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Giambi getting in final swings with Indians Sunday, February 17, 2013 4:28 AM GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) - Jason Giambi's days as a masher are mainly behind him. His muscular, tattooed arms are as carved as ever, but the hair around his temples is dusted gray. In the late innings of his career, he's a mentor.The stately slugger. And at 42, Giambi knows he's down to his final swings as a major leaguer.He'll try to make them count with Cleveland.After contemplating retirement and interviewing to be Colorado's manager, Giambi signed a minor league contract this month with the Indians, who are confident the 18-year veteran can not only bring them some power as a part-time designated hitter but also help teach their younger players."He's not just a veteran guy. He's like THE veteran," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I truly feel like it's an honor that he's in our camp. That's how strongly I feel about him."The feeling's mutual. Giambi has known Francona since he played in the minors, which some days feels like a lifetime ago to the five-time All-Star, who may have lost some bat speed but not an ounce of his love for the game. He always wanted to play for Francona, who said the only time he didn't like Giambi was "when he was in the batter's box on the other side of the field."Giambi took an unexpected route to the Indians.Limited to just 89 at-bats during his fourth season with Colorado, Giambi entered the offseason facing an uncertain future, possibly one that didn't include baseball. With few options, Giambi considered calling it quits after hitting 429 homers and driving in 1,405 runs in 17 seasons for Oakland, the Yankees and Rockies."I have a 15-month-old girl. I finally grew up," he said, laughing. "I thought if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I had some offers for a hitting-coach job and I thought maybe I would take a year and enjoy my family. But when I got the phone call from the Indians, I jumped right on it because it was Tito (Francona)."Before the Indians contacted him, he nearly wound up as Colorado's manager.The Rockies were so impressed with how Giambi naturally interacted and affected many of their youngsters that they interviewed him for the job before hiring Walt Weiss. Giambi didn't have any managerial aspirations, and he was shocked when the club approached him. He came away humbled by the experience."I thought I would probably get in the game as a hitting coach because I work really well with the young kids," he said. "I was very lucky when I came into the big leagues because I had Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach and Dennis Eckersley. Those guys took me under their wing and taught me the game. I always felt that's how you pass it on to the next generation, that's your gift back."I always enjoyed that, so it was definitely an honor to be thought of that quickly that, 'Oh, he can handle this.'"Giambi's deal with the Indians will pay him $750,000 if he's added to the 40-man roster. He can make an additional $200,000 if he stays on it.As far as Francona is concerned, the payoff of Giambi in camp is immeasurable.During the Indians' first full-squad workout on Friday, Giambi took grounders at first base with 23-year-old Mike McDade, claimed off waivers in November from Toronto. As McDade worked near the bag, Giambi stood to the side offering advice."I could hear Jason quietly telling him, 'Slow down, move your feet,'" Francona said. "It was a very calming influence, very friendly. He wasn't talking down to him. Jason just has that way about him. He has a track record, but he has a way of communicating that's natural and easy and you could see Mike relax."For McDade, being with Giambi is a chance to work with one of his idols. While he was in high school, McDade often hit at batting cages in Las Vegas owned by Giambi. Now he's taking batting practice with a player he has long admired."It's just special," McDade said. "Anything he can offer is amazing. He doesn't have to do that, but he's taking the time and explaining things to me. It's huge. Just being able to talk to him is great. He's just a regular guy."Without bragging, Giambi feels he can offer a lot to Cleveland's kids.He's done it all in baseball, from playing in countless pressure-packed games with New York to being fingered by the FBI as one of the players who received steroids in the BALCO scandal."I've been on top of the world in this game and I've been in the gutter," he said.The climb has brought him to Cleveland, a city he's always been fond of.When he broke in with Oakland in 1995, the Indians ruled the AL, winning 100 regular-season games in a strike-shortened season with a terrifying lineup that featured Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez. The Indians don't have that type of firepower any longer, but Giambi is thrilled to be part of a team replenished this winter by the hiring of Francona, a two-time World Series winner with Boston, and the signings of free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn."This is a dream come true," Giambi said. "I always wanted to play for Tito and I've always been a huge fan of Cleveland. When I think of Cleveland, I think of the '90s when they were a powerhouse. I've always loved playing there and hitting there and when they called and said, 'We really want you to come out and give it a shot,' I was more than happy."NOTES: Francona came away pleased after watching RHP Ubaldo Jimenez throw his second bullpen session this spring. The Indians need a big season from Jimenez, who lost an AL-leading 17 games last season and has been a major disappointment since Cleveland traded for him in 2011. ... Francona noted RHP Carlos Carrasco's "live arm" and said the 26-year-old has been impressive as he tries to lock down a starting job. Carrasco missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery.

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Rajah.com Home WWE PPV Flashbacks WCW PPV Flashbacks Wrestling Columns Results - House Shows Results - PPV Results - TV Hockeyinformer.com Follow @RajahNews Headbanger Thrasher Talks Monday Night Wars, "Ribs" By Owen & Bulldog Submitted by Michael Bluth on January 30, 2013 - 11:18pmPosted In: News - Wrestling [Previous Article] - [Next Article] - [Contact Author] Former WWE superstar Trasher of the Headbangers joined Kayfabe Wrestling Radio and spoke about the formation of the Headbangers, what it was like being a part of the Monday night wars, getting "ribbed" by Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith & more. Here are some highlights of what he said about: How The Headbangers Came About “We actually got together, I was the head trainer for the world famous Monster Factory Wrestling School in New Jersey; which was owned by ‘Prett Boy’ Larry Sharp, and I was the head trainer there. I trained Chaz (Headbanger Mosh), D-Lo Brown, the Big Show among others, and me and Chaz just really hit it off and we jumped in the car and headed out on the road. We did our round in Memphis, we did our round for Smokey Mountain Wrestling where we actually became the Headbangers; Jim Cornette gave us the name ‘The Headbangers’ and when Smokey Mountain was closing, that when Cornette was trying to get all of his guys from Smokey Mountain into WWE/WWF. At that time, they were doing the part-time contracts and we were hired, just for TV, on a part-time basis. So we came into WWF as the Headbangers; that wasn’t a Vince McMahon made gimmick or anything else, and frankly, it’s not really a gimmick. That’s how we are, we’ve always had the tattoos, the piercings and everything else; I just don’t walk around my house in a skirt.” How Much of the Headbangers Material Was Scripted: “Probably about 90% of it was ‘Hey guys, go out there and be yourself’. So, I’d have to say at that time, in that era and stuff, it was about characters and it was about being how you are and stuff like that; not everyone tried to go out there and be Stone Cold Steve Austin. We had colorful characters that people could get emotionally attached to and plainly I think that’s what’s missing from Today’s wrestling.” Would He & Mosh Liked To Have Had Social Media Back When They Were With WWE?: “It’s funny because we’ve talked about this; I like it now because I love, and everyone knows that, on Twitter and stuff like that, if you follow me, then I’m going to follow you; If you ask me a question, I’m going to answer you. Sometimes, it might take me a little bit, I’m actually going to get to it sooner or later. But it’s funny because me and Chaz have always talked about it; we said if he’d had the access of Facebook and Twitter and all of that stuff, back then as we do now, yeah, I don’t know how many people would still be free. I think there would be some who would be incarcerated right now, I think. Because, you end up having to find ways to, when you’re out on the road, to find ways to entertain yourself and a lot of times, they might not be lawful. So, I’m actually glad we didn’t have it back then, because I’m free today. The Monday Night Wars: “It was a really good atmosphere. You had guys competing against the other company at that same timeslot; so if you were the first match on RAW, you wanted to outdo the first match on Nitro. It was a head-to-head, really and not too far-fetched from being a real competition. I mean, you wanted to have your ratings be better for that segment than Nitro’s. So, it was a lot of fun back then because on Tuesday, you’d run up there and see what the ratings were and everything else and be like ‘Oh, man. We almost had them.’ or ‘Oh, man. We got them this week!’ It was a lot of fun. Now, I always tell people ‘Why didn’t you like WWF back then, because you didn’t like WCW? Why do you like WWE now?’; because there’s nothing else to watch. Mark my words, TNA is up-and-coming and I can see them, in the next two years, rivaling WWE for ratings. I absolutely love what TNA is doing now, more so that what WWE is doing.” Being ‘Ribbed’ by Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith: “It was funny, because Owen used to do funny, silly stuff where the rib would last two days. I can remember him being in the locker room and taking someone’s wrestling bag and taking a padlock and padlocking it to a chair, just a steel chair. Or he would take two guys bags; he did that to me and Chaz, he took a padlock and locked our two bags together and we were just like; we walk in and catch the end of it. We’re like ‘Oh, hey. What are you doing?’ and he’s like ‘Oh, your bags are locked together. I don’t know who did that; I just came over and saw it.’ We knew who did it, because it was just Owen. Just to see what would happen tomorrow, is what he would do. Me and Chaz, we lived in the same hotel room, so the bags went together. We played along with it and lasted until Tuesday when we came to do TV and when we got there, we’d break the lock open. “It was harmless stuff but it was just so funny and it happened so often. One time, when Mark Henry first started wrestling, he broke his ankle or his leg. So, we’re in the arena and Davey takes his crutches because he was sitting down. So he steals the crutches without Mark Henry even knowing and then Owen comes up to Mark and say ‘Hey, Vince wants you and he’s on the other side of the arena.’ So, Mark is looking around and going ‘Oh my god’ and can’t find his crutches. So, Mark Henry gets up and he starts hopping, on one leg, all the way across the arena and no Vince McMahon. It was things like that and once you know it was a joke, it was so funny.” * Update On THE UNDERTAKER's Status For WrestleMania 29 © 1997 - 2014 Rajah.com || Contact Us || Privacy Policy

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Who is Steve Gregory? By Darren Sutton in Featured, Patriots, Top Story ⋅ November 24, 2012 at 10:35am ⋅ If you watched the Patriots slaughter the Jets on Thursday night, there is probably a series of questions that have been on your mind. One question is, “who is Steve Gregory and where did he come from?” Well I know I certainly had to find out for myself after his wonderful performance on Thursday. Where Did Steve Gregory Come From? Gregory is actually a seventh year veteran of the NFL who has played on the San Diego Chargers, and of course, the Pats this year. Gregory is a safety who played his college football at Syracuse University. In college, he split time as a wide receiver and defensive back and that can only help his knowledge on both positions. When he came into the league after being drafted by San Diego, he played a vast majority of the games. The safety played with the Chargers up until this season. In the past, he has not been seen as a big time playmaker or has had the highest stats. This season alone, he has matched his forced fumble total and has two of his six career interceptions. Gregory has definitely stepped up to help this struggling Patriots defense this year. What Has Gregory Done For The Patriots? On Thursday night, Gregory played a huge role in taking over the game versus the AFC East rival Jets. He had one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble return for a touchdown. Gregory accounted for 3 separate scoring plays on defense and for major points off of turnovers during the Thanksgiving Day blowout. Gregory has not only been a good asset for one game though. The safety has definitely stepped up to help the defense that has mostly been slacking this year. Through seven games, Gregory has the 28 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble. Gregory is no doubt a very tenacious player and is a great asset to the team. Clearly, Gregory has become a great asset to the Patriots defense. Gregory plays the game of football the right way and is really focused on changing the state of the Patriots defense. According to Boston.com, the safety said after the game that, “It was just a matter of us being aggressive, just going out and hitting guys trying to really just cause chaos out there.” Tags: New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, Steve Gregory, Syracuse No comments for “Who is Steve Gregory?”

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Iconic British Sportswomen - Life - Stylist Magazine Iconic British Sportswomen 20 trailblazing female athletes As Team GB's women continue to rack up an unprecedented Olympic medal collection take a look at some of the country's finest sportswomen before them, from world-record breaking Olympians like Dame Kelly Holmes and tennis legend Virginia Wade, to determined boxer Jane Couch, multi-award winning golfer Laura Davies, unbeaten triathlete Chrissie Wellington and more. Who is your most inspirational female athlete? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments section below. Click on an image below to launch the gallery... Click here to sign our Fair Game petition and help to end sexism in sport Words: Anna Pollitt, photos: Rex Features Denise Lewis Heptathlete Before Jessica Ennis came… More details Team GB's Olympic female medal winners They're simply the best Support Stylist's Fair Game campaign Sign our petition for equality in sport Denise Lewis Before Jessica Ennis came Wolverhampton-born Lewis, who grabbed gold for Britain in the heptathlon at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Now a regular BBC Sports pundit and Strictly Come Dancing alumni, the 40-year-old is acting as an Olympics ambassador during the 2012 Games. Tanni Grey-Thompson Wheelchair racer One of the UK's greatest… More details One of the UK's greatest Paralympians, Cardiff-born Baroness Grey-Thompson holds over 30 world records, has won 16 Paralympic medals - including 11 golds - and is a six-time London Marathon winner. The 43-year-old who was born with spina bifida, retired in 2005 and is now a crossbench peer. Tessa Sanderson Javelin thrower and heptathlete Famous for an… More details Famous for an enduring rivalry with fellow Olympic javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread, Sanderson competed in no less than six Olympic Games from 1976 to 1996, taking gold in Los Angeles in 1984. Awarded a CBE in 2004, she now runs a foundation that helps discover and train future athletes. Fatima Whitbread Javelin thrower Long before she joined the likes… More details Long before she joined the likes of Freddie Starr and Peter Andre in the celebrity jungle, London-born multiple-medal winner Whitbread, broke the javelin world record with a throw of 77.44m in 1986. The feisty sports star was known for celebrating her silver and bronze Olympic medal wins with a cheeky wiggle and for her fierce rivalries with fellow Brit Tessa Sanderson and German rival Petra Felke. She has spoken openly about a traumatic early childhood, which turned around when she was adopted at the age of 14 by her javelin coach, Margaret Whitbread. Kelly Holmes Middle distance athlete The record-holding… More details The record-holding Olympian from Kent took a diverse career path, including jobs as a shop assistant, carer, and army lorry driver, before finally becoming a professional athlete in 1997 at the age on 27. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she became the first Briton in 84 years to race home to gold in both the 800m and 1500m - a feat that not even her childhood hero Sebastian Coe had managed. She was made a Dame in 2005. The unstoppable… More details The unstoppable "Chrissinator", from Suffolk, is a four-time World Ironman Champion who beat her own personal best by 2.17 minutes last year. The 35-year-old, who has beaten anorexia and bulimia, is the only triathlete of either gender to have won the World Championship less than 12 months after turning professional. Ellen MacArthur Derbyshire-born MacArthur's unshakeable… More details Derbyshire-born MacArthur's unshakeable dedication to her craft began as a youngster when she saved up her school dinner money for eight long years to buy her first boat - an 8ft dinghy. In 2005, at the age of 28, she broke Francis Joyon's solo record for sailing non-stop around the world by one day, 8 hours, 35 minutes, 49 seconds. In the same year she was made Britain's youngest Dame. Mary Rand Track-and-field athlete The first-ever British… More details The first-ever British female to win an Olympic gold medal in a track and field event, Somerset-born Rand romped home in the long jump at the 1964 Games by breaking the world record. While the women's triple jump was not formally recognised until 1990, Rand also held the unofficial record in the event from 1959 to 1981. Sprinter, hurdler, long jumper "I knew… More details "I knew nothing about the event but being so naive was probably to my advantage; it meant I did not have any limitations in my head regarding what I should or could do. Ignorance proved to be bliss." Forty years before Dame Kelly Holmes claimed an 800m gold, the event was won by Packer at the Tokyo Olympics, despite the Oxfordshire-born athlete having raced it only five times before. Her favoured event was the 400m, which she took silver in, and she took the 800m race on a whim. Sally Gunnell The best British female athlete of the… More details The best British female athlete of the 90s, Gunnell, who hails from Essex, took gold in the 400m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and set a world record in the event at the World Championships a year later. Although her 52.74 time is no longer a world record, it remains a British best. Paula Radcliffe Marathon runner Childhood asthma and aneamia did… More details Childhood asthma and aneamia did not prevent Chershire-born Radcliffe from taking up running aged seven and the multi-marathon winner is currently women's world record holder with her incredible time of 2:15:25 hours. Mary Peters Pentathlete and shot putter Peters won gold in… More details Peters won gold in the women's pentathlon for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 1972 Munich Olympics, setting a world record score. Representing Northern Ireland at every Commonwealth Games between 1958 and 1974, she also took two pentathlon golds and a gold and silver medal for the shot put. Peters, who was born in Lancashire and moved to Belfast as a youngster, was made a Dame in 2000. Jane Couch Nicknamed the Fleetwood Assassin after her… More details Nicknamed the Fleetwood Assassin after her Lancashire hometown, Couch fought for two years to be recognised as a boxer by the British Boxing Board of Control, which claimed that PMS made women unstable to fight in the ring. She persevered and in 1998 she finally became the sport's first officially licensed female. The multiple world-title winner was awarded an MBE in 2007. Virginia Wade Bournemouth-born Wimbledon legend… More details Bournemouth-born Wimbledon legend Wade won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. Her 1977 Wimbledon victory in the women's singles championship makes her the last Brit to have won a Grand Slam singles tournament. Laura Davies Britain's best ever female golfer,… More details Britain's best ever female golfer, Coventry-born Davies has turned the eyes of the world onto the LPGA with a glittering 27-year career. With 81 professional wins worldwide, she is one major victory away from entering the World Golf Hall of Fame. Rebecca Romero Rower and cyclist Surrey-born Romero is the first… More details Surrey-born Romero is the first Briton to win Olympic medals in two different sports. She scored silver in rowing at the 2004 Athens Games and retired two years later with a back injury. Undeterred, she took up track cycling and won gold in the 3km Individual Track Pursuit Event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Astonishingly, this year she tried her first Ironman triathlon, coming sixth overall. Louise Aitken-Walker Rally car driver In 1983 Berwickshire's… More details In 1983 Berwickshire's Aitken-Walker becomes the first woman to win a national rally outright and in 1990 became the first ever British driver to win a world title, the Ladies World Rally Champion. Readers of Autosport voted her National Driver of the Year (87) and in 1992 she was awarded an MBE. Jayne Torvill Ice dancer One half of the world-famous 1980s… More details One half of the world-famous 1980s ice-skating duo Torvill and Dean, the Nottingham insurance clerk gave up her day job to follow her dream in 1980 after coming in a respectable fifth place at that year's New York Winter Olympics. Four years later, at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, watched by a UK audience of 24 million, the pair won gold with 12 perfect 6.0 marks. They took Olympic bronze 10 years later at Norway's Winter Olympics. Lily Parr Footballer The only woman ever to have entered… More details The only woman ever to have entered the English Football Hall of Fame, St Helens native Parr excelled in the sport during World War I. Along with female colleagues from the Preston munitions factory where she worked, Parr drew crowds of 53,000 at Goodison Park in 1920. She played from 1919 to 1951, scoring more than 900 goals in her profesional career. Lottie Dod A pioneering British female… More details A pioneering British female athlete, Merseyside sportswoman Dod was named by the Guinness Book of Records as the most versatile female athlete of all time for her astonishing achievements in a variety of sports. A five-time winner of the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Championship in the late 1890s, she also took an Olympic silver medal for archery in 1908, won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship in 1904 and twice played for the England women's national field hockey team. Her 1887 Wimbledon victory at the age of 15 means she is still Britain's youngest ladies' singles champion. Tags: sport, Fair Game Share on Post your questions below. New questions will appear chronologically and there's no need to refresh the page. There are currently no comments for this article. Thanks for your Comment It will appear here shortly, once it's been approved. It will appear here shortly. There was a problem with your form submission Please check the following, then correct your form accordingly before submitting again: Team GB's Olympic female medal winners Take a good look at the women below, because they're in the process of changing the landscape of sport forever.… What a weekend! It's been an epic weekend in the world of sport, with a string of Olympic champions bringing home the goods for… Cool London Olympics 2012 souvenirs Being the host nation of the Olympic Games, the souvenir industry has gone into overdrive in order to produce all… The rise of gin snobbery Knowing your cucumber from your liquorice…

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TJB Hall of Fame: Gerry Philbin and John Elliott Writing and researching these tributes is probably one of the most enjoyable processes connected with writing for this site. However, when faced with the opportunity to honor some of the men responsible for the Jets’ Superbowl win over 40 years ago, I do so with an added sense of pride and humility. Two of the men largely responsible for the success of that team were defensive linemen John Elliott and Gerry Philbin. As with Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer, it seems fitting to induct these two together because of the way they played alongside one another for six years and remained close friends until Elliott sadly passed away last November. While it was Joe Namath who garned most of the publicity of the time, their defense – anchored by its defensive line – was underrated. Elliott and Philbin, along with Verlon Biggs were referred to as “Great ones” by former defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. Biggs – who was enough of a force that he too might one day be considered for the TJB Hall of Fame – played with Elliott and Philbin for four seasons and had played across from Philbin for two years prior to that. Between them, Elliott and Philbin played 195 games for the Jets. Other than a year at the end of Philbin’s career where he started six games for the Philadelphia Eagles, that comprised their entire AFL/NFL careers. Let’s begin with Philbin, who was a third round draft choice in both the NFL and AFL drafts, but – having attended college in Buffalo, where he was a four year starter – decided to remain closer to home and join the Jets. Winless in the first six games of the Joe Namath era, the Jets rebounded to win five of their last eight and then built on that with a .500 season which ended with a win over the Patriots to deny them a place in the AFL Championship Game. Over those first few seasons, it was Biggs who had the stronger reputation, being named an AFL All-Star in 1966 and 1967. Although he was named a first-team All-Pro by the NY Daily News and a second teamer by the UPI in 1967, Philbin didn’t earn his first All-Star selection until 1968, as his 19 sacks led the AFL and propelled the Jets into the postseason, where they would ultimately win the Superbowl. He was an All-Star again in 1969, as well as being a first team All-Pro for the second straight year. Philbin was regarded as a fearsome pass rusher, who over the course of his nine-year Jets career, recorded 64.5 sacks. To put that into perspective, Shaun Ellis didn’t overtake that number until his tenth season, despite playing in an era where they play two more games per season. Philbin would eventually be named to the AFL All-Time Team. Despite his reputation as a pass rusher, the role he played in the Jets’ Superbowl win was more of a run stopper. Although only credited with two tackles, Philbin held his ground well, even though the Colts kept running right at him. He did make one big play as a pass rusher, pressuring Earl Morrall into a third-down incompletion in the red zone after the Colts’ first drive, which ended with a missed field goal. Although Philbin was no longer considered a Pro Bowler in the seventies, he still possessed playmaking ability, as evidenced by his performance against the Colts in 1972. Philbin had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a huge tackle for a loss and multiple pressures as he displayed spin moves, relentlessness and great instincts. Former Jets defensive co-ordinator Buddy Ryan was full of praise for Philbin: “Gerry was a great one,” Buddy said. “He and the Chiefs’ Jerry Mays were the two defensive ends on the 10-year American Football League all-time team. The only other Jets on it were Joe Namath and Don Maynard. Gerry should be in the Hall of Fame, but I guess everybody can’t be in it.” In fact, if it wasn’t for Philbin, Buddy Ryan might never have been hired by the Jets. “I like to think I had a part in getting Buddy into pro football,” Philbin recalled. “We hired him when I was going into my fifth year with the Jets. Weeb Ewbank brought me in and asked me about bringing in this guy from College of the Pacific. He was my old coach from Buffalo. I had nothing but the best to say about Buddy. I said he’d be a great coach in pro football.” Though Buddy’s hiring paid immediate dividends for the Jets, it has a wider-reaching impact, which is felt today. Rex and Rob Ryan, Buddy’s six-year old sons, who Philbin first saw in their crib when he had dinner at Buddy’s house while at Buffalo, would show up to practice and practice tackling each other, much to Weeb Ewbank’s amusement. Rex would spend a lot of time hanging around the linemen, with Philbin and Winston Hill apparently being his “favorite” players. Although he didn’t know it at the time, these memories had a profound effect upon where he most wanted to coach in the NFL, so perhaps without Philbin, there would have been no Rex Ryan in the Jets’ future. After his career ended, Philbin went through some tough times, almost drowning in 1983 and then, later that year, appearing in court as one of two principal partners of a Sand and Gravel firm in a manslaughter case. However, he rebounded and by 1990 was president of a recycling firm in Long Island. He is often seen at Jets nostalgia events, ceremonies and reunions. It’s no coincidence that Philbin’s most productive years coincided with when Elliott was on the team. A gentle man, known to family and friends as “Big John”, Elliott displayed outstanding quickness and determination and needed to be accounted for on every play otherwise he was a threat to blow it up. Elliott was drafted in the seventh round out of Texas and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact. He went to the AFL All-Star Game in his second season, as the Jets won the Superbowl, then returned there in the following season. After the Jets joined the NFL in 1970, he was an All-Pro for the third straight year and became the first Jet to play in the Pro Bowl, along with Tackle Winston Hill. Elliott had 48 sacks in seven seasons as a Jet, including 15 in 1970 as he led the team and was named as the team’s MVP. To emphasize how long ago that was, Elliott was rewarded with a $24,000 salary. In 2011, Darrelle Revis will effectively earn $26,042 per MINUTE. Despite his pass rushing prowess, in the Superbowl win, he too pitched in more in terms of stopping the run, recording four tackles, underscoring the fact that although Philbin and Elliott were playmakers, they were prepared to do things like set the edge or engage blockers if that’s what was required of them to win. He later revealed that the Jets hadn’t planned to win the game and, since no parties had been organized, he was back in bed by midnight. The next morning, as the last to leave the hotel, a staff member gave him the trophy, which had almost been left behind. He took it back and presented it to the team, admitting that this was the only time he got his hands on the trophy. In watching old footage of Elliott, it is clear that – despite his “Big John” moniker – he was undersized as a tackle. However, he overcame this and made himself a force by having an inate ability to read the play and using his terrific quickness to get off blocks and shoot gaps. In a 1970 game against Cleveland, Philbin was out, which meant Elliott had to deal with constant double teams. However, he still was able to get penetration and made it through to the quarterback several times due to his quickness, which was also on display when he pursued a runner out to the sideline or dropped into coverage in the flat. Elliott is yet another example of a Jets player that is underappreciated by the mass media, but his teammates appreciated his abilities: “He doesn’t get the notoriety he deserves,” said Pete Lammons, a teammate to Elliott at UT and with the Jets who lives in Houston. “For a period of time he was as good a defensive tackle as there was in the game, either in the AFL or NFL. We all thought very highly of him.” Sadly, Elliott died of cancer in Houston last November. This article from the official Jets website contains some personal tributes from friends, teammates and family members in the comments section, which underscore what a great person he was. However, it’s together that we choose to recognize these two outstanding players as TJB Hall of Famers. Congratulations to both men.

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Cartoons Columnist Homeownership Local Business HBCUs Local National Lifestyle / Entertainment Books Entertainment Supplements MLK Holiday 2014 March on Washington 50th Anniversary Election 2014 Reporters WI Supplements COMMENTARY: Condoleezza Rice Up to the Task for Football Playoff Committee Charles E. Sutton | 10/28/2013, 7:03 a.m. For decades, college football fans have been frustrated by the flimsy method the NCAA uses to select a national football champion. Repeatedly, the college football season ends with a few teams tied for the best record. Both logic and sports tradition suggest that those teams play to determine which school is the true champion. However, the NCAA has utilized a system whereby they determine the champion via opinion, rather than have the teams compete for the title on the field. Next season that will all change. The NCAA has developed a playoff selection committee, whose primary purpose will be to determine which teams will qualify. Once the selections are made, the teams will actually participate in playoff games and the team that emerges will be crowned champion. The committee will consist of three Hall of Famers, a retired three-star general and a former member of Congress. Collectively, it will have approximately 230 total years of college football experience and will select four schools to play in a semifinal format. The group has three Phi Beta Kappa graduates, two academic all-Americans and a Rhodes scholar. It also has Condoleezza Rice. Rice, 58, a native of Birmingham, Ala., and avid college football fan, was the only woman named to the 13-person committee. (As most sports fans will tell you, college football rules the athletic landscape in the heart of Dixie.) The former national security adviser's selection came less than 14 months after she broke ground at the Augusta National Golf Club by being named one of the first two female members in the organization's 80-year history. Nevertheless, Rice's inclusion on the NCAA committee was questioned by some who believe that playing or coaching experience at the collegiate level is necessary to effectively determine which teams should qualify for a playoff. Conversely, others say that as long as she's' been a consistent, analytical student of the game, she is qualified to take on such responsibility. Count me among that group. It's no secret that Rice spends most of her Saturdays during the fall watching college football, and she's a big fan of ESPN's "College Game Day" and "College Football Final." She's a thick-skinned woman who is accustomed to receiving criticism, which will be an important asset for a committee member. Let's not forget that she's very close to the Stanford football program, serving as the university's provost from 1993 to 1999. In fact, she served on selection committees that hired head football coaches Tyrone Willingham and Dennis Green. And, of course, as Secretary of State, Rice often worked as part of a committee. She is a seasoned professional who is intimately familiar with the group dynamic and what it takes to move toward a consensus. With that said, the question must be asked — are some people slow to accept Rice as a committee member simply because she is a woman? I certainly hope this isn't the case. Many walls of discrimination have been knocked down in the sports arena, though, and if there is any sexism at play here, that wall will be destroyed, too. We live in an era of inclusion and diversity. This type of selection committee needs people from a variety of backgrounds. The members should be both men and women, former coaches and players, fans and students of the game. As a college football fan, I feel that a playoff system is long overdue. I'm glad that we will finally crown a real champion that won it on the field instead of in a conference room. I welcome the committee with open arms and I'm glad that Rice will be a part of it. Will We Ever Reach Consensus on a College Football Playoff? COMMENTARY: Farewell, Bowl Championship Series COMMENTARY: Right on Schedule, It's the Annual BCS Controversy COMMENTARY: College Football Playoff Format Can't Arrive Fast Enough Redskins vs. Cowboys Showdown Sign Up for Our Email Edition The 2014 National Cherry Blossom Festival ... Local Singer Wendy Hicks to Help Fellow Artists at Northwest Show Emancipation Day Workshops Highlight Slavery, D.C. Statehood D.C. Political Roundup: Alexander Bid Generates Talk in Ward 7 Emancipation Day, Statehood Share Spotlight Wizards Chase NBA Glory The Center For the Study of Civil and Human Rights Laws The Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Legal Information Institute – Cornell University Law School Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) MLK Dream 50 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.-ALC Tweets by @WashInformer Health Lifestyle / Entertainment The Washington Informer 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave Washington DC. 20032 rburke@washingtoninformer.com news@washingtoninformer.com © 2014 Washington Informer. Powered by Privacy Policy

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Wide Gap Remains Between NFL And Refs; League Insists On Respect For Subs Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By Bill Chappell Originally published on Mon September 24, 2012 5:44 am Denver Broncos Coach John Fox yells at field judge Jimmy Buchanan during the Broncos' game against Atlanta Monday. Referring to the game, the NFL insisted that players and coaches give replacement referees, and the game, more respect. Despite complaints from NFL coaches and players, the league and its locked-out officials are no closer to reaching a deal than they were last week, according to reports. The two sides are separated by "significant and serious economic gaps," an anonymous source tells the AP. A representative of the NFL Referees Association confirmed that talks had taken place, but he would not go into detail, the AP reports. The main disputes reportedly center on salary and pension amounts — and those concerns are complicated by two competing desires: the union's hope for more officials to be hired, and the league's plan to employ some referees on a full-time basis. As The Christian Science Monitor reports, most NFL referees maintain other jobs in the off-season, to supplement their income. News of the lack of progress comes a day after NFL representatives contacted teams and coaches to insist that they respect both the game and the replacement officials — whom the league has said it might employ for the first five weeks of the season. "Everyone needs to be mindful that this respect for the game has to be practiced at all times, and that the events of Monday evening, in the first half of that game, represented unacceptable behavior" — NFL executive vice president Ray Anderson told NFL.com, referring to the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos that was featured on Monday Night Football. At one point in that game, the contest descended into a near-brawl between players. Cameras also spotted several instances of coaches angrily yelling into referees' faces. "We're not gonna tolerate it," Anderson said. "And we expect that everyone we talked to pass word on to everyone involved on the sideline that we expect there to be a respect for what's going on." On Grantland's The Trenches podcast, Robert Mays and former NFL lineman Ephraim Salaam noted that the replacement officials have struggled to control games in which players take cheap shots at one another. But Salaam, whose playing years included stints with the Falcons and the Houston Texans, says the stand-in referees aren't being shy about throwing flags. "Replacement officials are likely to call everything, because they don't want to miss a call," he says. The replacement refs have already made one adjustment as they try to keep games from getting out of hand, says The New York Times: "according to statistics compiled by Pro-Football-Reference.com, teams had 23 total personal foul or unnecessary roughness penalties enforced against them in Week 2, compared with 11 in Week 1." Still, retired lineman Salaam says he's seen "terrible" calls by the replacement officials. The problem, he says, is when officials make calls that alter the course of a game. "The fact that if you get a pass-interference call 40 yards down the field, and it's two minutes til the game is over, and you're down by 5 — I mean, that type of stuff right there, that's the problem: the consistency. Being able to really look at... how guys have been playing the entire game. So you don't get down to the last two minutes and you don't just throw flags.... Offensive pass interference? Like, really? That type of thing right there, it ruins the integrity of the game." Those questions were at the top of Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN analyst Steve Young's mind Monday night, when he said that NFL owners "don't care" about the referees, or about players' safety, because demand for the leagues' games remains strong. "There's nothing that they can do to hurt the demand for the game," Young said. "So the bottom line is, they don't care." Friday, the NFL released a video recap in which it highlighted controversial plays from Week Two games between New England and Arizona, and Philadelphia and Baltimore, among others. In each case, Carl Johnson noted that the replacement officials made the correct call. The highlights did not include plays from the Atlanta-Denver game.Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread.

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Arsenal vs Barcelona – Are You Ready??? Posted by devday on February 15, 2011 | 6 Responses Are you ready? A question that all fans will answer……… “Of course I’m ready”…. But the real question is whether the team is ready. We’ve had many false dawns – defining moments – those pre-match talks where Arsene says “we will show you all and produce something special” and then end up going 2-0 down within the first 10 minutes! But this time, we’re not talking off the pitch… this time we’re talking on the pitch. With the exception of the 4-4 at Newcastle, our form has been pretty good since the turn of the year. Our football has been a joy to watch and it’s all been building up nicely to the tie this week. For me, I really believe we have a first XI that oozes class and quality – the rapid rise to the number one jersey for Szcznesy has been well deserved and he has earned his shirt. He’s played well and the main thing is that he does the simple things well – and that’s key. He’s commanding and breathes confidence to the defence – a defence which has been marshalled admirably by Djourou creating an equally impressive partnership with Koscielny. I think they both have enough nous to snuff our the danger of Messi & Villa and for me, the two key players will be the Songshere megasphere… I mean Alex Song & Jack Wilshere – who are starting to really dominate the midfield nowadays. Song spoke about Jack and had nothing but praise for him: “Jack is an unbelievable young player – it’s hard to think that he is just 19 years old because he’s playing like a guy with 200 Premier League appearances. I’m very happy to play alongside him – he always wants to listen and learn, and I’m not surprised to see him in the England team.” I like my new combo, the Songshere megasphere, it’s got a ring to it… Song also took time out to talk about the way we should approach the game and said: “The reference point for us has to be the Chelsea match from December, when we pressed them very high from the first minute and gave them no room. We need to do that to Barcelona – they have a similar style to us and it should be a pleasure for everyone to watch. I can’t wait. Everyone’s talking about it, not just here – a lot of my friends have been in touch wanting to come over and watch. It’s a very good tie, I think we took a lot from last year’s matches. Both of us are in good form and if we can keep as many players fit as possible for both legs then we can do something.” And he’s hit the nail on the spot there – we need to give 120% throughout the game – Inter away, Real Madrid away, Juventus at home, Chelsea at home this season – we gave 120% – we press high up the pitch, we were disciplined, we were focused and took our chances. With Robin Van Persie in the form of his life – 11 goals in 9 games – we have a serious goal threat. You’ve got to give it to RvP – despite the plethora of injuries, he is really coming back into some form – a massive accolade to the confidence in his own ability and the faith that Arsene has shown in him. Arsene, of course, is looking forward to this game – with all the Cesc furore, I think the manager is keen to “get one over” Barce and really press home to Cesc that he was right to stay at the Emirates this season. Arsene spoke about the style of play and said: “I believe, if we manage to get them under pressure, we will create chances. Ideally that is so

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hide Muhammad leaves Green Bay Tuesday, April 09, 2013 7:49 a.m. CDT Green Bay Phoenix Logo The Green Bay Phoenix basketball team is losing another player. Guard Sultan Muhammad has informed head coach Brian Wardle of his decision to leave, citing unspecified family concerns. Muhammad spent just one year in the program after transfering from South Suburban Junior College in Chicago. He started 24 games this year, averaging nearly six points a game and his biggest highlight was a three point basket at the buzzer that beat UIC in the Horizon League tournament quarterfinals. His departure is the 4th for the program in the past two months. Kam Cerroni quit the team in February and freshmen Nick Arenz and Ryan Bross declared their intention to transfer.

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Battle for control over Bolshoi escalates In this photo made Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 Bolshoi ballet dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze wipes the sweat as he holds a rehearsal in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. General director Anatoly Iksanov has accused principal dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze of creating an atmosphere of intrigue that set the scene for the Jan. 17 acid attack on the Bolshoi’s artistic director. Tsiskaridze has rejected the claims and in turn pointed to the attack as evidence that the theater has descended into crime and violence on Iksanov’s watch. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV MOSCOW (AP) -- The foes make a striking contrast -- a bald, stolid general director versus an extravagant dancer with an opulent mane of dark hair.And the stakes could hardly be higher: control over the storied Bolshoi Theater in a battle that has gone into overdrive since the January acid attack on the artistic director that exposed rivalries reminiscent of the Hollywood movie "Black Swan."In a surprising twist, principal dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze may be gaining the upper hand against General Director Anatoly Iksanov, who has been in the top job for 13 years.Both are believed to have backing from senior government officials and Kremlin-connected business tycoons eager to extend their influence over a state theater that has been a symbol of national pride for centuries, and even features on the 100-ruble bill. The Bolshoi's annual budget also is not too shabby: $120 million, up from $12 million only 10 years ago.Iksanov accuses Tsiskaridze of creating an atmosphere of intrigue that set the scene for the Jan. 17 acid attack on the Bolshoi's artistic director. Tsiskaridze rejects the claims and in turn points to the attack as evidence that the theater has descended into crime and violence under Iksanov's watch.After weeks of increasingly venomous attacks from both sides, Tsiskaridze's star was seen as rising when he grabbed a high-profile platform for his case on state-run television. The exposure came even as Tsiskaridze has endorsed the grievances of the Bolshoi dancer accused of staging the attack on artistic director Sergei Filin, and defended the dancer in public. Tsiskaridze himself has not been accused of any involvement in the attack.On Sunday, the 39-year-old dancer appeared on a live talk show on state-controlled NTV television, a channel that the Kremlin has used to attack its opponents or those who have fallen out of favor. Dressed all in black and with an air of sad rebuke, Tsiskaridze poured scorn on Iksanov, accusing him of botching the Bolshoi's reconstruction, ruining its repertoire and treating dancers like slaves.Asked bluntly whether he was ready to take the general director's job, Tsiskaridze answered with a proud: "I am absolutely ready."More than anything else, the NTV show signaled that Iksanov's job could be in jeopardy. The station has often been used to broadcast documentary-style films about Kremlin foes, which often served as precursors for criminal investigations. A biting attack on the general director would not have been possible without a blessing from the top ranks of the government.Tsiskaridze was joined on the program by an equally sharp-tongued former Bolshoi prima ballerina, who alleged that Iksanov oversaw a practice of ballerinas being used essentially as high-class prostitutes for members of the Bolshoi board and other influential people.Some Russian media have reported that Tsiskaridze's patrons include Sergei Chemezov, a former KGB officer close to President Vladimir Putin who now serves as the CEO of Russian Technologies, a state-controlled industrial conglomerate.Iksanov looked tired and tense on Tuesday at a news conference called to promote a big ballet festival this spring. He said he would not comment on "the nonsense and dirt" aired on the television show and shrugged off Tsiskaridze's ambitions."It's up to him to think that he's capable of taking charge of the Bolshoi," said Iksanov, who has led the theater since 2000. "I don't think so, because beyond scandalousness and fame other qualities are needed."Infighting has raged at the theater for years, but the two sides dropped all decorum after the Jan. 17 acid attack on Filin.The barbs began to fly even faster after police arrested Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko on March 5. Facing a Moscow court, Dmitrichenko admitted that he had agreed to an offer from a thuggish acquaintance to rough up Filin, but he insisted that the man had used acid on his own initiative.Despite Dmitrichenko's confession, many in the ballet company have stood by him, saying they do not believe him capable of staging such a crime. About 300 dancers and staff, led by Tsiskaridze, signed an open letter claiming that Dmitrichenko had slandered himself under police pressure. Encouraged by the outpouring of sympathy, Dmitrichenko then passed a note from prison to his ballerina girlfriend saying that he had not ordered the acid attack and had been "forced to accept many things."Dmitrichenko has been popular with dancers for his eagerness to defy management in support of other dancers. Last week the Bolshoi's 250 dancers elected him the head of their union, even though he remains in jail. 1 2 - Next page >> Comment

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Monfils wins in Halle, says he'll skip Wimbledon HALLE, Germany (AP) -- Top-seeded Roger Federer looked rusty but beat German wild card Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Gerry Weber Open.His first singles match on grass as he prepares to defend the Wimbledon title wasn't all smooth sailing but Federer was never really threatened."I'm always pleased when I win, no matter how I win," Federer said.Gael Monfils reached the quarterfinals as well, then announced he will miss Wimbledon.After defeating Czech qualifier Jan Hernych 6-2, 6-3, Monfils said he withdrew his request for a Wimbledon wild card because he had to deal with a personal problem that could not be delayed. He didn't elaborate.Mikhail Youzhny also advanced to the last eight by upsetting fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3. German wild card Mischa Zverev went through by beating Mirza Basic 7-6 (5), 6-3 after coming from behind in both sets.Four of Federer's seven Wimbledon titles have come after Federer had also won the tuneup event in Halle. His link to the Halle event is so deep that he has had a street named after him.Now ranked No. 3 in the world, Federer has not won a title this year and is coming off a quarterfinal loss at the French Open.Serving for the first set, Federer produced four straight errors to waste two set points and drop his serve with some very sloppy play. He bounced back in the next, however, to win the set.Federer hit two wild backhands to help Stebe hold his serve in the seventh game of the second. Federer also committed a double-fault on his first match point, but hit a volley winner to end it."I got an early double-break lead in the first, I got up a break in the second, it was pretty straightforward," said Federer, who next faces Zverev.Monfils was once ranked No. 7 in the world but the Frenchman missed several months last year because of a knee injury. He was ranked No. 119 in May before moving up to No. 67.Monfils, who has never passed the third round at Wimbledon, said it was a pity he would have to miss it for the second straight year and fourth time in six years, especially because he felt he was beginning to play better on grass.For a player who says he has trouble moving on grass, Monfils was at his acrobatic best against Hernych.At one point, he even jumped over the net. Trying to save a break point, the Czech qualifier dived to his right to reach a ball at the net and managed to send it over. Monfils raced forward, failed to reach it in time and his momentum carried him over the net. The two touched hands and Monfils got back to his side to eventually break serve for a decisive 4-2 lead in the second set.The Frenchman's enthusiasm did not always result in points -- he once jumped high for a smash, only to rip it into the net. But another time, he chased down a lob and hit a perfect backhand winner on the turn."I was happy, I was having fun," Monfils said. "Grass is not natural for me, but I am getting better. I have to focus on not falling, not injuring myself. I cannot take off as fast as I want to and I have problems braking. But I was comfortable today, I was leading all the time."Youzhny was not quite as spectacular as Monfils but his steady game carried him past Nishikori in the first set."He started well, he was hitting a lot of first serves and I was missing everything," the Japanese said.Nishikori said it was not easy to adjust to grass and that he would remain in Halle for a while to practice more and play doubles.Youzhny was twice a semifinalist in Halle, including last year, and lost to Roger Federer both times.Basic, a Bosnian who upset seventh-seeded Jerzy Janowitz in his first match in the main draw of an ATP Tour event on Tuesday, squandered a 4-1 lead in the first set and a 2-1 break lead in the second. He saved three match points on his serve but Zverev closed it out with a service winner.

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Rays to playoffs again after 5-2 win over Rangers Posted: Monday, September 30, 2013 11:47 p.m. Tampa Bay Rays' David Price and Jose Molina (28) celebrate after defeating Texas Rangers 5-2 in their American League wild-card tiebreaker baseball game Monday, Sept. 30, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) RAYS 5, RANGERS 2 By STEPHEN HAWKINS ARLINGTON, Texas — David Price, Evan Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays are going to playoffs again, getting there with a victory in their final regular-season game for the second time in three years. They needed an extra game this time. Price threw his fourth complete game of the season, Longoria had a two-run homer and the Rays beat the Texasw Rangers 5-2 in the AL wild-card tiebreaker game Monday night, the 163rd game for both teams. Luckily for manager Joe Maddon and the Rays, they weren’t done in by another blown call in Texas – though this one did cost them at least one run. The Rays face another must-win situation Wednesday night at Cleveland in the AL wild-card game – the winner faces Boston in the division series. Tampa Bay, in the playoffs for the fourth time in six years, won four of six from the Indians during the regular season. Price (10-8), the reigning AL Cy Young winner, had a 10.26 ERA in four previous starts at Rangers Ballpark. He was superb in this one, striking out four and walking one. He picked off two runners while allowing seven hits and throwing 81 of 118 pitches for strikes. “When you can get outs without throwing pitches that’s always huge,” Price said. “If I don’t get those two outs on the pickoff moves, I have to get the next guys out. It forces me to throw at least 10 more pitches.” The 28-year-old lefty reached 10 wins for the fifth straight season. He missed more than six weeks because of a triceps strain but is 9-4 in his 13 starts since returning July 2 from his first career stint on the disabled list. Texas had won seven in a row, needing every one of those wins just to force the majors’ first wild-card tiebreaker since 2007. Even with the return of All-Star slugger Nelson Cruz from his 50-game drug suspension, the Rangers missed a chance to get to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. “I’m disappointed. We didn’t get it done,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “I’ve got no excuse for that.” Cruz, who had 27 homers and 76 RBIs in 108 games before his suspension, was 0 for 4 with a strikeout while hitting sixth as the designated hitter. His groundout to shortstop ended the game. The Rays had runners at first and second with two outs in the seventh when Delmon Young, who put the Rays ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly in the first, hit a soft flyball. Center fielder Leonys Martin made a running, diving play to catch the ball. Replays showed clearly that the ball bounced into Martin’s glove. But third base umpire Ron Kulpa, looking at the play from the side, ruled it an inning-ending catch. Young rounded first base with his arms spread out signaling safe. Maddon went out to talk to Kulpa, though the conversation didn’t appear heated. When the Rays played at Texas on April 8, the fourth game of the season for both teams, their 5-4 loss ended when plate umpire Marty Foster called a third strike against Ben Zobrist on a pitch low and outside. The ump later admitted the 2-2 curveball wasn’t a strike and he wouldn’t call that pitch a strike if he could do it again. The Texas win and closer Joe Nathan’s 300th career save stood. Maddon said after that game that such calls “can’t be made in a Major League Baseball game.” The Rays still had a runner on base and Longoria on deck when Zobrist was called out. MLB intends to use expanded video review next year. The Rangers had beaten Tampa Bay in the AL division series in 2010 and 2011 on way to their only two World Series. It was the second year in a row their season ended in a do-or-die game at home – they lost to Baltimore in the first AL wild-card game last October. Tampa Bay and Texas are the only teams in the majors to win at least 90 games in each of the last four seasons. In 2011, the Rays had to overcome a nine-game deficit the final month of the season and were down seven runs in their 162nd game of the season. They got to the playoffs after Longoria’s game-ending homer in the 12th inning to beat the New York Yankees. The first four hitters in the game against rookie left-hander Martin Perez (10-6) combined for three singles and a walk, and yet the Rays still didn’t have a run. Desmond Jennings, in his first start in more than a week after dealing with left hamstring tightness, hit the game’s first pitch down the left-field line. He was thrown out trying to stretch the hit to a double when left fielder Craig Gentry, who even with the return of Cruz stayed in the lineup because of his hot bat, made a strong throw. Will Myers walked on four pitches before consecutive singles by Ben Zobrist and Longoria loaded the bases. A run finally came home on Young’s sacrifice fly. Young, signed by the Rays as a minor league free agent less than six weeks ago, was the MVP of the AL championship series last year when Detroit swept the New York Yankees. He hit two homers with six RBIs in that four-game series. Jennings had a leadoff walk in the third, and there were two outs before Longoria hit a drive to right-center that landed in the Rangers bullpen. After Martin struck out Zobrist to start the sixth, the eighth consecutive batter he retired, Alexi Ogando gave up a double to Longoria, who scored on a pinch-double by David DeJesus. Elvis Andrus walked on four pitches in the first, but was picked off by Price. Ian Kinsler had an RBI single in the third, but was caught stealing after straying off the base and drawing a throw. Tampa added a run in the ninth when Sam Fuld was at second base, when he took off for third base. Reliever Tanner Scheppers threw wildly to third base, allowing Fuld to score.

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Ferrari defends Massa resigning Ferrari have refuted suggestions that Felipe Massa was only handed another season at Ferrari because of the "lack of alternatives." Last year Massa became the first Ferrari driver since 1992 to complete an entire season without a top-three result and started this campaign off on the same footing. It wasn't until October's Japanese GP - the 15th round of the Championship - that the Brazilian finally made it onto the podium when he finished the grand prix in second place. That result boosted Massa into the top ten in the Drivers' standings although he is still 129 points behind his team-mate Fernando Alonso, who is fighting for the World title. But despite that, last week Ferrari announced that Massa would remain with the Scuderia for another season, once again partnering Alonso. The announcement, though, did not get a very positive response with F1 fans left wondering if Ferrari had made the right decision. The team insists they have. "The decision to extend the agreement with Felipe Massa for another season was carefully weighed up and not just the obvious one," Ferrari said on their website. "Nor was it inevitable because of the lack of alternatives, nor was it in anyway guided by the wishes of his current team-mate, because Ferrari alone chooses its drivers. "Many knocked on the doors of Maranello, some were considered, but in the end, a logical conclusion prevailed: there is no one better than Felipe to deliver hic et nunc the speed, talent and capacity to work for the good of the team. "The Brazilian's career displays these qualities as does the fact that harmony reigns within the team, which is united and shows solidarity even in the most difficult moments. "Fans of the Reds know the score: some decisions are made solely and exclusively for the good of Ferrari. The rest is all idle chatter." Planet F1

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Joakim Soria Loses Closer Job; Aaron Crow Takes Over The Kansas City Royals tried to be patient, but after Joakim Soria's fourth blown save of the year, they couldn't wait any longer. Aaron Crow is the new closer for the Royals. Total Update since May 31, 2011 Updates - 1 For four years, the Kansas City Royals couldn't count on much, but they could count on Joakim Soria in the ninth inning. Coming into 2011, Soria had pitched 255 innings in his career with a 2.01 ERA and 132 saves. While Baseball Reference doesn't keep track of blown saves, I'll guess that he had one. Maybe two. When the sun got in his eyes. This season, though, Soria has been dreadful. His velocity is down and his curveball isn't working. It's still May, and he's already allowed more earned runs in 2011 than he did in any of the previous three seasons. His walk rate has almost doubled, and his strikeout rate has dropped. After his fourth blown save of the year on Monday, the Royals officially demoted Soria. This is bad news for the Royals on a couple of fronts. One: Soria seems broken. Two: His replacement will be Aaron Crow, a live-armed starting pitcher who was put in the bullpen out of spring partly out of necessity, partly out of a desire to ease him into the majors Earl Weaver-style. Crow has done well as a middle reliever, but if he does well as a closer, he'll probably stay a closer forever. Jonathan Papelbon and Neftali Feliz -- plus Soria himself -- are two examples of starting prospects who went to the bullpen and didn't come out. Both have done well, and it's not as if their teams regret the moves. But it always seems like a bit of a waste to never find out if a guy can make it as a starter. Once a pitcher gets a few saves, it's almost impossible for a team to switch them back. They're the vampires of baseball -- completely irreversible after the initial transformation. If Aaron Crow succeeds as a closer, the Royals might win fewer games in 2012 or 2013 than if he were starting. Or heck, maybe he'll be better than Soria ever was, and the Royals will have a better team, especially if Soria finds what he's lost. For the foreseeable future, though, the ninth inning belongs to Aaron Crow. Three months ago, there was only one constant on the Royals' roster -- that's how quickly a dominant reliever can lose his way. Scary stuff.

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Today In Brewer History: Happy Birthday, Chuck Dressen On this day in 1894 Chuck Dressen was born in Decatur, Illinois. He was 29 years old and had already played parts of three seasons in the NFL when he made his MLB debut with the 1925 Reds, appearing in 76 games. Despite not getting started in the majors until his age 30 season Dressen played eight seasons in the big leagues and hit .272/.343/.369 while playing primarily third base. Nearly immediately after the end of his playing days Dressen became the manager of the Reds, and had managed in Cincinnati, Brooklyn and Washington when the Milwaukee Braves hired him to replace Fred Haney as their skipper in 1960. The Braves had won pennants in two of Haney's three seasons at the helm but finished second with 88 wins under Dressen in 1960 and fourth in 1961, when he was fired after 130 games. Dressen later resurfaced in the majors as manager of the 1963 Tigers, and was still with the team when he passed away in 1966. He finished his career with 1008 wins in 1990 managerial games. Dressen would have turned 116 today. With help from Brewerfan.net, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to Brevard County Manatee Joey Paciorek. He turns 24. Today is the second anniversary of Rickie Weeks' 100th run in 2010, making him just the second Brewer second baseman ever to reach that mark. We covered that event in this space last year. Share with Brewers friends +

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2 bodiesfound in Lake Erie; 2 others still missing Cleveland Avenue bridge deemed safe after being hit by truck Wood-burning stove blamed for fire at Osnaburg home Tigers hold on for 7-5 win over Indians Cavaliers enter an interesting offseason ... Tigers hold on for 7-5 win over Indians ... Drug to counteract heroin overdoses now available to public ... Cavaliers enter an interesting offseason ... Tigers hold on for 7-5 win over Indians ... Drug to counteract heroin overdoses now available to public ... WATN: Purses leaves politics behind His name is on the long list: Sam Purses. Among the many who have served as Canton mayor. From 1984-1991, he was that guy. Since then, Purses has faded into the political sunset. He still teaches the subject at the collegiate level, but rarely gets directly involved in the political fray. The way he likes it. Ed Balint CANTON TWP. Sam Purses AGE: 72EDUCATION: Central Catholic High School, 1960; attended monastery at La Salle University in Philadelphia and then at the Ammendale Normal Institute in Marylan... AGE: 72EDUCATION: Central Catholic High School, 1960; attended monastery at La Salle University in Philadelphia and then at the Ammendale Normal Institute in Maryland; bachelor's degree in history at Walsh University; master of public administration at the University of Akron.CANTON MAYOR: 1984-1992 (Democrat)TEACHING JOBS: Canton Local Middle School (social studies) and Canton South High School (social studies and history)CURRENT JOB: Part-time professor, Kent State University at Tuscarawas in New PhiladelphiaCITY ROOTS: Grew up in the Second Street and Riverside Drive NE area. Now lives in Canton Township.HABITS: Reads three newspapers daily: The New York Times, The Washington Post and The RepositoryQUOTE: "I'm a teacher, not a politician."BOOKSHELF INCLUDES: "My Life" by Bill Clinton; "1776" by David McCullough; "Madison and Jefferson" by Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg; "Russia Under the Old Regime" by Richard Pipes • WATN: Clarence Mingo carves out career in public service • WATN: Photographer Steven Miller defines his moment • WATN: Former Treasurer Gary Zeigler takes to stage, recor... • WATN: Once-controversial judge Tangi devoted to family • WATN: Larry Wilson's legacy runs deep at Perry • WATN: Former deputy Hogan retires. Again • WATN: Letter from Elaine Robinson (undated) • WATN: Tom Nesbitt living the good life in Nebraska • WATN: Jim Weber enjoying life after the headlines • WATN: Brandon Wise pushes past Asperger's • WATN: Canton native enjoys long and illustrious career in... • WATN: Former canton ballet dancer finding success in NYC • WATN: Baby from '11 Hours in Room 407' takes first steps • WATN: 8-year-old leads a Canton civil rights protest Artifacts and mementoes adorn the wall and shelves of the Sherman Church Avenue SW home. They tell the story of Sam Purses.Family is prominent. Eight large photographs of his grandchildren line the stairwell. In the living room, a collection of other photos surrounds the word: "Family."In his study, diplomas and other certificates are proof of his devotion to education as a teacher and professor.A well-stocked personal library is dedicated mostly to history and politics. There also are signs of his faith, as well as old newspaper clippings about his father's baseball career at McKinley High School.But what is most rare are signs of his eight-year career as Canton mayor. There are a handful: Keepsake Pro Football Hall of Fame mugs from the 1980s. A couple of plaques. Other mementoes are packed away.It's an accurate reflection of how Purses approached the job as mayor from 1984 to 1992. He lived in the moment, arriving in the office as early as 5 a.m. He left it behind when he was defeated in the 1991 general election.Purses hasn't stepped into the Canton City Council meeting chamber in 22 years. And he has no desire to. It has been years since he was inside the glass-sided tower he once ruled administratively: Canton City Hall."When I walked out of City Hall, I walked out of politics," Purses said casually.Purses, 72, now teaches public policy — part of the political science curriculum — at Kent State University at Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia."I love to be in the classroom with kids and help them learn about who they are," he said, explaining that teaching is "part of my DNA."CALL ME SAMThe turmoil of the 1960s — specifically the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — fueled Purses' entry into politics.After graduating from Central Catholic High School, he spent three years in a monastery, then taught at Canton Local Schools. Eventually, he got a job in city government and became the income tax director. He lost in his first bid for mayor to Republican incumbent Stanley Cmich. Four years later, he beat the political juggernaut.As mayor, Purses said he was a bit of an outsider. At least to some, he was viewed as the nonpolitician politician.Purses said the job was never about the title, prestige or power. In fact, he instructed staff to call him "Sam," not mayor. "It was never about me," he said. "It was about serving."As he chatted about those times, it seemed that even he was surprised he ascended to mayor. "I don't have that kind of personality," Purses said. "I'm not that guy."Page 2 of 2 - Some of Purses' work as mayor survives today. The brickwork on Court Avenue is an example, he said. He also worked with others to get a hotel built — what now is the McKinley Grand in downtown Canton. It was part of a parking-deck and office-building project.A lasting contribution is his crackdown on the violence and debauchery that once plagued the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival parade route the night before the event."It was out of control," Purses said. "There were fights, it was just horrible."The problems culminated in a stabbing. "I said this has to end," he said.Purses took harsh measures. Access to the route was blocked off. Police wore riot gear. And it worked, he said. Ever since then, police have continued to limit preparade partying. OUTSIDE THE LOOPSince those days, Purses hasn't stayed in touch with the Stark County political loop. It's not that he doesn't pay attention to politics. He does, at the local, state and national levels, reading three newspapers daily. As a professor, he sometimes relates his experiences in the political trenches.In the 1990s, he assisted with the campaign of his brother-in-law, Peter Ferguson, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress and later was elected Stark County commissioner.He also offered some advice to Mayor William J. Healy II and then-Canton Councilman Bill Smuckler in an effort to resolve a dispute involving Park Farms (now Case Farms) and issues tied to an annexation and utility rates. He got involved because a friend was part of the family who owned the chicken-processing facility at the time. Asked to opine on the current political climate, Purses offered this: "The responsibility ultimately falls on the people and who they elect. If (public officials) don't do the job, it's back to the people."HELPING OTHERSWhat occupies him now is watching deer outside his window, reading, teaching, spending time with grandchildren and helping people attain a GED diploma at the Greater Stark County Urban League. Purses and his wife, Teresa — a former superintendent at Canton Local — volunteer for Stephen Ministry, providing support to those who are struggling with a divorce, death in the family or other personal crisis.Purses said he wants to help the disadvantaged. "That's what Christ was all about, and that's important to me," he said.Asked what he would tell those wondering how the former mayor is doing these days, he smiled broadly: "I love life. I want to live every day that I have the way it should be lived."Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 or ed.balint@cantonrep.com.On Twitter: @ebalintREP

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Pitt freshman Dorian Johnson loses redshirt by playing against New Mexico Share with Panthers friends 4 Wanted to get to this earlier since I noticed it on Saturday, but in case you missed it, freshman tackle Dorian Johnson burned his redshirt for this season by playing against New Mexico. First things first - I've always hated the term 'burned a redshirt' because technically, players can take redshirts in later seasons. If Pitt really wanted to redshirt him next year, they could. That obviously won't happen barring an injury or something, but whatever. At any rate, Johnson was one player to keep an eye on and the possibility of redshirting is something we've covered quite a bit. He was part of a big class of five offensive linemen and while most will redshirt this season, Johnson had the talent to play right away. Still, offensive lineman often redshirt since it's a significant jump from high school to college for that position and while I'm sure he wanted to play, he also acknowledged a willingness to sit and redshirt as a freshman. The dichotomy with skilled players such as Johnson is fascinating. Coaches can choose to play them right away and that position is best if a player is only going to be around for three seasons. After all, it's better to get something out of them for three years than only to have them on the field for two. On the flipside, a program is generally better off redshirting a player that will stay for all four seasons since they'll be more productive after having a year to sit back and learn. Johnson likely falls into the former and if he's NFL-bound after his junior year, it makes sense to play him. I've never been a fan of guys skipping out on the opportunity of a redshirt and then being used sparingly. Chryst, though, seems like he wants him to get significant time on the field: “It may differ from game to game, but certainly when we play a guy we want to make sure that we're committed enough to make it a worthwhile year for the young man. Besides the fact that Johnson is good enough to deserve to play, him getting on the field in 2013 is also a benefit to next year's team. I still think Pitt is two years away from really making any noise in the ACC, but with Johnson getting experience this year, he'll have some games under his belt by next season when he could become a starter. Oh yeah - and about that starting thing. It's a while off, but Pitt will have an interesting decision on their hands come next season. Adam Bisnowaty is starting this year opposite T.J. Clemmings and barring something strange, both will be back in 2014. Will Pitt keep DJ on the bench behind those two players? That's still up in the air but one thing to consider is that Pitt will lose a guard in Cory King. One of the three could move to the inside if the coaching staff is insistent upon starting all of them ... but that's another discussion for another time.

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jcampbell3@utep.edu Jamie Campbell was hired as UTEP's 10th women's tennis coach in July 2003. In her first season in El Paso, she guided the team to 10 wins, while playing a schedule full of regional powers and nationally-ranked opposition. In 2005, UTEP was a perfect 4-0 at home but struggled to find its stride away from the Sun City. The squad was riddled with injuries and finished the year with a first-round victory against Nevada at the WAC Tournament before falling to nationally-ranked Fresno State. Last season, the Orange and Blue transitioned into Conference-USA with a young squad. They faced a challenging schedule, which featured several regionally and nationally-ranked opponents. The Miners started fast with four wins in their initial six matches before running into a troublesome patch. Individually, Teri Wilkerson picked up All-C-USA Accolades, becoming the first UTEP tennis player to be so honored since 2001. Campbell came to El Paso after a five-year stint as head coach at Binghamton University in Binghamton, N.Y. She compiled a 55-53 dual match record, including 28-19 over the last two seasons. Campbell's 2002-03 Bearcats finished 16-8 and took second place at the America East Conference Championship. Binghamton set school records for victories and consecutive wins (13). Campbell was named the America East Conference Coach of the Year. Five of her players earned All-Conference recognition. Campbell took over a Division II program at Binghamton and eased its transition into Division I. The Bearcats captured back-to-back New England Collegiate Conference titles in her first two years as head coach before making the move to Division I for the 2001-02 campaign. Campbell was the 1998-99 NECC Coach of the Year. Binghamton had the NECC's Outstanding Doubles Team in 1998 and 1999, and the league's Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 1999. Campbell previously was an assistant coach at Guilford College (one year) and James Madison University (two years). A native of Lexington, Ky., Campbell graduated from Guilford College in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in sports medicine. She was the Quakers' team captain and top singles player for three years. Campbell was a four-time All-Conference player and was a top-40 Division III player as a junior and senior. She earned a master's degree in kinesiology from James Madison in 1998.

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Hicks has his dream on the line Rocky Face pro fishermen enjoys success By Chris Whitfield — Since age 5, Rocky Face’s Derek Hicks has dreamed of nothing else but being a professional fisherman. Since 2006, he has been involved in trying to turn his love and greatest hobby into a full-time career as a pro on the Walmart FLW Tour. Lately, he has seen some encouraging signs. Hicks recently finished ninth in the FLW EverStart Series’ Southeast Division tournament on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. Hicks finished the three-day tournament with a haul of 15 bass that weighed in at 60 pounds, 9 ounces; he claimed nearly $4,000 in prize money while competing in a field of nearly 150 professional anglers. It was the fifth top-10 finish in his career through various levels of pro fishing and increased his career earnings to $53,569. “I think I am getting better at the mental aspect of it and the confidence you need to fish with the best professionals in the world,” Hicks said this weeke during an interview at his family’s business, Whitfield Electric Motor Sales and Service. “You are going up against guys who have won millions in their career, and it can be, and is, a little intimidating. “I have always tried to work at it. It hasn’t been handed to me, but I just have to keep working. There is no substitute for experience and time on the water.” According to the FLW website, the EverStart series offers regional pros the chance to gain the experience necessary to advance to the FLW Tour. The equivalent of the fishing minor leagues, the EverStart Series consists of five divisions — Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments where competitors fish for valuable points in each division that could help them earn the Angler of the Year title. The top 40 pros from each division also qualify for the EverStart Series Championship. Hicks has qualified for the Series Championship, which is scheduled for November in Monroe, La. It will be his fourth trip to the Series Championship; his previous best finish in the Southeast series was 16th in 2009. After four Southeast division tournaments this year, Hicks took 15th in the st

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ROI to combat 'Retail Darwinism' at 2014 Dealer Expo ADP Lightspeed hires former Amex exec to lead learning program Dealer Expo early registrations already top 2,000 Roadsmith to sponsor trike ride at Sturgis Buffalo Chip Chicago Story: Where Route 66 begins AMA hires Jack Penton as director of operationsadminThe American Motorcyclist Association in June will welcome Jack Penton as director of operations. Penton is an AMA Life Member who was inducted into the association's Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 in honor of his off-road racing success. Penton will report directly to AMA president and CEO Rob Dingman, and will assist him in managing the day-to-day functions of the association. Penton will also have direct responsibility for the Hall of Fame. "Jack Penton's breadth of experience in the motorcycle industry gives him a fresh perspective that I'm excited to bring to the AMA," Dingman said in the written announcement of Penton's hire. "His hands-on approach will help guide our staff as we continually seek better ways to serve our members and more effectively promote and protect the motorcycling lifestyle." Penton has more than 40 years of experience in the industry. Early in his career he worked for Penton Imports developing Penton motorcycles, a brand founded by his father, AMA Hall of Famer John Penton. Later, he worked for Kawasaki Motors, Malcolm Smith Racing and KTM America. Most recently, Penton served with Tucker Rocky Distributing. An AMA member for 45 years, Penton is also chairman of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) Board of Directors, the fundraising body for the Hall of Fame; however, he will relinquish this position before taking on his new post. "The threats to motorcycling are greater today than ever before," Penton said. "Now is the time to secure the rights of motorcyclists in America, but to do so the AMA membership needs to grow many times over. The AMA has its priorities in order and has made the commitments needed to expand the organization." Effective June 1, those wishing to contact Penton can send him an e-mail at jpenton@ama-cycle.org, or call him at 614.856.1900.Posted by Mary SlepickaView the discussion thread. E-Zines

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Home > Blogs > editor's blog > Hop's Heresy- Another title for Baker, Melcher Hop's Heresy- Another title for Baker, Melcher December 12, 2012 I've heard a lot of theories about Bellmont's incredible charge to the 2008 3A state football championship. A few were: the stars were aligned, everything fell into place; only a few players had hangnails (no injuries); they were just plain lucky to get by Concordia in sectional; and some great teams got knocked off prior to the finals. How about these instead: the Braves had about six of the top 3A players in the state; they fought like crazy as a team on every single play; those big time players delivered with clutch play in every crucial situation, with the games on the line; and, they were the best doggone team in the state, look it up! Two key players from that stunning run will be back in the championship limelight Thursday night in Rome, Georgia when Billy Baker and Grant Melcher line up with Marian University as the No. 5 NAIA Knights (11-1) clash with No. 3 (13-0) Morningside (Iowa) Mustangs for all the marbles in the 57th National title game for that division. "Coach (Ted) Karras mentioned that when he recruited us. I think it's pretty awesome that we're right here on the doorstep," stated Billy Baker, undoubtedly the best high school athlete in Indiana in 2008-09, and the most decorated athlete in the history of BHS. Baker, of course, plays defensive tackle, as he did for the Braves and will likely receive some post-season honors. He was one of a handful of Bellmont recruits that headed to Marian as Karras built his program from scratch. Melcher worked his way into playing time last year on defense, but a severe ankle injury put him out seven weeks and put him behind on the depth chart. He was moved to offense this year, playing fullback in power formations in addition to his work on special teams. "Coach came to me before the season and said he needed a fullback for power and goal line situations, when we have three runningbacks on the field," said Melcher. "I even started a few games when the regular fullback broke a finger. I hadn't played offense since the eighth or ninth grade, but it worked out fine. For next year, they're talking about moving me to tight end." Of course, there's a game left this year. "This could have been our second title game," pointed out Melcher. The Knights made it to the National Semi-finals last year, losing to St. Xavier 30-27. "We had the ball first down on the one-yard line and didn't score. We had a couple of penalties and an intercepted pass. It just wasn't meant to be." This year, Marian beat Missouri Valley College on a 51-yard field goal as time expired to get the title shot. Morningside took care of St. Xavier handily to earn its first title shot. The squad practiced at Indy Monday, then headed to Georgia to start a week of practice and fun. "We've got a banquet or something every day, so it's going to be fun, but we'll be watching film all week. We'll know what they do, and what we have to do to stop them," said Baker. "We've got confidence we can do it." Confidence was something that Baker never lacked his senior year. He was the heart and soul of the Braves, and his heady play to sniff out the Concordia swinging gate P.A.T. trick play kept the Braves in the tourney. His relentless pursuit of some great 3A quarterbacks from regional to Lucas Oil Stadium was too much for the bad guys to overcome. To put some whip cream on his senior year, all Baker did was bruise his way to an unbeaten 215-pound state wrestling championship. This year he has seven sacks, including one in the semi-final win. Melcher played a roving linebacker-safety hybrid for Bellmont in '08, and his pass breakups late in the regional game keyed the Braves against Yorktown. Both are fourth-year juniors who will play one more year. "Morningside has a good fullback, but they really want to spread the field with receivers and pass the ball. We have to keep making solid plays at the line and put pressure on their QB," said Baker. Marian's offense is more balanced. The Knights rushed the ball 44 times for 175 yards in the semi-final, and passed for 153 in 28 attempts. "Everything came together for Morningside against St. Xavier. Every time St. X would blitz, they'd throw right where the backer left and make a play," explained Melcher. Marian's only loss this year was to St. Xavier in a game in which nothing seemed to work well for the Knights. Marian had over 400 yards of offense, but was able to get in the end zone just once. "We think we played in a tougher conference and they just haven't played the competition we have, so we're not afraid of Morningside," added Baker. The Knights downed perennial NAIA power St. Francis twice this season, including 45-34 a few weeks back in the tourney. Melcher feels that having Karras on the sidelines is a real plus. "Coach Karras comes from a really good football background and he's very organized. He sees everything. He recruits well and we get a lot of transfers who want to come here and play for him," praised Melcher. "He's very humble and teaches and preaches that, and how to apply that to real life. I see him getting an opportunity to go to a division one school." "The coaches will have us ready," added Baker. "Even though they beat up on St. X, it's definitely a winable game." I know a couple of young men from Decatur who will know what to do when it comes to chasing down the championship hardware. Source URL: http://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/content/hop-s-heresy-another-title-baker-melcher

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Manti Te'o causing NFL teams to mine social media more Vikings GM Rick Spielman isn't only studying Manti Te'o on film. / Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sportsby Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under INDIANAPOLIS - It's official: This can now be considered "The Manti Te'o scouting combine'' for the way the catfished Notre Dame linebacker has altered the way teams are scouring draft prospect involvement on social media. Te'o, the former Fighting Irish star and 2012 Heisman Trophy runner-up, insists he was duped in an on-line, phone-only relationship with a girlfriend who never existed. Te'o's surreal backstory has driven a new-age evaluation process for what Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman called, "these social media players.'' "One thing we've done this year, we've done a lot of digging on social media and have a pretty in-depth picture of these players that are involved and not involved in social media - how many times they tweet or twit,'' Spielman said at the combine Thursday. "But it's interesting to see the patterns on some of these social media players. "It's a lot more in depth this year because of the highlight of what happened with the Notre Dame linebacker.'' The Seattle Seahawks' security staff is assigned with monitoring the Facebook and Twitter feeds of prospects the team is scouting, GM John Schneider said, as social media provides a unique �?? and not always positive �?? view of a players' personality and daily life. "There are guys on Twitter that are being like Eddie Haskell or something. Putting out, 'I'm going to work out' and it's 3:30 in the morning or whatever. That's kind of weird," Schneider said. "But it does go both ways cause you'll see some things that are very alarming. A lot of the guys are probably catching on to that. You know, the Facebook stuff. A couple of years ago I think there was a guy who had something with a pile of coke and a couple of guns sitting there. That kind of stuff doesn't bode real well. I know my boss wouldn't really like that." Said Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano about the essence of evaluating Te'o: "The one thing I've learned every day I get older is you never really know. You've just got to go with what you believe.'' Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said while the Dolphins have focused on prospects' social-media involvement the last two years, it's becoming more of a valued component. "I'm not very good at it,'' he said. "But I know I have guys on my staff who are very good at it. ... They follow it, look at it. "It's more information, what they're saying. Maybe there's a sense of maturity that goes along with being a heavy Twitter (user). But certainly, my guys are very good at it.'' Spielman said another important piece to Te'o's evaluation (beyond his 15-minute interview with the Vikings) will be watching how the linebacker handles his Saturday podium session in front of the national media. "We want to find out if he can handle the media or not,'' Spielman said. "I'm sure he's going to be up at this podium one day, and people will have some questions for him. "We'll have him in our room, and we're going to spend a lot of time with him because he's a very talented prospect. ... People have asked, 'Why didn't he play so well in the Alabama (BCS national championship) game?' "I don't know the answer to that.'' Te'o, who led Notre Dame in tackles and with seven interceptions, told USA TODAY Sports on Monday that he did not blame his poor performance against Alabama on the distraction of learning about the hoax. "It was a bad game,'' Te'o said of the 42-14 loss in which he made 10 tackles but was hardly a factor. "It's something I can't take back, but something I know will never happen again.'' Schiano is also interested in spending interview time with Te'o. The Bucs are in need of an inside linebacker and own the 13th overall pick. "The whole evaluation of the draft and free agency, you evaluate the whole player and the whole person,'' the former Rutgers coach said. "You make sure you do your due diligence. And every team will come to different conclusions. "The beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people will see him one way, some will see him another. ... It (the hoax) will be only a small piece. But we're not going to spend all of our time on that, I can guarantee you that.'' After all, 32 NFL teams also need to learn more about the player, not just the man who was embarrassed off the field. "I'm sure there will be a lot of questions thrown his way," Spielman said of Te'o. "I do know when you look at the overall big picture, he is an extremely talented football player.'' Follow Jim Corbett on Twitter @ByJimCorbett; Contributing: Lindsay H. Jones. Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Manti Te'o causing NFL teams to mine social media more It's now another way for teams to study players like Te'o, who meets with media Saturday. A link to this page will be included in your message.

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Cincinnati Bearcats Football Bearcats Football Cincinnati Bearcats Football Season 2011 In Review | Defensive Backs Follow The Bearcats On Twitter Follow Down The Drive on Twitter Share with Bearcats friends 6 QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB | ST Alternate Title: So I might have been wrong about this. One of the sore spots for me in terms of the consistency of the Bearcats in recent years has been the play of the secondary. Like every other defensive position group the secondary has been a victim of Brian Kelly's recruiting. Not just in terms of quality but quantity as well. In 2010 there simply weren't enough DB's who contribute. That got better in 2011 and as a result the performance of the secondary improved in 2011. To wit. Yards Per Attempt Completion % 2007-10 Average The most impressive thing about the secondary in 2011 was the way they dealt with the injury bug. 2010 was a mess in terms of injuries, for the entire team, but for the secondary in particular. Dominique Battle was coming off a pretty good sophomore campaign in 2009 and was expected to be the bellweather in 2010. It didn't come off that way. Battle was injured during fall camp, missed the opener against Fresno State, came back for the N.C. State game and then tore his MCL against Oklahoma and was lost for the year. After that Kerry Coombs kept experimenting with corners, trying to find the right combination, but it never quite happened. On top of that the safeties suffered injuries that forced Chris Williams a corner/nickle back by trade to fill in at both safety spots at various times. When the safeties were healthy they looked lost and were frequently victimized by even the most pedestrian of passing attacks. In 2011 things were different because the weirdest thing happened. As the season wore on the secondary got better. Take a look at the game logs from this season and pay close attention to the passer rating stat on the right hand column. Passer rating defense peaks after the West Virginia game and begins to decline afterwards. That wasn't the trend for the last two years. As seasons progressed the secondary always seemed to get worse under Kerry Coombs. That trend in and of itself was enough to make me want to see the end of Coombs on the UC staff, at least as a position coach. But this year was probably his best as a college coach. It's not a huge stretch to make there. All you need to do is look at Dominique Battle and how this group responded to his loss compared with the response in 2010. Last year the loss of Battle ignited what was a three month long dumpster fire of secondary performances. Battle was a guy who had the respect of everyone because of how well he played in 2009. He had the conch of leadership and when he was forced to retire it no one picked it up. This year same scenario. He tore his ACL against USF and Deven Drane stepped into a starting role and funnily enough the secondary got better. Now I should mention two Caveats about this. 1) I am of the opinion that Drane is the most singularly talented defensive back on the roster and the heir apparent to Mike Mickens. 2) Drane and Battle waged a long campaign in camp for the right of the Boundary Corner. When the season began they basically rotated series. But I still think it shows how far the secondary came in terms of depth and how far Coombs came in his ability to manage a situation in which it would have been all too easy for one of his guys to check out. The secondary gave up more passing yards in 2011 than at any other point in the last five years*. But I don't particularly care for raw yardage when it comes to evaluating the performance of a secondary. Far more important are yards per attempt and rating. In both cases the Bearcats fare well 44th in passer rating and 56th in yards per attempt. Both are strong showings considering the choice to adapt an attacking defensive style that put a ton of pressure on the secondary. *In fact the most in school history. But it should be noted that of the top 10 marks for passing yards allowed all of them have come since 1994. I Was Wrong Again I gave the group a 5 in the pre season and had this to say My feelings about the Defensive Backs are similar to those I have about the offensive line. There is enough talent on hand to fashion a competent secondary. But I don't have a lot of faith in the staff to put the best 4 on the field or to call a defense that puts the secondary in a position where success is a reasonable expectation. The defensive line will be much better this year and the secondary will certainly benefit from what appears to be a revitalized pass rush. The numbers will be better this year because they can't get much worse. But the biggest question mark for this team for me is the secondary. I have a good feel about where the rest of the positions stand, but I am in the dark here. It will be better, no question. But how much better? As it turns out quite a bit better. The post season rating for the group is an 8 from me. What's your take. What's your rating and why? Rate the Defensive Backs in 2011 9 (1 vote) kerry coombs cincinnati football uc football cincy football Drew Frey Mike Mickens Camerron Cheatham Dominique Battle Wesley Richardson Deven Drane

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Notre Dame: Eifert takes on leadership role by showing, not telling It's the opening day of August camp, and Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert talks his growth and his decision to come back for his senior year. Posted on Aug. 5, 2012 at 1:00 a.m. NOTRE DAME — Tyler Eifert knows his role.In a Notre Dame offense facing a four-way quarterback battle and a cluster of inexperienced receivers, the All-American tight end stands on a tier of his own.With Michael Floyd’s departure, Eifert is the team’s top returning receiver. If there’s any pressure on the Fort Wayne native to fill in the gap Floyd left behind, he doesn’t feel it.“I just need to understand the offense and do what I’m asked,” he said. “Coaches will put me in positions to make plays. I don’t really feel pressure.”He answered most questions reporters asked him after the first day of camp Saturday in a similar vein: Short, concise replies.He wasn’t loose and spontaneous like his affable teammate Louis Nix, nor was he a jokester like former teammate Jonas Gray.Eifert’s quiet confidence carries over to the football field, where he stands alongside a new batch of senior leaders. He’s not vocal. He doesn’t yell. He just leads by example.“You don’t have to yell to be a leader,” he said. “I’ll pull a guy to the side and give him a tip. You know because you’ve been there and you help out any way you can. You gain a guy’s respect by working hard.”Head coach Brian Kelly has noticed that hard work and said as much in a Friday press conference. “You know you’re moving your program along when your best players are your best workers,” he said of Eifert and Manti Te’o. “And our best players had an incredible summer.“(Eifert’s) just been incredible to work with over the past couple of years, to see his development and his maturity. He’s a leader on our football team.”There was a time early in his career when Eifert kept his head down. At that point, his silent productivity had not yet translated into leadership.“As a freshman coming in, you don’t say much and you learn your role and learn to know the guys,” Eifert said. “The worst thing to do as a freshman is to come in and get too comfortable, so you earn the guys’ respect and confidence over time.”In four years, Eifert has bulked up nearly 40 pounds of muscle and skyrocketed from a statless game against Nevada in 2009 to 63 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns last season.His performance last season thrust him into the national spotlight and caught the eye of NFL scouts. By the end of last season, Eifert, like Te’o, had to decide the next step: Enter into the NFL Draft or return for his senior season.Like Te’o, he chose the latter.Like Te’o, he has unfinished business.Both players have fallen short of a coveted BCS bowl bid in their three years with the Irish.“Winning them all,” Eifert said when asked his definition of success. “Going to a BCS bowl (game). That is success. You’re never really content until you do that.”Stepping onto the practice field Saturday reenforced Eifert’s decision to come back, and he shed more light on his thought process.“I’m more comfortable out there,” he said. “I’m enjoying it more, being out there with all of your buddies. I guess in the NFL, they’re your teammates, but they come from all different backgrounds and they’re maybe 10 years older than you.These are guys I’ve hung out with all summer and made great relationships with.”

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HomeSportFootballHibees still relishing derby win Hibees still relishing derby win LEWIS STEVENSON and his Hibs team-mates finally ended 42 long months of capital pain and frustration for the Easter Road faithful. By: Scottish Express reporter Published: Tue, December 4, 2012 Lewis Stevenson [] The Leith outfit went some way to avenging last season’s 5-1 Scottish Cup final hammering from Hearts when they knocked out the holders on Sunday with a 1-0 victory. It was the first time Hibs had beaten the men in maroon since May 2009 – a run stretching 12 games. Pat Fenlon’s men can now look forward to a fifth-round tie at home to Motherwell or Aberdeen as they attempt to win a trophy they last lifted in 1902. Stevenson, 24, said: “We have a smaller squad than in the past but it’s a stronger squad. “There’s great competition for places this season, too. That keeps everyone on their toes. There’s great competition for places this season, too. That keeps everyone on their toes Lewis Stevenson “People have been talking about what happens with Leigh Griffiths in January. He’s a top player and any team would miss him, but Ross Caldwell came on and did well. “We’ve got lots of boys ready to fight for their places and prove we are not a one-man team.” The gutsy midfielder, who has been filling in at full-back, admitted it was a massive achievement for Hibs last weekend. “It’s great to have a derby win to talk about,” said Stevenson. “But the overwhelming feeling is relief. “There are a few of us who have been at Hibs for a while and wins against Hearts have not come along all that often, so it’s nice to have one to celebrate. “It was a horrible game to play in and I’d imagine it wasn’t a good game to watch either, but it will be remembered for us winning our first derby for ages.” The lifelong Hibbie revealed their Hampden hammering in May affected him so greatly he ended up living like a hermit. Stevenson said: “It took me such a long time to get over what happened in the cup final. “I locked myself in my room for a month afterwards. I couldn’t read any papers, I couldn’t watch any television. I didn’t want to be reminded about it. “But football has its ups and downs and beating Hearts is a step towards correcting what happened at Hampden. “The fans will want more. I don’t think beating Hearts in one game has made up for what happened in the final. We would have to win 5-0 against them to make up for it. “We just have to forget about what happened in the final. It was a horrible experience. It’s only one game. I’d love to go on a run against Hearts like they did against us.” At the start of the season Fenlon was one of the favourites in the SPL managerial sack race. However, he has confounded those who predicted his downfall by steadily leading Hibs up to second in the league, while the cup win against the Jam Tarts saw him receive a standing ovation at Easter Road. Stevenson said: “This season the fans have been right behind the manager. They have backed what he’s doing. We have tried to play football in the right way, although that went out the window against Hearts and it was a bit of a battle. “But it was the manager’s first win over Hearts and that’s always a good thing for a Hibs manager.” Stevenson believes the punters have bought into Fenlon’s ethos, which, in turn, has helped the team. “The fans seem a lot more positive this season,” said Stevenson. “When we lost 1-0 to Aberdeen recently we played well and they clapped and cheered us off the pitch. That’s unheard of at Easter Road. “In the past we’ve won games and still been booed off the pitch.”

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“An Independent Man – the Autobiography” (Eddie Jordan, 2007) May 27, 2007 at 7:00 am by Keith Collantine 3 comments Eddie Jordan is Marmite personified. To some he’s F1′s much-missed wheeler-dealer cheeky chappy – but plenty of others remember him as a whingeing upstart whose team might have been more successful ahd he run a tighter ship. This being an autobiography it will doubtless provide plenty of fodder for both sides to support their points of view. I wonder if the person tasked with creating the cover for this mistook the identity of Eddie Jordan for that of the ‘glamour model’ Katie Price, a.k.a. Jordan, with whom his team were briefly associated. It’s got that glamorous look the Jordan team always had that wouldn’t work on, say, Ken Tyrrell’s biography. Mercifully it’s a much better read than Price’s 2006 autobiography “A Whole New World”. At around 400 pages it’s a comprehensive work that Jordan has obviously approached with an enthusiasm that stayed with him until the end. It must have been excruciating to mentally re-visit certain periods of his teams history – from losing Michael Schumacher to the grinding inevitability of the team’s collapse in the early 00s. But Jordan’s account is comprehensive and even on the most controversial points tallies fairly well with competing versions of the same scandals. There are several passages that really cry out for a bit more explanation. In place of that there are a lot of anecdotes that aren’t as amusing as they are assumed to be – except for the one about Bernie Ecclestone on a bus demanding he pay a pensioner’s fare. Also a few peculiar editing decisions spoil the flow of the text. The chapters are very short and one chapter on 1991 appears to have had a paragraph from the 2001 section copied and pasted across with little thought to the appropriateness of the context. But I was surprised and pleased to see a book come out from a former team owner so soon after leaving F1 because it shines a light onto some of the less well-known areas of the sport. I’d very much like to see Alain Prost and several others do the same. Orion Books F1Fanatic rating F1 books Tags: f1 / formula one / formula 1 / grand prix / motor sport Read more: Alain Prost | Articles in full | Eddie Jordan | F1 books | F1 drivers (past) | F1 People | F1 teams (past) | Jordan | Michael Schumacher 3 comments on “An Independent Man – the Autobiography” (Eddie Jordan, 2007) Alianora La Canta said on 27th May 2007, 17:51 I’m in the process of reading An Independent Man at the moment. I’m very much enjoying it – it’s exactly the sort of style I’d expected him to write, and the nature of his career pretty much guaranteed it was going to be interesting. Thank you for warning me about the lost paragraph in the 1991 section – I haven’t reached that point yet (I’m still in the mid-80s part) and I am the sort of person who gets very annoyed at editing errors like that. Reply Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 28th May 2007, 12:57 You may feel that it (the 1991 thing) works within the context when you read it – but I found it jarring. Reply Alianora La Canta said on 2nd June 2007, 15:23 Having now finished “An Independent Man”, I have to agree with you – the last paragraph of Chapter 20 simply does not belong in that particular place. A sub-editor who was more sympathetic to the flow of the narrative would have been a big help. However, that was the only significant weakness in a book that was highly enjoyable and accurately reflected the Jordan roller-coaster.

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BCS standings analysis: FSU's stay at No. 2 could be brief Led by Jameis Winston, Florida State's dismantling of Clemson has seen the Seminoles' stock rise. / Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sportsby Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under If the names were stripped off the uniforms and all biases of history and preseason predictions removed, no team in the country has looked more complete this season than Florida State. But to get to the Bowl Championship Series title game, the Seminoles are fighting a battle, not just against their reputation as underachievers the last few years but against the two programs who started the year ranked ahead of them in the human polls and still sit there, refusing to budge from the top two spots. Florida State came in at No. 2 on Sunday in the initial BCS standings, behind only Alabama. But that spot could be short-lived as Oregon, which is ranked second in the human polls, will get a strength-of-schedule infusion over the next three weeks. If the Ducks can beat UCLA and Stanford, 12th and sixth in the BCS standings, respectively, Florida State could very well be back to third place, hoping to somehow convince voters to move them in front of Oregon. The Seminoles do have a bit of history on their side. In all but two of the previous 15 seasons of the BCS, one of the top two teams in the first set of standings has gone on to play for the title. "I think we have a heck of a team, we've got a lot of ball to play and if we keep taking care of our business, the country will see and we'll get to where we've got to go," Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said following a dominant 51-14 victory at Clemson, which came into the game fourth in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. "I'm not scared to play anyone. We've got a good team." The victory at Clemson made enough of an impression for Florida State to leapfrog Ohio State into the No. 3 spot in the coaches poll and Harris Poll, which count for two-thirds of the BCS formula. But what lifted the Seminoles ahead of Oregon in the BCS standings are the six computer ratings, which ranked Florida State first and Oregon fourth. More than anything, though, Florida State's performance Saturday sets up a legitimate debate as the season drags on. While few will quibble with Alabama at No. 1, the Seminoles' goal now should be forcing voters to take a closer look each week and consider whether Oregon truly deserves the No. 2 spot. It could be a close call if all three remain unbeaten, and the strength of the Pac-12 might ultimately keep Oregon ahead of the Seminoles no matter what. But if Florida State is impressive again Nov. 2 when it hosts Miami (the Hurricanes are seventh in the BCS), it would have two wins to trump anything the Ducks have accomplished thus far. Even after the loss Saturday, Clemson sits ninth, giving the Atlantic Coast Conference three teams in the top 10 for the first time since Oct. 31, 2005, when Virginia Tech was third, Miami sixth and Florida State ninth. Meanwhile, one league is not making the same impact on the national race as it usually does: the Southeastern Conference. Whereas the SEC dominated last season, finishing with six of the top 10 in the final BCS standings, it only has two representatives in the initial top 10 of 2013 with Alabama at No. 1 and Missouri at No. 5. Auburn comes in at No. 11, LSU at No. 13 and Texas A&M at No. 16. Unlike previous years, where there was a distinct separation between the top tier and everybody else, parity has arrived in the SEC. At 7-0, Missouri has been the nation's biggest surprise; meanwhile, all the expected contenders aside from Alabama already have at least two losses and are essentially eliminated from BCS title contention. The BCS standings also reflect the difficult road Ohio State has to get to the national title game, even if it remains unbeaten. Ranked fourth by the human polls and fifth by the computers, the Buckeyes have just one victory against a currently ranked team (No. 24 Wisconsin) and won't play another until Nov. 30 at No. 23 Michigan. That means Ohio State simply won't have an opportunity to boost its computer numbers or change the perception of its schedule. It's quite possible Ohio State, which was 12-0 last season but was operating under an NCAA-mandated postseason ban, could win every game yet again and still not play for a national title. At this point, the Buckeyes' best, and maybe only, hope is for teams in front of them to lose. Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: BCS standings analysis: FSU's stay at No. 2 could be brief Oregon, which sits third, could get strength-of-schedule boost by winning next two games A link to this page will be included in your message.

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Every Play Counts An in-depth look at a specific player or unit on every single play of the previous game Every Play Counts: Adewale Ogunleye By Michael David Smith Two quick conclusions after watching Adewale Ogunleye on every play of his first game as a Chicago Bear: 1. He's going to be a great fit in Lovie Smith's defense. 2. He's out of shape after missing training camp. I've always felt that when it comes to pass-rushing defensive ends, the stats never tell the story because of an over-reliance on sacks. Ogunleye's performance in the Bears' 20-16 loss to the Lions is a case in point. With all the buildup Ogunleye had when he arrived in Chicago, it sounds like a disappointment to say he finished his first game without a sack. But on 3rd-and-9 late in the first quarter, Joey Harrington took the snap in the shotgun and Ogunleye blew past Lions right tackle Stockar McDougle, forced Harrington to run, and brought him down from behind after a one-yard gain. Not a sack, but just as good, as the Lions were forced to punt. Here's why I'm sure Smith loved that play from his new defensive end: It showed that Ogunleye can adjust on the fly. That tackle of Harrington took place on the Lions' 10th offensive snap, and on the first nine Ogunleye had been ineffective. He had tried to speed rush to the outside, which is no doubt exactly what McDougle expected, and McDougle had no trouble simply riding Ogunleye out of the play. At the start of the 3rd-and-9 play, Ogunleye again broke to the outside, and McDougle probably started to think, "Hey, blocking Pro Bowlers is easy." But then Ogunleye quickly darted to the inside, leaving McDougle grasping at air as Harrington hit the ground. Mixing up his approach on an important third down tells me that Ogunleye isn't just an athletic player; he's also a smart one. Once he's had time to grasp Smith's defensive schemes completely, I think he could be league's best pass rusher. He's not there yet, though, and that's why I think missing training camp was costly. Two big plays in the fourth quarter lead me to believe that Ogunleye isn't in good enough shape yet: On 1st-and-goal with 10 minutes left in the game, McDougle kept Ogunleye in check, Harrington rolled right to where Ogunleye should have been, and the result was a touchdown pass to give the Lions the lead. And on the Lions' next series, on 3rd-and-1 with 7:24 remaining and the Lions hanging on to a six-point lead, Lions running back Kevin Jones ran directly at a tired-looking Ogunleye, and McDougle manhandled him. The Lions got the first down and took three more minutes off the clock on the drive. Ogunleye also gave up on a few second-half plays when he didn't get a good first step. That looks like the result of a lack of conditioning. Fortunately for the Bears, Smith was always known in Tampa Bay and St. Louis for demanding that his players get into shape and hustle on every play. When Smith breaks down film he has a stat he calls "loafs." If a player is going at anything less than full speed at any time between the snap and the whistle, that's a loaf. Ogunleye loafed a couple of times in the second half, but Smith will coach that out of him. And yet, even though he looked exhausted, Ogunleye had enough left at the end for one last big play. As the Lions tried to run out the clock with 2:18 remaining, Artose Pinner took a handoff on a play identical to the previous play when Jones got by him for a first down. But this time Ogunleye shed McDougle's block and brought Pinner down for a one-yard loss. It was a strong play, it shows that Ogunleye won't get beaten the same way twice, and, in all likelihood, it was a sign of things to come. The final question, then is whether the Bears made the right decision by trading Marty Booker and a third-round pick to acquire Ogunleye. In my opinion it was a good move. The coming season doesn't appear to be a good one for the Bears. Losing at home to the Lions isn't the way to start. But Smith needs time to build his team, and Ogunleye is going to be a big part of that. I see a bad season but a bright future for this team. Each week, Michael David Smith looks at one specific player or one aspect of a team on every single play of the previous game. Standard caveat applies: Yes, one game is not necessarily an indicator of performance over the entire season. If you have a player or a unit you would like tracked in Every Play Counts, suggest it by emailing mike-at-footballoutsiders.com. Posted by: Michael David Smith on 15 Sep 2004 23 Mar 2007, 4:37pm by by Carmella Decesare (not verified) :: Thu, 02/08/2007 - 6:08am play quotes I Googled for something completely different, but found your page...and have to say thanks. nice read. by Reward Credit Cards (not verified) :: Fri, 03/23/2007 - 4:37pm saw Jew constrain improving

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WMICHIGAN MICHST Recap: Michigan State vs. Western Mich East Lansing, MI (Sports Network) - Kurtis Drummond collected an impressive one-handed interception and also scored one of two touchdowns by the Michigan State defense as the Spartans earned a 26-13 win over the Western Michigan Broncos at Spartan Stadium.Jeremy Langford rushed for 94 yards and the score the lone offensive touchdown for Michigan State (1-0) on 20 carries. Andrew Maxwell completed 11-of-21 pass attempts for 74 yards. Connor Cook connected on just 6-of-16 pass attempts for 42 yards as a replacement after Maxwell's slow start.Though the offense struggled, the Spartans were strong on defense allowing just 204 total yards while forcing four turnovers.In their first game under new head coach P.J. Fleck, the Broncos (0-1) were stalled consistently on offense. Starting quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen was intercepted twice before he was knocked out of the game due to an injury. Zach Terrell was then inserted. Terrell fared slightly better completing 12-of-28 pass attempts for 120 yards and two scores, though he was intercepted once. Corey Davis caught eight passes for 96 yards and a score.After going 0-for-2 on third down on its first two drives, Michigan State finally found its way into the end zone thanks to its defense. Jairus Jones nabbed a Van Tubbergen pass midway through the first quarter and was able to lateral the ball to Drummond, who returned the ball 22 yards for a touchdown.After a lengthy delay due to heavy rain and lightning, Western Michigan was able to tie the game at 7-7 with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Terrell to Clark Mussman with just over six minutes before halftime. The touchdown came on Terrell's first pass of the game.Before halftime the Spartans offense finally found its way into the end zone on a two-yard touchdown run from Jeremy Langford with 22 seconds remaining in the half. However Kevin Muma missed the extra point attempt leaving the score at 13-7.Muma made up for his missed extra point late in the third quarter when he kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Spartans led 16-7 after the kick.Another field goal from Muma, this time from 30 yards out, pushed the Spartans ahead 19-7 going into the final quarter.Michigan State scored another defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter when Shilique Calhoun returned a Terrell fumble 16 yards for a touchdown. Marcus Rush was credited with a sack and a forced fumble on the play.The Broncos did manage to score a touchdown later in the quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Terrell to Davis. However a missed two-point conversion attempt and an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, finished off any comeback chances.Game Notes

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Jets' Jokinen likely out rest of season Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Winnipeg Jets center Olli Jokinen will be sidelined for the team's remaining three regular-season games after sustaining a high ankle sprain during Saturday's matchup against the New York Islanders.Jokinen, who has totaled seven goals and 14 points along with a team-worst minus-19 rating over 45 games during a disappointing first season with the Jets, is expected to out between 6-to-8 weeks with the injury.Winnipeg enters Monday's clash at Buffalo three points behind Washington for first place in the Southeast Division and trails the New York Rangers by the same margin for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.The Jets will be without defenseman Zach Bogosian for the rest of the regular season as well after he suffered a reported concussion in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders. The former No. 3 overall pick had tallied five goals and 14 points over 33 outings this year and was on a season-high four- game point streak.On a positive note, Winnipeg recalled defenseman Zach Redmond from a conditioning assignment with AHL St. John's on Monday. The rookie has not played in the NHL since incurring a life-threatening cut to his right thigh from a teammate's skate during a practice back in February.

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Hargrove inks deals with the Cowboys Irving, TX (Sports Network) - The Dallas Cowboys and defensive end Anthony Hargrove agreed to terms on a one year contract on Thursday.The 29-year-old, who most recently played in 2011 with the Seattle Seahawks, will look to resume what has been a turbulent NFL career.Hargrove signed with the Green Bay Packers in March of last year, but was released prior to the start of the season after receiving an eight-game suspension for his role in the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal.His suspension was ultimately rescinded, but he never caught on with another team and sat out the entire 2012 season. He has amassed 168 tackles and 19.5 sacks over seven playing seasons.Hargrove was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft, but was shipped to Buffalo in his third season before receiving a one- year suspension in 2008 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.The Georgia Tech product bounced back with the Saints a year later and helped the team win Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts. He had one of his more productive seasons that year, recording five sacks with 32 tackles.

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Mark Sanchez: Rex Ryan's message "well received" 6:28 PM, December 5, 2012 The New York Jets' Mark Sanchez, right, and Tim Tebow sit on the bench against the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of an NFL football game on Nov. 11 in Seattle. He was given his job back Wednesday ... for now. / Elaine Thompson, AP by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sportsby Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under FLORHAM PARK, N.J. �?? Rex Ryan insists he needed three days to gather all of the information to decide on Mark Sanchez as his starting quarterback. Many knew better. Including Sanchez. "I think he was more or less sending a message. And it's well received," the New York Jets quarterback told reporters Wednesday, hours after he was reaffirmed as the starter for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I know. I've got it." For three days, Sanchez was left to wonder if his days as the starter were over, guaranteed money this season and next be damned. Truth is, Sanchez was probably never in danger of sitting this Sunday, even after Greg McElroy led a comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals and even with Tim Tebow's ribs improving. But Ryan declared the situation to be "in the red right now," as in a warning sign Sanchez's three interceptions against Arizona and his overall inconsistent play this season won't be tolerated. Ryan's three-day waiting period to publicly stand by Sanchez was the first step. The next one is to bench him for one of the other two quarterbacks in whom he expressed faith. Over the next four weeks, Sanchez is playing for his job. Now and down the line. "I think we're all playing for that," he said. "It's highlighted by the quarterback position. There's been a lot of emphasis and a lot of attention on this position here. But this kind of thing affects peoples lives and careers. "It's not just, 'Oh man, bummer.' It's not like that. This is serious. Coaches, players, coordinators, everybody. I understand that." Sanchez understands it even more after talking to former Jets backup quarterback Mark Brunell, who told him a story of when he was benched while a member of the Washington Redskins. Brunell said the home crowd was cheering for his backup �?? and that included his two young sons, who didn't know why the fans were reacting but joined in nonetheless. The crowd at MetLife Stadium roared when McElroy entered the game. This Sunday, and potentially one week later, Sanchez will play in front of road crowds, which actually will be a welcome break for him. "For the guys who have been here, they know that in the toughest circumstances, I've played my best," Sanchez said, referring to his performance down the stretch and in the postseason in 2009 and '10. "You never want it to come to this point, but we're here. At the same time, guys read things, guys listen to outside opinions at times. It's not like we're playing just for that but at the same time I don't' want to let them down because that's the worst feeling on Sunday. "I'm disappointed in myself but I don't want to let the head coach down. (Offensive coordinator Tony) Sparano, he doesn't show up here at 4 in the morning and stay here and not see his family and do all of the stuff he does for me for me to go out and throw the ball to the other team. That's got to be disheartening. That's the part that really bothers me." As does the perception he's beyond repair at this point. Asked pointedly if he's "broken," Sanchez replied, "Not at all." Sanchez, Ryan and everybody else in the building are hoping Ryan's message will, in fact, fix him. "It was definitely was the worst," Sanchez said. "But it could turn around and be one of the best things that's ever happened." Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Mark Sanchez: Rex Ryan's message "well received" Coach Rex Ryan will keep quarterback in starting role; QB knows he must step up his game. A link to this page will be included in your message.

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Big win for FHSU men By CONOR NICHOLL cnicholl@dailynews.net Coach Mark Johnson has never labeled his Fort Hays State University men's basketball team a soft group. Instead, Johnson has called his group "cardiac kids," a team that has come back from multiple deficits this season, especially with key offensive plays near the end. However, on Wednesday, Fort Hays delivered a tough, gritty effort in a 59-58, last-second victory against Northwest Missouri State University at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Bearcat junior Bryston Williams caromed a jumper off the rim as the buzzer sounded to secure the win -- and send a raucous crowd of 2,109 fans into a standing ovation. "I was just happy that the game was over and that Fort Hays was on top," junior Dwayne Brunson said while wearing a big smile. Fort Hays trailed by nine with 7 minutes, 40 seconds remaining and came within one point of its season-low for offense. "We found a way to score just enough to win the game," Johnson said. The Tigers collected a win that Johnson called "the biggest game of the year" and stayed in the hunt for a league title. FHSU moved into a tie for second place, a game out of first, at 14-6, 8-4 MIAA. Northwest Missouri dropped to 15-6, 8-4 MIAA. "We showed some grittiness and we got back into the game with our defense and getting stops and pressurizing them a little harder," Johnson said. Northwest and Fort Hays represented two statistical extremes. In conference-only statistics, the Bearcats stand first in scoring defense and 13th in scoring offense. The Bearcats had won their previous two games by one point apiece - and also won a game in early January by one in overtime. Three times, Northwest had won a contest scoring under 60 points. The Bearcats average just 64 possessions a game, easily the lowest in the league. FHSU had tallied at least 74 points in all of its wins and, while it has several close victories, was 1-4 in games decided by three points or fewer, including a one-point home loss to Washburn University. "The last two times, they got breaks," Johnson said. "This time, we got the break. Sometimes in our league, that's what it comes down to. Washburn, they got the break, and we didn't. Tonight, we got the break and Northwest didn't. When you are in a league like this, that's what's going to happen, for the most part. Th

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6771 HistoryLink.org essays now available Shortcuts Cyberpedias Timeline Essays People's Histories Cities & Towns Counties Biographies Interactive Cybertours Public Ports Research Shortcuts Map Searches Timeline Date Search Topic Search Book of the Fortnight Audio/Video Enhanced History Bookshelf Klondike Gold Rush Database Duvall Newspaper Index Wellington Scrapbook More History Washington FAQs Washington Milestones Roads & Rails People's History Library < Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay > Pilots and Mariners HistoryLink.org Essay 3427 : Printer-Friendly Format In this reflection, Bart Wright traces the links between Seattle's first Major League ball team -- the Seattle Pilots -- and the Mariners. Summer Memories A long time ago in a land far away that was famous for its bratwurst and beer, there lived a man who sold cars and wanted to own a baseball team. He desired to buy and sell players instead of sedans and station wagons. Twenty one years later is an appropriate time to consider the direct lines of Seattle baseball history that connect the first, failed effort at Major League Baseball in the Northwest to the glimmering example of glorious fundamentals on the field and high powered politics off the field that converge on Seattle this summer at the All-Star Game. Sicks' Stadium v. Safeco Field It is a remarkable departure from the first brush with big league baseball in Seattle when the franchise was granted conditional status, based on an upgrade of Sicks' Stadium that was never fully realized. It surely wasn't ready for prime time on Opening Day when more than 7,000 seats in left field were unfinished and roughly 700 fans waited in lengthy ticket lines outside while their seats were being installed. Compare that to Safeco Field, at $425 million, still the most expensive single-purpose sports facility ever constructed on the continent and you get a sense of the gap in time and circumstance that separates the Pilots and the Mariners. Yet, there are those living links, integral players who have personal attachments to both. In the spring of 1970, Bud Selig bought the Seattle Pilots from their bankrupt owners. It had been one largely forgettable season in the American League standings for the Pilots and later became one transformational season in sports literature. The voices that haunt the memory of the Seattle Pilots are alive and in full flower in the summer of 2001 when Seattle hosts the All-Star Game for the second time, the first time outdoors at Safeco Field. Up there somewhere in the luxury suites consorting with the owners was Selig, now the commissioner of Major League Baseball. Viewing it all in his exalted position had to have been one of Selig's finest moments, overseeing the pastime that truly became international this year when Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki, bought in the offseason from a professional team in Japan, was the leading vote getter of all the All-Stars. Down there in the dugout was Lou Piniella, manager of the Seattle Mariners who led their division by 21 games at the halfway point (81 games) of the season, the largest lead at the halfway point for any team in major league history. It was a long, strange trip to this position for Piniella, who had been a 14th round draft choice of those Seattle Pilots prior to their first and only season in 1969. On the day that first spring that Pilots manager Joe Schultz told Piniella, "You'll have to be pounding your Bud in Kansas City," as his way of informing the rookie ballplayer he'd been traded to the Royals, Piniella couldn't have imagined anything like this in his future. Forgettable on the field perhaps at 64-98, those Pilots were the group that inspired pitcher Jim Bouton to write Ball Four, a clubhouse peek at the team that forever changed the way people thought of and wrote about sports in our culture. More than anything else you can say about the Pilots, the enduring legacy of the franchise will always be what happened in the clubhouse, in that draft before the season began and then again the next spring when the club went to Arizona as Pilots and left in the direction of Milwaukee as the Brewers. A Legal Connection The line that connects that team to these Mariners was one drawn in legal papers in a courtroom when Washington Attorney General Slade Gorton sued baseball for stealing the Pilots. When an effort to retain the Pilots was turned down because the local group had no majority partner, Gorton saw an opening for a lawsuit. It was also Gorton, then as House majority leader in the state legislature, who muscled through, in the final hour of the 1967 Legislature, the bill to build the Kingdome. Having the Kingdome built and ready for occupancy as the suit against Major League Baseball progressed was seen as crucial to the eventual success of the lawsuit. The Mariners were born as a ward of the court, granted life in the spring of 1977, a direct result of the lawsuit filed after Selig took the team to Milwaukee. Strange bedfellows, this Republican politician and the former car salesman from Wisconsin? Consider how they later worked together to approve the sale of the Mariners to another local group, this one fronted by money from Minoru Arakawa, son-in-law of the Japanese owner of Nintendo of America, a company Gorton had aided on several occasions as a Senator. Gorton's contacts found the investor that kept baseball in Seattle and it was also the force of his strong arm efforts that pushed legislators to find a way to provide funding for Safeco Field after citizens of King County voted down a stadium proposal. If you saw Gorton and Selig raising a toast in the owner's box at the All-Star Game and flashing each other a knowing wink, you could understand the context if not the politics. Time and Changes After the concerted efforts of local and state politicians -- at least those on the western side of the Cascades -- resulted in the construction of the Kingdome, the Mariners became the third big league team in town, following the NBA Sonics, owned by California businessmen and the NFL's Seahawks, owned by the Nordstrom family of Seattle. You could say the Mariners were the fourth team in town if you counted the soccer-playing Sounders as big league, but their star burned brightly for what amounted to the blink of a sports fans' eye. The Seahawks began play in the Kingdome in the 1976 season and the Mariners followed in the spring of 1977, on April 6, when the California Angels came to town and beat Seattle behind Frank Tanana, 7-0. The starting pitcher for the Mariners that night was Diego Segui, who had also performed briefly for the Pilots. Similarities were few from the opening games of the Pilots who started with a 4-3 win in Anaheim against the Angels, came home with a 1-1 record and on a 58-degree day before 17,150, beat the White Sox 7-0 in the first Major League game at Sicks' Stadium. Compare that to the opener in the Kingdome eight years later when 57,762 fans watched the Mariners lose to the Angels. Where the Pilots started with a bang in a falling-down ballpark that hadn't been able to add all its extra seats, the Mariners started with a whimper in a cavernous concrete dome before more fans than would see the Pilots in a typical week. One thing did draw them together, though. The Pilots and the Mariners each went 64-98 in their inaugural seasons. Things began to change in Year 2 for the Mariners: they won only 56 games in 1978. Sources: Bart Wright By Bart Wright, July 04, 2001 < Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay > Related Topics: Sports | Licensing: This essay is licensed under a Creative Commons license that encourages reproduction with attribution. Credit should be given to both HistoryLink.org and to the author, and sources must be included with any reproduction. Click the icon for more info. Please note that this Creative Commons license applies to text only, and not to images. For more information regarding individual photos or images, please contact the source noted in the image credit. Major Support for HistoryLink.org Provided By: The State of Washington | Patsy Bullitt Collins | Paul G. Allen Family Foundation | Museum Of History & Industry | 4Culture (King County Lodging Tax Revenue) | City of Seattle | City of Bellevue | City of Tacoma | King County | The Peach Foundation | Microsoft Corporation, Other Public and Private Sponsors and Visitors Like You People's Histories include memoirs, reminiscences, contemporary accounts, reprints of older historical accounts, commentary on and interpretation of current and historical events, and expressions of personal opinion, many of which have been submitted by our visitors. These essays have not been verified by HistoryLink.org and do not necessarily represent its views. We also present here HistoryLink Elementary, essays for beginning readers based on existing HistoryLink content, as well as award-winning essays about local history from regional or state History Day competitions that were written by students from Washington middle and high schools. HistoryLink.org is the first online encyclopedia of local and state history created expressly for the Internet. (SM) HistoryLink.org is a free public and educational resource produced by History Ink, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt corporation. Contact us by phone at 206.447.8140, by mail at Historylink, 1411 4th Ave. Suite 803, Seattle WA 98101 or email admin@historylink.org

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Travis Joins Schwarber on Team USA Sam Travis BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After a long run in the NCAA tournament the "Bash Brothers" will be back at it this summer as Sam Travis has earned a shot to represent the Stars and Stripes for the Collegiate National Team. He joins Hoosier teammate Kyle Schwarber, who was selected to the team earlier this spring. Click here for full information on the 2013 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Team USA is off to a strong start with an 8-0 record as they prepare for their first international competition versus Japan from July 6-11, taking place in various Japanese cities. Team USA is also scheduled to play on American soil vs. Cuba July 18-23 in various USA cities. In the team's first game of the summer Travis and Schwarber found themselves in a familiar situation, batting back-to-back. While sitting in the No. 2 and No. 3 holes for Indiana in 2013, they manned the No. 4 and No. 5 slots in the first contest for Team USA. Travis Looks to have another strong summer after his stellar performance in the Cape Cod League last summer hitting above .350. Printer-friendly format

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It's official, the quarters is coming By Chris Nettleton Published: Feb 13, 2013 at 8:51 PM MDT Last Updated: Feb 28, 2013 at 12:09 PM MDT Greg Patton is all smiles during Wednesday's announcement that the Davis Cup quarterfinal round will be played at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - We already knew it was coming, but the United States Tennis Association made it official Wednesday morning; the Davis Cup quarterfinals are coming to Boise. Even First Lady Lori Otter, and Boise Mayor Dave Bieter joined in the jubilant press conference.Taco Bell Arena will host the Gem State's first Davis Cup, but don't forget about the World's best player Novak Djokovic, who is also expected in early April."The Davis Cup is a symbol of excellence around the world, so it's particularly exciting for us to showcase the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup, right here on the Boise State campus for our students, our faculty, our fans to see that we're just, as always, dedicated to excellence in everything we do," said Boise State President Dr. Bob Kustra.President Kustra thanked Boise State men's tennis coach Greg Patton for his part in bringing the Davis Cup to Boise, and told the crowd he can't wait for April.The United States and Serbia meet in the quarterfinal round of the Davis Cup April 4-7. Tickets go on sale February 27.

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A&M President Pleased With NCAA Acting Quickly on QB Manziel By: John Gilbert and Associated Press Email Updated: Wed 11:27 PM, Aug 28, 2013 By: John Gilbert and Associated Press Email Home / Article COLLEGE STATION Texas A&M President R. Bowen says he's pleased with the quick action by the NCAA in the investigation of Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. In a live interview on KBTX News 3 at 6 on Wednesday, Loftin said, "It's good to have it resolved in a very timely fashion. The real issue was how quickly can they act on this particular information, and they've done it, and we're very happy about that." Manziel will sit out the first half of the season opener with Rice Saturday after being suspended for his part in an autograph controversy. The school and NCAA issued a joint statement in which they say no evidence was found that the quarterback received compensation for signing his autograph based on current information and statements by Manziel. However, he committed what they term an "inadvertent" violation by signing certain autographs, leading to the half-game suspension. The NCAA will review any new information that may come to light to see if further action is required.

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Top Galaxy Playoff Moments: #2 Galaxy lift the title on home soil Years in the making, Galaxy dream season yields MLS Cup title October 31, 2012 Adam Serrano LAGalaxy.com Two years of shocking MLS Cup Playoff exits caused the LA Galaxy to enter the 2011 season on a mission—win the title and dominate in the process. Despite being led by the star-power of David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and Omar Gonzalez among others, LA had fallen short of the ultimate prize for two straight seasons. In 2009, the club fell on penalties in the MLS Cup Final to Real Salt Lake and a year later they were crushed at home by FC Dallas, 3-0, in the Western Conference Championship. In 2011, LA would try again for a third time, this time knowing that the MLS Cup would take place on their home pitch at The Home Depot Center. The 2011 season began with a few bumps in the road; most notably an eye-opening 4-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake in the third game of the season, the Galaxy quickly got into a rhythm, and began to build and then widen a lead atop the league standings. As head coach Bruce Arena sought to fortify his team for the postseason run, he dealt forward Juan Pablo Angel to Chivas USA, and acquired Irish forward Robbie Keane in mid-August. When the MLS Cup Playoffs began, an unlikely hero in midfielder Mike Magee stepped up, scoring three goals in three playoff games as LA advanced past the New York Red Bulls in the Western Conference Semifinals and Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Championship. The Galaxy were set on a collision for course for a date with the Houston Dynamo in the 2011 MLS Cup Final. The match featured a coaching battle for the ages as Arena’s star-laden Galaxy face off against Dominic Kinnear’s plucky Dynamo side that was anchored by defender Geoff Cameron, though they were forced to play without star midfielder Brad Davis, an MLS MVP candidate in 2011 who injured his right quad in the Eastern Conference Championship. Despite the fact that the final took place in Southern California, the match began amid an uncharacteristic rain storm that threatened to put a damper on the atmosphere created by the crowd of 30,281—at the time a stadium record. The rains eventually subsided and the Galaxy, by in large, bossed the match with Adam Cristman going close on a number of occasions and Robbie Keane having a 57th minute goal called back for offside. But 15 minutes later, a beautiful build-up play between LA’s three Designated Players would put LA up for good. Defender A.J. DeLaGarza started the play by lofting a ball forward to David Beckham, who flicked a header forward toward a streaking Keane. The Irishman pushed up field, cutting past Bobby Boswell, before finding Landon Donovan in mid-stride with a pass that split the Dynamo defense. The Galaxy captain raced onto the ball and used the outside of his right foot to flick a shot, which bounced off the out-stretched glove of goalkeeper Tally Hall and toward the net. Cameron desperately tried to clear out Donovan’s shot at the last moment, but his efforts were not enough to stop the Galaxy and The HDC crowd from exploding with elation as the ball crossed the line and settled into the side-netting. Donovan’s goal would hold up and LA would have their third MLS Cup title. LA lifted the trophy for the third time in club history, in what was one of the finest seasons ever for the club. As the blue-and-gold confetti fell down on The HDC, the Galaxy were left to count a laundry list of honors including the 2011 MLS Cup title, 2011 Supporters’ Shield, qualification for the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League as well as an undefeated record at home in all competitive matches. With the title in their possession for the first time since 2005, the Galaxy were able to bring back many of the key pieces in the offseason, like Beckham –who re-signed with LA, bypassing a big-money offer from French giant Paris Saint-Germain— Brazilian midfielder Juninho and defender Sean Franklin, as well as add new –and old— faces like forward Edson Buddle and midfield Marcelo Sarvas. The stage was set for the 2012 season. Follow@lagalaxyinsider PlayoffsMLS Playoffs Related Content Goal of the Year: Sean Franklin vs. Real Salt Lake Three Points: LA Galaxy crash out of postseason with 2-0 defeat to Real Salt Lake Match Recap: LA Galaxy's Quest for Three ends after 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake LA Galaxy looking to advance to fifth straight Western Conference Championship in series finale against Real Salt Lake

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Flutey ready to run hot after cold treatment 7 June 2009 17:22pm By Rob Cople, Westgate Riki Flutey is ready to start playing again Dan Sheridan Riki Flutey is all set to finally get his British & Irish Lions career up and running this week after burning the midnight oil to recover full fitness. At one stage, admitted the Lions' head doctor James Robson, it looked as thought the London Wasps and England centre could be on his way home after injuring his knee in the opening game against the Royal XV. He had come onto the field as a 67th minute replacement for Keith Earls and picked up his injury in those unlucky final 13 minutes. "If you went back to 1997, then Riki would have been on his way home. I really thought he was going to be the first player to leave the tour," said Dr Robson. "But he has been setting his alarm to wake himself up every two hours in the night to administer cold therapy on his knee. That's on top of the work he is doing with the physios throughout the day. "He will resume full training tomorrow and be available to play on Wednesday if required. It means we can say the Lions are in rude health at the moment. "The medical team has been very busy, but we only had a dead leg, slight hand and knee injuries to deal with after Saturday's game. "We have all bar one player fit and available for selection at the moment, Martyn Williams. He took a blow on his shoulder, but if this was the last game of the tour on Wednesday I'm sure we would be making him available." "I can't remember at this stage from any previous tour I've been on going back to 1993 where only one player was unavailable for selection."

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Beale set for latest comeback By Westgate, Rob Cole Kurtley Beale will play for Randwick this weekend Kurtley Beale is set for his second comeback of the season this weekend when he returns from his latest series of counselling by playing for Randwick. The 24-year-old Melbourne Rebels utility back, who has spent much of the last three weeks in a private health facility dealing with alcohol-related issues, is set to feature in the Sydney Shute Shield competition in a game against Sydney University. Beale found himself in hot water earlier in the season when he struck team mates Cooper Vuna and Gareth Delve in the aftermath of a Super Rugby game in South Africa. He went into counselling for the first time after that episode. When he finally returned to action he failed to comply with an alcohol ban and was once again banned indefinitely by the Rebels. Now, after a further period of counselling, he is ready to push his claims for a place in both the Rebels and Qantas Wallabies squads to face the British & Irish Lions. The Rebels and the ARU issued separate statements about Beale on Monday, saying he had successfully completed the first stage of counselling. "Following discussions between the ARU, RUPA (players' association) and the Melbourne Rebels, and Kurtley's departure from the health facility, all parties have agreed that it is in Kurtley's best interest and welfare to remain in Sydney around his support network for the foreseeable future," the statement said. "Kurtley will play for his club Randwick in the Sydney Shute Shield Competition during this time." The Rebels have Super Rugby games against the Reds and Brumbies over the next fortnight before they meet the Lions.

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Skip to double wide sidebar Skip to tabbed sidebar Home Classifieds Subscribe Advertising Info Forms About Us Email Us New Panther: JCCHS welcomes new AD Jason Holcombe Top Stories JCCHS CHS MCHS BCHS JHS EJCHS WBHS AHS BCA Auto Racing Other Special Sect New Jackson County athletic director Jason Holcombe comes to the Panthers from North Gwinnett. New Panther: JCCHS welcomes new AD Jason Holcombe Thursday, July 21. 2011 JASON Holcombe is brand new to Jackson County, but he feels something of a familiarity with the place nonetheless. “It reminds me of what Gwinnett County was like when I was growing up – a growing area, not exactly a very high urban area like Gwinnet County is right now but a very booming area,” said Holcombe. Seeing an area and school system ripe with opportunity, Holcombe has come up the I-85 corridor from North Gwinnett to Jackson County to serve as the Panthers’ new athletic director. His hiring as AD was made official at Monday night’s board of education meeting as he takes over for former AD Joe Lancaster, who will remain at the school as an assistant principal. An assistant athletic director at North Gwinnett, Holcombe’s hiring comes two weeks before the start of fall athletics. He will also serve as an assistant principal. “It’s exciting to be here,” Holcombe said. “I think there’s a lot of people out here who want to take Jackson County to that next step. I’m getting to know the coaching staff right now for my fall sports obviously.” Holcombe’s résumé includes coaching stops at Cedar Shoals and Dacula prior to working at North Gwinnett. He held a multitude of coaching titles while at Cedar Shoals – varsity running backs coach, JV head football coach, head wrestling coach and JV baseball coach – from 2001-2004. There, he started the Jaguar wrestling program. Holcombe then served as head wrestling coach at Dacula from 2004-2010, while also coaching on the Falcons’ football staff from 2004-2008. He moved onto the administrative side of athletics last year, serving as the assistant athletic director at North Gwinnett while also working as an assistant wrestling coach. Holcombe became a candidate for the Jackson County AD job through some of his old bosses who had worked previously with new JCCHS principal Scott Smith. “When Mr. Smith was contacting those individuals about the possibility of someone to interview, my name came up,” Holcombe said. Holcombe actually wasn’t interviewing at the time but the phone rang one night and it was Smith. “I came in for an interview and I was asked to come back for a second interview and here I am,” Holcombe said. It’s been a lifelong goal for Holcombe to be an athletic director as he points to his passion toward building programs. That’s a passion he discovered upon starting the wrestling program at Cedar Shoals and then later at Dacula when he took over that program in the wake of that school’s split to form Mill Creek High School. “I just fell in love with new places and getting to build and seeing kids thrive from working from the ground up – the blood and the sweat and the tears that you put into your programs,” he said. “You plant that seed so they can flourish and grow … Being able to do something on a total scale for a high school, it’s something that I fell in love with.” Holcombe currently resides in Bethlehem. His wife, Amy, is the girls’ head tennis coach at Mountain View High School. The couple has a son, Jason Jr., and a daughter, Georgia Nicole. Holcombe attended Brookwood High School from 1994 to 1997, where he was a wrestling standout. He went on to Truett-McConnell and then the University of Georgia where he earned his undergrad in social science education. He holds a master’s degree from Walden University in educational technology and a specialist’s degree from Lincoln Memorial University in curriculum instruction. Holcombe sees loads of potential at Jackson County as he starts his new job. “The facilities are great,” he said. “I like where the facilities are going. I think we’re going to make some steps in that area hopefully and in that department as the future goes on. We’ve got a new softball coach (Chassie Laird). We’re excited to have her on board. (Head football) coach (Billy) Kirk is coming off an improved season from last year, and I’m excited about working with him and also getting to know the athletes and other coaches in the winter and spring sports and kind of moving forward from there.”

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Tri-State Top 25 Poetry in motion: Hamlet helps guide Gaels by Dylan Butler on Fri, Mar 2, 2012 1:27 AM Updated Fri, Mar 2, 2012 6:13 AM Jon Brens drives to the basket against Xaverian. Photo by Photo by Frank Locascio Photos: All Hallows vs. Xaverian CHSAA Playoffs Ethan Hamlet isn’t fond of having his shot swatted. “Getting blocked [stinks],” Hamlet said. “It’s not something I’m really accustomed to, but being the shooter, I guess I have to get used to that.” That’s what happened to the All Hallows junior guard as the shot clock wound down with the Gaels clinging to a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter Thursday night. Hamlet, though, got the last laugh on his next trip down the floor, faking a shot and then driving into the lane for a 3-point play, helping lead All Hallows to a 52-49 win against Xaverian in a CHSAA Class AA intersectional second round game at St. Francis Prep. “That was a very big move,” Gaels coach John Carey said. It was also a big win for All Hallows (10-14), which advances to the quarterfinals Sunday to take on division rival St. Raymond at Fordham’s Rose Hill Gym. The Ravens won the first three games, but the Gaels are more confident this time around. “I think this is actually the first playoff game I’ve won being part of this program,” Hamlet said. “I’m very excited about moving onto the next round and getting a shot at beating a team that has beat us three times this season.” Hamlet is a big reason why the Gaels advanced. He had 15 points, none bigger than the old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:48 left in the fourth after George Lambert tied the score at 44 with a runner in the lane. “My coach gives me some leeway to put the ball on the floor at times,” Hamlet said. “I saw an opening and I put a floater up, he slid under me and got the block. The ball dropped so I had to step up to the line and convert.” He wasn’t the only one converting for All Hallows, which controlled the tempo and played with discipline and poise. Senior Davon Robinson, who was mired in foul trouble and was sidelined for about 10 minutes, scored a game-high 17 points. He sliced through the paint for a huge layup that extended the Gaels lead to 49-46 with 1:24 left. And, after SMU-bound Brian Bernardi (15 points) buried a tying 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining, followed Marcus George’s two free throws with a pair from the foul line with 7.4 seconds remaining. “I just wanted to go up to the free throw line and be confident,” Robinson said. “I was just trying to make sure I helped my teammates to get to the next round. We worked hard to get this far and I didn’t want to let them down.” Xaverian (17-10), ranked No. 12 in New York City by MSG Varsity, had final chance to force overtime, but a 3-point attempt by Dillon Burns (10 points) fell short with 1.7 seconds left. “These are tough, tough kids I have and they didn’t lose for a lack of trying,” Clippers coach Jack Alesi said. “They tried as hard as they could, right to the end they refused to take back shots. But basketball comes down to making plays. They made them and we didn’t.” All Hallows also did a better job closing out the game than they did during the regular season, when the Gaels dropped close league games against Mount St. Michael and Holy Cross. “I think today we got back to being a team and sharing the ball, getting everyone involved,” Hamlet said. “I think that really propelled us over the top today and enabled us to get the win.” Contact Dylan Butler at dbutler3@cablevision.com Follow him on Twitter: @Dylan_Butler More from MSG Varsity.com CHSAA AA boys basketball playoff brackets Cardinal Hayes books ticket in CHSAA quarters

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Catriona O'Neill (Cork), Ken Coyne (Cork) and Jill Casey (Dublin) in Rome for the game Inpho/Dan Sheridan How Others Saw It 3 March 2007, 12:07 pm Rome became the green capital of the world for a day as the trattorias and terrazzos heaved with thousands of Irish supporters. The team did not let their extraordinary followers down and scored more than 50 points as they went for the championship on points difference. Yet when the final whistle blew and the Fields of Athenry rolled in off the stands no one actually knew who had won. Sure, Ireland had beaten Italy but they would have to wait another two hours to discover they had not done enough to overtake France at the top of the championship. And even then the big screen went down at the crucial moment. What a farce. This was all about putting television ahead of sport and debased the history of this competition. Shame on the BBC who made such demands and yet did not even care enough about the game between France and Scotland to give it radio coverage ahead of a cricket match between India and Bangladesh. Perhaps it scarcely mattered to the 17,000 Irish amongst the crowd of 24,000 in Italy's capital, just as it scarcely mattered that their front five had taken one hell of a beating. The Irish backs proved again that they are of a far superior horsepower to anything else in the championship and scored eight tries with scarcely any ball. But Eddie O'Sullivan is too shrewd a coach not to analyse the huge deficiencies apparent in Ireland's game. Without Paul O'Connell their line-out fell apart and the front row was utterly minced in the scrum. O'Sullivan will also realise that Ireland were the beneficiaries of the most peculiar refereeing in the first half. Judging from his decisions it appeared that referee Jonathan Kaplan was embracing St Patrick's Day as enthusiastically as the Irish supporters. During that period Ireland scored three tries and each of them owed much to Kaplan's green-eyed view of the match. His first strange decision was the award of a free-kick against Italy at a scrum for pushing early. Given that Ireland had run backwards at the first two scrums you would have needed electronic timing to detect an early shove. From the tap Gordon D'Arcy, who made an absolute mess of Italy's inside defence, made a half-break and it was then a simple enough task for Denis Hickie and Brian O'Driscoll to put in Girvan Dempsey. Italy did not look at all amused by the decision but let it pass until half-time. Then when the teams came back out Marco Bortolami, Italy's captain, asked Kaplan a question along the lines of: "Why in the name of Perugini would we want to push early against a plasticine front row like Ireland's?" Kaplan's second moment of generosity again came from a scrum. Italy had an almighty shove on when the Ireland front row wheeled in a desperate attempt to disengage. This was not only illegal but left David Wallace in a position to pick up Italy's possession. Grateful for another glimpse of the ball Ireland countered superbly through their flankers who worked the space for Shane Horgan. The Irish wing charged up the touchline and was left with one man to beat. Horgan, however, had to rely on the support of Simon Easterby to finish matters off. The third mistake from the officials came moments before half-time. With the Irish scrum again under pressure Ronan O'Gara did very well to pick up a hurried pass off his toes and give a short ball to Hickie. It was all well done, but then Hickie's pass to D'Arcy who went on to score, was blatantly forward. It is stating the obvious to observe that those three tries changed the nature of the match, because instead of trailing at half-time and having a fretful front five pondering the Italian threat to their manhood, Ireland led by 20-12. The psychological difference that those decisions made to the teams became obvious in the second half as it took Ireland less than 20 minutes to rip apart Italy's midfield defence and run in four tries. The Irish outside backs are very good indeed and Italy had no idea whether to stick or twist. Deprived of their three best outside backs and their openside flanker for this match, they were simply left standing. (Mark Reason - The Sunday Telegraph).

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SPORTS FOR ALL: Wrestling About this blog By Charles Nodler The Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships started Thursday, and Neosho appears off to a good start. Neosho is a state powerhouse in Missouri high school wrestling and won back to back team championships in 2010 and 2011. Neosho has had several individual championships in their history, going back to Curtis Longstreet who was Neosho's first individual champion. Neosho has two wrestlers going for state championships tonight. Christian Lopez at 220, and Nate Rodriguez at 132 can win individual titles with victories.The International Olympic Committee vtional olympic oted to not have wrestling as a sport in the 2020 Olympics. That came as quite a shock since wrestling goes back to the first modern Olympics back in 1896 and was even competed in the ancient Olympic games. I heard that factors such as popularity and ratings were in that decision. It is hard for me to imagine that badminton and table tennis are in the Olympics and wrestling is not. To compare those and their history to that of wrestling in the Olympics, and the decision has to be judged as outrageous at best. Maybe those who voted for the elimination of wrestling should be drug tested as well as the athletes.

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: Non-Profit News 5K race at Teterboro Airport for United Way draws hundreds By MARY DIDUCH staff writer The Record chris pedota / staff photographer Runners warming up before the Teterboro Airport 5K. Photos: The Teterboro Airport 5k Run TETERBORO – With jet planes and the New York City skyline in the background, hundreds of runners on Saturday hit the blistering hot runway at Teterboro Airport to run a 5K race to benefit Bergen County’s United Way.The 16th annual race, sponsored by PSE&G, brought in around $50,000 that will be used toward United Way’s 2-1-1 system, a 24-hour crisis helpline that assists callers with everything from housing, temporary financial needs and mental health. Since the race’s inception, $500,000 has been raised.The hotline, which receives around 150,000 calls a year, was instrumental in helping people rebuild after Superstorm Sandy in October, said Gina Plotino, director of communications for the United Way. Since Sandy, the hotline received 50,000 more calls, she said.Tom Toronto, president of Bergen County’s United Way, said the race is a great community event that unites the airport community with local runners. The race also attracts many of the region’s top runners because of its flat, unique course – the airport’s runway – that also provides views of Manhattan’s skyscrapers."It’s really kind of beautiful," said Toronto, who also runs the race every year.While the runners didn’t have to contend with hills or many turns, they did have to face a tarmac baking under the sun in the middle of a protracted heatwave. The number of runners dropped to around 800 from just under 1,000, likely because of the weather, Plotino said.The Moonachie First Aid & Rescue Squad, which brought 10 more members this year, had three units out in the fields in the 90-degree heat."It’s flat, it’s fast, but it’s hot," said Jessica Palange of Stamford, Conn., participating in the event for her seventh time.Kevin Burns of Ramsey, part of the North Jersey Masters Track and Field Club, said he and his group train to run in the heat. But on one curved stretch of the tarmac, he estimated that the temperature felt about 120 degrees."It feels like a wall," Burns said.John Puljols of Hackensack blazed past the field in a neon pink shirt to win in 16 minutes and 40 seconds. Puljols, an athlete at La Salle University in Philadelphia, ran with a group of friends who also compete collegiately and train together over the summer by running local races.Puljols said he was relieved the weather wasn’t as hot as it had been over the past week, with temperatures soaring to 100 degrees or higher."It was a good race," he said.And while race organizers expected the blistering heat of the past week to be an issue -- as it usually is every year -- they also stepped up security in light of the bombings in April at the Boston Marathon, said Cheryl Moses, race director.While runners and guests always were required to present ID and go through security, all the volunteers had their backgrounds checked again this year instead of sporadically, Moses said.Moses said when she saw what happened in Boston, she was concerned about what would happen to races moving forward. But three months later, she said the mood has lifted."Everybody’s out to have fun," Moses said.Email: diduch@northjersey.com Runners at the start of the Teterboro Airport 5K race head toward the runway. Tags: The Record | Teterboro

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Six Sign to Play for Huskers in 2013 The Husker volleyball team announced their six-player recruiting class of 2013, which features some of the best players in the entire country. Highlighting the class are three players from three-time defending Class A state champion Papillion-La Vista South: setter Kelly Hunter and twin sisters Amber and Kadie Rolfzen. Joining them will be Kira Larson from Fargo, North Dakota; Justine Wong-Orantes from Cypress, California, and Melanie Keil from Berlin, Germany. “This group is really fitting for our program as we are graduating a large senior class with three Nebraska kids who have all had a major impact on our program,” head coach John Cook said. “These guys are going to determine the future and the next chapter of Nebraska volleyball as we move to the Devaney Center. They will get to kick off the first season at the Devaney Center and create a new tradition there. They have a tremendous opportunity to write the next chapter of Nebraska volleyball.”

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Three and almost out Washington -- Cavs take Game 3 98-92. At least it was entertaining, right? Not that anyone in NE Ohio was paying attention to anything but the Browns and NFL Draft. Well, in case you weren't watching... Yee-ness, D.C. parties and more Washington -- Very little buzz here in D.C. over the impending Game 3, but that is understandable. While the Wizards tag this town as "the most powerful city in the world," it's also a place that loves a winner and will distance itself from a loser very quickly. However, again I will say believe the Wizards have a win in them and could make this weekend tough on the Cavs. Their guards are bound to make some shots at some point. A rainy Game 2 --Don't confuse Drew Gooden's "Let it Rain" with Pacman Jones "Make it Rain." One involves a geeky-looking hand gesture. The other $81,000 in cash and strippers.--Drew informed me tonight that he can't do his "rain dance" until he makes at least four shots in a row. Write this down, people.--OK, that covers that. What's most important from Game 2 is the Cavs again got other players besides LeBron to step up. Gooden had an unbelievable second quarter, not just because he was making shots, but because he was making contested jumpers. Almost more important that Drew's hot streak was how Zydrunas Ilgauskas played. The Wizards seem determined to double-team James on pick-and-rolls so Z making jumpers off them is vital to the Cavs' offense. Also, I though Larry Hughes' decision-making was much better tonight. In fact, I'll go so far as to say Larry played better in Game 2 than he did in Game 1.--Just re-establishing my point during this series, the Wizards have almost no margin for error on offense. If Antawn Jamison doesn't score 50 points, the Wizards need help from DeShawn Stevenson (who is 6-of-24 in two games) and Antonio Daniels (who is 7-of-18). It also doesn't help when Jarvis Hayes goes 2-of-11. I will again say, though, that the Wizards are going to make shots at some point in this series.--All that out, the Cavs defense continues to bait the Wizards into hoisting those jumpers. They are going under most pick-and-rolls, which means they are denying drives. They are also helping well, which means most of the jumpers are contested. The Wizards are shooting less than 40 percent in the two games.--On the big videoboards after Brendan Haywood got hit with a technical for screaming at Andy Varejao, you could just see him holding up one hand and gesturing but you couldn't see his fingers. It appeared to the crowd watching the screen that he flicked everyone off. I don't believe this was the case, but that's why the crowd started chanting "a------." What I'd like to know is if Etan Thomas was joining in the chant. After the game Andy told me "he was saying somethings and they were not nice." I'm sure. I agree with Bill Simmons, it's only a matter of time before someone just hauls off and socks Varejao during a game. Perhaps it will be Game 3.--Before the game, I was checking out Damon Jones sweet red and white Li Ning shoes. Inside the shoe by the ankle, apparently just for Damon to see, is the phrase "I Am Global." I ran over to look inside LeBron's shoes to see if they said "I am a global icon" inside, but they have their own bodyguards. Here's all I need to tell you about Damon: His winter coat says "Damon Jones" on the back. Not "Damon." Not "Jones," like it was a high school letter jacket. Damon Jones. That and as he was walking into the locker room tonight in his pink shirt and gray suit, the camera guy who was recording his arrival wasn't ready. So Damon stopped, waited, and then started walking again when the guy had the thing on. Pure comedy. To read more or comment... Game 2, let's preview Some thoughts for tonight: So you want more Xs and Os, eh? I got a great deal of feedback on my column on Sunday, which was about two things. One, it was my view of the five different levels at which people watch games. Second, it was an in-depth breakdown of the Washington Wizards offensive and defensive sets including what the sets are called and how the Wizards signal them to each other. If you have a second, give it a read, I hope you'll find it entertaining. Cavs finish the job, up 1-0 --It wasn't pretty, but the Cavs ground it out to take the lead in the series so today is a smashing success with a 97-82 win. Yet neither team played all that well and the Cavs let the Wizards hang around for three quarters before they really turned it on. Still, this was exactly the kind of game the Cavs want to play all series long, slow and grinding. In fact, I'd give their defense a A today. Two points of emphasis were accomplished, they kept the Wizards guards out of the lane on drives and made it tough for Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson to get clean looks by denying and contesting. Let Antawn Jamison get his, Washington can't win without help. Lots of jump shots, lots of misses for the Wizards.--The Cavs also did a great, great, great job of limiting second-chance points (Wiz had just 2) and fastbreak points (Wiz had just 1). Once again, Washington has no chance when this happens.--The Cavs and LeBron James played their best on offense in the first quarter. After then, LeBron was just 3-of-10 shooting. But he did get to the line a bunch of times by driving, which kept the Cavs in descent position during the game. So he had 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, a quality effort. The Cavs had 16 points in the paint in the first quarter and just 32 for the game. This, of course, must improve.--Zydrunas Ilgauskas played very well, especially in the fourth quarter when he had 11 of his 15 points. That is very big for both the Cavs and his confidence after last year. He cannot be defended by Darius Songalia, who fouled out, and if he gets position all Etan Thomas can do is foul.--I thought Larry Hughes was the player of the game for the Cavs, even if I didn't love his decision-making all the time. He had a number of excellent plays on defense and led the Cavs with 27 points. Much of it came on jumpers, which as you know I think is dangerous over the long haul, but today it worked so I tip the cap. End of 3 and Cavs still up by 7, but it's still up in the air --The offense still ain't great, it is wheezing on the execution scale. Just two assists that quarter for the Cavs again. But the defense continues to keep the Wizards guards out of the lane and the easy points to a minimum. Which is what is winning the game for the Cavs right now. The Wizards are still a mini streak away from tying this game and it is so dangerous to have let them hang around.--The Cavs had a nice spurt in the middle of that quarter to push the lead to 12, which happened due to basket drives by LeBron. That has got to be the way the fourth quarter goes, the Cavs cannot rely on hitting jumpers. Also, no more contested 3s allowed for Donyell Marshall.--I have seen LeBron turn his ankle like that at least eight times this season. It happens all the time, but his ankles are so thick that he seems to be able to withstand it. It's amazing, actually. It may be sore later and tomorrow. It would be a good reason not to practice tomorrow for him.--Cavs are 19-of-27 at the foul line, right at their 70 percent average. Could be a factor.--Sometimes I think Larry Hughes thinks the shot clock is only 14 seconds long because it gets to 12 and he looks to get the first shot he can. Then again, he's 8-of-15 from the field has been a big factor today. Bu blog readers know that "All roads lead to 40 percent" with Larry, so watch out. By the way, Larry's season percentage...40.000. No lie.--When Darias Songalia is on Z, the ball should go there every time. And not for Z to throw a behind the back pass. Songalia shouldn't be able defend Z in Cleveland, Washington or Lithuania (Songalia is from Lithuanian, too, in case you missed it).--Jarvis Hayes isn't showing butterflies in his first playoff game. He doesn't have fouls either, which LeBron should be drawing on him.--Overall, so far I think the game has been officiated very fairly no matter what the crowd thinks. However, I have the impressed Luis Grillo is personally trying to keep the game close. He has been blowing his whistle a lot (two carries called on the Cavs). Still I think it has been pretty even. Halftime, Cavs up 7 and Wiz happy --The Wizards are elated right now. They are right where they want to be. They outplayed the Cavs in the second quarter and have basically not gotten hot at all on offense. There was a six-point swing that went against them at the end of the half with Jarvis Hayes missing that 3 and Larry Hughes making one.--The Cavs offense has stopped running. There's all of a sudden a lot of standing around going on. Trust me, this is not because the Wizards are camping down, although they are playing better. They are denying drives with a mix of defenses, but the Cavs made it easier on them by not throwing passes. After they got seven assists in the first quarter, the first assist in the second quarter didn't come until 4:50 left and then they didn't have another one until Drew Gooden gave it to Hughes. This is a classic example of the Cavs self-inflicted wounds allowing less talented teams to stay in the game.--With that understood, it is easy to see why LeBron didn't play as well in the second quarter. He wasn't throwing many passes and wasn't getting many, which is why he went 0-of-4 with just one assist. The only guy who did anything was Andy Varejao, who the Wizards will continue to hack. --This is all why the Wizards are still very much in this game. The Cavs had just six points in the paint in that quarter because they chucked up a bunch of jumpers.--Here is a warning, the Wizards are shooing just 37 percent. Overall, it has been good defense by the Cavs because they've forced them into taking lots of jumpers. But trust me, sooner or later, the Wizards will go through a streak where they make a bunch of jumpers. Antawn Jamison was 7-of-17, but he could've easily been 10-of-17. The Cavs need to build a bigger cushion to ready for the run.--Both teams had just three turnovers in the first half but the Cavs had nine fastbreak points to the Wizards' 0. I expect to see many more turnovers in the second half.--Last year the Wizards never stopped Eric Snow when he was in the open floor, they just let him drive. Eric remembered and drove again.--All the LeBron heavy hitters are here in the courtside seats. His agent, Leon Rose and Nike bigwig Lynn Merritt. And, of course, Wes Wesley. By the way, in the past I've written those seats belong to Nike. They actually belong on Mr. Wesley, as he informed be a few weeks ago. Thanks for reading. First quarter over, Cavs up 27-20 --LeBron James is at it again. He's as active as he's been on season with and without the ball. Not only is he attacking, but he moving well to create angles and really seeing the floor. He's well on his way to another triple doube, with 9 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds already. The Wizards, as expected, are doubling and shading to him and he's burning them for it. If he continues to play at this level, the Cavs are unbeatable.--A big moment for LeBron was with two minutes left and the shot clock going down. Instead of taking a fallway 18-footer, he looked at Darius Songalia and drove. That is how to get it done. It was a 3-point play. If he did that all year, he's have averaged three more points a game.--The Cavs have made a lot of shots, going 12-of-22, but I feel it is a real percentage because they are mostly high-percentage looks. They are attacking the glass and setting up the guys in the post. Especially Drew Gooden, which is wise to make Antawn Jamison work at that end. Jamison is a terrible defender, especially 1-on-1. Most important, the Cavs had 16 points in the paint.--It is impressive to see how strong Sasha has gone to the hole, even if he isn't finishing very well. This has been seen before, as has his disappearance after the first quarter. We'll see what happens when he comes back in for LeBron in a few minutes.--A key play came at 6:32 when LeBron drew the charge on Antawn Jamison. It was a good call, but had it gone the other way it would've been James' second foul.--Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson are non-factors so far, if it stays that way the Cavs are in good shape. If they get going, the Wizards won't go away.--Z is off to a bad start (airball), we'll see if it carries over. Hello from the Q. It's about five minutes before tipoff and there's some extra energy in the building already. But I can tell you that it is nowhere near the level of excitement before Game 1 last year. Perhaps that is natural, not only is this series have a lower profile, but the fans are preparing for a longer run. Nonetheless, there's a difference. So it begins Cavaliers-Wizards, 12:30 EDT. I will be live blogging during the game, please return early and often. Oh, and I'd love to post some of your clean but certainly witty comments during the game. Fire them in to me as we go. Cheers! It's all half full, honest --I've tried to build a persona as your friendly neighborhood realist over my career, yet I've been cracked as being too negative of late. So today, I put on the rosy glasses and patted the Cavs on the head for everything they've done this season. Drink it in and savor for the moment. Living right, living large I will be the first to admit, I didn't foresee the Cavs falling into the position they did tonight. I had been so impressed with the way the Bulls had been taking care of their business and frankly, I wasn't sure karma was on the Cavs side. But they had the easier final game, which is what it came down to, and it played out that way. The Bulls do not deserve to be No. 5 and neither did the Cavs, but everybody knew the score for a long time. Colleague Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News said this to me today: Awards Ballot '07 This morning I submitted by annual awards ballot to the NBA office. As has been my custom in the past, I am posting my votes. Many voters keep theirs secret, but I am voting on behalf of the fans and I shouldn't be if I'm not willing to share. The Hawk logo should have a white flag in its talons pa·thet·ic /p????t?k/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciati[puh-thet-ik] adj. -- - Show I To read more or comment... Salvation lies within (the paint) Some video breakdown will be required to confirm this, but I think LeBron James scored three baskets out of deep post plays in the Cavs' win over the Nets tonight. That isn't many in the grand scheme, but it made such a major difference in the Cavs' offense in the second half. Not only did it make James unstoppable for a period there, it opened up the rest of the scheme. A case for Sasha Auburn Hills, Mich. -- A few weeks ago I was talking to an executive from an Eastern Conference team on the phone and he asked me: "Why does LeBron stand out on top of the the key and dribble so much? You know, that's exactly what we all want him to do." This, of course, is a subject that has been bandied about here and in many other forums over the last few years. But it is, after all, a simple question. Pardoned in D.C. Washington -- After getting on Mike Brown for some issues Thursday night, I felt it was important to give him credit last night in the win over the Wizards. Surely it should've been an easier win than it was, but right now the sickly Cavs need anything they can get. Like sands through the hourglass, these are the Cavs' bad losses in '07 A Cavs-Heat playoff series would surely pack an awful lot of drama (sounds like a TNT plug, I know). Too bad for the Cavs they: 1. Can't seem to beat the Heat in dramatic games. 2. Can't seem to beat the Heat in Miami. 3. Can't seem to avoid facing them in the first round. LeBron's got Jay-Z, I've got JZ For the last few weeks or so I've got my own private intern covering the Cavs. His name is Jordan Zirm and he's a senior at Cleveland Heights High School. I've known him for about two years and, for some odd reason I can't explain, he actually wants to be a sportswriter. So for his senior project, he's been doing some of my dirty work, er, learning the trade. As Minnesota's own Prince once sang: "Sometimes it snows in April" Minneapolis -- The weather is terrible here in Minnie, but because the city planners have connected the entire downtown with skywalks, I haven't been outside in two days. After what only can be described as a disappointing loss in Boston, the Cavs beat up the Timberwolves 101-88 tonight. I guess LeBron James makes a difference after all.

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Casey Kelly Shut Down For Rest Of Season By Randy Booth @rcbooth Red Sox uber prospect Casey Kelly is going to be shut down for the rest of the Double-A season because of a lat strain -- but don't fret, because the kid's going to be all right: "It's nothing overly-serious," said Mike Hazen, Red Sox Director of Player Development. "The challenge with it is the time of the year. Had it been a different time of the year, we would have moved this on a little quicker. "We're not going to rush him back to get one more start in Portland. "We'll try to focus now on the instructional league the and fall league to build up the last 20-plus, 30 innings we were hoping to get out of him." Kelly finished the season with a 3-5 record and a 5.31 ERA. He is expected to pitch in the Arizona Fall League or a winter league. Kelly didn't have the greatest of seasons, but his stock shouldn't drop at all after this year. He's still young -- 20 -- and this was his first season as a pitcher full time. He's only going to get better, so don't let that ERA fool you. He struck out 7.7 batters per nine innings, so it wasn't all bad for the youngster.

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Leaf of the Day Leaf of the Day: Punch Imlach By 1967ers @1967ers The last team Maple Leafs team to win the Stanley Cup was led by a taskmaster coach that was well known for his defensive focus. Sound familiar? Share with Maple Leafs friends 3 We had to do a proper Leaf of the Day eventually. Trivia returns tomorrow. If you paid an absurd amount of attention to the old Leaf of the Day series and knew your cards far, far better than any human being should, you'd probably have noticed that there was one set that never saw the light of day. I have no idea how many years ago it was that I decided to sit on the 1966-67 set until the next Leaf playoff game, but I know I expected to start these long before now. There's no telling how many I will get through, but let's hope for a good long run. I really wonder how the Leafs of 1966-67 would have looked to modern eyes and particularly to modern stats. They were reputed to be an excellent defense-first squad, but then again, Randy Carlyle is reputed to be a defense-first coach and I'm not exactly sold on that. Punch, though, had some pretty serious D to work with and that probably helped. The 1966-67 Leaf season followed the basic pattern that so many Leaf seasons seem to do. They were sailing along through Christmas and into the middle of January when all of a sudden the wheels just fell off. On Saturday, January 14, they dumped Detroit 5-2, then over the next four weeks they didn't record a single point. That took ten straight losses. Punch wound up in the hospital with stress and King Clancy found himself behind the bench. King turned out to be a breath of fresh air and the Leafs rescued their season with an 8-0-2 run. Punch then came back and they played win-two, lose-two for the balance of the schedule. It was enough for a third-place finish and a first-round meeting with Chicago, who finished first - 19 points ahead. I find it a bit hard to get a read on Punch Imlach as a coach. By the late 1960s, for sure, he was a polarizing figure within the room if not necessarily outside of it. The room had its loyalists, guys like Bower and Horton who'd thrived under Punch, as well as his detractors, which included pretty much all of the young players and particularly Frank Mahovlich, the brilliant winger that Punch seemed determined to ride into the ground. Even vets like Allan Stanley seemed to have had their fill, playing despite him rather than for him. Punch was a hard taskmaster and a preacher of defensive hockey and he'd really rip you if you didn't do as he asked (see Pappin, Jim). For years, this worked and the Leafs were the dominant team of the early 1960s. (Even Mahovlich said he liked playing under Punch the first few years.) By the later 1960s, it was getting stale. Was this inevitable? Even Pat Burns, cut at least superficially from the same cloth, was talking to the wall by year five and had to move on. Punch was in year nine in 1966-67. Being the GM and thus having the power of life and death probably helped, but he clashed with a number of his younger, more offensively-oriented players and many found themselves out of the organization within short order. (I won't get into Punch's return in the late 1970s as today is meant to be a happy occasion.) Punch came to the Leafs out of senior hockey in June, 1958. He and King Clancy were named assistant GMs (though they were assistants to nobody - the team that lacked an actual GM). The two of them reported to the "Group of Seven," a board that took over the day-to-day operation of the team as Hap Day left and Conn Smythe took on a reduced role. By November, 1958, Punch was given the full title. He quickly disposed of head coach Billy Reay and installed himself behind the bench. Punch would show himself to be an excellent team-builder, mixing solid vets like Bert Olmstead and Allan Stanley into a very young squad, and squeaked the Leafs into the 1959 playoffs where they surprised the Bruins before losing to the Habs in the Final. He would guide the Leafs through their last great run - four Cups in a six-year span, before falling victim to a disastrous 1969 playoff series against Boston (interesting that his reign basically started and ended with Boston). He had been trying to work in a series of kids into the blue line and the team was in no shape to match an ascendant Bruins squad with Bobby Orr in full flight. I question whether it's truly fair to say that he couldn't handle the transition to the modern player (this was one of the criticisms leveled at him in hindsight). He had a ton of kids in Buffalo and worked well with them. Then again, he left Buffalo with a team in revolt, so perhaps there's something to it. I think that in the end he was simply one in a long line of somewhat caustic coaches who can match wits in a game and motivate players, but whose shtick gets old after a time and particularly when times are tough. In 1966-67, he was about as firmly-entrenched as an executive can possibly be. There would be fractures this season, but everyone would survive intact. His 1966-67 card is the last on which he'd appear (there would be no more coach cards until 1974-75). Interesting that the first thing Topps says about him is that he's a disciplinarian and how well it worked. As we see, he had one more win left in him, but the cracks were starting to show.... Also - the cap on his head (instead of the traditional fedora) is the cap from the AAA Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club, which was about to head into its last season in 1967 (and, of course, is the team after whom the hockey Leafs are named). johnny bower tim horton king clancy 1966-67 leafs

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» Events Coverage » OTAs / Mini-Camps » Articles » Barber: "I Am Excited About The Guys We Brought In Here" April 4, 2012 @ 1:45 pm Current rating: 5.00 Stars/3 Votes Barber: "I Am Excited About The Guys We Brought In Here" Written by EricHorchy Barber will return for his 16th season EricHorchy Beat Writer Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber took to the podium Wednesday afternoon and fielded questions about his return for a 16th season and the team's new direction. Tell us once and for all about that process of deciding [to come back] and what sealed it for you?"It was very similar to last year to be honest with you. It took a little bit longer obviously because we were establishing a coaching staff and whatnot. But I talked to Mark [Dominik] a month and a half ago or so and we agreed to get together. I got together with him and Greg, or Coach Schiano I should say, and we had a pretty honest and frank conversation about me. They didn’t intimate to me that they didn’t want me to keep playing. They left it on me to make a decision and when I was gone on vacation I made a decision. It’s that simple."Was it a factor at all that they were active in free agency and picked up some important pieces?"No, that really didn’t have much to do with me, although I am excited about the guys we brought in here. This is a young football team and it showed its youth last year, probably not in a great way. Getting guys like Carl Nicks and Eric Wright and Vincent Jackson, who I didn’t know was that big, that’s huge for this program. I’m excited to be a part of it, of course, but as far as me making my decision, it was on me feeling like I could still play and them thinking I could still play and that they wanted me. I got that feeling, so here I am."Do you see your role changing at all? Is there any chance? Has there been a discussion about that?"There could be. We talked about that. That was part of the discussions. I'm not sure what that will be. It’s like I’ve been speaking Ilocano for 15 years and now I’ve got to learn Tagalog. None of y’all know what that is either, [they’re] Filipino t doing similar things, but I don’t know where I fit in yet." Going back to last year, how difficult was it? How were you feeling at the end of the year? Were you kind of leaning one way or the other?"I don’t know if I was leaning one way or the other, but I definitely didn’t feel good about it. Even though my personal year wasn’t as disastrous as it felt like because we lost so many games, I didn’t feel great about it. But it’s the good thing about this game. In the NFL you start over every April. You start working toward a championship. When I felt like that this team was going to make a push and try to win, that helped me make my decision to come back."I know it’s very early, but when you talk about your role, do you feel like there’s an opportunity for you to still be in a very similar role?"Yeah, but that will play itself out. I’m no stranger to competition at my position. I'm not scared of that. They’ve been trying to replace me since ’98. I welcome that. At the very least that makes me better. At the very worst, the guy that’s better than me is going to get everything that I’ve got and hopefully he comes out better. But that all is what it is. I don’t make those decisions. I had a coach in college, Rick Lance, who used to say, ‘The position doesn’t belong to you. You’re going to have to win this next year as well.’ That’s the way I’ve always approached my job, so we’ll see."What’s your impression of Coach Schiano and this new staff?"They have a very direct purpose. The ship’s a little bit tighter than it was last year, but that’s a good thing. We need direction. We’ve got a bunch of young men that need guidance and he’s giving it to them. He was very direct about it and I think that’s the way it should be. I like the approach and I think it will work well for us."Schiano’s a former DB’s coach, could you tell that from early discussions?"Yeah, I could tell that. We’ve had some pretty direct conversations about defensive backs and defensive schemes and whatever else. But he’s a football coach. When I look at him all I see is football and I like that about him. He’s honest about what he knows and what he doesn’t know. He’s quick to give his experience but also he’s asked me about mine and what advice I can give him just from being here for so long. I look forward to working with him."You talked about learning a different language. You played a very similar style defense for your entire career. How dramatic of a change is it for you personally given your history?The change isn’t that dramatic. Obviously the scheme that Monte [Kiffin] ran for all those years and the scheme that Raheem [Morris] ended up running the past couple of years, I’ve been in that since the get-go. In the year that Jim Bates came in here and ran his system, we ended up falling back on the old scheme that we had. This is the first year since I’ve been here where everybody’s new. I’m getting to know these guys and this system like it was my first year in the NFL. I like the challenge, I’ll accept that challenge and I think everybody in our room accepts that challenge. We had a pretty lively meeting today just talking about one simple defense and that’s good. You learn that way. Hopefully by camp in another couple week and by mini-camp and OTA’s we’ll have this down and we’ll just get ready to play football.After all you’ve accomplished at your position, would you change a little bit if they even suggested moving to safety on occasion?"I did that a couple years ago, but I’m too small to small to play safety. I’m tiny, after the workout out here I'm like 180 pounds. So I’ll fit in where I fit in. They know that I'm here to help this team win no matter what role that’s in."What’s your opinion, in general, on the Wonderlic Test and how you did on yours?"I have no idea [how I did on mine]. You guys can look it up. I don’t think it’s a factor. They put you in a stressful situation and have you answer a certain number of questions. Really, guessing doesn’t hurt you. It is what it is. But if it factored into the Bucs drafting me, I have no idea. I don’t remember what I scored, but I don’t think it really translates into football IQ and how you are as a player. I wouldn’t pay that much attention to it."What Josh Freeman faced last year was tough with the deficits he had to play against and he didn’t get a lot of help from other guys rising to the occasion, so what do you think he’s gained from going through that? Do you think he’ll be a better play because of that?"He will be. I imagine he will be. It hurts to fail. It hurts to not be your best even though you try as hard as you can to be exactly that. So I think he takes that and learns from it, obviously. We didn’t do a lot of things right last year on either side of the ball. At times Josh, you know, he wanted to be the guy and that’s not always the way it works. But he’ll learn from it. There’s always a positive in there somewhere. He’ll look at this film from last year and see how he can get better and evaluate himself off what we’re doing this year and I’ll imagine he’ll be the Josh Freeman we all want him to be."Eric Wright mentioned that he really hoped that you would come back and also learn from you. Have you met him?"Yeah, I’ve met him. He’s a great guy and he’ll help us. There’s no doubt about it. You don’t get very many opportunities to pick up guys like him, especially after the year he had last year. We’ll welcome this. You can never have too many good ones at our position. The way this league works, we’ll end up with six or seven DB’s on the grass at times. It’s nothing but positive for us that we get guys like that."From a DB’s perspective, what’s it like having a Vincent Jackson and how do you prepare for a team differently when they have somebody like that?"Again, I didn’t know he was that big. I knew he was big, but I didn’t know he was that big. I’ve never played against him. But he gives us some serious credibility at the position. Not that Mike [Williams] and Regis [Arrelious Benn] didn’t do that last year, but they’re both young players. This guy’s proven. There’s a certain fear factor when you play guys like Vincent Jackson. It’s the same as when we played guys like Randy Moss back in the day, or Steve Smith, or T.O. when he was still playing, or Megatron [Calvin Johnson] now, of course you can’t go without mentioning him. You know that you’ve got to prepare for them and you know one way or another they’re going to find a way to him the ball and at some point you’re going to have to adjust to deal with him, and we have that. That’s awesome for Josh. I know he’s excited about it, hopefully the community is excited about having a guy of that caliber in this building, and I expect huge things."He makes it easier for everybody else, right?"You would think so, but we’ll see."You have some perspective in that you’ve seen how quickly things can change in this league, for the better and for the worst. Does that kind of give you some hope that you’re never that far away?"I look at the Giants’ last two Super Bowls. Those guys almost played their way out of it. They lost six or seven games in a row and you only need an opportunity to get there. If you make the playoffs you can make a run. We saw a young Green Bay do it two years ago and there’s no reason you can’t. It’s the one true thing that I appreciate about this game. Even through change – and we’ve had a bunch of change here – if we can get 53 guys eventually to have a singularity of purpose, be able to stay focused on that job, there’s no saying it can’t be us. That’s another reason why I’m playing. I think it can be us. I hope that everybody in the building thinks it can be us, too."Do you sense excitement in the community at all?"I haven’t been out in the community that much. I don’t know. But people are excited about our signings, for sure. I know once everybody gets to know Coach Schiano they’ll be excited about his direction, too. This is a different direction for this franchise, even more so than any of them since I’ve been here. Sometimes change is good."What are your feelings about Bill Sheridan and Butch Davis?"Bill’s great. I’ve spent a lot of time with him. He called me right after I signed welcoming me in. Butch, you don’t see him much. He sits in the back of the room and doesn’t say anything. But the staff is good. Spending time with Ron [Cooper] and his assistant Jeff [Hafley] in the DB room, they’ve already got a feel for the guys and that’s what it takes. They’re teachers and they’ve got to teach us something new. But it’s got to be a good working environment and right now it seems that way. I’m excited about it, I'm looking forward to it."What are your feelings about the Saints and the bounties?"You hate that that comes out. Obviously there’s no place for it in the game, but I'm shocked that it came out. There’s too much going on in this game for that to be part of it. It’s unfortunate. The penalty is excessive, but I think our commissioner is trying to make a point and we all know how he makes his points. So, it is what it is." Last modified on Wednesday, 04 April 2012 15:06 ARTICLE RATING 1 Latest from Eric Horchy Inability To Finish Keeping Bucs Winless Bucs Come Close, But Can't Prevail: Most Impressive And Disappointing vs. Atlanta Schiano: "We've Got to Get Better, Faster" Schiano and LeGrand: A Bond That Can't Be Broken Lewis, Gaitor Getting Chance To Prove Worth « Pewter Report Radio Is On Today From 5:30-7:00 p.m. On 1010 AM 2012 Preseason Schedule Announced » arealbucsfan Ronde's gonna play safety It's so nice that Ronde is being given the opportunity to wind down his career on his own terms. Given the possibility that we draft Morris Claiborne, have Eric Wright and possibly Aqib Talib, I suspect Ronde will do what he does best, play the slot. Buc on the Move Class act. Buc-Up "I got together with him and Greg, or Coach Schiano I should say"......You can definately tell that the players won't be calling their head coach by his first name like they did with Raheem. Being addressed by Coach Schiano commands more respect, something the last staff severely lacked!

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Home > Westwood reminded of where career started, with parents at the golf course Westwood reminded of where career started, with parents at the golf course Title / Slug: Lee Westwood reminded of where career started, with parents at the golf course Getty Images Lee Westwood is making his first 2013 PGA Tour start this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after having relocated his family to Florida. Doug Ferguson Associated Press PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Lee Westwood still doesn't know why his father took him to the golf course. He played just about every other sport in England when he was 12, such as football, cricket and rugby. He used to go fishing with his father, but the fish weren't biting, mainly because Westwood kept throwing stones into the water. So off they went to a golf course called Kilton Forest, neither of them having ever so much as swung a club. Westwood was hooked. ''I turned pro at 19 and came on tour, and he was still a 12 handicap, so I can't understand the reasons for that,'' Westwood said. ''He went to every lesson that I've had, drove me there and sat there and listened to it. I just got a bit better than him. Must be down to talent or something like that. I must have my mom's talent for golf.'' Westwood was particularly sharp with his dry humor Wednesday at Pebble Beach, where it's easy to be in a good mood when the landscape is colored with a blue sky, green grass, white surf and a blazing sun. He is making his first start on the PGA Tour, and this week is a reminder to the 39-year-old Westwood where his career all started. It was his mother, a podiatrist, who bought a set of golf clubs from a patient in case her son wanted something to do while on holiday from school. It was his father, a math teacher, who had the idea of going to the golf course for the first time. Nearly 30 years later, Westwood has put together quite the career. He reached No. 1 in the world, ending the five-year reign of Tiger Woods in October 2010. He has won the Order of Merit twice on the European Tour. He has played on eight Ryder Cup teams. Perhaps it's only fitting that Westwood goes back to his roots at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am by playing with his father. John Westwood told the British version of Golf World that they both shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 that first day at Kilton Forest. On the third day, Westwood chipped in for his first birdie, and then his father made a long putt on the same hole for his first birdie. Pebble Beach is known as the felicitous meeting of land and sea, and the tournament can be an important meeting of PGA Tour players and amateur partners who in most cases are far more successful -- CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, stars from other sports that include Wayne Gretzky, Matt Cain and Justin Verlander, actors Bill Murray and Andy Garcia, entertainers like Clay Walker and Kenny G. It requires patience to get through rounds that approach six hours, with two pros and two amateurs at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Who better to spend the time with than the man who got it all started? ''He's had a massive influence on me,'' Westwood said. ''He's the reason, really, I've got so good at the game. He and my mom invested a lot of time in me when I was growing up.'' Both are in California to rejoice over more than just golf. They celebrated their 43rd anniversary, and his mother, Trish, has a birthday next week. Pebble Beach is one of the few events on the PGA Tour where the tournament itself is bigger than any one player, though the field is ample. Phil Mickelson is the defending champion, and he is coming off a four-shot win last week in the Phoenix Open for his 41st career victory on the tour. Mickelson is a four-time winner at Pebble Beach, and another victory would tie the tournament record held by Mark O'Meara. Dustin Johnson is a two-time winner at Pebble, and it might have been three except for that untidy 82 he had in the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open. Johnson is playing this year with Gretzky, the hockey great whom he knows a little better from dating the Great One's daughter, Paulina. Still in the tournament is Vijay Singh, another former No. 1 and Pebble champion, drawing plenty of attention for the worst reason. Singh told Sports Illustrated he used deer-antler spray said to contain a substance that is on the banned list of the PGA Tour's anti-doping policy. Singh admitted to using it in a statement, and under the policy, an admission is equal to a failed drug test. Sanctions have not been announced. The tour has yet to comment, though PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is in town this week. Also playing is Retief Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open champion who thought his career might be over last year when he discovered he had a disk that disintegrated. Goosen had surgery to replace the disk, returned to golf in January and is feeling better than ever. Goosen is contemplating a full-time move to Florida, the path that Westwood already has taken. Westwood moved his family to Palm Beach County in December, in time for the kids to start school. He is a PGA Tour member again and believes less travel at his age will only help. If nothing else, he feels more prepared this year. For a golfer from Worksop, England, living in Florida isn't awful. ''I find it very relaxing, just the weather and getting up in the morning and not having to look out the window and just throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and go,'' Westwood said. ''It's almost too easy.'' But his U.S. schedule starts in a place where players warm up on the putting green with ski caps because of the February chill. That's OK, too. ''It's just a magical place to play golf,'' Westwood said. ''I've always said it's my favorite place. People always ask me where I would like to play my last round of golf. If it wasn't a golf course by a hospital, it would be Pebble Beach.'' Courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links [1] News att pebble beach national pro-am lee westwood Source URL: http://www.pga.com/news/pga-tour/lee-westwood-reminded-where-career-started-parents-golf-course Links:[1] http://www.pga.com/golf-courses/details/na/none/pebble-beach-golf-links

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Button baffled by lost paceSaturday 16-November-2013 20:05Jenson Button believes it was more than just the weather conditions that resulted in him losing pace in qualifying in Austin. The McLaren had looked solid earlier in the weekend, however, when it came down to it in qualifying he was sorely lacking. Having to deal with a blustery tail wind, Button struggled to get the most out of his McLaren. The Brit missed the cut in Q2 by just under two-tenths to finish P13. "I don't know what happened. I couldn't find the balance or the grip. The pace just wasn't there," he said. "That's tough, especially when we've looked pretty quick for most of the weekend. But I don't know where our pace has gone in qualifying - it's not the first time it's happened. "It wasn't necessarily the weather conditions - other drivers seemed to cope - although I guess it may have contributed. We'll investigate. "It was weird though - especially when you saw that Valtteri [Bottas] could go quickest in Q1 but his team-mate couldn't even get through to Q2." And Button's woes were compounded by his grid penalty for overtaking under red flags in Friday's first practice. The three-place drops means he will start Sunday's grand prix from 16th place on the grid. "My three-place grid penalty means I'll be starting 16th - that won''t be ideal, as it means I'll be starting not only from a long way back but also from the dirty side of the grid." Related LinksVettel Is Back On Pole In The US GPSaturday's Gallery From Austin

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Cespedes tops Harper to win Home Run Derby Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland Athletics at bat during the Home Run Derby at Citi Field. / Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports by Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Sportsby Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under NEW YORK �?? No matter how the 2013 All-Star Home Run Derby turned out, the night belonged to Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes. The Oakland Athletics outfielder set a torrid early pace, blasting 17 homers in the opening round, including several into the third deck in left field, on his way to defeating Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals 9-8 in the final. "I don't know if they can see this in Cuba, but the day before yesterday I spoke with my 4-year-old son who's in Cuba and he asked me to dedicate the home runs to him," Cespedes said in Spanish. "So I dedicate them to him and to the rest of my family.'' Cespedes needed only five outs to finish off Harper, with several of his gargantuan blasts hitting off press box windows, pickup truck windows and upper deck facades. The clincher was a 455-foot blast to dead center that the 27-year-old Cuban didn't even wait to see come down before celebrating. The second batter to take the field, Cespedes energized the Citi Field crowd with homers to left- and center field, the longest of which traveled 456 feet to dead center. "During the first round when I took my first five swings, I felt I was really in a rhythm and felt that I could put on a show like I did tonight," Cespedes said. "This stadium may be very difficult but it's not as difficult as Oakland and if I can do it in Oakland I thought, why couldn't I do it here?" Only two players in Home Run Derby history �?? Bobby Abreu with 24 in 2005 and Josh Hamilton with 28 in 2008 �?? have ever hit more homers in a single round. The final certainly wasn't lacking in buzz, from Cespedes' mammoth home runs to Harper's sparkling gold cleats and freshly gelled Mohawk. With his father Ron on the mound and his brother Bryan (a pitcher in the Nats' minor league system) sporting a Rollie Fingers-esque moustache in the stands, Harper hit eight home runs in each of the three rounds. Cespedes didn't even need his second round with Harper's total of 16 the second-highest over the two rounds. "He's a stud, an absolute stud," Ron Harper said of his son's opponent in the final. "He's got a great swing. I love his swing. He's great for the game." Harper didn't do too badly himself. He hit a 471-foot home run in the first round that was second only to Prince Fielder's 483-foot shot for the longest of the night. He was consistent throughout in the hot, humid conditions, hitting eight homers in each of his three trips to the plate. "During those last two rounds I was a little tired," Harper admitted. "But it was a lot of fun. I had a blast.'' Harper edged Colorado Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer by one and major league home run leader Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles by four to advance to the final. Four players were eliminated in the first round of the competition: Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez (six) and two-time champion Prince Fielder of the Detroit Tigers (5) as well as both team captains, David Wright of the New York Mets (5) and Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees (4). Despite his success in his first appearance in the Derby -- at the tender age of 20 -- Harper still wasn't satisfied. "I want to win," he said. "That's the reason you're out there. But I had a lot of fun.'' On a night in which Harper and Cespedes were the headliners, leave it to the elder Harper to put things in perspective. "This probably is the first time it really hit me. It's like, 'Wow, this is what it's all about.' It's really cool, the camaraderie with these guys, even though they're in different leagues, different teams, they're still rooting each other on no matter what.'' Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Cespedes tops Harper to win Home Run Derby Cespedes needed only five outs to take care of Harper in the final round. A link to this page will be included in your message.

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Kyle Lohse lands in Milwaukee with three-year deal Kyle Lohse went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA last season with the Cardinals. / Dilip Vishwanat, USA TODAY Sports by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sportsby Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Kyle Lohse, the last star remaining on the free-agent market, agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers that will make him the team's highest-paid pitcher, two officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports. The officials spoke on of condition of anonymity because Lohse still has to pass a physical. Lohse, 34, is coming off the greatest season of his career, dominating the National League Central for the second consecutive year. He went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA and had the Cardinals within one game of the World Series. He finished seventh in the National League Cy Young balloting. Yet, he found himself unemployed until reaching an agreement late Sunday night with the Brewers. He is scheduled to take a physical Monday morning. The Brewers were starting to panic over their starting pitching this spring with no one stepping up behind ace Yovani Gallardo. They have been particularly concerned about Mark Rogers, who has been struggling with his velocity and his command, yielding a 7.00 ERA. Wily Peralta has a 5.74 ERA and Michael Fiers is at 6.98. Agent Scott Boras told USA TODAY Sports last week that the new free-agent compensation system severely damaged Lohse's value. "The integrity of the game h as been compromised,'' said Boras, who had four or five teams tell him in November they could not bid on Lohse because of the new draft system. "I had four or five teams call me in November, and tell me they couldn't sign (Lohse) because they don't want to lose the draft dollars." Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Kyle Lohse lands in Milwaukee with three-year deal Lohse went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA last season with the Cardinals. A link to this page will be included in your message.

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Thousands spent in race for mayor Two vie for Place 1 on MCISD Board Progress Times invites community to mayoral, Palmview political forums Shary Road lanes closed at Expressway 83 Candidates agree Palmview needs to grow Sports Veterans Memorial hosts All-American Throwers’ Camp Veterans Memorial hosts All-American Throwers’ Camp Written by Luciano Guerra Friday, 14 June 2013 08:00 Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) was the place to be this week for aspiring and current shot-putters and discus throwers from across South Texas. The All-American Throwers’ Camp was held at the campus Monday through Thursday mornings. Founder and coordinator of this specialty sports camp, Larry Howell, has seen many of his former campers succeed at state, national and international levels. “We started the camp about 10 years ago,” explained Howell. “It is open to anyone in the Valley ages six to 18, and the object of the camp is to show these kids that they can compete with anybody in the State of Texas. Over the years we have had 10 or 11 state champions come out of our camps.” “At this last state meet the boy who won it from Palmview High School (Felipe Valencia) came from our camp and the boy who came in second, who is from the Dallas area, is from our camp also,” added Howell. “Then there’s Stephen Saenz, who was a national champion and made the Olympic team for Mexico, he’s from our camp as well.” After moving the camp from Edinburg to Mission this year, Howell expected to have a good number of Mission kids attend his camp. “We had 36 kids sign up for this camp,” said Howell. “We were hoping to have more young Mission kids here, with it being in their hometown and all, but not as many as we hoped showed up. We did have one boy from Laredo and four or five from San Antonio. Most are from the Valley, however, including some from Los Fresnos and Sharyland.” One of the instructors at this year’s All-American Throwers’ Camp is an All-American herself. Another instructor just graduated from Veterans Memorial High School. “Corina Cox from Los Fresnos is one of the top throwers in the nation this year,” said Howell. “She actually led the nation for a while at 169 – almost 170 feet – in the discus. She made All-American and now she is one of our instructors. Keilah Garcia, from Mission Veterans, threw 150 feet to put her among the top in the state in 4A is now one of our instructors also.” Cox, who will be attending Troy University in Alabama on a full scholarship in the fall, is a three -year state qualifier and is currently ranked third in the nation in the discus. “I got a lot better as the years went on,” explained Cox. “My freshman year I made it onto the varsity squad but I wasn’t ready for that level of competition. My sophomore year I made it to the state meet for the first time and I placed seventh. My junior year I made it to state again and I threw the discus 150 feet to place fourth. My senior year I broke the Valley record with a throw of 169 feet and I placed second at state.” Cox attributes much of her success to Howell and his All-American Throwers’ Camp which she first attended long before she even imagined the possibility of being named All-American. “Actually it was Coach Howell that got me started into this,” said Cox. “I was in sixth grade and we were doing summer track at Los Fresnos. I was throwing the shot put and he came up to me and told me that he had a camp that could help me get better. So I went to it and I’ve been going to it for the last six years.” “Coach Howell has helped me out a lot,” added Cox. “The main thing was that when I was 12 years old he came up to me, he shook my hand and said, ‘I only shake hands with state champs.’ That really got me believing that I could do anything I set my mind to.” < Prev

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Oh Scottie Did You Really Need to Buy a Jet? Thread: Oh Scottie Did You Really Need to Buy a Jet? Tue Jun 29th, 2010, 05:58 PM I think there should be a mandatory course for all NBA players to take on how to manage your millions without going broke. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...rn=nba,252310\ Scottie Pippen is a little less broke these days By Trey Kerby If you've read any of the numerous books about the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s then you know that Scottie Pippen is kind of funny about money. Raised in a poor household, Pippen jumped at the chance to sign a long-term contract prior to the 1991-92 season, choosing the security of a long deal over being paid what he was worth. Throughout his career, Pippen would endorse anything and everything, assuring that the money kept flowing in. Following the end of his playing career, Pippen was involved in a number of bad business deals that left him nearly broke. One of the notable money mistakes that Pippen made was the purchase of a $4 million Gulfstream jet in 2002. Due to a missed inspection, the jet's engine needed $1 million worth of repairs shortly after the purchase. Rather than paying that, the jet was grounded, making it the world's most expensive paper weight. Pippen sued his attorney for the missed inspection and Monday was awarded a settlement of $2 million. He was pretty happy about it. From the Chicago Sun-Times' Lisa Donovan: One-time Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen dissolved in tears Monday and gasped as a Cook County jury awarded him a $2 million verdict in a jet deal that went south. Pippen had sued two attorneys at the Chicago law firm Pedersen & Houpt for malpractice, alleging they failed to closely monitor his purchase of the jet, which was grounded only months after the 2002 purchase. [...] "I don't want to really say anything, I'm just exhausted and tired," a red-eyed but smiling Pippen said before leaving the courthouse with wife Larsa Pippen. You know how they say you can't have your multimillion dollar jet and eat it to? Well, tell them that they're wrong. And also that that is a weird saying. But really, this is good news. Yeah, it's kind of hard to feel bad for a guy filing lawsuits because he didn't get to use his super expensive airplane, but with all the 1990s basketball players that have been going broke these days, it's nice that something good actually happened for one of them. That being said, I think we've all learned a valuable lesson here. Whenever you spend $4 million on a jet, make sure it works first. Reply With Quote Tue Jun 29th, 2010, 09:29 PM I miss the days when NBA layers would stay in school long enough to get their degrees. You look back a decade or so and guys getting picked in the draft before their senior year was very rare. The NBA needs to find a way to go back to that so layers will start coming into the league with not only fundamentals, but an educations so that when their careers eventually end, they will have something to fall back on. Not that Pippen is a good example of this, but you made me think of it. Schools should teach all kids how to manage their money starting in grade school and on through college. These courses should be required. a $4 million jet? come on scottie there are two things you got to take into account before you acquiry a luxury such as that: 1) make sure by all accounts that the thing works and 2) HAVE THE DAMN MONEY TO PAY FOR IT! god i know that these guys didnt take any financial courses but seriously thats a major screw up The NBA does do that now but I don't think they had that implemented in Pippen's day (maybe when he retired). The salaries weren't nearly as exorbitant as they are now. I would say it's just common sense, but toss me in that lifestyle and who knows what would happen. I'd be up for trying though. The NBA does do that now but I don't think they had that implemented in Pippen's day (maybe when he retired). The salaries weren't nearly as exorbitant as they are now.. Even with the knowledge majority of NBA players are very immature and overspend more then they make. Its not just a thing of the past, there was an article on Eddy Curry not too long ago about having financial difficulties even though he is still making millions in the NBA. Reply With Quote Wed Jun 30th, 2010, 12:02 PM Idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Modert prepares for state race MT. VERNON — David Modert's start at the state final cross country race will be critical. Modert's starting position at Saturday's 2A boys competition is on the extreme left side of the lineup. Dozens and dozens of other runners will be strung out to his right. “The entire rest of the field will be coming in from my right, making a left turn,” Modert said. “I can't wait to make a move.” The start is important because the competitors run down a gradual hill before encountering a quick turn to the left. Modert said the start is important because he doesn't want to fall behind and get pinned around the tight turn. The severe change of direction causes such a backup that runners slow to a near walk around the corner, according to coach Clint Turner. “It's going to be a challenge for him just to keep an eye on what's going on to his right and being smart there,” Turner said. “If you get around that curve in good position I think it's going to be a good day.” If Modert falls behind at the turn the race isn't over, but Turner said he will have to try to race his way back into the lead pack. Modert is prepared for the challenge awaiting him

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Rochester Vs. Hamilton Preview By Steve Danylyshyn | 6/20/13 10:04 PM The Rochester Rattlers will travel to Boca Raton, Florida at 7:00 PM EST. on Saturday, June 22nd to take on the Hamilton Nationals in the two’s first meeting of the season. After dropping their season opener to Chesapeake 17-14 in St. Petersburg, Florida on April 27th and defeating the Boston Cannons 16-14 on June 7th, Saturday’s game will be Rochester’s third in the South this season. “Boca Raton is a great venue, and we’re hoping for a great atmosphere,” said head coach Tim Soudan. Rochester and Hamilton split last year, each winning once in their two meetings. In their first matchup of the year, Rochester was led by three points each from Ned Crotty and Steven Boyle, but suffered a 17-8 setback. In their second meeting, Rochester was victorious, winning 17-10 led by a five-goal output from midfielder Jordan MacIntosh. Rochester travels to Florida after falling 13-11 to the Ohio Machine on June 15th, and hopes to get back into the win column against the Nationals on Saturday. “We have to treat this game like a playoff game,” said Soudan. A win on Saturday will give Rochester their fourth on the season. Hamilton travels to Florida on a two game losing streak after falling to Ohio and New York in their past two games, but stand in second place in the league. “They’re very good offensively,” said Soudan. “It’s going to be a handful for our defense.” And it will be just that for the Rattlers defense, as Hamilton’s 32 points from offensive star Kevin Crowley leads the league. Rochester goalie John Galloway is coming off his best save performance of the season against Ohio last Saturday after recording 26 saves. “Having a good keeper and having guys that are confident in your keeper helps them play better defense,” said Soudan. Galloway hopes to add to his 92 save season total against the Nationals this weekend. Rookie midfielder John Ranagan has become a break out star for the Rattlers, and has recorded a hat trick in each of his past two games, giving him six goals on the season. Ranagan will try for his third straight hat trick against Hamilton. With a win, Rochester will improve to a record of 4-4. Make sure to tune in to YouTube on Saturday, where this game will be streamed live. 04/27

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1896

Heroes and Minor Villains By Greg Wissinger @gwiss My wife doesn't really understand why I obsess about basketball the way that I do. She supports me and she's never complained about it, but I know she doesn't understand it. In fairness to her, I find it difficult to explain. I've loved basketball since elementary school, when it was the game of choice in the playground. But something fun at recess doesn't usually carry over into adult life. After all, I don't blog about freeze tag. (Note to self: Start blogging about freeze tag.) I love basketball. I understand basketball. But most of all, basketball serves as a distraction. I've always been someone who worries about things. There are days when I make the mistake of reading the news, and I'm overcome with so much dread and worry that I can barely function. I worry about the state of our country, our economy, and the senseless tragedies that fill the 24 hour news cycle. It sickens me. I worry about the world I brought my son into. I'm afraid of the terrible things that happen and the terrible people who exist. It scares the hell out of me. I obsess about basketball because it provides an escape. Sometimes basketball crosses over into the real world. Sometimes we have to hear about alleged rapes and scandals about computer hacking, but these are rare. Our most common villains are players with bad attitudes who don't try as hard as we would like them to or who don't appreciate what they have. Our villains are greedy owners and players who are trying to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that serves their interests and might cause us to miss a few games of our favorite distraction. These are our villains, and that's OK because in the grand scheme of things they are minor villains. Beyond the minor villains, basketball gives us heroes. The joy I felt last season when Tyreke Evans hit a half-court buzzer-beater to beat the Grizzlies was an incredible high. It offered a distraction from anything that was wrong in the world. But there are heroes in other lights as well. In the midst of a lockout, with future paychecks uncertain, Ron Artest (once an on-court villain) announced he'd be giving half a million dollars to charity over the next two days. This wasn't in response to anything other than, perhaps, getting voted off of Dancing with the Stars. This is also the guy who just changed his name in an effort to promote World Peace. This morning I read a story by SLAM on Delonte West. He's been maligned, and painted as the villain in recent seasons. But then I read this part of the story: One of the smallest boys in the room raises his hand and, after being called on, shyly asks, "Do you know any other basketball players?" "I know too many basketball players," West says, walking toward the camper. "Do you play?" The boy, Andrew, nods meekly. "Well," West answers, "now I know one more." As the little man smiles and as the counselors clap and the campers cheer, West takes the boy’s hand in his and says, "See this hand here? This hand has shook with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett…and now it’s shaken yours, too." Andrew’s face couldn’t contain his pride at that moment. That gave me chills. CNN and Fox News and the rest of the 24 hour news channels don't have stories like that. Sure, they throw in their puff pieces, but they never explore subjects in-depth. They need to hurry up and get back to people yelling at one another. This isn't about political affiliations, I can't watch any of those channels. I'd rather read about Delonte West doing good things for kids and speaking out to raise awareness of bi-polar disorder. I'd rather read about good people. Perhaps I'm burying my head in the sand and ignoring the real world. Perhaps I should spend a little more time on current events and little less time on basketball. But I prefer my heroes and my minor villains.

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1897

Irish Sailor Charms Her Way To The Top Superb start for Annalise Murphy ©OnEdition Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain Ireland's Annalise Murphy (IRL) is the came out the traps fast in the Laser Radial at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition after she logged impressive double bullets. Murphy, who finished 25th in the 2012 Laser World Championships, saw off the challenge from the class favourites including Evi Van Acker (BEL) and Marit Bouwmeester (NED). She goes into day two with a three-point lead over the Belgian sailor in second. On her day the Irish girl said, "I am delighted with today. But it is only the first day. There is a lot of racing ahead. In the first race I had a good start and tacked across the beat and pulled away. It was great. I couldn't do much wrong today. I have got brilliant upwind speed. It's all coming together." Despite finishing sixth in the opening race by Bouwmeester's standards she was less than impressed, "I was disappointed finishing sixth. I had to do a 720 downwind." But the Dutch sailor and World #1 Radial sailor bounced back, "The second race was a solid race, very happy with that." Beijing 2008 silver medallist Gintare Scheidt (LTU) finished race one in second place behind MURPHY but goes into day two in seventh after finishing outside the top 10 in race two. Paige Railey (USA) finished day one in fifth overall, trailing Murphy by 11 points. On the racing the American said, "I am just focusing on the here and now. It's one moment at a time. You can't control every situation. I didn't get frazzled or anything, but you really need to change your tactics depending on the conditions." The Radials resume racing tomorrow at 12:00 local time on the Nothe course. Follow all the action on the ISAF Olympic Live Blog which will bring competition updates and instant reactions to the action on the race course. Fans can check in and ask our media team questions to get the very latest information. The blog will start one hour before racing each and every day of the competition. ISAF Olympic Website ONS aw/ks/ac/gs

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1907

Japan Out To Break 20-Year Duck Written by: Robert Lemmer Japan have high hopes of finally banishing a 20-year World Cup win drought when they face Pacific islanders Tonga in a battle of the Pool A minnows on Wednesday. Opening defeats to France and New Zealand have left Japan's coach, legendary ex-All Black John Kirwan, undaunted as the Brave Blossoms seek to end a barren streak stretching back to 1991. Kirwan believes Asia's top-ranked side are capable of two wins at this World Cup with games to come against the beefy Tongans in Whangarei, followed by redoubtable Canada in Napier on October 1. Two wins - which would triple their all-time haul after 1991's 52-8 triumph against Zimbabwe - would make good on Kirwan's bid for Japan to be the "most improved" team as they look ahead to hosting the World Cup in 2019. "Just one will do. A one-point difference will do. This is not about how much we win by, tomorrow is about playing to our potential," Kirwan said on Tuesday. "If we do that it will be a game and a half, and it will come down to something little. We have to be ready for that." Kirwan, who is ambitiously targeting a top-eight ranking by 2015 and a place in the 2019 final, announced 10 changes for the game as he reverted largely to the team which battled bravely to a 47-21 loss to France in Japan's opening match. Try-scorer Hirotoki Onozawa is the only surviving back from Friday's rout, while the back row trio of captain Takashi Kikutani, Michael Leitch and Itaru Taniguchi are all retained along with second-rower Toshizumi Kitagawa. Tonga also look out of the running for the quarter-finals after last week's surprising defeat to Canada left them with just one bonus point from their opening two games. The 25-20 reverse disappointed thousands of Tongan fans in Whangarei, and newly appointed captain Aleki Lutui said the team owed their supporters to make amends against Japan. "There is a lot of people to play for, not just us, but our supporters. We have to do something for them," Lutui said. Tonga coach Isitolo Maka made eight changes from the Canada game as he returned to the core line-up which denied the All Blacks possession for long periods of the World Cup's opening game on September 9. Maka's brother Finau, the usual captain, was ruled out with a rib injury while Taniela Moa was named at scrumhalf with Kurt Morath at flyhalf. The two teams have never met in the World Cup but Japan holds the edge 7-5 in their other encounters and narrowly won 28-27 when they played at the Pacific Nations Cup in July. Both sides have a distinguished record in qualifying for the World Cup but Tonga have never reached the quarter-finals in five attempts and ever-present Japan have just one win in 22 games, alongside 2007's 12-12 draw with Canada. "Tomorrow's going to be a battle, physicality. It's going to be scrum, it's going to be ruck, it's going to be defence," Kirwan said. "If we think too far ahead, we will get beaten. Tomorrow is our last game, and that's how we need to approach it. The next day, we'll get up and go again." SAPA Tags: International | Japan | From The Sideline

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1929

SCV Prep Sports Centurions face Vikings in battle of league unbeatens q:Does insurance or Medicare cover the cost to live in assisted living? a:What a great question. Assisted living communites are non-medical entities, therefore they are no... Saugus and Valencia look for rare Foothill championship on Friday November 6, 2008 10:27 p.m. November 7, 2008 4:55 a.m. Led by quarterback Desi Rodriguez, left, and running back Ryan Zirbel, the Saugus Centurions are this close to a Foothill League championship. Signal Staff ReportAs much as the media may bring up the past, Valencia and Saugus football are two programs that are trying to stay in the present.Not surprising considering the strength of both Foothill League teams this year.But the past tells us a lot about tonight's matchup between Saugus and Valencia at Dr. Paul A. Priesz Stadium - most notably each team's past.Saugus was three points away last season from clinching its first ever Foothill League title.A 24-21 loss to a then undefeated Hart team spoiled the Centurions chances of taking the top spot."That's one of things we do a good job of, respecting those that have come before us," said Saugus head coach Jason Bornn. "We don't dwell. It's a different dynamic and different group of kids."Valencia (7-1, 3-0) wore the crown for the only time in school history in 2004 and hasn't been near its current position since 2005 when it challenged eventual champion Canyon late in the season."We're here and now," said Valencia head coach Larry Muir.Simple words, but the fact is this could be the game that determines the eventual league champion with both teams 3-0.Both Saugus (5-3, 3-0) and Valencia will be favorites next week against their respective opponents."There's a lot on the line," Muir said. "League standings, playoff seedings. But (Saugus) has also had our number the last couple of years."Saugus has won the last two contests, including last season's 34-19 victory.The Centurions sacked then Vikings quarterback Graham Wilbert an astounding 11 times. That's why Muir said this game will be decided in the trenches. Overall defensively, Muir said Saugus plays fast and will fill up the box to add pressure.The questions about the Centurions coming into the season, though, lied within their defense because of a lack of experience.It was Saugus' formidable defense last year that helped catapult the Centurions to arguably their best season ever.Despite some early struggles, the Centurions have made significant strides on the defensive side of the ball."The defense has started to understand what they need to do on game night," Bornn said.But it's no secret what has made Saugus so dominant this season - the one-two punch of quarterback Desi Rodriguez and running back Ryan Zirbel. Bornn, though, credits Zirbel and Rodriguez's success to the offensive line.Hart vs. West RanchAs the season comes to a close and every game brings do-or-die playoff implications, few might have predicted that when Hart and West Ranch faced off at College of the Canyons, the Indians' season would hang in the balance.After a tumultuous start to the season, the Indians rebounded two weeks ago with a critical win over long-time rival, Canyon, but there is still work to do.With the third place and a trip to the postseason still up for grabs, Hart and West Ranch are two of the teams with their sights set."They run the ball well and throw the ball well with their big quarterback," said Hart head coach Mike Herrington. "We need to play solid defense and tackle. We've had trouble with that this year so we need to execute."Behind quarterback Jake Bernards, running back Trent Yokofich and wide receiver Frankie Madero, the Wildcats have the offensive weapons to compete with the Indians, whose defense has given up just over 31 points per game.If Hart loses this game it would be the first time the team finished .500 or worse since 1980. Should the Indians fail to make the playoffs, it would be the only such time during Herrington's 20-year tenure.The team has gone through an evolution since the beginning of the season, particularly at the quarterback position. Much has been made about Spenser Souza's transition from wide receiver to signal caller. The impact of his success is evident. Not only do his statistics reflect his growing comfort behind center, but his poise in the pocket and ability to lead his team on game-changing drives were on display in the win over the Cowboys.Throwing for 205 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another, the senior quarterback carried his team offensively.Souza is not without his playmakers.Junior running back Jake Stephens burst onto the scene when senior Demitri Diamond went down with injury. Now healthy, the one-two punch of Diamond and Stephens will try to wear down the Wildcats defense.Canyon vs. Golden ValleyIt was around this time last year that Canyon's hopes of making it to the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division playoffs had diminished.The team lost its third game in the Foothill League to Valencia on Nov. 9 ending its season just shy of a final playoff berth.Ironically, the Cowboys find themselves in the same position this year.But this time, their hopes for a playoff spot are still alive.After losses to Saugus and Hart, Canyon finds itself in a must-win situation. One loss in the Foothill League can prove harmful, but two losses almost assures an early end to the season.There's no more room for error.The team will take on league winless Golden Valley tonight at Harry Welch Stadium.Although the Grizzlies have struggled mightily, head coach Chris Varner said at this point his team cannot afford to overlook anyone."Golden Valley is better than they have been in years past," Varner said. "The defense is solid and we have to take them seriously. But of course we have Saugus on our minds."Injuries to key players have been the downfall to the Cowboys all season. Canyon's defense, especially, has taken the most hits.Fullback/defensive tackle Chris Reed, a Crespi transfer, is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.Defensive end Donovan Brownlee went down with a broken leg in an early season matchup against Granada Hills. Dylan Kawaa and Lash LaRue have nagging shoulder injuries.Wide receiver Charlie Cusumano's status is day-to-day after suffering an ankle injury in the matchup against Valencia.But Varner said he can't blame the team's shortcomings on injuries. The work has to get done regardless of the circumstances."All we can control is how we play the next few games," he said. "We have to rebound and not let the losses dictate the rest of our play."As far as his outlook for the rest of the season, Varner is optimistic."Every Foothill League game is a playoff game," he said. "We have to go and have some fun and do what we have to do."

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Dragons end fly-half hunt 7:00am Tuesday 22nd May 2012 By Chris Kirwan NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have called off their search for an experienced fly-half. The Dragons had considered bringing in a new number 10 from outside of Wales to counter the departures of Jason Tovey and Matthew Jones. But given that they are working with a tight budget, the region have decided that strengthening other departments of their squad is a more of a priority. They had a close look at 23-year-old Francois Brummer, a former South Africa Under-20s fly-half who used to be back-up to Morne Steyn at the Bulls in the Super 15. He is now playing for Griquas in

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1958

Special Olympics Strengthens Ties at IOC and FIFA Special Olympics Chairman and CEO, Dr. Timothy P. Shriver, and Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)For Immediate ReleaseSpecial Olympics Strengthens Ties at IOC and FIFASpecial Olympics CEO, Tim Shriver, Holds Series of Meetings With Global Sports Leaders; Discussions Center on Improving the World Through SportWashington, D.C. – 18 November 2011 – Earlier this week Special Olympics Chairman and CEO, Dr. Timothy P. Shriver, traveled to Switzerland and met with the Presidents of two of the leading sports organizations in the world: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international governing body for the sport of football, to discuss how on-going collaboration can help improve the world through the power of sport. “It was inspiring to be able to meet with both President Rogge and President Blatter in the same day, two global sports leaders,” said Shriver. “As the Special Olympics movement is growing worldwide - 71% of our more than 3.7 million athletes are in the developing world - we look forward to working with leading organizations like FIFA and the IOC to continue to build our organization worldwide for the largest disability population on earth, people with intellectual disabilities.”Shriver traveled to FIFA’s offices in Zurich on 15 November to meet with FIFA President Mr. Joseph S. Blatter. FIFA has been a long-standing supporter of Special Olympics. Blatter emphasized his support for Special Olympics and discussed with Shriver how they can use the sport of football as a tool for global development. Football is the world's biggest game and is the fastest growing sport in Special Olympics with more than 435,000 athletes globally. Special Olympics hopes to grow to have more than 1 million football athletes by 2015. Also on 15 November, Shriver, alongside colleagues Special Olympics’ International Board Member and Olympic Medalist Donna de Varona, as well as representative Kai Troll from Special Olympics Europe-Eurasia, travelled to Lausanne and were received by Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).The meeting between Special Olympics and the IOC fostered the relationship between the two organizations that has been on-going since the IOC first recognized Special Olympics with a Protocol of Agreement nearly 25 years ago during the 1988 Winter Olympics. Rogge congratulated Special Olympics on the successful completion of the recent Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011, and noted it as a world-class event in which all athletes were winners. Rogge also discussed the importance of how Special Olympics uses the spirit of ‘Olympism’ to promote using sport for a better world, from talking about how Special Olympics and the IOC can work together on issues such as health, education and social inclusion.Later in November, Shriver will travel to China to continue to build Special Olympics global footprint when he meets with leaders in the sports and entertainment world including former NBA player Yao Ming, television show host and philanthropist Yang Lan and others. They will join Shriver to help raise funds for the launch of Special Olympics’ youth-based initiative Project Unify in China as Special Olympics continues to grow in the East-Asia region. About Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics is an international organization that changes lives through the power of sport by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than 3.7 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programs. Special Olympics now takes place every day, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities all over the world, from community playgrounds and ball fields in every small neighborhood’s backyard to World Games. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.###CONTACT:Mandy MurphySpecial Olympics+1-202-824-0227mamurphy@speciaolympics.orgTwitter: @mandynmurphy

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1960

Routledge: Foster Deserves Recall Routledge: Foster deserves recall Last Updated: March 8 2013, 13:51 GMT Wayne Routledge believes Ben Foster more than deserves an England recall as Swansea prepare to face the Baggies at The Hawthorns. Ben Foster: Received Wayne Routledge's backing Foster recently ended his self-imposed international exile, two years after calling time on his England career, and is set to earn a place in Roy Hodgson's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and San Marino. Foster's recent performances for the Baggies have been excellent and he is even being tipped in some quarters to usurp Manchester City's Joe Hart as England's number one. Routledge knows just how big a barrier the former Manchester United and Birmingham man will be to Swansea's hopes of victory. He said: "He is a very good keeper, some of the saves he made against Chelsea the other day were just world class. "He is more than capable of performances like that and he is up there with the best, he is a top quality goalkeeper. "If he wants to go back to play for England he more than deserves a place in that squad. "We know it is going to be very tough this weekend. They have played some good football at home, we got a few early goals when we beat them here but this will be very different. "We are in a battle against each other in the league, so it would be nice to come away with something." Like Foster, Routledge has also enjoyed an excellent season, revelling in the freedom afforded him by Michael Laudrup. The former Tottenham and Newcastle man has proved particularly effective as part of a rotating trio, along with Nathan Dyer and Pablo Hernandez, behind Michu. And the 28-year-old admits he has found it easy to slot in alongside the pair. "We're all capable of nice neat touches, beating a player, finding the final pass and, this season, scoring goals," he said. "It's a hard role playing in the middle, but you can rotate and most of the time be fresh when you get the ball. "That works so well at the moment. I think we're all comfortable playing in whatever role the manager picks us in. "If you see it on the pitch, you'll see Nathan go out to the left, you'll see me go out to the right and Pablo in the middle. We literally rotate constantly." England number two Ray Lewington has kept an eye on Routledge's progress, but the winger remained coy when questioned on the possibility of his own international prospects. He said: "It's a nice boost, but my only priority is playing well for Swansea. That's all I'm concentrating on and anything else is an added bonus. "I know Ray from when I was younger at Crystal Palace and also from Fulham a little bit. He was always in charge of the reserves while I was with the youngsters." Routledge has had a nomadic career, playing for nine different clubs. But he now feels settled in Swansea, and recently agreed an extension to his contract. "It's the first time I think I've signed another contract at a club and it was obviously really nice to get offered it," he said. "I'm just looking forward to the future now and playing as much as I can. "Everyone wants to be settled and happy, but the reality is it's not as easy as that. This is the most settled I've been in my career apart from when I first started." Routledge is one of a number of players to have extended his contract at Swansea this season, and defender Angel Rangel has become the latest after agreeing a new three-year deal to take him through to 2016. The Spaniard said: "I am settled here, I am enjoying my football, I have married a Welsh girl and I'm building a house in Swansea - I feel like a Welshman now. "I am very happy on a personal and professional level."

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1973

ADVERTISEMENT Phil Mickelson said he will make "drastic changes" because of federal and California state tax increases. Denis Poroy, Associated Press file Mickelson plans 'drastic changes' over taxes Article by: JOHN NICHOLSON Associated Press LA QUINTA, Calif. - Phil Mickelson said he will make "drastic changes" because of federal and California state tax increases. "It's been an interesting offseason," Mickelson said Sunday after the final round of the Humana Challenge. "And I'm going to have to make some drastic changes. I'm not going to jump the gun and do it right away, but I will be making some drastic changes." The 42-year-old golfer said he would talk in more detail about his plans — possibly moving away from California or even retiring from golf — before his hometown Farmers Insurance Open, the San Diego-area event that starts Thursday at Torrey Pines. "I'm not sure what exactly, you know, I'm going to do yet," Mickelson said. "I'll probably talk about it more in depth next week. I'm not going to jump the gun, but there are going to be some. There are going to be some drastic changes for me because I happen to be in that zone that has been targeted both federally and by the state and, you know, it doesn't work for me right now. So I'm going to have to make some changes." In November, California voters approved Proposition 30, the first statewide tax increase since 2004. Mickelson lives in Rancho Santa Fe. "If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate's 62, 63 percent," Mickelson said. "So I've got to make some decisions on what I'm going to do." Last year, Mickelson flirted with becoming a part owner of the San Diego Padres, the baseball team that sold for $800 million in August. He was asked Sunday if there was a correlation between the tax increases and what happened to the Padres' deal. "Absolutely," Mickelson said. He later explained why he was waiting to provide more details. "I'll probably be in the media center and I'll probably be a little more open to it because San Diego is where a lot more things, it's where I live, it's where the Padre thing was a possibility, and it's where my family is," Mickelson said. "And it just seems like a better fit than right here off of 18 on Palm Springs." Mickelson closed with a 66 on Sunday to tie for 37th at 17 under in his season debut. "I was rusty starting the year," Mickelson said. "I had a great four days here where I can work on my game with perfect weather and wonderful golf courses, where I could build some momentum. Heading into San Diego, I feel a lot more confident." The tournament was his first since the HSBC Champions in early November in China. The Hall of Famer has 40 PGA Tour victories.

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1974

Connect with State of The U Miami Hurricanes Recruiting Update - 9 Days To Go! By Lt. Philip Nolan @JDotLeezy Golden is bringing a whole lot of new talent to Coral Gables.  With 9 days left until signing day, things on the recruiting front are crawling along while we all wait patiently for the over-the-top ESPN recruiting special. That doesn't mean that there isn't anything to report, of course. Miami is still generating quite a bit of recruiting news, which is always a good thing. Here's a quick rundown of the goings on from the past week or so. First off, we start with a couple of big name recruits that might very well fall Miami's way. The first is a familiar name in OL Avery Young. He recently took his OV to Coral Gables, and loved what he saw. He noted that while Miami was on the fringe of his choices coming into the visit, after he left they are definitely in the mix. In fact, he said that he will have a Canes hat on the table when he makes his decision, along with Florida, Georgia, and Auburn. One of the main things he liked about his visit? The fishing. He says that all he does is fish. Now, between his 4 choices, who do you think will be able to fix that need better? Hmmm? Next we get to 5 star CB prospect Tracy Howard. This one is going to be fun to watch, because its a battle between the "Big 3", UF, FSU, and the Canes. Howard is scheduled to take an official visit to campus the weekend before signing day. He says that he grew up a Miami fan, but he always felt that he wanted to leave town to go to college. He wanted to be able to take care of business for himself. However, his mom wants him to stay home and go to Miami, and that is starting to play in his mind a bit. He is also very good friends with Cane commit Deon Bush, and says that Deon drops hints here and there that he needs to come to Miami, but doesn't pressure him about it. Heres hoping that visit knocks it out of the park, and the Canes get their second 5 star kid out of Florida. Here's a story by SBNation's own Bud Elliot about Howard. He mentions that it would be a shock if he chose the Canes, and while this may have some truth to it, based on recent comments it seems it may not be too much of a shock after all. It's surprising that he is considering the Canes so late in the game, but with his friendship with Deon Bush, and the fact that he would basically be penciled in as a starter from day one, it makes pretty good sense that the Canes would be in the running. Current Cane soft commit and WR Malcolm Lewis says that he had a great time on his OVto Miami, but that he still plans on taking a visit to UCLA the weekend leading into signing day. He says that he is mostly taking the visit because he has never been on the west coast before, and he wants to see what its like. When asked about his level of commitment to the Canes, he said he's about 90%, but pretty close to 100%. We will still most likely have to wait until NSD to know whether or not the visit was enough to cement his choice in stone. Here's hoping, because we need all the help at WR we can get, and this kid is good. Previously unranked (now listed as a 3 star on Rivals) DT recruit Jacoby Briscoe has been getting quite a bit of attention since the Canes snatched him up a few weeks ago. He has been a solid commit all the way through, but now Tennessee is trying to force their way in. They will be visiting him this week, and he says he might set up a visit this coming weekend. While he says he doesn't see his choice of college changing, it is still a bit to worry about, especially since his good friend Davante Bourque is currently on their commitment list. Hopefully he chooses to not take the visit, but if he does, let's hope something crazy happens and he is able to go up to Knoxville and come back with Bourque. 4 star LB Reggie Northrup has been committed to the Canes for a long time, but now, that's getting more and more precarious. FSU has been working hard on the kid for the last week or so, and he reportedly had a great time on his recent OV to Tallahassee. He is scheduled to visit OSU next weekend, and then choose between Miami, FSU, tOSU, UNC, and Arky. There's not much to say on this one, because at this point it seems that the kid is just really undecided, and trying to narrow down what he wants. Let's hope that Golden and Co. dont let this kid slip through their fingers between now and February 1st. As of January 21st, 3 star Homestead WR Herb Waters was a soft commit to the Canes. Then, on the 22nd, an in-home visit by Golden, McDonald, and Barrow sealed his choice. He is now saying that he is definitely a Cane, and is done taking visits. He talked about how hard it was to call Illinois and Vandy to tell them that he wouldn't be visiting them anymore. He also talked about how excited he is to sign, and to be a Hurricane. He may take his OV to Miami next weekend, but at this point it would just be to get a preliminary look at the campus. He also said that he is working on Tracy Howard to become a Cane, since they are on the same track team. He said that in his opinion, Howard will end up a Cane because of the relationship he and Deon Bush have. Let's hope he's right! GO CANES! Pitching Sharp as Miami wins 13th in a row Path of the Storm: Unlimited Meals, Stressed Out No. 11 Baseball Welcomes FAU Wednesday | 6 P.M.

体育

2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1978

» Hall of Fame Roster - Class Of '08 Hall of Fame Roster - Class Of '08 Men Who Helped Grow A Sport To National Prominence Make Up The List Of 2008 National Dirt Late Model Hall Of Fame Inductees Stock Car Racing, September 01, 2008 This class features seven drivers, two car owners, and the Sportsman Award winner, sponsored by Stock Car Racing.Tony Hammett This class features seven drivers, two car owners, and the Sportsman Award winner, sponsor Dirt Late Models have continued to grow in popularity across the country and rate as the most numerous-and many think the most exciting-of all racing machines. The sport has matured with dozens of series, a cadre of skilled car and engine builders, purses that allow many drivers to make a living at it, and a handful of high-paying classic races like the Dream 100 and Dirt Track World Championship. But it didn't all magically happen. It evolved through the decades to reach this level. There have been a number of pioneers who set the course to get the sport where it is today. The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky, was established in 2001 to recognize those individuals. The 2008 class honors seven drivers, two car owners, and an annual winner of the Sportsman Award. The drivers are Danny Dean, Herman Goddard, Joe Kosiski, Chuck McWilliams, Gary Stuhler, Gary Webb, and Paul "Butterball" Wooldridge. The car owners are Morgan Chandler and Porter Lanigan, while the Sportsman Award recipient is Skip Arp.-Bill Holder Danny DeanOHIODanny Dean of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, may not have made a big splash on the national dirt racing scene, but his impressive list of regional wins in the Buckeye State certainly qualify him as one of the more successful racers in the mid-Ohio Valley. With more than 500 feature wins to his credit, Dean carved out a name for himself against the likes of Jim Dunn, Jim Gentry, Blaine Aber, and Charlie Swartz. Although not generally thought of as a travelling professional, Dean more than held his own when the recognized stars of the day came calling on his home turf. With wins in the 1980 Wayne County Speedway Invitational and the 1981 Great Lakes Classic in Fremont, Ohio, Dean quietly earned the reputation of a driver who could not only compete with higher profile interlopers but actually win against them. When he chose to stray from the friendly confines of his home state, Dean also tasted success with wins in the 1978 Mountain State Forest Festival at Elkins, West Virginia, and the 1980 Tri-City (Pennsylvania) Invitational. Danny Dean Dean is perhaps best known for his success at venerable Pennsboro Speedway in West Virginia. The now defunct Ritchie County Fairgrounds oval was known as treacherous and unyielding to many racers, but Dean took a liking to the century-plus old horse racing surface and earned arguably the two most impressive wins of his long career with victories in both the 1971 and the 1979 Hillbilly 100. And even in the waning stages of his career when he opted to run Open Wheel Modifieds rather than Late Models, Dean used his knowledge of and fondness for the cantankerous dry, slick surface to score an AMRA win in 2003. Dean also earned a reputation for helping aspiring young drivers. He played an instrumental role in teaching a young man from Frazeysburg, Ohio, how to set up and drive dirt cars and that young man has gone on to a phenomenal career. Now, Donnie Moran, one of the modern-day superstars of Dirt Late Model racing, will be joined in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame by his friend and mentor, Mr. Danny Dean.-Tony Hammett Goddard is the fifth Tennessee driver to reach the Hall.Tony Hammett Herman GoddardTennesseeApparently 50-plus years in racing are not quite enough for Herman Goddard of Knoxville, Tennessee. The eldest of three brothers involved in racing, the nearly 70-year-old driver is still making his presence felt on the clay ovals of eastern Tennessee. Having already secured a spot in the Tennessee Racing Hall of Fame, Goddard now becomes a member of the elite group comprising the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. To be able to amass over 500 feature wins competing against the likes of Tootle Estes, Bill Morton, fellow Hall of Famer H. E. Vineyard, Bill Corum, and a host of other legendary drivers, speaks volumes to Goddard's talent behind the wheel, but to still have the desire to strap himself into a 750hp Dirt Late Model after so many campaigns says much about the man's determination and genuine love for the sport. Herman Goddard Goddard earned much of his notoriety and success on the high banks of the now defunct Atomic Speedway near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, but there are no clay ovals in the state that have escaped his siege. At Atomic, Goddard earned marquee wins in the Memorial 100 and the J.T. Kerr Automotive 100, but earned arguably his biggest win at the 1/3-mile "bowl" in the 1984 Tennessee Dirt Track Championship. Today, Goddard turns the wheel primarily at Volunteer Speedway in Bull's Gap, which proudly claims to be the world's fastest dirt track. Spending one's Saturday nights wrestling a Dirt Late Model through 12-second laps on 34-degree banking is not exactly what most retirement age folks visualize doing, but Goddard would have it no other way as he still has the competitive fire. For his enviable record, longevity and untiring love and devotion of the sport, Herman Goddard becomes the fifth driver from the state of Tennessee to enter the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame and most deservedly so.-Tony Hammett Joe KosiskiNebraskaSpun from a family legacy of dirt stock car weekend warriors, Joe Kosiski is the first of his Omaha, Nebraska, race family to be inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. His father competed from 1952 through 1979, followed by younger brothers Steve and Ed. Joe began his days in the cockpit in 1975. Since then, he has garnered 400 feature wins in over 20 states with countless track and series titles to his credit. His name is inscribed in NASCAR weekly short track record books. He was the 1986 and 1992 Central Region Champ, the 1999 and 2000 Midwest Champ, the 2006 Division II Champ, and in 1986 was the Weekly National Champion. He was in the Top 10 of the NASCAR Weekly Series Divisional Standings from 1985 to 2002. He's also a five-time champion of the O'Reilly All-Star Series with 45 wins. Joe Kosiski Kosiski has 16 track championships with nine coming at his home track, Sunset Speedway in Nebraska. Big race wins have also come his way, including the Gold Cup Invitational and the Grand National races in Iowa, multiple Thunderbird Opens in Minnesota, the Colorado All-Star Invitational and the Winston 100 in Missouri. He's also run with a number of sanctioning bodies, including the World Dirt Racing League, the IMCA Deery Brothers, the MLRA, the NCRA, and many more. He also saw action with ARCA, running and finishing well in races at Atlanta and Talladega. Today, he continues his dirt magic in his famous No. 53.-Bob Markos Chuck McWilliamsKentuckyBack in the 1960s and '70s, the heart of the Dirt Late Model sport lay in the Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky area and Chuck McWilliams was one of the stars of the period. There were hundreds of career wins and numerous Top 3s, but he never kept count. McWilliams was around for an amazing 52 seasons from 1954 to 2005. He recalled his primitive beginnings in a '46 Plymouth Jalopy, as they called those cars at Queen City Speedway near Cincinnati. A truck driver by trade, the six-foot-three driver spent part of his career with the national traveling series of ARCA and USAC. "I ran with the ARCA group from 1970 through 1972," he recalls. "I ran at Daytona three times and had finishes of Third, Fifth, and Seventh." Chuck McWilliams With USAC, he had a great 1972 season and was named Rookie of the Year after winning two dirt races, including a win at his home track of Tri-County Speedway in Ohio. During his USAC/ARCA days, McWilliams was a Mopar man of the first order. "Those Hemi-powered cars were really something," he says. "I ran models like the Dodge Charger and the Plymouth Road Runner." Having done well with ARCA and USAC, McWilliams said he thought about trying NASCAR, but decided against it. "I was getting started on my salvage business," he recalls, "and to move south, it would have been very tough on the family. About 1975, though, I decided that I would finish my career running on the dirt on area dirt tracks." Two of his car owners were 2008 HOF Inductees Morgan Chandler and Porter Lanigan. "I still long to race," McWilliams says.-Bill Holder Gary StuhlerPennsylvaniaGreencastle, Pennsylvania's Gary Stuhler is currently competing in his 31st season at the wheel of a dirt racing machine. His driving prowess has landed him in the seat of several famous car owners, including Bobby Allen, Speedy Hayes, and Dale Beitler, and Stuhler is currently plying his trade for Nininger Racing. But the soft-spoken driver is the antithesis of his racing moniker, the "Beast of the East." The all-time winningest driver in the history of Hagerstown (Maryland) Speedway has tasted victory up and down the Eastern Seaboard and has also been called "Mr. Smooth" by many, paying homage to his willingness to save his equipment until the moment dictates that he push the envelope. With hundreds of victories and an utterly amazing record in the special events both at Hagerstown and Winchester (Virginia) speedways, Stuhler has earned the right to take his place in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Gary Stuhler To put into perspective the magnitude of his dominance in his region, many drivers have tried to win the Hub City 150 at Hagerstown and the Winchester 200 just down Interstate 81. Not only has Stuhler accomplished that feat, he has won the Hub City three times and has tasted victory in the Winchester 200 an astounding nine times. Couple that with six Stanley Schetrompf Memorial wins, six Johnny Roberts Memorial wins, eight Shorty Bowers/Bull Durham Memorial wins at Hagerstown, not to mention winning in every major sanctioning body in the history of the sport, and it is easy to see that Stuhler's credentials are impeccable. He has already tasted victory this season and shows no signs of letting up even in his third decade of racing. The quiet man who always seems to be there at the end will no doubt add to his impressive win total and possibly seek to earn his third Hagerstown track title while occasionally stepping out to do battle with the touring pros he has proven very capable of defeating in the past.-Tony Hammett Gary WebbIowaIowa, forever a hotbed for dirt stock car racing, has contributed yet another of its legendary racers to the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Gary Webb, from Bluegrass, Iowa, follows Hawkeye greats and past inductees Ed Sanger and Verlin Eaker during ceremonies for the upcoming 2008 Class. During his illustrious 36-year career, Webb's phenomenal resume lists 517 feature wins at an incredible 68 tracks in 20 different states. Through an enormous amount of hard work, dedication to the sport, and raw talent, Webb is easily classified as a master. Over the years, he has filled his trophy room with hardware from 27 track titles, including 17 at his home track of East Moline Speedway in Illinois. When the UMP organization was formed in 1984, Webb jumped aboard and became its first National Champion, a feat he duplicated in 1985. He was also the 1999 NASCAR Regional Weekly Champion. He did it again in 2000 with 16 wins out of 18 races. Gary Webb In addition, the Hawkeye veteran has registered three IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series Championships with 22 total wins, and won the All-Iowa Points Championship six times. He's won the Yankee Dirt Track Classic twice, has three IMCA Supernational wins, two Illinois State Dirt Championships, and many others. One of his most satisfying wins was on the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile-track. Webb has piloted cars from his own garage much of his career, but has also driven cars owned by others. He's still winning today in his No. 56 car.-Bob Markos Paul "Butterball" WooldridgeKentuckyWhen this legendary dirt racer is posthumously accepted into the 2008 Class of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, his recognition will be long overdue. Nicknamed "Butterball" for his large physical stature, Wooldridge was well recognized for his winning ways on dirt ovals from the 1950s till the 1980s. Woolridge after one of his many wins.Courtesy Photos Based out of Frankfort, Kentucky, he set countless track records, collected numerous track championships and had hundreds of feature wins. He competed weekly at Kentucky bullrings like Richmond Speedway, Franklin County, Clay City, and Taylor County, going against greats like Fats Coffey, Floyd Gilbert, Vern Lefever, Billy Teegarden, Pat Patrick, and David Speer. His most memorable campaign came during the 1971-'72 seasons piloting the famous "Duncan's Delight" Chevelle of R.L. Duncan and wrenched by Charles and Logan Grider. During those two seasons, the big man garnered a remarkable 85 wins. Major wins included the Kentucky Dirt Track Championship, the Richmond Open, the Franklin County 100, the Southeastern Winter Nationals, and many others. Paul"ButterBall"Woolridge He also finished Fourth in the first running of the World 100 at Eldora. There were many other big wins in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana during the 1970s. Aside from his deal with Duncan, Batterball saw action in competitive cars fielded by Hall of Famer Ray Callahan, Jack Wagoner, Bobby Dale, Vernon Hawley, and Dale Napper. He retired from racing in 1982 and passed away on Christmas Day in 1987.-Bob Markos Morgan ChandlerKentuckyMorgan Chandler's was a shining career that lasted through two decades (1965-1985) as a car owner and showed a total of 189 victories with an impressive collection of 20 talented drivers, half of them already in the Hall of Fame. This was not a full-time deal for Chandler, though, as he also had a regular job. "Didn't get much sleep during many of those years, sometimes getting home in time to go to work," he says. It was a time, says Chandler, when the driver was a lot more important than the car, quite different from today. "There is a lot more technology today, but there are still similarities," he says. "Heck, I used to have the left-front tire up just like today." Chandler laughs when he recalls that he once built a 539-cubic-inch engine derived from a 427 truck engine. "It made about 750 hp, something that small block engines can make today," he says. Through most of his career, he converted street cars to build his racecars. His built his first car from the ground up in 1978. A studebaker fielded by Chandler.Courtesy Photo Chandler says that he ran with NASCAR in 1968 at Clay City Speedway, Kentucky. It was a dirt track, of course, but he also competed on pavement, using his dirt cars rather than a purpose-built pavement car. "Won a big race on the paved Dayton (Ohio) Speedway," he recalls. His top driver was Floyd Gilbert, and they won 27 races in a row and 42 overall in 1972 and '73. And there was Ralph Latham, who was behind the wheel of a Chandler car for 25 wins in 1970.-Bill Holder Porter LaniganKentuckyIt began quite simply with a figure-eight car that won 18 of 21 races at nearby Northern Kentucky Speedway in 1964. The driver of that car incidentally was 2008 Hall of Fame inductee Chuck McWilliams. From that point a successful career took off for Porter Lanigan. Shortly thereafter, he was in Florida and really liked the pavement racing he saw. "I knew Ralph Latham and asked him if he would like to drive for me," Lanigan recalls. In 1967, Latham won the Daytona 250 in one of Porter's cars. That same year, Ramo Stott drove a Lanigan car to a Fourth Place finish in the Daytona 300, and then ran in the Daytona 500. Lanigan, right, with Ralp Latham. Courtesy Photo Later, there was success in USAC and ARCA races. But dirt was Lanigan's bag and Stott and Lanigan finished Second in the IMCA points in both 1967 and '68. But Lanigan says that Eldora was one of his favorite tracks. He recalls a big win at the track, with Bruce Gould taking a $1,000-to-win race. Lanigan was also very successful on nearby Tri-County Speedway. He noted that the now-closed track was better than the NASCAR and USAC tracks where he had raced his cars. But Lanigan is probably best recalled by younger fans from his sponsorship of his highly successful dirt car driving son, Darrell. An auto dealer by trade, Lanigan says that his racing has certainly helped his business through the years. "Since I've been in this game, I've met a lot of people and many of them know cars, and many of them showed up to do business with me."-Bill Holder Skip ArpTennesseeThe Sportsman Award, sponsored by Stock Car Racing, is annually awarded to an active driver who supports the sport by working with track owners, other drivers, and the fans. Skip Arp Skip Arp from Georgetown, Tennessee, is the 2008 winner of this award. Previous winners include Steve Francis, Bill Frye, Mike Balzano, Rick Eckert, Ray Cook, and Mike Jewell. Arp is known for his association with GRT Racecars, where he has been a technical consultant since 2002. Since 2005, he has had his own racecars and parts business. He has always had a great relationship with the fans and is also good with kids. During the days when he was on the road he had a popular Web site. If anybody is having car problems, Arp is the guy they seek out for help. He will provide any assistance possible.-Bill Holder « | Stock Car Legends of the Oval Track - Ray Fox Stock Car Legends of the Oval Track - David Pearson Stock Car Legends of the Oval Track - Rick Hendrick Stock Car Legends of the Oval Track - Smokey Yunick Home Project Cars RSS Licensing Features Racing Videos Site Map User Submitted Content Technical Articles This Month Contact Us Terms of Use How-To Tech Forums Privacy Policy Tips & Tricks Blogs Ad Choices © 2014 Stock Car Racing, Source Interlink Media All rights reserved.

体育

2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1980

Gene Dales Quotes "We feel like we have pretty high expectations coming into the season." Author: Dales Quotes "It's a great way to begin the year. As long as you can get out of the game healthy, you're in good shape for the rest of the season." "This is an opportunity we would want to take ... you just jump at something like this. This has served as great motivation. By the third week of November, we were 35 strong with juniors and sophomores in the weight room." "I felt we were the Oakland Raiders of high-school football." "He stands in that pocket and does a nice job. But we got after him up front." "We picked up a lot yards but had no points to show for it." "We'll get better and correct those mistakes. We're going to have to in the next couple of weeks because we're going to be challenged even more." Category: Mistakes Quotes Successories, the leaders of inspiration and motivation, has unlocked iQuote: The Inspirational Quote Database, a curated collection of the most inspirational quotes. Raise your iQ and become a Quoteologist today!

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/1989

Betting Rugby Championship Currie Cup Facebook Twitter RSS Contact Bookmark Super Rugby Tickets | SuperBru | Super Rugby Jerseys | Super Rugby video highlights | Super Rugby Match Previews | Find us on Google+ Rugby Championship : News | Fixtures | RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS: Argentina | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa | RSS Sharks want to make history in Super Rugby finalThe Sharks shut down Same Cane in an earlier match this year Article Published: Wednesday 1 August 2012 The Sharks say that they are being driven by the knowledge that they are on the edge of making history and could become just the second team to win a Super Rugby title away from home. Sharks back JP Pietersen says that he is adamant that they can overcome the severities of their recent travels and win the Super Rugby final. The Durban franchise have travelled to Australia and back and have returned again in the space of 14 days. They also went to Cape Town during that period - having had to play the Reds in a play-off game in Brisbane and then the Stormers a semi-final at Newlands. John Plumtree's men are currently in camp in Sydney and will travel to Hamilton in New Zealand on Thursday for the tournament decider against the Chiefs two days later. "What motivates us is the fact that we're in the final, and more so that none of us have ever won the trophy," winger Pietersen said. "That motivates everyone, players and coaching staff. We're all very excited for Saturday." The Crusaders are the only visiting team from a different country to win the final away from home, when they beat the Brumbies in Canberra in the 2000 spectacle. Pietersen, a key cog in Sharks team during recent weeks, admits it will be an arduous challenge, but is confident they can accomplish the near impossible, provided they make a fast start. "The Chiefs have been the best team in the competition this season. They showed that the whole tournament and we're in for a big game," he said. "We'll have to start well against them and will need to be at our best." The Springbok star was twice named man-of-the-match in the last three games, but admits it is all about the team. "I'm happy that my body is in great shape, for the first time in my career," he said. "I'm fully fit and feeling very strong and that brings confidence. "When you play well, your confidence rises and motivates you further, I'm just happy that I'm performing well for the team." Pietersen's success as well as that of several other Bok players, including the likes of Ryan Kankowski and Tendai Mtawarira, has coincided with their dramatic turn of fortunes this season. They looked unlikely to reach the play-offs, let alone the final, at the halfway stage of the group stages when they only had a 4-4 (win-loss) record. But four wins in a row boosted their chances, although they went into the June international break on the back of an upset loss to the Lions. "After the Lions game, we agreed that the challenge was in our hands and we've all stepped up each week and faced that challenge head on," he added. "The break in June gave us time to refresh and talk about our goals and what we wanted to achieve this season. "But we have won nothing yet, we have to stay grounded and we have one more mission, one more game." Super XV Rugby Advertising

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/2004

UCLA’s Langenfeld Named Player of the Week ISF Umpire Certification Men's Slow Pitch USA Softball Legacy Club 2014 College Corner Balls and Strikes Online Magazine Candrea GooglePlus Hangout Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Midwest Trophy Catalog Readable/Writable Forms Safety Awareness in Softball USA National Coaching Schools Softball Outlet TournamentASA Play ASA ASA National Championships and Qualifiers Certified Equipment Register ASA GOLD National Championships ASA Umpires National Softball Hall of Fame ASA Business Partners OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – UCLA’s Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.) was named the USA Softball Player of the Week for the week of April 5-12 announced today by the Amateur Softball Association after leading her team to two shutout victories overthen-No. 3 Washington. She also made her mark in the storied history of UCLA softball by throwing UCLA’s 100th no-hitter. On Saturday against Washington, the junior pitcherheld the third-ranked Huskies to one hit in 16 innings to help the seventh-ranked Bruins move to No. 3 in this week’s poll. Langenfeld struck out 10 and gave up just three baserunners over the two games on a hit, a walk and an error. "It's such a great feeling to be recognized by USA Softball with this award. Last weekend was a great momentum shift for our team. We went out there and played UCLA softball and played the way we know we can. Washington is an outstanding team with a great pitcher and a great offense,” said Langenfeld. “To beat them twice changes the momentum for us after a couple of tough weekends and will help us going forward with the rest of the Pac-10 season. To pitch a no-hitter is a great accomplishment. I knew I had one going, but I didn't realize it was the 100th in UCLA history. To be in the same class as so many great UCLA pitchers who have recently thrown no-hitters like Keira Goerl, Jelly Selden and Donna Kerr is an awesome feeling." On Saturday, Langenfeld retired the first 13 batters she faced before Taylor Smith reached on a fielding error with one out in the fifth inning. She struck out a pair, both in the first inning. The junior didn’t allow a ball out of the infield for the entire game. Langenfeld clinched her first career no-hitter and extended her record to 6-0 when the Bruins scored six times in the bottom of the fifth inning to invoke the mercy rule. Langenfeld began the two-game series allowing just one hit in 11 innings while striking out eight in a 2-0 win on Friday. She threw eight hitless innings before surrendering a leadoff single to Alicia Blake in the ninth. Following a two-out walk to Jennifer Salling in the first inning, the junior retired the next 22 in a row before the Blake hit. After the hit, Langenfeld set down the last nine batters she faced, never allowing a runner to get past first base for the entire game. "Megan is a fierce competitor. Her confidence in the circle was contagious to the entire Bruin lineup,” said UCLA Head Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “Not only did she lead the Bruins to two big wins but she also placed herself in the Bruin record books by throwing the 100th no-hitter for the program." This is the second-time for Langenfeld to receive this award as she was named USA Softball Player of the Week, as a freshman, for the Week of May 7-13, 2007. The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 83 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 240,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/. About USA Softball USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won eight World Championship titles including the last six consecutive as well as claimed two World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.

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2014-15/3332/en_head.json.gz/2051

Floyd Mayweather finds more to life than 'Money' Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at his home in Las Vegas on April 30. Mayweather prepares for his fight against Roberto Guerrero on May 4, 2013. / Ronda Churchill For USA TODAY Sports by Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sportsby Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under LAS VEGAS - For Floyd Mayweather Jr., independence is paramount. The man they call "Money" has discovered that enormous wealth is indeed secondary. Freedom holds a lot of new possibilities for the undefeated welterweight champion, 36, as he puts the finishing touches on preparations for his title defense against Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It's Mayweather's first fight since last May. Despite becoming one of the world's richest athletes, he has averaged one fight a year over the last six years. Recently, Mayweather signed a lucrative, mega-fight deal with Showtime, potentially worth $200 million; he has reunited with his estranged father, trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., 60, who is suffering from sarcoidosis (an incurable lung disease); and the reality TV star is receiving nibbles about a potential foray into acting after he retires, probably by 2015. It is quite a counterpunch from his life nearly a year ago. Last June, with the world seemingly at his feet, Mayweather pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery domestic violence, and no contest to a pair of harassment charges. The case involved a violent struggle between the fighter and former girlfriend Josie Harris as two of their children watched in September 2010. Mayweather is the father of four. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days and found himself incarcerated with convicted murderers and other serious offenders in Clark County Detention Center. With the exception of attorney contact, he spent 23 hours a day alone in his cell in maximum security. The detention center deemed it in his best interest for safety, said attorney Shane W. Emerick, who did not represent Mayweather in the case but visited him every day at the behest of the fighter's legal team and manager Al Haymon. Mayweather believed the location of his incarceration was unjust, Emerick said, but his request to be added to the jail's general population was turned down. Mayweather's bid for house arrest also was denied. He served from June 1 to Aug. 3. "Was being in jail very bad, very rough for me?" Mayweather told USA TODAY Sports as he sat this week in the expansive living room of his $9 million, 22,000-square-foot mansion overlooking the city. "There is nothing cool about saying, 'I've been to jail,' or 'I've been to prison.' That's a place I won't go back to." 'It's about being classy' Raised in a dysfunctional, drug- and alcohol-saturated home, Mayweather had been arrested numerous times during the last decade for violence-related cases in Nevada and Michigan, his home state. But he always seemed to avoid serious punishment, receiving suspended jail sentences and fines. In 17 years as a professional fighter, Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs) has never tasted losing. This time, it felt as if Judge Melissa Saragosa landed one to his jaw. He also received community service and was ordered to complete one year of domestic violence counseling. He attended a session on the same day of his May 5, 2012, fight against Miguel Cotto. "What I learned from my jail experience was that freedom is very, very important," he said. "You can have money but no freedom. It's just like you're poor, you're broke. It's like you have nothing. I found out that freedom is more important than money." Wednesday, at the final major news conference to promote the Guerrero fight, Ruben Guerrero - father and trainer of the challenger - called out Mayweather. "We're going to beat up that woman-beater - the one that beat up his (ex-girlfriend) in front of his kids," Ruben Guerrero said from the podium. "He must have learned that from his dad. We're going to eat that woman-beater (and) see how he's gonna like it, and he's gonna get it from a real man." No one from Mayweather's camp, including the champion, responded at that juncture. Later, the fathers of both fighters began jawing at each other and had to be separated. Mayweather Jr. kept his cool when asked about the name calling. "My thing is, I'm a lot older and I'm a lot wiser," he told Showtime analyst Steve Farhood. "If I did or didn't do a crime ... I served the time. It's about being classy. I was wild when I was younger." Those who know Mayweather well say confinement gave him a dose of reality, and that he is a changed person. They say he has made strides to become more introspective, show greater restraint and sought to be become less volatile in his personal relationships. He shares his home with fiancée Shantel Jackson. "Is Floyd Mayweather misunderstood? Absolutely," he said. "But, you know, that's life. You go through certain obstacles. Only thing I can do is continue to live and try to become a better person every day." Twice a week he was permitted to engage in a video visit with family or friends. At times, it was humiliating for the former U.S. Olympic star. "They strip-search you whenever they want - just because," Mayweather said. "This officer already was giving me a hard time. I took all my clothes off. You have to open your mouth (to be searched for possibly concealed items), lift your testicles and other things that are very flagrant - squat (and) cough. "After he searched me, I reached for my clothes. He said, 'Stop! Put them back.' Then the whole search (began) again. I'm like, 'Man, (are you) for real? Is this really worth it?' That's all I said." Emerick, a retired criminal attorney, told USA TODAY Sports, "In my 25 years in town, I've never heard of a misdemeanor inmate being held in administrative segregation in maximum security." Mayweather said he controlled any urge to become angry. "You have to stay mentally strong; I knew I was coming home," he said. "Why put yourself in a position where you have to stay longer? I conducted myself as a gentleman." An explosive person That hasn't always been the case for Mayweather, who was raised in a fractured boxing family, one that includes Roger Mayweather, a former world champion who is his uncle and ex-trainer. The Mayweathers not only challenged others but famously rumbled among themselves. From his youngest days growing up in Grand Rapids, Mich., Mayweather said his life was consumed with fighting, most of it done inside the ring. By the age of 3, his father, a former fringe welterweight contender and defensive specialist who was knocked out by Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978, had laced oversized sparring gloves on his son's tiny hands. "All I did was study boxing from day one," said Mayweather Jr., a high school dropout. "That's the first thing I ever knew. Before I knew anything about life, I knew about a boxing gym. I knew how to throw punches." To this day, Mayweather sometimes wonders how he managed to persevere through a difficult childhood environment. "I feel like I beat all odds being where I am today with my mother (Deborah Orr) being on drugs, my father going to prison (for drug trafficking), no stable home," Mayweather recalled. "At one time, (we) stayed in New Brunswick, N.J., (with) seven people in one bedroom." These days, the father and the son have repaired their relationship to a degree. They will reunite for the first time on fight night since the father worked his son's corner in 2000, shortly before he quit. "My son and I have had collisions," the elder Mayweather told USA TODAY Sports. "But since he got out of jail, I've seen a better change in him." "I always had a bond with my son but not like now," said the father. "He'll grab me and hug me; or I will grab him and hug him. He'll tell me that he loves me." While the elder Mayweather battles sarcoidosis, Roger, 52, has diabetes and is trying to fend off deteriorating vision. He is co-training his nephew but will not be in the corner on fight night. He also has served time relating to violence against women in battery incidents. Others have tried to fill the void as a male role model for Mayweather Jr. Some have been more successful than others. Al Mitchell was the head coach of the USA Boxing team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, site of Mayweather's last defeat - a hotly disputed 10-9 decision to Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria. But despite the young amateur's talent, Mitchell, considered a no-nonsense coach, says, "I thought Mayweather probably wouldn't go anywhere (professionally) because of his attitude." Today, Mitchell can't help but beam when he looks at how Mayweather persevered. "Every year, I've seen him change and adjust," Mitchell said. "I pulled him aside (one evening) and said, 'Mayweather, you really surprised me.' He really has matured. He's not the same guy I knew. He's got smart people around him with Al Haymon and (adviser) Leonard Ellerbe. "People don't realize that to hold an explosive person like that in check is hard." Emerick made in-roads with the fighter during their many visits last summer. Despite his educational background, Emerick found he had more in common with Mayweather than the fighter initially suspected: He, too, had come from a broken home where he lived in public housing with his mom, a single mother of five. He later served as an Army helicopter pilot and as a public defender. "I was like anybody in the public in my view of Floyd Mayweather Jr., and what his reputation was. To me, it wasn't good," he said. "But after I got to know him, I realized he was smart, had a good heart and is an amazing person. "I do believe the incarceration had a profound effect on him. He really took it as God working in mysterious ways. He focused on his family. "After he was released, you could see a change in him. He knows what's important. I now see him as a very calm person. I think he is well on his way." Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Floyd Mayweather finds more to life than 'Money' Boxer Floyd Mayweather says he's a changed man after serving time A link to this page will be included in your message.

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The Bulldogs open the season at WCU on Aug. 30. Cross Country Begins Preparations for 2013 Season 2013 Schedule Both UNC Asheville men's and women's cross country teams began preparations for hte 2013 season with time trials on Tuesday night. Below is a preview of the upcoming season. The UNC Asheville men’s and women’s cross country programs both finished in fifth place in the Big South Conference last year. This year both teams want to do a little better. On the men’s side, sixth-year coach Jesse Norman believes his team could be the best they’ve been since he came to Asheville in 2007. “Our men’s squad has the potential to be very good,” stated Norman. “We have a chance to crack the top four of the Big South Conference this season. That’s going to be our goal this year, to be in the top four.” Norman believes his team has a nice mixture of returnees and newcomers that should produce success this year. However, it will take both the veterans and the newcomers having good seasons to get into the Big South’s top four. “We need everyone to step up this year to accomplish what we want to accomplish,” declared Norman. “Our returnees have to show improvement from last year to this season, while our newcomers have to be ready to make an impact as freshmen.” Junior Kevin Paradise has been Asheville’s top runner during his freshman and sophomore years. He came close to earning All-Conference honors by finishing in 15th place at the league’s championship meet. Norman hopes he can get into the top 10 this season. “Kevin has been our top runner and has progressed each year,” stated Norman. “This season we want to get him into the top 10 and be All-Conference. He’s capable, and we’re confident he will accomplish that this fall.” Asheville’s lone senior on this year’s roster is Sebastian Paniagua. The senior from Haymarket, Va. has done a solid job in the classroom and is a leader on the team. “What we like about Sebastian is that’s he a vocal leader, and the team really looks up to him,” commented Norman. “We need him to get a little stronger this season.” Brent Schouler is one of just two juniors on this year’s club along with Paradise. “Brent adds depth to our roster and our team,” explained Norman. “We just need him to make that next step this year. He trains really well and now we need him to take that into meets.” Sophomore Andy Thornburg enjoyed some success as a freshman last season. He’s one of the Bulldogs that Norman is counting on in 2013. “We believe Andy has the potential to be really good,” declared Norman. “He’s worked hard this summer and looks to be ready. We need Andy to have a good year this season.” Sophomore Ryan Catrine is expected to contribute this year. “Ryan is a solid five-to-seven runner,” said Norman. “I’ve been really pleased with his summer training and hopefully that will translate to this fall. He’s ready to go and chomping at the bit for the season to start.” Jeremy Gower is a sophomore on this year’s team who is looking for a healthy season. “We just want Jeremy to be healthy this year,” said Norman. “He’s a talented runner who has potential.” Sophomore Patrick Osborne is another returnee that Norman is counting on in 2013. “Patrick is another key to our success this season,” explained Norman. “He’s a tough kid who if he runs like he’s capable could be in the mix for an All-Conference spot.” Asheville has four freshmen who should contribute to the mix this year. Start with Carrboro native Dominic Collichio, whom Norman is quite excited about. Collichio was a dominant runner at Carrboro HS. “I believe Dom has a chance to be really, really good,” declared Norman. “He had a great high school career with some really good times. Dom just has to understand the process of what it takes to be successful in collegiate racing.” Freshman Caleb Smith enjoyed a great career at Patrick County HS in Stuart, Va. “We’re quite excited to have Caleb in our program. He’s a diamond in the rough,” stated Norman. “He’ll push Dom to be our top freshman runner this season.” Jacob Fink joins the Asheville roster after a stellar career at Carson HS in Salisbury. “Jacob had some injuries in his senior year in high school and we’re going to try and ease him back this season,” admitted Norman. “He has potential to be a good runner but we’re going to take things slow with him and make sure he’s 100 percent healthy.” Rounding out Asheville’s roster is Nathan Kirse from Mt. Tabor HS in Winston-Salem. “We look at Nathan as more of a middle distance runner, but we’re glad he’s on the team,” said Norman. “We’re anxious to see how he develops.” Sophomore Skyler Winchester could be slated to red-shirt in 2013 after a solid freshman campaign in 2012. “We’ll probably red-shirt Skyler,” admitted Norman. “He’s had to battle some injuries, and we’ll just have to see.” The women’s team graduated some key runners from last year’s club but still has a good nucleus back in 2013. “We finished fifth last year and that was an improvement, but we want to get into top four in the Big South this season,” stated Norman. “If everything went right, I think we have a shot at getting into third place, but the main thing is we want to move up from last year. “I really believe we have the potential to be a little better this year,” added Norman. “We have a little more depth with our freshmen and have some returnees who could make a run at All-Conference.” The Bulldogs will look for a big year from fifth-year senior Melanie Kulesz. She earned All-Conference honors as a freshman and sophomore and just missed last season. “If we can get Melanie healthy and running like she did a few years ago, she could be one of the top runners in the Big South this year,” declared Norman. “She’s had a great career and would like to see her have a big senior year. “ Junior Adrian Etheridge enjoyed great track seasons both in indoor and outdoor a year ago. Norman looks for that to carry over to cross country in 2013. “Adrian was just fantastic in track last year. We just need that to translate to cross country,” commented Norman. “If she runs like she did during track season, Adrian will make a run at All-Conference.” Senior Kylie Smith rejoins the Asheville program after sitting out last season. “I’m really glad Kylie is back with us,” said Norman. “She’s in great shape and ready to go in 2013.” Rachel Carson is one of three seniors on this year’s club. “Rachel is healthy this year and ready to compete,” explained Norman. “If we can keep her healthy, she’ll be a real asset to our team this season.” Red-shirt sophomore Kasey Briggs is another runner who Norman wants to be healthy this season. “If Kasey can stay healthy all year, she could be in our top five,” stated Norman. “She’s progressing really well after missing last season.” Five sophomores are on Asheville’s roster this season. All five contributed in 2012, and that should continue this year. Sophomore Erin Dalton, like Adrian Etheridge, had a big year in track. “Erin was one of the top runners in the Big South in track in the spring,” declared Norman. “If we get those kinds of performances in the fall, then she could be in the top 15 in the Big South and maybe even push for All-Conference.” Kelsie Rubino had a solid cross country season in 2012. She and Dalton will lead the sophomores this year. “Kelsie did a nice job last year, and I expect her and Erin to make a run at finishing in the top 15 in the Big South,” said Norman. “She’s had to work through some injuries but looks ready to go for the fall.” Alyssa Lashway has posted some good times in the summer. “We like what we’ve seen with Alyssa’s summer training and that should carry over to the fall season,” stated Norman. “Alyssa just needs to get a little stronger this season.” Asheville’s final sophomore, Scarlett Beamon, had a solid year in 2012 and was the Bulldogs’ fifth runner last season. “Scarlett did a nice job as a freshman, and we’re glad to have her for three more years,” said Norman. “She’ll add depth to our roster and push everyone.” Norman is very excited about his recruiting class and believes a few of them are ready to contribute right away. Amy Castle had a sensational prep career at St. Clairsville HS in Barnesville, Ohio. “I’m really looking forward to working with Amy and developing her into a great collegiate runner,” admitted Norman. “Amy has tremendous potential and will be heard from this season.” Sarah Heisner should compete with Castle as the Bulldogs’ top freshman. She’ll join the Asheville program from Saint Johns, Fla., after running at Creekside HS. “I expect Sarah and Amy to be quite competitive right off the bat,” commented Norman. “Sarah has posted some great times in high school, and we’re excited to have her in Asheville. She’s just going to have to adjust to running in the mountains after running in Florida.” Raleigh native Katie Gamble ran at Millbrook HS, and Norman believe she’ll be heard from this year. “I believe Katie could be a dark horse this season,” said Norman. “I’m excited about her potential, too.” Freshman Marissa Banks from Wake Forest, N.C. could be red-shirted in 2013. “Marissa is a hard-working athlete who has some great skills,” stated Norman. “We’re looking at red-shirting her this season.” Both Bulldog cross country teams open the 2013 season at Western Carolina on Aug. 30 in the Catamount Classic. Asheville hosts the Cross Country Carnival at Asheville Christian Academy on Sept. 14. The Big South Championship will be held at VMI on Nov. 2. Cross Country Teams at Blue Ridge Open Kulesz Named BCBSNC Athlete of the Week Women's Cross Country Takes 2nd at Mountaineer... Cross Country Teams at ASU Today Cross Country Teams Run at Big South Preview

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Mud Hens squeak past knights, 4-2 by Charlotte Knights TOLEDO, OH -- The Toledo Mud Hens broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and went on to beat the Charlotte Knights by a score of 4-2 on Thursday in the opening game of a four-game series from Toledo, Ohio. The two teams entered play on Thursday with identical 7-20 records. The Knights fell to 7-21 with the loss and have now lost seven-straight games. Designated hitter Danny Dorn led off the bottom of the seventh inning with his fifth home run of the season, which proved to be all the Mud Hens would need to get past the Knights. The solo home run by Dorn – his fifth of the season, came off of Knights starter Zach Stewart (0-4, 4.66), who was charged with the game one loss. Stewart is still looking for his first win of the season and allowed four runs over seven innings on Thursday. The Knights scored the game’s first run in the top of the first inning courtesy of a Josh Bell RBI single. Bell finished the game with two hits. Charlotte’s 1-0 lead would not last long as the Mud Hens would get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Toledo scored two runs in the second frame, highlighted by a Brian Holaday RBI double. The Knights tied the game up at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to Blake Tekotte, who came through with an RBI double off of Toledo starter Casey Crosby. Crosby allowed two runs over five innings and did not factor in the decision. Four Toledo relievers combined on three shutout innings. Matt Hoffman (1-1, 2.45) recorded one out in the seventh and ended up with the win. Reliever Bruce Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his fourth save of the season. The two teams will continue their series with game two on Friday from Fifth Third Field. RHP Andre Rienzo will start for the Knights, while LHP Ramon Garcia will go for the Mud Hens. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening.

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Homes Winnipeg Free Press > Latest News > Jets sign Maxwell, Dekanich Latest News Jets sign Maxwell, Dekanich Centre Ben Maxwell split his time between the Jets and AHL St. John’s IceCaps last season. (JOE BRYKSA / FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) WINNIPEG — The Jets have added two more free agents today, though neither of them are from the "best of the rest" unrestricted free-agent category in the NHL. Centre Ben Maxwell returns to the organization after splitting time between the Jets (nine games) and AHL St. John’s IceCaps (43) last season. Maxwell, claimed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks early last season, returned to the Jets organization after six games with the Ducks. Originally a Montreal draft pick in 2006, the 24-year-old native of North Vancouver, B.C., has 47 NHL games so far in his career. Dekanich joins the Jets after a season with the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. The Jackets figured he may be of assistance with their NHL goaltending issues, but the 26-year-old native of North Vancouver had injuries almost all of last season. He played just five games in the AHL for the Springfield Falcons. In his career, Dekanich has one NHL game, with Nashville, and he played in the Nashville system after graduating from Colgate University in 2008. He has almost certainly been signed for depth at the position, where the Jets are not blessed, and could well wind up sharing time with Eddie Pasquale in St. John’s next season.

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Moms Everyday The Right Home Bielema Leaving Wisconsin for Arkansas, Chryst Staying at Pitt By: Dale Ryman - Email Updated: Tue 11:48 PM, Dec 04, 2012 By: Dale Ryman - Email Home / Article Bret Bielema is leaving the Wisconsin Badgers to take over the program at Arkansas, which is coming off a 4-8 season in the SEC. A press conference has been scheduled for 4:00 Wednesday afternoon in Fayetteville. Bielema met with the Badgers team Tuesday night. We'll hear from them on NewsChannel 7 at 10. UW Athletic director Barry Alvarez released a statement on Tuesday evening:"I was very surprised when Bret told me he was taking the offer from Arkansas. He did a great job for us during his seven years as head coach, both on the field and off. I want to thank him for his work and wish him the best at Arkansas."I have a responsibility to our student-athletes, our football family and our fans, one that I take very seriously. It is my responsibility to ensure that the football program continues at a high level, and I have already started the process of trying to find a new head coach."Along with finding a new coach, my other main objective is to make sure that our student-athletes, specifically our seniors playing in their final game as Badgers, have a tremendous experience in the Rose Bowl. We will do everything within our power to make that happen." Bielema leaves Wisconsin after winning a 3rd straight Big Ten Championship last weekend against Nebraska and a 3rd straight trip to the Rose Bowl. He leaves with a record of 68-24 in 7 seasons. In a statement released by the University of Arkansas, Bielema said:"I am very humbled and honored to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks," said Bielema. "During my conversation with Jeff (Long) he described the characteristics for the perfect fit to lead this program. It was evident we share the same mission, principles and goals. The infrastructure in place at Arkansas shows the commitment from the administration to accomplish our goals together and I am excited to begin to lead this group of student-athletes. This program will represent the state of Arkansas in a way Razorback fans everywhere will be proud of." The search begins for a replacement for Bielema immediately. Running back Montee Ball confirmed after their team meeting that Bielema will not coach the Badgers in the Rose Bowl. One person who will not be taking the UW job is former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst. Chryst said today he understands why he would be linked to the Wisconsin job, but he's dedicated to the Pitt Panthers.

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John Offerdahl chosen for Dolphins Honor Roll MIAMI (AP) -- Former linebacker John Offerdahl has been chosen to become the 26th member of the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll.Offerdahl will be inducted Oct. 31 at halftime of the Dolphins' game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team announced Friday.He started 86 games during an eight-year career and became the first Dolphins linebacker to be selected a starter in the Pro Bowl. He was chosen for five consecutive Pro Bowls beginning in 1986, his rookie season, and was selected to start four times.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

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Maryland pumped for showdown with sinking Syracuse DAVID GINSBURG COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- As a parting gift to Maryland, the Atlantic Coast Conference left the Terrapins' home schedule devoid of games against North Carolina or Duke.So the first sellout of the season at Comcast Center on Monday night will be against ACC newcomer Syracuse, a matchup that lost a bit of its luster after the previously unbeaten Orange lost two straight last week."Yeah, but there's still a lot of hype around the game," Maryland forward Jake Layman said Sunday. "It's still huge for us."It's been a strange final ACC season for Maryland (15-12, 7-7) before it leaves for the Big Ten.With traditional rivals Duke and North Carolina off the table, the highlight of a tepid home schedule is this duel with Syracuse, a team the Terrapins have not faced since 2008."We've played a lot of top teams this year. We haven't played many of them at home," coach Mark Turgeon said. "Maybe Pittsburgh. They came in and got us when they were playing at a high level and we were just trying to find ourselves. Now we're playing better and facing a top team, so maybe we can take advantage of it."The 83-79 loss to Pittsburgh, another ACC newcomer, was as close as Maryland has come to drawing a sellout crowd at home.Only 10,665 showed up for the Terrapins' previous game, a 71-60 win over visiting Wake Forest last Tuesday night, but Comcast Center should be rocking when the Orange come calling in a nationally televised contest."It will be nice to have a nice crowd. I think our team deserves it," Turgeon said. "We continue to get better, and you've got a team that was ranked No. 1. They won't be No. 1 when they come in here, but it's a heck of a basketball team with great players."Maryland has won four of its past seven, but two of those defeats were tight ones at Virginia and Duke. The Terrapins need a late run to get into the NCAA tournament, and beating Syracuse (25-2, 12-2) would serve as a signature victory for a team that needs to make up for earlier losses to Oregon State and Boston University.The Terps are well rested compared to the Orange, who lost in overtime to Boston College on Wednesday before falling at Duke on Saturday night."It's tough in the ACC because you're playing really good teams," Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney said. "We have to come ready to play. We're not tired or anything like that. Our legs are ready, but we just have to be prepared."In the final minute of the loss to Duke, Orange coach Jim Boeheim charged the court in rage after a key foul went against Syracuse. After he calmed down quite a bit, Boeheim stressed that this game is as significant to the Orange as it is for Maryland."This end of the year is important," Boeheim said. "We knew the end of the year would be hard for us, and that's fine. These games help you. ... We've learned a lot and we'll learn a lot more. We know how tough our next few games are."The Terrapins close out their final ACC slate by playing at home four times over a five-game span. The run started against Wake Forest, and if all goes as planned Monday night, perhaps the fans at Comcast Center will engage in an old Maryland tradition: Storming the court after a landmark victory.That would surely have happened if Syracuse was still atop the national rankings going into the game.Asked if he wished the Orange were 27-0 and No. 1, Terps guard Nick Faust immediately responded, "Yes. I really wish they were still undefeated. It brings more of a buzz."That doesn't make this encounter any less meaningful for a squad lingering around the middle of the ACC standings."It's a big game for us, a big game for the university, a big game for the program," Faust said. "Everything is on the line for this one. We're really looking forward to it. It's kind of a must-win. Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tags: maryland, basketball

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Flea: Red Hot Chili Peppers mimed Super Bowl song (Video) Wednesday - 2/5/2014, 12:18pm ET The Red Hot Chili Peppers band members Flea, center, and Anthony Kiedis perform during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) CHRIS TALBOTT The Red Hot Chili Peppers decided long ago they were never going to mime a live performance. The band made an exception for the NFL, it turns out.The group's bassist, Flea, said in a letter to fans posted on the group's website Tuesday that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members pretended to play along to a pre-taped track of "Give It Away" during the Super Bowl halftime show as Anthony Kiedis sang live. The request came from NFL officials who felt it was too difficult to pull off a completely live performance because of potential sound issues. The admission came after observers noted Flea and his bandmates weren't plugged in while performing Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.Flea wrote on the band's website that the opportunity was too big for the lifelong football fans to turn down. After internal debate, dubiously checking with fellow musicians and consulting with headliner Bruno Mars, they decided it was "a surreal- like, once in a life time crazy thing to do and we would just have fun and do it." The 51-year-old said the group pre-recorded a unique instrumental track for the show. He didn't directly address whether Mars also recorded instrumental tracks for his appearance, though he said Mars was aware they did. A publicist for Mars did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.A record 115 million people tuned into watch Mars and the Peppers, besting audiences of 114 million for Madonna and 110 million for Beyonce.___Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

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January 14, 2014Petrino, top assistant McGee think alike Russ Brown CardinalSports.com Senior Writer Related Links:Petrino's coaching staff updateBig DT likes Louisville, Notre DameTalk about it in The Collision CourseKris Kristofferson's tune, "Me and Bobby McGee" would be the perfect theme song for new University of Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino and offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Garrick McGee.Or is it Bobby McGee and Garrick Petrino? They've been together so often over the years that over time their offensive personalities have more or less blended. So much so that during a press conference Monday afternoon to announce McGee's hiring they sometimes sounded like an old married couple that could complete each other's sentences.The relationship started when Petrino coached McGee as a quarterback at Arizona State from 1991-92 before McGee finished his career at Oklahoma. As a coach, he worked with Petrino at Arkansas, where he was offensive coordinator in 2010 and 2011 and as an offensive assistant under Petrino with the Jacksonville Jaguars."Garrick and I go way back," Petrino says. "Any time I've had an opportunity to hire him, I've hired him. It's really fun because we think a lot alike. He knows exactly how I like to coach quarterbacks. He's run the same drills I made him do when he was playing."I'm just really excited he's here. It makes a great situation for us. We have the same thoughts and beliefs on offense and how we want to run the offense. So I have complete trust in everything that Garrick does."The feeling is mutual. That's why McGee, who was the head coach at UAB for the past two seasons, had only one question when Petrino called him, even though Petrino didn't initially tell him the school he was talking about."The one thing I asked him was, 'Is there a chance for us to win a national championship? And if there is, then I'm interested,'" McGee said.Petrino's answer, according to McGee: "Yeah, this is the one, that we can get back together and we can go into a university that's set up for us to build a program that can compete for it every year."McGee admitted, though, that he knew full well what university Petrino was referring to."Nowadays with social media, the way it works, things start to leak out," The Tulsa, Okla., native said. "So before he told me I kind of had a feeling what was going on. I watched the University of Louisville for awhile from a distance and I knew Louisville was going into the ACC and they were 12-1 last year."They have a lot of respect throughout the world of college football from all coaches all over the country, that this is a big-time program, we're going to recruit like it's a big-time program and we expect to play like that."Like Petrino, McGee says that he and his boss are on the same page when it comes to offense, which could promise some big numbers when the two team up again this fall. During his first tour of duty at UofL from 2003-06 Petrino's teams were known for their high-powered offensive attacks. And it was a similar situation during their two seasons together at Arkansas.In 36 games, the Razorbacks scored 30 or more points 19 times as they went 10-3 and earned the school's first BCS appearance, losing to Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. In 2011, Arkansas scored 40 or more six times, led the SEC in total offense (438.1 ypg), was 13th nationally in passing offense (300.7 ypg) and 15th in scoring (36.7 ppg)."I cannot express how happy and how blessed I am to be back with Coach," McGee says. "It's a little different with us. I think most of the time when head coaches hire coordinators, they have to have conversations on 'what's your philosophy in the red zone, what's your philosophy on third down, what's your philosophy in managing and teaching the coaches?'"We didn't have to have that type of conversation. We've been together long enough, I played for Coach, and then us coaching together, that there's only one way to coach this offense. Coach it very hard, very tough. We believe in putting a lot of pressure on our kids in the meeting room and on the practice field so that when the pressure shows up in the game they're comfortable in that environment."So at this point in our career and our relationship, I think he understands the way he sees running an offense is the same, exact way I see it and to us that's the only way to run this offense. And that's why I think it's a fit, and that's why I think it works."No matter who his offensive coordinator was, Petrino has always called the plays and that will apparently continue at UofL."He's one of the best play-callers in the history of college football," McGee says. "So my job is to set the table for him so that when he shows up and opens up the play-call sheet and starts dialing them that it's going to work how we want it to work."McGee watched game and practice film of the 2013 Cardinals, along with the other new coaches, over the weekend and said he's impressed with the caliber of the returning players.Virtually the entire offensive unit will be back, with one very big exception of course in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who is foregoing his senior season to enter this spring's NFL draft.Under the previous staff, redshirt sophomore-to-be Will Gardner was considered Bridgewater's heir apparent, but McGee said the competition will be wide open among all the QBS on the roster."I see talent," McGee said. "But we're just going to sit back and watch them and see which guy steps forward and becomes the leader and takes charge of our football team, and who can execute the offense the fastest."McGee says he likes big running backs, so he's glad to have senior Dominique Brown(6-2, 216) on board. And he said the only problem with the talented wide receiving corps is that there are too many upperclassmen, presenting a recruiting challenge for 2015. Robert Clark, DeVante Parker, Kai DeLa Cruz, Eli Rogers and Michalee Harris will all be seniors, as will tight end Gerald Christian."It's top-heavy," McGee said. "We have very good seniors-to-be next year. We're going to have to have a good recruiting class for the next couple of years. We have good young players, but the lead guys are upperclassmen and I think they fit into our system."McGee was asked if he was going to mount a sales pitch to try and get Bridgewater to change his mind, and he answered with a touch of the humor he displayed throughout the press conference."Yeah. Yeah. I think I could get him too if he came and listened," McGee said. "First of all, I've watched a lot of film on him and I think he's ready. He's a very talented kid, you can tell he's under control. He understands his ability, his body, never gets out of control, he has the ability to make all the throws on the move, on the run."And in the NFL you have to make throws off balance because the defensive fronts are so good. So I think he's ready. Selfishly, it wouldn't be bad to have him on the team again, so I would talk more about a little bit more development (smiling)."GARRICK McGEE AT A GLANCEAge: 40.Hometown: Tulsa, Okla.Family: Wife Tiffany. Sons Cameron, 3, and Grant, 2.Education: Associate degree, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M; bachelor's degree, Oklahoma.Playing Experience: (Quarterback) Booker T. Washington High, Tulsa, under his late father, Larry McGee; Arizona State, 1991-92; Oklahoma, 1994-95.Coaching Experience: 1996-98--Langston (Okla.) University, defensive backs; 1999--Northern Iowa, receivers and kickoff returns; 2000-01--NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, offensive assistant and quality control coach; 2002--Toledo, receivers; 2004-07--Northwestern, receivers and punt returns (04-05) and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (06-07); 2008-11--Arkansas, offensive coordinator; 2012-13--Head coach UAB (6-18).FEATURED PRODUCT Louisville Cardinals Ladies 2012 Basketball Champions Long Sleeve T-Shirt - Red

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November 9, 2012Quick is latest Trinity connection to Army Bowl MORE: U.S. Army All-American Bowl The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a celebration of a player's accomplishments throughout his prep career, but for Louisville wide receiver James Quick, the 2013 game will also reflect the accomplishments Trinity High School team. Joining Quick in San Antonio for the upcoming Army Bowl will be his Trinity teammate, defensive end Jason Hatcher, as well as Trinity head coach Bob Beatty who will be the head coach of the East team when they take the field at the Alamodome on Jan. 5. "Jason being one of my closest friends, me and him going down together is exciting for us," Quick said. "We have a nice little bond with our coach, so it will be a nice experience for all of us." Trinity has certainly earned the respect they are being given. They were tabbed as the nation's top prep team in 2011, and are currently ranked No. 37 nationally by RivalsHigh with a 9-1 record in the 2012 season. They will look to move closer to a third straight state title Friday night when the square off with Madison Central in the second round of the Kentucky state playoffs. "Me and Jason, our freshman year coming in we wanted to put Trinity on the map and make sure everyone knows about Trinity High School," Quick said. "Basically, that's what we ended up doing these past three years." The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Quick has been a key contributor to Trinity's success the last few years, catching 69 passes for 1,206 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior and following it up with an equally impressive senior season. He sees the Army Bowl as an opportunity to take his skill set even further. "Right now I feel I am playing close to where I should be playing at, but I still have room to improve," Quick said. "Going into this game, playing against great talent, it is just going to help me going into college know what to expect. This will be a good experience playing against people with the same skills, same speed that I have. I watched it with my family last year and we were really impressed with how the guys who played in it last year are producing and actually getting to play a lot [in college this year]." Exactly which college Quick will take his talents to next year is still unclear, though the Army Bowl may provide a platform for him to share that selection with the world. Quick is considering making his announcement during the game's telecast. "If I am ready to make the decision then, then I will," Quick said. "If not, then I'll probably just wait it out." The hometown Louisville Cardinals are currently the favorite to land Quick, followed closely by Ohio State. Kentucky, Oregon and Tennessee round out the four-star prospect's top five, but are looking up at Louisville and Quick explained why. "They are still undefeated," he said of the Cardinals. "They have a great, young quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, their receivers are sound and I like what the receivers coach is doing with them. I just look forward to playing for somebody who is going to help me produce and do what's best for me." Other schools will get a chance to knock Louisville from their lofty perch on Quick's list. He as an official visit scheduled to Ohio State the weekend of Nov. 24, though that will be postponed if his team is still alive in the playoffs. Quick is also sure he will take an official visit to Oregon following his senior season. While Quick has accomplished much in his high school career, there is still much he could potentially do and many will be watching him closely over the next couple months, capped off by his appearance in the nation's premier high school All-American game. Talk about it in The Fort

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June 19, 2012Browne keeps pushing to compete MORE: Five-Star Challenge | Underclassmen Challenge Sammamish (Wash.) quarterback Max Browne started the recruiting process atop the rankings, but since being anointed as the nation's No. 1 passer in the 2013 class, the U.S. Army All-American has never backed down from a challenge. This week in Atlanta, Browne will participate in the inaugural Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, pitting the best against the best. "At the end of the day, I think it's just a fun deal," Browne said. "We all work real hard to get an invite to a camp like this and you don't want to pass it up. I get to go to Atlanta, a place I've never been, and enjoy the sport I love. "At the same time, it's a good opportunity to compete with other players and also get to know some future USC Trojans." Elkon (Md.) five-star defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow, Stockton (Calif.) four-star running back Justin Davis, Redlands (Calif.) four-star defensive end Kylie Fitts, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) four-star cornerback Chris Hawkins, Mesquite (Texas) four-star wide receiver Eldridge Massington and Mission Hills (Calif.) four-star wide receiver Steven Mitchell will all be in attendance representing as USC commitments for the event, which begins with registration and other events on Friday. Being a quarterback, Browne's relationship with Massington and Mitchell will be especially important in the coming years. This week's trip to Atlanta will be the first time the 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal-caller meets either player. "I'm more so looking forward to getting to know those guys off the field," Browne said. "I trust the USC coaching staff 100 percent when they tell me, 'This kid is legit and there is a reason we offered him.' "I've met Justin Davis and been able to watch him play. He's a special player, so I'm real excited to see the two receivers we got. Just getting to hang out with them and throw a couple of balls around should be a fun time." While Browne is rated the No. 1 quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com, not every publication agrees with that assessment. The minority critical of Browne's ability adds weight to the chip he firmly places on his shoulder for such events. "There's always a drive to be the best," said Browne. "Some sites have me as the No. 1 guy, so I have to go out and prove them right. Some sites have me rated lower, so I have to get the No. 1 spot. You compete each and every rep, and that's a big reason why I'm heading down to Atlanta." Browne will also use his time in Atlanta to talk with many uncommitted prospects looking at USC. While the five-star quarterback is not the most vocal recruit turned recruiter for the Trojans, he is willing to spread the word about why he committed to USC. "I'll text guys and let them know I'm around," Browne said. "I'll talk to guys and let them know USC thinks they're great players, but at the same time, I've been through that and know how it works. "The amount of text messages you get can become pretty annoying. That's the last thing I want to do. The beauty about committing to USC is that you can trust that the coaching staff is going to recruit well. "The product the university has to offer also makes it easy. I don't really have to recruit guys. All I have to tell them is to take a visit, experience it and it will show you why I committed. It's a special place and that's been proven with this recruiting class. Kids want to be a part of it." Mike Farrell's take Browne could be the highest-profile prospect at the event because quarterbacks get so much attention, especially in a 7-on-7 setting. The West roster is probably the weakest overall when it comes to receivers but with Browne it might not matter. Can he lead his underdog team to the title with his decision making and precision accuracy? Can he make a case for No. 1 overall? Talk about it in The Four Horsemen Lounge Notre Dame NEWS[More]Latest Headlines:Resources:CommitmentsThe TickerProspect DatabaseSend to a FriendPrint This Page[More]NATIONAL NEWS FROM RIVALS.COMAround the Midlands: Red Raiders rolling

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Ten Top Targets: Out-of-state InsidetheGators.comEach year, Inside the Gators kicks off the next year's recruiting class by taking a look at top targets a few days after National Signing Day has cleared. With a strong 2012 class mostly in the books, Florida is turning its attention toward next year's recruiting load, a group the Gators have already gotten a strong start on with four early commitments. With that in mind, it's time to look at ten top out-of-state prospects who will most likely be some of Florida's most prominent targets in 2013.With the amazing amount of in-state talent in the class of 2013, Florida shouldn't have to leave the state border much in this next recruiting cycle. However, when they do, these following 10 prospects will definitely be among the Gators top out-of-state targets. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now!

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Mehrtens now Waratahs kicking coach waratahs.com.au and James Mortimer 29 Jan 2014 Getty Images All Black legend Andrew Mehrtens has joined the NSW Waratahs coaching staff as kicking coach. Now working in Sydney, the Canterbury player who kicked his way into the record books and earned a reputation as one New Zealand's best ever first five eighths has been brought on board by Head Coach Michael Cheika to work with the team throughout the 2014 season. Born in Durban in 1973, Mehrtens moved to New Zealand as a youngster, grew up in Christchurch where he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who both played for Canterbury and New Zealand. Mehrtens debuted for the All Blacks in the 1995 season, scoring 28 points against Canada.In 1999 Mehrtens kicked a record nine penalties in a Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia and went on to enjoy a 12-year career at first-class level. He remains the second all-time highest points scorer for New Zealand.Mehrtens played a key role in the Crusaders’ three title wins from 1998 - 2000 and again when they won the Super 12 in 2001 and 2005. Most popular News: How to win an IRB Junior World Championship21.Apr.2014 Canada sweep USA to fire a shot ahead of WRWC201421.Apr.2014 Hughes ponders his future status20.Apr.2014 The Tight Five: What we learned about the NZ Super Rugby teams20.Apr.2014 Bird and Fitzgerald suspended for one week20.Apr.2014 NZU20 squad to be revealed LIVE on allblacks.com20.Apr.2014

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Wade Miley Happy To Make All-Star Team, Aaron Hill Not Too Concerned About Being Snubbed Many fans feel that Aaron Hill was snubbed in not securing a starting All-Star spot on the NL roster at second base. Instead, the Atlanta Braves will be sending Dan Uggla to fill that role. But if you ask Hill, it really doesn't seem to bother him all that much. "It is what it is. If they call it (your name) great, if they don't great. It's one of those things where if you get the experience to make an All-Star team, which, fortunately, I was a few years ago, it's something you never forget. You cherish it because you don't know if you're ever going to get the chance again," Hill said. Hill joked that when he heard his name called in the final five along with Chipper Jones, a future Hall of Famer, he didn't really like his chances. Wade Miley, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm when he was told he was going to be attending the Midsummer Classic... in uniform. The team told him in a very unique way, which was actually very funny. Closer J.J. Putz asked him a few questions that pertain to his timeless 'Words With Wade' activity. First, he was asked where the Kansas City Royals play. He replied with Missouri, which was correct. Then, he was asked how to spell "All-Star" and then proceeded to do so, once again, correctly. It took a couple of nudges after that, but he finally got the hint. He realized he had been selected to participate in the game. He almost seemed giddy sitting up there at the podium on Monday afternoon to discuss the trip he will be taking to Kansas City. "I mean, it's kind of surreal. I'm really excited, you're just glad to hear your name called with the guys, mentioned with those players on the All-Star team. I'm happy as I could be I guess." Most of all, both players reminded everyone that it's more about the team, not the individual accolades. Just five games out of first place in the NL West, the D-backs will look to come back from the All-Star break refreshed and ready to play for the pennant. "You look at the statistics and there's a few guys that could be up there," Hill said. "You look at (Paul) Goldschmidt, (Jason) Kubel, you know. It's been a fun first half, there's been some ups and downs, but overall we're right there and we continue to get better." Miley has similar thoughts: "You try to keep it to the team's perspective, you know? We're five games out right now, it's the All-Star break. We're going to try and create some momentum. After the break, we're in a pennant race." Diamondbacks' Losing Streak Reaches Five As Bullpen Falters If Trevor Bauer Wants To Improve, He Will Have To Listen To Who Knows Best Diamondbacks Vs. Padres: Starting Lineups, Injury News And More Thoughts On Arizona Diamondbacks Pitching: Injuries, Trevor Bauer, Long Relief, Aces And Predictions Diamondbacks Vs. Padres: Series Preview, Pitching Probables, Home Cooking And More

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Updated Dec 3, 2012 - 12:01 pm Cardinals coach not ready to name starter for Seattle Originally published: Dec 3, 2012 - 11:27 am Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells, center in red, is tackled by a host of New York Jets players during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Ryan Lindley has started two games for the team -- and played in three. He's completed 50-of-103 passes for 448 yards with no touchdowns and five interceptions. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt would not pull Lindley from Sunday's game, where he completed 10-of-31 passes for 72 yards with an interception in a 7-6 loss to the Jets. However, that does not mean the sixth-round pick will get the nod when the team takes on the Seahawks next Sunday. "We've got to look at it with the players today and understand why we had the breakdowns that we did, why we weren't successful on some of these plays," Whisenhunt said at his Monday morning press conference. "And then we'll decide from that point." Whisenhunt will have to choose between Lindley, John Skelton and Kevin Kolb. Kolb, he said, needs to be able to practice before he'll be considered for a game. He's been out since getting injured in Week 6 against the Bills. "He's making progress," the coach said. "Until we get out there and see that he can make the throws and be able to do those kind of things, then we'll know." Unwilling to commit to Lindley as he did last week, that would in theory leave Skelton as the only other viable option. Which, apparently, he still is, even after being removed from a game in Atlanta with his team leading and not being inserted into either of the last two contests with his replacement struggling. "I wouldn't say that I've lost confidence in John's ability," Whisenhunt said. Not turning to Skelton was less an indictment of him than it was just a byproduct of how Sunday's game was going, especially against a defense like the Jets' that gives a quarterback all sorts of different looks. "At the point where you have to make that change you have to understand is it because the guy in there is not playing well," Whisenhunt said. "Because you're going to lose a lot of what you've gone through in the first parts of the game in terms of understanding the protections, where the sights are and what the checks are." So perhaps Skelton will get back into the lineup Sunday. Or maybe Kolb will be healthy enough to play. Then again, the coach could stick with Lindley. Either way, the Cardinals' quarterback situation is as uncertain as ever, and right now no one knows who will get the start Sunday in Seattle.

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Is USC or Notre Dame the Real Winner of Extending Rivalry Series? By Lisa Horne , Pac-12 and Big 12 Lead Writer The University of Southern California and University of Notre Dame have announced their football series extension through the 2023 season. USC and Notre Dame fans can both claim to be the winner. So can the schools. College football's greatest intersectional rivalry will continue. Notre Dame has not returned to glory yet, but the Fighting Irish did make its first BCS title game appearance in the 2013 BCS Championship where it lost 42-14 to Alabama. Head coach Brian Kelly led his team to an undefeated regular season before suffering a crushing defeat to Nick Saban's Crimson Tide.USC has taken a step backward. The Trojans are still feeling the effects of NCAA-sanctioned scholarship reductions. No-tackle practices have been difficult on the team and its fans. Last year USC's No. 71-ranked rushing defense was gutted 426 yards by Oregon, 222 yards by Notre Dame and 294 yards by Georgia Tech. Jeff Gross/Getty Images Notre Dame started the 2012 season with minimal fanfare, devoid of an AP Top 25 preseason ranking, and finished playing for the BCS title. USC started the season in a glaring spotlight, a No. 1 AP preseason ranking, and finished 7-6. It would be fantastic if both teams peaked at the same time in the same year, but that has not happened since 1988 when No. 1 Notre Dame beat No. 2 USC to win the national title. Notre Dame's prospects look good. Kelly has already won over the fans—a very difficult thing to do—and despite getting spanked by Alabama, he has invigorated his school's fan base.USC is still in wait-and-see mode under head coach Lane Kiffin. He has not been dealt a full deck due to the NCAA sanctions but has recruited extremely well. The Trojans' non-conference schedule is a little watered down without the Irish on the slate. In 2014 they play Fresno State and Boston College. In 2015 they play Arkansas State and Idaho. Having Notre Dame as an opponent lends credibility to an otherwise SEC-like non-conference schedule. USA TODAY Sports Notre Dame will play more ACC opponents due to the school joining the Atlantic Coast Conference July 1. Its football program will remain independent but play five ACC teams per season. Depending on which ACC teams it plays, Notre Dame's schedule could become more difficult if it gets Miami, Florida State, Clemson and Virginia Tech and less difficult with Boston College, Wake Forest and Virginia. With conference expansion taking its toll on great rivalries, USC vs. Notre Dame has at least survived. Texas vs. Texas A&M is no longer, but USC vs. Notre Dame lives on.Sometime in the next decade, USC vs. Notre Dame will play for all the marbles. The anticipation will have been worth the wait.With the College Football Playoff selection committee putting greater emphasis on strength of schedule, this is a win-win for both schools. Sorting Through the Irish's Best QB Crop in Decades

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Baron Davis to the Miami Heat: Would the Veteran Point Guard Be a Good Fit? By Adam Davis Jared Wickerham/Getty Images 3.1K When the NBA powers that be finally come to a deal with the players and get back to basketball, there will likely be a flurry of players switching teams both due to free agency and the new amnesty clause. While there is much speculation that Cleveland point guard Baron Davis will probably be shipped away or simply let go (due to his huge contract and the ability for teams to say goodbye to cap-eating contracts with the potential new amnesty clause), there is also a growing hope/suspicion that he could end up in Miami. Miami needs a better point guard and Baron is seemingly a good fit. The question we have to ask now is not whether he will land in South Beach, but if that move would be something positive for both sides. Miami's point guard situation last season was less than spectacular, and there is certainly a need for change. The Heat tried using a veteran like Mike Bibby to lead the Big Three and also hit shots when needed. That didn't really work out so well.Bibby had dismal point and assist totals coupled with an uninspiring percentage from behind the three-point line. His shot was not what it once was, and his 2.5 assists per game were way too little coming from a guy who has teammates like Wade, LeBron and Bosh.Baron's stats are significantly better than Bibby's in that he averaged almost twice as many points and three times as many assists per game. Davis is younger, and seems to possess better ball skills than Bibby and, most importantly, he plays hard when he's motivated to win. Marc Serota/Getty Images The reality of the situation is such that I'm not convinced. Not by Baron's numbers nor his skills. I'm a firm believer in potential. I believe in the potential that Miami has on the bench. The potential of young players who should have been handed the reins at the beginning of last season. Mario Chalmers, barely 25 years old, had almost identical numbers to Bibby last year, while playing in a much more limited role than the veteran. However, the advantage he has is potential. Chalmers has the time and skill to grow into a tremendous starter for Miami, one that will know how to set up his star teammates and still score when it's required of him. Chalmers is not in a position to demand the ball from the other guys on the floor, nor is he going to demand any big contracts right now. He's in the perfect place to be handed the starting position from Bibby and prove he deserves it, making the team and himself better in the process. Davis, if he were to come to Miami, isn't a sure ticket to a championship, and if the team doesn't win, he could wind up heading for greener pastures, leaving the Heat back at square one with a lot less money to work with. Baron will just be another big name on a team full of them, and he is far from the right fit for the Heat right now. It's all well and good that Cleveland might want to get rid of Baron, but we already have enough Cavaliers who took their talents to South Beach. Let's see what current South Beach players can present their talents in a better way. Share Patience Pays Off for Haslem, Lewis from MiamiHerald.com

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I am a Washington Nationals season ticket holder whose son fell in love with the presidents race from that day in July, 2006 when big-headed Teddy Roosevelt first came up short. Since 2006, our chants of “Let Teddy Win!” during the presidents race were an attempt add fun to game day at RFK and later Nationals Park, and help turn more and more young people into Washington Nationals fans. In the years since, we’ve been featured on ESPN, FOX, ABC News, NPR, MLB Network, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Roll Call, Politico, and countless other print, online, and radio outlets. Who could have guessed? I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this blog, but it’s been a great learning experience and has introduced me to many wonderful members of the Nats community including employees, bloggers, and fans. It has quickly become your forum. Thank you for your photos, videos, texts, and tweets which help keep the site updated (If you have a tip or would like to contribute, please let me know). Now that Teddy has won his first race, I don’t know where things will lead, but as long as people still want to read about the goings-on inside Nationals Park, we’ll keep on blogging. If you’d like to join the fun and support the blog, we have t-shirts, campaign buttons, holiday ornaments and other cool items available for purchase at LetTeddyWin.com. The products are printed to order and shipped by CafePress, and are of very high quality. Everything is backed by the excellent CafePress 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Your purchases support this blog with a typical mark-up of a few dollars, sometimes less. If you have feedback or ideas for new items or designs, please send them to scott@letteddywin.com. ARE YOU SEEING ADS? WordPress has started adding display ads to the bottom of free WordPress.com blogs like mine, unless I pay to have them removed. These are not from me. The ads don’t appear if you have a free WordPress.com account and are logged in. All photos and videos appearing in this blog are © LetTeddyWin.com all rights reserved unless otherwise noted in the blog post. Photos may be used on other web sites with permission, attribution, and a link to this website. Share This:EmailFacebookTwitterDiggRedditLike this:Like Loading... 23 Responses CALSGR8, on March 14, 2008 at 12:23 am said: Hey! Got my Let Teddy Win Shirt ready for the Card Show at the Expo Center in Chantilly this weekend and for Opening Night! Go Teddy, Go! Reply Scott from Detroit, MI, on May 14, 2008 at 4:36 pm said: Dear website creator, Sorry that I don’t know your name. I just wanted to say that I cam across this website on FARK or DIGG a few months back, and since then I have been transfixed with the idea of “let teddy win!”. I think it is a great tradition for DC, and I also think it is a great pop culture icon. With today’s world that is seemingly focused on death and destruction, this is a great little reminder to have some fun, and to cheer for a cause. Heck, the 08′ presidential race is getting so crazy that I sometimes check to see what is happening with Teddy more then I do that out of control fiasco called a presidential race. Thanks for updating the site, I always check in here from Detroit and I hope to one day see the headline “Teddy Wins! :-D Outside of Detroit, MI Reply Presidents Race, on May 14, 2008 at 10:37 pm said: Thanks, Scott. That’s so nice! I had no idea that this little whim would develop such a big following so quickly, but it’s very gratifying and sure adds to the fun! I hope we’ll get to see you at Nationals Park sometime. Reply Katherine Aversano, on May 21, 2008 at 8:52 pm said: Hey – sorry about not getting back to you but my Boyfriend and I met you last night at the game when we were taking pics with Teddy before the game. I meant to email you aour names for the flickr site sorry I waited the whole day. Jeremy Ganoe and Katherine Aversano Great to meet you! -Katherine Reply Presidents Race, on May 21, 2008 at 9:22 pm said: Great to meet you Katherine. You guys looked great in your Let Teddy Win Gear!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ableman/2510661926/ Reply Melanie, on June 17, 2008 at 2:09 pm said: I nominated Let Teddy Win as my favorite sports blog on the Bloggers Choice Awards. Go here to get your badge and to vote for yourself =) Reply Natsfan, on August 16, 2008 at 9:41 pm said: Nice web site! We love Teddy! I thought I’d share a video I took of Uncle Slam racing Teddy at a Potomac Nationals game. Teddy won that one. Reply Anonymous, on August 18, 2008 at 11:29 pm said: My conclusion is that the Lerners are not baseball people; they are wealthy entrepreneurs who see an MLB team as a personal jewel. And, they are right it is, but they are making the fan base pick up the tab for a ridiculous program. Their business plan is not a baseball plan. A prime example of their lack of baseball savvy is the announced “Main Event” at every single home game. Do you know what the “Main Event” is to the the Lerners? No, not the baseball game. It is The Presidents’ Race. That is their “Main Event” Now why are we paying $300.00 a seat (or for those really close to the pitiful performances, $400.00 per seat), or $150.00 a seat, or $60.00 a seat, or $55.00 a seat, etc. for the “Main Event” to be four dummies running on the warning track for 2 minutes? I thought the Main Event was the ball game! How embarrassing for our players to be associated with such a stupid, double A event as the Presidents’ Race. How demeaning. Why should they take themselves seriously, if the Lerners do not take baseball seriously? If the players do not take themselves seriously, they won’t perform; a simple truth. And, there’s Manny, doing that ridiculous commercial with Teddy, while Teddy acts disinterested in Manny’s instructions – and throws a paper plane at him. It is not funny, but it is revealing that Manny is not taken seriously. It does show how the Lerners see Manny. You’d think Manny would have some pride and refuse to be portrayed in that way. When the manager is made to look like a fool, how committed could the Lerners be to baseball, or to that manager? They are not. They are serious about their business plan, however. It looks like the plan is to create a food court around a baseball field where dummies run the warning track to entertain the fans and FunLand is right around the bend to provide more entertainment – such as guitar hero and other electronic games. You see, the idea is to create an entertainment experience and base ball is just a part of it. With that business plan, the Lerners will make much money, while baseball goes in the toilet in Washington, D.C. If the Lerners where baseball people, they would know there is a Ted Williams legacy, and a Walter Johnson Legacy, etc. to live up to. The next time you go to the Stadium and look at that great historical timeline on the wall, image the Presidents’ Race showing up in the time line. What an addition to baseball history that would be! As long as the Nationals team is “a part” of the entertainment experience, in stead of the main event, that historical time line will be frozen where it is and Ground Hog’s Day will be forever. The Lerners need to cut all ticket prices in half next year and they need to get serious about baseball. The Lerners are now the keepers of the flame and it is flickering, badly. Were I to advise the Lerner Family, I would say this: “Think about your potential place in history and don’t be the owners that fans for decades-to-come will look back at and laugh as that family of mall builders who were not baseball people. You have an opportunity in the timeline of baseball, so, don’t balk and don’t go down looking. You do know what those terms mean, don’t you?” “Honor the game, not the dollar.” Reply Presidents Race, on August 19, 2008 at 12:17 am said: Anonymous, I welcome your opinion but must respectfully disagree. The Washington Nationals have the worst record in baseball yet just managed to continue to draw crowds of over 30,000 in the midst of a 10-game losing streak during the Olympics. Maybe they shouldn’t introduce it as “the main event,” but the Nationals presidents race gets fans talking and brings them to the ball park. I have two kids who would not have dreamed of missing Teddy’s t-shirt night last week. They didn’t start out with the slightest interest in baseball, but promotions drew them in and now in the Nationals’ fourth season, they follow the team and could explain with pride the nuances of the infield fly rule and the unique ground rules of Nationals Park. All this translates into revenue for the team, which from where I sit appears to pretty consistently be spent on scouting and young prospects. Last year the Nationals showed great creativity in signing all of their picks and had the top-rated draft in baseball. This year they signed all but one of their picks (and the one stubborn pitcher that didn’t sign was offered more by the Nats than any other pitcher got in the draft). You say that the Lerners have no baseball savvy but I’m not sure what evidence you’re looking for, or what you’re asking them to do. Shut down the in-game promotions? Cut ticket prices in half? Go out and sign free agents? Doesn’t sound that savvy to me. What does everybody else think? Reply Cedric Baker, on April 23, 2011 at 4:51 pm said: You’re right Presidents Race. It is the absolute opposite of savvy to slash prices and then pursue free agents. But they should pursue FAs more aggressively, especially pitchers. The Nats bats are steadily improving, but their pitching staff isn’t and has perenially been among the worst in baseball. The Presidents Race is a great promotion, a fun one to watch, but I agree with anonymous; it shouldn’t be promoted as the main event. Promotions mean nothing if the team isn’t winning. Washington hasn’t sent a team to the World Series since 1924; it more than anyone except the Cubs deserves a winner. Reply sentientcheese, on October 3, 2012 at 3:32 pm said: Hi, I’m from the future – HAHAHAHAHA no. Home grown is where it’s at! Reply Stacy, on August 25, 2008 at 9:46 pm said: I am a die-hard Yankees fan. My fiance is a die-hard Phillies fan. And we love coming down to see the Nationals. We have the GW bobblehead and made the trip to Washington just for the bobblehead (we are disappointed that we could not make the trip three more times to get the other bobbleheads). Promotions bring people to the park. And coming to the park increases fans. I love the President’s race and have told everyone I know about it. It makes them want to go to Washington to see it for themselves, even if they aren’t Nationals fans. And the new ballpark is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I can’t wait to get down again for another game. We have a goal to visit every ballpark in the country at least once and when we book tickets, we look for the days that offer promotions. It’s a great memory of the game. I’d like to believe that, no matter how well a team performs, the players like to see the seats filled with people cheering for them. It has to be a morale booster. I think stadiums should do whatever it takes to get butts in the seats and create fans. It’s good to get kids to the park and have some time in the fresh air with their families. I don’t have children yet, but when I do, I can’t wait to take them to their first ball game. Yes, the game is important, but it is a game. And it should be FUN for the players and the fans. I see the Nationals having five mascots that keep the crowd alive. And it’s a very good thing. Keep up the good work here. Win Teddy, Win!!!!!! Reply r r, on September 2, 2008 at 12:12 pm said: My husband was a Mlwk Brewer batboy and has been a diehard Brewer fan for 40 years. Several years ago when the Brewers instituted the “sausage races” this proud german found even more to love about his team. So when we moved to DC this past year one of our DC area friends gifted us with his Teddy R bobblehead and the story of the presidents races. My husband, reacting with home team loyalty, accused the Nats of copying the Brewer sausage races idea and declared the Rushmores could never be as good. Then we attended our first Nats game at RFK in Sept ’07. The Nats were dissappointing and the Philly fans around us were annoying but the presidents race charmed us. Those costumes are wonderfully ridiculous and endlessly entertaining – so much more than a sausage. And the whole idea is perfect for a town that takes its national politics and politicians way too seriously much of the time. We attended 8 Nats games this season always gleefully looking forward to the Rushmore Races. And Teddy not ever winning? What a great goofy gimick! Bring ‘em on! Brewers and Nats fans – r & r Reply mynats33, on October 25, 2008 at 12:50 pm said: Love the sight and have forwarded it to many people. Got me a bumper sticker too. But I call into question whether T.R. would approve of the term “Let Teddy Win.” By his own merit he became Governor of New York and a professional historian, naturalist, explorer, hunter, author, and soldier. He gained the title “Trust Buster” not because he believed every man has a right to success but that at the starting line of all of our endeavors, all men should be equal. In his life he took victory, it was not given. Let us not ask for that which he would not. Oh so sweet the victory after so many bitter defeats. Go Nats. Win Teddy! Win Teddy Reply Jason Clinkscales, on January 6, 2009 at 12:50 am said: I found this site thanks to Jeff Passan’s recent Hot Stove piece about the Nationals (maybe not the most sincere reference, but I guess it works). A few friends and I drove down to DC for the last game at RFK back in ’07 and we had a ton of fun. Much of this had to do with the fact that we don’t get stuff like this in New York City (or Boston or Philadelphia, for that matter). As a freelance sportswrtier, I guess that I am supposed to toe the line with the anonymous writer who essentially ripped apart the notion of actually having fun at a game. I’m supposed to honor the game by not giving in to these so-called shenanigans. Yet, as with your children, this is bringing people to the park. Provided that the Nationals invest their resources into the team, the Presidents Race is a small bit of honey to attract the bees. I’m just happy to have found a place that actually tracks Teddy’s progress. Mucho thanks. Reply Tim Walker, on July 5, 2009 at 7:28 pm said: Reply Presidents Race Fan, on July 5, 2009 at 7:42 pm said: Thanks for sharing the video! Reply Can We Have Baseball in Washington, Please?, on September 13, 2009 at 12:40 am said: Teddy is simply the symbol of the team. Teddy never wins! Reply Guancous Armore, on May 8, 2010 at 2:02 pm said: They should let Teddy win the day after the Nationals clinch a playoff spot. Reply Dwight Holmes, on June 7, 2010 at 10:49 am said: Teddy MUST win tomorrow. IF NOT NOW – WHEN? It’s a new day in DC Baseball! Reply Jill Lira, on September 20, 2012 at 11:20 pm said: Great blog, found you after seeing the awesome article and documentary about our beloved Teddy! I first discovered the Presidential Race while in DC the first summer they had the bobbleheads. I only got two of the four but at least one of those two is TEDDY! Go Teddy Go! Reply Breaking News Out Of Nationals Park | Distriction, on October 3, 2012 at 2:19 pm said: [...] For more information on the Let Teddy Win movement as part of the Presidents Race at Nationals Park, visit LetTeddyWin.com. [...] Reply Dana Larson, on October 3, 2012 at 9:40 pm said: Rumor is Teddy will retire now that he’s won today :-( Please share this page, in hopes of keeping Teddy! http://www.facebook.com/KeepTeddy

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Fantasy Baseball Trends: Cain, Beltran, Lynn, Plouffe, and Dickey Bloomberg Sports Anchor Rob Shaw discusses five players who are making an impact in fantasy baseball. Matt Cain, SP, Giants Coming into the season, it was already clear that Matt Cain was the best starting pitcher in baseball to never reach 15 wins in a season. He averaged 13 wins over the last three seasons despite having an ERA less than three over that period. This year it looks like Cain is finally going to get the overdue respect he’s earned. Whether it’s because of Tim Lincecum’s struggles, the 8-2 record, or the absurd 0.85 WHIP, Cain has shined bright this season and has become the clear ace for the Giants. Wednesday night was simply a celebration of that as he was not only perfect, but the accompanying 14 strikeouts tells you that he struck out the majority of the batters he faced. Best of all, his past tells us that Cain usually gets better in the second half of the season. Carlos Beltran, OF, Cardinals Year after year we see veteran players find their second winds in St. Louis. Well, you can add Carlos Beltran to the list that already includes such names as Larry Walker, Will Clark, Jim Edmonds, and more recently Lance Berkman. Beltran offered three hits on Wednesday including a solo shot, which would end up being the only run of the game. His average is now at .298, which is not the biggest surprise, but the shock comes with the 19 home runs. The 35-year-old is on pace for a career high in home runs, perhaps up to 45. However, his pace is probably not sustainable because of the biggest threat of all: injuries. Lance Lynn, SP, Cardinals Not many people have heard of Lance Lynn, but he is the lone reason that the Cardinals are competing despite the slow start from Adam Wainwright, who is rebounding from a missed season, plus the loss of Chris Carpenter due to an injury of his own. Lynn is a former first-round pick who showed some life in the bullpen a season ago, but no one predicted his performance this season. He is now 10-2 with a 2.42 ERA and has 23 strikeouts over the last two starts. Will he keep it up? The odds are against him. He is approaching 82 innings of work, which is a big boost from a season in which his innings were limited. Trevor Plouffe, OF, Twins In his first two seasons, Trevor Plouffe was a disappointment with the Twins, but now he’s one of the hottest sluggers in baseball. Plouffe blasted his 11th home run on Wednesday, which was his sixth over the last 10 games. His average remains low, less than .240, but his power has more than made up for that. So is it sustainble? Probably not. We have never seen this type of power in the minor leagues and there isn’t really much else that he offers to fantasy managers. R.A. Dickey, SP, Mets The Mets have protested the official scoring of Dickey’s start on Wednesday night against the Rays with hopes that the one hit he surrendered will be called an error on David Wright. While it was Johan Santana who picked up the no-no a little while ago, the ace on this team is very much R.A. Dickey. Not only is he incredibly durable, which is often the case for knuckleballers, but he is also changing speeds from the 50s to the 80s and throwing strikes with his knuckleball, which is very rarely seen. The big story this season is that Dickey has recently turned into a strikeout artist, and he did so again on Wednesday with 12 K’s. He is now 10-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, and is looking like Roy Halladay at his best with the numbers that he’s posting. So is he really this good? Yes, he is very good and I do think he may be a top-five pitcher for the remainder of the season. His ERA has always been splendid with the Mets, as in sub-3, and now with the run support, he’s getting the much deserved wins. The only question is whether he will keep racking up the K’s, and so far, so good! For more fantasy baseball insight, visit BloombergSports.com. Filed in: Baseball, fantasybaseball Tags: Bloomberg Sports, Carlos Beltran Cardinals, fantasy baseball, Front Office 2012, Giants Pitching, Lance Lynn Cardinals, Matt Cain Giants, Matt Cain Perfect Game, Mets pitching, MLB, no-hitter, R.A. Dickey Mets, Rob Shaw, Trevor Plouffe Twins, Twitter Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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Wrapping up the day at Yankees camp Some things never change about Spring Training, and the Yankees’ Minor League complex looked almost exactly the same as I remembered it this morning, heading over to Himes Avenue to check out the action. My story for the day, which you can read tonight on Yankees.com, focuses on Eric Chavez … who looks awfully out-of-place without his Athletics gold and green. That’s kind of the idea – after five (!) surgical procedures since 2007 and a disappointing turn in what was a very promising career, the 33-year-old Chavez is hoping that a change of scenery will recharge his batteries. He said that a lot of people were asking him why he’d pick the Yankees – especially with Jorge Posada at DH, Mark Teixeira at first base and Alex Rodriguez at third base. But after being limited by injuries so much in recent years, Chavez hopes that a part-time role will keep him on the field. “I think coming to a place where expectations aren’t too high, it’s more realistic to think that I could play in two or three ballgames a week than five or six,” Chavez said. “I’m just going to try to keep myself healthy and show them that I can swing the bat a little bit, and we’ll see what happens.” Chavez took grounders from Rob Thomson at third base. Mark Prior also arrived today and did some light jogging around the practice fields, keeping his white earbuds in the whole time. Throwing live to hitters today – Neal Cotts, Steve Garrison, Andy Sisco, D.J. Mitchell, Dellin Betances and Adam Warren. Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova, Manny Banuelos and Alan Horne were also at the complex. Curtis Granderson arrived at camp, fresh off his 10-day trip to New Zealand. Granderson hit in a group that included Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli. Colin Curtis and Jesus Montero were also on the scene. The Yankees announced the Bartolo Colon & Freddy Garcia signings, along with a slew of others. 67 players in all are coming to camp … Nearly 50 years after he caught Roger Maris’ 61st home run, Sal Durante received a tour of the new Yankee Stadium today. Share this:EmailLike this:Like Loading... Posted on February 11, 2011 at 6:18 pm

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Cooper explains Saturday&apos;s lineup The Astros had an unusual lineup Saturday against the Dodgers with Chris Coste at first base and Jason Michaels in center field. Coste was playing in place of the injured Lance Berkman, and Michaels was in place of Michael Bourn, who was given the day off. “I need to get Michaels going somehow,” manager Cecil Cooper said. “I think this is a pretty good test, and the other guy [Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw] has been tough against left-handed hitters. This will give Michaels a chance to hopefully get going.” This will be the 10th start of the season for Michaels. He’s hitting .173 this season, and eight of his 13 hits have been doubles. Coste, acquired July 10 off waivers from Philadelphia, will be making his first start for the Astros while facing a left-handed starter. “That’s going to be his role for now,” Cooper said. “That’s going to be a role he can fill.” Second baseman Kaz Matsui, who’s hitting lead-off with Bourn out, has four consecutive multi-hit games coming into Saturday. He has reached base safely via a hit or walk in 10 consecutive games. Batting right-handed, he’s hitting .348 with a .444 on-base percentage this year. “He’s been really going strong,” he said. “He’s really swung good from the right side. The left side, he’s been missing a little bit and chasing a lot of bad balls. The last few games he’s looked much better from the left side.” Cooper said Matsui would likely be out of the lineup Sunday for rest. Filed in: Dailies Tags: Chris Coste, Jason Michaels, Kaz Matsui Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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Tejada on trade Miguel Tejada’s thoughts on today’s trade to San Diego.. On his reactions on trade: “I know this game is a business. I wish the team could do better with me here. I’m just sorry because I think we can do much better than we’re doing now. I got to accept whatever they do. It’s a great honor that a first-place team wants me. I wish it could be here and we were fighting for first place. That don’t happen and I got to go do my job.” On whether this surprised him: “It hit me hard. It’s not because I get traded, but one thing I never want to do is leave this team. I love being here. I feel bad because I left a lot of good guys behind. I always say that I love the city and I love this team. It hit me hard, but I got to go play and help those guys to win a championship.” On how he’ll be used in San Diego: “I’m probably going to be used as a third base or a shortstop, the two positions that I play. I just want to go up there and help them. I love winning and there’s an opportunity there to be a winner.” On whether his time is running out to get a ring?: “You see what happened here and now I go into a situation where I can get a ring. It’s not easy to get a ring. It’s a lot of hard work. Now, I’m going to have an opportunity. I’m just going to move forward and keep working hard and hopefully I’ll have an opportunity.” On whether he’d consider another return to Baltimore: “I always say that I love this city, I love this team, I love the guys that they have in here. I would love to never leave here. I’ll always be interested in coming back here. I already told the team that the only team that I can be coaching when I retire is here. I love it here. In my heart, I’m one of the Orioles. I feel like this is the team that gave to my family. I think that everywhere I go, people are going to look at me as one of the Orioles. Hopefully now, they’ll look at me like a Hall of Famer like Jim Palmer or Brooks Robinson because those guys did so much for baseball and the Orioles. But I think I’m getting there because I love the Orioles and I played for them a long time. I think my heart belongs to the Orioles.” Like this:Like Loading... Filed in: Dailies Tags: Miguel Tejada Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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March 13/07 3:06 am - Lance Armstrong Returning to CalgaryPosted by Editor on 03/13/07 Lance Armstrong Returning to CalgaryLance Armstrong, cancer survivor and seven time Tour de France champion, is returning to Calgary June 22nd to 24th, 2007. Armstrong's fourth visit to the city will help the Alberta Cancer Foundation launch the Tour of Courage's inaugural community fundraising ride."I had wonderful experiences on my previous visits," said Armstrong. "To be able to help out and have the chance to ride in Calgary and the Canadian Rockies again is very cool. I am also glad my close friend Eddy Merckx is joining me."The Tour of Courage, presented by Devonian Properties Inc, begins with an event for the corporate community on June 22nd called Lessons in Leadership, Lessons in Courage. "Lance will dialogue with a small group of business leaders and their special guests from the cancer community," said Linda Mickelson, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation. "His message is inspiring and we expect it to be an extraordinary event."On June 23rd, Armstrong and Merckx will lead a small group of the top 25 fundraising cyclists on a challenging 120 km ride through the Rockies. The new Tour of Courage Community Ride on June 24th will enable novice and veteran cyclists to challenge themselves on a 30, 60 or 90 km route while taking bold action in the fight against cancer.Dr. Peter Craigshead, Director of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, commented, "This is a great way for people to get actively involved in the Alberta Cancer Board's vision of a Cancer Free Future. We are exceptionally happy Lance will be here to help our Foundation raise funds for the research, prevention and screening initiatives that are going to get us there."To learn more about the Alberta Cancer Foundation's Tour of Courage and to register, visit www.tourofcourage.ca. Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top

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