The 2009 National Douchebag Tournament

Welcome to HolyTaco's 2009 Douchebag Tournament! It's the only tournament in the world that pits 64 douchebags in a winner-take-all tourney, voted on by you, to determine who is crowned the Biggest Douchebag of 2009.

We took 16 douchebags from the fields of Entertainment, Sports, Business, and Politics, ranked them accordingly and matched them up in a manner similar to a crazy tournament between February and April that we can't name due to legal issues. So, the #1 ranked douchebag in each division plays the #16 ranked douchebag, the #2 ranked douchebag plays the #15 ranked douchebag and so on.

VOTE ON THE ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS HERE!

PLAY-IN GAME:

Katherine Heigl

What Makes Her A Douchebag:

Declining an emmy nomination last year because last season's scripts on Grey's Anatomy weren't "good enough" definitely qualifies her as a great big bag o' douche. She had no problem collecting enormous checks for being on the show, but then decided it was her duty to throw the show's writers under the bus. But the joke's on her: Grey's Anatomy always sucked.

VS

Ryan Seacrest

What Makes Him A Douchebag:

The perennial douchebag, Seacrest's combines a pretty boy smugness with the world's blandest personality. Listening to him suck up to celebrities and pretend that photos of Brad Pitt walking into a Starbucks are actual news makes you want to slap the facial right off his...face. Seacrest out (of everything except the closet.)

Vote on who's the bigger douche. You can vote as many times as you want. Just refresh the page and vote again.

(Note: Voting results are slightly delayed.)

Tomorrow you'll have the chance to vote on eight first round match-ups. The voting lasts until the next day's match-ups go up. Each day we'll show the results and update the brackets to let you know who's advancing towards becoming the 2009 Douchebag Of The Year. So, here's a breakdown of all four brackets:

Original here

Scots clubs braced for hard times

By Chris McLaughlin

Scottish football clubs are feeling the effects of the credit crunch

The majority of Scottish football chairmen have told BBC Scotland that the credit crunch is squeezing club business and they expect it to worsen.

In an exclusive BBC survey, all 42 professional clubs answered questions about their fight against the downturn.

One of the major concerns for clubs is corporate sponsorship drying up as businesses cut back.

Sixty-nine percent said that satisfying the banks and retaining sponsors was the biggest off-field challenge.

Most remain bullish in the face of troubling times, but there is also some frank realism that the game won't escape without casualties.

Some call for big changes, others say the game is well placed to ride out the storm - some even suggest it could be good news in the long run.

Bank managers are under pressure too, so it's understandable, but yes they are looking for more money from us Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson

Most admit that business is affected, with 81% saying that income has been impacted by the economic downturn.

"There's no doubt we've been hit - my fear is that this is just the beginning though," said one worried chairman.

At the moment an obvious concern is getting people through the gates at matches. However, almost 70% said the biggest off-field challenges they face are retaining sponsorship deals and keeping some very nervous banks happy.

"Bank managers are under pressure too, so it's understandable, but yes they are looking for more money from us," said the Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson.

"Anywhere they think they can pull money in, they will. Everyone is in the same position."

Most of the club chairmen also mentioned a decline in the uptake of corporate sponsorship.

"When things are tight in business it's usually the first thing to be cut," said one First Division chairman.

"It's big business for some clubs though and there's no doubt that it'll have an impact."

There is some good news though. If there was no escaping the credit crunch, then it seems now is a decent time for Scottish football to be bitten.

Football finance expert David Glenn from Price Waterhouse Coopers believes clubs had already started addressing some worrying debt trends.

"Scottish football caught a cold four or five years ago and realised that debt levels were just far too high," said Glenn.

"Since then most clubs have taken drastic steps to cut costs - if they hadn't, many would be facing financial meltdown."

There are other factors to consider for the well-being of football's future and other questions addressed in the BBC Scotland survey.

The game's top men have also given their views on issues such as attendances and the quality of entertainment on the pitch.

Chris McLaughlin's series on the state of Scottish Football finances continues on Wednesday 18 March 2009.

Original here

BBC apologises after Match of the Day pundit compares football tackle to rape

By Paul Revoir

The BBC has apologised after a Match of the Day pundit likened a tackle in a Premiership match to rape.

Former West Ham United manager Alan Pardew, 47, was condemned by women's groups for trivialising sexual violence.

He had been analysing a tackle by Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien on Manchester City striker Ched Evans in Sunday's game.

Alan Pardew, left, with Alan Hansen on BBC's Match of the Day last night, where he made a gaffe by comparing a tackle to rape

Mr Pardew said on Match of the Day 2: 'Ched Evans is a strong boy but (Essien) knocks him off ... he absolutely rapes him.'

Co-hosts Adrian Chiles and Alan Hansen looked stunned, but there was no apology during the show.

Lee Eggleston of Rape Crisis England and Wales, today slammed Pardew for 'trivialising' sexual violence.

She said: 'The use of this language is completely inappropriate and I'm shocked to hear about it - I can't imagine why Pardew has said it.

'That something as serious as sexual assault has been misused to describe football is appalling.

'He has trivialised and undermined the seriousness of rape and anyone who has suffered sexual violence will rightly be angry hearing of it.

'I think he should apologise because otherwise it sets an example that it is okay to use the word rape in that context.

'We have spent 25 years making sure sexual violence is not acceptable and rape is a serious crime and this can only hurt that.'

Pardew was commenting on City striker Ched Evans's attempt to steal the ball from Essien , right, during the Chelsea v Man City game

A BBC spokesman apologised for Mr Pardew's comments but would not reveal whether he will be used as a pundit in the future.

She said: 'What Alan Pardew said was misheard. It was thought he used the word "rakes".

'If it had been heard, there is no question there would have been an on-air apology.

'Alan Pardew apologises unconditionally for any offence caused by remarks he made on the Match of the Day 2 programme last night. We have received a total of 35 complaints.'

Pardew has been described as a 'dangerous and distant animal' due to his poor public relations abilities

Since the ex-Charlton Athletic manager parted company with the club in November last year he has tried to build a career as a football pundit.

It is believed that his appearance on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday night was his first pundit job for the BBC.

Yvonne Traynor, director of Rape Crisis in south London, said: 'How can he say that? It's insensitive in the extreme, how can he even think that it may be OK to make such a comment?

'I thought the BBC was supposed to be being more careful, what a joke! I can't see how he can carry on, but I doubt the BBC will tell him not to come back, that doesn't seem to happen these days.

'They'll probably just slap him on the wrist, but he should be hauled over the coals.'

A spokesperson for Women Against Rape also criticised Pardew for 'trivialising' such an important issue.

'Anyone who can say such a thing has no idea what rape means. It is really insulting to rape survivors to have the word trivialised in that way.'

Original here