tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29693257754859284302024-03-06T12:01:59.459-08:00Sports Newssportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.comBlogger1275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-76253110220380336742011-08-18T23:22:00.000-07:002011-08-18T23:25:53.924-07:00Top 10 Running Backs of All-Time<h2 class="subtitle">These RBs are the greatest to ever set foot on the field</h2> <div class="byline">by Mike Olson</div> <div class="content KonaBody"> <p><strong>10. Earl Campbell</strong></p> <p align="center"><img style="width: 398px; height: 297px;" src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/earl.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>The 1978 Rookie of the Year and MVP, Oilers star Earl Campbell punished defenses in his short career, earning Offensive Player of the Year honors in three consecutive seasons. Campbell topped 1,300 yards and double-digit touchdowns in five of his first six seasons thanks to a vicious running style that saw him run directly into the teeth of defenses—frequently. (He set a record with 373 carries in one season.) Unfortunately, Campbell paid a price for that bruising mentality, putting up just five healthy seasons in the NFL. </p> <p><strong>9. LaDainian Tomlinson </strong></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/lt.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>Today he’s a change-of-pace back for the Jets who’s grooming a successor and chipping in the occasional goal-line carry. But it wasn’t long ago that LT was the premiere running back in the game, scanning the field in his trademark visor and dissecting his opponents for nine straight double-digit touchdown seasons to open his career. He’s also the owner of one of the most dominant seasons in history, when he crushed the single-season record with 31 TDs and 186 total points in 2006. (Listen closely and you can still hear his fantasy owners bragging about it.)</p> <p><strong>8. Eric Dickerson</strong></p> <p align="center"><img style="width: 401px; height: 272px;" src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/dickerson.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>It can be hard to take him seriously when you see that Jheri curl, but Dickerson scampered for 13,259 yards in his 11-year career, leading the league in rushing three times and becoming the first halfback to gain 1,000 yards in seven straight seasons. A thoroughbred in the open field—albeit one in goofy goggles—Dickerson still owns the single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards, set in 1984. And the three-time Pro Bowler also came up big in the post-season, with a record 248 rushing yards in one 1986 game against the Cowboys in which he broke off TD runs of 55 and 40 yards.</p> <p><strong>7. Gale Sayers</strong></p> <p align="center"><img style="width: 401px; height: 345px;" src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/gale.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>The Kansas Comet put up giant numbers in an injury-shortened, 68-game career. Sayers started off with a bang, scoring 22 touchdowns in his rookie season and crossing the goal line six times in one December game, a record that still stands and a performance that none other than George Halas called “the greatest football exhibition I have ever seen.” Oh, and he’s also the best kickoff returner in NFL history with an unreal 30.56 yard average.
<br /></p><div class="content KonaBody"> <p><strong>6. Marshall Faulk</strong></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/faulk.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>The most important cog of the Rams’ "Greatest Show on Turf," Faulk is, quite simply, the greatest receiving running back of all time. But although he averaged more than 63 catches per season in his NFL career, the seven-time Pro Bowler could also run, tallying seven 1,000-yard seasons. Remember, this is the player who took home the Offensive Player of the Year award in three straight seasons, most memorably in 1999 when he eclipsed 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving.</p> <p><strong>5. O.J. Simpson</strong></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/oj.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>We know it’s hard, but put his post-football, um, hijinks aside and you have a legendary back. Wasted as a kick returner and decoy for his first three seasons in the league, Bills head coach Lou Saban finally turned the Juice loose in 1972. O.J. made the most of it with an explosiveness that helped him shoot through the line of scrimmage and into the open field, where his USC track skills took over. Best remembered for notching 2,003 yards in a 14-game 1973 season, Simpson had an NFL best six 200-yard games in his career, most of them coming for awful teams. (He made the playoffs just once in his career.)</p> <p><strong>4. Emmitt Smith</strong></p> <p align="center"><img style="width: 393px; height: 418px;" src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/emmitt.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>When you think of Emmitt Smith, it’s hard not to picture the over-the-hill back with gray in his goatee and a grinding desire to take over the rushing record. It finally happened on October 27, 2002 as a Cardinal, but the eight-time Pro Bowler was the heart and soul of a Cowboys team that won three Super Bowls, including in 1993 when Smith became the only player ever to win a rushing crown, MVP, Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP in the same season. Yet, even though he’s the owner of a record 18,355 career rushing yards, your girlfriend probably still knows him best as a one-time <em>Dancing With the Stars</em> champ.</p><div class="content KonaBody"> <p><strong>3. Walter Payton</strong></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/walter.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>You may picture Payton as an elusive back with a killer stutter step, but remember, the nickname Sweetness came from his personality off the field. On the gridiron, Payton was a bruising runner—a perfect fit for a blue-collar team and city—who liked to mow over defenders, refused to run out of bounds and essentially invented the stiff arm. Payton, who missed just one game in his career and logged 300-plus carries 10 times, retired as the leading rusher in NFL history (much of it with no offensive line) and was named to both the NFL’s 1970's and 1980’s All-Decade teams.</p> <p><strong>2. Barry Sanders</strong></p> <p align="center"><img style="width: 399px; height: 369px;" src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/sanders_0.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>The elusive Barry Sanders was just 1,457 yards shy of Walter Payton’s rushing record when he hung up his cleats. If he hadn’t, there’s no way Emmitt Smith tops the record books. The owner of four rushing titles, Sanders was the first running back to notch five 1,500-yard seasons (four of them in a row) and even went two entire seasons (’91, ’94) without a fumble. Short and stocky, Sanders was custom-built for the artificial turf of the Silverdome, able to make quick cuts and turn losses into huge gains. Of course, some stayed losses. Sanders lost 1,114 yards in his career trying to turn small plays into home runs. </p> <p><strong>1. Jim Brown</strong></p> <p align="center"><img style="width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="http://www.mensfitness.com/sites/mensfitness.com/files/webform/jim-brown.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p>More of a fullback who played halfback, this eight-time All-Pro and three-time MVP never missed a game in his NFL career—though he did cut it short to go into acting. The enormous Brown could just as easily run over defenders as around them, with a scary combination of size and speed that helped him lead the league in rushing in all but one season of his career and rush for over 1,000 yards seven times (he fell short by four yards once)—in seasons that lasted just 12 or 14 games. Brown averaged more than one TD per game in his career, and averaged 5.2 yards per carry, the highest in NFL history.</p><p><a href="http://www.mensfitness.com/sports/mf-coach/top-tens/top-10-running-backs-of-all-time">Original here</a>
<br /></p> </div> </div> </div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-13701801113374312902011-07-11T01:25:00.000-07:002011-07-11T01:27:18.846-07:00U.S. Women Likely To Wear 'Black Widow' Uniforms Against Brazil<div id="storybyline" class="storylocation"> <div class="bucketwrap byline" id="res137710813"> <p class="byline">by <a href="http://www.npr.org/people/14562108/bill-chappell"><span>Bill Chappell</span></a></p> </div> </div> <div id="res137711964" class="bucketwrap photo462"><div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/07/08/black_unis.jpg?t=1310159019&s=3" class="img462 enlarge" title="A Good Luck Charm? The U.S. women's team is undefeated when wearing all black since the uniforms were introduced on May 14. In that game against Japan, Ali Krieger battled for control of the ball." alt="A Good Luck Charm? The U.S. women's team is undefeated when wearing all black since the uniforms were introduced on May 14. In that game against Japan, Ali Krieger battled for control of the ball." /> </div><div class="captionwrap enlarge"> <a class="enlargeicon" alt="Enlarge" title="Enlarge Image"><span>Enlarge</span></a> <span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Jamie Sabau</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Getty Images</span></span> <p><strong>A Good Luck Charm?</strong> The U.S. women's team is undefeated when wearing all black since the uniforms were introduced on May 14. In that game against Japan, Ali Krieger battled for control of the ball.</p> </div> </div> <p>The U.S. women's soccer team will be looking for a spark when they play Brazil Sunday in an elimination match of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. One source of inspiration could be their new all-black uniforms, which the U.S. team reportedly plans to wear for the first time in Germany.</p> <p>The all-black uniforms (or "kit," as we call it in the global-inflected world language of international soccer... or, um, football), might help the U.S. women rise to the occasion and defeat Brazil, thus proving that they're more mature and focused than the squad that lost its first-ever group stage match against Sweden and squandered a chance to win Group C.</p> <p>Described by Nike as evoking a Black Widow spider, the black kit will give U.S. spectators something more to talk about besides the Americans' chances against Brazil and its five-time FIFA player of the year, Marta.</p> <p>The uniforms have been a hot topic. During the U.S. opener against North Korea, a soccer fan here at NPR shot me a note with some of her thoughts about the exciting match (somewhat superfluously, actually; I heard her yelling from down the hall).</p> <p>Then she added, "I hate to be a girl...but the uniforms? Really? As soon as anyone starts paying attention, they will start complaining about the uniforms. They look so silly."</p> <p>It turns out that someone had been paying attention, and complaining, already. In April, Jennifer Doyle wrote on her <a href="http://fromaleftwing.blogspot.com/2011/04/us-soccer-fans-actually-you-are-quite.html">From A Left Wing</a> blog that "This is quite simply the ugliest women's football jersey I have ever seen."</p> <p>Another NPR soccer fan said, "I agree that the U.S. uniforms are tragic (though Canada's poncho-esque kits are a close second)."</p> <p>So, I asked Nike media relations manager Tim Yu about the U.S. team's uniforms. And like with most sportswear, it turns out that they're the result of lots of thinking about function and style.</p> <p>"The kits are made of a new recycled polyester DriFit yarn that is designed to keep players cooler and more comfortable," Yu says — a possibly huge advantage in the heat and humidity that marked many of the early matches in Germany.</p> <p>The jerseys are made of, essentially, recycled bottles. In an email, Yu said that "each jersey contains around 8 plastic bottles."</p> <p>Nike says that DriFit is 15 percent lighter than the previous sports fabric, which makes it sound something like the Michelob Ultra of the uniform world.</p> <p>That all sounds fine. But here's where we get to the part that makes some fans, and fashion observers, uneasy. "The kit is designed specifically for the female athlete, to enhance the range of motion and create a uniquely feminine silhouette," Nike said back in the spring, when it (and U.S. Soccer) announced the national team's new uniforms.</p> <p>So far, so good. I've heard from other sources that the U.S. players had some input in the design, and it's understandable that they'd want a kit that's designed for their bodies and does a good job of managing heat.</p> <p>But then, it seems, fans and fashionistas go a little nuts when it comes to this next part. "Capped sleeves and a high neckline with v-neck piping were added to create a striking aesthetic," in Nike's view.</p> <p>It's unclear how contagious that view is. Several onlookers, Doyle included, have unfavorably compared the team's white "home" kit to a nurse's outfit. There seems to be less outcry against the black "away" uniform, which features "a black bodice and red piping inspired by the beautiful but deadly Black Widow spider," Nike says.</p> <p>Of course, there may be less outcry just because the black kit has been worn in fewer games. But <a href="http://simplyfutbol.com/2011/06/product-review-2011-us-womens-soccer-jersey/">at least one reviewer</a> fell in love with it.</p> <p>For anyone wondering if the U.S. will be playing in the full sun when they're wearing black Sunday: It'll be 5:30 p.m. in Germany when the U.S. plays Brazil. That's 11:30 a.m. ET. I might not know all there is to know about fashion, but wouldn't the 8:30 p.m. (local time) game against Sweden have been the time to break out the formal gear?</p> <p>Whether they love or hate the new uniforms, there's some good news for U.S. fans hoping the team advances to the semifinals: So far, the Americans are undefeated when they wear the Black Widow unis. The last time the U.S. wore the black kit was in June, when it beat Mexico, 1-0. The all-black look was introduced in a 2-0 win over Japan in May.</p> <p>Still, the U.S. women could be forgiven for hoping history plays only a small role in Sunday's match. Because in the 2007 Women's World Cup, the Brazilians handed them their worst-ever loss, 4-0.</p> <p>If the U.S. women win Sunday and you decide you just have to have a uniform for yourself, they're being sold through the <a href="http://www.ussoccerstore.com/categories-jerseys-womens.html">U.S. Soccer store</a>. A full kit, including socks, will run you $122.37 before tax. A jersey by itself — white or black — costs $71.99. If that seems steep, you have our apologies for passing along the info that they're made from recycled plastic bottles.</p><div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/07/08/white_jerseys.jpg?t=1310161745&s=3" class="img462 enlarge" title="U.S. players, in white, line up for a corner kick against Colombia in a group stage game of the 2011 Women's World Cup. The white jerseys have been criticized as resembling a nurse's uniform." alt="U.S. players, in white, line up for a corner kick against Colombia in a group stage game of the 2011 Women's World Cup. The white jerseys have been criticized as resembling a nurse's uniform." /> </div><div class="captionwrap enlarge"> <a class="enlargeicon" alt="Enlarge" title="Enlarge Image"><span>Enlarge</span></a> <span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Alex Grimm</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Getty Images</span></span> <p>U.S. players, in white, line up for a corner kick against Colombia in a group stage game of the 2011 Women's World Cup. The white jerseys have been criticized as resembling a nurse's uniform.</p><p><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/07/08/137710811/u-s-women-likely-to-wear-black-widow-uniforms-against-brazil">Original here</a><br /></p> </div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-43787499143234424442011-07-11T01:20:00.000-07:002011-07-11T01:24:18.780-07:00City line-up £55m splurge on Eto'o and Aguero as Tevez edges closer to the exitBy <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Simon+Jones" class="author" rel="nofollow">Simon Jones</a> and <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Sportsmail+Reporter" class="author" rel="nofollow">Sportsmail Reporter</a><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Manchester City are ready to flex their muscles in the summer transfer window with a sensational £55million double swoop for Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o and Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">City had opened tentative discussions with Inter over a possible swap involving Carlos Tevez and Eto'o last month but that was abandoned as figures, including the wage demands of the Cameroon striker, got too high.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">However the latest step in the long-running saga involves an £18m transfer fee which is completely independent of Tevez, and Eto'o is keen to talk.<br /></span></p><div class="clear"> </div><div class="artSplitter"> <div class="splitLeft"> <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-2012771-0CD4824100000578-583_306x423.jpg" alt="Summer splurge: Sergio Aguero and Samuel Eto'o could be next through the Etihad Stadium entrance" class="blkBorder" height="423" width="306" /> </div> <div class="splitRight"> <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-2012771-0CEE1EBC00000578-10_306x423.jpg" alt="Summer splurge: Sergio Aguero and Samuel Eto'o could be next through the Etihad Stadium entrance" class="blkBorder" height="423" width="306" /> </div> <div class="clear"> </div> <p class="imageCaption">Summer splurge: Sergio Aguero and Samuel Eto'o could be next through the Etihad Stadium entrance</p></div><div class="clear"> </div><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The two-time Champions League winner hopes to secure one final big contract before his stock begins to drop as he gets older, and was unimpressed when he held discussions with Inter president Massimo Moratti about improving his current deal. He wants a further two years with a salary to match City's offer.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Eastlands outfit are wary having been in a similar position before when Eto'o left Barcelona, but have been assured he is more serious about the move this time.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Eto'o scored 21 goals in Serie A last season for a struggling Inter outfit and having won all that there is to in Spain and Italy, he would welcome a new challenge.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Last month, he said: 'It is true that I have a few offers, I have a month off now to evaluate all of them and decide what to do. I’m 30, I’m close to my final big contract and we’ll have to see whether I should stay or go.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'My eventual departure is not to try to earn 100,000 or 200,000 euros more. What matters in my career is being happy in a city, playing for a big club where I can enjoy myself.'<br /></span></p><div class="clear"> </div><div class="artSplitter"><div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 399px; height: 266px;" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-2012771-0CEAFB6800000578-493_634x424.jpg" alt="Flying high: City secured a a stunning £400m deal involving the naming rights of their stadium and their shirt sponsor" class="blkBorder" /> </div><p class="imageCaption">Flying high: City secured a a stunning £400m deal involving the naming rights of their stadium and their shirt sponsor</p> </div><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The transfers will be the first major piece of business for the club following the announcement they were set for a £400m windfall from selling the naming rights to their stadium and extending a shirt sponsorship deal with Etihad.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Meanwhile City's pursuit of Aguero appears more difficult. The club have so far rejected talk they are in for the Argentine, who is also wanted by Real Madrid.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Yet after it emerged Juventus had offered Atletico Madrid £32.5m for Diego Maradona's son-in-law, the Spanish club claimed City had already bid £4.5m more. That in turn has forced Juve to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements and they are now expected to challenge Tottenham for the signature of Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Aguero is seen as a natural replacement for Tevez although City still want £50m for their Argentinian talisman.<br /></span></p><div class="clear"> </div><div class="artSplitter"><div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 399px; height: 238px;" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-2012771-0CB7FCF100000578-278_634x379.jpg" alt="Out with the old: Aguero is seen as a direct replacement for international team-mate Tevez who wants out of City" class="blkBorder" /> </div><p class="imageCaption">Out with the old: Aguero is seen as a direct replacement for international team-mate Tevez who wants out of City</p> </div><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Tevez rocked City in June by demanding he be allowed to end his stay for the sake of his family.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Tevez, who was City's top-scorer last season as they qualified for the Champions League for the first time, issued a statement to <span style="font-style: italic;">Sportsmail </span>explaining his wish to leave the club.<br /></span></p><div class="floatRHS"> <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-2012771-0CDDD61B00000578-345_306x423.jpg" alt="Family man: Tevez wants to move to a club where is family would be settled" class="blkBorder" height="423" width="306" /> <p class="imageCaption">Family man: Tevez wants to move to a club where is family would be settled</p></div> <p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It said: 'It is with great regret that I have to inform Manchester City of my wish to leave the club. I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheik Mansoor, who has been nothing other than respectful to me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters, Katie and Florencia. I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt. Being captain of Manchester City, qualifying for the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and finishing as top-scorer last season has made me very proud.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch and that my dedication to the city cause has been 100 per cent on the pitch.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I hope I have done my bit t</span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">o help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League. I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future.'</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Another player who could be heading through the Etihad Stadium's entrance is Samir Nasri. Reports late on Thursday suggested City and Arsenal had reached a deal that would see the Frenchman follow Gael Clichy to the club for a fee of £23m.</span></p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2012771/Manchester-City-want-Samuel-Etoo-Sergio-Aguero-55m.html">Original here</a>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-13432266910325826002009-12-20T03:48:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:51:25.815-08:00Olympics: 10 signature moments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANZ2eSd0NvwtPKn6coijFfvVSgzzits8tfaMZVH6hbYj7MSdsGcxrCLuaf909ZszPce53UyHhf_nJWtby0sP7LJHVz4k3XX1dpsxr4JikrXKjr7zayI1JWBTznf25FAtrGodnEdSdIaMg/s1600-h/michael-phelps-touch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANZ2eSd0NvwtPKn6coijFfvVSgzzits8tfaMZVH6hbYj7MSdsGcxrCLuaf909ZszPce53UyHhf_nJWtby0sP7LJHVz4k3XX1dpsxr4JikrXKjr7zayI1JWBTznf25FAtrGodnEdSdIaMg/s400/michael-phelps-touch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417284317405993570" border="0" /></a>Golden touch: Michael Phelps (left) edged Milorad Cavic in an unforgettable race.<div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /><p><b>1. Michael Phelps' photo-finish victory over Milorad Cavic in the 100-meter butterfly at the Beijing Olympics (Aug. 16, 2008)</b><br /><br />Every Phelps swim in the Water Cube was impressive, but this one was a stunning sleight-of-hands trick. Several meters from the finish, Cavic, who'd dominated the race, was still ahead. But with <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0808/oly.phelps.sequence/content.1.html" target="new">one last, fast, half-stroke</a>, Phelps touched the wall first by .01 of a second, equaled <b>Mark Spitz</b>'s total of seven golds in one Games and all but guaranteed that he would win a record eighth (as he did in a relay the next day). With its Phelpsian brilliance, high-tech suits and upstart challenger (Cavic, swimming for Serbia, symbolized a new wave of medalists from smaller countries), the race conjoined three of the biggest Olympic stories of the era.</p> <p><b>2. The election of Jacques Rogge as IOC president (July 16, 2001)</b><br /><br />The decade's least flamboyant but most influential Olympic figure was an orthopedic surgeon from Belgium who helped restore the scandal-plagued IOC to respectability. Rogge, who at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games stayed in the athletes' village rather than a luxury hotel as a signal of change, dispensed with much of the IOC's royal pomposity, worked to contain mushrooming host-city costs, oversaw the approval of new sports (including golf, rugby, women's boxing and snowboardcross) and welcomed the awarding of the Games to more daring sites such as Beijing and Rio de Janeiro. Even Rogge's critics had to acknowledge that his election saved the IOC from likely calamity: The runner-up in the 2001 balloting was <b>Kim Un Yong</b>, who by mid-decade was imprisoned in his native South Korea for embezzlement and bribery.</p> <p><b>3. Marion Jones' tearful apology on the steps of the federal courthouse in White Plains, N.Y. (Oct. 5, 2007)</b><br /><br />No Olympic champion -- not <b>Jim Thorpe</b>, not <b>Ben Johnson</b> -- ever fell farther than the world's greatest female athlete, who won five track and field medals (three gold) at the 2000 Sydney Games but eight years later was disgraced, bankrupt, medal-less and in jail. The poster girl of the steroid decade had bad luck with men (her husband, her boyfriend and her coach all were embroiled in performance-enhancing drug scandals), but she was responsible for her own downfall. By the time she owned up to her steroid use, she had lied to prosecutors about it and about her role in a check-fraud scam; she eventually served almost six months in prison in Texas. Jones' courthouse speech about her "wrong choices and bad decisions" doesn't rank with sports' great orations, but it belongs on any collection of significant Olympic moments.</p> <p><b>4. Usain Bolt's 100-meter victory in Beijing (Aug. 16, 2008)</b><br /><br />His win in the 200 might have been a greater athletic feat -- he took down <b>Michael Johnson</b>'s daunting world record of 19.32 seconds -- but the 100 came first and was a mind-bender. After pulling away from the field like a thoroughbred racing draft horses, Bolt glanced back 15 meters from the finish, saw no one, eased up, put his arms out like airplane wings, pounded his chest ... and still destroyed the world record. And then celebrated his way around the track. His mark of 9.69 seconds didn't last a year (he chopped it to an insane 9.58 at the 2009 worlds), but memories of his domination and exuberance will not soon fade.</p> <p><b>5. The U.S. basketball loss to Argentina in the semifinals of the 2004 Athens Games (Aug. 27, 2004)</b></p> <p>The poor-shooting Bad-Dream Team, led by <b>Tim Duncan</b> and <b>Allen Iverson</b>, had already suffered the first two Olympic defeats in the history of American men's basketball, 92-73 to Puerto Rico and 94-90 to Lithuania. But if those could be explained away (delusionally) as freak losses in early rounds by a team that hadn't hit its stride, the 89-81 semifinal defeat spoke with finality: The world had, once and for all, caught up. Recognizing the need to change, the U.S. revamped its selection system, picked a team tailored to the international game and gave the squad more time to play together. In Beijing the U.S. Redeem Team lived up to its name -- but basketball gold will never again come easily.</p> <p><b>6. The dubious scoring of the pairs competition by French figure-skating judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne in Salt Lake City (Feb. 11, 2002)</b></p> <p>By giving Russians <b>Yelena Berezhnaya</b> and <b>Anton Sikharulidze</b> higher marks than Canadians <b>Jamie Sale</b> and <b>David Pelletier</b>, who had the superior performance, Le Gougne ensured that the Russian duo would win the gold medal. In the uproar that followed, Le Gougne said she'd been pressured to vote for the Russians, allegedly as part of a deal under which French and Russian judges would help the other country's skaters win medals (an allegation that was never proved). End result: The awarding of a second set of golds, to the Canadian pair; the suspension of Le Gougne and the head of the French skating federation for three years; and a new system of scoring in figure skating that dramatically changed the sport but, alas, doesn't preclude another judging scandal.</p> <p><b>7. Cathy Freeman wins the 400 meters in Sydney (Sept. 25, 2000)</b></p> <p>At the confluence of history and sport and theater flowed a woman of Aboriginal descent, running free in the Olympic Stadium, uniting a nation, defining a new era. To the roar of more than 110,000 countrymen, Freeman strode gracefully through the night air in a hooded track suit, veiled yet unmistakable. The Aussies' high-spirited, Good-On-Ya Games had one of the happiest vibes of any Olympics, but Freeman's victory was not merely uplifting -- it was also profoundly moving. In a stadium where she had already lit the cauldron, Freeman kindled a flame that would burn long beyond the 17 days of competition.</p> <table class="cnnInlineRight" style="width: 298px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div class="cnnInlineContent"> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div class="cnnInlineT1Image"><img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/magazine/specials/2000s/12/07/olympics.moments/liu-xiang-decade3.jpg" alt="liu-xiang-decade3.jpg" border="0" height="191" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="298" /> </div><div class="cnnInlineT1Caption">Liu Xiang set a world record in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2004 Athens Games.</div><div class="cnnInlineT1Credit">Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images</div><!--endclickprintexclude--> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>8. Liu Xiang's victory in the 110-meter hurdles in Athens (Aug. 27, 2004)</b></p> <p>An unexpected win in world-record time not only made Liu China's first track-and-field gold medalist, but also transformed the willowy 21-year-old from Shanghai into the face of the Beijing Games four years hence. Beyond that, it declared the arrival of the next great Olympic power, a reality confirmed by China's place atop the gold-medal standings in 2008. Liu didn't share in the glory in Beijing; plagued by a painful right Achilles, he grimaced and limped off the track before his first-round heat, stunning his nation and providing an image as compelling as his triumph in Athens.</p> <p><b>9. Shaun White's halfpipe gold medal at the Turin Games (Feb. 12, 2006)</b> </p> <p>An underplayed story of the decade was the emergence of the U.S. as a Winter Olympics force. Having won no more than 13 medals at any previous Winter Games, the U.S. claimed 34 as the home team in Salt Lake City and 25 more in Turin. The breakthrough was driven by the addition of two decades' worth of new sports, from short-track speedskating to skeleton to snowboarding, in which White was a global star even before he dominated the final in Italy. The Flying Tomato's victory elevated 'boarding's place in the Olympic realm and, more significant, conferred on the Games a new sense of coolness.</p> <p><b>10. Eric (the Eel) Moussambani's comically slow 100-meter freestyle in Sydney (Sept. 19, 2000)</b></p> <p>The swimmer from Equatorial Guinea needed nearly two minutes -- and quite nearly a life preserver -- to finish a full lap, perhaps not surprising given that he'd taken up the sport only eight months earlier and had never seen a 50-meter pool before arriving in Australia. Yet though his performance and good nature made him a cult hero, his legacy could be less cheerful: His embarrassingly slow time caused officials to tighten qualifying standards in a number of sports, including swimming, reducing the likelihood that we'll ever see another quite like him.</p><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/2000s/12/07/olympics.moments/index.html?eref=sihp">Original here</a><br /></div><br /></div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-20687195058351622952009-12-20T03:39:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:48:22.775-08:00Bob Knight takes shot at Calipari, says integrity is lacking<div class="image_marker_right"><div style="width: 254px;" class="article_body_image_border article_body_image_border_right"><div class="article_body_image"><img src="http://www.sportingnews.com/images/162497/article.jpeg" alt="Former Indiana coach Bob Knight said integrity is lacking in college basketball." title="Former Indiana coach Bob Knight said integrity is lacking in college basketball." /></div><div class="article_body_caption">Former Indiana coach Bob Knight said integrity is lacking in college basketball.<br /><br /><p>INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Knight said integrity is lacking in college basketball and cited Kentucky coach John Calipari as an example.</p> <p>During a fundraiser for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Knight said he doesn't understand why Calipari is still coaching.</p> <p>"We've gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that's why I'm glad I'm not coaching," he said. "You see we've got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he's still coaching. I really don't understand that."</p> <p>Massachusetts and Memphis were both sanctioned by the NCAA for violations committed during Calipari's tenure.</p> <p>Knight, who won a record 902 games as coach of Army, Indiana and Texas Tech, did not elaborate or take questions from reporters.</p><p>Copyright 2009 Associated Press.</p><br /></div></div></div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-9073413253866995792009-10-04T10:31:00.000-07:002009-10-04T10:32:55.573-07:00What’s in a Nickname? The Origins of All 30 NHL Team Names<span class="posted_by">by <span class="author"><a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/author/scott/" title="Posts by Scott Allen">Scott Allen</a><br /><br /></span></span><p><em>Ever wonder what a Canuck is? How about a Blue Jacket? With the NHL season kicking off this week, here’s a breakdown of how the league’s 30 teams got their names.</em> </p> <p><strong>1. New York Rangers</strong><br />In 1925, the New York Americans joined the National Hockey League and played their home games at the old Madison Square Garden. Tex Rickard, the boxing promoter and ex-gold prospector who built and owned the arena, decided he wanted his own NHL team, which he was awarded in 1926. Rickard’s team was immediately dubbed “Tex’s Rangers” as a pun referencing the paramilitary force founded in Texas during the 1830s. The Americans folded in 1943, while Tex’s Rangers remain.</p> <p><img src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/puddy-devils.jpg" alt="puddy-devils" title="puddy-devils" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36115" width="250" /><strong>2. New Jersey Devils</strong><br />Given that New Jersey has never been known for its mountains, the team needed a new nickname after the Colorado Rockies relocated to the Garden State in 1982. The New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority sponsored a statewide newspaper contest to determine the new nickname and some of the other finalists included Americans, Blades, Coastals, Colonials, Gulls, Jaguars, Meadowlanders, and Meadowlarks. While some fans objected to the winning selection on religious grounds – one threatened the life of a reporter who was covering the search – the Devil has an entirely non-religious folk history in New Jersey. According to legend, a harmless creature known as the Leeds Devil, or the Jersey Devil, roamed the Pine Barrens in the southern part of the state from 1887 until 1938.</p> <p><strong>3. New York Islanders</strong><br /><span id="more-36114"></span>When New York’s expansion Major League Baseball franchise held a name-the-team contest in 1961, Islanders finished third behind Mets and Empires. Eleven years later, Islanders was selected as the nickname for New York’s new hockey team, which plays its home games on Long Island.</p> <p><strong>4. Philadelphia Flyers</strong><br />The team sponsored a name-the-team contest after Ed Snider, then-vice president of the Philadelphia Eagles, brought hockey back to the City of Brotherly Love in 1966. Snider’s sister, Phyllis, reportedly suggested the name Flyers, which sounds good when paired with Philadelphia but doesn’t have any real meaning. </p> <p><img src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Lemieux_rookie.jpg" alt="Lemieux_rookie" title="Lemieux_rookie" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36123" width="150" /><strong>5. Pittsburgh Penguins</strong><br />The <em>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</em> sponsored a name-the-team contest, but Carol McGregor, the wife of one of the franchise’s part owners, Jack McGregor, was the one responsible for the nickname. In his book, <em>Pittsburgh Penguins: The Official History of the First 30 Years</em>, Bob Grove describes how Carol McGregor came up with the name. “I was thinking of something with a P. And I said to Jack, ‘What do they call the Civic Arena?’ And he said, ‘The Big Igloo.’ So I thought, ice. . . Pittsburgh. . . Penguins.” More than 700 of the 26,000 contest entries were for Penguins.<br /><br /><strong>6. Boston Bruins</strong><br />When grocery store tycoon Charles Adams brought a team to Boston, he hired former hockey great Art Ross to serve as his general manager. Adams tasked Ross with coming up with a nickname, with one of the requirements being that the team’s colors would be the same as his grocery store chain – brown and yellow. Ross decided on Bruins. </p> <p><strong>7. Buffalo Sabres</strong><br />When Buffalo entered the league in 1970, owners Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox wanted the nickname for their new team to be unique. The brothers sponsored a name-the-team contest and decided on Sabres, with a buffalo featured prominently in the team’s logo.</p> <p><strong>8. Montreal Canadiens</strong><br />In 1909, John Ambrose O’Brien created the Club de Hockey Canadien. Ambrose wanted his team, a charter member of the National Hockey Association, to appeal to Montreal’s francophone population and he hoped to drum up a rivalry with the city’s established team, the Wanderers. The Canadiens are often referred to as “The Habs” or “Les Habs,” an abbreviation of “Les Habitants,” the name for the early settlers of New France. </p> <p><strong>9. Ottawa Senators</strong><br />The original Ottawa Senators, founded in 1883, won 11 Stanley Cups. When an NHL team returned to Ottawa in 1992 after a nearly 60-year hiatus, the nickname, a reference to Ottawa’s status as Canada’s capital city, was an obvious choice.</p> <p><strong>10. Toronto Maple Leafs</strong><br />Conn Smythe purchased Toronto’s hockey team in 1927 and one of his first orders of business was renaming the team. The franchise that began play as the Arenas in 1917 changed its nickname to St. Patrick’s in 1919 to attract Toronto’s Irish population. Smythe eventually decided on Maple Leafs, for a couple possible reasons. Smythe fought in the Maple Leaf Regiment during World War I, and there was a former Toronto hockey team called the East Maple Leaves.</p> <p><strong>11. Atlanta Thrashers</strong><br />Ted Turner named Atlanta’s 1997 expansion team after the brown thrasher, the state bird of Georgia. </p> <p><strong>12. Carolina Hurricanes</strong><br />After the Hartford Whalers moved to Raleigh in 1997, new owner Peter Karmanos, Jr. named his team after the devastating storms that regularly ravage the region. </p> <p><strong>13. Florida Panthers</strong><br />Had Tampa Bay been awarded a baseball team in the early 90s, they likely would’ve been called the Florida Panthers, a reference to the endangered species of the same name. Instead, the nickname was adopted by Florida’s second NHL team. When Panthers president Bill Torrey revealed the nickname, he told reporters: “A panther, for your information, is the quickest striking of all cats. Hopefully, that’s how we will be on the ice.”</p> <p><strong>14. Tampa Bay Lightning</strong><br />In 1990, a thunderstorm served as inspiration for then-president of the Tampa Bay Hockey Group Phil Esposito’s decision to name his team the Lightning. Esposito said that in addition to being a natural characteristic of the Tampa Bay area, Lightning expressed the fast action of a hockey game.</p> <p><strong>15. Washington Capitals</strong><br />Washington owner Abe Pollin decided on the perfectly apt nickname Capitals after staging a name-the-team contest.</p> <p><img src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/blackhawks.jpg" alt="blackhawks" title="blackhawks" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36121" width="200" /><br /><strong>16. Chicago Blackhawks</strong><br />World War I veteran and coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin was Chicago’s owner when it entered the NHL in 1926. McLaughlin named the team after the 86th Infantry Division in which he served. The “Black Hawk Division” was named after Chief Black Hawk of the Sauk American Indian tribe, who fought the Illinois militia in 1832. The nickname was officially changed from Black Hawks to Blackhawks in 1986. </p> <p><strong>17. Columbus Blue Jackets</strong><br />Blue Jackets was the winning entry in a name-the-team contest. According to the team’s website, the name “celebrates patriotism, pride and the rich Civil War history in the state of Ohio and, more specifically, the city of Columbus.” Ohio contributed more residents to the Union Army than any other state during the Civil War.</p> <p><strong>18. Detroit Red Wings</strong><br />After purchasing the Detroit Falcons in 1932, James Norris renamed the team after the “Winged Wheelers,” the nickname of the Montreal Hockey Club for which he once played. Norris chose a winged wheel as the team’s logo, a nod to Detroit’s growing reputation as the heart of the automobile industry.</p> <p><strong>19. Nashville Predators</strong><br />A vote by the fans helped determine Nashville’s nickname, a reference to the saber-toothed tiger remains that were discovered during an excavation in the city in 1971. </p> <p><strong>20. St. Louis Blues</strong><br />According to the team’s website, owner Sid Saloman Jr. selected the nickname Blues in 1967 after W.C. Handy’s song, “St. Louis Blues.” Mercury and Apollo were two of the other nicknames that were considered. The space capsules bearing those names were built in St. Louis. </p> <p><strong>21. Calgary Flames</strong><br />The Flames played in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980 and their nickname was a reference to the burning of Atlanta by General William T. Sherman during the Civil War. While the team moved, the nickname remained.</p> <p><strong>22. Colorado Avalanche</strong><br />Rockies, the nickname for Colorado’s hockey team that left for New Jersey in 1982, had been adopted by Denver’s baseball team by the time the Quebec Nordiques left Canada for the Front Range in 1995. Management originally wanted to name the team Extreme, but received all sorts of negative feedback, and justifiably so. Avalanche, which eventually beat out Black Bears, Outlaws, Storm, Wranglers, Renegades, Rapids, and Cougars, drew some criticism, as well, given their deadly nature. A member of the marketing group responsible for naming the team replied: “This is the NHL, a rough and tough sport, and Avalanche is something that matches the ‘on the edge’ feel they want to create. Hey, Cougars and Bears kill people, too. People shouldn’t get so excited about Avalanche being a disrespectful name or something. It’s just a name.”</p> <p><img src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/gretzky.jpg" alt="gretzky" title="gretzky" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36117" width="200" /><strong>23. Edmonton Oilers</strong><br />Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, is also the oil capital of Canada. Edmonton began play in 1972 in the World Hockey Association and retained the name Oilers when it joined the NHL in 1979.<br /><br /><strong>24. Minnesota Wild</strong><br />In 1998, Wild was chosen from a field of six finalists, which also included the Blue Ox, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Freeze. (Voyageurs were the working-class employees of fur trading companies in the region during the 1700s.)<br /><br /><strong>25. Vancouver Canucks</strong><br />Johnny Canuck, who originally appeared as a Canadian political cartoon character in 1869, was reinvented as a comic book action hero who fought Adolf Hitler, among other villains, during World War II. Canuck is also slang for Canadian, making Vancouver’s hockey team the Canadian equivalent of the New York Yankees – with a little less money. </p> <p><strong>26. Dallas Stars</strong><br />When the Minnesota North Stars, whose nickname was decided by a fan contest, moved to Texas in 1993, they ditched the “North” and didn’t feel compelled to replace it with “South” or “Lone.”</p> <p><strong>27. Los Angeles Kings</strong><br />The late Jack Kent Cooke, who owned the Los Angeles Lakers and later the Washington Redskins, settled on Kings as the team nickname from entries submitted in a fan contest. The Los Angeles Monarchs played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League during the 1930s and Cooke’s new team adopted the same royal color scheme as the Lakers.</p> <p><img src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mighty-ducks.jpg" alt="mighty-ducks" title="mighty-ducks" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-36122" width="150" /><strong>28. Anaheim Ducks</strong><br />Quack. Quack. Quack! Quack! QUACK! Anaheim joined the NHL in 1993 and its team was known as the Mighty Ducks, after the wildly popular Disney movie and cross-marketing vehicle of the same name. The nickname was changed to Ducks and the logo was changed in 2005 after Disney sold the team.<br /><br /><strong>29. Phoenix Coyotes</strong><br />The Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996 and Coyotes was the winner in a name-the-team contest that attracted more than 10,000 entries. Scorpions was the runner-up.<br /><br /><strong>30. San Jose Sharks</strong><br />Sharks was chosen from 2,300 entries in San Jose’s name-the-team contest. The other finalists included Rubber Puckies, Screaming Squids, Salty Dogs, and Blades. Blades was the most popular entry, but ultimately rejected because of its gang implications. When the nickname was chosen, seven shark species made their home in a stretch of the Pacific Ocean off the California coast called The Red Triangle.</p><p><a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/36114">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-33374809049915988282009-10-04T10:27:00.000-07:002009-10-04T10:30:20.758-07:00One-Handed Basketball Player Gets Division I Scholarship and Takes the Court<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSM0bwbsaxt4XxszYcbAJIDUrreajd0-yTiGM4cQ9qEvZkvDpUA381x_s2zMRl37q6JXnSIP_G0t_5rVDDoSi0Hj_G7jz1U_Phh8V2W9IHt98TC2ooeZrS06zzix_wzgN9zWZ5yjZsvWG0/s1600-h/laue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSM0bwbsaxt4XxszYcbAJIDUrreajd0-yTiGM4cQ9qEvZkvDpUA381x_s2zMRl37q6JXnSIP_G0t_5rVDDoSi0Hj_G7jz1U_Phh8V2W9IHt98TC2ooeZrS06zzix_wzgN9zWZ5yjZsvWG0/s400/laue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388798328226756498" border="0" /></a><br /><p>The 2009-10 <strong>NCAA basketball</strong> season is right around the corner and freshman recruits across the nation are on the verge of stepping onto the college courts for the first time. Many of which are playing under scholarships and fulfilling their dreams. One of those players is doing so in November against more odds than you can imagine. The player, <strong>Kevin Laue, has only one arm</strong>. And no i’m not referring to some sort of ’special’ college league for handicapped players. I’m talking about the NCAA Division I that every player dreams of playing in as they grow up. </p> <p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/one-handed-basketball-player-earns-shot/article1308054/" target="_blank" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker ('/outbound/article/www.theglobeandmail.com');">The Globe and Mail</a> had this to say about Kevin Laue today:</p> <blockquote><p>Kevin Laue isn’t supposed to be here, standing on the court practising for his first season of Division I basketball in the United States.</p> <p>Born without a left hand, the 6-foot-11 centre from Pleasanton, Calif., is now a freshman at Manhattan College, having earned a scholarship to play for the Jaspers and a chance to live out the dream of anyone who has been told they couldn’t play a sport they loved because of a physical defect.</p> <p>When the Jaspers’ season opens Nov. 14, the question will not be whether Mr. Laue can dribble, pass, block, score or rebound, but whether his opponents will underestimate his skills. “It’s to my advantage,” said Mr. Laue, explaining what it’s like to come onto the floor during a game and face his two-handed opponents. “They think they’re going to have an easy game and just whip on some one-handed kid. But I think I’ve surprised a couple people out there.”</p></blockquote> <p>Personally, I can’t wait to see the looks on his opponents faces when he rips a board over them, leaves them hung out to dry in the post, or spots up for a made jump shot right in their face. Check out this <strong>video clip of Laue playing the game</strong> he loves:</p> <p><object data="http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/_35168/uiconf_id/1002330" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="300" width="590"><param name="id" value="kp"><param name="name" value="kp"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"><param name="flashVars" value="entryId=http://s3.amazonaws.com/lazyjock/112498.flv&autoplay=false"><param name="src" value="http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/_35168/uiconf_id/1002330"></object></p> <div><a href="http://www.fandome.com/" title="Sports Videos, News, Blogs" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker ('/outbound/article/www.fandome.com');"><img style="border: medium none ;" src="http://www.fandome.com/img/poweredBy.png" alt="Sports Videos, News, Blogs" /></a></div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-45890396133866005032009-09-16T23:48:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:52:25.369-07:00World Cup 2010: Top 50 World Cup moments<h2><span style="font-size:85%;">Maradona, Pele, Cruyff... Celebrate the greatest moments and greatest players in World Cup history with our definitive list, complete with YouTube clips. </span></h2>By Rory Smith<br /><br /><div style="display: block;" class="ssImg"> <img style="width: 399px; height: 249px;" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01479/moore-pele_1479603c.jpg" alt="Bobby Moore and Pele: Top 50 World Cup moments" /> <div class="imageExtras" style="width: 460px;"> <span class="caption">That tackle, that save: Bobby Moore (left) swaps shirts with Pele after the epic 1970 World Cup encounter between England and Brazil in Guadalajara, Mexico</span> <span class="credit">Photo: AP</span> </div> </div> <div style="display: none;" class="ssImg"> <img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01477/diego_maradona2_1477238c.jpg" alt="World Cup 2010: 50 greatest World Cup moments" height="288" width="460" /> <div class="imageExtras" style="width: 460px;"> <span class="caption">Man of the moment: Diego Maradona's display against England in the 1986 World Cup captured the headlines for both good and bad reasons </span> <span class="credit">Photo: GETTY IMAGES</span> </div> </div> <ul class="storylist"><li>Read <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/worldcup/6157519/England-5-Croatia-1-match-report.html"><strong>a full match report of England's 5-1 defeat of Croatia</strong></a>, the result which sealed their World Cup qualification. </li></ul> <p> <strong>1. Maradona’s two minutes, 1986 </strong> </p> <p> No player has ever dominated a tournament as wholly as Diego Armando Maradona managed in 1986, taking a workmanlike Argentina to their second World Cup title. How he did it is encapsulated in his two goals against England in the quarter finals; the first a masterclass in the art of deception - he cheated - and the second, simply a masterclass. They were the moments that made him an icon. </p><br /><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiYYSradplU&feature=related" target="_blank"><strong>Watch YouTube clip one </strong></a> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiYYSradplU&feature=related"><strong>Watch YouTube clip two</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>2. Pele’s pass, 1970 </strong> </p> <p> In 1966, Brazil, winners of the previous two World Cups, sent a team of cloggers to England and promptly embarrassed themselves. In 1970, they made up for lost time by sending “five number 10s” – Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelino, Gerson and Tostao – and playing some of the best football ever seen. Pele’s pass for Carlos Alberto’s goal in the contemptuous demolition of Italy in the final provided a fitting epitaph for the greatest team ever to grace the finals. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-7frkuK6c&feature=related"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>3. The Goal That Never Was, Maybe, 1966 </strong> </p> <p> Taken from a neutral perspective, the 1966 World Cup final is arguably the best of all 18, featuring a late equaliser to send the game into extra time in a six-goal thriller between two arch-rivals. Geoff Hurst’s second, England’s third, killed off the West German resistance and kick-started a debate that still rages today, and not the one about Hans Tilkowski’s hat. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE-wKAooU20"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>4. Cruyff’s turn, 1974 </strong> </p> <p> There a few tricks employed quite so often on the playground as the Cruyff turn, a devastatingly simple premise barely noted by commentators in the all-singing, all-dancing age of the Premier League. It is, then, testament to Johan Cruyff’s abilities that nobody thought of it until he unveiled it to the world against Sweden, and the hapless Gunnar Olsson, in Germany in 1974. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pTgHDjf_4I&feature=related"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>5. They Think It’s All Over, 1966 </strong> </p> <p> So iconic is Kenneth Wolstenholme’s commentary that his words almost overshadow both Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick goal in a World Cup final and excuse the small-scale pitch invasion that, should it happen in 2018, would be targeted by a Home Office inquiry resulting in banning orders. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wyLvagyApY"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>6. The Miracle of Bern, 1954 </strong> </p> <p> Where England places Kenneth Wolstenholme, Germany puts Herbert Zimmermann, the man whose screams of “tor” provided the soundtrack to a nation’s rebirth. Two goals down to the Hungary of Puskas, Hidegkuti and Kocsis – who had beaten them 8-3 in the group stages – Germany somehow recovered before Helmut Rahn sent Zimmermann into raptures. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0avCtHStIk"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>7. The Wail Heard Around The World, 1950 </strong> </p> <p> It is believed the Maracana held more than 200,000 people for the 1950 final between heavily-fancied hosts Brazil and minnows Uruguay. It was all going to plan for the home fans when Friaca put Brazil, in white, ahead, before Juan Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia turned the world on its head. So upset were the hosts that they forgot to give Uruguay the trophy, the 200,000 sat in “silence too difficult to bear” and the national team refused to ever wear white again. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Rph3ZVKo0"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>8. The night before the morning after, 1974 </strong> </p> <p> Like Hungary in 1954, Holland were clearly the greatest team on the planet as they swashbuckled their way through the tournament in Germany 20 years later. But their plans fell apart when German newspapers published details of a party at the team hotel on the eve of the final against the hosts – legend has it that Johan Cruyff spent all night persuading his wife nothing amiss had gone on – and their campaign did likewise, as Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller cancelled out Johan Neeskens’ early penalty. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsnK_4IWBWc"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>9. Zinedine Zidane’s sister, 2006 </strong> </p> <p> What Zinedine Zidane was to football, Marco Materazzi is to winding up opponents. After a tournament in which he had enjoyed the most glorious of swansongs, the French legend decided to go out in style, giving his side the lead in the World Cup final before, in extra time, responding to one barb too many – reportedly about his sister - with the head-butt seen around the world. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAjWi663kXc"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>10. Welcome to Pele, 1958</strong> </p> <p> Brazil’s World Cup pedigree when they travelled to Sweden in 1958 was comparatively poor; when they left, the idea of samba football had been born, largely thanks to the soundtrack which accompanied them as they trained. But the star of the show was the unknown black 17-year-old who saw off Wales in the quarter-finals, scored a hat-trick in the semis and then announced himself to the world with that goal against the hosts in the final. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1tKmCgF0sE"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>11. The Battle of Santiago, 1962 </strong> </p> <p> David Coleman, moral arbiter of sport, decried this game between Chile and Italy as the “most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game.” Two players were sent off, noses were broken and all manner of chaos broke loose. Everyone watching probably secretly enjoyed it. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOtL1m1o_ok"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>12. Everything Brazil did in Spain, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> Football, by all accounts, only remembers the winners. Eder, Junior, Zico, Falcao and Socrates were not winners – Paolo Rossi put paid to that – but, their countrymen from 1970 aside, no more memorable team has ever played in a World Cup finals. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZxvYy5-ekI&feature=related"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>13. Cry Baby, 1990 </strong> </p> <p> Paul Gascoigne’s tears for his booking in the semi-final of Italia 90 did not simply endear the Geordie schemer to a nation, but laid the ground for the gentrification of football into the sport it has become. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH_Yt0K3tZA"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>14. The wall breaks, 1974 </strong> </p> <p> Zaire did not have much fun at the 1974 tournament, but those watching them did. Faced with the might of Brazil, right-back Ilunga earned his own place in history thanks to his decision to undertake probably the funniest thing ever to happen in Germany. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDXkVGpMpc"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>15. Battiston’s teeth, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> What is truly remarkable about the worst foul ever seen at a World Cup – and possibly in all of football – is that Harald Schumacher was not even booked for what was at least assault on Patrick Battiston. The Frenchman was left unconscious, his front teeth knocked out, needed oxygen on the pitch and, of course, the Germans went on to win. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1sAM4-1LHc"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>16. The thrown game, 1978 </strong> </p> <p> Needing to win by four clear goals to beat Brazil to a place in their own World Cup final, Argentina easily saw off the previously impressive – well, adequate – Peruvians by six, prompting reports the Argentine military junta had fixed the game. That Peru’s goalkeeper, Ramon Quiroga, had been born in Argentina hardly helped matters. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw75FJn6U_8"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>17. USA! USA! 1950 </strong> </p> <p> Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian student drafted into the US side for the 1950 World Cup, only played three games in international football, but his contribution – the goal that beat Walter Winterbottom’s England – produced the biggest upset in the tournament’s history. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYFl6oOad3E"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>18. The ephedrine scream, 1994 </strong> </p> <p> Drug cheats all over the world know the best way to avoid detection is not to draw attention to your altered state of mind. Such a ploy was not for Diego Maradona, not after a wonderful goal against Greece. Had nobody felt the need to test him before his celebration, they probably realised they had better check after it. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbJpVQ3umiE"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>19. Marco, Marco, Marco, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> Paolo Rossi, recently returned from a ban after becoming embroiled in a match-fixing scandal, fired Italy to the World Cup final, but it was Marco Tardelli’s strike which defined their victory. He denies screaming his name repeatedly as he wheeled away, insisting: “It was just a noise, I could not say anything.” </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8vrqAhJ7Wk&NR=1"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>20. Banks’s save, Moore’s tackle, 1970 </strong> </p> <p> The reigning champions’ defeat to their heirs apparent in the heat of Guadalajara was notable for Jeff Astle’s miss, Jairzinho’s goal, Bobby Moore’s tackle on Pele and, of course, Gordon Banks’s remarkable save from the planet’s greatest player, as well as the mutual respect on show after the game. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxczR1DUvWA"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>21. Archie’s Army, 1978 </strong> </p> <p> It may not have been enough to save Ally McLeod’s side from ignominious elimination, but Archie Gemmill’s waltz through the Dutch defence to help Scotland to a 3-2 win at least salvaged some wounded Caledonian pride from the 1978 tournament. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3FvlWyyAKg&feature=related"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>22. Pak Do Ik, 1966 </strong> </p> <p> Along with the USA’s win over England in 1950, North Korea’s elimination of Italy from the tournament 16 years later ranks as the greatest shock ever seen at a finals. It was Pak Do Ik who delivered the hammer blow before Portugal overturned a three goal deficit to send the Communist side home in the quarter finals. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t4tbehxqSM"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>23. East 2-1 West, 1998 </strong> </p> <p> When Iran and the USA were drawn together in the group stages of the 1998 World Cup, it was thought the game would not be allowed to go ahead. But go ahead it did, and goals from Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia gave the Islamic Republic the win against their Great Satan. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsTaSA24Ixo"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>24. The Ronaldo Incident, 1998 </strong> </p> <p> It was the toothy striker’s talent which took Brazil to the second of three consecutive World Cup finals, but it was the controversy over his inclusion which may have cost them the 1998 tournament. He apparently suffered a fit, brought on by stress, but was eventually included in the starting line-up, despite originally being replaced by monkey-baiting forward Edmundo. Amid rumours Nike had forced him to play, Ronaldo looked a shadow of his former self and France romped home. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4DtADd0I_c"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>25. Clive Thomas, 1978 </strong> </p> <p> Some things never change. Players have always dived, managers have always complained and referees have always been possessed of a streak of officious incompetence, best summed up by Clive Thomas’s decision to disallow Zico’s winning goal against Sweden in the 1978 World Cup. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZ2Qfuwc_Q"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>26. Pele’s Dummy, 1970 </strong> </p> <p> The greatest goal never scored, shortly preceded by the best piece of play ever to grace a football field that did not involve touching the ball. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNjY4aPu3Oc"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>27. Kuwait a Minute, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> With his side 3-1 down to the French and hardly likely to launch a comeback, Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah would have been forgiven for accepting Alain Giresse’s controversial fourth as inconsequential. Not a bit of it. He marched his team off the pitch, forced the Soviet referee to cancel the goal and no doubt watched in fury as, minutes later, Maxime Bossis notched a legitimate fourth. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5AuQHurQ8w"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>28. Maradona v Belgium, 1986 </strong> </p> <p> Had the diminutive Argentine not gone on to score that goal against England, his effort to see off a talented Belgian side would probably have gone down in his history as his piece de resistance. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlYYP-QbiGU"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>29. Animals, 1966 </strong> </p> <p> So incensed was Alf Ramsey by the spoiling tactics employed by Argentina – and their captain, Antonio Rattin, in particular – that he refused to allow his players to swap shirts after seeing off their opponents. He did not, though, call the Argentines “animals”, though he probably thought it. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kChRz8jr0tk"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>30. Higuita and Milla, 1990 </strong> </p> <p> The two unlikely stars of the 1990 World Cup. Rene Higuita, the perm-sporting Colombian goalkeeper, and Roger Milla, the all-dancing Cameroonian pensioner who captured the planet’s hearts. Honourable mention, too, to Benjamin Massing and his assault on Claudio Caniggia. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay5G5c3cCA8&feature=PlayList&p=11BBFBCBCC758758&index=0&playnext=1"><strong>Watch YouTube clip one</strong></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px8Wh6TXOSw&feature=PlayList&p=D847CB5B6383C3F0&index=1"><strong>Watch YouTube clip two</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>31. Gerry’s pacemaker, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> Hosts they may have been, but Spain were hardly a side to be feared in 1982. After drawing with Honduras, they lost to Northern Ireland, thanks to Gerry Armstrong’s goal, and only just scraped through. That should not detract, though, from the proudest moment in Northern Irish World Cup history. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1085nzrIeIU"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>32. Owen’s goal, 1998 </strong> </p> <p> An untested, unproven 18 year-old before he raced away from the Argentine defence to give England a 2-1 lead in the second round of France 98, afterwards Michael Owen was a global superstar. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP7-wxb2em4"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>33. Gobbing off, 1990 </strong> </p> <p> Holland against Germany is always a tense affair, especially after the Dutch gained revenge for 1974 in the 1988 European Championships, but spitting is probably the wrong way to relieve the stress. Seeing Frank Rijkaard’s phlegm in Rudi Voller’s curly mullet remains one of the most disturbing scenes ever produced by television. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfpaPIVO69Y"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>34. Diana Ross v Roberto Baggio, 1994 </strong> </p> <p> Had Roberto Baggio converted his spot kick in the 1994 World Cup final and Italy gone on to win, his contribution would have matched that of Maradona in 1986. Diana Ross’s probably would not have, even had she scored. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXjCKwBtG0I"><strong>Watch YouTube clip one</strong></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voT5W9Doa-s"><strong>Watch YouTube clip two</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>35. Silly boy, 1998 </strong> </p> <p> As one of football’s elder statesmen, David Beckham now seems a different person to the one sent off in England’s second-round fixture with Argentina in 1998 for his petulant response to Diego Simeone’s endless baiting. Effigies of the Manchester United player were burned in the streets, and, until his rescue act against Greece in 2001, the golden boy remained tarnished. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlMy7S04qGs"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>36. Dennis Bergkamp’s control, 1998 </strong> </p> <p> Perfect control, a swift turn and a curling finish past Carlos Roa. Dennis Bergkamp’s third goal of France 98 – the strike that made him Holland’s all-time leading scorer – was his international masterpiece. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqvZ1qMUyps"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>37. Bald eagle, 1994 </strong> </p> <p> The reigning champions, Germany, looked a good bet to win a poor tournament until they ran into a Bulgarian side inspired by Hristo Stoitchkov – along with Gheorghe Hagi and Roberto Baggio, the competition’s star – and a bald, journeyman midfielder by the name of Yordan Letchkov. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrjrYgGOlyY"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>38. Cruyff leaves Holland in the mire, 1978 </strong> </p> <p> Johan Neeskens famously observed after losing to hosts Argentina in the 1978 final that “if we had won, we would not have left the stadium alive.” He may have been thankful then that Johan Cruyff, for either political or domestic reasons, refused to travel to South America, leaving the likes of Arie Haan and Robbie Rensenbrink – rated as better than Cruyff by some – to help Holland go close, again. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bw_rKZiOSM"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>39. Sticks and stones, 1930 </strong> </p> <p> It’s a wonder the World Cup ever got off the ground. First the European entrants for the first ever tournament had to travel by the same boat to Uruguay, then fears over violence were so great for the final that the referee demanded a launch be readied in case he needed a quick escape. When the hosts beat Argentina to win the trophy, their consulate in Buenos Aires was attacked by angry mobs. </p> <p> <strong>40. Platt’s volley, 1990 </strong> </p> <p> The moment when England began to believe. Converting Chris Waddle’s chipped free kick with a smart volley in the last minute of extra time, Platt sent Bobby Robson’s side to a quarter final with Cameroon and presented them with their best chance of winning the trophy since 1966. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtqiBAg2biw"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>41. Leonidas, 1938 </strong> </p> <p> The Black Diamond was the undisputed star of the third edition of the competition and the pioneer of the free-running, expansive style which has come to define Brazil in the eyes of the world. Dropped for the semi-final in which Brazil crashed out to Giuseppe Meazza’s Italy, he still finished top scorer. </p> <p> <strong>42. Andres Escobar, 1994 </strong> </p> <p> Pele’s tip to win the World Cup – never a good form guide – Colombia were eliminated in the group stage after Escobar’s own goal handed the hosts a 2-1 win. He was shot dead weeks later in Medellin amid speculation his error had cost the city’s powerful drug barons millions in gambling losses. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUW8wFOytiY&feature=related"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a><strong> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>43. 27 seconds in, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> Captain Marvel Bryan Robson notched his place in World Cup history with the fastest ever goal at the finals – a half-volley against France in their opening game – but even that could not get Ron Greenwood’s side past the second group stage, where they missed out to West Germany. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJio5ZcBLLA"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>44. The minnows in the sun, 1958 </strong> </p> <p> With Scotland inept and England’s hopes decimated by the Munich air disaster, it was Wales and Northern Ireland who bore the brunt of Britain’s hopes. Had it not been for Pele, Wales may have made the semi-finals, while only Just Fontaine’s exploits halted Northern Ireland’s run. </p> <p> <strong>45. Hitler’s bad luck continues, 1938 </strong> </p> <p> Desperate for sporting success to prove Aryan supremacy, the Fuhrer co-opted some of Austria’s wunderteam into his German side for the 1938 tournament, held in France. Two years after the Berlin Olympics, it was Switzerland who filled the role of Jesse Owens, knocking the combined side out in the first round 4-2 after a replay. </p> <p> <strong>46. Fashion with Jorge Campos, 1994 </strong> </p> <p> In his wonderful treatise <i>Football In Sun and Shade</i>, Eduardo Galeano wonders whether goalkeepers wear bright colours in a bid to overcome the isolation of their role. Campos, the colourful Mexican shot-stopper who fancied himself as a striker, must have been lonelier than most. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR7-vN1f7gY"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>47. The Fix, 1982 </strong> </p> <p> With a win for West Germany enough to take both them and near-neighbours Austria through at the expense of Algeria, both sides stopped playing after Horst Hrubesch gave the Germans the lead in the 10th minute. Algeria protested, Fifa turned a blind eye and the greatest fraud in World Cup history was complete. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZR1s5O2SLY"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>48. 'The Fix', 2002 </strong> </p> <p> First Italy, then Spain. Conspiracy theories abounded in southern Europe as South Korea, co-hosts of the 2002 tournament, saw off two major superpowers – thanks to some truly dreadful refereeing decisions – on their way to the semi-finals, where a third proved too much to ask. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vUE2H8kylk"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>49. Cubillas does for Ally’s Army, 1978 </strong> </p> <p> Ah, hubris. Scotland travelled to Argentina on a wave of optimism, their side full of some of the best players in Europe and their song topping the charts. Defeat to Peru, though, scuppered their best ever chance of getting past the group stage. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3D16kwXcaM"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a> </p> <p> <strong>50. The most beautiful goal, 2006 </strong> </p> <p> Italy may have won the tournament, France and Germany may have provided the romance, but Jose Pekerman’s magnificent Argentina, a poetic, balletic side pivoted around Juan Roman Riquelme, were the best team on show in 2006, a fact beautifully demonstrated by Esteban Cambiasso’s 26-pass goal in the 6-0 trouncing of Serbia. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R_iYLca2gc"><strong>Watch YouTube</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/worldcup/6151657/World-Cup-2010-Top-50-World-Cup-moments.html">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-24703581041209343192009-09-16T23:45:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:48:13.389-07:00Briatore out over Renault fix row<table class="storycontent" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><div class="mxb"> </div> <br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="storybody"><div style="text-align: center;"> <!-- S BO --> <!-- Inline Embbeded Media --> <!-- This is the embedded player component --> </div><div class="videoInStoryB"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;" id="emp_8259037" class="emp"> <img style="width: 400px; height: 225px;" name="holdingImage" class="holding" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46362000/jpg/_46362184_piquet512.jpg" alt="Nelson Piquet Jr crashes in Singapore" /> </div> <!-- caption --><p class="caption">Watch Piquet's Singapore crash</p><!-- END - caption --> </div> <!-- end of the embedded player component --> <!-- END of Inline Embedded Media --> <!-- S SF --><p class="first"><b>Flavio Briatore has left his position as boss of the Renault team after they decided not to contest charges of fixing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.</b></p><p>Executive director of engineering Pat Symonds has also left the team. </p><p>Renault were summoned by governing body, the FIA, after Nelson Piquet Jr claimed he had been asked to crash to help team-mate Fernando Alonso's race. </p><p>An FIA spokesperson confirmed a World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris on Monday would go ahead. </p><!-- E SF --><p>Renault have been called to answer charges that they "conspired with Nelson Piquet Jr to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso". </p><p>The hearing will attempt to attribute responsibility for the Singapore "crash-gate" despite the departure of Briatore and Symonds. </p> <!-- S IIMA --> <table border="0" align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="226"> <tbody><tr><td> <div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46387000/jpg/_46387399_flavcredit226.jpg" alt="Flavio Briatore" border="0" height="170" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="226" /> <div class="cap">Briatore has lost his job over the Singapore race-fix charge</div> </div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IIMA --> <p>The FIA could still impose sanctions if Renault are found guilty, including excluding the team from the championship, although that must be considered unlikely given the two people Piquet said were responsible have now left the team. </p><p>When asked for his thoughts on Briatore's demise, Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said: "Well, I feel sorry for him actually. </p><p>"Obviously, I am surprised at what has happened, and I am taken by surprise today that they've decided to walk away." </p><p>Piquet crashed in Singapore two laps after Alonso had come in for a routine pit stop. </p><p>That meant that when race officials sent out the safety car to clear up the debris from Piquet's car, Alonso was alone among the front-runners in not having to stop for fuel and tyres. </p><p>Renault's double world champion went on to take the chequered flag at Formula 1's inaugural night race and claim the team's first victory in two years.</p> <!-- Inline Embbeded Media --> <!-- This is the embedded player component --> <div class="videoInStoryC"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;" id="emp_8260107" class="emp"> <img style="width: 399px; height: 224px;" name="holdingImage" class="holding" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46392000/jpg/_46392004_renault512.jpg" alt="Nelson Piquet Jr crashes out of the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008" /> </div> <!-- caption --><p class="caption">BBC's Andy Swiss reports on case</p><!-- END - caption --> </div> <!-- end of the embedded player component --> <!-- END of Inline Embedded Media --> <p>At the time, Piquet attributed the crash to a simple error, but after being dropped by the team after July's Hungary GP the race-fixing allegations emerged. </p><p>The Brazilian has since testified to the FIA that he was instructed by Briatore and Symonds when and where to crash. </p><p>Renault's response was to accuse the 24-year-old and his father Nelson Piquet of false allegations and blackmail, going as far as saying they would begin legal action against them. </p><p>But on Wednesday the team said in a statement they would "not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix". </p><p>The statement added: "The team also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team." </p><p>BBC pundit and former team boss Eddie Jordan said he was surprised by Renault's announcement but believes it was effectively an admission of guilt.</p> <!-- S IBOX --> <table border="0" align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="231"> <tbody><tr> <td width="5"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" alt="" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="5" /></td> <td class="sib606"> <div class="sihf"> ANDREW BENSON'S BLOG </div> <div> <div class="mva"> <b> <!-- S ILIN --> <a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2009/09/briatore_bows_out_in_unsavoury.html">F1 has long been notorious for its skewed sense of morality, and it appears that may be what has led to this latest scandal</a> <!-- E ILIN --> </b> <br /> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IBOX --> <p>"Suggesting they are not going to contest the allegations is in itself an admission," Jordan told the BBC. </p><p>"I don't know what goes on in teams, and certainly in the Jordan team you would contemplate all sorts of things, but you certainly couldn't contemplate that." </p><p>It remains to be seen whether this latest controversy, and the exit of Briatore and Symonds, will affect Renault's decision to stay in Formula 1. </p><p>Briatore had denied speculation that the French team's future was under threat and the team have signed a new Concorde Agreement to stay in F1 until 2012. </p><p>But this latest controversy, coupled with a decline in cars sales, could yet have repercussions for the staff of around 700, who are are employed at the team's headquarters in Enstone, in Oxfordshire, and Viry-Chatillon in Paris. </p><p>Former grand prix winner John Watson told the BBC: "The fact that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have left the team was the only solution to Renault.</p> <!-- S IIMA --> <table border="0" align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="226"> <tbody><tr><td> <div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46388000/jpg/_46388590_symonds282.jpg" alt="Pat Symonds" border="0" height="282" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="226" /> <div class="cap">Symonds was Michael Schumacher's race engineer in the 1990s</div> </div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IIMA --> <p>"A company on the scale of Renault, a world-scale motor company could not afford to have a scandal of this magnitude rattling around in the boardroom." </p><p>As it is, Renault's statement appears to end the F1 career of two of the sport's best-known protagonists. </p><p>Briatore became Benetton team principal in 1988 and when Renault bought Benetton in 2000 to run under its own moniker, the 59-year-old Italian was chosen to lead the team. </p><p>Symonds started his F1 career in 1981 at the Toleman team, which morphed into Benetton and Renault, and worked his way though the ranks to become executive director of engineering in 2001. </p><p>Briatore was also heavily involved in the teams' association Fota, as it sought to reach an agreement on the future of the sport with the FIA this season.<br /></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8258987.stm">Original here</a><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-35593013622545279132009-09-16T23:40:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:45:05.776-07:00Throwback Ref Unis: WTF Or Whataburger?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0Ksge16bWY1HNe5DPA0W2iHEAgIBOK6KJn4YQxUWVXifbR151AVLAeL5gYfQWYz8d_uDfJuqD5mrigdSLrmv4Z5O25Er_-T885nnLjUm_Cm3U-k3PR8326VWE1CJO1NqhR9bHM7t8c8f/s1600-h/ref11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 323px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0Ksge16bWY1HNe5DPA0W2iHEAgIBOK6KJn4YQxUWVXifbR151AVLAeL5gYfQWYz8d_uDfJuqD5mrigdSLrmv4Z5O25Er_-T885nnLjUm_Cm3U-k3PR8326VWE1CJO1NqhR9bHM7t8c8f/s400/ref11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382323322461294642" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p style="text-align: left;">During tonight’s Monday Night Football clash between the Buffalo <a href="http://buffalowdown.com/">Bills</a> and New England <a href="http://musketfire.com/">Patriots</a>, the teams broke out their AFL throwback uniforms. That was awesome. Unfortunately, the refs also wore their AFL throwbacks. When I saw them in these clownsuits, I could only think of one thing…</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/whataburger.JPG"><img class="size-full wp-image-45722 aligncenter" title="whataburger" src="http://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/whataburger.JPG" alt="whataburger" height="299" width="400" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Seriously, I didn’t know whether to scream at them over calls they blew or order a burger, fries and a shake. When Leodis McKelvin pulled a Munson, ran the ball out when he should have taken a knee, then fumbled, it was utterly hilarious to see a six-pack of these bozos gather around the pile. This is what the work uniform would look like if Foot Locker merged with Whataburger. The hats are absolutely hideous, I think I saw one of those in my grandpa’s closet before he passed.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">To make matters worse, the refs in the San Diego <a href="http://boltbeat.com/">Chargers</a> at Oakland <a href="http://justblogbaby.com/">Raiders</a> game are wearing the same thing. I wonder if just putting those on raises your cholesterol. Ugh, they look like what you’d see if an inmate screwed a jack-o’-lantern. The NFL really needs to figure out the difference between throwbacks and throwaways. Please. I’ve been adjusting my TV set all night thinking the color was off.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>More pics of these abominations after the jump…</strong></p> <p><span id="more-45715"></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ref2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-45729 aligncenter" title="ref2" src="http://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ref2.jpg" alt="ref2" height="299" width="400" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ref3.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-45730" title="ref3" src="http://fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ref3.jpg" alt="ref3" height="299" width="400" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">(<em>Adam Best is the senior editor of the FanSided.com Sports Network and the twisted mind behind The Best View. Follow him on <a href="http://twitter.com/adamcbest">Twitter</a></em>.<em>)</em></p><p style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://fansided.com/2009/09/14/throwback-ref-unis-wtf-or-whataburger/">Original here</a><br /></em></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-65435953601096290182009-09-16T23:38:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:40:24.101-07:00NCAA president Myles Brand, 67, loses fight with cancer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y8t1cTudQ2piSaWgvzvaRkAiENiQpA-VH8MozBEFeqhi2WyeufuPwv9rc7CvwzuBB78LPvXFGnBUX4bRquzSSh_s_tdW83kknSPnEzsXEh_yvQiu-jQs4siSFfCMopcuCxQDUlqBKwoB/s1600-h/article.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y8t1cTudQ2piSaWgvzvaRkAiENiQpA-VH8MozBEFeqhi2WyeufuPwv9rc7CvwzuBB78LPvXFGnBUX4bRquzSSh_s_tdW83kknSPnEzsXEh_yvQiu-jQs4siSFfCMopcuCxQDUlqBKwoB/s400/article.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382322421629161554" border="0" /></a><br />Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News<br /><br /><p>After fighting pancreatic cancer for nearly a year, NCAA president Myles Brand died Wednesday. He was 67.</p> <p>Brand became a sports figure when, as Indiana University president, he fired basketball coach Bob Knight following the institution of a "zero-tolerance" policy that Brand judged Knight to have violated by verbally confronting an IU student.<br /><br />Brand subsequently was hired to replace Cedric Dempsey as NCAA president in January 2003. In his NCAA position, he was known for his advocacy of athletes' issues, such as advocating the increase of funds for their emergencies and for championing a more just freshman eligibility process.<span style="font-family: Corbel;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p><i><span style="" lang="EN">Mike DeCourcy is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at <a href="mailto:decourcy@sportingnews.com">decourcy@sportingnews.com</a>.</span></i></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-2917750232074640172009-09-16T23:34:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:38:43.663-07:0010 Craziest Baseball Rules<p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1483" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-33-183x300.png" alt="Picture 3" height="300" width="183" /></p> <p><em>The guy in the photo above is Alexander Cartwright, and he’s credited with inventing the modern game of baseball. Only problem is that those initial rules from the 1840s were pretty messed up, in comparison to how baseball is played today. </em><a href="http://jockandballs.com/2009/08/08/10-reasons-you-need-to-shut-up-about-your-favorite-player-not-being-in-the-hall-of-fame/"><em>We’ve lauded a lot of these old timey baseball guys with handlebar mustaches in the past</em></a><em>, but we might have to take it all back. In the 1800s, baseball was a goofy game with a lot of stupid rules. These guys would probably crap themselves if they had to face guys like Justin Verlander or </em><a href="http://jockandballs.com/2009/02/17/alex-rodriguez-is-exactly-as-dumb-as-he-looks/"><em>Alex Rodriguez</em></a><em> today. Here are </em><strong><em>The 10 Craziest Baseball Rules You Would Never Believe Existed</em></strong><em>. Besides the whole “no minorities” thing that we’re glossing over, that is. </em></p> <p><strong>10. Pitchers Could Cover Balls With Just About Anything</strong><br />Before 1920, pitchers could cover the ball with spit, Vaseline, road kill, Nickelodeon slime or whatever the hell else they wanted. It apparently worked. That Babe Ruth guy didn’t start hitting a billion home runs a year until they outlawed it. We don’t actually know for a fact they used road kill, but that whole ‘Dead Ball Era’ thing would make more sense if they did.</p> <p><strong><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1486" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-62-244x300.png" alt="Picture 6" height="300" width="244" /></strong></p> <p><strong>9. Balls And Strikes Didn’t Really Exist</strong><br />When baseball started, hitters just kind of stood at the plate whacking away until they hit the ball somewhere in fair territory. That created a question of what constituted a walk (see Rule Four) or a strikeout. In 1887, walks were even considered hits. And that was also the first year that batters were awarded first base if they got hit by a pitch. Called strikes didn’t even exist until 1858. And until 1863, base runners would run advance on foul balls. And as you’ll see in Rule Three, they didn’t necessarily run to the correct bases.</p> <p>Have you ever seen a Little League game with 6-year-olds? It’s pretty terrible. That’s how we imagine old timey baseball must have looked. We even picture an old farmer so terrible at hitting, that his coach has to bring out a tee.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1487" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-72-215x300.png" alt="Picture 7" height="300" width="215" /></p> <p><strong>8. Catchers Had Zero Protection</strong><br />See that old timey idiot in the picture below? It’s not his fault. Chest protectors weren’t introduced into baseball until 1885. It wasn’t until six years after <em>that</em> when catchers got to wear padded mitts. These poor bastards just had to stand there in a dumb stance and wait to get their goddamn faces blown off with a foul tip. But, then again, you’ll see from #1 that these guys weren’t really facing ‘the heat’ from pitchers until 1883. It’s just amazing it took the rules committee two years to realize that catching was a fairly dangerous job.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1488" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-82-248x300.png" alt="Picture 8" height="300" width="248" /></p> <p><strong>7. Pitchers Used To ‘Throw’ From 45 Feet</strong><br />You’ll notice in the picture below that the pitcher (who isn’t even on a mound) looks crazily close to the batter. That’s because the whole 60-feet-6-inches thing didn’t exist until 1893. But hey, that’s 15.5 feet shorter to hurl your heavy-as-hell Vaseline/spit/pubes ball towards your poor bastard catcher.</p> <p><strong><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1489" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-92-300x156.png" alt="Picture 9" height="156" width="300" /></strong></p> <p><strong>6. Hitters Had Flat Bats</strong><br />For some reason that we can’t figure out, hitters used to have flat bats until 1893. They really took their cricket influence seriously. Why did they want to use paddle bats? Maybe they wanted to <em>spank</em> the ball. Sounds pretty lame to us.</p> <p><strong><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1490" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-102-179x300.png" alt="Picture 10" height="300" width="179" /></strong></p> <p><strong>5. Pitchers Couldn’t Step Towards The Plate When They Threw</strong><br />Seriously. In 1863 a rule was instated which said pitchers had to have both feet on the ground at the same time they threw. Was sh*t getting way to crazy until 1863? Modern day Major League batting practice is probably way more entertaining than old timey baseball. Either that, or it it mostly resembled weird-rules baseball from a middle school P.E. class.</p> <p><strong><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1491" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-113-300x200.png" alt="Picture 11" height="200" width="300" /></strong></p> <p><strong>4. Hitters Got Nine Balls Before They Walked</strong><br />We said in Rule Nine that baseball rule makers had a real hard time with balls and strikes, but in 1879 it was decided that <em>nine balls</em> made a walk. How bad did a pitcher have to be to walk somebody in 1879? You would’ve had to be blind. It wasn’t until 1889 that the number was finally whittled down to four.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1492" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-122-300x111.png" alt="Picture 12" height="111" width="300" /></p> <p><strong>3. Base Runners Didn’t Have To Touch Every Base</strong><br />From 1858 – 1864, base runners didn’t have to touch every base in order. Did they also play <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spz8_rpE0e0" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.youtube.com');">the “Benny Hill Show” song</a> while these goofballs ran all over the field?</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1494" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-103-300x284.png" alt="Picture 10" height="284" width="300" /></p> <p><strong>2. Batters Could Call For The Type Of Pitch They Wanted</strong><br />From 1867-1887, batters had the privilege of calling for a low pitch or a high pitch. What was the point of pitching? Did the pitcher also have to wipe the batter after they went to the bathroom?</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1495" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-114-189x300.png" alt="Picture 11" height="300" width="189" /></p> <p><strong>1. Pitchers Threw Underhand</strong><br />That should blow your mind. Major League Baseball officially started in 1876, but it wasn’t until 1883 that pitchers were allowed to throw overhand. The initial rules of baseball stated that pitchers had to throw the ball as if they were pitching a horseshoe. So these old batters got to call for their pitch and get it thrown to them underhand. They couldn’t step towards the plate. No wonder the pitchers covered the balls in battery acid and pig manure.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1485" src="http://jockandballs.com/files/2009/09/Picture-52.png" alt="Picture 5" height="228" width="241" /></p> <p>Love baseball (or battery acid and pig manure)? Check out our lists on <a href="http://jockandballs.com/2009/09/04/10-baseball-players-you-wouldnt-want-to-sit-on-you/">10 Baseball Players You Wouldn’t Want To Sit On You</a> and <a href="http://jockandballs.com/2009/08/28/10-worst-baseball-teams-of-the-past-30-years/">10 Worst Baseball Teams Of The Past 30 Years.</a></p><p><a href="http://jockandballs.com/2009/09/08/10-craziest-baseball-rules/">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-91117069419958161852009-08-14T11:37:00.001-07:002009-08-14T11:37:40.308-07:00Mexico edges U.S. 2-1 in qualifier<div class="cnnInlineT1Image"><img src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/soccer/08/12/mexico.beats.usa.ap/mexico-wins.jpg" alt="Isarael Casto" vspace="0" width="298" border="0" height="364" hspace="0" /> </div><div class="cnnInlineT1Caption">Israel Castro tied the game a 1-1 with his first-half goal for Mexico.</div><div class="cnnInlineT1Credit">LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images</div><!--endclickprintexclude--> <!--tablemaker--> <table class="cnnTMbox" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="cnnIEBoxTitle"> 2010 World Cup Qualifying Glance </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="cnnTMcontent"> <table class="cnnTM" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="cnnIEHdrRowBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColHdrC">North and Central America and Caribbean Finals</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><center><b><big>Standings</big></b></center></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">Team</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">GP</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">W</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">D</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">L</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">GF</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">GA</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">Pts</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">Costa Rica</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">6</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">4</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">0</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">2</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">9</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">9</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">12</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">Honduras</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">6</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">3</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">1</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">2</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">11</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">7</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">10</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">United States</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">6</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">3</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">1</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">2</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">11</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">8</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">10</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">Mexico</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">6</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">3</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">0</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">3</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">8</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">9</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">9</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">El Salvador</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">6</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">1</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">2</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">3</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">7</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">9</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">5</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td class="cnnIEColTxtL">Trinidad</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">6</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">1</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">2</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">3</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">7</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">11</td> <td class="cnnIEColTxtR">5</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Top three qualify</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Fourth-place team advances to playoff vs. South America fifth-place team</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><center><b><big>Results, Schedules</big></b></center></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><center><b>Wednesday</b></center></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><b>At Mexico City</b></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Mexico 2, United States 1</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><b>At Port-of-Spain, Trinidad</b></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Trinidad and Tobago 1, El Salvador 0</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><b>At San Pedro Sula, Honduras</b></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Honduras 4, Costa Rica 0</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><center><b>Saturday, Sept. 5</b></center></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><b>At Sandy, Utah</b></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• United States vs. El Salvador, 7:57 p.m.</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><b>At Tegucigalpa, Honduras</b></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 9:30 p.m.</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL"><b>At San Jose, Costa Rica</b></td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• Costa Rica vs. Mexico, 10 p.m.</td> </tr> <tr class="cnnIERowAltBG"> <td colspan="8" class="cnnIEColTxtL">• All Times Eastern</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <!--/tablemaker--> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <!-- START 'inlineAd' FILE: /.element/ssi/story/4.0/soccer/.branding/default/inlineAd.html --><!-- FINISH 'inlineAd' --> <!-- START 'sponsorLinksInline.ap' FILE: /.element/ssi/story/4.0/soccer/.branding/default/sponsorLinksInline.ap.html --><div class="cnnInlineSL"><script type="text/javascript">adsonar_placementId=1292995;adsonar_pid=770769;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_zw=300;adsonar_zh=175;</script><script>cnnad_createSL();</script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://js.adsonar.com/js/tw_cnn_adsonar.js"></script><form id="qas_frm" name="qas_frm" method="get" action="" target=""><input name="ie52_mac_only" value="" type="hidden"></form><iframe name="adsonar_serve859103" id="adsonar_serve859103" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" vspace="0" hspace="0" src="http://ads.tw.adsonar.com/adserving/getAds.jsp?previousPlacementIds=&placementId=1292995&pid=770769&ps=-1&zw=300&zh=175&url=http%3A//sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/soccer/08/12/mexico.beats.usa.ap/index.html%3Feref%3DsihpT1%26eref%3DshareDigg&v=5&dct=Mexico%20beats%20U.S.%202-1%20in%20-alifier%20-%20Soccer%20-%20SI.com&ref=http%3A//digg.com/soccer" scrolling="no" width="300" frameborder="0" height="175"></iframe> </div><!-- FINISH 'sponsorLinksInline.ap' --><!--endclickprintexclude--> <p>MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican coach Javier Aguirre showed his relief after his team's 2-1 victory over the United States on Wednesday in a critical World Cup qualifier.</p> <p>"Today is a day to celebrate, drink a few tequilas, and then get back to work," Aguirre said after Miguel Sabah's goal in the 82nd minute gave Mexico the come-from-behind victory. "Everybody will go to bed tonight a bit more relaxed."</p> <p>The victory -- driven by a patient rally -- eased the pressure on Mexico, which has been struggling in World Cup qualifying. The loss for the United States was almost expected. The United States has played 24 times in Mexico and lost 23. The only tie was a 0-0 draw in 1997.</p> <p>The Mexicans are fourth in CONCACAF qualifying, with only the top three teams automatically advancing. Costa Rica, a 4-0 loser Wednesday night against Honduras, leads the group with 12 points, followed by Honduras and the United States with 10, and Mexico with nine.</p> <p>The United States should stay on course to qualify if it wins its two remaining home games.</p> <p>"I think it's a tight game and a fair score," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "It's tough loss to have so many guys work so hard and then give up a late goal. The feeling inside is one of great disappointment."</p> <p>Added forward Landon Donovan: "This wasn't a live-or-die game for us. It was for them."</p> <p>Sabah, who came in 3 minutes earlier, was all alone in front of the net when he took a feed from Efrain Juarez and beat goalkeeper Tim Howard. Defender Jay DeMerit made a key tackle on Juarez in the area, but the ball, instead of bounding out of bounds, went to Sabah, who put it away.</p> <p>"The guy turned on it quickly and smashed it has hard as he could," Howard said of Sabah's goal.</p> <p>The Americans nearly silenced the piercing drone of horns, drums and high-pitched screams in the ninth minute when Charlie Davies gave the United States a 1-0 lead on a world-class goal, the fourth of his career.</p> <p>Donovan turned near midfield and threaded a pass through three Mexicans on the left side to Davies, who timed a perfect run and scored just inside the far post from 15 yards.</p> <p>It was the first time the Americans led a match at Azteca Stadium, which opened 43 years ago.</p> <p>"This is what you live for, especially as a striker scoring bigtime goals," Davies said.</p> <p>The U.S. edge lasted only 10 minutes. In the 19th, Cuauhtemoc Blanco found Israel Castro, who equalized on a wicked 27-yard shot off underside of the crossbar and just over a leaping Howard's outstretched hand.</p> <p>The goal turned up the volume again for 105,000 fans in sold-out Azteca, where almost every touch of the ball by a Mexican player was greeted by cheers of "Ole! Ole!"</p> <p>Mexico won the Gold Cup last month using many of the same players. But the U.S. team the Mexicans routed 5-0 in the final was a lesser squad than the one on the field at Azteca.</p> <p>"We did a good job starting the game well and scoring," Donovan said. "They made one play at the end that made the difference.</p> <p>"It's hard to play here, man," said Donovan, referring to the 7,400-foot altitude. "It wears you out. It's just exhausting."</p> <p>In the 74th minute, tempers flared. With Davies down on the field -- apparently with cramps -- several Mexican players tried to pull him off the ground. That angered Benny Feilhaber, who shoved several Mexicans as Howard came out of goal to separate the sides.</p> <p>Three American defenders -- Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit and Carlos Bocanegra -- drew yellow cards in a game that became increasingly physical. Onyewu carried a yellow into the match, meaning he will miss the next qualifier on Sept. 5 against El Salvador in Sandy, Utah.</p> <p>The Americans play Sept. 9 at Trinidad and Tobago. They end qualifying on Oct 10 at Honduras and at home with Costa Rica on Oct. 14.</p> <p>Mexico plays at Costa Rica on Sept. 5 and is home to Honduras on Sept. 9. Mexico will wrap up qualifying on Oct. 10 at home with El Salvador and at Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 14.</p> <p><i>Copyright 2009 <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/interactive_legal.html#AP">Associated Press</a>. </i></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-87909219668940572702009-07-21T08:53:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:57:42.178-07:00Beckham confronts fan in home return with GalaxyCARSON, Calif. -- Boos rained down and fans sent negative messages with their homemade signs. Things sure got ugly when David Beckham came back to town.<br /><p>Beckham downplayed the rough reception in his first home game with the Los Angeles Galaxy, a 2-2 tie with AC Milan in which his corner kick set up his team's second goal, although his halftime confrontation with a fan indicated otherwise Sunday night.</p><p>"I'm not disappointed. It doesn't affect me," he said. "You can't be liked by everyone."</p><p>Anti-Beckham sentiment ran high as the English star returned after missing half of the Major League Soccer season while on a five-month loan to the Italian club. He was the target of frequent booing and derisive banners held up in a corner of the stadium, where one of the team's fan groups sits.</p><p>The signs all had messages directed at Beckham. "Go home fraud" read one, with a red slash through his No. 23 jersey number. Another said, "23: Repent," while another read, "Hey Becks, Here Before You, Here After You, Here Despite You." Another read, "Is evil something u are...or something u do."</p><p>At halftime, Beckham walked toward the L.A. Riot Squad section and motioned to a fan to come closer. A man jumped down from the seats and was subdued by security before being taken away.</p><p>"One of the guys was saying things that wasn't very nice. It was stepping over the line," Beckham said. "I said, 'You need to calm down and come shake my hand,' and he jumped over."</p><p>The man was arrested by Cal State Dominguez Hills police for trespassing because he left the seating area, a Home Depot Center spokeswoman said.</p><p>"I know there was some turmoil in the corner but I didn't see it so I can't comment," Galaxy manager Bruce Arena said. "Obviously, there were some dissenters in the early going but I think he won over a lot of people by the end."</p><p>Beckham was the last player to take the field after halftime. He hugged several of his former AC Milan teammates and then turned toward the rowdy fan section and clapped his hands before making a gesture.</p><p>The banners weren't displayed as often in the second half, when a line of yellow-jacketed security personnel stood below the fans.</p><p>"A lot of people predicted this kind of reaction," Beckham said.</p><p>In the 65th minute, Beckham walked toward the fan section to take a corner kick. He sent a bending kick at Bryan Jordan, who headed the ball in from 7 feet to tie the game 2-2.</p><p>Beckham didn't join in the play. Instead, he turned and faced the fans who had been riding him all game and spread both arms wide as if to say, "What do you want?" He then gestured before walking away.</p><p>"Sometimes the supporters don't understand the situation," AC Milan coach Leonardo said.</p><p>Beckham left the game in the 75th minute and clapped his hands as he walked off to a mix of boos and cheers. He waved to fans offering a smattering of cheers in an opposite corner before sitting on the bench.</p><p>"The cheers in the end drowned out the boos, which was nice," he said.</p><p>It marked the end of a rough week for Beckham that began with him and team captain Landon Donovan accusing each other of being unprofessional. Donovan sparked the dispute with comments he made in a new book "The Beckham Experiment."</p><p>Arena mediated the clash during a sit down with both players, who later said they had patched things up.</p><p>"That's beyond my control," Donovan said when asked about the crowd's reaction to Beckham.</p><p>AC Milan dressed a half-strength lineup as it began a four-game preseason tour of the U.S. The seven-time European champions visited the Galaxy as part of the deal that allowed Beckham to remain on loan with Milan through the end of the Serie A season on May 31.</p><p>"You don't want to look silly and we definitely didn't look silly," he said about the Galaxy's play.</p><p>Beckham has said he again wants to return to Milan after the MLS season.</p><p>"We would be happy if he came back because he did really well. He's incredible," Leonardo said. "The precision he has is something very, very special. He never missed the ball. He controlled the ball. The way the Galaxy plays is very, very important. They see that every ball begins with him."</p><p>Thiago Silva put AC Milan ahead 1-0 in the 16th minute. The Galaxy tied the game in the 30th minute on a goal by Alan Gordon, assisted by Donovan and Beckham.</p><p>The Rossoneri took a 2-1 lead in the 61st minute when Filippo Inzaghi scored against Galaxy backup goalie Josh Saunders off assists by Mathieu Flamini and Ronaldinho.</p><p>"He was integral in both goals," Donovan said about Beckham. "There's not another player on a team in this league that can make those plays. It was an exciting game."</p><p>Beckham will play six more regular-season home games.</p><p>Earlier this year, Beckham said he wanted to remain with the Italian club rather than return to the Galaxy because he believed the level of play was much better in Europe and would help him achieve his goal of playing for England in the 2010 World Cup.</p><p>"If it's possible, I think it could be a very good thing for us," Leonardo said about getting Beckham back. "He knows everyone. Everyone loves him in our club."</p><p><a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=661798&cc=5739">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-3298712519626949292009-07-21T08:52:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:53:46.809-07:00Roethlisberger denies civil allegations of sexual assaultPosted by Mike Florio<br /><br /> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/NFL_roethlisberger2.jpg"><img alt="NFL_roethlisberger2.jpg" src="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/assets_c/2009/07/NFL_roethlisberger2-thumb-250x185-594.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" width="250" height="185" /></a></span>In a complaint that reads like the rape allegations made several years ago against NBA star Kobe Bryant, Harrah's employee Andrea McNulty alleges sexual assault against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a lawsuit filed last week in Washoe County, Nevada.<br /><br />But lawyer David Cornwell strongly denied the allegations Monday night, in a statement released to PFT. "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty," Cornwell said. <br /><br />In the civil suit, which Cornwell confirms was served on Roethlisberger over the weekend and a copy of which our own Gregg Rosenthal has obtained, McNulty alleges that Roethlisberger asked her to come to his hotel room to fix the television, and that he thereafter forced her to have sex with him. <br /><br />Roethlisberger faces one civil count of assault, one civil count of sexual assault and battery, one civil count of false imprisonment, one civil count of false pretenses, one civil count of fraud, and one civil count of intentonal infliction of emtional distress.<br /><br />McNulty also claims that the coworkers named in the complaint thereafter defamed her by making allegedly false and inflammatory statements, and by allegedly serving as aiders and abettors of Roethlisberger's alleged misconduct after the fact.<br /><br />Cornwell, a finalist for the position of NFLPA Executive Director who has represented in the recent past Saints running back Reggie Bush and Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth, points to the fact that no criminal complaint has been filed, and that no criminal investigation has occurred. <br /><br />"The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct," Cornwell said. "If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated."<br /><br />It's unknown at this point whether McNulty ever has attempted to file criminal charges as a result of the incident, which allegedly occurred in July 2008.<br /><br />"Ben will not be baited into a public discussion about his personal life, but we will defend<br />him vigorously," Cornwell said. "The limited value that Ms. McNulty derived from public disclosure of these viciously false allegations is the only value she will ever receive from Ben in this case."<br /><br />Regardless of how this one turns out, it has the potential to serve as a significant distraction for Roethlisberger as the 2009 season approaches, especially if the lawsuit triggers a criminal probe.<br /><br /><a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/20/roethlisberger-denies-civil-allegations-of-sexual-assault/">Original here</a>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-79830843338433594962009-07-21T08:50:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:52:10.083-07:00South Florida kicker Bonani falls 35 feet from Busch Gardens ride<p>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A University of South Florida football player was recovering at a hospital after falling 35 feet from a gondola ride while working at Busch Gardens in Tampa, team officials said.</p> <p>Team officials identified the player as Maikon Bonani, 20, USF's starting kicker. The park did not immediately release the employee's name or the extent of his injuries, said spokeswoman Jill Revelle.</p> <p>The employee was working Saturday at the Skyride attraction. After sending passengers on a gondola out of the station, the employee thought the door might be unlocked and held onto the door to check it while guests sat on the ride, according to a park statement. He held on as the gondola took off -- then 35 feet above the ground -- let go and dropped into a landscaped area, the statement added.</p> <p>"He was trying to make sure they were safe," said Revelle of those on the ride. She added that no one else was injured.</p> <p>Park management was reviewing safety procedures. No further information was released Sunday by the park.</p> <p>Revelle said the employee was responsive but taken to a hospital as a precaution. He was listed in fair condition at St. Joseph's Hospital.</p> <p>USF football coach Jim Leavitt told the <i>St. Petersburg Times</i> that he spoke to Bonani by phone and later visited him. Leavitt said Bonani may have injured his vertebra.</p> <p>"He's in pain, but doing fine and resting," Leavitt said.</p> <p>Bonani grew up in Brazil and moved with his family to Lake Wales in Polk County at age 11, the <i>Time</i>s reported. He learned English when he was 11, and played football, soccer and tennis in high school. He was valedictorian of his senior class, the newspaper said.</p> <p>There was no phone number listed for a Maikon Bonani of Lake Wales.</p> <i>Copyright 2009 <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/interactive_legal.html#AP">Associated Press</a>. </i>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-27985192574809994552009-07-21T08:48:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:50:23.416-07:00MMA's 10 best pound-for-pound fighters<p>This is a big summer for MMA's pound-for-pound big three. </p><p><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Georges-St.-Pierre-3500" target="_new">Georges St. Pierre</a> was first on deck at UFC 100 and made his case as to why he should be seen as the sport's top pound-for-pound fighter. Throwing even more dirt on his April 2007 loss to <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Matt-Serra-1305" target="_new">Matt Serra</a>, St. Pierre dominated another elite challenger in <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Alves-5998" target="_new">Thiago Alves</a> for the balance of 25 minutes. St. Pierre's victory was so consummate that it left many wondering if it was worth his time and talent to stick around at 170 pounds. </p><p>The next move belongs to heavyweight ruler <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Fedor-Emelianenko-1500" target="_new">Fedor Emelianenko</a>, who will finally square off with <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Josh-Barnett-272" target="_new">Josh Barnett</a> at Affliction "Trilogy" on Aug. 1 in a bid to prove he's the sport's supreme being. A week later, at UFC 101, incumbent king <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Anderson-Silva-1356" target="_new">Anderson Silva</a> will have his chance to answer his fellow pound-for-pound stalwarts when he looks to add a third division of brilliance to his career résumé in a super fight against former UFC light heavyweight champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Forrest-Griffin-3526" target="_new">Forrest Griffin</a>. </p><p><offer></offer></p><p><!-- New Table --> </p> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">1</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0205/box_a_silva_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Anderson-Silva-1356" target="_new"> Anderson Silva</a></span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC middleweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 24-4<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>With another brilliant performance from <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Georges-St.-Pierre-3500" target="_new">Georges St. Pierre</a>, and another top heavyweight on the slate for <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Fedor-Emelianenko-1500" target="_new">Fedor Emelianenko</a>, the pressure is on Silva to prove he is, in fact, the sport's pound-for-pound king. At UFC 101 on Aug. 8, his 205-pound bout with <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Forrest-Griffin-3526" target="_new">Forrest Griffin</a> will afford him a unique opportunity: A win over the former UFC light heavyweight champion would make Silva the first man in the sport's history with top-five-caliber victories across three weight classes. He started his career as a standout welterweight before becoming the most dominant middleweight in mixed martial arts history. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">2</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0205/mma_a_stpierre_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Georges-St.-Pierre-3500" target="_new">Georges St. Pierre</a></span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC welterweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 19-2<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>On paper, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Alves-5998" target="_new">Thiago Alves</a> was supposed to be St. Pierre's most dangerous challenger to date in the welterweight division. However, "Rush" dealt with Alves just as he has dealt with other elite welterweights, as he dominated him from bell to bell in an impressively one-sided unanimous-decision win over yet another top opponent. St. Pierre's performance was such that many have started to question whether or not a move to middleweight should be in the cards. However, the next challenger for the sport's welterweight ruler will come from either <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Mike-Swick-5199" target="_new">Mike Swick</a> or <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Martin-Kampmann-5344" target="_new">Martin Kampmann</a>, who will square off in a title eliminator at UFC 103 in September. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">3</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0205/mma_a_emelianenko_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Fedor-Emelianenko-1500" target="_new">Fedor Emelianenko</a></span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>Affliction heavyweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 30-1, 1 NC<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>Emelianenko's long-awaited bout with <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Josh-Barnett-272" target="_new">Josh Barnett</a> will headline Affliction "Trilogy" on Aug. 1. Though many have criticized the relative dearth of top heavyweight talent and Emelianenko's opponent selection as knocks against his pound-for-pound status, his fight with Barnett will mark the Russian's third consecutive match against a top-10 former UFC heavyweight champion. However, in unfortunate news for MMA's heavyweight king, the fan-proposed guerilla tactic of chanting Emelianenko's name at UFC 100 never got off the ground. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">4</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0529/mma_g_lmachida1_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Lyoto-Machida-7513" target="_new">Lyoto Machida</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC light heavyweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 15-0<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>With his brilliant display of dominance in capturing the UFC light heavyweight title and the 205-pound mantle in May, Machida had already built instant anticipation for a showdown with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. However, Jackson instead opted for a second coaching stint on "The Ultimate Fighter," which will set up a bout with <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rashad-Evans-10200" target="_new">Rashad Evans</a>. Yet in a testament to the depth of the UFC and the 205-pound division itself, consensus "Fighter of the Year" Mauricio "Shogun" Rua emerged as Plan B for Machida's first UFC title defense at UFC 104 in October. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">5</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://espn.go.com/photo/2008/0320/mma_torres_belt_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Miguel-Torres-3006" target="_new">Miguel Torres</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>WEC bantamweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 37-1<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>There's little rest for a king, and bantamweight ruler Torres is proof positive. After emerging victorious in his thrilling 25-minute war with <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Takeya-Mizugaki-12074" target="_new">Takeya Mizugaki</a> in April, Torres will take on undefeated challenger <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Brian-Bowles-18944" target="_new">Brian Bowles</a> at WEC 43 on Aug. 9. That show will also feature a de facto title eliminator between hot up-and-comers <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Joseph-Benavidez-15008" target="_new">Joseph Benavidez</a> and <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dominick-Cruz-12107" target="_new">Dominick Cruz</a>, the winner of which figures to meet Torres before the year ends -- just like clockwork.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">6</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0205/mma_s_brown_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Mike-Thomas-Brown-3069" target="_new">Mike Thomas Brown</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>WEC featherweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 22-4<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>Of any pound-for-pound entrant on this list, Brown may be the least vibrant and least tailor-made for stardom. However, the 33-year-old American Top Teamer remains, without question, the king of the 145-pound world, and reaffirmed it in June when he earned a second win over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Urijah-Faber-8847" target="_new">Urijah Faber</a>. Despite gritting out a 25-minute unanimous verdict over The California Kid, Brown's biggest test may be yet to come. His next title challenger come November will be brutal Brazilian dynamo <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jose-Aldo-11506" target="_new">Jose Aldo</a>, possibly the most dangerous fighter the division can offer. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">7</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0205/mma_g_jackson_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Quinton-Jackson-348" target="_new">Quinton Jackson</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC light heavyweight</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 30-7<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>Many fans and critics still see Jackson through the prism of July 2008 vehicular insanity. However, whatever poor judgment he has exercised outside the cage, inside it Jackson is 4-1 against five straight top-10 opponents in one of MMA's deepest divisions. Now, the colorful and charismatic 205-pound standout will captain his second squad of TUFers on Season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which will lead up to a high-profile December showdown with fellow former UFC light heavyweight champion <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rashad-Evans-10200" target="_new">Rashad Evans</a>. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">8</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0205/mma_a_penn_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/B.J.-Penn-1307" target="_new">B.J. Penn</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC lightweight champion</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 13-5-1<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>Talent has never been lacking in Penn, only his desire and focus. His desire to move back up to 170 pounds to challenge <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Georges-St.-Pierre-3500" target="_new">Georges St. Pierre</a> in January was not only unsuccessful; it also put the UFC's lightweight class on an extended hiatus. However, the division is poised to get back on track come Aug. 8, when, at UFC 101, Penn will take on a top-five challenger, <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kenny-Florian-8021" target="_new">Kenny Florian</a>, in the second defense of his lightweight mantle. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">9</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://espn.go.com/photo/2009/0101/mma_g_evans_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rashad-Evans-10200" target="_new">Rashad Evans</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC light heavyweight</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 13-1-1<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>The first defense of Evans' UFC light heavyweight belt in May was disastrous, as he was dominated from pillar to post by <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Lyoto-Machida-7513" target="_new">Lyoto Machida</a>. Fortunately for the <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Greg-Jackson-48512" target="_new">Greg Jackson</a> pupil, he remains in a star-laden and talent-rich division. Better still, Evans' comeback fight will come in a high-profile showdown against a fellow pound-for-pound entrant, as he will take on fellow "The Ultimate Fighter 10" coach Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in December. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><!-- End New Table --> <!-- New Table --> <table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="stathead"> <td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle;" valign="bottom" width="20%" align="center">10</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%"> <img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/1120/mma_a_fitch_65.jpg" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 0pt 0pt;" width="65" align="left" border="0" height="90" /> <div class="subhead"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jon-Fitch-4865" target="_new">Jon Fitch</a> </span></div><br /> <span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b>UFC welterweight</b><br /> <b>Record:</b> 19-3, 1 NC<br /> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>Though seldom flashy, Fitch wins. By gritting out a unanimous verdict over tougher-than-expected and previously unbeaten Brazilian <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Paulo-Thiago-13336" target="_new">Paulo Thiago</a> at UFC 100, Fitch upped his record in the UFC to an impressive 10-1. More importantly, those 11 fights have come in arguably MMA's deepest and most talented division. He might not ever make "SportsCenter's" Top 10, but he will likely remain in the welterweight top 10 and keep on beating elite opponents for a good while. </p> <p><i>With Fitch's win over <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Paulo-Thiago-13336" target="_new">Paulo Thiago</a> and Thiago Alves' loss to Georges St. Pierre, the formerly ninth-ranked Alves falls just outside the top 10.</i></p><p><i><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/columns/story?id=4335429">Original here</a><br /></i> </p></td></tr></tbody></table>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-68846485051851714582009-07-21T08:45:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:47:32.899-07:00Pujols pushing for Triple Crown history<div class="subhead"> <div class="page-actions"><a href="http://myespn.go.com/conversation/story?id=4340877" class="comment"></a><br /><script type="text/javascript">var stobj = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title:"Kurkjian:%20Pujols%20has%20a%20shot%20to%20win%20Triple%20Crown", url:"http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim%26id=4340877", published: "2009-07-20" }); stobj.attachButton(document.getElementById("espnstlink")); </script> </div><cite class="source"> <a href="http://search.espn.go.com/tim-kurkjian/"><img src="http://a.espncdn.com/i/columnists/Kurkjian_Tim_35.jpg" alt="Kurkjian" width="35" border="0" height="48" /></a> By Tim Kurkjian<br />ESPN The Magazine<br /><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/tim-kurkjian/">Archive</a> </cite> </div> <!-- end mod-article-title --> <!-- begin story body --> <p><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4574">Albert Pujols</a> has won two MVP awards and is shooting for a third this season. He also is unanimously considered the best player in baseball, and now he has a chance to win the Triple Crown.</p><p>There's a reason no one has won the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat in 1967 and, in the National League, since Joe Medwick in 1937: It's really hard to do, perhaps harder than ever.</p><div class="mod-inline image image-right"><div style="margin-left: 10px; width: 300px;"><a class="enlarge" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=4340877#" onclick="window.open('http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=4341002&story=4340877','Popup','width=640,height=750,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">[+] Enlarge<img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0720/mlb_i_pujolsa_300.jpg" alt="Albert Pujols" width="300" border="0" height="300" /></a><div style="width: 300px;"><cite>Rich Kane/Icon SMI</cite>Albert Pujols has 10 more home runs than the next-closest player in the National League.</div></div></div><p>How hard? It has been done only 13 times since 1900: Nap Lajoie (1901), Ty Cobb (1909), Rogers Hornsby (1922 and '25) Jimmie Foxx and Chuck Klein (1933), Lou Gehrig (1934), Medwick (1937), Ted Williams (1942 and '47), Mickey Mantle (1956), Frank Robinson (1966) and Yastrzemski. There's no Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Willie Mays or Hank Aaron on that list. </p><p>For Robinson, it was the only season during his brilliant career in which he led his league in any of the Triple Crown categories. Since Yastrzemski won it, a player has won two legs of the Triple Crown in the same season 40 times, but no player has won the batting average and home run title in one season. And only four times has anyone won the batting title and RBI title in the same season: Joe Torre (1971), Al Oliver (1982), <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3709">Todd Helton</a> (2000) and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=5940">Matt Holliday</a> (2007).</p><p>Since Yaz won the Triple Crown, only four players have won all three legs of the Triple Crown in separate seasons during their careers: <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=1785">Barry Bonds</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2974">Manny Ramirez</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3115">Alex Rodriguez</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=1659">Andres Galarraga</a>. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2770">Mike Piazza</a>, one of the greatest right-handed hitters ever and the greatest-hitting catcher of all time, never finished first in any of the Triple Crown categories. Neither has <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3576">Vladimir Guerrero</a>. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2370">Frank Thomas</a>, a two-time MVP, and one of the best right-handed hitters ever, won one batting title. Even Pujols has won only one of the categories, a batting title in 2003.</p><p>That season was one of the relatively close calls for the Triple Crown. Pujols led the league in hitting; his 43 home runs tied for fourth in the league, four short of the leader; and his 124 RBIs were tied for fourth, 17 shy of the leader. George Foster made a run in 1977, as did <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2026">Larry Walker</a> in 1997, Helton in 2000 and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2113">Gary Sheffield</a> in 1992 when he led the NL in hitting, was second in home runs with 33 (two behind the leader) and finished fifth in RBIs (nine off the leader). The closest call was Dick Allen in 1972, when he led the AL in home runs (37) and RBIs (113), and his .308 average was third, 10 points behind Rod Carew's.</p><p>The reason it has gotten harder to win the Triple Crown is that the game has become more specialized every year. There are hitters who have sacrificed power for a high average, such as Carew, Wade Boggs and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=1150">Tony Gwynn</a>, who won a combined 20 batting titles after Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown. There are hitters who have sacrificed their averages to hit for power, such as <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=6097">Ryan Howard</a>. And there are so many more teams and more hitters in today's game that the competition is perhaps stronger than it has ever been. Mike Schmidt won eight home run titles, but in this decade, seven different National League players have won a home run title, eight different NL players have won a batting title and seven different American League players have won an RBI crown. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=2187">Sammy Sosa</a> had more 60-homer seasons (three) than he had home run titles (two). Bonds has the most homers of all time but only two home run titles.</p><p>It has grown harder to win the Triple Crown because of the Rockies, who joined the NL in 1993 and play in the greatest hitters' ballpark of all time. In their brief history, they have had six batting champions, six RBI champions and three home run champions. Compare their history to that of the White Sox, who have been in the AL since 1900 but have only three batting champions, three home run champs and one RBI champ.</p><p>Pujols is up against history and the odds during the second half of the season. But he leads his league in average, home runs and RBIs since the 2008 All-Star break and is the fourth player, joining Aaron (1957), Tony Perez (1970) and Bonds (1993), to lead from break to break since Mantle's Triple Crown year in 1956. Now comes the hard part for Pujols -- leading from April until October. But for Pujols, who is behind in the batting race by 12 points as of Sunday's games, his task is even more formidable given that he's trailing a great hitter, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=6195">Hanley Ramirez</a>.</p><p>But Pujols has a shot to win the Triple Crown. Very few hitters in history have had that.</p><p><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=4340877">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-44546207954402550722009-05-02T11:22:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:25:58.926-07:00Cricket rematch spectacle for Afghanistan<div class="mxb"> <h1><br /> </h1> </div> <!-- S BO --> <!-- S IIMA --> <div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 397px; height: 221px;" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45728000/jpg/_45728032_007255492-1.jpg" alt="The Ditchling v Afghanistan cricket match in Kabul (1 May 2009)" vspace="0" border="0" hspace="0" /> </div> <br /> <!-- E IIMA --> <!-- S IBYL --> <div class="mvb"> <table width="466" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="bottom"> <div class="mvb"> <span class="byl"> By Martin Patience </span> <br /> <span class="byd"> BBC News, Kabul </span> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/999999.gif" alt="" vspace="0" width="466" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" /><br /> </div> <!-- E IBYL --> <p><b>It could have been any village green in Britain.</b> </p> <p>But the barbed wire, blast walls, and spectators in military uniform, meant this was no ordinary match. </p> <p>The cricket team from Ditchling, a small village in East Sussex, were taking on the Afghan national side in a heavily fortified military base. </p> <p>It had taken eight months to organise this "away game", a trip which was causing some worry back home. </p> <p>"My mum's been pretty quiet about it but my dad had a lot to say," said James Emmons, 23, one of the Ditchling players. </p> <p>"He wasn't overly keen on it." </p> <!-- S IBOX --> <table width="231" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td width="5"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" alt="" vspace="0" width="5" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" /></td> <td class="sibtbg"> <div> <div class="mva"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif" alt="" width="24" border="0" height="13" /> <b>We will invite Ditchling again, when we have a decent ground and good security</b> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif" alt="" vspace="0" width="23" align="right" border="0" height="13" /><br /> </div> </div> <div class="mva"> <div>Khalik Dad Noori</div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IBOX --> <p>"The security restrictions we've had to go through have been pretty intense. But there've been no scary moments so far." </p> <p>More than 100 spectators turned up to watch the game, an almost unheard of spectacle in Kabul. </p> <p>They ate cheese and tomato rolls and turkey sandwiches, and drank green tea, which were laid on for the match. </p> <p>Occasionally the flat notes of an Afghan trumpet player floated across the ground. </p> <p><b>Deeper ties</b> </p> <!-- S IIMA --> <table width="226" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td> <div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45728000/jpg/_45728037_007255446-1.jpg" alt="The Afghan team celebrate their victory against Ditchling in Kabul (1 May 2009)" vspace="0" width="226" border="0" height="170" hspace="0" /> <div class="cap">The Afghan team overwhelmed the players from Ditchling</div> </div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IIMA --> <p>The Afghan national side had first placed Ditchling in 2006 after an English country team they were supposed to play dropped out and the village club offered to step in as opponents. </p> <p>After the game, the Afghans suggested a rematch, this time in Kabul, an event no-one in Afghanistan thought would ever happen. </p> <p>"It's amazing that the team visited Afghanistan," said Hamid Hassan, one of the Afghan national cricketers. "We're thrilled to have them here." </p> <p>Another Afghan player, Khalik Dad Noori, said that he hoped the event would deepen ties between the two sides. </p> <p>"We will invite Ditchling again, when we have a decent ground and good security," he said. "We also want to ask other country teams to come to Afghanistan." </p> <p>Since the teams' first encounter three years ago, the Afghan side have improved dramatically. </p> <p>Last month they almost qualified for the Cricket World Cup. </p> <p>And during the match in Kabul, the Afghan team, batting first, quickly found their stride. The balls were flying over the boundary. </p> <p>Ditchling were overwhelmed. </p> <p>The Afghans won the match by 124 runs, retaining the Kabul Cup, a trophy contested between the two sides. </p> <p>The players from East Sussex now say they want a rematch - but next time it is expected to be at home.</p> <!-- S IIMA --> <div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45728000/jpg/_45728036_007255484-1.jpg" alt="Score board" vspace="0" border="0" hspace="0" /> </div> <br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8030175.stm">Original here</a><br /> <!-- E IIMA --> <!-- E BO -->sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-10519406902798288132009-05-02T11:19:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:22:22.182-07:00First Stanley Cup ring sold for $60,000<div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div id="cur_story_photo"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><img style="width: 388px; height: 294px;" src="http://photos.upi.com/story/w/98fec00907597c24649848410186d7ed/First-Stanley-Cup-ring-sold-for-60000.jpg" alt="The Vancouver Canucks Shane O'Brien (55) greets St. Louis Blues David Perron (57) while Canucks Alex Burrows (14) greets Blues Jay McKee (77) after the Canucks 3-2 win at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 21, 2009. The Canucks defeated the Blues 4 games to 0, eliminating them in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt)" title="The Vancouver Canucks Shane O'Brien (55) greets St. Louis Blues David Perron (57) while Canucks Alex Burrows (14) greets Blues Jay McKee (77) after the Canucks 3-2 win at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 21, 2009. The Canucks defeated the Blues 4 games to 0, eliminating them in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt)" /> <div class="caption" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Vancouver Canucks Shane O'Brien (55) greets St. Louis Blues David Perron (57) while Canucks Alex Burrows (14) greets Blues Jay McKee (77) after the Canucks 3-2 win at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 21, 2009. The Canucks defeated the Blues 4 games to 0, eliminating them in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt)<br /><br />An 1893 Stanley Cup championship player's gold ring found in a Vancouver, British Columbia, attic sold at auction for more than $60,000. </span><p><span style="font-size:100%;">The Province newspaper in Vancouver said only one other ring from the first Stanley Cup championship is known to exist, and that's in a vault at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">The ring belonged to the Montreal Hockey Club's George Lowe, the newspaper said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">It was sold at auction to an undisclosed buyer by Quebec's Classic Auctions service, which also declined to reveal who found the ring in an older Vancouver home's attic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Lowe finished eighth in league scoring and was the team's third-highest scorer with six goals in five games during the 1893 season, a year after the Stanley Cup was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston, then Canada's governor general, The Province said.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2009/05/01/First-Stanley-Cup-ring-sold-for-60000/UPI-67221241197016/">Original here</a><br /></span></p><br /></div> </div> </div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-82892331518360974132009-05-02T11:16:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:19:34.896-07:00Celtics, Bulls Put On Show<span><span style="font-size:85%;">By <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/michael+wilbon/" title="Send an e-mail to Michael Wilbon">Michael Wilbon</a><br /><br /></span></span><a href="javascript:void(popitup('http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/postphotos/orb/sports/2009-05-01/index.html?imgId=PH2009050100034&imgUrl=/photo/2009/05/01/PH2009050100034.html',650,850))"><img src="http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2009/05/01/PH2009050100032.jpg" alt="Chicago's Joakim Noah, left, goes up for a shot past Boston's Paul Pierce as the teams took an NBA-record fourth game of their series to overtime." onerror="document.getElementById('wrapper228').style.display='none'" width="228" align="bottom" border="0" height="230" /></a> Chicago's Joakim Noah, left, goes up for a shot past Boston's Paul Pierce as the teams took an NBA-record fourth game of their series to overtime.<br /><br />CHICAGO The NBA would be well suited to dump Atlanta, Miami and Orlando, and just hold on to the Celtics and Bulls for another month, best-of-15 series, winner to play Cleveland for the Eastern Conference championship. How do you get rid of one or the other when together they keep producing classics, when the athletic theater is almost too much to bear? It's become must-see TV, each episode more ruthless and more compelling than the previous.<br /><p> The sixth game, all by itself, should go down as one of the great tests of will in NBA playoff history. Every time it appeared one team had the game won, the other would answer with an improbable run or surreal shot. If it wasn't Brad Miller making a three-pointer, then a driving layup when the Bulls seemed dead and gone in regulation, it was Ray Allen hitting yet another three-pointer to tie when the Celtics were down to their final breath in the second overtime. Or Chicago's 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah stealing the ball from Boston's Paul Pierce and driving two-thirds of the court for a dunk and free throw. That play fouled Pierce out of the game with 35 seconds left in the third overtime and gave the young Bulls, finally, a margin they could manage, though not without near calamity for Chicago, which won, 128-127 on Thursday at United Center. </p> <p> Whoever wants to see this end after Saturday night's Game 7 in Boston is a fool. </p> <p>For the fifth time in six games, the Bulls and Celtics took the NBA playoffs to basketball nirvana with another desperately played confrontation that looked for all the fallen bodies and swinging elbows like it should have been played in one of Chicago's West Side alleys inside a cyclone fence, with chains on the rims, shirts and skins. For the fourth time in this series, which has never happened in the playoffs, the teams needed to play beyond regulation to decide the outcome. And this time they needed three extra periods.<br /></p><p> As the Bulls' Derrick Rose told the Associated Press, "It's crazy, but you got to love it." </p> <p> The defending champs looked like just that when they put together a devastating 18-0 run that turned a 10-point Chicago lead into an eight-point Boston lead with just a couple of minutes to play in regulation. The young Bulls, not wise enough yet to know how to grab and hold after being clipped on the chin, choked away a double-digit lead for the second straight game. The Celtics, Allen and Pierce draining bombs, made Chicago pay dearly for every careless mishandling of the ball and every dumb shot, of which there were plenty. You could see the Bulls' players, even Rose, begin to melt under the pressure . . . until he blocked Rajon Rondo's shot with a few seconds left in the third and final overtime, and dribbled down court to get himself fouled. </p> <p> Rose, who played 59 minutes, then missed a pair of foul shots, of course, to prolong the drama. But the Celtics had <i>no</i> timeouts and Rondo -- who played 57 1/2 minutes with 19 assists and no turnovers -- couldn't hit a desperation heave at the buzzer. </p> <p>Whatever the Bulls lack in poise they more than make up for in guts, and perhaps athleticism, too. They're neophytes in every sense, yet the champs are unable to shake them. The combination has produced a stunning contrast, making the tension even more delightful, whether it's the wondrous plays or a few jaw-dropping mishaps. </p> <p>Asked if he was watching the series between the Bulls and Celtics, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, "That's not Game 6, that's the 'Thrilla in Manilla,' Round 19." </p> <p>It's about as apt a description as anyone has come up with for Celtics-Bulls. It has been the series with everything, just maybe the best first-round series in NBA history. No other series has had even three overtime games. And don't forget, Game 2, which the Celtics won, was decided by an Allen three-pointer with less than three seconds to play in regulation. </p> <p>"This series is a lot of fun for the fans, the people of Chicago, the people of Boston," Noah told the AP Thursday night. "It's a lot of fun for us, too, playing in environments like this on the big stage. It's special to be part of this, and I know that it's a series people will be talking about for a long time." </p> <p>There have been great performances from all-stars (Allen and Pierce), the greatest playoff debut since Lew Alcindor (Rose), one of the rare triple-doubles over a full series (Rondo), and one impossible shot after another by the best bad-shot maker in the NBA (Ben Gordon). That, in most other circumstances, would have been theater enough . . . but not in this series.<br /></p><p>Anger and, uh, bloodshed didn't enter the mix until the final seconds of overtime of Game 5 in Boston on Tuesday night, when Rondo, all 6 feet of him, hacked the 7-foot Miller across the face on what turned out to be the critical play of the game and perhaps the series. Miller took seven stitches in the mouth, but not until after missing two free throws that let the Celtics walk out of the arena with the game.<br /></p><p> Bad enough the game officials missed calling a flagrant foul on Rondo, which would have given Miller two free throws and the Bulls the ball on the sideline with two seconds left. Worse that Stu Jackson, the NBA's czar of discipline, blew it again the next day by not realizing that Rondo's hack job was absolutely excessive, thereby warranting a flagrant designation. </p> <p>But Jackson's failure to make the proper call probably just gave Rondo the green light to push the envelope even further in Game 6, which he promptly did at the end of the first quarter. After dragging Kirk Hinrich down intentionally, Rondo swung an elbow at Hinrich, which should have called at least for him to be ejected from this game. Instead, officials gave Rondo only a "flagrant 1" foul and left him in the game. The Bulls were up 10 at the time, and having to play the game without Rondo must have sent a shiver through the Celtics. </p> <p>One could see the Celtics' coach, Doc Rivers, a native of Chicago, screaming at Rondo during the stoppage in play, in essence, "I told you about that before the game!" Just before the game, sensing the same tension and edge, Bulls Coach Vinny Del Negro said: "We can't afford to get a bunch of technicals and flagrants. We have to be as physical as we need to be to win . . . whatever that means." </p> <p>The anticipation that something nasty and even more dramatic might happen had much of Chicago on edge all day, as people talked basketball everywhere, like they did in the 1980s and 1990s when Michael Jordan's Bulls made basketball the pride of the city, an identity that made Chicagoans feel they were better than anybody's Second City.<br /></p><p> But that's just the kind of widespread expectation that young teams -- and these Bulls are one of the youngest teams in the NBA -- don't handle especially well. They built a 13-point lead in Game 6 but clung to a 59-57 halftime lead after briefly falling behind. </p> <p>The tag-team of Rose (28 points) and John Salmons (35 points) battled Boston's tandem of Allen (who scored a mesmerizing 51 points, including nine three-pointers to tie a playoff record) and Pierce, who had to retreat to the dressing room for a while in the third quarter to fix a bloody nose, the better to set up one more quarter, and as a result one more dramatic evening back in Boston.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050100031.html">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-47517803964750653492009-05-02T11:15:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:16:13.958-07:00President Obama Shoots Some Hoops With The Lady Huskies<p><a href="http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/president-obama-shoots-some-hoops-with-the-lady-huskies.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-7481" title="President Obama Shoots Some Hoops With The Lady Huskies" src="http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/president-obama-shoots-some-hoops-with-the-lady-huskies-300x168.jpg" alt="President Obama Shoots Some Hoops With The Lady Huskies" width="300" height="168" /></a><span>Total Pro Sports - Recently the 2009 UConn Lady Huskies National Championship basketball team traveled to <span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Verdana;" class="IL_LINK_STYLE">the White House</span> for a ceremonial visit with President </span><strong>Barack Obama</strong>.</p> <p><span id="more-7480"></span><span><span><span>During the visit, <span class="IL_SPAN"><input name="IL_MARKER" type="hidden">the Lady</span> Huskies were treated to a special Presidential shoot around at </span><span class="IL_SPAN"><input name="IL_MARKER" type="hidden">the White House</span> outdoor half-court. Obama a former </span><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Verdana;" class="IL_LINK_STYLE">high school basketball player</span>, absolutely dominated a few of the Huskies in a short game of P-I-G.</span></p> <p><em>“He was pretty good from 17 feet,” said coach <strong>Geno Auriemma</strong>. “His shot’s a little unorthodox, but it goes in ... He’s got a little bit of that swagger.” </em>[<a title="President Obama shoots hoops with Huskies" href="http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/28/sports/28-uconn_obama.txt" target="_blank">NHR</a>]</p> <p><span>Like every other ceremonial visit to <span class="IL_SPAN"><input name="IL_MARKER" type="hidden">the White House</span><span> <span class="IL_SPAN"><input name="IL_MARKER" type="hidden">the Lady</span> Huskies gave Obama a basketball signed by the players and a Uconn jersey with #1 and his name on the back.</span></span></p> <p><em>"</em><em>Number One - that's what I'm talking about," Obama joked. "I will wear it when I'm playing.</em></p> <p>Truly a special day that the 2009 Lady Huskies will always remember. Video after the jump.</p> <p><object data="http://www.youtube.com/v/_HEzeeRT5_0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_HEzeeRT5_0"></object><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- var infolink_pid = 12499; var infolink_link_color = 'CC0000'; var infolink_title_color = '000000'; var infolink_text_color = '000000'; var infolink_ad_link_color = 'CC0000'; var infolink_ad_effect_type = 0; // --></script></p> <p><script src="http://resources.infolinks.com/js/infolinks_main.js" type="text/javascript"></script><style type="text/css" id="IL_STYLE_ELEMENT">.IL_LINK_STYLE, .IL_HOVER_STYLE{position : static !important;text-decoration : underline !important;background : transparent none repeat scroll 0% !important;cursor : pointer !important;display : inline !important;color : #CC0000;padding-bottom : 1px !important;}.IL_LINK_REL{position:relative !important}</style></p> <h3><a href="http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/president-obama-shoots-some-hoops-with-the-lady-huskies/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Original here</span></a><br /></h3>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-54880597620064694952009-05-02T11:11:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:14:32.348-07:00New book: A-Rod demanded food, toothbrush be prepared; Yankees teammates viewed him as phonyBY <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/Teri%20Thompson">Teri Thompson</a> and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/Michael%20O%27Keeffe">Michael O'Keeffe</a><br /><br /><div class="image-medium"> <img src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/05/01/amd_arod_water.jpg" alt="Alex Rodriguez takes a break from working out in Tampa on Thursday." /> <span class="photo-credit">Theodorakis/News</span> <p class="photo-description">Alex Rodriguez takes a break from working out in Tampa on Thursday.</p> </div><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /><a title="Alex Rodriguez" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Alex+Rodriguez">Alex Rodriguez</a> was an insecure prima donna who made a clubhouse attendant load his toothbrush with toothpaste after every game in his three seasons with the <a title="Texas Rangers" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Texas+Rangers">Texas Rangers</a>, a new book charges.<div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /><p>The Rangers were also required to send a basket of food to the controversial All-Star's hotel suite during road trips, <a title="Sports Illustrated" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Sports+Illustrated">Sports Illustrated</a> columnist <a title="Selena Roberts" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Selena+Roberts">Selena Roberts</a> reports in "A-Rod." </p><p>Many <a title="Texas" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Texas">Texas</a> teammates kept their distance from A-Rod, who they saw as a spoiled superstar. His relationship with other players didn't improve when Rodriguez joined the <a title="New York Yankees" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+York+Yankees">Yankees</a> in 2004. </p><p>His Bomber teammates regarded A-Rod as a phony and a hypocrite because he tried to project an All-American public image while pursuing a swinger's lifestyle. </p><p>During a series in Texas, Roberts writes, A-Rod went to a sex club while his wife, Cynthia, pregnant with their first child, was at home in New York. </p><p>Rodriguez also turned off teammates by bragging about wild nights with strippers - and by making clumsy passes at other players' wives and girlfriends. </p><p>"He would use these corny pickup lines on a guy's wife," one former teammate told Roberts. "He just wanted to know that he could, not that he would act on it. Seemed like an ego thing." </p><p>As the Daily News first reported Thursday, "A-Rod" contends Rodriguez may have bulked up with steroids as early as high school. It also suggests the third baseman regularly used human growth hormone after he joined the Yankees in 2004. </p><p>Rodriguez acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs after Roberts and S.I. reporter <a title="David Epstein" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/David+Epstein">David Epstein</a> reported earlier this year that he tested positive for steroids in <a title="Major League Baseball" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Major+League+Baseball">Major League Baseball</a>'s 2003 survey testing. </p><p>Rodriguez insisted he only used the illicit drugs from 2001 to 2003, while playing for Texas. He told reporters last spring that he stopped using steroids before joining the Yankees. </p><p>"A-Rod" was to be released on May 12, but publisher <a title="HarperCollins Publishers Inc." href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/HarperCollins+Publishers+Inc.">HarperCollins</a> moved up the release to Monday after The News revealed some of the book's bombshell allegations. </p><p>Roberts also details Rodriguez's obsession with teammate <a title="Derek Jeter" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Derek+Jeter">Derek Jeter</a>. Players who accompanied A-Rod to clubs said his favorite pickup line was "Who's hotter, me or Derek Jeter?" </p><p>Roberts writes that Jeter bested Rodriguez in charity efforts: Jeter's Turn 2 Foundaton donated more than $15 million to charities over an 11-year period beginning in 1997. Rodriguez's <a title="AROD Family Foundation" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/AROD+Family+Foundation">AROD Family Foundation</a> was beset by administrative problems and was temporarily shut down in <a title="Florida" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Florida">Florida</a> in 2008. </p><p>"There was Jeter, always besting him, even as the humble do-gooder," Roberts wrote. </p><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/05/01/2009-05-01_arod_book_says_hes_insecure_prima_donna.html"><br />Original here</a><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-48630052507612775152009-05-02T11:08:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:11:38.133-07:00Loyal Fans Are Batting Cleanup<h3 class="byline"><span style="font-size:85%;">By <a href="http://online.wsj.com/search/search_center.html?KEYWORDS=KEVIN+HELLIKER&ARTICLESEARCHQUERY_PARSER=bylineAND">KEVIN HELLIKER</a></span></h3><p>John Brandon never dreamed of owning season tickets to the Kansas City Royals, let alone four in this location: First row, upper tier, directly above third base. A few nights ago, the 52-year-old baseball fanatic caught his first-ever foul ball in these seats. "I thought you had to be rich to have seats like these every game," says Mr. Brandon, a machinist, his arms dangling outside the railing.</p> <p>The cost of his four tickets: $30 a game -- or $7.50 each -- which is a 50% discount.</p> <p>In an age of fallen circumstances and concerns about revenue, major-league baseball teams are training their attention on a long-overlooked and increasingly endangered species -- those unfailingly loyal fans who buy tickets for every game. In addition to offering lower prices, clubs around the league are rewarding season-ticket holders with other benefits, such as early entrance to games, access to services that resell unwanted seats, exclusive gatherings with players and team executives, and concierges to address their every need.</p> <div class="insetContent insetCol3wide embedType-image imageFormat-D"><div class="insetTree"><div id="articleThumbnail_1" class="insettipUnit insetZoomTarget"><div class="insetZoomTargetBox"><div class="insettipBox"><div class="insettip"><p><a>View Full Image</a></p></div></div><a><img src="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-AP531_pjLOYA_D_20090429212156.jpg" alt="Loyal" vspace="0" width="262" border="0" height="174" hspace="0" /></a></div><cite>Ed Zurga for The Wall Street Journal</cite><p class="targetCaption">John Brandon, a Kansas City Royals season-ticket holder, got his seats at Kauffman Stadium this year at a 50% discount.<br /></p><p class="targetCaption">Wooing baseball's hard-core fans reflects a major-league seat change. In the past, when attendance was rising, the clubs' marketing departments focused on big-dollar sales, such as corporate suites and stadium-naming rights. But last year, attendance at ballparks fell 1% even before the economy crashed. Suddenly, clubs remembered that nobody matters more than loyal fans -- people like Frances Ingemann, a retired linguistics professor who drives 50 miles from Lawrence, Kan., to every Royals home game. "Even if the Royals aren't playing well, you see other teams playing well," says Dr. Ingemann, a 24-year season-ticket holder who fell in love with baseball as a girl listening to games on the radio.</p></div></div></div> <h6>Dramatic Reductions</h6><p>Last year, not a single club reduced its average season-ticket price, according to Team Marketing Report. But ahead of this season, 10 teams -- a third of the total -- did so, in some cases dramatically.</p> <p>Season-ticket seats can still cost thousands of dollars. But some teams with high prices are experiencing reality checks. On Tuesday the Yankees slashed premium-seat prices in half and awarded season-ticket holders with gobs of free seats. In Boston, Fenway Park has sold out every game this year, but only after recession-worried Red Sox officials engaged in unprecedented levels of marketing during the off season.</p> <div class="insetContent insetCol3wide embedType-image imageFormat-D"><div class="insetTree"><div id="articleThumbnail_2" class="insettipUnit insetZoomTarget"><div class="insetZoomTargetBox"><div class="insettipBox"><div class="insettip"><p><a>View Full Image</a></p></div></div><a><img src="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-AP519_SP_LOY_D_20090429213709.jpg" alt="Loyal" vspace="0" width="262" border="0" height="174" hspace="0" /></a></div><cite>Ed Zurga for The Wall Street Journal</cite><p class="targetCaption">The Kansas City Royals are catering to loyal fans like Ralph Sauceda, a season-ticket holder for 10 years.</p><h6>Counting on Gate Receipts</h6><p>That's bad news for baseball. With broadcast rights contributing a smaller percentage of revenue than in other sports, baseball clubs depend on gate receipts for as much as 60% of revenue. And the season-ticket holder typically accounts for about 15,000 seats in stadiums that generally hold between 30,000 and 40,000.</p> <p>For fans, the discounts are proliferating. Under pressure from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, every team is participating in a campaign to offer new and numerous price promotions, with a majority of teams regularly offering tickets for $5.50 or less. To advertise discounts around the league, MLB.com this month launched a page called Fan Value Corner. "Baseball has always served as a diversion for its fans during difficult times," Mr. Selig said.</p> <p>A visit to Kansas City, Mo., illustrates the depth of the recession, as well as the tenacity of some of baseball's most-devoted -- some would say masochistic -- fans.</p> <p>After making the playoffs seven times during its first 17 years, Kansas City hasn't entered the post-season since winning the World Series in 1985. Only the Florida Marlins had weaker attendance last year. Even so, the Royals had 9,200 season-ticket holders last year, many of them baseball nuts such as Ralph Sauceda, a 58-year-old former high-school slugger whose brother-in-law and nephew -- Diego and David Segui -- had stellar major-league careers.</p> <p>For 2009, the Royals hoped for an increase in season-ticket holders. A $250 million remodeling of Kauffman Stadium, financed 90% by taxpayers, added a giant new scoreboard, seats near the outfield water fountains, greater spaciousness throughout the park and expanded food offerings. Moreover, after three consecutive seasons of improvement -- from 56 wins in 2005 to 75 in 2008 -- the club made some off-season acquisitions that boosted its payroll 20% to a team record of $70 million.</p> <p>But last fall, the economy started wreaking havoc. The club had expected to retain 90% of its season-ticket holders, up from 87% last year. But as it turned out, that number dropped to 75%. "I've never seen so many longtime customers -- some with season tickets dating back to 1969 -- saying they have no choice but to bow out this year," says Mark Tilson, Royals vice president of marketing and sales. Adds Terry Loose, a season-ticket salesman for the team, "I've literally had my customers say it came down to buying the tickets or feeding their families. I told them to feed their families."</p><h6>Rewarding Longevity</h6><p>With season-ticket sales down 8% as the season approached, the team rolled out promotions such as the $400 season-ticket offer, and the decline eased to 5%.</p> <p>Like a few other teams, the Royals are bending the golden rule of season-ticket sales, which awards the best seats to those with unbroken longevity. Long-time holders who bowed out of Kauffman Stadium this year can retain their priority status for 2010 by going to as few as 12 games in 2009. Should the Royals make the playoffs this year -- as many prognosticators expect -- holders who dropped out can reclaim their seats for the post-season by committing to season tickets next year.</p> <p>The most effective reward, of course, is performance. After the Seattle Mariners lost 101 games last year, Jack Bray canceled his season tickets, telling club officials that his construction company would go broke if he ran it as poorly as they ran their team. In the off-season, however, the team replaced its general manager, hired a new coach and shook up its roster -- moves that persuaded Mr. Bray to return. "I felt like they had listened to me," he says.</p><p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124105291169271341.html">Original here</a><br /></p><p><br /></p></div><div style="visibility: hidden;" id="articleImage_2" class="insetFullBracket"><div class="insetFullBox"><div class="insetButton"><a class="insetClose"><img src="http://s.wsj.net/img/BTN_insetClose.gif" alt="Loyal" vspace="0" width="19" border="0" height="19" hspace="0" /></a></div><img src="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-AP519_SP_LOY_G_20090429213709.jpg" alt="Loyal" vspace="0" width="553" border="0" height="369" hspace="0" /></div></div></div></div><p>"The season-ticket holder represents an annuity that is the life blood of the organization," says Mark Fernandez, senior vice president of the Tampa Bay Rays, whose 2008 World Series appearance along with some new promotions have boosted that club's season-ticket base.</p> <p>In San Diego, the Padres are studying rewards models akin to those used by airlines, including speedier trips through security. Even as clubs add benefits, they are widening the discount that comes with buying a seat for 81 games. This year, the Padres dropped their average season-ticket price 27%. In Kansas City, the Royals have introduced a season ticket for $400, or $5 a game. The Pittsburgh Pirates, a club that hasn't raised prices in seven years, this year launched four new season packages covering 36% of the ballpark at an average savings of 25% from last year's season-ticket prices.</p> <p>Yet in many markets, the recession is winning. The Padres say their season-ticket sales are off about 20% from historical levels. In distressed Detroit, season-ticket sales for the Tigers fell more than 40%. Most clubs won't divulge those numbers, and league executives won't comment on national season-ticket figures. But some team executives say the league-wide rate of retaining season-ticket holders -- a percentage usually in the mid-80s -- has fallen into the 70s.</p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2969325775485928430.post-70335287742935329522009-04-18T05:19:00.000-07:002009-04-18T05:21:35.057-07:00Cristiano Ronaldo: That was my best goal yet<div style="display: block;" class="ssImg"><div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01385/cristiano-ronaldo_1385114c.jpg" alt="Cristiano Ronaldo: that was my best goal yet " /> </div><div class="imageExtras" style="width: 460px;"> <span class="caption">Making a statement: Cristiano Ronaldo struck from 39 yards in Porto</span> <span class="credit">Photo: GETTY IMAGES</span> </div> </div> <div style="display: none;" class="ssImg"> <img src="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01385/cristiano-ronaldo_1385085c.jpg" alt="One moment of brilliance from Cristiano Ronaldo clears semi-final path" width="460" height="288" /> <div class="imageExtras" style="width: 460px;"> <span class="caption">Strike: 39 yards at 64mph - Cristiano Ronaldo (l) smashes home in Porto</span> <span class="credit">Photo: SKY SPORTS</span> </div> </div> <p> Ronaldo's sixth-minute goal, a stunning right-footed strike from 40 yards, was enough to seal a 3-2 quarter-final aggregate win and confirm an all-Premier League last-four meeting with Arsenal. With Chelsea also through after defeating Liverpool, it means that for the third season in a row, three of the four semi-finalists are English. </p> <p> It was Ronaldo's first away goal in the Champions League since last season's final against Chelsea in Moscow and the World Footballer of the Year insisted that last night's strike was as good as any he has scored. "When Anderson gave me the ball, I thought straight away to turn and shoot at goal and I scored a fantastic goal," he said.<br /></p><p> "It's the best goal I've ever scored. I've just seen the replay and I didn't realise it was 40 yards out and I hit it at 65mph - wow! This victory will give us confidence. The last five games we didn't play great, but I hope this will change that. </p> <p> "It's a fantastic tie for us in the semi-final because Arsenal play fantastic football. We know them well, but I think we can win the tie and go to the final." </p> <p> United manager Sir Alex Ferguson must now prepare for a first leg against Arsene Wenger's team at Old Trafford on April 29 and the Scot has challenged his players to take a lead to the Emirates for the return leg. He said: "No matter what happens, the semi-final is going to be a big factor in our season now. With it being an all-English tie, it will certainly give it extra spice. </p> <p> "I'd be quite happy to win the home leg 1-0. That would be a perfect scoreline for me. The league game at the Emirates earlier this season showed football in a great light. It will be a terrific tie." </p> <p> <strong>Semi-final dates</strong> </p> <p> <i>Tues Apr 28</i> Barcelona v Chelsea<br /><i>Wed Apr 29</i> Manchester United v Arsenal </p> <p> <i>Tues May 5</i> Arsenal v Manchester United<br /><i>Wed May 6</i> Chelsea v Barcelona </p> <p> <strong>Final</strong> </p> <p> <i>Sat May 27</i> Stadio Olimpico, Rome.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/5161239/Cristiano-Ronaldo-That-was-my-best-goal-yet.html">Original here</a><br /></p>sportsmaniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747726611440321568noreply@blogger.com0