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hide Scans show retired American football players have brain deficits Thursday, October 17, 2013 8:09 a.m. CDT LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found "profound abnormalities" in scans of brain activity in a group of retired American football players, adding to evidence indicating that repeated blows to the head can trigger longer-term aggression and dementia. Although the former National Football League (NFL) players in the study were not diagnosed with any neurological conditions, brain-imaging tests showed unusual activity that correlated with the number of times they had left the field with a head injury during their football careers. Adam Hampshire at Imperial College London, who led the study, said the ex-NFL players showed "some of the most pronounced abnormalities in brain activity" he had ever seen. "And I have processed a lot of patient data sets in the past," he said in a statement about the research. A growing body of scientific research shows that repeated knocks to the head can lead to a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can lead to loss of decision making control, aggression and dementia. Previous research has also found that former American football players have higher rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These latest findings, published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, suggest players also face a risk of subtle neurological deficits that would not necessarily show up on normal clinical tests. John Hardy at University College London's Institute of Neurology, who was not involved in this study, said the findings showed what he and others have long suspected - that common dysfunctional behavior among former sportsmen such as American footballers, ice hockey enforcers and boxers is related to sub clinical brain injuries sustained during their careers. The NFL agreed in August to pay $765 million to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of former players, many suffering from dementia and health problems. They accused the league of hiding the dangers of brain injury while profiting from the sport's violence. Hampshire's study involved 13 former NFL professionals who felt they were suffering brain problems affecting everyday life. While their brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the former players and 60 healthy volunteers were given a test that involved rearranging colored balls in a series of tubes in as few steps as possible. The NFL group performed worse on the test than the healthy volunteers, but the difference was modest, according to Hampshire and colleagues at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, who collaborated on the study. More strikingly, however, the scans showed unusual patterns of brain activity in the frontal lobe, the region responsible for so-called executive functions such as decision-making that might affect someone's ability to plan and organize daily life. The difference between the two groups was so marked that a computer program learned to distinguish between ex-football players and healthy volunteers at close to 90 percent accuracy, based just on their frontal lobe activation patterns. Hampshire said the critical finding was that levels of brain abnormality seen in the ex-players correlated strongly with the number of head impacts they had suffered that were severe enough to warrant them being taken out of play. "This means that it is highly likely that damage caused by blows to the head accumulate towards an executive impairment in later life," he said.

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hide Jennnigs passed over for All Star game Friday, January 25, 2013 8:37 a.m. CST by Mark Daniels Milwaukee Bucks logo. Despite averaging 18.7 points a game, dishing out 5.8 assists a night and ranking third in the league with 2 steals a game, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings was passed over for a spot on the NBA All Star Eastern Conference roster. The reserves for the game were announced on Thursday night. Jennings has helped lead the Bucks into playoff contention at the halfway point of the season with a 22-18 record. Getting the nod ahead of Jennings were Jrue Holliday of Philadelphia and Kyrie Irving of Cleveland. Jennings badly outplayed Holliday on Tuesday night in a Bucks victory but he is averaging 19 points and 9 assists a game for a team that is 17-25 on the season. Irving is averaging 23.7 points a game for the Cavaliers who are next to last in the Eastern Conference at 11-32. Jennings and Iriving will go head to head in Cleveland Friday night. The All Star game is set for February 17 in Houston.

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hide Radwanska ends Azarenka reign at Melbourne Park Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland hits a return to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during their women's singles quarter-final tennis match at the A By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Silent assassin Agnieszka Radwanska toppled a shrieking Victoria Azarenka 6-1 5-7 6-0 on Wednesday to end the Belarusian's bid for a hat-trick of titles and reach her maiden Australian Open semi-final. The crafty Pole frustrated Azarenka with a scrambling, cat-and-mouse game early and completely dismantled the Belarusian in the final set to close out one of her finest victories in two sun-drenched hours at Rod Laver Arena. In a tournament littered with big upsets, Radwanska booked a semi-final against 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova, and put herself in the box seat to crack her first grand slam title after coming close in a heartbreaking loss to Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2012. Radwanska also missed a big chance at the championships last year when she was dumped by unheralded German Sabine Lisicki in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old Pole said dwelling on the near-misses would not be in her preparations. "Of course, losing matches like at Wimbledon, it's always disappointing. It's kind of painful, as well, especially that it was the semi-final of a grand slam. "But I think you're playing so many tournaments, so many very important matches, that it takes really not much time to forget. "I think every grand slam is a different story. I'm trying not to really think about other matches, especially tough matches that I lost." Radwanska at least won't have to deal with either top seed Williams or Lisicki, who were both eliminated earlier along with former champion and third seed Maria Sharapova. China's Li Na, seeded fourth and twice a finalist, is the highest ranked player left in the women's draw and will play 19-year-old Canadian sensation Eugenie Bouchard in the other semi-final. MAKING EVERYTHING For Azarenka, it was a lost opportunity, and the Belarusian admitted as much after spraying 47 unforced errors to gift her opponent a huge headstart in the first and third sets. "She was aggressive. She was making everything. She was guessing right. I was just playing a little bit too predictable," the 24-year-old told reporters. "I'll be fine tomorrow. I'll be working tomorrow. It's not the end of the world. "But on the court I felt like I could have played a lot better. I could have changed something today. Could have been more sharp. There's so much to improve from today." After slumping to 5-0 down in the first set, she finally held serve in the sixth game and pummeled her legs with her fists, letting out an angst-filled shriek to try to pump herself up. Radwanska simply went about her business with a quiet determination, closing out the set by bamboozling the Belarusian with a deft drop-shot. Azarenka rallied, pouncing on Radwanska's serve with a string of fierce returns at 6-5 and leveled the match with a searing crosscourt winner. The Belarusian dipped again, though, double-faulting to bring up a second break point in the opening game of the third set, and floated a backhand long to lose serve. After Radwanska held a tough service game to move 2-0 ahead, Azarenka needlessly blasted a ball into the back of the court raising jeers from the crowd, and promptly lost the next four points to go a double-break down. Tested on serve again, Radwanska raised huge roars from the terraces with a succession of exquisite points, scrambling down a series of would-be winners to hold to 5-0 before Azarenka crumbled in the final game. (Editing by Patrick Johnston)

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Advertisement UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta Discusses Picking the Location For UFC on FX 5 An interesting reason� - UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and Guy Fieri recently spoke about UFC on FX 5 coming to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here are the highlights� Fertitta on Selecting The Location of UFC on FX 5: "As we lay the year out, we like to move around, preferably to major metropolises and major cities," Fertitta told USA TODAY Sports. "A lot of it has to do with the availability of the arena and what else is going on in that city the time or that night to make sure we don't have a lot of competition to contend with. In this situation, we were trying to put this card together, and we were debating over two or three different locations on where to go. It was kind of funny, because we do a lot of analysis and we're running numbers and doing all kinds of different things, and we said, 'Sometimes you just have to go literally by gut feel. I'm a huge fan of Guy Fieri's show, 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' and I had actually downloaded the app on my iPhone. I said, 'You know what we're going to do? I'm going to go on my app right now, and whichever city has more Guy Fieri locations, that's where we're going to do the fight.' That's literally how it came down." Fertitta on Guy Fieri: "I'm not a big fancy-food guy at all. My daughter got me into Guy Fieri's show. We sit down and watch it together. I put these different places in these different cities into my iPhone because I want to hit them when I go there. When we get to Minnesota, I'll hit two or three of these places because I like that kind of food." Fieri on the UFC: "Listen � you want to talk about those moments in your career where you go, 'Seriously?'" Fieri recalled. "I'm a fan of the organization, and to think that what I do � I'm a chef, and I do some TV shows � to think what I do makes an impact on something as grand and as powerful as the UFC is incredible." Fieri on the Sport of MMA: "MMA is incredibly entertaining," Fieri said. "A wide market of people are participating in it. I have young, female bartenders in my restaurant that in train in MMA. Some compete, some don't, but they say it's the greatest workout they've ever had. I think there are a lot of misconceptions. Some people don't quite get what it is. But these are adults making decision about what they want to do. I'm not saying that people aren't right to have their opinions, but if you haven't seen it or you really don't know what it's all about, just check it out. It's very entertaining, and you're seeing incredible athletes perform at a level that is in a lot of ways unbelievable." Credit: USA Today

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Head coach Sean Miller and the Arizona men's basketball staff announced the signing of Dusan Ristic on Wednesday. In one of the most successful seasons in the storied history of the Arizona men's basketball program, the Wildcats won 33 games, claimed their 13th Pac-12 regular-season title, secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, advanced to their 10th Elite Eight and made their 16th appearance in the Sweet 16. For the second time this week, incoming Arizona men's basketball student-athlete Kadeem Allen has earned a National Player of the Year award, as the NABC named him Junior College Player of the Year on Wednesday. Following a season in which they helped lead the Arizona men's basketball program to a 33-5 record, a Pac-12 regular-season title and an Elite Eight appearance, Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson have entered their names in the 2014 NBA Draft. University of Arizona junior guard Nick Johnson added to his lengthy list of postseason honors on Monday. Johnson Named Second-Team AP All-American University of Arizona junior guard Nick Johnson was the leading vote-getter on the second team on Monday when the Associated Press announced its 2014 college basketball All-Americans. Cats Drop Overtime Heartbreaker to Wisconsin in Elite Eight ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Frank Kaminsky carried Wisconsin to the Final Four with 28 points, including six in overtime, as the Badgers defeated Arizona 64-63 in a physical West Region final Saturday night. Kaminsky had 11 rebounds and scored from all over, including three 3 pointers, for the No. 2 seed Badgers (30-7). It's Wisconsin's first Final Four appearance since 2000, and first for 69-year-old coach Bo Ryan, who earned his 704th career victory. Nick Johnson had the ball with a chance to win, but he missed a shot that came just after the buzzer for Arizona (33-5), the top-seeded team that has yet to win a West Region final in Anaheim in four tries. Johnson led the Wildcats with 16 points, and Aaron Gordon had 18 rebounds in the relentlessly physical game. Johnson stood with his hands on his hips, staring straight ahead, while Kaminsky and the rest of the Badgers rushed to celebrate. Traevon Jackson added 10 points for the Badgers, and Kaminsky was chosen as most outstanding player of the West Region. Kaleb Tarczewski scored 12 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 10 points for the Wildcats, who were trying to get coach Sean Miller to the Final Four for his first time. Instead, Miller was sent to the sidelines on the same day his younger brother Archie's Dayton Flyers lost to Florida in the South Region final. The first 40 minutes were a back-and-forth struggle between the only 1-2 seeds remaining in the regionals, with neither team leading by more than three points over the final 12:09 of regulation. Overtime was even more dramatic, with Arizona having an answer for just about everything Wisconsin did. Ben Brust hit a 3-pointer to put the Badgers up at the start of the extra session; Gordon answered with a 3 to tie it up again at 57. Kaminsky scored inside and Gordon dunked at the other end for another tie. Kaminsky's jumper and a free throw <blank> No. 4/5 Men's Basketball Faces Wisconsin Saturday Making its second Elite Eight appearance in the last four years, top-seeded Arizona will face Wisconsin on Saturday looking to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001; Sean Miller is making his third Elite Eight appearance as a head coach. Cats Rally to Defeat San Diego State 70-64 in Sweet 16 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Nick Johnson scored all of his 15 points in the last 2:45, after missing his first 10 shots, and Arizona rallied to beat San Diego State 70-64 Thursday night and advance to the final eight of the NCAA tournament. Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 15 points each for the top-seeded Wildcats (33-4). They next play Wisconsin in the West Regional final Saturday. Xavier Thames scored 25 points and Dwayne Polee added 13 points for the Aztecs (31-5). Those two tried to bail out SDSU in the final minute, each hitting 3-pointers before Thames' basket cut the deficit to 65-61 with 38 seconds left. The drama wasn't over yet in a game featuring tenacious defense and rabid intensity by both teams. SDSU got called for a 10-second violation, and the Wildcats regained the ball. Johnson got fouled and made both for a 67-61 lead with 26 seconds to go. Thames got fouled on a 3-point attempt, and he sank all three shots to leave SDSU trailing 67-64. The Aztecs had Johnson trapped near their bench, but he passed out of the double team and Gabe York got fouled at the other end. He missed the first and made the second, keeping Arizona ahead 68-64. Thames missed, and Johnson went to the line again where he ended the scoring with two free throws. Hollis-Jefferson fouled out with 4:42 to play, but Johnson made his first basket a couple minutes later and carried the Wildcats across the finish line after they trailed much of the second half. Arizona coach Sean Miller joined his brother Archie in the final eight. The younger Miller coached Dayton to an 82-72 victory over Stanford of the Pac-12 in the South Regional semifinals. The Aztecs controlled the boards 37-29, with three of them often battling at once on the defensive end. Josh Davis had 14 rebounds for SDSU. Johnson, the Pac-12 player of the year, finished 2 of 12 from the field, but Johnson Collects NABC All-America Honor University of Arizona junior guard Nick Johnson was recognized for his standout 2013-14 season by Division I coaches from around the nation on Wednesday when he was named a first-team All-American by the NABC. No. 4/5 Men's Basketball to Face San Diego State in Sweet 16 Making its third Sweet 16 appearance in the last four years, top-seeded Arizona heads to Anaheim to face a San Diego State team it bested in a tight matchup at Viejas Arena back in November.

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Stadium A- Atmosphere A+ Concessions A- Photos taken in 2006 If you're looking for a baseball time machine, Cobb Field is about as good as it gets (especially now with Ray Winder Field gone). Unfortunately, the team and city are trying to drum up support for a ballpark that would replace Cobb Field. There is no way that a brand new ballpark could replicate the authentic baseball experience that fans get when they come to Cobb Field. Located just north of downtown Billings, the ballpark's setting is just one of its many unique features. Providing the backdrop is Billings most famous feature, the Rimrocks. The ballpark itself is a classic WPA model. The grandstand wraps all the way around the infield and features a large roof over the sections behind homeplate. Most of the seating is just metal bleachers as there are only a few rows of box seats, which here means metal folding chairs. There is also a large picnic area at the end of the 3rd base side. The concourse, while narrow and dark, is a classic. Similar to the one found at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, it features several concession stands and a small gift shop, which is about 20 feet long and only about 5 feet wide. Also along the concourse is the Billings Hall of Fame, which features photos of some of the famous alumni to have played here. Concessions are well varied and cheap, as could be expected at this low rung of the minors. They offer wings, brats, Philly steaks, BBQ, and burgers besides the normal ballpark fare. Portions are good size and the quality is good. While the ballpark and cheap fare contribute to making Cobb Field a time machine, it's really the atmosphere that does it. There are no on-field games. There are no annoying sound effects between pitches or at-bats. And there is no mascot for the kids to molest. Baseball is the attraction here and adults and kids alike are expected to sit and watch the game. There are no fun areas or jump castles or speed pitch games for the kids. It is really refreshing to see such a pure experience, especially after witnessing how teams on the east coast go crazy with games, sound effects, and other nonsense. The closest thing the team has to a mascot is an old lady who sells 50/50 raffle teams and acts as the team cheerleader. About the only complaint I could find out Cobb Field is that almost all the sightlines are blocked by a screen or netting. But other than that, this is about as perfect as it gets if you're a fan of baseball and old ballparks. Hopefully nothing changes here, but I fear with a new ballpark (opening in '08), things could only change for the worse. So get to Cobb Field while you still can - you won't regret it ! Unfortunately, time has now run out. Immediately after the '07 season, Cobb Field was knocked down to make way for the new ballpark being built on the same site. Site Map All photos Copyright BallparkReviews.com Spring Training Parks

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Fan Quotes - Page 5 Lately, I've been doing a lot of tuning in and impatiently tuning out. As a longtime fan of talk radio, I don't think this bodes well for the long-term broad appeal of the medium. Talk, I always place myself as the archetypal Cure fan. I'm the wrong age, but I still think that if I like anything particularly, our fans will. Place, I don't understand the mentality of a rock fan, being obsessed with two or three songs from 25 years ago. I'm not that kind of a fan. I've been an REM fan since I was a little girl. I would jump around to 'Stand' in the mirror. Since, As a longtime fan of talk radio, I'm very worried about the low opinion that conservative hosts and callers have of the American artist. Art is portrayed as a scam, a rip-off and snow job pushed by snobbish elites. I'm a big fan of teatowels and am always on the lookout for a good one. While I'm more of a soccer and tennis fan myself, I still enjoying catching some football games when I get the chance. I'm a big fan of the misunderstood, the vilified, the underdog, the breaking of myths. Underdog, Breaking, I always loved all kinds of music. I would watch musicals a lot as a kid, on TV, watch the Fred Astaire movies. I'd watch 'The Wizard of Oz.' I was a big Jerry Lewis fan, and they'd have these big bands and someone singing - some siren, or some guy singing some gorgeous song. I was always enamored of that style of music. I'm a big fan of pantomime storytelling, being an animator. I love 3-D. I have been a big fan of 3-D for a long, long time. I took my 1988 wedding pictures in 3-D! I'm a huge fan of Blu-rays myself. A fan sent me a letter and a $10 bill. It's a short letter - all she said was, 'Hey, since it's harder for you to go out these days without getting photographed, here $10 for a pizza.' I was like, 'Aww, she sent me money for a pizza so I could eat at home!' Well, I'm a huge fan of Ryan Adams, who's from North Carolina. And he's beginning to break really quite big. Beginning, Quite, I am a huge Prince fan. It's a very rare thing for him to have people open for him. It's been the Time and Sheila E., and that's about it. Building a relationship with him has been like a dream come true. I've been looking for a mentor, and I feel like I have that in him. For the music business, social networking is brilliant. Just when you think it's doom and gloom and you have to spend millions of pounds on marketing and this and that, you have this amazing thing now called fan power. The whole world is linked through a laptop. It's amazing. And it's free. I love it. It's absolutely brilliant. I'm not a big fan of Women's Liberation, but maybe it will help women stand up for the respect they're due. I'm a huge Freddie Mercury fan. I think he was the end-all. I love his lack of inhibition, his talent, the chances he took. He made mistakes on his records, and he didn't care. I'm a big sports fan in general. One fan sent me one tooth, so I made a necklace out of it. But then I found a bunch of my baby teeth, and started realizing I would love to wear a piece of my fans' bodies on me. I'm a real music fan, so I listen to all kinds of music all the time. I listen to a lot of what my friends or people I know are listening to. I'm always checking out new bands. Listen, I am a fan of marriage and a fan of being committed to the right person. I am a big fan of smelly cheeses but the rest of the family don't seem to be particularly keen on them. I've always been a fan of the 19th century novel, of the novel that is plotted, character-driven, and where the passage of time is almost as central to the novel as a major minor character, the passage of time and its effect on the characters in the story. I never expected the White House to be warm, and the artwork on the walls was extraordinary. I am a fan of the Louvre, but being there it was almost just as good.

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Around the AFC East, Week 5: Miami Dolphins Even if you're the polar opposite of a staunch supporter of the Miami Dolphins - and I'm certainly hopeful that's the case for most everybody here - you have to at least begrudgingly admire Channing Crowder. There aren't many NFL players that can successfully get under the skin of opposing head coaches, but that's precisely what Crowder did to Jets head coach Rex Ryan - and apparently all he needed were some tattoos. Crowder has made waves this off-season with his public spitting match with Ryan, via a bored football media landscape, from opposite ends of the east coast. Yet just prior to the start of the free agent signing period, we were discussing Crowder as a potential name to consider for the outside linebacker spot soon to be vacated by Angelo Crowell in Buffalo. He was re-signed by Miami, however, to a three-year deal at relatively cheap salary figures. He won't turn 26 until the end of the 2009 season. Crowder's Dolphins career has unfolded in much the same way that Bills SS Donte Whitner's has - both are solid young players with lots of experience, but neither has been a big hit in the "big play" department. Matty I of The Phinsider, however, recently shared his view that Crowder was ready to become a play-making presence for the Dolphins in his fifth season in the league. Naturally, I had to ask Matty for an explanation. Crowder has made some waves this off-season, mostly due to his very public verbal feud with Ryan. You've also mentioned in the past that he hasn't made many game-changing plays in his young pro career, yet Miami re-signed him. Now you think that Crowder is ready for a break-out season in 2009. What makes that happen? Matty I: Excellent question, Brian. And I’ll apologize ahead of time for my long-winded answer.You’re absolutely right that I’ve long been a critic of Channing Crowder’s lack of play-making ability. He’s a solid inside linebacker – but hasn’t proven anything beyond being a solid, unspectacular player. Those players are good to have, of course. But the Dolphins need at least one of their two starting inside linebackers – Akin Ayodele is the other – to be a play-maker. And there’s no chance Ayodele becomes that player.Many of people have focused on Crowder’s public feud with Rex Ryan – who, by the way, is a complete jackass. But while everybody is focusing in on what Crowder has said about Ryan, I want to focus on something else he said recently. For the first time, at least publicly, Crowder himself has pointed out that he needs to make more things happen on the field. Says Channing, "I can make a lot more impact plays…They gave me the reins. I'm a three-down 'backer. I'm out there the whole game. Now it's time for me to step up."So why is this noteworthy? If you don’t regularly follow the Dolphins, then you wouldn’t get this. But this is the first time Crowder has publicly highlighted his faults. This past off-season, there were rumblings that Crowder was expecting a big pay day. There was even a report that Channing was heard shouting into the Jets’ locker room prior to their Week 17 game last year, asking if they had a need for an inside linebacker. In a nut shell, it had always seemed like Channing had a higher opinion of himself than others do. So Crowder’s willingness to take less money than he expected to remain a Dolphin was a surprise. But he admitted that he loves Miami and didn’t see any reason to leave a place where he is already happy. He also said, upon signing his new deal, "Now, I can maximize my talent. It's time for me to become a Pro Bowler."This new level of maturity for Crowder and new level of commitment to the Dolphins really has me expecting big things for Channing. That - as well as my "homerism" - just makes me think that he’s now finally ready to take that next step – the one where he goes from a reliable player to a play-maker. I love homers. Probably because I'm a homer myself. So I'll leave it at this, and I'll allow the level of optimism, pessimism, and/or perceptive ability in each of you to determine the meaning behind this sentence: I think Crowder has just as good a shot of becoming a consistent playmaker as Whitner does. Both are young players getting comfortable with schemes, and both are obviously talented. Clearly, I hope I'm correct on one count and incorrect on another here. That does it for this week's edition of Around the AFC East. Many thanks to The Phinsider, Pats Pulpit and Gang Green Nation for dropping knowledge today.

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Brendan King: "I had to go home and play for my hometown team” King jumps at oppourtunity to play with the team he grew up watching February 1, 2013 Anthony Zilis MLSsoccer.com Brendan King Brendan King always had his eyes on a route back home. After the 27th pick in the 2012 SuperDraft was cast off by Portland at the end of last year's preseason, the Chicagoland-native found opportunities to play in Europe, first for Bray Wanderers FC in Ireland, then for Alta IF in Norway. On Thursday, the Chicago Fire signed the former Notre Dame and US U-17 winger, paving the way for King to return to where it all began. “My idea was to go to Europe and someday return to MLS when the opportunity presented itself,” King said on a conference call from Norway. “I'm really honored to be given this opportunity.” The right-footed winger joins a team in immediate need of wide midfielders. King has spent the last few years playing on the left, where the Fire have a hole after the departure of designate player Alvaro Fernandez. The Fire invited King to preseason camp at the beginning of preseason, but he was still under contract with Alta IF, which was relegated to Norway's second division last season. King played in just seven games for Alta IF and one for Bray Wanderers, but the experience, he said, made him a much better player. “I learned a lot in the time that I spent here, and I've become a better player for it,” King said. “The mental aspect of my game has improved … I think all-in-all, [playing in Norway] was a good experience.” The Notre Dame product will join the Fire in Ventura, Calif., for their second leg of preseason next week. But he's familiar with the Fire organization already. King grew up attending Fire games, harking back to the days when they played at Soldier Field and in his hometown of Naperville, Ill., where he went to Benet Academy for two years before heading to the US Residency program in Bradenton, Fla. King played for the Fire Super-20 youth team in 2008 and for the Fire PDL team in 2009, so he knew the club had an eye on him. Still, it was a surprise when they decided to bring back home. “I hadn't really planned on coming to MLS this year, but when the opportunity came, I thought, 'This kind of opportunity might never happen again,” King said. “Once they made the offer, it was really just a no-brainer. I had to take it, I had to go home and play for my hometown team.” Player Team TransactionChicago Fire Related Links Fire Sign King A King's Dream

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Academic Commitment Student Athlete Days You are here: Home > Season Review Season Review (2012-2013) Many words could describe the 2012-2013 Clearwater Christian College Women's Basketball season, but one word sticks out as the most fitting - injuries. Coming into the season, the team was looking to build upon their best-ever 4th place finish in the national tournament in 2012, but it wouldn't take long for the reality of the difficulty of that goal would come rushing into view. After some attrition for the previous season, the Lady Cougars were left with a total of 10 players - four of which were playing soccer and another who was limited due to an injury from a previous season. Then, immediately before the first game of the season, 6'2" center, Savannah Jelsma, suffered a severe ankle injury and was lost for the season. However, despite a rocky beginning to the season, when the team was united at the conclusion of the soccer season, the Lady Cougars quickly began to work toward their goal of claiming a third straight regional title. While the Lady Cougars failed to win a single non-NCCAA II game, they continued to develop and were able to claim a second seed in the regional tournament after going 4-2 in the South Region during the regular season. Shortly before the regional tournament, Grace Thomas went down with a sprained knee that took her out for the rest of the season. Two weeks later, Tori Hale sprained her thumb in practice and her wrist in the last regular season game of the year. These injuries would nag at the team for the remainder of the season. In the regional semi-finals, the Lady Cougars faced a scrappy Piedmont Baptist without the services of their leading scorer, Tori Hale. Several players stepped up, including Senior Tiffany Pack and Sophomore Cassie Foster, to claim a 56-39 win and move into the Regional Finals against #1 seed Trinity Baptist College. Unfortunately, in the final minutes of the semi-final game, Freshman Brooke Buffaloe suffered a torn ACL. Going into the regional finals, the Lady Cougars knew that they would have their hands full against a talented Trinity Baptist College team, especially with the injuries that had been suffered. The team fought hard but was unable to come up with the win as their season closed with a 38-71 loss. This season, the Lady Cougars said farewell to Tiffany Pack and Alyssa Zallie. Both were instrumental in the success of the Clearwater Christian College women's basketball program's success during their time at CCC, and their contributions to the program do not go without notice. Players receiving recognition for their efforts during the season were: Tori Hale: NCCAA II Second Team All-American, NCCAA II First Team All-Region Tiffany Pack: NCCAA II Second Team All-Region Bekah Misiura: NCCAA II Second Team All-Region Alyssa Zallie: NCCAA II Honorable Mention All-Region Before the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season, several players had already indicated that they were interested in being part of 2013-2014 Lady Cougars basketball team, and the team is excited to rebuild as they seek to reclaim the regional title. Recruiting Questionnaire Schedules and Scores Team Coaches Cougar Spotlight Playing basketball at Clearwater has been an amazing opportunity, because I have made so many great memories and great friends by being on the team. God has blessed me by being a part of the women's basketball team, because I get to be involved with a great group of girls that strive to honor and glorify God above all else. Playing basketball is so much fun, but it is also a great way to grow closer to God. The team has devotions every day before practice, and we all get to share with each other what God is doing in our lives. Whether we win or lose, the praise goes to God, and ultimately that is all that matters. �2014 Clearwater Christian College

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Auburn's Johnson: A&M is about much more than Manziel Ryan BlackColumbus Ledger-Enquirer Oct 16, 2013 | 1592 views | | 16 | | Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel looks to get past Alabama linebacker Denzel Devall (30). (Photo by Trent Penny/The Anniston Star) AUBURN — At times, it seems as if Texas A&M’s offense is a one-man unit.Call it “Johnny Manziel and 10 Other Guys.” Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson wishes it were only that simple. Manziel is the one who earns the overwhelming share of headlines when it comes to the Aggies’ offensive attack — and rightly so, because he is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Last year in a 63-21 win over Auburn, he threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns while running for 90 yards and three scores.It’s a testament to the staggering proficiency and versatility of Texas A&M’s offense that Johnson believes Manziel can be considered a luxury.“They don’t have a soft spot,” Johnson said. “They’ve got great receivers. They got two NFL-looking tight ends that don’t even get on the field but about 10 to 12 snaps a game. Obviously, their quarterback is what makes them dynamic, but they’d be a really good football team even if he wasn’t on the field.”But it didn’t stop there. Johnson praised the Aggies’ offensive line as well as their stable of running backs. Ben Malena is the leader in terms of yardage and experience, as the senior has gained 375 yards and scored eight touchdowns this year. He is complemented by sophomores Tra Carson (237 yards, four touchdowns) and Trey Williams (172 yards, three touchdowns).Carrying the ball isn’t the only area in which the running backs excel, as Johnson noted they catch the ball and pass-protect well, too.Together, it becomes an even riskier proposition to focus all of the defense’s attention on Manziel.“They’ve got great players around him and that’s what makes it so hard,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of football teams putting up big numbers they do things differently than they do and it boils down to having really good players in a system that the coach knows and knows how to operate. It’s very difficult to slow them down.”No team has been able to come up with an answer on how to slow down Mike Evans, either. The sophomore receiver leads the Southeastern Conference in yards per game (122.8) and has caught five touchdowns this season. No game showcased his skill better than Texas A&M’s showdown with Alabama on Sept. 15. Evans had his way with the Crimson Tide, hauling in seven passes for a school-record 279 yards and scoring two touchdowns along the way.The 6-foot-5 receiver reminded Johnson of Alshon Jeffery, who played at South Carolina when the coach was the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator.“You can be on perfect phase in coverage and you just can't — it's like a rebound in basketball,” Johnson said. “He's going to shield you out and get the ball. He's big, strong. He's very mobile. He's fast enough to get open. Even when you've got him coverage, he's got that tremendous size advantage — not only length but he's big.”Auburn defensive back Chris Davis didn’t care about any of Evans’ attributes. Despite giving up six inches to his opponent, the 5-foot-11 Davis was willing to take on the responsibility of defending Evans one-on-one.Why?“Well, you know, because he's one of the top receivers in the SEC, and I think I'm one of the best defensive backs in the SEC,” the senior said. “I think it'll be a good matchup.”One thing Johnson believes works in the Tigers’ favor this week is that they have faced similar offenses in their previous two outings, against Ole Miss and Western Carolina, respectively. While the players and talent levels may fluctuate, the more his unit sees certain offensive schemes, the better Auburn’s defense can react and counter it.“They all have different plays they lean on and obviously Texas A&M has great physical talent,” Johnson said, “but the formation recognition — especially when they start speeding it up, because they're a fast-paced team, too — that's just going to help us to have been looking at those formations and being aligned in the same things.”The ability to recognize those tendencies is what got him hired in the first place. Gus Malzahn has the utmost faith in Johnson to take care of the defense. That doesn’t mean Malzahn ignores it, however, saying he’s “on top of things” and will offer suggestions from time-to-time.On Saturdays, though, it’s all in Johnson’s hands.This weekend just happens to be one of the toughest he’ll have all season.“They're good at what they're doing, and they've got a lot of trust,” Malzahn said of his defensive staff. “You can tell the defense is getting better each week. We're going to have to be even better this week against this bunch.” Auburn football: Frost's time has come for Tigers Auburn notebook: Tigers have had their share of injuries on defensive side Ryan Black Mark Edwards' In My Opinion: AU sticks it to Tide with Pearl hiring Auburn football: Jeremy Johnson ready to do what's necessary -- even run UPDATED: Joe Medley: Pearl best answer for tough job

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Rapids players Marvin Chávez and Deshorn Brown selected for national teams Chávez called up by Honduras and Brown by Jamaica for upcoming friendly matches February 26, 2014 Colorado Rapids Media Relations Deshorn Brown and Marvin Chavez called to national teams COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Wednesday, February 26, 2014) – Colorado Rapids winger Marvin Chávez and forward Deshorn Brown have been called up by their national teams for upcoming friendly matches. Chávez and Honduras will take on Venezuela on March 5 as they prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Brown and Jamaica will have an earlier start, facing Barbados at Barbados National Stadium on Sunday, March 2, and then taking on St. Lucia three days later. “This is great news for Marvin and Deshorn, and we’re proud of them for the honor of being selected by their countries,” said Rapids Technical Director Paul Bravo. “Deshorn’s strong form last year has continued into 2014, and he’s continuing to play a big part for Jamaica. Marvin has been an important piece for Honduras for a long time, and as the country gets ready for the World Cup, it’s great to see him in their squad.” One of Colorado’s offseason acquisitions, Chávez has made 37 appearances for Honduras, including qualifying matches for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups as well as the 2009 and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cups, scoring four goals in total. His most recent appearance with Honduras was on November 19, when he started in the 2-2 draw with Ecuador. Brown, 23, was last year’s runner-up in MLS Rookie of the Year voting after scoring 10 goals in his first professional season. He earned his first call-up to the Jamaican National Team last October when he was picked for the team’s final two World Cup qualifiers. Brown has earned five total caps for his country, most recently for a home-and-home series with Trinidad and Tobago in November. The Colorado Rapids face Chivas USA at 1 p.m. MT in their second to last preseason match as part of the Desert Diamond Cup presented by FC Tucson, with a live stream available here. The Rapids will play one more match, with the opponent and time to be determined, on Saturday before returning to Colorado to prepare for the season opener at New York Red Bulls on March 15. Follow@coloradorapids International Stay Connected

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Connect with TCB Rookie Review: Felipe Paulino Share with Astros friends 7 We continue the Rookie Review series with Felipe Paulino, who took several strides forward in his development before landing on the DL, this season. There is a possibility he returns this year, but it will be in the capacity as a reliever. While it may be more prudent him shut down, getting him a few innings in September would not be detrimental to his health or development. A few innings would also give an idea of what to expect as we head into an off-season of speculation as well as help build some confidence. I know technically Paulino is not a rookie, but he's worth mentioning. In just under 100 innings pitched Paulino showed flashes of brilliance, while posting a 6.27 ERA, in 2009. His batting average on balls in play (BABiP) of .368 is high for a pitcher, and indicates Paulino has been fairly unlucky when he pitches. If that lowers and Brad Arnsberg is able to iron out some the kinks in his mechanics we could see a very special pitcher. In the Spring Arnsberg said that Paulino's mechanics were in need of some work, and with that in mind gave Paulino some things to work on mechanically. Paulino was then challenged to work on his mechanics while at the same time competing for the fifth spot in the rotation with Brian Moehler. Paulino answered the challenge and had a strong spring posting a 3.78 ERA in 16.2 innings of work and won the fifth starter roll. Paulino didn't start the year off so well, going 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in four starts. His SO/9 for the month was 6.2 below his career average of 8 strikeouts per nine innings. Saying Paulino struggled wasn't the whole story though. His batting average on balls in play (BABiP) which accounts for the luck a pitcher has with balls put in play, shows Paulino a little unlucky with a .314 average. While not tremendously high it still showed that the ball was not bouncing his way. The defense also did nothing to help Paulino's cause. Of the 20 runs allowed in his starts only 13 were earned. Combine all these factors with the continued adjustments Paulino needed to make with his mechanics and it's easy to see why he struggled. Highlight: Paulino strikes out four. May was a different story. In six starts, Paulino posted an ERA of 3.82, with a BABiP of .302 it showed what Paulino was capable of. The defense also played better behind him as he allowed 16 earned runs out of 17 total runs scored. His SO/9 was also on the rise as it hit 9.3 in 37.2 innings pitched. Unfortunately with the Astros offense he went 0-4 in May. Still this month showed us what Felipe was capable of as a pitcher. Highlight: Paulino strikes out eleven. Paulino took a small step back in May but with a .400 BABiP he may of just been unlucky. Even with a high BABiP there's some positives to take away from the month. He got his first win, he was 1-1 in four starts, posting a 4.39 ERA. His SO/9 went down to 7.4, but his SO/BB ratio went up to 2.44. The two previous months had his SO/BB below 2.00. The reason for the improvement was a decrease in walks allowed. He only allowed 9 walks in 26.2 innings. May he had issued 20 walks, and 14 in April. That's a good sign for a guy with the kind of stuff Paulino has, and speaks to the effort he and Arnsberg had in working on some of his mechanical issues. Unfortunately with the positive signs news came on July 24th that he was heading to the disabled list. Highlight: Paulino gets his first win. He was placed on the disabled list retroactive to his last start on the 21st of June, with right shoulder tendinitis. This is not new territory as Paulino had been on the DL before. In 2008 he dealt with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder. Then In 2009 he landed on the 15-day DL with a groin strain. It's a bit concerning that when he initially went on the DL he was expected to be back in early July. A move from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL and two months later, he's still not back in the Astros rotation. In July while on a rehab assignment Paulino's shoulder flared up after a start for the AA affiliate at Corpus Christi. He had another MRI done which turned out to be a mild right rotator cuff strain. After a nail biting trip to see Dr. Andrews he was told that surgery would not be required. Breathing a sigh of relief he went to rest. There's been talk of Paulino returning sometime this month in a relief role. He won't be able to go on a rehab assignment to build up arm strength. The minor league teams are wrapping up their seasons. He threw a simulated game Saturday and all indications are that he looked and felt good. He'll throw another one sometime today. Getting back on the mound is important for Paulino to build some confidence heading into next season. Rusty we could see Paulino struggle especially without a rehab assignment, but even if he struggles it'll give him an idea of what he needs to work on heading into next season. Paulino was not having an entirely bad season, with a 4.40 ERA and a 1-8 record, he was the unluckiest pitcher in the Astros starting rotation. Roy Oswalt just had to deal with a bad offense, Paulino had to deal with a bad offense and balls not bouncing his way. Regardless of his numbers would be considered outstanding for a pitcher manning the five hole of a rotation. His fielder independent pitching (FIP) is 3.84, furthering the idea that Paulino has been a bit unlucky. Being 26 Paulino still has time to fulfill his potential. While I hope he becomes the ace of this staff I will gladly take a 2 or 3 starter out of Paulino if he can stay healthy. With an already solid rotation, Paulino producing like a middle of the rotation starter, would mean the Astros are just that much closer to fielding a competitive team.

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Fiji FA yet to decide on fixture Arin Kumar THE Fiji FA is yet to decide on when the second leg of the Champions League match between Ba and Suva will be played and where. The first match of the Pillay's Garments-sponosred competition was won by Ba 1-0 on December 8 and the second match was to be played on Sunday, December 15 but was postponed because of Tropical Cyclone Evan.Fiji FA chief executive officer Bob Kumar said they were waiting for work at the Fiji FA headquarters in Suva and their offices in Ba to resume."We are still trying to get everything up and then we can start making decisions on the games that were postponed," he said."The National Football League is expected to start sometime in January but we still haven't decided anything on the Champions League."Meanwhile, Fiji FA is trying to determine how much damage was done to their facilities in the Western Division.Yesterday, Kumar was still trying to contact their staff members in the Western Division when he was contacted by Times Sport.He said he was trying to get in touch with the staff members to find out the extent of the damage to their facilities caused by the cyclone.Ba was among those areas that suffered extensive damage and it was home to the National Football Academy.

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Big Sam welcomes Olympic Stadium move Big Sam welcomes Olympic Stadium move (©GettyImages). West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes moving to the Olympic Stadium would be hugely beneficial to the future of the club.The London Legacy Development Corporation board (LLDC) this week unanimously made the decision in favour of the Barclays Premier League club becoming the preferred bidder for the use of the venue. A final deal is some way from being struck between the LLDC and the Hammers but Allardyce reckons a move away from Upton Park will be great for West Ham."I think it is outstanding news for the football club for the future," he said. "There is still a long way to go, I know that, but we are in the driving seat and I just hope they can continue to move it forward and deliver what would be a fantastic venue in the future of West Ham United."Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.

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Search You are hereHome » Latest News Support flows for the Australian Grand Prix Just a day after FIA boss Jean Todt threw his support behind the Australian Grand Prix. Bernie Eccelstone has come out and declared that the Australian Grand Prix is one of the most important on the Formula One calendar. “Australia is as important to us as Monaco.” Ecclestone was quoted as saying by Rueters. This coming just a day after Todt said “I think it is important to have one race in Australia because Australia is among the biggest nations in the world.” Support has been flowing for the event in Melbourne, the sporting capital of the world. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle who previously criticized the event has come out this morning on 3AW Radio, to now show his support for the Australian Grand Prix by attending. This years event is set to be the biggest on record being the first of the season, with increased ticket sales and more on / off track events than ever. Our Social Media followers have been incredibly active, building up the event to be one of the most anticipated and exciting spectacles of the year. Don't forget to follow all the updates live on Twitter or Facebook to get all the action as it happens. Tickets are still available to be purchased online by following this link. Newsletter

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Home > Events > Press > Interviews Fansite Friday #33 The February Beta Weekend Special Edition So, can you tell us why the Beta Weekend Event didn't start precisely at 12:01 a.m.? Well, I could wiggle out of this one by pointing out that we said "approximately 12:01 a.m." and leave it at that. :) But the truth is, we were pumping in an enormous amount of code Thursday evening, and a bug crept up that needed to be resolved right away. I believe the bug was related to something on the server side, and those sorts of bugs can affect the entire network structure, game security, the whole play experience, and so forth. So it was definitely our prime objective to get it fixed, even though we knew we had a lot of people holding their breaths as 12:01 approached. :) What is new for the February Beta Weekend Event? The Beta Weekend Event provides a preview of the following: New Kingdom of Ascalon Region: You've seen The Movie, now play the game.;) The Kingdom of Ascalon is the birthplace of all Guild Wars characters. To play this lovely region, simply create a Level 1 character and that's where you will begin. In Ascalon, you can do a little hunting, pursue a few quests, and attain your second profession. As you finish your exploration of this region, you will find out what happened to this glorious kingdom, and why, when you see it next, it is cast in the somber tones of the Ruins of Ascalon. New user interface: You saw changes last month, but they were just the start of improvements to the UI that will continue until release. You will have noticed immediately that, once again, the GUI looks quite different. Do be aware that the streamlined version that you see in place during the February BWE has not yet been "artified," so this is not the final look of the interface. However, there are significant improvements in this interface, chief amongst them a large number of customization options, including: A scalable UI, where one button revs up the size of all the UI elements, or downsizes them to a tiny scale. A new "Menu" button in the lower left, which provides all sorts of good things in one handy place, including buttons connected with the following: Customize – This marvelous key allows you to toggle things on or off, and to move just about anything, anywhere. If you want your health bar on the upper right and your experience bar in the center left, go for it. And – hooray! – it remembers where you place things, so you don't need to set your personal placement choices again. Quest Log Log Out All I can say is, if you're in the current event and you've not played with these options, you're going to love it. Just remember your guild members are counting on you, and don't embarrass yourself by making them say "Hey, pay attention and stop playing with your UI!" ;) Why was there a character reset last month and none this month? We only reset when such a thing is absolutely essential. Last month we needed to do one because of the nature of the new content. This month, we did not reset, and our plan is that we will not do any more resets connected with Beta Weekend Events. After the final Beta Weekend Event, we will do one final reset in order to allow every player to start the game on a level playing field. Those who have purchased the Guild Wars Preorder Package will have a short period of "early access" just prior to April 28th -- a day or a few days where the game is live just to them. There will be no reset between the Early Access period and the release of Guild Wars, so the preorder customers who play during the Early Access period will be able to keep all that they attain in that period. What about that trading interface that you talked about a few weeks ago? I don't really see a change in this month's event. As you can tell, this goes back to that whole WIP (work in progress) factor, which is always present in each month's Beta Weekend Event. As mentioned above, the UI has been a focus these last several weeks, and with the change to the bag system, there is some awkwardness in the functionality of the trade and purchasing interface. We have a design planned, but have not yet fully implemented it. Look for that soon. What's coming next month? I guess it's safe to say that if this month has a bit of a PvE focus, next month may take more of a look towards PvP content. You may have read that we're currently designing opportunities for Guild versus Guild combat. One of these will furnish you with an entirely new way to attack another guild's guild hall. (And the news around the water cooler is that you may see a few exciting changes in the guild halls themselves, too.) We're adding a number of new maps for GvG combat. The combat settings will cater to different kinds of playing styles, and will serve up a number of objectives. They'll even take place in different regions. One interesting aspect of GvG battle is that the maps will be randomly chosen and not player selected. So when you issue a guild challenge, you need to be prepared to undertake several different kinds of battle, and not simply choose the one at which your team is best. With this feature, the guilds at the top of the ladder will truly be the best of the best, because they will have proven themselves not as master of one mapset, but as the commander of many.

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The Way I See It is a blog published at least three times a week containing thoughts and analysis and irreverent musings on the local, state, and national sports world. The Harbaugh Bowl is coming soon About this blog By Dennis Miller My name is Dennis Miller and I am a lifelong resident of Kirksville, MO. I have been totally blind since birth and a sports fanatic just as long. I like all sports but love baseball and am a proud lifelong member of Cardinal Nation. It is my honor My name is Dennis Miller and I am a lifelong resident of Kirksville, MO. I have been totally blind since birth and a sports fanatic just as long. I like all sports but love baseball and am a proud lifelong member of Cardinal Nation. It is my honor to be given the opportunity to write a blog for the Kirksville Daily Express and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Cardinals get their bats warmed up Cardinals and Cubs go head-to-head NCAA Tournament comes to unexpected conclusion tonight Big weekend in sports Spring sports season has arrived The Harbaugh Bowl is now official. The 49ers and Falcons played a very good and exciting football game on Sunday with the 49ers able to come away with a victory 28 to 24. I’m not sure what it is with the Falcons but they played almost the exact same way they did against the Seahawks the week before which was to jump out to a big lead early and then let the other team back into the game. The Falcons were able to hang on to beat the Seahawks but they couldn’t hold off the 49ers. The 49ers showed a lot of poise after getting down early and their defense really stepped up just as their offense started to find its rythym. The AFC championship game looked like a possible victory for the Patriots early on but the Ravens like the 49ers showed a lot of poise in overcoming an early deficit and you could almost hear the air being let out of the Patriots sails. The Patriots and their fans seemed to be in almost a state of shock throughout most of the fourth quarter and it was pretty obvious midway through that quarter that the game was over and the Harbaugh brothers would coach against one another in the Super Bowl. The loss by the Patriots may possibly be the beginning of the end for one of the great teams in NFL history as we may start to see changes over the next couple of year as the Patriots are starting to show their age. Now that we know who is in the Super Bowl the pre game coverage can begin. ESPN showed a Florid Gators practice on Saturday. I know, I was surprised too! It was really authentic, they had manequens dressed up like Missouri Tigers players and even had the manequens occasionally put up feeble shots so the Gators could practice rebounding. Apparently, the state’s budget woes have hit the Missouri Tigers athletic department hard and they couldn’t afford to send the actual team to Florida. Either that or the Missouri Tigers are in serious trouble because if that was the actual team “playing” Saturday then they played the most pathetic game of basketball I have ever seen a Missouri Tigers team play. Florida is not a bad team but they are not a great team either but Missouri made them look unbeatable. Missouri shot 32 percent for the game and had 21 turnovers. Phil Pressey looked like he had never seen a basketball before in his life and Missouri’s inside game was simply not there. Again, I understand that Missouri is missing Lawrence Bowers but not having Lawrence Bowers isn’t an excuse for shooting as poorly as they did, throwing the ball away as often as they did and not even attempting to play defense. Missouri’s next four games are against the last place teams in the SEC right now and three of those four games are at home and Missouri must win all of them starting this Tuesday night at home against South Carolina. Missouri’s only road game during that stretch is at LSU and Missouri has to show they can win a SEC road game. It is almost like Missouri peaked back in late December and that’s not good given that there is still two months left of the season. While Missouri was laying a giant egg on Saturday, the Truman State women’s basketball team took care of a very talented Central Missouri State women’s team. Central MO came into Pershing on Saturday having only lost one game and with all sorts of hype surrounding them but Truman had very little difficulty and led throughout most of the game and clearly showed they had more talent and most importantly know how to play together as a team. The Central MO team was full of transfers who may have had the talent but didn’t have the team chemistry that Truman has and it showed Saturday afternoon. The Truman State men’s team once again came oh so close to winning only to fall short. I can’t even imagine how frustrating this season has been for the players and coaches as they are right on the cusp of greatness but just can’t get over the hump. My heart does out to them because they almost always stay in the game until the very end but come up a couple of points short each time. Nebraska Kearney makes the long trek to Kirksville on Thursday for a double header against both Truman State teams and then Truman will be back in action on Saturday at Pershing as Ft. Hays State comes to town. Both Kirksville High School basketball teams were in action last Friday night against Booneville as the boys lost a tough one on the road while the girls posted another impressive victory at home. Both teams now have a few days off. The KHS wrestlers will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Ft. Madison. The Tigers had another impressive showing at the tough Platte County tournament last Saturday. I was saddened to learn early Saturday evening of the death of the greatest Cardinal of them all. Stan The Man Musial died at the age of 92 leaving behind a legacy that will probably never be duplicated. I never got the chance to see Musial play as he retired in 1963 six years before I was born but my dad saw him play numerous times and I remember as a boy hearing how great a player Musial was. In looking at some of his statistics it is truly mind boggling how good he really was: he never struck out more than fifty times in a season, he led the league in at least one offensive category every year he played even though his career lasted over twenty years, he had 1,816 hits at home and 1,816 hits on the road, and the list goes on and on. He did all this without ever cheating to do it, he didn’t have to go on Oprah and admit that his entire career was based on a lie, he didn’t go before Congress to try and explain why his hitting records weren’t real, he did it all on God given talent. Perhaps even greater than his on the field accomplishments was his legacy off the field as he was one of the most revered citizens of St. Louis and was a very visible but yet accessible person who was immensely popular with fans and players right up to the end. I can’t recall ever hearing a bad thing about Stan Musial in all the years I have been a baseball fan. He is held with such high esteem that one statue wasn’t enough and he is the only person I know of who has two statues in the same place. Baseball not only lost one of its best players last Saturday but we lost a truly great human being. Stan Musial’s contributions to baseball, to the Cardinals, and to the St. Louis community will never be forgotten. We’ll be back on Wednesday with our midweek blog, I’m not quite sure what will be in it yet but we’ll think of something. Thanks for soupporting this blog and all the other blogs on this site. Your comments are always welcome. Have a great Monday!

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BOGACZYK: Yentes Ready to Build on Track Success The Word on the Herd-Oct. 19, 2013 Don Yentes By JACK BOGACZYK HERDZONE.COM COLUMNIST HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall’s track and field program will get a new indoor facility in about 10 months. The Thundering Herd has brought in a longtime successful coach to help with that transition to a welcome oval on which to train and compete. Don Yentes, a former head men’s and women’s coach at Wyoming, has been named the Herd’s track and field assistant coach. Veteran Marshall track and field and cross country coach Jeff Small is anxious to work with Yentes, who joined the MU staff this week. "We are thrilled to have Don join our Marshall track and field family,” Small said. “His accomplishments and achievements at Wyoming speak for themselves. He is an excellent coach and recruiter who will continue to push the bar higher for our student-athletes and program at Marshall.” Yentes, 55, has coached 28 All-Americans, 66 Mountain West Conference champions and had 92 NCAA Nationals qualifiers for the Cowboys. He was head coach there from 2000-12, after serving as a UW assistant for four years. He was a four-time Mountain West Coach of the Year (twice for men, twice for women) and guided nine NCAA Division I All-Academic women’s teams. Yentes also has been an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan and coached at three Kansas junior colleges. With the Herd, he will coach sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, and will recruit with Small. Yentes replaces Willie and Lacee Carmon-Johnson, the married Herd assistant coaches who left Marshall this summer for Western Kentucky’s program. “I’ve been able to coach a lot of good sprinters, a lot of good hurdlers and kids who jumped really far, and I’ve been fortunate to have been around a lot of good athletes for many years,” Yentes said. Small said the Herd “was fortunate” to get an assistant like Yentes, who has been coaching in NCAA division I or junior college since 1987. Yentes said he and Small met “years ago,” when Small – then a South Carolina assistant – was recruiting. “I’ve known Jeff for a long time,” Yentes said. “I was an assistant coach at Barton County Community College when Barton was one of the top junior college programs in the nation for track and field, back in day. “Our head coach (Randy Cole) was Jeff’s college roommate (at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo). He came out recruiting to the beautiful plains of Kansas, and then I’d see Jeff over the years at NCAA meets, conventions. We’ve known each other for a long time.” Yentes, born in Covington, Ky., grew up in Greensburg, Ind., and ran cross country at Judson College in Elgin, Ill. His parents were Morehead State graduates – “Marshall was the enemy back then,” he said of the Eagles – and his father, Gerald, played baseball and basketball for MSU, and played hoops in the NCAA tournament in the late ‘50s. Yentes said his arrival at Marshall couldn’t have better timing, with the Herd scheduled to move next fall into the under-construction Indoor Athletic Facility that will house an eight-lane, 300-meter track and field oval. “It’s fantastic,” Yentes said. “It’s going to be the best indoor facility I’ve been able to work in … nothing’s even been close. It will be a big boost for us in recruiting and training, and I believe it will probably cut down on the injuries they’ve had down through the years.” Yentes arrives after Marshall had two NCAA nationals top-six finishers and All-Americans in 2013 (outdoors) seniors Vanessa Jules and Crystal Walker. He said the program will benefit from their performances and the indoor facility. “The program here, it’s all on the rise,” Yentes said. “The group I’m working with, Willie and Lacee did an outstanding job of recruiting with Jeff. We have some very good athletes in the group, some fine young women who will compete for us.” Yentes and his wife, Sande, have two adult children. A daughter, Morgan, is a teacher. A son, Dylan, is a student and works in the banking profession. Yentes has one grandchild – Jackson, 2, who he called “the most important thing in the world right now.” HERD Women's Track HOME 2014 Quick Facts Outdoor Results & Personal Bests Top C-USA Marks Top Outdoor Collegiate Marks Indoor Results Record Book New Facility (Coming Soon) Don Yentes, Assistant Coach David Caldwell, Graduate Assistant TFRRS She Herd Insider (2012-13) She Herd Insider (2011-12) Photo Galleries Downloadable Track Schedule

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President of Business Operations Chris Canetti 2013 marks Chris Canetti’s 14th season in Major League Soccer and his 20th year in the professional sports business. Canetti joined the Dynamo in May of 2006 as the team’s Chief Operating Officer and was promoted to President in November 2010. He oversees all aspects of the Dynamo organization. In 2008, he was honored with the league’s Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year award, Major League Soccer’s top executive honor. In 2010, he was named to Sports Business Journal's prestigious Forty Under 40 list of influential sports executives. Canetti’s leadership has helped the Dynamo become one of the most successful clubs in MLS. He managed the development of BBVA Compass Stadium and the club’s relocation from Robertson Stadium. He has worked alongside Dominic Kinnear on the technical side and been a part of six MLS playoff appearances, five Conference Finals, four MLS Cup Finals, and two MLS Cup titles. Canetti is also involved in a number of charitable efforts. He currently serves as the president for Dynamo Charities, the non-profit arm of the Dynamo, and is on the board of directors for the East End Chamber of Commerce, Deacon’s Dugout, Central Houston, the Greater Houston Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, and the Houston Boys & Girls Clubs. He also participates in the Big Brothers & Big Sisters program at Rusk Elementary School. His most noted community work was in 2013 when he led the efforts to support Newtown, CT after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Canetti organized “Soccer Night in Newtown” in which the North American soccer community united to host two special events in January and May to provide hope and healing for the town. Canetti has since remained active in the Newtown community supporting Newtown Kindness, an organization that promotes an initiative called the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness. He has also recently spearheaded efforts to support first responders by recognizing members of the Newtown and Boston Police Departments at Dynamo games after the tragedies in their communities. He also led an initiative to support the Houston Fire Department after they lost four members of their squad in a 2013 fire. Prior to joining the Dynamo, Canetti served as the Assistant General Manager for the New York Red Bulls. He joined the New York organization in 2000 when it was called the MetroStars. With the MetroStars, Canetti served various roles, including Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations. Before coming to MLS, Canetti worked for the New Haven (CT) Ravens, a Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. He was with the Ravens for six seasons and served three years the team’s General Manager. His career with the Ravens was highlighted by the fact that he became the youngest GM in baseball, earning that position at just 26 years old. Prior to joining the Ravens, Canetti was an Associate Sports Editor for the Shoreline Times (Guilford, CT). Canetti received his bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, CT) in 1992. He was a four-year letterman on the baseball team. Chris lives in the Houston area with his wife, Judi, and daughters Kara and Ella.

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2010-08-19 / News Island twins will dance their way to international event By Holly Benton Twins Travis (left) and Tyler Atwood, 10, will travel to Poland this December to represent the U.S. in the World Dance Championship. Photo courtesy of the Atwood family Island twins Tyler and Travis Atwood, 10, will travel to Poland this December to represent the U.S. in the World Dance Championship. Both boys were selected to fill two of the five soloist spots on the team. “Travis and Tyler are my heroes,” said their mom, Sheryl Atwood, who – along with husband and father, Chris Atwood – will accompany the twins to Poland. “They are so committed, driven and incredibly fearless.” Competing in Mikolajki, Poland in the Jazz World Finals, the Atwood twins will perform individually, as well as in a duo performance, using hip-hop, jazz and acrobatics. “We’re very excited to be going to Poland to represent the USA,” Tyler said. “We were chosen as soloists for the team and we are going to compete against France, Russia, Poland – all those countries and more.” Tyler will perform to “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder and Travis will perform to “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That.” Together, they will perform to “The Boys Are Back.” A beginner hip-hop class at the age of six sparked a shared love of dancing in the twins. “They had been asking to take hip-hop since they were four, and we thought they would change their minds,” Atwood said. “They fell in love with the studio, the dancers, dancing. They were invited to join a competitive hiphop team. Now, they dance as part of the teen and senior dance company.” Training at the Talent Factory in North Kingstown six days a week from 4 to 9 p.m. allows the twins to perform in a variety of dance styles, including hip-hop, contemporary, ballet, jazz and tap. Homework is finished before lessons begin, Sheryl Atwood said, adding that she works as fitness director and studio manager for the Talent Factory. “Many people see me working at the studio now and think that is how they got involved,” said Atwood, a former dancer. “Reverse it. I had nothing to do with dance anymore. I had a totally different career. But because the boys’ schedules don’t allow me to do anything else really, now I just do work that suits them and their schedules, which means I work where they train.” Atwood added that such sacrifi ces are made by many parents to allow their children to pursue their passions. Dancing at such a level is also extremely expensive, she said. “All sports, when taken seriously, can be consuming and expensive,” she said. “Many parents sacrifice to allow their children to pursue their passions. Chris and I certainly do. There are many things that we don’t do in order to continue to support their dreams.” The twins also take the occasional music or voice lesson, as well as play competitive soccer, compete in track, and surf, snowboard and ski. And even though they know it’s not typical, they enjoy taking ballet training at the R.I. Ballet Theatre. “That training helps with hip hop, other dancing and sports,” Travis said. “All athletes need to practice. Good athletes practice a lot.” In a sport that is typically dominated by girls, Tyler and Travis have found their niche, with friends both inside and outside of dance supporting them and their passion. “On the local level, we dance mainly with girls,” Travis said. “They are all really cool. On the national level, there are a lot of talented male dancers.” The boys, who love hanging out with their friends, added that the ones who don’t dance have been really supportive. With hopes of becoming professional dancers in the future, the twins have already auditioned for several Broadway shows, including “Billy Elliot,” “Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular” and “Pan.” Travis said that to succeed as professional performers, their acting and voices need to be strong, too. “We definitely want to dance professionally,” he added. “We will be professional dancers that do movies and shows, and then we will choreograph later in life.” Traveling to New York City to compete has resulted in national titles for the twins – including those won at the New York City Dance Alliance National Championships held this past July. “We just got back from NYC for two weeks, where we had NYCDA nationals,” Travis said. “We did great. We won some national titles. We got to work with choreographers and teachers from MTV, movies, Broadway, TV…it was crazy and fun.” Dancing solo, as a pair and sometimes in groups has allowed the twins to share in their achievements, as well as their struggles. “In dance, being twins can be great,” Tyler said. “It can also be hard, because sometimes I will come in first and my brother will come in second…then he will come in first and I will come in second. We are happy for each other. My brother is my best friend. We don’t really fight. I get annoyed if he tells me “you are doing that wrong,” but we work it out.” To support Tyler and Travis in their upcoming trip there will be a raffle at the Talent Factory in North Kingstown. The prize is a free year of dance classes and tickets are $10. The drawing will be held Sept. 7. There will also be a yard sale at the dance facility at the end of August. All proceeds from both fundraisers will help defer travel costs for the World Dance Finals. Return to top

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Newcastle not for sale 27 November 2008 11:52am By Wilkinson's Newcastle are not for sale Jonny Wilkinson and co have been reassured as to their playing futures after the 'for sale' signs were taken down at Newcastle Falcons. The players at the North East club had endured months of speculation regarding possible takeovers but chairman Dave Thomson has now had a change of heart and decided to stay on at Kingston Park. "Over the last five months or so there has been a lot of speculation regarding a change of ownership for Newcastle Rugby Ltd," said Thomson. "During that time I have engaged in talks with three different parties. I don't know if it's the current economic situation, or the geographical area we are in, but those three sets of negotiations have failed to come to a conclusion. "In light of that, I have taken a decision that the club had to be stabilised, that we have to get rid once and for all the various rumours and media reports, which is why I have made this announcement today." Newcastle currently sit 10th in the Guinness Premiership and were knocked out of the EDF Energy Cup at the group stages but Thomson believes his decision to commit himself to the club could be the positive news the Falcons need to move forward in 2009. "The constant speculation has had a negative impact on the team, and I want to end it now by saying that I will continue as majority shareholder to give the club the stability it needs. "The club is not going to get taken over and I am committing myself to Newcastle Falcons. This coming February it will be ten years since I started with the Falcons, and I believe there is a strong future for us here. I know where we are in the league right now, but I have enormous faith in this club and am here to say that the 'for sale' signs have been taken down. "That is important for the squad, because some of the things that have been said in the press and in the various bits of gossip around the place have just taken off that little bit of edge that you need as a rugby player. "Players are a very funny breed. They need to know they're standing on rock and not sand, to feel comfortable in their environment. They want to feel very secure and tight, and maybe my own statements over the past few months have not helped that. What I'm doing now is ending the chatter, putting a stop to the media reports and giving the players that security. "I told the players my decision in the changing room straight after the final whistle at Worcester last Friday, I said 'sorry lads, you're stuck with me for a lot longer and you're just going to have to live with that', but at least now they know where they stand and it just removes any doubt." Newcastle host London Wasps in a bottom of the table clash this Friday, with the sides separated by just two points in the league standings. A win would see Newcastle leapfrog Northampton into ninth spot in the Premiership but defeat, coupled with a Bristol victory at home to London Irish, would see them prop up the table with more than a third of the season played.

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012by Troy E. RenckOn May 15 on a predictably cool evening at AT&T Park, the Colorado Rockies won 5-4 over the San Francisco Giants, but Rex Brothers was losing his way.Brothers, one of the few Rockies’ draft picks to show promise in recent years, was summoned to the bullpen to protect a white-knuckle lead. The season was already spiraling out of control, so those few games that were winnable required the bullpen to turn out the lights and padlock the doors. Brothers instead illuminated a growing problem – his lack of command. The former star at Lipscomb, a school he still talks about proudly when asked, walked the bases loaded. The sellout crowd grew louder, their throaty screams creating nerves in the left-hander.“I finally said enough is enough,’’ Brothers would recall later.He took a few deep breaths and started attacking hitters like he had for so many years growing up in Tennessee, ascending from a country legend to high school star at Shelbyville Central to college force to the 34th pick in the 2009 draft. The Giants didn’t score. Brothers needed 20 pitches and a pair of strikeouts, but escaped unscathed.The success foreshadowed failure, hinted at the improvement that Brothers needed to regain traction in his big league career that he always thought possible while at Lipscomb. Brothers traces his struggle to falling back into patterns. He was trying to strike people out, a strategy that worked for so long but could not be consistently maintained against big leaguers whose strike zones are closer to the size of a Tic-Tac than a mailbox. Five days after his escape in San Francisco, Brothers couldn’t hide from the sobering reality. He needed a tune-up. Brothers was demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs, the first of many Rockies’ who required a refresher course last season. “I had stuff I needed to work on,’’ Brothers admitted. “During the year there were times where I tried to go back to the old way, what might’ve worked before at the lower levels of professional baseball. I'd try to throw a ball past somebody. That caught up with me and that's where I got in trouble. I know that's where I got in trouble. These are good hitters. Give credit where credit is due. Trying to strike them out didn't help at all. I learned that this year. There are times when I'd like the strikeout, sure. But that's not the first thing on my mind."Had Brothers’ season ended in Colorado Springs, it would have been as disappointing as his team’s. The Rockies set a single-season franchise record for losses, their manager Jim Tracy walked away from the final year of his $1.4 million contract rather than share a clubhouse with the assistant general manager, and pitching coach Bob Apodaca resigned in June.Brothers, however, wasn’t about to let his struggles define him. He worked hard for more than two weeks for the Sky Sox, and not long after he returned to the Rockies he was greeted by a face familiar to Lipscomb sports fans. Bo McLaughlin, the first Bison player to reach the big leagues as the 14th pick of the Houston Astros in 1975, was promoted from the minor leagues to a Rockies’ co-pitching coach job with Jim Wright. McLaughlin is known for his laid-back approach, exchanging ideas easily with his pitchers.He made a strong connection with Memphis native and top prospect Drew Pomeranz last year, helping him return to the big leagues. McLaughlin and Brothers were a good fit, even if took a little time for the 25-year-old to see steady results. In the big picture, Brothers was fine. He won a team-best seven straight games from May 15 to Aug. 23. That, however, spoke more to the Rockies’ decision to go to a four-man rotation with designated piggyback relievers than Brothers’ dominance. He was admittedly a vulture on occasion, swooping in for a few wins because the starters were long gone before they could qualify for a decision.As Brothers tried to get back on track, he continued to listen to McLaughlin, Wright and his teammates. Brothers has talked extensively about how lucky he has been to break into the big leagues with veteran relievers Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle. Not that those two are serious, but they actually judge each other on the accuracy of their throws in warm-ups. The veterans have told Brothers repeatedly that it’s more important to get outs than strikeouts. That’s a lesson that young pitchers reluctantly embrace especially someone like Brothers, whose fastball reaches 98 miles per hour. Brothers, after all, did tie Pomeranz for the team-high in Ks last season with 83. It’s a cautionary tale that strikeouts are a weapon, but not everything.“I have to make hitters put the ball in play as soon as possible in an at-bat. That starts by getting strike one. I've had several conversations down in the bullpen with our veterans, Raffy and Matt, and they preach over and over again, don't take a day for granted, stay the course, be aggressive,’’ Brothers said. “Any way I can pick those guys' brains and figure out what works for me and what doesn't, the better off I'll be sooner, rather than later."Belisle has grown close to Brothers, lockering next to him at Coors Field. Belisle is considered a power pitcher, but impresses his teammates with his confidence and attitude.“You want guys who are going to get after it and make no excuses,’’ explained Belisle on why he likes Brothers. “We know where we pitch (at altitude and hitter-friendly Coors Field), but we have to have guys who want the ball everyday and embrace the challenge.’’Even with a layover in Colorado Springs, Brothers did his part. He pitched 67 2/3 innings, and his 75 appearances were second only to Belisle’s 80 for the Rockies.Brothers’ season really took off on Aug.1. He posted a 1.52 ERA over his final 23 2/3 innings, and there was an explanation. He started using his changeup more. For the most part, Brothers has been a two-pitch pitcher – fastball and nasty 84-mph slider. That combination has been and likely remains effective against left-handers. They batted just .206 off Brothers (21-for-102) with just one home run off him.In contrast, right-handers batted .282 (42-for-149) with four home runs and an .832 OPS. It’s why a second off-speed pitch can make such a difference. The Rockies have designs on Brothers being a closer someday, not just a human eraser versus lefties.“The changeup is a lot better now,’’ Brother said. “I started throwing some very effective changeups those last two months. Anytime I can get a swing-and-miss changeup or strike someone out with my changeup, it's only adding to my repertoire and overall success. It can take some of the focus off the fastball."Brothers might very well be the Rockies’ ninth-inning answer at some point during the 2013 season. Colorado, though, wants to continue to ease him into high-leverage situations. That’s why they traded for Houston’s Wilton Lopez at the Major League Baseball winter meetings in Nashville in early December. He closed for the Astros last year, and will give the Rockies yet another option late in games.New manager Walt Weiss, a former Rockies’ player, wants to win with a strong relief corps and mighty offense. That’s how the 1995 Rockies reached the playoffs, and Weiss believes the bullpen can be a strength, including Brothers.“Rex will be in there late. A lot depends on who is coming up that inning. We can mix and match,’’ Weiss said. “We want guys that other teams don’t want to face. Brothers can be one of those guys. He continues to get better and better.’’Brothers did not experience linear growth last season. His brief slump of poor outings might have been the best thing that happened to him.“That's part of being a competitor, being a good self-evaluator. I've had my times this year I've had to step back and address some things, try to get back on the right foot,’’ Brothers said. “Whenever things are going well, it's best for me to still step back and say, 'Which areas can I get better at?' and not get that sense of complacency. That may have affected me before. I have had my rough stretches, learned from them and moved on. More times than not, that's how you learn your lessons, the hard way."

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UFC Vets Josh Neer, Keith Wisniewski Return at UFC on Versus 6 By Matt Erickson A pair of veteran fighters – both with UFC experience and with more than 80 professional fights between them – are returning to the promotion and will face each other this fall at UFC on Versus 6. Verbal agreements are in place for welterweights Josh Neer and Keith Wisniewski (pictured) to meet on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. Sources close to the fight confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting on Tuesday morning, which was first reported by MMA Junkie. Neer and Wisniewski have 83 pro fights between them – 42 for Neer, 41 for Wisniewski – yet both are under 30 years old. UFC on Versus 6 is the promotion's debut in the nation's capital city and will be the company's final live show on the cable station in its current four-fight deal. The card will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson. Neer (31-10-1, 4-6 UFC) returns to the big show for the first time since a decision loss to Gleison Tibau at UFC 104. Neer has gone on a four-fight win streak since being choked out by Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez 15 months ago, and all four wins have been stoppages. On Saturday, Neer stopped Blas Avena with a first-round TKO at a Superior Cage Combat show in Las Vegas. And in June, he defended his Shark Fights interim welterweight belt against Jesse Juarez. Since being cut by the UFC, Neer has won six of seven fights with just the Alvarez loss, at Bellator 17, a blemish on his record. Neer first fought in the UFC on the first Fight Night card in August 2005, losing by submission to Drew Fickett. He returned at Fight Night 3 and submitted Melvin Guillard, currently one of the UFC's top lightweights, and then beat Joe Stevenson at Fight Night 4. Losses to Josh Burkman and Nick Diaz, at UFC 61 and 62, sent him packing. But he returned at Fight Night 13 and stayed put in the UFC for five straight bouts, going 2-3 with wins over Din Thomas and Mac Danzig, and decision losses to Nate Diaz, Kurt Pellegrino and Tibau. His fights with Nate Diaz and Danzig both were Fight of the Night winners. Wisniewski (28-12-1, 0-1 UFC) is in the midst of a six-fight winning streak that includes a submission of UFC veteran Pete Spratt and a dominant decision win over UFC vet Chris Wilson in April. Wisniewski's lone UFC fight came against Nick Thompson at UFC 56, a unanimous decision loss. After his loss to Thompson, Wisniewski signed with Bodog Fight and lost a split decision to Jorge Masvidal. He then hooked up with the IFL and lost to Rory Markham. That loss was followed by a pair of split decision setbacks. In fact, the way Wisniewski sees it, his six-fight winning streak could just as easily be 10. "There were three split decisions and one draw that was going to go into overtime, and I couldn't continue," Wisniewski told MMA Fighting in April. "Two of those, I've gone back and watched and I'm certain that I won. Two of them, maybe I lost but they could've gone my way – they were really close decisions." Wisniewski, whose most well-known fight, perhaps, was when Shinya Aoki snapped his elbow at a Shooto event in Japan in 2005, runs the Duneland Vale Tudo gym in Northwest Indiana that is the home to UFC fighters Eddie Wineland and Darren Elkins. But it was likely his win over Wilson in April that put him back on the UFC's radar screen – like he hoped it would. Wilson returned after a yearlong layoff, though training with the Nogueira brothers in Brazil, and was dominated by Wisniewski – including a 30-26 – at Hoosier Fight Club 7 in April. UFC on Versus 6 takes place Oct. 1 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. It will be the promotion's final live event on the Versus cable channel in a four-fight deal in 2011. The UFC will move its broadcast home to the Fox networks in 2012, including FX and Fuel TV. Josh Neer Keith Wisniewski

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Miami Wins MAC Tournament Championship Puzo Interview (video) Froede Interview (video) OXFORD, Ohio – Keeping up a steady attack throughout the game, the Miami University field hockey team finally broke through with a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes to defeat Central Michigan, 2-0, and win the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year on Saturday. The RedHawks earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Junior back Ali Froede was named the MAC Tournament MVP after leading a Miami defense that allowed only one goal the entire tournament. She was joined on the MAC All-Tournament Team by senior forward Alyssa Logan, sophomore midfielder Bea Dechant and freshman midfielder Carla Romagosa. For the game, the RedHawks outshot the Chippewas, 18-2. CMU did not record its first shot until the 59th minute, one that senior goalkeeper Sarah Mueller was able to easily kick away. Its only other shot came late in the game that went wide. Despite Miami controlling possession the majority of the contest, Central Michigan played extremely tough defense, not allowing the ‘Hawks many quality scoring chances. Despite getting five penalty corner attempts in the first half, Miami was only able to create six shot attempts during the scoreless period. The RedHawks were able to get on the board in the 61st minute. On their ninth penalty corner of the game, senior forward Emily Gruesser sent the ball into senior back Sid Marcum. She passed it to Dechant on the right side of the circle, who then made a move to avoid her defender and put the ball into the back of the net to give Miami a 1-0 lead. Scoring the goal forced the Chippewas to take more chances offensively, and the RedHawks took advantage. Earning another penalty corner in the 66th minute, Froede found Logan deep in the circle. Logan’s eighth goal of the season clinched the tournament championship for the ‘Hawks. Logan led Miami with five shots, while Gruesser had four. The RedHawks finished with a 10-1 penalty corner advantage. Miami will learn its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday at 10 p.m. when the selection show airs on NCAA.com. The RedHawks will likely be placed in one of the NCAA Play-In games, which for the first time are considered part of the NCAA Tournament.

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... Panel hears sports complex plan A new sports complex could be in the city's future. A new sports complex could be in the city's future. On Thursday, council members heard from Bob Bushyhead, president of Land3 Studio, a consultant firm who has been working for the past year to perform a parks assessment study for the city. Bushyhead said the consultants looked at multiple factors, including peer communities and public input, to determine what Neosho's park system is missing. "There was pretty consistent feedback that the facilities that you have currently for sports really don't meet the needs, either from a quality standpoint or just the numbers," Bushyhead said. He presented the city with two similar conceptual drawings, featuring a four-field baseball complex, a four-field softball complex, three or four multi-purpose fields, which could be used for football and soccer, a 300-yard driving range, and a minimum of approximately 500 parking spaces, with the complex located on the west side of the Neosho Municipal Golf Course. The entrance to the complex would be located on Waldo Hatler Memorial Drive, near the existing entrance to the golf course clubhouse parking lot. Richard Davidson, Neosho mayor, noted that the complex would be located near the Neosho Transportation Development District, where road improvements, including the extension of Hale McGinty Drive, are proposed. "With I-49 being just west of this property, and the improvements the TDD is proposing with retail, the tournament concept also gives us the ability, we hope, to be able to drive traffic to Neosho that otherwise wouldn't come here," Davidson said. "That can help tilt the balance on justifying the fast food chain or sit-down restaurants, hotels and economic growth from the tourism standpoint."Davidson also noted that, not only could the complex allow the city to host tournaments for city sports, or Neosho Little League, but that the fields would also work for the collegiate level. Tom Workman, councilman, said he remembered a time when the Neosho adult softball league had 45 teams signed up, while this year there are only five. "It's kind of slacked off in the last couple years but I think the reason that has happened is because there's not a quality place to play adult softball," Workman said. Troy Royer, city manager, said the adult league currently has to schedule field time around little league, with little league taking precedence. Council members in attendance at Thursday's work session expressed interest in moving forward with the Land3 study. Bushyhead said the next step is an economic impact study, at a cost of $3,950.The needs assessment study totaled $7,350. "I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with the economic impact," said councilman Steve Hart. "I think this is something that the people of Neosho deserve."While the sports complex would move the programs away from Morse Park, Royer said taking the ball fields out would allow the city to come up with new ideas for that city park, to allow for activities such as fishing or other rural recreation. Page 2 of 2 - "Very few parks anywhere in the city limits have two miles of freshwater white ribbon stream running through them, so Morse Park is a major asset to this town," Workman said. "But, it's not a major asset to our sports programs, not anymore."

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Oregon State QB out with knee injury vs Cougars Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images Quarterback Sean Mannion #4 of the Oregon State Beavers throws a pass during the college football game. CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion is out indefinitely after injuring his left knee during the No. 10 Beavers' victory over Washington State on Saturday. Backup Cody Vaz will start for the undefeated Beavers when they play a nonconference game against BYU this weekend. Mannion had his knee in a brace and watched from the sidelines at practice on Monday. Coach Mike Riley said an MRI has indicated the 6-foot-5, 212-pound sophomore quarterback will require surgery. "It's very, very disappointing for the young man. He's invested a ton and he's going to miss some time," Riley said. "Like I told him, `You're going to be fine. I read about a guy who hurt his knee in the first game of a the season a few years ago and he's still pretty good -- Tom Brady. The football stuff happens, you've just got to live with it and get better from it.' "He'll be back and he'll be fine.” The specific nature of Mannion's injury was not released. Mannion lest practice without speaking to reporters and Riley said he would undergo additional examination Monday afternoon. There was no timetable for the surgery or his return. "I'm going to let the doctors talk about that, or Sean, when he's ready for that," Riley said. Mannion threw for 270 yards and a touchdown in Oregon State's 19-6 victory over the Cougars. He apparently injured the knee on a handoff but did not leave the game. Following the victory, Oregon State jumped into the Top 10 of the AP rankings for the first time since 2001, when the Beavers went to the Fiesta Bowl. Mannion was averaging 339.5 yards passing a game, second in the Pac-12 and sixth in the nation. He has thrown for 1,358 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He is sixth on Oregon State's career list with 4,686 yards. Vaz, a 6-foot-1, 198-pound junior, played in five games in the 2010 season, completing six of 17 passes for 48 yards. He did not appear in any games last season for the Beavers. Riley said he has confidence in Vaz, adding that he and Mannion and nearly equal reps in fall camp. "Cody is a good quarterback. He has been preparing for this for a long time," Riley said. "He'll be good and we'll be ready to go.” Vaz said he is excited to make his first start. "You have to prepare yourself. You have to have a good mental approach," Vaz said. "That's what I've been doing for the past five weeks like I'm the starter. And now that I am I've got to make the most of this opportunity.” Vaz's backup will be redshirt freshman quarterback Richie Harrington. Mannion was winning accolades for his play this season. He is a classic drop-back passer with a calm demeanor and a good grasp of the fundamentals, the product of growing up the son of a high school coach. Last season as a redshirt freshman, Mannion unseated junior starter Ryan Katz, who had started the 2010 season for the Beavers. Katz has since transferred to San Diego State. Mannion is one of four team captains for Oregon State this year. The Beavers have rebounded from going 3-9 last season to opening 4-0 this season. Oregon State has not opened a season 5-0 since 1939.

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Wiercioch, Marsteller could meet at Powerade What better place for a matchup between the top two wrestlers in the country than the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament? That can happen this weekend when the two-day tournament gets under way at Canon-McMillan High School. Chance Marsteller, a junior from Kennard-Dale, and Cody Wiercioch, a senior from Canon-McMillan, are each weighed in at 170 pounds. Avoiding an upset or injury, the matchup of these two two-time state champions should be the feature final in the tournament. Marsteller is undefeated in two seasons and has the chance to become the 11th four-time PIAA wrestling champion in that event’s history. He is ranked No. 1 at 170 by Intermat and Wiercioch is ranked No. 2. Wiercioch, who won his second state title last season, and Marsteller are defending Powerade champions. In other news, Clovis, Calif., was forced to withdraw from the tournament because the team’s flight out of California was postponed by the winter snowstorm here until Friday, the first day of the tournament. Clovis had competed in two previous Powerade tournaments.

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Super Bowl ratings much about timing Super Bowl ratings leave every other program in the dark Planning on watching the Super Bowl? So are 113 million other people in the United States. But, really, what else are you going to do? It’s going to be 25 degrees and snowing. And dark. In case you hadn’t heard, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are playing today in New Orleans. Everybody’s talking about it. It’s the biggest sports event of the year in North America. I know that because the Alabama quarterback’s girlfriend, made famous by Brent Musberger, was sent there on media day by Inside Edition – or one of those shows that looks just like Inside Edition – to do player interviews. She’s apparently qualified because she’s really good looking and went to a football game at least once. There’s no denying that NFL football is America’s favorite sport, but the huge ratings are about so much more than football. I know that because I saw a news conference for the woman, Beyonce, who’s going to lip sync … I mean sing …, at halftime. Check the weather forecasts for some of the cities that will probably make XLVII the most-watched TV show of all time. There will be lots of temperatures in the low to mid-20s and plenty of darkness. The Super Bowl, especially now that it’s being played in February, comes at a time when about two-thirds of the people in America could qualify as shut-ins. What are they going to do instead of watch the game? Have a cookout? Cut the grass? Play the game in mid-June and the ratings would drop by 50 percent. And not because it would be going up against the Stanley Cup Finals. • Then there’s the Pro Bowl. It was played last week, in case you were fortunate enough to miss it. It got a 9.8 rating in the key 18-49 demographic and won it’s time slot. That can only mean that at least two-thirds of the people who said they wouldn’t be caught dead watching the Pro Bowl, watched it. Think that number would shrink if the game were played in the middle of June? I didn’t catch who performed at halftime, but I’m pretty sure it was Manti Te’o’s internet girlfriend. I hear she pretended to sing. • Game 4 of the World Series sweep by the San Francisco Giants got a 7.6 rating. • Were you as shocked as I was to hear a man of conscience such as Ray Lewis was being accused of using an illegal substance to help him recover from a triceps injury? If he says – despite the fact that there’s a tape of him placing an order out there somewhere – that he never used deer antler velvet extract, I believe him. And even though the injury that he was trying to recover from is common among PED users, I would never suspect a man of his character of cheating to get ahead. • Maybe having the Super Bowl to watch is good for America’s psyche. We can all be distracted from having to deal with the shock and grief of finding out that Alex Rodriguez might have lied to us. Remember when Rodriguez said he stopped using PEDs before he joined the New York Yankees? According to the Miami New Times, Anthony Bosch, who runs a PED business in Miami, has documents that show A-Rod was buying from him as recently as 2012. Of course, A-Rod denied everything through a spokesman, “Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch’s patient, he was never treated by him and he was never advised by him. The purported documents referred to in the story – at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez – are not legitmate.” Turns out Manti Te’o is A-Rod’s spokesman. According to T.J Quinn of ESPN, there are late-night text messages from A-Rod to Bosch, telling him to come to A-Rod’s house to inject him. Rodriguez was still denying the story as of Friday. As usual, in cases of athletes and the use of performance enhancing drugs, I’m going with guilty until proven innocent. • Clairton wide receiver Tyler Boyd, is confused. He’s one of the top football recruits in the country and in early January, during the telecast of the U.S Army All-American Bowl, he stood behind a table with hats from Pitt, West Virginia and Michigan State, picked up the Pitt hat and made an oral commitment to play for Panthers coach Paul Chryst. Since then, he has taken recruiting trips to West Virginia and Tennessee and, apparently, isn’t sure that he made the right decision. Boyd is a kid. It’s understandable that he would want to make a big production out of what was one of the biggest days of his life. It’s the adults who are the idiots. Where were the adults – other than the shameless shills working for ESPN – preventing him from making a commitment before he had made his official visits? Is this a complicated concept? Make your commitment after you’ve visited the schools? The adults should be doing whatever they can to prevent high school kids from creating a media circus and setting themselves up to break a promise made on national TV. Not facilitating it. John Steigerwald writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.

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Cleveland Cavaliers partial season ticket plans go on sale The Cavaliers unveiled their partial season ticket plans for the upcoming season today, which is fitting since the NBA will probably only be a partial season.While the lockout is hindering long-term plans, fans can still purchase a 12-game plan for $220, which includes tickets to a home opener on Nov. 4 that probably won't be played. No word from the Cavs on how a lockout would impact ticket sales. Cleveland Cavaliers player personnel director Wes Wilcox named GM of team's D-League affiliate Wes Wilcox was named general manager of the Cavaliers’ new Development League affiliate in Canton on Thursday. He will also remain in his present job as director of player personnel for the Cavs.The duties go hand-in-hand. In his role with the Cavs, he served as the liaison to the D-League team in Erie, Pa. for the last four years. Sound off: How do you feel about The Decision one year later? Today marks the one year anniversary of LeBron James' decision to leave the Cavs for the Miami Heat. One year later, how do you feel? Have you forgiven James and moved on, considering all the good he still does for the city of Akron? Or are you still angry? Discuss... Cavaliers purchase NBA Development League team, will move it to Canton The Cavaliers have purchased their own NBA Development League team and will move it to Canton before the start of next season. The team made the announcement today at the Canton Civic Center, where the home games will be played."This gives us an opportunity to run the same systems, have the same defensive principles, use the same vocabulary and have the same type of culture," Cavs General Manager Chris Grant said. "From a proximity standpoint, this is fantastic. A player can practice with us in the morning and play that night (in Canton) and it doesn't disrupt what's going on." Final thoughts: Channeling Moondog, classic movies and saying goodbye to J.J. Hickson How does he do that? How does Moondog hit those no-look, over-the-head, behind-the-back, half-court shots?

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SOCOG staff members digs in the snow after six workers were swept off a roof at the bobsleigh center, for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi when the snow they were clearing slid to the ground in Rzhanaya Polyana Russia on Thursday Jan. 16, 2014 . Associated Press technicians who witnessed the fall said one of the men appeared to have injured a leg and was taken away on a stretcher, while others suffered minor injuries. The men were clearing snow at the Sanki Sliding Center, which will host the bobsleigh and luge events at next monthís games in the Russian Black Sea city. (AP Photo/Joe Payne)

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» Events Coverage » Game Coverage » Articles » SR’s Fab 5 – 7-26 July 26, 2013 @ 8:17 am Current rating: 4.00 Stars/2 Votes SR’s Fab 5 – 7-26 Written by ScottReynolds Bucs QB Josh Freeman deserves a contract extension prior to 2013 Mark Lomoglio/PR Why should the Bucs extend Josh Freeman’s contract right now? What does Freeman think of Pro Bowl guards Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph? Which reserve DB is coming on strong? Get the answers and more insight on the Bucs in this week’s SR’s Fab 5. SR's Fab 5 is a collection of inside scoop, analysis and insight from yours truly, Pewter Report publisher and Bucs beat writer Scott Reynolds. Here are a few things that caught my attention this week at One Buc Place:FAB 1. IT’S TIME TO EXTEND FREEMAN’S CONTRACTBarring an injury that causes him to miss several games of the upcoming 2013 season, Josh Freeman is poised to become the most prolific quarterback in Tampa Bay history this year from a statistical perspective. Freeman is just 1,858 yards away from surpassing Vinny Testaverde (14,820 yards from 1987-92) and becoming the Bucs’ all-time leading passer.With his last scoring strike of the 2012 season, an 8-yard TD to wide receiver Mike Williams in a 22-17 Week 17 win at Atlanta, Freeman threw his 78th career touchdown pass to move him ahead of Testaverde as the leader on Tampa Bay’s all-time TD pass list.Of the top five quarterbacks in Bucs history – which also includes Testaverde, Johnson, Trent Dilfer and Doug Williams – Freeman’s touchdown-to-interception differential (78 TDs, 63 INTs) of plus-15 is better than QB other than Johnson, who threw for 64 touchdowns and 41 interceptions from 2000-04 – a differential of plus-23.With 287 more attempts, Freeman will have thrown more passes than any other Buccaneer in history with 2,161. With just 26 more completions, the Bucs’ first-round pick in 2009 will have 1,127 in his career, which will surpass Testaverde for the most in Tampa Bay history. That should happen by Week 2 of the 2013 season at the very latest.Freeman set personal bests and franchise records for most passing yards in a season (4,065), most total yards from scrimmage (4,204) and touchdowns in a season (27) during a bounce-back year in 2012.So what does topping Testaverde’s records mean for Freeman? Some will say nothing. Like Testaverde, Freeman has yet to deliver the Buccaneers to the postseason or even make a Pro Bowl appearance. Even a lesser quarterback like Dilfer did that in 1997. But the difference is that Freeman is an incredible physical specimen. He’s 6-foot-6, 235 pounds and blessed with a cannon arm that can make all the throws only a few quarterbacks can make. The best part about the total package that is Josh Freeman is that he just turned 25 in January, already has four years of NFL experience and has another decade’s worth of playing time left in the league ahead of him. There were three quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Freeman was the third of which, selected behind Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, who was the first overall pick, and New York’s Mark Sanchez. The Jets made a mistake by prematurely giving the overrated Sanchez an early extension after a few trips to the playoffs – thanks more to the team’s talented defense than Sanchez’s arm.Stafford just received a three-year, $53-million extension this summer despite only producing one winning season with the Lions, which was a 9-7 record in 2011 that resulted in a humbling, 45-28 loss at New Orleans in the wild card playoff game. If Stafford received a contract extension after a 4-12 season in which the Lions lost the final eight games of the 2012 season, why not extend Freeman now? At least Freeman is coming off a year in which he set personal bests and franchise records for passing yards, total yards and passing touchdowns while helping the Bucs offense rank ninth in the NFL, averaging 363.8 yards per game and scoring an average of 24.3 points, which ranked 13th in the league. Not to mention that Freeman helped newly acquired receiver Vincent Jackson and rookie running back Doug Martin make the Pro Bowl last season, while the Bucs improved from 4-12 in 2011 to 7-9 in 2012.Freeman shrugged off the fact that he is entering a pivotal contract year in an interview on 620 AM WDAE on June 20.“I have a great relationship with our G.M. and with our head coach,” Freeman said. “I’m not naïve. It is a business, but at the end of the day I try to look at it like I love what I do, I love who I’m doing it with, and I’m going to do whatever I can to be the best leader of this football team, the best quarterback and the best Josh Freeman I can possibly be.“I’m a big believer in hard working paying off, and trust me. There is no one working harder than us. I’m telling you. I’m excited. There’s no added pressure. No nervousness. No anxiety. I know who I am. My guys know who I am. We all know what it’s about. Dude, I’m pumped up. There’s no anxiety. It’s all excitement. I’m excited about getting this year going and it has nothing to do with a contract year.”Having said that, Freeman has also admitted that he plays better and has more focus when he has a clear head and his mind is at ease. When a rash of interceptions popped up during the 2011 season and down the stretch of the 2012 campaign it was because Freeman said he was pressing too much and forcing too many throws to try to make things happen too often, rather than taking what the defense gives him and displaying better patience. What better way to ease Freeman’s mind and let him concentrate on football than to offer up a contract extension prior to the start of the regular season?Freeman, who will earn $8.43 million in 2013, certainly doesn’t seem like the type of player that would suddenly become a fat cat with a new, lucrative contract extension. By the end of this season Freeman will have already made in excess of $26 million. He’s got a posh house in Tampa, a Ferrari and plenty of cash in the bank. Even though Freeman is already set for life, you can tell that this Midwestern kid doesn’t let money rule his world.There is a chance that the contract negotiations themselves in August could prove to be a bit distracting, but what if losses mount early in the season? Will a pressured Freeman push too hard once again and try to force things happen, resulting in a season in a downward spiral and uncertainty about where he’ll play football in 2014?The belief here is that if some unexpected losses happen and things don’t go according to plan, Freeman could more easily rebound without the added weight of a contract year on his shoulders. That’s just something to think about, Mark Dominik.Freeman’s price tag would certainly come a bit cheaper today than it would in 2014 if he delivers Tampa Bay to the playoffs this year. That could help out Dominik down the road as he has to turn his attention towards possibly extending the contract of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who will make $10.295 million in the final year of his rookie deal in 2014.There is not a love fest between fans and Freeman largely due to the fact that Tampa Bay hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007, and the young quarterback’s occasional inconsistencies at the worst possible times in games or in the season. A part of the Bucs fan base is indifferent towards Freeman, which is stunning for a franchise that has largely been without a true franchise quarterback other than Freeman since 1976.“I know this, there are a lot of guys that would take him today,” said new Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach John McNulty, who quickly became a Freeman fan. “He’s tremendously talented. He’s a great person. He’s football-savvy. He’ll do anything you ask him today. He just really needs to have a consistent structure around him as far as his system, his coaches and the people he can kind of rely on – the players he’s playing with. If that can kind of line up – that can kind of go for anybody – that helps. “Honestly, I have not heard one person [in the NFL] say, ‘Yeah, good luck with him!’ Everybody I’ve talked to has said, ‘If you don’t want him I’ll take him!’ Those are guys [saying that] that have good quarterbacks and guys that are struggling.”Williams received a well-deserved contract extension on Wednesday. Now both he and Jackson are under contract with the team together through 2017. Now it’s time to lock up Freeman as well. There are no contract extension talks expected to take place between Dominik and Ron Freeman, Josh’s father and representative and Erik Burkhardt until the end of the 2013 season, which is a shame. Freeman could head into the 2013 campaign without it being a contract year, and the Bucs could conceivably land him at a cheaper price now rather than in January after a possible playoff berth.With the arrival of training camp, Freeman pledges to do his best to focus on improving his game, the 2013 season and nothing else.“I love being a Buccaneer,” Freeman said. “I love my teammates. I love my coaches. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now I’m just trying to be the best Josh Freeman I can be whether it’s in the community, on the football field or in my personal life. I’ll let the rest take care of itself.”FAB 2. FREEMAN CAN’T WAIT TO LINE UP WITH NICKS, JOSEPH AGAINOne thing that will definitely help Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman in his contract season is the return of Pro Bowl guards Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph to the starting lineup. The two massive offensive linemen only played parts of three preseason games together before Joseph was lost for the year against the New England Patriots last August with a torn ACL. Nicks saw his initial Buccaneers season come to an abrupt end due to torn ligaments in his toe after the seventh game in 2012. While Jamon Meredith, Jeremy Zuttah and Ted Larsen filled in admirably and helped Tampa Bay’s offense rank ninth in the NFL by averaging 363.8 yards per game, the talents of Nicks and Joseph, whose combined contracts are worth $100 million, are far superior.“When they are in the lineup our offense is about 100 pounds heavier,” Freeman said in a recent interview on 620 AM WDAE. “Their reputation speaks for itself. Davin has been a Buccaneer his whole career. I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know Davin. Davin is a family man. Davin is a team-oriented guy. Davin is a leader on the team. Whether or not he got injured or has a captain’s patch or not, Davin Joseph is – and, in my opinion, always will be as long as he is a Buccaneer – one of the captains on this team.”Joseph has been healthy for some time since undergoing knee surgery summer, but was held out of team drills during OTAs (organized team activities) and the team’s mini-camp as a precaution. Both he and Nicks have been cleared to resume full practice regimen at the start of training camp, and he will have to work on his chemistry with new right tackle Demar Dotson, who started 15 games last year playing beside Larsen and Meredith rather than Joseph. Nicks was on his way to his third straight Pro Bowl before his season-ending toe injury, but is expected to come back with a vengeance in 2013.“Carl is an interesting guy, and not because he’s so talented and so big,” Freeman said. “The guy is ridiculous, man. Carl had surgery on his toe and hasn’t lifted weights in three weeks and he comes in and sets the highest bench press max. It’s ridiculous. He might be able to bench more than I can squat. It’s ridiculous. He’s unbelievable.”Freeman recalled a humorous instance during the preseason in 2012 when the Buccaneers’ “Wall” was intact with Joseph and Nicks blocking for him on a particular passing play.“We’ve talked about pocket movement, working the pocket, stepping back and finding ways to subtly extend plays,” Freeman said. “We have a lot of focuses during the offseason, but that was one of them. We were going back and watching the cut-ups, and on a few cut-ups you had some from the preseason games. You look back and say we’ve made leaps and bounds as an offense first and foremost. But second, you look at ‘The Wall.’ “Those guys, I’m telling you – it’s unreal. There were times in the preseason last year where the first read was a little cloudy, the second read was a little cloudy, the third read was a little cloudy and the check down was a little cloudy. Taking off is your initial instinct, but I was sitting back there and I could have sworn I saw Carl just hugging two guys one time. It wasn’t holding, but he had both of them by the ‘V’ of their shoulder pads right at the top and he was just kind of squeezing them together. Those guys were fighting to get through and they couldn’t do anything about it.”It’s hard to believe that Freeman passed for over 4,000 yards and Martin nearly rushed for over 1,400 yards without Joseph and with Nicks for only half the season. The Bucs can’t wait to see what the league’s ninth-ranked offense can do playing with both of its Pro Bowl guards in 2013.“We’re going to win some games this year,” Freeman said. “The Bucs are going to be a force. I’m pumped up about that.”FAB 3. THE HUMBLE TANDY IS AN EMERGING TALENT AT SAFETY AND PERHAPS NICKEL CBOne of the more interesting training camp battles is for the starting safety position in Tampa Bay’s dime defense between third-year veteran Ahmad Black and second-year player Keith Tandy. While starting safeties Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron are on the field in base defense, nickel and dime packages, the Bucs deploy a third safety in dime defense.Last year, it was Black playing alongside Barron while starting free safety Ronde Barber moved into the slot and played closer to the line of scrimmage. This year, Barron will replace Barber in the slot in dime defense and Black will have to fend off a challenge from Tandy for the right to play next to Goldson when Tampa Bay deploys six defensive backs, which they did about 23 percent of the time last season. The Bucs played base defense 49 percent of the time and played nickel defense 28 percent of the time.In his first extensive playing time, Black had a breakthrough year with 32 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a critical onside kick recovery in the fourth quarter in a win at Oakland. Tandy was mostly relegated to special teams duty where he made three tackles, and was limited to a few snaps on defense. However, Tandy proved he was a playmaker in the preseason where he led the Bucs with 22 tackles (15 solo) and also had a pass defensed. Tandy’s 22 tackles were 10 more stops than the closest Buccaneers defender, which was his former teammate at West Virginia, linebacker Najee Goode.While 22 tackles over four games is a signal of good production, what is even more impressive is the fact that Tandy recorded an amazing 17 tackles in the preseason finale at Washington.“The main thing I’m trying to do is do my job out there,” Tandy said. “The rest of our guys in that preseason game were just doing their jobs. The plays happened to be funneled to me against the Redskins. When I had a chance to make the play I did. It definitely gave me some confidence going into the season. I can play faster this year with that confidence and knowing what I’m doing in the defense.”Having a two-time Pro Bowler like Goldson in the meeting rooms and the defensive huddle has also provided Tandy with a wealth of knowledge.“He’s been real helpful,” Tandy said. “He has us staying after practice and working on little things and making sure we are talking on every play. That’s the thing. We have a lot of young guys in the secondary. We don’t talk as much as we should and last year that hurt us a little bit. We busted assignments and didn’t have guys guarding the right guys.“He’s helped a lot with that. He’s talked about his experience at San Francisco and the great defense they have out there. He tells us about certain things he has experienced that worked against certain offensive schemes. The biggest thing is communication out there on the field. When you communicate out there on the field it allows guys to play faster because everybody knows what they’re doing.”While Black and Tandy might be the front-runners for the starting dime safety position, the team has other candidates, including Sean Baker, who recorded two interceptions and recovered a fumble at Washington in the preseason finale.“There’s a lot more competition back there,” Tandy said. “I think guys are more confident and they are playing faster. That’s making everybody elevate his game and that will make our defense better. Right now we’re still learning about where everyone is going to fit back there in that secondary and it’s elevating everybody’s game. But it’s a friendly competition. Off the field we are talking to each other and watching film. It’s definitely helping us out and making everyone better.”Tandy, who is 5-foot-10 and weighs 205 pounds, played cornerback in college, so he has the cover skills to play man coverage in the slot against tight ends or wide receivers. That versatility could help him once again land a spot on Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster.“With the limited number of guys you can have on a team, and the limited number of guys you can have active on game day, versatility is a plus,” Tandy said. “I’m playing a lot of different positions right now in nickel and dime defense, and we’re just trying to figure out where everybody fits in within the defense in order for it to be successful.“I feel pretty good at safety right now. I want to get it to where I can feel good playing anywhere. I don’t play corner any more, but I know corner well enough to where I could play it in this defense if I had to. I know it well enough where I can also help a young guy out. It’s a new year and we have a lot of new people. We know we have a lot of talent right now and we’re working hard to be the best secondary we can be.”In fact, Tandy is also getting a shot at playing nickel corner during training camp, and is being thrown into the mix with second-round draft pick Johnthan Banks, Leonard Johnson, Michael Adams, Danny Gorrer and undrafted free agent Rashaan Melvin.FAB 4. FRASER SAYS PASS RUSH WILL GET A BOOST FROM CLAYBORN, BOWERSExpectations are high for defensive ends Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn this season in Tampa Bay. The team needs Clayborn to rebound from a torn ACL that cost him most of the 2012 season and return to his rookie form when he led the Bucs with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. And it needs Bowers, the team’s second-round pick in 2011, to step up as a first-time, full-time starter at left end and rush the passer the way he did at Clemson, leading the NCAA in sacks with 15.5 and 26 tackles for loss as a junior in 2010.While Bowers and Clayborn are penciled in as Tampa Bay’s starting defensive ends, they first to have to earn their positions in training camp. “They are going to compete for their positions,” said Bucs assistant defensive coordinator Bob Fraser. “But they certainly have a leg up on their competition. They’ve played, but we’re going to have great competition with the new guys we have.“With Da’Quan you take a look at Gerald McCoy. [Last year] was the first year Gerald played a whole season. He was injured before that. You could see what he was able to do. I think Da’Quan can do the same thing if he’s healthy.”Bowers missed the first six games of the 2012 season due to his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon last April. When he returned to action it was in spot duty where he recorded 13 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and a pass defensed.As for Clayborn, Fraser is not as familiar with him as his season ended almost before it truly began after suffering a knee injury in a Week 3 loss at Dallas. But Fraser has seen the tape of Clayborn’s rookie season in which he was a brutish force.“Look at Adrian and what he was able to do the year before as a rookie,” Fraser said. “He played extremely well. He just had the unfortunate instance of being hurt. If he could come back to the form that he was a year ago I think it’s going to be great for him and for us.”Inside the walls of One Buccaneer Place, the expectation for the tandem of Bowers and Clayborn is to combine for 20 sacks. Fraser wouldn’t publicly say how many sacks he expects from either player, but did say that having the duo back healthy for a full season will provide a boost to Tampa Bay’s pass rush. “They are very similar, talented, explosive players,” Fraser said. “I really think we’re going to be good up front if they can stay healthy. They can help us tremendously.”On Thursday, the first day of Bucs training camp, Bowers and Clayborn were spending time lining up at both defensive end positions. That's one of the wrinkles the Bucs are looking at this season – having both Bowers and Clayborn being able to play either defensive end spot to confuse opponents and create the opportunity for some mismatches.FAB 5. Here are a couple of things to hold you over until the next edition of SR’s Fab 5:• Count Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman among those high on the talents of second-year tight end Danny Noble, who will be challenging Nate Byham and others for a roster spot as Tampa Bay’s third tight end in training camp. Byham was starting in place of the injured Luke Stocker on Thursday, the first day of Bucs training camp, instead of newcomer Tom Crabtree and Noble.“We have a kid named Danny Noble, who is a young up-and-comer,” Freeman said in an interview with 620 AM WDAE. “He’s a got that last year played with a little bit of an injury. If he gets through camp obviously injury-free, and gets through the preseason he’s a kid that has a special sort of talent. I’d say he’s 6-foot-4, and about 250 or 260. He’s not the fastest, but he has upper echelon speed. He doesn’t have the best hands, but upper echelon hands. The kid makes some great catches. But once you get the ball in his hands though, his nickname is “Swag.” I don’t know where he got it from, but the kid has a little something to him. If we get through camp and if things go as you kind of see them going, I could definitely see him getting some quality time out there. Not necessarily quality time, but quality play. This kid knows how to get open. He knows how to make plays.”The only problem is that the Bucs were high on Noble last year when he weighed 245 pounds as a receiving tight end out of Toledo. In an effort to bulk up and become a better blocker, Noble's weight is over 260 pounds, and the team is concerned that he has lost some speed with the additional pounds.• It’s interesting to note that the Bucs have no tight ends or wide receivers making at least $1 million in 2013. Because Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson restructured his base salary for 2013 in December of 2012 by taking the majority of the $13 million he was owed in the form of a roster bonus to help create cap room in 2013, the superstar will only make $840,000, which is the veteran minimum base salary. In fact, both Jackson and Derek Hagan are scheduled to make $840,000, which is the highest salary for any receiver or tight end in Tampa Bay this year.• Even though newly acquired cornerback Darrelle Revis spent very little time on the field during the offseason at One Buccaneer Place doing little else other than rehabbing his knee with trainer Todd Toriscelli, the four-time Pro Bowler and former AFC Defensive Player of the Year made his presence felt with his fellow defensive backs.“It makes a big difference with young guys like myself,” Bucs safety Keith Tandy said of Revis. “We see how hard he’s working. He’s always talking to us in the cafeteria and the meeting rooms with things he’s done in the past. Revis makes a big difference. When we are doing walk-thrus on the field he’s always in there taking his reps so that way he can get his mind right. Despite his experience, he’s learning this defense, too.”• Second-year cornerback Leonard Johnson started ahead of rookie Johnthan Banks, the team's second-round draft pick, opposite Danny Gorrer, who was filling in for Darrelle Revis during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills in Tampa Bay's first training camp practice on Thursday. While Johnson performed well last year as a rookie, recording three interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in six starts during 2012, he isn't resting on his laurels and assuming anything in 2013.“The roster change (the release of veteran cornerback Eric Wright) definitely put everybody in position to compete for more than one job,” said Johnson, who is competing for either the starting cornerback spot or the nickel cornerback role. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time. I’m not looking to do anything outside of myself. I’m going to come out and take care of my responsibility. I’m competing on the field and in the classroom.“My mentality is to get better every day. My mindset is to come out and don’t worry about depth charts because at any moment they can change due to injury or lack of performance. If you worry about keeping a job, most likely you are going to lose track of everything else. I’m just looking to come out, have fun and compete. That’s my main goal. Even though it’s my second year, I’m still approaching it as if it’s my first year.”• In case you didn't see that Pewter Report partnered with 98.7 The Fan this week, he's a link to that story. Pewter Report is excited about the opportunity to share our insight and analysis with the vast 98.7 The Fan audience and will be making regularly scheduled appearances every day of the week through Buccaneers football season. Here is quick look at the line up of Pewter Report appearances:Monday - Booger and Rich with Scott Reynolds - 4:00 p.m. ETTuesday - The Fabulous Sports Babe with Mark Cook - 9:20 p.m. ETWednesday - Fan Interference with Mark Cook - 10:00 a.m. ETThursday - Kirk and Dinger with Scott Reynolds - 8:00 a.m. ETFriday - Booger and Rich with Scott Reynolds - 4:00 p.m. ETPodcasts will be made available later in the day on PewterReport.com so Bucs fans can listen in if they missed the live broadcasts on 98.7 The Fan.• And finally, Pewter Report's official Training Camp Get2gether will take place on Saturday, August 17 at The Grille at Westchase from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET and feature special guest Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik along with Pewter Reporters Scott Reynolds, Mark Cook and new Bucs beat writer Gil Arcia. This Training Camp Get2gether event is free and open to ALL Bucs fans. However, the first 25 Pewter Insider subscribers in attendance will receive a FREE Pewter Report T-shirt.Dominik will be on hand to answer the questions from Bucs fans and talk about Tampa Bay's preseason game against New England from the night before. There will be free snacks and soft drinks/tea, and discounted menu items and drink specials for all PewterReport.com visitors in attendance.As always, there will be some fantastic prizes given away, such as two tickets in Pewter Report's luxury suite to the Bucs' preseason finale on August 29 against Washington, an authentic Bucs helmet signed by legendary DB Ronde Barber and other autographed memorabilia. While this Pewter Report Training Camp Get2gether event is free, space is limited and reservations are required. Bucs fans and PewterReport.com visitors MUST RSVP by e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with their Pewter Report username and the number of people that will be attending. Last modified on Friday, 26 July 2013 11:06 ARTICLE RATING 1 SR's Fab 5 « Humbled By His Injury, Revis Ready To Propel Bucs Into Playoffs Barber At Bucs Camp Prepping For New Career Behind Camera » Thanks for the read. I have to disagree with your point on Freeman though. Not because I don't like him, I do. I disagree because of the reasons given. I don't believe we should extend him based on the fact that he's (arguably at this point) the best QB in Bucs history, that he's a physical specimen or that he was the 3rd QB drafted in his class. Being the best Buc QB, to me, doesn't mean much at this point in the franchise's history. Being a physical specimen means even less as almost all NFL players are specimens. Being the 3rd QB drafted behind Sanchez and Stafford? I think you know where I'm going there... I do understand the money issue with regards to signing other players next offseason. However, I would say the more prudent investment strategy would be to wait and see. You may have to pay him more but that would mean that he earned it and it would also mean that you don't potentially compound the mistake of signing him now only to discover he is not the guy and other players still have to leave from a franchise starting over again. Mr. Incredible I totally agree. Sign Freeman now and save the team $2 mil per year for the next 6 years. It's a no brainier. I'm mean are we really talking about throwing this guy away even if he doesn't light it up this year? It's so difficult to find true starting talent at QB in the NFL you have to be out of your mind to let a talent and a quality person like Freeman go at the end of this year. As such, sign him now and save us allot of $ down the road. He's a very good QB and a great kid. Come on Bucs fans. Come correct. I hope they resign Freeman, he's very under appreciated; that being said he does have his flaws. He's a calm and collected person which is what good leaders are. He's got experience under his belt, consistency in the offensive system, a great RB and who I believe is the best receiving duo in the NFL to go with a reloaded defense and a veteran O-line with 3 pro bowlers. The stars have aligned for 2013- sign him to a two year guaranteed salary with a 3 year option, maybe incentive based. Either way, we need freeman for at least the next two years to avoid another offensive meltdown with a plug and play QB TheBucFan Great fab 5 Scott. Freemans 2nd year in a very hard system to learn with a an improved D will mean more wins and the playoff's for the Bucs.Syked! inspecto I agree sign Freeman now and we sure don't want another Doug Williams getting away not to mention Steve to the 49ners. Go Bucs !!! This team has a few holes but it's ready to make the playoffs. To say that Freeman helped VJ and Martin make the Pro Bowl is a bit much. IMO VJ and Martin helped Freeman with his records. I agree with not signing Freeman as the only thing that will hold this team back from making the playoffs is Freeman. If this team does not make the playoffs should we extend Freeman for a possible three to four years with no playoffs? Freeman is a fifth year average QB, it's not about age it's about wins. LordJim Wow, and right on cue, the first Grantland article ever worth reading comes along. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9510979/bill-barnwell-breaks-josh-freeman-chances-having-bounce-back-year Excellent read, Scott. Thank you, Sir! I like Freeman's attitude about his and the the team's focus. They are working hard and are striving for positive results. He also appears to understand that more production means more dollars. I'm sure no one is expecting him to play for free. But, stay focused Josh, it'll come. Go Bucs!! Great to hear Tandy will be cross trained as a nickel DB. Too bad the Bucs didn't try that last year because I know we could have pulled out some close games with his help. He is a tackling machine, who can cover well, and has good speed, and he has the bigger body too that Schiano likes (and why they converted him to Safety last year). We have a big talent in Black as our backup at Safety, so we can use Tandy's great talents at the niickel position. I am happy with how our younger defensive backs from last year are progressing, too, and especially, Gorer. I think Leonard Johnson is going to be a force too, and a solid playmaker as well. Se we should be in great shape there, but Preseason will be the test for that. Bucfish7 I'm with you Scott - sign Freeman now. I don't know why he's not more appreciated by Bucs fans. Freeman had 3 bad games last year and tried to force the ball because he knew we had to be up by 14+ points in the 4th quater to win. Even Drew Brees had a down year when his defense was really bad and he tried to overcome it - and no, I don't think that Sean Peyton being out affected Drew Brees' play all that much because Brees pretty much calls his own plays. Lock Freeman up Dominik! Great Fab-5 Scott! The smell of football is in the air! arizonajoe Sign Freeman now (6 years). I bought his Jersey for Pete's sake!! Daily Clips for Thursday, April 17 Here's a sampling of media reports on the Buccaneers today. Draft Prospect Spotlight: Kelvin Benjamin New 'D' Offers More Opportunities for... As the middle linebacker in the Tampa Two defense the Bucs are... Daily Clips for Wednesday, April 16 Here's a sampling of media reports on the Buccaneers today. McCown Not Worried About Bucs' Draft... Josh McCown says his top priority is making sure the Buccaneers get... Draft Prospect Spotlight: C.J. Mosley Magazine

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Marussia preview the Chinese GPMarussia preview the Bahrain GPMarussia preview the Malaysian GPMarussia preview the Australian GPBianchi targets points finishesBianchi happy with first testBianchi expects better in 2014Bianchi named Rookie of the Year Marussia eager to keep duo Thursday 1st August 2013 Share: Marussia eager to keep duo Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi will remain at Marussia next season if team principal John Booth gets his way. The Banbury-based squad started the year with the rookie pairing of Chilton and Bianchi, but the duo have done their hopes of staying on the grid no harm during the first 10 races of the campaign. Bianchi, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, has out-qualified his team-mate at every race and finished P13 in Malaysia while Chilton's best performance to date was a 14th place in Monaco. "We took a massive gamble with two race novices," admitted Booth. "They both had a fair amount of mileage in F1 cars, so it wasn't like they were novices to Formula One. "But it's been really impressive as to how few mistakes they've both made. "With two rookies it could have finished in a right old mess, but you can count on one hand the mistakes made between them." Asked if Chilton and Bianchi are doing enough to retain their seats, Booth replied: "Absolutely. I'd like to keep them both for next year. "At the moment it depends on a variety of (contract) options and option expires and things like that. "But we don't intend to leave our decision as late as we did for this year. We're hoping to be a bit more comfortable for this year." Chilton welcomed Booth's comments, but he knows that it's not always about his on-track performance when it comes to negotiating a new contract. "That's part of the behind-the-scenes stuff. I don't really know what's going on," he said. "But we've nine races to go, and I know I can make this year look better than it has so far by improving on things. "It's down to my management to get me a seat. I know I'd love to be with Marussia, especially as we'll have Ferrari with us next year (a powertrain supply from 2014) which will boost performance. "I get on well with the team. I've been with them over a year now, and Jules is a good team-mate, so I'd love that to happen. "If the team want me then I'd love to be here, but as you know in Formula One things can change quickly, so it's out of my control. "All I can do is be the best driver I can be. Right now I know there are things I can work on." Setting Up In Shanghai

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Books Email Print MLS Cup Could Be Donovan's Last GameKevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times - November 26, 2012AP Photo Two years ago, after the longest season of his long career, Landon Donovan returned to his Manhattan Beach home, drew the curtains, turned off the phone and spent two weeks trying to recover. He eventually emerged from his sequestration to have one of his finest Major League Soccer seasons in 2011, leading the Galaxy with 15 goals, including the score that gave the team its first title in six years. Exhausted again, Donovan will go back into hiding after Saturday's MLS Cup final, his 49th game in 48 weeks. Only this time he says he's not sure he'll return. "I'm going to take as much time as I need and decide if and when I'm ready to come back," he said. "I can't put a time frame on that. If it takes two weeks and I'm...Read Full Article »Related Topics: Landon Donovan, mls, SoccerMore From This AuthorFeatured On RCS FromRecommended ArticlesDonovan May Be Done After MLS CupKevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times - November 26, 2012 He eventually emerged from his... more »Chelsea on Verge of Dreadful MilestoneJamie Trecker, Fox Sports - November 21, 2012Barcelona are in, and Chelsea are almost out. Tuesday night saw a tale of two champions heading in opposite directions. For some the results will be cause for schadenfreude, particularly if you hail from the hamlet of Munich in... more »Plenty of Options for Beckham After MLSRichard Williams, The Guardian - November 20, 2012 There will be plenty of offers for David Beckham's services in his final season. Some of them will probably come from England, with Queens Park Rangers potentially to the fore, especially if Harry Redknapp – who welcomed... more »Beckham to Orbit Out of GalaxyLeander Schaerlaeckens, Fox Sports - November 20, 2012Two weeks from now, the Los Angeles Galaxy's grand Beckham Experiment will be over. On Monday night, the Galaxy announced that the much-laurelled English midfielder won’t be returning to the team next year. The December 1... more »Benitez to Lead Chelsea, for NowJohnson and Olley, Evening Standard - November 21, 2012 Rafael Benitez is flying into London to have an interview with Chelsea officials tonight and is expected to be named as the club’s new manager after Roberto di Matteo was sacked just six months into his reign. Benitez is... more » Sign up | Sign in Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

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Thread: Mild Trail Ideas for Target Practice? Shotshell Location: Englewood There's a shooting area out by Bailey. Doesn't take too long to get there from Denver. Head out 285 toward Bailey. Just before you get to Bailey, there is a light where Co Rd 43A "T's" into 285. There's a gas station there ahead and to the right. Turn right at the light and follow Deer Creek Rd for approx. 6.7 miles where the road will "Y" with Deer Creek Rd going left and Co Rd 47/Clark Rd going right. Take Clark Rd to the right. Stay on the main paved road. (it will change names a couple of times) You'll end up being on Shelton Dr. Come to the intersection of Shelton and Neal Rd. Across and to the right there will be a building with a red tin roof. Take a right on Neal and there will be a pond directly besides the road on your left. Take a left right after the pond on Pike Nat. Forest Rd. 108. Follow this road through the woods till you come to a "Y", stay to the left. Continue until the road makes a hard "90" to the left and immediately "T's" into another dirt road. Take a right. You'll drive out through an open meadow and then back into some trees again where there is a turn off to your left. Take this to the left and you'll be at the shooting range. It can be a little messy as most people don't clean up after themselves. But it's a safe place to shoot. Also, if you go back out to where Deer Creek Rd and Clark Rd "Y" and continue down Deer Creek Rd all the way to the very end, there's a parking area and the trailhead to Mt. Rosalie. Now, if you're looking for a good place to bounce around in the Cruiser and have a picnic, there's Slaughter Gulch out there as well. (You can't shoot there though) To get there, go back out on Deer Creek Rd, and back just before it "Y"'s with Clark Rd, there's a road called Saddlestring Rd. Drive down this road a short piece and it will make a "90" to the left and then there's the entrance road to Slaughter Gulch on the right. Have Fun. __________________ 2003 Tacoma TRD 4x4 4-Door I would rather walk than drive anything that's 2WD. � Send a private message to Shotshell Find all posts by Shotshell

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/ Motorsport Countdown to Bahrain GP underway as trouble flares up again Updated: Monday, 16 Apr 2012 21:28 | Comments Protests and violence again sparked up close to the Bahrain International Circuit Police and anti-government protesters were again involved in a running battle on the outskirts of Bahraini capital Manama just days ahead of this weekend's Formula One grand prix. The latest skirmish took place in Salmabad, a village 10 kilometres from the centre of Manama and 18km north of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir where F1 is scheduled to return after a year's absence. Last season's race was scheduled as the season-opener, but was eventually cancelled in the wake of the 14 Febru

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/ Other Sport Ben Roethlisberger fighting to be fit for new NFL season with Pittsburgh Steelers Updated: Thursday, 04 Jul 2013 17:36 | Comments "It's great to hear that there is an American Football league here in Ireland" Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has told RTÉ Sport he will be fit for the start of the new NFL season, despite recent knee surgery. The Ohio native was the youngest ever starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl when he led the Steelers to victory over the Seattle Seahawks at the age of 23 in 2006. Roethlisberger underwent surgery on a minor knee complaint in June, but insists he will be fit and ready for the Steelers opening game of the NFL season against the Tennessee Titans on 8 September. On a visit to Ireland for 4 July, the NFL legend was positive about his recovery and adamant he would be back in time for pre-season training. “I had surgery fi

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NBA Trade Deadline NBA NBA trade rumors: Bobcats interested in Arron Afflalo and Anthony Morrow, per report By Jason Patt @Bulls_Jay The Bobcats are trying hard to add some shooting at the trade deadline.  The Charlotte Bobcats are looking to make an upgrade for a playoff push, and they have interest in Orlando Magic shooting guard Arron Afflalo and New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Anthony Morrow, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Bookmark This NBA Trade Rumors Page •SBNation.com Get the latest trade rumors, news and analysis from around the NBA in one convenient place. Bookmark This NBA Trade Rumors Page The Bobcats currently hold the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and they're hopeful to add some shooting to a team that ranks toward the bottom of the league in offense and three-pointers. Nabbing Afflalo, who's enjoying by far the best season of his career in Orlando, would be a great get, but it appears the Magic aren't all that eager to move the 28-year-old. Afflalo is averaging 19.4 points this season while shooting 42.7 percent from three-point range, and he's doing it on an affordable contract. The 6'5 guard is making $7.5 million this season and is set to make $15 million over the next two years, with the final year of his contract containing a player option. Morrow may be a more likely target to nab. The 28-year-old is shooting 48.0 percent from three on the year and is expected to opt out of a $1.15 million contract in the summer. The Pelicans reportedly want a draft pick for Morrow, and they could ask for the first-rounder the Bobcats acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers. However, Charlotte may lose their own first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls this year, so perhaps they wouldn't want to give up the Portland pick as well. More from SBNation.com SB Nation's 2014 NBA Playoff bracket NBA Y2K: The Kobes of past, present and future Ziller's newsletter: Good morning, let's talk about the NBA playoffs Complete NBA draft order and lottery odds for every team Started from the bottom: How Toronto became challengers in the East

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Connect with Sounder At Heart Sounders: Analysis Seasons Are More Than Trophies By malcontentjake SEATTLE - NOVEMBER 02: Members of the Seattle Sounders FC pose for the team photo prior to the match against Real Salt Lake at CenturyLink Field on November 2, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) Share with Sounders friends 116 The L.A. Galaxy are Champions of MLS. I have no qualms or hesitation in saying that; they won the trophy I most coveted this season, and regardless of what happens in this poorly-constructed post-season cup tournament currently under way I find it self-apparent as to why the "true champion" is the Supporters Shield winner in this short-lived balanced-schedule era. If you are one of the many who subscribe to the "Championship or bust" philosophy, then I suppose that "we aren't champions" pretty much ends the conversation. But actually, from where I sit, this nuance makes all the difference in the world in how you perceive the 2011 Sounders season. We did win something, of course, namely the U.S. Open Cup, doing so in no small part because we took advantage of what could quite rightfully be called a stupid format for the knockout competition. But at the same time it is also pretty fair to say the MLS Cup format is egregiously stupid, mainly because we are supposed to be sold on the idea that it truly decides League Champion. And so we will spend a few more days bandying about the tired Seattle sports misery, the tales of juggernaut regular-season teams which failed to live up to expectations come playoff time. I think its about time we stopped playing these naive games, quite frankly. Most of us are soccer fans, and most of us intrinsically understand how and why soccer culture is just "different" from that of the major mainstream T.V.-and spectator sports in the USA/Canada. Attempts to try to force a square peg into a round hole, to forcibly find a way to make soccer "fit in" in America is becoming more and more irritating to me. Not to put too fine a point on it, but do the math: isn't the "different" nature of soccer exactly why it has "taken off" in places like Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver?! If you want to believe that the 2011 season has been rendered a failure then I am not going to stop you, but I would prefer to remember it for what it was: pretty damn good. We managed 2nd in the League, a clearly superior accomplishment to finishing runner up in either Cup competition, successfully navigated our way through the perplexing and troublesome CCL group stage, and won a 3rd straight domestic cup competition. We won 27 competitive matches, more than any MLS team ever. All this, in and of itself, is enough to define the excellence of this team. In my worldview, that 2nd place would get us into the group stage for next year's CCL (keeping in mind that in Europe, the domestic cup only guarantees a team a slot in the 2nd tier Europa League, for which a CONCACAF equivalent doesn't exist). Our high finish will in all likelihood bode well for next year's Open Cup (although format changes look to be in store) and we can even claim the Cascadia Cup and dominion over our regional rivals. But so many soccer fans will willfully ignore this. They will point to two teams in Kansas City and Houston - two teams proven to be clearly inferior from March through October - as having made it farther. One of them will actually get to lift a trophy for winning what amounts to a semifinal match. Its silly and we All Know It, whether or not we want to accept it. As disappointed as I am that we had another poor outing in our post-season cup tournament, I am actually more disappointed the season is over, and I will have no more Sounders matches to attend until next March. I, for one, am already counting the days...

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SBJ / October 3-9, 2011 / Athlete Portfolios: Luke Donald SBJ Sections Coast to CoastCollegesEvents and AttractionsFacilitiesFinanceFranchisesIn-DepthLabor and AgentsLeagues and Governing BodiesMarketing and SponsorshipMediaOlympicsOpinionPeople and Pop Culture What I Like: Joe De SenaGame Day: Opening DaySpotlight: Will KuntzPeople: Executive transactionsFaces and PlacesThe Sit-Down: Ed O’HaraPlugged In: Bob WeberFaces and PlacesPeople: Executive transactionsFaces and Places: Forty Under 40 Current IssueApril 7 - 13, 2014March 31 - April 6, 2014March 24 - 30, 2014March 17 - 23, 2014March 10 - 16, 2014March 3 - 9, 2014February 24 - March 2, 2014February 17 - 23, 2014February 10 - 16, 2014 Upcoming Conferences and Events SBJ/October 3-9, 2011/People and Pop Culture Putt for dough, invest long term By John Lombardo, Staff Writer Published October 3, 2011, Page 1 When it comes to managing his financial portfolio, Luke Donald, as in his golf game, is no bomber off the tee. Instead, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer has an investment strategy that reflects his style of play: controlled, steady and precise. This is the first in an occasional series on the investment strategies of athletes. Athlete Portfolios: Luke Donald “I’m low-risk and fairly conservative, but I also have a very competitive streak and I don’t like to lose money I earned on the course,” Donald said. The 33-year-old British golfer has had a breakthrough year on the course, and while he didn’t win the FedEx Cup, his $5.8 million in prize money has put him atop the PGA Tour in total earnings this year. Since he began playing in 2001 he has made $25 million in total earnings on the PGA Tour, on top of the millions of dollars he has earned playing in international events along with income from marketing partnerships with RBC, Polo Ralph Lauren, Rolex, Mizuno, Titleist and FootJoy. DAVID DUROCHIK “If I can get a 5 percent return in this market, I am happy. I don’t need to take big risks.” His total annual off-the-course income runs in the low eight figures, putting him among golf’s top 10 in off-the-course earnings. So Luke Donald is a very rich man, and while he has focused on being the best at his craft, he has also taken a consistent approach in securing his financial future. Talking with Donald on a recent morning at a Chicago-area golf club where he had just finished playing with a group of members in a fundraising outing, one gets the sense of his low-key approach. There is no entourage. Only his college coach and good friend Pat Goss accompanies Donald off the course. But his calm demeanor belies the crush of new business opportunities that have come Donald’s way during his ascension to the top of golf’s world rankings. “The strategy hasn’t changed much since I started with Luke 10 years ago, but what has changed is the volume of interest in the past 12 to 18 months,” said Jon Wagner, co-managing director, IMG Golf Americas, who is Donald’s marketing agent. “But the structure of his business and who he wants to align himself with, none of that has changed. He has never done anything for short-term gain.” Donald has been with IMG, which handles his tour responsibilities and off-course endorsements, since 2001. Wagner and Donald talk at least once a week, with Wagner running point on most off-the-course business matters “The last call we had was about 16 items on the list ranging from corporate stuff to new deals to a new iPhone app,” Donald said. On the endorsement front, there is room for growth. “The plan is to add one more blue-chip company with a global footprint,” Wagner said. Along with Wagner, Donald shapes his portfolio by leaning on a small, close-knit circle of financial managers and advisers who have been doing business with him since he turned pro 10 years ago after graduating from Northwestern University with an art degree. DAVID DUROCHIK Portfolio: Luke Donald Agency: IMG Financial managers: MAI Wealth Advisors, Cleveland; Partners Capital, London 2011 PGA Tour earnings: $5.8 million Total PGA Tour earnings: $25 million Major company partnerships: Polo Ralph Lauren, Roles, RBC, Mizuno, Titleist, FootJoy Other deals: Luke Donald Collection Wines, Ba Na Hills Golf Club His main business interests are divided into three areas of operation. Donald’s U.S. investment portfolio is managed by MAI Wealth Advisors, a Cleveland-based company once owned by IMG’s late founder, Mark McCormack. MAI became independent from IMG in 2004. Donald’s overseas portfolio is managed by Partners Capital in London, while IMG handles Donald’s marketing and endorsement business. Also included in Donald’s financial inner circle is his brother-in-law Robert Ellis, a highly successful steel industry executive in the United Kingdom. Ellis, who is married to Donald’s older sister, is a close business confidant, providing another trusted sounding board for Donald’s business affairs. Within the structure is a firewall between his financial portfolio and marketing efforts to avoid conflicts of interest. IMG handles all of Donald’s appearances, endorsements and media requests, but is completely hands-off with Donald’s financial portfolio. “[Donald’s investments and marketing portfolio] is all done very separately but under the same strategy, which is that Luke is very blue chip and is the CEO,” Wagner said. “Luke is extremely involved in both his partnerships and his portfolios. Once the money moves, we have nothing to do with it.” Business and marketing opportunities first are vetted by Wagner, who decides whether they fit into Donald’s preference for a risk-averse strategy that in the past year has become as much about the preservation of wealth as the generation of wealth. At least once a quarter, Donald meets with his two investment companies to reassess his portfolio balance, which is structured to include a blend of about 40 percent equities and 40 percent non-equities such as bonds, with the remaining 20 percent balance coming from nontraditional investments (see sidebar). There is no real estate in Donald’s portfolio with MAI, and there is little investment in private equity and hedge funds. There are five to six employees handling Donald’s MAI financial dealings out of Cleveland, led by company director John Ciancibello. The company represents other athletes but would not disclose its client list. “Luke’s risk tolerance is low to moderate,” Ciancibello said. Donald’s equity portfolio is globally diversified with a growing focus on emerging markets in China, India and Latin America. On the non-equity side, Donald’s focus is on fixed-income investments such as tax-exempt municipal bonds. Gone are the days when Donald expected double-digit returns during the bull market. Donald, with wife Diane and daughter Elle, aligns his investments with his personal interests, including a wine label. “If I can get a 5 percent return in this market, I am happy,” Donald said. “I don’t need to take big risks. I am able to make my money on the course and I want it to grow slowly, and that is quite tricky right now.” Propose a business deal or investment with Donald and don’t expect a quick answer. “Very rarely do you get an answer on the spot,” Wagner said. “And most of the time Luke bounces it off Diane.” Diane is Donald’s wife, who also is closely involved in his off-the-course dealings. The two met at Northwestern University, where Diane earned a journalism degree. “She gets the whole brand association and is very tuned in to it,” Wagner said. Donald’s business investments are also closely aligned with his personal interests. His first major investment play followed the path of plenty of athletes: a wine label. In 2008, he rolled out his Luke Donald Collection label in a partnership with Terlato Wines International. Donald went into the business with Bill Terlato, and the label produces about 2,500 cases each year. Donald put in no up-front money. Instead, his deal calls for him to get an undisclosed percentage of sales of the bottles priced around $40. Donald actively markets his label, routinely holding tastings while out on tour to promote the brand. The company is selling most of its cases produced each year, generating an estimated $1.2 million annually in retail sales. But Donald wasn’t about to slap his name on the label without much input into the product. He traveled to Napa Valley on numerous occasions to help select and blend the grapes to create his Chardonnay and Claret wines that are now sold in Four Seasons Hotels and various restaurants and at retail. He also secured one more key aspect as part of his investment in the business: an option to buy the vineyard. Taking equity stakes in his business ventures is becoming an increasing part of his long-term approach. “Getting equity, that is more important now and it is more prevalent now with the market,” Donald said. As balanced and blue-chip-focused as Donald structures his financial portfolio, he also has a entrepreneurial streak. Consider that one of his latest investments is in a car-sharing business targeted at college students who can pay to use cars by the hour. It is a partnership with a friend, even though Donald is selective about mixing money with friends and family. “I like to look for different opportunities,” Donald said. “But there are lots of people close to me asking for money, and it can change relationships.” Donald also is beginning to try his hand in the golf course design business, with his first effort in the industry being a course in Vietnam. The course is owned by a private developer who hired IMG’s golf course design division and Donald, who received a six-figure fee to create the layout for an undisclosed fee. DAVID DUROCHIK Donald says taking equity stakes in business ventures is becoming an increasing part of his long-term approach. “It seemed a perfect fit to get involved in the early stages so I can have a lot of input,” Donald said. Though he has no investment stake in the course, the level of its success will affect his future as a golf course designer. It is a skill that is a natural extension of Donald’s artistic talents. He still paints and collects, but only “if it fits the space.” “Having artistic background is a big help in maybe being more visual than some of the other guys,” Donald said. “Being somewhat of a traditional player, I think course design has gone the wrong way. I don’t think making a long course some 7,500 or 8,000 yards is a great way to design a course.” The Ba Na Hills Golf Club won’t open until late next year, but Donald, as with most everything else he aligns himself with, will put his own stamp on the development and get very involved in the business. Consider that after he helped his Europe team win the rain-delayed 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales, Donald spent the night after celebrating with his teammates and then spent the next two days at an RBC outing where, exhausted, he held up his end of a business agreement with two days of corporate golf along with meet and greets with company executives. “He isn’t just putting his name on and walking away. That isn’t what he does,” Wagner said.

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Contreras pumps up Sox - Taipei Times Sun, Sep 25, 2005 - Page 24　News List Contreras pumps up Sox MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Chicago, which won for the fifth time in 15 games, maintained its 1.5-game lead in the American League Central over the Cleveland Indians AP , CHICAGO Jose Contreras came to the rescue of the faltering Chicago White Sox, pitching the best game of his major league career when his team needed it most.The former Cuban star, who's been by far Chicago's best pitcher since the All-Star break, allowed six hits in his first career complete game Friday night, lifting the White Sox to a crucial 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins."Two months ago everybody wanted to kill this kid and get him out of town because he was pitching horrible," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said."Jose had always had the best arm on my team. It's a matter of time when he can use that. It's a matter of confidence. This kid won a big game for us and he showed the guys when you have confidence and throw strikes and attack the strike zone, you can win a lot of games."The White Sox have been in first place every day of the season and led by 15 games on Aug. 1.Runs came in the first when Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer off Kyle Lohse. Dye had flied out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning Thursday night when the White Sox lost 4-1 to the Twins in 11 innings.Contreras (14-7) matched a season high with nine strikeouts and walked one to win his seventh straight start since an Aug. 15 loss to Minnesota. He improved to 10-2 since the All-Star break. His 14 victories are a career high."It's one of the best games I've pitched in my whole career as a baseball player and the best I've pitched in the US," said the veteran of international competition with the Cuban national team.In the second half of the season, Contreras has changed his arm angle and found his control, cutting down his walks and limiting his pitch count. The White Sox play the Twins two more times and then finish with seven on the road, including a three-game finale in Cleveland.Lohse (9-13) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings.Dye's 29th homer, a two-out liner that quickly cleared the left-field fence, followed a double by leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik and a walk to Paul Konerko.Yankees 5, Blue Jays 0At New York, Shawn Chacon (6-3) improved to 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays this season, allowing three hits in eight inning as New York maintained a one-game lead over second-place Boston in the AL East with nine games left. The Yankees have won five straight and 11 of 12.Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano hit back-to-back homers off Ted Lilly (9-11) leading off a four-run first, which also included RBIs by Hideki Matsui and Tino Martinez.Red Sox 6, Orioles 3At Baltimore, Manny Ramirez hit his 40th homer and drove in three runs, and Boston took advantage of a key error by Miguel Tejada to hand Baltimore its sixth straight loss.Bronson Arroyo (14-9) overcame a sluggish start to improve to 4-0 in his last five starts, allowing three runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings. Mike Timlin worked the ninth for his 10th save.Boston scored three unearned runs off Daniel Cabrera (10-12) in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. With two on and two outs, Ramirez hit a bouncer to deep shortstop. Tejada made a high and wide throw to first that allowed a run to score, and Trot Nixon followed with a two-run double.Indians 7, Royals 6At Kansas City, Missouri, Travis Hafner homered in his sixth consecutive game and Cleveland scored an unearned run in the ninth after wasting a 6-2 lead, to beat Kansas City and win for the ninth time in 10 games.

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Castroneves Leads Second Practice at Barber April 6, 2013 LEEDS, Ala. (April 5, 2013) – Team Penske extended its record of strong performances at Barber Motorsport Park on Friday as the team recorded three of the eight fastest lap times during the first day of practice for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Helio Castroneves posted the fastest lap of the day, needing only 68.5540 seconds to navigate the 2.38-mile road course in his No. 3 AAA Insurance Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. Teammates Will Power and AJ Allmendinger were not far behind as Power recorded the fifth-fastest time among the 26 drivers on track with a lap of 68.8066 seconds in the No. 12 Verizon machine and Allmendinger’s 68.9119-second lap in the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet earned him eighth place on the practice rundown. “The AAA team felt really strong but sometimes I think it’s better to be lucky than good,” said Castroneves, who will look to defend his 2012 pole position at Barber during Saturday’s qualifying. “Obviously with the yellow (flag) in the end (of practice) a lot of guys probably put on tires, but the car felt pretty good. In the morning, unfortunately, it was a little bit difficult because seeing that the track has lots of grip and when you have an extra set of tires certainly it helps a little bit. In the end of the day, with AJ and Will, we’ve been actually doing a lot of different stuff out there and it seems to be working.” Power, who is the two-time defending champion at Barber, had a consistent day running the Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet near his usual place on the top of the scoring pylon as he finished fifth in both practice sessions. Power knows his team will need to keep improving on Saturday and Sunday in order to secure a third victory on the technical road course. "We definitely have a bit of work to do with the Verizon car because we're just off the pace a bit,” said Power, who recorded the fastest time during IndyCar Spring Training at Barber in March. “We were running top five all day, but we really had to push to get there. We'll get together tonight and work to figure out how to improve for qualifying tomorrow." For Allmendinger, it was a successful and productive day as he prepares for his first IndyCar race in seven years after several productive seasons in NASCAR. “I am just trying to learn how these weekends go and try to keep up with the race track as it changes,” said Allmendinger, who tested previously at Barber to build his experience level at the circuit. “Here, obviously the whole time you’re working on speed, but there’s not a lot of time to work on race set up. So far it felt like the first day was good, I think we were ninth and eighth, so there’s still a lot of cars to beat.” However with the strength of the team that has dominated the three previous races at Barber behind him, Allmendinger is excited about what tomorrow’s qualifying holds. “The cars are going to be fast, that’s the good thing about the Penske organization around this place because I know the IZOD car is going to be fast and the setup is going to be very close. It’s just going to be me going out there and figuring it out, what I need in a race car, how I get the speed out of it. Going out there for the first time and not having any practice and you just gotta go get that fast lap.” Qualifying will begin Saturday at 11:25 ET and can be seen at 5:00 pm ET on NBC Sports Network. Sunday’s Grand Prix of Alabama will be also be televised on NBC Sports Network with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Follow the IndyCar action all season long on Verizon’s IndyCar 13 mobile app. Now available across all carriers, download it now by calling **INDY on your mobile phone or find it at the App Store and on Google Play.

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Jeremy Hunt: 'The London Olympics is Britain’s moment and we are going for it' The Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt explains why the Government decided against an 'austerity Olympics’ and will instead use the London 2012 Games to make a statement Jeremy Hunt says the Games are promoting Britain worldwide Photo: Eddie Mullholland By Robert Winnett, and James Kirkup Last summer, Jeremy Hunt found himself, unusually, at the eye of the storm. The normally sure-footed Cabinet minister, who has been tipped as a future prime minister, was thrust centre-stage as the man who had to decide whether Rupert Murdoch could acquire BSkyB, the satellite broadcaster, outright. With the phone hacking scandal dominating headlines around the world, the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary — a position previously mocked for being a “minister of fun” — looked unsure and, for a rare few days, Ed Miliband was able to make the running. Next summer, Mr Hunt faces being thrust back into the limelight as the main person responsible for delivering the London Olympics. The stakes are even higher and the banana skin he faces has the potential to end careers if everything is not perfect. The optimists say that a successful Olympics could boost confidence and push Britain out of the economic doldrums, paving the way for David Cameron to sweep to victory in 2015. Lord Coe, the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, is even said to have told the Prime Minister that the Olympics will be his “Falklands moment”. But, the pessimists would have it that the Games may throw London into chaos, while billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is squandered at a time when it can be ill-afforded. The prospect of a terrorist attack also weighs heavily on the minds of some. Hunt: We will not host 'austerity Olympics' Olympic Park venues likely to cost taxpayer millions How Olympic budget has changed Securing Olympic venues costs £250k a day Unsurprisingly, Mr Hunt is firmly in the first camp, as he talks energetically about the “extraordinary”, “fantastic” and “incredible” opportunities of the year ahead. He proclaims that this year is going to be Britain’s “moment”. Mr Cameron is also a firm supporter of the 2012 Games and the public will soon be unable to switch on their televisions without seeing ministers at the Olympic Park in east London, or meeting athletes. In the coming weeks, the entire Cabinet is expected to meet to celebrate the Olympics. “What we are going to be doing is showing the world that as a nation, Britain is on the front foot,” says Mr Hunt. “Britain has been through a tough time but it’s back fighting — and this is all the stuff that we do incredibly well. So that’s what I think people will take away from this year.” The Culture Secretary says he and the Prime Minister have decided not to go for an “austerity Olympics” modelled on the 1948 Games in London. Then, countries sent food parcels for athletes, Switzerland donated the gymnastics equipment and Finnish timber was gifted for the basketball courts. Despite athletes travelling by bus and rations being imposed, Britain revelled in the global praise it received for the post-war “can do” spirit. Sixty years on, the Government had previously sought to play down expectations that London would be able to compete with Beijing, where billions were spent on lavish ceremonies. However, Mr Hunt says they have now decided to “go for it”. “Just think about the way people talk about the Chinese opening ceremony, about Beijing,” he says. “We decided that people really would not forgive us if we didn’t make the absolute most of this moment. “This is going to be an incredible expression of Britain’s culture, Britain’s history and Britain’s creativity. Not everyone will like every element of it, but if you put it together as a package it will be an extraordinary statement of us as a country and what we stand for. “So, we decided that the sensible thing to do is to make sure that we finance it properly.” The decision is controversial at a time when hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are losing their jobs and families are being forced to pay higher tax. But ministers believe that the Olympics will provide a major boost to the economy and could even keep Britain from slipping back into recession. However, will spending tens of thousands of pounds on fireworks really wash with the public? “Well, we’re not, that’s not what the money is going for,” is the immediate reply. But Mr Hunt adds: “A lot of the issues that we face at the moment about the economy are confidence. If this was just about having a big party then it would be a total waste of money. But I look at it much more practically than that. It’s not about six weeks of sport; it’s about six years of business benefit.” The Treasury is apparently crunching the sums on the likely economic benefit, but Mr Hunt says it will be a “huge plus sign” for Britain’s gross domestic product as high-spending visitors flock to London. “The one think we didn’t know when we won the Games in 2005 was that we would be in the middle of a global economic crisis when we were hosting them and, you know, as such it is an incredible stroke of luck for us as a country to be hosting the Olympics,” he says. In the coming weeks, the Government will launch an unprecedented marketing campaign around the world to encourage tourists, business leaders and even students to choose Britain. There will be business networking events, adverts in the world’s 17 major cities and a British Council attempt to persuade the “best and brightest” students to study in this country’s universities. “If you live in New York, if you live in Tokyo, if you live in Paris, you will not be able to move for seeing what an extraordinary place Britain is to visit as a tourist, to invest in or to study,” Mr Hunt says. However, while British taxpayers will contribute more than £9 billion to the cost of the Olympics, there are already complaints that people in this country are being inconvenienced by, rather than included in, the main events. Thousands of people are being asked to work from home to stop the transport system collapsing as millions of people descend on London next summer. Mr Hunt says protesters will be welcome, which could lead to Britain becoming a magnet to opposition movements around the world. The lottery for tickets has left many people disappointed and tens of thousands of the best seats are being reserved for corporate sponsors. So, is the Culture Secretary concerned that the Olympics will cater for only the rich elite? “I think we have to make the argument with the public that we are able to enjoy the Games much more cheaply than otherwise because of the support of a number of companies and that is good corporate citizenship and we should welcome it,” he says. But, for all the discussion of the “extraordinary” moment for Britain and the years of work for the Government, inevitably much of the success in this country is likely to be determined by the success of the athletes. Mr Hunt says that signs are “encouraging” but also warns that the pressure, when competing in London, is “increased by astronomic proportions”. “This is one of the areas which has the most impact on how successful people feel the Olympics have been and there is least ministerial control over the actual result,” he admits. Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt Born Nov 1 1966 Education Charterhouse; Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Magdalen College Career Worked in management consultancy and taught English in Japan. Elected MP for South West Surrey in 2005, made shadow culture secretary in 2007. Family Married, one son Interests Japanese culture, dancing the Brazilian lambada James Kirkup »

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Final Preview: Sharapova vs. Wozniacki Steve Tignor Reports from Indian Wells INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.—They have their detractors, but like them or not, it's hard to deny that Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki are two of the stoutest competitors in tennis. They proved it again, in very different ways, in their semifinal victories here on Friday. Wozniacki took a grooved opponent, Angelique Kerber, out of her groove by changing the tempo and trajectory of her shots—i.e., she went to the moonball—while Sharapova kept firing in the face of some fearless counterpunches from her own opponent, Maria Kirilenko, until she had broken her old friend down for good. Sharapova leads the head-to-head with Wozniacki 4-2, but Wozniacki won their only match on the slow surface at Indian Wells, 6-1, 6-2, two years ago, and they played a close one on similarly paced court in Key Biscayne last spring, which Sharapova won 6-4 in the the third set. As far as their recent form, Sharapova has been far the superior player for the past year; her semifinal win moved her past Victoria Azarenka to No. 2 in the rankings, while Wozniacki will move from No. 10 to No. 9 after her performance this week. But Wozniacki’s win over Kerber felt like a big one for her—her celebratory scream at the end had a little extra oomph in it. Not only was it her first victory in her last four matches against the German, but it put her back in a Premier Mandatory final. Still, it will be an uphill climb for Caro against the imposing Russian. Sharapova has been tested in a few close first sets this week, but she hasn’t dropped any of them. She has tended to gain in confidence as she’s gone along, which means that the first set on Sunday will be big for Wozniacki. As far as the play itself goes, the rallies will pit Sharapova’s powerful drives against Wozniacki’s speed, consistency, and guile—the match, in other words, will reside mostly on Sharapova’s racquet. One question will be: How will Sharapova serve? That shot is a bigger part of her game and her success than it is for Wozniacki, and it can go off at times for Maria. Another question may be: If Sharapova gets a lead, can Wozniacki find a way to change the pace and disrupt the action, as she did against Kerber? Would she try to shoot the moon again? It’s a play that can work on courts like these. When Sharapova was asked about the tactic last night, she did her version of a Mckayla Maroney—she obviously wasn’t impressed. It would be interesting, to say the least, to see how she’d react to a moon shot when she’s watching one come at her from across the court. The one flaw in Sharapova's recent run of good form is her record in finals—she's 3-6 since the start of 2012. But I’m guessing that, after some nerves and struggles, she'll find a way to deal with whatever comes her way on Sunday. The Pick: Sharapova in three sets

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Four teams blazed to diamond success The summer of 2012 has been one to remember for shining efforts on the diamond. That’s the glowing performances of four area teams – three banner baseball teams and a stellar softball squad. Those teams include the Lancaster Post 31 American Legion team, the Lancaster Dixie Pre-Majors all-stars, the Lancaster Dixie Boys 13 all-stars and the Lancaster County Dixie Softball Darlings all-stars. Each did well and produced their share of achievements. Societies’ ills within people, not objects Given recent, tragic events, we think it is time to take a look at some statistics. If these numbers don’t grab your attention, nothing will. More than 42,000 Americans were killed in 2006, more than 41,000 in 2007, 37,000 in 2008 and about 33,000 in 2009 and 2010. That totals out to more than 185,000 lost lives in a five-year period. That is enough national deaths to wipe out the entire population of Chester County six times over. It’s understandable that people are outraged and want the government to take action, regardless of whatever rights people possess. Voters should have choices in elections We don’t endorse political candidates here (Chester News & Reporter and The Lancaster News), but we do endorse the idea of voters having choices. Lewis leaves legacy on, off courts and fields William C. “Pap” Lewis devoted 46 years of his life to education. Countless lives were impacted through Lewis’ coaching and teaching at S.C. high schools. To devote that many years had to be a labor of love for Lewis. Coach Lewis had his share of successes, winning state titles – team and individual crowns – at every high school where he worked. Those include Wilson High of Florence, Booker T. Washington in Columbia, as well as Barr Street and Lancaster high schools here. It has been quite a run for Van Wyck’s Crawford Sports, often regarded as the games kids play, can be cruel. In a world of what-have-you-done-lately, athletes are often judged by their latest effort. And a performance by an athlete in the twilight of his career will impact how he’s remembered. If one wants to remember Olympic champion Shawn Crawford by his latest venture, then so be it. Crawford, a Van Wyck native and former Indian Land star athlete, came in seventh in an eight-man race in the 200-meter finals for a spot on the U.S. track and field team at the 2012 Summer Games in London. Be safe, have fun on the Fourth of July The United States of America will celebrate its 236th birthday today. The midsummer holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring America’s independence from Great Britain. It is a day of celebration, from the backyard to the pool, river or the beach. Popular forms of celebration and observance include picnics, parades, cookouts, concerts, baseball games and family reunions. Before embarking on that special celebration, we encourage you to take in the true meaning of the day. Skateboarders, officials work together for Kershaw park Persistence personified can be found in the group of area youth who have pushed for a skateboard park in Lancaster County. The group, led by Dustin Owens and his skateboard-loving followers, have frequented area government council meetings in the past year, pushing for a skateboard park. They’ve been to city and county council meetings in hopes of a solution, but it appears they may have found their future hopes at the Kershaw Town Council. Gamecocks still have lots to crow about The South Carolina Gamecocks brought home a handsome trophy from Omaha on Tuesday afternoon to a large throng of garnet and black-clad USC fans at Carolina Stadium. It wasn’t the biggest prize the Gamecocks had hoped for, but it was a coveted trophy. Plenty of teams would have loved to be bearing the runner-up trophy from the College World Series, and the Gamecocks were. The two-time defending national champions had hoped to bring home another national crown for the third straight June. Cauthen, Blackwelder deserve hall honors To earn entry to a hall of fame is quite a feat. To have two from one area earn election to a hall is extra special. Lancaster County is quite fortunate for the latter in regards to the S.C. Firefighters Hall of Fame. The Firefighters Hall inducted two fire chiefs from Lancaster County during its recent enshrinement at Myrtle Beach. Retired Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief Paul Blackwelder and the late Elgin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dennis Cauthen were inducted during the S.C. Firefighters Association Conference in Myrtle Beach on June 4-9. Don’t let the summer fun lead to ER Although school has already been out for a month, summer officially starts today, June 20. With that in mind, it’s time to remind everyone – children and adults alike – to put safety first this summer. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), summer is when you are most likely to be injured, with emergency room visits spiking by about 20 percent during June, July and August.

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The Sad and Sorry Saga of USA Cricket in the 21st Century: Part 2 peterdellapenna No comments Part II 2005-2007: ICC suspensions, Massiah’s captaincy and the emergence of USA’s U-19 team Less than a year after squaring off against cricket’s Full Members, USA experienced a steep fall both on and off the field. At the 2005 ICC Trophy which was held in July in Ireland, they were placed in Group A with Ireland, Bermuda, the UAE, Denmark and Uganda. USA lost four matches and was spared losing a fifth against eventual champion Ireland when their match with them was washed out. When the groups crossed over for the knockout/playoff phase, USA beat Papua New Guinea by eight wickets, but then lost to Oman by three wickets in the ninth place game to hand Oman their only win of the event. Oman needed 346 to win and were 211 for 7 when number eight Farhan Khan turned the match upside down by hitting 94 off 47 balls, including nine sixes, as part of an unbroken 137-run eighth wicket stand with captain Azhar Ali. They passed the target with five balls to spare. Massiah finished tied for eighth in the aggregates list for runs. A month later, USA should have been playing against Canada and Bermuda in the I-Cup, but they were removed from the competition and Cayman Islands took their spot. Since the summer of 2004, trouble had been brewing in the governance of USACA with elections failing to take place that July ahead of the Champions Trophy. Similar to the election fiasco that has dragged on over the course of 2011 into 2012, the elections were delayed until March of 2005 and the results disputed after president Gladstone Dainty disqualified several candidates, despite the fact that the election had already taken place, when it was discovered that those candidates had tallied more votes than some of his political allies. This resulted in a battle between the Council of League Presidents and the Dainty-controlled USACA board over the stewardship of cricket in the country, including who had the legitimate power to select teams to represent the country. The USA came very close to not participating in the 2005 ICC Trophy as a result, but the standoff briefly died down in order for the ICC to recognize the squad sent in by USACA and thus give USA a chance to qualify for the 2007 World Cup. Afterward, the CLP and USACA reignited their dispute to the point that legal action was pursued. ICC CEO Malcolm Speed sent notice to the two sides to resolve their differences or face the consequences. When the two sides couldn’t come to a resolution about who was in charge and who could pick representative sides, the ICC declared that no side from the USA was going to be represented in the I-Cup and as a result the men’s team was suspended from international cricket. The same fate almost occurred with the U-19 side, but they were spared and traveled to Canada at the last minute for the 2005 ICC Americas U-19 tournament. Not much was expected of the team, especially since they had managed only one win at the event in 2003, finishing in fourth place behind Canada, Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Their only win had come against Argentina. Abhimanyu Rajp So it was a great shock to Canada when USA stormed into Toronto on the first day of the tournament in August of 2005 and walked out with a 39-run win. Ravi Timbawala, a 16-year-old born in Los Angeles and raised in Gujarat, had moved back to the USA to attend high school and in the process found himself in USA’s U-19 team in 2003. With two more years of experience under his belt and with more talent around him in the team, he anchored USA’s turnaround in fortunes with a top score of 67 opening the batting in USA’s total of 246, which was more than enough to get past the hosts. The next day against Bermuda, off-spinner Abhimanyu Rajp wiped out the opposition by taking 5 for 7. The islanders were all out for 87 as USA coasted to victory by eight wickets, proof that the first-day win against Canada was no accident. Rajp took five more wickets in a seven-wicket romp over Argentina before a six-wicket win on the last day over Cayman Islands sealed USA’s perfect record in the tournament and clinched a spot in the 2006 ICC U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, the first time USA had qualified for a Cricket World Cup at any level. In a magnanimous gesture by the ICC, they supplied USACA with funding to help prepare the USA U-19 team for the World Cup, even though USACA was suspended and as a result was not receiving any of their annual ICC funding for being an Associate Member. The squad wound up going on a tour to India for a series of warm-up games before continuing on to Sri Lanka. USA lost all three matches in the group phase to West Indies, South Africa and Australia, but a record of 0-3 doesn’t tell the whole story. By all accounts, USA could compete talent-wise with their group opponents, but were held back by their lack of situational experience compared to their counterparts. By the end of the U-19 World Cup, the standoff between the CLP and USACA had ended and the USA resumed planning for international contests with the men’s squad. In July, a group of local organizers in New York put together a pair of 40-over matches at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn between a USA XI and a West Indies XI, which featured many of the West Indies first choice players at the time including Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Smith, Daren Ganga and Wavell Hinds. USA lost the first game by five runs, falling just short in their chase of the West Indies total of 214 for 6. In the second match, West Indies won by six wickets after Lara made 70 and Gayle 62 off 33 balls to go past the target of 235 with 10 overs to spare. In August, the men’s team participated in the 2006 ICC Americas tournament in Canada where they finished runner-up to Bermuda. From the U-19 World Cup squad that had returned from Sri Lanka, only Dodson toured with the team and he never got a game. Several people who were part of the squad in Sri Lanka believe that Audain was the most ready of any of the players to be elevated to the senior level, but he never got a chance with the senior team and now wallows in anonymity in New York league cricket. While Massiah captained the USA XI against the West Indies XI, the ICC Americas tournament was when he was fully recognized as the new USA captain replacing Richard Staple. His first match as captain in Canada was also the debut match for Sushil Nadkarni in a USA uniform. Nadkarni is a man built like an artillery tank with a reputation for blasting the ball out of the ground at will. A former India U-19 player, the left-hander had been lighting up the Texas league cricket scene for several years and was just now getting his chance to play for USA at the age of 30. On debut, Nadkarni scored 111 off 132 as an opener against the Cayman Islands. Massiah turned in 136 not out as the two put on a 229-run second wicket partnership in USA’s total of 300 for 2 before winning by 106 runs. It would be Massiah’s last century for USA in a live contest. Massiah would finish as the leading run scorer overall on the week with 283 runs in four innings at an average of 141.50. USA was scheduled to play next at ICC World Cricket League Division Three in Darwin, Australia, in May of 2007. It was the second tournament in the brief history of the WCL, the new World Cup qualifying ladder system leading to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier. USA’s competition at Division Three was supposed to be Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Italy, Uganda, Hong Kong, Cayman Islands and Tanzania, all teams that were historically below the stature of USA. However, USACA’s shoddy governance reared its ugly head again when they could not complete the straightforward task of adopting a new constitution and hold elections by March 1, 2007. As a result, the ICC suspended USACA for the second time under Dainty’s reign as president. The men’s team was barred from international competition once again but unlike in 2005, this time around the U-19 side was cast into the wilderness as well, denied a chance to defend their ICC Americas U-19 tournament title and prevented from qualifying for the 2008 ICC U-19 World Cup in Malaysia. Argentina, a team that USA has never lost to in ICC Americas tournaments, replaced USA at WCL Division Three. To rub salt into the wound of USA’s suspension, Argentina finished second to advance to Division Two in Namibia where they would play Denmark, Oman, the UAE, Uganda and the hosts. It wouldn’t be the last chance USA had at qualifying for the 2011 ICC World Cup, but the devastating consequences of this suspension would be fully realized a year later. A slim margin for error exists in WCL tournaments and USA was about to find this out the hard way in their attempt to climb back up the WCL ladder. About peterdellapenna Peter Della Penna has written 2 post in this website. View all posts by peterdellapenna → Website Posted in: The Late Cut Tags: Peter Della Penna, T20 World Cup Qualifier, USA, USACA Leave a Reply Cancel reply Comment You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong> Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. 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Sports Tickets » Basketball Tickets » Professional (nba) Tickets » Philadelphia 76ers Tickets Philadelphia 76ers review / rate now When the 1955 NBA Champions Syracuse Nationals transferred to Philadelphia, the name "76ers" was coined due to the bravery of the men who fought for the United States' independence in 1776. Aside from the Nationals' title, the team from the City of Brotherly Love emerged as the ultimate victor only twice. One was in 1967 when Wilt Chamberlain led the team to stop the nine-year championship run of the Boston Celtics. The other instance was in 1983 when Julius Erving, Moses Malone and company swept the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. Now, the gallant battle for an NBA championship is being continued by a young roster of athletic and talented ball players such as point guard Jrue Holliday, shooting guard Nick Young, foward Evan Turner, forward Thaddeus Young and center Andrew Bynum. Though they are young, they 76ers exude the same bravery that the Philadelphia forefather had. But this time, they are pouring it out within the confines of the hard court. Thus, this exciting bunch is worth watching for in the flesh. Philadelphia 76ers Reviews & Ratings Submit a review / rating for Philadelphia 76ers

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Bob Herzel » Bob Herzel WVU set to square off with Marshall By Bob Hertzel MORGANTOWN — This time there’s a whole lot more at stake for West Virginia University’s men’s basketball team than state pride when it faces downstate rival Marshall in the Capitol Classic. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. with the game being aired on WBOY-TV. West Virginia has played something of a killer schedule of late with a young team and dropped a pair of difficult decisions to Missouri on the road and Gonzaga at home, leaving them looking at a 6-5 record as they take the floor against a 4-5 Marshall team coming off a 90-77 loss to Penn State. WVU coach Bob Huggins knows that this will not be an easy game. None of them really are against Marshall, 11 of the last 15 being decided by single digits even though WVU owns victories in 13 of the last 17 and six of the last seven. “Marshall is good. They are talented. They are probably as athletic as anybody we’ve played other than Missouri,” Huggins said, offering high praise with that remark. “Cheich Sane is really good. Elijah Pittman makes plays. Pittman made some catches you don’t see anybody but NBA guys make.” Pittman is averaging 21.4 points a game for Marshall, even better than the 19.3 average Eron Harris brings into the game for the Mountaineers. The setup for the game is not a good one for WVU. “It’s a hard game sometimes when we’ve just played Gonzaga and we’re getting ready to play Purdue. It’s hard for those guys, especially young guys,” Huggins said. Adding to the problem is the distraction of it being finals week with the Christmas break lying ahead. In both the Missouri and Gonzaga games WVU showed itself capable of competing with nationally ranked teams and against both Missouri and Wisconsin it showed a grit to fight back from large deficits that it hadn’t shown last year. WVU is improving, and Huggins is not afraid to say so. “Obviously, we’re a lot closer. We’re going to be good. I said this in the beginning of the year. We can be good. It’s just our margin for error is not big,” he said. “So, we can’t take plays off; we can’t not run back down the floor. There’s going to be some things we can’t control, but the things we can control we will have to control them. “We’re getting closer. We’re not there. We’re not close to being there yet.” The players understand this, especially the older ones who say you have to throw out the won-lost record in evaluating the team at present. “It’s not a fair indication,” junior forward Kevin Noreen said. “I don’t know what the numbers were last year, but I’m sure the scoring differential in some of the losses was a lot greater than what it has been this year. Some of the losses we had last year, we kind of gave up. I don’t think you’ve seen this team give up yet. “We’re getting there, but we’ve got to get a lot better.” And, they have to start winning games like this Marshall game, which always is a physical war, the kind you get in in-state rivalry matchups. “First of all, they referee like it’s Cincinnati-Xavier, and it’s not,” said Huggins, who believes the Cincinnati-Xavier rivalry in which he used to coach is among the most intense in the nation. “It’s not close, but they come out and call 75 fouls.” In the last six games, 286 fouls have been called, an average of 47.7 per game, while there have been 325 free throws, an average of 54.2. As usual, WVU will be looking to Harris and Juwan Staten to lead them. Harris is coming off a 23-point game against Gonzaga, but it was really disappointing in that he scored 18 points in the first half and then managed to get off only five shots in the second half. Staten has run the team from the point and been its emotional leader, averaging 16.4 points a game while dishing off 68 assists with just 14 turnovers. Huggins moved Terry Henderson into the starting lineup in place of Nathan Adrian in the Gonzaga game and he responded with15 points and now has three consecutive games of 16, 14 and 15 points and can be expected to start again, although Huggins says he will look at matchups in determining who starts. Follow Bob Hertzel on Twitter @bhertzel. WVU baseball drops seventh straight game One’s athletic skills are tested on a daily basis but every so often other aspects of an athlete’s makeup are tested, often far more important aspects in the game of life. Gold-Blue Game answers few questions at quarterback Dana Holgorsen finds himself in a quarterback quandary. He’s looking to have one quarterback and has five of them as spring practice ends, and nothing about the spring session has done anything to straighten out the situation. Moore ‘back at home’ under center There are a couple of ways to look at what Logan Moore did this spring after being moved back to quarterback and given a chance to compete for what is a wide open job, as wide open at the end of the spring as it was coming in. The first is to say that he didn’t wow Dana Holgorsen to the point that he’s willing to say he’s the leader going into summer drills, but that would be shortsighted considering from where Moore came. More Bob Herzel Headlines

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•Rowing Home Tulsa Rowing Signs Seven for 2012 Rowing Team adds six open rowers and a coxswain in early signing period The University of Tulsa rowing team added seven athletes, including six open weight rowers and a coxswain, to its 2012 roster. Women's Rowing Home Tulsa Rowers to Host Lawless Cup This Saturday Tulsa Medals Four Boats at the Knecht Cup Tulsa Advances All Seven Boats to the Finals at the Knecht Cup • The J. Bird Sr. Shell Nest • Tulsa Rowing on Facebook • Tulsa Rowing on Twitter Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa rowing team added seven athletes, including six open weight rowers and a coxswain, to its 2012 roster during the November signing period, as announced today by Head Coach Kevin Harris. The rowers include Alana Bobka (Aurora, Colo.), Emily Farrar (Pittsford, N.Y.), Ashley Lane (Olympia, Wash.), Angela Matel (Milwaukee, Wisc.), Kaity Swinford (Austin, Texas), and Samantha Tober (Ontario, Canada), while the coxswain is Helen "Lennie" Char (Saratoga, Calif.). "I am really looking forward to having these young women on campus next fall," Harris said. "Our assistant coaches Rodney Mott and Taurii Coyne did an excellent job identifying and recruiting these student-athletes. They are smart, athletic and mature which is going to enrich our already talented team. We lose 17 seniors to graduation in 2012, so it is nice to see that we have a group of women coming in to help continue building on the successes the current seniors have had at TU." Alana Bobka (Aurora, Colo.) Bobka rows at the Mile High Rowing Club for Coach Grace Malacrida. She started 2011 by coming in second at the Mile High Erg Sprints and 16th in her division at the C.R.A.S.H-B Erg Sprints. Bobka had a stellar outdoor racing season in 2011, taking gold at the USRA Central Youth Championships in the Women's Four and Women's Pair. She and her teammates went on to the USRA Youth National Championships and earned a bronze medal in the Pair and a fourth-place finish in the Four. Most recently Bobka had multiple wins at the Head of the Oklahoma and Wichita Frostbite Regattas. She wants to study either chemistry or chemical engineering at Tulsa. Why Tulsa?: "I loved the coaching staff as well as the chemistry within the team." Lennie Char (Saratoga HS, Saratoga, Calif.) Char is a coxswain at the Los Gatos Rowing Club for Coach Patrick Lynch. Char started as a lightweight rower at LGRC and has only been a coxswain for one year. She earned a gold medal at the 2011 Southwest Junior Rowing Championships in the Novice 8+ category. She intends on studying biochemistry while at Tulsa. Why Tulsa?: "The TU Rowing team's community and optimism about their success in the future." Emily Farrar (Homeschooled, Pittsford, N.Y.) Farrar rows for the Pittsford Crew and Coach Sue Parvin. In 2011, Farrar's boats have been very competitive in upstate New York. Among many top finishes, she rowed in a Varsity 8+ that finished third at the New York State Championships in May, and most recently rowed for Pittsford in their Youth 8+ at the Head of the Charles finishing seventh in a field of 74 entries. Farrar is a multisport athlete who also competes in softball, ski racing and marksmanship. She is interested in studying exercise sport science while at TU. Why Tulsa?: "I wanted a small Division I school, one where I wouldn't feel like "just another student. The team was very nice and welcoming like a family, and everything felt right." Ashley Lane (Olympia HS, Olympia, Wash.) Lane is an accomplished rower for Olympia Area Rowing, which is coached by Kirsten Flynn. In 2011, Lane rowed in OAR's Double that earned silver at the USRA Northwest Youth Rowing Championships. She then rowed at the Youth National Championships finishing fifth just behind current TU freshman Missy Urquhart in the Double Sculls. She is also an accomplished outdoorswoman. In the summer of 2011, she spent time in the Alaska's Denali National Forest working for the Park Service repairing trails and has recently hiked all 100 miles of the Wonderland Trail. Lane will study environmental science at Tulsa. Angela Matel (Greendale HS, Greendale, Wis.) Matel is a rower for the Milwaukee Rowing Club in Wisconsin. Originally, Matel was a volleyball player, but moved over to rowing just over 18 months ago. She is coached by Emily Caflisch and has competed at the Head of the Charles and many regattas in the Midwest. She wants to study biology at TU. Why Tulsa?: "The team is looking to move up, which I love because I always have my mind set on becoming better." Kaity Swinford (Austin HS, Austin, Texas) Swinford is coached by Falesha Thrash at the Texas Rowing Center in Austin, Texas. Swinford's forte' is small boat rowing. In 2011, she earned a silver medal at the Texas State Championships and a gold at the USRA Central Youth Championships in the Quadruple Sculls. Her boat finished as the 12th-best crew in the nation at the Youth Championships. This fall her crew won the Head of the Oklahoma and placed third at the Head of the Hooch in the same event. Swinford is the daughter of rowers, as her father, Ted, rowed on the US National Team and her mother, Deborah, is a former coach at Syracuse and Stanford. Swinford is interested in studying history at TU. Why Tulsa: "It felt like the right place for me. I visited a lot of schools but Tulsa is where I felt like I belonged. I just really wanted to be a part of that team." Samantha Tober (E.L. Crossley HS, Welland, Ontario, Canada) Tober is an accomplished Canadian rower for E.L. Crossley High School and the South Niagara Rowing Club, where she is coached by John Ruscitti and Pat McNally. Tober had an outstanding 2011 spring season at E.L. Crossley where her Varsity 4+ won the triple crown of scholastic racing in North America. In a four week time period last May and June, her Four won the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia, the U.S. Scholastic Rowing Association Championships in Saratoga, N.Y., and the Canadian Scholastic Rowing Championships in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. She also earned a silver medal in the Quadruple Sculls at the Canadian Scholastics. Most recently her crew finished fourth in a field of 76 entries at the Head of the Charles and fourth of 80 entries at the Head of the Hooch Regatta. Tober will study accounting at Tulsa. Tulsa Women's Rowing Rowing Quick Links Pause at the Release Head Coach Kevin Harris Notes Record & Fact Book Boathouse/Facilities C-USA Rowing Contact Rodney Mott at rodney-mott@utulsa.edu or 918-344-6812 Frequently Asked Questions Winning Tradition ATHLETICS TICKET OFFICE

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Twins Must End Revolving Door At Shortstop by Cody Christie In recent seasons, it has seemed like a revolving door at some key positions for the Twins. One of the most problematic areas has been their search for a shortstop. This search continues and it's hard to see an end in sight. In the last decade, the Twins have used eight different Opening Day starters at shortstop. The only men to make the list twice in the last decade were Cristian Guzman and Jason Bartlett. What's more, in four of the last five seasons, the man to earn the job for Opening Day has failed to start the most games at shortstop over the course of the season. When the Twins traded away Bartlett and Matt Garza to get Delmon Young and Brendan Harris, it ended a nice run of consistency at shortstop. For the early part of the 2000s, the Twins had Guzman consistently leading the team at the shortstop position. Bartlett was there to take over after the team parted ways with Guzman. Since that point, it has been a hodgepodge of players at one of the most important positions on the field. The only year in recent memory with a semblance of consistency at shortstop was in 2010 after the Twins traded for JJ Hardy. He was the Opening Day starter and he led the team in games played at the position. There were still injury concerns with Hardy as he only played in 101 games but it was still more consistent than the last two years. But in 2011, the Twins put a lot of stock into Tsuyoshi Nishioka - and this plan failed miserably. He didn't work out at second base and he was even more of a disaster when they moved him to shortstop. After spending almost all of last season being less than mediocre at Triple-A, he went back to Japan. One of the biggest regrets (besides Nishioka being horrible) might be that the team parted ways with Hardy to make room for their Japanese import. Last season, the Twins started the year with newly signed free agent Jamey Carroll at shortstop. Brian Dozier was coming off a very good season in the minor leagues after being named the team's minor league player of the year. Carroll didn't exactly hit the cover off the ball so the Twins handed the reigns to Dozier. It wasn't pretty for Dozier either and he ended the year in the minor leagues. The future doesn't look any better. Pedro Florimon has the upper hand as the Opening Day starter in 2013 but there is still plenty of time before the Twins face the Tigers. Carroll, Dozier, and others might be in the mix for the starting role but the long-term solution doesn't seem like it will be in camp when the Twins head to Fort Myers. As far as prospects go, Daniel Santana is the next best potential shortstop in the organization. He spent all of last season at High-A with the Fort Myers Miracle. He put together the best season of his professional career by batting .286/.329/.410 with 38 extra-base hits. Levi Michael, the 2011 1st round draft pick, split time at both middle infield positions for Fort Myers. Baseball America also named him the best defensive infielder in the Twins system. If Santana or Michael is the long-term solution at shortstop, they are still multiple levels away from cracking the line-up for the Twins. There is always a chance the Twins could get a shortstop back in a trade this offseason, but starting pitching is most likely the priority. At this point, any hope for 2013 looks a little bleak. Revolving doors have their uses, but eventually one needs to leave get out or one becomes nauseous. Similarly, the Twins revolving door at shortstop needs to stop or the rest of Twins Territory is going to continue to have a sick feeling in their stomach. This article was originally published in blog: It's possible that some misunderstandings are taking place on this debate... Misunderstandings happen all the time. I remember a couple of decades ago. I was managing a company that cleaned up homes to get them ready for sale. It was shocking the amount of work we got and it was hard to keep up and stay on schedule but the business was pulling in the cash. I had a full crew and I had just hired a new guy who been in America for about a week... He had just moved here from the Hunan Province in China. I don't recall his first name but we all just called him by his last name Chang. Chang didn't know much about the work we did so I gave him a gopher job. He would keep the crew moving by going for things they needed. On Chang's first day we had a couple of houses to clean up so I divided up the crew and Chang and I went with the first crew. Everything was normal... Routine with the house except for this fairly large sandpile in the corner of the yard. I told the crew that we had to get the house finished and that sandpile cleared by the end of the day and I looked at Chang and said "You know your job right...You are in charge of supplies". To make sure I said "do you understand... You are in charge of supplies". He nodded and said "yes". I told the crew I was heading over to the other house and I'd be back at the end of the day. When I got back late in the afternoon... the house was in great shape but the sand pile was still sitting there and the guys were just kinda hanging around doing nothing. "I said what's the deal with the flipping sandpile. That thing has to be cleared... We are really behind schedule now". They told me that Chang was supposed to bring back shovels and he left to handle the supplies over an hour ago and he hadn't come back. I wasn't sure what to do immediately so I walked over to the sand pile with the crew following behind me. When I got to the sand pile. Chang jumped out from behind it and yelled "SUPPLIES"!!! I find it unconvincing that "watching" the player gives you a better idea of what he can and cannot do. I'll just leave this here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ecision_making

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19 Kevin Leveille Class:Senior Hometown:Delmar, N.Y. High School:Albany Academy Leveille On U.S. National Team For FIL World Championship Minuteman alumnus one of 30 selected for gold medal defense effort Leveille To Compete In U.S. National Team Blue-White Game Former Minuteman one of 48 selected to participate Leveille Selected For U.S. National Team Former Minuteman among 52 selected to train for upcoming international championship Leveille Earns U.S. Men's Lacrosse National Team Tryout UMass alum one of 98 chosen to participate in weekend-long event Named the 2003 preseason ECAC Player of the Year and a first team preseason All-America selection. AS A JUNIOR IN 2002: Named USILA second team All-America... selected to the first team All-ECAC... also named first team All-New England... named ECAC Offensive Player of the Week on April 22... started in all 16 games and has played in every game since joining the Minutemen, a string of 44 consecutive games... key component of an offense that led the ECAC in scoring... was a member of an offensive unit that was fourth in the nation, outscoring its opponents by 4.29 goals per game, as well as 10th in the nation converting 38 percent of man-up opportunities... had an 11-game point streak dating back to 2001 snapped against Yale... second on the team with 36 goals, 12 assists and 48 points... led the team shooting .468 (36 for 77)... goals and points ranked fourth in the conference... scooped up 27 ground balls... recorded at least two points in all but one game... scored two goals in NCAA quarterfinals against Johns Hopkins... netted two goals in the Minutemen's 17-4 win over Fairfield in the NCAA Tournament... tied a career-high with four goals against UMBC and Georgetown... tallied five points on three goals and two assists in wins over Navy and Harvard... netted three goals and added an assist versus Hartford... had a hat trick in games against Hofstra and Syracuse... ended the regular season with a four-point performance on two goals and two assists against Rutgers... tallied two goals and an assist in the win over Brown... posted a goal and an assist against Stony Brook, Vermont, Albany and Penn State... scored a pair of EMO goals in the games against Hofstra and Harvard, tying the team season-high for a single-game... scooped up an individual season-high four ground balls against Fairfield, Harvard and Syracuse... started off the season with three ground balls against Hofstra... scooped up two ground balls against Stony Brook. AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2001: Selected to try out for the 2002 United States Men's Lacrosse Team... named to the All-ECAC second team... All-New England second team selection... voted a USILA honorable mention All-American... selected as a 360Lacrosse.com honorable mention All-American... named WHMP/UMass Athlete of the Week (Feb. 28)... finished second on the team with 43 points on 25 goals and 18 assists... had at least one point in 13 of the 14 games... ended the season with six goals and three assists in the last two games... opened the season with a six-point outburst against Hofstra, recording four goals and adding two assists... scored three goals and added two assists in the win over Rutgers... posted a hat trick and added an assist in the victories over Brown, Boston College and UMBC... recorded two goals and two assists against Albany... scored once and chipped in three assists in the league victory over Penn State... recorded two goals and an assist against Georgetown... tallied a goal and an assist against Harvard, Vermont and Yale... chipped in a pair of assists in the win over Stony Brook... scored a single goal in the win against Navy. AS A FRESHMAN IN 2000: Played in all 14 games... finished with 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points... scooped up 23 ground balls... ended the season with a six-game goal scoring steak... netted two goals and an assist against both Loyola and Syracuse... scored a pair of goals against Georgetown... had a goal and an assist in the victory over Boston College... tallied single goals against both Harvard and Brown... recorded two assists in the victory over Stony Brook. BEFORE UMASS: Played for Gary DiNola at Albany Academy... scored 103 points as a senior (78g, 25a) and 396 points during his high school career... All-America as a senior... three-time All-League selection... also played hockey and soccer at Albany Academy... posted 69 points as a senior in hockey and 222 career points... hockey team was 1998 New England Prep School Division II champions... captain of the lacrosse and hockey teams as a senior. Kevin Anthony Leveille... son of Nancy and George Leveille... born on Aug. 18, 1981... economics major. KEVIN LEVEILLE AT UMASS Ground Balls Minutemen Men's Lacrosse HOME Join The LaxBackers Today! Head Coach Greg Cannella Greg Cannella's Coaching Tree 2014 Quick Facts Donate To Men's Lacrosse Vs. Cancer Fundraiser 2014 Printable Roster 2014 Roster 2014 Team Schedule 2014 Season Statistics 2014 Record Book 2014 CAA Statistics 2014 NCAA Statistics Garber Field CAA Men's Lacrosse Minutemen In The UMass Hall Of Fame UMass Athletics YouTube Major League Lacrosse Website Minutemen In MLL History More Headlines Team Effort Gives UMass 12-6 Win Over Hartford Minutemen To Matchup With Hartford Saturday No. 19 Fairfield Stifles Men's Lacrosse, 11-5 No. 11 Minutemen Make Short Trek To No. 19... Men's Lacrosse Duo Takes In Weekly CAA Honors Whiteway Named UMass Athlete Of The Week Gameday Blog: No. 11 Men's Lacrosse At No. 19... Defensive Effort Helps UMass Register 8-6 Win... Gameday Blog: No. 14 Men's Lacrosse At No. 5... vs Hofstra at Delaware vs CAA Semfinals vs CAA Championship Join LaxBackers! Directions To Garber Field UMass in the MLL UMass Hall of Fame Cannella Coaching Tree

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Valley native has a strong arm Oct 2, 2008 at 10:35AM Did you know that arm wrestling is a sport? Former Snoqualmie Valley resident Laura Pizzano sure does. She is among the best female arm wrestlers in the state and holds the 2004 state title. Now living in Bellevue, Pizzano, 24, grew up in the Valley, living first in Snoqualmie and then North Bend, graduating from Mount Si High School in 1999. Currently, she works for Whole Foods Market in Bellevue as a buyer for the dairy department. This, however, is her day job. On the side, Pizzano is an accomplished arm wrestler. Her cousin is a world champion and the one who got her involved in this unique sport. "He, for years, was trying to get me to come watch him because that was his sport, and finally, I was like, 'All right, I'll come watch you' and he's like, 'Why don't you just enter?' and I was like, 'OK.' So I entered and I ended up taking second," she said. "I was like, 'Well, this is kind of fun.' " This second-place finish in her first competition took place in February 2003 at the Rumble in Renton Arm Wrestling Tournament. Pizzano went on to win her first first-place finish in June 2003 at the Alfy's Pizza Power Pull in Everett. From there she proceeded to win the 2004 state title, and has several other first-place wins to her credit. While she said she has not been to every tournament in Washington state, she has garnered first-place wins at almost every competition she has entered. An exception was her recent loss at the 2005 state tournament held on Dec. 10 in Sequim. The loss was a devastating blow that Pizzano vows has motivated her to train harder for next year's tournament in hopes of regaining her lost title. Pizzano did not "train," per se, for her arm wrestling competitions beyond a few arm curls. "I've always just been kind of naturally strong and never really ever worked out," Pizzano said. "After this year, though, I definitely need [to]. That's why I was upset I didn't win, but I wasn't completely disappointed because I didn't put all this training into it, you know?" The rules for competitive arm wrestling are fairly simple and mostly center on maintaining hand grips and avoiding elbow fouls. To summarize, players have one minute to get a proper grip and if they receive two elbow fouls, the other player loses automatically. The tournaments are usually organized in double-elimination style, so even if you lose, you can still compete again. The most common venues for semi-formalized arm wrestling competitions are bars and taverns. There are typically entrance fees, which help defray costs. "To me it's kind of comical in a way, but then when I actually get up there to arm wrestle someone, I totally get into this zone, and it's just, I don't know how to explain it ... it's very competitive," she said. "It's a very competitive sport, like people are like screaming and it's cool because you're up on the stage and all eyes are on you. It's cheesy. It's arm wrestling. It's over the top." Her own natural drive to win spurs her on. "I've always been really competitive. I always played sports in high school. This was just a different angle, I guess. "There are quite a few people who take it really seriously, but everyone has really good sportsmanship. Of course, there are a few who think that they're the best and when they lose they get pretty mad." When she's not working or arm wrestling, Pizzano plays a little music and is an avid www.myspace.com fan. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends. College is down the road. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do. I really, really like my job at Whole Foods. As of right now, I'm happy where I'm at," she said. She said the benefits and opportunities at her job make it perfect for her at this point. Her family members are, of course, her biggest fans. "They love it. They think it's great. They think it's so awesome. That's what keeps me actually partially motivated," she said. Pizzano's arm-wrestling exploits have even earned her fame, of a sort. "This one girl the other day was like, 'I need your autograph; you're the most famous person I've ever met,' " she said. Her future plans with the sport include regaining her title and practicing more. She wants to develop her techniques more so she can take on all comers, even those of higher weight classes. An eventual goal would be to attend the world arm-wrestling championships in Reno, Nev. Men far outnumber women in arm wrestling, Pizzano said, and that's something she'd like to see change. She would also like to see tournaments closer to Seattle and Bellevue, because most tournaments are held in north or south Puget Sound. Pizzano loves arm wrestling because it serves as both a vehicle for social interaction and a healthy way to vent stress. "I've played a lot of sports but I've never been able to get into as deep of a zone as when I get up there. It's on a totally different level," she said. There are some down sides, though. "A lot of times when we're ... just hanging out, partying or whatever, the arm wrestling champ will come up and I'll just have a swarm of people [saying] 'I want to arm wrestle you,' " she said. By end of the evening, Pizzano said she can get pretty tired. This is especially true when the male arm wrestlers challenge her to impromptu matches. "I'm like, 'I'm still a girl.' I'm a women's champion ... but I have beaten quite a few guys," she admits. "It never ends. "I would say it's a hobby, a chance for me and my friends all to get together and just go out and have a good time." For more information on arm wrestling in Washington state, check out Pacific Northwest Armwrestling's Web site at www.pnwarmwrestling.com or for more information on arm wrestling in general, visit www.armwrestling.com. Valley native to read latest novel at North Bend library Valley women stay strong in triathlon Big local contingent hits Seattle event Strong traditions will support a strong squad

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World Series: Fresh-faced Cards vs bearded Bosox Monday - 10/21/2013, 11:44am ET BEN WALKER Big Papi, Dustin Pedroia and the bearded guys from Boston. Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal and those fresh mugs from St. Louis.Pretty neat face-off in this World Series.Cardinals-Red Sox, once again in October. Fully rested, they'll start Wednesday night at Fenway Park with Boston opening as a slim favorite.Postseason stars from past and present -- Carlos Beltran, David Freese, John Lackey, David Ortiz and Adam Wainwright.Juicy plotlines -- can Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina shut down Jacoby Ellsbury and the runnin' Red Sox? Can all-world closer Koji Uehara stop Matt Holliday and the Cardinals?Plus, plenty of history -- think Stan Musial vs. Ted Williams in 1946, Bob Gibson vs. Carl Yastrzemski in '67 or Pedro Martinez vs. Albert Pujols in 2004. Or, perhaps more memorably that last time, Curt Schilling and the bloody sock vs. The Curse.The Red Sox and Cardinals are hardly arch enemies, however. They haven't played since Kevin Youkilis homered over the Green Monster in the 13th inning on June 22, 2008.This year, Boston and St. Louis bounced back from disappointments and tied for the most victories in the majors with 97. Not since the Braves and Yankees in 1999 have league win leaders met in the World Series (the Cardinals and Red Sox were the top-scoring teams in their leagues, too).Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino and Boston's scraggly band rose under first-year manager John Farrell, a season after the team hit bottom under Bobby Valentine with its most losses in nearly five decades.Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams and St. Louis rebounded a year after wasting a 3-1 lead in the NL championship series against the Giants. Manager Mike Matheny got lots of help from a rookie-laden staff.Wacha was the MVP of the NLCS and is 3-0 with an 0.43 ERA in the postseason. Rosenthal took over the closer role with a 100 mph fastball. Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez and others also made major contributions.The Cardinals captured their 19th NL pennant by trouncing Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on Friday night in Game 6 of the NLCS."Watching them last night, they've got a fantastic team. And a lot of young power arms that will walk to that mound," Farrell said.The Red Sox earned their 13th pennant Saturday night, riding Victorino's go-ahead grand slam to a 5-2 victory over Detroit in Game 6 of the ALCS. Uehara was the MVP with a win and three saves."It's been a special ride," Pedroia said, "and we're still going."For Beltran, this will be his first time in the World Series. For the Cardinals, it's their fourth trip in 10 years.For the Red Sox, it's their third Series visit in the last decade. And they hope for a repeat performance from 2004, when they never trailed during a four-game sweep of the Cardinals and won their first championship since 1918.Johnny Damon playfully called his Boston teammates a bunch of "idiots" and Kevin Millar exhorting them to "Cowboy Up!" Manny Ramirez was the MVP of the series while Ortiz showed he was more than a slugger, switching from designated hitter to snazzy fielder at first base when the Series shifted to old Busch Stadium.There are just a few leftovers from that fall.Ortiz lined a key grand slam in this ALCS. Molina is now regarded as baseball's best defensive catcher -- he was 21 in that '04 matchup and a backup to Matheny.Now, their teams are set to meet for the fourth time in a World Series. Aside from Dodgers-Yankees, there hasn't been a more common pairing since that initial Red Sox-Cardinals meeting in 1946.Here we go again."We've still got one more step," Victorino said.

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Ovechkin to miss Friday's game vs. Flyers Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Washington Capitals star forward Alex Ovechkin will not travel with the team to Philadelphia for Friday's game against the Flyers due to an upper-body injury.The star winger hurt his right shoulder early in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks when he crashed into goalie Roberto Luongo after being tripped by defenseman Alexander Edler.Capitals coach Adam Oates told reporters Thursday that Ovechkin could return to the lineup for Saturday's home game against the Florida Panthers.Ovechkin, who will miss his first game due to injury since Feb. 22, 2012, has 10 goals and five assists in 12 games this season.

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Recap: Houston vs. Seattle Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Steven Hauschka kicked a 45-yard field goal with 3:19 left in overtime to rally the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks to a 23-20 win over the Houston Texans.Seattle (4-0) scored the final 20 points and is undefeated after four games for the first time in franchise history.Russell Wilson engineered a 14-play, 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended on Marshawn Lynch's 3-yard touchdown run and Richard Sherman picked off Matt Schaub and rumbled 58 yards for the tying score with 2:40 left.In overtime, a key personal foul call on Houston defensive back Kareem Jackson moved the ball to the Texans 36. Four plays later, Hauschka kicked the game- winner."We call that grit," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "That's what that was. That game was all about grit. You just had to keep hanging and just not let all of the things that had happened build up and stop you from believing, and just hanging tough and not accepting the fact that it was going be so hard and persevering. That's exactly what that is."Wilson completed 12-of-23 passes for 123 yards and was picked off once. He also had 10 carries for 77 yards, while Lynch ran for 98 yards on 17 attempts. The Seahawks have won nine consecutive regular-season games.Schaub connected on 31-of-49 throws for 355 yards with a pair of TDs for the Texans (2-2), who played their second overtime game of the season. They beat Tennessee 30-24 on Sept. 15. Arian Foster gained 102 yards on 27 carries in this one.Wilson used his feet to keep the Seahawks in the game. He scrambled off right end on 4th-and-3 on the play prior to Lynch's TD run in which the veteran running back took a pitch to the left side and walked into the end zone untouched with 7:43 remaining in regulation.An interception by cornerback Johnathan Joseph following a poor decision by Wilson seemed to cement Houston's victory, but Schaub also made a terrible choice in throwing the ball directly to Sherman on a 3rd-and-4 play. Sherman stepped in front of tight end Owen Daniels and raced uncontested to the end zone to tie the game."I'll be honest with you, I take responsibility," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "I put him in a bad situation as a coach. Obviously we have to protect the ball. I put him in a bad situation. Probably should have run the ball there and punt and play defense. But trying to be aggressive and trying to make a play and we didn't and it ended up killing us, hurting us. I take my responsibility. I could have obviously called a better play."Shane Lechler was forced to punt the ball away for Houston in the dying second of regulation, and after three punts in OT, the Seahawks caught a big break.Wilson found Doug Baldwin for a 7-yard connection to the Seattle 49. Jackson picked up Baldwin and slammed him to the ground, which added another 15 yards to lead to the winning kick."I am not sure what I did wrong," Jackson said. "I really can't comment on it to be honest with you because I don't know what the flag was for. I was playing until the whistle and tackling the guy. If I don't tackle, he scores. It's plain and simple. We were playing in overtime. With that situation in a game, you've got to tackle. I'm not sure what the flag was for."Seattle came into the game as the top-ranked defense in the NFL, allowing nearly 147 yards through the air and about 242 yards total. Schaub threw for 226 yards in the first half to just 24 for Wilson.Houston came in at No. 2, giving up 249 yards per game and the Texans used a swarming defense over the first 30 minutes to limit the Seahawks to 88 yards, 43 of which came on a tough run from Lynch.After the game, Texans standout defensive end J.J. Watt expressed his frustration. "Nobody likes to lose, especially like this in your own building. This isn't fun. I'm sick of it after one loss," he said.Hauschka kicked a 48-yard field goal less than four minutes into the game, but Schaub hit a wide open Garrett Graham in the middle of the field for a 31-yard TD on the first play of the second quarter.Foster caught a 5-yard TD pass later in the second before Randy Bullock connected on field goals of 22 and 42 yards before halftime.Hauschka's 39-yard field goal with 3:54 left in the third had the Seahawks within two touchdowns."That was a crazy effort by the defense, by the offense, by special teams. To be able to win that game, in that fashion, on the road, obviously we didn't start the way we wanted to but it was just one of those things where we had to keep battling," Wilson said.Game NotesSeahawks defensive end Michael Bennett was carted off the field with 10 seconds left in the first half with what was termed a lower back injury. He went to a local hospital, where a CT scan came up negative ... Andre Johnson had nine catches for 110 yards for Houston. He has caught a pass in 105 straight games, extending a Texans franchise record ... Houston linebacker Brian Cushing suffered a concussion making a tackle on Sidney Rice following a reception ... Seattle is 11-3 in September since 2010.

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You are here: Home Sports Prep sports VeVe Brandon to play college softball at Virginia State VeVe Brandon to play college softball at Virginia State Last Updated on 11:34 PM 06/14/12 BY Doug Ford Halifax County High School varsity softball center fielder VeVe Brandon has inked a deal to play softball at Virginia State University. Brandon becomes the second player from this year’s team to sign a deal to play collegiate softball, and she will join former high school teammates Jameshia and Jamilia Smith at Virginia State, a Division II school. The Lady Trojans, led by Head Coach Torrie Lashley, are a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They finished with a 21-20 record overall and a 15-4 record in the CIAA this season, coming within one game of winning the conference tournament. Brandon, who also looked at Virginia Intermont College and Virginia Union University, said she chose Virginia State because of the campus and the people she met there. The coaches told Brandon they would play her at center field, her high school position, where Brandon could make the best use of perhaps her greatest attribute, her speed. “They needed outfielders, and they also said I was fast and could be a good leadoff hitter,” Brandon explained. Brandon said she would report to school at the end of August but would work out on her own until she leaves. “I’m real excited,” said Brandon of her opportunity to play collegiate softball. “She’s been a leader for us in the outfield,” said Comets’ Head Softball Coach Melanie Saunders. “She’s very quick and has a lot of field coverage, and she’s been our leadoff (hitter) at the plate. Those same qualities are what Virginia State was looking for, and Brandon is a good fit, according to Saunders. “Her speed and her leadership in the outfield, that’s something we’re going to miss here,” said Saunders, “and her ability to cover the outfield. “She’s going to be a leader there, as well, and I think it’s a great fit for her. “It’s not too far away, and it’s always nice to know someone who’s already there. I think she’ll do well.” Brandon’s mother, Nakisha Taylor, gives Brandon’s middle school coach James Smith credit for recognizing her daughter’s true position. “James was the person who saw she would be a great outfielder, because she started in the infield, said Taylor, who also gives credit to her step-father, Driscoll Taylor for working with her daughter. “Her step-father who would get her up at 6 o’clock in the morning, take her to the field and hit her 100 balls,” she said. Driscoll Taylor credited Barbara Lacks, who helped coach the Halifax Belles American Dixie Softball all-stars to the 2009 World Series title, for her support in helping Brandon achieve her goals. Brandon was a member of that World Series championship team. Advertisement

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Henry, Ramsey unfazed Emily Nerland UGASports.comOften there are concerns regarding a junior commitment class, citing the length of time between giving their verbal and signing on the dotted line as an obtrusive unknown. When these commits venture to other programs to see big games, fan bases hold their collective breath in hopes their star has not been flipped.The matchup the media dubbed "The Game of the Century" that took place in Tuscaloosa last weekend was one of those kinds of games. Two of Georgia's top junior commits were in attendance to watch LSU defeat Bama in over-time, however neither Yulee (Fla.) running back Derrick Henry nor Camden Country quarterback Brice Ramsey were fazed by attempts to be swayed from their Dawg night commitments."Yeah, there was a lot of people there trying to get me to change, but I don't know. That's not going to happen," Ramsey said. "That was my first time out there and I don't really know anything about the school."Henry said he was prepared to fight fire with fire."Yeah, I do. Oh, I do, I try to recruit. I couldn't really at Alabama because some of the players were trying to recruit me," Henry said. "I didn't want to say anything about Georgia because I don't want no problems with that, but I'd be on Facebook recruiting and stuff like that. I recruit Laremy (Tunsil), Uriah (LeMay), I talk to him too. And I'm still working on Reuben (Foster). I think the only thing is he is thinking about Alabama, getting to the NFL, I think that's his only thing, but I'm still working on him."Foster, an Alabama commit and top UGA target, was working hard on the two Dawgs. Ramsey said they were able to offer back a little friendly competition."I told him we'll keep the offensive players at Georgia and we'll see him at the SEC Championship," Ramsey said.This Saturday is another marquee SEC weekend for recruiting, this time to be held in Athens as the Bulldogs face the Auburn Tigers with SEC championship thoughts on their mind.Henry said there has been a buzz about thegame, even when they were in Alabama, and he can sense the excitement."Everyone is excited about it. Tramel (Terry) is coming up, Brice was talking about it at the Alabama game, and we've all been texting about it all day, about the Georgia-Auburn game," Henry said." I think everybody was talking about Richt being in the hot seat, but he's not no more, and they control their own destiny now."Ramsey echoed those sentiments, and went on to explain what the game means for the Bulldogs on a variety of levels."I think definitely Georgia can prove a lot of things by winning the game and going to the SEC Championship and what not, so especially with a lot of recruits there," Ramsey said. "I am expecting a win definitely because then that will put them in contention for an SEC Championship game. So I'm hoping they come out on top."Henry will be travelling with fellow commit and good friend John Theus to see, what he said, is his first game in Sanford Stadium."I just want to see the atmosphere, see the crowd and see what it is like on game day because I have been there to see the school, and Dawg night, but I'm just ready to see a game and see what it's like," Henry said. "They just have to beat Auburn and the sky is the limit. I think they will face LSU in the SEC championship, and if everything goes well, I think they have a chance to beat them. I think Georgia just has a lot of weapons, and their defense is playing well, so the sky is the limit for them. It's sweet." And now, with the tables turned, and top prospects in Georgia's court, perhaps these Georgia commits will have a little more leverage to persuade the host of talent attending the game. While both say they always will do what they can, ultimately they concede that the bottom line for any real prospective recruit will be if the Dawgs can win and get to the SEC Championship game. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now!

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Five Keys to Victory: K-State at Texas GoPowercat.com KANSAS STATE at TEXAS When: Saturday, Sept. 29 Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. (CDT) Location: Austin, Texas Venue: Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (80,638) TV: ABC (regional) Ron Prince knows what his Kansas State Wildcats are getting into. They are opening Big 12 action on the road -- something the program has done for nine straight years -- and they will do so in the hostile environment on the Texas Longhorns' home field. Winning will not be easy and most expect the Wildcats to lose. That line of thinking is just fine with Prince."I think we'll be the underdog in most games. At least that's our mindset. We kind of feel like that is going to be the case for a while," Prince said. "We have a very young team in certain spots and a lot of inexperienced players. They might be juniors and seniors, but in some cases this is their first time really playing in these kinds of games. We'll have to have some good leadership from coaches and veteran players who have played in these kinds of games before or in this type of atmosphere."Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will play host to more than 80,000 screaming fans, 95 percent of which will be cheering for the Texas Longhorns. Almost everyone on hand will be well aware of the fact that the Wildcats upset then-fourth-ranked Texas last season in Manhattan, 45-42."Last year, it was tough for all of us. We had something special going, but we didn't finish the game," Texas quarterback Colt McCoy said. "We felt like we had a good handle on them. We've just got to come out and do the same thing again this year and finish. That's the big thing for us."Last year's game came in the seventh week of Big 12 action. This time around, the two teams are kicking off conference play on their schedules. That has added a layer of difficulty for the Wildcats' preparation."We had the benefit of observing how they played against an Ohio State a year ago," Prince said. "This year's schedule has been a little different for them, but they have played some really good teams. Central Florida was a terrific game with a team. We all know TCU is a very good program as well. You just had more games to look at from a year ago. I think where it is in the schedule, both teams are starting to learn about themselves, and trying to figure out what their identity is. I think a year ago, we both had some pretty good tendencies."In other words, both teams will be seeing a lot of unknown schemes on both sides of the ball. It could make for another thrilling game. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now!

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November 27, 2011Everything comes together for Huskies in Apple Cup Ravi Venkataraman Talk about it in Stampede EliteFor the first time this season, the Washington Huskies clicked on both offense and defense en route to their 38-21 victory against the Washington State Cougars Saturday.From both the Cougars and the Huskies, both teams showed off a prolific passing attack. Washington quarterback Keith Price and Washington State quarterback Marshall Lobbestael combined gained 635 yards through the air on 71 attempts, completing 70 percent of their passes. That's a whopping 12.7 yards per completion. "I was tired of not scoring and I felt like we hadn't been getting yards in chunks," Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said about his own game plan. "I wanted to make sure we were hitting some doubles and triples and getting the ball down the field. We were able to do that throwing the ball."In the past three games, all losses, the Husky offense struggled with injuries, particularly to Price, and dependence on the running game. At the end of their disappointing streak, star tailback Chris Polk averaged close to four yards per carry and the pass offense was restricted to 183 yards per game over the last three weeks.In the Apple Cup, results were much different.Price, although limping at times and out for one series due to a cramped thumb, was on a roll with his right arm. He was 21 of 29 for 291 yards and three touchdowns, his highest total since a home win against California in late September. Price also eclipsed the school's single-season record for touchdown passes at 29, breaking Cody Pickett's record."He's an absolute stud," Sarkisian said. "It was an amazing season for a young man for whom there were so many expectations of who's going to replace Jake (Locker) and all of that pressure, to come into it, and to play the way he's played, and to deal with some of the adversity."I think it goes hand in hand and to come back tonight and have one of his best games of the season, I think, speaks volumes for him."On the other hand, WSU's Lobbestael, a senior starting in his final game, led his injury-hampered team into CenturyLink Field. The Cougars have lost its preseason starting quarterback, Jeff Tuel, early in the season and recently named starter Connor Halliday to a lacerated liver injury last week against Utah. Lobbestael threw 29 of 42 for 344 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the losing effort."He stayed with his program to help us, and he's done a lot of good in so many ways behind the scenes," Cougars coach Paul Wulff said. "A lot of people don't understand. They underrate character and being a rock for your team. He did a heck of a job."For the Huskies, capitalizing on the passing game opened up lanes for Polk and the specialized wildcat, Jesse Callier."Coming off a game last week that we really didn't play our best football, people started to doubt us and not believe in us. This week was real gut-check time," Polk said. "No matter what, I'm not really into individual performances. I'm just happy with the win."And Polk stayed true to his words throughout the game, as he took handoffs, caught passes and even took shot gun snaps in the wildcat package. He wasn't able to run effectively early on, but began to create momentum as the game carried on. He finished with 100 yards on 22 carries, two receptions for 36 yards and two touchdowns. "I knew it was a matter of time because if we just kept pounding the ball, kept pounding the ball, kept pounding the ball, it would open up the pass," Polk said. "The better I do running, the better the pass game does. The better the pass game does, the better the running do. It was just a matter of time."Callier had four carries for 44 yards, three of which was in the wildcat position. But his most important play was on defense when he returned the blocked punt for a touchdown in the first quarter. This was the first punt return for a touchdown since 2008. "Basically, coach called 'Cougar' and I saw it was unbalanced so I rushed off the edge and Thomas Tutogi came through the middle and blocked it and I scooped and scored," Callier said. Based on the offensive and defensive performance of the team Saturday, Callier knows the Huskies are back to prime form and ready to take on any challenge in their upcoming bowl game, whoever it may be."I think we're back as a team. We still need to focus on the task at hand," Callier said. "But let's see who we got for the bowl game."FEATURED PRODUCT Colorado NEWS[More]Latest Headlines:Resources:ScheduleRosterScoresSend to a FriendPrint This Page Rivals.com is your source for: College Football | Football Recruiting | College Basketball | Basketball Recruiting | College Baseball | High School | College Merchandise

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Football - Mjallby looking for Christmas cheerCeltic assistant manager Johan Mjallby has welcomed the hectic festive schedule as the perfect opportunity to put their disappointing European exit behind them.PA Sport – Fri, Dec 20, 2013 03:13 EST Eurosport - Johan Mjallby (PA Photos) Celtic closed their Champions League campaign with a 6-1 defeat in Barcelona this month after a three-point total failed to build on last season's campaign, when they reached the last 16. But Celtic remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership and Mjallby wants that statistic to continue when they host Hearts on Saturday as they bid to atone for their disappointment further afield. "It's always busy over Christmas and New Year so you're used to it and it's great in a way after the disappointment with Europe," the Swede told Celtic TV. "We have this unbeaten record and we have something to motivate the players with. "And that's how it's going to be now, making sure the players are fully focused and keep progressing. Lately the performances have been very good and hopefully we can keep that up." While Celtic excelled in Europe last season, they lost seven league games and Mjallby does not want a repeat of their domestic record. "Last year the run we had in Europe was incredible and the players made us really proud, but we knew it might be a bit harder this year because it was a more difficult group," he said. "After three games we were in a good position, and probably expected a wee bit more from the last three games in the group phase. "But it wasn't to be so that's why it's important to be much more solid domestically this year when it comes to the league performances. "We have players that we know can hurt other teams, and we have been waiting for a long time this season to see it really happening, but lately it's been great with free-flowing football - that's the way we want to play."

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May 20, 2013Lamar star gets Mizzou offer Related Links:Tigers add transfer2014 Offensive offer list2014 Defensive offer listTalk about it in The Gopher Report Word started to spread last Thursday night that a new Missouri prospect had picked up an offer from Mizzou. That prospect was 2014 Lamar (Mo.) offensive lineman/defensive lineman Sam Bailey. Due to preparations he and his twin brother Ben Bailey were going through for the state track meet, though, Sam did not know anything about it. "My family did a good job keeping it a secret from me while I was at the state track meet," the 6-foot-5 and 245 pound lineman explained. "They didn't want me to worry about it. They wanted me to focus on throwing the disc." And it worked as he and his brother finished first and second at the state meet with Sam taking the championship with a throw of 170 feet 2 inches. When he got back home Sam was finally able to talk with Tiger offensive coordinator and co-offensive line coach Josh Henson and receive his scholarship offer. "It's pretty nice to get the offer," he said. "I was shocked by it and taken back a little bit. It took me a little while to realize what was going on. It was nice way to end a crazy weekend." In talking with Josh Henson Sam was told which side of the ball Mizzou projects him at going forward and it just so happens to be the side that he was wanting. "They're looking at me as an offensive tackle, but I can play wherever they want me to play. If they want me on the defensive line, I can do that. If they want me to long snap, I could also do that," explained the multi-sport athlete. "I would go with offensive tackle because it comes more naturally to me even though I like hitting people on defense," Sam answered when asked which position he prefers. "I feel like I'd fit better on the offensive line." Sam already has a good feel for the Mizzou campus and facilities having made multiple trips to Columbia in the past. "I went to their three day camp and I went to their first SEC game against Georgia. It was a pretty nice game day atmosphere. I really liked that," he said. "I also got a tour of their facilities and saw the weight room which is very nice. Also saw their cafeteria and dorms and I thought it all looked really nice." When Sam starts to think about the factors or qualities in a school that will go into his decision their is one requirement that he feels will be the most important. "I'm hoping that they also offer my brother so it would make my decision a little bit easier. I'm not sure if I want to go to college with my brother or not, but it would be nice to have that option to go with him. That's kind of the big factor that I'm waiting on," he explained. Currently, Army is the only school to offer both of the brothers, but they expect that to change as they are also receiving interest from Memphis, Kansas State, and Tulsa. Additionally, according to Sam, an offer for Ben from Mizzou might not be that far off. "They want to see him in camp because he's a little bit lighter than I am and Coach [Gary] Pinkel is a little bit concerned about that," he said. "I would say that they're close to offering him too. We're going to their three day camp again this year so they'll get a chance to see him." PowerMizzou.com will have updates on any new developments in the recruitment of Sam and Ben Bailey.FEATURED PRODUCT Nike Minnesota Golden Gophers #9 Game Football Jersey - Gold Minnesota NEWS[More]Latest Headlines:Resources:CommitmentsThe TickerProspect DatabaseSend to a FriendPrint This Page[More]NATIONAL NEWS FROM RIVALS.COMPollard dreams of USC offer

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March 23, 2012Dallas Elite 11: Five to watch MORE: Dallas Elite 11 storylines | NIKE coverage The Elite 11 tour kicks off this Saturday in Arlington, Texas at Cowboy Stadium. The top junior and sophomore passers from around the region will be in attendance as they hope to earn a spot in the invitation-only final event of the summer in Los Angeles. Here are five prospects to watch this weekend. Tyrone Swoopes, Whitewright (Texas) : The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Texas commit is a five-star prospect and the No. 11 overall player in the country. However, there is some concern about his development as a passer. Swoopes plays for a very small school and does not face a ton of top competition and some view him as more of an athlete than a quarterback at the next level. He could answer a lot of his critics by putting on a top performance this weekend. Shane Morris, Concord (Mich.) De La Salle: The longtime Michigan pledge will be making the long trip to Texas this weekend to try and prove he belongs in the five-star discussion. The nation's No. 2 pro-style quarterback and No. 16 overall prospect is not far from that status now and, though he does not have much left to prove, is showing that he is a serious competitor by making the long journey. He will have a shot to show his worth against several other big-time recruits. Justice Hansen, Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe (2014) : The sophomore took over the reins of a Santa Fe program that went 1-9 in 2010 and led it to a 10-2 record this year. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Hansen has already picked up offers from Arkansas and Missouri and should be a top national recruit by this time next year. It will be interesting to see how he looks side-by-side with his older peers. Devante Kincade, Dallas (Texas) Skyline: The 6-foot, 175-pound junior has not received the same amount of attention as many of the other players from the state of Texas but it is not for lack of effort. Kincade is already a two-year starter and led Skyline to a national Top 10 ranking this past season. He has recently seen his stock start to take off with colleges as well with Colorado, Illinois, Kansas State, Notre Dame and SMU having extended offers. Conner Manning, Lake Forest (Calif.) El Toro: Manning broke the junior state passing records of current USC star quarterback Matt Barkley this past season. However, the recruiting process has been slow for the 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect. Even though college coaches are not allowed to attend events like the Elite 11 camp, a buzz surrounding a solid performance this weekend could help things start to pick up for him. Brian Perroni can be reached at perroni@yahoo-inc.com. You can follow him on Twitter @bperrroni. Talk about it in The Horseshoe Lounge Ohio State Buckeyes Automatic Crew Sweatshirt - Scarlet

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November 19, 2012Seals-Jones appreciates honor of Army Bowl invite MORE: U.S. Army All-American Bowl Sealy, Texas knows a little something about special talent. In 1978 a talented running back by the name of Eric Dickerson rushed for 2,642 yards and 37 TDs to lead Sealy to a 2A state title on his way to Parade All-America honors. Then in 1997, Sealy became the first Texas high school football team to claim four consecutive state championships at any level. Sealy's history is storied and its tradition is proud, and its talent is known all the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. When people say there's a special talent in Sealy it tends to get your attention. It did not take long for people around the small town just west of Houston to figure out 6-foot-5, 220-pound Ricky Seals-Jones was gifted. Over the years he has proven himself to be by raking in yards, touchdowns and honors far and wide as a two-way starter for the Tigers. On Monday, Ricky Seals-Jones, wrote a new chapter in the Sealy history book, as he was announced as the school's first-ever U.S. Army All-American. "It's great. It feels good. It's a big achievement, a big honor," Seals-Jones said. "Not too many people get the recognition of being invited to this game. You have to really be great at what you're doing and I think my hard work and dedication has paid off. I'm just honored to be a part of it and represent my community, my family, my coaches, and my teammates, and show San Antonio and the World what little Sealy is about." The Rivals100 standout was announced as an Army All-American in a packed Sealy High School auditorium in front of his teachers, coaches and classmates. He was quick to thank them all for helping him achieve his highest goals, and thanked the Army for the opportunity. It was easy to see the honor of the experience was not lost on Seals-Jones. In fact one of the main reasons he chose to compete in the game was to honor his grandfather, Ricky Ray Seals. "My grandfather served in the Army and the Army reserves for 27 years and he would definitely be proud of me," Seals-Jones said surrounded by family. Showing everyone what Sealy can do is something high on his list of priorities, but he is mainly looking forward to being around guys from across the country who have quickly become his friends. "Meeting all the guys again and just having fun and working out and playing the game. Just having fun I guess," Seals-Jones said." You really don't get to see them, you talk to them on Twitter. I talk to Derrick Green, awhile back when I got hurt he hit me up on Twitter. DeSean Smith from Louisiana, when I was down there he was at the game. Just seeing those guys again and having fun and kicking it. That's really it." As one of the most highly sought prospects in the game he will have many eyes watching over him, but just which fanbase will be cheering him on is still up in the air. On the recruiting front Seals-Jones has narrowed his list to two -- LSU and Texas A&M. He says he has a favorite but he is not ready to tip his hand. Right now he is quick to point out both schools will give him a chance to succeed. "Each school is great," Seals-Jones said. "Their campuses are great. Both schools are great. I just have to find which one's right for me." When will he let the world know about his college future? "Probably after Thanksgiving or right before I leave for the Army Bowl," Seals-Jones said. "I want to get it out of the way so I don't have anything to worry about and I can just focus on that game." Then again making an announcement at the Army Bowl is not completely out of the question. "No, I'm not going to do it there, or I might," Seals-Jones said with a smile. "You never know." As usual, Seals-Jones shows his ability to keep everyone on the edge of their seat waiting for the next step. Talk about it in The Farm Report Michigan State Spartans vs. Stanford Cardinal 2014 Rose Bowl Showtime Dueling Pullover Hoodie - Black

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July 17, 2012Coaches Corner: Mauger During the past year, Kell head coach Derek Cook has had a front row seat to the Quincy Mauger show.The star safety and recent Georgia commit had five interceptions in his junior year and made almost countless other plays beneath the Friday night lights.The show that Cook has witnessed, however, can't be simply confined to what happens on the field for the Longhorns.According to Cook, Mauger is the total package."With a lot of kids, you have a kid that has great ability and character but may struggle in the classroom, or you have a kid that struggles in another area, but Quincy has it all," said Cook. He has great grades. He has well over a 3.0 grade point average. I think it is like a 3.3 or something higher. He is a high character kid, and he is a tremendous talent. He has it all really."Thus far in the 2013 recruiting cycle, Mauger has flown under the radar a bit, but according to Cook, it isn't because he doesn't have the ability."He is a good kid but he is also a great athlete. He finished fifth in the state in the hurdles, and he doesn't have the body style you normally look for in a hurdler. He isn't that tall, long legged type guy. He is a 6-foot kid, so that should speak to how nimble he is," said Cook. "He's also a great football player with great size. He is a 4.5 guy in the 40 that knows how to play the game and play his position."While his athletic ability is certainly a strength, it is also Mauger's mental approach to the game and his leadership qualities that make him a great player in Cook's mind."He approaches the game the right way from a mental standpoint and works hard to prepare. He watches a lot of film and understands what we are trying to do and does a good job communicating with his coaches to make sure he knows what to do," said Cook. "He is also a great leader out there. He isn't afraid to call guys out for not doing things the right way, but he is hard on himself. He makes sure his house is clean before he starts getting on other guys, so we definitely love that about him."Another important aspect of the Kell safety's game is his work ethic.According to the Longhorn head coach, the UGA program and fans can expect his guy to set the pace when it comes to working to getting better."He has worked ever since he got here to get better. He has been here for around a year now, and he has gotten so much better just in that short time from working hard. He has put on great mass and muscle. He has taken two tenths of a second off his 40 time. He has improved a lot," said Cook. "He and (Brendan) Langley and some other guys get together just about every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and work on stuff and get that extra work in."Rivals.com has yet to rank Mauger at this point in the process, but Cook wouldn't be surprised to see his star defender make a move for some playing time for the Bulldogs in his first fall on campus."It wouldn't shock me at all to see him play early. It all depends on his ability to get on campus and learn and get through the complexities of what they do defensively. With him enrolling early, I don't have any doubt that he can do that, but that will be his biggest challenge," said Cook. "I said the same thing with Brian Randolph who signed with Tennessee after playing here. We know how good he is and I'm not so sure Georgia knows how good of a player Quincy is or can be. They have seen flashes, but like with Randolph, we have seen it and what he did at Tennessee early didn't surprise us. What Quincy does won't surprise us either." Nike TCU Horned Frogs #4 Replica Football Jersey - Purple

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Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie listens during a news conference for the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Sunday, April 6, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. Connecticut plays Kentucky in the championship game on Monday, April 7. 2014. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Should UConn's Coach Kevin Ollie Jump to the NBA? It didn't take long for UConn coach Kevin Ollie to make a big splash at his former stomping grounds. The former Huskie coached his team to a title just two years after being named the men's head basketball coach at the University of Connecticut.more Headlines February 23, 2014 - Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant was so dominant during the first half of the season that many basketball pundits were ready to name him this year’s NBA MVP.more Is Washington’s All Star Backcourt the Best in the NBA? February 16, 2014 - Fresh off their impressive showing from NBA All-Star Weekend’s opening two days, John Wall and Bradley Beal have firmly established themselves as players to watch going forward as the basketball season carries onmore NEWS

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Ted Dibiase Sort Order: By TitleBy AuthorBy Copyright DateBy Date Added Results Per Page: 2550100 Ted DiBiase by Tom Caiazzo Everyone's got a price. Everyone's got to pay. 'Cause the Million Dollar Man always gets his way. After proving his point, Ted DiBiase would laugh and fan out his large roll of hundreds, worsening the degradation of whoever had been foolish enough to accept his challenge or get in his way. Defeated opponents -- put to sleep with his Million Dollar Dream -- would have the added humiliation of awakening to discover that the Million Dollar Man had been stuffing bills down their throats. Winning match after match, yet no closer to the championship, DiBiase wanted the title, but he couldn't seem to win it. His solution: pay Andre the Giant to win the title, make sure the referee was also "taken care of," and then have Andre hand the championship title over to him. True to his taunt, the Million Dollar Man had gotten his way, and Ted DiBiase became the most hated person in sports entertainment. Making his way to the top of the profession that he had loved since he was a child, Ted DiBiase never did anything by half measures. He couldn't, because the men he respected and worked side by side with expected that "Iron" Mike's kid would give his all. And each day while on the road learning what it was to be a wrestler, Ted remembered how his father had taught him to give his all every time. It was how his father lived -- and how he lost his life, dying during a wrestling match while Ted was still a boy. From the dusty roads of Texas to the bayous of Louisiana, Ted moved from one wrestling promotion to another -- sometimes a babyface, other times a heel. He learned how to tell a story and how to draw the fans in, both inside and outside the ring. In 1987, Vince McMahon had an idea for a new character, the Million Dollar Man, and one person came to mind: Ted DiBiase. For nearly a decade, fans waited to see just how Ted could prove his adage that "Everyone's got a price." When he was sidelined by a neck injury, DiBiase started a second wrestling career, as a manager. He managed some of the biggest stars: Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy, and a very green wrestler, the Ringmaster (who would later be known as Stone Cold Steve Austin). Ted DiBiase, the Million Dollar Man, is fondly remembered by wrestling fans for his style and his command of the ring. This is the inside glimpse of three decades inside and outside the squared circle.

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Angels Tickets 5 Key Questions - Focus: Spring Training 2010 11:26 PM by Chuck RichterNo comments By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Senior Columnist After two weeks of Spring Training (with most of the games finally being on TV—a first for Angels’ baseball), it’s been long enough for the fans to see how the team may perform over the 2010 season. After two weeks of play, there appears to be many questions about how the Angels will fare in 2010. Here below are the 5 Key Questions that need to be answered over the remainder of the Spring Season. Question #1: How is Brandon Wood’s bat? After years of being our top prospect, it’s now or never for Brandon Wood. He’s out of options and 3B is finally open. There are only two things that could prevent him from being a regular major leaguer: How he hits and how often Mike Scioscia puts him in the lineup. With Scioscia’s statements that he wants to get Izturis into the lineup as a leadoff candidate, fans are left to wonder how much playing time Brandon Wood will get at the Major League level. Defensively, Brandon Wood looks very sound. He has good range for the position and a strong arm. He’s making the plays and looks like he should develop into an above average defender. While his range isn’t as great as Izturis’, his arm is stronger. Overall, Brandon Wood appears to be the better defender at 3B. Offensively, there’s no doubt that Wood still needs to make an adjustment to the Major Leagues. While he’s walking more and appears a bit more relaxed and patient at the plate, he has struck 6 times in 25 ABs. The only way he’s going to make that adjustment is if he gets regular at-bats and is consistently in the lineup. The challenge for getting Wood into the lineup regularly, though, may be the schedule in 2010. While Scioscia preaches a philosophy of one game at a time (OGAAT), the first month of the season may prove to be quite a nemesis for Scioscia’s philosophy. In the first month of the season, the Angels will play the Yankees twice, an away series in Toronto (a notoriously difficult place for the Angels to win games), Minnesota, Detroit and Cleveland. With all of those teams capable of piling up early wins against the Angels, how long will Scioscia let Wood struggle (if he does struggle) without reverting to the more polished hitter in Izturis? So far, Scioscia has given every indication that he wants Wood in the lineup. Brandon leads the club in ABs for the Spring (with 25) and has not looked overmatched at the plate. He’s continuing to make adjustments and making a much better pitch selection. The more he plays now during the Spring, the better he’ll be over the course of the season. Let’s hope that this process continues and that Brandon Wood is the regular starting 3B for the year. Question #2: Will Hideki Matsui play in the outfield? When Hideki Matsui signed with the Angels, one of the reasons he gave for signing with the team was the opportunity to play in the outfield. Although he played exclusively as a DH last year, Mike Scioscia said that he would be willing to entertain the idea of playing Matsui in the outfield so that he can rest some of his other players. When I saw Matsui during the Fanfest weekend, he was noticeably limping on his left knee. While it didn’t affect him in the batter’s box or when running at full speed on the bases, it did appear that it would affect him in terms of getting jumps on balls in the outfield. If his knee locks up or acts up in the field during cold weather, he could be lost for a month or more. So, at this point, Matsui does not look capable of playing in the outfield. More importantly, though, we need Matsui as a left-handed middle of the order bat. We signed him to replace Vlad’s offense, and we need him to produce at that high caliber level. It would be better to not play him for 20 games over the course of this season so that Scioscia can rest some other players than to put him in the outfield and risk having him get injured and lose him 30+ games. We had that happen last year with Vlad when he took the field to assuage his pride. Although we were lucky that our offense held up without Vlad last year, we shouldn’t risk another situation like that. While Scioscia will need to balance Matsui’s desire to play in the OF, the goal for the Angels should be to get Matsui to play in 140 games. If he does, he should post 25+ HRs and 90+ RBIs. With numbers like that, he’d be well worth the investment and do a lot towards helping us win another AL West banner. If achieving those numbers means not seeing Matsui in the field, or having to play some games without him while other guys rest, I’m all for it. Let’s hope that we don’t see Matsui in the OF, and instead, we see more of him circling the bases. Question #3: Mathis or Napoli? What’s an AngelsWin.com set of questions without the eternal debate: Mathis or Napoli? Last year in the post season, Mathis was a hero. Out of nowhere, he hit an amazing 533 with 5 doubles and played a pivotal role in our post season run. At the same time, in last year’s post season, it became clear as day why Mike Scioscia said that Mathis was defensively better than Napoli. While wearing a microphone during a game, the home plate umpire said that he couldn’t see the pitches when Napoli was catching. The umpire asked Napoli to crouch lower to give him a better view. Last year was last year, and this year is this year. Coming into camp, Napoli was noticeably thinner. While he says he weighs the same amount as last year, that may be because he has put on muscle mass and redistributed his weight (for the record, I still think he weighs less than he did at the end of last season). The increased strength has shown so far this Spring. As of the writing of this article, Napoli has hit 4 HRs (leading the Cactus League) and 2 doubles in 17 ABs. That’s tremendous power! At the same time, Mathis has struggled offensively, hitting a paltry 143 so far. With the signing of Matsui, the Angels won’t have the luxury of keeping Napoli in the lineup as the DH like they did last year (especially when Vlad injured himself in the outfield). So, that means that if the Angels want an improved offense, they will need to play Napoli more as the starting catcher. Hopefully, with a slimmed down figure, Napoli will be better able to crouch without blocking the umpire’s view of the pitches. And, with a slimmed down figure, he should be better able to get out of the crouch to throw would-be base stealers out. If that’s the case, Scioscia should recognize the better offensive potential from Napoli and give him about 65% of the starts behind the plate while keeping Mathis in more of a backup role. Question #4: What’s with the win-loss record so far? As of the time of this writing, the Angels have a Cactus League record of 2-7-2. That’s ugly. The team hasn’t played solid defense (18 errors in 11 games), and the pitching has given up 21 more runs than it has scored. Is it time to panic? The long and the short answer is that no, it’s not time to panic. First off, Spring Training doesn’t count, so there’s no need to get worried about the record to date. The players are getting used to working with each other and some players are working on new pitches or skills. There has been some noticeable rust, but, it appears that it is starting to get kicked loose as the Spring wears on. More importantly, though, looking at when and how the games are being lost reveals that many of the errors and many of the runs being given up are being done so by players who won’t open the season with the parent club. Since the Angels don’t have many position battles this Spring, they are allowing many more of their minor leaguers to play. In many cases, seeing who Scioscia is playing and how long he is letting them play is a good idea of whom he is watching for the future of the organization. That could be more important than watching how they fare against players who have many more years of experience and against higher levels of competition. There’s no doubt that this Spring Training record has not gotten off to the Angels’ liking. Over the past 6 years, the Angels have posted a combined 124-67-8 record (.623 win percentage), and led the Cactus League 3 times (and in a 2008 they had the highest win percentage although they did not lead the league in the W-L record). So, for newer fans, this year’s win-loss record is a bit of an aberration. But, this year is a bit of a transitional year, and the Angels organization is trying to determine what talent is has in the minor leagues and how that talent will develop over the next few years. What fans need to focus upon is how the Angels play in the last 2 weeks of Spring Training. At that point, Scioscia will be playing most of the regulars for the majority of the game (if not the entirety of it). That will be much more indicative of how the team will perform over the season. At that point, I doubt that they will be losing as many games or playing as poorly as they have so far. Question #5: What are the prospects showing? With Scioscia giving a lot of time to the prospects, how have they been faring? Here’s a rundown on some of the more familiar names for those who read the Top Prospect lists. Peter’s speed is there. He has stolen 5 bases so far and gotten a bunt hit. His defensive range is very impressive. Often he catches balls standing up that other players would not reach or would have to dive to catch. Offensively, Peter hasn’t shown much power, although he is capable of gap doubles/triples and up to 10 HRs at the Major League level. And, at the plate, he has been a bit inconsistent in his pitch recognition. While he has walked twice so far, he has also been fooled by outside breaking pitches, especially late in the count. There’s no doubt that Bourjos can be a future leadoff hitter for the Angels. He just needs to spend 2010 continuing to refine his skills at the plate and on the base-paths. Hank Conger With Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis and Bobby Wilson ahead of him, Hank Conger knew coming into camp that he wasn’t going to win a spot on the parent club’s roster. That’s okay. He needs to spend another year refining his defensive skills. Offensively, though, Conger has looked good. He’s had 2 hits in 5 ABs with a double. He hasn’t looked overmatched and looks like he could become a good Major League catcher in 2011. Conger will get his chance, but 2010 is more about earning the respect of Scioscia and learning what he has to teach about being a good catcher. With that goal in mind, Conger appears to be succeeding. Terry Evans At 27, Terry Evans needs to turn things on in order to win a spot on the Major League roster. There is an open backup OF spot, and Evans is a dark horse candidate to win it. He can play all 3 OF spots and can steal a base or hit for some power. He does not excel in any one area, but is solid in several. He is battling journeyman Michael Ryan for a final backup spot, and right now the race appears to be fairly close with Ryan in the lead. Trevor Reckling Trevor has shown some mixed results. At times he’s shown some great potential, with 4 Ks in 5 IPs. At other times, though, he’s shown some wildness with 3 BBs in the same 5 innings. Basically, he’s shown that he’s 20 years old and facing Major Leaguers and still needs some seasoning. But, that shouldn’t be taken as a criticism. He is still far ahead of the curve and still projects to be something special. Mark Trumbo Mark has been doing a lot of work at 1B and has even gotten into 7 games playing 1B. Although Abe Flores told us last year that the OF experiment will continue with Trumbo in 2010, so far, we haven’t seen it in camp. That makes sense. Trumbo will most likely be the top 1B in the Angels’ minor league system this year. He needs to be ready in the event that anything happens on the parent club. Right now, he needs to be ready to provide depth. In that regard, Trumbo has hit the ball with some power and has only struck out 1 time in 12 ABs. What I liked most about him when I saw him during pre-game drills was his enthusiasm and desire to refine his skills. When he muffed a play, he immediately was back at the bag ready to redo the play and to get it right. Look for the OF experiment to continue as he plays at Triple-A Salt Lake. Love to hear what you think! Welcome to Angelswin.com AngelsWin.com is a fan site by the fans, for the fans. Tabbed as the "Internet Home for Angels fans" our fan site produces top incredible content from several talented writers, including exclusive interviews with front office members, Angels players and minor leaguers down in the farm. AW is a thriving community of thousands of members & subscribers to our Angels Fan Forum and Blog. AngelsWin.com - unraveling Angels Baseball one thread at a time. AL WEST STANDINGS TEAMWLGBRSRAOakland105-6848Texas8725463Seattle772.55542LA Angels7838371Houston51054469 BATTING AVERAGEMike TroutCenter Field#27.323HRM. Trout5RBIR. Ibanez12RM. Trout12OPSM. Trout1.026ERAG. Richards2.84WG. Richards2SOC. Wilson24SVE. Frieri1WHIPJ. Weaver1.13 Early Angels Rotation Pitch F/X and Peripheral Results By Robert Cunningham, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - Disclaimer: PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE EARLY RETURNS ON THE 2014 SEASON. SAMPLE S... Eddie Bane joins our AngelsWin.com Podcast Angels fans, an old friend of the website joined us on tonight's podcast and like our features of old , Eddie Bane did not disappoint... Gameday Scorecard: Angels vs Mets, April 11, 2014 Hank Conger was hit by a 2-2 pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th to give the Angels their first home win of the season.... Raul Inbanez hammered a two-out three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth off Mets closer Jose Velverde to tie the game in dramatic f... Next Up on our AngelsWin.com Podcast: Eddie Bane, former Angels Scouting Director Please join hosts Adam Dodge and Geoff Stoddart, along with AngelsWin.com founder and executive editor Chuck Richter as they have forme... 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Performance Enhancement Is In The Sporting Airs by furllow Sep 19, 2012 | 790 views | | 16 | | | permalink The fastest man ever, all looking bitter, seemed baffled by the utterances made by a former world champion which pointed to the fact that the former's performance is held in doubt. "I have no respect for him," Bolt said of Carl Lewis. "The things he says about track athletes is really downgrading for another athlete to say something like that. I think he's just looking for attention, really, because nobody really talks much about him."True, Carl Lewis insinuated that there should be some kind of illegal enhancement that is responsible for the fastest speed ever run by any man. In that respect, it can be safely said that Carl Lewis alluded to doping which has been part and parcel of sporting history since the 19th century. For instance, Thomas Hicks of the United States is said to have taken a pre-race cocktail of egg whites, brandy and strychnine to enhance his performance. His fellow American, the glamorous goddess of American track, Florence Griffith Joe, fondly known as Flo-Jo, was said to be an average sprinter in her 20s. However, she set a world record of 10.49 in the 100 that is yet to be broken after more than two decades. But all who doubted her record back then hastened to add that no scientific test had ever been ever made to prove her a doper.Although the London Olympics were punctuated by inspirational performances from female athletes, none of them came close to beating Flo Jo's record; an excruciating conundrum that it ought to be since there are far better training facilities and the best of trainers today compared to those of the times back then.Today I look at one of the forms of doping that is referred to as blood doping. The World Anti-Doping Agency defines it as the misuse of techniques and or substances to increase one’s blood cell count. Usually, two pints are removed from the athlete’s blood at least two weeks before the competition. This blood is then frozen until one or two days to the competition, thawed and then re-injected into the athlete. It is commonly used by endurance athletes such as marathoners and cyclists to enhance endurance in particular and performance at large as a result of extra oxygen flowing to the working muscles.For the sake of breaking the world record, athletes will take the risk of blood doping and to them, the record does outweigh the side effects which range from increased blood viscosity, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, cerebral vascular accident, infections as well as myocardial infarction.Yet we cannot say without being against certitude that the standards are dropping due to doping but may be right to say that doping may have been responsible for the apparently high standards back then.‘We know why some of those records have not been broken,’ said Franke, a professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the German Cancer Center in Heidelberg. ‘But the fact the times are much slower now points to a significantly cleaner sport.’ I wonder what he would have to say about male athletes who are breaking world records. Would he say the same? I think I should stick to Miami movers who do not require any kind of performance enhancement to give a superb performance.

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Question: What is the all time win/loss record for the Oklahoma sooners vs the Texas longhorns in college football? Answer: Stats from Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma Sooners: Oct. 11, 2008 -W 45-35, Oct. 6, 2007 -L21-28, Nov. 3, 2007 -W38-35 (MORE) College football × College football Details College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Oklahoma Sooners football × Oklahoma Sooners football Details Crimson and CreamThe Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma (variously "Oklahoma" or "OU"). The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The program began in 1895 and is the most successful program of the modern era (post World War II) with 567 wins and a winning percentage of .763 since 1945. The program has 7 national championships, 44 conference championships, 152 All-Americans (74 consensus), and five Heisman Trophy winners. In addition, the school has had five coaches and 17 players inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and holds the record for the longest winning streak in Division I-FBS history with 47 straight victories. Oklahoma is also the only program that has had four coaches with 100+ wins, including current head coach Bob Stoops. They became the eighth NCAA FBS team to win 800 games when they defeated Utah State on Sept. 4th, 2010. Games are played at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. Texas Longhorns football × Texas Longhorns football Details Burnt Orange and WhiteThe Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team is currently coached by Mack Brown and home games are played at Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. American football × American football Details American football (known as football in the United States and gridiron in some other countries) is a sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field 120 yards long by 53.33 yards wide with goalposts at each end. The offense attempts to advance an oval ball (the football) down the field by running with or passing it. They must advance it at least ten yards in four downs to receive a new set of four downs and continue the drive; if not, they turn over the football to the opposing team. Points are scored by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown, kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal or by the defense tackling the ball carrier in the offense's end zone for a safety. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins.American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sport of rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6, 1869 between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton, under rules resembling rugby and soccer. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp, the "Father of American Football", established the snap, eleven-player teams and the concept of downs, and later rule changes legalized the forward pass, created the neutral zone and specified the size and shape of the football. Big 12 Conference football × Big 12 Conference football Details Big 12 Conference is a conference of 10 (originally 12) universities which participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football. The conference was formed in 1994 but did not begin conference play until the fall of 1996. The schools that compose the Big 12 Conference, except West Virginia, were members of either the Big Eight Conference or the Southwest Conference, and have won 18 national titles including three since the inception of the Big 12 Conference.The first game in conference play was the 1996 Texas Tech vs. Kansas State football game. #21 Kansas State won by a score of 21–14. College football season Oklahoma vs. Texas football game Related Websites: Oklahoma Football: The Top 50 Players in Sooners History ...The latest Oklahoma Sooners Football rankings ... the top coach in Texas Longhorns ... yards rank fourth all-time at Oklahoma and were a national record at the ... What is the Oklahoma Sooners Bowl win-lost record for the ...What is the Oklahoma Sooners Bowl win-lost record for the ... Actually you were right the first time, ... Who was the quarterback for the Texas Longhorns ... College Football Week 7 Predictions: Texas Longhorns vs ...... Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners. ... that holds a winning record against Oklahoma. ... and let the college football handicappers at Maddux ... Red River Showdown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia1.5 2007 Oklahoma vs. Texas football ... his record vs the Longhorns to 1 win, 1 loss as a ... Press, and the Sooners were unranked for the first time ... Alabama Crimson Tide-Oklahoma Sooners Football: Through ...The latest Oklahoma Sooners Football ... Alabama recently won its latest title in 2009 by defeating the Texas Longhorns ... Oklahoma holds the all-time longest win ... Related Questions: What is the college football series record between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners? When is kick off for the Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma Sooners? Who would win: Texas Longhorns or Oklahoma Sooners? Texas longhorns or Oklahoma sooners? What was the score of the 2008 texas longhorns and oklahoma sooners college football game? What is the score of texas longhorns vs oklahoma sooners? What was the 2008 oklahoma sooners vs texas longhorns score in football? Can I get the Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Longhorns score? Rivalry Week: What it means for…Rivalry Week is at once the best and worst of times for college football ... the Bears’ loss to Oklahoma State all but ruined what was a once-promising season. A loss to the Cowboys the previous week, oddly enough, also cost Texas control of its ... Oklahoma State vs. Texas: 10 Things We Learned in the Longhorns' LossClint Chelf was dominant in the Pokes' win, accounting for four touchdowns and 296 total yards of offense. Not only does the loss take Texas ... him on the all-time wins list. The Longhorns have been overcoming injuries all season. Against Oklahoma State ... What are college football's top 25 teams for 2014?Florida State cemented one of the most impressive seasons in recent college football history by defeating Auburn ... void in leadership and production. But the last time Alabama failed to win the national championship, in 2010, coach Nick Saban's bunch ... Another Record Night For Oklahoma Sooners QB Landry JonesFor the second consecutive week, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Landry Jones had a 500-yard passing game that led the Sooners to a crazy, 51-48 OT win over ... former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Graham Harrell as the Big 12‘s all-time passing ... 10 College Football Rivalry Games That Won't Even Be Close in 2014College football and its ever-increasing popularity can be boiled down to its biggest draw—rivalries. Most of the memorable moments happen in these games, just ask Alabama, Notre Dame or Oklahoma what a loss ... the same time frame. It all points to ...

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Brandon Marshall: I don't like the Packers The Bears' Brandon Marshall, shown celebrating a first-quarter touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 22 at Soldier Field, says he dislikes the Packers more than any other team. / Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images by Lindsay Jones, USA TODAY Sportsby Lindsay Jones, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under LAKE FOREST, Ill. �?? It has been nearly three months since the Green Bay Packers held Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall to two catches for 24 yards in Week 2. Marshall has been counting the days to this week's NFC North rematch ever since. At his Wednesday news conference, Marshall called Sunday's game against Green Bay the "biggest game of my career." It also is one Marshall said he is taking "personal" because he feels Green Bay players, particularly cornerback Tramon Williams and safety Charles Woodson, disrespected him and his teammates, including quarterback Jay Cutler, in September. Green Bay won that first meeting 23-10 at Lambeau Field. "I don't like the Green Bay Packers. I'm not going to use the word 'hate,' but I really dislike the Packers and their players," Marshall said. "But you know what? The talk has to back it up. We'll go out there and do everything we have to do to get a win." Marshall declined to say specifically what comments Packers players made after the September game that irritated him so much �?? "you'll have to go on Google or something," he said �?? but it was clear he thought Green Bay defensive backs took credit for stopping him one-on-one and thought Marshall got away with being too physical off the line of scrimmage. "I didn't beat double and triple coverage or whatever they were throwing at me. I take it as a slap in my face when guys are talking about my lack of ability to do something against them when they have help all over the place," Marshall said. "I'm looking forward to one-on-one coverage. Hopefully, those guys, in a game like this, will go to their coach and say, 'Let me have him. I want Brandon Marshall. I want to stop Brandon Marshall.' Let's see what happens." But, Marshall was asked, wouldn't that be a dumb decision for the Packers, given Marshall's 101-catch, 1,342-yard season, and the Packers' success against him last time? "I don't know. I mean, the way some people talk is like they did that. I would love their play to back up their talk," Marshall said. Marshall, who brought a Charlie Brown Christmas tree to use as a prop at his weekly news conference, said he wasn't worried about his comments winding up on bulletin boards inside the Green Bay locker room this week. Neither is coach Lovie Smith. "What Brandon Marshall is doing to stimulate our team is his play on the football field," Smith said. "He's performing each week at a high level. Those are the guys that are going to carry us through this last stretch." The Bears have lost four of their last five games, have lost their lead in the NFC North to the Packers and are reeling heading into Sunday's game at Soldier Field. Smith's team is so stung by injuries this week that he decided to hold just a walk-through practice today rather than a full practice. Canceling a Wednesday practice is virtually unheard of around the league. "I think tomorrow will be a little bit better," Smith said. Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Brandon Marshall: I don't like the Packers 'Disrespected' Bears receiver says, 'I have never felt this strong in sports about any team or any players' A link to this page will be included in your message.

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Kobe Bryant returns, but the Force isn't with him yet Lakers guard Kobe Bryant made his return from Achilles tendon surgery Sunday but struggled with turnovers and poor shooting. / Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sportsby Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports Filed Under LOS ANGELES - On the eve of Kobe Bryant's highly-anticipated return, he watched film. That included game film, of course, because that's part of his personal job description again now that he's refused to let Father Time force him into early retirement. But it also included a family viewing of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the third installment of the original trilogy and, fittingly enough, Bryant's personal favorite. As Bryant revealed in a postgame news conference that was an entertaining reminder of why he's one of the most fascinating figures in all of professional sports, he recently showed all six Stars Wars movies to one of his two daughters. He gave himself an F for his nine-point, eight-turnover performance in his Los Angeles Lakers' 106-94 loss to the Toronto Raptors but offered thoughtful insight as to why he's so optimistic about what lies ahead. . "I had my kid watch every single Stars Wars, Episodes IV, V and VI, and then start I, II," Bryant said. "We literally just finished it last night." This window into his world was opened because of the curious pregame introduction music he chose for his return - Darth Vader's Imperial March - and news reporters who so enjoy mining his mind asked him what they should think of the song. He explained he's a big fan of John Williams, the composer, and this little mystery was solved. But anyone who has seen all six movies knows there's a world of difference between the first trilogy and the second, that the name of the franchise might be the same, but the quality of the production was not. And therein lies the question about this twilight challenge on which Bryant has now officially embarked: Will the Lakers' franchise player ever come close to matching his original self again, or will this second trilogy of sorts be forever remembered as the project that left even his most loyal fans wanting more? The answer didn't come against the Raptors, even if there were moments of rust and warnings signs that he may never be the same again. His first shot attempt couldn't have been any worse, and it wasn't the fact that it was an airball that stood out as much it was the awkward and uncomfortable way he went to a running sky hook that isn't typically part of his repertoire. He didn't score for the first time until midway through the second quarter. "Kobe Time," as Lakers fans refer to the fourth quarter, became "Raptors Time" when everything from isolation attempts to playmaking attempts fell flat. Bryant finished with nine points on 2-for-9 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and eight turnovers in 28 minutes. The answer won't come Tuesday, either, when Bryant tries again, against the Phoenix Suns, after a few more hours of film study are complete. He deserves a five- or even 10-game window before bold judgments can be made. And with the candid and self-effacing way in which he analyzed his own game, you get the sense no critic could come down harder on Bryant than himself. As such, we should watch and wait. He wasted no time in watching his own unimpressive performance, hitting the play button while lying on the trainer's table after the game and before addressing the media. "I don't feel normal at all," Bryant admitted. "I couldn't wait to start watching film and start criticizing every little thing (after the game), you know what I mean? I'll go home tonight and I'll watch it all over again, but that's the exciting part. ... I feel very optimistic, like I know exactly what I need to do. That part is exciting." Asked to give himself a grade for his first game back, Bryant said, "F - It's an F. For me, it's an F. No question." A few more honest gems from his self-assessment: �?� "There's a bunch of things I completely messed up on." �?� "(The game was) a complete failure to me." �?� On taking the floor again after eight months away recovering from the Achilles tendon tear: "Weird. It was really weird. I think the last time I had eight months off I was still in the womb. It felt good to get out there." �?� Last but certainly not least, when asked if he felt as if he returned to form: "Right now, my form is a horse(expletive) form, so I need to work on that a little bit." As he said so many times, this will be a process. Bryant must not only learn himself again, but also learn how to best fit within the context of this rag-tag bunch that had found its own successful style while he was gone. "It's like chopping a tree," he said of proving skeptics wrong for the latest time. "One swing of the ax is not going to get it done. You just have to keep at it and keep at it and keep at it and keep at it, and stay focused internally on what you have to do to improve. You know how it is �?? you see it in other sports all the time. A player is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but he throws three (interceptions) and then he's horrible. So it just happens. You've got to stay the course." This wasn't Return of the Jedi, for there was very little Force within this version of Bryant. It wasn't even Revenge of the Sith, the finale of the new trilogy, because even Count Dooku would likely have been able to defend Kobe with the strangly unsure way that he played. For better or for worse, this movie has been launched. The good news, as Bryant sees it? The box office won't be closing anytime soon. Copyright 2014 USATODAY.comRead the original story: Kobe Bryant returns, but the Force isn't with him yet Kobe Bryant entered to The Imperial March but plodded on the court in his Lakers return. A link to this page will be included in your message.

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A Spoonful of Sports The (hopefully) well-informed rantings of a sports fan. Comments are welcomed and appreciated. Credit for the name goes to my good friend Elizabeth "Breezy" Brown. NFL Preview: New York Jets The final team in my look at the 2013 NFL season in the AFC East is the New York Jets. Possessing what is in my opinion the worst roster talent-wise in the entire NFL, it's hard for me to imagine the Jets being anything but a cellar-dweller this year in the division. It will be a pretty big surprise to me if they don't end up with a top 5 pick in next year's draft. Their only competition for "league's worst roster" is the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, and at least both of those teams have at least one stand-out player (for Oakland it's Darren McFadden, and in Jacksonville it's Maurice Jones-Drew), which is more than I can say for the Jets now that they've traded away their clear-cut best player, Darelle Revis, to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Let's take a look at the breakdown for the 2013 New York Jets: Key Additions: You know your team is either in a really bad situation or a really good one when your only key additions come via the draft. In the case of the Jets, it's the former. While they did address two key issues in the draft with their additions of Dee Milliner and Geno Smith, there were certainly more pressing issues that they could have addressed with these picks, and in my opinion, better players that they could have drafted if those were the positions they wanted to address. When I watched the combine, all I saw from Dee Milliner was some stiffness in his hips and an inability to catch the ball. Add to that the fact that he'd had a shoulder surgery prior to the draft that should keep him out of training camp, led me to believe (and I still do) that their were better options for the Jets at the cornerback position. Milliner will have to come in and be a contributor right away, and a spectacular one at that, if he's going to get Jets fans off his case about being the replacement to Revis. It's no small task for a rookie, and I have my doubts about whether Milliner is up to the challenge. When it comes to Geno Smith, he may have been the best of the quarterbacks in the draft, but I was never very high on him to begin with. Being a Big 12 fan, I watched a lot of Smith at West Virginia, and I never liked what I saw from him. I thought the only reason he was a first round pick was because of a relatively weak class of QB's this season, and as it turns out, he wasn't even a first rounder, falling to the top part of the second. I do not think that the Bills made a wise choice in taking E.J. Manuel over Smith, but if I had been a team looking for a quarterback, I would not have filled that position in the draft. Key Losses: The biggest loss that the Jets had this off-season was one that ultimately needed to happen. Darelle Revis was never happy with the Jets organization, and while being the best cover corner in the league, it never seemed like the organization was happy with him either. They never tried to negotiate a long-term deal with Revis, and while Revis' constant hold-outs may have alienated himself from the team and the front office, his play on the field certainly warranted being treated better than the organization did. It was time for Revis to move on from the Jets, and now that he's in Tampa with a nice new deal, I expect him to be much happier than he was in New York. The loss of Revis means that the Jets are left with a pretty bare cupboard both in the secondary and on the overall roster. Revis was clearly their best player, and with his departure, I don't even know who would hold that title now. Unless some of these rookies pan out far better than expected, the Jets are going to be a laughing-stock for years to come with this roster. What it means: As I alluded to in the introduction, I don't see any scenario in which the Jets are not the last place team in this division. Obviously I'm not going to pick my Dolphins to finish behind them. With all their recent struggles, I still think that the Bills have a much more talented roster overall than the Jets, and even with the recent arrest of Aaron Hernandez further depleting the Patriots pass-catchers, there's no way that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick let this team fall that far. I see the Jets finishing no better than 5-11 this season, securing themselves at least a top 10 pick, if not top 5, in next year's draft. Well, that's it for my look at the AFC East for next season. Come back for my next installment, as I switch both division and conference and take a look at the NFC North division, team by team. Chris Spooner Subscribe To Me

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Ryan Fitzpatrick Will Be Serviceable for Tennessee Titans with Jake Locker Out By Jason Hall Wesley Hitt/Getty Images 1.3K Just as the Tennessee Titans began to show promise, their season came into question when starting quarterback Jake Locker suffered a hip injury in the 38-13 win over the New York Jets in Week 4. After being carted off the field and undergoing multiple examinations, he is expected to miss four to six weeks, according to Jim Wyatt of USA Today. The Titans, who finished last season with a disappointing 6-10 record, look to add to their impressive 3-1 start without the services of their franchise quarterback. Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick. The nine-year veteran will take the reins in Nashville and provides plenty of starting experience for multiple teams. Prior to signing a two-year deal with the Titans as a veteran option behind Locker, the former Harvard quarterback was a three-year starter with the Buffalo Bills, after spending time as a backup for the St. Louis Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. Fitzpatrick enters the Titans' upcoming matchup against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs with a 59.4 completion percentage, 14,444 yards, 93 touchdowns, 81 interceptions and a 77.0 passer rating for his career. Although his numbers aren't stellar, he should offer a serviceable replacement in the absence of Locker. I'm not saying that he's going to put up Peyton Manning-esque numbers or lead the league in passing, but Fitzpatrick will bring veteran experience to a young, improving team. With a top-10 defense, a strong running game and a talented group of youthful receivers, the Titans should be able to continue their success with a capable game manager like Fitzpatrick. The biggest obstacle facing Fitzpatrick and the Titans is a tough schedule. Tennessee is scheduled to face Kansas City (4-0), the Seattle Seahawks (4-0) and San Francisco 49ers (2-2) before its Week 8 bye in the guaranteed four-week span without Locker. However, the Titans also have several favorable matchups including Week 9 at the St. Louis Rams, Weeks 10 and 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 12 against the Oakland Raiders and Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals. Outside of Jacksonville, Tennessee's remaining AFC South matchups will be the true test as to whether it is a serious playoff contender. Already holding a 3-1 record, the Titans are in excellent shape to make a serious postseason push with either quarterback if they can manage to survive their difficult schedule.

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BCS Rankings: With Their Defense, Is Oregon the Team To Watch Out For? By Georgia Byrd Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Oregon's defense played with heart in last night's win over Stanford. The recurring nightmares have passed. Wiped from memory is Auburn quarterback Cam Newton skipping around Phoenix Stadium celebrating the Tigers’ win over the Ducks last year. The horrendous dream from last year’s national championship game that has haunted the Oregon Ducks for the past year was wiped away last night. The score over Stanford (53-30) was just the anti-depressant they needed. Oregon is officially back in the hunt for a return trip to the BCS National Championship and last night, this team’s amazing defense earned them the national spotlight and comeback chatter today. They stopped Stanford’s offense with consistency and a massive show of dominance. Goliath couldn’t have performed any better. The Ducks played their best defensive game and put an abrupt end to Stanford’s 17-game winning streak. They also jeopardized Andrew Luck’s Heisman quest. There were five ugly turnovers for Stanford and Luck was sacked five times. In short, the lows were really low for Stanford, thanks to Oregon’s defense. Oregon's defensive superiority last night resulted in Stanford’s worst offensive statistics of the year. It was easily the worst game for Andrew Luck, and the 30 points scored by the Cardinal was their lowest point total this year. So Oregon is convincing enough to put a whopping on Stanford and the Land of Oz now seems like miles away, as opposed to continents away. Left on the Ducks' “to do” list is to overcome the season-opening loss to LSU (40-27) with a possible rematch. Oklahoma State would have to lose, but these Ducks believe in miracles. There's one other obstacle. One team stands in their way. That team is Alabama. Both Oregon and Bama have been beaten by LSU: Oregon, 40-27; Alabama, 9-6. Comparing apples to apples against LSU’s one-loss opponents, Oregon ranks No. 33 in team scoring defense. Alabama ranks No. 1 and LSU holds its own at No. 2. In total defense, Alabama ranks No. 1, followed by LSU at No. 2, and Oregon at No. 63. If the rematch were held today, Oregon would lose the battle based on defensive stats. But that argument is just a thought right now, not worth the worry at least for a week or two.

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« Mularkey’s donations for no TD dance a shot at MJD? Testaverde can relate to Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck situations » Redskins employing Baylor spread offense for RG3 By Kevin Patra | Published: August 16th, 2012 | Tags: NFL AM, Chris Cooley, Mike Shanahan, Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins It’s evident from the Washington Redskins’ training camp that the team plans to utilize rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III’s athletic ability in every way imaginable. They are even going so far as to put in parts of the offense Griffin excelled in at the University of Baylor. “It’s been an interesting training camp for us because we are implementing some of the things that Robert did very well at Baylor,” Redskins tight end Chris Cooley told “NFL AM” Thursday morning. “We’ve been utilizing a bit of the option thinking if we want to go this way, if we don’t.” The Redskins may be practicing the Baylor offense a lot at training camp, but Cooley explains that is just to get the rest of the team up to speed on how certain plays are run. “Our training camp practices probably look a lot more like Baylor’s offense,” he said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that our offense when we start week 1 will run 30 option plays this season. Obviously a quarterback in the NFL shouldn’t take that beating but for us to learn the style that he played in, we need to practice it more than say our 18 or 19 outside zone plays which we are all very comfortable with running.” Head coach Mike Shanahan and the Redskins are smart to tailor its offense to their Griffin’s skill-set and Cooley said they are able to employ a diverse offense because of the quarterbacks intelligence and maturity. “The first thing that is unique about Robert is he came in a leader of this offense,” Cooley said. “I’ve been the most impressed with him as a rookie because he’s not a rookie. And with the burden that’s on his shoulders, he can’t come in big-eyed, he can’t come in and say ‘How can I fit in with these guys? What am I going to do, how’s it going to be in the NFL?’ He’s came in with the mentality that ‘I’m here to win football games for the Washington Redskins.’”

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Patience key for Luck, Colts Posted by Shane Clemons on Jul 8, 2012 22:29 TweetAs a guy that lives near Indianapolis, I find myself watching far more Colts games every season than probably any other team in the league. Because of this, I like to believe I have a better feel for the team than most national media outlets. Last season, the Colts were dealt what would prove to be a crippling blow to their season when it became apparent that they would not have the services of Peyton Manning for the duration of the season. Just prior to the beginning of the season, many sports analysts from the four letter network thought the Colts would struggle but remain relevant in a somewhat weak division. Those expectations were quickly dispelled during the early weeks of the season. It had taken one injury to expose the Colts’ desperate lack of talent on both sides of the ball, and following the conclusion of the regular season, it became apparent that the Colts were in full-blown rebuilding mode. With the first pick of this year’s draft, the Colts took Andrew Luck, a quarterback many believe is the best prospect at that position since Peyton Manning entered the league in 1998. Regardless of his talent level, Andrew Luck will be tried like never before in his first season with the Colts, and he needs to be able to shut out the pressure to succeed down the road. I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but the Colts have a very long way left to go before their roster is back up to par. Andrew Luck’s success depends on his ability to stay calm and collected, even as the game is falling apart around him, and rest assured, it will. Likewise, the Colts have to be patient with Luck. He’ll need talent around him to succeed, and that’s exactly what he won’t have in his first couple of seasons with the Colts. They need to realize that if he’s struggling early in his career, it may not be entirely his fault. It’s always tough to build a team around a quarterback. The Colts couldn’t pass up the opportunity of bringing in such a high caliber prospect as Andrew Luck, but he won’t fix all of their problems. This season is all about building for the future in Indianapolis, so for all the Colts fans out there; patience people, patience. About Shane Clemons Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing. View all posts by Shane Clemons → | Twitter Hockey Fights of the Week

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Suppan on board with DL move Brewers right-hander Jeff Suppan on Wednesday disputed the notion that his placement on the 15-day disabled list was just a convenient way for the team to solve its fifth starter quandary. “No, absolutely not,” said Suppan, whose neck injury was described by the team as “cervical disc pain.” “It wasn’t something that I walked around talking about, but I was getting treatment every day, all spring, and I never was able to knock [the pain] out. “It wasn’t a big deal. I got here and thought I had a stiff neck, and they did some tests and thought that it would just take some time to pitch through. But at some point it really plateaued. I still felt it. So we did the MRI and it was what they thought it was — a disc problem. So it’s a situation where we can let it heal.” Suppan threw six simulated innings at Maryvale Baseball Park on Tuesday morning with no apparent trouble but met immediately afterward with assistant general manager Gord Ash, who explained the process of placing Suppan on the DL. It was not the first time that the DL was raised as a possibility this spring, and Suppan was on board with the move. He will remain in Phoenix while the rest of the team breaks camp Thursday and heads north to Milwaukee for exhibition games against the Tigers. He’ll travel separately on Sunday afternoon and should be at Miller Park for Monday’s season opener. “I feel it’s very minor,” he said. “I’m not overly concerned. This is the time, before the season starts, to get back where I need to be.” Before 2008, Suppan had been on the DL only once in his Major League career, in 1996 for a strained right elbow. Now he’s found his way to the DL in three straight seasons: in 2008 for an irritated elbow, in 2009 for a torn rib-cage muscle and now in 2010 for the neck. In five Cactus League starts, Suppan has allowed 21 hits including six home runs in 16 1/3 innings. He has a 7.71 ERA but cannot say whether the stiff neck affected him on the mound this spring. “I don’t think so,” Suppan said. “It definitely affected some throwing early in spring, because I was taking it easy and they were checking me every day. There were a lot of days when I felt really normal, but then the next day it would be stiff again. “I just want to get it right,” Suppan said. “This is a situation where it’s minor, but let’s be sure it’s better.” Filed in: Dailies Tags: Jeff Suppan Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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February 21/11 19:00 pm - Zach Bell InterviewPosted by Editoress on 02/21/11 On Saturday, Zach Bell became the first ever Canadian to win a World Cup title on the track. Bell won the men's Omnium title despite not attending the final round in Manchester, England. He won two silver medals and a bronze medal in the four event series, to win the title by one point over Shane Archbold of New Zealand. We spoke with Zach today from his home in Vancouver.Canadian Cyclist: You didn't attend the final event; did you still think you had a chance to win the title?Zach Bell: I knew the possibility was in the cards. Ed [Clancy - Great Britain] was the only one who could really catch me. I was a bit surprised when he didn't start at home [Manchester], but I knew that they [Great Britain] were going to want to focus on the Team Pursuit, and I guess he had to make a choice.CC: You are the first Canadian ever to win a Track World Cup title; how does that feel?ZB: It's pretty exciting. I have a little joke with Tara [Whitten], because she always rides [the women's Omnium] a day after me, that now I've actually beaten her at something! I think what it [the World Cup title] speaks to is the depth of the [Canadian] program that is being built now, that's a huge accomplishment. At the Worlds, if you can get it right on the day, then an individual can win, but the World Cup involves a program all year, so this speaks to our program.CC: When we spoke earlier in the year, I asked if it was a tough decision to possibly give up the chance of winning the World Cup by skipping the final event. It work out okay, but it was really tight; did you start to second-guess your decision at any point?ZB: No, the priority has been the Worlds, for sure. Richard [Wooles, national coach] has been really good at keeping me focussed. The Worlds has usually been a hard one for me, and it's the one that we really want to try and get right this year.CC: You didn't go to Europe with your SpiderTech team mates because of preparations for the Worlds. What have you been doing?ZB: My training has been going pretty well, I've just finished some road work, training with some old team mates and other pros down in Santa Barbara [California]. I'll start easing into the track stuff here in Burnaby first, and then down to Los Angeles in March for final prep. CC: Where are your strengths in the Omnium? It always seems to me that you do well in the Flying Lap, but not as well in the mass start events.ZB: The only mass event I really struggle with is the Elimination, but adjustments have been made and that is getting better. I've always been good at the Flying Lap, and I think that I can build a foundation for the podium in the timed events. I can usually manage to be consistently top-five in the timed events, and then in the mass races finish as close as possible to my rivals, to not give too much away.I don't know that I really have any weaknesses, but I'm trying to improve my starts for the Kilo and the Pursuit.CC: Your team [SpiderTech p/b C10] just had their first European race last weekend, and they are off to a pretty good start.ZB: Yeah, Ryan [Anderson] did really well. He sometimes seems like he is going to come off three kilometres into the race, but 100 kilometres later he's the guy who is still in there. Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top

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Bill Hancock announces that Rose, Sugar will be first semifinal sites Posted by Ben Kercheval on January 8, 2013, 3:06 PM EDT APNext year’s BCS championship will be the final game of the current postseason format for college football before a four-team playoff takes effect. On Tuesday, Bill Hancock, the playoff’s new executive director and current leader of the BCS by the same title, provided more details of what the playoff will look like. Confirming previous reports from ESPN and CBSSports, Hancock announced that the Rose and Sugar Bowls will act as the first national semifinal sites for the 2015 edition of the new postseason system. As expected, the Rose and Sugar will be paired together for the semifinal sites in 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2024. The Orange Bowl and another TBD host bowl (believed to be either the Fiesta or Cotton Bowl) will pair as semifinal sites in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025. Two more host bowls will be paired as semifinal sites in 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2026. It is thought that the Cotton, Chick-fil-A and Fiesta Bowls will be the other three host sites. That should become official in April. Since the Rose and Sugar Bowls are slotted for New Year’s Day, the national semifinals will be played on New Year’s Even eight out of the next 12 years. Of course, those dates would be modified slightly if either fell on a Sunday. (Info courtesy of ESPN’s Brett McMurphy and Pac-12′s Bryan Fischer) Share this:Twitter Permalink 3 Comments Latest Stories in: Rumor Mill, Top Posts Losing USC QB battle won’t lead to Max Browne transfer Posted by John Taylor on April 16, 2014, 12:43 PM EDT AP(Writer’s note: For now at least.) Late last night, Steve Sarkisian did what’s long been expected and officially tapped the incumbent, Cody Kessler, as USC’s starting quarterback. Because his prime competition for the job, Max Browne was a high-profile recruit — he was Rivals.com’s No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2013 — who could be in for a second consecutive season of inactivity, the “T” word came front and center when it came to Browne’s future with the Trojans. According to the player, however, that’s not an option for him — ever. “I’m staying put,” Browne said when asked about a potential transfer. “I’m here for good.” Sarkisian attempted to soften the sting of losing the battle, telling the media “I think Max is going to be a star.” That’s all well and good in the here and now, but the future doesn’t look very promising for Browne at USC, at least as far as seeing the playing field goes. Including 2014, Kessler still has two years of eligibility remaining. As a redshirt sophomore last season and tasked with the responsibility of replacing longtime starter Matt Barkley, Kessler performed exceptionally well as he completed just over 65 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. Another factor that could lead to an about-face from Browne? Ricky Town, the top quarterback in the Class of 2014, verbally committed to play for the Trojans this past January and is expected to be a part of USC’s recruiting class next year.

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Encyclopedia > Football play Play from scrimmageRedirected from Football play A football play is the activity of the games of Canadian football andAmerican football during which one team tries to advance the ball or to score, and the other team tries to stop them or take the ball away. Once a play is over, and before the next play starts, the football is considered dead. A game of American football consists of many such plays. The term is also used to denote a specific plan of action, or its execution, under a particular set of circumstances faced by either team. For instance, the offensive team may be faced with one or or two downs left in a possession[?] and still ten or more yards to go to earn a new set of downs. In this instance, they may decide to employ a forward pass. Well in advance of the particular game, a number of different kinds of forward pass plays will have been planned out and practiced by the team. They will be designated by obscure words, letters and/or numbers so that the name of a play does not reveal its exact execution to outsiders. The team's coach, or perhaps the quarterback, will choose one of the pre-planned forward passing strategies, and tell the team, during the huddle[?] which one has been chosen. Because of planning and practice, each player will know what his role in the play is to be, and how to execute it. This will be the offensive play. Conversely, the defensive team will know that the offense has to cover a good deal of ground in a single play, will expect a forward pass, and will know from earlier study something of the propensities of the offense they face. The defensive captain[?] is likely to call out a specific formation[?] or defensive play, to anticipate and counteract the expected action by the offense. The play will begin with the snap of the ball from the center[?] to a back[?], usually the quarterback, and it will end when the effort by the offensive squad to advance the ball has either succeeded in scoring, or has been frustrated by the ball being downed before the aim of the offensive play is accomplished, or by the defensive squad having managed to come into possession of the ball without first downing it. In the event of change of possession during a play, the team newly in possession of the ball may try to advance it toward their own goal, which the team formerly in possession with naturally resist. Change of possession during a routine play may occur by interception[?] or by fumble. Change of possession may also occur in other ways. A change of possession can occur on downs, if the offensive team fails to achieve a first down[?] or a touchdown[?] in four attempts. Another way is through a change of possession play[?], when the offensive team, having surmised the unlikelihood of scoring or achieving a first down[?] within four attempts, kicks the ball away in what is known as a punt. kickoffs[?] and free kicks[?] are not considered true change of possession plays[?] American football/Glossary ... syndrome is tested for in the laboratory[?] by two tests. The person will have a prolonged APTT[?], that will not be corrected with a 50:50 ...

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Lydia Ko, John Huh Named Among Year's Top Breakout Golfers Lydia Ko (left) and John Huh Korean-New Zealander Lydia Ko and Korean-American John Huh were named among the top 10 breakout players of the year by the Golf Channel on Wednesday. Ko, an amateur golfer who became the youngest winner of an LPGA competition at the age of 15 years, four months and two days when she won the CN Canadian Women's Open in August this year, was ranked No.2. Huh, the PGA Tour's rookie of the year, came fourth. In his debut year, Huh won the Mayakoba Golf Classic this February and was the only rookie to advance to the Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.Jason Dufner, an American who won two PGA titles and got married this year, was named the No. 1 breakout player. South African Branden Grace, who won four titles on the European Tour, was third, and American Bubba Watson, who won the Masters on the second playoff hole with a phenomenal hook shot, came fifth. englishnews@chosun.com / Dec. 27, 2012 09:07 KST

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- Rapid Reaction: Falcons 24, Buccaneers 23 Rapid Reaction: Falcons 24, Buccaneers 23 By Pat Yasinskas TAMPA, Fla. -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons’ 24-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday: What it means: The Falcons are 10-1, sitting high atop the NFC South standings and still on pace for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. All that came despite yet another flawed performance. You can nitpick this team all you want, but the Falcons have double-digit wins in three consecutive seasons. For the Bucs, this was a lost opportunity. This game was winnable, and beating a good team would have put the Bucs at 7-4 and on the national radar. They’re still 6-5 and in the playoff picture, but they missed a chance to turn the corner. Key to the game: The Falcons held running back Doug Martin to 50 yards on 21 carries (a 2.4-yard average). Atlanta’s run defense had struggled in recent weeks, but the return of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who had missed the previous three games with an ankle injury, made a huge difference. Questionable call of the day: Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano’s decision to let Connor Barth attempt a 56-yard field goal with 3:30 remaining. Yes, Barth has a strong leg, but that’s borderline range for just about any kicker. You attempt that kick in the final minute, but not when you have that much time remaining and your defense has played well all day. Memo to Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter: Forget the running game. It hasn’t been working all season, and there was no reason to think it suddenly would click in against the league’s top-ranked run defense. Besides that, Tampa Bay was forced to play a bunch of backups at cornerback. When you have the receiving trio of Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez, you should throw the ball all day and not even think about running Michael Turner up the middle. What’s next: The Falcons face a quick turnaround. They play the Saints on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome. The Buccaneers play at Denver next Sunday.

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WWE Superstars Sound Off On Elimination Of Olympic Wrestling Pro wrestlers express shock, confusion over Olympic decision By Bryan Armen Graham Moses Robinson/Getty Images Backlash to the IOC’s decision to sack wrestling from the Olympic program has resonated throughout the sport’s tight-knit community — from the amateur level all the way to the pros. A number of WWE superstars who competed as amateurs at the high school and collegiate levels have expressed anger and confusion at Monday’s shock announcement. Dolph Ziggler, who left Kent State in 2003 as the program’s all-time leader in wins, was on his way to speak at a high school in Arkansas on Monday morning when he caught wind of the news through social media. “I’ve been getting texts all day from my buddies, guys I haven’t talked to since high school sending me texts and Facebook messages.” said Ziggler, a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion. “It’s hitting close to home more than usual. I know it’s not 100 percent yet but there are so many Olympic events, it’s unfortunate they’ve chosen a legitimate sport and one of the original sports ever. It’s mind-blowing that it’s even on the chopping block.” Jack Swagger, who was a two-time All-American at Oklahoma, reacted with a similar sense of disbelief. “More of an ‘Are you kidding me?’ type of reaction,” he said. “I’m so disgusted by it. I’m fired up.” Swagger, who also went on to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, took the news with a personal sense of grief considering the deep impact the sport has had on his life. “It’s no secret I wasn’t the most athletic kid on the playground, but I went into it head over heels even though I wasn’t good at it at first,” Swagger recalled. “It teaches you so much about life and that’s what makes it the best sport. It teaches you discipline and dedication and how to work hard and how to sacrifice for your goals. Those are things you can apply to any area of your life, whether it’s your education or your career. Honestly, it turned me into a man.” Cody Rhodes, son of legendary ring veteran Dusty Rhodes, enjoyed a decorated high-school career — with 101 wins against just two losses — before passing on scholarship offer from Penn State to turn pro. His reaction could be classified as optimistic denial. “[It's] extremely disappointing, but I honestly cannot see them going forward with that,” said Rhodes, a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion. “I’m very disappointed with the fact that they’re even considering it. This is freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. This has a rich tradition in the Olympics. I don’t even want to disparage some of the sports that they’re keeping, you just don’t do away with wrestling.” Perhaps the most distressing consequence of the decision: it strips a wrestling of a competition that represents the pinnacle of the sport. To what dream will a young grappler aspire in a world that doesn’t have wrestling in the Olympics? “If you’re a kid and breaking into that sport and want to improve, they’re taking away not only the top level, but also going to cut into the bottom level the junior programs and the kiddies,” Rhodes said. “Because, well, if it’s not an Olympic sport, people might not think it’s something they should take seriously.” All three believe a groundswell movement from within the wrestling community will go a long way toward keeping the sport in the Olympic fold. There’s time still. The IOC executive board meets in May to decide which sports to propose for 2020 inclusion — and wrestling could be voted back in. “We’re known for our work ethic, being eccentric when it comes to that,” Swagger said. “We’re going to see a huge grassroots program started. I know USA Wrestling has already included a Facebook page. We have so many avenues available to us now where we can reach wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans alike that I really think it’s going to take hold just judging from the initial reaction.” Rhodes believes all former and current wrestlers, even those less prone to activism, will be compelled off the sidelines in the fight for wrestling’s future. “I’m not one for sit-ins and major protests,” Rhodes said. “They make decisions for whatever reasons they do. But I think they will have an incredible amount of backlash if they go through with it, more than anything they’ve ever seen.” It was Ziggler who faced those most affected on Monday, when the wrestling team at the high school where he spoke came together and confronted him about the news. “They were genuinely distraught. I told them it was such a tight-knit community, we’ll all come together and at least make our voice heard,” he said. “It’s just a shame. I love wrestling and I parlayed that into the WWE, but a lot of my teammates, friends and kids that I coached, their ultimate goal is to be an Olympian and represent their country. Throughout amateur wrestling, that’s their NFL: that’s as big as it gets.” Follow Bryan Armen Graham on Twitter. Tags: IOC, Olympic wrestling, Wrestling, WWE Duker 5pts ummmm its just wrestling, who cares.

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ND WR Floyd arrested; Supp. Draft not an option? Post subject: ND WR Floyd arrested; Supp. Draft not an option?Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:31 am Purveyor of Truth & Justice http://rob-rang.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc ... 5/28018203The future of Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd's career is uncertain following an arrest early Sunday morning by campus police on a charge of drinking and driving, according to a report from Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune.Floyd surprised many by announcing he would return for his senior season, but now his ability to play for the Irish in 2011 is in serious doubt. This is Floyd's second arrest since signing with Notre Dame. He was previously arrested for underage drinking in his hometown of Saint Paul, Minn.As Hansen notes in his article, Notre Dame's athletic department does not investigate or determine the extent of any suspension handed down to their athletes. The Office of Residence Life makes these calls. Its prior track record suggests that Floyd could be suspended for the entire 2011 season due to this being his second offense.Should Floyd be suspended for the season, his options could be limited. Transferring to another school is a possibility, though he'd have to transfer to a lower level university to be eligible to play this season. He is currently the No. 3-rated prospect overall for the 2012 draft by NFLDraftScout.com, and the top-rated wide receiver.The NFL's Supplemental Draft has often been used as a sanctuary for prospects whose grades or other off-field issues have impacted their collegiate eligibility. Since Floyd missed the deadline for underclassmen to declare for April's draft, this would normally be an option he could consider. Last year, two players -- BYU running back Harvey Unga and Illinois' defensive tackle Joshua Brent-Price -- were each selected in the seventh round of the Supplemental Draft.Floyd may have picked the worst possible time to be forced into considering the Supplemental Draft, however... since there may not be one.Like everything else other than April's draft, the Supplemental Draft could be at the mercy of labor negotiations between the NFL owners and its players.One high-ranking NFL source wasn't sure if the Supplemental Draft was part of the NFL's calendar at this point, adding that he "[didn't] think the league office even knows [that] right now."A call to the league office for further comment and/or confirmation was not immediately returned.The 6-3, 225-pound Floyd caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He was especially impressive matched up against Miami cornerback Brandon Harris - a potential first-round pick this year - in Notre Dame's Sun Bowl victory against the Hurricanes. In that contest, Floyd caught six passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

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Derrick Williams: 'It's a big month for me' MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - Derrick Williams has reported to Minnesota Timberwolves training camp with more than just playing time to earn. The Timberwolves have to make a decision by Oct. 31 whether to exercise the option for 2014-15 on Williams' contract. The 2011 No. 2 overall draft pick has been inconsistent in his first two seasons in the league and has had trouble finding the right role in Rick Adelman's rotation. That's why the Wolves are still thinking about picking up the option that would pay him $6.3 million next season. Williams says he knows October "is a big month for me." He also says he's not worried about his contract because if he plays the way he knows he can in the preseason, he will make the Wolves' decision an easy one.

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HoopsHype Will Bynum rumors July 28, 2011 Updates Duby Pick: Walla! sports reports maccabi is two weeks into negotiations with Will Bynum. Both team and agent strictly deny rumors. TwitterWill Bynum, Lockout, Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv July 27, 2011 Updates Guard Will Bynum is scheduled to visit the Tamarack Camps today in Ortonville and speak to Jewish children ages 7-14. Bynum, who previously played with Maccabi Tel Aviv, is holding camps next month in Israel. Detroit Free PressWill Bynum, Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv July 16, 2011 Updates Bynum, the Pistons' backup point guard, said before the end of the season that if there were a prolonged lockout, he might consider going back to play overseas. High-profile NBA players like Amare Stoudemire and Kobe Bryant haven't ruled out the move, and Bynum already has experienced success overseas. "Nothing has been decided yet and we haven't done anything to this point because he's in the middle of his contract with the Pistons," agent Mark Bartelstein said. "Will has had great success over there with Maccabi and it's something we will consider." Detroit Free PressDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Lockout As far as when Bynum would be in a Pistons uniform again, Bartelstein wasn't optimistic. "I think they (the league) had been planning this for a long time," he said of the lockout. "I think a lot of the players were smart and saved their money and now some guys are looking at alternatives. You can't get a new deal in place if only one side is willing to negotiate. It takes two sides to work out a deal." Detroit Free PressDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Lockout July 12, 2011 Updates Jorge Sierra: Agent Brad Ames on Will Bynum-to-Maccabi rumors: "He would love to be back if the situation was right." TwitterDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Lockout, Maccabi Tel Aviv Jorge Sierra: Ames: "But we haven't had very detailed conversations with Maccabi about that possibility". TwitterDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Lockout, Maccabi Tel Aviv Pistons guard Will Bynum had a long journey to reach the NBA. Now, with the uncertainty of a lockout, Bynum could be headed back to one of his old haunts — Israel. Bynum's agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed to The Detroit News on Monday a report that his client is interested in re-joining the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, whom Bynum played for from 2006-08. "I would say you have to look at everything," Bartelstein said. "Will loves to play; it's how he makes his living." Detroit NewsDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Mark Bartelstein, Lockout, Maccabi Tel Aviv After going undrafted in 2005, Bynum found his way to Israel and enjoyed the opportunity to showcase his skills, Bartelstein said. "Will loved his time with Maccabi, and we're taking it one step at a time," Bartelstein said. "Nothing's off the board, they treated him great. He's always talked about wanting to go back to Maccabi at some point in his career." Detroit NewsDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Mark Bartelstein, Lockout, Maccabi Tel Aviv July 10, 2011 Updates In the music industry it's called a 'remix', in the basketball business the same concept apparently applies, especially if you're a talented NBA point guard from Chicago whose name is Will Bynum. A source exclusively informed 'Eurobasket' that Bynum, who played for Maccabi between the 2006-2008 seasons, expressed strong interest in and is eager to return to Israel for a so-called 'remix', where he would pair up with childhood friend, Jeremy Pargo, creating one of the most talented, fastest and most athletic back court line in Europe, as they will work to win a Euroleague title. 'Bynum would love to go back to Maccabi if it made sense,' said a source with knowledge of Bynum's situation, adding, 'But I know it would be tough for Maccabi to lose him if/when the lockout ends.' Eurobasket.comDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv April 11, 2011 Updates Will Bynum's knee bruise will keep him out of the Pistons' final two games, including tonight's home finale against Cleveland. Bynum has been a lot of things for the Pistons this year: aggressive, angry and feisty are among the first things that come to mind.But he's also been professional, one of the few players Pistons coach John Kuester hasn't had to discipline for some kind of insubordination. That doesn't mean Bynum hasn't felt he's had reason to be extremely upset with the way things have gone, both with the team and his own personal situation. Detroit NewsDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Injuries March 31, 2011 Updates Then add to that list assistant coach Darrell Walker, who had a rather public feud with Kuester after the head coach removed a red-hot Will Bynum late in a game against the Trail Blazers in February. And those are just the battles that actually became public. Those are the battles we know about. There have to have been a few more. Detroit Free PressDetroit Pistons, Coaching, Will Bynum, John Kuester, Darrell Walker February 26, 2011 Updates Bynum, who led the team with 29 points, played all 48 minutes. Instead of complaining about the situation, the point guard tried to stay positive. "I'm a professional basketball player," Bynum said. "I'm always ready to do whatever I have to do, play however many minutes I have to play." At one point, Bynum took a blow to the head when driving to the basket. In a normal game, Kuester might have subbed him out. But on this night, Bynum stayed in and was happy to do so. "I didn't play for two months," Bynum said. "I sat and got DNPs for a month and a half. You think I was turning down 48 minutes? I ain't crazy." Booth NewspapersDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum February 9, 2011 Updates Sam Amico: Pistons G Will Bynum on possibility of losing to Cavs: "Man, we won't be that team. ... Guys in the locker room don't want to be that team." TwitterCleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Will Bynum Kuester has said he tried. Enough is enough. Both sides are being stubborn, and it seems the only resolution is a trade that isn't happening. For all the nonsense, the Pistons cannot be the team that loses to the 8-44 Cavaliers. Well actually, they could be, and some expect them to be, considering Cleveland has played better of late and the Pistons are 19-33, and just went through the Spurs' grinder. "Man, we won't be that team," guard Will Bynum said. "It's not scary. It's more wary than scary. Guys in this locker room don't want to be that team." Detroit NewsDetroit Pistons, Richard Hamilton, Will Bynum, John Kuester February 4, 2011 Updates Prince has seen teammate Richard Hamilton benched — a move he disagrees with — and is on pace to lose more games than at any point of his career. "We have to find a way to figure this thing out," he said. Pistons coach John Kuester tells anybody who listens there's plenty to play for. But even some of the players aren't convinced. "We need help real bad," guard Will Bynum said. "People are actually saying we are playing well and we are like 15 or 16 games below .500. That makes no sense at all. Detroit is used to winning. You are supposed to be 15 or 16 games above .500." Detroit NewsDetroit Pistons, Will Bynum, Tayshaun Prince January 7, 2011 Updates Detroit guard Will Bynum says there is nothing wrong with an occasional fight between friends. So he believes there will be no lingering issues between Memphis Grizzlies teammates Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo after their confrontation following a card game during a recent team flight. “It’s a competitive thing,” Bynum said. “Guys are going to fight. There’s nothing wrong with a fight now and then. But they’re still going to be teammates, and they still love one another. When they go out there on the basketball court, they’re going to give it their all.” Booth NewspapersDetroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, OJ Mayo, Will Bynum, Tony Allen The Pistons do not have a ban on card games on team flights, but they have policies in place to prevent issues that might come up and talk to the players about card games and gambling during the preseason each year, according to a Pistons spokesperson. Bynum said he doesn’t play cards, but added the games can help teammates grow closer. “It’s good for the guys to develop that chemistry,” he said. “Card games do a lot other than (leading to) fighting or something bad happening. ... Bad things can happen no matter what you do.” Booth NewspapersDetroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, OJ Mayo, Will Bynum, Tony Allen November 11, 2010 Updates “I find them very disturbing. I told him, ‘Those Smurf shoes gotta go.’” — Tracy McGrady, talking about Will Bynum’s bright blue Nike Zoom Hyperfuse sneakers. The ScoreTracy McGrady, Will Bynum, Nike November 9, 2010 Updates The latest "rumor" -- that the Pistons could trade Prince and another player, possibly Bynum, for Teague and Crawford -- was floated in a column by Sekou Smith of NBA.com. He referred to it as "a great trade rumor" that he had heard. But according to the Pistons source, that rumor was based on nothing, just like the rumor that the Pistons could soon trade Prince to the Hawks for Smith. There have been no talks about that trade either, I am told. Booth NewspapersAtlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Trade, Will Bynum, Jamal Crawford, Tayshaun Prince, Jeff Teague November 8, 2010 Updates I explained to my scout friend that I’d heard a great trade rumor about the Hawks and Pistons discussing a package to swap Prince (and another piece like Will Bynum, who cannot be moved until after Dec. 15) for Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague (which would be an interesting swap for the Hawks since they don’t really have great depth in the backcourt) and he kindly opened up about the state of affairs, as he sees it, in the East. NBA.comAtlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Trade, Will Bynum, Jamal Crawford, Tayshaun Prince, Jeff Teague previous

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Report: Steve Smith Is Interested In Texans? Pro Football Weekly (hat tip to Alan Burge) had a vague interview with Panthers All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith about where his next destination could be given the rebuilding circumstances in Carolina. One of the teams that came up, and it looks like it’s PFW’s writer suggesting the interest rather than Smith, is your Houston Texans. Smith wasn’t giving specifics. In fact, he said that returning to the Panthers — despite all he and the team have been through the past two seasons — remains in the realm of possibilities, even referring to the Panthers’ decision whether or not to trade Smith as a “family matter.” “The teams that have been linked to me as being ones I have interest in going to” — most notably the Chargers, Ravens and Texans — “I think any professional would be interested in playing for a team that is interested in having them, especially those that have the potential to give you a chance to win a championship. That also plays into Carolina, as well,” he said. Smith would be a very interesting over the top piece for the Texans, and I mean that in both the “he would make the offense officially crazy” sense and the “second legitimate deep threat” ideal. It’s way too early to speculate how this could turn out given the lack of a collective bargaining agreement, uncertainty over who would and who wouldn’t be a free agent, and whether the Panthers will cut Smith loose or hold him hostage. You would have to think, for now, that the Texans would be better off spending whatever money or resources they have into rebuilding their secondary. They’re still at least two starters away from having that area of the team potentially fixed, and they could still improve a few other slots on the defense as well. But wide receiver could be a priority for the Texans, and though Smith appeared to have lost a step last year, he was also playing hurt and was a part of one of the worst offenses in modern NFL history. He could very well be an intriguing option down the road for the Texans. Just not one that should come at the expense of rebuilding the defense. Texans Offseason: Steve Slaton On St. Louis Rams' Radar? NFL Rumor Mill Links Steve Slaton To The St. Louis Rams 2011 Texans Schedule: Texans Announce Pre-Season Dates Texans Free Agents: Vonta Leach Shopping HImself Today Texans Free Agents: Rick Smith Wants Vonta Leach Back

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Bedsole elected to CFB HOF By Garry Paskwietz | ESPN.com Former USC wide receiver Hal Bedsole was announced today as a member of the Class of 2012 for the College Football Hall of Fame. “It’s a little overwhelming,” Bedsole said. “There are so many guys who have played college football and to think that only 900 of them are in the Hall of Fame, it’s kind of a big deal.” Bedsole played on the 1962 national title team at USC -- the first of four national championships under head coach John McKay. A one-time high school and junior college quarterback, Bedsole was moved to wide receiver under McKay and, at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, he offered a rare combination of size and athleticism that simply wasn’t found in those days. “When I found out about this award, Coach McKay was the first person I thought of,” Bedsole said. “When he recruited me, he told me right away that I would need to change positions. I had never caught a pass in my life and it was frightening to me because I didn’t know if I could do it. The fact that I got inducted into the Hall of Fame tells me I must have succeed.” Bedsole was part of one of the most memorable Rose Bowl games in history, a 42-37 USC victory over Wisconsin in 1963. The Trojans came into the game as the No. 1 ranked team in the country and built an early 42-14 lead -- including a pair of touchdown receptions from Bedsole -- but had to hold off a furious fourth quarter charge from the Badgers. “It was an honor to play in that game,” Bedsole said. “We thought we were going to win and we got out to a big lead but lost momentum and they came back. We won the game and the national title but a lot of people treated it like we lost so that was a little frustrating.” Bedsole was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2001 and still holds the USC record for highest average per catch (20.94). He set USC single-season receiving records during his consensus All-America 1962 campaign, corralling 33 passes for 827 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bedsole was drafted as a tight end in the second round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. “The fact that there are only 30 USC players in the College Football Hall of Fame makes it very emotional,” Bedsole said. “You’re talking about one of the great football heritages of all time. I remember when Sam Cunningham got inducted, he was presented at halftime of a USC game with a jacket that only College Football Hall of Famers got to wear so I guess I will be getting one of those too.” The 2012 College Football Hall of Fame class will be inducted at the 55th National Football Foundation Awards Dinner on Dec. 4 in New York City. Garry Paskwietz | emailPublisher, WeAreSC.comFollowArchiveFounder of WeAreSC.com Has covered USC since 1997 Graduated from USC Tags:USC Trojans, Hal Bedsole

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Marlins announce organizational changes Here is the release the Marlins sent on Baseball Operations changes MIAMI — The Marlins today announced three changes in their Baseball Operations department: Jim Fleming has been named Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations; Stan Meek has been named Vice President of Scouting; Marty Scott joins the organization as Vice President of Player Development. The announcement was made by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest. Fleming, who joined the Marlins organization in 2002, spent nine seasons as the Marlins Vice President, Player Development and Scouting and was an Assistant General Manager. He previously served four-and-a-half seasons as Director of Scouting for the Montreal Expos as part of a 12-year tenure in the Expos organization. Meek has spent the past nine seasons as the Marlins Director of Scouting. He has 21 seasons of professional scouting, following a 14-year collegiate coaching career. Meek has served in various scouting capacities with the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Montreal Expos before joining the Marlins. Scott joins the Marlins after spending the past three seasons as manager of the Lincoln Saltdogs of the Independent American Association, guiding the Saltdogs to the American Association championship in 2009. He has worked 34 seasons in professional baseball, including 10 as the Director of Player Development for the Texas Rangers, from 1985-1994. Scott’s front office tenure also includes a year as a Vice President with the St. Paul Saints (2001) and as President of the Fort Worth Cats’ parent company in 2002. In addition, he has 13 seasons of managing experience at the minor league level, winning four championships. His managerial career includes stints in the Texas Rangers (1982-84) and New York Mets (2008) organizations, as well as with St. Paul (1995-2000) and Fort Worth (2002). He also managed Team USA in 2002 and 2003, leading the team during the 2003 World Cup and the qualifying rounds for the Pan-American Games. Drafted in 1977 by the Texas Rangers, Scott played four seasons in the organization, reaching as high as Triple-A in 1979 and 1980 as a corner infielder.

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hide Unbeaten sprinter Black Caviar retires Jockey Luke Nolen (R) embraces Black Caviar trainer Peter Moody after winning the TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick racecourse in Sydney Apr (Reuters) - Australian champion sprinter Black Caviar has been retired after an unbeaten career of 25 victories, trainer Peter Moody told reporters on Wednesday. The six-year-old mare won her final race in front of a sell-out crowd last Saturday when she claimed the TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick in Sydney. "We thought 25 was a great number... it's the right time to call it a day on what's been a wonderful career of one of the finest horses we have ever seen," Moody told reporters at Caulfield race course in Melbourne. "We thought long and hard about racing on for another season. We thought about Royal Ascot, we thought about Brisbane and we thought about Adelaide but we believe she has done everything we've asked her to do. "She couldn't have possibly done any more." Widely regarded as the best sprinter in the world, Black Caviar retires with 15 Group One wins to her name. Last Saturday's triumph eclipsed Kingston Town's Australian record of Group One victories and it placed her in the pantheon of great Australasian racehorses alongside 1930 Melbourne Cup winner Phar Lap and triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva. She won just under A$8 million ($8.28 million) in career earnings. Black Caviar will now embark on a breeding career with retired unbeaten British Thoroughbred Frankel being feted as one of her future stallions. ($1 = 0.9661 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by John O'Brien)

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Sports News The Super Bowl May Have Overshadowed Share Tweet E-mail Print By Steve Inskeep Originally published on Tue February 7, 2012 6:19 am Listen Transcript STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: It is estimated that more than 111 million people watched Sunday's Super Bowl. That is the biggest TV audience ever for the championship game. And with all the hype before and even after the match-up between the Giants and the Patriots, other sports were drowned out. NPR's Tom Goldman is going to help correct that. He's here to bring us up to date on some other sports news. Hi, Tom. TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Good morning. INSKEEP: And let's start with bicycle racing. Couple of news events here - one of them, that a former Tour de France winner is losing his title. GOLDMAN: Yes, it is. That would be Spain's Alberto Contador. He was a three-time Tour de France winner. As of yesterday morning, he is now down to two. The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced yesterday that it was imposing a two-year ban on Contador, and stripping him of his 2010 Tour de France title. It was during that race that he tested positive for a banned substance called clenbuterol. It can burn fat and build muscle. And Contador claimed he ate meat that was tainted by that clenbuterol. The court said no. And he's the second Tour de France winner to lose the title because of a doping case; American Floyd Landis being the first. He lost the 2006 championship. INSKEEP: So that's Contador. And then there's Lance Armstrong; a case against him has closed. GOLDMAN: Yes, it has. Armstrong kind of won this, in the sense that that nearly two- year investigation closed. It was looking into alleged doping and potential fraud, and other alleged federal crimes by Armstrong and former cycling teammates. The decision to close the case really came out of the blue. And it was announced with a brief statement by the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, where a grand jury had been hearing witness testimony in the case. The Friday afternoon announcement - last Friday - came with no explanation why. INSKEEP: And let's remember, of course, prosecutors will rarely, if ever, say this person is not guilty - he's totally innocent. They'll simply say, we have not found any evidence. So what has the reaction been to the closing of the case? GOLDMAN: Yeah. Sources who know about the case say within the agencies involved in the investigation - the FBI, the FDA, the U.S. Postal Service - there is surprise, even shock and anger, about the U.S. attorney's decision. Those agencies reportedly only got about a half-hour notice that the decision was going to be announced. And this was after there had been indications that prosecutors were preparing to indict Armstrong and others on federal crimes including mail fraud, drug distribution, wire fraud, witness tampering. Those indictments were said to be coming soon, maybe even next month. And one source said there were absolutely no weaknesses in the case. On the other hand, I was told by a person with knowledge of the decision that the U.S. attorney didn't agree there was sufficient evidence of federal crimes. And the person also said while this announcement came quickly, the U.S. attorney - André Birotte Jr. - struggled with the decision. So Steve, with the case closed, lips and records sealed tightly, questions do linger about why this decision happened. INSKEEP: One other thing to ask about, Tom Goldman: Sometime during the 36 hours of Super Bowl pregame over the weekend, there was a golf tournament - is this right? GOLDMAN: Yeah, 24-year-old Kyle Stanley won his first PGA tour event, the Phoenix Open. That, in itself, is not dramatic but the story, with context, is a little bit amazing. The weekend before, he almost won his first tournament. He led by three shots as he teed off on the 18th and final hole. But he had a disastrous collapse. He lost in a playoff, cried afterwards, and you wondered if he would be one of those golfers marred for life. But there he was on Super Bowl Sunday, winning a trophy and a million bucks. Ironically, he took advantage of the tournament leader, who imploded in the final round. And there was Stanley offering him words of comfort, the way Stanley had gotten them the week before. INSKEEP: Triumph. Tom, thanks very much. GOLDMAN: You bet. INSKEEP: An update on sports besides the Super Bowl, from NPR's Tom Goldman. You hear him on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. Related program:Morning Edition on 89.5-1

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Haiti Preview Story First Blog Second Blog Third Blog Wednesday, December 19, 2012by Alexander McMeen and Lacey PrintzAlexander McMeen and Lacey Printz continue to share their insight on the track and field mission trip to Haiti over the holiday break. The last few days have been crazy to say the least! Sunday morning we woke up with plans to head to a church about 5 minutes from the orphanage. But in Haiti, nothing ever seems to go according to plan, and Satan certainly tried his best to keep us from going. The “tap-tap,” a large truck that fits all the kids here at the orphanage, wasn’t here, so the preacher of the church came to pick up the kids. After the kids piled in, the tap-tap wouldn’t start. It took about 10 minutes to get the battery started, and they headed out the gate. All 20 of us crammed into Hunter’s truck behind them, when all of a sudden we realized we had a flat tire. After filling up the tires to accommodate for the extra weight, we too were headed to church. When we pulled up to church we had the option of going to the big church or to the children’s church. We split up our groups and each experienced what it was like to come together with fellow believers in Haiti. Since being at CHCH and even when preparing for this trip we were continuously told that Haiti was a dark place due to the voodoo and Satan’s firm grasp of the people. However, being here we could feel Gods presence through this community of believers. We can see that God has a firm grasp on this country as well, and it is only through Him that Haiti can change for the better. A verse from the song “God of this City” describes the work being done in Haiti very well: “Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city.” Later that night we were given the chance to partake in a tradition that Hunter and Jillian started when they first came here, hanging Christmas lights and decorations! Every kid in the orphanage came together to help, and we could tell by the smiles on their faces and laughter that filled the air that this was a tradition that would continue for years to come. When the Christmas music came on, an impromptu dance party started. Honestly, it was exactly how we picture heaven. No language or poverty barriers, just brothers and sisters joined together in God’s presence. It was a moment that was almost indescribable. Monday morning a group of girls went to get their nails done by a former CHCH orphan at her salon in town. After exchanging laughs and conversation with locals who stopped in to say hello, we joked about how we brought great publicity to the shop by the number of strange looks given at eight white girls in the Radiance Salon. Back at the CHCH the rest of the team played with the kids and prepared for the 3-on-3-basketball tournament that was going on later that night. At 4pm sharp, 7 teams walked onto the newly finished basketball court with a group of kids sitting and ready to cheer. The tournament gave a chance for the older kids to showcase their skills, and even the staff members came out to either play or support the kids. We played until the single spotlight on the court no longer provided enough light to catch or shoot the ball. The games would resume the following evening, causing the nerves amongst the teams to build up even more. Tuesday morning came sooner than expected, but the workload was just the same. After our daily 6:30 am run, we ate breakfast and quickly got to work shoveling and moving rocks to cover flood damage and the trash pile behind the orphanage. Our new favorite phrase, “Nou kafesa (spelling?),” which means, “We can do it,” drove us as we dug the shovels into the rocks time after time. We were determined to finish before our noon lunchtime, with coach Taylor calling out the time every 15 minutes like we were on a tempo run. As the clock hit 11:59, we smoothed out the remaining rocks and high fived the kids that were generously helping us. After lunch, a few people started making bookshelves to rebuild the children’s library that was damaged in the flood. Making the shelves that were going to hold the books we raised for the kids was an amazing feeling. Thank you for your generous donations and prayers for that effort! The kid’s faces lit up like a Christmas tree as they opened a few boxes of books. After we finished our work we went enthusiastically back to the basketball court to finish the tournament. With only 4 teams left, the competition was increasing until the final game of the Haitians versus the Americans and the Haitians came out on top! In all fairness, the lights went out on the court at halftime when the score was 8-6, so we technically don’t know who won! The Haitian boys claimed the lights went out on purpose because they came back on as soon as we declared them the winners. With music playing we eventually broke out into another dance party and shared a night full of laughter and good conversation. Wednesday came much sooner than we would have liked but we had a full day of fun ahead of us. After our run, morning work and lunch we loaded up in 2 trucks and headed into town with all of the kids. We had prepared a field day with different games and prizes for the kids. We went to the CBT (a place where they train preachers), and it didn’t take long for the kids to start playing games, winning tickets and eating a ton of dum-dum suckers. The joy that we can see on these kids faces day in and day out is more than heart warming, it’s inspiring. They do not live in what we would call ideal conditions, yet they laugh more than most of us. They live simply but also live greatly because they are a family at CHCH. The older kids look out for the little kids and being with them all throughout this week has not only opened our hearts to seeing this love, but also inspires us to love others unconditionally the way that Jesus tells us to. Isn’t it funny how God works? So many times we doubt who He is, while the whole time we have been here we’ve seen Him through the kids. Short-term mission trips have an incredible amount of value. Not only are these kids rejuvenating us, but we are also building relationships that we are going to sustain long after we leave. Many of the kids found us on Facebook already and can’t wait to talk to us when we return home. Being here is almost like a vacation, with the real work coming when we return home. We prepared for this trip months ago, and we are already preparing our next trip. The only thing we have to do is give ourselves to these wonderful kids. When we get home, the real world is going to hit us like a ton of bricks, and that is when we must recall these times and use them to further God’s kingdom. As we wrap up another moment to share this incredible journey with you, we leave you with a verse from James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” -Lacey and Alexander Copyright ©2014 Lipscomb University Athletics. All Rights Reserved.

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Diego Milito ‘excited’ by Javier Mascherano’s Inter Milan transfer metrowebukmetro Tuesday 20 Jul 2010 9:57 am Share on Facebook The rumoured transfer of Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to Inter Milan is an exciting prospect for the Italian club, according to striker Diego Milito. Javier Mascherano looks set to leave Liverpool to rejoin former boss Rafa Benitez at Inter Milan The Argentinean international is on the verge of quitting the Reds following the departure of Rafa Benitez to Italy last month. And the pair’s possible reunion at the San Siro is already proving to be a source of excitement for Mascherano’s countryman, who is likely to spearhead the attack for the Nerazzuri next season. “We are excited Mascherano is likely to come,” Milito said. “I think he has already made it clear that he wants to come to us. “Now it’s about having to close the deal.” More: Liverpool transfer news and rumours New Reds manager Roy Hodgson hinted earlier this week that he wants to keep Mascherano at Anfield, meaning the two clubs may take some time to thrash out a transfer fee for the combative 26-year-old. And although the former Fulham boss has not yet heard from the South American – despite having been in his role for almost three weeks – he claims he is not losing sleep over it. “He doesn’t need to make contact with me,” the 62-year-old said. “I’ve made contact with him telling him I’m looking forward to seeing him in training when he returns from his holiday but I did make the point in the voicemail that I didn’t expect him to contact me. “I just wanted him to know that I had been in touch and that I was thinking of him. “I didn’t ask him to call me back. I don’t have a lot to say to him, to be honest, other than ‘Welcome back’.” Diego Milito, Javier Mascherano Share on Facebook Mascherano: I quit Liverpool due to broken promisesBlogFrom Sturridge to Suárez: The most valuable deadline day dealsWest Ham's ten worst ever signings Grobbelaar slams Liverpool stopper Mignolet

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PSU's recruiting buzz is legit Vote Hackenberg! NLD goes #NEXTLEVEL TicketCity Bowl Media Day Recap Posted by Kevin McGuire on Dec 19, 2011 17:53 TweetMatt McGloin could be Penn State’s quarterback for the TicketCity Bowl, according to interim head coach Tom Bradley. Despite being involved in a fight with teammate Curtis Drake over the weekend, Bradley may stick with McGloin under center for the TicketCity Bowl against Houston if McGloin is healthy. A decision on the actual starter for the game will not be finalized until closer to the January 2 bowl game. “We’re going to have internal discipline obviously,” Bradley said for McGloin, who is said to be day-to-day following a confirmed seizure and concussion as a result of Saturday’s locker room scuffle. McGloin said earlier he hopes to play for the team in the upcoming bowl game, and he admitted to blame for the incident. “I was knocked out no more than ten seconds,” McGloin said. The two players had argued over a route from practice and the tensions boiled over in to the locker room following practice. “I’m going to take responsibility for it. It was immature. I should have walked away,” McGloin added. McGloin is ready to move on. “We wouldn’t be talking about it if I didn’t hit my head,” he said. That may not be necessarily true, although the injury certainly escalates the importance of the situation, and given the recent negative headlines surrounding Penn State this story may have received more attention as a result as well. McGloin will have to pass a series of concussion tests before the January 2 bowl to be allowed to play in the game. As for backup quarterback Rob Bolden, who was involved with a minor legal issue over the weekend, Bradley said no further discipline will be taken, with regard to playing time. Bolden will be disciplined internally. Bradley explained that Bolden took a $2.00 bottle of Gatorade as a prank, and returned the unopened bottle. Bradley declined to mention names at this point but he did say that the team will be without some players due to academics. Bradley did say quarterback Paul Jones would be eligible to play in the bowl game if his grades met the criteria. Jones missed the entire regular season after being ruled academically ineligible before the season started. Bradley noted that he does not expect Shane McGregor to take any snaps with the first-team offense leading up to the bowl game. McGloin has not yet been medically cleared to practice, but Bradley seems to feel calling on third-string McGregor is not needed at this point. Bradley also confirmed that he has interviewed with Penn State for the head-coaching job on a permanent basis but said he has no indication when the school will make a decision. For now, he and the rest of the staff are doing everything they can to complete their job for the 2011 season. Chima Okoli was a bit more forward with his opinions on the coaching search. “They’re killing the program by dragging this out.” Penn State fired Joe Paterno on November 10. Since that time, 10 FBS programs have fired and hired a head coach. Nine more have hired a coach to fill an existing vacancy or one created by losing a coach to another school. “We’ll continue to do a great job until they tell us that we’re no longer wanted,” Bradley said. Bradley and a few other coaching staff members were on hand in Hershey for Pennsylvania high school football championships over the weekend for recruiting purposes. Getting away from State College and focusing on one final game will be the final chapter of what has been a maligned 2011 season, through no fault of the players on the roster. “We’re excited to play in Dallas in the Cotton Bowl,” said senior linebacker Nate Stupar. “We’re going to give everything we have,” said fullback Michael Zordich. “We’re playing for each other.” The road to the TicketCity Bowl has been overshadowed by separate trials linked to the university and the ongoing coaching search. Sophomore running back Silas Redd said that the team is not concerned about it right now but said they do want a decision to be made as quickly as possible. Redd also affirmed he has no intent to transfer following the bowl game. As for the game itself, Bradley and his players are looking to focus on what could be a tough task on January 2. “We’re excited to play Houston,” Bradley said. “They have skill at every position. They have a veteran group. We understand what we’re up against.” “Houston’s a great team,” fullback Joe Suhey said. “I’m excited to go down to Dallas and play my final game. This couldn’t be a better matchup for us to play a 12-1 team.” The offense of Houston has certainly caught the eye of the entire Penn State team, and both sides of the team can play a role in the game plan to limit Houston and quarterback Case Keenum. “It’s important to keep Houston’s offense off the field,” said Redd. For the offense, the job will be to maintain control of the football and limit the time Keenum and the nation’s top-ranked offense spends on the football field. “Houston’s offense is fast paced,” wide receiver Derek Moye noted. “The best thing we can do is score touchdowns and help our defense by keeping them off the field.” Stupar commented on Keenum, saying that he is very talented. “This will probably be our biggest challenge,” said Stupar. “Playing a team like Houston is a good thing,” said Moye. “You want to prove you can play against tough competition.” Defensive end Pete Massaro is progressing nicely with his ACL injury, Bradley says he won’t play him if he feels it could hurt his progress. Penn State faces Houston in the TicketCity Bowl on January 2, 2012 in the first bowl game on the schedule for the day. Penn State players will return home on Wednesday and will return on December 26. The coaching staff will work through Thursday and return on the same day. The team will then make their trip down to Dallas and practice nearby leading up to the bowl game. Buy your tickets for the TicketCity Bowl through us! Follow Nittany Lion’s Den on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. About Kevin McGuire Managing editor of Crystal Ball Run and contributor to College Football Talk on NBCSports.com. Member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. College Football Hall of Fame voter. Also managing Bloguin's NittanyLionsDen.com and Macho-Row.com. View all posts by Kevin McGuire → | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ Hockey Fights of the Week NittanyLionsDen.com is a Penn State University fan web site and is in no way affiliated Penn State University, the NCAA, or its Properties or Organizations. This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. NittanyLionsDen.com is not an official web site for the Pennsylvania State University. Copyright © 2014 www.NittanyLionsDen.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners.

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VIDEO PHOTOS Riverside City College WGI-Indoor Drumline www.rccband.org Country of Residence: Bass Drum Powermax EbonyLearn More... Snare Side Falams XTLearn More... Snare Batter White MaxLearn More... Dominating the west coast since 1998, the RCC winter drum line made an unprecedented and heart-warming performance in their WGI World Championships debut in 2002 with their historic show, "The Sound of Silence." Since then, the drum line has gone on to win two more gold medals (2005 and 2007) and placing no lower than fourth in other years. RCC's drum line has also been featured in music videos with Shannon Brown and JC Chasez, and have also been recently featured in a TV commercial for Five Star school products. Among the highlights of last year were appearances on the hit HBO TV show "Big Love," as well as NBC-TV's Emmy-winning comedy hit "The Office!" The RCC drum line is led by Remo artist Sean Vega.

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The Major League Baseball Authentication Program is the first league-wide memorabilia authentication initiative in professional sports. Since its launch in 2001, it has become the industry standard for autographed and game-used sports memorabilia authentication. Designed to distinguish officially authenticated MLB memorabilia from other items on the market, the program combines an objective third-party authentication system that guarantees genuine memorabilia for all MLB fans. Authentication Major League Baseball uses a third party authenticator at each and every game, who witnesses all items that received a signature or that were removed from the field. Every item, once witnessed, will receive a sequentially numbered, tamper-proof hologram created by OpSec, U.S. to easily identify its Major League Baseball authenticity. Posting on MLB.com Once fans receive the piece of memorabilia, they can trace their item using the new, rectangular official authentication numbered hologram through MLB.com. This easy reference enables fans to easily obtain and verify all of the details surrounding their new item. Since its inception in 2001, Major League Baseball Authentication Program has certified over 3,000,000 items, allowing fans to ensure their memorabilia is a 100% genuine piece of their favorite pastime. It's easy to get the real goods - just check for the official seal of authentication. Assignment of a Unique ID Number Once witnessed, every authenticated item is affixed with a tamper-proof hologram created by OpSec, U.S. to identify its authenticity. If you have questions or concerns, please click here for more information.

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Read: Rick Nash Is The Catalyst For The Rangers Based on his stats this season, NHL.com projects Rick Nash to have 24 goals, 53 assists, a plus 39 rating and 351 shots on goal over an 82 game season. Nash is averaging 21:15 per game this season and is in the middle of a six-game point streak that started before he got injured. In that time, Nash has three goals and six assists. He has four points, two goals and two assists, in the two games since he returned from injury. Nash also has 15 shots in the past two games. John Tortorella has said that he is leaving Nash alone to just “play” and make his own calls when it comes to taking shots. Since Nash has returned, Dave Maloney has been using the word “catalyst” to describe Nash the impact he has to have on the Rangers offense. On Sunday, Maloney said that Nash can’t be the Rangers entire offense, “If the offense has to be Rick Nash, you will be Columbus. The offense has to revolve around Nash, he has to be the catalyst. The supporting cast is more than capable of supporting a catalyst. I think that is the difference in Nash in NY than in Columbus. Great players create space. He uses his space and he doesn’t need a lot of space to make things happen.” For more on Nash, CLICK HERE.

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Posted: Tuesday January 22, 2013 11:32 AM NFL lifts suspension of Saints coach Sean Payton NEW YORK (AP) - Sean Payton is back as coach of the New Orleans Saints. Payton's season-long suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty program was lifted by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, nearly two weeks earlier than expected. The decision allows Payton to attend the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Saturday, where some of the top college players available for the NFL draft will be competing. Payton, along with assistant head coach Joe Vitt, general manager Mickey Loomis, and four players including Jonathan Vilma, was suspended after an investigation found the club had a performance pool offering cash rewards for key plays, including big hits. The player suspensions eventually were overturned. "I clearly recognize that mistakes were made, which led to league violations,'' Payton said in a statement. "Furthermore, I have assured the commissioner a more diligent protocol will be followed.'' The suspension was scheduled to end after the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, but was moved up after Payton and Goodell met on Monday. "Coach Payton acknowledged in the meeting his responsibility for the actions of his coaching staff and players and pledged to uphold the highest standards of the NFL and ensure that his staff and players do so as well,'' Goodell said in a statement. `''Sean fully complied with all the requirements imposed on him during his suspension. "More important, it is clear that Sean understands and accepts his responsibilities as a head coach and the vital role that coaches play in promoting player safety and setting an example for how the game should be played at all levels.'' Saints owner Tom Benson welcomed back his coach. "We are all thankful that Sean Payton has been reinstated,'' Benson said. "We have a lot of work to do and we are in the middle of it right now.'' There remains one outstanding issue for the Saints stemming from the bounty probe: What will become of the Saints' second pick next spring. As part of the bounty punishment, Goodell fined the Saints $500,000 and took away second-round picks in 2012 and 2013. However, Goodell left open the possibility of restoring the 2013 second-rounder and instead docking the team a later-round pick if he is satisfied with the club's level of cooperation in the bounty matter. What the Saints do know is that the 49-year-old Payton is set to return to New Orleans for the next five seasons. Earlier this month he signed a contract extension running through the 2017 season. The coach is the last person punished in the bounty probe to return to work. Before Tuesday, Payton had not been at work since mid-April, when Goodell rejected the coach's appeal of his suspension. Loomis was suspended for eight games, Vitt for six and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams remains suspended indefinitely Vilma and current Saints defensive lineman Will Smith, along with former Saints Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove, were given suspensions of various lengths, but never served a game. Their punishments were overturned after lengthy appeals which also coincided with exhaustive litigation in federal court. The litigation included Vilma's defamation lawsuit against Goodell, which was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan last week. Payton has guided the most successful period in the franchise's history, leading the Saints to three NFC South division titles and four postseason appearances. Two of his teams advanced to the NFC Championship and the 2009 squad won Super Bowl XLIV. He is the only coach in Saints history to win a Super Bowl. But his legacy was tarnished by the NFL's bounty probe, as Goodell ruled that Payton failed to exert proper institutional control over a cash-for-hits bounty program run by Williams from 2009-2011. Although the Saints objected to the characterization of what coaches and players have said was nothing more than a performance pool for big plays, Goodell suspended Payton for the entire season. Payton is 62-34 in regular-season games as Saints coach and 5-3 in the postseason. During the three seasons before his suspension, the Saints won 41 regular-season and playoff games combined, more than any other team in the NFL. Payton has primarily handled the offense in New Orleans, teaming up with quarterback Drew Brees to break numerous NFL and club records. The single-season NFL records set by the Saints in 2011 included yards passing by a team (5,505) and a quarterback (5,476). The Saints also set a record for total offensive yards with 7,474. Without Payton on the sideline this season, the Saints missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Brees remained prolific, but his 18 interceptions also tied for a league high heading into the final weekend of the season.

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All Change At Leicester City Leicester City’s home defeat against Portsmouth on Saturday might not have definitively ended their hopes of securing a Championship play-off place, but it has certainly put another nail in the coffin. The recruitment of Sven-Göran Eriksson initially looked like a masterstroke, as the Swede inspired a dramatic improvement in the team’s fortunes, including a run of seven wins and one draw after the turn of the year, but Leicester’s surge up the table has virtually ground to a halt in March. However, few leagues are more competitive than the Championship and while there’s life, there’s hope, particularly as the Foxes are still only five points away from featuring in the end-of-season play-offs.Although Sven’s reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent times, not least by the miserable experience as director of football at Notts County, the recruitment of a manager with such international pedigree (Benfica, Lazio, Manchester City among others) still represents something of a coup for the East Midlands club. The Swede’s reputation has helped tempt a number of familiar faces into joining Leicester’s promotion challenge, including former England international Darius Vassell and a veritable army of other players on loan, including Nigerian powerhouse Yakubu.Of course, such an influx of new players can be a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it can improve the quality of the squad, but on the other hand too many changes are difficult to quickly absorb. Despite the fact that every politician now routinely places change at the forefront of his manifesto, it’s not that easy to put into practice, which might help explain Leicester’s current struggles."Yak attack"At least the funding for the new players is an impressive show of commitment from the club’s new Thai owners, Vichai Raksriaksorn and his 25-year-old son Aiyawatt, known as Top, who lead the consortium that bought the club from Milan Mandaric last August. Vichai is estimated to be worth around £115 million, which apparently ranks him 27th on the Forbes list of the richest men in Thailand, but it is Aiyawatt who runs the club on a day-to-day basis. The source of the family’s wealth is the King Power duty free business, which has the monopoly on retail business at Bangkok Airport and signed a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Leicester just a week before the takeover.So far, so good, but many fans were uncomfortable with the lack of transparency around the deal, including minor details like how much money the club had been sold for, who exactly had bought the club and what had happened to the club’s debts. In fairness, many of the questions have now been answered with the accounts revealing that 100% of the club was sold to Asia Football Investments including the assignment of all shareholder loans, with the ultimate owner being Vichai through his company K Power Sports Limited (based in the British Virgin Isles). Moreover, the Football League finally ratified the change in ownership in October under their new (presumably more stringent) regulations.However, the new owners’ objectives are still not crystal clear, at least to this observer. Indeed, in November, Leicester City revealed that there was, in fact, a second major shareholder, namely Cronus Sports Management, owned by Iman Arif, an Indonesian businessman who is prominent in the Asian mining industry and is also a member of the Indonesian Football Federation, which now has 20% of the club’s shares. The remaining 80% stake remains with Asia Football Investments. Of course, the amended ownership structure does not imply any Machiavellian manoeuvres, but it might encourage the detractors to raise a quizzical eyebrow. At least Leicester’s chief executive, Lee Hoos, is a believer, describing the new owners as “the real deal”, and, to be fair, they have certainly put their money where their mouth is to date."Meet the new bosses"Doubts about the motives of the new investors may seem overly cynical, but when it comes to football clubs, the motto is surely, “once bitten, twice shy.” In particular, Leicester City fans don’t have to look too far for empty promises, as Milan Mandaric promised to “take the Foxes back to top flight football” when he came to the club in February 2007, but instead presided over Leicester’s first ever season in the third tier of English football, when they were relegated to League One in 2007/08.Although Mandaric is clearly a very charismatic individual with an ability to inspire supporters with his ambition and visions of success, his achievements have not always matched up to the fine rhetoric. He often spoke of bringing financial stability to Leicester City, overlooking the inconvenient fact that the club recorded large losses in every single year of his tenure, while spending all of the turnover and more on the wage bill. To his credit, he personally covered Leicester’s funding and has underwritten the club’s losses, but it is difficult to get the specifics on exactly how much money he put into the club.Certainly, when Mandaric first approached Leicester, his bid was deemed unsatisfactory by several shareholders with one claiming that it did not have “a hope in hell” of succeeding. The highly regarded David Conn of the Guardian suggested that he paid no more than £600,000 for his shares, though he pledged to invest a further £9 million into the club. Importantly, however, he did guarantee debts of around £20 million, including £17 million owed to the US finance company Teachers for the financing of the construction of the Walkers Stadium."Put your hands up for Milan"The man himself said that he “will have failed”, if Leicester were not “in the Premiership in three years”, but being criticised for missing that optimistic target is perhaps a trifle harsh. It is however entirely reasonable to challenge his assertion that “when I leave, the club will be in far better shape than it is now.” Here, the report card is fairly damning: the club is still mid-table in the Championship, while the losses and debts have grown.Chief executive Lee Hoos begs to differ, arguing that Mandaric should primarily be applauded for bringing new investors to the table. With its undertones of Macbeth, “Nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it”, this is faint praise indeed and raises the awful spectre of Mandaric’s departure from Portsmouth, where the new owners did not exactly work out too well for the south coast club.At least the auditors have given Leicester’s accounts a clean bill of health for the last two years, which was not the case in 2007/08, when they included the dreaded “Emphasis of Matter” statement, ominously warning, “The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis and the validity of this depends on the directors being able to obtain additional funds from the ultimate controlling party to enable the company to continue in business.” To put it simply, there was a risk that Leicester City would go bust, unless the owners stumped up the cash, so Mandaric’s commitment to “stand by the club” was important for its survival."No Turkish delight for Darius Vassell"Long-suffering Foxes fans are no strangers to seeing their club hit financial difficulties, as the club entered administration in October 2002 following relegation from the Premier League, when they were hit by a perfect storm of debts arising from the construction of a new stadium, the collapse of ITV Digital and a high wage bill. The club only escaped from insolvency four months later when ex-player Gary Lineker and a group of local businessmen bought them for £5 million, but creditors received just 10p in the pound, including HM Revenue and Customs, who had to write-off more than £6 million of the outstanding tax bill.Leicester’s cause has not been helped by the managerial merry-go-round taking place at the Walkers Stadium, despite the 2005 accounts stating, “The appointment of a manager is arguably the most important decision a football can make.” If that were indeed the case, you’d think that they would take a little more care when making such decisions. Incredibly, Eriksson is the fifteenth manager Leicester have had since 2004, though I may have lost count, and is the ninth appointment since Mandaric took the reins. Maybe the board thinks that practice makes perfect, but that has not prevented them appointing some real duds, such as Gary Megson (9 games) and Martin Allen (4 games).The last two departures beggar belief. Nigel Pearson, the best manager Leicester have had since Martin O’Neill, guided the team back to the Championship and nearly got them promoted to the Premier League the very next season, but his reward for these magnificent efforts was to be effectively forced out of the club. His replacement, Paulo Sousa was sacked after just nine games in charge, the day after Mandaric insisted that his manager should be given more time. Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the League Managers’ Association, complained, “How can a chairman expect to deliver success at a football club when a talented manager is recruited and dismissed within two months?”"Making plans for Nigel"Apart from the unnecessary cost of paying compensation for all these managerial ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (© David Bowie), there is the additional expense of continually having to bring in new players that suit the incoming manager’s tactics, while the consequent lack of stability is hardly conducive to success on the pitch. It takes time to transform a team’s playing style, but Leicester have not been willing to grant their managers that luxury.It’s not so long ago since Leicester enjoyed some success. After being promoted to the Premier League in 1996 under O’Neill, they finished in the top ten four years in succession and also won the League Cup twice, which meant qualification for Europe. However, things have gone downhill since the departure of the man from Northern Ireland. Peter Taylor’s ill-fated reign is remembered for some truly abysmal transfer purchases, including the dreadful striking partnership of Ade Akinbiyi (£5.5 million) and Trevor Benjamin (£1 million).After the club was duly relegated in 2002, Micky Adams somehow managed to get the Foxes straight back up, but it was a Pyrrhic victory, as the club did not have the means to survive at the highest level, so they only lasted a solitary season before immediately dropping back down to the Championship in 2004."Andy King - Prince of Wales"Thus, Leicester have been excluded from the riches of the Premier League for seven seasons, though it was a case of “so near, so far” last year, as they finished fifth in the Championship and only lost on penalties to Cardiff in the play-off semi-final. Having got so close, most people must have thought that this would have been the perfect time to build on the season’s efforts. Instead, Mandaric opted to drive Pearson away, before recruiting a completely different manager, Sousa, who decided that he would replace many of the stars with untried foreign players with predictably bad results, bringing us neatly to Sven’s turn to throw the dice.Despite the fact that so many of the club’s actions are seemingly designed to undermine the team’s performance, the stated objective is still promotion to the Premier League. Last year, this was expressed in a more balanced fashion: “Returning the club to a position of financial and operational stability matched by a sustainable football model that will in turn springboard the club to Premiership status.”Since then, the strategy would appear to have been modified in favour of gambling on attaining that elusive position in the Premier League, because “retaining a strong football squad to fight for a promotion place limited the amount of sensible cost reduction we could enforce.” Translation: we’re going to over-spend on wages in the hope that the (theoretically) better players will drag us over the finishing line. This has been exacerbated by the flood of loan players, though, to be fair, Leicester are far from alone in pursuing such a policy, as the size of the prize is so vast. It also paid off a couple of years ago when the club bounced back from League One, assisted by a relatively high wage bill (for that division).Although Mandaric said that his aim was “to return Leicester City to a self-sustaining business”, the harsh reality is that the club’s current business model is almost certain to produce losses, unless they: (a) manage to sell a player for serious money; or (b) gain promotion to the Premier League. The last time that the club made a profit (£1.7 million) was in 2005/06, when its revenue was boosted by the final parachute payment of £6.5 million following relegation from the Premiership.Since then, Leicester’s total losses for the last four years add up to a frightening £33 million, including the club’s record deficit of £14.2 million in 2007/08, though this was impacted by £4 million of exceptional charges (£3 million for goodwill impairment following the acquisition of the club in 2003 and £1 million for management restructuring).Last year’s loss of £7.5 million was £1.3 million higher than the previous year, even though the revenue rose nearly 50% from £10.9 million to £16.2 million, as wages increased by £3.3 million to £14.5 million and the profit on player sales fell £2.5 million to £1.4 million. Once again, chief executive Lee Hoos re-iterated the strategy, “Coming on the back of a promotion-winning season in 2008/09, these figures reflect our attempts to capitalise on the momentum generated by our immediate return to the Championship.”"Richie Wellens shows his battling spirit"New vice-chairman Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn hinted at a new ethos, “Of course, we don’t want to write off losses every year. We will try to make it break even first. That is the target. Then we will look to make a profit.” Sounds good, but the chances are that the losses will get worse before they get better, as the club spends the additional funding provided by the Thais on bringing in new players, further driving up the wage bill.To be fair to Leicester (and other clubs of their ilk), they have to spend to remain competitive in the Championship, especially as the revenue at clubs that are relegated from the Premier League is effectively boosted twice, first by the substantial funds they receive while in the top tier, second by the parachute payments. In this way, the Premier League really is the gift that keeps on giving – or at least for another four years, as teams receive a total of £48 million in parachute payments following relegation (£16 million in each of the first two years, £8 million in each of years three and four).Let’s take Burnley, one of the sides competing with Leicester for a play-off place. Last season, the Clarets’ revenue of £45 million was significantly higher than Leicester’s £16 million, almost entirely due to the difference in broadcasting income (£34 million compared to £5 million), as the revenue from gate receipts and commercial activities was near enough the same. Following relegation to the Championship, Burnley’s projected revenue will still be much more than Leicester, purely due to the £16 million parachute payments. That’s hardly a level playing field, so begins to justify Leicester’s apparently suicidal financial strategy.This is why people refer to the Championship play-off final as one of the most lucrative matches in world football with the value estimated at £90 million. Even if the promoted club came straight back down, it would receive £40 million TV income plus £48 million parachute payments plus additional gate receipts and commercial revenue. Of course, if it finished higher in the Premier League, the club would receive even more TV money and every season survived adds another £40 million to the coffers. It’s incredible to think that just one place in the football pyramid can make such a difference.In truth, the financial gap between the Premier League and the Championship continues to grow, which is why clubs are so desperate to reach the promised land of the top division. Of course, it is still possible to do this without risking the financial health of the club, but it’s not easy and many are not willing to patiently wait for players to be developed and a successful team to be built.The television money in the Championship is mainly sourced from the Football League central distribution of £2.5 million that is made to all clubs, which was increased last season, plus a £1 million solidarity payment from the Premier League. The latter funding was introduced in 2007/08, but it doesn’t really make any meaningful impression on the revenue gap between the two leagues.Gate receipts increased from £4.5 million to £5.7 million last season, following the return to the Championship, which saw an 18% increase in the average attendance from 20,253 to 23,943, and additional income from reaching the play-offs. This is an impressive demonstration of the fans’ support for their club, especially attracting more than 20,000 in League One, and highlights Leicester’s potential. In fact, the average crowds last year were higher than five Premier League clubs (Fulham, Bolton, Burnley, Portsmouth and Wigan)."Kyle Naughton - loan star"This year, the attendances have held up, despite the tough economic environment, averaging 23,623 after 17 matches, which is the fourth highest in the Championship. This was partly due to an early bird scheme for season ticket renewals, which is being repeated this season with a small price increase of £1 per game. Not a huge amount, but I can’t help noting that the new owners had pledged not to raise ticket prices.The club moved away from Filbert Street in 2002 to the Walkers Stadium, a spanking new 32,500 all-seater stadium. Former shirt sponsors Walkers, the Leicestershire based crisp manufacturers, signed a ten-year deal for naming rights that same year, and the agreement was renegotiated in 2007, when they again paid a “seven-figure sum” to extend the deal until 2017. The new owners have spoken of their desire to rename the ground as the King Power Stadium, but it is not yet clear whether Walkers would be willing to walk away. They have also talked about plans to increase the capacity by nearly a third to 42,000 if they secure promotion.Arguably, the Walkers Stadium is already Premier League standard, but this is actually a burden at the moment. Lee Hoos explained the problem, “It is difficult in the Championship, because it is a very expensive infrastructure here at the Walkers Stadium and the training ground. It isn’t cheap to operate and what is an asset in the Premier League is a hindrance in the Championship.” Mandaric went further, “Anywhere but in the Premier League, this stadium is a liability financially, because we have a £17m debt that has to be serviced.”"The theatre of crisps"Back in 2005, the club announced in its accounts that it was “committed to further expanding its commercial activities”, but this has proved to be easier said than done: retail and merchandising revenue is effectively unchanged (£1.5 million in 2005 and £1.6 million in 2010), while sponsorship and advertising has hardly grown (from £2.5 million to £2.9 million). Income from conferences, banqueting and catering has actually decreased from £3.3 million to £0.9 million, though this is partly due to outsourcing catering to Compass in 2008.As of this season, the shirts are sponsored by King Power, the owners’ company, in a deal running three years, though no financial details have been divulged. Similarly, there is a new three-year kit deal with Swiss firm BURRDA. Again, no news on revenue, but the club did describe it as “the biggest in Leicester City’s history.”The new owners have outlined their vision of taking the club to a global market, building on their experience in retail marketing. In fact, one of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s first tasks as Leicester manager was to take the team to play a friendly in Bangkok against the Thai national side. However, it is far from certain that Leicester’s new Asian connections will automatically raise their profile in the Far East. A leading Thai journalist at the Bangkok Post, Wanchai Rujawongsanti, argued, “I don’t think they would be able to become a popular side in Asia. Fans in this part of the world are only crazy about top Premier League sides such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.”On the cost side, the wage bill is the key factor. Wages rose almost 30% last season from £11.2 million to £14.5 million, reflecting the promotion to the Championship. This was exactly the same as the wage bill the last time they were in that division two years ago in 2008 and is actually less than the £17 million they paid out in 2005, so it’s not as if their spending is out of control. The problem is that their revenue is low and has decreased after the loss of the parachute payment, so the important wages to turnover ratio is still of concern. Although this has come down from the high of 103%, it still stands at 89%, which is considerably above UEFA’s recommended maximum limit of 70%., and may well worsen this season, as a result of the new players recruited first by Sousa, then Eriksson.Even though Leicester have spent relatively big on wages, the same accusation cannot really be leveled at the club with regard to the transfer market. In fact, in the last eight years their net spend has been only £3 million. Even this represents an increase on previous years, when the Foxes made good money from player sales, moving on the likes of Emil Heskey, Neil Lennon and Gary Rowett.These days, the club’s sights have been lowered, so few big money purchases are made, but equally little money has been received when transferring players. The most expensive signing last summer was Martyn Waghorn from Sunderland at just £3 million, while Sven’s costliest acquisition to date is the uncompromising defender Sol Bamba from Hibernian for a fee of £250,000.That said, Leicester’s net spend of £2 million over the last two seasons amazingly still leaves them among the highest spenders in the Championship with only seven clubs paying out more. There are three reasons for this apparent anomaly. The first two are fairly obvious: one is that the clubs in the Championship are strapped for cash; the second is that half the clubs in that league have simply sold more players than they have bought.The other reason for the low spend is more interesting, namely that the use of the loan system has shot up in the Championship this season. Championship rules allow clubs to take up to six players on loan at a time and to include up to five of them in an 18-man match day squad. However, the main driver of the growth is the Premier League’s introduction of a 25-man limit in the size of the squad. Players aged 21 and under are not included in the cap, so logically clubs have taken on more quality young players.They need playing time, so Premier League clubs are now more willing to loan players, even funding some of the wages during the loan period. This is particularly relevant for leading clubs, who have allowed many of their players to go out on loan to the Championship: Tottenham 9, Arsenal 7, Chelsea 7, Manchester City 7, Manchester United 5 and Liverpool 3.Many clubs have taken advantage of this trend, few more so than Leicester who have taken an incredible 12 players on loan so far this season, only surpassed by Sheffield United. Some of the more experienced professionals like Roman Bednar, Curtis Davies and Chris Kirkland have failed to make an impact at the lower level, but promising youngsters like Kyle Naughton (from Spurs), Jeffrey Bruma (Chelsea) and Ben Mee (Manchester City) have cemented their places in Leicester’s defence.However, it is the eye-opening loan signings of international strikers Yakubu (from Everton) and Diomansy Kamara (from Fulham) that really signals the intent of Leicester’s new Thai owners. Although they have not yet provided the funds for any major permanent signings, all these loan players have not come cheap. While some of the wages will no doubt be subsidised by their Premier League employers, this must be having a detrimental effect on Leicester’s wage bill, which the owners have to cover. Yes, some of the loan stars are youngsters, whose salaries are probably not that high, but the sheer quantity of loan players is likely to have greatly increased the club’s costs.Indeed, the latest accounts specifically mention that since the books closed the new owners have injected a further £10.85 million of working capital into the business by way of parent company loans. This is on top of the £29.5 million net debt reported as at 31 May 2010, so the current borrowings probably amount to over £40 million – or a worrying 2.5 times the club’s annual turnover. In fairness, very little is owed to the banks, as £22 million of this comes from the owners.The terms of the new loan from the Thais are unknown, but the previous parent company loans of £11 million which they took on are unsecured and non-interest bearing. They are repayable on demand, though Asia Football Investments confirmed that they would not seek repayment of these loans within 12 months of the date of signing the accounts if such payment would prejudice the ability of the club to settle its other obligations, so there is some comfort there.The other substantial debt of £17 million is connected to the building of the stadium, which is the subject of a hire purchase contract. Interestingly, the repayment terms depend on which division of the football league the club plays in, so presumably promotion to the Premier League would imply higher annual charges. There are also £1.6 million other third party loans, which attract interest at 1.23%, and £0.4 million bank loans, secured on the club’s property, with interest payable at 1.75% above the bank base rate.The chairman of the Football League, Greg Clarke, who ironically was chairman at Leicester City when the Foxes went into administration with large debts, has warned of the dangers facing clubs, “Debt's the biggest problem. If I had to list the 10 things about football that keep me awake at night, it would be debt one to 10. The level of debt is absolutely unsustainable. We are heading for the precipice and we will get there quicker than people think.” Sobering stuff from a man who has been there, seen the sights and bought the t-shirt."La Bamba"Even so, Leicester’s balance sheet looks reasonably healthy at first glance with net assets of £5 million, but that is largely due to the £41 million value ascribed to the stadium, based on a revaluation performed in 2009. On closer inspection, for amounts falling due within one year, the net current liabilities stand at £21 million, excluding the £10.85 million loans made since the accounts were published.Of course, the net book value of the players, considered as intangible assets in accounting circles, is significantly under-stated at £3 million, as they are worth significantly more in the real world with the directors’ market valuation of the squad being £16 million. The only problem is that in order to realise that value, the club would have to sell the players, which would leave a few gaps in Sven’s formation.The fact is that Leicester continue to require funding from the owners to pay for their strategy, as can be seen from the cash flow statement. Large cash outflows have been financed by money from share capital payments and increased borrowing, which has amounted to £20 million in the last four years and is now up to £31 million with the addition of the latest £10.85 million loan.The issue was neatly encapsulated in the latest accounts: “The directors have determined that whilst the business could continue to operate without obtaining significant additional monies, the achievement of the objective to secure a return to the premiership will require additional funding.” That’s fine from a financial perspective, so long as your wealthy owner continues to pump money in, but nobody has bottomless pockets and Vichai Raksriaksorn has already complained that the consortium has had to invest more than they thought when they bought the club.The “sugar daddy” model is one that has come to be accepted by football fans everywhere, but it does carry risks if the benefactor one day decides to exit stage left, which could happen for a plethora of reasons. As a pertinent example, the last time a Thai took over an English football club it ended in tears, when Thaksin Shinawatra, the exiled former Thai prime minister, sold Manchester City only a year after he arrived, having fallen out with a certain Sven-Göran Eriksson.Clearly, not all Thai investors are cut from the same cloth, but a reasonable question might be whether Leicester’s new owners have the wherewithal to fund their dream of getting the club into the Premier League. The £115 million that Raksriaksorn is reportedly worth might be a fortune to the likes of you and me, but it’s debatable whether it’s enough to cover many years of losses at a football club in an era when billionaires are the entrepreneur of choice."Diomansy - maybe not forever"That might explain a growing trend whereby foreign businessmen are increasingly looking to invest in Championship clubs, as they can buy them more cheaply than Premier League clubs, hoping to secure a larger return by funding a promotion to the top flight.Either way, it’s difficult to fully understand what the owners’ intentions are for Leicester’s future. Chief executive Lee Hoos is convinced that this is a long-term project, “They said they are not here for one year, two or three, they are here for the long run. This is about long-term sustainability for the club.”On top of that, Mandaric proclaimed that the deal would “strengthen the squad and youth academy by bringing additional financial support and introducing a new global network of contacts and access to player talent”, but Vichai has admitted that the goal of his consortium is “to build Thailand as a football academy for Asia in the future.” A noble objective, for sure, but it’s not clear exactly what implications this might have for the Foxes.Leicester City is clearly a club with a lot of potential, which is what has attracted the new owners and indeed Eriksson, who commented, “The target for this club is to reach the Premier League, hopefully this year. If not this year, then next year. I think the ambition of the club is fantastic. If they did not have that ambition, then I would not be interested.” And there lies the crux of the matter: what will happen if Leicester are not promoted in the next two years? Will Sven stick around? Will the Thais be happy to cover the inevitable losses if Leicester remain in the Championship?"Yuki Abe - Leicester's turning Japanese"As Mandaric once said, “There is no money in football unless you are in the Premier League”, which is why Leicester (and others) try to spend their way to the top. However, this is a risky strategy, as only three teams will be promoted each season. No club has a divine right to be in the top tier, though Leicester are undeniably better equipped than most, as Sven explained, “I think they have everything here: the stadium, the training ground and the fans. There is everything to be a Premier League club. It’s only the table which doesn’t look very good.”And that’s the point – the team still needs to do the business on the pitch. While promotion might look like a long shot right now, there will be many twists and turns in the dog-eat-dog Championship before the play-off places are decided. If Leicester’s exciting new signings do manage to gel under Sven’s shrewd guidance, then they might just fulfill the dreams of the new owners – and indeed the legions of fans that have followed them through thick and thin. Posted by Leicester City, Milan Mandaric, SydMarch 23, 2011 at 1:32 PMWow, that's the most in depth financial report I've ever read about lcfc, or any other club for that matter. Fascinating stuff and a great read. So did mandaric walk away a richer man than when he arrived? Will we never know?ReplyDeleteJoMarch 23, 2011 at 3:25 PMAnother interesting and in-depth article, once again my university work is delayed to read your latest blog!It did strike me that £115million isn't enough to finance a football club with Premier League desires these days! Although the new UEFA 'Fair Play' rules apply only to those in European competition, do you think clubs like LCFC (who rely on their 'sugar daddys') will be inclined to change their ways aswell?ReplyDeleteAnonymousMarch 23, 2011 at 3:56 PMHi, this is very nice blog, please contact me at support@flashscores.co.uk to get good link exchange offer. Best regards.ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMarch 23, 2011 at 5:26 PM@Syd,I'm not sure that we will ever know. The man himself has given a variety of conflicting answers.ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMarch 23, 2011 at 5:31 PM@Jo,I'm not sure that clubs like Leicester will change their ways while there is such a huge disparity between revenue in the Premier League and the Championship. The rewards are so huge that it almost makes sense to over-spend and gamble on promotion. In fact, although I am a believer in sustainable finances, the benefactor model can work OK for an individual club - so long as the benefactor remains at the club and continues to invest.ReplyDeleteTeppo PortinMarch 23, 2011 at 9:32 PMInteresting read, although I feel you could have elaborated further on the role of the 20% owned by Cronus Sports Management, whose frontman is Iman Arif.News stories from Indonesia have suggested that the Bakrie family, supposedly one of the richest in Indonesia, is behind the Cronus Sports Management stake. Iman Arif has close connections to them. It's been suggested that they could be key to any future investment in the club.Aside from that I'm sceptical about the whole takeover. It seems to me that the Thai's bought LCFC to promote their company, and to try to help football in Thailand. I can't say that I think LCFC's long term future is their primary aim, because I don't believe it.One final point. LCFC has had a lot of managers since 2004, but it's 9, not 15. I guess you included caretakers.ReplyDeletestourbridgefoxMarch 23, 2011 at 10:06 PMThe owners did state that the way they intend to make money from the club is not by selling it as soon as it makes the Premier League but from retail, which is how they have made their money in the first place. People have reported LCFC on big screens in Bangkok Airport and shirts on sale to the several million people who go through the airport every year.Also, the owners personal fortune might be 'only' £125 million but the company he solely owns is worth £4 billion. The petty cash of a £4 billion company would probably finance a serious push for the Premier League.I comfort myself with these facts anyway...ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMarch 24, 2011 at 12:09 AM@stourbridgefox,Yes, I also made the point that the owners' expertise was in the retail business, but I question whether this will make a significant difference to Leicester's revenue. According to a survey by a German sports marketing firm, the clubs that sell most shirts globally are Manchester United and Real Madrid (1.2 to 1.5 million a year). Other clubs on the list include Milan, Inter and Juventus who all sell between 400,000 and 600,000.It's difficult to imagine that Leicester could equal those sales, but let's assume that they managed to sell 400,000. At an estimated profit of £10 per shirt, that would mean an additional £4 million in revenue, which is still not enough to wipe out the losses.I've no doubt that you're right when you suggest that the owners can improve retail income, but expectations should be realistic for this revenue stream.ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMarch 24, 2011 at 8:12 AM@Teppo Portin,It would be interesting to understand more about the role of Cronus Sports Management, but very little is known for sure, apart from the fact that Iman Arif is said to be connected to PT Bumi Resources, one of the world's fastest growing coal companies.Leicester's own chief executive Lee Hoos admitted, "In terms of how many billions he is worth, if billions at all, I couldn't tell you." He could yet turn out to be a key player at the club, but minority shareholders rarely wield much influence.The 15 managers since 2004 was sourced from an article by the BBC, which said that Sousa was the 14th manager since then, so Eriksson would be the 15th. As you say, this list must include caretakers. In any case, I think we would agree that it's a lot!ReplyDeleteKBMarch 25, 2011 at 2:31 AMShut up Sven!ReplyDeletePuyol's PinkyMarch 25, 2011 at 2:35 PMA great read once again. In the Championship, the amount of fixtures tends to mean promotion goes to these with the best quality in depth, as opposed to the best starting XI. LCFC have this abundance, so I can definitely see them making a late charge for promotion, and this gamble paying off.ReplyDeleteAnonymousApril 11, 2011 at 5:01 PMHi, I'm a reporter and would love to speak to you about footie finances in general; could you email me? smamudi at marketwatch dot com.ReplyDeleteLanterne RougeApril 24, 2011 at 10:24 PMAlthough it’s true that Leicester have been competing with clubs who are enjoying parachute payments like Burnley and Hull, it’s actually been teams enjoying no such boost who have prevailed in this season’s Championship - QPR, Cardiff and Norwich most notably - so I think this makes the Foxes’ strategy even more risky.Edging Nigel Pearson out was indeed idiotic. I saw Leicester at Reading recently and although they played well and passed the ball pleasingly, the team structure still didn’t seem there and it was the inexpensive English-born midfield trio of Oakley, Wellens and King who impressed the most - Jeffrey Bruma was actually shockingly unimpressive on the day.There are rumours that Yakuku is on £50,000 a week which is nothing short of scandalous even if Leicester are only paying a proportion of that. It would be galling for fans of other clubs to see Leicester’s transfer and loan policy given the £21 million net current liabilities if only most other clubs weren't chancing their arm in the same way to varying degrees. My own favourites Reading also rely on the sugar daddy model as well of course.As ever, a strikingly brilliant analysis Swiss!ReplyDeleteAdd commentLoad more... Wolves' Premier League Gamble Is Football's Gravy Train Slowing Down? Sunderland's Problem Is Not Their Fans

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Liverpool's Future Strategy If ever a football club’s season could be described as the proverbial “game of two halves” that would be the one experienced by Liverpool fans this year. Following Roy Hodgson’s appointment as manager last July as the replacement for the popular Rafael Benitez, the Reds endured their worst league start in more than 50 years, falling into the relegation zone in October after a dismal home defeat to newly promoted Blackpool.Hodgson’s grim tenure came to an end in January, when he was replaced by Kenny Dalglish, who inspired a revival that took Liverpool back up the table to sixth place. Moreover, the team threw off the shackles and played some sparkling football, including wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. Although Dalglish’s record in his previous reign on the Mersey was highly impressive, winning three league titles and two FA Cups, some had expressed doubts about the Scot’s credentials, as he had not managed a club for more than a decade and he was initially appointed on a temporary basis.However, the mood at Anfield has clearly taken a massive turn for the better and virtually all of the non-believers have now been converted. Thus, it was no surprise that Dalglish was duly confirmed as permanent manager a couple of weeks ago, when he was given a three-year contract along with his first team coach Steve Clarke. As new owner John W Henry said, “Kenny is a legendary figure, both as a supremely gifted footballer and successful manager.”"John W Henry - the man with a plan"The new ownership is, of course, the other vital change to occur at Liverpool during this momentous season with New England Sports Ventures (NESV) taking over from the reviled pair of Tom Hicks and George Gillett last October. Well known for its stewardship of the Boston Red Sox, one of the most famous baseball teams, and involvement in NASCAR, the company has now changed its name to the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), but the key executives remain the same. As far as Liverpool are concerned that means John W Henry, the principal owner, and Tom Werner, the chairman, who both hold 50% of the voting rights in the football club.They look like a good fit for Liverpool, as explained by the club’s former chairman Martin Broughton, “New England have a lot of experience in developing, investing in and taking Boston Red Sox - as the closest parallel - from being a club with a wonderful history, a wonderful tradition that had lost the winning way, and bringing it back to being a winner.” In fact, after buying the Red Sox in 2002, NESV delivered success just two years later, as they won the World Series in 2004, ending an 86-year wait for honours, and then repeating the feat in 2007.On the face of it, they could not be more different to their unpopular predecessors, Hicks and Gillett, who saddled Liverpool with a mountain of debt when they bought the club in March 2007. Ever since then, the Reds had been on a financial knife edge. Even though the eternally optimistic former managing director Christian Purslow claimed that he could not “conceive of a situation where Liverpool Football Club could go into administration”, the reality was that the choice had been taken out of his hands."Luis Suarez - happy days"The club’s bank loans were due for repayment in January 2010, but the club failed to make the £250 million payment, and the club only survived when the bank extended the date first to March and then by a further seven months to October to facilitate the sale of the club. Liverpool’s auditors KPMG had gone public with their concern over the level of debt the previous year, when they described the issue as “a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt on the group’s and parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”UEFA were also well aware of Liverpool’s financial difficulties. Last month William Gaillard, Senior Advisor to UEFA President Michel Platini, spoke about them, while warning football dignitaries of the dangers of leveraged buy-outs, “The club has been rescued, thank God, but it was a close call. They suddenly found themselves being owned by two failed banks that had been taken over by governments.”In fact, the Royal Bank of Scotland (or indeed Wachovia) could have put the club into administration (with a nine point penalty) at any time in the last few months of the Hicks and Gillett regime. Importantly, this meant that RBS could dictate terms, allowing them to place Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre on a reconstituted board, while stipulating that the owners could no longer appoint new representatives to the board. This meant that when the decision to sell the club was taken, Hicks and Gillett no longer had a majority, so could be outvoted by the other board members."Keep calm and Carra on"Even though he is from Texas, Tom Hicks did not know when to “fold them” and tried to block the sale, describing the transaction as “an epic swindle at the hands of rogue corporate directors.” So RBS brought a legal action before the High Court to obtain a judgment on the ability of the new board to complete the sale to NESV, which they duly won. Even the elegant Broughton could not resist putting the boot in, describing the former owners’ actions as “a flagrant abuse of their undertakings.”Acting on behalf of the club, Barclays Capital had contacted 130 potential investors, but only two bids had been received before the deadline with NESV’s winning out. They paid a total of £300 million for the club: £218 million for the equity, effectively the amount that Hicks and Gillett owed to RBS, and £83 million to assume responsibility for other debts. This was a pretty good outcome for the club, as the acquisition debt was wiped out, leaving NESV with more funds to spend on the football side of the club – and it had the added bonus of serving up a side order of schadenfreude, as Hicks and Gillett lost their £144 million investment.The last accounts published under the old administration reflected the club’s financial shortcomings, as they reported a £20 million loss, which was £6 million worse than the previous year, even though profit on player sales rose dramatically from £4 million to £23 million, mainly due to the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid. The wage bill climbed an incredible 18% to £113 million, which was much higher than the 4% revenue growth.That said, for the last two years, Liverpool have only made a small loss before interest payments, £2.3 million in 2010 and £3.5 million in 2009, but the impact of interest on the loans that Hicks and Gillett took out to buy the club has been hugely detrimental with net interest payable increasing from £13 million last year to £18 million in 2010.However, that’s not the whole story, as these are only the accounts for The Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Limited, while the majority of the club’s debt was held in the holding company. Unfortunately, the 2010 accounts for Kop Football (Holdings) Limited, the largest group company incorporated in the UK, have not yet been published, but we do know that the net interest payable at that level in 2009 was a whopping £40 million, leading to a net loss for the group of £55 million. If we make the reasonable assumption that the level of interest in 2010 is the same, this would mean that the club had paid around £125 million of interest during Hicks and Gillett’s unhappy reign.Another interesting point is the large amounts paid out for changes in management, which amounts to £12 million in the last two years, including around £8 million for Rafael Benitez and his coaching staff in 2010 and £3 million compensation for directors’ loss of office in 2009 (reportedly Rick Parry).In fact, Liverpool have only made a profit once in the last five years, specifically 2008, when they registered an £8 million surplus, largely due to £22 million profit on player sales, after a number of experienced players were moved on (Crouch, Sissoko, Carson, Riise and Guthrie). However, the new Premier League deal was also an important contributory factor, leading to a £16 million rise in television revenue.Like all football clubs, the additional riches provided by the ever-increasing TV deals has been a critical factor in Liverpool’s revenue growth, contributing almost half (£29 million) of the £64 million rise in turnover since 2005. However, the fastest growing activity is commercial income, which has risen an impressive 68% in the same period. Match day revenue has also grown from £33 million to £43 million, but remained relatively flat compared to the other revenue streams. On the plus side, Liverpool’s revenue is fairly evenly distributed among the three main revenue streams, which means that they are not unduly reliant on one area.There are a couple of ways to look at Liverpool’s revenue of £185 million. On the one hand, this puts them in a more than respectable ninth place in the Deloitte’s Money League, which ranks clubs in order of revenue, but, on the other hand, they are still a long way behind the clubs at the top of the (money) tree. In particular, the Spanish giants generate considerably more income with Real Madrid and Barcelona earning £359 million and £326 million respectively, approaching twice as much as the Reds. Moreover, bitter rivals Manchester United earn £100 million more than Liverpool every season, which is a considerable competitive advantage.Furthermore, Liverpool dropped a place in the Money League last season and can expect a further decline next year, as they will not have the benefit of Champions League revenue, while Manchester City’s commercial revenue is likely to climb again under their Middle East owners. This would mean that four English clubs will receive more money than Liverpool (United, Arsenal, Chelsea and City), which would be a concern, unless the new owners can address the club’s weaknesses.One obvious issue is the wage bill, which has soared to £114 million, up from £96 million the previous year, mainly due to contract extensions. This has increased the important wages to turnover ratio to 62%, the first time that it has gone above 60% in that period. In fairness, this is still below UEFA’s recommended maximum limit of 70% and is much better than most other clubs in the Premier League, notably big-spending Manchester City (107%) and Chelsea (82%). What is worrying, however, is that performance on the pitch has worsened, while the wage bill has risen, which is the opposite of what usually happens in football, culminating in the team failing to qualify for the lucrative Champions League.That was then, this is now.The recently appointed managing director, Ian Ayre, described the results as “a footnote in our history”, as he suggested that the club was now “moving forward.” It is entirely appropriate that we concentrate on the new owners’ future strategy, not least because John W Henry made his fortune as a futures trader.Actually, I say “fortune”, but everything’s relative. While his estimated worth of £375 million might be enormously impressive to the proverbial man in the street, it’s small change compared to the billions owned by other prominent owners of football clubs, such as Sheikh Mansour, Roman Abramovich, Stan Kroenke and even the Glazers. It’s actually even lower than the likes of Peter Coates at Stoke City and David Sullivan at West Ham.Therefore, Liverpool fans should not expect a classic sugar daddy. Instead they have got a group of savvy businessmen with proven expertise and a superlative record in sports management. Nevertheless, the new owners will still need to access substantial funds in order to strengthen the squad and address the stadium situation (either build a new stadium or redevelop Anfield), so the obvious question is how will this be financed? Liverpool fans would not want to see the club take on large levels of debt once again, so Henry’s team really has to address the club’s faltering business model.Although we are not privy to their strategic plan, we can make some fairly good guesses at where they will try to turn around Liverpool’s finances, based on their announcements to date, which I have attempted to summarise in a 15-point plan.1. Put your shirt on itWhile discussing the most recent financial results, Ian Ayre stated, “We have had significant commercial growth since these accounts were published.” He can point to the shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered starting next season, which “can generate up to £81 million” over four years. Although it is understood that some of this may be performance related, this implies £20 million per annum, which is £12.5 million higher than the current deal with Carlsberg. This is in line with Manchester United’s Aon deal, but Barcelona’s £25 million deal with the Qatar Foundation has raised the bar again - even higher than Bayern Munich’s £24 million deal with Deutsche Telekom.Last month it was reported that Liverpool had secured a £25 million kit deal with Warrior Sports, a subsidiary of New Balance, from the 2012/13 season, though this has not been officially confirmed. This is an example of the synergy that FSG can bring to the party, as Warrior recently announced a deal to manufacture kit for the Red Sox. The deal would more than double the amount received from Adidas, who currently pay £12 million a year. Although the press reported this as a record for English football, it is actually slightly lower than Manchester United’s Nike deal, which had a contractual step-up from £23.3 million to £25.4 million this season, but it’s still a mighty impressive increase.In total, the two shirt deals will deliver a substantial revenue increase of around £25 million a season (Standard Chartered £12.5 million, Warrior £13 million).2. Going globalLiverpool’s commercial income of £62 million is already pretty good, being sixth highest in the Money League, though it is only half the amount earned by Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and it actually fell last year if you consider that LiverpoolFC TV Ltd was brought in-house in July 2009. In fact, Liverpool sell more shirts than any other club except Madrid, Barcelona and United.An important element of the club’s strategy is therefore to “leverage the club’s global following to deliver revenue growth”, which Tom Werner emphasised, “We consider Liverpool to have untapped potential globally.” This is clearly one of the key drivers for American investors, as explained by Don Gerber, head of Major League Soccer, “There’s a belief that there’s a valuable global franchise with these clubs.”In particular, Werner has stated that the club is focused on Asia (“The support the club has there is already considerable”), hence the pre-season tour to China and South Korea. However, this has lead to club sponsor Standard Chartered, who make much of their income in Asia, somewhat crassly suggesting that they would like Liverpool to sign players from that region, citing the example of Park Ji-Sung at United.Liverpool fans would have been equally perplexed at the news that basketball star LeBron James had bought a stake in the club, but this is part of his marketing deal with FSG and has helped raise Liverpool’s profile in the States.More worrying is Ian Ayre’s apparent support for the 39th game, a proposal to play an extra round of Premier League matches at neutral venues outside England: “We have a duty to fans around the world to give them access to the product.” I’m not sure that the fans on the Kop would necessarily agree with that sentiment.3. Nothing succeeds like successWhile it is true that success on the pitch should lead to financial strength, this is not always the case, which is amply demonstrated by the distribution of Premier League revenue. In Liverpool’s case, their share of the revenue only fell £2.3 million in 2009/10 to £48 million, even though they dropped from second to seventh place.This is because of how the Premier League distribution model works with half of the domestic money and all of the overseas rights being split evenly among the 20 clubs. It’s true that 50% of the domestic rights are still up for grabs, but that does not make a big difference for the leading clubs: (a) 25% is for merit payments with each place in the league worth £800,000; (b) 25% is paid in facility fees, based on how often a club is shown live on television, which will always be a lot for a club like Liverpool.However, the key point here is that a club’s revenue will effectively go up by default, simply from its presence in the Premier League, as each new TV deal increases the size of the pot available to distribute. The three-year deal for 2004-2007 was worth £1.45 billion, while 2007-10 rose to £2.5 billion and the latest contract for 2010-13 is worth an incredible £3.4 billion. Figures have not yet been released for 2010/11, but the increase for Liverpool will be at least £7 million.4. We are the championsThe relatively small difference between the leading clubs in terms of Premier League distributions only emphasises the importance to Liverpool of qualifying for the Champions League. Last season the Reds earned £26 million from this competition, even though they were eliminated at the group stage, supplemented by £3 million after parachuting into the Europa League and reaching the semi-finals. That figure does not include extra gate receipts or higher payments from success clauses in commercial deals.Liverpool’s failure to qualify for Europe’s flagship tournament for the last two seasons has cost them dearly. Given that UEFA’s prize money has been increasing on the back of higher TV deals, all in all, it’s probably now worth at least £35 million a season. It is therefore imperative that Liverpool reclaim their traditional place among Europe’s elite.5. The revolution will be televisedWhile TV rights as a whole have been rising, the really interesting aspect is that overseas fans that have been behind the explosive growth with the revenue doubling each time the rights are re-negotiated: 2001-04 £178 million, 2004-07 £325 million, 2007-10 £625 million and 2010-13 £1.4 billion.As Steve McMahon, the former Liverpool player turned executive at the Singapore-based Profitable Group, said, “It is a global game. The television figures when Liverpool or Manchester United play are 600 or 700 million.” These figures dwarf the Super Bowl, hence the interest of American investors in the Premier League.This is particularly relevant to Liverpool, as FSG have substantial expertise in this sphere, owning 80% of New England Sports Network, a regional cable television network, while Tom Werner is an experienced television producer. Although English football clubs have clearly benefited from television money, they are strictly amateurs compared to their cousins across the water. To give an idea of the size of the prize, the value of the New York Yankees’ official cable network is three times as high as the club itself.Perhaps the most intriguing question is how Premier League clubs react to new technology. To date, digital rights have been treated as little more than an afterthought to the main TV deal, but the emergence of fast, broadband networks might just be the catalyst for clubs to interact directly with fans, when revenue could potentially explode.6. A fair day’s work for a fair day’s payOn completing due diligence, John W Henry said that Liverpool’s wage bill was one of “a number of unpleasant shocks”. Specifically, he thought that it was a huge payroll for a squad with little depth. It stands to reason that the £114 million wage bill should be reduced, especially when you consider that it is so much higher than Tottenham’s £67 million. That does not imply a “slash and burn” approach, more a case of the club getting better value for money, as Henry explained, “We have to be more efficient. When we spend a dollar, it has to be wisely. We cannot afford player contracts that do not make long-term sense.”7. Steady as she goesOne obvious way to cut costs would be to stop sacking managers. Including the £7.3 million reportedly paid to Roy Hodgson (after just six months), this adds up to the best part of £20 million in the last three years. Encouragingly, Henry said, “Our goal in Liverpool is to create the kind of stability that the Red Sox enjoy. We are committed to building for the long-term.” That said, Tom Werner did say that he saw “no reason why Roy can’t be our coach this year and in the future” only two months before he was given his P45, though, in fairness, Hodgson was not FSG’s appointment. The new owners will also try to bring continuity by adopting the director of football model, which has not always been successful in England, but has worked very well at clubs like Lyon."Cheer up, Fernando. You just made Liverpool £50m"8. The art of the dealOne possibility that would help reduce the wage bill is offloading players who are no longer wanted. We can anticipate Liverpool selling the likes of Jovanovic, Poulsen and Aurelio at generous prices in order to get them off the books. There are also quite a few players currently out on loan that are likely to leave, including Aquilani, Konchesky and Degen.Such sales have a triple whammy effect, as they also reduce player amortisation, which is on the high side at Liverpool, and potentially bring in a profit on sale (if the sales price is higher than the remaining value in the accounts). Liverpool will report a very high profit on sale in this year’s accounts, mainly due to the £50 million sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea, but also Javier Mascherano to Barcelona for £17 million and Ryan Babel to Hoffenheim for £6 million, and next year’s profit could also be on the high side if the new owners clean house.Babel is a good example of how this works in accounting terms. Purchased from Ajax in 2007 on a five-year contract for £11.5 million, you would assume that his £6 million sale in January would have produced a loss. In total, that would be correct, but in this year’s accounts the club will actually show a £2.6 million profit, as the player’s value in the books had been written-down to £3.4 million (£11.5 million cost less 3.5 years amortisation at £2.3 million a year).9. Can’t buy me loveLiverpool have effectively been a selling club during the Hicks and Gillett era with the net spend dramatically slowing down after their arrival. Some have speculated that the new owners will be equally cautious, referring to FSG’s belief in the application of statistical analysis made famous by Moneyball, Michael Lewis’ best seller about the innovative methods adopted by Billy Beane at the Oakland Athletics baseball club. However, there is a bit more to their transfer market strategy, as explained by Larry Lucchino, president and CEO of the Red Sox, who said that they “take some of the quantitative analysis approaches and overlay them with the resource advantages of our market.”In other words, they have used their financial muscle to complement best value purchases by also spending big on the right players. It’s more like the Barcelona method, rather than the Arsenal strategy they have publicly praised. Henry underlined this willingness to splash the cash when necessary by pointing out that the Red Sox had been second in spending over the last decade in major league baseball."Andy Carroll - big fee for a big man"A more obvious example occurred in January when Liverpool paid £35 million for Andy Carroll and £23 million for Luis Suarez. Incidentally, Henry has explained that the seemingly exorbitant Carroll fee still fits in with FSG’s principles, as they were happy to pay this, as long as they secured £15 million more when selling Torres.With all the likely ins and outs, my guess is that Liverpool fans and director of football Damien Comolli can expect a very busy summer in the transfer market.10. Give youth a chanceSo FSG’s preferred model is one with top quality stars supplemented by home grown youngsters, as outlined by Henry, “We have been successful through spending and through securing and developing young players.” Tom Werner added, “We certainly feel we can do a better job bringing in more players that are home grown”, as he promised to invest in the scouting network.This makes complete sense in the Financial Fair Play era, as youth development costs are excluded from UEFA’s break-even calculation. In addition, any profit on the sale of players that don’t quite make it at Liverpool is useful in balancing the books.In fairness, the academy set up by Rafa Benitez is already prospering with many players involved in first team action this season (Jay Spearing, Martin Kelly, John Flanagan and Jack Robinson). Last month, the progress was endorsed by no fewer than seven Liverpool youngsters being named in England’s Under-19 squad, following the selection of four players in the Under-17 squad.11. Grounds for hopeAlthough Anfield is a wonderfully atmospheric old ground, its capacity is only 45,400, which is much less than Old Trafford (76,000) and The Emirates (60,400). Liverpool’s match day revenue of £43 million is less than half of Manchester United (£100 million) and Arsenal (£94 million), while even Chelsea, whose Stamford Bridge ground is even smaller (41,800), generate more than them (£67 million). Liverpool only earn around £1.6 million from each home match, which is significantly less than United (£3.6 million) and Arsenal (£3.5 million).The previous owners felt that the only way to increase match day income was to build a new stadium, but they put the plans for Stanley Park on hold, due to the economic crisis. However, FSG are also looking at the option of redeveloping Anfield. The Red Sox chief operating officer Sam Kennedy summed up the situation, “We have the expertise for building new and renovating old, and both options are definitely still on the table.”The ownership built new stadiums in Baltimore and San Diego, but perhaps more pertinently redeveloped Fenway Park, the iconic Red Sox stadium, applying creative techniques such as more seats, concessions, advertising and corporate hospitality, which increased match day income by 50%.Given that the accounts state that nearly £50 million of previously capitalised stadium development costs are “highly likely” to be written-off, the implication is that the preference is for redevelopment at Anfield, not least because Henry admitted that the previous stadium move proposals “just didn’t make any economic sense or they would have been built.”Whichever route is taken, it will still cost a lot of money, e.g. the Fenway Park renovation cost north of £200 million. As the costs are so high, the possibility of ground sharing with Everton cannot be ruled out, but the counter-argument is that any future revenue would also have to be shared."Pepe Reina has his say"12. You’ll never walk aloneThe downside of staying at Anfield is that fans are likely to have to pay more for their tickets. To compensate for the revenue shortfall at the Red Sox, ticket prices have rocketed in Boston. Indeed, season tickets next season have already gone up 6.5%, though 2.5% of that is to cover the VAT increase, with the cheapest tickets on the Kop now costing £725, the most expensive £802. Surprisingly, the entry level tickets are more expensive than any other team in the Premier League except Arsenal, according to a survey by Sporting Intelligence. This is on top of significant price increases last season.13. What’s in a name?Ian Ayre has confirmed that Liverpool would actively look for a stadium naming rights partner – but only if they move to a new stadium. Not many English clubs have succeeded in securing naming rights, but it is more common in America and could provide up to £10 million a season, maybe more with FSG’s contacts.14. Never was so much owed by so many to so fewLiverpool’s debt had reached shocking levels under the previous unwanted regime. Although there was “only” £123 million net debt in the football club, the full picture was revealed in the holding company where debt had grown to over £400 million, including £280 million owed to the banks, which had surged after the bank applied penalty fees for the loan extension, and £144 million owed to Hicks and Gillett.The really good news is that Henry has confirmed that the change in ownership has removed all the debt except for £37 million for development work on the proposed new stadium, which is part of a £92 million credit facility agreed with RBS. Normal working capital requirements mean that £87 million of this had been used by 31 January this year.This is enormously significant to the club’s finances, as the prohibitively expensive annual interest payments of £40 million have been drastically reduced to just £3 million, which means that Liverpool are “able to invest more in the team rather than servicing debt” according to Ian Ayre.Of course, debt could substantially rise again for future stadium developments, but Henry does not appear overly concerned, “I think fans will understand that stadium debt is different from acquisition debt.”"Steven Gerrard reflects on the first half of the season"15. All’s fair in love and warJohn W Henry has praised UEFA’s forthcoming Financial Fair Play rules that aim to make clubs live within their means, while curbing excessive spending, “UEFA is doing a great thing in making clubs sustainable and that’s good news for us.” In fact, UEFA’s William Gaillard claimed that the main reason why Henry (and indeed Thomas di Benedetto at Roma) had invested in European football was the new regulations, as “they make a much more predictable environment, more similar to what they are used to in American sport.”Although the new owner is concerned that other clubs might seek to find ways around the rules, especially after Chelsea’s massive spending spree in the January transfer window, this will not be the Liverpool way: “We've always spent money we've generated rather than deficit spending and that will be the case in Liverpool. It's up to us to generate enough revenue to be successful over the long term. We will not deviate from that.”So, FSG have plenty to offer in their play book, but some have wondered whether their proficiency in American sports will mean much in England. Turning round the Red Sox is one thing, but Liverpool football club is (quite literally) a different ball game. While Liverpool share many similarities with the Red Sox, such as a glorious history, passionate fanbase, small stadium and, er, they both play in red, there are also quite a few differences in the two sports."Lucas and Meireles reinvigorated by King Kenny"In particular, Premier League football clubs do not have a salary cap, have to deal with powerful agents and need to worry about the threat of relegation. That last point may not apply to Liverpool, but at the other end of the table they are concerned with the financial consequences of missing out on the Champions League. It is also fair to say that Boston is a wealthier city than Liverpool, so FSG’s strategy of raising ticket prices may not be appropriate on the Mersey, though you have to think that the new owners are too smart to squeeze the orange too hard.Of course, an owner’s nationality should not be an issue. As Martin Broughton said, “There’s nothing wrong with being American. Ask Sunderland, Ellis Short is a great owner there. Wherever you come from you need the right people. These are the right people.” There might be a nagging concern that they will not bring the same level of commitment to Liverpool as to their American franchise, but if that were the case, it begs the question of why they would get involved in the first place.Fundamentally, they are businessmen, who will have been attracted by Liverpool’s “fire sale” price and enormous potential, but Henry has said that investors in sports franchises are not in it for the money, “I don’t think you go into sport to make a profit.” He has asserted that all the money NESV has made in baseball has been ploughed back into the Red Sox, be it the team or the club’s infrastructure. Ultimately, money can be made from football if and when the value of the club appreciates, but that is likely to mean a long-term investment."Anfield of Dreams"Let’s not forget that Liverpool football club is one of football’s great institutions with an incredible history: winning the Champions League and European Cup five times, the English League championship eighteen times and the FA Cup seven times. In business terms, it remains one of the leading sports brands, with the club competing in the most watched domestic league on the planet.Arguably, John W Henry has got himself a bargain here, though there is much to do to strengthen the club’s business model. As the club’s sponsor said, “I don’t think English Premier League clubs know how valuable they are.” If Henry can help instill the winning mentality back into Liverpool, as his group did with the Red Sox, this could be a licence to print money. Of course, the fans are more interested in whether the team does the business on the pitch. Over to you, Kenny. Posted by FSG, John W Henry, Kenny Dalglish, LFC LoverMay 23, 2011 at 7:14 PMWow, excellent article. Loads of work must have gone into it.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 7:47 PMFantastic Article, much appreciatedReplyDeleteSF RedMay 23, 2011 at 7:57 PMLove the article. I think things are really looking up with the club. The two keys, as with all clubs, is getting CL and solving stadium issues. it seems that Ian Ayre is really maximizing commercial opportunities at the club which is great.I think the new owners are realizing how important long-term success on the pitch is important to their value. H&G did not have a long-term plan as they were not interested in a long term investment.Thanks for the great article.ReplyDeletesportingthemesMay 23, 2011 at 8:13 PMWell thought out article.Kudos.ReplyDeleteJSMay 23, 2011 at 8:38 PMA great article. I've only skim-read it so far but will read in more detail in the next day or so...it certainly deserves it.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 8:40 PMGreat article. As a Liverpool fan I feel eternally grateful to our (new) American cousins for saving our necks from the wretched last lot.Liverpool Football Club has been badly run for too long. David Moores held the club back as chairman; Rick Parry was an incompetent MD. Yet Parry was replaced by Christian Purslow who was an absolute disaster once he started meddling in team affairs.The CL revenues and our stadium compared to the top 4 are now where we're lagging behind.it's shameful that we get so little on the pitch for our £113m wage bill. Wasters like Joe Cole, Jovanavic, Degen, Poulsen, Konchesky et al all need to go. Even Gerrard (120k a week) and Carragher (90k a week) are no longer worth their superstar salaries now they're at the twighlight of their careers.Kenny has saved our necks this season on the pitch in the same way FSG have on it, but it's a long road back to the top.ReplyDeleterichMay 23, 2011 at 8:40 PMgood articleReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 8:40 PManyone notice that once gerrard was no longer fit, liverpool's season became far better. Not the first time I had noticed this.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 8:44 PMGreat stuffReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 8:52 PM“I don’t think you go into sport to make a profit.”Hmmm....I have to say that I am confused in this one.1. The Glazers will make a fortune on Man United because they are unique.2. But Man United is a monster and all other clubs are struggling to compete on the field. And as such are unstable.Surely fans will wake up in time and see that the Premier League at the top is uncompetitive, that it is dominated by Man United and that this is unlikely to change?ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 8:54 PMgreat article the truth about so many things. cheers.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 9:13 PMunfortunatly liverpool needed to take up the big sugar daddies back in 2007...when DIC where interested but declined for Hicks and co.Everyone says time for rebuilding, but top qualty players won´t go to a club thats not in europe nevermind the Champions League....The sad fact will be Roman and city will constantly blow you out of the transfer windows...not to mention the lastest billionaires that are QPR....Feck sake even Neil Warnock has bigger spending clout than Kenny D.Like I said before If only you had said to the Arabs back in 2007....IF ONLY!!!!ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 9:15 PMThanks for a brilliant analysis mate. ~Jay~ReplyDeleteSF RedMay 23, 2011 at 9:15 PMJust a quick point - The Red Sox and MLB do not have a salary cap. they have a luxury tax which is IMO completely ineffective.ReplyDeleteWaywardEffortMay 23, 2011 at 9:18 PMThanks for a great piece and nice to get some more detail on the FSG rather just the usual references to Moneyball. And interesting points about the Red Sox re-development and the impact on ticket prices.ReplyDeleteSF RedMay 23, 2011 at 9:18 PMTo anonymous 8:52pmHenry was referring to annual profits (used to make income or pay off debt) like H&G did. With the Red Sox, they have not taken profits or money out of the club. FSG will make a lot of money when they sell the club as the value of the club will grow significantly.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 9:28 PMGreat article..removing Joe Cole from the wage bill alone will be worth 13m over the next 3 years..shows how important the summer clear out is going to be..in my view, it's even more important than the summer buys.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 9:50 PMI hope many liverpool fans can give this a read before telling the club that we need to Spend £40m on a single player this summer. Growth is an ongoing thing. NOt immediateReplyDeleteLFC NYCMay 23, 2011 at 9:50 PMVery informative article. Thanks for the information.ReplyDeleteChrisMay 23, 2011 at 10:26 PMAs SF Red said above. MLB doesn't have a salary cap like the NFL. It has a 'luxery tax' which is largely ineffective in restraining spending. Which is why they spent over $250,000,000 on Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez (contracts over 7 years + bonuses) this summer. I personally would like to see a new Anfield built to help regenerate the local area as well as drastically improve commerical revenue. It would also enable them to keep the old place fully open throughout the building process and so keep money coming in. Selling off the land would generate some cash too as there are plans for new regeneration and rail links through the area.I'd like to say thanks though for the great article and good information. It's nice to see confirmation that we're growing as a club again. I would like to ask your opinion on the HUGE wage bills of Chelsea and City and how they can possibly fit into the FFP rules, even with Champions League football. I know it's a popular question, but I'm curious to see if UEFA will actually achieve their ambition of curbing 'sugar daddy' investment like we've seen at those clubs.ReplyDeleteDanMay 23, 2011 at 10:52 PMA truly staggering analysis Kieron. Many thanks.Some American Reds I know swear that John Henry *is* the smartest guy in the room. It sounds like you tend to agree.They also say that number 5 was the dealmaker for FSG, along with FFP. Not just the overseas TV rights but the digital/mobile/broadband possibilities.It at least gives me hope that long term we can close the gap on those at the top of the Deloitte FML.The point that really shocked me was 12. That Sporting Intel piece passed me by last summer. Even under Dalglish in Jan/Feb when tickets have gone on general sale for ticket office collection, large numbers have remain unsold. As a Liverpool based Red I know the local support is already disenfranchised from the match to a significant degree. The club are going to have to think extremely carefully about further general ticket price increases. They also need to be careful how any increased capacity from new/upgraded Anfield is utilised. More season tickets (the only way to guarantee matchday revenues), cheaper general tickets for core supporters or more premium seats for the prawn sandwich brigade?I think we can expect a decision soon after the results of the season ticket waiting list cleansing operation is announced. That's the first step to getting a firm view of future demand.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 11:05 PMGreat article, thank you!Of course their leadership of the Red Sox was brilliant because they understood from the start that what matters in sports is revenue. They renovated the stadium, brought extra money from HD games via their network and built the economic structure to compete with the mighty Yankees. It is very fortunate for Liverpool that such a competent team has purchased the team, as they can really see the financial opportunities that a club in the EPL can have.On the field what they did in Red Sox was to sign the aging stars for a lot of money but for few years, so as to have the option to offload an ageing starter if their performance declined diagrammatically. For a team like Liverpool that will face problems with aging starters in the future (Caragher, Gerrard, Kuyt) this is a sound policy.Also they were not afraid to pay big in order to succeed. The acquisition of ace pitcher Curt Schilling at the age of 38 in a 2 year contract (the equivalent of 30 for a footballer) was what gave the Red Sox the edge to win the World Series. These types of deals are what Liverpool lacked for so many years with the transfers of the likes of Riera, Poulsen and Koscielny that showed a lack of understanding of the quality required from the players for the club to succeed.Furthermore what I really liked about John Henry was his commitment to the fans, giving interviews, appointing go-to persons and generally trying to understand what Liverpool meant to the Kop. He was at the stadium in most significant games and showed in his statements an understanding of the game and roster structure. Of course he is not expected to decide whether Spearing has a future in Liverpool but it is good to finally have an owner that is not expecting any money "from the draft".All in all John Henry and his team can really have a significant impact in European football, making Liverpool once again a giant.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 11:14 PMtime and effort is there for all to see. fantastic work, analysis is bang on the money!ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 11:20 PMThanks for a great article!ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 11:28 PMWow excellent article, in depth and well thought out, my brain cells needed firing back up after being subjected to dumbed down Sky TV, over the past week Thank you.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 23, 2011 at 11:36 PMExcellent work again. My favorite blog writes about my favorite club - a perfect day!ReplyDeleteElliottMay 23, 2011 at 11:49 PMGreat stuff as usual - the two tidbits I loved were 1) Rafa's good work in establishing a top academy that should serve the club well. 2) The inevitable rise of ticket prices. I'm curious - what is the normal "ticket price inflation" for the EPL? Is the Liverpool price gauge the average or above it?ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 24, 2011 at 12:37 AMThanks very good readReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 24, 2011 at 12:41 AMIncredibly written article, Very well put. Well done mate.ReplyDeleteNorth Bank NedMay 24, 2011 at 2:05 AMAnother excellent read, as ever. If player fire sales are going to become the order of the day to meet UEFA's new financial rules, what is going to happen to transfer values and salaries in general? And will there be a general leveling up of talent outside the top clubs as second string players, who are still decent players, get unloaded to make room for home grown (cheaper) youngsters?ReplyDeleteKapilMay 24, 2011 at 10:06 AMQuality article! Thanks for that :)ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 24, 2011 at 11:30 AMExcellent article, hopefully some of those outwith the fan base and within who kept banging on about Rafa may actually now realise how much of the malaise was caused by the gruesome twosome. £409 million pounds of debt (the majority of which was acquisition debt) resulted in us nerly going to the wall. It's absolutely criminal that the club was sold to Hicks and Gillet in the first place as any investigation into their background would have highlighted leveraged buy-outs as their preferred modus operandi.Hopefully the new owners will be better (hard not to be) and given what they've done so far plus the messages coming out of the club this seems to be the case.ReplyDeleteZakMay 24, 2011 at 12:26 PMBrilliant read, makes me excited to be a red again after suffering such dross over the past few yeas from those cowboys. Thanks for putting the effort in!ZakReplyDeleteredtrev73May 24, 2011 at 1:09 PMQuality article Kieron, thanks. A nice compilation of the relevant info surrounding our American owners. Although I was aware of the facts and figures, your presentation of them in one article is excellent...and leaves me feeling vaguely optimistic!ReplyDeleteJDMay 24, 2011 at 4:03 PMExcellent article.The Premier League money for 2010-11 has been confirmed at £55.2M.Hopefully at least this season, the loss of European TV money will be offset by £37M less in annual interest payments.ReplyDeleteRedshadowMay 24, 2011 at 5:06 PMAnonymous 8.52? Your CLEARLY either a sad Manc' worried about what MIGHT come now that LFC have the owners United WISH they had that WON'T destroy them with debt or else a sad Chelski fan still crying into his cornflakes that we sold you Torres, effectively mugged you for 50 million AND got the better player by far to replace him in Lil' Luis Suarez.Just so you know? Money ISN'T the be-all and end all - It does NOT trump hard work and effort which funnily enough is how United got there in 1992/93 the first time THEY did it after 26 years. IF Fenway have the right strategy and put in the right amount of money? They WILL get the rewards - Now a sad idiot like yourself might not recognise that fact so desperate are you for our recent decline to continue but this WILL Happen nonetheless. Oh and United? Watch them GO in a couple of years and I mean straight DOWN - What happened Last October with Liverpool at the Courts etc? Will look like a picnic by comparism to WHEN the Glazers default and take United down with them in flames and they WILL. Enjoy it while you can United lovers. Glazers will take it all away soon enough.........One more thing for the benefit of anonymous 8.52? and his idiotic ideas re' Liverpool - You think we have NO money do you? I suggest you google Fenway and see HOW many (rather wealthy) organisations it's comprised of - John Henry is just the FACE of a FAR larger and more powerful organisation than many realise (in particular the New York Times investors within the groups - Check the list of their owners). Fenway have FAR more power and strengh behind them than many think or might see at first - far, far more- They can rival even Abramovich quite easily and rather more so now he's considerably less rich thanks to the crashes of recent years. Fenway has a LOT of steel behind the outer velvet glove it presents to the world - Not that it's obvious to the fools who doubt them until it's Far to late......Anyway - With THAT sort of power behind Liverpool? You'd better believe Anonymous that we WILL be back and far sooner than many think and when we are? We'll be there to stay as well............ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 24, 2011 at 7:44 PMGreat article .. made my day.. i would like to add one more thing. FSG is not the only shareholder in LFC, there will be many small investors like Len Bron who will be plowing there money .. it will be interesting to see how they will create the revenue stream.ReplyDeleteMarty LFCMay 24, 2011 at 8:37 PMTerrific article. A great combination of past performance analysis and educated forecasting. Also profiles the new owners in an unbiased and accurate manner. This article reaffirms my belief that the club is heading in the right direction.ReplyDeleteFredMay 24, 2011 at 9:19 PMCheers for the thrid article about Liverpool, my club! As usual, the article is very interesting and like many LFC fans, there is hope things will change for the better. I agree that Hicks and Gillett were a mistake, although I was lucky enough to get some cash from them when they bought the club (as shareholder). But the end cost was tremendous for the Reds. I think the main issue remains the stadium. New ground, redeveloping Anfield, ground sharing with Everton? With a 45000 seater, we cannot compete...Lets hope this is resolved as quickly as possible...ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 24, 2011 at 10:58 PMHey Rambler, great article.. just a question if u could clarify.. I'm still unclear about this amortization business.. Let's take ronaldo's 80 million transfer for example.. Real pay 80 million upfront and amortize it over 5 years for 16 mill every year.. Now the year they bought him they pay 80 mil but report only 16 mil.. Shouldn't this create a difference of 64 mill in the accounts for the year they bought him?ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMay 25, 2011 at 11:52 AMThanks for all the very kind comments. It took me 3 days to write this article, but it's all worthwhile with feedback like this. I have quite a few Liverpool supporting friends, so I really wanted to do the story justice.ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMay 25, 2011 at 12:02 PM@Anonymous (10:58),This is a bit tricky to understand if you're not an accountant, but let's try to explain.When Ronaldo was bought, the 80m transfer fee was booked as an asset in Madrid's books with their cash being reduced by the same amount. At that point, there was no impact on the profit and loss account.As you rightly say, after a year 16m amortisation was charged to the P&L. This reduced the value of the asset in the balance sheet from 80m to 64m, so that's where the difference is.Not sure if you know how double-entry accounting works, but this is exactly how it would be booked:Dr Asset 80Cr Cash 80Dr Amortisation 16Cr Asset 16Hope that helps clarify amortisation.ReplyDeleteStevenMay 25, 2011 at 1:19 PM@swissExcellent article. A question I've been meaning to ask. When a player is sold do the club have to pay tax? It's just that I noticed during the Man United bond issue there was a tax liability of circa £17-18m which I put down mainly to the sale of Ronaldo.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 3:41 PMSuperb article and a must read for any liverpool fan and indeed any sensible football fan. These guys have our best interests at heart because we have a shared interest in succeeding.I just hope the new UEFA financial fair play rules are adhered to by the likes of Chelsea and Man City otherwise what is the point. Uefa will need to show a willingness to impose strict penalties and tackle the issue head on.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 4:53 PMBrilliant article, think you've reached new heights with this one. Just one question in relation to the current credit facilities on the club. You state that “The really good news is that Henry has confirmed that the change in ownership has removed all the debt except for £37 million for development work on the proposed new stadium, which is part of a £92 million credit facility agreed with RBS. Normal working capital requirements mean that £87 million of this had been used by 31 January this year.”Does this mean that after takeover LFC had access to £92m in credit and was only using £37m of it after takeover, yet by the end of January they were using £87m of this facility? And if so how could they be using so much extra in the space of a few months? i.e. is it (a) further losses during that period, (b) paying for the purchase of players and sacking of “the hodge” before end of January, (c) reducing trade creditors or increasing debtors (d) something else I’m completely missing? I just can’t get my head around and extra £50m in the space of a few months.ThanksReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMay 25, 2011 at 5:22 PM@Steven,Yes, United's bond prospectus states that £17.2 million of the tax liability was due to the sale of a player. Given the sums involved, that must surely be Ronaldo.ReplyDeleteThe Swiss RamblerMay 25, 2011 at 5:59 PM@Anonymous (4:53),We cannot be certain exactly what Henry was referring to when he spoke of debt, as he might have been talking specifically about the large balances with RBS and Wachovia, without including an overdraft.Nevertheless, from the accounts for Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Ltd, we can see that at the last year-end (31 July 2010) the club had net debt of £123m, comprising inter-company loans £104m and bank loans £38m less cash £19m. The accounts confirm that the inter-company debt was eliminated following the acquisition, which would leave just £38m - in line with Henry's assertion.The accounts also state that the club took out a new £92m credit facility after the acquisition, analysed as: stadium £47m, letters of credit £25m and working capital £20m. They confirm that £86.6m of this facility had been utilised by 31 January 2011.I don't consider this credit facility as sinister in any way. It effectively replaces the previous £97m RBS facility that Liverpool had and is normal practice for most companies.Much of the facility is just for the stadium debt that has been built up over the years, while my guess is that the majority of the increase has been used for transfer fees and normal working capital requirements.In theory, Liverpool's activity in the January transfer window nets out, as they bought Carroll and Suarez, but also sold Torres. However, it depends on how the deals were structured, e.g. the timing of the payments for each deal. This might be further complicated by stage payments.What we do know is that working capital requirements vary during the year at a football club, as much of the cash inflow is "lumpy", e.g. season ticket money is received upfront, while TV money comes in a couple of slices. Meanwhile, costs are spread fairly evenly throughout the year.In summary, I don't think that the debt is anything to worry about.ReplyDeleteAnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 9:37 PMThanks for explaining the double entry system in accounting..Appreciate the effort..ReplyDeleteEmilMay 26, 2011 at 6:21 AMTypically high-quality article here. As a Boston resident who was a Sox fan long before I ever began following European football, there's one thing that I think Liverpool fans should be more aware of. Ever since John Henry and NESV took over, the Red Sox farm system- in essence, the reserve/trainee and youth teams(numbering about 140 players total)- have undergone a dramatic improvement. It is extremely important to draft and sign good baseball prospects in the 18-21yo range, since a major league club like the Sox will have 5-6 years of a promoted prospect at comparatively low wages. The ability to bring up a couple high quality young players to start for cheap(usually at around $400k/year- e.g. Jed Lowrie, Daniel Bard, Clay Buchholz) allows the club to splash out for a big signing(e.g. the monster contract of 7 years/$154 mil for Adrian Gonzalez, one of the best hitters in the game) or two each season to hopefully win the championship. Another thing is that Boston has been one of the organizations most willing to take a shot on prospects from independent minor leagues and have found some decent players. Perhaps the closest analogy would be a Premier League team being able to effectively scout non-League football and pick out a player who, after a year or two in the reserves, turns into a solid squad player who can fill a specific role or at least provide depth- and do so for low wages.Before the takeover, Boston's farm system was almost always in the bottom third of Major League Baseball teams. Since then, we've almost always been in the top third. If John Henry and FSG stay true to form, there will probably be significant investment in the academy, and a greatly expanded scouting network in South America and Asia.ReplyDeletejdpapa3May 29, 2011 at 7:44 AMReally appreciate the effort and the extent that you go to in responding to post-article requests. You are great at breaking down otherwise complicated accountant speak into easily readable paragraphs.ReplyDeleteChukwudiJune 1, 2011 at 7:40 AMExcellent article! Intelligent contributions from The Swiss Ramble & Zonal Marking amongst others shame many journalists/experts who make a living in the national press. Great detail, effort, expertise and warmth has been put into this.I've read a few articles before and I'm amazed! I'm sure other fans will wait their turn for the inspecting eyes of the Swiss Ramble to gaze upon their club but the wait is worth it!ReplyDeleteAnonymousJune 3, 2011 at 8:03 PM"the value of the New York Yankees’ official cable network is three times as high as the club itself."...because NY Cable TV companies lost a court case and have a) carry the channel and b) to pay Yankee TV (or whatever it is called) $1 or so for every subscriber they have (even only those on the basic package)!ReplyDeleteAnonymousJuly 5, 2011 at 8:22 PMNot sure if you heard about this but apparently Mr. Henry enjoys your blog!"Consistently remarkable, excellent analyses on the business of football" was what he tweeted (5 July 2011)Excellent article and easy enough reading even for those of us that are not totally up to date with topics like accountancy!Was a pleasure reading such a well constructed article on a very interesting subject.All the Best Swiss!ReplyDeleteLiverpooJuly 5, 2011 at 8:25 PMYou'll Never Walk AloneReplyDeleteREDKUZJuly 5, 2011 at 8:50 PMEVERY LIVERPOOL SUPPORTER SHOULD TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN THIS ARTICLE IT CLEARLY SHOWS HOW BADLY THE CLUB WAS BEING RUN,BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY SHOWS THE BLUEPRINT OF OUR FUTURE WHICH I THINK IS BRIGHT,THANK GOD WEVE GOT KENNY ON BOARD REINSTATING THE OLD VALUES AND NEW OWNERS WHO WANT TO TAKE US BACK TO THE GLORY DAYS....JFT96 YNWAReplyDeleteAnonymousJuly 5, 2011 at 11:13 PMWhat an excellent article. ThanksReplyDeleteAnonymousJuly 9, 2011 at 1:03 AMYeah, was going to mention that the tweet by Henry brought me onto this blog.. I read your Palermo and RM blogs first and they were excellent! Then I did a search for my club Liverpool and was very happy to find an article on our new owners..Keep up the good work!ReplyDeleteBrockJuly 20, 2011 at 4:13 AMWow. Loved this article and have been slowly reading some of the others. Thanks to the author for taking the time to do such impressive research and analysis.Keep up the great work.ReplyDeleteAdd commentLoad more... Arsenal's Transfer Budget Udinese Selling Their Way To The Top Lille's French Revolution

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