Search is not available for this dataset
text
stringlengths 114
528k
| url
stringlengths 16
403
| token_count
int64 33
125k
|
|---|---|---|
Yale Concludes Competition at CSA Individual Championships
March 2, 2009
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Yale concluded competition at the CSA Individual Championships this past weekend in Williamstown, Mass. Three Yale players competed in the tournament.
The end of this tournament marks the end of the Bulldog's 2008-09 season.
Report Filed by Steven Horn '10, Yale Sports Publicity | http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m-squash/recaps/030209aaa.html | 85 |
Posted December 30, 2012 on
AP on Fox
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has tied Peyton Manning's NFL record for most touchdown passes by a rookie with 26 after a third-quarter score on Sunday against St. Louis.
After struggling to get Seattle's offense started for most of the game, Wilson found fullback Michael Robinson out of the backfield on a 10-yard TD with 2:09 left in the third quarter to give the Seahawks a 13-10 lead. That capped a run of three straight completions for Wilson to finish the drive.
Manning set the record in 1998 with the Indianapolis Colts.
BEST OF MAXIM
AROUND THE WEB
SEATTLE — Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson tied Peyton Manning’s NFL record for most touchdown passes by a rookie with 26 after a third-quarter score on Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.
Please Click Here To Read This Video
The Seattle Seahawks look to extend their winning streak to five games this week as the St. Louis Rams come to town. The Seahawks are arguably the best team in the league right now and are riding on a promising wave of momentum; in the last three games, they’ve outscored their opponents 150-30. Seattle has to win this Sunday to have any chance of winning the NFC West.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning wrapped up what will likely be another MVP campaign with 304 yards on 23-of-29 passing and three touchdowns against the Chiefs on Sunday.Fantasy Spin:Manning's 37 touchdown passes are his most since he had 49 in 2004. He also exceeded 4,600 for the second time in his career with 4,659.
Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 30, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images)
Editor’s Note: How Big Pete’s Instant Reactions is something beyond “OMG WE #1 SEED GOOOOOO BROOOOONCOOS WOOOOOO” — is beyond me. That is the only thing...
“Save our Chiefs”, a group that was established to try to put pressure on the Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt to make drastic changes, has issued a statement on their Facebook and Twitter account that might be very interesting to Kansas City fans and all potential head coaching candidates regarding the status of [...]
(AP) -- The Seattle Seahawks need to defeat the St. Louis Rams to have any shot of winning their second NFC West title in three seasons.
Even if they don't finish atop the division, the Seahawks could still be riding a wave of momentum into the postseason.
Seattle will look to extend its longest winning streak in five seasons to five games on Sunday when the Rams try to finish...
If he wants, Peyton Manning can use all that time at home to crank up the DVD player and watch the highlights.
What a set he put together for himself and his acrobatic receivers on Sunday.
Manning and the Denver Broncos wrapped up home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs with a predictable 38-3 runaway over the Kansas City Chiefs - a win punctuated by a pair of touchdown passes...
Peyton Manning threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns Sunday to lift Denver to a 38-3 win over Kansas City that sealed the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs for the Broncos.
Manning finished the season with 4,659 yards, only 41 short of his career high. He finished with 37 touchdown passes, and none will be more memorable than the last two - circus catches by Eric Decker and Demaryius...
Here’s hoping all of you are having a great time over the holidays -- I’ve spent most of this week pinballing from one family gathering to the next. Really though, with the Seahawks playing as well as they are right now, someone could drop a Buick on my leg and I’d still think this was a pretty awesome week (well, after I stopped screaming in pain long enough to think...
Today’s the last day of the NFL regular season, and the MVP race is down to Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson.
[[ Read More ]]
A person familiar with the situation says Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy will interview for the vacant head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals this week.
The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to publicly speak about the interviews, said the talks would take...
For the better part of this season, there was no clear "best" team in the NFL. For awhile, the Texans and the Falcons were the frontrunners, but they've been somewhat off their game coming down the stretch. Meanwhile, teams like the Broncos, Patriots, Seahawks and Redskins have hit their stride.
Of the teams mentioned above, the most intriguing team is the Denver...
Last week: 5 (+0)
Net points per drive: 0.74 (4th)
DVOA: 35.3% (2nd)
Weighted DVOA: 37.5% (2nd)
QB Peyton Manning: 30 of 43 for 339 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 2 drops, 1 hit as thrown, 1 throw away, 1 batted pass, 97.4 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 6 of 43 drop backs (3 of 6, 1 hit as thrown, 1 throw away)
RG Manuel Ramirez: Did not allow a pressure...
(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Can the Broncos beat the Patriots if when we meet them in the playoffs?
A few weeks back, I wrote an article diving into the all important playoff question… Can the Broncos beat the Patriots? Today, I’m re-examining that very question.
Eleven weeks ago, we played the Patriots in Foxboro, and after a rash of self inflicted wounds, we ended up... | http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/seahawks_wilson_ties_rookie_td_record/12541744 | 1,239 |
The Catamounts leading scorer last season, McGlynn asked for his release earlier this month siting a need to find a school closer to home for family reasons.
"It was a difficult situation, obviously Vermont was upset," McGlynn said. "Transfers typically don't ask for their release this late. We were surprised to get it.
"It was stressful not knowing if I was going to get my release," said McGlynn, who believed the release was officially granted Friday. "Once I got my release, it finally settled down."
McGlynn said he talked to Penn State, Virginia Commonwealth University, Central Connecticut State and LaSalle. He made his only school visit -- to Towson -- Saturday.
Instead of facing between a 7- to 8-hour drive from his family's home to Burlington, Vt., McGlynn said he can now drive to his new school in 35 minutes.
Towson went 1-31 and 1-17 in the Colonial Athletic Association last season. McGlynn mentioned Towson's head coach, Pat Skerry, as one of the reasons he was able to settle on Towson quickly. Skerry is preparing for his second season at Towson. He spent his three years prior to Towson working as an assistant in the Big East (including two seasons at Providence and one at Pitt).
But McGlynn believes Towson is rebuilding. He mentioned the team's recent recruiting and the fact the school is tentatively scheduled to open the 5,200-seat Tiger Arena in May 2013.
Per NCAA regulations, McGlynn will need to sit out this season before playing for the Tigers.
A 2011 Dallastown High School graduate, McGlynn finished his high school career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,854 points.
Named the America East Conference freshman of the year this season, McGlynn served as Vermont's sixth man. He led the conference champions in scoring (12 points per game) and 3-pointers (68). A 6-foot-2 shooting guard, he scored 18 points during a NCAA Tournament first-round victory against Lamar. | http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_20874610/four-mcglynn-commits-towson?source=most_emailed | 436 |
It seems like the football head coaching position at York Tech has been a revolving door forever.
Over the past decade, the Spartans have seen no less than six different head coaching changes (if you include Tim Hibbs, who was hired but never coached a game at the school).
With the hiring of assistant coach Matt Glennon to take over the program from former coach Doug Wilkinson, there is finally a sense of optimism that the door may stop revolving. Already a history and government teacher at the high school, Glennon, a former head coach at Westmont-Hilltop High School from 2008-2011, will be the first head coach in a while, if ever, to actually teach at the school.
That the was the preference of the administration just a few years ago when it hired Hibbs, who ran successful programs at Biglerville and York High, to both teach and coach. Hibbs, however, resigned to take a position in Florida about a month before practices were to begin, which allowed Wilkinson to take the reins.
Glennon is planning on being at Tech for the long haul. The former West York standout has been overseeing the team's offseason conditioning program and is excited about his prospects of turning around a team that has just one winning season (6-4 in 2009) over the past two decades.
Much of that optimism is directed at the offensive side of the ball. The Spartans led the entire York-Adams League in rushing at 316 yards per contest. The four biggest play-makers from the offense -- Calvin Savary, Dalmar Dickson, Nashied Bones and Stephaun Montouth -- are all expected to return to Tech's triple-option attack.
We caught up with Glennon, 42, recently for this week's edition of Sports Q&A.
Why did you apply to become the head coach at York Tech?
"I came in as a teacher and the administration really wanted to have a teacher as a coach. They thought that would be the best direction for the program. And I've had experience as a head coach and I felt really comfortable with the kids as an assistant coach. I feel like they respect me and I can respect them. I've seen the kids working really hard in the offseason and there's a lot of good things that can happen there."
What did you learn about the program last year as an assistant coach?
"Just more about the school. You know the school is going in a very positive direction. Although the record -- 2-8 -- wasn't real positive, there is a sense that the program is also moving in a positive direction. There is a lot of opportunity and potential there to really improve and build something there."
How surprised were you that the position opened up?
"We were all a little surprised. But the administration really wanted a teacher that was (also) a coach in the building. They just feel that's the best way to build the program. A lot of the good programs have that (where the coach) is in the building and seeing the kids everyday and monitoring their progress academically as well as in the weight-room in the offseason. So I was surprised, but also happy that it happened."
When's the last time that Tech actually had a coach who has also taught at the school?
"When they hired Tim Hibbs a few years ago, he was actually going to be a teacher in the building as well as the head coach. Something happened in the offseason and I think some personal issues came up and he decided to move to Florida before the season began. But I don't know of anyone else."
It seems like head coaches come and go at York Tech frequently. That said, what are you realistic expecta tions for the future with the program?
"I took this job to be there a long time. That's my expectation and that's my hope. The administration has been very supportive and the kids, I think, are already buying in. The program has already been established and I think Doug (Wilkinson) did a nice job. So I'm starting with a solid program. We have a lot of kids working out in the weight room. So I'm expecting to be there as long as they want me to be."
How do you plan to turn around the pro gram (back-to-back 2-8 seasons), and especial ly the defense, which allowed more than 400 yards a game last year?
"I think the big thing is that we just need to get stronger. We need to have a solid weight program. The kids need to buy into it. Until we get stronger, it's going to be an uphill climb for us. Defense is a reactive position and when you're strong physically, you have more confidence taking on somebody that's coming at you. And when you're fundamentally sound and know your reads and assignments, you'll react much quicker. So we're going to work in offseason: 1. To get stronger and faster; and 2. To do some work on the fundamentals of tackling and doing a lot of read-stuff."
What are the various challenges of coaching at a York Tech?
"I think the two biggest challenges are: 1. We aren't community based. We have kids that come from a variety of school districts so you don't have the solid community. Now we do have solid support from the parents and the administration, but there's no one town where on the main street the kids see their numbers up or names up (on signs). So we're spread out. And we have kids that are on a bus going to and back from school for maybe 11/2 or two hours a day. So logistically there are some difficulties. 2. The kids are here at a technology school for different reasons. The primary reason is to learn a skill or trade and that takes a lot of time. So selling a program to the kids where they can do that as well as be a football player or be a basketball player or any kind of athletics is a little tougher sell."
How many of the players there have pre vious football experi ence when they come to York Tech?
"Conservatively, I'd say about 60 to 70 percent. So most have some football experience. But the challenge is that they've also learned different systems. So we'll have one kid that calls a play an "iso" and another that calls it a "belly" or this and that. So just re-teaching your philosophy and the terminology is part of the difficulty."
Which of the return ing players are you most excited to work with?
"Well obviously Calvin Savary. He's one of the better fullbacks, I believe, in the county. He's a big strong kid. He rushed for over 1,500 yards last year so he's a bit of a work horse. So we're definitely excited to have him in the backfield. And we have some other dynamic kids that can run with the ball. Dalmar Dickson, he was our quarterback and over an 800-yard rusher, Stephaun Montouth, Nashied Bones ... these are kids that are really good athletes and when we give them the ball they can really move it. So I think we'll be pretty dynamic offensively."
You'll be the third (actually fourth) former West York player to be coaching in the league. What does that say about the Bulldog program and former Head Coach Terry Bupp?
"Well West York is a special community there. There's just a real, strong community support there. You feel like you're part of something. Coach Bupp did a great job of making football fun. It was fun to play and when you have some joy and you're successful at it you really don't want to give it up. All three of us (Russ Stoner at Spring Grove and Shawn Heinold at York High) have caught up and we talked about it. And then there's Mike Ketterman there at Hanover, so it's actually four West York grads from the 1980s coaching in the (York-Adams League). So that's kind of neat."
-- Reach Ryan Vander sloot at sports@yorkdis patch.com. | http://www.yorkdispatch.com/localsports/ci_22512111/glennon-plans-be-at-york-tech-long-haul | 1,680 |
Will Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ronald Friedman give Bully a wedgie?
Or will he decide that the game is not a public nuisance under Florida law?
We may know as early as tomorrow this afternoon. GamePolitics has received another of those terse Jack Thompson e-mails. This one says:
“Judge Friedman has seen the game played with me present, and… he has granted my motion to reconvene the hearing at 1:30pm tomorrow (Friday). After argument by both sides, he will rule.”
Judge Friedman, of course, ordered Take Two officials to show him the game in chambers today at three o’clock on Thurday. Thompson’s e-mail is stamped 7:47 PM Thursday, so, taking set up – and slow loads on the PS2 – into account, the judge had at most a little over four hours of watching the action at the game’s fictitious Bulworth Academy. | http://www.zeropaid.com/news/7740/florida_judge_has_viewed_bully__may_rule_this_afternoon/ | 198 |
Posted: May 8, 2011 6:05 PM by Jordan Mason
DALLAS (AP) - Jason Terry tied an NBA playoff record with nine 3-pointers and the Dallas Mavericks matched another postseason mark with 20 3s, powering them to a 122-86 victory over the Lakers on Sunday and a sweep of their second-round series. The victory putsthe Mavs in the Western Conference finals, ends the latest Lakers dynasty and sends their coach Phil Jackson into retirement.
This game was over before halftime, with the Mavericks tying an NBA playoff record with 11 3-pointers in the first half. Terry alone outscored the Lakers 20-16 in the second quarter. The Lakers were so frustrated that Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were ejected for throwing vicious cheap shots 45 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) | http://www1.koaa.com/news/mavs-eliminate-lakers-sweep-jackson-to-retirement/ | 181 |
Oilers being very cautious on Taylor Hall's leg injury.Told no decision on whether he will play vs Wild Sunday until tomorrow morning.
The Wild and Oilers play late on Sunday so you may want to cautiously sit Hall unless word on his status comes out before the first games. At the very least, it looks as if Hall will only be day-to-day instead of going on IR.
#Oilers GM Steve Tambellini announces Taylor Hall will require surgery on his left shoulder. Hall (labral shoulder surgery) will not return to the #Oilers lineup this season, according to GM Tambellini
However, the Oilers lost forward Taylor Hall 78 seconds into the rambunctious affair to a concussion when he was steamrollered by Calgary’s Cory Sarich as he was looking for a pass and fell to the ice, right into the defenceman’s path.
Tough break for Hall, who continues to play a reckless game on the ice. The Oilers are hoping their prized player doesn't have a concussion. | http://www2.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/538/taylor-hall | 218 |
Free State High tennis coach Oather Strawderman omitted all names when describing his team’s sweep of the Lawrence quad meet Wednesday.
FSHS used a combined effort to beat Shawnee Mission South, 3-1; Lawrence High, 4-0; and Olathe South, 4-0. There were no great individual feats, which is why Strawderman didn’t mention anyone in particular. He called it “Free State tennis.”
“We performed admirably today,” he said. “I don’t think that anybody really stood out. We just had a solid all-around performance.”
Caitlyn Tilden and Guin Toalson reunited as doubles partners this season for the first time since their sophomore year and won all three matches 8-2, 8-2 and 8-3.
This was the first time FSHS played against other schools in its conference.
“We were good last year, and I thought we would have the chance to be pretty good this year,” Strawderman said. “But I was really pleased with how well we performed today.”
FSHS is established one of the top teams in the conference, but Lawrence High is still working its way up, and Wednesday was a step in the that direction.
Coach Chris Marshall said several individuals improved while the Lions won their first singles matches of the season. Natasha Hurt (8-3), Mollie Noller (8-5) and Chloe Clement (8-1) all won singles matches for Lawrence, while the doubles team of Brooke Bramen and Katie Gaches captured the only doubles match of the day.
“I’ve seen improvement and practice starting to carry over in points,” Marshall said.
As a team, LHS beat O-South, 3-1, but lost to SMS and FSHS.
Even though some players were beaten, Marshall didn’t look at the final score to see progress. Clement, for instance, lost to Free State’s Alexis Czapinski 8-0, but it wasn’t the whole story.
“She won a lot more points than what the score showed,” Marshall said. “I think she won two or three points in almost every game, which means each game was competitive.”
Lawrence’s Zoe Schneider said there was still a lingering transition getting on the same page as Marshall in his first month as head coach.
“We’re doing pretty well,” she said. “I think we could obviously still improve.” | http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/sep/08/free-state-sweeps-lhs-tennis-quad/ | 552 |
Do you think Lawrencians should boycott KU football games played in Kansas City?
Asked at Asked on Massachusetts Street on September 22, 2007
“Of course, Lawrence needs the revenue. If the town is going to support the university, they should support the town by keeping the games here.”
“I would prefer that the games be kept in Lawrence, but I’m OK with them being in Kansas City because you get a lot more fans from both sides.”
“I think so. They should keep them here. Besides, I don’t want a bunch of college students driving back drunk or the team to lose their home field advantage.”
“No. I don’t think so. I think if you’re a fan, you should support the team regardless of where they play. It’s not the players’ fault.” | http://www2.ljworld.com/onthestreet/2007/sep/22/ku_football_boycott/ | 191 |
The struggles continued for the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.
Jonas Hiller made 27 saves for his seventh career shutout, rookie defenseman Cam Fowler scored and the Anaheim Ducks beat the reeling Kings 2-0 Monday night at the Honda Center.
Jason Blake scored with 2:24 left and Teemu Selanne had two assists for the Ducks, who have won two straight after a six-game skid. Anaheim shut down the Kings' offense in front of Hiller, who punctuated his first shutout of the season with a sparkling glove save on Anze Kopitar's point-blank chance in the final minutes.
"That's the type of game our hockey club has to play night in and night out," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "It was a good one for us. We had an effort from every member of our group. That is what is important.
"The true display was at the end of the game, when people that were on the ice were sacrificing their bodies to block shots and get into shooting lanes to protect that shutout for Jonas Hiller."
Jonathan Quick stopped 17 shots for the Kings, who have lost seven of eight after a six-game winning streak. Mistakes by Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, the Kings' cornerstone young defensemen, led directly to the Anaheim goals.
Selanne returned from a three-game absence with an injured groin, and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky played through back spasms. Both assisted on Fowler's goal midway through the second period, breaking a scoreless tie.
The Kings have plummeted since a 12-3-0 start put them on top of the overall NHL standings earlier in the season. Los Angeles hasn't won in regulation since giving up six goals in a loss to San Jose on Nov. 15.
"It wasn't the result we wanted," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. "I think it was probably the best 60 minutes we've played through this so-called slump that we're going through. You look at the goals. They got a power-play goal and a goal off a turnover. We had a lot of chances. They had a good goalie tonight and we've got to move on now."
Scoring has been the problem, as Hiller could attest. Although coach Terry Murray has shuffled lines, Los Angeles has just four goals in its last four games.
Anaheim had similar scoring woes during its skid, which ended with six goals against Phoenix last weekend, but the Ducks' biggest problem has been defense, giving up 16 goals in their previous four games.
Hiller's heavy workload and high shot volume have affected his totals, but the Swiss goalie has kept the Ducks in enough games to avoid a major slump.
Hiller made his biggest save with 3:19 to play, cleanly gloving Kopitar's point-blank one-timer in the slot while falling face-first on the ice.
"We didn't play too well the last few games at home, and we wanted to show we could play better," Hiller said. "Everybody played quite well tonight. If we play like that every night, we'll always have a good chance."
Both teams started tentatively. Blake's backhand off the outside of Quick's post in the second period was the closest thing to a goal in the first 32 minutes.
Anaheim finally connected when Doughty took a second tripping penalty just 8 seconds after getting out of the box, giving a second straight power play to the Ducks. After Selanne won the ensuing faceoff, the 18-year-old Fowler teed up a pass from Visnovsky for the second goal of his promising debut season.
After Johnson's failed pinch resulted in a 2-on-1 for Blake and Selanne, Blake punctuated a strong game by scoring his second goal in two games.
"We found a way and didn't back off," Hiller said. "We can be happy with this win and it's something we can build on."
Material from wire services and team media was used in this report. | http://www2.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2010020352 | 840 |
Women's Soccer Match at Rhode Island College Postponed
Springfield, Mass. - September 4, 2012
- The Springfield College women's soccer match scheduled for Tuesday evening at Rhode Island College has been postponed due to unplayable field conditions. A make-up date has yet to be determined.
Springfield has started off the 2012 season with a 2-0 record after wins against Eastern Nazarene and University of New England.
The Pride will next square off at Brandeis on Saturday at 2:00 pm.
Head Coach John Gibson
John Gibson, a native of London, England, enters his 14th season as head women's soccer at Springfield College in the fall of 2013. Gibson has led the Pride to the NCAA Tournament in six of the last eight years and has established the Pride as one of the top programs in the country. His clubs have registered an impressive a 165-75-21 record.
Contact Head John Gibson
| Phone: 413.748.3170 | http://www3.spfldcol.edu/homepage/athletics.nsf/Headline/5EFC5C285E0B6F8F85257A6F0066C572 | 203 |
New Delhi: The homologation process for the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) has completed with the end of a two-day medical inspection by an FIA team.
FIA`s medical expert Jean Charles Piette led a three-member team and checked the mini hospital at the BIC in Greater Noida yesterday apart from visiting the nearby Fortis and Apollo hospitals, with whom the organisers have tied up for the October 30 race.
Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) senior vice President Askari Zaidi said the FIA team has given a green signal to all the medical arrangements.
"Getting these two certificates were important. Earlier Race Director Charlie Whiting cleared the track and now the medical experts of the FIA have also expressed satisfaction at all the medical things. We`ll get both the certificates," Zaidi said.
"There are certain FIA Guidelines according to which well equipped hospitals are required during the race. They saw the arrangements and found them okay."
Zaidi said two helicopters will always be present at the circuit to meet any eventuality.
"There may be an accident and some driver can get injured. FIA is very particular about safety of the drivers and we have told them that helicopters can land at Apollo hospital, in case it`s needed," Zaidi said.
The FIA teams will continue to have a look at the facilities in future as the Media Centre and some other things are yet to be looked into.
Dr Amjad Obeid (CMO - BIC) and Dr Dina Shah (Dy. CMO - BIC) also accompanied Prof. Piette during the inspection.
First Published: Sunday, September 04, 2011, 21:19 | http://zeenews.india.com/sports/motorsports/homologation-completes-for-india-s-f1-track_728905.html | 350 |
New Jersey Nets Fined $50,000 For Jay-Z’s College Visit.
It seems as if the gauntlet has finally come down in the Jay-Z case from visiting the Kentucky basketball players.
The fine stems from the hip-hop mogul’s presence in the Kentucky locker room after the Wildcats clinched a Final Four berth in late March, a move that is prohibited by the league. Word of the fine circulated around the league Friday (April 8), but the team whom was fined was not revealed. ESPN.com has since confirmed that it is the Nets, because Jay violated league rules that prohibit contact with players that still have remaining intercollegiate basketball eligibility. The NBA began investigating the situation after a video surfaced in late March, in which Jay-Z is shown visiting various Kentucky players in their locker room at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, after the Wildcats’ quarterfinal victory over North Carolina. Although, it seemed as though Jay was visiting the players as a fan and many believed it to be harmless, Nets officials were expecting a fine, based on previous, similar violations by other NBA executives who were also fined. In 2007, the Boston Celtics were fined $30,000, because of “excessive contact with the family” after general manager Danny Ainge was spotted sitting next to Kevin Durant’s mother at the Big 12 tournament. Jay-Z has not commented on the incident.
I personally do feel like this was a very honest gesture on Jay-Z’s part, but he should know some things you just can’t do when you’re in his position. | http://107jamz.com/new-jersey-nets-fined-50000-for-jay-zs-college-visit/ | 337 |
In partnership with CBSSports.com
Online Now 3390
On this Board 1906Record: 7394 (2/14/2012)
Online now 3506Record: 18710 (2/25/2012)
We aren't just committed to college football; we're early enrolling in it.
College football scuttlebutt and scoop- powered by Football Rumor Mill
Where the madness isn't just in March.
You have no favorite boards.
It kinda makes me sad a rastliń legend would host this, but some of the ladies look fapable.
247Sports In partnership with CBS Sports | http://247sports.com/Board/30/Redneck-island-with-Stone-Cold-Steve-Austin--13809796/1 | 130 |
It takes more than just practice to become an Olympian. Gold medal performances require some serious nutrition. Have you ever wondered what these elite athletes eat to stay in peak shape?
Keri Glassman, a registered dietitian and founder of Nutritious Life Meals, appeared on “Good Morning America” today to give you a glimpse into the diets of some top athletes. Some of their meals could surprise you.
Crazy Calorie Count
Glassman said Olympians eat a lot of food — quantities that for ordinary people would constitute pigging out. One secret of swimmer Michael Phelps’ astonishing performance in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was consuming as many as 12,000 calories in one day.
Other athletes fuel up on some of the following foods: A pound of pasta drizzled with olive oil (about 800 calories), a dozen eggs (about 840 calories), a pint of Ben & Jerry’s cheesecake brownie ice cream (about 1,000 calories), pizza (about 2,000 calories).
Athletes can eat like this and not gain any weight because their workouts are intense. According to Glassman, Phelps’ workouts can burn 4,000 to 6,000 calories in a day, and those calories must be replenished in order to train the following day.
The body needs carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fluid in order to be properly fueled for exercise. Eating right allows athletes to delay fatigue, work harder — possibly giving them the edge they need to set a personal record — and recover faster, Glassman said.
Some athletes eat wacky foods that they swear improve their performance.
Yohan Blake, the Jamaica sprinter and 100-meter world champion, has been making waves for stealing champion sprinter Usain Bolt’s thunder on the track during the Olympic trials. Asked about how he gets his stamina, Blake answered that he eats 16 bananas per day, Glassman said.
Bananas have about 100 calories each.
Jonathan Horton, the lead gymnast on the U.S. team, has a blood sugar problem. His solution is honey. When he starts to feel shaky at the gym, he takes swigs of honey to boost his energy, Glassman said. According to Horton, the sugar rushes to his blood right away and he feels amazing for the next hour or so, she added.
If you want to try it, use natural honey.
Kerry Walsh, the two-time American Olympic medalist and beach volleyball player, eats lots of almond butter and honey sandwiches throughout the day, especially before she competes, Glassman said.
Almond butter is packed with endurance-boosting nutrients including protein, plus healthy fats. Protein helps prevent muscle wasting during exercise and prevents you from feeling hungry during exercise. The healthy fats in almond butter are rich in calories and provide energy for hours.
You can combine a complex carbohydrate, such as whole wheat toast, with almond butter for an energy-rich snack before exercise.
Foods for Recovery
What are the best foods to help the body recover after rigorous competition?
U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman swears by chocolate milk because of its high carbohydrate and protein content, Glassman said.
For Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, the recovery meal is grilled chicken breasts with Alfredo sauce, whole-grain spaghetti and a salad with lemon juice and olive oil. Lochte, who recently cut out junk food, candy and soda, has undertaken a rigorous strength-training regimen that involves flipping tractor tires, dragging shipyard chains and tossing beer kegs, Glassman said.
Lochte’s recovery meal has all the important macronutrients necessary for recovery.
Other recovery foods Glassman mentioned:
Pickle juice. The salty-yet-savory juice has high doses of all-important sodium, potassium and magnesium. Sodium prevents muscle cramps.
Sweet tart cherries. Pack these in your gym back. The antioxidants in cherry juice may suppress the enzymes that cause inflammation of the body from the stress of exercise.
Beet juice. The blood-red elixir of the beet is apparently the hottest thing for Olympic athletes looking for a legal performance boost, Glassman said. Beet juice is rich in nitrates, which help muscles use oxygen more efficiently. | http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/07/30/they-eat-what-food-secrets-of-olympic-athletes/ | 885 |
The Houston Aeros (10-7-1-2, 23 pts.) visit the Texas Stars (10-7-0-0, 20 pts.) for the second meeting in four days between the clubs. Houston took a 4-2 victory on Sunday at Toyota Center to win for the fourth time in the last five games. The victory pulled the Aeros closer to the West Division lead. The fourth place Aeros are six points off the lead held by San Antonio, who they play host to on Friday. They sit just three points behind second place Oklahoma City and two behind third place Peoria. Points in 10 of the last 12 games (8-2-0-2) have helped the Aeros climb from the cellar of the Division. The Stars have won five of their last 10 outings and hold the No. 6 spot in the West, two points behind Milwaukee (who visits Toyota Center Saturday). All-in-all, the West Division race is already in full swing, with one good or bad stretch of games the difference between battling for a top spot or trying to climb out of the basement.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL GAME NOTES
CLICK HERE FOR AHL STATS
CLICK HERE FOR GAMEDAY AUDIO CLIPS
Nov. 24 at Texas 7:30 p.m. CST
Nov. 26 vs. San Antonio 7:35 p.m. CST
Nov. 27 vs. Milwaukee 7:35 p.m. CST
Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild)
Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)
AEROS AT A GLANCE
RECORD: 10-7-1-2, 23 pts.
STREAK: WON 1
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
POTENT PENALTY KILL --- Houston's penalty kill finished the second 10-game segment of the season 41-for-45 (91.1%) after going 47-for-54 (87.04%) in the first 10.
HEATIN’ UP --- Jon DiSalvatore has four points (2-2-4) in his last three games…Jarod Palmer has five points (2-3-5) including a GWG in his last five games…Petr Kalus has goals in three of his last five…Carson McMillan has four points (1-3-4) in his last five games…Jared Spurgeon has five points (1-4-5) in his last five.
POWER-FULL --- The Houston power play, which was just 3-for-51(5.88%) in the first 10-game segment of the season, finished the second 10-game stretch 13-for-56 (22.2).
NUMBER NUGGETS --- The Aeros have outscored their opponents 20-9 in the opening 20 minutes this season but have been outscored a combined 39-31 in the final two periods…Houston has a .846 winning percentage when scoring first…The Aeros score an average of 2.65 goals per game while allowing 2.55 (5th as of Nov. 23)…Defenseman Max Noreau is among leading defensemen with 51 shots on goal.
SCORE EARLY! --- The Aeros are 7-0-0-2 when leading after 20 minutes and 1-4-0-0 when trailing after the opening period.
SCORE FIRST! --- Houston is 10-1-0-2 when scoring first this season and 0-6-1-0 when allowing the first goal.
FIRST-GOAL STREAK ---The Aeros have scored the first goal in 11 of the last 13 games and have won eight of those contests. The Aeros scored the first goal in seven straight games (Oct. 29-Nov. 8) and were 4-1-0-2 in that span.
SHOOTIN' --- The Aeros are 8-2-0-2 when being outshot and 2-4-1-0 when outshooting their opponents. The Nov. 14 win at PEO was the first time this season the Aeros out shot an opponent and won.
TURNSTILE TIDBIT --- The crowd of 8,587 at the Nov. 21 game was the largest so far this season. The previous high was 8,477 on Nov. 5. The Aeros have averaged 5,766 through eight home games.
SCHEDULE NOTES --- Sunday’s game ended a run of four games in five days (3-1-0-0)…The team plays seven games in 11 days from Nov.17-27… The Aeros just completed their longest stretch between home games of the season, a total of 12 days (Nov. 5 vs. TOR-Nov. 17 vs. CHI)....A total of 18 of Houston’s final 27 games in the calendar year of 2010 are away from Toyota Center; The longest home-stand remaining in 2010 is four games from Nov. 26-Dec. 3.
MOVIN' ON UP --- The Aeros have already had nine callups up to Minnesota (Gillies, Wellman, Kassian-2x, Almond-2x, Scandella, Earl, Falk).
RECENT ROSTER MOVES --- D Justin Falk and F Matt Kassian were recalled by Minnesota on Nov. 24…D Marco Scandella was reassigned by Minnesota on Nov. 21...G Michael Ouzas was released from his PTO on Nov. 21...G Michael Ouzas was signed to a PTO on Nov. 19…D Justin Falk was reassigned to Houston from Minnesota on Nov. 18…D Bryce Lampman was signed to a PTO on Nov. 16…LW Robbie Earl was recalled by Minnesota on Nov. 13…
LAST GAME QUICK RECAP
Jarod Palmer scored the deciding goal with 1:39 left in regulation and added an assist, Anton Khudobin made 31 saves and Warren Peters collected a goal and a helper as the Houston Aeros upended the Texas Stars 4-2 Sunday at Toyota Center in front of 8,587 fans. Khudobin, who is 5-1-1 in his last seven outings, made 13 saves in the third period. | http://aeros.com/news/news/index.html?article_id=2750 | 1,299 |
22 ratings (4.091 average)
What's new in this version (1.8):
*Fixed an issue that would cause only the current month's games to show up on the 'Recent Scores' page. The last 10 games are now shown.
*Changed the order of the recent games to show the most recent game at the top of the list, instead of the bottom.
This is a companion app for the NHL team Philadelphia Flyers. Follow the latest news, scores, and standings or purchase tickets to the next game all from one convenient app!
The app provides all of the latest Philadelphia Flyers information in an easy-to-use "swipe"-style interface.
*Recent Team News
To share schedule or news items, simply "long press" on a game or news article.
This app is not endorsed, affiliated with, or licensed by the NHL. NHL, the NHL logo, NHL teams and their logos are all trademarks of the NHL (www.nhl.com) | http://androlicious.com/details/com.arcane.nhl_companion_flyers | 207 |
Craig MacTavish is returning to the Edmonton Oilers as the senior vice president of hockey operations.
MacTavish, will be working alongside President Kevin Lowe and General Manager Steve Tambellini.
MacTavish was the Edmonton Oilers Head Coach from 2000-2009, leading them to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
As a player, MacTavish played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1985-1994 where he won three Stanley Cups, and was team captain from 1992-1994. He went on to play for the New York Rangers in 1994 where he won another Stanley Cup.
Last season, MacTavish was the Head Coach of the Chicago Wolves, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, where he posted an overall record of 42-27-7. | http://anysportanytime.ca/tag/chicago-wolves/ | 171 |
Well, maybe not.
Braves GM Frank Wren tells SiriusXM radio the team has not closed the door on re-signing Bourn. If the Braves bring back Bourn, it would be a "toss up" as to who would play center field and who would move to left field, Wren said.
Bourn, who turned 30 on Dec. 27, batted .274/.348/.391 as the Braves’ leadoff hitter last season. Agent Scott Boras is seeking an expensive multiyear deal for Bourn, and so far he has found no takers as teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants have gone with cheaper outfield options.
In late November, the Braves signed Upton to a five-year deal worth a reported $75.25 million. Upton, 28, hit .246 with 28 homers, 78 RBIs and 31 stolen bases for the Tampa Bay Rays last season.
Upton, nearly two years younger than Bourn, has much more power, almost as much speed and is considered at least as good defensively because of a stronger arm. Bourn owns a considerably better career batting average (.272 to .255) and a slim edge in OBP (.339 to .336) but those are offset by Upton’s superior slugging percentage (.422 to .365).
If the Braves do re-sign Bourn, they could have one of baseball's best outfields with Bourn and Upton joining rightfielder Jason Heyward. | http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2013-01-06/michael-bourn-free-agency-2013-braves-bj-upton?modid=recommended_5_5 | 307 |
As we launch the opening weekend of the 2012-13 college basketball season, we present a different sort of Starting Five.
It's a fast-break look at some of the pivotal figures and issues that will define what occurs between now and April 8, presented in a format that utilizes the sport's defining number.
Five players to watch
1. Quinn Cook, Duke. There are better players out there, but perhaps none more significant. Obviously, we know Indiana’s Cody Zeller will be very good but it’s the mystery surrounding Cook’s potential to direct the Blue Devils attack that makes him such a focal point. If he merely is average, the Blue Devils again will have to bluff their way through at this crucial position. They did it well enough a year ago to earn a No. 2 seed, but they also had a top-10 draft pick, Austin Rivers, who could penetrate and create. If Cook is good or better, the Blue Devils have a chance to challenge for Mike Krzyzewski’s 12th Final Four—which would tie John Wooden.
2. Christian Watford, Indiana. Watford is an impressive offensive player, a 6-9 power forward who hit 52 3-pointers last season and shot 43.7 percent from that distance. That ability helps keep defenders from clogging the lane against Zeller. But Watford grabbed only 1.2 offensive rebounds per game, which can’t be blamed entirely on being positioned away from the goal. Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas, who is 2 inches shorter and just as perimeter-based, got more than twice as many offensive boards. Watford needs that same hunger for the ball.
3. Larry Drew II, UCLA. Coach Ben Howland sees Drew in practice every day. The rest of us just have our memory banks and his career stats. And Howland has far more at stake than anyone, given the Bruins’ absence from the NCAA Tournament the past two years. It seems astounding that Howland, in such a circumstance, would trust a player who had a 32-22 record as a point guard at North Carolina—with players who went 49-9 after he was benched. Howland is convinced having Drew and versatile freshman Kyle Anderson in the lineup together gives him two great passers.
4. Dez Wells, Maryland. Wells was expelled by Xavier in August but since has been absolved by two pretty tough arbiters—the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office and the NCAA, which this week cleared him for immediate eligibility with the Terps. Wells is talented enough to be a difference-maker, although he must shoot better to completely disarm ACC defenses, and being in a more competitive league means he must accelerate that development.
5. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville. Working to re-establish himself after his freshman season was ruined by injury, Blackshear did not excel in either of Louisville’s exhibition games. He scored nine against Pikeville and five against Bellarmine. But who out there believes the Cardinals are winning a national championship with Russ Smith and Luke Hancock as their starting wings? Smith can be a dynamic change-of-pace player, and Hancock was steady and reliable at George Mason. Blackshear has the talent to be a first-rate Big East shooting guard, but he still is in the developmental stage.
Five coaches to watch
1. John Beilein, Michigan. He has been a head coach his entire career, from high school to community college to Division II to low major and eventually to big-time programs at West Virginia and Michigan. It’s possible if you add up all the legit NBA prospects he coached in all that time it would not equal the number on this particular Michigan roster. This is a different sort of chemistry for Beilein to manage as he approaches his 60th birthday. That’s particularly true with junior Tim Hardaway Jr., who can be prone to curious shot selection and periods of inattention. It’s important that such a veteran player remain focused and positive. The players on this team are mostly low-maintenance. If all are moving toward the same goal, the Wolverines will be a championship contender.
2. Josh Pastner, Memphis. There probably is more pressure on Pastner than is reasonable for a 35-year-old head coach, but it goes with being head coach of the Tigers and with putting together a roster loaded with lauded recruits. Pastner has made some mistakes as a manager: Hiring locked-out NBA player Luke Walton as an assistant last summer was indefensible, and he still could use someone on his bench that the players fear. But just as players need time to grow from their freshman seasons, so too does a coach need the chance to learn from experience.
3. Mark Gottfried, N.C. State. Getting fired by his alma mater, Alabama, helped Gottfried learn many of the lessons Pastner still is attempting to master. There is no doubt it has made Gottfried a better head coach because he understands the value of having the wisdom of a veteran like Bobby Lutz on his bench. Gottfried also is doing better at managing player egos and expectations. But how will he guide the Pack through a season filled with so much promise?
4. Johnny Dawkins, Stanford. There were some—OK, it was me—who thought Stanford made a foolish maneuver by essentially daring Trent Johnson to leave and hiring Dawkins in his place. Dawkins had avoided most off-campus recruiting while at Duke, and it seemed a stretch to expect him, with so little experience, to attract high-level Pac-12 players. Dawkins has done well—getting such talents as guards Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright—though he still hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament. This season should change that. Should.
5. Cuonzo Martin, Tennessee. This is another coach who has constructed a reputation as a solid program builder without seeing the inside of the NCAA Tournament. Martin did an excellent job at Missouri State without having much luck in the Valley Tournament, and his hustle and drive through difficult circumstances in his first Tennessee season were hard to miss. With an inside game featuring Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon, though, merely playing hard will be less of a thrill.
Can't wait to see
1. The new Pauley Pavilion.
2. Kentucky at Louisville, Dec. 29, 4 p.m. ET. My goodness.
3. Kansas welcomed to Morgantown, WVa., with the blast of a musket.
4. The completed 2013 NCAA Tournament bracket. If only the football folks understood its true beauty.
5. I-75. The NCAA’s placement of tournament sub-regionals in Lexington, Ky., and Dayton, Ohio, means easily covering the opening weekend in full—only 132 miles from Rupp to UD Arena.
Don't want to see
1. Another debate about “one-and-done.” This is the seventh season. Enough, already.
2. Finals week. Hated it as a student, almost as much now that it dulls the college hoops schedule.
3. Fast-break mismanagement. Make the defender commit, then pass. It’s not that hard.
4. A torn ACL. For anybody.
5. Arne Duncan’s annual diatribe about NCAA basketball grad rates. Check the numbers, Mr. Secretary. They’re quite good.
Five key issues
1. Shabazz. Now that the NCAA has ruled UCLA freshman wing Shabazz Muhammad ineligible (he was ranked just below Kentucky center Nerlens Noel on the recruiting lists but was expected to make a louder impact as a freshman), his status will remain a huge issue. UCLA’s season hinges on how much, if at all, Muhammad is permitted to play. UCLA is planning on appealing the NCAA's decision.
2. The charge/block call. NCAA officials coordinator John Adams told Sporting News months ago that officials would be instructed to alter their stance that essentially made charging the default call in close situations. The NCAA considers the wanton awarding of charging calls to be a player safety issue as well as a hindrance to the offensive game. It’s hard to break the habits of established officials, though.
3. Transfers. Transfers will play critical roles at Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, Pitt ... goodness, just about everywhere. The volume of transfers is not the problem the NCAA and coaches make it out to be, however. The number of transfer waivers issued is, especially given that neither side is compelled to share with the public what is behind the granting of the waiver. Why did center Omar Oraby get cleared to play at Southern Cal after transferring from Rice? There might be a good reason, but those who follow the game closely—and, more to the point, USC’s opponents—aren’t aware.
4. Instant replay. The Big Ten will experiment with a different method of checking to see whether a basket was worth two or three points, waiting until a media timeout or called timeout rather than stopping the game to check a courtside monitor. (In the final minutes of a game or half, the review will occur at the next clock stoppage.) Games need to move more briskly, and this can help.
5. Seedings. Last year’s NCAA selection committee, chaired by former UConn athletics director Jeff Hathaway, showed a strong preference for brand-name conferences. For instance, it handed a No. 7 seed to Notre Dame, which earned 16 of its 22 victories at home and was 6-10 away from the Joyce Center, while shoving 28-5 Creighton into a No. 8 vs. No. 9 game. The chair this time around is Xavier’s Mike Bobinski. Might he have a greater empathy for others from outside the BCS protectorate? | http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2012-11-09/college-basketball-2012-season-rankings-predictions-indiana-hoosiers-cody-zeller?modid=recommended_1_3 | 2,055 |
Tommy Rees, Notre Dame's backup quarterback/closer, will start today against BYU in place of Everett Golson, sources told the Chicago Tribune.
Golson suffered a concussion in last week’s win over Stanford and came out of the game as a result of it. That gave Rees a chance to direct the game-tying drive at the end of regulation, then what turned out to be the game-winning TD in OT after the Fighting Irish’s defense held up on a goal-line stand afterward.
PHOTOS: Best action shots from Week 8
This will be Rees’ fourth time seeing action this year. He took most of the snaps this week because Golson was limited in workouts. Kelly termed his QB situation a game-time decision Thursday, but apparently has opted for his ‘closer.’
BYU (4-3) is coming off a loss to Oregon State. | http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-10-20/tommy-rees-notre-dame-starting-qb-byu-everett-golson-concussion-out?modid=recommended_4_5 | 192 |
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.—C.J. Spiller has comfortably shed the "bust" label.
He's working on achieving a new one—superstar.
Spiller, the Buffalo Bills' third-year running back, has flashed immense potential this season, but there's a sense he's just scratching the surface.
"He's a dynamic player, to say the least," Bills coach Chan Gailey said.
"He's shown us what he can do time and time again," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "I think we're all excited when he's out there."
Despite those glowing remarks, it was only two weeks ago that Spiller supplanted Fred Jackson as the team's starting running back. Spiller has gotten 15 or more carries in just two games this season, despite leading all running backs with a 6.6 yards per carry average.
"If he needs to run it 20 to 25 times a game for us to win, or 30 times a game for us to win, that's what we'll do. We're not afraid to do that," Gailey said. "We don't think he's a fragile player or anything like that. We think he's a strong player that can carry it as many times as we need to carry it to win."
Both for the rest of this season and next year, Gailey needs to back up his words with actions. Even the Bills' opponents would agree.
"Every game, opponents are coming up to me talking about the guy. That's something that doesn't really happen that much, just in terms of how electric he is," Fitzpatrick said. "I think the biggest thing with C.J. is his confidence. He's always had the athletic ability and the talent. It's just his confidence is at another level right now."
Spiller's emergence actually began at the end of the 2011 season. After gaining just 398 rushing yards in the first 24 games of his professional career, Spiller was staring at the "bust" label. But when Jackson went down to injury, Spiller ended last year with 446 yards over the final six games as the featured back.
"It was huge because I gained a lot of playing experience. That's the main thing in this league, just getting out there playing. A lot of people questioned if I had lost confidence because I wasn't playing (early in my career). I never let my confidence get down," he said. "I know things happened, things that I can't control. I always had the confidence, it was just all about getting out there and having the opportunity. Once I did, I just tried to take advantage of it."
With four games left this year, Spiller has 907 yards rushing on 137 carries. Barring injury, he should easily attain his first 1,000-yard season.
"If I'm able to get to 1,000 yards this year, it'll be great for not only me, but our offensive line. That speaks volumes to how those guys are blocking up front," Spiller said. "But at the end of the day, they're going to question, can he repeat? Can he do it again? It's always something that you try to use to motivate you."
Spiller several times this season has referenced his critics, ignoring the fact there aren't any left. The only thing that could be standing in Spiller's way is his coach's insistence on spreading out the work load.
"People are going to question, was it a fluke season? There's always going to be something that people will try to question," he said. "I'm going to continue to work hard in the offseason like I always do and just try to continue to stack great season after great season."
A 1,000-yard season will no longer be the goal for Spiller in 2013. He's got the type of talent that makes talk of doubling that number seem reachable.
Spiller smiles wide when asked about that possibility.
"You definitely want to set the bar higher for yourself," he said. "I was always told you set it high, because you don't want to limit yourself. If I'm fortunate enough to get that in my career, it'd be awesome." | http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-12-06/cj-spiller-fantasy-nfl-stats-bills-rb-running-back-starter-carries?modid=recommended_2_5 | 878 |
ST. LOUIS — Jonathan Toews talked about his line getting some "lucky bounces" after he scored two goals in the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, his team's 20th consecutive game without a regulation loss to open the season.
Toews was serious — his nickname is Captain Serious for a reason — but it was hard not to laugh at the notion that the Blackhawks moved to 17-0-3 because they were lucky rather than good.
With a victory Friday, the Blackhawks' streak reached 21 games. They put that on the line Sunday with a visit to the Detroit Red Wings.
Sure, Toews' goals came off a pair of favorable hops. The 24-year-old opened the scoring 12 seconds into the game when Brandon Saad's feed to the front of the net deflected in off his skate, but all five Chicago players on the ice touched the puck on a clinical display of passing and smooth skating off the opening faceoff. The other goal Toews scored, in the third period, was a result of him smartly going to the net, then smashing home a loose puck when Jaroslav Halak proved unable to grasp Nick Leddy's drive from the left side.
Toews has nine goals in 20 games, which would be a 37-goal pace in an 82-game season. His career high is 34, in 2008-09. The team he captains is on a seven-game winning streak. And he still sounds annoyed with how things are going.
"If that's the way I've got to score, then so be it," Toews said. "It's been a tough couple of weeks, just trying to get some confidence and see some results for the chances that my linemates and I have been generating. It doesn't always go the way you want it to, but to get some lucky bounces like we did tonight as a line is a huge thing for us. We're doing the right things, we're creating chances, and at some point they've got to go in."
This season, 10.2 percent of the Blackhawks' shots on goal have gone in, a high rate but not an unsustainable one. Toews himself is at 16.4 percent after going 2-for-5 on Thursday. Chicago has picked up 92.5 percent of the available points from its games this season. You just get the feeling that he would not be happy unless all three rates were 100 percent.
That is never going to happen, of course, but the thing about being a perfectionist is that such impossibilities do not matter. Because of that, the Blackhawks could not ask for a better leader to ensure that they do not get caught up in the hype of their streak. And when Toews talks about luck, well, there's the old saying that you make your own, and the Blackhawks did that once again on Thursday as they blanked a Blues team that played without injured forwards Andy McDonald, Alex Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko.
"I think our whole performance was OK, but that's not good enough to beat a team like Chicago," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "That's probably the best way to describe it. We just made too many mistakes in critical areas, offensively and defensively, to be effective."
The defensive errors included letting Toews get to the front of the net early, and leaving Andrew Shaw open in the slot to convert a feed from Viktor Stalberg early in the second period. Offensively, the Blues' best chances came on a power play in the second period, when Ray Emery — who entered the game for an injured Corey Crawford after one period — made point-blank saves on Chris Stewart and Patrik Berglund. The one time the Blues managed to get Emery out of position, Brent Seabrook preserved what was still a 1-0 lead for Chicago by breaking up Scott Nichol's try for a wraparound.
Those — and a Kris Russell point blast off the post — were the best opportunities the Blues had in a game in which the Blackhawks, even though they led for all but the first 12 seconds, owned just a 23-21 advantage in shots on goal and a 40-39 edge in shot attempts, and had 21 faceoffs in the offensive zone compared to 19 for their opponents.
Lucky? No. The Blackhawks are good. They don't even have a superstition to give credit for the streak.
"I wish there was, then we could just keep doing it," Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp said. "It's a cool streak that we're on, and we're certainly proud that it's something we can share with our fans and the organization. But right now, the message from the coaches and the leadership group is just to keep getting better. Obviously, you want to win every game, but the idea is to improve as the season goes on, because the toughest hockey is yet to come." | http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2013-03-01/blackhawks-vs-blues-result-score-point-streak-20-games-jonathan-toews?modid=recommended_1_5 | 1,020 |
Cardinals vs. Packers: The matchup
CARDINALS VS PACKERS
|Points per game||15.9||26.0|
|Passing yards per game||210.9||254.5|
|Rushing yards per game||79.0||90.1|
|Total yards per game||289.9||344.6|
|Passing yards per game against||192.9||238.3|
|Rushing yards per game against||119.9||103.9|
|Total yards per game against||312.8||342.1|
When Cardinals have the ball:
The ball doesn't usually end up in the end zone.
Well, lately that is.
Until this season, the Cardinals hadn't scored three points or less in a game since Nov. 2004.
In two of their last four games -- all losses -- the Redbirds have managed to score just three points.
It's easy to point to the recent uninspiring play of John Skelton, a porous offensive line or the lack of depth the Cardinals currently have in their run game, as reasons for the recent run of futility. All of the above have been major issues, but undoubtedly its been a collective struggle -- one that won't necessarily be fixed overnight or with a trip to Green Bay this weekend.
Look, the Packers' defense by no means even resembles the unit the Cardinals went up against Monday night against the 49ers.
With that said, St. Louis, Buffalo and Minnesota weren't exactly world beaters in their own right. And all three managed to stifle Arizona's best laid plans on offense.
While Green Bay's defense is anchored by linebackers A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews, Skelton and Co.'s biggest issue Sunday might be against the Packers' opportunistic secondary.
It's no secret Arizona's only legitimate weapon on offensive is All-Pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald. And yet he has struggled to get the ball the past two weeks, catching just nine passes for 81 yards. Now, a lot of that can be attributed to poor pass protection, but that won't be the case against the Packers. Even without veteran Charles Woodson this weekend, Green Bay features two talented cornerbacks in Tramon Williams (41 tackles and 2 INT) and rookie Casey Hayward (25 tackles and 4 INT).
If Fitzgerald or Andre Roberts (36 catches for 454 yards) fail to create separation against the Pack, look for tight end Rob Housler to be Skelton's main target Sunday. Housler comes into Week 9 with 11 catches for 98 yards over his last three games.
LaRod Stephens-Howling is coming off his roughest appearance of the season. Though limited to just eight rushes, Stephens-Howling amassed a grand total of six yards. He was, however, effective in the Cardinals' passing game against San Francisco, catching three passes for 32 yards.
If recent history is any indication, he may have even more success against the Packers. In their 24-15 win over the Jaguars, Green Bay gave up 12 catches for 172 yards to Jacksonville's backfield duo of Cecil Shorts III and Rashad Jennings.
In the end, the Cardinals can game plan all they want in an effort to find ways to exploit an average Packers' defense, it won't matter if the offensive line doesn't continue to show signs of improvement.
During Monday's 24-3 loss to the 49ers, the offensive line gave up just four sacks. Four is still an awful lot, but it's a sign of improvement.
In a game where offense will be paramount, the Cardinals will need a near flawless effort from their front five. Against an NFC favorite on the road, well, that may be too tough a task to ask for at this point.
When the Packers have the ball:
The Packers offense starts and ends with No. 12.
Aaron Rodgers, the league's MVP, might not have the same awe-inspiring numbers he did at this point last season, but he's pretty darn close.
Across almost every major statistical category -- quarterback rating, yards passing, touchdowns, completion percentage -- Rodgers is ranked in the Top 5.
The Packers have had their fair share of injuries this season, with wide receivers Greg Jennings (collarbone), Jordy Nelson (hamstring) and Donald Driver (groin) all missing time.
Through the first five weeks of the season, the offense struggled without some of the team's reliable big-play threats.
But of late, Rodgers has righted the ship, throwing for 866 yards and 11 touchdowns during the Packers' current three-game win streak.
With the absence of Driver and Jennings this season, Rodgers has relied more heavily on James Jones and second-year wideout Randall Cobb.
In 2012, Jones has 36 catches and a team-high seven touchdowns. While Cobb leads the team with 42 receptions to go along with four touchdown catches.
The run game hasn't run as smoothly, however. The Packers haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Ryan Grant achieved the feat for the second consecutive year back in 2009.
From the looks of it, they'll have to wait another year for the next one at Lambeau Field. Free agent running back Cedric Benson proved to be an admirable fill-in in the backfield until going down in a Week 5 loss to the Colts. The team's third round draft pick from 2011, Alex Green, has picked up the slack in Benson's absence. But let's be honest, Green Bay hasn't been winning games with their run game for years and 2012 is no different.
The Cardinals just allowed a season-high 24 points to San Francisco and made Alex Smith -- 18-for-19 with 232 yards passing -- look a lot like a fellow member of his 2005 draft class, Rodgers.
Arizona will actually be up against Rodgers on Sunday, and don't be surprised if one of the league's most efficient passers looks to have a field day.
With plenty of weapons at his disposal, even if the likes of Nelson and tight end Jermichael Finley are unable to suit up, Rodgers will likely light up at the site of the Redbirds.
After all, back in 2009, he threw for 423 yards and four touchdowns in a Wild Card loss to Arizona. Different defense? Sure. Same result? Probably.
If there is one concern for the Pack it's been in pass protection. While the Cardinals will have no sympathy for anyone else's offensive line woes, Green Bay is second to Arizona in sacks allowed with 28.
- Karlos Dansby, Cardinals linebacker - Friday May 10Dansby tells Doug & Wolf how excited he is to be back and how he plans to contribute
- Calais Campbell, AZ Cardinals defensive end - Monday May 6Big #93 talks to the guys about the new coaching staff and becoming more of a leader
- Calais Campbell, Cardinals DE - Friday May 3Campbell talks about his inaugural charity golf tournament debuting this weekend. Also, he gives his
- Andre Ellington, Cardinals RB - Thursday May 2Arizona's 6th round pick joins the show to reminisce on his college career and talk about what he br
- Earl Watford, Cardinals 4th Round Selection - Wednesday May 1Earl Watford talked to Doug & Wolf about his strengths and being drafted out of a small school. | http://arizonasports.com/40/1586171/Cardinals-vs-Packers-The-matchup?nid=31 | 1,529 |
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
CHICAGO (AP) Matt Garza is set to come off the disabled list and make his first start of the season for the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday against Pittsburgh.
Right-hander Carlos Villanueva is heading to the Chicago bullpen.
Garza hasn't pitched in the majors this season after suffering a strained back muscle in spring training. In his fourth rehab start, the right-hander pitched six shutout innings for Triple-A Iowa and struck out six. | http://arizonasports.stats.com/mlb/front.asp | 107 |
Teammate Dan Hampton added: "You see a lot of players who are jaded on the job. Yet here's one of the greatest of all time and he's still trying to be the best tailback on the 10th-grade team."
In his best games, Payton merely hoisted the Bears on his shoulder pads and carried them as far as he could. In a 7-0 struggle against the Buffalo Bills, he provided the air attack as well as the ground game by sailing so high over the Bills' defensive line for the game's only touchdown that Buffalo nose tackle Fred Smerlas said: "He was like a fly. I was halfway standing up and he still leaped over my head."
"Some of the things I do I amaze myself," Payton once said. "I don't realize I do them until I see the film."
Against the Minnesota Vikings in 1977, he set the NFL single-game record of 275 yards, punishing a team that prided itself on defense and knew it had only one person to stop. The Bears managed to eke out a 10-7 victory, embarrassing offensive coordinator Sid Gillman. Gillman couldn't figure out how a team with a runner who gained 275 yards could generate only 10 points.
Against the Packers in Green Bay in 1985, Payton rescued a sorry display of cheap shots and fights by running for 192 yards in 28 carries, including the winning touchdown on a 27-yard run. The close 16-10 call kept the Bears undefeated.
"I thought Payton's exhibition was maybe as good as I've ever seen a guy with a football under his arm play," Ditka said.
Former Bears personnel chief Bill Tobin, who had an easy time scouting Payton at Jackson State, said: "I don't even consider him a rare breed. I just consider him a total, special, special individual. He's a complete phenomenon, in my opinion, and the best player I've ever, ever seen or hope to ever see."
By the 1985 season, some considered Payton an afterthought on a team so devastating on defense and so full of characters that he appeared to be along for the joyride in his 11th season. Not so. He was still the main man, as his 1,551 yards demonstrated. His failure to score a touchdown in the team's splendid 46-10 rout of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX still haunts Ditka, who forgot about him, and quarterback Jim McMahon, who blames himself for not changing Ditka's plays.
Payton was portrayed as a selfish pouter after that game. Although consistently moody and unpredictable, Payton claimed he was not so upset about the failure to score as he was about the anticlimactic Super Bowl experience. It wouldn't have been the winning touchdown anyway.
"I was expecting the Super Bowl to be the greatest game I ever played, but on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 2. If it had been 14-12, maybe it would have meant more," Payton said later.
"Here's a guy who had the most heart I've ever seen in a football player," McMahon said. "He wanted to do whatever it would take for the team to win. He was the greatest, and he didn't act like it."
Opponents joined teammates in praising Payton.
"To give you an idea of what the rest of the league thinks about Payton, in our film sessions, our defense actually applauded when they saw Payton make some of his runs," said Bud Grant, the former Minnesota Vikings coach.
Said Jim Brown: "I'm a very, very critical individual and I'm only impressed by what I think is greatness. And I saw Walter run two plays and he was the most impressive back that I've seen come into the league in a long time."
Gale Sayers loved what he called Payton's "continuation of the first effort. Some people call it second effort, some call it third effort. If Walter gets hit, people might tend to relax on him. He'll keep driving; he's always trying to squirm out of things."
Payton once said he would like to be remembered along the lines of former Cincinnati Reds star Pete Rose.
"Charlie Hustle," Payton said. "Somebody who stands for hard work and total effort. I want to do everything perfectly on the field--pass blocking, running a dummy route, carrying out a fake, all of it."
Off the field, Payton lived a fast, frenetic and elusive life similar to the one he lived on the field. It was not exemplary in all ways, as anyone who ever rode with him in a car can attest. He once was arrested for doing 94 m.p.h. in a 35 zone in Lake Forest and was later unable to turn his lead foot into a long or successful career as a race driver. Payton listed as hobbies "drums and privacy," an unusual combination of pastimes.
Wife Connie once told writer Jeannie Morris: "He never tells me anything. I almost have to pry everything out of him and I don't think he really likes that, but that's the only way. . . . I don't think a man should keep so much inside. He keeps everything inside and I don't think even Walter's that strong of a person." | http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-11-02/news/9911030150_1_liver-disease-jarrett-payton-chicago-fans/3 | 1,100 |
DENVER — For a change it didn't matter that Chicago Cubs pitchers walked 10, a statistic that typically leads to another nightmarish loss.
Ryan Theriot's clutch hit in the eighth inning led the Cubs to an 8-7 victory over Colorado, halting a four-game losing streak before 35,408 at Coors Field. Theriot's pinch bases-loaded double off reliever Manuel Corpas brought home three runs to erase a 7-5 deficit that helped avoid a three-game sweep.
The comeback helped ease the pain for starter Carlos Marmol, who blew a4-1 lead in the thirds by serving up a grand slam to Garrett Atkins in the bottom of the inning. Marmol allowed six runs in five innings and walked eight, three of whom scored. Roberto Novoa walked two more, giving the Cubs 10 overall.
The last Cubs pitcher to walk eight in one game was Kerry Wood, who did it in only 1 1 / 3 innings on Sept. 22, 2000, against St. Louis. The franchise record is 11 by Larry Cheney against the Boston Braves on Sept. 29, 1914.
After Theriot's hit put the Cubs ahead, Bob Howry pitched a perfect eighth, and Ryan Dempster closed it out in the ninth, stranding the tying run on second by striking out Brad Hawpe. | http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-08-14/news/0608140216_1_ryan-theriot-carlos-marmol-kerry-wood | 271 |
BAINBRIDGE, Ind. (AP) Â? A teacher and assistant cheerleading coach has been suspended for a semester after North Putnam schools officials said she sent e-mail messages containing adult humor from her school-issued computer.
Jennifer Porter, who has worked at Bainbridge Elementary for 13 years and was the assistant varsity cheerleading coach at North Putnam High School, will be suspended from teaching without pay or benefits for the first semester of the 2007-08 school year. She will be denied access to a computer in her classroom for two semesters and cannot coach extracurricular activities for five years.
Porter's attorney said his client accepted the board's decision.
The school board released a findings of fact document at the end of its special meeting Thursday that alleged Porter violated school policy by sending e-mails containing adult humor during scheduled work hours while students were under her supervision. Porter is also accused of making or receiving personal telephone calls during work hours at the school in Bainbridge, 35 miles west of Indianapolis.
Porter denied making personal calls during work, according to the document, but admitted sending e-mails from her computer that were not consistent with the goals of the school corporation.
Parents of students in Porter's class had pleaded with officials and signed a petition urging them to reinstate Porter, who had no prior disciplinary problems. After the school board made its decision Thursday, members of Porter's cheerleading squad sobbed and embraced Porter, who was also crying.
Porter does not have a phone number listed in Bainbridge to obtain comment. | http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2007-06-01/news/26793005_1_mails-cheerleading-coach-school-board | 322 |
MIAMI — Duriel Harris was back in the chair that is named after him in Don Shula`s office, sitting across from the Miami Dolphins coach.
In the past, that meant Harris was in some kind of trouble. But Tuesday morning the atmosphere was cordial, the chair comfortable.
``We discussed the problems I had in the past. We talked openly, not like a coach talking to a player, but like two guys who know each other having a conversation,`` said Harris, 30, the former Dolphins receiver who was signed by the team Tuesday. ``He was willing to give me an opportunity to play again, and I was willing to accept that opportunity.``
To make room for Harris on the roster, the Dolphins waived wide receiver Frank Lockett, the former USFL player whose only playing time has been on the special teams. Miami also cut two players who were on injured reserve -- quarterback Bryan Clark and linebacker Daryl Hunt.
The Dolphins needed immediate help at wide receiver because of injuries to Mark Duper and Nat Moore, and Harris seemed the ideal man to fill the void despite his numerous run-ins with Shula during his eight years in Miami.
``This looks like the best way to strengthen us,`` Shula said. ``We worked Duriel out and he ran very well and he`s got a lot of experience in our system. With the injury situation, we needed someone who could come in here and get ready to go right away.
``With Duper out (with a broken leg) and Nat`s status (sprained ankle) uncertain, Mark Clayton and Vince Heflin were our only two experienced wide receivers.``
Harris, whose frequent visits to Shula`s office in the past prompted his teammates to dub one of the chairs in the office ``Duriel`s Chair,`` was traded to Cleveland last year for a fourth-round draft pick. The road back to Miami has been a bumpy one.
Despite leading the Browns in receptions (32 catches for 512 yards), Harris was waived when Marty Schottenheimer replaced Sam Rutigliano as coach after 11 games last season.
Harris was picked up on waivers by the Dallas Cowboys and caught one pass for 9 yards. He played well in preseason but did not survive the final cut.
``I`ve had the worst luck the last 14 months,`` Harris said. ``With Cleveland, I really didn`t want to go there in the first place. But I settled in and was leading the team in receptions when the coaching change was made. I still don`t know why I was cut. What about the four receivers who were behind me?
``I liked it in Dallas. Unfortunately, they decided not to go with me. I was devastated when I was cut by the Cowboys. Here I was, a 30-year-old bum looking for a job.``
Harris, the second-leading receiver in Dolphins history with 266 receptions for 4,510 yards, is returning to Miami with a fresh outlook.
``The problems I had here before are things that happen. I look at them as part of life. I`ve made mistakes, but I`ve tried to learn from them,`` he said. ``I think people who really know me understand me.
``When bad things happen, you have to be man enough to realize that they`re part of life. Things happen; time passes. I`m thankful to have this opportunity to come back.``
Harris said he can help the Dolphins.
``Most definitely, I can still play. The Dolphins must feel the same way, or I wouldn`t be here,`` he said. ``It`s great to be here. This is a great football team. Nothing but good things happen here.``
The best thing to happen to Harris so far was returning to Shula`s office, a place where he does not expect to spend much time.
`` `Duriel`s Chair` . . . it looks like it`s in good shape,`` Harris said. ``I was happy to see it again. But I don`t plan on seeing too much of it. I`m ready to get my football career back on track.
``When I was here before I took a lot of things for granted. Now that I`ve been away, I realize how good I had it playing for a great team like the Dolphins.``
NOTES: Lockett handled the news of his release well.
``I felt that something was going to come down soon,`` Lockett said. ``They were looking for an experienced wide receiver. I did well at receiver in the preseason, but I really didn`t get a chance to play the position in the regular season.``
Lockett`s value was as a punt returner and special teams player. He returned two punts to the wrong side Sunday in the Dolphins` 31-0 victory over the Chiefs. He was replaced by defensive back Mike Kozlowski in the second half.
Wide receiver Nat Moore experienced some swelling in his sprained right ankle and sat out practice. He probably will not practice this week. His status for Sunday`s game in Denver is uncertain. . . Guard Jeff Toews was excused from practice because of a death in the family. He will rejoin the team today. | http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-09-25/sports/8502100357_1_duriel-harris-receiver-miami-dolphins | 1,099 |
|East Mississippi softball doubleheader rained out at Mississippi Gulf Coast|
PERKINSTON – In their 2012 softball road debut, the East Mississippi Community College Lady Lions were rained out Friday afternoon at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC.
The first game of the scheduled doubleheader lasted about 40 minutes with the home-standing Lady Bulldogs owning a 2-1 lead over visiting EMCC after one inning before playing conditions worsened and the games were cancelled.
After splitting Tuesday’s season-opening home doubleheader with Marion Military Institute, head coach Kate Neely’s 1-1 EMCC Lady Lions will meet Hinds Community College in a 1 p.m. Monday doubleheader to be played at Clarkdale High School’s home softball field. The Lady Lions will then play host to defending MACJC State Champion East Central Community College Wednesday afternoon in a 1 p.m. twinbill at the EMCC Softball Field on the Scooba campus.
|Last Updated ( Friday, 10 February 2012 )|
|< Prev||Next >| | http://athletics.eastms.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=780&Itemid=41 | 217 |
PSC travels to defending champion WCSU
GAME #4: Plymouth State College (2-1, 1-0 FFC) at Western Connecticut State University (4-0, 0-0)
Sat., Sept. 30, 2000, 1:00 p.m., Midtown Campus Field, Danbury, Conn.
PLYMOUTH, N.H. - The defending Freedom Football Conference champion and pre-season favorite Colonials of Western Connecticut State University will defend their turf this Saturday when Plymouth State College arrives in Danbury, Conn., for a key early-season FFC affair.
The Panthers and Colonials will kick off at 1 p.m. at Midtown Campus Field at WCSU, the FFC opener for Western Conn. PSC started its conference slate last weekend with a 14-9 victory at home over Norwich University, improving to 2-1 overall under second-year head coach Chris Rorke. The Panthers are beginning a string of three tough FFC road games in a row against WCSU, Kings Point and Springfield.
Plymouth State, which has moved up to fifth in the ECAC New England Division III poll, will be facing what appears to be a juggernaut at Western Connecticut, the No. 1 team in the poll. The Colonials, led by first-year coach Bob Surace, are 4-0 and have outscored their opponents by a whopping 168-32 margin. Western went 10-0 during the regular season in 1999, and received a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
One of Western's 10 wins last season was a dramatic 12-9 triumph over PSC at Currier Field. The Colonials kicked the winning field goal as time expired, breaking a string of 16 straight losses to PSC and earning just the second career victory over Plymouth State in 23 tries.
The Panther offense is led by the rushing of junior Russ Massahos (Windham, NH) and the passing of sophomore Matt Simpson (Auburn, Maine). Massahos is ranked fourth in the FFC in both rushing (88.3 yds/gm) and all-purpose yards (119.3 yds/gm), while Simpson tops the conference in total offense (170.3 yds/gm). The defense has been spearheaded by junior Mike Pelletier (Concord, NH), who is second in the conference in both tackles (12.0/gm) and interceptions (0.7/gm) and who twice already this season has been selected FFC Defensive Player of the Week.
PANTHER RECEIVING CORPS: Former Panther receiver Charlie Schubert, now an assistant coach, caught a school-record 54 passes in 1999, 37 more than any teammate. His record is not likely to be broken this season, as QB Matt Simpson has been spreading the ball around, finding nine different receivers. In fact, the top five receivers on the team are all within two catches of each other. Junior WR Shaun Spaulding (Everett, Mass.) leads the way with nine catches for 135 yards, ranking fourth in the league in receiving yards and sixth in receptions. Senior WR Andy Gale (Boxford, Mass.) has eight catches (10th in the FFC) for 64 yards, and senior WR Bydrow Williams (Ledyard, Conn.), junior TE John Walters (Wells, Maine) and RB Russ Massahos all have seven receptions.
GREEN WALL DEFENSE: While DB Mike Pelletier has been grabbing the headlines for the PSC defense (36 tackles, 2 INT), he hasn't been doing it alone. Junior LB Chris Kelliher (Goffstown, NH) is right behind with 32 tackles, including three for lost yardage. Senior DB Jason Marcell (Stoughton, Mass.) and LBs Shawn Boyle (Bedford, NH) and Brian Chaplain (Hooksett, NH) are all strong defenders, and junior DT Mike Donahue (Bedford, NH) and senior DE Clint Medas (Taunton, Mass.) are solid anchors along the defensive line.
NEW ENGLAND POLL: The Freedom Football Conference holds down three of the top five spots in this week's ECAC New England Division III poll. Western Connecticut received 12 of the 14 first-place votes and owns the No. 1 spot, while Springfield got the other top votes and is ranked second. Salve Regina and Nichols of the New England Football Conference are in the 3-4 spots, followed by PSC, Amherst, Mass. Maritime, Bridgewater State, Colby and Trinity. Also receiving votes were Norwich, Middlebury, Curry, Wesleyan and UMass Dartmouth.
FFC PRE-SEASON POLL: Western Conn., the defending conference champion, was picked to repeat its title in the annual FFC pre-season coaches poll, receiving four of seven first-place votes. Springfield got the other three top votes and was picked second, followed by PSC in third, Kings Point in fourth, WPI and Norwich tied for fifth, and Coast Guard in seventh.
A LOOK AHEAD: Plymouth State continues with its string of FFC road games next Saturday (Oct. 7th) with a 2 p.m. clash at the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. Then after a road game at Springfield College on Oct. 14th, PSC returns home on Saturday, Oct. 21st, to host Bentley College (12 noon, WMUR-TV). | http://athletics.plymouth.edu/sports/fball/2000-01/news/20000927_FBWCSUPREV | 1,131 |
Hampton hurt while taking swings
Latest injury will sideline lefty for the start of regular season
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It has been nearly two full years since the Braves have sent a fully healthy Mike Hampton to the mound. And it appears it will be at least another two months before they're able to do so.
Just three days before he was going to test his surgically-repaired left elbow, Hampton suffered a left oblique strain that certainly erases his availability for the start of the regular season and likely from the Braves' rotation through at least mid-May.
"This is going to set him back quite a ways," said Braves manager Bobby Cox of the oblique strain that Hampton suffered Wednesday while taking batting practice at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
When Cox went with the Braves to play the Tigers in Lakeland on Wednesday morning, he was feeling very optimistic about Hampton's chances of being ready for the start of the regular season. The veteran left-hander, who hasn't pitched since having Tommy John elbow surgery 17 months ago, had produced two consecutive encouraging bullpen sessions and was set to pitch an inning against the Blue Jays on Saturday.
But all of this encouragement and optimism was erased when Hampton took the painful swing that felled him Wednesday. With his left elbow still feeling strong, he was now faced to feel the effects of this painful and debilitating oblique strain.
"I was pretty upset about it yesterday," Hampton said Thursday. "Then I went through a little time of sulking, and now, well, there is nothing you can do about it now except just try to get it healed up and get it better. I guess the only silver lining is that my elbow gets a little more time to rest."
How much extra time Hampton gets to rest his elbow remains unknown. All current indications are that he won't be able to play catch for the next month. If this best-case scenario proves true, he'd likely still need at least another month to prepare for his first regular-season start.
"He was just getting his arm strength completely back to normal," Cox said. "Now he's not going to be able to throw at all."
Barring any setbacks and assuming that it will take just a month for the oblique muscle to heal, the middle portion of May seems to be the earliest that Hampton would be able to join the Braves' rotation.
"I don't know how long these things take to recover," Hampton said. "I've never done it before. I've heard anything from four weeks to six or eight weeks. I know I pulled it pretty bad and it's pretty sore. We'll just have to take it day-by-day."
Early Thursday morning, Hampton found that X-rays proved that he hadn't suffered a broken rib, like he originally feared. But one Braves official indicated that a broken bone might have actually healed faster and been less of a nagging injury than the oblique strain.
"Whenever I come back, I want to make sure it's completely healthy," Hampton said. "I want to be back for the long haul."
Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones have first-hand knowledge of the painful and lingering effects of an oblique strain. The ailment caused Jones to make two trips to the disabled list after the All-Star break in 2006.
"He's going through a lot of what I went through the last couple of years," said Jones, who has battled various injuries during the past two seasons. "He can't catch a break, can't stay healthy."
Hampton hasn't made a start in full health since May 14, 2005. That night, while pitching at Dodger Stadium, he began feeling the discomfort that eventually forced him to undergo the ligament replacement procedure known as Tommy John surgery.
After missing all of 2006 while rehabbing, the 34-year-old Hampton came to this year's camp knowing that he was going to face some pitfalls. But after experiencing some highs and lows over the past two weeks, he had finally reached the point where he felt he was definitely ready to pitch in games.
"Trying to get over being upset is the toughest part, because I was ready to go," said Hampton, who was 15-2 with a 2.62 ERA in the 22 starts that preceded the beginning of his elbow problems.
Hampton's injury woes are beginning to be financially taxing to the Braves. Insurance covered most of his salary in 2006, but they are still responsible for the $19.5 million that he's owed over the final two years of the eight-year, $121 million contract he signed with the Rockies before the start of the 2001 season.
"For something like this to happen, it's pretty much like getting sand kicked in your face," Hampton said. "It is what it is. I've just got to do everything that I can to get back healthy. You never want to be labeled as one of those injury-prone guys."
With Hampton out for an undetermined amount of time, the Braves join the long list of teams looking to trade for starting pitchers. Lance Cormier and Kyle Davies were battling for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. As of now, it appears that they'll both begin the regular season in the rotation.
"We always have six guys ready," Cox said. "So Plan B is in effect."
As Cox spoke throughout Thursday morning, it was evident that he was attempting to remain optimistic. But it was also obvious that he wants the chance to utilize Plan A, the one that included a healthy Hampton.
"He was a big piece, and still is," Cox said. "But now it's going to be delayed somewhat. We'll pick it up until he gets back."
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070308&content_id=1833382&vkey=spt2007news&c_id=atl&fext=.jsp | 1,214 |
Brisbane Heat have kicked off the Big Bash Twenty20 signing window by announcing New Zealand allrounder Daniel Vettori has signed a three-year-deal.
After playing three games for the Heat in the inaugural Australian domestic competition last season, Vettori put pen to paper on Monday as one of the franchise's overseas players, which are limited to two for each team.
"I had a really good time last season. They were a great bunch of blokes led by a top coach in Darren Lehmann and his support staff, which made for a very enjoyable environment to play cricket in," said Vettori.
However, Vettori again appears unlikely to play more than three games in 2012-13 given the left-arm spinners's availability for the Big Bash - which runs from December 7 to January 19 - is dependent on his international commitments.
New Zealand have a Twenty20, one-day and Test tour of South Africa from December 18 to January 25 and Vettori is likely to be involved in all but the 50-over matches.
Vettori, who has retired from one-day international cricket yet continues to play Tests for the Black Caps, announced last month he would be available for T20 internationals again after stepping aside in 2011.Vettori, who has taken 100 wickets in 95 career T20 games at an average of 22.46 and an economy rate of 6.30, says he wants to play in the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September.
American adventure begins - Lowndes leads Texas practice
Copyright © 2013 Yahoo!7
All rights reserved. | http://au.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/14167472/vettori-signs-long-t20-deal-with-brisbane/ | 332 |
Have a look at the assorted items and discover what you’re looking for. Additionally you can start using the search engine functionality situated just above to filter to more of the Autographed Card that you are searching right now. Click through on a item’s image or link for even more related information on Baseball Mlb comparable items.
Baseball Mlb Other Autographed Items, Baseball Mlb Balls, Baseball Mlb Bats, Baseball Mlb Helmets, Baseball Mlb Index Cards, Baseball Mlb Jerseys, Baseball Mlb Photos, Baseball Mlb Postcards, Baseball Mlb Hats, Baseball Mlb Lithographs, Posters & Prints, Baseball Mlb Magazines, Baseball Mlb Plates, Baseball Mlb Programs, Baseball Mlb Ticket Stubs, Baseball Mlb Trading Cards, Baseball Mlb Plaques,
2001 Topps Baltimore Orioles Lot Of 5 Signed Autographed Bonus, Pete Rose Signed Autographed Rookie 16X20 Photo Psa/Dna, Mike Easler Signed 1986 Topps Card #477 - Red Sox, Pete Rose Autographed Signed Mlb Baseball Im Sorry I Bet On Baseball Psa/Dna, Shawon Dunston Autograph Numbered 60/75 2007 Sweet Spot Ud, David Justice Hand Signed Autographed Mlb Baseball Atlanta Braves Psa/Dna, 2001 Topps Atlanta Braves Lot Of 7 Signed Autographed Bonus , Tony Perez Autographed Signed Mlb Baseball Hof 2000 Psa/Dna, Ron Gardenhire Signed 1986 Topps Card #274 - Mets - Twins, Pete Rose Autographed Signed Mlb Baseball Hit King Psa/Dna, 2001 Topps New York Mets Lot Of 13 Signed Autographed Bonus, Don Newcombe Signed Autograph Major League Baseball 1956 1St Cy Young Psa/Dna, Brook Jacoby Signed 1986 Topps Card #116 - Indians, Ted Williams Signed 8 X 10 Lithograph Auto Autograph..Coa, Mickey Mantle New York Yankees Hof Autographed Baseball Display Case For Signed, Steve Mccatty Signed 1986 Topps Card #624 - Athletics - As, Ryan Klesko Signed 8X10 Photo Authentic Autograph W/Coa, 2001 Topps San Diego Padres Lot Of 9 Signed Autographed Bonus , Seth Maness St Louis Cardinals Signed Autograph Major League Baseball Coa, Mike Smithson Signed 1986 Topps Card #695 - Twins,
Tag CategoriesAlex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Babe Ruth, Barry Sanders, Bill Russell, Cal Ripken Jr, Chin-Lung Hu, Chipper Jones, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dan Marino, Derek Jeter, Don Larsen, Don Mattingly, Fred Lynn, Gordie Howe, Hank Aaron, Hanley Ramirez, Jack Nicklaus, Jeff Francis, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Montana, Johnny Bench, Josh Beckett, Julius Erving, Ken Griffey Jr, Kevin Durant, Kevin Youkilis, Kirk Gibson, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Mark Messier, Michael Jordan, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, Pete Rose, Peyton Manning, Prince Fielder, Reggie Bush, Reggie Jackson, Russell Martin, Sandy Koufax, Sidney Crosby, Steve Carlton, Terry Bradshaw, Tiger Woods, Tom Glavine, Tony Gwynn, Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, Walter Payton, Willie McCovey, Willy Mays, Wilt Chamberlain, Yovani Gallardo, | http://autographedbaseballcards.org/related/baseball-mlb.html | 709 |
Ciaran Kelly takes an in depth look at the Special One, José Mourinho.
Posts Tagged ‘Arjen Robben’
Ger McCarthy is back with another Champions League preview looking ahead to Wednesday night’s round of sixteen fixtures between FC Basel and Bayern Munich as well as the glamour tie pitting Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille up against Serie A’s Inter Milan.
To kick-off 2011′s Top 50 players in the world, we feature a few Bundesliga players, an English goalkeeper and a Brazilian superhero.
Ciaran Kelly delves deep into Chelsea’s history and looks at their association with Stamford Bridge down through the years.
Ciaran Kelly looks at Bayern Munich’s recent revival that has seen them have a flying start to the new season.
Ciaran Kelly previews Chelsea with serious in depth analysis of Andre Villas-Boas’ first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Ciaran Kelly takes a close look at a player who will be key to Chelsea’s future.
Ciaran Kelly discusses the lost genius of Joe Cole who, after battling a series of injuries and tough competition at Chelsea, has an uncertain future after a poor season at Liverpool.
The nominees have been announced for the World Cup Golden Ball award and there are few surprises on the shortlist.
Heartbreak for Manchester United tonight as Bayern Munich battled back from going 3-0 down to score two vital away goals and send United crashing out of the Champions League in devastating circumstances. A late goal in the first half by Ivica Olic and the controversial sending off of Rafael in the early stages of the [...] | http://backpagefootball.com/tag/arjen-robben/page/2/ | 344 |
Use of the Official Website of Major League Baseball, which encompasses MLB.com, the Official Websites of the thirty (30) Major League Baseball ("MLB") Clubs and the Official Websites of certain other MLB-related properties (collectively, this "Website") and all products and services provided and/or distributed (whether via this Website or elsewhere) by MLB Advanced Media, L.P. ("MLBAM") are subject to this Agreement. References to this Website and all materials contained in this Website and/or otherwise accessible via other MLBAM-controlled products or services or MLBAM-operated interactive media locations will be referred to herein collectively as the "MLBAM Properties" and individually as an "MLBAM Property." By using this Website or the other MLBAM Properties or by clicking a box that states you agree to this Agreement, you agree to be bound by this Agreement. If you do not agree to this Agreement, do not use the MLBAM Properties.
Except for Submitted Content (defined below), the MLBAM Properties are either owned by or licensed to MLBAM. The applicable owners and licensors retain all rights to the MLBAM Properties, including, but not limited to all copyright, trademark and other proprietary rights, however denominated. Except for downloading one copy of the MLBAM Properties on any single computer for your personal, non-commercial home use, you must not reproduce, prepare derivative works based upon, distribute, perform or display the MLBAM Properties without first obtaining the written permission of MLBAM or otherwise as expressly set forth in the terms and conditions of the MLBAM Properties. The MLBAM Properties must not be used in any unauthorized manner.
In some instances, this Agreement and a separate end user license agreement or similar agreement will apply to the MLBAM Properties. By using this Website or the other MLBAM Properties you acknowledge that you have reviewed all terms and conditions applicable to the product or service in question and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions.
You must not use the MLBAM Properties or Community Features (defined below) to: (i) transmit, store, embed or otherwise make available any information or material that infringes any right of MLBAM or any third party, however denominated, including, without limitation, copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary right; (ii) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which disrupts this Website or the other MLBAM Properties, imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on this Website's or the other MLBAM Properties' infrastructure, or otherwise adversely affects, restricts or inhibits any other user from using and enjoying this Website or the other MLBAM Properties; (iii) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which is false, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, demeaning, offensive, pornographic, profane, sexually explicit, indecent, inappropriate, constitutes hate speech, or which adversely affects MLBAM business or is otherwise objectionable in MLBAM's sole discretion; (iv) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which constitutes or encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any local, state, national or international law; (v) transmit, store or otherwise make available a virus, trojan horse, worm, time bomb, spyware, bot or other harmful or deleterious programming routine; (vi) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which contains any information, software or other material of a commercial nature; (vii) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which contains advertising, promotions, "junk mail," "spam," "pyramid schemes," "chain letters" or solicitation of any kind; (viii) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which constitutes or contains false or misleading indications of origin or statements of fact; (ix) exploit, harm, personally attack (personal attacks include, but are not limited to, defamatory, sexual and/or sexually implicit remarks) or impersonate players, management, employees of baseball, or any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity; (x) use or attempt to use another's information, account, password, service or system except as expressly permitted; (xi) solicit, collect, transmit, store or otherwise make available private information of any third party including, without limitation, telephone numbers, addresses, last names, email addresses, Social Security numbers, or credit or debit card numbers; (xii) use automated scripts to collect information from or otherwise interact with this Website or the other MLBAM Properties; and (xii) transmit, store or otherwise make available material which is irrelevant to the subject matter of any Community Features (defined below).
Third party text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material, including that provided by Associated Press ("AP") (collectively, the "Third Party Materials"), contained on or incorporated in the MLBAM Properties shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these Third Party Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. No third party provider, including without limitation AP, will be held liable in any way to any Website user or to any third party or to any other person who may receive information in the Third Party Materials or to any other person whatsoever, for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing or occasioned thereby.
Pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Title 17, United States Code, Section 512(c)(2) ("DMCA"), MLBAM has designated to the U.S. Copyright Office an agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement relating to this Website or the other MLBAM Properties (the "Designated Agent"). All such notifications relating to this Website or the other MLBAM Properties must be a written communication and must include the following information:
Claims of infringement which include the above required information must be submitted via postal mail, fax or e-mail to MLBAM's Designated Agent as follows:
MLBAM and its third-party providers ("Vendors") do not monitor, endorse, edit or screen your Submitted Content, although MLBAM and its Vendors reserve the right to do so, and neither MLBAM nor its Vendors shall be liable for your Submitted Content. You acknowledge that your Submitted Content is not confidential and that your Submitted Content may be read, intercepted by others and widely accessible on the Internet and/or via other interactive media, and that you have no expectation of privacy with regard to any such submission. You acknowledge that by submitting your Submitted Content via the Community Features, no confidential, fiduciary, contractually implied or other relationship is created between you and MLBAM or between you and MLBAM's Vendors other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement. You acknowledge that MLBAM is not responsible for, and cannot and does not guarantee, the accuracy, completeness or reliability of information in any material posted or submitted by any user of the Community Features. You represent that your Submitted Content is an original work by you or that you have all necessary rights in it and to submit it to MLBAM under the terms of this Agreement. You further agree that you are solely liable for any and all costs, claims, demands, investigations, liabilities, losses, damages, judgments, settlements, costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, connected to or arising from your breach of any representation or warranty, or other violation of this Agreement. If MLBAM determines, in MLBAM's sole discretion and judgment, that your Submitted Content violates, or may violate, any of the terms of this Agreement, MLBAM reserves the right to (a) refuse to allow you to upload information or otherwise transmit material; (b) remove and delete your Submitted Content; (c) revoke your right to use this Website, the Community Features and/or the other MLBAM Properties; and/or (d) use any technological, legal, operational or other means available to MLBAM to enforce the provisions of this Agreement, including, without limitation, blocking specific IP addresses or deactivating your registration on this Website, the Community Features or on the other MLBAM Properties.
You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users of the MLBAM Properties. You may use various features (e.g., the "Report Violation" feature in the Options menu button within a Discussion string on our Message Boards or the "Report any abuse or spam" hotlink within a blog or comment section within MLBlogs) of certain Community Features to report violators. We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor disputes between you and other users.
By transmitting your Submitted Content via the Community Features, you grant, and represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to MLBAM a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable and irrevocable right and license to use, reproduce, prepare derivative works based upon, distribute, perform, sell and display your Submitted Content for any purpose throughout the universe, in whole or in part, in any form, media or technology known or hereafter developed.
The MLB.com Shop allows you to order products supplied by independent merchandise Vendors. MLB.com Auctions allows you to purchase merchandise through an auction process. Products purchased via the MLB.com Shop and MLB.com Auctions are collectively referred to herein as "Merchandise." From the Ticketing sections of certain MLBAM Properties, you can, among other things, purchase tickets for MLB games supplied by MLB and/or the applicable MLB Club(s) ("Tickets"). Via certain MLBAM Properties, you can subscribe to or download audio, video and audiovisual content, fantasy and other games and other products and services (collectively, "Services"). In addition, you can buy MLBAM products and services from locations other than this Website or the other MLBAM Properties (e.g., via third party storefronts, including, without limitation, wireless carriers, online music and/or video download and streaming sites, video game console services, third party websites, etc.) (collectively, "Third Party Sales Locations").
ALL PURCHASES ARE SUBJECT TO PRODUCT AVAILABILITY. MLBAM EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE, LOSS OR INJURY ARISING OUT OF: THE ACTIVITIES OF ANY VENDOR, THE MERCHANDISE OFFERED BY THE VENDORS, ANY LOSS OR INJURY RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS OR INABILITY TO ACCESS THE MLBAM PROPERTIES, ANY THIRD PARTY SALES LOCATIONS OR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE THEREIN, OR ANY LOSS OR INJURY ARISING OUT OF YOUR PURCHASE OR USE OF ANY PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE, TICKETS OR SERVICES.
The Services and all other products offered via the MLBAM Properties are provided for your private, non-commercial use, and you may not distribute, modify, translate, rebroadcast, transmit, perform or create derivative works of them.
MLBAM reserves the right to modify the price of any Merchandise, Tickets, Services or any other products offered via the MLBAM Properties. MLBAM is not responsible for any error in copy or images relating to Merchandise, Tickets, Services or any other products offered via the MLBAM Properties. Any auction or offer to sell any Merchandise, Tickets, Services or any other products offered via the MLBAM Properties, may be discontinued at any time in MLBAM's sole discretion.
With respect to Merchandise offered and/or sold via the MLB.com Shop, we cannot confirm the price or availability of an item until you order; however, we do NOT charge your credit or debit card until after your order has entered the shipping process (with the exception of any special order or customized/personalized products, which will be billed immediately after the order is received). Despite our best efforts, a small number of the items in the MLB.com Shop or in our printed catalogs may be mispriced. If we discover a mispricing, we will do one of the following:
The Services and any other applicable products offered via the MLBAM Properties or Third Party Sales Locations are subject to transmission limitations of the Internet and, as applicable, wireless carriers, including, but not limited to, video and/or audio dropouts, rebuffering or loss of connection.
With respect to the sale of certain Merchandise through MLB.com Auctions to residents of the State of California, the following notice is provided pursuant to California Civil Code, Title 1.1A, Autographed Sports Memorabilia, Cal Civil Code § 1739.7 (2001):
SALE OF AUTOGRAPHED SPORTS MEMORABILIA: AS REQUIRED BY LAW, A DEALER WHO SELLS TO A CONSUMER ANY SPORTS MEMORABILIA DESCRIBED AS BEING AUTOGRAPHED MUST PROVIDE A WRITTEN CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY AT THE TIME OF SALE. THIS DEALER MAY BE SURETY BONDED OR OTHERWISE INSURED TO ENSURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF ANY COLLECTIBLE SOLD BY THIS DEALER.
With respect to the sale of certain Merchandise on this Website, the following notice is provided pursuant to New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, Title V-1, Sale of Autographed Sports Collectibles, NY CLS Art & Cult Affr § 60.04 (2006):
SALE OF AUTOGRAPHED SPORTS MEMORABILIA: AS REQUIRED BY LAW A DEALER WHO SELLS TO A CONSUMER ANY SPORTS MEMORABILIA DESCRIBED AS BEING PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED FOR TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS OR MORE MUST PROVIDE A WRITTEN CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY AT THE TIME OF SALE.
The certificates of authenticity referenced above will be provided in the form of a certificate of authenticity or as a unique hologram affixed to the item itself. Each hologram bears a unique tamper-proof identification number that upon entry in MLB's database will provide the name of the signer and the date the item was signed. Each item and its unique identification number is processed and posted on the official program pages, which are accessible through the MLB.com Shop.
Should you have any questions about the purchase of Merchandise via the MLBAM Properties, please call MLB.com Shop Customer Service at 888-MLB-SHOP (888-652-7467) within the U.S., or e-mail [email protected].
Should you have any questions about the purchase of Services via the MLBAM Properties, please call 866-800-1275 within the U.S. and 512-434-1542 outside the U.S., or e-mail [email protected].
Should you have any questions about the purchase of downloadable mobile or wireless products via the mobile MLBAM Properties, please e-mail [email protected].
By purchasing any Merchandise, Tickets, Services or any other products offered via the MLBAM Properties, you acknowledge and agree that your credit or debit card is being charged by the payment processor of MLBAM or its Vendor, the operator of such product or service. For purposes of this Agreement, such payment processor will be referred to as a "Vendor."
By utilizing a credit or debit card for purchase of any Services or any other applicable products offered via the MLBAM Properties, you authorize MLBAM to charge such card on the periodic basis as specified (e.g., once per month for monthly Services) in the amount described on the applicable Service or Services' purchase path(s). In the event that MLBAM is unable to process charges to your primary credit or debit card on such periodic basis or in such amount, you authorize MLBAM to charge an alternative card saved in the Payment Profile section of your MLB.com account.
If the account number, expiration date or other information of any credit or debit card account associated with your subscription Service changes, MLBAM recommends that you update it as soon as possible. Please also be aware, MLBAM may acquire this current information from our financial services partner and update the Payment Profile section of your MLB.com account to include such revised payment information.
For certain purchases of Merchandise, Services or Tickets made via the MLBAM and/or Vendor-operated MLBAM Properties, MLBAM is required to collect sales tax. In states or regions that impose sales or use tax, a purchase is subject to tax unless specifically exempt. Purchases from the MLBAM Properties are not exempt from sales or use taxes simply because they are made from the Internet or because MLBAM is not required to collect sales or use tax by any particular state or region. Whether any sales tax will be collected on a given purchase and the amount of tax charged depends on a number of factors including whether the seller is subject to tax in a given jurisdiction. The purchaser is responsible for any applicable taxes not collected by MLBAM and certain states require purchasers to file a sales/use tax return annually reporting taxable purchases that were not taxed and to pay such tax. For details, see the website of, or otherwise contact, the applicable taxing authority. If any sales tax will be collected directly by MLBAM in connection with a purchase that amount will be shown either prior to the completion of any purchase or reflected in the final confirmation of that purchase.
For Oklahoma purchasers, applicable use tax on purchases made via the MLBAM Properties may be reported and paid on an Oklahoma individual income tax return [Form 511] or by filing a consumer use tax return [Form 21-1]. The referenced forms and corresponding instructions are available on the Oklahoma Tax Commission website, www.tax.ok.gov.
For South Dakota purchasers, any applicable sales or use taxes on purchases made via the MLBAM Properties may be reported and paid on a South Dakota Use Tax Form [Form 1350], available with corresponding instructions on the South Dakota Department of Revenue website, www.state.sd.us/drr.
For certain Services billed on a monthly basis (e.g., MLB.TV Premium Monthly and MLB.TV Monthly subscription Services) your subscription will automatically renew monthly during the current MLB season through and including October and annually approximately March 1 each year at the previous MLB season's regular full monthly price, unless you cancel your Service prior to the beginning of the next applicable billing (and renewal) period. The primary credit or debit card you have stored in the Payment Profile section of your MLB.com account will be charged on or about the same date each month of your subscription during any MLB season and each subsequent year as set forth above. If MLBAM is unable to process these charges to your primary credit or debit card, an alternative card stored in the Payment Profile section of your MLB.com account may be charged. In the event MLBAM discontinues or significantly alters a Service that you have purchased with automatic renewal, MLBAM (i) will notify you via the email address provided at purchase, (ii) may provide information about similar or new Services available via the MLBAM Properties and (iii) reserves the right to cancel the applicable Service. If you wish to cancel your monthly Service, you have two options: (a) you may cancel your monthly subscription in its entirety (including the annual automatic renewal of this Service in subsequent years) or (b) you may cancel your monthly subscription for the applicable MLB season, but elect to annually automatically renew (i.e. re-start) your monthly subscription in the following MLB season. To elect either of these options and cancel your monthly Service, you may login to your MLB.com account, access the Audio/Video Subscriptions section and follow the applicable instructions, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. In no event will MLBAM provide partial or pro-rated refunds. See below for details.
For Services billed on a yearly basis (e.g., MLB.TV Premium Yearly, MLB.TV Yearly and MLB.com Gameday Audio Yearly subscription Services), your subscription will automatically renew annually approximately March 1 each year at the previous year's regular full yearly price, unless you cancel your Service prior to the beginning of the next applicable billing (and renewal) period. The primary credit or debit card you have stored in the Payment Profile section of your MLB.com account will be charged on or about March 1 of each subsequent year as set forth above. If MLBAM is unable to process these charges to your primary credit or debit card, an alternative card stored in the Payment Profile section of your MLB.com account may be charged. In the event MLBAM discontinues or significantly alters a Service that you have purchased with automatic renewal, MLBAM (1) will notify you via the email address provided at purchase (2) may provide information about similar or new Services available via the MLBAM Properties and (3) reserves the right to cancel the applicable Service. To cancel your yearly Service, you may login to your MLB.com account, access the Audio/Video Subscriptions section and follow the applicable instructions, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. In no event will MLBAM provide partial or pro-rated refunds. See below for details.
UNLESS YOU NOTIFY US BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT APPLICABLE BILLING (AND RENEWAL) PERIOD THAT YOU WISH TO CANCEL ANY AUTOMATICALLY RENEWING SERVICE, YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL AUTOMATICALLY RENEW AND YOU AUTHORIZE US (WITHOUT NOTICE TO YOU) TO COLLECT THE APPLICABLE SUBSCRIPTION FEE AND ANY TAXES USING ANY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD SAVED IN THE PAYMENT PROFILE SECTION OF YOUR MLB.COM ACCOUNT.
MLBAM will refund the purchase price you paid for a subscription Service (e.g. MLB.TV, MLB.com Gameday Audio or MLB.com Gameday Premium) offered via this Website if you make a refund request on this Website by accessing the Audio/Video Subscriptions section of your MLB.com account or e-mail [email protected] within five (5) days of your initial purchase or within five (5) days of any annual automatic renewal date. In no event will MLBAM grant you more than one (1) refund during any given MLB season or provide partial or pro-rated refunds.
Should you wish to cancel your subscription Service at any time, you may login to your MLB.com account, access the Audio/Video Subscriptions section and follow the applicable instructions, or you may e-mail [email protected]. If such cancellation request occurs on any date following the fifth (5th) day after your initial purchase or following the fifth (5th) day of any annual automatic renewal date during any subsequent MLB season of your Service, then your cancellation will be effective as follows:
By accepting this Agreement, you agree that MLBAM may notify you about changes to prices and/or Services by sending an e-mail message to your e-mail address on file with MLBAM and by publishing such notices from time to time on the informational page(s) of the MLBAM Properties applicable to the Services. It is your responsibility to notify MLBAM of any change in your e-mail address by logging in to the applicable MLBAM Property and using the online account management tool. If your email service includes functionality or software that catalogues your emails in an automated manner, it is your responsibility to ensure that those emails we send to you reach your inbox, either by routinely monitoring your bulk, junk and/or spam e-mail folders or by adding us to your address book or safe senders list.
Programming, pricing, terms and conditions of Services, Tickets and other products offered via the MLBAM Properties are subject to availability and change. Certain Services, Tickets and other products offered via this Website and/or other MLBAM Properties may be governed by an end user license agreement or similar agreement with different terms and conditions than are contained in this Agreement, including different refund policies. Please refer to the terms and conditions of such Services, Tickets, other products and/or MLBAM Properties to determine the policies applicable for such other MLBAM Properties. In the event of any conflict between this Agreement and the terms and conditions provided for any such Service, Ticket, other product or MLBAM Property, the terms and conditions of the applicable Service, Ticket, other product or MLBAM Property will govern.
Subscription activation for Services and other products offered via the MLBAM Properties, and subsequent ability to access Services and other products offered via the MLBAM Properties, may be subject to approval of your valid major credit or debit card and verification of other information that you submit or is otherwise obtained by MLBAM (e.g., your IP address). Scheduled games may be cancelled or substituted when necessary.
Blackout restrictions apply to Services which allow you to watch video of live games depending on the date of the game, your location and local, national and international broadcast exclusivities. Specifically:
Regular Season Local Live Blackout: All live games offered via MLB.TV subscription Services, MLB.com Gameday Audio Services and certain other subscription Services are subject to local blackouts. Such live games will be blacked out in each applicable Club's home television territory (except for certain home television territories for which MLBAM may offer in-market subscription Services). If a game is blacked out in an area, it is not available for live game viewing.
In addition, note:
To find out which Club's live games are blacked out of the area where you will be watching a game due to these local blackout restrictions, click here.
Regular Season Weekend National Live Blackout: Due to MLB exclusivities, live national broadcasts of Major League Baseball events, such as the All-Star Game, and select live national broadcasts of MLB games occurring each Saturday with a scheduled start time after 1:10 PM ET or before 8:00 PM ET and select live national broadcasts of MLB games occurring each Sunday with a scheduled start time after 1:00 PM ET, will be blacked out in the United States (including the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands). In addition, in the event of circumstances that produce a programming conflict or change in schedule, the above blackout windows may be subject to change. Live Audio of such games is available as part of any MLB.TV subscription Service, as part of the MLB.com Gameday Audio subscription Service and may be available as part of certain other of our subscription Services, including MLB.com Gameday Audio.
Regular Season Play-In Game: Due to Major League Baseball exclusivities, any play-in game to determine the final team(s) to reach the MLB Postseason, i.e. a 163rd game, will be blacked out in the United States (including the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Live Audio of such games is available as part of any MLB.TV subscription Service, as part of the MLB.com Gameday Audio subscription Service and may be available as part of certain other of our subscription Services, including MLB.com Gameday Audio.
Postseason Live Blackout: Due to MLB exclusivities, during the MLB Postseason, all live games available via MLB.TV subscription Services, MLB.com Gameday Audio subscription Services and certain other subscription Services (but excluding Postseason.TV) will be blacked out in the United States (including the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Canada. Live Audio of MLB Postseason games is available as part of any MLB.TV subscription Service, as part of the MLB.com Gameday Audio subscription Service and may be available as part of certain other subscription Services, including MLB.com Gameday Audio.
Postseason.TV: Subscribers to the Postseason.TV subscription Service, available only during the MLB Postseason, will be able to view live alternative video feeds (excluding the broadcast feed) from MLB Postseason games without blackout restrictions.
International Live Blackout: Live games available via an MLB.TV subscription Service or our other subscription Services (including the Postseason.TV subscription Service) may also be subject to blackout in certain International territories. To determine which International territories have current blackout restrictions, click here.
SHARING OF PASSWORDS TO ANY SERVICE, PRODUCT OR THE MLBAM PROPERTIES IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. IN ADDITION TO THE RIGHTS AND REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO MLBAM AS SET FORTH IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH, MLBAM RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHARGE USERS THE FULL SUBSCRIPTION FEE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH WHOM THE USER HAS SHARED HIS/HER PASSWORD.
This Website and other MLBAM Properties may offer you opportunities to vote in connection with certain events including the All-Star Game and also to enter contests and sweepstakes. By participating in any such event, you signify your agreement to all special terms set forth on this Website and/or the other applicable MLBAM Properties applicable to the event as well as the terms of this Agreement.
This Website and the other MLBAM Properties may contain links and pointers to other World Wide Web sites and resources, including, without limitation, Third Party Sales Locations and Third Party Social Networking Features. Links to and from this Website and/or MLBAM Properties from or to Third Party Sales Locations, Third Party Social Networking Features and other websites or locations maintained by third parties, do not constitute an endorsement by MLBAM or any other MLB Entity of any such third party website or content. MLBAM is not responsible for the availability of these third party resources or their contents. You should direct any concerns regarding any external link to the website administrator or Webmaster of the applicable third-party website or location.
USE OF THIS WEBSITE, ALL OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES AND THE PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE, TICKETS AND SERVICES, INCLUDED HEREIN AND THEREIN, ARE AT YOUR EXCLUSIVE RISK, AND THE RISK OF INJURY FROM THE FOREGOING RESTS EXCLUSIVELY WITH YOU.
EXCEPT FOR ANY WARRANTIES THAT MAY BE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED BY MLBAM AND/OR THE APPLICABLE VENDOR, THIS WEBSITE, THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES, AND ALL MATERIALS CONTAINED OR DISTRIBUTED HEREIN AND THEREIN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ALL PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE, TICKETS AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
MLBAM DOES NOT WARRANT THAT: (1) THIS WEBSITE, THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES OR ANY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE; (2) DEFECTS OR ERRORS IN THIS WEBSITE, THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES, THE PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE OR SERVICES WILL BE CORRECTED; (3) THIS WEBSITE, THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES, THE PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE OR SERVICES WILL BE FREE FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS; OR (4) ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS WEBSITE, THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES, THE PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE OR SERVICES WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY TERM IN THIS AGREEMENT, OTHER APPLICABLE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE MLBAM PROPERTIES OR ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT BY MLBAM OR ITS VENDORS, YOU ARE EXCLUSIVELY LIABLE FOR ANY AND ALL SUBMITTED CONTENT YOU TRANSMIT VIA THE COMMUNITY FEATURES OF THIS WEBSITE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL MLBAM BE LIABLE FOR ANY BREACH IN TRANSACTION SECURITY CAUSED BY A THIRD PARTY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO ANY ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE, TICKETS OR SERVICES.
IN NO EVENT SHALL MLBAM, ANY OTHER MLB ENTITY OR ANY VENDOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS WEBSITE OR OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY TRANSACTION FOR PRODUCTS, MERCHANDISE, TICKETS OR SERVICES. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES WHETHER THE ALLEGED LIABILITY IS BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER BASIS, EVEN IF MLBAM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, THE LIABILITY OF MLBAM IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. THE MAXIMUM LIABILITY OF MLBAM, ANY OTHER MLB ENTITY OR ANY VENDOR FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS WEBSITE, THE MERCHANDISE, THE SERVICES OR THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES IS $50.
IN NO EVENT SHALL MLBAM OR ANY OTHER MLB ENTITY BE LIABLE FOR ANY FAILURE, INTERRUPTION OR ERROR WITH RESPECT TO ANY ASPECT OF THIS WEBSITE OR THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY FEATURE OR FUNCTIONALITY.
You hereby agree to indemnify and hold the MLB Entities harmless from all claims, liabilities, damages and expenses (including attorneys' fees and expenses) arising out of or relating to: (A) your use of this Website, the other MLBAM Properties, the products, Merchandise, Tickets and/or Services purchased via this Website or the other MLBAM Properties; or (B) any alleged breach of this Agreement by you. For purposes of this Agreement, the "MLB Entities" shall mean MLBAM, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, its Bureaus, Committees, Subcommittees and Councils, Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc., Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., Tickets.com, Inc., SportsOnEarth, LLC, the Major League Baseball Clubs, and each of their subsidiaries or affiliated entities, any entity which, now or in the future, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Major League Baseball Clubs or the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, and the directors, officers, employees and agents of the above entities.
MLBAM may change, suspend or discontinue any aspect of this Website or the other MLBAM Properties at any time, including the availability of any product, Merchandise offering, Ticket offering, Service, feature, database or content. MLBAM may also impose limits on certain offerings and features or restrict your access to parts, or the entirety, of the MLBAM Properties without notice or liability at any time in MLBAM's exclusive discretion, without prejudice to any legal or equitable remedies available to MLBAM, for any reason or purpose, including, but not limited to, conduct that MLBAM believes violates this Agreement or other policies or guidelines posted on this Website or via other MLBAM Properties or conduct which MLBAM believes is harmful to other customers, to MLBAM's business, or to other information providers. In addition, this Agreement may be immediately terminated at any time by MLBAM in its sole discretion. In addition and without prejudice to any other remedy available to MLBAM, MLBAM may immediately terminate this Agreement if you breach any term of this Agreement or other operating term set forth by MLBAM in the MLBAM Properties.
Except for the arbitration undertaking provided for in Section 12, below, this Agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts entered into and performed exclusively in that State.
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties, and supersedes all prior written or oral agreements or communications with respect to the subject matter herein. MLBAM in its sole discretion may amend this Agreement, and your use of this Website or the other MLBAM Properties after such amendment is posted on this Website will constitute acceptance of it by you. Sections 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 13 of this Agreement will survive any termination or cancellation of this Agreement. If any term in this Agreement is declared unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable by any court, then such term will be deemed severable from the remaining terms and will not affect the validity and enforceability of such remaining terms. The section headings in this Agreement are for convenience only and must not be given any legal import.
BY USING THIS WEBSITE AND/OR THE OTHER MLBAM PROPERTIES, YOU SIGNIFY YOUR AGREEMENT TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. If you do not agree to the terms in this Agreement, you must not use this Website and/or the other MLBAM Properties. MLBAM may change the terms of this Agreement at any time, and your use of this Website and/or the other MLBAM Properties after such changes are posted will mean that you accept them.
Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California users of this Website and the other MLBAM Properties are entitled to the following specific consumer rights notice: The Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs may be contacted in writing at 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N 112, Sacramento CA 95834, or by telephone at (916) 445-1254 or (800) 952-5210. | http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/col/help/col_help_about_terms.jsp | 8,034 |
History comes alive
By Trevor Hayes
Several of today’s stars continued to carve out a bit of history for themselves this week alongside some notable Hall of Famers.
Doubled-Up: With double No. 50 Wednesday, Brian Roberts became the fourth player with three or more 50-double seasons. Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Paul Waner each did it three times while Hall of Famer Tris Speaker did it five times. Including his 51 last season, Roberts has put together his second straight 50-double season, putting him in an elite club with nine players – including three Hall of Famers: Speaker, Joe Medwick and Billy Herman.
On the subject of doubles, the same night Roberts got 50, the Royals Billy Butler hit three doubles in a game for fourth time this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Butler’s binge is unprecedented. No player has had four three-double games in a season dating back to 1901.
Quick Hit: A lot has been written about Derek Jeter tying Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig on the Yankees hits list. But one note that might slip by is that Jeter is now the fourth active player to hold his franchise’s all-time hits mark. Ivan Rodriguez returned to Texas earlier this season, where he has the most hits in Senators/Rangers club history. The other two all-time franchise leaders for the team they currently play for are Colorado’s Todd Helton and Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford.
Doc and the Babe: The Yankees might not like Roy Halladay very much. Most recently he stopped their seven-game winning streak with a one-hitter, but the Blue Jays’ ace has always been tough against the Bombers. He holds a .739 winning percentage against the Yankees with a 17-6 record. The only man better than him (min. 20 decisions) made his name as a hitter in New York. However, as a pitcher in Boston, future Hall of Famer Babe Ruth went 17-5 (.773) against his eventual team.
Slugging shortstops: Hanley Ramirez connected for the 100th home run of his career on Sunday, making him the fourth-fastest shortstop to reach the century mark. At 595 games, only Alex Rodriguez (470 games), Nomar Garciaparra (491) and Hall of Famer Ernie Banks (500) got there faster.
Goodbye to the Real McCoy: Longtime Reds beat writer Hal McCoy will be honored Wednesday prior to Cincinnati’s game against the Astros. The 2002 J.G. Taylor Spink winner announced earlier this season he will be retiring after 37 years covering the Reds. As a special treat, McCoy’s paper, Dayton Daily News, is sponsoring half-price tickets to the game.
Trevor Hayes is the editorial production manager at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. | http://baseballhall.mlblogs.com/2009/09/11/history-comes-alive/ | 602 |
Jayson Werth left Saturday’s game in the ninth inning with a cramp in his hamstring.
The Nationals don’t think it’s a big deal, but Werth seems likely to sit out Sunday. “It just felt intelligent not to play any longer, so [manager Davey Johnson] took me out,” Werth said. “It’s been a long time since I?ve cramped up during a game, so hopefully it?ll be nothing and I?ll be back by [Sunday], but we?ll see. I don?t think it’s too serious, though.” | http://baseballmoves.com/2012/09/02/jayson-werth-nationals-49/ | 136 |
With thousands of fantasy teams floating hither and yon, there’s bound to be one out there that started Bogut, Camby, Jeff Green, Brooks, Nelson, Martin, Carter, Delfino and Harris. To that team I ask, can I interest you in fantasy hockey? Bogut, Camby, and I think even Scottie Pippen again all dealt with migraines like they were twin sisters going through their cycles at the same time. Delfino tweaked his neck, Harris tweaked … something and everybody else tweaked their damn ankle. What? They haven’t developed a weight regimen focusing primarily on the ankle? If nothing else, I’d use several rolls of tape on those bad boys so that it looked like I had Popeye’s forearm spilling out of the tops of my shoes.
The two biggest ankle injuries befell the Rockets’ backcourt. Both Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks missed the end of Saturday’s nail-biter with some form of ankle injury. Martin’s injury wasn’t bad, he returned on Sunday, but Brooks’ ankle x-rays came back negative, which is usually a positive, but, as he looks to be out at least two weeks, it’s still a negative. If you have a replacement, I might use him in weekly leagues this week, aim for Ishmael Smith, Courtney Lee, and Kyle Lowry in that order. Move Lowry up as soon as he’s given the green light to play.
Here’s who what else went down this weekend in fantasy basketball:
Jameer Nelson – Rolled his ankle, but his 12.5/5.5 line made him lame long before this injury.
Brook Lopez – So far, Bropez is averaging 18.8 ppg just like last year and 1.7 bpg just like last year. From that point of view, it’s an even flowpez. From a rebounding standpoint, his average is belowpez, having dipped from 8.6 to 5.7. Oh, nopez!
DeJuan Blair – In the first five games of the season, DeJuan has averaged just 4.6/6.8 in 23.8 minutes per game, a significant per minute drop-off from last season. I’m sure by now Tootie and Ms. Garrett have both dropped Blair, it’s time you do the same.
Gilbert Arenas – He returned this weekend and has averaged 15.5 points on .385 from the field in two games. The shooting if awful, but at least it comes with 1.5 steals and 3.5 treys. Gilbert can climb on that the way Q-Bert climbs on blocks.
Andre Iguodala - Wore a suit to the game for the first time in 252 contests. He’s day-to-day with a bum achilles, but should return once his heel gets a shower, a warm meal, a job and a roof over its head. His heel should be back on its feet Wednesday against the Thunder.
Evan Turner – Played a career-high 35:17 in Iguodala’s absence and grabbed 10 boards on the way to his first career double-double (14/10/3). It’s all math, really. A + B = See? I told you Turner wasn’t going to be a waste all season.
Jrue Holiday – 8.6/3 in his first three games, 18.3/8.5 in his last four. Jrue story. No, seriously. This is his story. Or if you’re a Michael Jackson fan, HIStory.
Kevin Love – Should be averaging 22.5/15.5 in 36 minutes. Instead, Love has only cleared 30 minutes once (30:54) due to the awfulness of his team.
Nikola Pekovic – Had his first career dub-dub in just under 22 minutes and is averaging a Per36 of 14.5/7. Doesn’t matter. Rambis much prefers to give Darko his 20.5 minutes to earn his three points.
Darrell Arthur – Left Saturday’s game with a knee injury that occurred despite no one touching him. He must have realized that there were still a few fantasy owners who hadn’t dropped him yet and this was his gentle reminder to do so.
Anthony Randolph – 3/4 in 12 minutes. I also got chills when the camera showed Randolph on the bench with Eddy Curry sitting behind him. Don’t let this be your future Ant’ny.
David Lee - From a disappointing Knick we move on to a disappointing ex-Knick. The General has only averaged 12.2 points on .406 shooting from the floor. I’m actually comforted by the FG%. He’s cold, learning a new offense with a new set of characters. He’s shot over .550 in his career and that won’t just go away this season. If he were averaging 12/11.3 and shooting over .500, that’d be bad news. Crack a beer, put on your slippers and relax.
Charlie Villanueva – Chuckles Newhouse is averaging 14.3/5.5 with 2.3 treys over his last four games. He won’t average 32+ minutes per game unless there is a major injury to Daye or Monroe. Assuming that doesn’t happen, you’re getting his ceiling.
Steve Nash – 19/5/15 in Phoenix’s win. Finding Nash Sunday evening with this line was like Scout finding Boo Radley in the corner of Jem’s room.
Robin Lopez – Seven points and one assist with no blocks in over 19 minutes of action. I didn’t see this game, but I’m assuming his arms were Cra-Z glued to his hips and he caught the one rebound with his nose like a seal. Don’t tell me the way it really happened, just let me have that image. Are the Lopez brothers in a Razzball league where they each own themselves? These dudes are 7-feet-tall! They’ve grabbed a combined six rebounds in their last two games.
Pau Gasol - First triple-double since February 17, 2009 and he had it before the fourth quarter started. How infuriating is it going to be if the MVP this season comes down to Gasol and Rudy Gay?
Derek Fisher – Has scored in double digits in five of the first seven games this season. So … did they sign Steve Blake to serve as Fish’s pace horse. Just keep in his peripheral and he’ll gallop like the wind! Um, 10 ppg for a 36-year-old man counts as “the wind.”
Marvin Williams – A bone bruise on his right knee has forced him to miss the last two games. Deep leagues should hang on, shallow leagues never should have grabbed ahold.
Jeff Teague – Averaging five assists in his last two games after averaging 1.6 in the first five. He has a pulse, but the defibrillator is still nearby.
Kevin Garnett – He shot .300 percent from the floor and was a team low -4 for Boston. I don’t want to say he was a team cancer … which is why I typed it.
Serge Ibaka – 8/11 with a steal in almost 37 minutes. He has so much promise, but the knock was that he would have a rough time getting minutes. Jeff Green went down, Serge gets his minutes and that promise ain’t there. I guess no one made him cross his heart and hope to die-baka. | http://basketball.razzball.com/houstons-ankles-rankle | 1,643 |
January 5, 2007
Army East recruiting: New leader for Austin
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - While Friday was just a walk-through day for the East team, there was plenty of big recruiting news coming from all directions led by a new leader for the nation's No. 2 player, defensive tackle Marvin Austin.
'Noles take charge
The distance between Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles is becoming bigger and bigger when it comes to Austin's decision.
"I can't see myself going that far," said the 6-foot-2, 320-pounder. "The more I think about it the further away it seems."
Austin recently spoke with USC transfer Antwine Perez, who is transferring to Maryland or Michigan.
"He didn't really talk a lot about the distance, it was more about not being allowed to ball," said Austin. "When you're not playing football it can seem like a long way from home. I think I'd play right away but it's still a long distance."
That puts one school in the driver's seat for Austin's services.
"I guess you could say Florida State is on top now," he said. "North Carolina is up there as well but I'm really feeling FSU. I'm still going on an unofficial visit to North Carolina on Jan. 12, Jan. 19 is my official to FSU and then I might take an official to Maryland after that but I'm not sure yet."
Is Southern Cal out for good?
"Nah, they're still in there but I can't see getting past the distance."
Change of heart and position?
Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln tight end Lansford Watson hasn't been able to do too much when it comes to on-field activity this week due to an injured foot. However, he has learned one thing in his limited time on the field.
"I don't want to play tight end," said the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder who plays wideout in high school. "I don't want to be blocking those 280-pound guys all the time and not getting the ball where I can do some things. I'm going to drop the weight when I get back home and get down to around 215 pounds. I want to play wideout."
That decision could also affect his college destination.
"I'm not sure if I'm going to end up at Maryland," he said. "I'm going to take visits to Syracuse and Rutgers for sure when I get back. They've recruited me as a wide receiver since the beginning. I guess I didn't realize how much I'd miss playing wide receiver until I got down here."
Watson hasn't set any official visit dates as of yet.
"I'll do that when I get back home."
More good news for Rutgers
All indications are that Piscataway, N.J. offensive tackle Anthony Davis will put on a Rutgers hat on Saturday when he announces his decision sometime during the game. While Davis has been very tight-lipped about the decision, some of his teammates have not, referring to the Scarlet Knights often when he's around.
Davis will choose between Rutgers and Ohio State but based on what his teammates and another very good source have been saying, it will be Greg Schiano's team.
Four for Noel
Florida running back Noel Devine is still deciding whether he'll attend Milford Academy or Hargrave Military and if it will be this upcoming semester or in August. Devine plans to take a visit to Milford next week when he returns from San Antonio.
As for college choices, Devine said that four schools are still in the mix for him.
"LSU, West Virginia, Florida and Florida State are still recruiting me," he said. "It all depends on if I get my test score or not if I'll sign someplace. I don't have any leaders right now, I want to visit Milford first and then take things from there."
More from J'Courtney
Wednesday we broke the news that Virginia commitment J'Courtney Williams was thinking about taking an official visit to Virginia Tech in January after talking with Hokie commitment Tyrod Taylor. Now it seems another school is in the mix as well.
Sources have told me that J'Courtney's mom has contacted North Carolina as has expressed interest in the Heels as well. What will come of this, if anything, is not yet known but there is some life to this.
Irish eyes will be
Will Irish eyes be smiling after Saturday? The answer to that sounds a lot like no with a little bit of yes thrown in. No, Irish fans won't be thrilled if safety/linebacker Lorezo Edwards commits to Florida as expected. And they will certainly be upset if Chris Donald picks Tennessee as the most recent rumors indicate after the Irish were the team to beat earlier in the week. And if Ben Martin picks Ohio State as many expect and if Chris Little picks FSU, it will look like a whitewash for Notre Dame. However, sources indicate that offensive tackle Matt Romine will be picking the Irish to provide some excitement for Notre Dame fans.
...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial | http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?ReturnTo=&script=content.asp&cid=626422&fid=&tid=&mid=&rid= | 1,090 |
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Under the right circumstances, Jason Bay wants to give up his No. 44 jersey. Bay, who has worn the number since he was traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox at the trading deadline in 2008, said he is hoping to give the number to Jason Isringhausen if Isringhausen makes the team.
“I’ve tried to hit against him and I know how good he is,” Bay said. “I hope he makes it because he’s a great pitcher and he’ll make our team better. And if he does, I’m giving him the shirt. It’s his. I want him to have it.”
Isringhausen was first issued No. 44 as a rookie with the Mets in 1995. He wore it with the Athletics, the Cardinals and the Rays. (In 1999 he wore No. 48 for 20 games with the A’s.) When he was signed to a minor league contract and invited to camp last week, he was given No. 45 and half jokingly said he would ask Bay about a switch if he made the team.
But Bay, in all seriousness, said he would happily give it to Isringhausen, and would not even ask for a Rolex in return. Bay wore No. 2 with the Padres and No. 38 with the Pirates. He said he would see what other numbers were available if he relinquished No. 44.
Bay had two hits in 11 career at-bats against Isringhausen, but both of them were home runs. | http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/bay-says-hell-gladly-give-up-no-44-but/?ref=sports | 336 |
Beat the Streak Report: Aug. 27
Today’s Recommended Picks
- .636 AVG (7-for-11) lifetime vs. Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa
- .545 AVG (6-for-11) lifetime vs. Reds starter Micah Owings
- .500 AVG (6-for-12) lifetime vs. Reds starter Micah Owings
For the first time all week, each BTS heavy hitter marched on towards the ultimate goal of 57 in a row. Overall leader jagzrule77 notched his 36th consecutive correct pick by choosing Carlos Lee, who responded with a 3-for-4 night.
Staying on his tail and in sole possession of second place was thatsawinner, who rode the hot bat of Miguel Cabrera (1-for-5) to a 35-game streak.
Remaining in a tie for third were cwahl and phadrus74, who went with Derek Jeter (1-for-4) and Joe Mauer (2-for-4), respectively, to extend their runs to 34 games each.
Yesterday’s Top 5 most selected players
1. Ichiro Suzuki (SEA): 12.6%, 0-for-0
2. Derek Jeter (NYY): 10.3%, 1-for-4
3. Joe Mauer (MIN): 7.1%, 2-for-4
4. Dustin Pedroia (BOS): 6.6%, 1-for-4
5. Chone Figgins (LAA): 4.9%, 2-for-3 | http://beatthestreak.mlblogs.com/2009/08/27/beat-the-streak-report-aug-27/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=4b5b0dc21b | 333 |
Antrel Rolle Upset at Giants Teammates Who Praised RG3
Here is what Rolle had to say about his Giants teammates giving respect to their opponents and specifically RG3.
“I think we need to start giving more credit after the game as opposed to before the game,” Rolle said during his weekly appearance on WFAN radio. “Personally, that’s not anything I’ve been too fond of. Do I respect my opponents? I respect them. You know, I’ll give credit when credit’s due. But I’m not going to kiss anyone’s butt before the game. That’s something that I’m never, ever going to do as long as I’m playing the game of football.
“I think we just need to get back to being a little nasty, having a nasty attitude, get a little bit more dog in us, and go out there and play the game.”
I understand what he is saying. It is easy to relax a bit when you have two super bowl rings. One thing we know about the Giants is either they are going to tank or they are going to make a run. Will be interesting to see what happens this time around. | http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2012/12/antrel-rolle-upset-at-giants-teammates-who-praised-rg3/comment-page-1/ | 269 |
Today is a very special day for hockey fans around the bay area as hockey returns to the HP Pavilion. In celebration of hockey in the Bay Area, HP Pavilion will host its first-ever ECHL game. It will be the first ECHL game hosted by an NHL arena since the Peoria Rivermen took on the Wheeling Nailers at the Mellon Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 20, 2002. In that game, the Wheeling Nailers defeated the Peoria Riverman that resulted in a 6-5 final. The Bulls and Sharks connection now comes full circle. The Sharks played their first two seasons (1991-93) at the Cow Palace, before moving to San Jose.
Before and after the game, all attendees are strongly encouraged to patronize one of downtown San Jose’s businesses to support them during the absence of NHL hockey at HP Pavilion.
In addition, the Sharks Foundation will be hosting a “Toys for Tots” toy drive at the North and South Entrances of HP Pavilion. Guests can bring a new, unwrapped toy or make a monetary donation to support those less fortunate during the holiday season. All donors will receive a raffle ticket for prize drawings to be held that night.
With tonight’s sacrifice the San Francisco Bulls are willing to give up one night of tickets revenues for the opportunity to expand their already existing ECHL audience. Bulls Co-Owner and Head Coach Pat Curcio had this say about the opportunity for his team playing at the Shark Tank. A place which is listed at # 5 as one of the toughest NHL arena’s to play at. “We have an opportunity to sell our merchandise to 18,000 people and build our brand, build our identity.” “All these people who are in the building can see the product — it’s live, it’s real.”
Curcio also sees the game as a chance to motivate his players — including Sharks prospects Thomas Heemskerk, Taylor Nelson, Daniil Tarasov and Marek Viedensky. And his point applies to the visiting Thunder as well.
Tonight the San Francisco Bulls take on the Stockton Thunder at the HP Pavilion in San Jose home of the NHL’s Western Conference power house the San Jose Sharks. Going into today’s matchup, the Bulls are currently in sixth place of the ECHL Western Conference with a 11-15-1-2 record. While the Thunder are positioned in fourth place of the Western Conference with a 14-7-3-2 record. One the season, the Bulls are 3-0 against the Thunder with tonight’s contest making it the fourth of 13 meetings between these two Pacific Division rivals.
The last time these two met was back on Thursday night at the Bulls home the Cow Palace. In that game, the Bulls fell behind and had to comeback twice in the third period. Late in the third period, after San Francisco’s Andrew Crescenzi tied it up at three, the Stockton Thunder took a costly penalty when Thunders forward #11 Phil Mangan was caught for a hick stick that resulted in double minor. In that contest, the game would go into overtime with the Bulls on the power play. Shortly into the overtime period, Bulls forward #91 Peter Sivak ripped the puck past Stockton’s goaltender #30 Tyler Bunz to complete the comeback for San Francisco and beat the Thunder in a 4-3 final.
San Francisco recently completed a two game mini road trip in which they posted a 1-1 record. The Bulls enter in tonight’s matchup having come off of a 4-1 victory in Bakersfield that featured Dean Ouellet’s 15th tally of the season. It was also a special night for San Francisco as Kris Belan knotted the franchises first shorthanded goal in team history, that took place in the third period of that contest. In addition, Bulls goaltender Thomas Heemsherk recorded his 10th win of the season.
For the visiting Stockton Thunder, they recently took on the Colorado Eagles at their home that resulted in a 1-1 split. Last Friday, the Thunder defeated the Eagles 4-1 but were edged by Colorado on Saturday 2-1.
Offensively, the San Francisco Bulls are paced by Captain Justin Bowers and leading goal scorer Dean Ouellet, each with 26 points. For the Stockton Thunder, they led up front by Harrison Reed with 26 points. He is tied for the team lead with 13 goals with Toni Rajala.
Tonight’s Scouting Report:
Goals: Dean Ouellet – 15
Assists: Justin Bowers – 19
Points: Justin Bowers, Dean Ouellet – 26
Plus/Minus: Scott Langdon – +8
PIM: Kris Belan – 92
Wins: Thomas Heemskerk – 10
GAA: Thomas Heemskerk – 3.30
Save %: Thomas Heemskerk – .900
Dean Ouellet – seven points (3g, 4a) in the past seven games
Sacha Guimond – five assists in the past five games
Goals: Toni Rajala, Harrison Reed – 13
Assists: Yannick Riendeau – 18
Points: Harrison Reed – 26
Plus/Minus: Eric Hunter – +12
PIM: Garet Hunt – 108
Wins: Tyler Bunz – 8
GAA: Cody Reichard – 2.41
Save %: Cody Reichard – .920
Shutouts: Cody Richard, Tyler Bunz – 1
Cody Reichard – 3-0-1 and 1 SO in his past three games
Yannick Riendeau – 11 points (3g, 11a) in his past 10 games
*****Stats tracking courtesy of the San Francisco Bulls*****
The puck is set to drop at 7:30p at the HP Pavilion. Tonight’s game can be heard on KNBR.com and for America One Sports subscribers can be seen live on their website.
LETS GO BULLS!!!!!!!!!
Be sure to follow all of your BoT staff on twitter!!!
Blades of Teal: The Final Word On San Jose Sharks, Worcester Sharks, and San Francisco Bulls hockey | http://bladesofteal.com/2012/12/17/hockey-returns-to-the-tank-as-sharks-host-san-francisco-bulls-vs-stockton-thunder/ | 1,321 |
Philadelphia 76ers Fall to Washington Wizards, Lose Grip on Atlantic Lead
After receiving a rare two days of rest, it appeared the Sixers would be primed to beat up on the lowly Wizards, just as they had done on three previous occasions this season.
Unfortunately, Doug Collins' squad lacked the intensity necessary to beat the 12-39 Wizards.
Shooting just 36 percent from the field, the Sixers looked dreadful They settled for jump shots when they could have driven the lane, and, to add insult to injury, they shot just 3-of-14 from distance.
The Sixers also found no way to follow up their misses, as they were out-rebounded by 14 on the night.
Just one Sixers' starter, Evan Turner, scored in double figures. He had 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. A team that typically depends on balanced scoring, the Sixers had very little of it.
Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young were the only other Sixers to score in double figures. They each had 14 points, shooting a combined 9-of-21 shooting from the field.
To prove just how bad this game was, you have to dig into the past of Wizard's leading scorer Cartier Martin. A recent D-League call-up, he posted 20 points in 26 minutes on a Sixer squad that is renowned as one of the league's top defensive units.
Martin, obviously, thought otherwise, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three.
So, where do things stand after the ugliest loss of the season?
Of their last 12 road games, the Sixers have won just three.
If the season ended today, the Sixers would be the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, matching them up with the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
What is the duplicate article?
Why is this article offensive?
Where is this article plagiarized from?
Why is this article poorly edited? | http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1126663-sixers-cant-handle-wizards-lose-grip-on-atlantic-division | 418 |
Carolina Panthers: Why John Fox Won't Be Around in 2011
Going into his ninth season as head coach of the Carolina Panthers John Fox still has a lot of work to do if he wants to surpass last season's 8-8 mark. Unfortunately looking at the voids the Panthers have at quarterback and wide receiver it appears unlikely that last season's mark will be improved on.
Fox did little during the off season to bolster either position for the upcoming season. Instead he drafted, acquired and released players who could potentially get the Panthers back on track for 2011 and 2012. While he attempted to make great strides towards steering the Panthers offense into a more balanced attack, he may have made those efforts a season to late.
Ultimately Fox has gone into a rebuilding mode at a time when Carolina needs to be in a win now mode for 2010. While his efforts have not gone unnoticed, they could lead to his release after this season concludes.
After the 2009 season speculation was rampant that Fox may be replaced. Talks of former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher replacing Fox were circulating and since the rumor mill has gone full steam ahead. Fox answered by using the 2010 draft as a foundation for the future, drafting two quarterbacks, three wide receivers, two defensive ends and three defensive backs. These were the four biggest voids hindering the Panthers in 2009.
Though talented, the recent draftees probably won't develop into a championship outfit this year. Fox looks to have built a team he will not be around to see prosper.
After evaluating the schedule for the upcoming season while looking at the experience and depth the Panthers have coming in, it is my belief that they will be looking at a 7-9 finish. That being said, it is also my belief the Panthers will be without Fox for the first time in nine years at the start of the 2011 campaign.
The NFL is a "what have you done for me lately" league with a very short memory. Fox is lucky in that he is well liked by the brass in Carolina and has been able to retain his position for as long as he has. Had Fox been with a more fickle organization such as the New York Jets or Oakland Raiders, he probably would have been replaced in 2007 after the Panthers finished at or below .500 for the second straight year.
There will be those who say he is a great coach that led the Panthers to the 2003 Super Bowl and the 2005 NFC Championship game. To those people I offer this,In his eight years with the Panthers Fox has only finished above .500 three times.
Have faith Fox fans, he will coach again, just somewhere else.
While the perfect fit for Carolina still looks to be Bill Cowher we will have to wait to see who takes over the team that Fox built in 2011.
What is the duplicate article?
Why is this article offensive?
Where is this article plagiarized from?
Why is this article poorly edited? | http://bleacherreport.com/articles/403606-nine-defeats-of-seperation-why-john-fox-wont-be-around-in-2011 | 598 |
BREAKING NEWS! Under New Presidents, SEC Becomes Its Own Division in NCAA
The article below is completely satirical and my joke on a conference that never allows for anyone to criticize them. It is a complete JOKE so if you do not have a sense of humor please don't read.
Breaking news coming from the SEC football conference.
Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Les Miles have been named the Co-Presidents of the Southeastern Conference beginning in 2009.
The former SEC commissioner, Michael Adams, has decided to resign due to the constant hate mail and pressure from the SEC fans. The fans have been demanding for years that there needs to be a new playoff system as well as even more biased media coverage, but Adams was not willing to change anything.While Saban, Meyer, and Miles have all been named the Co-Presidents due to their habitual SEC propensity, current South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier has been named Vice President.
The first order of business for these four men is something that will change college football entirely and might just make the SEC fans more dedicated and narrow-minded than ever before (who would have thought it was possible?).
The following excerpt is a direct quote from Miles' email which was sent to ESPN almost immediately following the announcement of the new SEC Presidents:
"It is our main goal and objective to completely make the SEC stand out as the best and only real conference in college football. Beginning in 2009 we have requested that the Southeastern Conference is the only conference allowed in NCAA Division 0A.
We have asked permission and have been granted it from the NCAA to remove all 12 SEC teams from Division 1A and put them in our own division and conference, NCAA 0A. We chose the number 0 because that is exactly how many teams outside of the SEC that can beat any of our teams.
SEC coaches and staff will no longer be allowed to recruit west of Louisiana and north of Arkansas and South Carolina. The other conferences will not be allowed to recruit anywhere southeast of Arkansas and directly south of South Carolina. We feel this won't change our level of play since our football is already the greatest in the country
There will be NO games out of conference or out of Division 0A scheduled. We feel it is important because we want our teams to always play the best competition.
Each team will play all 11 opponents every season and the SEC Div. 0A East winner will play the SEC Div. 0A West winner. The SEC Div. 0A conference championship will also be the National Championship.
All other conferences like the Pac 10, Big 12, ACC, Big 10 and any other conference that we're not worried about, will play for the National Championship "Runner Up" trophy. We feel this is the best thing for our conference and for the rest of the nation because it is already a given that our teams are far superior than any others.
All Div. 0A SEC Conference teams will play one preseason game against the four worst NFL teams from the previous year. The NFL has agreed to the terms and the four worst teams will play their three preseason games against the Div. 0A SEC teams.
Another main objective that we have is to keep ESPN and CBS on our side. ESPN and Div. 0A SEC has agreed to a contract that will allow three games to be played on ESPN on Saturday's and CBS will air a Thursday night game as well as a Friday Night double-header beginning at 5 PM.
One thing that our conference could not agree with the NCAA about is our wish to create our own All-American Team. Instead, the NCAA has agreed to guarantee the SEC half of the All-American roster spots. We feel this is fair since we will most likely have additional players named anyway's.
The ESPN Gameday Crew will only be allowed to attend SEC games. In addition, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit have asked if they can have an on camera interview with Tim Tebow each week. Tebow agreed to those terms and was quoted as saying 'That will be a huge honor, Kirk and Chris, God bless.'
It is not only our objective but it is our priority to bring all of you obsessed and dedicated SEC fans pure happiness and feelings of superiority among all other football conferences in the nation. It is pure degradation when anyone compares or mentions another conference team with one of ours.
We will do anything and everything to help the SEC stand-out among the rest and we feel these notions above will give us the best shot at determining who the best teams are in the country. We wanted to fix the BCS so we did, we got out of it because quite frankly, the SEC deserves to be crowned annually as having the best team in the country... if not the best 12 teams."
Your new SEC Presidents
As any college football fan can tell, this is a pretty big breaking news story and we're positive that the only fans we care about will love these new Presidents and their rules.
There is one other pending rule that is on the table that ESPN is considering that was not mentioned in the email...The new Presidents have asked that Lee Corso is fired from the ESPN Gameday crew because of his unfair passion for the Big 12.
My final thoughts are these...if Bob Stoops thought the ESPN supported the SEC before these new regulations, what will he think now?
The SEC and their fans got exactly what they wanted but it is just a matter of time before the fans ask for their conference champion to play the Super Bowl winner. Vegas reports that if that indeed became a game, the NFL team would be an eight touchdown favorite.
I sure hope SEC fans and players don't get a hold of those Vegas odds or else...they might feel disrespected...for once.
What is the duplicate article?
Why is this article offensive?
Where is this article plagiarized from?
Why is this article poorly edited? | http://bleacherreport.com/articles/92711-breaking-news-under-new-presidents-sec-becomes-its-own-division-in-ncaa | 1,207 |
Die Hard BIG RED Nebraska Fan. Attended NU during the glory years of 1970. Ran sprints on the NU track team ... 9.5 in the 100 finals of Big 8 ... got last place. Enjoyed the journey. There is NO place like Nebraska.
Favorite Sports Teams
Nebraska Football, New Mexico State Soccer
ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 or SEC?
Jim does not have any awards.
Jim does not have any recent activity.
Jim is not a member of any communities.
Jim does not have any fans.
Get real time news for your favorite teams.
Available for most mobile devices.
B/R's Sports Media Internship and general Writer Program can give you the tools and opportunities you need to accelerate your career.
Copyright © 2013 Bleacher Report, Inc. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
BleacherReport.com is part of Bleacher Report - Turner Sports Network, part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Network.
Certain photos copyright © 2013 by Getty Images.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited. | http://bleacherreport.com/users/666515-jim-novak | 239 |
Angels Sweep the Nationals, Presidents’ Race and All
The Angels swept the Nationals and, oh yeah, we went to a baseball game on Monday! Work has been plentiful, all consuming, fun and, occasionally, FUn this week – I came home from Monday’s game and moved a project along until 2am, that kind of fun. Between that and the games I suddenly looked up, it’s Thursday already and I haven’t posted my photos. Oh well…
Our seats for Monday night’s game were just to the foul side of the foul pole down the first base line, in the second row. Prime visitor’s section this. And, indeed, we set in front of and behind two families of Nationals fans vacationing in Los Angeles and next to a Phillies fan and his young daughters who were here on one of the middle stops of a larger baseball tour vacation. They had just come from Seattle and were headed out to Arizona then Texas. So jealous! When everyone has the right attitude, visiting fans can be a kick to enjoy the game with and all parties involved in this particular case were really nice and a lot of fun to chat/snark with.
Bobby Abreu leads off of second. Being on the field level, these seats were excellent for catching glimpses of personality on the field, some of which I got on camera. As you can see, Bobby is a talker on the base paths, especially at second base. He always wears a huge smile and gestures broadly with his hands so it is unclear for the most part if he’s goofing around, talking trash, just shooting the breeze or what. Probably a little of columns A, B and C. What little I catch of it on TV is pretty darned funny…and of course he has 13 stolen bases (not bad for one of the few ballplayers left who are older than me ) so perhaps this is all part of his strategy. Get ‘em laughing, then break for third?
Vernon Wells at bat. These seats were not, however, the best for views or photos of the plate. The first base umpire is always in the way. That’s okay. Ssometimes I enjoy having a closer vantage of the outfield and plays at second. Wells is continuing to heat up in June. He hit a single this at bat, which eventually lead to a run and then went four for five on Tuesday with a crucial two-run homerun. And Angels fans are starting to respond. Both developments are very welcome indeed.
Catcher Bobby Wilson and Pitching Coach Mike Butcher meet with Ervin Santana on the mound. Santana got off to an uneven start, giving up homeruns in the 2nd and 4th, but settled into a good rhythm after that. He lasted eight innings and on the Angels, starters don’t pitch in the 9th inning unless they’re pitching a shutout or something equally spectacular, so that’s pretty darned good.
Just a random shot of the Angels bullpens. The bullpens at the Big A are terraced, which is a little unusual. The Angels bullpen on the lowest “step” in the front. And if you look at the photo you can see the Nationals in the visitor’s bullpen one step up and behind the home bullpen. Starting another “step” above the visitor’s bullpen you have the Left Field Pavilion seats. In this bullpen shot you can see Angels relievers Michael Kohn (standing up), Fernando Rodney, Hisanori Takashi’s translator, Hisanori Takashi and Jordan Walden kneeling down and…what? Praying? Vomiting? Spitting sunflower seeds? Catching a few ZZZs? Probably the real answer isn’t nearly as funny so I’m going to go with one of mine.
The Nationals brought the Racing Presidents with them to Anaheim for the series. So was this a) an incredibly stupid idea, b) a fine example of Interleague sharing of baseball cultures and traditions, or c) I really hate Interleague and fail to see how these two comments are mutually exclusive? You make the call. I initially thought the idea was kind of dumb, only because this is the Nationals’ tradition and it’s the Angels ballpark. But it was kind of fun to see and it provided a between innings icebreaker with the Nationals fans around us. I took the opportunity to ask, so, what’s the deal with Teddy? He’s really never won? I mostly knew the answer, but it was fun hearing all about the goofy, fun tradition from fans. We’d been talking a little between innings before that, but talked a lot more often after: relievers we love/who make us cringe, hitters who are starting to do better than their batting average indicates, overinflated contracts…it turns out Angels fans and Nationals fans have a frightening amount in common.
Nationals Catcher Wilson Ramos and Pitching Coach Steve McCatty meet with Pitcher John Lannan on the mound. All was going well for Lannan and the game was tied 2 to 2 until the Angels started hitting in the 6th. The Angels scored their third run shortly after this meeting and then Lannan was pulled. I love the photo because of the facial expressions and body language. I can only imagine the conversation that went with it. McCatty: Alright then, how are we going to get out of this? Lannan: Well, gee I don’t know Coach. I thought maybe I’d throw some strikes and get him out.
Mark Trumbo grows impatient during the meeting on the mound - again, with being able to catch glimpses of personality from these seats. Mark Trumbo is usually as professional in demeanor as a veteran so I was amused to see him visibly impatient at another break in this already lengthy at bat, with his cheeks puffed out like an exasperated little kid. Very cute actually. He ground into a double play this at bat, but was pretty solid at the plate this series. His average is creeping back up again and he is the American League’s rookie homerun leader with 13. Coincidentally, the Nationals’ Danny Espinosa is the Rookie Major League homerun leader.
The Nationals outfielders, Roger Bernardina, Laynce Nix and Jayson Werth meet during the subsequent pitching change. ‘Damn Werth, you have lots of friends over here too. You’re a real popular guy in Anaheim.’ Suffice to say, Angels fans were heckling Werth all night, which isn’t surprising. There are a few folks I see regularly in this section and the left most corner of the right field MVP section (Season ticket holders? Maybe, maybe not.) who heckle pretty much everyone, occasionally even our own players. Whether or not that was the topic of the outfielders’ conversation, I’m sure Werth is used to it by now.
Peter Bourjos and Vernon Wells joke after Peter snags a fly ball to end the inning. The outfield chemistry is shaping up much better as the months role by. This is very helpful, especially with various assorted centerfielders, corner outfielders turned DH and the occasional second baseman flopping roles in the outfield on a regular basis to accommodate injuries, Interleague and random acts of lineup juggling.
Yes that is Torii Hunter right in front of me in right field. The news report prior to Monday’s game was that Torii took batting and fielding practice Monday and looked good enough to return soon, possibly as soon a Wednesday. Imagine our delight when they brought him in as an unexpected substitution in the top of the 8th inning. The whole crowd erupted and we went especially crazy in the seats around right field with our welcome backs.
Jorda Walden takes the mound in the 9th. Unfortunately this would prove to be another blown save for Walden, his third in a row, when he gave up a two-out homerun to Danny Espinosa. The young Nationals fan in front of us turned around and informed me “Blown Save”. Thanks kid, I kind of figured that one out on my own. No liner notes needed. So, am I worried about Walden? No. Not at all. When I started advocating making the rookie our closer, I knew there would be some growing pains. This is a kid who had every intention of being a starter and never thought about the closer’s role until it turned out he had quite the aptitude for it this season. So far, he has 18 saves (including last night’s) which is respectable. And when he does blow it, instead of crumbling, Walden is right back in the game to get the next batter. Monday night when he gave up the homerun, he threw the next pitch for a called strike and then coaxed the batter into a ground out to end the inning. And he was right back in the game on Wednesday night with a 1-0 lead on the line and got the save. That says something to me. We will probably witness a few more growing pains this season, but I have no doubts that Jordan Walden is our closer.
Scott Downs pitches in the 10th as Howie Kendrick (who moved to first base in the 8th when Torii came in to the game) moves into position. I mentioned we were chatting about relievers with the Nationals fans? Well, Scott Downs is one of the few I never worry about. When I look over to the bullpen and see Downs warming up, with that distinctive haircut easily identifiable across the field, I breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, he has an off outing here and there, but by and large he comes in and gets it done and he has five wins for the season, as many as some teams’ starters, to prove it. Monday night and the rest of the Nationals series was no exception.
Brian Bixler stands on second flanked by second baseman Maicer Izturis and third baseman Alberto Callaspo. Bixler reached 2nd on an uncharacteristic fielding error by Maicer. There were an annoying number of Angels fielding errors this series actually, but we recovered from all of them to sweep. I hope the errors are more an indication of tiredness from the epic Four Corners Road Trip than anything more trend setting, shall we say.
Peter Bourjos takes a long lead off third. I think it is safe to say that Bourjos has worked through his slump at the plate. He went four for five on Monday with one RBI and was a crucial component of the 10th inning rally, knocking a ground rules double into the stands mere feet from my seat, that put Callaspo in scoring position for Maicer Izturis’ walk-off single. Yes, when that happened I tapped the young Nationals fan in front of us on the shoulder and informed him “Walk off.” Fair’s fair right? Acutally, everyone was laughing both over the “Blown Save” and the “Walk Off.” | http://blithescribe.mlblogs.com/2011/06/30/angels-sweep-the-nationals-presidents-race-and-all/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=6952e6b5fb | 2,323 |
Jim Durham, the veteran announcer who died over the weekend at his home near Tomball, was remembered Monday by colleagues as much for his kindness and good nature off the court as for the talents that brought him a career achievement award from the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame.
Durham, 65, lived on a farm in Rose Hill, located between Tomball and Waller, during the latter part of a lengthy career that included almost two decades (1973-91) as the voice of the Chicago Bulls.
“The voice of champions,” Michael Jordan said in a text message to ESPNChicago.com. “I will miss him.”
Durham spent 15 years as the lead NBA announcer on ESPN Radio alongside analyst Jack Ramsay. He also called Dallas Mavericks games from 1993 through 2001 and was part of the original Home Sports Entertainment broadcast team in the early 1980s. He also did several Rockets games on radio in the fall of 1992 when Gene Peterson was recovering from surgery.
“He was one of the nicest guys I’ve worked with and one of the handful that I respected, and he was a great broadcaster,” said Rockets announcer Bill Worrell, who worked with Durham at HSE.
“He loved working with the Bulls and with ‘Big Red,’ John Kerr, but then ESPN got him and put him on nationwide, and the rest of us got to love him, too. He and Jack Ramsay were great partners.”
Durham “knew the NBA backward and forward,” said Milo Hamilton, a friend since their days in Chicago in the 1980s. “The players and coached loved him, and there was no one better at his job.”
Away from the court, former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said he frequently flew to games with Durham and that the announcer “talked all the time about working on the farm, getting out on the tractor and doing his chores. He was the sweetest, nicest guy, and (ESPN announcer) Mike Breen says his calls were as good as anyone who has ever done the game.”
Durham was a three-time Illinois Sportscaster of the year and in 2011 received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the basketball Hall of Fame. He also called baseball games for several years, including Astros games on HSE for three seasons and, in 2005 for ESPN Radio, the 18-inning marathon playoff game between the Braves and Astros decided by Chris Burke’s home run. He also did several Rockets games on radio in the fall of 1992 when Gene Peterson was recovering from surgery.
“Jim was a respected play-by-play specialist who combined a tremendous gift for storytelling with a Hall of Fame voice,” said Mo Davenport, ESPN Radio’s senior vice president and general manager. “He’s been a dedicated friend and a trusted teammate to so many at ESPN for two decades, and he will be greatly missed.”
Durham’s final broadcast was the Tuesday night’s season opener between the Celtics and Heat.
No cause of death was announced immediately. Survivors include his wife, Helen, their three children, Patrick, Richard and Tracy, and several grandchildren. | http://blog.chron.com/sportsmedia/2012/11/veteran-announcer-jim-durham-dies-at-houston-area-home/ | 676 |
Deanna Favre, wife of Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre, declined to comment on Favre's recent allegation of sexting former New York Jets employe Jenn Sterger in 2008 when Favre was the quarterback for the Jets.
Deanna Favre told ABC'S "Good Morning America" interviewer Robin Roberts that faith will guide her through the situation, the Star Tribune reported.
"But faith really is my crutch, it's always been my crutch," Favre told Roberts. "It always gets me through. It got me through many struggles that you can read [in the book]."
Deanna Favre appeared on "Fox and Friends" and "Good Morning America" to promote her book co-authored with Pastor Shane Stanford "The CURE for the Chronic Life."
The Pioneer Press reports Deanna Favre's interviews on "Fox and Friends" and "Good Morning America" were scheduled before the sexting allegations started. | http://blog.lib.umn.edu/pluym001/3101newsfall2010/2010/10/deanna-favre-said-faith-will-get-her-through-this-rough-time-as-it-always-has.html | 195 |
The gregarious second-year tight end had a conversation with Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips on the field for several minutes after practice.
There was no laughing or joking going around during the chat. Afterward, Bennett left the field without talking to the media – a first for camp.
We’ll let you know if we find out more. It’s sure to be a question posed to Phillips at his 2:30 p.m. briefing. | http://blog.mysanantonio.com/nfl/2009/08/whats-up-with-bennett/?gta=commentlistpos | 95 |
I've been a professional wrestling fan ever since I was a kid, when my old man used to take me to matches in Hawaii, featuring guys like Ripper Collins, Tex MacKenzie, and Curtis "the Bull" Iaukea.
As a 13-year-old boy, I was hooked instantly. And it is something I carried all the way into my adult life.
But it's been pretty tough being a wrestling fan the past few years.
You see, professional wrestling is a cyclical business.
And the cycle has been decidedly on the "down side" for the past couple of years...ever since Vince McMahon and the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) basically won the interpromotional wars of the nineties (the last time professional wrestling was really hot) and absorbed all of the competition.
Back then, at least for a time when wrestling was at it's peak, there would be competing pay per views nearly every week between the three major players in the game:
Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (or the then WWF); Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling (WCW); and Paul Heyman's revolutionary upstart group, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).
Like I said, it was a great time to be a wrestling fan.
And it all came together each and every Monday night...when WWF's Monday Night Raw would square off with WCW's Nitro on cable, in what came to be known as "The Monday Night Wars".
Since those glory days, Monday Night Wrestling has been in a steady, undeniable creative decline. Oh sure, there are the occassional weeks when you still get a decent show.
But nothing compared to the shock a minute thrills of the original "Monday Night Wars" of the nineties.
That was when the big boys of the then WWF and WCW went head to head in a constant battle of oneupmanship for wrestling supremacy...and of course, for ratings.
Meanwhile, the upstart Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) kept the heat turned way up (literally) on the big boys with it's own mix of edgy storylines, (catfighting lesbian vixens we're a regular fixture) and staged ultra violence (things like barbed wire and flaming table matches...with lots of blood).
As a reference point, I highly recommend checking out the recently released DVD Bloodsport: ECW's Most Violent Matches. | http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/wrestlemania-22-the-grandaddy-of-em/ | 497 |
Alabama’s Eddie Lacy slammed into three Georgia defenders who met him in a hole at the line of scrimmage. Instead of going down, Lacy spun out and finished with a 32-yard gain.
A few plays, later he dove into the end zone from an inch away. Whether the Crimson Tide needed an inch or a mile, Lacy and Alabama’s running game could practically call their shot in the Tide’s 32-28 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship game on Saturday night at the Georgia Dome.
Lacy rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns to earn most valuable player honors. The total was the third-highest in SEC Championship game history. He wasn’t the only weapon. T.J. Yeldon rushed for 153 yards as the Tide totaled 350 rushing yards, breaking the record of 300 they set against Florida in 1999. Yeldon and Lacy became the first two backs on the same team to break 100 yards in SEC Championship game history.
“The offensive line did a great job opening holes for T.J. and I,” Lacy said.
The duo was so effective that for most of the second half the Tide made little pretense of thinking about passing the ball, using Lacy, Yeldon or quarterback A.J. McCarron to rake the Bulldogs for 198 yards on 29 carries, a 6.82-yards per carry average. Two touchdown drives in the second half were done without a passing yard.
“They just lined up and knocked us off the ball,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said of the second half.
Even when Lacy or Yeldon didn’t carry the ball they affected the game. And Alabama coach Nick Saban picked the perfect opportunity to take advantage of their threat, calling one of the Tide’s seven pass attempts in the second half in one of the game’s key moments.
Saban said he and his staff began to notice Georgia’s safeties moving closer to the line of scrimmage to try to stop the run. Trailing 28-25, McCarron faked a handoff on first-and-10 on Georgia’s 45. The move caused Georgia cornerback Damian Swann to hesitate, and Amari Cooper ran right by him, with was no safety to help. McCarron hit Cooper in stride for a 45-yard scoring pass that gave the Tide a 32-28 lead with 3:15 left.
“We were going to take a shot in the first play of the series,” Saban said. “A.J. made a great throw, and Cooper made a great catch.”
The Bulldogs did a reasonable job in the first quarter, limiting Alabama to 25 yards. But Lacy got going in the second quarter after 21 yards in the first quarter.
After a 20-yard run on the previous drive, Lacy burst through a hole on the right for with a 41-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The score tied the score at 7-7 with 1:59 left in the first half. He finished with 73 yards in the quarter, part of the Tide’s 127 in the period and 152 in the half.
Alabama almost doubled that in the third quarter, racking up 143 rushing yards in the period as Lacy (176) and Yeldon (106) surpassed 100 yards.
“Eddie did as fine a job as anybody has ever done for us in that situation,” Saban said.
On the play that preceded McCarron’s scoring pass to Cooper, Georgia had Yeldon stopped short of the first down on third-and-5 at the 50. But the defenders were tired, and Yeldon shrugged them off to pick up the first down.
Richt said he didn’t know if his defense was tired, but he said it was obvious they were tired of getting run on.
“It was impressive by their people up front, and we just weren’t able to stop it,” Richt said.
More notes about the rushing game from Alabama’s sports information department | http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-georgia-sports/2012/12/01/lacy-and-alabama-overpower-georgia/ | 856 |
The NHL wasn’t happy with the Atlanta Spirit when they owned the Thrashers. The NBA never has been thrilled with them as Hawks’ owners, either. But the league and Atlanta may be stuck with them a little longer.
Our Tim Tucker is reporting that the proposed sale of the Hawks from the Atlanta Spirit to Los Angeles businessman Alex Meruelo has hit a “significant snag.” You generally can read that as financial.
Tucker noted last week that the league approved the sale of the Philadelphia 76ers but would offer no update on the Hawks’ sale. Now we know why.
Meruelo, whose purchase of the team was announced Aug. 7, subject to league approval, did not deny that the deal might be in trouble in a statement but he maintains that he has the resources to purchase and run the team: “I have more than ample resources to purchase and operate the Hawks in a first-class manner. I am committed to the purchase of the Atlanta Hawks. While I can’t comment on the details of the approval process, I have and will do everything I can to bring the process to a positive conclusion.”
Here’s my first thought: Not again.
Many of the Spirit’s problems stemmed from partners battling each other, usually in course, and those issues filtered down to the sports franchises. It significantly affected the perception of the franchises, hurting the product and even attendance. The Spirit is a damaged brand at this point and new ownership is needed.
Meruelo doesn’t bring any guarantees as to how good of an owner he would be, but he certainly would provide a needed new face in the executive suite.
In short, this would be bad news.
By Jeff Schultz | http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/10/26/hawks-sale-in-peril-is-bad-news-here-we-go-again/?cp=all | 364 |
So did yesterday’s weather get you in the mood for some spring football or what?
And here we are, on the eve of the first day of spring practice at Georgia.
Practice opens Thursday afternoon, with the first session being squeezed in just before UGA’s spring break. The second practice won’t come until March 16. Spring drills end April 10 with the G-Day intra-squad game.
Here are what I expect to be the top five storylines of the Bulldogs’ spring practice (and please add your own below):
1. The quarterback derby. (Duh.)
Georgia has no quarterback in the program who has ever started a college game, making for what offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo calls a “wide open” competition among redshirt freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger and junior Logan Gray. It’s going to be fun to watch how this unfolds.
“The main goal for those guys is to give them equal reps with the No. 1 unit and for each guy to go out there and try to improve every day,” Bobo said. “The big thing for them is to worry about improving themselves, not worry about where they are on the depth chart.”
The rest of us can worry about that. (And here’s a separate story previewing the QB competition.)
2. Installing the new defense.
After two years of consternation in Bulldog Nation about the defense’s play, the spring brings a fresh start. Three of the four defensive coaches are new, including coordinator Todd Grantham, who is installing a 3-4 alignment in place of the former 4-3. The change means many players will be learning new roles and new positions.
“I’m excited to get spring practice started, looking forward to getting on the grass and coaching these guys up and seeing what they can do with some pads on,” Grantham said. “I’m looking forward to . . . letting them fly around a little bit.”
3. Remaking the secondary.
While not directly affected by the switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4, the secondary is starting anew, too. There’s a new defensive backs coach, Scott Lakatos, who players say brings a new approach. Even the footwork is different, they say. Three of last season’s four starters are gone, all except cornerback Brandon Boykin.
“In the secondary, it’s going to be a little different philosophy,” head coach Mark Richt said. “The boundary corners in our old scheme were counted on to do a lot of run support. I don’t know if we’ll be doing quite as much of that. So that might change who plays to the boundary, who plays to the field. . . . We’re just going to be mixing and matching with these guys a little bit just to see who can do what.”
4. Respecting the football.
Of all the things that went wrong last season, the turnovers were the most recurring and most insurmountable. Georgia committed 28 turnovers -– 17 interceptions thrown and 11 fumbles lost -– and only 12 of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams committed more. Ball security will be an urgent priority on the practice field.
“Anytime you struggle as a football team and lose five games — which is not acceptable, we know it’s not acceptable –- you’re going to soul-search for what we can do better,” Bobo said. “The first thing we can do better is block better, take care of the ball better and not turn it over.”
5. Spotting fall’s stars in the springtime.
As with baseball spring training, part of the fun of spring football is identifying future stars. (Or, as Bill King’s Junkyard Blawg puts it, breakout Dawgs.) Spring can mislead, of course, but it also can portend larger roles and greater successes for certain players.
Here are a few emerging players I’ll be watching in that context. Cornelius Washington at outside linebacker. Rantavious Wooten at wide receiver. Branden Smith at cornerback. Orson Charles at tight end. DeAngelo Tyson at the nose. Maybe Richard Samuel at linebacker, depending on the speed of his learning curve. And, of course, the quarterbacks.
OK, your turn. Please add or amend a storyline.
And please follow me on Twitter for updates throughout spring practice. | http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2010/03/03/the-top-five-story-lines-of-georgias-spring-practice-and-please-add-your-own/?cxntfid=blogs_uga_sports_blog | 971 |
Christopher Lewis, assistant at Morgan State the last four seasons, has been named new assistant women’s basketball at Missouri State.
Lewis replaces Carly Stubblefield on Nyla Milleson’s staff. Stubblefield resigned last month.
“He has experience as both a head coach and assistant coach and is a basketball junkie whose ability to recruit and develop players will serve as a strong asset to the Lady Bear program,” Milleson said of Lewis,a head coach for three seasons at Harris-Stowe prior to joining the Morgan State staff.
Lewis, a St. Louis native, turned a Harris-Stowe program that had lost 73 straight games into an NAIA Tournament participant in his second season. He also had assistant-coaching jobs at Missouri Baptist and his alma mater, Emporia State. | http://blogs.news-leader.com/msu/2012/06/13/lady-bears-complete-coaching-staff/ | 172 |
The Blue Jackets' first-period struggles are akin to someone preparing to go skydiving: there’s no such thing as partially skydiving, and the only way to do it successfully is embrace the experience and jump in with both feet.
On too many occasions in the first eight games, the Blue Jackets have seemed uneasy or timid in the first period – and it has cost them dearly. They have given up the first goal in six of those games and have had to overcome two-goal deficits or greater on five occasions, which puts tremendous pressure on the defense and goaltending to be on-point and not allow games to get out of hand.
But once the Blue Jackets have jumped out of that airplane, so to speak, they’ve played well and committed to their style of hockey. The issue now, coach Todd Richards said, is getting the commitment and conviction to start games “on time” and on their toes.
“I think everybody has their own way of getting into it,” Richards said. “When I played, I always wanted to get a hit on the first shift. I felt it got me into the game and gave me a focus. I don’t know what’s going on inside our players’ heads as far as what their goals or objectives are to get themselves into the game.
“As coaches, we try to prepare them and we can certainly try to motivate them, but that comes down to the players preparing themselves. They’re professionals and that’s what they have to do.”
Read the rest of this story by clicking inside the blog post.
The players talked earlier in the week about "starting the game on time" and making sure they're ready to go as soon as the puck drops. Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards talked post-game about how, when he was a player, throwing a hit or taking a hit early in games made him feel emotionally engaged and got the adrenaline going. Considering this game wasn't overly physical at any point, perhaps that's an approach we see when things get started Saturday night against Detroit.
But for the time being, let's break this one down.
Columbus gave up two goals in the first 10:23 of this game and they were two goals that Sergei Bobrovsky never got a good read on. Barret Jackman's wrister traveled through four or five bodies before finding the top corner of the net, and Patrik Berglund's missile from the left circle was out of the net as quickly as it went in.
Regardless of Bobrovsky having a chance on either goal, the Blue Jackets know the answer is all about the way they start the game and making sure the opposition doesn't get scoring chances because they're handed to them.
Read tonight's edition of "Aftermath" by clicking inside this blog post.
Two days later, Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards still didn't sound pleased about Tuesday's game when he met the media this morning at Nationwide Arena.
We heard the phrase "30 minutes of hockey" after a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild and it wasn't one of the Blue Jackets' better performances of the young season. Richards said he had a message for the players when they gathered on the ice for today's morning skate, but the context of the discussion will remain between he and the team.
St. Louis is probably the best opponent for where the Blue Jackets currently are. The Blues are a strong, fast and physical team that demands the most out of its opponent, or else it's a long night. The Blue Jackets can bring nothing less than their "A" game if they want to defeat a Blues club that has won five of its first six games and hasn't shown many weaknesses in its game.
Brian Elliot starts in goal for the Blues and he will face Sergei Bobrovsky for the Blue Jackets. The goaltending matchup is just one of many layers to this game, and the most notable layer is the injury trouble that Columbus has run into of late. Cam Atkinson, Matt Calvert, Nikita Nikitin and Adrian Aucoin are all out of the Blue Jackets lineup, but Richards said this morning that all but Atkinson are expected back within a week.Read tonight's "three keys" to success for the Blue Jackets inside this blog post.
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault has heard the word "no" a lot during his hockey career, which made "yes" sound even better when his phone rang yesterday.
With the American Hockey League still on its All-Star break, Audy-Marchessault wasn't at the rink when he got the news of his recall to Columbus. The bags couldn't be packed fast enough, though, and he joined teammate Tim Erixon on a travel odyssey that saw the pair arrive in Columbus shortly after 9:30 p.m. last night.
The guy affectionately known as "JAM" was somehow an undrafted free agent who signed a one-year, AHL-only deal with the Connecticut Whale after racking up 95 points 68 games with the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) in 2010-11. After a 64-point season (24 goals, 40 assists) with the Whale a year ago, he was not signed to a contract by the New York Rangers and became an unrestricted free agent this past summer.
The Blue Jackets swooped in on July 1 and signed him to a three year, entry-level deal and all he's done since is become the AHL's third-leading scorer and be named a starter for the Eastern Conference at the AHL All-Star Classic.
Not too bad, eh?
"I was really happy to get the chance to play my first game in the NHL tonight," Audy-Marchessault said after today's morning skate. "I'm excited, and obviously it's every hockey player's dream to play in the NHL. You have to keep focused and we have a job to do here. I think I'll be able to do it tonight."Read the rest of this story by clicking inside the blog post.
Good morning and happy game day! The Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues are set for a Central Division clash tonight at Nationwide Arena, and the BlueJackets.com game day blog is here and ready to be your one-stop shop for all the latest news, interviews and more from now until puck drop.
That last sentence kind of rhymed, which would be extra cool if I was planning on it. I actually didn't realize it until after I posted this. Consider it a late edit to make myself feel good.
The skinny on tonight's game: the Blue Jackets are looking to bounce back from Tuesday's 3-2 loss in Minnesota in which they fought back from 2-0 deficit, only to give up the winner with 5:19 to play. They've got an opponent tonight that's playing solid hockey and has won five of its first six games, so it'll be another "all hands on deck" performance needed to get the win.
Let's recap yesterday's happenings before heading down to the Blue Jackets morning skate:
- Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Tim Erixon were called up from Springfield yesterday and both players are expected to make their Blue Jackets debuts tonight. It will be the NHL debut for Audy-Marchessault, 22, who is the third-leading scorer in the AHL and like Erixon, represented the Falcons at last weekend's AHL All-Star Classic in Providence.
Keep up with the latest on game day by following the LIVE blog!
The injury bug has found its way to the Blue Jackets, but on the bright side, it presents an opportunity for some of the organization's prospects to step up and contribute.
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Tim Erixon were recalled by the club this afternoon in the wake of more injuries suffered in the last two games. Both players recently appeared in the AHL's All-Star Weekend in Providence, where Audy-Marchessault and Erixon were named starters for the Eastern Conference.
More affectionately known as "JAM," Audy-Marchessault is currently the third-leading scorer in the AHL with 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 42 games. He's the leading active scorer in the AHL, as Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz of Oklahoma City are both in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers.
Audy-Marchessault, 22, was signed to an entry-level deal by the Blue Jackets in July as an unrestricted free agent. He spent one season with the Connecticut Whale on an AHL-only deal, so Columbus was able to sign him and get him under contract for at least the next three years. He's a highly-skilled play maker who can dangle and shoot the puck, and has been a regular scoring threat for Brad Larsen's power play unit in Springfield.Read more about today's recalls inside this blog post.
Todd Richards was visibly displeased with the performance of his team tonight, and he wanted no part of the travel delay or back-to-back nights as an excuse.
He expected -- and his players did, too -- a better effort coming to St. Paul to take on a Wild team that had been slumping lately. There was an opening and opportunity for the Blue Jackets to build on the good things they did Monday night against Dallas and further establish consistency in their style of play.
But as Richards said after the game, he thought his team only put in a half-night's work.
Their first 10 minutes and final 20 were exactly what they were looking for, but unfortunately, the meat of tonight's game was their undoing. Mikko Koivu opened the scoring on a fluky goal midway through the first period, Tom Gilbert scored on a Blue Jackets defensive zone breakdown, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard netted the winner on another broken play.
Did they play well enough to win? At times, certainly, but their lapses were glaring and if not for Mason it could have been far worse than a one-goal game.
The NHL's youngest team entering the game, the Blue Jackets could be on the verge of getting younger. Adrian Aucoin and Nikita Nikitin both suffered injuries in Minnesota and will be evaluated once the team gets back to Columbus, Richards said. The nature of their injuries is unknown.
Read the full breakdown in "Aftermath" by clicking inside this blog post.
As relieving and exciting as last night's 2-1 win over Dallas was, it is now a thing of the past.
The Blue Jackets, through some fog delays and a late arrival in St. Paul, have to turn the page and quickly get ready for a tangle with the Minnesota Wild tonight. It's an offensively-charged, fast-skating club on the other bench this evening, and once again, the Blue Jackets will have their improved checking game put to the test.
Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Devin Setoguchi, Mikael Granlund...there's no shortage of talent on Mike Yeo's club and there aren't any sluggish skaters in that group. They like to push the pace, get the puck moving up the ice and putting pucks on the target. Parise's the hot hand right now, riding a five-game scoring streak and leading the team with five goals in the first five games.
Yeo will start Niklas Backstrom in goal tonight; Backstrom holds a 9-5-1 lifetime record against the Blue Jackets with a 2.27 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. On the Columbus side, Steve Mason gets the nod in goal and he's 4-5-1 in his career against the Wild with a 2.76 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.
This is an interesting game for many reasons: can the Blue Jackets put three solid efforts together and get the desired result on back-to-back nights, and will they be able to slow down the Wild's top line?
Read the "three keys" to tonight's game inside this blog post.
Good afternoon, everyone. The Blue Jackets have arrived safely in St. Paul, Minn. and are getting ready to take on the Wild tonight at Xcel Energy Center. After some travel delays (thanks, fog) that forced the team to fly out of Columbus this morning rather than last night, everyone's refreshed and ready to go for tonight's 8 p.m. ET puck drop.
Steve Mason gets the start in goal for the Blue Jackets, and he will oppose Niklas Backstrom in net for the Wild.
We're about two hours and 15 minutes from the opening face-off in Minnesota. Follow along inside this blog post for all the latest news!
Brandon Dubinsky is quickly becoming one of the Blue Jackets’ go-to players in clutch situations.
His five full seasons with the New York Rangers consisted of 31 playoff games, and that experience is something he frequently relies on. Since joining the Blue Jackets over the summer, he’s wanted to be one of the players on the ice protecting a lead in the third period and also one of the players charged with finding the tying goal.
Though the offense hasn’t arrived yet for the 26-year-old center (one assist in the first six games), his impact is noticeable. Dubinsky began the 2012-13 season playing the wing on a line with Artem Anisimov and Derek Dorsett, but has since switched back to the middle to center a unit with Derick Brassard and Matt Calvert.
In last night’s 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars at Nationwide Arena, Dubinsky played one of his strongest and most impactful games with Columbus. He logged 19:36 – second most among Blue Jackets forwards – with most of them coming in the third period and on the penalty kill.
And for a young Blue Jackets club that’s still seeking a complete, 60-minute performance, Dubinsky’s “winning time” minutes provide a prime example of what’s expected every single night.Read the full story by clicking inside this blog post. | http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/blog.htm?pg=16&author=2248 | 2,961 |
Longoria, Hart are fans' final All-Stars
Rays rookie, Brewers outfielder win voting to join rosters
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria and Brewers outfielder Corey Hart have won the 32nd and final roster spots on each team for the 79th All-Star Game on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, holding off marquee competition all the way as a record 47.8 million votes were cast in the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote.
The voting, which began exclusively at MLB.com on Sunday and concluded at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, ultimately will be remembered not only for the two young players' selections but also the amazing participation by baseball fans worldwide. The number of votes cast this year was more than half of the entire number cast in the previous six years of the Final Vote, and it was more than double last year's record of 23.2 million.
Longoria drew a record nine million votes to win a close American League race over outfielder Jermaine Dye, who could have become the third White Sox player in four years to win the Final Vote. Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, despite a high-profile "Support the 'Stache" campaign, finished third, followed by Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts and Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen -- all of whom finished with impressive vote totals.
Hart, with eight million votes, joined fellow Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun and pitcher Ben Sheets on the National League roster, and the way he was supported throughout the process was similar to the way fans pushed Braun from seemingly nowhere into the No. 1 outfield spot. Finishing a close second to Hart was Mets third baseman David Wright, an All-Star the past two years. They were followed by outfielders Pat Burrell of the Phillies, Aaron Rowand of the Giants and Carlos Lee of the Astros.
"This year's balloting produced a gigantic level of voter turnout, in part because of how deserving each candidate was and, further, because of the unprecedented interest we're seeing in the All-Star Game," said Dinn Mann, executive vice president of content at MLB.com. "The teams and the fans were creative and inspired in their campaigning, making this whole historic run-up to Yankee Stadium's final Midsummer Classic a privilege to track."
As always, the winners' reactions make it all worthwhile to many voters. In this case, the reactions were priceless for two newcomers to the event.
Longoria was stretching on the field with Rays teammates before their game in Cleveland, waiting and wondering, when Rick Vaughn's cell phone suddenly rang. The Rays' vice-president of communications handed over the phone to Longoria, who was sitting there in the grass surrounded by teammates. Phyllis Merhige, Major League Baseball senior vice president of club relations, then spoke to the winner.
"Congratulations, you're an All-Star," Merhige told him.
A broad smile spread across Longoria's face, and Vaughn gave the rest of the team a thumbs up and they cheered for Longoria.
"Those were the words I was waiting to hear," Longoria said. Then he added: "How about that. Shoot, what can I say? Now it's going to be the dream come true I was hoping for. I'm totally excited."
Longoria, 22, entered Thursday's action batting .281 with 16 homers and 53 RBIs since his April callup, and on Wednesday he won the AL Rookie of the Month Award presented by Gillette for June. Longoria earned an immediate reputation for clutch hitting, becoming no stranger to walk-off reception parties at home plate. He is synonymous with the 2008 breakout of the Rays, who remain on top of the AL East standings.
Hart, meanwhile, produced what is sure to be a viral video seen throughout baseball and beyond. It's on MLB.com if you haven't watched it yet.
He was called in to meet with media after the Brewers' 11-1 home victory over Colorado, and holding his baby girl while sitting behind the front table in a stadium press room. Then you suddenly hear a roar of teammates, you see Hart smile broadly knowing that the word is out, and then he is swarmed by other players right there at the microphone. Then there is a big suds shower in a now-traditional way of celebrating individual achievement, and you see the big 6-foot-6 outfielder from Kentucky jump up and turn to try to keep his baby dry in the hilarious scene. (She's fine.)
"I was just trying to cover Ryleigh's eyes," Hart said with a smile. "I think the guys scared her a little bit but it's all good. It was pretty exciting."Hart, 26, is in his second full season with the Brewers, having appeared for parts in 2004-06. He is batting .293 with 14 homers and 56 RBIs, helping the Brewers remain in contention in the NL Central. Baseball is electric there right now, with the addition of left-handed ace CC Sabathia. The club designed a big heart into the dirt behind the batter's box this week, gave candy hearts to fans, and it turned into one of the most successful campaigns in Final Vote history.
"It's incredible," Hart said. "I thought maybe I had a chance the way the fans have been and the way they pushed Braun. But at the same time, we were going against New York and Philly and those are pretty big markets."For some fans, there is still hope that a non-winner from this year's Final Vote ballot will make it to Yankee Stadium for the game. Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, voted in as a starter for the NL squad, will not be able to play because of a fractured hand and will need to be replaced by manager Clint Hurdle of the Rockies.
Now that the Final Vote has been decided, there is still work to do for the MLB.com crowd. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player presented by Chevrolet at the 79th All-Star Game through the Monster 2008 All-Star Game MVP Vote on MLB.com.
Notable facts about this year's Final Vote:
Longoria was the first third baseman to win a Final Vote. The breakdown of all 14 Final Vote winners is seven outfielders, three pitchers, two catchers, a first baseman and now a third baseman.
Milwaukee, also with Geoff Jenkins in 2003, became the third club to have a winning representative more than once. Boston won with Johnny Damon in 2002 and Jason Varitek in 2003. The White Sox won with Scott Podsednik in 2005 and A.J. Pierzynski in 2006.
Giambi, a non-winner in 2003, joined Travis Hafner (2004, 2006), Frank Thomas (2003, 2004), Billy Wagner (2005, 2006) and Brandon Webb (2005, 2007) as the only players who have made multiple bids without winning.
The only clubs whose players have never appeared on the Final Vote ballot are the Mariners, Rangers and Reds. Guillen was the first Royals player to appear. The Washington Nationals have not been represented since moving, but Orlando Cabrera did represent them in 2003 when they were the Montreal Expos.
Roughly one million votes per hour were cast on the final day. It brought to 130 million the total number of votes cast since the program began in 2002. The 100 millionth vote in the history of Final Vote balloting was cast late Tuesday night. Nearly half that many votes came just this week. Emerging trends included "player pacts," among social networks as blocs of fans promised to vote for each other's guy; and the opportunity of club alliance, evidenced by the White Sox backed their ex-player, Rowand, in return for the Giants' supporting Dye.
Longoria's nine million votes meant he doubled the individual vote record of more than 4.4 million set last year by San Diego pitcher Chris Young, and Hart was not far from doing that as well.
Four of the candidates were all playing at the same time on Thursday afternoon while the voting was in the final stretch. With 3 1/2 hours remaining, the Phillies' broadcasters were talking about all the "Go to Bat for Pat" signs throughout Citizens Bank Park during the Phils' game against the Cardinals. In each case, the broadcasters were emphasizing the Final Vote throughout the game and showing evidence of the campaign presence that has become typical with Final Vote week.
There has been a trend lately for more fresh new faces in the All-Star Game, once dominated by veteran repeaters in the starting lineups and on the benches. The decisions have been more performance-based than ever lately, as fans -- whether following their favorite teams and players or simply managing their fantasy rosters -- are able to stay on top of the stats more than ever with technology such as MLB.TV.
This has resulted in a wave of new All-Star talent, and it was evident when fans voted for the starting lineups. Consider the arrival of Geovany Soto as the first NL rookie ever to start the game at catcher, Hanley Ramirez at NL shortstop, Ryan Braun of the Brewers and Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs in the NL outfield, Josh Hamilton of the Rangers in the AL outfield, Joe Mauer of the Twins at AL catcher, and Boston's Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia at AL first and second base, respectively.
That theme clearly extended to the Final Vote, with fans selecting a rookie and a player in his second full season.
The incredible week of fan voting was merely an extension of what has been happening at MLB.com the past month. During the online balloting process to decide starters, 214.7 million votes from 16.5 million ballots were cast at MLB.com and the 30 individual club sites, even though there were seven fewer days in the voting period than in 2007. These record figures each represent increases of nearly 40 percent over the previous marks for total votes and ballots cast.
Longoria is the third Rays player selected for the All-Star Game, joining pitcher Scott Kazmir and catcher Dioner Navarro. Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees was the top overall vote-getter and thus will starts at third base. The other reserves at that position are Joe Crede of the White Sox and Carlos Guillen of the Tigers.
Hart is the third Brewers player selected for the game, joining Braun and Sheets. There are six outfielders on the NL roster, not including Soriano. Starting alongside Braun will be Fukudome and Colorado's Matt Holliday. Ryan Ludwick of St. Louis, Nate McLouth of Pittsburgh and Hart are currently the available reserves, so an outfield addition seems probable.
With the majority of the individual races going down to the wire, fans cast their final votes online at unprecedented rates -- more than 41 million votes in the final 24 hours of online balloting were cast on July 2. That mark was 57-percent higher than the previous single-day record, 26 million, set on the final day of online balloting in 2005.
Previous winners of the Monster All-Star Game Final Vote include Hideki Okajima (AL) and Young (NL) in 2007; Pierzynski (AL) and Nomar Garciaparra (NL) in 2006; Podsednik (AL) and Roy Oswalt (NL) in 2005; Hideki Matsui (AL) and Bobby Abreu (NL) in 2004; Varitek (AL) and Jenkins (NL) in 2003; and Damon (AL) and Andruw Jones (NL) in 2002.
The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD, and around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage that will also be available on XM Satellite Radio, and MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage.
Mark Newman is enterprise editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080710&content_id=3107903&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp | 2,508 |
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres manager Bud Black was reluctant to name the team's Opening Day starter, but he did announce that Sean O'Sullivan will start the team's Spring Training opener on Friday against the Seattle Mariners.
"Seeing Sean from afar, obviously heard the name being a San Diego kid, and [he] was a highly-regarded high school player, but the thing that stood out for me when I saw him this winter at Petco [was that] he looks in great shape. Really determined to make his mark. He's been with a couple different teams with some varied success, but there is a determined look in his eye, which is great."
O'Sullivan has not pitched in a Major League game since 2011 and has a career record of 10-14 with a 6.13 ERA.
Adys Portillo and Thad Weber will pitch in Friday's game as well. Both Portillo and Weber went 8-11 in the Minor Leagues last season. Weber posted a 4.42 ERA in 25 games, while Portillo's ERA was 3.34.
Tyson Ross, whom the Padres acquired via an offseason trade with Oakland, will start on Saturday.
Ross went 2-11 in 18 games (13 starts) for the Athletics in 2012, posting a 6.50 ERA.
Volquez gearing up to pitch in Classic
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Just as he did in 2009, Edinson Volquez will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The 29-year old will report to Miami on March 2, where he will practice with the Dominican Republic for a few days before the team begins pool play on March 7 in Puerto Rico against Venezuela.
"That's the one position you have to really monitor," Padres manager Bud Black said about having one of his starting pitchers leaving Spring Training to participate.
Volquez was 11-11 with a 4.14 ERA in 2012, and Black wants to make sure the right-hander gets his work in while representing his country.
"You want to make sure they're pitching," Black said. "From a competitive standpoint, you want to make sure your guys are pitching. If they do happen to struggle, there might be a tendency for a country to not pitch their guy, so we have to make sure they are still pitching."
Since the Classic is so competitive, Volquez will be focusing on getting hitters out, rather than working on a specific pitch or location, as is common during Spring Training. To ensure he gets some work in with the Padres, and to make sure he is ready for the Classic, Black said Volquez will throw twice with the Padres prior to his March 2 departure.
Maybin remains limited with sore right wrist
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Center fielder Cameron Maybin expected to be ready for Monday's workout after missing Saturday's first full-squad session with a sore right wrist, but that was not the case.
"It's getting better," said Maybin, whose wrist also bothered him in 2012. "I'm going to take a couple days, let it get right and get back at it."
Although the 25-year old said he could play if it were the regular season, he is not putting a timetable on his return. He is simply doing as much as he can, eagerly awaiting a full recovery.
"[I'm] pretty limited, just running and defense," Maybin said. "Doing everything but throwing and hitting."
• With an extended Spring Training in 2013, the Padres are in no rush to get players with nagging injuries back onto the field, but the team is getting healthier nonetheless.
"Logan's [Forsythe] back on the field doing some work," Black said. "[Jerry] Sullivan and [Jason] Ray are doing well. Ray threw yesterday, Sullivan may throw off the mound tomorrow."
• Yasmani Grandal was scheduled to take ground balls and hit on Monday, but Black said he would not do any extensive running.
• Black also said Tim Stauffer is throwing and doing fine.
William Boor is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130218&content_id=41749900¬ebook_id=41752382&vkey=notebook_sd&c_id=sd | 876 |
Nomination Period Ending for All-Stars Among Us Contest
Major League Baseball and PEOPLE magazine invite you to nominate individuals who have gone above and beyond to serve their community. Maybe they have mentored disadvantaged children, helped to build houses, cared for abandoned pets or raised awareness for important issues or causes. You can even nominate yourself.
To participate, simply visit peopleallstars.com and enter the information about your everyday All-Star. Submissions include photos, Club affiliation and a brief description of how the nominee has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve his/her community in extraordinary ways.
Three finalists will be selected per Club for the public to vote on at peopleallstars.com from June 1-20. A total of 30 everyday All-Stars (one representing each MLB team) will be honored at the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim on July 13 and one will even be featured in PEOPLE magazine!
Brewers fans have a strong history of being active in the community, so I am sure everyone knows someone they can nominate that will represent us well in Anaheim. But you’ll have to hurry, the nomination deadline is tomorrow, Friday, May 14. | http://brewers.mlblogs.com/2010/05/13/nomination-period-ending-for-all-stars-among-us-contest/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=6c7ec013d9 | 242 |
It’s official: Ron Roenicke is the next Milwaukee Brewers field manager.
The Brewers made the announcement Thursday morning and planned to introduce Roenicke, 54, at a 1:30 p.m. CT press conference at Miller Park. Club officials confirmed he was the choice two days earlier, but held off the formal announcement while some final administrative steps were completed and Roenicke traveled to Milwaukee.
Roenicke got a two-year contract with a club option for 2013.
The former outfielder played 527 games over eight Major League seasons for six different teams, but has made his Major League mark mostly as a coach under Angels manager Mike Scioscia. Roenicke joined Scioscia’s staff in 2000 as the third base coach, and was promoted to bench coach for 2006 after the Rays hired away Joe Maddon.
Roenicke is the third member of Scioscia’s original staff to be handed a team of his own. Maddon has managed the Rays since 2006, and former Angels pitching coach Bud Black has managed the Padres since 2007.
Roenicke has not managed in the Major Leagues, but he did manage 643 games in the Minors before joining the Angels’ coaching staff.
He came highly recommended to Brewers officials by a number of current and former colleagues, including former Angels GM Bill Stoneman and Maddon, who lauded Roenicke’s ability to see things that others miss.
When they were together on the Angels staff, “He was always looking for the advantage, and I was doing the same thing,” Maddon said. “Believe me, you’re getting a really bright baseball person, and one of the most honest people I’ve met in my life. That’s a real good thing when talking to Major League players. He’s going to talk to those guys straight-up.”
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, assistant GM Gord Ash and special assistant Dan O’Brien all called around for input on the various candidates, and were impressed by Roenicke as a family man and a baseball man with a record of working well with diverse personalities.
Melvin entered the offseason leaning toward choosing a manager with previous managerial experience, and ended up with two such finalists in Bob Melvin and Bobby Valentine. But Roenicke and White Sox bench coach Joey Cora were especially impressive in their interviews. As the search continued, Roenicke rose to the top.
“The more people they talked to, the more he stepped up,” said a source with knowledge of the Brewers’ search. “You kept hearing from people, ‘This guy is ready and has been ready.’”
Roenicke is now getting a chance to prove it. He inherits a Brewers team that won the National League Wild Card in 2008 but posted consecutive sub-.500 seasons under manager Ken Macha, who was let go last month.
Thursday’s announcement was not expected to include any news about Roenicke’s plans for his coaching staff. Hitting coach Dale Sveum is already in place after signing a two-year contract extension during the League Championship Series. Pitching coach Rick Peterson has one year left on his contract, but Roenicke may have some say in whether Peterson remains in that position.
Roenicke is the 18th manager in Brewers history and, when he manages the club’s March 31, 2011 season-opener in Cincinnati, will be the club’s sixth skipper in the span of 10 seasons. That list also includes Davey Lopes, Jerry Royster (the interim manager for most of 2002), Ned Yost, Sveum (who managed the final 12 regular season games and four playoff games in ’08) and Macha.
“Ron brings to the Brewers the skill set needed to maintain high standards of professional excellence and success,” Doug Melvin said in a statement. ”I am extremely confident that he will develop an organizational culture that fosters teamwork. Ron projects self confidence, authority and enthusiasm, which will inspire performance. He is a true professional with an extensive background as a player, manager, third-base coach and bench coach. I was very impressed with the number of positive endorsements we received on his behalf.”
Roenicke resides in Chino Hills, Calif. with his wife, Karen. The couple has a son named Lance, who is an outfielder at UC-Santa Barbara. Born in Covina, Calif., Roenicke attended Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. from 1975-76 before transferring to UCLA in 1977.
His brother, Gary, also played in the Major Leagues and his nephew, Josh, pitches for the Blue Jays. | http://brewersbeat.mlblogs.com/2010/11/04/roenicke-hiring-official/ | 1,000 |
Sneak peek at the Brewers’ new Dominican academy
As of this afternoon, the Brewers’ new academy in the Dominican Republic will be officially open for business.
Club officials including general manager Doug Melvin have spent the week inspecting the complex in Ramon Santana, a municipality just northeast of San Pedro de Macoris along the Dominican Rebublic’s southern shore. It is owned by former Brewers reliever Salomon Torres, who runs three such facilities and will oversee day-to-day operations under the auspices of his Towers Corp.
The Brewers have not announced the terms of their lease, calling it only a “long-term partnership.” They previously played at a less modern facility near Santo Domingo.
The new complex, built in 2006, represents an upgrade. It has two baseball fields, batting cages, bullpens, a clubhouse and weight room, plus 13 rooms of housing, classrooms and a cafeteria. The Brewers will move next season to the San Pedro de Macoris division of the rookie-level Dominican Summer League, joining affiliates of the Angels, Braves, Blue Jays and Tigers.
Torres also operates the Braves and Tigers facilities. He pitched his third facility, previously occupied by the Rangers, to Brewers officials at last year’s Winter Meetings in Orlando. Former Reds GM Dan O’Brien, one of Melvin’s special assistants, was the Brewers’ point man on the move.
“This new academy will provide the Brewers with all the necessary ingredients to allow their Latin players to take their baseball skills to a new level, putting them in a position to become a big league player some day,” Torres said in a statement provided by the Brewers. “From the meals to the fields, we take care of everything in between so the Brewers scouts and personnel can concentrate on their most important task, which is the development of these players.”
The move represents another step for the Brewers in re-establishing a base in Latin America. For more on that, and some additional photos, check Brewers.com later this morning.
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. | http://brewersbeat.mlblogs.com/2011/11/03/sneak-peek-at-the-brewers-new-dominican-academy/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=1fd78fe65c | 437 |
Jordan Burke '09 Named USILA All-American
May 27, 2008
Providence, RI - Brown junior goalie Jordan Burke (Potomac, MD) was rewarded for his spectacular 2008 season by being named a second team All-American by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). Burke helped the Bears to an 11-3 record and their first Ivy League Championship since 1995.
"The Brown Lacrosse staff, men, parents, alumni and fans are all ecstatic over the national recognition bestowed upon Jordan for his play in the goal," said Brown head coach Lars Tiffany. "While there are many great goalies in the country, Jordan competed at a stratospheric level all year and led our team to an Ivy League Title. The 2008 team discovered success due to passion, commitment to each other and outstanding goalie play from Jordan."
The Ivy League Player of the Year and a finalist for the Tewaarton Award as the Nation's top player, Burke led the nation with an outstanding save percentage of .674, and ranked second in the nation with a 6.43 goals against average.
Burke, Brown's first All-American since 2003, was a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection and earned All-New England honors. A COE/Business Economics concentrator, Burke was also named Brown's Male Athlete of the Year, earning the Fritz Pollard '19 Trophy.
Brown, the number one ranked team in New England, won 10 of its last 11 games to finish 13th nationally in the final USILA coaches poll, with just six teams in the nation winning more games than the Bears. | http://brownbears.com/sports/m-lacros/spec-rel/052708aab.html | 336 |
Exclusive: Manchester United set to kick off IPO
By Stephen Lacey
NEW YORK, July 18 (IFR) - Soccer powerhouse Manchester United is expected to launch its IPO in New York as early as next week, for pricing in early August, after earlier attempts in Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK.
The time table marks a change from the original schedule to proceed after the U.S. Labor Day holiday September 3, according to multiple sources close to the situation.
In another change, the soccer club is now looking to raise $300 million on the IPO, less than the $500 million previously contemplated. The decision on timing and sizing is still fluid and could change, depending on the regulatory review process.
Jefferies is lead-left bookrunner in a syndicate that also includes Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank.
The banks plan to benchmark the IPO not only against traditional media entities but iconic consumer-goods companies, in an effort to justify a potentially difficult valuation.
Manchester United has yet to provide audited financial results beyond the fiscal year ended June 2011, instead relying on an exemption as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
Updated results will presumably be forthcoming prior to the official launch IPO. The latest filing, on Monday, provides limited additional disclosure, other than the selection of "MANU" as the club's ticker for a New York Stock Exchange listing.
A dual-class structure, a primary motivation in selecting the NYSE as the listing venue, remains in place, giving Class B shareholders 10 votes in matters of corporate governance, while the Class A public shareholders get one vote. Continued... | http://ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCABRE86H1GX20120718 | 342 |
Mon Nov 28 10:45am EST
For nearly a decade, it's been impossible to imagine the London Knights without the irascible Dale Hunter as their love-to-hate driving force — but just like that, people will have to be used to London coming to town without him.
The reasons for Hunter leaving the London Knights to become a NHL head coach with the Washington Capitals are already well-established. He's going there to try to be what the fired Bruce Boudreau could not become: a disciplinarian. As far as the Ontario Hockey League-leading Knights are concerned, the big question is whether this will sap them of any of the swagger that makes them a lightning rod for fans across the Ontario Hockey League.
A guess here is probably not. There's still a Hunter coaching.
From Morris Dalla Costa:
As an owner of a franchise that is making money and winning, Hunter was in a position of waiting for something he felt comfortable with.
[General manager and part-owner] Mark Hunter wouldn't comment on how the situation came about except to say it happened quickly.
... Mark Hunter says he will take over coaching the team until the end of the year.
"I'm fine with it," Hunter says who has acted as Dale's assistant for several years. (London Free Press)
The coming weeks and months will tell a tale of how much Dale Hunter meant to the Knights. While some coaches act like robots behind the bench, he was a bigger-than-life figure. What team's fans don't consider the Knights a bitter rival in the OHL's Western Conference? People will miss seeing him get riled up on the bench.
The absence of Hunter behind the bench will require some adjustment. It will not change the animus fans across the OHL hold for the London Knights. They will still be one of the flagship big-market franchises in the league.
The only change this might lead to is with the course Mark Hunter takes. Perhaps it's all a smokescreen, but the Knights have not made it clear if in fact they are going to be a buyer at the OHL trade deadline, even with that gaudy 20-5-0-1 record. There have been thoughts that they might trade an older player or two and focus on building a better MasterCard Memorial Cup contender in a season or two down the line, when the young guns such as 16-year-old centre Max Domi and 17-year-old defenceman Olli Määttä, who will be more mature.
Having Mark Hunter at the coaching controls should not alter whatever those plans will be. He had been on the bench during games this season and he probably won't tinker much with his brother's systems. Coaching transitions in junior are not always as seamless as they're spun to be when the head coach moves up to the big leagues and the remaining staff all take one step to the right, so to speak. In 2010, the Windsor Spitfires assured everyone nothing would change when Bob Jones replaced Bob Boughner after he took a position with the Columbus Blue Jackets. You know how that turned out; Boughner ended up returning after one season. The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors don't have the same roster they did a season ago under Dave Cameron, who's now with the Ottawa Senators, but James Boyd's charges haven't quite had the same grim sense of purpose Cameron's teams radiated.
The Knights might be better positioned than others to absorb the change. It's doubtful this would throw the players off-kilter. Their routine will not change much, although London's twin forwards Matt and Ryan Rupert, billet at Dale Hunter's home. The players are smart enough to know the score. Coaches in junior want to get to The Show as badly as their teenagers charges do.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (photo: OHL Images). | http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/juniorhockey/blog/buzzing_the_net/post/OHL-Can-London-keeps-it-swagger-without-Dale-Hu?urn=juniorhockey-wp4069 | 833 |
|Venue:||Daytona International Speedway|
|Race length:||400 miles|
|No. of laps:||160|
|Qualifying:||Fri., 4 p.m. ET|
|Race:||Sat., 7:49 p.m. ET (TNT)|
|1. Matt Kenseth|
|2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.|
|3. Greg Biffle|
|4. Denny Hamlin|
|5. Jeff Burton|
Subway Jalapeno 250, Daytona International Speedway, Fri. 7:49 p.m.
|Hart:||530 points (2 wins)|
|Busbee:||522 points (1 win)|
|Bromberg:||489 points (0 wins)|
Daytona preview (PDF)
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Sunday's Coke Zero 400.
David Ragan is the defending race winner.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior's last victor at Daytona came in 2004. So why am I picking him? Because in the last five races there, he has two seconds and a fourth. If he stays out of trouble, he'll be there at the end, and an armed-with-confidence Earnhardt is a dangerous thing at Daytona. – Jay Hart
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Oh, why not? Let's go with Dale Earnhardt Jr. And for the first time in, oh, four years, this doesn't feel like a desperation pick. He's come very close to winning at Daytona in a Hendrick car, and while his restrictor plate advantage has narrowed, he's still got the ability to run at the front of the pack. Combine that with his newfound confidence and the fact that the entire 88 team is in sync, and you've got a setup for a perfect Daytona story. – Jay Busbee
Jeff Gordon: It looks like Gordon has snapped out of the funk that plagued him at the beginning of the season, and he'll undoubtedly have a fast car Saturday night. He was fast in February until a blown engine ended his day. Since restrictor plate racing is essentially a lottery, it makes as much sense as anything to go with the driver who is currently having luck go his way. – Nick Bromberg
• Carl Edwards is getting more play, but the troubles of Kyle Busch are no small matter. Brad Keselowski noted after his win that the 18 team is far better than their standings position indicates, but that doesn't matter if they keep losing their cars midway through races. Busch could win at any time, at any track, but if he doesn't … he's going to be in a dogfight for that wild-card spot, and there are plenty of drivers on equal footing, win-wise. Time for one of NASCAR's best drivers to get everything pointed in the right direction. – Jay Busbee
• How many jet dryers will blow up? Kidding, let's hope we don't have a repeat of the lengthy delay that almost stopped the Daytona 500 short of completion. Will the twilight bring back tandem racing, or will we see the pack again? The pack was prominent in the damp and cool Daytona air in February, but teams have had time to work on their restrictor plate packages since then. Could a tandem draft decide the finish? – Nick Bromberg
• How many engine issues will there be Saturday night? It's going to be hot, and that coupled with whatever air-intake measures NASCAR takes to minimize the two-car draft could lead to some overheating. – Jay Hart
"This is one of those races where no one team or individual has an advantage because anything can happen. Everything else kind of goes out the window. We've said the same thing before every one of these restrictor-plate races – we know going in our chance of getting the win is as good as anybody's. The biggest thing is just getting to the end of the race, which, if you look back to February, can be tough." – Kurt Busch | http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nascar--picks--coke-zero-500.html | 838 |
season / event
your search returned 0 results.
Get breaking Celtics news as it happens direct from the source.
Want the inside scoop? Read the Post Ups Notebook!
Get to know the lovely ladies who grace the court during timeouts.
Enjoy the game in style with premium seating options. | http://cache.nba.com/celtics/video/celtics-vs-magic-wrap | 62 |
CINCINNATI -- It's easy to take the field each day with a positive attitude and max effort when the playoffs are just around the corner and a division crown is within reach.
But it's a different story for a club sitting 20-plus games below .500 during a rebuilding year.
So what do the Cubs use as their motivation each day?
"This is my job," said Alfonso Soriano. "I have to keep playing hard every day. I think of it as the first game of the season, not think about it like we're out or we have a bad record. I think about it as one game at a time and this is the first game of the season."
It's this type of mentality that has kept the Cubs going lately, in addition, of course, to the fact that a bright future may be in store for the organization, with the possible contract extensions of younger talents who are beginning to make names for themselves.
"I think it can be a big relief to players to just go out and play and not have to worry about an arbitration year, a platform year," said Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. "Knowing they're going to be part of the leadership of the club for a long time, it can relax them and reinforce the leadership qualities and being the type of players you want others to look up to as a role model."
Cubs manager Dale Sveum said the rough patches of the season bring out the true character of the players. He added that the club assesses the intangibles of the team just as much as the numbers the players put up on the diamond.
"This time of year, you're not only evaluating their talent and ability to play in the big leagues, but you're evaluating their character and what they're bringing to the table every day when things aren't going well, and the adversities of the Major League game itself," Sveum said. "You're definitely evaluating the character of people as much as their play."
Mr. 1,000: Soriano reaches RBIs milestone with homer
CINCINNATI -- With one swing of the bat, Alfonso Soriano made his way into the record books.
The 14-year veteran was just two RBIs away from the 1,000 mark entering Saturday's doubleheader, and he reached the plateau in his first at-bat off Reds starter Johnny Cueto in Game 1.
With David DeJesus on first after being hit by a pitch, Soriano sent a 3-2 fastball into the stands in left field, becoming just the sixth player in MLB history to chalk up at least 1,000 RBIs, 400 doubles, 350 home runs and 250 stolen bases.
"I'm very proud, because not too many people can get 1,000 RBIs. It feels great," Soriano said. "I'm so proud to get 1,000 RBIs because most of my career I batted leadoff. So to have 1,000 RBIs, that's a lot for me. I'm very proud of myself."
The seven-time All-Star joins a class with Barry Bonds, Andre Dawson, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield as the only players to accomplish the feat, two of whom are in the Hall of Fame.
"I'm more than happy to be in that kind of group because those guys are Hall of Fame and they played this game for many, many years," Soriano said. "I'm very happy to be in that kind of group."
Soriano entered the game hitting .270 with three home runs and four RBIs in 40 plate appearances against Cueto, and the home run put Chicago ahead, 2-0, in the first inning.
The Cubs ended up falling to the Reds, 5-3, despite Soriano's 2-for-4 outing, but no loss on the schedule can diminish the accomplishments of Soriano's lofty career, one that includes seven All-Star selections, four Silver Slugger Awards and two World Series titles (1999 and 2000 with the Yankees).
"He's the whole package," said Cubs manager Dale Sveum. "He's one of six guys to do what he's done. When you can say only six people in the history of baseball have ever done it, you're in a select group. It's an incredible milestone to be one of those guys, let alone to get 1,000 RBIs. I was happy for him."
Mark Clements is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120817&content_id=36857604¬ebook_id=36915752&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc | 949 |
Jose Valverde may still be waiting for an offer from a Major League team for the upcoming season, but in the meantime, he will pitch for the Dominican Republic in next month's World Baseball Classic.
|Bracket | Full scoreboard|
According to a tweet from the official Dominican team's Twitter account on Tuesday, Valverde will represent his native country for the upcoming tournament.
The free-agent closer will join a bullpen that includes Fernando Rodney, Octavio Dotel, Joel Peralta and Santiago Casilla, among others.
Dotel could be one of the relievers called upon in Detroit for some save chances this season in Valverde's absence. The 34-year-old Valverde converted 35 saves for the Tigers last season, but posted an unfavorable 3.78 ERA and fell apart in the postseason.
The demonstrative closer allowed nine earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings over four combined postseason appearances.
Valverde's struggles led to teammate Phil Coke assuming the team's closer role during the American League Championship Series.
Despite converting 110 of 118 saves during his three years with the Tigers, including all 49 opportunities in 2011, Detroit elected not to re-sign the three-time All-Star this offseason.
For his career, Valverde has 277 saves to go along with a 3.11 ERA over 10 seasons with three teams. | http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130219&content_id=41790638&vkey=news_t805&c_id=t805 | 284 |
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Angels gave superstar outfielder Mike Trout a $510,000 salary for next season, representing a $20,000 jump from the Major League minimum, and his agent is not happy.
Trout's representative, Craig Landis, made it clear in an email that Trout's contract is "not the result of a negotiated compromise," adding that the salary "falls well short of a 'fair' contract and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process."
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are free to assign whatever salaries they want to players in their pre-arbitration seasons -- between zero and three years of service time -- provided that it's no less than the 2013 minimum of $490,000.
To determine those salaries, the Angels use an objective system that gives a lot of weight to service time, not performance. Trout's situation is rare -- as a 21-year-old coming off being the unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year and the runner-up for MVP -- but the Angels still went by the book.
"Craig and Mike have a right to their opinion and we don't begrudge them their feelings," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "We love Mike. Mike's a big part of what we're doing here, obviously, now and hopefully for many years to come."
Of the 22 zero-to-three players who obtained contracts from the Angels Saturday, Trout was the only one who was "renewed," while the other 21 "agreed" to their salaries. The highest salary for those 22 was $540,000 for Mark Trumbo, who has just over two years of service time.
Within the Angels' system, $510,000 was the most a player with Trout's service time -- 1.070 years -- could make.
"We're trying to manage a group of 25 players, not one," Dipoto said, adding: "We have been as aggressive with Mike as we can be."
The Angels' decision to not make an exception for Trout is mainly due to the domino effect it can have on the rest of their other pre-arbitration players, now and in the future. They don't believe this -- or moving him from center field, for that matter -- will hinder their ability to sign him to a long-term contract.
"I don't think so," Dipoto said. "Mike's a great kid, he's wired the right way. We have every faith in his desire to be a great player. He's going to go out there and he's going to bust his tail."
Teams take different approaches with regards to how they compensate players before they're arbitration eligible, and some weigh performance and awards more heavily into the figure. In fact, the last 10 Rookie of the Year Award winners have received an average raise of more than 21 percent over the minimum.
Under the Angels' system, Trout's raise was four percent over the minimum.
"We're seeing a minimum salary that has gotten bigger and bigger, and we are seeing an average salary at the Major League level that has gotten bigger and bigger, and we're charged with managing that across the board," said Dipoto, whose payroll will be about $160 million in 2013. "With the zero-to-three and arbitration years and free agent years, at some point you have to manage the talent on the field and the economics of the game. That's what we're trying to do every day."
Landis had previously voiced his displeasure to the front office about Trout no longer being the everyday center fielder, now that Peter Bourjos will move into that role, but Trout himself has not expressed any resentment about the move, publicly or to Angels executives.
Trout wasn't scheduled to play against the Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park on Saturday, and Landis said he would not comment further on the matter.
"As when he learned he would not be the team's primary center fielder for the upcoming season," Landis wrote, "Mike will put the disappointment behind him and focus on helping the Angels reach their goal of winning the 2013 World Series."
Frieri's pitching repertoire evolving
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Ernesto Frieri's desire to be more than a one-pitch pitcher officially began on Saturday, when he threw a scoreless inning of relief at Maryvale Baseball Park.
This spring, Frieri is looking to broaden his repertoire after relying almost entirely on a live fastball -- and struggling with an unreliable slider -- while serving as the Angels' closer in 2012. He's starting to integrate a cutter and, to a lesser extent, working to hone his changeup.
The 27-year-old right-hander hardly threw either pitch against the Brewers on Saturday.
"In my first outing, I want to work on my fastball, first and foremost, throw strikes, get my mechanics in order and that's it," Frieri said pregame -- but Angels manager Mike Scioscia likes what he's seen from his other pitches so far.
"[The cutter] looks like a pretty legitimate slider when he throws it," Scioscia said after Frieri gave up only one hit in the Angels' eventual 4-3 loss. "He gets a little bit of depth to it, and [pitching coach Mike Butcher] really thinks his changeup is coming along. So I think his ability to change speeds is something that's going to help him."
Cabrera hoping to boost fans in Puerto Rico
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Veteran reliever Fernando Cabrera, a non-roster invitee obtained on a Minor League contract in the offseason, is among those competing for a bullpen spot with the Angels and needs every opportunity to show he deserves to start the season in the big leagues.
Instead, he'll depart for the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, which may not impact his chances all that much, but certainly can't help.
The 31-year-old right-hander feels he owes it to his native Puerto Rico, an island where baseball's importance has dropped considerably over the last few years.
"We've lost a big part of our baseball fan base in Puerto Rico," Cabrera said in Spanish. "One of the few events that people really get excited about in Puerto Rico and get behind is the World Baseball Classic. They like it. And representing your country is something that always makes you feel good."
Cabrera notched a 5.24 ERA while compiling 132 appearances in the big leagues from 2004-10. Last year, he pitched for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 4.10 ERA and 22 saves in 68 innings. And in '06 and '09, he represented Puerto Rico in the Classic, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings in a combined eight appearances as his country made it no further than the second round.
This year, he'll join a squad that includes Major Leaguers such as Mike Aviles, Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina, Angel Pagan and Alex Rios -- but also one that has to play in a pool with powerhouses Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
Since being included in the First-Year Player Draft in 1990, teams have found few benefits in heavily scouting the area because they can't sign players at a bargain rate, and Puerto Rico has thusly seen its baseball talent plummet.
Academies recently opened by Beltran and Major League Baseball have helped -- the Astros' first overall pick, shortstop Carlos Correa, came from MLB's Academy -- but there's still a long way to go.
In 2012, 17 Puerto Rican-born players appeared in the Majors. From the Dominican Republic, there were 128. And from Venezuela, there were 88.
For Cabrera, the telling sign comes from the Puerto Rican winter league, where he pitches every offseason.
Fans have simply lost interest.
"It has to improve, but no matter how good the baseball is, the fans just don't go to the games," Cabrera said. "I believe there's still good talent in Puerto Rico, and it's getting better. Hopefully the country can just get behind them."
• Erick Aybar played his last game with the Angels before departing for the World Baseball Classic. The Dominican team will play exhibition games in Tampa, Fla., before playing Pool games in Puerto Rico starting Thursday. Aybar, who went 1-for-3 as a leadoff hitter on Saturday, was told he'll basically split time at shortstop with Jose Reyes.
• Vernon Wells went 1-for-2 with a walk and a long solo home run to left-center field in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Brewers, making him 3-for-8 with three RBIs this spring. "He's more than the one-dimensional player that we've seen," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's not just a guy who can hit the ball out of the park. He'll give us a big lift if he can swing the bat the way he can."
• Sean Burnett didn't get off a bullpen mound on Saturday, instead solely doing rehab work and pitchers' fielding practice, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia expects that to happen by Monday. Burnett has been limited to throwing off flat ground since dealing with a stiff lower back on March 18.
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. | http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130302&content_id=42199592¬ebook_id=42199594&vkey=notebook_ana&c_id=ana | 1,981 |
Sporting Kansas City made four selections in the 2013 Supplemental Draft on Tuesday, adding Christian Duke, Mitchell Cardenas, Brian Fekete and Mike Reidy to the team's pre-season roster. Duke is currently in camp with the club, while the remaining three selections are expected to join the team during their pre-season stay in Tucson, Ariz.
"We've selected four players that have all shown qualities and characteristics that we like and that we think that can fit into our system," Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. "Now it's up to each of them to come in and display those qualities this preseason."
Sporting Kansas City selected Duke in the first round, drafting the University of San Diego defender with the 14th overall pick. The 21-year-old is an Overland Park, Kan. native and played for the Sporting KC Academy beginning in June 2007 while attending Shawnee Mission South High School. He appeared in 60 games for the Toreros in his four-year career, earning six assists. Duke played in all 23 games as a senior in 2012, earning All-West Coast Conference Second Team honors and leading the team to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
"It's a great feeling coming into an organization that is well known for their blue-collar, hard-nosed tactics," Duke said. "Peter Vermes is a great coach and I look forward to playing for the organization. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be playing professionally in Kansas City. Now I have my opportunity. I just have to go get it now."
Cardenas was chosen with the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the Supplemental Draft following a career as a four-time All-Conference selection at Campbell University in which he compiled 22 goals and 34 assists in 76 matches. The Mexico City native led all NCAA Division I players in assists as senior with 14 assists in 2012 and was named to the All-South Atlantic Region team by the NSCAA.
"I am beyond excited. I can't even put it into words really," Cardenas said. "I know being selected doesn't mean you earn your contract right away. Now it's about showing what you can do and hopefully, by the end of preseason if not earlier, I can earn a contract and stick with the team."
Sporting Kansas City's 52nd overall pick produced Fekete, a three-time All-American at the University of Tampa. The four-year starter recorded seven goals and 15 assists in 69 games for the Spartans and was invited to attend the 2013 MLS Player Combine last week alongside Sporting Kansas City's SuperDraft selection Mikey Lopez.
"I'm looking forward to the biggest opportunity of my life thus far," Fekete said. "I am really excited to join the team and take the next step in my soccer career."
Reidy, the reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, was a four-year contributor at Colgate University, where he broke onto the scene as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2009 with seven goals. He notched 19 goals and nine assists in 77 matches for the Raiders, including a conference best seven goals as a senior in 2012.
"It's an honor. I'm so thankful for Sporting KC for this opportunity," Reidy said. "It's a dream come true. I'm so excited to get out there and start training with the team."
Sporting Kansas City is currently in Tucson, Ariz. for the team's pre-season and will scrimmage against the New England Revolution on Friday in Casa Grande, Ariz. before playing a pair of matches in The Desert Friendlies presented by FC Tucson next week. The club will then travel to Orlando, Fla. next month to participate in the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic prior to the MLS season opener on March 2 at the Philadelphia Union.
Season ticket packages are currently available at SportingKC.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
Christian Duke - 14th Overall (1st Round)
Hometown: Overland Park, Kan.
Birthplace: Overland Park, Kan.
College: University of San Diego
Mitchell Cardenas - 33rd Overall (2nd Round)
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Citizenship: Mexico citizen, U.S. resident
College: Campbell University
Brian Fekete (feh-KAH-tee) - 52nd Overall (3rd Round)
College: University of Tampa
Hometown: Plant City, Fla.
Birthplace: Brandon, Fla.
Mike Reidy - 71st Overall (4th Round)
Hometown: Webster, NY
Birthplace: Webster, NY
College: Colgate University (2011) | http://cjonline.com/blog-post/david-streeter/2013-01-22/sporting-kc-selects-four-supplemental-draft | 993 |
Werth, Nationals hungry to mount a title run in 2013
VIERA, Fla. -- Jayson Werth was not shy with the salsa. He was downright gluttonous with the guacamole. And if protein was his pursuit, well, he had at least half a pound of grilled chicken to scratch that particular itch.
Words really can't do justice to the taco salad Werth created for himself after the Nationals' workout on Wednesday. But suffice to say it took an entire catering tray to carry its contents.
"The plates," he explained, "are too small."
Werth's mammoth Mexican meal is but one example of the go-big-or-go-home attitude that pervades the Nats these days. For this was a well-stocked, 98-game winner that only got stronger in an aggressive winter in which general manager Mike Rizzo reeled in a legit leadoff man in Denard Span, a worthy back-end rotation gamble in Dan Haren and an established ninth-inning option in Rafael Soriano.
No surprise, then, that the Nats are routinely labeled the deepest team in the game going into 2013 -- a remarkable outlook for a club that suffered consecutive 100-loss seasons in 2008 and '09. All those dead-certain Draft selections from lowly seasons past have coalesced into a cohesive unit, and ownership has granted Rizzo the leeway to plug holes with prominent pieces.
"It's impressive," said third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, "to do what we've done in six years, coming from a team that was owned by MLB, basically an expansion team, to get to where we're at now. They did things the right way. They started from the ground up, created a strong farm system and the core group of guys here, and now we've become an attractive team for free agents to come to. It's been quite a ride."
Werth, remember, was the first of those big-ticket free agents to climb aboard for the ride.
At seven years, $126 million, how could he not?
Beyond the dollars, though, Werth sensed a sincerity to the Nats' approach when he signed on the dotted line just before the Winter Meetings in 2010. He knew he was but one part of the vision the Nats had for building a winning ballclub, a team that could become the class of the National League East. And as they told Werth in December 2010, the Nats' plan was in place to reach that level in 2013.
Imagine everybody's surprise when that club arrived a year early.
"Here we are," said Werth, looking out at the clubhouse. "Going into the third year [of the contract], we're coming off a 98-win season when we were the best team, arguably, in baseball. I'm not surprised it happened a year earlier than expected, with the amount of talent we have in this room. But that was the vision, and we're now realizing their hard work and their vision."
What is important to note about the Nationals is that it's not hard to envision improvement upon last year's regular season prestige. Certainly, you don't outright expect 100 victories, and the sheer randomness of MLB's postseason format ought to discourage all that "World Series or bust" banter that manager Davey Johnson has shown no shame in promoting.
Look up and down the roster, though, and the "ifs" are not overwhelmingly iffy. Is it that unreasonable to suspect Zimmerman will improve upon an already strong 2012, now that his shoulder doesn't require regular cortisone shots just to keep him afloat? Is it that unreasonable to suspect the inconsistency that inhabited Bryce Harper's colorful rookie year will be, at the least, slightly smoothed over in his sophomore season? Is it that unreasonable to envision 200 innings out of Stephen Strasburg being a net positive? Or to imagine an unrestricted Jordan Zimmermann reaching his ceiling?
With the Nats, then, the storyline is not so much the external additions, appetizing as they may be. Rather, the greatest appeal here is that core group that, one year ago, figured it was pretty good, then went out and proved it and now has a chance to take it up a notch.
"There are probably four or five of those legitimate [in-house] improvements," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "We should be better."
But the guy you wonder about most -- the guy whose salary is the steepest and whose postseason experience is the deepest -- is Werth. It's not that the Nats necessarily need Werth to be the player he was in his Philadelphia prime (at 33, it's probably not realistic); it's that if the Nats get something nearing that guy, from a power perspective, they are going to have an absolutely lethal lineup.
The first season of his massive contract saw Werth hit .232. The second saw him play just 81 games, thanks to a broken wrist sustained in early May. Werth is every bit the clubhouse and community presence the Nats had hoped him to be, but on the field he's contributed just 1.6 wins above a replacement-level player, according to Baseball Reference's calculation.
Werth, though, returned from the wrist woes last season looking quite a bit like his old self, batting .312 with a .394 on-base percentage down the stretch to help the Nats fend off the Braves for the division crown. That's a little more in line with what the Nats are expecting this season.
"What we signed was an all-around kind of player," Rizzo said. "He doesn't put up superstar numbers, and we didn't expect him to when we signed him. But we did expect for him to be a good, well-rounded player, and I think he was that when he came back last year, short of the power numbers. But I see the power numbers rebounding to where they belong and being the five-tool player that plays offense and defense and runs the bases well and has playoff experience and is a guy that gets the hit when you need the hit the most."
Werth got the big hit in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Cardinals last year -- a walk-off home run that ignited a city long starved of such moments of magnitude. Clearly, though, it's the memory of the Game 5 debacle that colors all conversation about this club as it prepares for an NL East title defense.
"I think everyone had a sour taste in their mouth with the way things ended last year," Rizzo said. "A lot of guys' mindset and thought process is to never feel that way again. I can tell you first-hand that it drove me this winter."
And it drives the Nats even in these early days of spring camp, where there is a palpable confidence from last year's successes and a conviction to not leave the job unfinished again.
"All things considered, maybe [Game 5] was a good thing for this team," Werth said. "I don't know how many of these guys have been through adversity. It's been a yellow brick road for a lot of them, just sort of waltzing along. Last year was a character-builder, and we look to build on that."
Werth remains a big building block. And he, like the rest of the Nats, is hungry to get going. But you could probably tell that from his lunch. | http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130220&content_id=41817514&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb | 1,547 |
Men's BB |
Women's BB |
Copyright © 2007-13 College Poll Archive. All rights reserved.
College Poll Archive is not affiliated with the Associated Press, its writers, those who vote in the AP college football or
basketball polls, nor those with the BCS rankings (USA Today, Harris Interactive, Jeff Sagarin, Anderson & Hester,
Richard Billingsley -- except for some shared research -- Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, or Dr. Peter Wolfe) | http://collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/teams/by_season.cfm?teamid=28&seasonid=1975 | 100 |
TAMPA, Fla. -- While the Yankees prepare to begin their Grapefruit League schedule this weekend, third baseman Alex Rodriguez is working on his rehabilitation from hip surgery in New York, hoping to get back on the field this season.
Rodriguez issued a statement through his spokesman Thurdsay, saying he is working out under the supervision of Dr. Bryan Kelly and trainer Pete Draovitch. Kelly performed Rodriguez's two-hour operation in January at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
The anticipated full recovery from the surgery is six months, which would put Rodriguez in line to return around the middle of the season.
"Right now I'm dedicating 100% of my energy and focus on my rehabilitation. I am conducting two rehab sessions each and every day in an effort to get back on the field and rejoin my Yankees teammates," Rodriguez said in his statement. "I think we have a great team and I want to be a part of it."
Rodriguez is among the Major Leaguers linked to the controversy involving Biogenesis, a Miami-area anti-aging clinic that reportedly sold performance-enhancing drugs to players. Major League Baseball is currently investigating the clinic.
Rodriguez has denied having any connection to Biogenesis or its director, Anthony Bosch. The Yankees have declined to comment on the situation due to the pending MLB investigation. | http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130221&content_id=41869294&vkey=news_nyy&c_id=nyy | 280 |
CSU Hosts November FCA RallyNovember 1, 2010
By CSU Sports Information
CHARLESTON, S.C. – As they do the first Monday of each month, the Charleston Southern athletics department gathered in the Brewer Center on campus for the school’s FCA rally. This month’s guest was Darrell Coulter, a former football great and current pastor in the Charleston area.
Coulter was a quarterback at Burke High School in Charleston before going on to a hall of fame career at Morgan State. His powerful but humorous message challenged the student-athletes and coaches in attendance by asking “What are you not willing to give up for Christ?”
Noting that a lot of people want their lives as Christians to be easy, Coulter emphasized that Christians are not called to live easy lives, but to sacrifice for the greater good.
“What good is a 20,000 member church if that church is not changing the community,” ask Coulter. “That kind of church is not the church that is talked about in the Bible.”
The gathering started with a Simon-says competition, won by baseball player Brandon McKinney, whose reciting of the books of the New Testament earned him the championship. | http://csusports.com/article.asp?articleID=4754 | 259 |
Your Guide To NLDS Game 3
The 2012 Postseason lands in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. We’re here to prepare you as best we can for Game 3 of the National League Division Series, with first pitch at 1:07 p.m. local time at Nationals Park.
Remember, while Wednesday is Game 3 of the NLDS, it is Postseason Home Game 1 for those of us here in D.C. Therefore your ticket should look like this:
If you don’t already have tickets to the game, there will be a very limited amount of standing room only tickets available beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, ONLY at the Nationals Park Box Office.
Make sure you wear your Nationals red to the ballpark! While you’re at it, post a photo of you, your business or your school Igniting Your October #NATITUDE and post it to Twitter for a chance to win 2013 Nationals tickets and a Postseason Prize Pack!
All gates will open at 10:30 a.m., 2.5 hours before first pitch. There will be 40,000+ postseason giveaway items for every game of the NLDS. Giveaways will be available at all gates, so feel free to enter through any park entrance.
Face-painting, balloon art, caricatures, and more will be available at the Family Fun Area near the Center Field Gate once gates are open until the start of the game. Plus, live music will take place at the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk once gates are open until the start of the game.
And, of course, the game itself features Edwin Jackson and the Nationals taking on Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals with the best-of-five series tied at a game apiece. More on all that right here.
While you’re at the game, don’t forget to stop behind Section 113, where we’ll have unique memorabilia from the Nationals first-ever postseason games last weekend in St. Louis.
Game 4: Thursday, 4:07 p.m. (moves to 5:07 p.m. if Detroit beats Oakland Tuesday night)
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, 8:37 p.m.
If you have any other questions that are not answered on this post or on this link, feel free to ask them in the space below and we’ll do our best to answer as quickly as possible. | http://curlyw.mlblogs.com/2012/10/09/your-guide-to-nlds-game-3/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=0c985fc400 | 508 |
For The Independent
Some say there is no place like home. Russell star Kyle Skaggs would beg to differ.
It’s not that the senior has anything against Russell’s Marvin Meredith Gymnasium, it just simply doesn’t matter where the sharpshooter suits up. As long as there are two baskets 84 feet apart, he is plenty comfortable.
It was Raceland's gym's turn to host Skaggs and the rest of the Red Devils on Thursday night, and despite the best efforts of the Ram crowd, Skaggs made himself right at home. He scored 28 points to lead the Red Devils past the Raceland, 70-45.
It has become old hat for the sixth-year starter to put up big numbers against teams in their own gyms, but this year Skaggs is making a habit of setting records on the road.
Just two weeks after surpassing Jon Van Hoose’s school record for career points in a contest at Morgan County, Skaggs became the first-ever Red Devil to eclipse the 2,000-point plateau on Thursday.
“I really do love playing on the road. I just try to get as focused as I can for every game, and I guess that is just how it played out,” Skaggs said of his personal accomplishment. “I wish that I could have done at least one at home, but we are winning and that is all that matters.”
The win improved Russell to 6-1 on the season and more importantly 2-0 in 63rd District play.
Russell coach Merle Kidwell said he wouldn’t mind playing even more games at Raceland this season.
“We have always had success here. My first year when we upset Greenup County in the district (tournament) Kyle had 25 points as an eighth-grader, so we are hoping we play about five games here this year,” he said. “The semis and finals of the Class 'A' are here and the districts are here so we want to play at least four more games down here.”
In Russell’s first home game after Skaggs broke the scoring record — against Fairview on Saturday — Skaggs struggled mightily from the field, going just 2 of 11 from behind the three-point line. Back on the road, he returned to form. He knocked down 6 of 12 from behind the arc.
While Skaggs was pouring in shots from all over the court in the first 16 minutes, the Red Devil defense was making it hard for the Rams to make a shot from anywhere but the free-throw line.
Raceland (0-4) went over 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal in one stretch of the first half.
“We were really focused, and Googie (Hayes) really had a good half defensively,” Kidwell said. “He was active and set the tone for us.”
Using his quickness, Hayes was able to deflect several passing in Russell’s full-court press. It led to easy baskets for fellow senior Jacob Porter.
While Porter has been a solid second scoring option for the Red Devils this season, tallying 13 against the Rams, Kidwell continues to praise the guard for his rebounding ability.
“Jacob has just been tremendous with his effort on the glass,” Kidwell said of the 6-foot guard, who has pulled down 17 rebounds in the past two games.
The Rams were able to stay in the game early by taking their time on offense and waiting for a good shot, but once they fell behind they were never able to make a serious run at the Red Devils.
Chase Waddle was the only Ram to reach double figures, scoring 10. Connor Messer added seven points and four rebounds. | http://dailyindependent.com/localsports/x1752053582/Red-Devils-rattle-Rams/print | 807 |
Reed trailed for much of the clash, but with Carson driving for what could have been a nail-in-the-coffin score, the Raiders responded with a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown. A few defensive stops followed, a punt return and finally a go-ahead score. Reed had momentum on its side and a 30-26 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The perennially tough Raiders had seemingly overcome plenty of adversity to steal a comeback win.
But then things turned from euphoric to disappointing in a hurry. Carson drove the length of the field and won the game when a controversial call by the officiating crew sealed a CHS comeback win. Carson receiver Matt Nolan was awarded a catch in the end zone on the final play of the game for a winning score. Reed safety Austin Warner dislodged the pigskin with a powerful hit but officials called it a catch and Carson had the upset victory.
Video of the controversial play is inconclusive, but you can bet it was an emotional bus ride home for Reed.
Raiders coach Ernie Howren took the high road when asked if he thought it was a Carson touchdown.
"I could see it going either way," the veteran RHS coach said. "That was just such an emotional swing for us ... It was tough, but we watched film and we're ready to move on."
Immediately after the late-game drama concluded, Howren said one play did not lose his club the contest. He stressed his squad missed many opportunities to make big plays that could have changed the outcome of the game. He said the missed opportunities killed his club more than anything else. He reiterated that after watching film of the defeat.
"We had opportunities to convert on big plays and we didn't. Honestly, that's probably the game right there," Howren said. "You have to take advantage. And when you don't, it makes for a long night.
"We went back and watched film and it showed exactly what we thought. We didn't play well and it started in the trenches. Physically, we got beat up a little bit. We have to play better than that up front."
Considering the team's poor performance, Reed coaches won't see a silver lining. Still, the game was not a league affair so the loss won't have any bearing on the Raiders' potential postseason positioning. Additionally, there's plenty of reason for Reed put the loss in its rear-view mirror and speed away. Next up on the Raiders' schedule is its High Desert League opener, at traditionally tough McQueen.
The upcoming affair will not only feature a Reed team trying to bounce back, but McQueen was upset by Reno last weekend and it too will also be looking to rebound.
"McQueen is one of the best teams in the area. It is well-coached," Howren said. "We know we'll have to bring our 'A' game. Couple that with it's a league game and it's huge. You really have two teams with the same game plan. We both have to get back on track."
•At Spanish Springs, the Cougars were probably flying as high emotionally Friday night as the Raiders were feeling low. That's because the Cougars buried a well-respected Douglas opponent, 59-28.
The SSHS gridders blew out to a 38-14 halftime lead and led by as much as 38 in the fourth quarter before Douglas tacked on a score in the waning minutes.
"We played really well in all three phases of the game," Spanish Springs coach Scott Hare said. "We played definitely our best and cleanest game yet."
The Cougars coach said a key area of emphasis in recent team workouts has been improvement through individual drills rather than team drills. He believes that recent focus is paying dividends.
"I think the individual stuff is helping our team stuff," Hare said. "I've seen it. We are a lot cleaner. A lot of times we've been blocking the right guy, but not the right way. When we block the right way, our pocket is cleaner. Guys have to understand that. When (QB) Hunter (Fralick) is comfortable, probably, you're going to be pretty successful."
Hare is most pleased that the time his coaching staff is taking in practice throughout the week is showing up on the football field on Friday nights.
"As a coach, you work on a lot of things," he said. "If you're at least seeing what you've worked on Tuesday and Wednesday, in your games, then you can say the kids are growing, listening and developing. That's what's fun about coaching."
The win over Douglas capped the Cougars' non-league preseason schedule. Spanish Springs is riding a wave of confidence after its weekend demolition of the Tigers and considering its 4-1 start, there is reason to be brimming. Still, Hare is trying to keep his club grounded, using lessons from the past to do so.
"The win over Douglas is as quality a win as we've had since 2009, at least in terms of beating a team everybody respects," Hare said. "But we're 0-0 in league as we start conference play this week. I think the kids feel good but I've told them 'we've been 5-0 twice and still have not won a playoff game.' Being 4-1 is nice. It shows we're working. But we've been here and done this. We have to carry it forward. There has to be more to show for it. Nobody is going to look back in five weeks and talk about that win over Douglas, if we don't stay the course."
•With five weeks down, northern Nevada's prep football regular season is only at its midway point. Still, it probably already feels like a long season at Sparks, where the Railroaders fell to 0-5 on their fall campaign, following a 56-0 loss at Truckee Saturday. To make matters worse, none of those five games have been competitive, all have ended with one-sided margins.
The task of a rebuilding Sparks squad doesn't get any easier when it goes up against the likes of Truckee, a three-time defending 3A state champion, which has won 40 straight games, the fifth-longest streak in the nation.
"They're the best team we've seen," Sparks coach Rob Kittrell said. "It's the same Truckee with what they do. They're just so dang fundamentally sound. Defensively, it's tough to move the ball against them.
"A bright spot is I thought we did move the ball a little bit against them, but then we'd cost ourselves on a drive with some mental mistakes."
Sparks senior quarterback Geo Vasquez had a solid day targeting receivers. He completed 17-of-32 passes, mostly on short routes. He was picked off twice though. Kittrell said one of those came when a pass hit a Railroaders receiver directly in the hands. The receiver than deflected the pass up into the air where it found the intercepting hands of a Truckee defensive back.
It can be hard to find positives in the short end of a 56-0 loss, but Kittrell said there were a few. The play of his special teams was one.
"We did not give up a special teams touchdown and that's a first time in forever. Truckee usually blocks a punt, returns a kick or something. So that was good; and again at times our offense did good things. Geo looked the most comfortable against them as he's looked in the last three years," Kittrell said.
Kittrell added that after a disastrous first half, his defense was still flying around with high intensity in the third quarter and that overall his offense had an improved effort in cutting down on negative rushing plays.
"The defense in the first half, it was just bad. There was no improvement there, but, all around, outside of that, I think there were some improvements. When you're playing the three-time defending state champion, those improvements may not show up on the scoreboard," Kittrell said. | http://dailysparkstribune.com/view/full_story/20259540/article-Prep-gridiron-programs-dealing-with-different-emotions?instance=sports_lead_story | 1,688 |
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Will TNT's Problems "Hinder" NASCAR?
There are only three races left in TNT's summer "mini-season" of NASCAR coverage. This small package of races bridges the gap between Fox Sports and ESPN/ABC. Once ESPN kicks back in for The Brickyard 400, that company stays with the NEXTEL Cup schedule all the way to the championship. The final eleven races will be on ABC Sports, but produced by the same ESPN bunch.
TNT's contribution to this NASCAR season has been a memorable one. Off-balance since the start, this group of admittedly "cross-bred" TV production folks is a smorgasbord of personnel who normally work for other networks and production companies. TNT might know drama, but with NASCAR its been an uphill climb this season. The TNT team of television "freelancers" had its roughest day last Sunday in Sonoma.
One of the things that people may remember most about TNT this season is the fact that the network is shameless in promoting its own entertainment products. This often comes with little regard to the subject matter of the promo, or the time of day it is shown.
The Daly Planet got a bunch of email from NASCAR parents shocked at the subject matter of a TNT promo that included actress Holly Hunter. Apparently, it was a wonderful promo for kids to see on a Sunday just home from church and watching racing. But, what do you expect for a network with six races to promote itself and absolutely nothing to lose? When they are gone from NASCAR, they are gone.
This weekend, at New Hampshire, TNT is once again going to test the patience of NASCAR fans in a very big way. The fans at the track and on TV get to hear the rock band "Hinder" perform live. This is the group that recorded the version of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" that fans have heard on the TNT coverage. Let me re-phrase that. The version that fans have heard over-and-over-and-over again on the TNT broadcasts. Did I mention over-and-over again?
"A performance by 'Hinder' is the perfect instrument to get race fans revved-up to watch the dramatic action of NASCAR racing," says Jenny Storms from Turner Sports Marketing. This week on the one hour NASCAR Live on TNT fans will actually get "Hinder" in concert. Since Turner Interactive runs NASCAR.com, that site will replay the performances and have other "Hinder" things.
A hard rock band playing in front of a NASCAR grandstand in New Hampshire on a Sunday afternoon. Can't you just feel the vibe coming from that crowd?
Despite the hype and the attitude, TNT has some serious explaining to do to the fans during their pre-race shows. They left the air Sunday without final results, never had a clue as to what was going on in the last twenty laps, and put Kyle Petty in a bad spot by airing an obscenity during a replay. Add to that the fact that Larry McReynolds, struggling with his voice, was placed in an open air set adjacent to the track during the race. To say the least, things were not good.
This week, Bill Weber's article on the NASCAR on TNT website is entitled "Picturesque New England Could Turn Ugly For Some." Truer words were never said by Mr. Weber, who has struggled to maintain a friendly on-air persona during the entire TNT coverage. Message boards and chat forums around the Internet are full of fans screaming for his head. They are annoyed by his style, his attitude, and his lack of play-by-play experience. Mike Joy he is not.
When the TNT crew comes on-air in Loudon, fans will quickly see if the adversity of Sonoma has caused them to gel, or continue to splinter into even more uncomfortable on-air relationships. With the positive press that DirecTV's Hot Pass has been getting, the pressure to deliver a thorough and professional race will be greater than ever. Thankfully, the flat track of Loudon will make it tough to pass, and keep the potential chaos to a minimum.
The odd man out of TNT's coverage is Wally Dallenbach. His Wally's World ride-a-long feature has been obliterated into a TNT promo. All the good information and track descriptions he used to give viewers while terrifying a celebrity are gone. With Kyle Petty on board, his status as the veteran driver in the booth is gone. After Sonoma, and his inability to relate anything relevant or accurate in the closing laps, his credibility is gone. What's left?
Hopefully, the TNT crew will take the adversity of Sonoma as a challenge to nail both the pre-race shows and race broadcast at Loudon on Sunday. Maybe the inside jokes and the put-downs will be put on hold until the ride to the airport in the rental car. Maybe the "happy" Bill Weber will be able to remain that way for four hours. Maybe Kyle will have his best race as an analyst just when he needs it most.
The bottom line is that fans just want on TV what they have been getting on the radio for decades. Good exciting NASCAR racing presented to them...as if they matter. We shall see if that message sinks in.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below, or email [email protected] if you wish not to be published. All email is held in confidence. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by. | http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2007/06/will-tnts-problems-hinder-nascar.html?showComment=1183128240000 | 1,149 |
The Denver Nuggets have no cupcakes this week as they fight for playoff position, which may actually be a good thing considering recent losses to the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Hornets and Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets will face three teams within a few games of them in the West standings, plus an Eastern conference powerhouse.
Monday, April 16: at Houston Rockets (6:00 p.m. MT, ALT)
The Nuggets beat the Rockets by 15 on Sunday night in Denver to jump above them and into the No. 7 slot in the West, but Monday night's game remains a large one. If the Rockets get back a win, the two teams will once again be tied. But if Denver wins, they'll find themselves up two games on the Rockets with five to play.
Wednesday, April 18: at Los Angeles Clippers (7:00 p.m. MT, ALT)
It's unlikely that the Nuggets can catch the Clippers— who currently occupy the West's fourth seed— but if anything this game will be a solid measuring stick for Denver, as they go up against a team that some consider to be a legitimate NBA Finals contender.
Saturday, April 21: at Phoenix Suns (3:30 p.m. MT, ALT/ESPN)
The Suns are currently a game back of Houston for the eighth seed and two back of Denver for the seventh, so this game could have serious playoff implications. If the Suns have a rough week, Denver may have a chance to put the final nail in their coffin, or they may find themselves furiously fighting back the streaking Suns.
Sunday, April 22: vs Orlando Magic (6:00 p.m. MT, ALT)
The Nuggets will supposedly be without star center Dwight Howard, who is sitting out with a back injury, but they may be forced to throw him into the action if their position in the East standings begins to slip any further.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more in-depth coverage, head over to Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs. And for updates from around the league, check out SB Nation's NBA news hub. | http://denver.sbnation.com/denver-nuggets/2012/4/16/2951955/2012-denver-nuggets-nba-schedule/in/2716340 | 437 |
Hank Boerner, who died last month.
Twenty Healthiest Hometown signs will be placed around town, including one at Ballard Park, where the unveiling took place with members of the Healthy Tupelo Task Force, the Boerner family and city officials on Thursday morning.
Mayor Jack Reed Jr. praised the work of the work of the task force, particularly the unquenchable enthusiasm of Boerner, who served as task force co-chairman.
The city received the Healthiest Hometown Award from BlueCrossBlue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for its efforts to create a more active, healthy culture in Tupelo. Winning the annual competition also came with a $50,000 grant to allow the city to keep moving its efforts forward.
Boerner, the director of the NMMC Wellness Center, died unexpectedly Dec. 6.
Read more in Wednesday's NEMS Daily Journal. | http://djournal.com/pages/news_obituaries_full/push?article-Tupelo+unveils+Healthiest+Hometown+signs+remembering+late+community++advocate%20&id=21440930 | 185 |
Ja Havens Named New ECU Head Menís Basketball Coach
ADA Ė The East Central University menís basketball team has hired Ja Havens as its sixth head coach. Havens will be coming back to his roots in the Oklahoma basketball community after spending his playing career at St. Gregoryís and Northeastern State and the first seven of his 15 years in collegiate coaching in Oklahoma. Read the full story.
Menís Basketball Hosts Skills Clinic at Boys & Girls Club
ADA Ė The East Central University menís basketball team hosted a Skills Clinic at the Boys & Girls Club of Ada, Thursday, April 11. Read the full story.
Carr Earns All-GAC Honors
BARTLESVILLE, OKLA. Ė East Central University menís basketball junior Colby Carr has earned a spot on the 2012-13 All-Great American Conference Honorable Mention team, as voted on by the leagueís head coaches. Read the full story.
Menís Basketball Season Ends at Arkansas Tech
RUSSELLVILLE, ARK. Ė The 2012-13 East Central University menís basketball season came to an end with a 46-60 loss to Arkansas Tech at Tucker Coliseum. The Tigers finished the season with an 8-18 overall record and a 5-15 mark in the Great American Conference. Read the full story. | http://ecutigers.com/sport.asp?sportID=3 | 275 |
Last year a young Eastern Mennonite women’s basketball team got on a roll and finished with a 22-4 record, tied for second-best in program history. Yet the Royals lost in the ODAC Tournament semifinals and missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Kevin Griffin knew he had a talented crew last winter, but with just three upperclassmen on the roster, Griffin didn’t expect the explosion of wins his team earned.
“I was very surprised considering how young we were and what we had lost,” he said. “Things just sort of fell into place.”
This year the eighth-year mentor returns his top six players, including all five starters. Griffin acknowledges that returning core triggers an extra layer of pressure.
“It means that expectations are high from ourselves and from others,” said Griffin. “And it means that we do have experience, which is why those expectations are so high. I think everybody expects we’re going to be good and so there’s a pressure. Our schedule is a lot tougher this year, but I think that pressure and schedule can be a good motivator. At the end of the day it’s basketball and we just need to go play, try to improve and see what happens.”
The Royals return three All-ODAC performers, each of who are entering their junior seasons this year. Forward Bianca Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) exploded to a team-best 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds, all the while coming off the bench. She was named All-ODAC First Team and All-South Region Third Team by D3hoops.com.
Whether or not Ygarza starts this year doesn’t appear to be an issue to either the player or the head coach.
“The only planned change is that Bianca plays more,” Griffin said of his dynamic player who averaged 22.9 minutes last year. “It’s hard to define her role. She just finds a way to score, and finds the ball and rebounds. We need to find more ways to get her the ball and more minutes without wearing her down.”
Kala Yoders (Myerstown, PA/Eastern Lebanon County), the ODAC Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, landed on the All-ODAC Second Team as a sophomore, averaging 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds. Small forward Steph Rheinheimer (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) hit 39% of her three-point shots and earned Third Team honors with 11.3 points per game.
Starting guards Keyla Baltimore (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) and Alisa Brown (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) return, as does Shakeerah Sykes (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park). Baltimore transferred to EMU last year after one season at Bluefield and ended up among national leaders with a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Brown scored 6.7 a game and became a harassing defender, while Sykes contributed 6.2 points and 4.8 boards in her first season.
Jennifer Blankenship (Bassett, VA/Bassett) will be the lone senior on the team this time around and is joined by sophomores Nora Osei (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) and Raiven Patterson (Pulaski, VA/Pulaski County). Osei had 3.7 rebounds a game as a reserve frontliner, while Patterson tantalized fans with flashy offense and defense in just eight games early in the season. Sharpshooting Marla zumFelde (Goshen, IN/Bethany Christian) hurt her knee in the offseason and will spend this year out of uniform as a student assistant.
Griffin said the experience of his returners is evident.
“Hopefully they are smarter and are more confident and more skilled and realize the opportunity that is in front of them,” he said. “I do think we’re in better shape and the confidence of some of the kids that played a lot last year is a lot higher, either because they put in a lot of work (in the offseason) or because they played a lot last year. So it’s made a difference in how they’ve played at the start of practices.”
Adding to the returning core, Griffin brought in another athletic recruiting class to give his team much-needed depth for their up-tempo style. Two of the newcomers are younger sisters of All-ODAC honorees for the Royals.
“I think that Alicia Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) will help us athletically,” Griffin said, “with her ability to defend and her strength. Shannan Thompson (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) will help as an athlete and can really shoot the ball. And Jess Rheinheimer (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) does a lot of things well. She can score and has a very high basketball IQ.”
Other new players include: Kayley Argenbright (Fishersville, VA/Wilson Memorial), Morgan Holbert (Stuarts Draft, VA/Stuarts Draft), Kianna Vivanco (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) and sophomore Belmont Abbey-transfer Chanel Shands (Dale City, VA/Forest Park).
Griffin said that new wave of faces will pay dividends throughout the year.
“I hope we can just play faster,” he said. “We should have someone to provide relief at every position so some of those kids aren’t playing as many minutes, which will be really helpful come January and February.”
Despite all the returners and talented newcomers, Griffin still needs to replace one key aspect – leadership, which had been provided by now-graduated Marla Young.
“I don’t think we’re going to (replace Young’s leadership),” said Griffin. “It will be by committee. What Marla brought you can’t measure in terms of statistics. In terms of a person and vocal leader, we’re sorely going to miss her. Just her work ethic was an example for everyone. I’m hoping some of our returners will step up and be a little more vocal. I think they will lead by example in terms of work ethic and recognize the value of what Marla brought and fill that void.”
That leadership void will be tested early, as the Royals start the year with a very tough stretch of six games, including contests against tradition powers Kean and Ferrum, nationally-ranked Mary Washington and potentially Messiah, as well as at ODAC heavy weights Virginia Wesleyan and Guilford. The Marlins tied EMU with an ODAC-best record of 17-3 last year, while Guilford finished third before winning the ODAC Tournament.
Both Eastern Mennonite and the Quakers received votes in the two “official” preseason national polls from D3hoops.com and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Griffin said the impressive non-conference slate should benefit his women.
“I’m hoping what takes place there is that we find ourselves,” he said, “and that we are tested but not crushed, so that when we hit the rest of our league schedule we are prepared. We have talked a lot about preparation this year, so the point is that 1) we needed games and 2) we needed to be better prepared.”
The Eastern Mennonite women open the year at the Messiah Tip-Off Classic, taking on Kean on Nov. 16, followed by either Messiah or Methodist the following day. The Royals host Ferrum on Nov. 24 for their home opener. | http://emu.edu/now/news/2012/11/royals-hoping-to-live-up-to-own-expectations/ | 1,679 |
- Belgian Grand Prix
Spa repeat unlikely, says Sutil
Adrian Sutil has played down Force India's chances of repeating the team's surprising Belgian Grand Prix result of 2009.
Giancarlo Fisichella secured pole position at the demanding Spa circuit last year and narrowly missed out on victory, finishing second behind Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari.
And although Sutil himself qualified on the front row before finishing fourth and setting the fastest lap at Monza two weeks later, the German does not fancy his team's chances this time around.
"Last year we had an incredible car there, it was a big advantage. We don't have that advantage anymore," Sutil told the Indian media. "Still, we should be able to score a lot of points in the coming races. We have a very good chance in Spa and Monza."
Team-mate Tonio Liuzzi was slightly more optimistic about the team's chances and thinks a podium is again a possibility.
"I think we will be again pretty competitive," Liuzzi told Autosport. "To match last year I think it's difficult because last year was the first one with new rules, different cars, there was the KERS...
"I think now some teams have improved a lot in drag and in top speed, so I don't think we will have the advantage of last year, but I still believe that we are in good shape to aim for a podium."
Sutil added that it is important for the team to get its new blown diffuser up and running if it is not to lose ground on its rivals over the remaining races.
"We have to get it upgraded now, we are losing to the competitors a little bit in the diffuser area."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Products you might like at espnshop.co.uk | http://en.espnf1.com/belgium/motorsport/story/25732.html?CMP=OTC-RSS | 382 |
- United States Grand Prix
Third constructors' title 'remarkable' - Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has congratulated his team on taking its third consecutive constructors' title at the United States Grand Prix this weekend, putting its success down to long hours, dedication and determination.
Red Bull sealed the championship at the Circuit of the Americas with a podium finish for Sebastian Vettel, although the title had looked liked foregone conclusion heading into the weekend. In winning its third title, Horner said his team had achieved something "quite remarkable".
"We're half way there and we've closed out one championship. To have won three consecutive constructors' is something we could only have dreamed about three years ago and to achieve what we have in 2010, 2011 and 2012 against the opponents that we have, and in only our eighth year in the sport, is something that is quite remarkable. I think it's testimony to the long hours, dedication and determination within the team that we've managed to achieve this and it's something that every member of the team is fiercely proud of."
Technical director Adrian Newey admitted the 2012 victory had been one of the toughest due to the competitive nature of the field.
"To achieve the hat-trick is very special and I was lucky enough to achieve that at Williams and then again at Red Bull with a second and then three firsts; it's a great tribute to the team," he said. "Last year's was obviously the easiest but 2010 was different because we had a lot of silly points losses at the start of the year from reliability and driver mistakes, but the car had very good pace.
"This year pace-wise it's been very close since the start of the year and in the mid-season probably more than anything. In some ways it's been the most tiring to keep it up and it does feel like a long season."
Newey added that he would not be partying too hard with Sebastian Vettel still under threat from Fernando Alonso in the drivers' championship and one round remaining.
"With the drivers' championship still in the balance and only a week away we can't afford to get too obliterated tonight."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Products you might like at espnshop.co.uk | http://en.espnf1.com/usa/motorsport/story/95442.html | 468 |
Cuban: International ball benefits Roddy B
Not with Dirk Nowitzki. Not with Steve Nash. Not with Jason Kidd. And so on.
Rodrigue Beaubois, however, is an exception. Cuban is fine with Roddy B running the show for the French team this summer.
“I'm ok with it,” Cuban said via e-mail. “I've always said that I would be fine with participation as long as there was a 23- or 25-year old age limit.”
Beaubois’ situation is much different than the Dallas stars who have spent summers playing international ball. He didn’t play many minutes in his rookie season, minimizing the concern about wear and tear. And he’s still in the very early stages of his development, especially as a point guard.
Cuban believes that Beaubois can benefit from playing for the French team, as long as he’s used as the starting point guard. With Tony Parker taking the summer off, that seems to be the plan.
Running a team against high-level competition should be a continuation of Beaubois’ summer education with the Mavs’ coaches. It ought to help prepare the Mavs’ most dynamic athlete to play significant minutes at point guard last season.
One way to look at it is Beaubois’ experience with the French team can help the Mavs rest Kidd more often. Cuban can live with international ball saving the legs on one of his most important players.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about the NBA playoffs.
Play Podcast Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle gives his take on the contrasting styles of the Pacers and Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Bulls-Heat, Tom Thibodeau, the state of the West and more.
Play Podcast Chuck Cooperstein joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to talk about who he would rather have if forced to choose between Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.
Play Podcast Tim MacMahon joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the possibility of Chris Paul joining the Mavericks and break down what kind of pitch Mark Cuban would have to make to the NBA's best point guard.
Play Podcast ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to touch on the storylines in the NBA playoffs and offer a Mavs perspective.
Play Podcast Rick Carlisle joins Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Mavericks' disappointing season and what needs to happen for them to get back to the playoffs.
Play Podcast Donnie Nelson joins Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Mavericks' season and the importance of this summer.
Play Podcast Rick Carlisle joins Galloway & Company to discuss the Mavericks playing after being eliminated from playoff contention, whom he wants to keep for next season and much more. | http://espn.go.com/blog/dallasmavericks/post/_/id/4669410/cuban-international-ball-can-benefit-roddy-b | 617 |
|ESPN Network: ESPN.com | NBA.com | NHL.com | WNBA.com | ABCSports | EXPN | INSIDER | FANTASY|
Chargers win overtime thriller
One of the greatest
By Dan Weinberg
Special to ESPN.com
Many consider it the greatest game in National Football League history. At the time, it set playoff records for most points (79) and most total yards (1,036). In Miami it was called "The Miracle That Died." The Pro Football Hall of Fame named it the "NFL's Game of the '80s."
The AFC semifinal playoff game between San Diego and Miami was a wild roller-coaster ride, will be profiled on Thursday, October 20 at 4 p.m. ET.
The AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins on Jan. 2, 1982 at the Orange Bowl, played in the oven-like heat of the south Florida night, was a see-saw affair that lasted 13:52 into overtime. When it was over, one player said, "I've never felt so close to death." And he was on the winning team.
In the end, the Chargers prevailed, 41-38, with the game concluding with one of the lasting images in NFL history.
San Diego jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter behind quarterback Dan Fouts. The Dolphins' "Killer B's" defense (nicknamed for the plethora of starters whose last name began with the letter "B") that had been Miami's strength all year wilted in the wake of the Chargers' "Air Coryell" aerial attack.
Miami's offense also was a bust - until coach Don Shula replaced starter David Woodley with backup quarterback Don Strock. In a furious rally, the Dolphins got to within a touchdown of the lead at the end of the first half, a 17-point run punctuated by the famous "hook and ladder" play: Strock to Duriel Harris to Tony Nathan for the score on the last play of the first half.
The third quarter ended tied at 31. After Miami took the lead in the fourth quarter at 38-31, Fouts marched the Chargers 82 yards on 10 plays, culminating with a nine-yard touchdown strike to James Brooks in the corner of the end zone with 58 seconds remaining. The Dolphins had a chance to win the game with four seconds left, but San Diego tight end Kellen Winslow blocked Uwe von Schamann's 43-yard field goal attempt, forcing overtime.
The game was a showcase for Winslow, who in his third Charger season had already twice led the league in receptions. He finished the contest with 13 catches (a divisional playoff record) for 166 yards and a touchdown plus the critical blocked field goal, all the while battling debilitating fatigue and muscle cramps.
The first chance for the game to be decided in overtime came when San Diego kicker Rolf Bernischke lined up for a 27-yard field goal. It was a seminal moment for Bernischke, who just two years earlier had been fighting for his life in a battle against Krohn's disease - a digestive condition that debilitated his bowels, led to a perforated colon and reduced his weight to 123 pounds after emergency surgery. After a slow recovery, Bernischke had returned to San Diego that season.
But what seemed like an automatic, game-winning chip shot sailed wide left.
Next it was the Dolphins who had the chance to win. After recovering a Chuck Muncie fumble, they moved into position for von Schamann to try a 34-yard field goal. Again, the Chargers blocked the kick. This time defensive end Leroy Jones got his hand in the way.
Fouts moved the Chargers downfield, hitting Wes Chandler for 20 yards and Charlie Joiner for 29. With the ball on the Miami 12, Bernischke had a chance for redemption. This time his 29-yard field goal was true, giving the Chargers the victory.
Fouts completed 33-of-53 passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns. Strock was 29-of-43 for 403 yards and four scores. It was the first time in NFL history that two quarterbacks passed for more than 400 yards in a game. Five players had more than 100 yards in receptions. The Chargers broke 15 divisional playoff team records and tied two others.
But the enduring image of the game was Winslow being carried from the field on the arms of his teammates. To this day it still prompts anger from the losing side. "There was no way that Kellen Winslow was so winded that he had to be continually helped off the football field," said Dolphins wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo. "I just don't buy it. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it today."
Miami linebacker Kim Bokamper said, "Every time I see it you wonder whether he should have gotten an Academy Award for the performance. It gnaws at some people, and it certainly gnaws at me."
Regardless of the feeling about Winslow, both sides reflect on the game with a reverential tone. Dolphins coach Don Shula said, "We knew afterwards that it had certainly one of the greatest games that's ever been played." And Jerry Magee, who covered the game for the San Diego Union-Tribune, said. "The great football games are like pieces of theater. It had a beginning, an expository period, and then it had that marvelous overtime finish. I will always think of that game as the greatest game ever in the NFL."
Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Dolphins_Chargers_1981.html | 1,169 |
Soccer chief calls for gays to come out
FRANKFURT, Germany -- The outgoing German soccer federation president says it's time for gay players to come out.
Theo Zwanziger called on gay players "to have the courage to declare themselves," although he conceded it was surely difficult to acknowledge one's homosexuality within a team. He pointed to the example of Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, who came out years ago.
Speaking at a discussion on the subject organized by the federation, Zwanziger said Tuesday that society was more understanding than a few years ago. Germany captain Philipp Lahm, however, disagrees as far as soccer goes.
"Football is like being the gladiators in the old times," Lahm said in an interview published Monday. "The politicians can come out these days, for sure, but they don't have to play in front of 60,000 people every week."
"I don't think that the society is that far ahead that it can accept homosexual players as something normal as in other areas," he added.
Zwanziger, who will leave his job in March, said Lahm is a tolerant person "and if that's how he sees the situation, I am not going to be the one to criticize him."
No player in Germany's professional leagues has so far acknowledged his homosexuality.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
MORE SPORTS HEADLINES
- Ribery, Benzema charged with soliciting minor
- Ex-U.S. coach denies Solo's shoving allegation
- Messi, Ronaldo, Iniesta UEFA award finalists
- Kompany: Van Persie would boost any team | http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/7471041/german-soccer-chief-theo-zwanziger-calls-gays-come-out | 342 |
"That was God disguised as Michael Jordan."
-- Larry Bird, after Michael Jordan set the NBA playoff record for most points in a game with 63 in a double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, 135-131.
Mike is better than the rest.
Michael Jordan, who dominated the NBA and won six championships, has been named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by SportsCentury's distinguished 48-member panel. Babe Ruth, who revolutionized baseball in the 1920s, finished second in the voting.
|Michael Jordan was in a class by himself in the NBA.|
Playing 11 full seasons in the NBA, Jordan led the league in scoring 10 times, and in 1986-87 became the only player besides Wilt Chamberlain to score more than 3,000 points in a season, getting 3,041. His 31.5 scoring average is the highest in NBA history and with 29,277 points he's fourth all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain and Karl Malone.
"Jordan said, 'A lot of times I'll dream I'm a bad alcoholic and I can't stop drinking and embarrassing myself. And I'm going to lose everything. I wake up from that dream in a sweat.' He knows that one slip up, one mistake, can throw it all away. And I think he lived in terror of that for a very long time," says author Bob Greene about Michael Jordan on ESPN's SportsCentury show.
June 11, 1997 -- It was the worst of days, it was best of nights for Jordan.
On the day of Game 5, with the NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz tied at two games apiece, Jordan was not throwing up jumpers, but throwing up. A slight case of food poisoning compounded by flu-like symptoms had him rushing to only one place - the bathroom in his Salt Lake City hotel.
At game time, Jordan's eyes were glazed, his forehead was burning and he was dehydrated. "I didn't even think he would be able to put his uniform on," teammate Scottie Pippen said.
Once Superman put on his cape, neither the viral illness nor the Jazz could stop him. At the end, when he was most tired and looking like death, he stuck a dagger into the Jazz's championship hopes.
With the Bulls trailing 85-84 with 47 seconds left, Jordan made a game-tying free throw and then swooped in for the rebound after missing the second foul shot. With 25 seconds remaining, he nailed the winning shot, a three-pointer to give the Bulls the lead for good in their riveting 90-88 victory.
Shooting 13-of-27 from the field, Jordan finished with 38 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, in 44 minutes. He also had seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
As it turned out, a sick Jordan is still Jordan - the best there ever was with a basketball in his hands.
Odds and ends Away from the basketball court, Jordan says he was the laziest of the five children in his family.
Jordan's paternal grandfather was a tobacco sharecropper in North Carolina.
Jordan's signature - the tongue protruding from his mouth - came as a result of watching his father making the same gesture while working on the family car.
As a 12-year-old Little League pitcher in Wilmington, N.C., Jordan threw several no-hitters and was one game shy of leading his team to the Little League World Series. The right-hander fired a two-hitter but lost, 1-0, in the Eastern Regional final.
In Jordan's two varsity seasons at Laney High School, his teams went 13-10 and 19-4. An upset in the regional tournament ended Jordan's senior year.
In the 1981-82 North Carolina media guide, Jordan was introduced as "Mike Jordan." His post-school ambition was to play professional basketball; he most admired Magic Johnson and former Tar Heel Walter Davis; and, already enamored with flying, the movies he most enjoyed included "Superman" and "Superman II."
How's this for roommates? While attending North Carolina, Jordan at one time lived with three other future pro athletes, NBA center Brad Daugherty, shortstop Walt Weiss and golfer Davis Love III.
In his three seasons as a Tar Heel, Jordan averaged 17.7 points.
Though leaving early, Jordan would return to North Carolina and earn a B.A. in geography.
The average American male's percentage of body fat is 15-20%. The average professional athlete's is 7-8%. Jordan's body fat was measured at 4%.
On April 20, 1986 Jordan set the NBA playoff record for most points in a game with 63 in a double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, 135-131. After the game, Larry Bird said, "That was God disguised as Michael Jordan."
For three straight seasons (1986-87 through 1987-89), Jordan led the NBA in minutes played.
Before Jordan signed with Nike, he actually preferred Adidas. Nike persuaded him to change his allegiance to the tune of roughly $1 million annually for five years.
When Nike was originally courting Jordan, company executives showed him a sketch of red sneakers. Michael responded, "I can't wear that shoe. Those are the devil's colors."
In the first year alone Nike's Air Jordans grossed an astronomical $130 million.
During the gold medal presentation at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Jordan draped an American flag over the Reebok logo on his uniform to avoid controversy with his sponsor Nike.
Through 1998, it has been estimated that Jordan has made close to $130 million from Nike.
In 1991 a portion of Interstate 40 that runs to Wilmington was named for Jordan.
When Jordan was asked about the different styles between his college coach, Dean Smith, and his 1984 Olympics coach, Bobby Knight, he said that Coach Smith employed the four-corner offense and Coach Knight employed four-letter words.
Jordan holds the NBA Finals record for most points-per-game in a series, averaging 41 against the Phoenix Suns in 1993.
When Chicago assistant coach Tex Winter told Jordan, "There's no 'I' in the word team," the Bulls star shot back, "There is in the word win."
Jordan recorded the only triple-double in an All-Star Game when he scored 14 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had 11 assists in 1997.
While playing in a NBA European preseason tournament in the fall of 1997, Jordan played against French players who had inked the number "23" on their sneakers to remember the moment.
At the same tournament and even after Jordan had confused the Louvre with the luge at a press conference, the "France-Soir" wrote, "Michael Jordan is in Paris. That's better than the Pope. It's God in person."
Jordan could not only score, he could also keep others from scoring. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1988 and was selected to the All-Defensive First Team nine times. He shares the career record for leading the league in steals three times.
A June 1998 "Fortune" cover story "The Jordan Effect" said that since joining the NBA in 1984, Jordan has helped generate $10 billion in revenue for the game of basketball, its broadcasting and various corporate ventures.
Jordan has appeared on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" 47 times, more than any other athlete. One belittling cover came when he was playing minor league baseball with the Birmingham Barons and the caption read, "Bag It, Michael." Jordan stopped talking to the magazine after that.
In the summer of 1998, a two-page brochure was prepared for Jordan's fantasy basketball camp. A photo on the left page showed a young, sleek North Carolina freshman nailing the winning basket against Georgetown in 1982. On the right, a photo portrayed an older, muscular Jordan knocking down the winning basket against Utah in 1998. The caption under the left read "Some Things" and under the right "Never Change."
-- Fred Kiger
SportsCentury earns Peabody award
SportsCentury: The Book
SportsCentury: Greatest coaches, games
SportsCentury No. 1: Michael Jordan
No. 2: Babe Ruth
No. 3: Muhammad Ali
No. 4: Jim Brown
No. 5: Wayne Gretzky
No. 6: Jesse Owens
No. 7: Jim Thorpe
No. 8: Willie Mays
No. 9: Jack Nicklaus
No. 10: Babe Didrikson
No. 11: Joe Louis
No. 12: Carl Lewis
No. 13: Wilt Chamberlain
No. 14: Hank Aaron
No. 15: Jackie Robinson
No. 16: Ted Williams
No. 17: Magic Johnson
No. 18: Bill Russell
No. 19: Martina Navratilova
No. 20: Ty Cobb
No. 21: Gordie Howe
No. 22: Joe DiMaggio
No 23: Jackie Joyner-Kersee
No. 24: Sugar Ray Robinson
No. 25: Joe Montana
No. 26: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No. 27: Jerry Rice
No. 28: Red Grange
No. 29: Arnold Palmer
No. 30: Larry Bird
No. 31: Bobby Orr
No. 32: Johnny Unitas
No. 33: Mark Spitz
No. 34: Lou Gehrig
No. 35: Secretariat
No. 36: Oscar Robertson
No. 37: Mickey Mantle
No. 38 Ben Hogan
No. 39: Walter Payton
No. 40: Lawrence Taylor
No. 41: Wilma Rudolph
No. 42: Sandy Koufax
No. 43: Julius Erving
No. 44: Bobby Jones
No. 45: Bill Tilden
No. 46: Eric Heiden
No. 47: Edwin Moses
No. 48: Pete Sampras
No. 49: O.J. Simpson
No. 50: Chris Evert
November Classic Moments
October Classic Moments
September Classic Moments
August Classic Moments
July Classic Moments
June Classic Moments
May Classic Moments
April Classic Moments
March Classic Moments
February Classic Moments
January Classic Moments
December '98 Classic Moments
November '98 Classic Moments
October '98 Classic Moments
September '98 Classic Moments | http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/index.html | 2,179 |
Loan stars DJ Campbell and Daryl Murphy fired Ipswich to a 2-1 victory at free-falling Charlton.
QPR loanee Campbell made amends for missing an early penalty by firing in his ninth goal of the season, and Celtic frontman Murphy doubled their lead before half-time.
Danny Haynes pulled one back from the spot for Charlton but they could not avoid crashing to a third straight defeat on manager Chris Powell's 100th game in charge of the club.
Campbell should have given Ipswich the lead after a quarter of an hour, when Emmanuel Frimpong brought down Lee Martin in the area.
The striker stepped up to take the penalty but fired his effort horribly wide of Ben Hamer's goal.
Campbell had an immediate chance to atone for his miss but Hamer saved well at his feet.
Charlton midfielder Dale Stephens then rattled the post with a 25-yard free-kick, but it was Ipswich who took the lead in the 34th minute through Campbell.
The Addicks could not clear Andy Drury's cross from the right, Murphy pulled the ball back and the unmarked Campbell this time made no mistake.
Town goalkeeper Henderson saved well from Ricardo Fuller as Charlton attempted to hit straight back, but instead the hosts found themselves two behind at the break.
Stephens lost the ball and Martin's shot was blocked by Hamer but Murphy was on hand to tuck in the rebound on the stroke of half-time.
Powell made a double substitution at the break, sending on Bradley Pritchard and skipper Johnnie Jackson, and they looked a different team at the start of the second half.
But Rob Hulse's header was held by Henderson before Fuller and Jackson got in each other's way as they went for Haynes' cross into the area.
However, they were given a lifeline in the 72nd minute when Martin tripped overlapping full-back Chris Solly in the area and Haynes blasted the spot-kick into the top corner.
Fuller was forced out of the Charlton attack with a shoulder injury but the Addicks still piled forward in search of an equaliser.
Hulse was denied by the feet of Henderson and Stephens' free-kick flew narrowly wide.
In four minutes frantic minutes of added time Stephens drove another shot the wrong side of the post and an overhead kick from Yann Kermorgant flew over the crossbar, but Ipswich held on to edge further clear of the drop zone. | http://espnfc.com/en/report/344153/report.html?soccernet=true&cc= | 515 |
Friday, March 31, 2006
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 31, 2006) - The ETSU women's soccer team recently did its part to reach out to the local community as they hosted a clinic at Girls Incorporated of Johnson City.
"This is one thing that I know that not only I look forward to, but everyone else on the team looks forward to. During the fall we get the chance to come and give back to the community, but the spring time is really our time to show the community how much we thank them and how much we appreciate them giving their support to us," said junior defender Blair DeGraw (Greensboro, N.C.).
The young girls were treated to an afternoon of fun as the soccer team led them through a series of different activities. In one station, the girls formed teams and played soccer, in another they played a game of "Head-Catch" where a member of the team would toss the ball to a girl and say either "head" or "catch" and the girl would have to think quickly and respond by doing the opposite
"Our team gets excited and has fun going out and working with kids. The opportunity to give back to kids and the game that we love is always enjoyable," said head coach Heather Henson. The student athletes also agreed that it is important for them to give back to the community. "It's really good to get off the field and come do stuff for the community. Especially for the little girls, it lets them see a different side of being a girl. It seems that they have fun and we have a lot of fun helping them out," said junior mid-fielder Alexandra Schwark (
The ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics takes pride in its community service activities and strives for 100 percent participation from its student-athletes, coaches and administrators throughout the year.
|Copyright ©2013 East Tennessee State Athletics. All Rights Reserved.||www.ETSUBucs.com| | http://etsubucs.com/news/archives-print/2005-06/5747/etsu-soccer-hosts-clinic-at-girls-inc/ | 412 |
|Women's Golf » News » Schedule » Roster » Coaches » Statistics|
Evans moves into first-place tie at Lady Paladin
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Freshman has chance to win, Bucs move up to 8th place on team leaderboard
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Oct. 30, 2010) - ETSU freshman Sian Evans (Gillingham, England) continued to make a huge impression during her first semester as a Buccaneer, moving into a tie for first place following second round action in the Lady Paladin Invitational Saturday at the Furman University Golf Course.
Evans posted a score of 3-over-par 75 and shares first place on the individual leaderboard with Charlotte Lorentzen of Georgia State entering Sunday's third and final round. As a team, the Buccaneers moved up two spots during Saturday's action and currently sits 8th on the team leaderboard. The Bucs are currently 20 strokes off the pace set by first place Chattanooga, which leads the event by nine strokes over Georgia State.
Along with Evans, ETSU was also led by junior Mayte Vizcarrondo (Cadiz, Spain), who moved up from 17th to a tie for 11th after posting her second straight round of 5-over 77. In addition, senior Nina Muehl (Vienna, Austria) is tied for 41st.
For live scoring from Sunday's third and final round, visit Golfstat.com. A full wrap up of the day's events will also be available at ETSUBucs.com.
Women's Golf Archives
TEAM INFO CENTER
2010-11 Women's Golf | http://etsubucs.com/wgolf/news/2010-11/7229/evans-moves-into-first-place-tie-at-lady-paladin/ | 344 |
|Women's Tennis » News » Schedule » Roster » Coaches » Statistics|
Ilina advances to finals of Southern Intercollegiate Tournament
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Columbia, S.C. (Oct. 30, 2004) - The East Tennessee State women's tennis team continued action at the Southern Intercollegiate Tournament in Columbia, S.C. The three-day tournament is hosted by the University of South Carolina and fields players from 16 different schools.
In A2 singles sophomore Mariia Ilina (Kyiv, Ukraine) advance to the finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Novaes of Winthrop. Tomorrow she will take on South Caronlina's Ganzer.
In A1 singles Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) dropped two matches today. She lost her first match to Lucas of South Carolina 6-2, 6-2, and then fell to A. Lask of Murray State 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Junior Sylwia Ziolkowska (Warsaw, Poland) fell to Ward of Murray State 6-4, 6-4, but defeated Bair of Charleston Southern University 6-1, 6-2 in the consolation bracket.
In the B2 singles, Sandie Knight (Adamstown, Australia) advanced to the consolation bracket finals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over R. Lask of Murray State. She will face Baird of Furman tomorrow.
Senior Gemma Halim (Jakarta, Indonesia) represented ETSU in the C1 singles bracket. She fell in a consolation match to Priest of East Carolina University 6-1, 6-0.
In C2 singles Muriel Sherwood (Atlanta, Ga.) fell in her first match of the day 6-1, 6-2 to George of South Carolina, but won her consolation match 6-1, 6-0. Junior Jewel Aldea (Charleston, S.C.), who played in the same bracket, won her consolation match against Wilson from the College of Charleston 6-1, 6-4, but then dropped to Stricklad of Georgia State 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
In doubles action, which began today, ETSU's Ziolkowska and Ilina paired in the A1 draw. They fell to Furman's Bently and Eckert in the first round 8-3, but defeated Borisev and Brito of South Carolina State 7-6 (ret.) in the consolation round to advance to the consolation finals.
Knight and Volobueva played in the B1 draw and won their first match 8-6 against College of Charleston's Albertz and Roberts, and then advanced to finals after a 9-7 win against Osborne and Moore.
In the C1 draw, Halim and Aldea paired for ETSU. In the first round, they won 8-3 over Rowan and Wilson of College of Charleston, but then fell 8-2 to Shelly and Hartness of Wofford.
Competition concludes for both singles and doubles with the final day of the Southern Intercollegiate Tournament on Sunday. The first matches of the day are set to begin at 8:30 a.m.
Women's Tennis Archives
TEAM INFO CENTER
2004-05 Women's Tennis | http://etsubucs.com/wtennis/news/2004-05/3736/ilina-advances-to-finals-of-southern-intercollegiate-tournament/ | 703 |
#14 Florida Gulf Coast
8/26/2011 | Fort Myers, Fla. | Attendance: 1050
|Florida Gulf Coast||1||0||1|
|Stats at a Glance||FAU||FGCU|
|Shots (on Goal)||6 (4)||19 (7)|
FORT MYERS, Fla. – A pair of second half goals by FAU proved to be the difference as the No. 14 FGCU men’s soccer team dropped its season-opening contest against the visiting Owls, 3-1, in front of a strong crowd of 1,050 at the newly-renovated FGCU Soccer Complex on Friday evening.
The Eagles dropped to 0-1 on the young season while FAU moved to 1-0 with the opening victory. Additionally, the Owls improved to 3-2 in the all-time series while FGCU fell to 3-2 all-time in season openers.
FAU found the back of the net early, capitalizing on a defensive miscue just outside the box in the 11th minute when forward Darnell King tallied the first of his two goals on the night by burying a shot into the right side net.
Leveling the game at 1-1 in the 26th minute, the Green and Blue sent one past the FAU keeper as redshirt senior midfielder Jonathan Koshko (New Port Richey, Fla./Mitchell HS) fired a shot from 20 yards out which caromed off an FAU defender into the left side of the net. The goal was the seventh of Koshko’s career.
Heading to the intermission the game remained tied at a goal apiece with the Eagles holding a 10-2 lead in the shot differential.
FGCU found another scoring opportunity early in the second half when a shot by junior defenseman Deion Jones (Tampa, Fla./Freedom HS) ricocheted of the crossbar in the 47th minute of the game.
The Owls would tack on two more goals in the second half of the contest. Following a diving save from senior goalkeeper Adam Glick (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley HS), the deflection trickled toward the lower right corner of the goal and was put home by FAU’s Lukas Simons in the 49th minute. The final tally of the evening was recorded in the 66th minute when King netted his second goal to give the Owls the 3-1 lead.
The Eagles outshot the Owls, 19-6, on the night and held a 6-3 advantage on the corner kick battle. Glick finished the night with one save while FAU’s Jeremy Crumpton was forced to make six saves on the night.
FGCU will now load up for a west coast trip to take part in the Nike Portland Invitational. The Green and Blue will square off against host Portland on Friday, Sept. 2 at 10 p.m. ET, before taking the field with Washington on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. ET.
Live stats, in-game Twitter updates (@FGCUEagles and @FGCUMensSoccer), box scores and recaps will be available at www.FGCUAthletics.com. | http://fgcuathletics.com/msoccer/news/2011-12/4381/no-14-fgcu-falls-to-fau-in-season-opener/ | 688 |
Another full slate of college football action is now just a mere hours away. What matchups stand out to us on the final college football Saturday of October? Here's nine games that we'll be keeping our eyes on throughout the day.
Florida vs. Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Florida has won 18 of the last 22 in this series, and win No. 19 will lock in a trip to Atlanta in December for Will Muschamp's team. Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease will test Georgia's 72nd-ranked run defense early and often; the Gators have run the ball 319 teams this season and thrown it just 134 times. Georgia will look to turn around an unimpressive three-game stretch that includes a 35-7 loss to South Carolina and two wins by a total of 12 points over Tennessee and Kentucky (combined SEC record: 0-9).
Texas Tech at Kansas State (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX): It's pretty safe to say not many people saw this as a battle for Big 12 supremacy this preseason. The teams that combined to knock West Virginia out of any title conversations square off with first place on the line. Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville's reputation as a giant killer preceeds him, according to blogger Matt Hinton, Tubberville is 7-4 versus top 5 opponents since 2000. Texas Tech, which boasts the Big 12's top defense statistically, meets the conference's most diverse attack: quarterback Collin Klein is the second-most efficient passer in the nation while also rushing for 14 scores, and tailback John Hubert has four 100-yard games on the year. Meanwhile, Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege meets the Big 12's leading pass efficiency defense fresh off a whitewashing of West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith (season-low 143 passing yards, two interceptions).
Duke at Florida State (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU): Saturday's Duke-Florida State game featues a team in control of its own destiny to win the ACC championship, and Florida State. Yes, it is Duke that is alone in first place of the ACC's Coastal Divison, while Florida State needs to win out and a Clemson loss to win the ACC's Atlantic Division. The Blue Devils clinched their first bowl appearance since 1994 with last week's 33-30 win over North Carolina, but to achieve more than that David Cutcliffe's team will need to find a way to slow down the ACC's most statistically-sound team. Jimbo Fisher's squad leads the ACC in nine categories including total offense, scoring offense, total defense and scoring defense.
USC at Arizona (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2): Pac-12 South leading USC travels to Tucson to face 4-3 (1-3 Pac-12) Arizona in what figures to be an easy Trojans win, right? Not exactly. Behind Rich Rodriguez's fifth-ranked total offense, Arizona is the 13th best team in college football according to Football Outsiders' F/+ rankings, six spots ahead of USC. The Wildcats have played better than their record indicates, after close losses to Stanford and Oregon State, Arizona is fresh off a 52-17 pounding of Washington. After losing its conference opener at Stanford, Lane Kiffin's team has feasted on the lower rungs of the Pac-12 standings with wins over California, Utah, Washington and Colorado (combined Pac-12 record: 4-13).
TCU at Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. ET, FSN): Perhaps Mike Gundy and Gary Patterson can console each other on the hard luck each staff has been dealt at the quarterback position. After redshirt freshman quarterback J.W. Walsh ably stepped in for opening-day starter Wes Lunt, accounting for 461 yards of total offense in a win over Iowa State last week, before he was lost for the season with a knee injury. Oklahoma State will either turn back to Lunt, a true freshman, or to third-string quarterback Clint Chelf. On the opposite sideline, redshirt freshman Trevone Boykin continues to improve as TCU's newly-minted starting quarterback. Boykin threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns in his third start on Saturday versus Texas Tech. Like the majority of games pitting the Big 12's middle class, expect a down-to-the-wire outcome with both teams reaching the mid-30's.
Ohio State at Penn State (5:30 p.m., ESPN): Technically, this is the most meaningless game on the Big Ten schedule in 2012. Or, depending on what you read, it could be the most meaningful college football game played this year. This game could wind up deciding the Big Ten Coach of the Year, as both first year coaches' fingerprints are evident through the improvements each quarterback has shown from 2011. Bill O'Brien's has completely transformed Nittany Lions quarterback Matt McGloin, improving the senior's 2011 totals (1,571 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions) through just seven games. McGloin leads the Big Ten with 1,788 passing yards while tossing 14 scores against just two picks. His counterpart, Ohio State sophomore Braxton Miller, places second in the conference with 2,349 yards of total offense and ranks second among all FBS quarterbacks with 959 rushing yards.
Notre Dame at Oklahoma (8 p.m. ET, ABC): Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly stated earlier this week he wants his program to emulate the success that Oklahoma has enjoyed under Bob Stoops. His team can start with a win in Norman on Saturday night. The closer and more low-scoring this game plays the more it will benefit Notre Dame. Oklahoma teams tend to pounce early on any displays of weakness but can fold in a 60 minute boxing match. After going a solid half-decade without losing in Norman, Oklahoma has lost two of its last six home games. Both losses contained a minus-2 turnover margin for the Sooners, good news for Notre Dame and it's plus-9 turnover balance. Notre Dame needs to improve on its 43 percent third-down conversion rate to keep Oklahoma's explosive offense on the sideline.
Michigan at Nebraska (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2): The Big Ten's most-explosive offense hosts the league's most sneaky-good defense in a game that could ultimately decide the Big Ten's Legends Division title. Nebraska leads the Big Ten and ranks among college football's top dozen offenses in yards gained (512.4 per game, 6.9 per play) and scoring (41.6 points per game) faces a Michigan team that arrives in Lincoln quiety riding a three-game winning streak. Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's unit has held its last five opponents to 13 points or less and checks in at No. 10 nationally in total defense (277.1 yards per game, 4.4 yards per play).
Mississippi State at Alabama (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Both of these teams have benefitted from back-loaded schedules to arrive at this game with a 7-0 record. Only one of these teams has something to prove, however, and it's not the Crimson Tide. Mississippi State hasn't beaten Alabama since Nick Saban's first season and has scored 10 combined points through the first three quarters of the past four meetings. Fortunately for Dan Mullen, his team excells at the best ingredient to creating an upset - Mississippi State leads the nation in turnover margin. But unforunately for Mullen, Alabama checks in just two spots behind Mississippi State in the national rankings. | http://footballscoop.com/tag/penn-state | 1,570 |
1. Location: Vancouver,BC,Canada
2. Favorite Current Bill: Terrell Owens, but I love Edwards also
3. Favorite Former Bill: Doug Flutie
4. Other teams in the NFL you root for? Cowboys and Bengals
5. Other sports you enjoy? What other sporting teams do you root for? Baseball(Yankees), Hockey(Canucks).
6. Anything else you care to share? New Bills fan, was always an Edwards fan. T.O. is my favorite player so I am following the Bills now, even though this means I'm a bandwagon fan, or not a true fan, I have faith in this team | http://forums.prosportsdaily.com/showthread.php?54069-**Bills-Fans-SIGN-UP-And-Check-In!**&p=10835871 | 136 |
From the home of Mourinho, Ronaldo and Xavier
Round 17 Results: Fri Jan 29 Braga 1-0 Sporting Sat Jan 30 Naval 1-0 Belenenses, União de Leiria 2-0 Olhanense, Nacional 0-4 Porto, Benfica 3-1 Vitória Guimarães Sun Jan 31 Vitória Setúbal 2-2 Rio Ave, Paços Ferreira 2-1 Académica Mon Feb 1 Leixões 1-2 Marítimo
In a weekend filled with intriguing match-ups, Braga-Sporting was undoubtedly the main event.
With seven wins in a row, the Lions were hoping to take something away from this match, but Braga's 1-0 win wiped away any lingering doubts that they are genuine title contenders.
The better side over the 90 minutes, the Arsenalistas controlled the game for large periods.
Paulo César scored the only goal of the match in the first half and Braga’s rock-solid defence kept the Lions at bay.
Porto went to the island of Madeira expecting a tricky affair against Nacional, but came away with a resounding 4-0 win.
It all started when full-back Álvaro Pereira made the most of contact in the box; the referee awarded a penalty and a red card for Alex Bruno.
Varela scored from the spot and the floodgates opened, with goals from Radamel Falcao (twice) and Varela again making an emphatic statement: They’re back!
Rúben Micael, debuting for Porto in the League, produced an impressive performance that will certainly make the Dragons' supporters believe that every trophy is still winnable.
Benfica hosted Guimarães trying to avenge their Cup defeat and keep the pressure on leaders Braga.
Guimarães impressed once again with their quick, counter-attacking style posing problems, but would fall short this time – eventually.
The Eagles scored first when Pablo Aimar dribbled past a defender and beat goalkeeper Nilson, but Guimarães leveled when ex-Benfica playmaker Nuno Assis finished a good team move.
In the second half, Carlos Martins justified Jorge Jesus's decision to replace Brazilian Ramires in the starting XI, scoring two good long-range goals to hand the Eagles another important three points.
On the up
It’s hard to be on the rise when you’re pretty much up there, but Braga passed yet another stern test and showed why they should be taken very seriously.
They handled a fired-up Sporting side like a top European team, opening a 15-point gap between the two teams.
Leixões and Académica.
Leixões could have escaped the relegation places at home to Marítimo, but even though they scored the first goal, they would eventually be undone by the Islanders.
Académica thought they were about to grab three vital points at Paços de Ferreira but two late goals from the hosts stunned the Students, who are now just two points outside the relegation zone.
To make matters worse, they travel to Sporting next weekend.
Goal of the round
If there was a match that summed up Carlos Martins’ career so far, it was this one against Guimarães.
The fiery midfielder scored two good goals but would also get sent off, showing once again that every time he does something good, he messes up just a few moments later!
Still, his second goal is good by any standard.
Finding himself with plenty of room to move forward, Martins took a few steps before delivering an unstoppable screamer.
No chance for the Guimarães goalkeeper… or any other.Talking points
*Are Sporting out of the title race? Can they salvage anything this season?
*Rúben Micael made the transition to Porto with apparent ease. Is he the Lucho-type of player that Porto needed all along?
*Braga can OFFICIALLY be regarded as title contenders. They boast strength in depth and are high on confidence. Can they be stopped?
---------------------------------------------FourFourTwo.com: More to read...
Portugal: News * Stats * The PortugeezerFFT.com: Blogs * News * Interviews * Forums * HomeFollow us: Twitter * Facebook
Latest European Football News
Ivanovic wins Europa League for Chelsea
Russian championship results and standings
Ukrainian championship results and standings
Slovak championship results and standings
Slovenian championship results and standings
He's here, he's there, he's...
The cost of Premier League away travel
FourFourTwo is brought to you by Haymarket Consumer Media & FourFourTwo is part of Haymarket Sport
| International Licensing | © Haymarket Media Group 2010 | http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/theportugeezer/archive/2010/02/04/sporting-out-of-the-title-race-as-braga-show-credentials.aspx | 1,041 |
Would Ben Saunders have beaten Jake Ellenberger at UFC 111 in New Jersey? The world will never know. When Thiago Alves had to drop out of his fight with Jon Fitch only two days before their scheduled bout, the UFC turned to the “Killa B”—himself setting to face Ellenberger—and asked him to switch intended targets. His response: Hell yeah. Forget about the fact that he just got bumped into a fight with a perennial welterweight contender on 48 hours notice with no time to scheme, diagram and soak it in. He wasn’t about to miss the chance to—as the old saying goes—fly into flight.
Saunders texted his mindset the night before the fight: “It’s a good day to die.” And it’s true that there’s a little Crazy Horse—the guy who first uttered those words just before the Battle of Little Bighorn—in his mentality.
“The opportunity popped up, and this is what I do,” says Saunders. “I eat, sleep and breathe mixed martial arts, and I want to fight the best in the world. The opportunity that I got right there, yeah we didn’t game plan and yeah, there wasn’t a training camp for it . . . but guess what? I also didn’t have to wait and get a couple of wins under my belt to get that shot, either. The fact that they thought of me [to fight Fitch] means they thought I had a chance to actually pull if off. That alone, right there, inspired me—that they actually believed in me enough to give me the shot.”
Because of the insinuation, Saunders says he doesn’t harbor any regrets having fought and lost against Fitch, who neutralized his highlight-reel appendages by forcing the fight into a frustrating grappling match. Fitch doesn’t hide what he tries to do, Saunders says, “he pulled a Fitch.” But the idea of a true mixed martial artist is to constantly evolve and learn and to face these challenges head on. He happily took the Fitch lessons back to the gym with him, first to Central California and then to his regular American Top Team in Florida.
“I’ve been working on a lot of things that I thought Fitch was able to utilize on me,” he says. “I’ve been working on things that I might find to be my weaknesses, so that anybody who tries to implement the same game plan—which I pretty much feel Dennis Hallman is going to attempt to do—is going to fail miserably. I’ve just been getting better at my all around game.”
Things don’t get easier come August 7 at UFC 117 in Oakland—not with the durable, always game Dennis Hallman on the docket. Hallman has been around the block a few times himself, having fought every one from Matt Hughes and Jens Pulver to Caol Uno and Jorge Rivera. Needless to say, Hallman’s storied reputation precedes him.
“Man! He’s another legend,” says the 27-year-old, Saunders (8-2-2). “I think he’s got close to 100 fights under his belt. He’s the only guy to submit Matt Hughes twice. He’s been in there with some of the best in the world. He is without a doubt one of the most experienced veterans, right up there with Jeremy Horn as far as number of fights he’s had. It’s an honor to fight him.”
In coping with his loss to Fitch and before beginning his preparation for Hallman (64-13-2), Saunders took his Jiu-Jitsu coach Ricardo Liborio up on another opportunity he couldn’t refuse—going out to help Chuck Liddell train for his UFC 115 bout with Rich Franklin in San Luis Obispo. The Iceman was looking for rangy southpaw strikers for his camp and Saunders fit the bill, and the experience doubled as a chance for the “Killa B” to study the ways of one of his prize fighting heroes.
“At the time I was looking to jump right back into my preparations and get ready for my fight, but Chuck Liddell? You don’t pass that up man,” he says. “I thought that was an opportunity of a lifetime right there. To help the Iceman? Dude, I’ve been a fan of his since the beginning, of the whole sprawl-and-brawl, which has been a part of my game also. It was a win-win to go out there.”
One of the things that the Jeet Keen Do practitioner Saunders took from his time in California was Liddell’s unyielding nature as a fighter. There was still plenty of me-against-the-world edge in those hard sessions, and it made Saunders appreciate the man that much more.
“You definitely see a different side training with Liddell,” he says. “I could see his mentality in my mentality—sometimes you need that fire. It’s not just about ‘this is what I love to do and how awesome that I’m fighting in the UFC,’ sometimes it’s more than that. Sometimes it’s just the ambition and the rage to be the best and to never lose again. To see his passion and his drive as everyone was telling him to quit, telling him to retire . . . I just saw the fire in his eyes man, and it brought it out of me. Everyone’s going to see what I got to bring to the table when I come out for the Hallman fight.”
It’s been a long, contemplative training camp for Saunders, who says he’s chomping at the bit to get back in the Octagon and getting his knees back and elbows some action. He says that while he reveres Hallman’s legacy, there’d be nothing better than to add his name to a victim’s list that already includes Marcus Davis, Ryan Thomas and Brandon Wolff. Every fight, he is wont to point out, begins standing. If Saunders has it his way, it’ll be a first round TKO—or, worst-case scenario, “I make him quit on his stool after the first round.”
And that’s what you get with the Killa B. Every time he steps in the cage it’s time to battle. That’s his attitude.
“I don’t go in there to just win, and I don’t go in there to just not lose,” he says. “Win, lose or draw I am going in there to go to battle. My mentality is, when we go into a fight, my plan is that you need to know you’ll be bleeding. You’re going to be leaving there broken, swollen, bloody . . . and that’s my goal.” | http://fr.ufc.com/news/for-Ben-Saunders-live-learn | 1,522 |
Kobayashi confirmed at Sauber for 2010
December 21, 2009
Posted by on
Kamui Kobayashi has been confirmed at the Sauber team for 2010.
Kobayashi made his F1 debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix this year, substituting for Timo Glock. He put in two excellent drives in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, which was enough to convince Sauber to give him a try.
He said: “Ever since the start of my career I have dreamed of racing in Formula One. Now this dream has come true. I am very happy that my two races in 2009 have earned me a cockpit place. I will do my very best for Peter Sauber’s team and I am proud to be able to carry on flying the Japanese flag in Formula One.”
Peter Sauber said: “I’m very much looking forward to working together with Kamui. In the final two Grand Prix of last season he was granted an unexpected chance to show his skills, and he made impressive use of it. Particularly in the Abu Dhabi race he demonstrated not only that he can drive fast and aggressively, but also his ability to successfully implement a strategy. I am convinced he has a great deal of potential and will be able to make the most of it in our team.” | http://gforcef1.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/kobayashi-confirmed-at-sauber-for-2010/ | 272 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.