stars are punished in absentia by Hall of Fame voters.
It's difficult to know anymore which great feats you can trust. Steroids and other drugs have haunted the Olympics, football and baseball. Coaches held up as paragons of decency — Joe Paterno, Jim Tressel — have been revealed as something else entirely.
Armstrong truly was unbelievable, winning races in a sport rife with cheating. All the while, he tried to convince people he was one of the last clean riders, beating his competitors with pure sweat and determination. Ha.
I'll watch the Oprah interview mainly because I'm fascinated by the performance, such as it is. Will he shed tears of remorse, or just peel off the outer layer, enough to satisfy his accusers?
In an interview on "CBS This Morning," Winfrey said she was "satisfied" with the two-and-a-half-hour taping, but revealed little about the depths of Armstrong's admission.
"I would say he did not come clean in the manner I expected," Winfrey said. "We were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers. … I wouldn't characterize him as contrite, but I'll let people make their own conclusions."
Maybe he isn't capable of sincere contrition. He never showed it before, even amid the evidence in the 1,000-page USADA report. Armstrong pulled it off for a long time, effectively as anyone in American sports history. He might be done doping, but no matter what he reveals, I doubt he's done duping.
More Bob Wojnowski
- The time is now for Red Wings; goalie Jimmy Howard could hold key
- Red Wings hitting Blackhawks like they mean it, grab series lead
- Once-grizzled Wings proving youth is served in postseason
- After a little rest, donít count Red Wings out yet
- Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard is up for the challenge against Blackhawks
- Red Wings' steely resolve belies their youth; Blackhawks up next
- Wings-Ducks series has been good to the last gasp | http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130117/OPINION03/301170353/1345/Minor-leagues-full-free-agents-including-ex-Detroit-Tigers/Lance-Armstrong-a-prisoner-of-his-lies | 1,284 |
All’s well at Bywell for the pacesetters
FC GAWTHORPE maintained their 100 per cent start in Wakefield League Division One with a sixth straight win.
Gawthorpe, who play at Bywell Fields in Dewsbury, have put together a team of well-known local players and they proved too strong for Weavers Arms last Saturday, running out 6-1 winners.
Tim Clarke, James Blane and Craig Gomersall bagged a brace apiece for Gawthorpe, who are five points clear of second placed Black Swan Normanton.
Gawthorpe travel to bottom side Woodhouse Hill WMC on Saturday aiming for a seventh straight win before hosting Howden Clough in the Wheatley Cup on September 17.
Battyeford Airedale Celtic are up to fourth, eight points behind Gawthorpe with a game in hand, after they overcame Ossett Two Brewers 6-0.
Daniel Sullivan and Tim Bruce led the way with two goals apiece, while Charlie Frear and Anthony Sowden also netted.
Dewsbury Rangers are level on 10 points with Battyeford but have played two games more.
Goals from Rob Smith, Asa Audsley and a Jonny Ginnelly penalty secured Rangers a 3-1 win at home to Inns of Court.
Savile Youth eased into the second round of the Spen Valley Cup with an 8-1 victory over Norfolk thanks to a hat-trick from Bobat and further strikes by Polfi (two), I Hazi, Adam Hazi and Zee.
Fanni and Zazam were on target for Ravensthorpe Rangers as they bowed out 4-2 to Girlington, despite leading at half-time, while Howden Clough suffered a 6-3 defeat against Fairbank.
Bulls Head Dewsbury eased to a 6-1 victory over Inter Batley thanks to a Sam Pickles hat-trick and one apiece from Ryan Simmons, Adam Gibson and Danny Hobbat.
Ravensthorpe Bulls turned a 2-1 half-time lead into a 5-1 success away to BD3 United Reserves (Faisal) as goals from Liam Platt, Lee Ashton, Adam Nichols and a Paul Beaumont brace booked their place in the second round.
Marsh eased into the third round of the cup thanks to a 4-1 win over Vision, with Steven Swift, Danny Stocks, Chris Blackburn and Mark Wigley bagging a goal each against a consolation from Lewis Playburn.
Matty Jubb bagged a hat-trick for Cleckheaton Sporting but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 6-3 defeat to Heckmondwike Sports, as Luke Barraclough bagged four goals, while Craig Sykes and Jake Hirst struck one each.
Two second-half goals without reply secured Soothill a 3-1 win at ALC Utd in the only Spen Valley League Division One game to be played last Saturday. Des Dixon’s first-half goal for ALC saw the sides level at the break but Soothill secured all three points with goals from Raffa (two) and Andrew Barnes.
Search for a job
Search for a car
Search for a house
Weather for Dewsbury
Thursday 23 May 2013
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 30 mph
Wind direction: North east | http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/sport/local-sport/all-s-well-at-bywell-for-the-pacesetters-1-5108280 | 739 |
The DJ has produced a brand new song to soundtrack the beverage's 2012 television advert, which is due to launch later this year.
The campaign has also been backed by iconic footballers Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere and Sergio 'Kun' Agüero.
Harris said: "Working with Pepsi on their 2012 campaign has been great. When Pepsi approached me I knew I wanted to make a song that would blend music with football that both fans around the world would love.
"It's pretty special to personally star in the ad alongside such well known footballers too."
Agüero added: "I think this is going to be one of those Pepsi ads that everyone wants to watch over and over again. I can't wait for my fans to see it."
The advert is described as fusing "speed, flair and tempo of football, together with the energy, rhythm and passion of music". It sees the players kick off a game of football on "a very different pitch from what they're used to".
Harris was recently named as the most successful songwriter of 2011 after scoring a global hit with Rihanna's 'We Found Love' in addition to his own singles 'Bounce' and 'Feel So Close'.
> Ten Things About... Calvin Harris
Watch Calvin Harris's music video for 'Feel So Close' below: | http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a367023/calvin-harris-writes-song-for-pepsi-max-music-campaign.html?rss | 284 |
Alley teamed with Chmerkovskiy on the ABC dancing series in 2011, eventually finishing as runner-up to the winners Hines Ward and Kym Johnson.
The Cheers actress told Access Hollywood that Gilbert could make it all the way to this season's Dancing with the Stars final if she follows Chmerkovskiy's strategies.
"In my opinion, he's probably the best teacher, but he's really hardcore," the actress said. "I always said this to Maks, 'Here's this wall!' and his job is to push me through it, I just didn't know how hard it was gonna [be]. It's like 'Boom!'"
She continued: "You sort of need that, especially from the middle [of the season] on, you really need someone to really be pushing you through.
"I don't know about these other girls, but you're going way beyond what you probably have ever accomplished."
Gilbert is pitted against fellow celebrities Katherine Jenkins, Jaleel White, Sherri Shepherd and Jack Wagner in her bid to win the mirrorball trophy.
Dancing with the Stars premieres Monday, March 19 on ABC.
> Sherri Shepherd on DWTS: 'I'll ask Clinton, Walters for votes'
> Katherine Jenkins explains Dancing with the Stars launch absence | http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s92/dancingwiththestars/news/a369048/kirstie-alley-maksim-will-take-melissa-gilbert-far-on-dwts.html | 272 |
Bree Olson, who was in a relationship with Sheen and Natalie Kenly, broke up with the former Two and a Half Men star in Toronto over the weekend, reports TMZ.
The reports suggests that Olson left Sheen once before in March, but they reconciled later. Kenly is said to still be with Sheen.
Olson and Kenly have been traveling with Sheen during his 'My Violent Torpedo of Truth' tour, which hit Toronto last week.
The star also arranged a bipolar awareness walk in the city on Friday.
Earlier this month, Sheen declared that he wanted Black Swan's Mila Kunis to move in with him and his two girlfriends.
A source revealed that Kunis had no desire to become one of Sheen's goddesses. | http://www.digitalspy.com/celebrity/news/a315237/charlie-sheen-splits-from-goddess-bree-olson.html | 156 |
Jennifer Lopez wants to marry her boyfriend Casper Smart, according to reports.
The 42-year-old singer is thought to be ready for a fourth trip down the aisle after announcing that she was parting ways with Marc Anthony last July.
A source told Us Weekly: "She's telling friends she wants to marry Casper. She's certain she wants to be with Casper forever."
At a press conference for her upcoming world tour with Enrique Iglesias and Wisin Y Yandel, Lopez announced that her partner of six months will play a vital part in putting her show together as co-choreographer.
"I'm working with [choreographer] Jamie King, and also Casper Smart. It's going to be an amazing, amazing show," she confirmed.
Lopes added that the event will be "one of the most historic tours ever," saying: "There's never been something like this, where Latinos come together like this... It's international - English and Spanish.
"I just think it's very groundbreaking. I was honored to be asked to be a part of it."
American Idol judge Lopez has previously been married to restaurant waiter Ojani Noa and former backing dancer Chris Judd.
Watch the video to 'Dance Again' by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull below: | http://www.digitalspy.com/celebrity/news/a379934/jennifer-lopez-ready-to-marry-boyfriend-casper-smart.html | 269 |
Something about Venus Williams was shocking today in Melbourne and I'm not just talking about her sneaky pink shorts.
The Wimbledon champ put in a shaky performance down the stretch against '07 Roland Garros quarterfinalist Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round and was unceremoniously dumped out 6-2, 3-6, 5-7 after holding a 5-2 lead and a match point in the third. The Spaniard will battle compatriot Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez for a spot in the Round of 16.
Though the stats of the two lady ballers were relatively even (28-26 winners, 37-32 errors, 60-63 first serve percentage, 5 double faults each), V admitted the Spaniard was the better baller in the crucial moments:
Q. Do you think maybe you played a little bit too defensively in the third set?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I wasn't in control of the points. I definitely noticed that she kept getting the first shot. I was definitely playing defense. I'm definitely used to dictating the points a little bit more. It was kind of a pattern that wasn't the best for me.
Q. How heavy were her balls?It was V's earliest exit from Melbourne since 2006 when she went down to Tszvetana Pironkova in the first round.
VENUS WILLIAMS: She hit a lot of good balls. I felt like I was hitting my balls a little too short. I think she was taking good advantage of that.
Q. Were you feeling a hundred percent out there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Like I said, I think she just played well. Really, really played well.
Oh Boy. There are going to be a few bookies, pundits, and fans alike who'll be kicking themselves after hearing this news today as she was a top pick to take home her first Aussie Open crown. However, as I mentioned in my preview, the 28-year old has only made the final once in 10 attempts and is traditionally a slow starter to the season. Regardless, this loss is a major upset.
But a huge congrats to Carla on the tremendous win and I hope she carries this momentum far into the tourney!
(image via Getty) | http://www.downthelinetennis.com/2009/01/venus-shocked-by-carla-gets-dumped-out.html?showComment=1232661600000 | 472 |
UPC # 885681359889
Combined performance and technology into a lightweight soccer shoe that is certain to maximize your speed and stability. The ASICS® Lethal Flash DS soccer cleats are built on a millimeter heel gradient which stabilizes your body and focuses weight forward to reduce lower body strain.
- Synthetic leather upper
- Lightweight Solyte® midsole
- Polyurethane outsole for added traction
- Cleated plate for outdoor soccer fields
- View more Men's ASICS shoes | http://www.dsw.com/shoe/asics+men's+lethal+flash+ds+5+soccer+cleats?prodId=269693&category=dsw12cat1740106&activeCats=dsw12cat1740006,dsw12cat1740106 | 108 |
Pirates Drop Season-Opening Meet To UNC
Oct. 8, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- The East Carolina men and women's swimming and diving team were swept by North Carolina in their season-opening dual meet Thursday night at Minges Aquatic Center. The Pirate men dropped a 187-105 decision, while the women fell to the Tar Heels, 183-105.
"This was a good opener for us," Pirate coach Rick Kobe said. "We had several kids who were out sick, so our other kids really had to step up tonight. I'm very pleased with the effort and very proud of the way they competed."
Junior Andrew Stoker was the top performer for the men as he claimed the Pirates' lone first-place finish of the meet with a time of 50.71 in the 100-yard butterfly. Stoker also scored in the 200-yard butterfly with a fourth-place finish.
Junior Thiago Cavalcanti had a pair of top three finishes, as he placed second in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 1000-yard freestyle. Fellow classmate Ailton Temotio scored in both the sprint free events with a second-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle and fourth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle.
On the women's side, junior Jenna Stewart earned a second-place finish in both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle, while sophomore Kelsey Brosi recorded a pair of third place finishes in the 50 and 200-yard freestyle.
Sophomore diver Meghan Coyne qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships with a Minges Pool record score of 269.40 on the one-meter springboard. Freshman Kirstie Russell earned a fourth-place finish on the one-meter board with a score of 240.75.
On the men's side three freshman Tyler Dunsmore, Ian Hogan and Alex Cohen placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
On the three-meter springboard, Russell placed third with a score of 236.78 and Coyne placed fourth Cohen placed fifth on the men's side with Dunsmore finishing sixth.
The Pirates return to dual meet competition Saturday, Oct. 16, against Gardner-Webb. The meet is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start in Boiling Springs. | http://www.ecupirates.com/sports/c-swim/recaps/100809aab.html | 481 |
Posted on September 11, 2012 AT 04:27pm
All it’s missing is the Zamboni
With another NHL lockout looming over the 2012-2013 season, folks who prefer frozen ponds to pitches and gridiron are itching to get their fix. That means that there may be added pressure this year for EA Canada’s NHL franchise to step up and deliver a lifelike experience, since this game might have to tide hockey fans over for the entire winter. Fortunately, in most regards, NHL 13 does indeed rise to this challenge.
The most notable addition to this year’s game is the True Performance Skating physics system. More so than ever before, momentum and contact with other players will affect your skaters in the most realistic ways ever seen in a hockey videogame. As soon as you start a game—whether in Exhibition, Be a GM, Be a Pro, or any other of the classic returning game modes—tactics that you’ve used in the past need to be thrown out the window. In fact, you’ll have to think more like an actual NHL player now if you hope to succeed in this game.
Once you get used to accidentally slamming yourself into the boards over and over again, you’ll probably notice the improved positioning and difficultly in getting around your opponents—and that’s because of an overhauled AI system. Opposing skaters, more than ever before, move exactly as they would in real life; you’ll feel like you need to pull out a dry-erase board before too long and start drawing up plays to get around it.
But even if you should find a way by the AI players, there’s always the goaltender waiting at the end. He’s the most important part of any team—and the best teams are always built from the netminder outward. And since a lot of flaws from last year’s version are now fixed—the wraparound glitch foremost among them—goalies now have dozens of new animations that allow them to react and play the puck better than ever before. If you’re not smart, you could end up making some scrubs like look brick walls, but no matter what, you’re going to have to work for your goals.
So, the gameplay’s seen a facelift for the better, but as far forward as NHL 13 may go in terms of the on-ice action, in other areas, it seems like EA Canada’s taken a step back. The new, broader rating system is one of these areas. I personally liked having players rated by their roles in a system, and I liked knowing if my winger was a tough guy or a sniper—it helped me lay out my four lines accordingly. Instead, players are simply broken down into forwards, defensemen, and goalies, and I have to look more closely than before at everyone’s individual stats to decide if this is the guy I want on the ice to send a physical message, or if he’s going to be taking faceoffs for me on the power play.
Another knock against NHL 13 is that even though the opposing GM AI is touted as “improved,” I think it looks more like it’s been lobotomized. I appreciate that the game highlights players who are more likely to be traded than others by an organization. But if you try to acquire a player who isn’t highlighted, the computer seems adamant on preventing you from getting him. Even when I tried to do the real-life trade the Rangers did with the Blue Jackets for Rick Nash, the computer refused! (Obviously, I played before roster patches went live, so I was trying to make the league as accurate as possible). I even tried sweetening the deal so it was better than the real-life one with extra first-round draft picks. And still, the computer refused me!
Despite a handful of infuriating moments like these, NHL 13 is still probably the best hockey experience yet once you actually take the ice. Plus, a lot of the other modes have a few new goodies sprinkled in to liven up those experiences. Be a Legend has all-new faces, including a pair of female Olympians, and the game also offers a new playoff format for Hockey Ultimate Team. Finally, the Be a Pro mode features the ability to demand a trade once you become a big enough star. All in all, this is a step in the right direction for the NHL franchise, and it gives me a lot of hope for future iterations.
SUMMARY: The actual gameplay is leaps and bounds ahead of NHL 13’s predecessors, but the GM AI has taken a couple steps backward in noticeable—and discouraging—ways.
- THE GOOD: New physics system adds previously unseen levels of gameplay nuances.
- THE BAD: Presentation and GM AI is worse than in prior years.
- THE UGLY: Having my New York Rangers stand by and watch as the Los Angeles Kings raise their Stanley Cup banner to start the season! Argh!
NHL 13 is available on Xbox 360 and PS3. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.
Today's Top 10 Stories
Top Partner Stories
Website Interface © 2012 EGM Digital Media, LLC. | http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-nhl-13/ | 1,097 |
- Ryder Cup
Montgomerie warns McGinley about captaincy hopes
Colin Montgomerie believes Tom Watson's appointment as United States captain for the Ryder Cup in 2014 should not affect who Europe appoint to the role.
Montgomerie, the victorious European leader at Celtic Manor in 2010, is aware that Watson - one of golf's all-time greats - will bring an extra stature and prestige to the American side.
But he hopes that will not affect the selection of Europe's opposite number, with Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke believed to be the frontrunners.
"Has it changed our view of who we should put up against him?" Montgomerie said of Watson's appointment. "It shouldn't because, irrespective of who the Americans have selected, we should be selecting the best man for the job.
"Surely that shouldn't change. We can't suddenly say he's no good because of what America have done. I think it will put a wee bit extra pressure on our captain, especially in all the stuff that leads up to the Ryder Cup, the year to go celebrations etc.
"Tom Watson's stature is second to none and we certainly need someone who can liaise with people, speak to them etc. They also can't be intimidated by Tom. But all that goes down to the best man for the job, whoever that might be."
Montgomerie revealed that a vote will be employed to choose the next Ryder Cup captain, hinting that McGinley - a valued assistant at the last two Ryder Cups - is not guaranteed to be elevated to the top job.
"For the first time, there is going to be a committee vote between two candidates and that will start off in Abu Dhabi next month," Montgomerie added. "Paul was very good at the Seve Trophy. He was also very good as a backroom member at the Ryder Cup. He was very good with me and I believe he was very good with [Jose Maria] Olazabal [in 2012].
"But, for me, it goes back to this best man for the job business. Just because it's your turn doesn't necessarily mean it will be you.
"There are certain people who are meant to be in charge of a team and some who are not." | http://www.espn.co.uk/golf/sport/story/184706.html | 476 |
Annie Park shot a 5-under 67 and Southern California had a record-setting 12-under total Wednesday to open a 12-stroke lead during the second round of the NCAA Women's Golf Championships.
May 22 9:02 PM ET
Candi Whitaker's introduction as Texas Tech's basketball coach was probably news to many Lady Raider fans on Wednesday.
May 22 4:32 PM ET
Tennessee's Raven Chavanne and Oklahoma's Lauren Chamberlain and Keilani Ricketts are the three finalists for USA Softball college player of the year, the Amateur Softball Association of America and USA Softball announced Wednesday.
May 22 4:18 PM ET | By espnW.com
May 22 2:07 PM ET | By Graham Hays
No. 12 seed Stanford defeated third-seeded Texas A&M to win the NCAA women's tennis championship.
May 21 11:22 PM ET
Mitchell Frank rallied in the decisive match and second-seeded Virginia defeated top-seeded UCLA 4-3 Tuesday to win its first NCAA men's tennis championship.
May 21 11:18 PM ET
Check out the latest high school recruiting news, features and rankings from HoopGurlz:
• Alexa Middleton chasing WNBA dream »
• Jatarie White takes leadership to new level »
• Stares follow stars on All-Ohio AAU team »
• Jessica Jackson set to elevate Arkansas »
• Final four recruits watching, learning »
• Power Rankings: Riverdale finishes No. 1 »
• Analysis: Top 20 2013 recruiting classes »
• Class of 2014: The Super 60 »
• Class of 2015: The Terrific 25 » | http://www.espn.go.com/espnw/college-sports/?topId=9070602 | 348 |
White line fever
February 25, 2012
Will Greenwood goes over for one of his three scores against Wales in 2001 © Getty Images
Rising Welsh star George North will be hoping to wreak havoc in the England defence on Saturday and add to his two tries against their Six Nations foes - but he has some way to go to match the most prolific try-scorers in this 131-year-old rivalry.
The all-time stats feature some illustrious names but there are some notable omissions with the recently-retired Shane Williams - Wales' most celebrated try-scorer - missing from those players to have crossed the whitewash the most times.
Llewellyn's efforts all came at the turn of the 20th century but it is the four tries scored on his debut which propelled him into the history books. It was the first time a Welsh player had scored a hat-trick in a competitive match with his efforts helping his nation to just their fourth ever victory over England.
And Bebb - the man with the epic initials DIE Bebb - also marked his debut for Wales with a try. Bebb went on to share in the Five Nations successes of 1964, 1965 and 1966 and his final appearance in a Welsh jersey, on April 15, 1967, saw him once again prove to be a thorn in England's side.
Davies was a key component of Wales' golden generation in the 1970s. The side swept all before them as they took the Championship title in 1970, 1975, 1979 and Grand Slams in 1971, 1976 and 1978. Davies' international career came to an end in 1978 with their last clean sweep of a sensational era but his most telling contribution arguably came at the start of the decade. His double against England in Cardiff in 1971 - coupled with three more in the remaining three matches - guided them to their first Slam since 1952.
Davies' long-time team-mate JPR Williams trails his contemporary on five scores. He is joined on that mark by Jehoida Hodges - the first Welsh forward to get a hat-trick - but he cannot rival JPR's reputation as another member of the aforementioned 'golden generation'.
JPR's double in 1976 guided Wales to their biggest ever win over their old foes at Twickenham; and all that with blood streaming down his face. The nature of his side's victory was not enough to impress Welsh skipper Mervyn Davies but he did heap praise on key member of his side. "Only in one respect was it the best," he commented, "the phenomenal performance of JPR Williams".
While Shane Williams failed to trouble the English defence as much as Llewellyn et al, his first ever try against England in 2005 proved crucial in their charge to a first Grand Slam since the glory days of 1978.
While Wales laboured in the early part of the 21st century in the Championship, rivals England took three Championships between 2000 and their World Cup winning year of 2003. And at the forefront of England's dominance of Wales in those years was Will Greenwood. The centre scored seven times for his country against Wales between 1998 and 2004 including a hat-trick at the Millennium Stadium in their 44-15 victory in 2001. And the British & Irish Lions international continued as the scourge of Welsh rugby with tries in their 2002 and 2003 encounters.
Hot on Greenwood's heals are Gregory Wade and Rory Underwood with six apiece in matches between the two European powerhouses. Wade's came at the turn of the century with his efforts coming in just four matches while Underwood's were spread over 14 Test appearances. Four of Underwood's six came towards the end of his England career with scores in 1995 and 1996 helping England claim the Five Nations title.
While Greenwood was gaining plaudits for his hat-trick exploits against Wales in 2001, the only man to have since matched the feat was turning out for Orrell in National League One. Nick Easter, now of Harlequins, became only the second England forward to score a hat-trick in matches between these two nations in 2007 when he crossed the line four times at Twickenham in their 2007 World Cup warm-up match.
North is joined on his tally of two scores by England flyer Chris Ashton but with age on their side, the pair have every chance of etching their name into the try-scoring history books.
With both current squads laced with youthful exuberance, there's a crux of players taking to the field on Saturday all capable of reaching the heights of Greenwood, Llewellyn and Davies - but even the most glory hunting of wingers would take a 3-0 win in the age old rivalry if it was offered to them now.
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
Tom Hamilton is the Assistant Editor of ESPNscrum.
"If there was a cross breed of canine called an Underdogdoodle it would win best in show at Crufts." Mark Durden-Smith looks at the Aviva Premiership Final
With the Lions' tour to Australia fast-approaching, ESPN's Austin Healey and Mark Durden-Smith sat down to share their memories of the 2001 trip Down Under
Ask John answers questions on the Leopards' tour to Italy in 1974, brotherly Test sides, Pat McGrath, England's games against the Barbarians and Jacques Brunel
"We were only five metres away in the last Test of getting that try and with Jonny's inevitable conversion, we'd have won it." Tom Hamilton talks to Lions fullback Matt Perry | http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/story/160085.html | 1,137 |
Men's G-III Detroit Lions Tailgate Transition FZ FleeceItem no: 13100527 Price: $104.99
**Gift Wrap Available - Details
Note: Shipping restrictions may apply.
Remember, no sales tax except in FL, IL, KY, NY, OH, PA and TX.
Announce your pigskin pride on game day in the men's G-III® Tailgate Transition full-zip fleece sweatshirt! Your all-star NFL® team's logo and name appear in bold embroidery, while contrast colors on the sleeves, cuffs, and waistband add an extra boost to this coveted tailgater staple.
- 80% cotton, 20% polyester
- Hooded sweatshirt
- NFL® team logo embroidered on left chest; name embroidered on back
- Contrast stripes on cuffs, waistband, and sleeves
- Drawstring hood
- Full-length zipper
- Officially licensed
- Made in China | http://www.espnshop.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13100527 | 205 |
Working for the NBC affiliate in NASCAR's backyard, Storm was forced to figure it out pretty quickly in order to contribute to the weekend specials the Charlotte station produced.
"We did a lot of NASCAR specials, and I did a lot of running up to guys when they would wreck their cars and say, 'What happened?'" Storm recalled of her 1988-89 stop in North Carolina. "So that was not easy. I learned NASCAR from the ground up. I knew zero about it—I'd just come from Texas—and this was NASCAR immersion."
Storm came full circle last week when she returned to Charlotte to film "NASCAR Face-to-Face with Hannah Storm," a one-hour conversation special with the ESPN SportsCenter anchor that will air Tuesday night. It's the fourth installment of Storm's "Face-to-Face" series, but first featuring NASCAR drivers.
The episode features Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski, who are currently locked in a two-man race for the Sprint Cup championship, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Storm's previous "Face-to-Face" programs have taken her bowling with Dwight Howard, back to the park where Cam Newton threw footballs with his family as a child, and to lunch with Aaron Rodgers at his favorite restaurant.
But with two races to go in NASCAR's title-deciding Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, Storm felt NASCAR was
"I have such an affinity for the NASCAR community and I really wanted it to be a 'Face-to-Face' special," she said. "It's 1-on-1 with each of the four drivers, an access piece on a personal level that has a 'Barbara Walters Special' type feel. It's just me and them, very little track time, very little voice over, almost entirely conversation.
"It's classic programming that doesn't exist in sports programming. It takes people outside of a press conference or off a sideline, and they like it because they want to get to know the athletes a little bit. The show peels it back a little bit and gives them a glimpse, shows them that these are real people."
Although Storm knew the late Dale Earnhardt, her sit-down with Earnhardt Jr. is her first extensive time with NASCAR's most popular driver. She toured his property and Whisky River, the western town he created on his land.
"He was and always has been one of those athletes that I've found incredibly interesting," Storm said of Earnhardt, who recently sat out two races because of concussions.
Storm spends her time with Stewart on a photo shoot with the three-time champion "that speaks to his own crazy life."
With Johnson, who goes into Sunday's race at Phoenix in search of his sixth championship, Storm went through a Charlotte art gallery viewing an exhibit of family photos from the self-published book "On The Road" that chronicles the 2011 Chase for Johnson and his wife and daughter.
"He and Chandra took us through the art gallery and talked about being parents, having a young child out on the road, telling their story of losing, what's their attitude of having a young family," Storm said. "It was really nice because there are very few interviews of them together."
Keselowski was the adventurous one for Storm.
He pulled up to the interview and did celebratory burnouts in his street car, then took Storm to a shooting range where she fired a gun for the first time in her life. After that it was off to Penske Racing, where Storm said the shop was so clean, "you could eat off the floor."
"Brad is such a delight for an interviewer," Storm said. "He just says it without any regard. He's very thoughtful and he's very smart. He's one of those guys that has to be constantly in motion, and he was unexpected and it was so much fun. I just didn't think I'd be target shooting with Brad Keselowski.
"It's neat being in someone else's world. It's a cool little piece." | http://www.eveningsun.com/sports/ci_21932840/hannah-storm-goes-depth-4-nascar-stars | 839 |
It's been eight years since Russia last stood atop the podium in the pairs event at Worlds. Since Tatiana Totmianina/Maxim Marinin won it twice in 2004 and 2005, it's been all Germany and China. But next week at the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships, favorite status rests on a Russian pair, just in time for next year's as Russia hosts the Olympics.
Schedule: Universal Sports/CBC/Eurosport
This time last year, Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov were a death spiral away from the World title. They skated one of the best pairs' free skates in recent memory to pull themselves from eighth to take the silver, just 0.11 behind Germany's Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy, who won their fourth World title.
There's been something oddly flat about Savchenko/Szolkowy this season, losing to Volosozhar/Trankov for the first time ever at Europeans in January. Savchenko suffered from an illness that took them out of their second Grand Prix. This rematch of the rival pairs will certain be interesting, with the Russians having the clear momentum coming in.
Wide open for the bronze?
Most would agree that there is now a gap between the two favorites and the rest of the field. But the bronze is really up for grabs. You can't talk about pairs without bringing in the Chinese - Qing Pang/Jian Tong, who have won Worlds twice, will be competing in their 15th consecutive Worlds. You'd normally put them in the same category as the two favorites, but their inconsistency has made it tough for them to shine lately. Teammates Wenjing Sui/Cong Han, ninth last year, are slated to compete for the first time all season. Both pairs have been having issues with injuries this season.
Canada could have its first pair on the podium since 2008, bringing two very strong pairs who have been accelerating all season. Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford recently won the biggest title of their career at Four Continents, just ahead of teammates Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch. You can be sure they both have their eyes on the prize.
But perhaps flying under the radar the most are Russia's Vera Bazarova/Yuri Larionov, who are starting to come into their own this season. Teammate Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov, twice the bronze medalists, are always a threat. And Italy's Stefania Berton/Ondrej Hotarek have been having their best season ever, most recently with their first medal at Europeans, a bronze. | http://www.examiner.com/article/2013-world-championships-preview-pairs-russia-has-waited-eight-years?cid=rss | 554 |
“Kimi and Vettel enjoy an armwrestling match between races”
Okay, what about this one?
@kingshark: It was obvious that you were the winner with that win worthy caption. Now we are captioning Lucas Wilson’s (@full-throttle-f1) picture.
Kimi: “Can anybody see this booger? I dug this out in lap 10, saved it on the DRS buttton.”
Kimi: should I fully deploy the finger?? Nawwww I know what I´m doing….
Kimi: Seriously, have you seen the bloke beside me on the podium? His eyebrows… are that big!
“I was going to imitate Vettel, but my arthritis got in the way”
We have a winner – @vettel1.
@aish yay! I think this photo (http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/saub-guti-sepa-2013-3.jpg) from the Malaysian GP photos could result in some good captions!
Or of course this one which is already being used in the comments section for whenever we’ve exhausted the others!
And this is the ‘Oi Carlos, can I have some more pesos por favor’ button.
Now where’s the Jenson button on this steering wheel? I’m starting to feel awkwardly unbalanced around here.
Don’t you forget to change your gearbox!
@kingshark: lol :) I see what you did there.
This thread is dead already? :(
Caption on Gutierrez: This is my steering wheel. It has a lot of buttons. This one is for… errr…. KERS I think… no no no. It is for DRS. Anyway… start driving.
Advert | Go Ad-free
Log in or create an F1 Fanatic account.
Adverts | Go Ad-free
Sebastian Vettel | Mark Webber | Fernando Alonso | Felipe Massa | Jenson Button | Sergio Perez | Kimi Raikkonen | Romain Grosjean | Nico Rosberg | Lewis Hamilton | All 2013 F1 drivers
Red Bull | Ferrari | McLaren | Lotus | Mercedes | All 2013 F1 teams
© 2013 Keith Collantine | http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/groups/f1/forum/topic/put-your-words-in-their-mouth/?topic_page=2&num=15 | 506 |
2008: Sidelined with a knee injury.
New Orleans Bowl: Saw action in the program's first bowl appearance...suffered an injury during kick-off.
2007: Played in seven games as both a fullback and on special teams...credited with a carry against Kentucky, Florida and Florida International...season-long rush was five yards at Florida and returned a kick at UF for 15 yards...also had a reception at FIU for a score.
2006: Played in seven games both as a fullback and on special teams...recorded two tackle assists, one in each of his final two games, North Texas and FIU...play was praised by Schnellenberger, especially blocking during mid-season's thin roster.
High School: Played for Paul Friel at Merritt Island High School, where he was a three-year letterman and starter...earned All-Conference honors and was named third-team All-Brevard County...rushed for 820 yards and 10 touchdowns while also scoring two touchdowns from the defensive side of the ball...recorded 55 solo tackles as a senior, earning a spot on the Brevard County All-Star Game...three-sport athlete (football, basketball and track)...served as the basketball team's captain as a senior...two-year letterman in basketball and track.
Personal: Health administration major...son of Greg and Sheryl Watkins...born Feb. 1, 1986, in Sanford, IL. | http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/watkins_kyle00.html | 297 |
Candice Freel had her sixth shutout of the season against Northern Iowa.
March 13, 2004
BOCA RATON, FL - Florida Atlantic University defeated Northern Iowa, 2-0, before falling to Rhode Island, 3-1, Saturday on the second day of action at the FAU Worth Doubletree Classic in Boca Raton, FL. FAU (24-11) faces Northern Iowa Sunday morning at 9:00am with the winner advancing to the championship game at 1:00pm.
Against UNI, FAU scored its first run in the second inning when Callie Piper reached base on a scoring error. In the top of the fifth, Piper led off with a single and was replaced by Lauren Evans. Evans advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored a throwing error on a groundout by Jessica Sachs.
Candice Freel won her fourth straight game with a three-hit shutout. The junior struck out nine and walked three and improved to 10-6 on the year. She lowere her team-leading ERA to 0.98.
Rhode Island never trailed as it scored two runs in the top of the second inning. In the fourth, Amy Bellisari singled to drive in Jenn Piazza to make it 2-1. Nicole Haywood homered in the sixth to account for the game's final score.
Amanda Morin (10-5) suffered the loss. The sophomore allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
The winner of the FAU-UNI game will face either Rhode Island or Manhattan in the championship game. | http://www.fausports.com/sports/w-softbl/recaps/031304aaa.html | 329 |
ORLANDO, Fla. - Quincy McDuffie had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and scored on a 64-yard touchdown reception to help Central Florida beat East Carolina 40-20 Thursday night.
Knights quarterback Blake Bortles threw for a touchdown and ran for another. Shawn Moffitt kicked four field goals.
UCF (3-2, 1-0 Conference USA) scored on eight consecutive possessions to seize control of the game, while its defense tightened and allowed only a field goal after halftime.
The Pirates (3-3, 2-1) led 14-0 early, but lost an opportunity to take control of C-USA's East Division with a favorable schedule the rest of the season against several teams in the league's bottom tier.
Quarterback Shane Carden had a rushing score and 76-yard touchdown pass, but threw an interception and was sacked twice.
It was easily UCF's offense strongest collective effort of the season. It also got a boost from the return of running back Latavius Murray, who played in his first game since suffering a shoulder injury in the season opener Aug. 30.
Meanwhile, ECU came apart on both sides of the ball, never recovering from an early momentum swing. The loss kept the Pirates from moving to 3-0 for just the third time since 2001.
ECU, which had outscored its previous two league opponents 52-32, was outscored by UCF 20-3 after halftime.
Early on it looked as if the Pirates were headed for a romp, methodically marching 75 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive of the night to take a 7-0 lead.
Carden was efficient in the air throughout, going 6 for 7 for 40 yards passing on the drive. ECU also converted a fourth-and-1 near midfield to keep the series alive.
It was the first time this season that the Pirates have scored first in a game. Entering Thursday, UCF's defense had also only allowed seven points all season in the first quarter.
UCF went three and out on its first touch of the night, and ECU's offense needed just one more play to put the Knights in a 14-0 hole, this time via Carden's 76-yard strike down the sideline to Justin Hardy.
The fast-paced scoring continued on the ensuing kickoff, though, when UCF's McDuffie bounced outside and got free for a 99-yard kickoff return to get the Knights back in the game.
The back-to-back scores spanned just 25 seconds.
UCF then tied it a series later on a 4-yard touchdown run by Storm Johnson. | http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/10/05/1208811?sac=fo.sports | 554 |
After a positive start to the day for Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden, who were able to further reduce their gaps to the front during the third free-practice session, the Ducati Team experienced a difficult qualifying session.
Approximately ten minutes from the end of the session, Nicky Hayden crashed in Turn 14 while on a fast lap with the soft tyre. After an initial check at the track’s Medical Center, the American was transferred to Indianapolis’ Methodist Hospital, where additional examinations revealed two small, non-displaced fractures to the second and third metacarpal on his right hand. The results of the CAT were negative, and the American should be discharged this evening or tomorrow morning, but in any case he won’t take part in the Grand Prix.
Valentino Rossi was confident after the practice session that he would be able to lower his time again in qualifying, but he wasn’t ultimately able to improve on the time he had set in cooler conditions.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 11th (1:40.763)
“It’s a shame because this morning went pretty well. I was able to do some good laps both with the hard tyre and the soft, and in the end I wasn’t so far off, actually lapping on the pace of the second group. That made me optimistic, and I thought that I could go 1’39” in qualifying, but I wasn’t even able to match my time from free practice. I didn’t have rear grip, and the rear tyre was sliding a lot. On the last fast lap, I had a big risk in the same turn where Nicky crashed. This track has strange asphalt that has less grip than what we’re used to but that still wears the tyres. For that reason, we have tyres with stiffer carcases at our disposition here. We’ll try to make some changes for tomorrow in order to gain a bit more grip, and we’ll see what my race pace is.” | http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/sport/motogp/news/Ducati-253362.html | 431 |
Roberto Inıguez, Fenerbahce coach:
"Thıs was an ımportant game for us after we lost in the Turkısh Cup final last weekend. Congratulatıons to my players for the good defense."
Olcay Çakır, Fenerbahce:
"We played so well today. We look forward to the rest of our games in the group."
Aleksandr Kovalev, Nadezhda coach:
"We played so bad. Fenerbahçe is a great team. Now we must focus on the other games."
Kelli Miller, Nadezhda:
"Fenerbahçe played a solid game while we played bad. That was the the difference." | http://www.fibaeurope.com/euroleaguewomen/cid_-tmRPCfrIrYRSO2M5V49E1.compID_jr6ZiXqeGhMBtfq1yxqV83.roundID_9048.season_2013.gameID_9049-B-29-10.coid_vERc0covGUYRayx4Ise,w0.articleMode_on.html | 163 |
A new look Japan impressed at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup showing tenacity and organisation to triumph on the back of hard-fought wins in the semi-final against Korea Republic and Australia in the final. Tadanari Lee’s extra-time winner in Doha saw Japan lift a record fourth Asian crown and regain the title last won in 2004.
The current crop
Under former coach Takeshi Okada, a host of youth talents announced their arrival on the international scene as Japan broke new ground in the last FIFA World Cup. The new generation has continued their progress under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, who took over after their campaign in South Africa 2010. A series of impressive friendly wins, including a 1-0 defeat of a full-strength Argentina, was followed by their all-conquering performance during January's AFC Asian Cup, where they pipped Australian in the final to claim their fourth continental title. Japan's game has long been marked by their creative play and silky passing but boosted by their continental success, while Zaccheroni began to test his trademark 3-4-3 tactical system in the recent Kirin Cup.
The key players
Having excelled during the last FIFA World Cup and the recent AFC Asian Cup, CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda has quickly established his place as the team's new leader, filling the void left by Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura.
Spearheading the attacking-line are Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki, who finished the continental finals as the team's top-scorer with three goals. Alongside Honda is set-piece specialist Yasuhito Endo while Schalke 04 defender Atsuto Uchida is the key man at the rearguard.
Coach: Alberto Zaccheroni
Best performances in a FIFA competition: Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Mexico City 1968 (Third place), FIFA U-20 World Cup Nigeria 1999 (Runners-up), FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 (Quarter-finals)
Former stars: Kazuyoshi Miura, Shunsuke Nakamura, Hidetoshi Nakata | http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43819/profile.html | 440 |
Olympiacos have signed Turkey forward Colin Kazim-Richards on loan from Galatasaray until the end of the season and have an option to make the move permanent.
Galatasaray have signed London-born Turkey forward Colin Kazim-Richards on a three-and-a-half-year contract, just a day after the 24-year-old was released by arch-rivals Fenerbahce.
Maxi Rodriguez, Humberto Suazo and Amr Zaki are among the talented players who have been involved in this the latest stage of transfer activity.
Fenerbahce made it three wins from three in the Turkish Super Lig with 3-1 success at Diyarbakirspor tonight.
Fenerbahce overpowered Sivasspor 3-0 to head Galatasaray on goal difference continuing a perfect start to the season with two wins from as many starts.
Twice-champions FC Porto sneaked into the last 16 with a 2-1 win at Fenerbahce, Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez netting a first-half brace. | http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/southafrica2010/players/player=297707/news/index.html | 231 |
It's necessary to get Adobe Flash Player to see this page correctly.
Recent FIS News
Below you will find a listing of recent FIS News
Farewell to an era – Nordic athletes say goodbye
Every fourth year, the FIS disciplines have a season marked by the absence of World Championships and Olympic Games, which often encourages the retirement of top athletes who decide to bring down the curtain on their distinguished careers in the spring prior. This year is no exception. The retiring stars include many that have played a key role in defining the sport of skiing in the past years. Here is an overview of a few of them in the three FIS Nordic disciplines that have come to the attention of the FIS Newsflash:
The upcoming World Cup season 2011/2012 will take place without some major Cross-Country stars. These include the triple sprint World Cup winner, World Championship and Olympic medalist Petra Majdic from Slovenia. Wearing "Goodbye, I love you" on her back at the World Cup Final in Falun, Majdic concluded an amazing career in the age of 31 years. Despite not always having luck on her side, the charismatic skier took two sprint medals at the FIS World Championships - a silver medal in 2007 and a bronze medal in 2011. She also won, with enormous effort the bronze medal in sprint at the 2010 Games, after an injury sustained just before the race..
On the men's side, 2005 world champion Vincent Vittoz (35) retired from professional skiing after the French national championships. The Frenchman always skied with passion and heart, competing at World Cup level for the past 16 years. He won, besides his world champion title in pursuit, seven individual World Cup competitions and collected a total of 23 World Cup podiums. Vittoz's long-term teammate, Emmanuel Jonnier (35), too, announced his retirement. Jonnier can look back to a great career with three World Cup podiums and several top 5 spots in title events.
In Ski Jumping, the retiring athletes celebrated a total of 100 World Cup victories, participated in 1553 individual World Cup competitions, achieved 261 podium results, and won 14 medals both at the FIS World Championships and Olympic Games. Michael Uhrmann (GER, 32), Adam Malysz (POL, 33), Janne Ahonen (FIN, 33), Andreas Kuettel (SUI, 31), Primoz Peterka (SLO, 32), and Harri Olli (FIN, 26) as well as Remy Francais (SUI, 22) have now ended their careers.
While Olli and Francais never completely realized their outstanding talent, the other five represent a true end of an era in Ski Jumping.
Michael Uhrmann was always there when his team needed him, becoming Olympic champion with the team in 2002 and team world champion in 2001. However, whenever "Uhri" was on his way to the very top, destiny played a trick on him. He missed an Olympic medal on the normal hill in 2006 only by 0.1 points. In 2007, he was in the form of his life when he fell in training at the World Championships and was injured. 2011 in Oslo he was close to gold in the team competition, had a bad jump and then the final round was cancelled - finishing fourth! It turned out to be the final jump of his career.
Janne Ahonen won everything and more than once. Five time winner of the 4-Hills-Tournament, two time overall World Cup winner with three World Championship titles. The Finn only lacks the crowning achievement, an Olympic gold, in his palmares.
Andreas Kuettel was always, in a pleasant way, different from the other jumpers. Always knowing the right things to say in every microphone, he also knew that Ski Jumping isn't everything. Most of the time in the shadow of his more famous countryman Simon Ammann, there was probably no athlete who was not happy for Andreas when he became world champion on the large hill in Liberec 2009.
Primoz Peterka had his best days a while ago. In his last season he competed in the Continental Cup. At the peak of his career, he fought for victories with Ahonen and Co., leading his home country to bronze medals at World Championships and Olympic Games.
Last but certainly not least, Adam Malysz, collected medals during a decade from Lahti 2001 to Oslo 2011. Malysz truly retireed in top form, with 39 World Cup victories, three World Championship medals and four Olympic medals in his bag and a third place finish in his final competition in Planica!
The season 2011/2012 for Nordic Combined will get underway without some charismatic personalities such as the Austrian Olympic champion Felix Gottwald (35) and four-time world champion Ronny Ackermann (GER, 33). Also leaving the active part of the Nordic Combined family are Ronny Heer (SUI, 30), 2009 team world champion Norihito Kobayashi (JPN, 28), Sebastian Haseney (GER, 32), Petter Tande (NOR, 25) and Ole-Christian Wendel (NOR, 19).
Another Combined athlete moving to Ski Jumping is Kaarel Nurmsalu from Estonia, who follows in the footsteps of David Zauner (AUT) and Anssi Koivuranta (FIN) who already successfully changed from Nordic Combined to Ski Jumping.
Includes contributions by Sandra Spitz, Horst Nilgen and Egon Theiner
|credit | © copyright This website is the only official website of the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), the International Ski Federation, and is © FIS. All rights reserved. No commercial reproduction, adaptation, distribution or transmission of any part or parts of this website or any information contained, herein by any means whatsoever is permitted without the prior written permission of FIS. | contact | links | home | mobile.fisski.com| | http://www.fis-ski.com/de/neuigkeiten/fisnews/fisnews.html?URL1=/fr/actualites/fisnews/fisnews&actu_id_444=4426&actu_page_444=19 | 1,231 |
It's necessary to get Adobe Flash Player to see this page correctly.
Recent FIS News
Below you will find a listing of recent FIS News
Cross-Country: Who will take the crystal globe – Bjoergen or Kowalczyk?
For the fourth time in a row, the Cross-Country World Cup Final will be held as a four-stage competition series in Sweden. The kick-off for the final battle to win the overall globe will be launched on Wednesday with a classical sprint around the castle in Stockholm followed by a short interval race to search for the king and queen of the Mörderbakken on Friday, a mass start competition on Saturday and a pursuit race on Sunday – all in Falun, the host of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2015.
Marit Bjoergen has the best cards at the moment to win the ladies overall globe for the third time. The Norwegian Olympic Champion is 138 points ahead of title defender Justyna Kowalczyk from Poland after a successful week in Norway. In the World Cup final 350 points will be still awarded – 50 points per stage win (except the last day) and 200 points for the overall victory of the World Cup Final.
The men’s World Cup winner is already decided. Dario Cologna will be able to take the crystal globe home to Switzerland on Sunday for the third time after 2009 and 2011. After the announcement of Petter Northug that he will not be taking part in the World Cup Final, the runner up position in the overall ranking will most likely go to Canadian Devon Kershaw. With a great performance also Alexander Legkov and Marcus Hellner still have a chance to overtake Northug for third spot as they are currently respectively 245 and 264 points behind the Norwegian top athlete.
The ladies sprint World Cup trophy will go for the first time in the history to a US skier. Alaska’s Kikkan Randall, who won two World Cup sprints this season, secured the small globe already in Drammen last week. On the men’s side the overall sprint victory was won by Sweden’s newcomer Teodor Peterson.
Marit Bjoergen secured the distance World Cup win on the ladies side with her victory in the 30 km in Oslo last weekend,whilst the men’s distance globe will go to Dario Cologna.
Despite all discipline rankings having found their winner already, the battle for the other podium spots is still on. We can therefore expect an exciting World Cup Final where all the top 50 qualified athletes as well as the Continental cup leaders/winners and U23 World Champions will take their final power together and fight for the World Cup points.
Contributed by Sandra Spitz
|credit | © copyright This website is the only official website of the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), the International Ski Federation, and is © FIS. All rights reserved. No commercial reproduction, adaptation, distribution or transmission of any part or parts of this website or any information contained, herein by any means whatsoever is permitted without the prior written permission of FIS. | contact | links | home | mobile.fisski.com| | http://www.fis-ski.com/de/neuigkeiten/fisnews/fisnews.html?URL1=/uk/news/fisnews/fisnews&actu_id_444=5637&actu_page_444=10 | 660 |
Recent FIS News
Below you will find a listing of recent FIS News
Find your news
New Presenting Sponsor for Four Hills Tournament: Engelbert Strauss enters Ski Jumping
Engelberg strauss, the functional work-wear manufacturer, is the new Presenting Partner of the Four-Hills-Tournament in Ski Jumping. Infront Sports & Media, the official marketing partner of the series, has signed a contract with the industry leader through to 2014.
Due to its popularity and reach, the “Vierschanzentournee” provides Engelbert Strauss with an excellent platform to effectively position the brand in Central European core markets. Karl-Heinz Brenner, Marketing Director at engelbert strauss, commented: “With the move into skiing we want to underline our expertise in weather protection and functional clothing.” At the moment the company is promoting its new winter collection for extreme work in ice and snow.
As main partner, the brand will receive an extensive advertising presence at all four venues in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (both GER), Innsbruck and Bischofshofen (both AUT), including branding on the athlete’s bib numbers as well as LED and rotating advertising board exposure. Furthermore, elements of Engelbert Strauss' logo will be incorporated into that of the Vierschanzentournee tour logo.
The commitment of Engelbert Strauss complements its existing sports sponsorship engagements in football (German Cup and National team matches) and motor sports (eni FIM Superbike World Championship). | http://www.fis-ski.com/fr/actualites/fisnews/fisnews.html?URL1=/de/neuigkeiten/fisnews/fisnews&URL1=/uk/news/fisnews/fisnews&actu_id_444=6414&actu_page_444=1 | 330 |
Recent FIS News
Below you will find a listing of recent FIS News
Find your news
Next World Snow Day in less than 100 days
Saturday, 13th October 2012 marked exactly 100 days to go until the 2nd edition of the largest winter event in the world. The 2nd edition of FIS World Snow Day on Sunday 20th January 2013, aims to bring children together with their families, to the slopes, trails and tracks, in a fun-filled day of events, activities and competitions on snow. There are currently 72 locations committed to celebrating World Snow Day in some 20 countries, an increase of 38% compared with a year ago at this time.
World Snow Day is a key element of the FIS ‘Bring Children to the Snow’ campaign. Since its creation in 2007, this campaign celebrates winter sports as a fun, healthy and social recreational activity for children. World Snow Day 2013 will again take place on a global scale, celebrating snow sports as part of a healthy lifestyle, and fostering global awareness of the importance of nurturing the natural environment.
FIS President Gian Franco Kasper said: "The first edition of World Snow Day was a great success and we now continue to build on this momentum. Through the FIS Bring Children to the Snow campaign we seek to communicate that winter sports is something for everyone. We hope that the 2nd FIS World Snow Day will encourage even more youngsters to take to the snow for the first time and help us foster a future generation of snow lovers."
Countries committed to participating are Austria, Canada, China, France, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the USA. (A full list of countries can be seen in the Final Report). Whilst the event’s themes to Explore, Experience and Enjoy the snow will be shared across the world, the worldwide festivities will recognise the unique winter sports culture of each location. Organisers interested in hosting a World Snow Day event will receive event guidelines and suggestions for the types of events and activities to host, but are also encouraged to be creative and unique. Although World Snow Day is primarily geared for young children and their families, people of all ages are invited to attend and the activities offered range from beginner lessons to various fun options for those that already participate.
The 100-day landmark until World Snow Day signalled only the beginning of the final build-up - so stay tuned! There is still time to join, as event registration for Organisers remains open until 15th December 2012. Do join to become part of the biggest day on the snow all year!
To stay informed, visit the World Snow Day website. | http://www.fis-ski.com/fr/actualites/fisnews/fisnews.html?URL1=/fr/actualites/fisnews/fisnews&URL1=/uk/news/fisnews/fisnews&actu_id_444=6261&actu_page_444=1 | 557 |
This week's line is from usatoday.com (as of Thursday night).
ATS - Against the Spread; SU - Straight Up; O/U - Over/Under
San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens (+3.5)
Hey Sharks, I'm currently in New Orleans having a great time at "Super Gras." Both 49ers and Ravens fans seem to be getting along in the streets, but I expect that to change once the game starts Sunday night.
During the season, head coaches Jim and John Harbaugh made major changes to their offenses, something that most teams would shy away from doing in the middle of the season. Coach Jim benched 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith for Colin Kaepernick, a change that many questioned at the time but proved to be the right one. Kaepernick has more skills and is a dual threat, something game-manager Smith couldn't offer. In December, coach John decided to fire Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Cameron himself said "it was a brilliant move" and that it brought the team together. It has also helped quarterback Joe Flacco, who has had a great playoff run, throwing for 853 yards and eight touchdowns in three games with a quarterback rating of 114.7.
On defense, the 49ers are one of the best in the NFL, ranking second in the league in points allowed at 17.1 points per game and are third in the NFL in total yards allowed. On the other side, the Ravens have an aging defense and their rankings reflect it. They ranked 20th against the run, giving up almost 123 yards per game and ranked 17th in both passing yards (228 yards per game) and total yards (351 yards per game) allowed.
I've been taking bets with Ravens fans all week and feel that San Francisco is the superior team and will win their sixth Super Bowl this weekend. Kaepernick will be the difference and the San Francisco run game will have their way against the Ravens run defense.
Gimme the 49ers minus the points.
SEASON RECAP (W-L-T)
Total Record: 128-94-8
Submit any questions or just follow Vinnie via Twitter @VinnieATS | http://www.fleaflicker.com/nfl/news-item?newsId=49654 | 447 |
- AFC Bournemouth News
- News Archive
- League Table
- League One News
Lincoln City Reaction - Cherries
Published : 12 Apr 2010 00:03:22
Here's the post match reaction from the Cherries camp after defeat at Sincil Bank. Manager Eddie Howe was quoted on BBC Radio Solent after the defeat as saying: "I thought by far we were the better team, but sometimes the better team doesn't always win and unfortunately we conceded two poor goals. We passed the ball really well on a difficult pitch and created numerous chances. On another day we'd have won the game quite comfortably. If we can re-create that performance then we'll win 99% of the games". | http://www.football.co.uk/afc_bournemouth/lincoln_city_reaction_-_cherries_rss696326.shtml | 147 |
- Blackburn Rovers News
- News Archive
- League Table
- Championship News
Allardyce calls for ref consistency
Published : 25 Apr 2009 13:45:00
Sam Allardyce has attempted to gain Blackburn an advantage before Sunday's clash with Wigan by putting the spotlight on referee Steve Bennett.Allardyce claimed Blackburn have been the victim of some serious refereeing blunders this season and said it was vitally important that Bennett did not make any major mistakes at Ewood Park.The Rovers manager highlighted a penalty for handball awarded by referee Peter Walton earlier this month against Tottenham as an example - though in that game Blackburn came back from a goal down to win.Allardyce said: "We have had to overcome some very bad decisions by the officials - some have cost us points and some haven't."Against Tottenham there was a penalty given by the referee who made a massive wrong decision on the day. He has since said that he still thinks he made the right decision and that is a bizarre scenario."He got it horribly wrong and that's what I hope doesn't happen when we play Wigan."We don't want that sort of uncontrollable situation going against us against Wigan and we hope the referee Steve Bennett is consistent in his decisions and that if there is a major decision it doesn't go against you and is given the right way."Rovers will again be short of strikers on Sunday with Roque Santa Cruz and Jason Roberts both still on the injury list.There are now doubts over whether Santa Cruz (knee) and Roberts (metatarsal) will play again for Blackburn this season - or in Santa Cruz's case ever again given that he looks certain to be sold in the summer.Allardyce has no fresh injury concerns but accepts both strikers could miss the rest of the season.He said: "There is a chance we might not get Roque back and there is a chance we might not have Jason either. So we have to accept as we go along those players are not available."It's going to be a difficult decision as the weeks tick on. We don't want to have to rely on risking a player who may not be 100% fit."Blackburn should also have a bigger crowd than usual for a Sunday game after offering entrance to the last three home matches of the season for just £20. Of the 4,000 seats available, 3,200 have been sold. | http://www.football.co.uk/blackburn_rovers/allardyce_calls_for_ref_consistency_rss95518.shtml | 492 |
Villas-Boas admits Bale could be sold
By Football News
Andre Villas-Boas refused to rule out the sale of Tottenham winger Gareth Bale after his match-winning performance against Liverpool.
The Portuguese boss lavished praise on his winger after the 2-1 win at White Hart Lane before suggesting the 23-year-old would have his suitors and it would be difficult for the club to keep hold of him.
"At the moment he is performing extremely well for Spurs and we are amazed at what he can do for us. He is on to a great career," Villas-Boas told reporters.
"Obviously Tottenham as a football club want to keep him here for as long as we can but we understand players like this have propositions and a market which is the nature of the game."
In a sensational opening 30 minutes, the Welsh international assisted Aaron Lennon's opener by beating two players near the halfway line and careering towards the penalty area, finally squaring for Lennon to tap in.
Soon after, he took his tally for the season to seven after deceiving Pepe Reina with the flight of his free kick - the work of a technique modelled on Cristiano Ronaldo.
And Villas-Boas could see the similarities in the comparisons between the two stars, adding: "Players learn through what they see. With Ronaldo we saw that you can almost hit under the ball and it gains an effect where it drops and changes direction.
"He [Bale] has the power to do that. He keeps on practising this technique and we are pleased to have it."
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has branded the performance of referee Phil Dowd as 'embarrassing'.
Rodgers believes his side 'never got the rub of the green' from Dowd, pointing to the 'assault' on Steven Gerrard by Mousa Dembele and insisting the Clint Dempsey dived to win the free kick which led to Tottenham's second goal.
"We never got the rub of the green," Rodgers told Sky Sports News.
"It was a little embarrassing. [We had] two clear penalties. [Dembele] on Steven Gerrard was bordering on assault, never mind a tackle. It was frightening how we got never the penalty for that. Then Luis Suarez got kicked by William Gallas.
"Then, for the second [Tottenham] goal, the player dived. Clint Dempsey falls over without any contact. So, everything that went against us – decisions and what not – I just really want to concentrate on my players. They were brilliant tonight."
He added in the post-match press conference afterwards: "They say it evens itself out over the season, so if that's true we're going to get a hell of a lot of decisions in the second half of the season." | http://www.football.com/en-gb/villas-boas-admits-bale-could-be-sold/ | 580 |
We thought we would have to resort to another mailbox about maths but we've had some grand opinions about Man United, Newcastle, Tottenham and more. Oh and maths...
We have one Chelsea fan who recognises the job done by Rafa Benitez while there's maths from Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester. And Shawcross to Arsenal? Nah...
If you have anything to say on any subject, mail us at [email protected]
Is Suarez The Most Entertaining Footballer?
I've just read Andi Thomas' excellent piece on Suarez (the operation Yewtree comment was gold!) and decided to offer some thoughts. Now, I'm about to say something controversial so ready yourselves... I think Suarez is the most entertaining footballer in the world right now. Before you all starting frothing at the mouth, combusting with rage at the sheer audacity of my comment, let me quantify it first. I'm not saying he's the best, that clearly goes to Messi, with players like Falcao and RVP also currently better, but he is wondrously entertaining.
I think it's because he has fantastic skills, an exceptional work ethic and a c*ntish streak to challenge Barton. He always moans, even when Liverpool are winning comfortably, he always does something controversial, he makes opposing fans act like pious hypocrites, he acts like a twunt; endless hilarity to watch when matched with his obvious skill. Despite his clear mercurial talent, Messi lacks in this department. The roguish nature is something we all love to see.
If you disagree, think about the 2006 world cup. Which game stands out? For me, it has to be when Holland and Portugal decided football was in danger of stagnating so decided to have a fight instead. 3 reds, almost every player booked; awful football but great entertainment. The 2010 final was also great because we had Holland attempting to assault Spain into submission. Commentators always say it's not what you want to see, fans will take the moral high ground and act like it is ruining the game, but to be honest, I eagerly await the next time Joey Barton will lose his sh*t and attempt to scrap with 3 people at once or de Jong karate kicks someone in the chest.
...I detested Suarez for a while after (in hindsight) overreacting massively at his exaggeration of injury after Jack Rodwell's tackle in the derby 'got Rodwell sent off', in the end there were no doubt a number of factors not least of which was inept refereeing (not that I am still bitter about it...).
These days I actually find myself more annoyed by the people aiming the same tired barbs at him; I'll never be his biggest fan, the fact that he plays for Liverpool forbids it, but he is by far their best player and on his day an absolute joy to watch - If he was driven out of this league because of the treatment he has been subjected to it would no doubt be a loss for the league, as well as those looking for someone/something to p*ss and moan about.
Finally - If you choose to publish this, can you please plan ahead to ignore my mail on the day after the next Merseyside derby calling Suarez a horrible cheating c**t? I'll be alright again once I've had a cry.
Dave (I wasted my bracket material on the "finally" thing) Allen, IOM
Happy With Newcastle's Pricing
There seems to be a lot of debate at the moment on ticket prices, so I thought I would offer my two-penneth.
I am a Newcastle fan, who used to have a season ticket until around 6 years ago - which coincided with becoming a parent for the first time..... For some reason, my wife decided that £500 of the family's money was better spent on nappies etc than me shouting at footballers...
The time has come where my son is old enough to go to the games. We have been to a few local friendlies in pre-season over the past few years, which were relatively cheap, and also had a few Newcastle games in the Championship at a reasonable cost. Now we are back and established (for how long?!) in the Premier League, Newcastle offer tickets for the majority of the home games, in the Family Enclosure, for a splendid £15 per Adult and £5 per Child (Under 16). Whilst I don't live in Newcastle and travel a short way to attend the games - this is cracking value to watch Premier League football - even taking local clubs like Darlington, they charge £8.00 to get in, and they are in the Northern League now.
This does not just cover the so called "smaller" clubs in the league, we have been to see Spurs, Villa, West Brom, Norwich, West Ham and QPR at this price, and have got tickets for the Reading game next weekend also - the only one we struggled to get tickets for (understandably) was the visit of Manchester United. As an aside to these cheap prices, I can also buy a Season ticket in the Family Area for around £370.00 for both myself and my Son, which works out pretty much bang on £20 per game, which is affordable for that level of football.
There are ways and means for the Football Clubs to offer tickets to fans at cheaper rates, I am fortunate enough to support a club that offers cheap tickets as a way to get the younger generation through the doors and supporting at a younger age, which is a great idea, and one that a few others about should take note of.
Andy Lee (Newcastle United Fan - wondering what to do as my son now wants a Demba Ba Chelsea shirt for when they visit St James in 3 weeks.....)
Matt For PM
"Matt (I'm only 27, but sometimes I feel like such a moany old man) AFC" -
You sir, have nailed it. All those empty seats everywhere - buses, trains, cinemas....just make it cheaper. Simple. Please run for government.
Stuart (Didn't plan on living beyond 21.12.12. Really want to die.) MUFC
Football Is Expensive Because It Has To Be
I just want to throw my two penneth into the ticket prices row. I'm of the opinion that it's upsetting to see the average fan more or less forced to give up going to a PL football match of a weekend because of the prices. The thing is, all the time money is being poured into football the quality of the sport improves in parallel; the PL can now afford to bring almost all of the world's best players to our league and pay them the wages they demand; the pitches are like carpets as clubs can take every measure to keep them as such, which allows for better football to be played; and the stadia and facilities have become world-class - I know longer fear peeing at the footy.
To continue improving, revenue must increase in every way possible, including gate prices, and since the waiting list for tickets at clubs like Arsenal is pretty much double the capacity, they can afford to charge such fees - people will pay. A sad reality but we either pay through the nose for class, or return to the days of heavy wet balls, swampy pitches and dilapidated grounds.
With regard to the lower leagues, and the example of Colchester United, it's simple mathematically. As it stands, Colchester charge an average of £21 to their 3,500, and you can add an average of £3 per fan on food, merchandise etc, bringing their match-day revenue to £84,000. Let's say they drop their average price from £21 to half that, £10.50, they would likely see an increase of around 50% attendance to 5,250 (anything above that is highly unlikely, regardless of price), keep the £3 a head on food etc and their revenue would then be £70,875. Further to this, they would presumably need at the very least 25% and possibly even 50% more staff and police.
This would further dent this revenue by at least £10,000, leaving their revenue at around £60,875, a deficit of £23,125 which is a 27.5% decrease from the original, and 632.5% in total over the 23 home games in a season. This is likely more than enough to sink a club like Colchester United, who, as they seldom appear on TV, rely very heavily on match-day income. I went through the effort of working this out when I turned up at Brentford last season and refused to join the other 6,500 folk in an 11,000 seat stadium paying £25 to watch 22 men 'hit the channel'.
To summarise my boring spiel: football is expensive because it has to be.
Scott (it took approx 18% of my working day to write this), London
Capping Away Tickets
Andy D, Manchester, MCFC asks where the downside is in having a maximum away ticket price for PL games of, say, 30 quid. Well I think the club finance directors would see the downside pretty clearly. Instead of selling tickets for, say, 50 quid, they'd be selling tickets for 30 quid. And guess what, those 30 quid tickets would magically appear for sale on ebay and various side-streets for - that's right - 50 quid, because that's what they're actually worth, as proven by (mostly) sold out grounds for big name clubs. It would also be much, much harder to get tickets because if they were (initially) selling for 30 quid the demand would go through the roof. So that's the downside searched for and discovered right there, I hope you're okay with that Andy.
Meanwhile, Mat, AFC discusses Colchester United's pricing scheme, and points out they get 3,469 fans on average with ticket prices between 18 and 24 quid, with the implied idea that they'd get more into the ground if they lowered their prices. But at the moment they're averaging roughly 73 grand revenue per home game - if they sold tickets for an average 10 quid, they'd need to more than double their attendance just to get the same earn. Are there really more than seven thousand people who want to see Colchester United every home game? If so, I imagine the mental health service would need to be very well organized in that part of Essex.
Mark H, NFFC
Football Ain't Entertainment
Late to the game on ticket prices I know, but please consider this train of thought:
Football is not at its heart, "entertainment".
Football is a competition where a series of clubs compete against each other. This goes through from Sunday league right up to the CL. Once a team reaches a certain level of quality or fame, people will want to go see them. Therefore they start selling tickets to get a bit of money from this revenue stream, which they can then reinvest back into the team to make them more competitive and achieve ambition, and whole raison d'etre - winning.
You would not begrudge a non-League side charging £3 instead of £1 for a pie because they judge that to be the most profitable price they can set (based on units shifted to value ratio), so why would you judge Arsenal for setting their ticket prices to a level where they basically sell out every week, and maximise their revenues, and therefore their chances of winning? It's all just an angle of fair competition.
Of course, it's easy for City fans, whose club don't actually have to earn their competitiveness, to say that the prices should be cheaper, but try asking an Arsenal fan if they'd accept ticket prices being arbitrarily lowered "just to be nice to the fans", but in exchange dropping into mid table obscurity. To be fair that may happen anyway, but then hey presto, with the smart business brains that clearly reside at that club they'll probably adjust the prices again to ensure their revenues stay up, which may mean lowering them.
Every club's life started with the same simple goal of winning football matches, and just because some fans at some point 80 years ago decided to come along for the ride doesn't change that - they should still do whatever is going to fairly maximise their chances of winning on the pitch - be it selling homemade scarves out of your car boot on a Sunday morning, to charging £60 for a ticket.
If my club could fill the ground selling tickets for £400 a game, I'd accept it, and encourage them to do so, even if it meant I couldn't go, simple because it would give us an incredible competitive advantage, fairly gained.
Fans follow success - success doesn't follow fans.
As the City boycott discussion is still ongoing, I think it's still fair game to reply to a couple of points raised in this morning's mailbox.
Andy D asks why can't away tickets be capped at £30 for all games - the reason for this is that PL rules state that home & away fans must be charged to same prices (for the same ticket bracket). Therefore, if a £30 limit were to be imposed, the resulting loss of income from changing the pricing structure would be catastrophic for several clubs (and even at Arsenal, Man Utd and other clubs in the black, it would be severely felt).
A discussion in the Guardian yesterday suggested that this boycott is not entirely as it seems. According to certain City fans, they were not offered tickets as the club decided to hand back the tickets to Arsenal without offering them to fans, based on perceived uptake from season ticket holders who get priority in buying away tickets. If this is the case, and it would be great if a city fan could confirm/deny, then the reason given for the boycott is disingenuous and has nowt to do with the fan groups or the informal discussions on twitter etc mentioned this morning. Again, under PL rules, City are responsible for paying for any tickets they request but cannot sell, so if this story is true, then they second-guessed their fans by not requesting the tickets, rather than putting them up for sale.
I actually think City fans are being a little cheeky - they sold out their allocation at Chelsea a few weeks ago at £55-59 a ticket, with identical travel and food/drink costs (in a far less comfortable stadium). Are we to believe that the extra £3 is the problem here?
Finally, this problem is most acutely felt by fans of the "big" clubs who get overcharged everywhere, but is it fair that when reciprocated, the tickets may be cheaper? The example used is QPR, who paid very little to come to the Emirates, but charged £72 last season for Arsenal fans, and £55 this season.
That said, I'd love football to be cheaper from a selfish view - something along the German or Italian lines would be grand
Rich (Apparently some non-league grounds charge £16+...that's proportionately worse!), London, AFC
Michu Is Staying
Re: Jaz Gooner. Nobody is being linked with Michu at the moment because Laudrup has stated that we value him at £30m, not sub-£20m. There seems to be some consternation amongst fans of 'bigger' sides that they didn't sign him in the summer, but that's their own fault. Michu was touted around every club in the league, and it was only ourselves and Southampton that were interested at the time. I'm sure there are many managers that are kicking themselves, but that's life. You win some, you lose some.
It doesn't mean however that we should automatically sell one of our best players to a 'bigger' club just because they want him (if he were already at a club like Arsenal, having scored 16 goals already this season you'd be valuing him at £30m+). He has a valuation, and until someone meets it, this is all just a cow's opinion. It must be added though, that even if someone did match the £30m, Michu has stated that he loves it at Swansea becuase he plays almost every minute of every game, he is playing for one of the true legends of football and becuase the small, family, atmosphere of the club reminds him of his beloved Real Oviedo.
Yes money talks in the modern game, and I wouldn't be hugely suprised to see Michu go in the summer if he carries on in this form - but I very much doubt he'll be going anywhere this month.
James, SCFC but exiled in Redbird country
If we're still doing embarrasing adverts then this cringeworthy one from Figo takes some beating! Particularly memorable to me as the advert was apalling enough to warrant its own point my first mailbox entry to be published (conclusions on an England game). Enjoy!
Mike, League 2, BRFC
...Just to add my twopenneth on the "worst advert a footballer has ever done" debate,
I have to say the worst I remember seeing was in the wake of England's exit from Euro '96, with Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle (who missed penalties in England's exit from Italia '90) taking Gareth Southgate out for a consolation meal at Pizza Hut.
I can't decide if it's "so bad it's good", or if it's just "so bad..."
Terry Hall, Switzerland
An Answer, Followed By An Odd Question
Re Darragh's question this morning, Ray Kennedy transferred to Swansea in 1982 from Liverpool. Swansea were relegated but he had played enough games to qualify for a medal for Liverpool who won the league.
I too have a question. Who is the tall man with grey hair that is always sitting or standing near the team benches. Its not just at Premier league games, he was there during the Bradford v Villa game on Tuesday.
James ( One Job on Teesside )Clarke, Dundalk
Am I the only gentleman who much thinks Ronaldo is far superior to Messi? Bear with me on this...
Ronaldo is better because hes adaptable. That is the only trait that is needed. Ronaldo has proven that he can play in both the EPL and La Liga, the best two leagues in the world. With different teammates, tactics and philosophies. In both teams he became the number one player, single handedly winning titles for Man Utd and evolving at the pressure cooker of Real Madrid in (allegedly) the best league in the world ,also not forgetting the rivalry between the Spanish and Portuguese nationals which arguably makes his rise there all the more impressive. Ronaldo also can change his game instantly and adapt to who he is facing to result in goals or assists.
Now look at Messi, been in the same environment, tactics and personnel since the age of 13. Everything is built around him to get the best out of him. He, like Barca, only has one way to play, should they go 1-0 down, Barca won't change their style and neither will Messi. This is even clearer when he plays for Argentina. No doubt still world class, but without the 'Barca Way' and a team that grew up together Messi can look a different player. Of course Barca and Messi should be dominating the game, they all be together since they were young-uns, had years to learn each other's games and how to play.
What does the mailbox think?
T J (He would also look better as a statue) | http://www.football365.com/mailbox/8389001/More-On-Ticket-Prices-And-Boycotting | 4,061 |
The Manchester United boss says it is no fluke that the Merseysiders currently sit in fifth place in the table, just three points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.
Ferguson is a huge admirer of the progress Everton have made during Moyes' 11-year reign at the club - especially given the tight budget the Scot has had to operate within.
And once again Moyes' side has produced a number of impressive results this term, including the 1-0 win over United on the opening day of the season.
"He's had 10 years at Everton - you don't survive 10 years in this game without making progress," he said.
"His ability is obvious. Whether he gets in the top four doesn't change my opinion of him, or anyone else's.
"They have a genuine chance of being in the top four. The title race is between ourselves and City, but after that you've got Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton and even Liverpool, who are starting to get more consistency after that result last weekend.
"But Everton are there on merit. They are a difficult opponent. They have only lost three games, so they are obviously hard to beat. And that's in the mould of David Moyes."
You can only watch the best Barclays Premier League coverage here on Sky Sports. Watch Manchester United v Everton exclusively live on Sky Sports 1HD, 3D and Sky Go from 3.30pm on Sunday 10th February. Click here for more details | http://www.football365.com/news/19551/8479847/Manchester-United-boss-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-has-revealed-his-admiration-for-Everton-s-David-Moyes | 305 |
In the eyes of the football agent Barry McIntosh, who acts for Tranquillo Barnetta, the offer of £40,000 a week to his player was "ridiculous". There could be "no hope in hell" of the Swiss midfielder joining Newcastle United for such a derisory sum. So just over £2m a year is not enough for a perfectly decent 26-year-old who may, thanks to mundane defensive lapses, have scored with a pair of free-kicks against England at Wembley in June but who never will be mistaken for Zinedine Zidane. What a perfect mini-overture to the Premier League season.
Just when you think English football might be settling down and acquiring a sense of proportion, it all goes mad again. Or so you might conclude when told that, in order to acquire the players most coveted on the international scene, the very richest clubs are now offering salaries approaching a quarter of a million pounds a week, which is what Manchester City are paying Sergio Agüero.
Immoderate prosperity at the top has been the distinguishing feature of the Premier League since the founder members' agreement was signed 20 years ago this summer, followed by the Sky deal that began with the debut season 12 months later. Now the league's global popularity is the object of much jealousy around the world, often from formerly pre-eminent rivals who wonder where they missed out. Only Spain – whose national team hold the world and European championships, whose league boasts two teams unmatched for glamour and where players are also paid £250,000 a week – stands as a bulwark against English power.
Just look, for example, at the state of Serie A. Last week Adriano Galliani, who runs Milan on Silvio Berlusconi's behalf, told an interviewer: "Italian football has gone from a five-star restaurant to a pizzeria." A crushing enough verdict, you might think. But then Galliani delivered the final insult: "If we carry on like this, we'll even be overtaken by the French." And so they might be, given that the French league has signed an interesting television deal with al-Jazeera and Qatar Sports Investments have pumped money into Paris Saint-Germain.
"The Premier League is the best in the world and it is going to stay that way for a long time," Gérard Houllier writes in his foreword to Joe Lovejoy's Glory, Goals and Greed, an idiosyncratic survey of the past 20 years. "Why is it the best? Because of the mentality. Here, you always play to win and the entertainment comes from that." This, Houllier says, is why people on the other side of the world get up in the middle of the night to watch it. Hardly an original opinion, but we could see the truth of his words at Wembley on Sunday, where the ferociously competitive desire of Sir Alex Ferguson yet again shaped a big match, as it could be said to have shaped the entire history of the Premier League, starting with the £1m gamble on Eric Cantona.
It might be worth wondering whether such tension will continue to crackle so compellingly through the top flight of English football once Ferguson has gone. Only, perhaps, if José Mourinho takes his place. Left to themselves, Wenger, Mancini, Dalglish and Villas-Boas might struggle to maintain the box-office electricity.
But you have to wonder, too, about the future of such prosperity at a time when those further down the ladder are not so well insulated from the economic problems of the outside world. As the New York Times reported last week, the extremely rich are the last to feel the bite of a recession: in America, where 25% of all mortgage holders are in negative equity and the government borrows from China to pay its bills, the very highest end of the luxury-goods market has never looked stronger, and there are waiting lists for this season's $9,000 Chanel sequined tweed coat.
Just like the Premier League, prospering mightily while those lower down are condemned to struggle. But how long, given the levels of debt involved, can it all last? Maybe Barry McIntosh should have taken that 40 grand a week while it was on the table. And while Sir Alex is still at his desk. | http://www.footytube.com/news/guardian/footballs-box-office-electricity-in-danger-of-being-switched-off-L9919?ref=art_relart_top | 896 |
Recap: Air Force vs. Montana State
USAFA, CO (Sports Network) - Michael Lyons erupted for 29 points as the Air Force Falcons handed the Montana State Bobcats an 86-72 defeat at Clune Arena.
Lyons hit 11-of-15 shots from the field for Air Force (5-0) which remains unbeaten. Taylor Broekhuis had 13 points and seven rebounds, Todd Fletcher chipped in 10 points and Mike Fitzgerald had a game-high nine rebounds.
Flavien Davis scored 17 points to pace Montana State (1-2). Antonio Biglow added 12 while Xavier Blount and Calen Coleman scored 13 and 12, respectively, off the bench.
At the end of a nip-and-tuck first half Air Force held a slim 40-39 lead after shooting 51.7 percent from the floor including 6-of-13 from beyond the arc.
The Flacons improved to 66.7 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes to pull away for the double-digit victory.
Montana State shot 43.5 percent in the game and was on the short end of a 39-28 differential in rebounds. Air Force had 25 assists as a team.Game Notes | http://www.fox23.com/sports/cbaskm/l.ncaa.org.mbasket-2012-e.63390/game.aspx | 250 |
All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Jets agreed in principle to a four-year contract Sunday night, a week before the team's season opener.
He wrote on his Twitter page Monday afternoon that he arrived in New Jersey after flying from his home in South Florida. Revis was not at practice, but was expected to be in uniform Tuesday after signing the deal later Monday.
The Jets wouldn't disclose financial terms, but the Daily News reported it was worth $46 million, including $32 million guaranteed.
"It not has only been hard on u guys, but it has for me too," Revis tweeted early Monday morning. "I just want to tell yall that I'm sorry for this process and I can't wait to get back on the field."
Revis, nicknamed "Revis Island" for his ability to routinely shut down opposing receivers, held out for 36 days.
"This is an intermediate step to what we hope is an entire career of Darrelle as a Jet," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "For him to retire a Jet, for him to hopefully go to the Hall of Fame one day as a Jet and for him to be in our ring of honor."
The move capped a busy day for the Jets, who earlier Sunday cut veteran fullback Tony Richardson and waived wide receiver David Clowney and running back Chauncey Washington. New York also claimed wide receiver Patrick Turner (Miami), offensive tackle Patrick Brown (Minnesota) and defensive tackle Marcus Dixon (Dallas).
But, the deal with Revis was by far the biggest news, especially because Tannenbaum acknowledged he wasn't sure it would ever happen. He said the Jets even looked into trades over the weekend for other cornerbacks.
"This was one of those things where I really wasn't optimistic," Tannenbaum said. "I really wasn't. I'm an optimist by nature, but this was really hard. There was a lot of heavy lifting, a lot of work put into it."
Including both owner Woody Johnson and coach Rex Ryan flying to South Florida on Saturday to meet with Revis, mother Diana Gilbert and uncle and former NFL player Sean Gilbert.
"I think that was an important step in the process, but there was still obviously more work to be done," Tannenbaum said. "We spent all day looking at it and probably about (11 p.m. Sunday), we made a very significant breakthrough to finding a landing spot that was good for both sides."
Ryan was scheduled to have a conference call with reporters Saturday night to discuss the Jets' roster cutdown, but Tannenbaum handled it instead. The team said Ryan was unavailable because he had an "appointment."
That turned out to be a visit with the man whom Ryan has repeatedly called the best cornerback in the NFL.
Revis began his holdout Aug. 1, when the team reported for training camp in Cortland. Tannenbaum said the nearly $600,000 in fines Revis accrued for sitting out would be handled internally.
He was scheduled to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, but wanted to become the league's highest-paid cornerback. While he didn't get that this time around, he's getting the guaranteed money he sought during negotiations over the last several months.
With NFL Films cameras following the Jets all summer for HBO's "Hard Knocks" series, Revis' holdout was a major story line without him ever appearing in an episode. He'll certainly be a major focus in Wednesday night's series finale.
Revis, who made no public statements about the sometimes acrimonious negotiations since minicamp in June, thanked his family and agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, through Twitter.
"To my family, neil, & john I love u guys I'm comin home baby!!!" Revis wrote. "Revis Island LET'S GO."
The new contract means Revis will likely be back on the field in time for the opener next Monday night against Baltimore at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
"That'll be Rex's call," Tannenbaum said.
The general manager said he "had no idea" what corresponding roster move the Jets would make once Revis was signed, sealed and delivered.
"I'm sure Rex will be able to figure out what to do to get Darrelle on the team," Tannenbaum quipped.
Since early August, the team and Revis' agents agreed to keep all negotiations confidential after things got testy through the media. With the silence came the fear that Revis could sit out the entire season, as his uncle once did.
Now, the Jets and their fans can breathe a big sigh of relief.
"Obviously, Darrelle's a great player," Tannenbaum said. "He's our guy and he's an important piece to what we're trying to accomplish here. ... I don't think anyone wanted it to take as long as it did, but it did. Now, we can put it behind us and move on to Baltimore." | http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/09/06/cb-darrelle-revis-agrees-terms-new-deal-jets/?cmpid=prn_foxsports | 1,051 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.