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218 days ago
"Anything that can bring your football team closer I think benefits you in the end, regardless of what you go through," Dantonio said Tuesday afternoon. "I think tough times, when you go through tough times, it creates a higher toughness for yourself and football team. You learn how to handle adversity better. In the end there's some point in time you later use that. I think that's natural." | http://www.spartansportspage.com/story/title/mark-dantonio-welcomes-adversity | 87 |
Serie A 10.05.2012, 13:23 Redazione Sportando - E. Carchia 67
Bo McCalebb named Serie A MVP, Meo Sacchetti is the best coach
Meo Sacchetti miglior coach, Polonara miglior Under 22
Bo McCalebb has been named Italian Serie A MVP for the season 2011-12. McCalebb led Mens Sana Siena to clinch the first position at the end of the regular season. In second position another Montepaschi's player, David Andersen, third is Viktor Sanikidze.
MVP Coach of the Year Meo Sacchetti Achille Polonara Federico Casarin
Meo Sacchetti is the Coach of the Year. He coached Dinamo Sassari finishing the regular season in a historic fourth position. Second is Andrea Mazzon (Reyer Venezia), third is Alessandro Ramagli (Banca Tercas Teramo).
Achille Polonara was named Best Under 22 of the tournament in front of Alessandro Gentile and Nicolò Melli.
Federico Casarin (Reyer Venezia) is the executive of the year. In second position Bruno Arrigoni, third Federico Pasquini. | http://www.sportando.net/eng/italy/serie-a/38548/bo-mccalebb-named-serie-a-mvp-meo-sacchetti-is-the-best-coach.html | 270 |
Comprehensive Review of Bodog.eu
We all know of familiar landmarks on Earth. Well, for me, the Bodog brand is a familiar name and landmark in the online world – especially the online gambling world. Established in 1994; with experience of more than 16 years in the gambling industry, Bodog is a brand that most gamblers trust. The company has gone through a lot of changes over the years, the most important being the decision to offer brand licenses to various licensees around the world. Accordingly, Bodog Europe has been operating Bodog.eu in Europe since 2008. With the Bodog brand, you can expect a feature-rich sport betting product, a Vegas-style casino and a state-of-the-art poker room that attracts a vast multi-player online poker community.
The Bodog head office is in Antigua. Bodog.eu is licensed with the Antigua and Barbuda Financial Services Regulatory Commission, Directorate of Offshore Gaming.
The Bodog brand is more than just a gambling entity – it owns a publishing enterprise, an international record label as well as an international television production company. However, Bodog’s main focus is online gaming, which continues to grow at an impressive rate.
Bodog has made a name for itself in the sports betting field by offering all the possible sporting events to bet on. Whether your favorite sport is NFL Football, soccer, golf, cricket, tennis, Formula 1 or rugby, the odds are all there for you to bet on. At Bodog, you can also bet live on sports like baseball, soccer and hockey. When it comes to joining up at Bodog, the registration process is quick. You only need to comply with the security issues that are mandatory at every online gaming site, other than that the process is fairly simple. The website itself is easy to navigate, with the proprietary software doing its job well. When you click on any sport, the latest event is conveniently at your finger tips. Overall, the site is designed keeping the customer in mind. With the amazing bonus offers, there’s never been a better time to join Bodog. New bettors get £10 Risk-free bet at the sportsbook. Check out the promotions page to read the fine print about the bonuses.
If you are into betting at the horse races, Bodog is the place to be. The site offers all the action in the US and Australian race tracks. Especially when it comes to US horse racing you won’t be disappointed – the site offers odds on more than 80 American race tracks. Besides, they keep you updated with a complete list on the latest horse racing results.
The Vegas-style casino offers more than 80 downloadable and instant play web based games which would satisfy the most discerning of casino players. The casino software is from the reputed Real Time Gaming Software providers, which is TST Systems certified. Table games include Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Tri Card Poker and much more. More than 20 Line slots, a wide array of Video Poker games and the all time favorite Slot games are all available at Bodog Casino. The site is functional, well-designed, easy to navigate and looks good too. Proof that the people at Bodog value their customers, know what they want and make every effort to meet those needs.
To keep up with its competition, Bodog offers its casino players a number of promotional and bonus offers. New members at the casino get up to £50 match bonus on the first chip purchase. Referring a friend to the casino, sports book or poker room will earn you a bonus of £30 provided the friend makes a minimum deposit of £10.
Bodog Poker Room
Play poker for play money or real money – that’s the advantage you get when you join Bodog. Real money play gets you poker points that can be exchanged for cash. The poker client is extremely functional and easy to get a hang of. The poker page on the site is choc-a-block with information from hot poker tips to how to play the game to poker related articles and news.
Poker fans can choose from cash games available to suit any budget or sit-n-go tournaments or daily multi table tournaments and guaranteed. There are special events going on most of the times where players can hope to win amazing prizes including seats to the WSOP. The bonuses at Bodog Poker are at par with other online poker sites. New players are welcomed with 100% sign up bonus. They also get six shots at the $100K guaranteed tournament played each Sunday. Other promos include Bad Beat Bonus and the Royal Flush bonus. Freeroll tournaments and qualifiers for the WSOP main events are always on at Bodog, so make the most of these opportunities.
An online gaming site as famous and as efficient as the Bodog, lives up to its great reputation by providing excellent quality customer service to its members. You can contact the support staff by email or telephone and they are always at your service. Bodog also does not give cause for complaints when it comes to deposits and withdrawals. Deposits can be made via different methods as listed on the site. Your request for withdrawal may be processed within 24 hours. What more reason do you need to join Bodog.eu? | http://www.sportbook.com/review-of-bodog/ | 1,093 |
Louisville coach Rick Pitino made a quick and decisive move this week, offering a scholarship and then receiving a commitment from hometown point guard Quentin Snider for the Class of '14.
"Any other school and we might have waited," Snider's father, Scott, told The Courier-Journal. "But Louisville is where he always wanted to go, so there was no other offer he needed to wait for. It's a top-10 program and it's right here."
That Pitino landed a top-100 point guard in his backyard isn't all that significant or surprising. However, it could have long-term ramifications. That's because Snider leads the Louisville Magic AAU club, which is loaded with a slew of high-level prospects from Kentucky, one of the state's best crop of players in decades.
There's also DeAngelo Russell of Louisville plus Jordan Green and Trey Grundy of Lexington, all elite prospects in the Class of '14, according to ESPN.
Pitino and Kentucky coach John Calipari could spar long and hard for each of these prospects. Having Snider in the fold is sure to help. So, too, is having former Louisville player Ellis Myles, a player whose career Pitino resuscitated, as their AAU coach. | http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2011-08-06/pitino-gains-recruiting-edge-with-snider-commitment?modid=recommended_2_2 | 263 |
An analytical look at what we’ve learned about the Big 12 in the first two months of the season and how the conference race shapes up as league play opens this weekend:
Kansas. This fall, the Jayhawks were considered the default favorites in the Big 12, for a few reasons. 1) Coach Bill Self's defenses are always title-caliber. 2) Who else was going to win? With Missouri in the SEC, the primary competition was gone. 3) Kansas always wins the Big 12. 4) Kansas always wins the Big 12.
Aside from that, there were many questions. The Jayhawks' top two players from last season — Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor — were in the NBA, and Self had a roster composed of returning good-not-great starters and a bunch of newbies who had never played college basketball. Now, as the season rolls into January, it's obvious that those starters who were perceived to be "good-not-great" were just waiting for opportunities to shine — especially big man Jeff Withey, who is turning in one of the all-time best performances from a shot-blocker.
And those newbies were more than ready for the big stage — especially redshirt freshman guard Ben McLemore, who is so good he has entered the conversation about potential No. 1 picks in June's NBA Draft.
With conference play ready to begin, Kansas has a better chance of finishing undefeated in Big 12 play than another team actually winning the regular-season title.
HOPING TO CONTEND
Oklahoma State. The Cowboys haven't shown enough consistency to give Kansas a serious run over the length of the conference schedule, but they definitely have the talent to win a head-to-head matchup vs. KU. There are two future first-round NBA picks — point guard Marcus Smart and wing LeBryan Nash — suiting up every game. Those two, along with athletic shooting guard Markel Brown, are scoring right around 14 points a game and logging 32-plus minutes a night.
When they start strong and play to their ability, the Cowboys are capable of greatness, as shown in a 20-point win over NC State. Then, though, there was the second half at Virginia Tech, when a four-point lead turned into a 10-point loss.
Smart, really, is the key. When he plays like a future NBA starter instead of a college freshman — which is way more often than not — OSU can play with the elite teams.
Baylor. The Bears have been up and down — a familiar refrain for a Scott Drew team — but this squad takes the roller coaster to an extreme. The Bears snapped Kentucky's 55-game home winning streak but also lost home games to College of Charleston and Northwestern — teams that are, at best, NCAA Tournament bubble hopefuls.
In a way, the Bears are a lot like Oklahoma State — they have elite players (point guard Pierre Jackson and big man Isaiah Austin) but haven't shown an ability to produce consistent results.
One player to watch is Cory Jefferson, who has an outstanding offensive rating (133.4) but has a low usage rate (his actions end just 17.1 percent of Baylor possessions when on the floor). By contrast, Jackson is at 113.8 and 29.7, and Austin is at 106.7 and 24.0. Basically, good things happen when Jefferson has the ball; his effective field-goal percentage of .643 is 30th in the country, and his turnover rate of 9.3 is 34th in the nation (all rate numbers courtesy of kenpom.com).
Kansas State. The Wildcats lack future NBA first-rounders — though Rodney McGruder could become a valuable reserve — but they'll challenge Oklahoma State and Baylor for second place in the Big 12. Coach Bruce Weber's team doesn't shoot particularly well (effective field-goal percentage of .453) but doesn't allow opponents to shoot well, either (.443 eFG). In this conference, a physical, frustrating defense can translate into ugly victories.
HOPING TO TOP .500
Texas. Lost in the Myck Kabongo eligibility debacle — the NCAA at its most inexplicable — is the fact Rick Barnes' team has developed into an outstanding defensive club. According to kenpom.com, the Longhorns are third nationally in defensive efficiency (83.7), first in eFG defense (.369) and 16th in block percentage (.150).
Their offense, though, is often rudderless without Kabongo, a future NBA point guard. Kabongo's ban eventually was determined to be 23 games — after an appeal — which means his first game back should be Feb. 13 against Iowa State. Until he returns, defense will have to rule the day.
Iowa State. This team of transfers — some in their first year with the program, some in their second — doesn't have a black mark among its three losses (Cincinnati, UNLV, Iowa), but there's work to do in Big 12 play if the Cyclones want to make the NCAA Tournament.
The win over BYU won't anchor a successful resume. Point guard Korie Lucious is averaging 5.4 assists but way too many turnovers (3.8 per game). Will Clyburn and Tyrus McGee lead the team at about 14 points per game each, and Georges Niang and Melvin Ejim average 10 each.
Oklahoma. The Sooners are solid but not capable of greatness, and that's OK. It won't be easy for any Big 12 team to win in Norman, and the Sooners could steal a couple of road victories with a veteran lineup and coach Lon Kruger. The loss to Stephen F. Austin before Christmas probably crushed any NCAA hopes OU fans held.
West Virginia. The 3-point shot never has been a big part of the West Virginia offense since Bob Huggins arrived in 2007 — the best the Mountaineers have shot in the Huggins era is 36.0 percent beyond the arc. This season, though, they're shooting just 27.5 percent (319th in the country), and nobody has more than 12 made 3s on the season.
That might be passable if the defense was up to its usual standards, but it's not. West Virginia's defensive efficiency ranks No. 101 in the nation, the worst mark of the Huggins era. This looks like a rough debut season in the Big 12.
DREAMING OF .500
TCU. Let’s put it this way: The Horned Frogs have played one team (Northwestern) better than 159th in the kenpom.com rankings, but they have four losses. If they don't win their Big 12 opener, at home against Texas Tech on Saturday, they might not get another one all season.
Texas Tech. Let's put it this way: The Red Raiders' best win is against Northern Kentucky, which is No. 222 in the kenpom.com rankings. It's possible they'll be 0-15 in conference play heading into a March 2 home game against TCU. | http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-01-04/big-12-preview-kansas-primed-for-a-ninth-consecutive-league-title?modid=recommended_1_3 | 1,471 |
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.— Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones missed practice for the second straight day with an ankle injury on Thursday and will be a game-time decision against Arizona.
Jones was injured in last week's loss at New Orleans.
Coach Mike Smith did not say which ankle is bothering Jones.
Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is rehabbing a sprained right ankle and hopes to avoid missing his third straight game.
Defensive end John Abraham (back), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (thigh), receiver Harry Douglas (ankle), tight end Tony Gonzalez (shoulder), linebacker Stephen Nicholas (groin), running back Michael Turner (groin) and defensive tackle Vance Walker (ribs) were all limited in practice.
Atlanta (8-1) hosts Arizona (4-5) on Sunday. | http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-11-15/julio-jones-misses-second-straight-practice | 170 |
The slalom canoe competition was completed last week at the London 2012 Olympics, but it returns to the spotlight today as the basis for the latest Google Doodle game.
To recap, gold medals were awarded in four events at the XXX Summer Olympiad:
Tony Estanguet of France took the men's canoe single slalom, or C1, championship.
The British team of Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott paired up to win the men's canoe double (C2) event.
Daniele Molmenti of Italy won the men's kayak (K1) title.
Estanguet's countrywoman Emilie Fer captured women's kayak (K1) gold.
The regatta resumed this week with canoe sprint races. Medals were awarded in four events Wednesday, with four each to be handed out on Thursday and Saturday. | http://www.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-08-09/london-2012-slalom-canoe-google-doodle-olympics | 178 |
Rotorua Junior 5th grade
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This ladder proudly brought to you by WaiBOP Football and www.sportingpulse.com | http://www.sportingpulse.com/rpt_ladder.cgi?results=N&round=14&client=0-4203-86118-206796-17005313&pool=1 | 122 |
Classified Advertisements Blackhawks' Local Audience Helping National Nets Executive Transactions N.Y. Denies MSG Indefinite Permit Blackmun, USOC Headline '13 SBA Winners NYC FC Hires Claudio Reyna As Football Dir NFL Looking At Mid-May For Draft Roddick Will Co-Host FS1 Flagship Program TaylorMade-Adidas Condemns Garcia Remark SBJ In-Depth: World Cup: One Year Out
SBD/Issue 181/Sponsorships, Advertising & MarketingPrint All
Redskins Unveil New
Scratch Off Lottery Ticket
LOOKING FOR THE JERSEY SCORE: Lions President Tom Lewand yesterday said the team is exploring the possibility of adding a practice jersey sponsor and is "in the preliminary stages with potential interested partners." The Texans, Broncos, Cowboys and Packers and among the other NFL teams that have expressed a similar interest (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/9). SportsNet N.Y.'s Adam Schein said of selling uniform sponsorships, “I have no problem with the practice jerseys, but I hate to see it on a real uniform in a real game.” N.Y. Daily News' Bruce Murray: “I don’t like it, but it’s going to happen and we’ll get used to it much the way we did naming rights of stadiums, which none of us could take when they came out.” Schein: “Can you imagine the Yankee uniform with an advertisement on it?” (“Loudmouths,” SNY, 6/8).
I AM A REAL AMERICAN? NASCAR driver Brian Vickers appeared on Fox Business' "America's Nightly Scoreboard" last night where he participated in a roundtable discussion of the future of the auto industry and what happens if Americans stop buying American-made cars. Vickers: "It depends on how you define American cars. … That line is very blurred these days. I do drive for Toyota. But the Toyota Camry … is the only car in NASCAR that's built in the U.S. So where does that leave us? Five million Camrys have been built in the U.S. and 14 million Toyota vehicles have been built in the U.S. They employ 160,000 workers -- Toyota and the dealers -- in the U.S. and they've invested over $32(B) in the U.S." Vickers added the car companies "have got to market." He said NASCAR is a "very effective marketing tool, as a matter of fact. ... These companies have still got to support marketing activities, whether it's sports or not" ("America's Nightly Scoreboard," Fox Business, 6/8).
Bayer In Second Year Of
Four-Year MLB Sponsorship
Columbia Plans To Incorporate E-Commerce
Kiosks Into Several Of Its Retail Stores
Judge Rules Cardinals Can Restrict Ads On
Street Next To University Of Phoenix Stadium
LOUD & PROUD: In Charlotte, Ron Green Jr. notes golfer John Daly returns from suspension for this week's PGA Tour St. Jude Classic, which also will be his Tour debut wearing Loudmouth Golf apparel. Daly's pants feature "flowers, polka dots and stripes and they come in colors even Crayola might not have." While the pants may not be "standard golf course attire," they are "eye-catching and increasingly popular." Loudmouth Golf Founder Scott Woodworth, who created his company in '01, said that the company last week "sold more than 100 pair one day" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/9).
I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND! The NBA and Disney Consumer Products have released an NBA Finals-themed T-shirt that features several Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. The line designed for men and boys also incorporates the Magic and Lakers colors and logos, as well as the NBA Finals trophy (NBA). | http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2009/06/Issue-181/Sponsorships-Advertising-Marketing.aspx | 838 |
Upcoming Conferences and Events
SBD/Issue 243/Sports Industrialists
USOC Restructures Staff; Bellingham To Oversee Sports Performance
Published September 1, 2010
The USOC today announced a restructuring of its staff that will see COO Norm Bellingham take over management responsibility for the sports performance division. The sports performance division will be led by Alan Ashley, the former head of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association's sports division who joined the USOC in '06. As Chief of Sport Performance, Ashley will oversee the allocation of financial and value-in-kind support to NGBs and athletes. Mike English, who took over as the interim Chief of Sport Performance in '09, will transition into a new role overseeing the sports operation division, which manages Olympic training centers nationwide. In addition to overseeing sports performance, Bellingham will continue to oversee HR and strategic planning at the USOC. On the business side of the organization, the marketing department will be restructured into five divisions that report to CMO Lisa Baird. Marketing services will be led by John Pierce, partnership marketing by Susan Goldsmith and Mitch Poll, business development by Jordan Schlachter and licensing by Peter Zeytoonjian. Longtime marketing executive Chester Wheeler will take over responsibility for NGB marketing and business development, a duty that previously was managed by the sport division. The USOC also plans to hire a director of NGB organizational development, who will report directly to CEO Scott Blackmun. | http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2010/09/Issue-243/Sports-Industrialists/USOC-Restructures-Staff-Bellingham-To-Oversee-Sports-Performance.aspx | 305 |
Nebraska has one of the cleanest looks in all of college football. But even the Cornhuskers' classically simple red and white design is not immune to the sweeping trend of schools getting limited-edition uniforms for big games.
The University of Nebraska and adidas both recently released images of new gear the team will wear for its "Unrivaled Game" against Wisconsin on Sept. 29. adidas is pushing the theme of "The Quick and the Red" for the contest between the Huskers and Badgers.
The TECHFIT uniforms feature the Nebraska “N” on the front of the jersey and an all-black base layer. TECHFIT material reduces the weight of the jersey by 30 percent and provides a more streamlined fit.
The biggest change for fans to get used to might be the black helmets—meant to evoke the Huskers' legendary Blackshirts defense.
For more on adidas, head over to the brand’s football page on Facebook.
Source and Photo: adidas | http://www.stack.com/2012/07/28/new-nebraska-uniforms/ | 210 |
Displaying items 13-16 of 16 » View Sun-Sentinel.com items only< Previous 1 2
RAVENS RUN OFFENSE VS. RAMS RUN DEFENSE: The Rams' rush defense is last in the NFL, having surrendered an average of 177.5 yards. St. Louis could be the ideal opponent for the Ravens to reestablish their running game, which was ineffective last week in...
1.People probably should have waited more than, oh, two games to declare Torrey Smith a bust in the NFL. It is sort of remarkable -- and maybe a little sad -- how many Ravens fans seemed to be elbowing one another out of the way in an attempt to be...
Associated PressMike Shanahan thinks his Washington Redskins, warts and all, have a chance to do “something special.” The 3-1 start has given the coach a bit of a swagger — and not much tolerance for those who would challenge his son’s play-...
TV SPORTS Men's College Basketball-Old Spice Classic, Texas Tech vs. Indiana State, 11 a.m. (ESPN2), Minnesota vs. DePaul, 1 p.m. (ESPN2), Dayton vs. Wake Forest, 6 p.m. (ESPN2), Arizona State vs. Fairfield, 8 p.m. (ESPN2); Battle 4 Atlantis, Central...
Sep 24, 2011 |Story| Baltimore Sun
Sep 25, 2011 |Story| Baltimore Sun
Oct 3, 2011 |Story| Herald Mail
Nov 24, 2011 |Story| Aberdeen News
Original site for James Laurinaitis topic gallery. | http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/sports/football/james-laurinaitis-PESPT0013873.topic?page=2&sortby=taxrankprof | 333 |
A collection of news and information related to Kyle Calder published by this site and its partners.
Displaying items 1-12 of 69 » View Sun-Sentinel.com items only1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >
Channel 2 SportsChris Langkow scored 36 seconds into regulation in his first hockey game in nearly four months, but the Alaska Aces were silenced the rest of the way in a 4-1 loss to the Bakersfield Condors. The Aces have dropped five of their last six games and fall to...
Tags: Ice Hockey, American Hockey League
The Fabulous ForumThe Ducks, short a forward because of injuries to Saku Koivu and Ryan Carter, recalled left wing Kyle Calder from Bakersfield of the ECHL on Saturday. Calder, who played for the Kings last season but wasn't re-signed, attended the Ducks'......
The Fabulous ForumThe Ducks have signed left wing Kyle Calder to a one-year contract and assigned him to the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL. He signed a deal that will pay him $500,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the minor-league......
Tribune reporterSo much for momentum. The Blackhawks, who kicked off their longest trip of the season with a hard-fought victory over the Ducks in Anaheim on Wednesday night, fell flat 24 hours later. Game 2 of their eight-game trip didn't go quite as well as the first...
Tags: Travel, Jonathan Toews, Basketball, Patrick Sharp, Jack Johnson
Tribune reporterThe Blackhawks started their annual circus trip like they were shot out of a cannon, but they ended it with a dud. Playing their final game of a six-game road swing, the Hawks allowed the Los Angeles Kings to rally past them for a 5-2 victory in front of...
Tribune staff reporterFor most of Sunday night, all was right in the Blackhawks' world. The largest home crowd in six years had come out to see what these Hawks, winners of four straight games, were all about as they faced the team with the worst record in the NHL. The Hawks...
Tribune staff reporterBy time the Blackhawks put their first shot on goal Saturday13 minutes 20 seconds into the gamethey already were behind three goals. When former Hawk Kyle Calder scored his second goal, 5:27 into the second period, the Hawks had given up as many...
Tribune staff reporterA Blackhawks offense that has been sickly all season was especially so Tuesday night when it was without leading scorer Martin Havlat. Havlat was admitted to a local hospital in the morning to receive intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration after...
Hey, Bob, who would want to come here? I mean we can offer all the money in the world but who will want to come to the third worst team in the NHL? I have been a Hawks fan since I could stand, and in the NHL winning brings winners so what talent can we...
Tribune staff reporterHow appropriate the ending of the 2005-06 season was for the Blackhawks. Kyle Calder's goal at the 3 minute 20 second mark of overtime gave the Hawks a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues to end the season with a two-game winning streak. The game was...
Tribune staff reporterPerhaps the biggest obstacle facing the Blackhawks this season has been their lack of skill and scoring ability from their forwards. On the current roster they have three playersKyle Calder, Radim Vrbata and Tuomo Ruutuwho could be considered top-six...
The Associated PressDavid Vyborny scored twice and had an assist in the third period to power Columbus to a 5-2 victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday night, giving the Blue Jackets a franchise record for points in a season. The victory gave Columbus 72 points, erasing the...
Feb 17, 2012 |Story| KTUU
Nov 14, 2009 | Los Angeles Times
Oct 28, 2009 | Los Angeles Times
Jan 29, 2009 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Nov 29, 2008 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Dec 30, 2007 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Apr 7, 2007 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Feb 27, 2007 |Story| Chicago Tribune
May 5, 2006 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Apr 18, 2006 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Apr 16, 2006 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Apr 15, 2006 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Original site for Kyle Calder topic gallery. | http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/sports/kyle-calder-PESPT001054.topic?page=1&sortby=docdatetime%20descending | 918 |
Carbon braves storm to compete in Tooele
On Dec. 19 and 20 the Carbon swim team traveled to an invitational in Tooele against 3A, 4A and 5A teams.
All State, All region honors local golfers
Jordan Pinedo was recently honored by being named to the high school all-state golf first team. Corin Black and Gage Bigalow also garnerd being named honorable mention. Pinedo and Black were on the Region 8 first team. Bigalow made second team al...
Honors for Dino Grid Ironers
Two Carbon Dinos were named to the Region 8 all-region first team in football. Tysen Stevens and Lance Deeter garnered the honors. Carbon players Jake Knighton, Blake Najera and Andrew Salaz were named to the second team.... | http://www.sunadvocate.com/print.php?tier=1&pubdate=2008-12-25§ion=sports | 171 |
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — A New England Patriots defense that gave up so many big plays is finally making them.
Just in time.
The Patriots began the regular season with an influx of rookies they hoped could improve one of the worst teams at allowing yards last season. They ended it with their first shutout in three years and a boost of confidence heading into the playoffs.
"We've improved each week," defensive back Devin McCourty said, "but I think the most important thing is this time right now, how much better can we get going into these last games.
"We can't afford to come out and have one bad game."
New England's defense had one of its best games in Sunday's 28-0 win over the Miami Dolphins that brought an opening-round bye. The Patriots (12-4) had a season-high seven sacks, gave up just 106 yards in the first half while going out to a 21-0 lead and let the Dolphins cross midfield on just two of their 11 possessions.
Pretty good for a team that gave up 38 plays of more than 20 yards in the first half of the season. That number dropped to 28 in the second half.
The improvement on third downs also has been impressive. Opponents converted at a rate of 50 percent or higher in six of the first 10 games. But no team was better than 38 percent in the last six.
Credit that to youngsters gaining experience, veterans settling into roles and communication and cooperation growing.
First-round picks Chandler Jones at defensive end and Dont'a Hightower at linebacker started 13 games. On Sunday, Hightower recovered a fumble at the Patriots' 1-yard line, preserving the shutout.
Second-rounder Tavon Wilson at safety and seventh-rounder Alfonzo Dennard have become productive players. Even Justin Francis, a rookie free agent, made an impact at defensive end with the first three sacks of his career on Sunday.
He had plenty of help.
"You can single out anybody with stat numbers," defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said Monday, "but if you take a look at the group effort, it was really what we were looking for.
"You can certainly see situations where the guys in coverage in those situations did a really excellent job to allow the pass rush time to get to the quarterback and then you can see situations where the pass rush was able to get to the quarterback, which allowed the cover guys to not have to cover as long. So, I really think it was a good, collaborative effort."
Last season, only one team, the Green Bay Packers, allowed more yards than the Patriots. The fact that 17 teams gave up more points didn't mask the weaknesses.
So coach Bill Belichick took defensive players with the first six of his seven draft picks.
He also added veterans before the season — safety Steve Gregory and defensive end Trevor Scott — and traded for cornerback Aqib Talib after the ninth game, a move that allowed McCourty to move to safety where he solidified the secondary.
It also made a defense with solid backups even better.
Scott stepped in when Jones was sidelined for two games and Jermaine Cunningham was suspended for four after violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
"We have a lot of depth here on defense," Scott said. "If someone goes down we have the next guy that's going to step in and fill his role. So it's definitely huge to have the depth that we have. No matter what happens we just need to keep moving forward."
They may have to do that without defensive end Rob Ninkovich. The team leader with eight sacks left Sunday's game with a hip injury and didn't return. There was no update Monday on his condition.
At least he has extra time to recover after the Patriots earned their sixth bye in Belichick's 13 seasons as coach.
"It'll be a good time to get everybody back into shape," Scott said. "We're not taking the week off, that's for sure. We're still going to be back in here working hard and getting ready for whoever we face next."
The players return from a New Year's Day break for two days before taking three days off. By the time they come back on Monday, they'll know the identity of their opponent at home on Jan. 13. They'll play Houston if the Texans beat the Bengals on Saturday. Otherwise, the opponent will be the winner of the wild-card game between the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
The Patriots already have played all three potential opponents.
"I never really kind of rely on that," left tackle Nate Solder said. "I always go back and I study the same film and prepare as if I hadn't played them."
Derrick Martin only played against one of them. The Patriots signed the veteran safety after the eighth game and he has played in just five games since then. But he had a sack on Sunday, one of six by substitutes.
"It's good to have those guys on your team that maybe necessarily don't get all the reps but that can step in and just be able to function at a high level," Patricia said.
And help turn a once shaky defense into a stingy one. | http://www.sunjournal.com/news/national-sports/2013/01/01/nfl-pats-d-getting-stingy-right-time/1300631?quicktabs_popular_and_latest=0 | 1,086 |
A-Rod: The hunt for Mrs. October
BY JOE FERNANDEZ [email protected] October 17, 2012 10:49PM
According to the New York Post, Alex Rodriguez solicited the phone number of Australian bikini model Kyna Treacy. Would she bring him good luck? Check out the gallery to see how A-Rod has fared on the field in October with some of his other beauties.
Updated: November 19, 2012 3:34PM
Alex Rodriguez might be striking out on the field, but the recently benched Yankees third baseman has found success outside those intimidating white lines — specifically, in the Yankee Stadium stands. According to the New York Post, Rodriguez recently solicited the phone number of Australian bikini model Kyna Treacy.
A-Rod has been linked with a bevy of high-profile beauties, but Yankees fans could care less. All that matters to the Bronx faithful is: “Are you performing in October?” Rodriguez’s lackluster postseason numbers have only gotten worse during a 2012 playoff run that has seen him benched and pinch-hit for on numerous occasions. What could the reason be? Could there be something on his mind? Women trouble possibly? Possibly?
Let’s take a look at the ladies who’ve held A-Rod’s multimillion-dollar hand through all of his Yankees postseason runs — because, according those numbers, Rodriguez should think about digging up Kate Hudson’s digits. | http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hotcorner/15814547-419/a-rod-the-hunt-for-mrs-october.html | 311 |
England set to welcome Chase and Tomkins back
30th October 2012
England coach Steve McNamara could have a full-strength squad to select from, with the exception of Wigan skipper Sean O'Loughlin (hamstring), when the national side take on France at MS3 Craven Park, Hull on Saturday (2.30pm).
Full-back Sam Tomkins and half-back Rangi Chase both missed the Wales game with knee and groin injuries respectively but resumed full training with the rest of the England squad in Loughborough on Tuesday.
Chase was initially ruled out of the tournament after picking up his injury on England's training camp in South Africa but further scans revealed it not to be so serious.
"There was a little bit of a mix-up with the initial diagnosis but, once we got back from South Africa, the specialist gave him the all-clear to do some rehab work," McNamara said.
"It's another player potentially fit for the weekend. We won't rush either of them but, if they come through, they will come into consideration."
McNamara, who is set to announce a 19-man squad on Thursday, says he is likely to keep changes to a minimum.
"We don't get too many games at international level so we don't want to mess about too much," he said.
"Last year we had a lot of consistency throughout the Four Nations and I think that helped us in terms of improved performance.
"I'm not saying there will only be one change, as there was in last year's tournament - there will certainly be more than that - but we won't make unnecessary changes for the sake of it."
Tickets for England v France, at MS3 Craven Park on Saturday November 3 and the final of the 2012 Autumn International Series at Salford City Stadium on Sunday November 11 cost just £12 for adults and £6 concessions and can be purchased by calling the RFL Ticket Office on 0844 856 1113 or by visiting www.rugbyleaguetickets.co.uk | http://www.superleague.co.uk/article/26487/england-set-to-welcome-chase | 429 |
Pak unhappy on Ajmal overlook in ICC awards
Pakistan lodged a protest with cricket's governing body on Monday over the exclusion of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist of an annual award, saying they hope his name will be included after a review.
The 34-year-old's name did not feature among the four nominees for the coveted 'Test Cricketer of the Year' award, despite being test cricket's leading wicket-taker in the period under consideration.
South Africa's Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Australia's Michael Clarke all made the list.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) holds the annual awards ceremony to recognise the best players and umpire in international cricket.
The names are chosen by a 30-member jury comprising of former players, officials and journalists. This year's ceremony will be held in Colombo on September 15.
Ajmal took 72 wickets in the 12 month period, including 24 in Pakistan's 3-0 rout of then world No 1 test team England earlier this year.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said they have written to the ICC on Ajmal's omission.
"Yes, we have shown our concerns on Ajmal's name not shortlisted for test player of the year award despite his excellent performance in tests during that stipulated period," Sarwar told AFP.
"We hope that the ICC will reconsider this and include Ajmal's name," he added.
Graeme Swann was omitted from a shortlist in 2010 but was later included after England put up his case. South Africa also objected to the omission of their players and boycotted the 2009 ceremony held in Johannesburg.
Despite his omission from the award shortlist, Ajmal's name has been included in ICC's best test team of the year. | http://www.supersport.com/cricket/international/news/120903/Pakistan_unhappy_on_Ajmal_overlook_in_ICC_awards | 387 |
Safarova to open semi against Schiavone
Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic will face former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the opening singles of a Fed Cup semifinal between the last two champions.
The 23rd-ranked Safarova is 4-3 against the 12th-ranked Schiavone, and has won all their matches on hard courts while the Italian has dominated on clay.
In the eastern city of Ostrava, the Czechs are counting on a fast indoor hard court at the CEZ Arena.
"I think the surface will be an advantage for us," Safarova said. "I never lost to her on a hard court."
Schiavone, who won at Roland Garros in 2010, said she was ready for the challenge.
"It's more about the quality of the players but, of course, the fast surface with the lefty service will be difficult. But we're ready."
Both Czech singles players are left handers.
No 3-ranked Petra Kvitova will play the second singles for the host against No 28 Sara Errani, who won her third Barcelona Open title in four years on Sunday.
"I respect her form," Kvitova said. "She won in Barcelona last week but I'll try to end her winning series."
In Sunday's reverse singles, Kvitova first plays Schiavone before Safarova takes on Errani.
In the doubles, French Open champions Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka will play against the Italian pair of Errani and Roberta Vinci.
The hosts are defending champions while Italy won the title in 2006, 2009 and 2010, when it stormed past the Czechs 5-0 in the semis.
Italy won the last four Fed Cup matches against the Czechs.
The winner of the best-of-five series faces Serbia or Russia in November's final. | http://www.supersport.com/tennis/article.aspx?Id=1348811 | 414 |
"Skateboarding and wakeboarding have strong chances of being included in the 2020 Olympic Games. Make no mistake I'm all for these 2 excellent additions. However, I wonder how they could leave out surfing. One of the greatest Olympians of all time, Duke Kahanamoku was a surfer 1st. It is one of the worlds most popular sport, by far more so than several Olympic events (think: race walking). Come on committee, its time to do what is fair and right." Gq.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) wants new sports and new audiences in the Olympic movement. In the history of the Olympiads, only two board sports have delivered medals: snowboarding and windsurfing.
While kiteboarding seems to be making a debut in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, surfing is still struggling to prove how popular it can be, in terms of global audience.
leno Joke: Olympic officials have disqualified a champion race walker after determining that he was doping. They disqualified him. The man said getting caught doping is almost as embarrassing as getting caught being a champion race walker.
So on with the story....Unexpectedly, skateboarding has been boosted by cycling's world governing body - UCI - to be included in the Olympics. What do skateboarders and cyclists have in common? Apparently, only wheels.
But there's more. UCI wants to show its commitment to help modernizing the Olympic Games and skaters are cool and radical.
"I've heard talk about 2016 in Brazil maybe getting skateboarding. For me that would be like the ultimate to compete Winter and Summer," Shaun White told Reuters. "The only thing I could relate it to would be the Summer and Winter X-Games. I compete in both of those and have medals in both".
"At the time, I thought it was the biggest thing that could ever happen until I won the Olympics and then it changed the game."
Wakeboarding has been growing very fast. The water board sport evolved and can now be seen towed behind a motorboat or in a cable park system.
Multinational brands have been steadily supporting wakeboarders and the X-Games were a major success for the sport. With a complete set of high-flying tricks and moves, wakeboarding may see the light of the Olympic day, in a near future.
IOC will select one in eight bidding sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. Two of them are board sports. So, in the era of artificial waves and surf pools, where's olympic surfing heading to and what's hot in modern wakeboarding and skateboarding? Maybe these videos from the X-Games can clear things up: | http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/archive/olympic-wave-carries-wakeboarding-and-skateboardingwhat-about-surfing?option=com_content&Itemid=205&catid=70&id=709&lang=en&view=article&fontstyle=f-larger | 556 |
Men's Water Polo; Cal Shocks #1 Stanford, 9-8 -- November 3, 2002
STANFORD, Calif., November 2. IS the Cardinal the Notre Dame of collegiate water polo -- overrated?
Well, it's too early to count out the defending national champs but there's definitely a chink in Stanford's armor.
In an all-important Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matchup that could have serious ramifications for December's NCAA Championships, California's No. 3-ranked Golden Bears (14-4, 4-2 MPSF) shocked the top-ranked Cardinal (18-3, 5-2 MPSF), 9-8, this afternoon in conference play at Stanford's Avery Aquatics Center.
The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead into the second period but 40 seconds into the quarter, Stanford senior Jeff Nesmith scored on a 6-on-5 to tie the game at 1-1.
Each team added two more goals during the second period to give Cal a 4-3 lead at the half.
The Cardinal fought back in the second half, with sophomore Tony Azevedo -- last season's NCAA Player of the Year and the nation's leading-scorer this year -- tallying his third score of the game on a man-up goal with 34 seconds into the third quarter.
With the match tied at 4-4, Cal scored the next three goals before the Cardinal netted three more goals of its own to even the score out at 7-7.
Cal's Andrew Stoddard found the back of the net with 4:33 to go in the game before Will Quist scored at 2:57 to give the Bears a two-point margin. Stanford junior Mike Derse brought the Cardinal within one at 1:09, but the home team could not capitalize on any of its shots in the last minute and fell by the final score of 9-8.
Five Bears tallied goals in the win, with four scoring in double figures. Junior All-American Attila Banhidy notched two goals to give him a team-leading 37 on the year. The victory extends Cal's winning streak to a season-high five in a row.
Stanford's Azevedo scored four goals in the match, upping his season total to 71, a career-high season total, tying him for fifth in Stanford's all-time record books for single-season scoring.
Golden Bear senior keeper Russell Bernstein collected 12 saves in goal while Stanford's Nick Ellis grabbed four.
Cal return to action today (Nov. 3) as the UC Davis Aggies visit Berkeley for a 12:00 p.m. match at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
-- Bill Bell
Team 1 2 3 4 Total
Stanford 0 3 4 1 8
California 1 3 3 2 9
Tony Azevedo 4, Mike Derse 1, Reed Gallogly 1, Jeff Guyman 1, Matt Moser 1.
Attila Banhidy 2, Greg Panawek 2, Will Quist 2, Andrew Stoddard 2, Vince Bevins 1.
Nick Ellis (Stan) 4;
Russell Bernstein (Cal) 12.
California coach (2nd/6:21) | http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/4352.asp?q=Men's-Water-Polo;-Cal-Shocks- | 671 |
The basketball game between Syracuse University and San Diego State scheduled to take place on the USS Midway on Nov. 9 is in danger of being canceled due to a lack of a national sponsor, according to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The "Battle on the Midway" was just one part of a weekend-full of events for Veterans Day. According to the newspaper's story, several events have already been canceled including a fan fest on the pier, a concert for charity and a gala dinner.
The Union-Tribune reported that a final decision on the SU-San Diego State game should be made in the next day or two.
A source told the Syracuse Post-Standard that a "positive development'' is expected to be announced this afternoon. The source expressed confidence that the game would be played.
"We're in discussions with the schools and we're optimistic we can find a solution," said Fox Sports spokesman Chris Bellitti, whose network has the broadcast rights to the game. "We still want to produce and televise the game on the Midway as planned."
Pete Moore, Syracuse University's director of athletic communications, had no comment on Friday morning. Attempts to contact Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross were unsuccessful.
Fox Sports San Diego is set to televise the game. Tickets to the game cost as much as $1,000. The game is not yet sold out, but tickets have not yet been available to the general public.
Several ticket packages offered by Syracuse University have sold out. | http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2012/10/syracuse_game_against_san_dieg.html | 315 |
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MORE from our HomeTeam writers.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Brett Maggard said it was a great senior season, and nothing that Jesuit did to him Monday — and the Tigers did plenty — was going to change that.
The Leopards won three playoff games; only the 1967 champions had ever matched that.
They won 26 games.
They made it here.
But while Maggard may miss the bus rides, his teammates and his time as a prep standout, he won’t miss Hillsborough County.
Last year, when he pitched for Springstead, he gave up 12 runs in a playoff game to Armwood, ending his junior season.
Monday afternoon, he gave up nine hits to Jesuit at the Class 4A state semifinals, ending his high school career.
“(Hillsborough County teams) are always ready,” he said, his left arm and elbow packaged in ice. “They just came in and hit.”
Jesuit’s 8-2 victory at Port St. Lucie’s Digital Domain Park was no big surprise, even if Hernando had assembled something of a county all-star team with all the transfers.
The Tigers are still the class of Tampa Bay, having won three state championships with 12 other trips to the semifinals.
When the two former rivals from another era usually meet this deep in the playoffs, things don’t seem to go well for Hernando. Like in 1993 when Troy Carrasco threw a no-hitter and struck out 16 in a region championship showdown, their last significant matchup.
And this was a Jesuit team on a mission.
While the story in Brooksville was about a team returning to the state semifinal for the first time in 44 years, in Tampa it’s about Jesuit avenging a loss in its last state semifinal appearance.
Like, last year.
“You’ve got to bring your lunch pail to the park every day, and that is Hillsborough baseball,” said Hernando coach Tim Sims. “It’s the mecca of high school baseball in the state of Florida. McGriff, Boggs, Sheffield …
He could have gone on and on and on.
But the Leopards hopped on the bus to Port St. Lucie convinced the underdogs could win, a feeling that swelled with the sight of Jesuit’s Conor O’Brien, who hadn’t pitched since April and was considered the Tigers’ No. 3 pitcher, warming up to start the semifinal.
“Of course,” Maggard said. “I’d much rather see 85 (mph) than 95.”
The Leopards thought Jesuit coach Richie Warren’s decision to save ace Lance McCullers Jr. — he of the mighty right arm that throws bolts of lightning past hitters — for a potential state title game was the opening they needed, not to mention a bit insulting.
After a an error and a Maggard single gave the Leopards a 1-0 lead in the first, it was cause for joy, the perfect start.
But it’s hard to imagine McCullers doing any better than O’Brien, who got a double play to end the first inning and had retired 14 of 15 Hernando batters into the fifth inning.
Maggard, however, was throwing against a brick wall.
He only struck out McCullers twice, looking. Everything else seemed to be hitting Jesuit’s bats.
The Tigers fouled off pitches until they got what they wanted. When they got what they wanted, they hit it hard.
Every starter had at least one hit, and the Tigers had two hits in every inning but the first and last.
In between, it was tough to find an out.
The bags of ice on Maggard’s arm told the story.
John C. Cotey can be reached at [email protected] | http://www.tampabay.com/hometeam/blog/column-hillsborough-foes-bring-nothing-woe-hernando/9758/ | 841 |
MORE from our HomeTeam writers.
Fivay baseball coach Justin Kunick, whose battle with cancer inspired his team and touched the community, died Friday morning at a hospice center. He was 32.
The former Ridgewood assistant was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer near the start of this season. He coached long enough to hear his team sing to him on his 32nd birthday before stepping away to receive chemotherapy.
He was transferred to a hospice center late last week and died at 10 a.m. Friday — four days after his team’s season ended.
“I was kind of bracing myself for the bad news,” Fivay senior second baseman AJ Suriano said, “but nothing can prepare you for when it actually happens.”
Kunick is survived by his wife, Anne. The funeral is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at North Meadowlawn Funeral Home, 4244 Madison Street in New Port Richey, with visitation from 2-9 p.m.
“There are so many things that run through a young wife’s head at a time like this, the unfairness of it all, the fun things you’ll never be able to do, the family you’ll never have,” Anne Kunick said in an email shortly before her husband’s death. “And you know that you have no choice but to get through it. So that’s what you do; you wake up every day and you do the best you can. My husband is a very special person; a beloved teacher, coach and friend.
“But this letter isn’t about him. It’s a thank you from both of us to the community for rallying around us with fundraisers; and to our friends, family and the Fivay baseball team for visiting Coach Kunick in the hospital and at hospice when he needed you most. And finally, a very special thank you to coach Matt Hayes for all he did for the Falcons baseball team this season in my husband’s absence.”
Hayes, Kunick’s protégé who took over head coaching duties this spring, said he was misty-eyed as he told his players.
“Justin was really just a man among men,” Hayes said. “He was a guy that would do absolutely anything and everything for you. It didn’t matter if it was in the classroom or on the baseball field. … Coach Kunick meant the world to a lot of those boys.”
Earlier this week, Kunick was talking with his players about next season.
After Friday’s news sunk in, Fivay players picked up their bowed heads and shared stories about their upbeat coach flinging a fungo bat, tripping over a bucket or showing off his fastball during batting practice.
“He tried to act like a real pitcher and try to strike us out,” Falcons pitcher Jarred Mattos said. “It was fun.”
Kunick fought heart problems since birth but overcame them to have a successful baseball career. The left-handed pitcher appeared in more games (36) than anyone in Keuka (N.Y.) College history. After college he moved to Florida to coach and teach chemistry, first at Ridgewood and then at Fivay before its first season last spring.
Kunick’s struggle with cancer resonated in the community. A fundraiser at Chili’s had a line that stretched out the door. Former Ridgewood coach Larry Beets wore a T-shirt with Kunick’s name on the night Beets’ jersey was retired.
Last week, the FACA District 10 baseball coaches named Kunick their Class 5A coach of the year — even though he coaches in another district.
Catcher Ryan Mettler said Kunick’s teachings have stuck with him.
“You’ve got to keep fighting,” catcher Ryan Mettler said. “Fight as long as you can.”
Kunick’s legacy will continue at his program in another way. This week, Allen Sportswear announced Fivay baseball was one of five area teams to receive new uniforms for overcoming adversity.
The contest’s theme was one of Kunick’s team mottoes, one that adorned his team’s caps and shirts this spring: Rise above.
Matt Baker can be reached at [email protected]. | http://www.tampabay.com/hometeam/blog/fivay-baseball-coach-justin-kunick-dies-after-cancer-battle/13661/ | 958 |
Patterson: "This program has not forgotten how to play big ballgames"
Postgame press conference coverage following TCU's 23-10 loss to Kansas State
By J.D. Moore
Posted November 11, 2012
Posted November 11, 2012
Following a 23-10 loss to second-ranked Kansas State, Gary Patterson said he was pleased with the performance of his team, but "there are no moral victories around this place."
TCU outgained KSU in yardage and gained more first downs, but ultimately could not handle Collin Klein and the Kansas State Wildcats.
Patterson said he has confidence in his young team, saying that "this program has not forgotten how to play in big ballgames."
Patterson said he was not happy with the loss, but felt it was a 'measuring stick' game for his team which will help gauge his squad for the season.
"For us, a lot of positives came out of this," Patterson said. "We just didn't win."
Here are some more quotes and highlights from Gary Patterson's press conference:
ON THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME:
"We played a good football team. Kansas State is a good football team, especially on defense. They were too good up front for our group and we didn't handle them very well in passing situations."
"I give coach Snyder and his group a great amount of credit. Everyone's giving his team their best shot. I'm not sure that was our best shot, but our kids played at a high level or tried to."
"You watched their team, they had presence. We've had presence. We have to know when we go out there, we have to have presence and have swagger. You have to turn the knob up from the beginning. You can't hope they make a mistake. That can't be the answer."
"We thought we could win this ballgame. People said it, but we believed it. We just came short, but we're going to become better."
ON THE DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE:
"I think we've been playing good defense for the whole season and the last couple of ball games."
"I told [the defense] they have to learn lessons before West Virginia. I said these would be measuring stick games.
ON TREVONE BOYKIN'S FIRST QUARTER INJURY:
"[It was his] shoulder. It was just banged up. He'll be sore tomorrow. It was probably why some of his throws were off."
ON BILL SNYDER AND KANSAS STATE:
"I know what it was like with that program in 1981 and I know how far they've come. We came to play to win, but if they win, I want them to win out. To be honest with you, [Snyder] deserves it. The team deserves it, but the man deserves it."
"He's done a lot for that program, but he's done a lot for the state of Kansas."
"I'm proud of him, but I'm a Horned Frog. Period. Kansas State is like a distant relative to me. I like them, but this is my family, right here."
ON GOING FOR A FIELD GOAL IN THE FOURTH QUARTER:
"We couldn't get 2nd and 10, couldn't get 3rd and 14. I was getting my quarterback killed out there. Sometimes, it looked like we weren't trying to win the ballgame. That's not it. What I was trying to do was find a formula to try and score. The other way wasn't working."
ON THE CROWD ATMOSPHERE:
"The crowd? Awesome. Our student side? Awesome. It was unbelievable. Can't ask for better surroundings or ambiance for a football game."
"I can recruit to that. I had some big-time recruits here today that aren't committed to us yet, but when they walk into a stadium like that, it makes a difference. I used to lose recruits because I'd have a crowd of 15,000 out there with no excitement. It's not going to happen anymore."
TCU safety Sam Carter:
ON THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME:
"We didn't play good enough. We had some mistakes and it cost us."
"We don't make excuses. Can't blame the offense, we gave up 23 points. We didn't do enough in the secondary."
"They don't make mistakes. They're a team that just pounds the ball and I give them a lot of credit."
TCU offensive lineman Blaize Foltz:
ON TREVONE BOYKIN AND PLAYING WITH HIS INJURY:
"He definitely cares about us, cares about the team. Any of us would have done the same thing. We're all pretty banged up right now and all fighting through injuries. I'm proud of him. He did his job tonight."
ON THE UPCOMING BYE WEEK:
"We definitely, from an injury standpoint, can use it. We still have to practice the way we need to practice this week."
Today on 360
Big 12 baseball tournament to start a day late in response to Oklahoma tornadoes
The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships baseball tournament scheduled to start on Wednesday in will now begin on Thursday as a result of the tornado that hit Moore, Okla., according to a press release.
Course on ‘African-American Experience’ returning to campus in June
A course that hasn't been offered since TCU's 2008 Spring term, African-American Experience Since 1619, is re-emerging and being offered to students during the upcoming June session.
TCU community reacts to Oklahoma tornadoes
The tornadoes that hit Oklahoma yesterday impacted the TCU community. See below for a Storify of tweets from fellow Horned Frogs. To support, text REDCROSS to 90999 and donate $10 for disaster relief.
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Join our mailing list to be kept up to date on the latest campus news. We'll email you as big news breaks and send you regular updates with stories from TCU 360, the Daily Skiff, TCU News Now and Image magazine. | http://www.tcu360.com/football/2012/11/16406.patterson-program-has-not-forgotten-how-play-big-ballgames | 1,303 |
Great commentary, general hercules. Thanks. I was watching on Tv for once.
Federer started slowly, Murray well. Once Federer broke, it was definitely evenly played up to the tiebreaker. When Federer won that, the roof just about came off with the fan noise for Federer. I think that might have unsettled Murray some. In the second set Federer broke from 0-40 and Murray looked rattled from that point on and the result wasn't in doubt.
IF Federer can play anything like this tomorrow, Federer can take his 7th Masters Cup and 77th (all 7's) title. He seemed to really wake up today and it was definitely his best match of this tournament. But, it will be his 3rd match in 3 days. Let's see what happens. I hope for a good match. | http://www.tennis4you.com/forum/index.php?topic=17045.msg521337 | 174 |
For Marquise Goodwin, it capped a week of celebrating. For fellow wideout Mike Davis, it marked a validation of revival.
Sept. 16, 2012
Bill Little, Texas Media Relations
OXFORD, MS - They had come to this place - these two speedsters and catchers - from different places. One had been to the White House, the other - by his own admission - had been to his personal dog house.
And together, they were part of an accomplished team effort as Texas thrashed Ole Miss, 66-31, Saturday night before the largest non-conference home crowd in the history of the SEC school.
The defense, which would eventually yield more yardage and points than defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and his crew would have liked, set the tone for the night with linebacker Steve Edmond's 22-yard interception return for a touchdown on the second possession of the game for the Rebels. But it would be a balanced, big play offense that would carry the night for Texas. And right in the middle of it were the guys whose stories we started out to tell you.
The legendary Texas baseball coach Cliff Gustafson once told me, "Bill, speed don't have a bad day." And that would be the theme of the evening for the very balanced Longhorn attack. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who was excused from practice on Thursday so that he could travel to Washington to be honored along with 1,000 other U.S. Olympians in a ceremony at the White House, arrived at the team hotel in Memphis late Friday night. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, he did not arrive late in Oxford.
Goodwin blew through the Rebel defense on a 69-yard touchdown run on the Longhorns' first possession of the second quarter. That made the score 17-7, and Texas never looked back.
For Goodwin, it capped a week of celebrating. For fellow wideout Mike Davis, it marked a validation of revival. After a brilliant freshman year in 2010, Davis battled injuries and personal problems last year. He was nowhere close to the same guy who was a smiling, happy freshman - just getting started with a promising career two seasons ago. In January of this year, however, Mike Davis decided to change that.
"When I came back from the break," he said with that characteristic smile in the locker room after the game at Ole Miss, "I made up my mind to leave all of that `stuff' behind me." Saturday, that wasn't the only thing he left behind.
Davis caught five passes for 124 yards, including a 46-yard TD pass from David Ash. Goodwin had two catches for 102 yards, including a 55-yard TD pass. For the night, Goodwin had 80 yards rushing, 102 receiving, and 16 on a kickoff return.
Ash finished the game with 19 completions on 23 tries for 326 yards and four TDs. Nine different players caught passes. But as impressive as the 326-yard passing output was, it was a punishing running game which set the stage.
For several years, Mack Brown has expressed a desire to get back to the 50 percent-50 percent pass-rush yardage output, and Saturday night was about as close as you can get. With Malcolm Brown leading the stats with 128 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns, Joe Bergeron doing bruising work early for 48 yards on eleven carries and Jonathan Gray carrying the workload for 50 yards on a Case McCoy-engineered drive in the fourth quarter, Texas ran for 350 yards and four TDs.
The 66 points marked the most by a Texas team since the 2005 National Champions hung 70 on Colorado in the Big 12 Championship game. While the defense left unsatisfied because of surrendering some big plays, on the positive side it intercepted three passes and delivered five sacks for a net loss of 27 yards.
The trip to Oxford turned out to be one of the more successful ventures for the Longhorns, and their fans. UT's allotment of 3,800 tickets went quickly, but Texas fans seemed to manage about a quarter (estimated 15,000) of the 60,000 seats in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
In the world of track and field, where Marquise Goodwin became an international star this summer, there is a classification of excellence called "personal best." The senior continues to blossom as arguably the best two-sport athlete in the college game.
Sharing the spotlight on Saturday, however, was a poignant trip for Mike Davis. There is something that we all celebrate about "come backs." For a college football player such as Mike, it is particularly gratifying to watch. Life is, after all, a series of passages. We all face our personal demons daily. In Oxford, one of the wonderful things about their football experience is the place they call "The Grove." There, thousands come, share their food and drink with friends and opponents alike.
And the lasting testament to The Grove is whatever happens this week, next week is a new beginning.
So let it be for Mike Davis. It is a true story, though shared infrequently over the last year, that his mother really did give him a middle name of "Magic."
Saturday night in Oxford, Mike Davis came out to play. And for him and his Texas football teammates, the Magic was back. | http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091612aaa.html | 1,086 |
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Giants' Super Bowl victory will be celebrated in typical New York City style, with a ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes.
Members of the NFL champion Giants will be showered with a mile of confetti in a parade up Broadway on Tuesday. Then, in a ceremony at City Hall, they'll be presented with symbolic keys to the city.
This is the second Super Bowl championship parade for the Giants in four years. They also beat the Patriots in the NFL title game in 2008.
Tuesday's big hero undoubtedly will be Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. The Giants quarterback and Mario Manningham connected on a clutch play, as the receiver made an over-the-shoulder catch along the sideline on the opening play of the game-winning drive. | http://www.the-daily-record.com/ap%20general%20news/2012/02/07/new-york-to-fete-giants-with-parade-up-broadway | 165 |
Lexington City Schools to host Special Olympics
Published: Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 3:52 p.m.
The powerful accomplishments the Special Olympics program has created worldwide is wonderful. It allows special needs individuals the ability to overcome struggles and attain success within various sporting events. These opportunities have been excellent ways of showing these athletes how spectacular they are during and outside Special Olympics sporting events.
Special Olympics events have always been quite popular filled with enormous amount of support within Davidson County, which is why Lexington City Schools is looking forward to being the next two years' host. A committee has been made up of various central office officials, LCS staff and even a select group of students targeted to maintain youth support and involvement from the schools. Working hard behind the scenes since September, the committee has put together a theme, raised money, gained school club involvement and is nearing the completion of all the final details before preparation for the event, which is May 3.
The theme for this year will be "Superhero!" While many other possible themes were discussed, overwhelming evidence proved this year was meant to be the year the talented athletes around the county may "embrace their inner superhero."
Upon settling in on the theme, the committee offered an art competition to students and staff interested in designing this year's T-shirt. Nearly 30 art designs were submitted to the committee. After analyzing each one carefully, two were selected to be incorporated in the official T-shirt design.
The school is pleased with the excitement and effort already being shown by its student body. Upon first hearing the school would be hosting, students eagerly inquired about how to be an athlete's buddy. Clubs jumped right on to establishing village activities (exciting surprises are planned for the athletes within Olympic Village to correspond with the theme), and teachers have looked into ways their students may be an asset to the production.
Such high morale within the school has had committee member Josey Parker, a junior at Lexington Senior High, say, "I thoroughly enjoy the excitement the student body has begun to show. Numerous people come up to me every day asking about how they can get involved or help out with the Special Olympics. It is simply so wonderful seeing everyone within my school coming together for such a great cause."
This is an extraordinary moment for Lexington City Schools to continue showing their dedication to the community. Even Superintendent Rick Kriesky, who will partake in the opening ceremony, is just as excited as the students and staff at Lexington. In a letter, he notes, "Hosting the countywide Special Olympics is a wonderful honor and a great opportunity for Lexington Senior High School and Lexington City Schools. The athletes competing in these games deserve and will receive tremendous support from our students and staff. In addition, I am very proud of our student-led steering committee. These high school students are providing the vision and leadership to insure a positive and memorable experience for each athlete."
A great amount of planning has been put forth by Lexington's committee and school in efforts to ensure a delightful experience for athletes. The long-term planning will reflect come event time. This is looking to be one of the best Special Olympics events this county has seen in a while, and everyone is excitedly preparing to cheer on the athletes. | http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20130228/Teen/302289988/1064/news?Title=Lexington-City-Schools-to-host-Special-Olympics | 675 |
Crew beat United to top Reserve League standings
If it was the last appearance for some of the players on the back end of the Crew roster, then it was a special way to special finish the MLS Reserve League schedule.
The Crew reserves topped their D.C. United counterparts 3-1 on a gray, chilly Tuesday morning in Crew Stadium.
Goals by trialist Walter Chevez of Costa Rica, first-team forward Emilio Rentería, and backup rookie midfielder Bernardo Anor against the short-handed DC side enabled Columbus (9-1, 27 points) to finish with the most points in the Reserve League.
“We’ve been taking this league pretty seriously all year,” defender Josh Williams said. “I think our record shows it and our performances did. We put together a string of really good performances."
D.C. United lost midfielder Austin da Luz to a red card in the 25th minute for a challenge on Rentería, but then grabbed the lead five minutes later when Joseph Ngwenya took advantage of gaps in the defense.
“At halftime, we were all mad because we felt like we shouldn’t give up goals,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, we’ve been here before and remained calm.”
Chevez entered to start the second half and got the equalizer in the 48th minute with a header to the back post off a Justin Meram cross. Meram also drew a penalty in the 72nd that Rentería converted.
Anor capped the scoring with a long strike in the 89th minute as the Crew avenged their only reserve loss of the year - from the first weekend of the season.
“I’m very satisfied with the performance of the team,” Anor said. “All the guys did pretty good. We earned it.”
Afterward, the players lifted an Eastern Division championship trophy that the Hudson Street Hooligans supporters presented to the club.
“We had great fans come out here on a weekday,” said Crew assistant coach Ricardo Iribarren, who was in charge for all the reserve matches. “The least we could do was a give them a nice win.”
It was all smiles in the locker room, but the Crew must get down to the serious business of deciding who stays and goes for the 2012.
Five of the 16 who appeared in the match for the Crew (excluding Chevez and another Costa Rican trialist, Esteban Granados) did not appear in a regular season game.
ON THE MEND
Captain Chad Marshall underwent surgery recently on his right ankle to shave bone spurs and remove bone fragments that had bothered him throughout the season.
The central defender will be ready for the preseason training that starts in two months, as will rookie midfielder Rich Balchan after his sports hernia operation last week. | http://www.thecrew.com/news/2011/11/crew-beat-united-top-reserve-league-standings?quicktabs_news_blog_qt_block=1 | 610 |
The Harvard-Radcliffe Rugby Football Club bypassed traditional forms of fundraising by creating a method of raising money unique to their athleticism: moving. Calling themselves "Radcliffe Movers," members of the Women's Rugby team will work in groups of two and three people to assist students as they move boxes and furniture out of their dorms and into house storage facilities. "We get off-season lifting workouts, you get your stuff moved," reads the tagline on the Radcliffe Movers sign-up form.
This is the first time that the Women's Rugby Team has offered their help in moving students out of their dorms, and 32 undergraduates have already purchased moving assistance by signing up on the Radcliffe Movers google form that circulated over House and organization email lists this weekend.
The Radcliffe Movers will begin their work on Monday, May 7, and continue moving items through Friday, May 10. They'll be charging $20 for the first hour and $10 for each additional hour of labor. About two-thirds of the rugby team's 35 members has volunteered time to help out with the moves. | http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/5/7/womens-rugby-moving-fundraiser/ | 225 |
The Niners, down 7–3 to start the second quarter, started the frame with the ball at their own 20. Colin Kaepernick, who at times looked shaky in the first 15 minutes, hit tight end Vernon Davis for a 29-yard play right off the bat.
After going right back to Davis for 11 more the next play, San Francisco ran the ball two straight plays to the 24, before rooking running back LeMichael James was stripped by Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw right there. Baltimore’s Arthur Jones recovered.
After the Ravens moved the ball to midfield, Joe Flacco hit tight end Ed Dickson for a 23-yarder. After another pass to Dickson, this one for 14 yards with a face mask tacked on, Flacco found tight end Dennis Pitta in the end zone to put the Ravens up 14–3.
Then on the Niners’ very next play, Kaepernick was picked off by safety Ed Reed at San Francisco’s 38-yard line, giving Reed a record-tying postseason nine interceptions.
The Ravens’ ensuing drive stalled though at the 14, and after lining up for a field goal on fourth-and-9, coach John Harbaugh called for a fake that was snuffed out just a yard before the first down marker to turn the ball back over to Kaepernick’s Niners on downs.
Kaepernick, who looked confident earlier in the quarter, seemed rattled though, and San Francisco went three-and-out to give the ball back to Baltimore at the Ravens’ 44. After a pair of incompletions, Flacco aired it out for receiver Jacoby Jones, who caught the ball at the six, and eluded two defenders to run it in for a 21–3 lead with just over two minutes left in the half.
The touchdown was the third of the game and the record-tying 11th of the postseason for Flacco, who entered the locker room 13/20 passing for 192 yards.
The Niners, now desperate for momentum, pieced together an eight-play drive, to get to the Ravens’ nine-yard line with three seconds remaining, where kicker David Akers nailed a 27-yard field goal to end the first half with Baltimore up 21–6.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter. | http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/sports/super-bowl-xlvii-ravens-head-into-halftime-up-21-6-343664.html | 490 |
The start of a new season is upon us and so today we bring back one of last year’s most enjoyable (and mocked) features: the NFL Top 10. Each Tuesday, I’ll power-rank the top 10 teams in the league and explain why I’ve got ‘em where I’ve got ‘em. Be sure to vote in the poll at the end to let your opinion known. Here we go…
#10: NY Jets (11-5 last year): Once you wash the throw up out of your mouth, just know that I’ve got the Jets lower that most everyone else. I truly believe they’ll take a step back this season, but a second straight trip to the AFC Championship Game gets them into the Top 10 Week 1.
#9: Houston (6-10): The only team in the Top 10 that had a losing record last year, I think that Houston (with new DC Wade Phillips) is ready to make moves–especially with the injury to Peyton Manning giving them an early-season edge. We’ll see them in person Week 2 at Sun Life.
#8: Baltimore (12-4): A perennial Top 10 team, the Ravens will be tested right off the bat, hosting division rival Pittsburgh on Sunday. Will this be the year they get over the hump/Steelers?
#7: New Orleans (11-5): I spent all of 2010 saying I wasn’t that high on the Saints and I looked foolish until they collapsed at Seattle in the playoffs. They’re a good team but they’ve had a lot of turnover in the backfield and I’m not entirely sure what to expect. Playing in one of the toughest divisions in football, too.
#6: San Diego (9-7): Another early-season opponent for the Fins, the Chargers have been notorious slow-starters the last few years. They host Donovan McNabb and the Vikings Week 1, so that should be a win. Last year, if not for one of the worst special teams seasons in history, they’d have won a few more games and who knows what could have been.
#5: Pittsburgh (12-4): As usual, here are the Steelers. The schedule is set up for them to get off to another hot start and I’d expect nothing else. A Week 1 win at Baltimore would be impressive and not particularly shocking.
#4: Atlanta (13-3): The #1 seed in the NFC last post-season, the Falcons came crashing down to earth in the playoffs as they got slammed by the eventual champs in the Divisional round. Still, with the addition of WR Julio Jones, I expect them to cruise to double-digit wins again.
#3: Philadelphia (10-6): Ah, yes, the “dream team.” Philly is clearly the class of their division and have what should be essentially a tune-up this week at St. Louis. Expect points. A lot of points.
#2: New England (14-2): The Pats had the best record in the NFL last year and I don’t expect them to step back much at all. A great test for the Dolphins on Monday night–can’t wait!
#1: Green Bay Packers (10-6): Gotta put the defending champs at the top, right? Right. The Packers peaked at the right time after sneaking into the playoffs last year. We’ll see if that momentum continues here in 2011.
Who do you think should be #1?
- Packers (45%)
- Other (tell us who in the comments) (21%)
- Patriots (15%)
- Eagles (9%)
- Falcons (7%)
- Steelers (3%)
The opinions, analysis and/or speculation expressed by The Finsiders Blog represent those of individual writers, and unless quoted or clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions, policies or desires of the Miami Dolphins organization, front office, coaches and executives. Writers' views are formulated independently from any inside information and/or conversation with Dolphins officials, including the coaches and scouts, unless otherwise noted.
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You must be logged in to post a comment. | http://www.thefinsiders.com/blog/2011/nfl-top-10-week-1-2011 | 908 |
Sin City has another New Year's Eve planned with celebrity-studded bashes, exclusive concerts and a rooftop fireworks display billed as the nation's largest.
Big-name celebrity acts including The Black Keys, The Killers and Pitbull will help hundreds of thousands of partiers ring in the new year Monday under the watchful eyes of a legion of law enforcement officers concerned with keeping the celebration peaceful and eager casino bosses concerned with ending 2012 with a profitable bang.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are performing a sold-out show at the Cosmopolitan's Chelsea Ballroom that will be broadcast live on the casino's 65-foot (19-meter) marquee to partiers on the Strip below. Beyonce will give an invitation-only performance in the Wynn's 1,500-seat-amphitheater.
Other casino are touting pricey nightclub bashes with $3,000 bottle service and open bars, hosted by reality TV and music celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj and Brandy.
Revelers can also party celebrity-free on the Brooklyn Bridge at the New York-New York Hotel, where tickets start at $170, or inside the replica Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, where couples packages start at $300.
Those unimpressed with the ersatz offerings on the Strip can head 15 minutes south to a Great Gatsby soirée set inside a private airplane hangar. Organizers say the aviation-themed bash will recall a time "when the parties were bigger, the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper."
Las Vegas' New Year's eve festivities, dubbed "America's Party," have doubled in size since 1990. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority expects 332,000 visitors Monday, equal to the record-breaking number that flocked to last year's celebration.
That number has hoteliers happy, but does not rival other New Year's Eve celebrations. The ball drop at New York City's Times Square draws more than 1 million spectators, and some 2 million people flock to the shores of Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro for music and fireworks.
Still, Las Vegas is dealing a full house this weekend, with hotel occupancy approaching 100 percent, according to Dawn Christensen of the visitor's authority, and rooms going for several times the normal price.
The city room suite at the Cosmopolitan can be had for $210 on Tuesday, but costs $650 Monday. The deluxe king room at Caesars Palace is going for $519 on Monday, compared with $139 Tuesday.
With gambling revenue still down 20 percent in the Las Vegas area and visitor levels only recently returning to pre-recession levels this year, New Year's Eve is a crucial night for the casino industry. It's the biggest money-maker of the year, projected to bring in $210 million on Monday alone, not counting gambling revenue.
Spectators will be treated to more than eight minutes of coordinated pyrotechnics costing $500,000. The fireworks will be shot from the rooftops of seven hotel-casinos, from the MGM Grand toward the south end of the Strip to the Stratosphere in the north.
The show will feature a medley of bubblegum pop, including The Wanted's "Glad You Came" and Pink's "Raise Your Glass."
Grucci, the so-called "first family of fireworks," is bringing some extra flash to the city of lights for the eighth year in a row. CFO Felix Grucci said he chooses the score first and then establishes his choreography, as a nightclub or Broadway musical director might.
"It's a combination of science and art; mainly art," he said.
A few miles north, the downtown Fremont Street Experience pedestrian mall will stage its fifth annual TributePalooza, with cover bands playing to an adults-only crowd.
Virtual fireworks will light up the mall's blocks-long metal canopy, which boasts the world's largest video screen.
"I've been to a lot of places, and this is the best," said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who will lead the Fremont countdown. "One hotel after another, one place to go after another. It's all happening."
Police plan to shut down Strip traffic six hours before midnight so that revelers can spill into the four-mile stretch of road normally packed with cars at night. Casinos will lock their doors to all but paying guests.
The city's 2,700 metro police officers will be visible on horses and bicycles, and will also blend into the crowd and watch for bad behavior and more serious offenses.
Police made 114 arrests for drunken driving during last year's festivities.
"Our primary mission is crowd safety," said Lt. Jason Letkiewicz, who will be overseeing the command center on the Strip. "It's usually a real good crowd. They want to party, they want to have a good time."
About 300 Nevada National Guard troops will also take up stations around town, where they will be on the lookout for possible terrorist threats.
Street sweepers will move in around 2 a.m. and finish up by dawn. They typically collect 50 cubic yards (meters) of trash, enough to fill the 10,000-gallon (38,000-liter) double archway aquarium at the MGM Grand's Rainforest Cafe. | http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/30/beyonce-chili-peppers-among-nye-lineup-vegas.html | 1,104 |
Konami’s Winning Eleven 8 reaches a new height in creating an ultra-realistic sports experience on a video game console. There’s no sports game that sells more copies around the world, or that has garnered as much critical acclaim as the Winning Eleven series. But the question remains: Will America finally embrace a soccer game?
In the newest edition of Konami’s acclaimed soccer franchise, gamers are supplied with an array of new moves, tricks and more in-depth gameplay than any soccer game before it. This includes a deep and advanced dribbling system, a user-friendly free kick feature, and the most incredible artificial intelligence of any sports game on the market. The players in Winning Eleven 8 act so much like real soccer players, that they automatically sit back and play more defense when ahead and send more attacking players forward when behind.
Adding even more realism to the game, Winning Eleven 8 features 136 club teams, 57 national teams and control of up to 4,500 of the world’s finest footballers. These players are brilliantly brought to life through photo realistic graphics and authentically modeled features that mimic the individuals’ style of play, movement and mannerisms.
Winning Eleven 8 should be on its way to achieving “Madden-like” status in the United States (like it has in Europe and Asia). According to www.usyouthsoccer.org, soccer is the number one played youth sport in America. As we speak, hoards of new soccer fans and future soccer moms are spawning everyday. It is the ideal time for Winning Eleven to claim its stake as the “World’s Greatest Game’s,” greatest game.
Best Feature: Far and away the best AI in a soccer game (ever)
Worst Feature: No online play! I wanna’ whup a snotty little Euro Kid and then make fun of him for losing to an American.
Weirdest Feature: The music isn’t bad, if Eurasian Club is your scene… | http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/the-video-game-review-winning-eleven-8/Content?oid=1134887 | 422 |
LONDON // Backers from the UAE are ready to pour billions into a project to build a new London airport on an artificial island in the estuary of the River Thames, according to the city's mayor. The mayor Boris Johnson's plan to build the four-runway airport has attracted "incredible interest" from financiers in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, Kit Malthouse, his deputy, has revealed. The first "surface level" report on construction feasibility of the airport - nicknamed "Boris Island" after the flamboyant mayor - is due to be published this week.
Although initially dismissed as "fantasy island" when Mr Johnson proposed it last year, the project now seems to be winning over sceptics. Labour ministers in the government have flatly rejected the Conservative mayor's scheme, announcing in January that a third runway would be built at Heathrow. That, though, has brought threats of lawsuits that could last a decade. There are also increasing doubts that Britain could meet environmental obligations on emissions and noise if the Heathrow expansion were to go ahead.
Mr Malthouse said Mr Johnson has succeeded in creating interest among backers from the Gulf, as well as the Chinese, for the project, expected to cost £40 billion (Dh234bn). "We have had an incredible amount of interest from countries such as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which have signalled they would like to fund the airport. It is possible we could build it without taxpayers' money," the deputy mayor said. "Who wouldn't want to own an immovable fixed asset just off the coast? It's extremely valuable and the owners of sovereign wealth funds know they could bequeath it to their children."
However, the plan to build the airport on a man-made island in about four metres of water, almost 3km off the island of Sheerness in Kent, has appalled conservationists who say it could wipe out the area's bird population. Although the plan would be for aircraft to take off and land over water, residents in Kent look bound to mount their own legal challenge. Mr Johnson's own Conservative Party has not shown any enthusiasm for Boris Island, although members reiterated that if, as expected, they win next year's general election, they will scrap Labour's plan to build a third runway at Heathrow.
Current thinking among the party leadership is that, instead of providing more airport space, they will build a new, high-speed rail link to the north of the country, which, they reason, will reduce internal flights. A central reason for Tory opposition to their own man's idea is that it might affect electoral support for the party in Kent, a Tory heartland. Slowly, though, voices are being heard in support of the scheme. The Engineer magazine commented last week: "Forget the concept's arguably damaging association with Johnson, put to one side concerns over its environmental impact and cost, and there is some logic to the idea.
"With aircraft descending from the North Sea, rather than over residential areas, it would, claim its advocates, provide a neat solution to the problems that have bedevilled plans to expand Heathrow." Although the authoritative magazine predicts that Boris Island is unlikely to make it off the drawing board in the near term, "as changing climate puts growing pressure on land use and humans look to the sea as a source of both problems and solutions, it could still indicate a watery future to come".
The feasibility study due to be published this week has been compiled by Douglas Oakervee, the lead engineer behind the construction of Hong Kong International Airport. Mr Malthouse said the report will show that it would be technically possible to build Boris Island, which, in fact, would be two artificial islands joined together and capable of holding between four and six runways. The islands would be linked by tunnels or bridges to terminals on the mainland, which would offer rail links into London or to continental Europe. Power for the new airport would by supplied by turbines using Thames tidal power.
Mr Johnson is enthusiastic to see the project through. He told the London Assembly this year: "It is our duty, when you look at the environmental catastrophe that would be occasioned by constructing a new runway at Heathrow, to look at all available alternatives. "The environmental implications of a new airport in the Thames estuary depend entirely on where that airport were to be situated and the scale of that airport." | http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/boris-island-is-attracting-gulf-interest | 903 |
A former female soccer player's hopes of becoming the first women to play in the NFL have been dashed after she aggravated a thigh injury just two kicks into her tryout.
Lauren Silberman became the first woman to take part in NFL tryouts when she tried her luck at one of the regional 'combines' in New Jersey yesterday.
But the 28-year-old, bidding to be the first women to play in the sport since rules preventing female players were lifted two years ago, pulled up after just two kicks.
Silberman, who played club football for the University of Wisconsin, kicked 19 and 13 yards in her two attempts before calling over a trainer.
She later revealed she had suffered a quadriceps injury during training for the combine, which had flared up during her kicking attempts.
"Obviously, it was a very frustrating day because I wanted to show the world how well I could kick," she told the NFL's website. afterwards.
"I kept trying to work through it, but between the pain and the risk of further injury, I thought it was best to stop."
Follow us @SprtNationalUAE | http://www.thenational.ae/sport/north-american-sport/womans-bid-to-become-first-female-nfl-player-ends-in-failure-after-suffering-injury-two-kicks-into-tryout | 233 |
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What about Bellarmine?
There are many important news events and issues facing us every day, but let's face it - in Kentucky, basketball is a big deal. That's why I was shocked to find that after the Bellarmine University men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship this weekend, the best The News-Enterprise could manage was a small notice buried on page 5 of the sports section.
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Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis addresses the press during a press conference in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. / Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports
What we're hearing in New Orleans ...
â?¦ a dissenting voice on the Ray Lewis retirement tour.
It's former New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer, who lost to Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV and watched former teammate Tiki Barber take over the spotlight when he announced his retirement midway through the 2006 season.
"It's definitely all about him. Once a guy goes to the center of the field, goes into the victory formation on the last play of his last home game â?¦" Toomer told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday in the Super Bowl XLVII Media Center, trailing off before completing that thought. " I just don't think the Giants or any organization I've ever been a part of, even growing up, would allow somebody to single themselves out like that.
"If you single yourself out after you make a play, that's one thing. But to walk out on the field reminds me of the WWE, like The Rock coming out. You're becoming a caricature of yourself. It's exhausting. I don't know why somebody would want that."
Lewis said Wednesday he had an "obligation" to his teammates and the city of Baltimore to "give everybody a fair chance to say their goodbyes."
Toomer said he "loves" Lewis as a player and called him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He also realizes Lewis' retirement has served as a motivating factor for the Ravens. In fact, that's what they told Toomer, now working for NBC Sports Radio Network, during Media Day when he asked the players how Lewis' retirement affected them.
But Toomer still doesn't believe Lewis should make it all about himself and noted Lewis' pleading guilty to obstruction of justice as part of a plea agreement in regard to the double murders in Atlanta in 2000.
"If you want to say you're Mr. Religious and all of that, have a clean record. Don't say all of that stuff if you know there's stuff that might come back," Toomer said. "Those are the things that, when I look at him, I just think hypocrisy."
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Amani Toomer: Ray Lewis setting wrong tone for Ravens | http://www.thenewsstar.com/usatoday/article/1878869?odyssey=mod_sectionstories | 516 |
CMU-bound, 6-foot-8 Fisher becomes school’s first Divison I signee
ROCHESTER HILLS — The cake looked scrumptious, a Central Michigan banner was neatly put up and there were plenty of other coaches and school officials on hand to partake in the numerous pictures. Given all that, it’s hard to imagine Stoney Creek head football coach Calvin Gross kept uttering these words during a signing day ceremony on Wednesday at the school. “I’ve never done this before,” Gross said. Indeed, while thrilled his first signing day ceremony for one of his players went smoothly, the primary source of happiness for Gross and his program was that there was a ceremony in the first place. The reason for Wednesday’s celebration was senior offensive lineman Eric Fisher, who signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Central Michigan on the first day football recruits around the nation could sign with college programs.
With one stroke of his pen, Fisher made history, becoming the first Stoney Creek football player in the seven-year history of the program to sign with a Division I college program right out of high school.
Former Cougar lineman Jake Vermiglio, who is thriving at Division I North Carolina State, played at a prep school after his days at Stoney Creek.
“I will always remember this moment,” Fisher said. “It’s the biggest accomplishment in my life. I’ll never forget my high school and I will always have a place in my heart for it.”
The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Fisher was an all-county and honorable mention all-state lineman this past fall, just his first full year playing along the offensive line.
Fisher was the starting quarterback on the freshman team and played all sorts of positions during his sophomore and junior years on varsity, including linebacker and defensive line.
“Coach said that if I was going to go to the next level, I would probably be an offensive lineman,” Fisher said. “He put me there, and it worked pretty good. All the camps over the summer helped. It got me ready for the season.”
After seeing Fisher late in his junior season and then inviting him up for a camp, CMU offered Fisher a scholarship last summer, and he accepted.
Fisher isn’t quite sure what role he’ll play when he arrives in Mount Pleasant for training camp, although once basketball season ends, he said he’ll start training immediately to put on an additional 40 to 50 pounds.
“I don’t think he’s going to be a project player,” Gross said. “I think he’s a kid to where in a couple of years, they plan on starting him and playing him.” Continued...
While gushing over what Fisher will bring to CMU, Gross is also ecstatic about how his signing will influence younger players in the program.
As if making the state playoffs in 2006 and 2007 and having a winning season in a tougher conference this past fall wasn’t enough, Gross can now say that his team has produced a player who has signed with a Division I program.
“Not only do juniors (and sophomores) look up to Eric, but the freshman look up to him as well,” Gross said. “This is a great moment for our program. This is something we’re going to talk about next week at our first leadership meeting with the kids. Not everyone has these opportunities, but we should share in the celebration.”
There was probably a lot of celebrating as well at CMU, which plucked more than just Fisher from Oakland County.
Troy linebacker Will Schwarz, Rochester Adams wideout Cody Wilson, Birmingham Brother Rice defensive back Shamari Benton and Birmingham Seaholm linebacker Adam Fenton were other area players who signed with the Chippewas.
Fisher said he’s looking forward to getting to know each and every one of his new college teammates and county brethren better once they move up to CMU.
“We’re talking a little bit,” Fisher said. “We saw each other at Central for games and I think we’ll have a good bond.”
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We love them. We hate them. We love to suffer over them, but they are our Detroit Lions. Paula Pasche discusses the team fans want so desperately to return to its glory years as they rebuild.
Pat Caputo is a sports columnist for The Oakland Press who covered the Tigers from 1986-98, and the Lions from 1998-2002.
A sometimes-irreverent look at Detroit's Boys of Summer, the Tigers, as they try to win their first American League Central title.
Matt Myftiu is news editor at The Oakland Press and has a background in sports writing and has had an unhealthy addiction to anything NASCAR for more than a decade.
Scott M. Burnstein, covered high school sports for both the Detroit Free Press and the Oakland Press, and is the author of the 2006 regional best-selling book, The Motor City Mafia - A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit.
Chuck Pleiness posts news about injuries, line combinations, transactions, who's starting and who's scratched. Follow the Red Wings along with Chuck Pleiness.
Kosmo is the all-knowing Oakland Press seer, of course.
Paul Kampe, a copy editor and page designer for The Oakland Press, is responsible for laying out the paper, hunting down spelling and grammatical errors and occasionally covering high school sports in Oakland County. | http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/02/05/sports/doc498ac23711b5d863177717.txt?viewmode=4 | 1,228 |
HAVANA (AP) — American Diana Nyad endured several jellyfish stings as the 62-year-old endurance athlete sought to become the first person to swim unaided from Cuba to Florida without a wetsuit or a shark cage.
A team member posted on Nyad's Twitter account that the American was steadily stroking onward early Sunday despite jellyfish stings to the lips, feet and legs. Her goal: to become the first person to set a record 103-mile (166-kilometer) unaided crossing of the Florida Straits.
"There are so many jellyfish," said one of the tweets, adding, "Diana is swimming backstroke right now leading with the cap-covered part of her head to minimize contact."
While sharks were among Nyad's concerns along with potentially treacherous currents and surprise weather changes, jellyfish that tend to surface at night were a worry, her team signaled. Another tweet said there were jellyfish particles everywhere in the water as Nyad swam through the night. The tweet added that "the backstroke is working!"
Nyad, who is less than a week shy of her 63rd birthday, jumped into the warm waters near Havana on Saturday in her latest bid to make the crossing since last summer, when first an asthma attack and then jellyfish stings forced her to abandon separate attempts.
Australian Susie Maroney used a cage when she swam across the Straits of Florida in 1997.
Just before departing Saturday afternoon, Nyad spoke of how the monotony and sensory deprivation of marathon swimming is most intense at night, leading the mind down contemplative paths.
"I do enjoy, when I stop in the middle of the night and I see the stars, you start thinking out there," she said. "It becomes very metaphysical. ... You're tired and you've been having this metronomic stroke taking you into a different world, all of a sudden you're out there and you're thinking about the meaning of life and the grandeur of the universe and the mystery of it all."
There will be less time for introspective breaks this trip, however, as shifting forecasts showed Nyad's window of flat, calm seas threatening to slam shut a day earlier than expected.
That forced the go-time to be moved up nearly 15 hours to Saturday afternoon instead of around dawn Sunday, a time that had been chosen to minimize Nyad's exposure to the jellyfish that tend to surface more at night. Continued...
A member of Nyad's team posted an initial message on her Twitter account late Saturday saying the swimmer had been stung on the neck by a Flower Hat jellyfish. The second sting was to the lips, a later tweet said.
The third and fourth stings, to the hand and forehead, came from box jellyfish, the more dangerous variety that frustrated her last attempt.
This time Nyad had hoped a custom-made swimsuit would protect her from stings. It covers her head-to-toe with a pantyhose face and holes only for the eyes, nose and mouth.
A kayak-borne apparatus shadowing her in the water creates a faint electric field designed to repel most sharks, and a team of handlers was on alert to dive in and gently nudge away any that make it through.
Deeply tanned with freckles and goggle-eyes from long hours training in the sun, Nyad admitted to a minor case of nerves before departing Saturday. But she sounded confident.
"I feel really excited," she said. "I respect this. I know how difficult it is. There's a reason no one's ever done it, but I'm prepared. ... I may suffer some, but I'm prepared for that, too."
Nyad has been training for three years, and Stoll said she had a good 24-hour practice swim last week.
"We are in peak shape," Stoll said.
Nyad's team expected it would take at least 60 hours to complete the swim to the Florida Keys.
In June, Australian endurance swimmer Penny Palfrey made it 79 miles toward Florida before throwing in the towel in the face of strong currents. Continued...
A fiercely driven competitor, Nyad acknowledged it was hard to watch Palfrey come close to snatching away her long-held goal.
"If she had succeeded I would have congratulated her, because I know how difficult it is, more than anybody. And after all, this is not my ocean," Nyad said. "But it is my dream. ... Frankly - how can I lie? - I'm glad that I still have the chance to be first."
Nyad also tried to swim the straits as a 28-year-old in 1978 with the aid of a shark cage, but fell short.
Speaking with reporters Saturday, Nyad would not rule out another attempt should this one fail, but she seemed to acknowledge that even she has a limit.
"This Cuba swim obsession of mine, dating back to 1978 ... is at the last horizon," she wrote in an essay published on the Huffington Post.
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Stephen Frye has covered the police beat and courts for The Oakland Press and now serves as online editor for www.theoaklandpress.com.
Informs on and discusses current matters of legal interest to readers of The Oakland Press and to consumers of legal services in the community.
Caren Gittleman likes talking cats. She'll discuss everything about them. Share your stories and ask her questions about your favorite feline.
Roger Beukema shares news from Lansing that impacts sportsmen (this means ladies as well) and talks about things he finds when he goes overseas to visit his children, and adding your comments into the mix.
Join Jonathan Schechter as he shares thoughts on our natural world in Oakland County and beyond. | http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/08/19/news/nation_and_world/doc50311f7a0194a408734127.txt | 1,512 |
PAT CAPUTO: NFL playoff picture features tale of two very different quarterbacks
It should not come as a surprise to those who follow the Lions the San Francisco 49ers will face the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship game.
The Lions were 5-0 to begin the 2011 season, and riding the crest of a 9-game winning streak overall, when the 49ers came to Ford Field and extinguished the magic. The Falcons visited Detroit the following week, and did the exact same thing.
Those two games were eerily alike in style. The 49ers and Falcons gashed the Lions with their running backs. After the body blows, they did just enough with the passing attacks to knock the Lions out. Defensively, both teams made life uncomfortable for Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Those losses began a span in which the Lions have compiled a dismal 9-20 record (counting the playoff loss at New Orleans).
Yet, while the 49ers and Falcons have exposing the Lions in common, otherwise they present very different stories.
Begin at quarterback. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan is hardly an older player, but he is much more seasoned than his counterpart with the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick.
Lions fans don’t have fond memories of Ryan. When he was a rookie, he changed the standard for quarterbacks by having veteran-like success immediately. For Ryan, it was the opening game of the 2008 season in Atlanta. The Lions, who were 7-9 the season before, and somewhat optimistic after going 4-0 in the preseason, were three-point favorites, despite being on the road. Ryan was terrific in his NFL debut, and the Lions were routed, setting the tone for their unforgettable 0-16 season.
Ryan broke the mold that young NFL quarterbacks must struggle. He threw for more than 3,000 yards, and had five more TD passes than interceptions, in 2008. The Falcons won 11 games. They had just four victories the year before. They have been very good since. The problem has been the playoffs, especially last season when they scored no offensive points in the opening round vs. the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants.
If there was ever a QB needing a victory to erase a stigma, it was Matt Ryan on Sunday vs. the Seattle Seahawks. What he did was unreal - Spear-heading a game winning drive with two huge completions after his team blew a 20-point lead, taking the ball over with only 31 seconds left.
But Ryan isn’t the talk of the NFL. Continued...
It is, instead, Kaepernick.
Flash forward five years from 2008. The mold that Ryan set is now considered “back in the day.”
What he did that was so impressive in 2008, is now mundane. Rookies Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson stepped into the league this season and starred to an even bigger degree.
Kaepernick is in his second season. A second-round draft pick in 2012 after a record-setting career under the radar in college at Nevada, he didn’t get a chance until Alex Smith, the 49ers’ starter as they went to the NFC championship game last season, went out with a concussion.
Smith was playing well at the time. Still, it’s amazing how much better Kaepernick is, though.
I can remember a QB performing like Kaepernick did while leading the 49ers stunning rout of the Packers Saturday, but it wasn’t in an NFL game. Rather, it was the Rose Bowl when Vince Young, the Texas’ quarterback, literally ran by Michigan.
Young, with about the same size-speed equation as Kaepernick, did lead the Titans to the playoffs one season, but his NFL career did a quick downturn. Kaepernick is everything Vince Young was supposed to be. In other words, there is poise and guile combined with his glaring physical tools.
Running quarterbacks are nothing new in the NFL. In fact, most of the top career rushing averages per carry are held by quarterbacks. But even with that reminder, Kaepernick broke the charts vs. the Packers. This isn’t Michael Vick, a blazing fast runner, but on the smallish side and destined to get hurt. He is 6-4, 230 pounds. His throwing mechanics are outstanding. Poise is not an issue.
Outside of quarterback, these are very good teams. Both are strong on both sides of the ball. There is balance between the passing game and the running attack. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree’s emergence may be an even bigger factor for the 49ers than Kaepernick.
It will likely come down to two quarterbacks, who have each broken the mold, albeit in different times and different ways. Continued...
May the best one win.
Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him at [email protected] and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98
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We love them. We hate them. We love to suffer over them, but they are our Detroit Lions. Paula Pasche discusses the team fans want so desperately to return to its glory years as they rebuild.
Pat Caputo is a sports columnist for The Oakland Press who covered the Tigers from 1986-98, and the Lions from 1998-2002.
A sometimes-irreverent look at Detroit's Boys of Summer, the Tigers, as they try to win their first American League Central title.
Matt Myftiu is news editor at The Oakland Press and has a background in sports writing and has had an unhealthy addiction to anything NASCAR for more than a decade.
Scott M. Burnstein, covered high school sports for both the Detroit Free Press and the Oakland Press, and is the author of the 2006 regional best-selling book, The Motor City Mafia - A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit.
Chuck Pleiness posts news about injuries, line combinations, transactions, who's starting and who's scratched. Follow the Red Wings along with Chuck Pleiness.
Kosmo is the all-knowing Oakland Press seer, of course.
Paul Kampe, a copy editor and page designer for The Oakland Press, is responsible for laying out the paper, hunting down spelling and grammatical errors and occasionally covering high school sports in Oakland County. | http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/01/14/sports/doc50f34c20874bd215981486.txt?viewmode=3 | 1,467 |
PAULA PASCHE: Hey Lauren Silberman, most men couldn't hack it in NFL either
It was a bad idea from the start.
Lauren Silberman paid $275 to test her luck at an NFL Regional Combine at the New York Jets facility over the weekend.
She was one of 37 kickers — the other 36 were more qualified and happened to be males — hoping to catch the eye of an NFL scout.
Silberman, a former soccer player, was done after kicks of 19 and 13 yards due to an injured quadriceps.
In a move that came off as a publicity stunt, the 28-year-old may have set back women’s athletic gains by several years. She didn’t appear prepared. She had injured her leg earlier and didn’t kick until Sunday in order to rest it. She should have passed if she knew she wasn’t 100 percent.
All eyes were on her and she failed. Not just at kicking, but at making a wise decision.
Not saying there will never be a woman who plays in the NFL, but it’s doubtful. It’s likely a woman more qualified than Silberman will want to try out as a kicker again, but it’s unlikely one will ever sign an NFL contract.
It’s not just women. Most of the adult male population couldn’t hack it either.
How many college kickers take the next step to the NFL? Not many.
It’s a brutal game. It’s why the players make big bucks in careers that routinely last just a handful of seasons. Continued...
Yes, Silberman was attempting to earn a job as a kicker.
Look, kickers are not bubble-wrapped before they enter a game. They’ve got 11 opposing special teamers — guys with an extra crazy gene in their DNA — coming in their direction.
Kickers are can’t be roughed up per the rule book, but they are at times. There’s no stopping it.
Plus, a kicker is the last line of defense on a kickoff return.
Lions veteran Jason Hanson has made more than a few tackles in his 21 seasons with the Lions. Same for the punters. They don’t kick and jog off the field, they are part of the play.
Oh, and if a woman ever took the field there would be a bounty on her. No one would ever say the words out loud (if they were smart), but she would be targeted big-time. Besides being tough, NFL players usually possess XXXL egos.
A woman on the field in the NFL? My guess is most of the players wouldn’t want to be a part of it. Some of them are still adjusting to women reporters on the sidelines and covering the team on a daily basis.
Forty-five percent of the NFL’s fan base is female. The league is trying to attract even more women as fans. In fact, the NFL’s vice president of consumer products retail development is female — Natara Holloway.
Certainly women can play a bigger role in the NFL. More and more women are working in media relations and marketing for NFL teams, including the Lions.
Amy Trask, who started with the Oakland Raiders as an intern in the legal department, is the only female CEO in the NFL. Continued...
In Miami, Dawn Aponte is the executive vice president of football administration for the Dolphins.
Kristen Kuliga and Kelli Masters are among 30 women who are certified by the NFLPA as agents.
Women are not shut out of the picture in many NFL offices, they just don’t wear uniforms and cleats.
That’s just not likely to change even if Lauren Silberman had nailed her tryout.
(Paula Pasche covers the Lions. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaPasche. Read her Lions Lowdown blog at oplions.blogspot.com.)
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We love them. We hate them. We love to suffer over them, but they are our Detroit Lions. Paula Pasche discusses the team fans want so desperately to return to its glory years as they rebuild.
Pat Caputo is a sports columnist for The Oakland Press who covered the Tigers from 1986-98, and the Lions from 1998-2002.
A sometimes-irreverent look at Detroit's Boys of Summer, the Tigers, as they try to win their first American League Central title.
Matt Myftiu is news editor at The Oakland Press and has a background in sports writing and has had an unhealthy addiction to anything NASCAR for more than a decade.
Scott M. Burnstein, covered high school sports for both the Detroit Free Press and the Oakland Press, and is the author of the 2006 regional best-selling book, The Motor City Mafia - A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit.
Chuck Pleiness posts news about injuries, line combinations, transactions, who's starting and who's scratched. Follow the Red Wings along with Chuck Pleiness.
Kosmo is the all-knowing Oakland Press seer, of course.
Paul Kampe, a copy editor and page designer for The Oakland Press, is responsible for laying out the paper, hunting down spelling and grammatical errors and occasionally covering high school sports in Oakland County. | http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/03/05/sports/doc51364f9da109f109064177.txt?viewmode=3 | 1,257 |
It’s time for college football predictions in the 2011 Alamo Bowl game between Baylor and Washington.
The Washington Huskies (7-5) and the #16 Baylor Bears (9-3) will meet up in the Alamo Bowl on December 29th, and we’ll preview the game to give everyone an idea of what to expect. Start time of the Washington vs. Baylor game is set for 9:00 PM ET and the game will be shown live on the ESPN channel.
Baylor is considered the superior team by just about everyone and it is a bit odd to examine the line movement in the Alamo Bowl. The Bears opened up as 10-point favorites but have been bet down to -9.5 at 5Dimes Sportsbook despite college football wager-tracking websites showing that Baylor is garnering close to 80% of the action on the point spread. The total has also shifted quite a bit and now sits at 78.5 after opening up at 75 earlier in the week.
Washington’s Offense vs. Baylor’s Defense:
The Huskies have a capable offense that averages 31.5 points per game while blending the run and the pass effectively. Quarterback Keith Price (2625 yards, 67.4%, 29 TD, 11 INT) has been effective for Washington, but I am a little concerned with how poorly these guys have put it together on the road as opposed to at home. Baylor’s defense has been terrible this season and is allowing 35.7 points per game while failing to stop the run or the pass, so it makes sense for Washington to score quite a bit in the Alamo Bowl.
Baylor’s Offense vs. Washington’s Defense:
The Bears are led by Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III (3998 yards, 72.4%, 36 TD, 6 INT), and this offense is nearly impossible to stop as long as they don’t self-destruct with turnovers like they did against Oklahoma State. Baylor dominates with both the run and the pass, and the Huskies will have plenty of trouble stopping them. Washington’s defense allows 33.3 points per game and I haven’t seen anything that leads me to believe they’ll be able to slow down a team that just put up 48 against Texas and 45 against Oklahoma; 2 teams that are superior defensively to the Huskies.
Washington vs. Baylor Predictions:
The Alamo Bowl is setting up to be a very high-scoring affair where neither team will be able to stop the other. The point spread moving in the direction it has despite the public support for Baylor suggests that someone with a large amount of money believes that the Huskies can score at will here, and I tend to agree with them. The total is too high for a bet on the over in my opinion, but my Washington vs. Baylor predictions call for a bet on the underdog to keep it close in a game full of big plays and top-end offense.
Bet on the Alamo Bowl matchup between Washington and Baylor at 5Dimes Sportsbook and receive a 50% cash bonus simply for clicking on the link we just provided to get signed up! | http://www.theonlinewire.com/sports/college-football-predictions-washington-vs-baylor-preview.html | 655 |
|AP Pro32 comments about Cowboys|
|Written by Admin|
|Tuesday, 04 December 2012 11:11|
NEW YORK (AP) - Comments on the Dallas Cowboys by the AP Pro32 panel (ranking in parentheses):|
DALLAS COWBOYS (16)
Chris Berman (ESPN, 18) - Somehow back in the hunt.
Clifton Brown (Sporting News, 17) - Tony Romo and the Cowboys face another crucial December.
Cris Collinsworth (NBC Sports, 15)
Rich Gannon (CBS Sports/SiriusXM NFL Radio, 18) - Different team with a healthy DeMarco Murray at RB.
Bob Glauber (Newsday, 15) - Tony Romo surpasses Troy Aikman in career touchdowns as the Cowboys hang on against Philly and keep their playoff hopes alive. Soft schedule down the stretch works in their favor.
Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News, 16) - The Cowboys have become notoriously slow starters. They've been outscored in the first half, 68-27, over the last four games.
Clark Judge (CBSSports.com, 15) - Yeah, I know the Cowboys are only a game out of first. But why does this seem like an 8-8 team waiting to happen?
Ira Kaufman (Tampa Tribune, 16) - There's no margin for error heading to Cincinnati.
Pat Kirwan (SiriusXM NFL Radio/CBSSports.com, 16) - They could make the playoffs if they can win four in a row. Dez Bryant never looked so good.
John Lynch (Fox Sports, 15) - Romo looked really good in the second half. Problem is, he needed to as the Cowboys let Nick Foles and the Eagles hang 33 on them.
Alex Marvez (Foxsports.com, 15) - As reinforced by a 38-33 victory over Philadelphia, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo deserves a spot in the playoffs with the way he's performing. The same can't be said about some of his struggling teammates (I'm looking at you, Doug Free).
Dan Pompei (Chicago Tribune, 16) - Don't forget about the Cowboys. Tony Romo has thrown 10 touchdowns and two interceptions over the last five games.
http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL
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Tournament of Hearts: Ontario’s Rachel Homan remains perfect at national championship
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KINGSTON, ONT.—Ontario skip Rachel Homan admits she didn’t think she was capable of winning the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in her debut appearance in 2011.
She made the playoffs that year in Charlottetown but lost the bronze-medal game. Homan’s mindset has changed now that she has returned to the national women’s curling championship.
She feels she belongs in the mix with the elite rinks and has what it takes to play for the title on Sunday.
“I think we’re just as good as any team here now,” Homan said. “I think we’re ready and I think we’ve shown that this season as well.”
The 23-year-old skip from the Ottawa Curling Club is backing up her words. The momentum from a strong season has carried over to the nationals, where she improved to 7-0 on Wednesday afternoon after an 8-2 rout of Saskatchewan’s Jill Shumay.
Homan is tied for first place with Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones, who beat Heather Nedohin 8-5 to knock the Team Canada skip from the unbeaten ranks.
Homan’s teammates are also in their mid-20s but they have been together for 12 years. She feels they are prepared to take the next step.
“Honestly, it’s experience,” she said. “You can’t fast-track that.”
Her rink won the national junior title in 2010 and took silver at the world junior championships that year. The Ontario team sits third in the Canadian Team Ranking System this season.
Homan’s side is aggressive but steady on the ice and the mileage from the last few seasons is evident. They look like they truly belong.
New Brunswick skip Andrea Crawford said Homan exudes confidence on the ice.
“That plays a big role in your performance,” Crawford said. “It doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot that shakes her.”
Homan has also been buoyed by the friendly crowd at the K-Rock Centre, which is about a two-hour drive from her home club in Ottawa. She’ll get a stiff test Thursday when she meets Jones in a battle of undefeated rinks.
“I think maybe two more wins and we might be in the 1-2 (playoff) game,” Homan said of her goal for the round robin. “That’s where we’d like to be at the end of the week. It’s where we were at provincials and we like that spot.
“Hopefully we can get there at nationals, it would be amazing.”
Homan added that her squad of third Emma Miskew, second Alison Kreviazuk and lead Lisa Weagle will keep using the same strategy. So expect plenty of rocks in play and big shot attempts when the opportunities present themselves.
“We know each other really well,” Homan said. “We know what needs to be said and what we need on the ice and off the ice. We’re just really good friends.
“We try to make it as fun as we can out there.”
Jones, meanwhile, has been her consistent self this week. She used her final shot in the 10th end to tap a Nedohin stone off the button to score a pair.
“We needed to make some big shots and we made them,” Jones said. “That’s always a confidence booster. It’s always great to have to make a last shot to win.
“It was a really good team shot. The girls swept it and we made it and it feels great going into tomorrow.”
Nedohin’s side missed a few shots early on but pulled to within one with a deuce in the ninth end.
“She had to make her last shot,” Nedohin said. “That’s a pretty good game.”
Nedohin is alone in third place at 6-1. The top three rinks were off for the evening draw.
The tournament is past the midway point and teams are starting to think about potential playoff positioning. Jones and Homan are in good shape as it will likely take at least seven wins to be in the mix this weekend.
“It’s nice to get that seventh win and it knocks (Saskatchewan) down with another loss so there’s a little bit more separation,” Homan said.
The playoffs begin Saturday. The tournament winner will represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship next month in Riga, Latvia.
NOTES: Attendance for the afternoon draw was 2,260. The arena capacity is 5,700. . . . Canadian skip Jim Armstrong suffered his first loss at the world wheelchair curling championship Wednesday. He dropped an 8-7 decision to Sweden. Armstrong rebounded later in the day for an 8-2 win over Finland to lock up a playoff berth. The Canadian team will close out round-robin play Thursday against Norway.
- NEW RCMP probing Senate expense scandal, Senate speaker says
- Toronto terror suspect asks for defence lawyer who is guided by ‘holy book’
- Updated London attack: Two more people arrested, police say
- Tim Bosma homicide: Second suspect Mark Smich appears in court
- Updated Legendary Blue Jays scout Epy Guerrero dies
- Updated City councillor Paul Ainslie's licence suspended after roadside check
- DiManno: No matter how it seems on Planet Ford, it’s over
- Updated As world gawks at Rob Ford scandal, Toronto police wait and watch | http://www.thestar.com/sports/curling/2013/02/20/tournament_of_hearts_ontarios_rachel_homan_remains_perfect_at_national_championship.html | 1,253 |
Toronto FC burned by former Red in loss to Chicago
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BRIDGEVIEW, ILL.—Dominic Oduro and defender Dan Gargan scored to give Chicago a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on Sunday, breaking a winless streak in MLS play that extended over two months.
The Fire (3-7-15) hadn’t won an MLS match since June 12. They had gone 0-3-7 since then, setting the league record for ties in a season with 15 in its last match.
“It feels great to score, but it feels even better to get the three points,” said Gargan, who was traded away by Toronto on July 28. “We’ve been pushing for that and we really needed it. It was really nice to get it at home.”
With the loss, Toronto (4-12-11) dropped into last place in the Eastern Conference.
“For the most part, I think we played well even if we lost 2-0,” said TFC head coach Aron Winter. “We were not sharp with the finishing. That is something I think we can blame ourselves.”
Oduro opened the scoring by flicking a pass from Gonzalo Segares past goalkeeper Milos Kocic in the 16th minute.
Gargan made it 2-0 when he headed Pavel Pardo’s deflected corner kick by Kocic and a pair of Toronto defenders in the 69th minute. TFC hit the goalpost twice in the second half.
“It’s a team we should beat,” said TFC midfielder Matt Stinson. “I thought we created enough opportunities to beat them but at the end of the day you have to take those and we didn’t.”
Toronto now prepares for its next game Wednesday, when it faces FC Dallas in its second match in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. TFC beat Tauro FC of Panama 2-1 in its first Champions League match on Thursday.
“I think the vibe on the team is still positive,” said Stinson. “We came together as a group before and this is our first kind of downfall since we made a bunch of trades. I think we’re all looking forward to Wednesday’s game and getting three points from that in the CONCACAF match.”
- NEW RCMP probing Senate expense scandal, Senate speaker says
- NEW Mayor Rob Ford fires chief of staff Mark Towhey
- Toronto terror suspect asks for defence lawyer who is guided by ‘holy book’
- Updated London attack: Two more people arrested, police say
- Tim Bosma homicide: Second suspect Mark Smich appears in court
- Updated City councillor Paul Ainslie's licence suspended after roadside check
- DiManno: No matter how it seems on Planet Ford, it’s over
- Updated As world gawks at Rob Ford scandal, Toronto police wait and watch | http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/tfc/2011/08/22/toronto_fc_burned_by_former_red_in_loss_to_chicago.html | 637 |
January 24, 2007 EditionAlso in this issue...
S-H falls to TuckermanDebbie Richey
Sloan-Hendrix hosted Tuckerman on Jan. 16.
In the senior high girls contest, Tuckerman eased to a 17-12 lead at the close of the first quarter. The Lady Hounds made a mini-rally in the second period, but still trailed 28-24 at halftime.
The Lady Bulldogs continued to lead 44-36 entering the fourth period. The Lady Greyhounds fought a hard battle throughout the final quarter, but fell to Tuckerman 57-45.
Amanda Green led Sloan-Hendrix with 17 points and three boards. Amy Green added nine points and two rebounds. Brittany Conrad closed with eight points and five rebounds, and Megan Break recorded eight points and pulled down 18 rebounds. Christie Caldwell chipped in five points and a rebound.
The Sloan-Hendrix senior boys fell to Tuckerman 66-49.
Rodger Dexter closed with 22 points to lead Sloan-Hendrix.
In junior girl's action, Tuckerman led 10-7 over the junior Lady Greyhounds after one quarter and continued to lead 21-14 at halftime.
Sloan-Hendrix was unable to detour Tuckerman in the third quarter, as they trailed 31-22 after three quarters and fell to the Lady Bulldogs 39-30.
Alivia Hackworth led Sloan-Hendrix with 12 points and seven boards, and Ashley Stallings added six points. Hannah Rowsey contributed four points and three rebounds, and Haley Slusser closed with four points and two rebounds. Kristin Belcher netted two points and two rebounds, and Heidi Powers recorded two points. | http://www.thetd.com/freepages/2007-01-24/sports/sports6.php | 364 |
The 49ers Are Pissed At Chris Culliver's "Gays Don't Belong In The NFL" Comments + NFLers Sing Their Fave Beyonce Songs
The pre-Superbowl drama is on full throttle as folks are extra pissy about San Francisco 49er Chris Culliver's anti-gay comments that were said on media day. Check out how his team responded this evening, plus some NFL players singing their fave Beyonce songs...
Cornerback Chris Culliver...yeah, the dude pictured above...is against having gay men on his team. And in the NFL period.
The two Superbowl teams did their press day yesterday in New Orleans. And there's always at least one person who's going to say some ignorant ish.
This brings us to Chris Culliver, who went on an anti-gay tirade, that he though was pretty comical, while chatting it up with shoc jock Artie Lang.
"I don't do the gay guys man," Culliver said. "I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do."
He then proceeded to pretty much say gays don't belong in the league at all, and should only "come out" after leaving for 10 years. Check out the audio below:
And after all of the internet was up in arms today after these words surfaced, the 49ers organization quickly put out its own statement condemning the comments:
“The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”
How many loud boo's is HE gonna get on Sunday?
And in more lighthearted NFL news, NFL.com posted a cute video today of the players talking about (and singing) their favorite Beyonce songs while expressing their fan-dom. It was all a nod to Mrs. BKC rocking the Pepsi Halftime show on Sunday. Peep the vid above. | http://www.theybf.com/2013/01/30/the-49ers-are-pissed-at-chris-cullivers-gays-dont-belong-in-the-nfl-comments-nflers-sing | 436 |
Chelsea's captain John Terry, right, competes for the ball with Wolverhampton Wanderers' David Davis
Chelsea captain John Terry has been under the spotlight all week and there will be no change when the Premier League leaders play Arsenal on Saturday, the European champions' first big game of the season according to team mate, Branislav Ivanovic.
Terry shocked English football on Sunday when he retired from international football ahead of this week's FA tribunal into allegations that he racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last season, reports Reuters.
The 31-year-old, acquitted in a law court in July of racial abuse, said his position in the England set-up was "untenable" because the FA were pressing ahead with the hearing.
He shrugged off the extra attention when he featured in Chelsea's 6-0 League Cup romp on Tuesday against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but London rivals Arsenal will provide a bigger test of the defender's resolve.
Terry will need to be at his most focused if Chelsea's unbeaten start remains intact against Arsenal, one of three other top-flight teams yet to lose five games into the season.
"This is the first actual big game for us this season. Our performances and quality - we know how it is. But we have to show everyone and we have to show it every game," said Serbian defender, Ivanovic.
Chelsea have yet to play a title rival and have made the most of an inviting start to the Premier League season, racking up wins against Wigan Athletic, Reading, Newcastle United and Stoke City as well as drawing with QPR.
They were not totally convincing in a 2-2 Champions League draw at home to Juventus and Arsenal offer a similar threat after an impressive showing in a 1-1 draw at champions Manchester City last weekend.
"This is the biggest challenge. I think Arsenal will be a great challenge for us, and we have to really be ready for that," added Ivanovic.
Terry had a woeful time against Arsenal in last season's first league encounter between the pair, slipping to gift Robin Van Persie a late goal and the lead from which Chelsea never recovered in the 5-3 rollercoaster ride.
Assistant manager, Eddie Newton said the robust defender was in a good frame of mind despite spending a chunk of his week at the FA hearing at Wembley Stadium.
"We've been talking to John to see what his mindset is and he's been very positive and upbeat. He's been dealing with the situation at hand," Newton told reporters on Tuesday.
While Chelsea are buzzing following their promising start to the season and their League Cup confidence boost, champions Manchester City stumbled out of the same competition on Tuesday.
City are also unbeaten in the league but three draws from their opening five games and some defensive lapses have left manager Roberto Mancini with a furrowed brow.
They travel to Chelsea's in-form neighbours Fulham on Saturday (1400) hoping to rediscover the winning habit after the 4-2 extra time defeat in the League Cup by Aston Villa.
"The second year after winning a championship is always difficult and I hope we start to win in our next league game, because we need a win. But we need to improve if we are to do that," said City manager Roberto Mancini.
Manchester United have also failed to hit the heights but have moved into second place behind Chelsea with slowly improving Tottenham Hotspur the visitors to Old Trafford for Saturday's late kickoff (1630).
United received a boost on Wednesday when Wayne Rooney made an impressive return to action in the 2-1 League Cup victory over Newcastle United after being out for four weeks with a badly gashed thigh.
Tottenham, who eased into the last 16 of the League Cup with a 3-0 win at Carlisle United, are unbeaten since the opening day of the season but have not won at Old Trafford since 1989.
Struggling Norwich City and Liverpool will be both be seeking their first league wins when they clash on Saturday (1400), while third-placed Everton will be confident of another three points at home to promoted Southampton, who have shipped 15 goals so far this season -- the most in the division.
Sunderland, whose own unbeaten run comprises of four consecutive draws, welcome Wigan Athletic on Saturday (1400). | http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/epl-all-eyes-on-terry-for-chelseas-first-big-game/126303/ | 888 |
HELLENIC LEAGUE: Worthians slip up
8:00am Monday 8th October 2012 in Latest News
HIGHWORTH Town failed to capitalise on taking a 10th-minute lead against Highmoor Ibis as they were eventually well beaten 4-2 at The Elms.
Shane Davis gave the struggling Worthians the perfect start but 13 minutes later the visitors leveled courtesy of Callum Gallimore.
Two goals just before the break cost Highworth dear with Gallimore striking again on 40 minutes and Shane Small-King putting Highmoor 3-1 up at the interval.
The visitors extended their lead further on 68 minutes with Small-King getting his second before Ryan King slotted home a penalty on 73 minutes which proved to be nothing more than a consolation. | http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/9971401.HELLENIC_LEAGUE__Worthians_slip_up/ | 163 |
The Daily Mail says Hughes' position was so delicate the club were even considering firing him before they headed to Old Trafford for a game few give them a chance of winning.
Ex-Manchester United striker Hughes has been planning his team for the game and expects to be on the touchline.
Hughes is well aware he is fighting for his job and has been left in no uncertain terms there is a lack of faith in him in the boardroom. Chairman Tony Fernandes gave an interview to US TV station Bloomberg and would not back Hughes.
The obvious option is Harry Redknapp and he would be prepared to step in immediately. | http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/internal-qpr-push-fire-hughes-man-utd-trip-3653181 | 128 |
OTTAWA -- Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson said that his team has to approach the final seven games of the regular season as a best-of-seven playoff series.
If that's the case, he almost single-handedly gave the Senators the early series lead with an 8-4 rout of the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday, scoring two goals and setting up two others as Ottawa ended a three-game losing skid.
More importantly, Ottawa picked up two points as they try and stay in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference. With six games to play they are currently seventh, four points up on the ninth-place Washington Capitals who have a game in hand.
"We know it's up to us and we have it in our own hands, fortunately," Alfredsson said. "We talked about the importance of these seven games and that it's like the playoffs already started with this seven-game series and we have to win at least four to give ourselves a good chance to make the playoffs."
Milan Michalek had a goal and two assists for the Senators (38-28-10), while Kyle Turris, Jason Spezza and Sergei Gonchar each scored once and added an assist. Chris Phillips and Jason Spezza had the other goals and Nick Foligno had three assists.
"It builds confidence, not only offensively but also with the way we played. Everybody played really hard and usually when you do that everything falls into place -- penalty killing, power play, five-on-five," said Alfredsson. "We've been a little tentative at times and cautious and that's really not our style. When we keep skating and going after the puck like we did tonight we can be successful."
Ben Bishop started in the Ottawa goal but left midway through the game with a lower body injury and did not return. He was replaced by Craig Anderson.
Matt Cooke had two goals for the Penguins (46-22-6) and Sidney Crosby a goal and an assist. Tyler Kennedy also scored. Brad Thiessen allowed eight goals on 28 shots, but Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma didn't blame his young goalie.
"I can't think of one goal off the top of my head that wasn't a good goal. There was a tip off the chest, back door on the power play, defence coming down the slot ... it wasn't a lot of pucks that he had a chance on," Bylsma said.
The Senators had three third-period goals, including three in the final seven minutes to put the game away. Spezza, Alfredsson and Greening all scored after Crosby opened the scoring in the third period with his first goal since the first game of his first comeback.
Four second-period goals, including one shorthanded and another on the power play, gave the Senators a 5-3 lead heading into the third. The Penguins had a 2-1 lead heading into the second.
Gonchar tied the game at 2-2 just 33 seconds into the second as he moved in from the slot, took a pass from Foligno, and beat Thiessen with a shot from the hash marks.
Phillips gave Ottawa a 3-2 lead at 7:05 as he beat Thiessen from the right faceoff dot after Turris hit him with a perfect pass. Turris then scored his first goal in seven games at 7:41 to give the Senators a two-goal lead.
That lead quickly dropped back down to one, however, as Kennedy scored 15 seconds later. That was the last goal Bishop would allow as he was replaced by Anderson at 9:23.
Bishop missed out on seeing Alfredsson score on a short-handed breakaway with Crosby in hot pursuit.
"We were really proud of that and I thought everyone played really well," Foligno said. "It was tough to see (Bishop) go down but (Anderson) stepped right in and did an awesome job and we just took off. We got big goals from every line. We were able to reap some benefits tonight and hopefully it continues."
Ottawa had opened the scoring at 9:06 of the first period when Michalek picked up the puck from in front of Thiessen's pad and quickly deposited it into the empty cage.
The Penguins got that back and another as Cooke scored at 9:46 and 13:01, the second being a redirection in front after Crosby spun around and delivered a no-look pass in front to Cooke.
Notes: It's the first time this season that Ottawa has scored eight times or that Pittsburgh has allowed eight goals...Chris Phillips' power-play goal was the first for the Senators in 25 opportunities...Sidney Crosby has recorded multiple points in eight of his 14 games this season...Peter Regin and Jesse Winchester have each missed the past 42 games for the Senators with a shoulder injury and concussion respectively...Goaltender Brent Johnson missed his 15th straight game for the Penguins while teammate Joe Vitale missed his fourth, both for undisclosed injuries. | http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=391304 | 1,033 |
Career Notes: Two-year letterman has posted four tackles (1 solo, 3 assists) during his career...played in 16 games to date...is expected to push for time at defensive end in his third collegiate season.
2011: Saw action in seven games as a sophomore...tallied lone stop of the season with an assisted tackle at Duke (9/24)...also saw time against Southeastern Louisiana (9/3), Tulsa (9/10), UAB (9/17), Syracuse (10/8), UTEP (10/15) and Rice (11/19).
2010: Played in nine games as a true freshman...posted three tackles (1 solo, 2 assists) and was also a key contributor in special teams...tallied first career tackle with a solo stop vs Army (10/9)...posted assisted tackles at Tulsa (10/16) and vs UCF (11/20).
High School: Prep letterman at Clinton High for head coach Cedric Anderson...named three-star prospect, earned a 77 grade and rated the No. 67 defensive end in the country and the No. 16 overall prospect in the state by ESPN.com...also rated a two-star athlete by Rivals.com and a one-star prospect by Scout.com...earned first-team All-District 7-2A honors as a senior when he tallied 73 tackles and 17 sacks...was selected to play in the Red Stick Bowl as a member of the Rough Riders, which posted a 33-31 win over the Black Knights, in Baton Rouge's Olympia Stadium on Dec. 28...as a junior, had 87 tackles (20 solo, 67 assists), including 25 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries...also lettered in basketball...first-team All-District 8-2A as a sophomore...chose Tulane over Minnesota, Southern Miss and Tulsa.
Personal: Born Wendell Beckwith, Jr., on Aug. 10, 1992...son of Wendell Sr. and Urhouda Beckwith...has two brothers...cousin, Darry Beckwith, played football at LSU and with the San Diego Chargers...majoring in sociology. | http://www.tulanegreenwave.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/beckwith_wendell00.html | 453 |
UB’s ‘fab five’ juniors look to lead new-look Bulls back into MAC contention
Published: Friday, November 9, 2012
Updated: Friday, November 9, 2012 01:11
They’re back. It’s time. And, ready or not, here come the five.
Eight months have passed since the men’s basketball team’s methodical run through the Mid-American Conference came to a dramatic halt in the semifinals. Two and a half years have passed since five highly recruited freshmen arrived on campus and became a close-knit clique.
Now it’s their turn.
After learning under former stars like Byron Mulkey, Zach Filzen and Mitchell Watt for two years, UB’s five juniors will all be major contributors this year. Three have already faced the spotlight; two will finally get their shot.
Though Buffalo lost four of its top five scorers from last season’s 20-11 team that won eight straight in conference play, the five believe they can make another run at the MAC title this season.
“With the fab five let loose, there won’t be that big of a drop off, if any,” said junior forward Javon McCrea, a first-team all-MAC selection last year. “I want to compare our team with the rest of the nation. It’s bigger than just the MAC this year.”
The season will likely hinge on McCrea’s performance. Though the one-time MAC Freshman of the Year averaged 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, he often deferred to Watt – who won MAC Player of the Year.
“Picture yourself running a race with a guy: you’ve been running stride for stride, maybe a little ahead, and all of a sudden he is [far ahead] and you’re exhausted,” said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. “You go: ‘Hey, man, he must be faster than me.’ You start mentally deferring. I think that happened a little bit. It’s hard to balance it in the mind of an underclassman who is a good teammate. Before you know it, you’re watching.”
Watt is playing professional ball in Israel now, though, and McCrea – arguably the biggest recruit to ever come to UB – will need to carry the team.
“We need [McCrea] to be more assertive,” said Witherspoon of McCrea, who finished third on the team in assists last year. “Javon is a great teammate, and we want him to still be a great teammate. He loves to share. We want him to keep sharing. What we don’t want him to do is to defer. Really, guys are going to be deferring to him. He needs to have a mindset of being that guy every night. He has moments [when] he’s that way, and he did last year – he had moments.”
Senior guard Tony Watson, the team’s unquestioned leader, said McCrea “knows he is the man” this year. But one player can’t do it all, and McCrea will need help from his four companions.
Junior point guard Jarod Oldham, the squad’s floor general, will dictate the team’s tempo. The junior led the MAC in assists (183) last season.
At the two-guard spot, junior Corey Raley-Ross – a raw, freakishly athletic wing who did not see the court often last year – will start, but Watson (the sixth man) will likely play as many minutes as anyone on the team. Watson is the unit's best long-range shooter, and he’ll fill the role Witherspoon has employed in recent years – bringing a senior, one of the team’s best players, off the bench. Last year, seniors Titus Robinson and Dave Barnett were huge sparks off the bench.
“I don’t even put any energy into trying to start the five best players,” Witherspoon said. “I just think it doesn’t work in our conference for us.”
Junior Auraum Nuiriankh, a lock-down defender, started but only averaged 13.1 minutes per game last year. He’ll occupy the small forward spot this season. Witherspoon said Nuiriankh’s offense has vastly improved and he’ll be one of the team’s main offensive weapons.
Sophomore Will Regan, who transferred from Virginia and sat out last year, will likely start at power forward, but bulky junior Cameron Downing will get a lot of time as well.
Watson and Downing will be the main contributors off the bench, but sophomore forwards Xavier Ford and Raphell Thomas-Edwards will scrap for playing time, as will freshman point guard Jarryn Skeete – who is aiming to be Oldham’s back up.
“The biggest thing with all those guys is: they’re talented, but they’re not seasoned,” Witherspoon said. “The last thing you want is the feeling as coach when there’s something going on and you look down at the bench and the guys on the bench are kind of [hiding their heads], don’t want to look at you. Sometimes you need guys to come off the bench and start a fire, and other times you need guys to put a fire out. The last thing you want is you call a guy to put a fire out and he shows up with a garden hose or fire hose with gasoline in it. You need somebody who’s going to come in and help.”
Skeete said he and Oldham are working on their outside shooting so the Bulls can attract attention to the perimeter and give McCrea room to work in the post – because the team “will follow behind [McCrea] … and no one should be able to stop us that way,” according to Skeete. | http://www.ubspectrum.com/sports/unleashed-1.2949155 | 1,310 |
UCSB Will Travel to Idaho for College Insider Tournament Wednesday
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara men's basketball team has accepted an invitation to play in the postseason College Insider Tournament on Wednesday at the University of Idaho, it was announced on Sunday.
The Gauchos, who have a record of 20-10, will advance to their third straight postseason and their fourth in the last five years. UCSB lost to Long Beach State in the championship of the Big West Tournament on Saturday night. It was the third straight final between the two schools and the first that went Long Beach's way.
Santa Barbara is led by guard Orlando Johnson who is the school's all-time leading scorer and eclipsed the 1,800 point mark on Saturday night. Johnson and James Nunnally form the greatest duo in UCSB history and one of the greatest in Big West annals. Together, they have scored more than 3,200 points.
Idaho is a former member of the Big West Conference and is currently a Western Athletic Conference member.
"The opportunity to go to the postseason is special," said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. "In 2008, we had a special group that included Al (Alex) Harris, Chris Devine and Ivan (Elliott), they won the regular season title and had to settle for the NIT. It was a great experience. That group wasn't sure it wanted to go, but we did, and they had one of the best times of their lives. I hope this experience is great for this group."
The Gauchos and Vandals will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on AM 1290 KZSB, the Santa Barbara News-Press radio station. | http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2011-12/releases/201203122c9u6q | 362 |
FC Bayern München 2-3 Liverpool FC
(Salihamidžić 57, Jancker 82; Riise 23, Heskey 45, Owen 46)
"Michael Owen is a world class player and we simply could not counter his threat." FC Bayern München coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was in no doubt about the difference between the sides as Liverpool FC added the UEFA Super Cup to the glittering array of silverware they had collected over the previous six months with a 3-2 victory in Monaco.
Owen scored one and set up another for the UEFA Cup winners who were back in the goals following their thrilling 5-4 victory against Deportivo Alavés the previous May in Dortmund. Liverpool, who had also won the English League Cup and FA Cup the previous season, did not need to hit such heights to go into half-time 2-0 in front against the European champions.
Owen was in scintillating form and he set up new signing John Arne Riise for the first, the Norwegian sliding in to meet the striker's low cross at the far post midway through the half. Liverpool doubled their lead moments before the interval when Emile Heskey breezed past Thomas Linke and Robert Kovač before shooting beyond Oliver Kahn in the Bayern goal.
The game looked effectively finished within a minute of the restart as Owen beat Kahn after latching onto Jamie Carragher's long pass. However, three goals up and coasting, Liverpool sat back and invited a Bayern comeback. Having offered no shots on goal while Liverpool built their three-goal lead, Bayern, winners on penalties against Valencia CF in the UEFA Champions League final, did their best to make up for lost ground by scoring with two headed goals.
Hasan Salihamidžić provided initial hope in the 57th minute when he nodded in Owen Hargreaves' corner and then substitute Carsten Jancker ensured a rousing finale when he looped the ball over Sander Westerveld with eight minutes to go. However, despite Kahn's presence in Liverpool's penalty area late in the game, an equaliser never looked likely.
©UEFA.com 1998-2013. All rights reserved. | http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=2001/index.html | 456 |
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TRAINING: It consists of everyday AM practices, with some time to rest and then two more sessions - late evening and night technical.
Thoughts on opponent, Vaughan Lee? I think Vaughan Lee is a very tough opponent and he's pretty well-rounded in there.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training in 2000, influenced by my cousin Gustavo Oliveira and legend Royce Gracie
What ranks and titles have you held? BJJ black belt/ Pan American champion/ Shotokan 2004 champion
Do you have any heroes? God
What is your favorite technique? Too many to list
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It means a lot to be part of such a high level (the biggest in the world) fighting organization. It’s the biggest in the world and it keeps me focused and motivated.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No
What was your job before you started fighting? BJJ instructor | http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Raphael-Assuncao/media | 216 |
Terps Finish Third as Freshman Tom Harris shoots a 148
Spring 2012: Did not compete.
Fall 2011: Did not compete.
Before Maryland: Attended Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School...led Pittsburgh Central to four sectional championships...won the individual sectional and regional championship in 2011, and finished 24th in Pennsylvania...finished eighth in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Championship in 2011...lettered in basketball all four years.
Personal: Full name is John Eric Urda...born in Wyomissing, Pa...son of John and Ellen Urda...John played basketball at Pittsburgh-Johnstown and Ellen swam at Wittenberg University...sister Emily plays on the women's tennis team at Villanova...chose Maryland over Purdue, Bucknell and Villanova. | http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/urda_eric00.html | 166 |
PINEHURST, N.C. – The opening round of play at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate presented by Gatorade was suspended by darkness Sunday evening with 23 of the 104 players still on the course, including two UNCG men’s golfers.
The start of play was delayed until the afternoon due to rain in the area. When teams finally began play off of Nos. 1 and 10 shortly after 12 noon, rain was still falling but beginning to move out of the area. However, only 81 players completed their rounds before darkness set in. UNCG’s Will Bowman has two holes left, while Ryan Heisey has three holes still to play.
UNCG’s Will Almand shot an opening round 75, while David Heyen carded a 78 and Drew Younts shot a 79 on for the Spartans on Sunday. Pete State’s Tommy McDonagh is the clubhouse leader at three-under 69, while Miami of Ohio’s Nathan Sutherland is three-under par through 16 holes.
Those 23 golfers will complete their first round on Monday morning just prior to the second round getting underway.
- UNCG - | http://www.uncgspartans.com/sports/mgolf/2008-09/releases/0315_PinehurstInter?dec=/printer-decorator | 243 |
The University of Notre Dame ran its current winning streak to five games as the Irish got goals from all four lines on the way to a 5-1 win over Michigan State on Saturday night in front of 4,712 at the Compton Family Ice Arena.
The win, coupled with a 1-0 Miami loss to Lake Superior State moves Notre Dame into first place in the CCHA. The Irish are now 13-4-0 overall and 9-1-0-0 in the conference, good for 27 points and move two points ahead of the RedHawks for the conference's top spot. They also have won seven straight CCHA games dating back to Nov. 4.
Michigan State dropped its fifth in a row and is now winless in its last six. The Spartans are 4-10-2 overall and 3-8-1-0 in the CCHA.
"I thought Michigan State had more energy than us in the early part of the game," said Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson.
"I think last night (Friday) took a lot out of both teams. It was an emotional game. It's always that way on Saturday night, it's a different game because they (the players) expend so much energy on Friday and there isn't quite as much left on Saturday."
For the 12th time this season, Notre Dame scored first in the game and it came late in the first period with Lee getting his team-high 11th goal of the year at 19:52. Right wing Bryan Rust picked up a loose puck on the right wing boards and swooped in on Spartans' goaltender Will Yanakeff. As he drove the goal, he slid a pass in front to Lee who knocked it out of the air and tucked it inside the left post to give the Irish a 1-0 lead. Notre Dame is now 12-0-0 on the year when getting the first goal of the game.
"Scoring that first goal has been huge for us this season," said Lee, Notre Dame's junior captain.
"There are pretty good stats that show things go well for us when we score first, especially late in the period like that. It's a big momentum killer for them. It got us going and we put it on them in the second period."
Notre Dame would add two more in the second to take a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes. Voran got the eventual game winner at 13:50 of the middle stanza when he took a feed from defenseman Sam Calabrese on the left post and flipped it past Yanakeff for his third goal of the season.
"I thought that when we scored that second goal, we came to life," said Jackson.
Fogarty, a freshman center, scored less than a minute-and-a-half later at 15:31 when he took a pass from linemate Peter Schneider and broke in on a 2-on-1 with DiPauli. Fogarty fired a wrist shot from between the hash marks that beat Yanakeff through his pads for his fourth goal of the season to give Notre Dame the 3-0 lead.
The Irish would build the lead to 5-0 in the third period with a pair of goals. Defenseman Robbie Russo set Gerths up for his third goal of the season to make it 4-0 at 8:16. Summerhays picked up an assist on the play, his second of the season.
DiPauli then closed out the Notre Dame side of the scoresheet at 12:30 when he took a Tynan pass from the left boards and whipped a one-timer from the slot past Yanakeff for his third goal of the season to make it 5-0.
According to Jackson, getting goals from all four lines is a big reason for Notre Dame's early-season success.
"The years that we have had success here have been when we've had depth," said Jackson.
"That's important to get those contributions from others. There are nights when T.J. Tynan isn't going to score or Anders Lee isn't going to score. So, if you get contributions from David Gerths or Steven Fogarty or whoever, it's a bonus for us."
The Spartans would break through on Summerhays at 17:22 when Berry beat the Notre Dame netminder on a wrap-around goal for his eighth of the season. The play started in the Michigan State zone with Matt DeBlouw winning a face off in the left circle. Jake Chelios fired the puck down the left wing boards with Berry taking in in the neutral zone. He carried down the left side and went behind the net before moving in front and tucking it between Summerhays' pads for the final score of 5-1.
On the night, the Irish were out shot, 30-23, just the fourth time this season that Notre Dame had less shots than the opposition. Summerhays, who picked up his 11th win of the season, finished the night with 29 saves. Yanakeff had 18 stops in the loss.
"Steven (Summerhays) really played well tonight when he had to while we were sleep walking for a while. He did what he had to do for a majority of the game," said Jackson.
The Irish saw their streak of three straight games with two power-play goals come to an end as both teams were 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
Notre Dame now breaks for finals next week and will close out the first half of the season in a 7:05 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 15 at Bowling Green.
GAME SUMMARY 1 2 3 - F
Michigan State (4-10-2/3-8-1-0) 0 0 1 - 1
#4/#5 Notre Dame (13-4-0/9-1-0-0) 1 2 2 - 5 | http://www.und.com/sports/m-hockey/recaps/120812aae.html | 1,221 |
It is still all to play for in the closest ever finish to a Premier League season.
Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade will go head-to-head in Newcastle for a place in the PL semi-finals!
Barney snatched a dramatic draw against Gary Anderson, while Wade was well beaten 8-1 by Phil Taylor in week 13 in Birmingham.
So, both Unicorn men have 12 points going into next Thursday’s decider...Barney has to win, but a draw may yet be enough for Wade because of his superior leg difference.
It’s that close!
And throw fellow Team Unicorn stars Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter into the mix and you can see why it is going to be a massive night in Newcastle next Thursday.
Painter and Hamilton both recorded brilliant wins over Adrian Lewis (8-3) and Simon Whitlock (8-4) respectively to stay in contention. Both now have 11 points and the Unicorn duo play each other in Newcastle, knowing the winner could be through to the semi-finals!
But despite his defeat, Whitlock became the second man after Taylor to clinch a play-off place.
So, Barney, Wade, Lewis, Painter and Hamilton are all in with a shout of the remaining two spots.
For Anderson though, the draw confirmed what we knew several weeks ago, that the defending PL Champion is out of contention, but in the last two weeks he will be satisfied that his game appears to be coming together again.
But the Dutchman deserved his draw and it could yet turn out to be a priceless point for him....he opened up with a 138 finish but then fell 1-3 behind! But back came Barney with four consecutive legs of his own, including a fabulous 170 finish.
Anderson broke back and went 6-5 ahead, only for Barneveld to do it again, this time taking out 120! The final two legs were shared and the Dutchman knows what he has to do!
Kevin Painter produced a sensational display to stay in the hunt, thrashing World Champion Adrian Lewis 8-3.
And in the process, he took his tally of ton plus finishes in the PL to 16 – the best out of the eight players.
“I like it that I kept being written off! Well, I am still in there fighting and it will be game on between me and ‘The Hammer’ that’s for sure!” he said.
Finishes of 100 and 106 put him 2-0 up and he led 4-2 at the break. Lewis just couldn’t get into the contest....in the third leg, Painter also hit six perfect darts courtesy of back-to-back 180s and in that mood, there was only going to be one winner.
Painter then nailed a magnificent 150 check-out to move 7-2 in front and although Lewis won a third leg, Painter hit D12 with his fourth match dart to complete his victory.
Well, if prizes were handed out for determination and fighting spirit, Andy Hamilton would win hands down - just as he did against Simon Whitlock.
Only one PL defeat in seven weeks for ‘The Hammer’ and he continues to have a hold over the Australian, who simply cannot beat the Unicorn man.
Believe it or not, the first seven legs were all won against the throw, but Hamilton’s finishing was terrific and Whitlock really struggled on his doubles....from 3-3, Hamilton won four consecutive legs and the damage was done.
He hit 8 doubles from just 11 attempts....brilliant finishing, as the Aussie could manage only four hits from 13 darts at doubles.
His impressive win included a 10 darter....140, 180, 165 and D8 and that one leg epitomises Hamilton’s performance in his debut season in the Premier League.
“I have done all I can,” Hamilton said. “It is just a pity for me that I couldn’t pick up more points in the first half of the Premier League season, but the last seven weeks I have played extremely well and if I can beat Kevin in Newcastle, you just never know. At least I have taken it to the last week and that was always my aim.”
Phil Taylor came close to more records as he trounced James Wade 8-1.
He was on course to break the World record for a TV average of 118.66 and his own Premier League record of 117.38, but in the end had to settle for 115.10 as he demolished ‘The Machine’.
At the break, Taylor was 6-0 in front and averaging 122, but Wade managed to avoid the whitewash as he hit D10 in the seventh leg.
It was a big blow for Wade, but at least he knows that a win over Barneveld in Newcastle will still see him qualify....it is going to be a thrilling finale.
Five men battling for two places.....
Birmingham week 13 results:
Simon Whitlock 4-8 Andy Hamilton
Gary Anderson 7-7 Raymond van Barneveld
Kevin Painter 8-3 Adrian Lewis
James Wade 1-8 Phil Taylor
Current PL table:
1 – Phil Taylor – 23pts - Q
2 – Simon Whitlock – 14pts - Q
3 – Adrian Lewis – 12pts (-6 leg diff)
4 – James Wade – 12 pts (-6 leg diff)
5 – Raymond van Barneveld (-11 leg diff)
6 – Kevin Painter – 11pts (-5 leg diff)
7 – Andy Hamilton – 11pts (-7 leg diff)
8 – Gary Anderson – 9pts
Newcastle PL schedule week 14:
Gary Anderson v Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis v Simon Whitlock
Andy Hamilton v Kevin Painter
Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade
By STUART PYKE
Photo courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC | http://www.unicorn-darts.com/news/detail.aspx?bpid=2669 | 1,243 |
Deering's Jon Rheault makes NHL debut with Florida Panthers
Rheault, of Deering, was called up by the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The right wing was playing in the AHL for the San Antonio Rampage, where he was leading the club in 37 points (17-20-37).
The announcement came in conjunction with the news that Florida's longest-tenured player, center Stephen Weiss, will undergo wrist surgery and will be lost for the rest of the season.
Rheault was a plus-1 Tuesday night as the Panthers beat Winnipeg, 4-1, in Florida.
A product of the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs and Providence College, Rheault began his AHL career in 2008-09 with the Manchester Monarchs. Since those 24 games with the Monarchs, he was played with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL, the Providence Bruins, the Monarchs again (2009-10, for 35 games), the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL, then the Rampage this season.
He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Flyers in 2006.
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License revocations for DWI announced
Memorial Day events in New Hampshire
- Which of the following prospective candidates do you think the Red Sox should hire to replace Bobby Valentine as the team's manager?
- Sandy Alomar Jr.
- Brad Ausmus
- John Farrell
- DeMarlo Hale
- Torey Lovullo
- Dave Martinez
- Tony Pena
- Ryne Sandberg
- Joe Torre
- Jason Varitek
- Total Votes: 1840 | http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130306/SPORTS/130309472/0/news09 | 646 |
Saturday, November 07
12/18, 120 yds, 0 tds, 2 int
16/23, 225 yds, 1 tds, 0 int
17 car, 143 yds, 0 tds
18 car, 110 yds, 1 tds
4 rec, 36 yds, 0 tds
7 rec, 118 yds, 1 tds
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Dion Lewis ran for 110 yards with a touchdown and Bill Stull threw for 225 yards with a score, as 14th-ranked Pittsburgh rolled to a 37-10 victory over Syracuse at Heinz Field.
Lewis averaged 6.1 yards on 18 carries in the freshman's sixth 100-yard performance of the season for Pittsburgh (8-1, 5-0 Big East), which is off to its first 8-1 start since 1982 when Dan Marino was behind center. The Panthers are also unbeaten after five Big East games for the first time since 2002, although that team went on to lose its last two conference games.
Stull completed 16-of-23 passes in Pitt's fifth straight victory, while Dorin Dickerson caught seven balls for 118 yards with a score.
Pittsburgh hosts Notre Dame next week before taking a week off, then visits West Virginia before closing the campaign with a home game against Cincinnati in what could be a matchup for the conference title and a BCS berth.
"Every game counts right now, this four-game stretch is crucial," said Lewis. "We got one out of the way and we need to just keep on knocking down whoever steps in front of us. Everybody is excited about Notre Dame. Everybody's going to be ready and fired up for this game."
Delone Carter was the lone bright spot for Syracuse, rushing for 143 yards on 17 carries. He became the first back to reach 100 yards on the ground against Pittsburgh this season.
"We didn't execute, we didn't score and that's disappointing," said Carter. "Having a good game today is fine but it doesn't really matter to me. What matters is getting the win and we didn't do that today."
The Orange (3-6, 0-4) had a rough week off the field, as leading receiver Mike Williams quit on Monday and defensive end Jared Kimmel saw his season come to a close because of a knee injury that will require surgery. Also, three players were suspended by head coach Doug Marrone. Running back Antwon Bailey, defensive end Torrey Ball and guard Andrew Tiller were punished for violating team rules.
Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus, booed by the Carrier Dome crowd last week in a loss to Cincinnati, was sacked four times and completed just 12-of-18 passes for 120 yards with a pair of interceptions -- one that was returned for a touchdown.
The teams traded three points to start the game. A 58-yard run by Carter on Syracuse's second offensive play from scrimmage set up a 29-yard kick by Ryan Lichtenstein. Pittsburgh followed with a march from its own five to the Syracuse two-yard line thanks to runs of 27 yards by Cedric McGee and 32 yards by Lewis, but the Orange defense stiffened and forced a 19-yard field goal by Dan Hutchins.
After a trade of punts, Hutchins tied a career long with a 45-yard field goal early in the second period to put the Panthers on top.
The Pittsburgh defense then found the end zone with just 1:20 to play before the intermission, as Greg Williams intercepted a pass that was twice tipped and raced 51 yards for a touchdown and a 13-3 lead.
Kevin Harper was short on a 51-yard field goal try for the Panthers just before the break.
The Panthers got the ball to start the second half and marched 55 yards in nine plays to extend their lead. A 31-yard pass from Stull to Lewis set up a first down at the Syracuse one and Lewis scored on third down to make it 20-3.
Ryan Nassib started behind center on Syracuse's first series of the third quarter and was picked off by Jarred Holley on the first play. The pass was deflected before settling into Holley's hands, giving the Panthers possession at the Orange 49.
Hutchins, though, missed a 47-yard field goal try, but Pittsburgh got the ball right back after a Syracuse punt and needed just two plays to find the end zone. Jonathan Baldwin broke free for a 61-yard run before Stull hit Dickerson with a 14-yard pass for the touchdown and a 27-3 cushion.
Syracuse could not convert on fourth down at the Pittsburgh 24, then appeared to get the ball back when Stull was picked off by Phillip Thomas. A penalty against the Orange nullified the interception and the Panthers drove far enough for a 33-yard field goal from Hutchins early in the fourth quarter for a 30-3 advantage.
McGee scored on a 29-yard run for Pittsburgh with 5:47 remaining and Syracuse finally reached the end zone with just 63 seconds left on a one-yard run by Averin Collier.
Officials: John McDaid (Referee), Jim Eckl (Umpire), Tommy walsh (Head Linesman), Hugh Campbell (Line Judge), Chris Junjulas (Side Judge), Keith Parham (Back Judge), Rich Street (Field Judge) | http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/game/recap/l.ncaa.org.mfoot-2009-e.25124/ | 1,111 |
The NBA Players Association may disagree with how the league came up with the new flopping rules but one of its greatest players is happy to see it on the books.
Kobe Bryant is not only backing the flopping edict but he'd like to see it come with in-game penalties.
He's also calling out those who practice the black arts.
The new rule will fine players who flop after the league studies game film. But Bryant would also like to see immediate punishment.
"I'd love to see it have an impact on the game itself," Bryant told Kevin Ding of the Orange Country Register. "I think in international play a technical foul is the penalty for it. Free throw and get the ball back, that sort of thing...We're familiar with it because Vlade (Divac) kind of pioneered it in a playoff series with Shaq. And it worked pretty well for him."
As for those who flop Bryant says "shameless flopping is just a chump move." | http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/10/05/kobe-bryant-floppers-chumps-new-rule-metta-world-peace-nba/1614683/ | 208 |
Since 1991-92, every team that has been No. 1 in the final regular-season men's basketball coaches poll has been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. That might not be the case with Gonzaga, should it get to No. 1.
For the Bulldogs to vault to the top of the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, implosions from other top teams were necessary. The biggest domino fell on Tuesday when No. 1 Indiana was stunned by Minnesota, making it difficult to argue Gonzaga isn't the nation's best team based on merit.
STUNNER: No. 1 Indiana falls
BRACKET PREDICTION: Seeding the tournament
The Zags' résumé helps distinguish between No. 1 in polls vs. No. 1 in the NCAA tournament.
"There's not a whole lot they can do the rest of the way," USA TODAY Sports bracket specialist Patrick Stevens said. "Gonzaga will probably wind up very solidly on the No. 2 line. There's not a whole lot you can quibble with them. They're 5-2 against the Top 50, 10-2 against the Top 100, 13-1 in road/neutral settings. At the same time, for most of the last two months of the season, there's only so much they could gain."
Saint Mary's, Brigham Young and Santa Clara are the only other West Coast Conference teams in the RPI's Top 100, so the Zags, who are ranked No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, have had limited opportunities to boost their résumé in conference play. Even in a best-case scenario — beating BYU on Thursday and two of those three in the conference tournament — it will be difficult for Gonzaga to leapfrog teams in deeper conferences because its résumé is essentially complete now.
PREVIOUSLY: Olynyk becomes Zags' key ingredient
RANKINGS: The top 10 mid-major teams
A Big Ten team such as Michigan has opportunities for Top 50 wins on a weekly basis. Big East squads such as Georgetown, Syracuse and Louisville do, too. Both of those conference tournaments offer more chances to boost résumés; Gonzaga has to do it by scheduling tough non-conference foes.
"The toughest part of (Gonzaga's) schedule is front-loaded," ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said. "The most important games they played, from a national perspective, were played in November and December, before anyone was paying attention to them."
Perception has long been the key to Gonzaga's seeding, even though the selection committee says it values wins in November as much as it does wins in February. Still, over the past decade, the Zags have played just five ranked teams in the months of February and March (in the regular season), when the nation's attention is focused on college basketball.
This could finally be the season the Bulldogs break through to the Final Four, and it appears the Zags have the talent and balance.
"Mark Few has been reluctant to tell anybody that this is his best team," Fraschilla said. "But this has to be his deepest team, especially up front. Sam Dower and Przemek Karnowski would be key players on virtually every team in America … The fact that those guys come off the bench behind (Kelly) Olynyk and (Elias) Harris tells you what they have.
"What happens is we set the expectations for Gonzaga so high because of the sustained success every year, particularly in the regular season. We tend to discount them every year as a team that can get to the Final Four."
HIGHLIGHTS: THE BEST NCAA CINDERELLA TEAMS | http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/westcoast/2013/02/27/west-coast-conference-mens-basketball-gonzaga-university-bulldogs-ncaa-tournament-seeding/1944127/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomCollegeMensBasketball-TopStories+%28Sports+-+College+Men%27s+Basketball+-+Top+Stories%29 | 776 |
BOOKS ABOUT WORLD CHAMPIONS
Petrosian and Spassky
This magnificent compilation of play from the 1960s through to the 1970s forms the basis of the third part of Garry Kasparov's long-awaited definitive history of the World Chess Championship. Garry Kasparov, who is universally acclaimed as the greatest chessplayer ever, subjects the play from this era to a rigorous analysis, the examination being enhanced by the use of the latest chess software.
Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors - VOLUME III
Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal
Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors - VOLUME II
Alexander Alekhine - Master of Attack
Mikhail Tal - Tactical Genius | http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-books-1/books-world-champions/written-about-world-champions/where/our-most-popular-book-series/my-great-predecessors/uscf-sales-proudly-offers../chess-books/year-of-publication/2004.html | 157 |
By TIM DAHLBERG, Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rising Mexican star Canelo Alvarez landed the heavier punches and more of them Saturday night, defending his 154-pound title with a lopsided decision win over an aging Shane Mosley.
Alvarez shook off a cut over his left eye from a head butt in the third round and dominated the fight, landing big punches to the body and occasional uppercuts to the head. He won all rounds but one on two scorecards, and all but two on the third.
It was the fourth defense for Alvarez of his 154-pound title, and Mosley gave it his best. But at the age of 40 he simply didn't have the reflexes or strength to be competitive against the 21-year-old champion.
Two judges scored it 119-109, while a third had it 118-108. The fight was on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Miguel Cotto undercard.
"It was a great experience," Alvarez said. "I felt really good and I want to thank Shane for giving me the experience."
Mosley hasn't won a fight in three years, losing five of his last seven. Mosley was trying to resurrect his fading career after losses to both Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, but he came into the ring a decided underdog against Alvarez, who is considered one of the top young fighters in the sport.
"His defense is very good. He's really fast, and he can go a long way," Mosley said. "When the kids start to beat you up, it might be time to start promoting."
Mosley, whose pro career dates back to 1993, moved forward the entire fight and tried to keep Alvarez off balance with flurries. He took punishment throughout and appeared hurt by shots to the body in the eighth round.
But Mosley (46-8-1) never went down and was still fighting hard in the12th round, though by then the fight had already been decided.
"I didn't expect him to be that fast or that good," Mosley said.
Alvarez, who remained unbeaten in 41 fights, said he tried to knock Mosley down every round, but was never able. Mosley has never been stopped in a fight.
"I tried to knock him out, he took a lot of punches, but it didn't work," Alvarez said.
Alvarez said he wasn't sure who he would fight next, though the win puts him in the upper echolon for fights against Mayweather or Pacquiao.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | http://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2012/05/05/alvarez-defends-title-with-decision-over-mosley | 558 |
Skyhawk Men's Basketball | Cornelius Jackson - Assistant Head Coach
Cornelius Jackson has served as an assistant coach at UT Martin since 2009-10. This season will be his third as recruiting coordinator for the Skyhawks and second as an assistant head coach.
"Cornelius is a great recruiter who relates very well to our players," Skyhawk head coach Jason James said. "He's a great person and his value system fits in to what we are trying to do here and what we are trying to get our players to do. We're very excited to have him as part of our family."
In 2011-12, Jackson oversaw the development of Myles Taylor, who would win OVC Freshman of the Year accolades as well as a spot on the league's All-Newcomer squad.
In his first season as recruiting coordinator, Jackson reaped the benefits of one of the strongest recruiting classes in program history in 2010-11. UT Martin's freshmen trio combined to win eight adidas Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week awards, which was only the third time that one university earned that many mentions in a single season since the league created the award in 1978-79.
Also in 2010-11, UT Martin tripled its win total from the previous season and earned its first-ever OVC Tournament victory in Nashville under Jackson's tutelage.
"In my three years here, there is no question we have grown as a program," Jackson said. "As our staff and players continue to put in all the hard work they have shown so far, we are close to becoming one of the top teams in the OVC."
Prior to joining the Skyhawks, Jackson was an assistant coach at West Virginia State University since 2003. Jackson was responsible for all recruiting and scheduling at West Virginia State. He also coordinated the video film exchange, scouted opponents and helped develop game plans. He developed specialized workouts for individual skill instruction for both post and perimeter players and coordinated all itineraries and travel arrangements for unofficial and official visits.
West Virginia State finished with a 24-6 record in 2008-09. The team won the West Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Conference (WVIAC) championship for the fourth time in six years. West Virginia State compiled a 148-43 worksheet with Jackson as an assistant coach since 2003.
Jackson signed with the University of Tennessee out of high school and after being a part-time starter for the Vols as a freshman, he transferred to Marshall University where he enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career.
Jackson was Marshall's starting point guard and team captain for three years. He was also the only Herd player to start every game during his career. He led the Mid-American Conference in assists as a junior and senior.
After graduation, Jackson was drafted by the Roanoke Dazzle of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). He also played professionally in Germany and Austria.
Jackson has a bachelor's degree in sociology and has twin daughters. | http://www.utmsports.com/coach.cfm?id=182&sport=Men's%20Basketball | 615 |
SAN DIEGO Bob Breitbard, a visionary sportsman who blessed his native San Diego with an arena, a museum to honor its athletic heritage and professional franchises in basketball and hockey, has died.
Breitbard, 91, who recently had been in ailing health, died of natural causes Monday morning.
“It’s another passing of one of the great San Diego icons,” Hall of Champions president Al Kidd said Monday. “He left a great legacy for us to try to build upon.”
For more than a half century, Mr. Breitbard was an all-star in San Diego’s sports lineup. His first love was coaching, which he did at Hoover High School and San Diego State College. But his roles ranged over the years from athlete and coach to team owner and guardian of San Diego sports tradition.
Although he was the longtime owner of his family’s linen and industrial supply company, Mr. Breitbard is best known in local circles for the Breitbard Athletic Association, which he founded in 1946 to honor local high school, amateur and professional athletes.
In 1953, the association spawned the Breitbard Hall of Fame. Its home became the San Diego Hall of Champions, a sports museum in Balboa Park that Mr. Breitbard opened in 1961.
One of Mr. Breitbard’s biggest dreams came true on Nov. 18, 1965, when ground was broken on a river bed in the Midway District for the San Diego Sports Arena. It marked the dawning of a new era in San Diego indoor sports, one that would bring a National Basketball Association franchise, the San Diego Rockets, in 1967.
With four partners, Mr. Breitbard had leased 80 acres of land for the Sports Arena from the city, and $6.4 million in bonds were issued to be paid from arena revenues.
The arena’s first tenant was Mr. Breitbard’s San Diego Gulls, a Western Hockey League franchise that he had been awarded on the condition of providing an arena. Within five years, he hoped to have a National Hockey League franchise, further enhancing San Diego’s stature as a major sports city.
The NHL franchise never materialized. But the minor league Gulls opened play in 1966 before a crowd of 11,692 and drew well thereafter. Breitbard was honored for 1966-67 as hockey executive of the year by Hockey News, an international weekly published in Montreal. But some dark financial clouds began to mark what looked like a bright future for Mr. Breitbard as a major sports mogul. Already in debt to arena bond holders, Mr. Breitbard faced a large hike in property taxes imposed by the county assessor.
When the arena was built, he was paying $35,000 annually in taxes. By 1971, his tax obligations had skyrocketed to $142,000 a year.
In a surprising move, mourned by many in the sports community, Mr. Breitbard sold the Rockets to buyers in Houston in June 1971 for $5.6 million in cash. The Rockets, after a stumbling start, had averaged 8,000 in their fourth season at the Sports Arena, showcasing such stars as Elvin Hayes and Rudy Tomjanovich. | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/may/17/visionary-sportsman-bob-breitbard-dies-champions/ | 678 |
The official start of the college basketball season is nearly two weeks off, but Baylor traveled 982 miles to play Ohio State over the weekend. Air Force flew 800 miles to play USC. Utah was at Arizona.
Gonzaga and Texas met in Denver.
USD went to Long Beach State.
Stanford came south to play San Diego State at Viejas Arena.
Or allegedly they did. Ask any of the coaches involved, and they can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the games per NCAA rules. Sort of like the military and Nevada’s Area 51, or parents and Santa Claus.
If golf has its silly season after the major championships, college basketball has its silly rules season, where games sometimes count for both teams or sometimes for neither team or sometimes for one team but not the other. Where some games are played on Saturdays with officials in striped shirts — and no fans in the arena, no media in the press box and no score on the scoreboard.
What is this, under-6 soccer?
“The culture of our sport is such that it lends itself to all these different scenarios,” is how UCSD coach Chris Carlson puts it. “There are some smart people in our sport who are always looking for angles, always trying to get one up on someone else.”
That is a polite way of saying the college basketball preseason had turned into the Wild West, and the NCAA finally stepped in to regulate it. The result was the advent of stealth games and “exhibitions” that aren’t always exhibitions for both teams.
Carlson’s Division II Tritons open the local preseason tonight with an exhibition at Div. I UC Irvine that counts on neither team’s record. The same goes for San Diego State against Point Loma Nazarene on Monday at Viejas Arena.
But when the Aztecs host another local NAIA school, San Diego Christian, later this month, the game counts for SDSU. Christian lists it as an “exhibition” on its schedule.
More prevalent and increasingly more popular, though, are the supersecret “practice scrimmages” between Division I teams that the public can’t watch and schools can’t list on their schedules and coaches can’t discuss.
“Only athletics department staff members and those individuals necessary to conduct the practice scrimmage may be present during the scrimmage,” NCAA guidelines state. “Further, the institution must ensure the scrimmage is free from public view and media are not in attendance.”
The rule book continues: “An official score and/or statistics for the practice scrimmage may not be kept. However, an institution may keep score and/or statistics for private use … An institution may not provide the score and/or any statistics to any type of media outlet.”
Or as SDSU coach Steve Fisher explains: “You can’t put a score on the scoreboard, but everybody knows what it is.”
Used to be, NCAA schools would play preseason exhibitions against traveling all-star teams such as Athletes in Action or a foreign national team on a U.S. tour. That morphed into an array of teams organized by AAU clubs with shoe-company affiliations barnstorming the country for as much as $20,000 per game. In 2003, Double Pump fielded five different teams that played 65 games. | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/01/colleges-go-stealth-supersecret-basketball-scrimma/ | 710 |
“The Wally Pipp Rule,” specifically — which deemed that if a player missed practice for any reason, his backup would replace him in the lineup the next game.
Well, when Gonzalez was a junior at the Chula Vista school, strep throat briefly hospitalized him after a CIF playoff game and forced his absence from a team workout.
Gonzalez called his coach in a panic to find out if he’d be benched as a result. Teammates wondered the same thing at practice.
“Rules are rules,” answered Dave Gonzalez, the former Eastlake coach who is unrelated to Adrian.
A player quickly spoke up.
“Coach,” he said, “don’t be stupid.”
Thirteen years and four Major League uniforms later, with four All-Star appearances and a $154 million contract to his name, Gonzalez still elicits that reverence from teammates.
“It’s unbelievable to watch him with a glove and a bat in his hands,” said Nick Punto. “Nobody’s that good.”
“One of the best first basemen in the game. ... He’s a great hitter, man,” said Matt Kemp.
Hearing words of praise is a familiar feeling for the 30-year-old first baseman, but what’s of greater significance to him these days is the familiar setting: Southern California. After a season and a half in Boston, the former Padre is back.
Last Sunday, the Dodgers acquired Gonzalez from the Red Sox as part of a nine-player trade. The deal put the eight-year veteran back in a pennant race and dropped him within 120 miles of the city where he grew up and the franchise with which he spent five record-setting MLB seasons.
“This is home for me, the area I grew up in,” said Gonzalez, who grew up a Dodgers fan, cheering for Fernando Valenzuela. “I know L.A. a little bit, so it’s awesome being back here.”
Gonzalez comes back to California after a couple of tumultuous years out East. On the field, he played great. In 282 games, Gonzalez batted .321 with 42 home runs and 203 RBI. Still, the Red Sox struggled in both seasons and there were indications that Gonzalez wasn’t entirely happy. He told the Detroit Free Press that Boston fans didn’t like the fact that he was “a calm guy.” He complained to
espndeportes.com that New England media only seemed to care about “gossip, rumors (and) plots.”
Of course, he didn’t help himself by sending Red Sox ownership a now infamous text complaining about manager Bobby Valentine on behalf of the team. But the fact of the matter is that Gonzalez, who said the weather was what he missed most about Southern California, has watched the figurative clouds above him disappear as well.
Now, he’s the guy drawing the loudest cheers during pregame introductions. Now, he’s the guy playing in what is perhaps the warmest venue toward players of Latin descent in the country, where fans draped in Valenzuela and Manny Ramirez jerseys inundate the stands.
And in his first at-bat as a Dodger, he was the guy that drilled a three-run homer to the right-field corner, shedding new light on the power of the human larynx. | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/sep/02/tp-west-coast-state-of-mind/?page=1 | 737 |
A group of U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., serving as mentors to some of the nation's top high school football players found out there are a lot of similarities between the young athletes and the combat-experienced troops.
The soldiers were matched up with high school students selected to play in this Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, an annual all-star game for the nation's top high school recruits. The soldiers spent the last couple of days with the players while they prepared for the game in Texas.
The bowl game is sponsored by the U.S. Army and players get matched up with soldiers from around the country. Many of these players were top recruits for major college football teams and primed for success, which made them a good match for the Special Operations soldiers, who all have been given valor medals for their actions under fire.
Master Sgt. Peter Sims, of the 5th Special Forces Group, said in a phone interview Friday that the student he was mentoring, quarterback Hayden Rettig, from Pasadena, Calif., was curious about the role of Special Forces in the Army and what they do. Sims was the senior medic and assault team leader during a deployment to Iraq in 2003 when he helped pull two injured soldiers to safety during a firefight. He received a Bronze Star with Valor.
"He would definitely fit in," Sims said of Rettig. "He's the kind of individual where he is not only physical, but there's also the mental aspect behind it. When you are in Special Operations, when we are doing our training, we have to stay focused."
Staff Sgt. Marshall Brown, of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, offered some advice to Tre'Davious White, of Shreveport, La., who is playing tight end in Saturday's game. Brown said White is very close to his family in Louisiana and was unsure about the transition to college.
"We discussed that and I told him that the best thing he could do for himself is just trust his instinct, stay close to his family, keep those bonds, because that is the biggest thing that makes a person," Brown said.
Brown said his job working on one of the Army's most elite helicopter units is mostly normal, except for the times when they are given the opportunity to do something very special and important. Brown received an Air Medal with Valor device for his actions in Afghanistan when his helicopter came under attack. Brown gave cover fire for other helicopters that were picking up troops on the ground.
Staff Sgt. Aaron Eichhorn, also of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, said he was very impressed with the level of training and skill of the young high school players and said it was pretty similar to the training that he's experienced in the Army.
"For example, they work long hours, hard training. They are out there hungry, cold, wet, and we are the same way. We work long hours, and the training for us is very intense," Eichhorn said. | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jan/04/soldiers-mentor-players-in-high-school-bowl-game/?ap | 628 |
Every spring Andruw Jones
of the Atlanta Braves prepares for a season of diving catches in center field by cooking his baseball glove in the microwave.
He rubs his two-tone mitt with glove oil, slathers it with shaving cream and sets the timer for 30 seconds. His recipe has yielded results: Jones has won nine straight Gold Glove awards for fielding.
Toronto Blue Jays DH Frank Thomas, who has 1,599 bases on balls, needs one walk to pass Stan Musial for 11th place.
“It just heats it up a little bit and makes the leather softer,” said Jones, 30. “I start playing catch with it, and give it my form.”
Major league baseball players use a mix of experience, homespun science and superstition to get the brand-new stiffness out of their cowhide mitts. They dunk them in water, turn them inside out and bake them in ovens. It can take a week or a year before a player will feel comfortable using a glove in a game.
“I don't want to rush it,” said Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand, 29. “I want to make sure it's exactly how I want it before I use it in a game.”
Baseball mitts have evolved from leather work gloves in the 1880s to today's models, some of which are designed by hand surgeons and can retail for close to $400.
Six-time Gold Glover Torii Hunter of the Minnesota Twins breaks them in the way he learned from Kirby Puckett, his predecessor in center field who also won six. Hunter microwaves it, then shapes it while it's still warm.
Louisville Slugger's Vickie Boisseau cringes when she hears what big league ballplayers do to their gloves.
“Putting a product in the microwave is going to dry it out – it blows my mind,” said Boisseau, who ran glove production for the company for 14 years. “Soaking it in water will actually damage the product.”
Louisville Slugger started using softer oil-treated leather 12 years ago to reduce the need for breaking in, she said. Nevertheless, it appears ballplayers will always feel the need to do it their way.
Name the six players who have hit at least one home run in 40 or more major league ballparks. Hint: All but two are active.
Tennis star Venus Williams,
to Sports Illustrated,
on her prospects for marriage and children: “Right now I don't understand kids. It doesn't fit into my life. So I can't be birthing.”
Elliott Harris of the Chicago Sun-Times, on Jeff Gordon becoming a first-time father: “Can't wait to see whether the NASCAR driver learns to change a diaper or if he will resort to using a pit crew.”
Headline in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, on the squabble over pensions for football old-timers: “For Needy Former Players, NFL the 'No Funds League.' ”
45; Fred McGriff,
43; Ken Griffey Jr.,
43; Ellis Burks,
41; Mike Piazza,
40; and Gary Sheffield, | http://www.utsandiego.com/sports/20070715-9999-1s15gallery.html | 689 |
Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Former Portland State assistant coach Jaime Hill has returned to the Big Sky Conference football program as head coach Nigel Burton's new defensive coordinator.
Hill worked at Portland State from 1993-97 as both a secondary coach and then defensive coordinator under former head coach Tim Walsh.
Most recently, Hill was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at BYU from 2006-10. His coaching career began in 1987 at San Francisco State, his alma mater.
"Jaime is a guy with expertise and has a history of really turning around defenses, so I was really interested in talking to him and bringing him aboard," Burton said. "He has a great understanding of secondary play and really his knowledge base and experience is going to be extremely beneficial for us."
Hill will attempt to turn around a Portland State defense that struggled in 2012, allowing 401 yards of offense and 36 points per game. The Vikings finished with a 3-8 record.
Hill will coach the safeties and Burton will reassume his past duties as the team's cornerbacks coach. | http://www.utv44.com/sports/story/Portland-State-rehires-one-time-defensive/-_L8VKMv4EmWHX9NDwtpNA.cspx | 216 |
According to Erik Rennspiess, there is a subtle, but important, adjustment a swimmer needs to make in order to compete for a state championship this weekend.
"You're put in this big meet and you're all of a sudden caring about placing rather than timing," said Ventura College's returning All-American. "That's going to be an eye opener for the freshmen."
As the Ventura College men's swimming team prepares to defend its state championship this weekend at the California Community College championships at East Los Angeles College, the Pirates will no longer be racing against the clock.
"I want to beat every Orange Coast and Santa Rosa guy that's out there," said Rennspiess.
As its seeded, the meet figures to be a four-team race between Ventura, Orange Coast, Santa Rosa and Diablo Valley, with Orange Coast the slight favorite.
"We have a hill to climb," said Ventura coach Larry Baratte. "Orange Coast is seeded to win it but all four of us are within 50 points. "It's going to be very interesting."
Ventura doesn't have any individual favorites, but there are plenty of Pirates positioned to compete for the top spot on the podium.
Sophomore Collin Baratte is the No. 2 seed in the 200-yard backstroke (1:53.58). Freshman Steven Tennant is the No. 2 seed (45.49) and freshman Eric Donahoo is the No. 3 seed (45.88) in the 100 freestyle. Tennant is also the No. 3 seed (51.44) in the 100 backstroke.
Freshman Thomas Maires is the No. 4 seed (16:43.97) in the mile freestyle The Pirates are the favorites in the 400 freestyle relay (3:05.94). The quartet of Tennant, Donahoo, Jordan Singleton and Rennspiess took the conference title in that time Saturday.
"We feel pretty confident," said Rennspiess.
In addition to the 14 male qualifiers, the Ventura women's team has qualified five participants, including freshman Lisa Simmons, the Southern California champion in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, and sophomore Kayleigh Jeffrey, the No. 3 seed in the 200 freestyle. | http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/27/place-not-time-is-key-at-state-swim-meet/ | 480 |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves went 294 days between victories, a long and miserable stretch that included 18 straight defeats and a mind-numbing lockout.
The way they are playing in this young season, the wait for the next win will be much, much shorter.
Love had 25 points and 17 rebounds and hit two huge 3s in the fourth quarter to help the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 99-82 on Sunday night.
``It's a new year,' said Love, who hit 5 of 6 from 3-point range. ``We're the best team in 2012 right now. We feel good. We've got the monkey off our back.'
A team that had grown so used to fading in fourth quarters over the last two years has never looked stronger in the final period. They closed the game with a 15-0 run to bury the reeling NBA champions.
Ricky Rubio added 14 points and seven assists and Luke Ridnour scored 11 for the Timberwolves (1-3), who were winners for the first time under new coach Rick Adelman.
``Man I haven't felt that feeling in a long time, to come off the court with more points than the other team,' said forward Anthony Tolliver, who scored 13 and played solid defense on Dirk Nowitzki.
Nowitzki scored 21 points on 9 for 20 shooting, but the defending champions have looked slow and sloppy in starting the season 1-4.
The Mavericks turned the ball over 17 times and Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and Lamar Odom combined to shoot 7 for 23.
``We have to get better tomorrow and keep moving,' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. ``Try to get ourselves back moving in the right direction.'
Minnesota lost its first three games of this season by a combined nine points, including nail-biters at home to heavyweights Oklahoma City and Miami. This one looked to be another tight game as well when Nowitzki scored seven straight points during a 10-0 run to make it 84-82 with just over five minutes to play.
But Love hit two straight 3s, including a step-back over Kidd, and Rubio assisted on three straight buckets during an end-of-the-game surge. His last pass was a beauty between Nowitzki's legs to an open Tolliver in the corner for a 3-pointer and a 98-82 lead.
Adelman pumped his fist after the shot swished through, and the celebration was on.
``I still don't take credit for those 15 (losses) last year,' Adelman said with a grin. ``I had enough trouble with the three we had this year.'
Delonte West was the only other Mavericks starter in double figures with 13 points.
With the Wolves offense stagnant, Rubio scored 12 of the team's 15 points during a critical five minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters. The Spanish kid who supposedly can't shoot drilled two 3s and scored on a pair of pretty drives, the last giving them an 82-72 lead with nine minutes to play.
Rubio has played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter of all four games and has made 7 of 10 shots and scored 21 points with 14 assists and nine rebounds in those 48 minutes.
``I worked a lot this summer on shooting jump shots and all the stuff. When you work hard, things (are) coming,' he said.
The Mavericks started the season 0-3 and just picked up their first win against Toronto on Friday.
The team has been slow to come together after losing two of their most vocal and emotional leaders from last year's championship run - Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea. Chandler teamed up with Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony in New York, while Barea left one of the most successful franchises in the league for one of the worst.
Replacements Vince Carter, Odom and West are still finding their comfort zone in Dallas and the Mavericks simply haven't looked like the same tenacious, efficient, balanced team that they were when they upset the Heat in the Finals last season.
Carter was 1 for 7 and the Mavs were pounded on the boards, 54-35, including a 17-6 deficit on the offensive glass.
``We got a lot of new pieces and we're trying to do this on the run,' Kidd said. ``We're going to make mistakes and we just have to try and get better.'
NOTES: Barea scored 8 points and said that his hamstring felt a little sore, so he only played 17 minutes. He will be a game-time decision for the Spurs game on Monday night. ``It feels good to beat your old team,' he said. ``I'm not going to lie.' ... Terry finished with 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting and Kidd had 3 points on 1-for-5 shooting. ... Timberwolves C Nikola Pekovic was available for the first time this season after being bothered by a strained right groin. He did not play.
The Associated Press News Service
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved | http://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/scoreboard/recaps/[email protected]/date/01-01-12/time/1900 | 1,051 |
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - It was a good weekend for Drew Stafford and the Buffalo Sabres.
Stafford scored 46 seconds into overtime to give the Sabres a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
Jason Pominville and Rob Niedermayer also scored to help Buffalo move into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of Carolina for the final playoff spot.
The Sabres are 6-0-1 in their last seven road games, the first time they've earned points in seven straight road games since opening the 2006-07 season by winning an NHL-record 10 straight away from home.
Stafford, who scored Saturday in a 5-3 victory in Philadelphia, picked up the puck at the Wild blue line, went around Brent Burns and tucked the puck under goalie Jose Theodore's leg.
``I was kind of at the end of a shift, so I didn't have too much left in me. I just tried going to the net and kind of pushed off of Burns,' Stafford said. ``I just kind of leaned into him and happened to get a lane to the net, went in and put it in.'
Before this weekend, Stafford, who has a team-leading 26 goals in 47 games, was held without a goal in eight straight.
``No matter how focused you are or how are you're working, you're going to go through tough times. It's just a matter of how you respond,' he said. ``I felt as though I was sticking with it and getting chances and getting shots. They just weren't going in like before, but now, hopefully, I can pick it back up.'
It was the fourth game of as seven-game trip for the Sabres, who have stops in Pittsburgh, Boston and Toronto before next Sunday's home game with Ottawa.
``From an effort standpoint, back-to-back and a tough turnover, I thought our third period, our battle and the amount of puck time we had in the offensive zone was real good,' coach Lindy Ruff said.
Warren Peters and Marek Zidlicky scored for Minnesota, which has lost three of four. The Wild earned a point for advancing to overtime to move into a tie for ninth in the Western Conference with Anaheim and Nashville, a point behind eighth-place Los Angeles.
Andrew Brunette had a chance to win it for Minnesota late in the third period, but was stopped on a breakaway by Jhonas Enroth.
Minnesota coach Todd Richards said opportunities like that have to be converted.
``That's playoff hockey right now,' Richards said. ``The chances are really limited just because teams are putting a premium on defending.'
Pominville scored 1:23 into the game on a perfectly executed a 3-on-1. He carried the puck into the Wild zone and passed across for Thomas Vanek, who left the puck for Steve Montador. The defenseman cut to his left and backhanded it across the crease to Pominville at the right post for an easy tap-in. It was his second goal in as many games.
Niedermayer slammed home a rebound of Andrej Sekera's shot at 2:04 of the second period for his first goal in 67 games.
Minnesota scored twice late in the period to tie it.
Peters charged down the slot to tip a centering pass from Brad Staubitz into the Buffalo net with 5:47 left, and Marek Zidlicky beat Enroth with a snap shot on a power play with 2:27 to go.
``I feel we left a point on the board,' Brunette said. ``I think we were sluggish in the first period, but I think we picked up the play after that and played better.'
Theodore, who made 40 stops Thursday night at the Rangers and 46 saves Feb. 25 at Anaheim in his last two starts, made 30 saves for the Wild.
NOTES: Minnesota RW Cal Clutterbuck, the NHL leader with 298 hits, missed the game with what the team called an ``upper-body injury.' ... Buffalo G Ryan Miller, who started the last nine games and 39 of the past 41 since Thanksgiving, wasn't in uniform. Patrick Lalime was the backup goalie. ... Peters' goal was his third in 34 NHL games and first since Nov. 21, 2009, with Dallas. ... Buffalo RW Patrick Kaleta left the game at the end of the second period after being hit on the inside of the knee with a slap shot. Ruff said X-rays were negative. ``It's probably just a real bad bone bruise.' ... The game was the teams' only meeting this season.
The Associated Press News Service
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved | http://www.vegasinsider.com/nhl/scoreboard/recaps/[email protected]/date/03-06-11/time/1800 | 977 |
The Newton Falls graduate got an unpleasant greeting from the YSU defense.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Adam Almashy admitted he was sore. It was easy to understand why.
The Youngstown State football team didn't have any mercy on Almashy, the Clarion quarterback and Newton Falls High graduate.
The Penguins didn't care that Almashy was making a return to the Mahoning Valley as the third-year starter of a Clarion offense that thrives on its option offensive attack.
The 6-foot, 2-inch, 190-pound Almashy had red jerseys in his face throughout Saturday's game, which ended in Youngstown State's 44-0 victory at Stambaugh Stadium.
"It was exciting," Almashy said of his return. "I had a lot of people from my hometown here. I just wish we could have played like we know we could have."
Running for his life: Almashy, who carried 24 times for 47 yards, was sacked three times and battered a number of others trying to run free from tacklers, most of the time on the option. Youngstown State had 16 tackles for loss.
"It was fast," Almashy said of Youngstown State's defense, "but [the result] shouldn't have been as bad as it was."
Clarion was plagued by both an inability to move the ball consistently and a number of turnovers, particularly in the second quarter when the Golden Eagles suffered four -- three fumbles and an Almashy interception.
"Coach [Jon Heacock] stressed in practice to keep the ball inside and in front [of us], so I credit the coaches," Youngstown State senior safety Bruce Hightower said of defending Clarion's wing-T option offense. "We tried to get prepared for it in case we see it in the playoffs."
Rough night: Almashy, who completed 5-of-15 passes for 65 yards, also was intercepted on Clarion's first drive -- by Youngstown State senior cornerback LeVar Greene. The Golden Eagles had moved from their own 22-yard line to Youngstown State's 49 before the turnover.
From there, the game unraveled for Clarion.
"We knew we had to have something go right for us early," said Clarion coach Malen Luke. "We were put behind the eight-ball early."
Luke also noted that his team was hampered by the injuries to several linemen.
"At our level [Division II], when you lose a quality player, that's a big hole to fill," Luke said. "We don't have enough depth.
"We just have to overcome our poor performance and focus on the last nine games that we have."
Hitting the skids: Almashy's rough outing Saturday came one week after Clarion lost its season opener at East Stroudsburg, 33-27. In that game, the quarterback completed 8-of-31 passes for 93 yards and one touchdown as the Golden Eagles' rally fell short.
"In '96, we came over here and got whacked [51-10], but we went to the [national] semifinals that year," Luke said, recalling an earlier meeting between his team and Youngstown State. "I think we're going to use the same approach.
"We lost a football game. That's all we lost," he said. "If we go to the national championship game, we will not play as good of a team as we played tonight." | http://www.vindy.com/news/2001/sep/09/clarion-qb-almashy-mashed-in-return/ | 742 |
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BAFTAs 2013 round-up | http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/trailers-clips/news/index.php/nicolas-cage-nouveau-shamanic/1450121245001?filter=trailer&sort=most-viewed&page=5 | 186 |
The San Francisco Giants, including Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval, waited on the tarmac at a Cincinnati airport, their NLCS destination unknown. / Photo via @KFP48
Talk about your happy flights.
The San Francisco Giants found out their National League Championship Series opponent in the oddest of places: On the tarmac of a Cincinnati-area airport.
All set to fly east when the Washington Nationals took a six-run lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Giants got the most pleasant of surprises when the Cardinals came all the way back and, with a four-run ninth inning, eliminated the Nationals with a stunning 9-7 victory.
As the Nationals took their huge lead, the Giants gathered in the ballroom of their team hotel in Cincinnati, and proceeded to the airport. They boarded the plane, and, thankfully, had plenty of juice in their iPads.
It would be a while before they'd be asked to power down their electronic devices.
The Cardinals kept coming back, and back, and back - until they'd overcome the Nationals and handed home-field advantage in the NLCS to San Francisco.
To the Twitterverse:
Woooo that was an unbelievable game -Now is time to buckle up and head back to the Bay #OrangeOctober baby #PeleaPelea
Sitting on the runway waiting for this game to end to see where we go.. What a nail biterrrr ... WOW... Going home with home field advantage.. I like it
Nicole Vogelsong (wife of Game 2 starter Ryan Vogelsong):
The excitement on this plane right now...ahhhh!! Send us home Cards!! #SFGiants
And home they will be, thanks to the Cardinals. The bad news: How, exactly, does one put away the Cardinals?
At least they'll have four shots at home to try and figure that out.
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: San Francisco Giants to pilot: Turn that plane around! | http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/usatoday/article/1631079&usatref=sportsmod?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7C%7Cp | 417 |
From a 2011 State Farm study on collisions between vehicles and deer:
-- Hitting a deer with a vehicle in Hawaii, the state where State Farm says deer-vehicle collisions are least likely: 1 in 6,267.
From the National Weather Service:
-- Being struck by lightning over an 80-year lifetime: 1 in 10,000.
From the Florida Museum of Natural History, based on U.S. beach injury statistics:
-- Drowning and other beach-related fatalities: 1 in 2 million.
-- Being attacked by a shark: 1 in 11.5 million.
What do you think about your chances of winning on Wednesday? Weigh in on Twitter using #whataretheodds. | http://www.wapt.com/news/national/You-re-not-going-to-win-Powerball-jackpot/-/9157010/17570096/-/item/1/-/9mvsai/-/index.html | 149 |
No matter what happens Friday when Virginia takes on Florida in the first (err, second) round of the NCAA tournament, there is significant value in Coach Tony Bennett’s ability to say, at the very least, that the Cavaliers have made the field of 68 under his watch.
Virginia earned its first NCAA tournament berth since 2007 and its fourth in the past 17 seasons when the selection committee released the bracket Sunday.
“It’s a great step,” Bennett said Sunday night. “It’s been too infrequent, and hopefully we can make that consistent. . . . For us in our third year and for the guys that have been in the program and have fought hard, I’m pleased for them, and I think it’s an important step in our process to get consistently good.”
Collectively, the Cavaliers went .500 (31-31) during Bennett’s first two years at the helm in Charlottesville, but this season Virginia finished 22-9. As Bennett and his staff move forward in the near future with recruiting and program development, they will point to this season as something of a breakthrough.
And for fifth-year seniors Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski, they’ll be able to say they ushered Virginia into a new stage of success. Scott was a first-team all-ACC selection and finished second in the conference’s player of the year voting, while Zeglinski averaged a team-high 32.2 minutes per game this season. What Sunday’s accomplishment meant for their legacies was not lost on Bennett, either.
“To be able now to go out and say, ‘We got ourselves into the NCAA tournament,’ I think it’s something that they’ll remember that selection show,” Bennett said. “It’s something they’ll remember, that they left [the program] in a good place.”
For now, though, the Cavaliers’ attention will turn to a Florida squad (23-10) that tied for second in the Southeastern Conference this season. Whereas the 10th-seeded Cavaliers are known for their defensive prowess, the seventh-seeded Gators are touted for their offensive efficiency.
Florida averages 1.16 points per possession (fourth highest in the nation). Virginia allows its opponents to average 0.88 points per possession, which is the second-lowest mark in the country. Five Gators average double figures in scoring. The Cavaliers gave up fewer points per game this season (53.7) than all but one team in the nation.
“Their ability to score from all positions is significant,” Bennett said. “That versatility in terms of having a threat from each position to score in double figures is significant from the offensive end, and I know they’re athleticism and their tenacity defensively is something that stands out on the defensive side.”
Only one team in the country (Virginia Military Institute) attempted more three-pointers this season than Florida. The Gators are led offensively by a trio of guards (Kenny Boynton, Bradley Beal and Erving Walker) and a 6-foot-10 forward (Erik Murphy) who each attempt an average of at least 3.6 three-pointers per contest. Murphy made 44.2 percent of his three-pointers this season, while Boynton (6-foot-2) shot 42.7 percent from beyond the arc.
In the post, Florida is anchored by Patric Young, who stands 6-9 and 247 pounds. Young shot 60.8 percent from the field and averaged 6.4 rebounds per game this season. The Gators lost reserve forward Will Yeguete for the season after suffering a broken foot Feb. 21. Yeguete was Florida’s third-leading rebounder (6.3 rpg).
For purposes of comparison, Bennett said that of Virginia’s ACC opponents this season, Florida most closely resembled North Carolina State. Similar to the Gators, N.C. State possessed athleticism across the board. The Cavaliers defeated N.C. State, 61-60, in Raleigh in late January and lost to the Wolfpack, 67-64, on Friday in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament.
Bennett said Virginia’s ability to corral the long rebounds that are sure to come off of Florida’s three-point attempts and negate second-chance points by the Gators will be crucial.
Also, Bennett joked that for some good luck the Cavaliers might take a trip to TD Ameritrade Ballpark and rub the statue of Virginia baseball coach Brian O’Connor. O’Connor is from Omaha and in addition to being a notable figure in Creighton baseball history, he also guided the Cavaliers to College World Series appearances in two of the past three seasons. | http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/cavaliers-journal/post/virginia-earns-first-ncaa-tournament-berth-in-five-years-will-play-florida-in-omaha-on-friday/2012/03/11/gIQAVvhE6R_blog.html | 1,008 |
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (AP) - The risks of racing extend beyond the drivers.
Fans can wind up in the danger zone, too.
A horrifying crash on the last lap of a race at Daytona International Speedway injured at least 30 fans Saturday and provided another stark reminder of what can happen when a car going nearly 200 mph is suddenly launched toward the spectator areas.
The victims were sprayed with large chunks of debris _ including a tire _ after rookie Kyle Larson’s machine careened into the fencing that is designed to protect the massive grandstands lining NASCAR’s most famous track.
“I love the sport,” said Shannan Devine, who witnessed the carnage from her 19th-row seat, about 250 feet away. “But no one wants to get hurt over it.”
The fencing served its primary purpose, catapulting what was left of Larson’s car back onto the track. But it didn’t keep potentially lethal shards from flying into the stands.
“There was absolute shock,” Devine said. “People were saying, `I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen this happen, I’ve never seen this happen. Did the car through the fence?’ It was just shock and awe. Grown men were reaching out and grabbing someone, saying, `Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!’ It was just disbelief, absolute disbelief.”
From Daytona to Le Mans to a rural road in Ireland, auto racing spectators have long been too close to the action when parts start flying. The crash in the second-tier Nationwide race follows a long list of accidents that have left fans dead or injured.
The most tragic incident occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, when two cars collided near the main stands. The wreck sent debris hurtling into the crowd, while one of the cars flipped upside down and exploded in a giant fireball.
Eighty-three spectators and driver Pierre Levegh were killed, and 120 fans were injured.
The Daytona crash began as the field approached the checkered flag and leader Regan Smith attempted to block Brad Keselowski. That triggered a chain reaction, and rookie Kyle Larson hit the cars in front of him and went airborne into the fence.
The entire front end was sheared off Larson’s car, and his burning engine wedged through a gaping hole in the fence. Chunks of debris from the car were thrown into the stands, including a tire that cleared the top of the fence and landed midway up the spectator section closest to the track.
“I thought the car went through the fence,” Devine said. “I didn’t know if there was a car on top of people. I didn’t know what to think. I’m an emotional person. I immediately started to cry. It was very scary, absolutely scary. I love the speed of the sport. But it’s so dangerous.”
The fencing used to protect seating areas and prevent cars from hurtling out of tracks has long been part of the debate over how to improve safety.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti lost close friend Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas in the 2011 IndyCar season finale, when Wheldon’s car catapulted into the fencing and his head struck a support post. Since his death, IndyCar drivers have called for studies on how to improve the safety barriers.View Entire Story
By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
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Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal
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NRA kicks off annual convention | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/23/horrifying-crash-at-daytona-exposes-risks-to-fans/ | 857 |
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Watford Ladies extend undefeated run with late winner against Coventry City
A last-gasp winner saw Watford Ladies extend their unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions after their 1-0 victory over Coventry City yesterday.
Super sub Zoe Teasdale scored with her first touch to give the Hornets all three points in a game that could have gone either way, leading to praise from manager John Salomon.
He said: “The performance against Coventry says a lot about the character of the players we have at the club.
“Credit to Coventry, they were well organised, played good football and were resilient in defence.
“Scoring so late in the game shows the perseverance and belief that this team has, but it also highlights how important our Christmas schedule is, because for the second year in a row we have scored important late goals to secure the result we needed, following additional training and a friendly during the winter break.
“It’s a great way to kick off 2013 and I’m delighted with the result.”
Coventry started brightly and Helen Dermody saw an inswinging free-kick just sail wide of the post.
With a quarter of the match gone, Watford began to settle and a through ball from Emma Beckett found Jo Wilson who cut inside and teed up Sarah Wiltshire on the edge of the box. She took a touch and saw her goal-bound strike deflected away for a corner.
Wiltshire then turned provider for Wilson from the resultant corner kick but the striker’s flick header was just not powerful enough and slipped the wrong side of the post.
Coventry managed to stem the Watford tide and began to work their way back into the match, with Jade Formaston poking an effort wide and Nicole Dale striking an effort over the bar.
With the half drawing to a close, Fliss Gibbons forced a good save from Susan Wood in the Sky Blues goal as her stinging volley was heading for the back of the net.
Wilson saw another shot fall just the wrong side of the post, following good right-wing play by Kate Natkiel as the opening period ended goalless.
The second half began with a much greater tempo and within a few minutes Watford went close again. From a flicked header, Josie Green let rip with another volley which just whistled over the bar.
Within seconds, Hornets keeper Lauren Davey was called in to action as she reacted alertly to save at the feet of the Coventry striker to keep the game goalless.
With Watford starting to press the Coventry back line more and more, they went close again when Beckett headed over the bar after meeting Wiltshire’s corner well.
Gibbons then saw another super strike narrowly drift past the post as the Golden Girls went in search of a winner.
Coventry replied with a long-range effort that dipped and fell just over the bar and Davey then pulled off the save of the match from point blank range to stop Coventry taking the lead as Watford fell foul of an excellently worked set piece.
With just seconds to go before injury time, Watford put a dagger through the hearts of the Coventry players.
Wiltshire managed to get half a yard on the excellent Emma Hollingsworth in the Coventry defence with a great burst into the area and let fly with a rasping shot across goal. Wood pulled off a smart save but could only parry the ball straight to Teasdale, whose first touch bundled the ball in to the back of the net.
Watford survived a late flurry of corners but Salomon’s side put more pressure on high-flying Sunderland at the top of the league and continue their unbeaten run.
The Golden Girls now have a week off due to international call-ups for Wiltshire and Green for Wales and will next face Charlton Athletic in the League Cup round of 16 knockout stage at home on Sunday, January 20.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have been drawn away to Derby County in the third round of the FA Women's Cup. The tie is due to be played on February 3.
Watford Ladies: Davey; Mays, Hector, Horwood, Gunn; Beckett, Gibbons; Natkiel (Rowell), Wiltshire, Green (Martin Garcia); Wilson (Teasdale). | http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/10144577.Last_gasp_win_makes_it_13_unbeaten_for_Golden_Girls/ | 945 |
EYEWITNESS LOCAL NEWSNEW TRADITION
from Eyewitness News Online
The University Of Charleston Is Merging Fun, Fitness, And Charity
Reported by: Ashley Smith
Videographer: Troy Morgan
Web Producer: Ashley Smith
Reported: Apr. 27, 2012 11:14 AM EDT
Updated: Apr. 27, 2012 4:48 PM EDT
Charleston , Kanawha County , West Virginia
A new tradition is starting in Charleston this weekend and you have the chance to be part of it. This first ever event merges fun, fitness, and charity into one day.
"We're interested in helping West Virginia be fit!" said Assistant Professor and runner Hallie Chillag Dunlap.
Fitness only scratches the surface. The first ever University of Charleston Half Marathon and 5k will take place this Sunday. But the race is about much more than fitness and friendly competition.
"For the sports admin students to be able to take that initiative and get this started and get this sort of turnout for the first year especially we're really proud of that," said UC Student Holly Sabatka.
"This is very unique especially for the University of Charleston. To have them put their faith in us makes us feel confident that we can do it and they're supporting us along the way," said UC Student and Race Director Adam Hintz.
Sports Administration students mentored by their professors -who just happen to be experienced runners - are managing this race and hoping to gain invaluable hands-on experience
But even more than that, this event is to raise awareness and funds for children in Kenya. Several students and faculty members from UC traveled to Kenya last year to see first hand the struggles these kids face.
"The schools in Kenya don't have any sporting equipment at all. They play [soccer] with bundled trash," said Hallie Chillag Dunlap.
"We're not just here to get a major and then get out. We want to do more than that in the community and on a global level with Kenya," said Sabatka.
Race Director and UC soccer player Adam Hintz traveled to Kenya. He says this race has a special meaning for him.
"It was a great experience especially helping them with sports.. I even played a scrimmage match over there with a local team," said Hintz.
All proceeds from the race will provide even more help for these budding young kids. The race is also the same weekend as the Governor's Cup Crew competition held at the University of Charleston on Saturday. There are also kids races so you can get the entire family involved!
So whether you’re an experienced runner, or you just want to support a good cause, come on down to the University of Charleston Sunday morning and remember to have fun!
You can find out more information on how to sing up or just volunteer at this website: http://www.uchalfmarathon.com/#!
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Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed. | http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/120427_9049.shtml | 731 |
An insurance company is asking for sanctions against Paul Minor in a lawsuit linked to the corruption case that sent the former attorney and two Mississippi judges to prison.
USF&G Insurance Co. says its lawyers have had to respond to "frivolous" motions filed by Minor, including his attempts to remove U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate from the lawsuit.
Minor was convicted of corruption with former Harrison County judges John Whitfield and Wes Teel in 2007.
The USF&G lawsuit, filed in 2003, stems from a $1.5 million settlement in which Teel was the judge when Minor sued USF&G on behalf of Peoples Bank.
Minor says in court filings last week that his motions were not frivolous and the case has dragged on because it was on hold pending the criminal charges. | http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/gulf-coast/Insurance-giant-wants-sanctions-against-convicted-attorney/-/12537462/17887602/-/958ctrz/-/index.html | 167 |
Football is America's most popular sport, so you wouldn't think the National Football League would have any trouble getting fans to come to games.
But in an era of giant high-definition televisions and NFL RedZone -- a channel that broadcasts every scoring play of every game -- football zealots are growing weary of shelling out huge sums to watch the game in person. Attendance fell for four straight years from 2008 through 2011. The league was forced to adjust its sell-out rules to avoid having too many blacked-out television broadcasts. (If a game isn't at least 85% sold, local stations aren't allowed to carry it live.)
The NFL has a potential solution. It wants to transform live games into multimedia entertainment extravaganzas that fans watch in two ways at once: on the field and through their mobile devices. The league is experimenting with exclusive camera angles, on-demand video replays, free access to RedZone, and order-from-your-seat snack and beer service -- all controlled through apps on your smartphone or tablet.
Leading the way are the New England Patriots, who deployed the league's first stadium-wide, free Wi-Fi network with streaming video at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
Fans can tap into cameras that stalk Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or hover directly over the end zone. Next year, the team will give in-stadium fans the ability to listen in to miked-up players (we can't wait for the profane blooper cuts), access the coach-to-quarterback audio (on a 15-second delay, of course) and find the shortest bathroom lines.
"We're not in jeopardy like some others of not filling our stadium, but we're looking at what's coming," said Jonathan Kraft, president of the Patriots and head of the NFL digital media committee, at a conference held at Gillette Stadium this week. "If you don't do this at scale, live venue viewing will really be at risk."
Kraft said he expects all football stadiums to have similar systems in place by 2015.
The situation isn't life-or-death: Attendance was up this year, albeit by less than a percentage point. The league sold out 94% of its games in 2012, and turnout is up dramatically compared to some prior decades, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy points out. Attendance hovered around 60% during the 1980s.
"We're in great shape, but we want 100%," McCarthy said.
Still, there were still 15 games blacked out in local markets this year. Even the Cincinnati Bengals, who went to the playoffs, didn't sell out a quarter of their games. | http://www.wesh.com/news/money/NFL-dangles-apps-Wi-Fi-to-boost-lagging-attendance/-/11787962/18182188/-/mg7r54z/-/index.html | 551 |
Projection: McCaskill beats Akin to keep Senate seat
Democrat Claire McCaskill has successfully defended her U.S. Senate seat against GOP challenger Todd Akin in a race that received national attention because of Akin's comments on pregnancy and rape.
With 77 percent of precincts reporting, had 1,030,581 votes for 53 percent of the vote total, compared to Akin's 781,182 votes and 40 percent. Libertarian Party candidate Jonathan Dine had 120,969 votes and 6 percent.
McCaskill had not been expected to win a second term, but Akin came under attack after saying in a local news interview that women have biological ways to avoid pregnancy after a "legitimate rape."
McCaskill, who was elected to the Senate in 2006, was expected to have a tough re-election bid against Akin, a six-term congressman.
McCaskill was trailing Akin in the polls until Akin’s comments on rape turned the race on its head and prompted conservative groups including Crossroads GPS, a nonprofit founded by Karl Rove, to pull money out of the race. | http://www.wesh.com/news/politics/Projection-McCaskill-beats-Akin-to-keep-Senate-seat/-/11788048/17295542/-/view/print/-/2kwwsf/-/index.html | 224 |
New York, NY (Sports Network) - The NHL and NHLPA held a meeting on Monday as
the two sides continue to try and hammer out a new collective bargaining
The two sides met at the league office around 7:00 p.m. (et) and it lasted a
little less than two hours.
Earlier last week, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suggested to NHLPA executive
director Donald Fehr that the sides take a two-week break in talks, but the
sides met on Monday for the first time since Nov. 11.
Present at the meeting were Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly and legal
counsel along with several team owners. The players union was represented by
Donald Fehr and special counsel Steve Fehr along with 18 players.
Neither side said anything about the content of Monday's meeting.
Regular season games have been canceled through Nov. 30, along with the Winter
Classic contest that was supposed to be held on New Year's Day in Ann Arbor
between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.
The two sides have been without a CBA since the previous one expired just
before midnight on Sept. 15.
The Sports Network | http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/189446/343/NHL-NHLPA-meet-on-Monday | 245 |
Whitecaps FC fall in 2012 Amway Canadian Championship final
TORONTO, ON - In the second leg of the 2012 Amway Canadian Championship (ACC) final, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2W-1L-1D in ACC) fell 1-0 at Major League Soccer rivals Toronto FC (2W-0L-2D in ACC) on Wednesday evening to lose the two-leg final 2-1 on aggregate.
A late strike by Reggie Lambe secured TFC’s fourth-straight Voyageurs Cup title and a return to the CONCACAF Champions League - this time for the 2012-13 season. In what was a tense and scrappy second-leg battle in front of 13,777 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, both sides finished with ten men after TFC’s Julian de Guzman and Whitecaps FC striker Sebastien Le Toux were both sent off near the hour mark. Though they pressed hard to the end, the Blue and White will be extremely disappointed that their quest to win the Voyageurs Cup title for the first time continues.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed with how the game went,” said Whitecaps FC head Martin Rennie. “It’s always hard to lose a cup final, and especially if you don’t feel like you got to the level that you would hope and you would like to. Cup finals are often very close and tight games. If you get chances, you’ve got to take them, and we didn’t do that tonight. We have to dust ourselves off and start looking forward to making a run at the MLS Cup Playoffs, starting on Saturday against Portland.”
Rennie made three changes to the side that started last Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle Sounders FC in MLS. John Thorrington came into midfield, while Eric Hassli and Camilo Sanvezzo returned to Vancouver’s attack. TFC, meanwhile, had captain Torsten Frings return to the home side’s starting XI after the former German international overcame a shoulder injury.
A breezy and warm evening greeted both sets of players in Southern Ontario, with the ‘Caps wearing their all ‘deep sea’ blue kit for this decisive second leg. With plenty at stake, the first half showed the tension of the occasion, as both sides struggled to get their game plans on full track. TFC made the brighter start, with Joao Plata creating a couple of chances. The best of those opportunities came on seven minutes, as the Ecuadorian headed Frings’ fine cross across the face of the Vancouver goal.
Though they struggled to create much before the break, Whitecaps FC had a couple of opportunities around the midway point of the first half. Alain Rochat headed Camilo’s free kick wide of the near post before Thorrington powered a shot just wide of the target on 23 minutes.
The last chance of the half fell to The Reds on 37 minutes, but Frings drilled an indirect free kick wide of the near post. It remained scoreless at halftime, with the ‘Caps still in need of a goal to turn the final series back in their favour.
Needing to find a breakthrough in the second half, Whitecaps FC still struggled to create much going forward after the restart. Instead, it was TFC that had chances, with Frings causing Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon a bit of an issue with his deflected goal-bound strike that came close to crossing the ‘Caps goal line on 56 minutes.
Soon after, a flashpoint occurred that had an impact on the remaining stages of the match. On 58 minutes, a melee in front of the fourth official’s bench saw match referee Silviu Petrescu show a straight red card to TFC midfielder de Guzman for striking out at Whitecaps FC’s Jun Marques Davidson, while Le Toux was shown a second yellow card. It left both sides playing with ten men each for the rest of the game.
As time ticked down, Rennie used his three substitutions. This included Darren Mattocks and Davide Chiumiento coming into the match in a bid to find that elusive ‘Away Goal’. As Vancouver committed men forward, TFC were able to counter-attack. Reds substitute Nick Soolsma found the back of the net on 80 minutes, but the Dutchman was in an offside position when he scored.
It was a sign of things to come. On 83 minutes, TFC assured victory with a second aggregate goal from Lambe. Ryan Johnson’s cross from the left was nodded back into the path of the Bermudan international by Soolsma on the edge of the Vancouver box. The attacker then struck a right-footed shot past Cannon to make it 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate.
Though TFC took the lead, Whitecaps FC still needed to score to take the match into extra time. Chiumiento struck a free kick just over the TFC crossbar before five minutes of stoppage time were played. In the end, the final whistle confirmed more Voyageurs Cup joy for The Reds, and more Canadian Championship frustration for Vancouver.
Whitecaps FC will look to quickly put this disappointment behind them, as they wrap up a very busy month of May with a Cascadia Cup derby clash at Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers on Saturday evening. TFC, meanwhile, will look to carry the momentum of Wednesday’s ACC win into Saturday afternoon, as they look for their first points of 2012 in MLS when they host Eastern Conference rivals Philadelphia Union.
Budweiser Man of the Match: Jay DeMerit
83' - TOR - Reggie Lambe (Nick Soolsma)
Shots: Toronto 13 – Vancouver 4
Shots on Goal: Toronto 3 – Vancouver 0
Saves: Toronto 0 – Vancouver 2
Fouls: Toronto 19 – Vancouver 14
Offsides: Toronto 2 – Vancouver 0
Corners: Toronto 3 – Vancouver 4
31' - TOR - Torsten Frings
35' - VAN - Martin Bonjour
45' - VAN - Sebastien Le Toux
47' - TOR - Ashtone Morgan
58' - VAN - Sebastien Le Toux
75' - TOR - Reggie Lambe
89' - VAN - Darren Mattocks
57' - TOR - Julian de Guzman
58' - VAN - Sebastien Le Toux
30.Milos Kocic; 25.Jeremy Hall, 12.Adrian Cann, 4.Doneil Henry, 5.Ashtone Morgan; 6.Julian de Guzman, 22.Torsten Frings, 8.Eric Avila (27.Richard Eckersley 60'); 19.Reggie Lambe (23.Terry Dunfield 84'), 9.Ryan Johnson, 7.Joao Plata (18.Nick Soolsma 78')
Substitutes not used: 40.Quillan Roberts, 11.Luis Silva, 14.Danny Koevermans, 20.Ty Harden
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Joe Cannon; 12.Young-Pyo Lee, 15.Martin Bonjour, 6.Jay DeMerit, 4.Alain Rochat (3.Jordan Harvey 65'); 28.Gershon Koffie, 27.Jun Marques Davidson, 11.John Thorrington (20.Davide Chiumiento 73'); 7.Sébastien Le Toux, 29.Eric Hassli, 37.Camilo Sanvezzo (22.Darren Mattocks 66')
Substitutes not used: 18.Brad Knighton, 8.Etienne Barbara, 16.Matt Watson, 17.Omar Salgado | http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2012/05/acc-final?quicktabs_club_news_qt=0&quicktabs_mls_standings_quicktabs=eastern | 1,637 |
HEAD COACH ROMEO CRENNEL
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
NOV. 7, 2012
OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright, Steelers, Monday night and getting ready for those guys. On the injury list, [Glenn] Dorsey is out and he’s not going to be able to do anything. Also out is Brady Quinn. He has not been cleared for contact and been advised not to play Monday night, so he’s going to be out. [Steve] Maneri is limited as far as practice goes today. He’s still nursing his ankle, but he’s going to be out there doing something. Brady got back late last night and I talked to him this morning and talked about his situation and he kind of told me what the doctor had advised. We’re going to err on the side of caution and protect a football player, so that’s what it is. [Matt] Cassel is going to be the starting quarterback and [Ricky] Stanzi will be the backup. So, what we’re doing is we’re going to prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re a good football team in all areas. We’re going to have to play really good to win the game. We’re going to prepare to get that one done and do that.”
RANDY COVITZ (KANSAS CITY STAR): Where did Brady come from? Did he go to see a specialist?
CRENNEL: “He went to see a doctor, yes.”
BOB GRETZ (BOBGRETZ.COM): So Maneri is the only other player on the injury list? Jamaal [Charles] and all the other guys with the heads and neck are okay?
CRENNEL: “Yes, the neck and all that, they’re sore but they’re going to practice. So, if they’re practicing, I’m not putting them on the injury list, per se.”
ADAM TEICHER (KANSAS CITY STAR): Were you ever close to playing Ricky Stanzi or starting him in a game?
CRENNEL: “Not yet. He’s still improving, we’re still working at him and he’s one play away, and I think he’s excited about that possibility and he’s preparing every week like he’s going to play. We’ll see how the games go, and if he has to go in, he’ll be ready to go and do it.”
JAY BINKLEY (610 SPORTS RADIO): What about the defensive game plan? How much influence are you going to have in that now that you’ve stepped away from defensive coordinator?
CRENNEL: “As the defensive coordinator, I said all along that one of the reasons that I felt like I could wear both hats was because of the people in that defensive room – Gary Gibbs, Emmitt Thomas, Anthony Pleasant, Otis Smith, Adam Zimmer. I have the utmost confidence in all those guys, and those guys were doing some of the leg work for me as the defensive coordinator when I was the defensive coordinator. They’re continuing to do some of the leg work, but just Gary is now taking it over and then he’s going to call the game. I think there’ll be a smooth transition, as I mentioned, and I know those people in that room. That’s why I wanted to be in that room because they are good people and I like them a lot.”
BINKLEY: What is your new role with the offense? Have you been doing more with that side of the ball?
CRENNEL: “Yes, I’ve been spending more time over there and that was one of the reasons that I stepped down from the defensive coordinator job so that I could spend more time with the team talking to special teams coaches, special teams players, offensive coaches, offensive players, so that I could have a presence throughout the team.”
TOM CHRISTIANSEN (41 ACTION NEWS): Are you learning anything over there?
CRENNEL: “You learn something new every day, so definitely I am and I’ll be more aware about what’s going on and maybe why things are happening. The biggest thing is to give encouragement to those young players over there to let them know that I’m for the whole team and not only for the defense.”
DAVE SKRETTA (ASSOCIATED PRESS): Due to you knowing Todd Haley so well, does that help you in any way?
CRENNEL: “It doesn’t change. You do your same game-planning. You look at the opponent and see what they do, try to find their weaknesses, try to figure out what your strengths are. Then you try to put your plan together and try to take away some things that you know they’re going to do, and then it’s up to your guys to go play. If your guys play well, you have a good chance.”
BOB GRETZ (BOBGRETZ.COM): You’ve seen the Steelers’ offense quite a bit through the years. How are they different this year with Todd Haley?
CRENNEL: “Well, I think Todd has probably brought a little bit different of a passing game to them from a philosophical standpoint. I think that they have said themselves that it’s a dink and dunk offense. Not that it’s dink and dunk, they go through the reasonable progressions and they take what’s available. Some of the stuff that’s been available has been the shorter passes, but they have really good ability and catch the ball short and run a long ways with it. They haven’t thrown the ball deep down the field as much as they have done in the past, but they still have those capabilities of doing that.”
GRETZ: Is there another quarterback that you can think of that matches up with Roethlisberger?
CRENNEL: “No, he’s just one of those big, strong, physical guys in the pocket who is hard to bring down. He has a good knack at moving to avoid the rush. He can pump people off their feet just with his pump, and if he has to, he can pull the ball down and run with it because he’s done it against me before and actually won games with his feet and not only with his arm.”
TEICHER: Dexter McCluster has dropped or deflected some passes. What’s he doing wrong?
CRENNEL: “The thing about Dexter is he has this elbow that he’s kind of working with, and I think that’s part of the problem because he can’t get full extension. He hasn’t been able to get full extension on some of those balls that he’s trying to catch over the middle, so rather than catching them, we’ve been batting them up in the air. I think as his elbow gets better, I don’t think we’ll see the ball go up in the air off his hands as much.”
TEICHER: Why haven’t you guys been able to get more out of Dexter?
CRENNEL: “Dexter, he tries very hard, and he gives you everything he’s got. His skill-set involves a lot of quickness. Sometimes we’re not able to get him open as much as we want to. Sometimes we don’t have the time we need to get him the ball. Once he gets the ball in his hands he’s an exciting player. We need to get the ball in his hands, and we’re trying to. But it hasn’t always stayed in his hands.”
TEICHER: Is this the week Wylie gets into uniform?
CRENNEL: “That’s a possibility. We’ll see how the week goes.”
COVITZ: With Javier Arenas being your No. 1 corner, will he still return punts?
CRENNEL: “Well, sure.”
TEICHER: Dexter returned that punt against San Diego because Javier got hurt?
CRENNEL: “Yes. Every day he catches balls. He doesn’t let them hit the ground, so I was surprised that one did hit the ground.”
BRAD FANNING (KCTV-5): How much of an idea do you have of what Todd Haley is going to do?
CRENNEL: “I know Todd. I don’t know that it’s an advantage. Philosophically you look at the tape and you get from the tape what they’re going to try to do against your particular defense, how they play against other 3-4 teams, what they try to do in the passing game, what they try to do in the running game. But Pittsburgh still has a resemblance of the Steelers of the past. Todd has just added a wrinkle here and there. He hasn’t really changed the whole offense.”
FANNING: How do you counteract the fact that Todd Haley knows the personnel here and knows you and your tendencies as well?
CRENNEL: “Well you can’t because he knows what he knows and he’s just going to try to anticipate what I would do. But the difference is I’m not calling the defense and so now he’s got to try to figure out what Gary’s [Gibbs] going to do.”
KORNACKI: He knows weaknesses of players as well. Do you save a few wrinkles that you haven’t shown yet as well to maybe try and maybe surprise some people?
CRENNEL: “You know what, if we had a different situation you might say you’d save a wrinkle or two. But in our situation, we really can’t afford to save any wrinkles. We’ve got to do everything we can to try to win a game.”
BOB GRETZ (BOBGRETZ.COM): You’ve coached against the Steelers many times. What do you think is the key to the Steelers’ continued success?
CRENNEL: “Generally, when you look at good organizations they’ve got good people from top to bottom and same thing with players, they’ve got good players from top to bottom. And if you can maintain that continuity, getting the same kind of guys that fit your system, then you’ve got a chance to be pretty decent.”
GRETZ: When you talk about continuity and you talk about a guy like Dick LeBeau and the kind of defense he plays, they are looking for players that other players don’t even pay attention to, like their linebackers right?
CRENNEL: “Exactly, yes. Play linebacker, play defensive line. If you watch those guys play up front, they are not glorified, so to speak. But they are tough, physical guys who play their technique, they are going to be where they are supposed to be, they are going to take care of their responsibility. Then the other guys around them they kind of make the big plays. But when you try to run on those guys you don’t get much.”
TOM CHRISTIANSEN (KSHB): With the head injuries the quarterbacks are having, do the doctors give you any detail or are you left trying to figure out who it’s going to be from week-to-week-to-week?
CRENNEL: “They’re not cleared until they’re cleared. So you have to wait, there’s not anything you can do because the doctors themselves, they don’t really know when the guy will be clear of concussion symptoms. So they test him and when he’s clear and has no residual effects or shows no residual effects, then they can say ‘Ok, you’re clear’ And sometimes you’re clear to do light activity and then it gets to the point where you’re cleared for contact.”
COVITZ: So Brady’s got to be cleared for non-contact because he was active in practice on Monday?
CRENNEL: “He’s cleared for light activity.”
TEICHER: So he can do some individual stuff?
NOV. 7, 2012
S ERIC BERRY
Q: This is the second consecutive primetime game for you guys. Sitting at 1-7, do you feel an obligation to show the rest of the league that you’re not the team you’ve shown so far this year?
BERRY: “Really, I think it’s not more about showing the rest of the league, it’s about showing each other. We’re not concerned about what’s going on around the league; we have to fix what we have in our locker room. We’re focused on us. We’re not worried about anybody else’s perspective or how they view us, we’ve just got to turn our thoughts about moving forward.”
Q: When you have a new starting cornerback, how does that affect your job as a safety?
BERRY: “It’s just all of our jobs to make sure that we get that chemistry down pact. It’s not just on [Javier Arenas], it’s not just on me, it’s not just on Kendrick [Lewis], it’s not just on [Brandon Flowers], we’ve got to make sure we’ve got to be as one unit, just moving as one, just making sure everybody is comfortable and knowing where we’re supposed to be.”
Q: Is Ben Roethlisberger a hard quarterback to read?
BERRY: “He just makes plays. He gets the ball in the hands of the playmakers and that’s what he does. If it comes down to it, he knows how to scramble and he’s a big guy, so it’s hard to bring him down. He’s going to keep fighting and try to get that ball off and try to get his team in the position to win.”
WR DEXTER MCCLUSTER
Q: How much of a problem is catching the ball for you with your elbow injury from earlier this year?
MCCLUSTER: “It’s not a problem at all. I’m glad to be out of the brace now. I can’t truly get my running form with it on, but right now it’s go time with it.”
Q: You have full extension with your elbow now?
MCCLUSTER: “This is it over here, yes sir. Full extension. It’s all good.”
Q: When did you get rid of the brace? You played with it on Thursday night in San Diego?
MCCLUSTER: “This week. Yes, I played with it during Thursday night’s game. Right now it’s go time. Everything’s back to normal and I’m ready to get out there and play without it for a change.”
Q: Are you guys still doing a lot of drills to work on catching the football?
MCCLUSTER: “We’re doing everything we can to catch the balls – going out early, catching balls on the JUGS [machine], catching balls from the quarterbacks, from the coach, just emphasizing that you know what, catch the ball or knock it down.”
LB DERRICK JOHNSON
Q: What does the addition of Shaun Smith to the team add to this defense?
JOHNSON: “He knows the 3-4 defense, he’s a swing guy that can play the nose and the defensive end spot and we’re kind of hurt at that spot injury-wise and he can come in and add depth. He’s great, he’s a big guy right in front of me, so I love him.”
Q: With Gary Gibbs being the defensive coordinator now, does that mean any noticeable changes that you’ve seen in practice?
JOHNSON: “The calls are a little different, but it’s the same defense. Gary Gibbs is an experienced guy, he knows his stuff, personally he’s my [position] coach – I’ve been here four years with him. I’m looking for a great game plan and he knows what to do to get us in the right positions to have success.”
Q: Is Ben Roethlisberger still as dangerous as ever?
JOHNSON: “Definitely. He’s a playmaker. You draw the play up and it doesn’t always go like it’s supposed to because he extends the plays. He’s a big guy, somehow you have to get the ball out of his hands. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are going to be tired during the game because we’re definitely going to try to get after him a lot and we need them to do good and play at a high level because Big Ben is a force to be reckoned with.”
QB BRADY QUINN
Q: It doesn’t sound like you’re real surprised that they didn’t clear you.
QUINN: “I don’t know. It’s tough. I’m not a doctor so I don’t know. This is my second one this year, and I think there’s obviously a concern for those sorts of things because if you go back too soon, you risk getting a third one real quick, then who knows what happens after that. I don’t know if surprised is necessarily the word, just disappointing and frustrating.”
Q: You waited a long time for another opportunity. What is the frustration level like right now?
QUINN: “It’s really high. I think that was maybe one of the reasons when I first got hit and noticed it in the game, I tried to stay in because it was the first opportunity for me in a while, so the frustration obviously is extremely high. I’ve really got to credit some of the doctors here and even the doctors in Pittsburgh because I think they’ve put together a good plan, and I’ll be back better than before.”
Q: What play did you get it? Was it the Rolando McClain sack?
QUINN: “It was actually the play before then we think, the first scramble, I got kneed in the back of the head. I tried to get up and someone helped me up, and at that point, I kind of noticed a loss of vision, started to get tunnel vision, and I just tried to keep playing, thinking it would kind of go away and it didn’t. On the McClain sack, I didn’t feel it coming and it actually got worse after that it. I think it was a combination of the first one and McClain’s hit.”
QB MATT CASSEL
Q: What makes the Pittsburgh defense so solid?
CASSEL: “I think they’re a big, veteran group that’s played together for a long period of time. They obviously have a legendary coach [Dick LeBeau] and for us it’s one of those things that we have to be able to both run the ball and throw the ball. It’s going to be a challenge there on Monday night but we can get it done.”
Q: Last time you played a game, Romeo Crennel said that had Brady Quinn been healthy he would have been the starter. Has he said anything to you? Do you feel like the starter or do you feel like you’re starting because Brady’s hurt?
CASSEL: “You know, I feel like I’m the starter until told otherwise. Coach Crennel said I’m starting this week so that’s my job this week and I’ll embrace that, I’m excited about it, I’m excited about playing on Monday Night Football and having another opportunity. When Brady comes back and he’s healthy, we’ll see what happens.”
Q: With the Steelers defense, you never know from week-to-week what you might see when Dick LeBeau walks his Steelers defense up to the line, so you?
CASSEL: “Right, they’re pretty consistent in their scheme in terms of what they do and they give you multiple looks, multiple fronts, they’ve got [line]backers coming, they’ve got safeties coming, they play a mix of coverages. So you always have to be on your toes. But I do think the one thing that’s really dynamic about them is they can do so much and they have so much diversity in the fronts with those linebackers, especially those outside linebackers because they can move them all around.”
Q: Did you talk to Ben Roethlisberger at all during the offseason?
CASSEL: “No, I didn’t.”
Q: So you didn’t get a phone call from him asking what Todd Haley was like?
CASSEL: “No, I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.”
Q: When we talked to Ben today, he said there hadn’t been much yelling from Coach Haley. That was kind of a surprise to us. Does that come as a surprise to you?
CASSEL: “You know I’m not really going to get into that whole situation. I’m not going to touch it. Coach Haley has gone in there and he’s done a good job, their offense is playing well. But for us offensively, we’ve got to get ready for a great defense and that’s what we’re concentrating on.”
Q: The team is struggling and this is the second week in a row that you’ll be on a national stage. It didn’t go well last Thursday, but don’t you want to go out and prove to the NFL that you aren’t the team that has been showing up on Sundays so far this season?
CASSEL: “There’s no doubt, and it’s a great opportunity for us. We’ve got a whole other half of football to play and I think that every one of us to a man in here is excited about the opportunity to go out and start the second half of the football season off right. And it’s a great stage to do so on Monday Night Football and national television.”
Q: Have you seen more of Coach Crennel in your meetings now that he’s given the defensive coordinator duties to Gary Gibbs?
CASSEL: “We have. He’s been in our meetings a lot more this week, I’ve seen him around and that’s been a little bit different from the first half of the season so far.”
Q: Does he ask questions, does he have input? What is his presence there like?
CASSEL: “Really he’s just been there, I think he’s been observing how the meetings have been going and then I’m sure that himself and [Brian] Daboll talk afterwards and have suggestions and go from there.”
Q: How do you play with a sense of urgency in not turning the ball over without losing a sense not playing timid?
CASSEL: “That’s the happy medium you always have to play with. My number one concern is always taking care of the football and I never want to do anything to jeopardize that because we know that turnovers hurt us in the National Football League. But the minute you start thinking about that and playing timid, then you don’t make that throw or you don’t play the way you need to play in order to be competitive and go through your reads. There’s a happy medium there, but at the same time, it’s very pivotal for our team – all of us – to take care of the football.”
Q: When a former head coach goes to another team, what kind of advantage is that because he knows the personnel and strengths/weaknesses of players on both sides of the ball? Is it almost like he has inside information on this playbook because of his position here?
CASSEL: “I don’t think so, because I’ve been around a lot of different coaches that have gone a lot of different places and every team is different and every coaching staff is different. Obviously he’s probably more familiar with our personnel than some other coaches are, but at the same time, when you get out there on Monday night, it all comes down to execution and going out and trying to win the ballgame.”
Q: So you don’t think he’s whispering into their defenses’ ear some stuff about the Chiefs offense?
CASSEL: “I don’t believe so. Again, this is a completely different playbook from what we did last year and so maybe he could be, but that’s probably a better question for him.”
Q: How dangerous is it for people to oversimplify it and say it’s Todd Haley versus his former team?
CASSEL: “It couldn’t be more far from the truth because obviously this is the Kansas City Chiefs against the Steelers – it has nothing to do with Todd Haley against the Kansas City Chiefs.” | http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/Chiefs-Locker-Room-Quotes-November-7th-177763051.html | 5,613 |
Women's Basketball 2012 Game Highlight
12/08/2012 - Felician
SUBJECT: Slow Start Dooms Wildcats, Fall 77-53 to Felician to Snap Two-Game Winning Streak
A slow start to the first half doomed the Wilmington University women’s basketball team as it saw its two-game win streak come to an end, 77-53, Saturday afternoon at Felician inside Job Gym.
Looking to win its second straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game, the Wildcats (2-9, 1-4 CACC) fell flat after starting the game with the first three-pointer and took a 5-4 lead with 17:27 to play in the opening half. Felician (3-6, 3-1 CACC) used a 20-5 run over the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 24 point lead into the locker room.
Freshman Tenicia Spence again led the squad with 22 points, getting eight points from the foul line (8-for-10) and hitting a pair of three-pointers on the afternoon. Her first trey opened the scoring for the contest, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead 1:44 into the match.
The Golden Falcons were led by three players who scored in double-figures, paced by the 21 points off the hand of Trina Plummer. Gisell Peguero and Keisha Jean-Louis also helped the home team by scoring 12 points each. Mary Chishold finished with game high 13 rebounds.
Felician stretched its lead to as large as 29 points halfway through the second half before the visitors were able to make a run and cut the deficit in half. Slowly chopping into the lead, junior Callie Tambling cut it to its closest margin at 15 with her second of two three-pointers in the game with 4:58 to play. But that is as close as the Golden Falcons would allow the Wildcats to get, as they stretched the lead back out to 26 before settling on the final score of 77-53.
Wilmington was held to a 22.6 shooting percentage from the floor, but hit four three-pointers while holding the Falcons to only 3-of-18 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats also hit 21-of-30 (70 percent) compared to Felician’s 20-for-38 (52.6 percent) from the foul line.
Megan Fox led the Wildcats with eight rebounds, including two on the offensive glass, but Felician outrebounded the Wildcats 60-37 to outscore the visitors 21-10 on second chance points.
The Wildcats return to the friendly confines of the WU Athletics Complex, where they are a perfect 2-0 on the year, for their next matchup. They will face cross-town rival Goldey-Beacom on Monday in the night cap of a double-header starting at 8 p.m. | http://www.wilmu.edu/athletics/gamehighlight.aspx?GameID=22525 | 599 |
The state agency that monitors judges for misconduct is dropping its complaint against Diane Hathaway now that she's no longer on the Michigan Supreme Court.
The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission said Tuesday there's nothing to gain. Hathaway pleaded guilty last week to federal bank fraud for shifting properties and failing to disclose assets while trying to dump her Detroit-area home in a short sale. She could go to prison and lose her law license.
The commission filed an ethics complaint against Hathaway and sought her suspension on Jan. 7 while she was still on the Supreme Court. That led to news that Hathaway had quietly filed retirement papers in December and was planning to quit on Jan. 21.
She was charged with fraud three days before leaving the court. | http://www.wilx.com/news/localnews/headlines/Judicial-Watchdog-Agency-Drops-Complaint-Against-Former-Justice-189867291.html | 150 |
Murray hails 'sterling performance'
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD - Two former West Indies cricketers called the Caribbean team’s nine-wicket victory in the first Test match against Zimbabwe excellent, while another said it was to be expected.
Bryan Davis, the Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) executive manager, said a victory is always a good thing, while former West Indies wicketkeeper and Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) president Deryck Murray said the important thing was that the regional team started winning again.
“I thought it was an excellent performance,” said Murray. “The bottom line is the victory, and a convincing victory, that is what I based my judgement on the performance.” Davis said there was room for improvement in the top-order batting, who didn’t score the runs they should have.
“But the bowlers did their job. Bowlers win Test matches. The batsmen gave them runs to bowl at, so that’s why I thought it was an excellent victory.” Murray said achieving the win so convincingly, within two and a half days, was a “sterling performance”.
“That was excellent, and it is good they are getting into a wining habit.” Asked about the quality of the opposition, Murray said: “At the end of the day winning and/or losing is a habit and it is good to be cultivating a winning habit. The coincidence that that instills will obviously help the team when they meet stronger opposition.”
Murray also believed that the Windies could improve in some other areas. And former Windies pacer Tony Gray said he expected the team to win and dominate Zimbabwe.
“Although they (Zimbabwe) have one or two very good batsmen, they haven’t played Test cricket for a while so I expected the West Indies team, a very talented team, to beat them, and they did.”
Gray, the head coach of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) cricket team, said he was happy with Marlon Samuels’ resurgence in Test cricket after his injury. He also approved of the selectors’ choices for the composition of the team.
“I love the fact we had three genuinely fast bowlers. I agree with the selectors bringing back the fast bowlers. We need guys who could take fivewicket hauls, so I like the combination and composition of the team.”
Gray said genuinely fast bowlers are necessary in future West Indies squads if the regional team is to have any chance of returning to the number one or two position in Test cricket.
“It’s the only way,” Gray concluded. | http://www.windiescricket.com/news/murray-hails-sterling-performance | 590 |
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Timberwolves used a fourth-
quarter scoring barrage from J.J. Barea and a solid all-around effort from
Kevin Love to halt the Oklahoma City Thunder's 12-game winning streak in a
99-93 decision at Target Center.
The Timberwolves, losers of 12 straight against their Northwest Division
rivals coming in, had allowed five consecutive opponents to score over 100
points, but held the NBA's highest scoring team to 40 percent shooting.
Barea erupted for 14 points in the final frame, while Love added 28 points, 11
rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota, which improved to 8-3 at home.
Nikola Pekovic chipped in 24 points and 10 boards in the unlikely victory.
The Thunder were led by Kevin Durant's 33 points, seven rebounds and six
assists, though it wasn't enough to extend the club's longest winning streak
since relocating to Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook finished with 30 points,
11 boards and nine helpers, but shot just 9-of-28 from the floor and committed
The Sports Network | http://www.wltx.com/sports/pro_basketball/nba/article/213510/335/NBA-Game-Summary---Oklahoma-City-at-Minnesota | 232 |
By Jose Grijalva, Project Spurs.com
San Antonio Spurs fans know one side of Matt Bonner -- the guy at the 3-point line ready to launch a shot.
Outside of the court, the "Red Rocket" is a far different personality and if you've seen his "Coach B" videos, that personality is a little on the goofier side of life.
Nadia Bonner, Matt's wife of four years, gave an interview with UnionLeader.com to describe some characteristics that Spurs fans might not know about him, even the "groupies" he attracts outside the court.
Bonner isn't too different from the player we see on the court, especially his dress style. He certainly is a man who tends to be "one of a kind," especially on his dress style. His wife shows us that his fashion style on the court isn't different from that in real life.
for the complete article at Project Spurs. | http://www.woai.com/content/sports/spurs/story/The-side-of-Matt-Bonner-you-dont-know/oR9SZf2gDUKms3qPpxF6Ow.cspx | 196 |
Tallahassee, FL (Sports Network) - An appearance in the 2013 MEAC-SWAC Challenge, a trip to Ohio State and five home games highlight the Florida A&M football schedule announced on Thursday.
The Rattlers, who have a new head coach in Earl Holmes, will play 12 games, including five at home for the first time since 2006.
Florida A&M will face Mississippi State in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The Rattlers will both open and close their regular season at the Florida Citrus Bowl because they also will face rival Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Classic on Nov. 23.
The Sept. 21 game with Ohio State is the first between the two programs and will net Florida A&M an $850,000 guarantee.
Florida A&M's home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium will be against Tennessee State (Sept. 7) and Samford (Sept. 14) in non-conference action, and Howard (Oct. 19, Homecoming), North Carolina A&T (Oct. 26) and Delaware State (Nov. 16) within the MEAC.
The Rattlers also will play conference games on the road against Morgan State (Oct. 5), Savannah State (Oct. 12), Norfolk State (Nov. 2) and South Carolina State (Nov. 9).
Holmes is trying to lift Florida A&M from a 4-7 finish last season.
2013 Florida A&M Football Schedule
Sept. 1, Mississippi Valley State, MEAC-SWAC Challenge in Orlando, Fla.
Sept. 7, Tennessee State
Sept. 14, Samford
Sept. 21, at Ohio State
Oct. 5, at Morgan State*
Oct. 12, at Savannah State*
Oct. 19, Howard* (Homecoming)
Oct. 26, North Carolina A&T*
Nov. 2, at Norfolk State*
Nov. 9, at South Carolina State*
Nov. 16, Delaware State*
Nov. 23, Bethune-Cookman*, Florida Classic in Orlando, Fla.
* - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game | http://www.woai.com/sports/cfootm/story/Florida-A-M-to-visit-Ohio-State-play-12-games/d1Jwh2tUg0Kxti2UgnPbSA.cspx | 443 |
The university announced the resignation Monday morning. Tressel said in a statement that he met with university officials and agreed that it is in Ohio State's best interest that he resign.
Luke Fickell, an assistant under Tressel, will serve as interim head coach for the 2011-2012 season.
University President E. Gordon Gee says the university's
"public purposes" and "tradition of excellence" are guiding its
Tressel's resignation comes as the NCAA is investigating five Ohio State players who allegedly sold signed Ohio State memorabilia to
a tattoo parlor owner.
The five players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, have
been suspended for the first five games this fall for accepting
improper benefits totaling between $12,000 and $15,000.
Investigators say Tressel knew about the transactions and did not report the violations to university compliance officials.
Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini in a statement said, "Jim Tressel is an outstanding football coach and a good man. I’ve followed and respected his career since his days at Youngstown State and through his tremendous success at Ohio State the past decade. He will be missed in college football.”
Pelini is being mentioned as a possible long-term replacement for Tressel.
Designed by Gray Digital Media | http://www.wowt.com/sports/headlines/Ohio_State_Football_Coach_Resigns_122825534.html?site=mobile | 277 |
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