Slambuzz Sports International

LeBron’s pain is no gain for Celtics

2010-05-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

These Cleveland Cavaliers had never seen the MVP hesitant, unsure of himself, and yet everyone could see LeBron James(notes) was still probing the Boston Celtics, his elbow and the freshly minted fragility of his psyche. He has been Herculean in his career, unstoppable, unflappable. And finally something threatened to penetrate basketball’s monolith.

“I thought about it a little too much,” James said. “It’s the first real injury that I’ve ever had to play with.”
LeBron James says his bruised elbow is the "first real injury that I’ve ever had to play with.”

So much so, Mo Williams(notes) had to walk over Saturday night and tell James to snap out of it. Get over the pain, get it of your mind and be LeBron James.

When James needed his teammates, they were there for him. Williams hit huge shots, including his first dunk as a Cavalier. Shaquille O’Neal(notes) dropped Rajon Rondo(notes) on his back with a ferocious foul, and he never hurt the Cavaliers again. They had all been brought to Cleveland to be the supporting cast to get James his championship, and maybe he never had needed to lean on them as much as in the Cavs’ 101-93 Game 1 victory over the Boston Celtics.

When it mattered, James was genius. He was the Most Valuable Player, a trophy they’ll present to him for the second straight year Sunday in his nearby hometown of Akron. He had 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Most of all, James pushed back to the perimeter and beat back the doubts – his own, and everyone else’s – about his ability to still score everywhere on the floor.

Slowly, surely, James pushed backward on the floor, deepened his shot, and that turned out to be pure poison for the Celtics. They can’t beat Cleveland with James on top of his game because Rajon Rondo isn’t enough. Paul Pierce(notes) is on a steady decline and no longer can match James shot for shot in a fourth quarter. Kevin Garnett(notes) is a shell, too. This was the Celtics’ chance, the reason they were holding onto hope, holding onto an 11-point lead in the third quarter: James hadn’t come attacking, but probing. This was the kind of opening James had not given anyone in the NBA, and the Celtics were hell-bent on taking it. Still, the Celtics have been dismissive of the injury.

“The elbow is fine,” Doc Rivers scoffed Saturday night. “I’m pretty sure of it, actually.”

The Celtics weren’t too impressed with James using his left hand to shoot a free throw late in the Chicago Bulls series. They planned to hit him in Game 1, hit them all, but James is so strong, so powerful, it’s never that easy. The Celtics weren’t too impressed with the drama surrounding several days of practices and breathless medical updates and reports.

When had a Cavalier ever had to snap James out of something – never mind in the playoffs? Truth be told, no one had heard him talk this way, because nothing has ever bothered him. James had come out like the boxer protecting his ribs, measured and cautious and babying that right elbow. He feared hyperextending it, so he stayed with his dribble and drove to the rim. Whenever possible, he used his left hand – even when it was awkward and going back across his body. He still scored on the move, still made it to the free-throw line, still played productively.

With one hand behind his back, James still can be a force. With two, he’s untouchable. Perhaps James wasn’t himself until the fourth quarter, when he would score 12 of his 35 points, block two shots and hit two crushing 3-pointers. Eventually, resistance was futile for the Celtics. They used to have a defense that could clog him, contain him, but those days are long gone.

James fears his elbow will still be an issue, that it has lingered too long to just go away. He refused to take a cortisone shot for the pain Saturday night, insisting, “I don’t like needles.” Two armfuls of tattoos offer evidence to the contrary, but whatever: The King is the King here, and his proclamations seldom are met with skepticism.

As much as James seems oddly willing to discuss the elbow – an open invitation for Celtics bullies like Kendrick Perkins(notes) and Glen Davis(notes) to pound away at it – coach Mike Brown shrugs and plays the innocent. “I didn’t think he was favoring the elbow. There was not one thing said to me by him, by our trainers. …”

Oh, Brown could see it. Everyone could. Only difference is, Mo Williams said it loud. Hey, LeBron, get over the pain and get us Game 1. Yes, the forever-guarded James shared a surprising revelation late Saturday when he confessed he had been thinking too much about that elbow, that the first true physical trial of his blessed basketball life had played with his mind. The honesty was refreshing, but make no mistake: The Celtics will make it a mission in Game 2 to hit him and test out that threshold for pain.

As puncher’s chances go, that’s all the Celtics have in this series. They no longer have the machinery to take on that monolith and LeBron James reminded them again Saturday night. Unless something’s wrong, unless he has one hand tied behind his back, resistance remains a largely futile act.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebroncavs050110

Bango strikes again, this time from above the rim

2010-04-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Not to turn this Blog into Bango Don't Lie, but when a costumed deer does a backflip dunk from a ladder 10-feet above the rim, you've got to show him some love. That's been my life's mantra since I was a wee lad and I'm not going to change it now. (Note: Don't try this at home)

his man-deer is awesome to me. Not only is that stunt cramazing (crazy + amazing), it's even better when you consider that a little more than a year ago, he tore his ACL performing a stunt on the rim. If I'm in that costume, there's no way I'm getting anywhere near a basketball hoop with my furry deer legs again. But I guess that's why I'm not Bango.

In fact, no one is Bango, except Bango. He's the LeBron James of NBA mascots. That's how far ahead of his peers he is. It's his world and we're all just watching him dunk in it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-Bango-strikes-again-this-time-from-above?urn=nba,237019

Yep Jeff Gordon is ticked at Jimmie Johnson

2010-04-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Now do you believe there's tension between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson?

There was no hiding it following Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway where, moments after getting out of his torn up race car, Gordon had this to say about his teammate and friend: "The 48 [Johnson] is testing my patience. It takes a lot to make me mad, but I am pissed right now. … I don't know what it is with me and him right now."

At issue for Gordon was the way Johnson blocked him with only a handful of laps to go. Gordon was charging on the inside line when Johnson changed lanes right in front of him, forcing Gordon to check up. Moments later, stuck in mid-pack traffic instead of being at the front, Gordon was caught in a wreck that ended any shot he had at victory.

This incident comes on the heels of last week's run-in between the two where Gordon questioned the way Johnson raced him at Texas Motor Speedway. After that race, both drivers said they were "disappointed" in the other.

At Texas, there were arguments to be made on both sides, as neither Johnson nor Gordon cut each other any slack. The latest incident, however, is cut and dried. Johnson, slowed up in the middle lane, clearly blocked Gordon's progress for no apparent reason. Gordon had every right to be mad.

The question now is how does this impact their relationship going forward?

While Gordon has maintained a relatively clean image throughout his 18-year career, he's never been hesitant to push back when he feels he's been wronged. We saw this a few weeks ago at Martinsville when, after a run-in with Matt Kenseth, Gordon used his bumper to make sure Kenseth didn't win the race.

Rick Hendrick obviously doesn't want to see a similar response. (Neither would Gordon. He does, after all, have partial ownership of the 48 car.) The guess here is that Hendrick will meet with the two drivers this week. He'll listen as both drivers give their side of the story, then will chime in with some sage advice that will diffuse the situation.

That said, next weekend at Richmond, the 24-48 situation will be all the talk, and the cameras will be trained on them whenever the two are next to each other on the track.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Yep-Jeff-Gordon-is-quot-pissed-quot-at-Jimmie?urn=nascar,236537

Tiger sex scandal: Elin Nordegren whisks kids away on Woods-free vacation

2010-04-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Seeing red over her husband's return to the green, Tiger Woods' wife took their two kids on another vacation Monday - without the serial-cheating golfer.

In another sign that Woods' marriage remains in the rough, RadarOnline.com posted photos of Elin Nordegren boarding a private jet yesterday in Florida with children and luggage in tow.

"She wants him to work on the marriage. He's back to golf," the source said.

The destination of Nordegren and her children was not immediately known, but she's bound to find it a lot warmer away from Woods, a source familiar with the couple's relations told the gossip Web site.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/04/20/2010-04-20_elin_whisks_cubs_away_on_tigerfree_vacation.html

Tiger Woods has lost his aura as the field moves on with new confidence

2010-04-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

When Lee Westwood, quite accurately, told Telegraph Sport that he thought he was the best golfer in the world right now, you knew the landscape had shifted. A couple of years ago that sort of claim just wasn't worth the effort. Tiger's media groupies would bury you under a ton of newsprint.

Remember what happened to Ian Poulter after he said that when he reached his potential "it will just be me and Tiger". Poulter was ridiculed in a rather juvenile and at times spiteful way. But the times they are a-changing and the world is now staring Tiger down.

Look at Phil Mickelson. Once upon a time Leftie used to see sunspots when Tiger came over the horizon. Now Tiger is the man in dark glasses. Were they to keep the pollen out of his eyes or the glare of public condemnation?

Mickelson is no longer afraid. The most recent three times that Mickelson and Woods have played in the same event – the Masters, the Tour Championship and the HSBC Champions – Mickelson has won the tournament. Only once in the last seven pairings of Woods and Mickelson in PGA Tour events has Woods scored lower than the 'Philharmonic'.

Woods needs to win again soon or his mental edge may be gone forever. The attacks keep coming. He arrived at the Masters only to be slammed by chairman Billy Payne who said: "With fame and fortune comes responsibility, not invisibility.

"It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here; it is the fact that he disappointed all of us, and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children."

A few hours after those shafts of condemnation Woods appeared in one of the most stunningly inappropriate ads of all time. Tiger's dead father, Earl, speaks his hokey words while Tiger blinks in the foreground. Never mind that the real words were spoken to Tiger's mum, Kultida.

The answer to Earl's opening question: "Did you learn anything?" would appear to be "No." Certainly not about women. Humiliated wife Elin was reported to have been incandescent.

'A friend' was quoted in People magazine as saying: "Elin was violently angry over this commercial and thought it was a cheesy thing to do. She wouldn't have gone near the Masters under any condition, but that just made her madder. She is over Tiger. I wouldn't be surprised if she files for divorce some time soon."

Having promised to clean up his act, Tiger then cursed his way through Saturday afternoon at the Masters.

Was he repentant afterwards? He said: "People are making way too much a big deal of this thing."

Did he have words for Mickelson and the family emotions surrounding his win? "I finished fourth," was all Tiger had to say.

That's not even first loser. Don't doubt that Woods will be back. But Westwood, Mickelson and the rest of the gang will no longer look over their shoulder when Tiger enters the room. They know that God doesn't go around in dark glasses.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/tigerwoods/7599049/Tiger-Woods-has-lost-his-aura-as-the-field-moves-on-with-new-confidence.html

Tiger and Elin set to divorce

2010-04-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods is reportedly losing the battle to save his marriage with wife Elin Nordegren, according to telegraph.co.uk .
The report says Nordegren may file for divorce soon and that a television advertisement Woods filmed for Nike which featured the voice of his late father, Earl, may have been the final nail in the coffin.

People magazine said she was "violently angry" over the commercial and thought it was a cheesy thing to do.

Another reason given in the report was that she thought her husband would take more time off before returning to the course.

The beleagured golfer made the decision to take an indefinite break from golf after revelations about his marital infidelities became public.

Woods made his return to golf last week to play in the US Masters, where he came fourth.

Nordegren is said to have left her and Woods' estate in Orlando, Florida after being spotted boarding a private jet by herself.

http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/tiger-and-elin-set-divorce-reports-3465650

Tiger Woods Scandal Is Over, Investors Say

2010-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

The Tiger Woods comeback is, in a way, official, now that the world's No. 1 golfer has completed his return to the world stage at The Masters tournament this past weekend.

Still, analysts are varied in their opinion of how his return will impact the companies that are still sponsoring Woods. Some believe the impact will be minimal, arguing that while Tiger is good for network ratings, he does not actually contribute all that much to the sales of sponsors like Electronic Arts(ERTS) and Nike (NKE).

Others believe that Tiger's return to golf will ultimately lead to a satisfying payoff for those companies, both of whom have supported Tiger through the height of his sex scandal.

Given the divergence of opinion, we wanted to know what TheStreet has to say, and thus posed the question: "Do you think the Tiger Woods scandal has finally played itself out?"

As if to further complicate matters, on Wednesday, April 7, a mere day before the opening round at Augusta National, Nike released a new, roughly 30-second ad, featuring a silent Tiger Woods, with the voice of his deceased father, Earl, posthumously reprimanding his son.

In the spot, as the camera pans closer to Tiger's face, Earl intones: "Tiger -- I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything?" The ad was produced by ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, and ABC News reported that the audio was "selectively spliced" from an interview in 2004, in which Earl was actually referring to his wife Kultida, and not Tiger.

When asked how he felt about the ad, Woods said he believed it was "very apropos," and that "any son who has lost a father, and who meant so much in their life, I think they would understand the spot." Tiger added that he felt his father, who had passed away in 2006 and had been his coach and mentor, was still helping him from beyond the grave.

Howe Burch, executive vice president and managing director at Baltimore-based ad agency TBC, said of the ad: "I think a lot of people would respond negatively to the fact Nike is exploiting this situation for commercial gain," but noted that it has generated a lot of publicity that could lead to significant returns for its golf business. Burch has run marketing units at Reebok International and Fila.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10722620/1/tiger-woods-scandal-is-over-investors-say.html?puc=_tscrss

Yankee Stadium to host first fight in over 30 years

2010-04-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yankee Stadium will welcome boxing back to the baseball field for the first time in over 30 years when it hosts a world championship bout in June that features an aspiring rabbi, officials said on Friday.

The "Stadium Slugfest" will feature WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-0-0, 8 KOs) of Belarus against former title holder Miguel Cotto (34-2-0, 27 KOs) of Puerto Rico in a ring at right-center field with a canopy above.

It will mark the first non-baseball event to be held in the $1.5 billion (975 million pound) stadium that opened last year as the new home of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees.

The last fight in old Yankee Stadium, built across the street in 1923 and now being demolished, was in 1976 when Muhammad Ali defeated Ken Norton.

Foreman, 29, who emigrated to Israel and now lives in Brooklyn, is an aspiring rabbi who displays extraordinary discipline and focus.

After beating Puerto Rican Daniel Santos in November to become Israel's first world boxing champion, Foreman said he objected to suggestions from trainers to take easy fights.

Foreman's dream
"I said no, to be a world champion it's not fighting just easy fights, it's actually fighting another world champion," Foreman told reporters at Yankee Stadium.

"Miguel Cotto is another world champion and defending a world title against Miguel Cotto is a dream coming true and an opportunity to showcase my skills."

Cotto, 29, hugely popular in his native Puerto Rico, lost his WBO welterweight title to Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines when their November fight was stopped in the final round.

The June 5 fight against Foreman will mark Cotto's first with trainer Emanuel Steward, who has trained several top fighters including Thomas Hearns and Wladimir Klitschko.

"We are the owners of our destiny," Cotto said. "I guarantee you we are going to create a great show here."

The Yankee Stadium fight will be the second held in a major new sports stadium this year as Pacquiao beat Ghanaian Joshua Clottey in front of nearly 51,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium, the home of the National Football League Dallas Cowboys.

Officials said they hope to sell at least 30,000 tickets for the fight at Yankee Stadium, which can hold about 52,000.

Cotto is guaranteed $2 million and Foreman $800,000, according to Bob Arum of Top Rank, which represents both fighters.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/252040/yankee-

2010-04-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

By now, you've seen the instantly famous Tiger Woods ad featuring the voice of Earl Woods seeming to chastise his son for his "transgressions." Earl Woods, who died in 2006, is heard saying, "I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. Did you learn anything?"

The ad has, naturally, set off waves of controversy, with many approving of the ad's message, and many others saying it's an eerie, exploitative use of Earl Woods' words and memory. It's gotten people talking, which is exactly what an ad's supposed to do. But were the ad's creators, Nike and the ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, playing a bit fast and loose with the facts on this one?

As it turns out, possibly. ABC is reporting that the words from Earl Woods came from a 2004 documentary, and they weren't aimed at Tiger at all, but were spoken in terms of Earl's philosophical differences from Kutilda Woods, Earl's wife and Tiger's mother:

TIGER Woods wants to renew wedding vows with wife Elin Nordegren

2010-04-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

TIGER Woods wants to renew his wedding vows with wife Elin Nordegren.

The golfer — who cheated on Elin with a string of different women — is due to talk to the press on Monday in Augusta.

And as he works to get his professional life back on track, the billionaire sportsman is also keen to sort his marriage out.

“Tiger knows this will be the most important event of his life. If he has any chance of winning back his fans, and more importantly sponsors, he has to play his best game ever,” a source told the PopEater website.

“Then, to strike while the iron is hot, he plans on renewing his wedding vows and finally putting a period at the end of this horrid sentence in his life.

“It might be good idea for his image to renew his wedding vows, but is it good for Elin?”

However, former Swedish model Elin might have other ideas.

Recent reports claimed she’s pressing ahead with her plans to divorce Tiger because she’s angry he’s returning to golf so soon.

She went to her lawyers and told them, ‘I’m going through with it’. After Tiger announced he was going to compete again it was like a switch flicked – he was back to his workaholic ways,” a source told Britain’s Sunday Mirror newspaper.

“He really was focused on his family for a while there, sinking his teeth into his therapy.

“But now he’s spending 16 hours a day on the practice ground, putting his game first, like the selfish, narcissistic husband he is. It’s made Elin realize there won’t be any real end to this and she needs to get out.

“She thought very strongly that he needed to take care of the home front first and make sure that was in good working order before he started making big announcements. She’s angry the public seem to be buying his apology when she doesn’t even know if she buys it herself.

“It’s not about Tiger being happy or stopping him playing golf — it’s about his not following through with all those teary promises he made.

“She went away on the boat with the kids for a few days and when she came back her mind was made up. She will file for divorce, but there is a lot of legal wrangling going on behind the scenes so that when she does, it will be like surgery — quick, pristine and seamless.”

http://www.showbizspy.com/article/202555/tiger-woods-wants-to-renew-wedding-vows-with-elin-nordegren.html

Manny Pacquiao Included in TIME Magazine’s Poll

2010-04-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Pacquiao is on the list again! Last April 1, 2010, TIME Magazine started a poll and it’s about the 100 most influential people in the world 2010. The Philippine’s pride and pound-for-pound king Manny “Pacman”Pacquiao was included on the list. Included in the said poll are the most powerful personalities like US President Barack [...]
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Posted by Juan Felipe Bangbang on Apr 4th, 2010 and filed under Boxing, Celebrity, Entertainment, Headlines, Sports, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Pacquiao is on the list again! Last April 1, 2010, TIME Magazine started a poll and it’s about the 100 most influential people in the world 2010. The Philippine’s pride and pound-for-pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao was included on the list. Included in the said poll are the most powerful personalities like US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Conan O’ Brien. On TIME Magazine’s “Heroes & Icons” in 2009, Pacquiao ranked 20. In fact, in the Philippines he really is influential because everytime he has a match, there are very low crime rates all over the country. When he wins a match and returned to the Philippines, different politicians are rushing to be with him,

For now, ranking to be on the high spot in the poll is not his goal, his priority as of now is this upcoming election. He’s now campaigning for a seat in Congress and that’s the fight he really wants to win.

First Black Billionaire Robert Johnson Gets A Bailout From Michael Jordan

2010-04-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

BET founder and Obama hater, Robert Johnson, who went out of his way to bring a brother down during the 2008 elections, is a little light in the pockets these days. That’s why Michael Jordan took the Charlotte Bobcats off his hands at cut-rate prices. Pop the top.

When the nation’s first African-American billionaire, Robert Johnson, bought the expansion Charlotte Bobcats NBA team in 2002, his highest-profile move was hiring the most famous athlete in the world, Michael Jordan, to run the team. In a twist thick with irony, the employee has now become the savior: Two weeks ago, Jordan bought the team for pennies on the dollar.

The sale underscores Johnson’s dire financial situation. Four sources with firsthand knowledge tell The Daily Beast that the 63-year-old founder of BET desperately needs cash. The Bobcats sale was precipitated by a need for liquidity to fund his other investment obligations and avoid becoming insolvent, according to business associates of Johnson’s and sources involved in the sale.

Indeed, three sources specifically involved with the team sale said Johnson was eager to ink a deal before an upcoming interest payment on the team’s $40 million in bank debt, so he could save the cash, even though it was only for a few million dollars. That, combined with the deal’s terms, suggests that Johnson is dangerously close to being illiquid. Though reports said he initially wanted between $325 million and $350 million for the Bobcats, the NBA valued the deal at $275 million. But that includes the assumption of debt and other liabilities taken on by Jordan. His Airness only paid Johnson a fire-sale price of $25 million cash in the deal, these three sources say.

“If he didn’t get out now,” says a former colleague of Johnson’s who asked to remain anonymous because of their prior relationship, “he’d be [out of cash] soon.”

“Bob is in a lot of businesses that require a lot of upfront capital expenditures, like hotels and gaming,” adds a financial world source close to Johnson, “so he needs to husband cash flow for the assets that are growing rather than the ones that are not.”

Johnson declined to comment for this story. A representative of The RLJ Companies, the umbrella organization that houses Johnson’s assets, declined comment “on the sale of the Bobcats or any financial matters involving The RLJ Companies or Mr. Johnson.”

Well, maybe his Boo, Hillary, can let him hold a few dollars till payday because this negro is not getting any stimulus from the White House.

http://bossip.com/232689/when-the-checks-stop-coming-in-first-black-billionaire-robert-johnson-gets-a-bailout-from-michael-jordan/

He’s still Duke’s coach K-apable

2010-03-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

He had snipped away at the nets, bear-hugged his players and high-fived all the hands that dangled over the railings after Duke advanced to the Final Four.

Still, as Mike Krzyzewski jogged up the Reliant Stadium tunnel following the Blue Devils’ 78-71 victory over Baylor, it didn’t take him long to realize that something was missing.

“Hey Coach!” an usher yelled. “You forgot your wife.”

Krzyzewski couldn’t help but chuckle as he turned and saw his bride, Mickie, trotting toward him. Somehow, amid all the hoopla, he had neglected to share the moment with the person he loved the most.

“Sorry about that,” Krzyzewski said as he pecked Mickie on the lips. “It was all so crazy out there.”

That Krzyzewski seemed a bit out of his element was certainly understandable. Duke, after all, hasn’t had very much reason to celebrate as of late.
The Blue Devils had reached the Final Four 10 times under Krzyzewski before Sunday, but all of those appearances were before 2004.
Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire

The Blue Devils had reached the Final Four 10 times under Krzyzewski before Sunday – but all of those appearances were before 2004. In other words, by beating Baylor in the South Regional final, Duke ended its five-year drought of advancing to college basketball’s final weekend.

“It’s good for us to get this, but we’re happy for him, too,” center Brian Zoubek said of Krzyzewski. “This is not just another Final Four to him.”

Indeed, as much heat as the senior class of Zoubek, Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas had taken for their early NCAA tournament exits, even more criticism had been directed toward Krzyzewski.

Duke has won just one ACC title since its last Final Four appearance, and only three Blue Devils players in the last five years have been first-round selections in the NBA draft.

With Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels dominating Tobacco Road – before this year, Duke lost four straight home games to its heated rival – there were those who questioned whether the Hall of Fame coach had “it” anymore.

“Through all the struggles we’ve had as a senior class, he’s been right there with us,” Zoubek said. “He’s been fighting for us. He’s had to deal with all the criticism and the hatred and everything that comes along with not doing as well as people had hoped.”

Some Blue Devils fans were also peeved that Krzyzewski agreed to coach the United States in the 2008 Olympics because they thought it took away from his work at Duke.

Scheyer said he never sensed that Krzyzewski was “worn down” by the barbs that were thrown his way. If anything, they made the coach stronger.

“It hasn’t been good having sad locker rooms at the end of every season,” Scheyer said. “But the one thing that’s unbelievable about coach is the passion that he brings into every season, every game. Never once can I say that he hasn’t had that.”

Anyone who needed to be reminded of just how good of a coach Krzyzewski truly is needed only to watch Sunday’s game against Baylor. The Bears were bigger, stronger, longer and glaringly more athletic than the Blue Devils, but the pesky zone defense that worked so well for Scott Drew’s squad all season didn’t seem to rattle Duke.

The Blue Devils had no problem finding open looks during a game in which they shot nearly 50 percent (11-for- 23) from 3-point range. They also didn’t back down from a menacing Bears squad that was as physical of a team as they’ve seen all season

Duke scored 23 second-chance points against Baylor and out-rebounded the Bears 43-37.

“We had to work harder than any game this year to get this win,” Scheyer said. “We had to play our butts off.”

That’s part of the reason why this has been one of Krzyzewski’s more impressive coaching jobs.

Other than Kyle Singler – who scored just five points Sunday – Duke doesn’t have any players who are headed for NBA stardom. And Scheyer joked about how one analyst referred to him and his teammates as “alarmingly un-athletic.”

Plus, this was supposed to be a transition year for the Blue Devils, who lost two of their top players (Gerald Henderson and Elliot Williams) from last season.

When Duke was awarded a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, critics whined that the Blue Devils were undeserving because their conference was as bad as it’s been in years. Yet here are the Blue Devils, the only No. 1 seed that’s still alive heading into the Final Four in Indianapolis.

As much credit should go to the Blue Devils, equal praise should be heaped on Krzyzewski, who continues to maximize the potential of a squad that takes pride in its resolve.

“I’ve never had a group exactly like this one,” Krzyzewski said. “We’re not a great team, but we’re a really good team, and we have great character. To be around that character on a day-to-day basis is so fulfilling to me.”

When Krzyzewski finally reached the locker room Sunday, he told his players not to worry about West Virginia, their next opponent.

Not yet, anyway. He said he wanted his team to relish in the moment, to sit back and absorb what it accomplished in the face of doubters. Duke’s players said they hope their coach takes time to do the same thing.

“This is special for Coach, because for four years he’s watched us blossom into what we are now,” Thomas said. “But this team still has a lot more in the tank.”

Krzyzewski, it now appears, does, too.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-duke032810&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Venus Williams debuts new 'Can-Can' corset dress in Miami

2010-03-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

Venus Williams took it back to the '90s with the outfit she wore Thursday night at a match in Key Biscayne. The 1890s, that is.

In her opening match at the Sony Ericsson Open, Venus wore a red, spaghetti-strapped corset trimmed with a flounce. It was part can-can, part Valentine's Day. And though it certainly flouts the conventions of tennis fashion, the dress worked: Venus won the match 6-4, 6-3.

Nobody seemed to care too much about that though. The first eight questions at the post-match press conference were about the dress.

"The motif is really about sporty sexy, and kind of that whole attitude of bringing that to my game," she said. "I usually don't wear red. This is kind of new for me."

Venus said she plans to wear the dress for her next match as well. If it continues to bring victories, who knows ... maybe she'll get one in white for Wimbledon.

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/blog/busted_racquet/post/Venus-Williams-debuts-new-Can-Can-corset-dress?urn=ten,230510

Chino retires; new commish faces big test

2010-03-23T18:11:00.001-07:00

After quietly stepping down as PBL commissioner, Chino Trinidad can only hope that his replacement can live up to the challenge and take the country’s premiere amateur league to new heights.

“There are a lot of people out there with brilliant minds, and if given the chance they can take the league to greater heights,” he said during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s along United Nations Avenue.

“Whoever gets it will not find it difficult because the structure is already there, the programs are there. But it will be a challenge,” he said.

Trinidad, who served as PBL commissioner for 10 years, said he offered to resign but was asked by the board, headed by Jappy Pascual and Ding Camua of Pharex B, to retire instead.

He said the PBL should start entertaining those interested in the position and those whom the board feels has the capacity to lead the league, and help chart its course during these trying times.

Trinidad said it would be better if the board entertains as many candidates for the job.

“Let’s welcome anybody who’s interested. Don’t put a limit on the number of applicants because there may be others with brilliant ideas,” said Trinidad who would rather keep his hands off the selection process.

“It’s better left to the board. But whoever takes over must have a grasp of the situation, one who can handle concerns like the TV coverage and the participating teams,” said Trinidad, a sportscaster by profession.

He refused to mention the names of those being considered for the post although Noli Eala, Joe Lipa and Ato Badolato have been mentioned within the circle as the likely successor to Trinidad.

“Again, let’s welcome anybody who’s interested,” he said.

Now that he’s no longer PBL commissioner, Trinidad said he can explore new challenges, mostly related to his chosen profession as a news anchor, sportscaster and boxing commentator.

“But I will remain with the PBL in an unofficial capacity. If they need my help, then I will always help. I will continue to watch the games because I’ve developed a lot of friends in the PBL,” he said.

Trinidad wished the PBL the best, and said it’s about time he stepped down so the league can take in a new leader, a younger one if possible, who can infuse new ideas and bring in new energy.

Trinidad said a lot of calls have been made, including those from people who may be offering their services.

“Madami na daw inquiries. The board should take all of them in, then screen them. To make it faster, do away with the typical question and answer type of interview. Instead, let those interested to lay their programs on the table,” he said.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=560763&publicationSubCategoryId=69

Mauer signs with Twins through 2018

2010-03-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Maybe there’s never been a city and a ballplayer more suited for each other than Minneapolis-St. Paul and Joe Mauer(notes), except that would be two cities and a ballplayer, presumably because one town alone couldn’t hold all that love.

And now maybe the folks there can put down the paper bags and stop the hyperventilating.

Conceding it’s bad business to build a ballpark only to have your own fans burn it down, the Minnesota Twins agreed Sunday to extend Mauer’s contract by $184 million and eight years. The deal, which kicks in for the 2011 season and extends through 2018, includes a no-trade clause. Mauer’s agent, Ron Shapiro, made it clear to the team two months ago that negotiations would cease once the regular season began, and talks picked up steam well in advance of that deadline.

The $23 million average annual value of the deal is higher than any player besides Alex Rodriguez ($27.5 million) and CC Sabathia ($23 million). Only A-Rod and Derek Jeter have signed contracts for more overall value and the deal more than doubles the largest ever for a catcher (Mike Piazza signed a $91 million, seven-year contract in 1999).

The result is that there will be no Joe Mauer free agency at the end of the year. No Joe Mauer in Boston. No Joe Mauer in New York. Joe Mauer will not show up in Minneapolis one terrible day in pinstripes, unless he is planning on wearing a suit to the news conference. On the list of most revered Minnesota sports figures ever, the line will continue to form behind Joe Mauer of the St. Paul Mauers, of the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders, of Big Jake and Teresa Mauer, of Grandpa Jake, of quickswing.com, of the Minnesota Twins, of all that is still pure and right with America’s fragile pastime.

Yes, it is a great day for commissioner Bud Selig’s parity and for faux sideburns and for small markets and people who don’t mind rooting for the uniform but just this once would love to root for the man inside it. These are the same people, remember, who two years ago waved goodbye to Johan Santana(notes) and Torii Hunter(notes), and who rationalized the club’s decisions with the belief team CEO Jim Pohlad must be saving up for the sturdy, sweet-swinging catcher they’d all helped to rear.

Indeed, the day has come to celebrate the Twins, who are just plain smarter than most. When a once-in-a-lifetime player came along, a man so perfect Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon once told Sports Illustrated, “I think when God made his blueprint for catchers, he stamped Joe out,” the small-town Twins became big-time spenders. You can’t keep shipping off franchise faces. So, they parlayed a farewell season at the Metrodome and an inaugural season at Target Field and another trip to the playoffs (their fifth in eight seasons) and a homegrown, good-guy stud into a career-long event: Come see Joe Mauer play ball the way it oughta be played (bring a scarf). It’s all just right.

You know, unless the organization doesn’t ever recover from it.

Before we all hug this out, let’s at least acknowledge the downside. Teams with payrolls bogarted by a single player are often flawed in too many areas, and fatally so in at least one. Only the 2003 Florida Marlins won a World Series while carrying one player – in their case Ivan Rodriguez(notes) – who pulled in 20 percent or more of the payroll. In this case, the rest of the roster would be next to impossible to replicate, considering the 27-and-under crowd on that Marlins club included Derrek Lee(notes), Luis Castillo(notes), Alex Gonzalez, Juan Pierre(notes), Juan Encarnacion(notes), Miguel Cabrera(notes), Carl Pavano(notes), Brad Penny(notes), Dontrelle Willis(notes), Josh Beckett(notes) and A.J. Burnett(notes).

Presumably, the Twins have thought of this. That they had no choice but to risk it doesn’t make it any less risky. It is the line on which the have-nots exist. A drunken dalliance with the haves doesn’t make them haves. It simply makes them poorer have-nots. And dumber ones, too.

Fortunately for the Twins and the Mauers of St. Paul, there’s time. The pitching staff is young and suitably talented and reasonably priced. Justin Morneau(notes) and Denard Span(notes) are under team control through 2013, Joe Nathan(notes) through 2012, Michael Cuddyer(notes) and Jason Kubel(notes) through 2011. Assuming Bill Smith can fill in the gaps – which includes replacing the injured Nathan this season – and Minnesotans can brave the April and September frost on Twins Way and the Pohlads can pay the bills, the Twins won’t collapse under the Mauer contract anytime soon.

Granted, they might soon pay a premium price not for a catcher but for a corner infielder or outfielder who just last season started hitting home runs like a corner man, but so what. Mauer is a premium ballplayer no matter where he stands on the ballfield, and a premium hitter, and a premium gentleman. He’s Tony Gwynn(notes) in San Diego, Cal Ripken Jr. in Baltimore, Derek Jeter(notes) in New York, Kirby Puckett all over again. Better even.

Asked recently about where this was headed, Mauer was, well, Mauer.

“I just don’t want it to be a distraction from what we’re trying to do as a team for 2010,” he said. “I just want to prepare for the season and hopefully not be the focus of everything.”

Yes, it’s a risk. The Twins, being who they are and where they are, can’t have this end badly, or it would cripple the franchise for far longer than the life of the contract. But, you know, sometimes you have to believe in something, right?

The Twins wanted to get out from under the roof. Well, now there’ll be sunny days. And rainy days.

If you’re going to believe, it might as well be in Joe Mauer.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-mauersigns032110&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Woods Buildup Begins With a Familiar Image

2010-03-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods will be back on television this weekend during the Transitions Championship, bashing the air with a right-hand uppercut fist pump. The appearance will be brief, almost subliminal, but the statement will be unmistakable, the image powerful.

In a 5-second sliver of a 30-second spot on NBC, the wordless message will be “Remember me?”

The battle to rebuild Woods’s image is under way, and it will not be hurt by the PGA Tour’s use of his familiar celebratory ritual in a promotional spot for the Players Championship in May. The spot is scheduled to be broadcast this weekend.

It will be a strong visual reminder to tour advertisers and sponsors that Woods will soon be back doing what he does best: playing golf and winning events. And although it is a spot for the Players, it will help the Masters, which will be broadcast by CBS, by emphasizing that Woods’s return there in April promises to be anything but ordinary.

“This will be the most-watched Masters ever,” said Bill Sutton, a sports marketing consultant and professor at the University of Central Florida. “The golf people will want to see how he competes and there will be other people who watch this because, ‘Wow, Tiger Woods, I hear all these bad things about him. I want to see what he looks like.’ ”

On the level of the Woods brand and his personal well-being, the return will be the apparent culmination of one stage of a rehabilitation process marked by his somber apology last month at the T.P.C. Sawgrass clubhouse. Seeking forgiveness from his wife, Elin, his family, friends, business associates and fans, he referred to his “repeated irresponsible behavior,” admitted he was unfaithful and said, “I am the only person to blame.”

Now, as Woods returns to golf to restore his career, the focus shifts to a key crisis-management objective: changing the subject.

Augusta National is the best place to accomplish the objective, and the process has already begun, said Bob Dorfman, the executive creative director at Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco. Dorfman rates the endorsement value of athletes in the Sports Marketers Scouting Report.

“Certainly in the sense of the public, and dealing with that, and dealing with the media, this is the smartest place to return,” Dorfman said. “The crowd will be policed very closely and if there are any untoward comments, they’ll yank those people out.”

Woods will sit with the news media for an interview session early in the week of the Masters, which Dorfman and other crisis management specialists say will be a critical moment if he is to begin closing the chapter on questions about his precipitous fall. This, many experts agree, could very well be Woods’s most important Masters appearance.

But not so fast, said Mike Paul, an image expert who is the president of MGP & Associates PR in New York. Paul is not convinced Woods has put in enough time in therapy at a sex addiction center, and added that without tough questioning by the news media about his behavior, Woods is not yet equipped to face the extreme pressure and scrutiny he will undergo when he returns to golf.

“If he were my client, I would tell him that until you have had a number of tough questions asked and answered by the mainstream press, you’re going to continue to be in crisis,” Paul said. “What’s happening right now is that we’re starting to drink the Kool-Aid already. We’re switching focus from a man who was a serial adulterer with many different women as the root of the crisis to a man that we want to watch play golf again.

“Some inexperienced people believe that his coming back and winning golf tournaments is going to make it all go away. That’s just not true.”

Ready or not, here Woods comes and marketers will be among those watching closely, looking for any evidence that his appeal to consumers has eroded. Fellow competitors will be evaluating whether his skills have slipped or whether his legendary confidence has been shaken.

Some will be looking for improved demeanor, including no more club throwing, for which Woods was criticized after hurling his driver at the T.P.C. Boston. Others will be monitoring for off-color language, sometimes picked up by parabolic microphones after errant shots.

“A lot of people are not happy with his behavior on the course,” Sutton said, adding: “People will be watching for all kinds of things. But they mostly will be watching to see whether he can win.”

Dorfman agreed. “In these kind of cases the most important thing is winning,” he said. “The sooner he can start winning, the sooner advertisers will come back and the fans will forget. We saw it happen with Kobe Bryant.”

The idea that Woods could actually step back into the arena and win a major after a five-month absence from tournament golf is raised only because he has done the unthinkable before.

Of the prospect of Woods winning the Masters, Sutton said: “It would be like Roy Hobbs stepping out of the hospital bed in ‘The Natural.’ With limited practice, limited game conditions, if you will, the world looking at him, and all the pressure on him, if he won the Masters, I think it would be more significant than the victory over Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/sports/golf/19tiger.html

March Madness May Make You More Productive At Work

2010-03-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's about to take the country by storm, March Madness, a time when many people focus less on their jobs and more on the tournament. CBS 2's Vince Gerasole spoke to a psychiatrist today who says the "mad" obsession with college basketball playoffs may actually be good for our minds.

Some of you out there, and you know who you are, will be calling up the games on your workplace PCs or dashing to the sports bar in the middle of the business day.

Some calculate that March Madness costs businesses nearly $2 billion in lost productivity. But the workplace bonding and light-hearted competition that goes on at this time might actually, according to others, make employees more productive.

It's time for March Madness and the business pros at American Street Mortgage are having a ball - literally.

"We love basketball so much, it brings us closer to one another," said Amir Syed, the firm's owner.

Sharbel Shamoon, one of his mortgage brokers, says there is just an energetic vibe throughout the office. He also does this while bouncing a basketball beside his desk.

But from the brackets posted in the break room to the web sites on their PCs, there are signs the crew here is going mad in March.

"A lot of us here play basketball, we are all competitive," said Justin Lopatin, another broker.

You can call this the tip-off for a great workplace debate about this basketball obsession.

It's s a matchup as intense as any March Madness competition. On one side you have those who say it is bad for productivity. Among them is John Challenger from the firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

"We're estimating it will cost $1.8 billion in worker distraction and in lost wages," said Challenger.

On the other side, there are those who say it's a great way top build team spirit, specifically psychiatrist Dr. Robert Sobut from Northwestern University.

"People actually have a fun time with it, and it may boost productivity and revenue in the long run," said Sobut.

"With everything going on in the economy, it brings moral up," said Syed. "It's important to bring some personal side to the office. We aren't always so serious. It builds our relationship internally."

The players on his team describe it best.

"Competitive nature drives results, whether betting basketball games, or production, or helping clients," said Lopatin.

It's estimated 45 percent of all Americans will fill out a bracket. Did you? It just might help you feel better about getting to the office tomorrow.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/march.madness.basketball.2.1566948.html

Death of Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen saddens Fearsome mates

2010-03-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

When he received word Thursday morning that close friend and former teammate Merlin Olsen had succumbed to cancer, Rosey Grier cried. He had planned to visit Olsen at a Los Angeles area hospital Wednesday but was told by Olsen's brother, Phil, that it probably would be better if he waited until Friday.

"So Phil put the phone to his ear and we were able to talk," Grier said by telephone Thursday. "He sounded sick but the thing was, he still sounded like Merlin."

Grier paused to collect himself before continuing.

"I loved that man," he said. "I really loved him."

Olsen, who was 69, died from complications related to malignant mesothelioma, which erodes the protective lining around the lungs. He was diagnosed last year.

Along with Grier, Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy, Olsen was part of the Los Angeles Rams' famous Fearsome Foursome in the 1960s, a unit widely considered one of the best defensive fronts in NFL history. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 and was selected to play in 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, a string that began his rookie season of 1962.

Following his retirement, Olsen had a successful career as a football color commentator for NBC and also a television actor. He co-starred alongside Michael Landon on the series Little House on the Prairie and later was star of his own show, Father Murphy.

He also was heavily involved in charitable causes, including hosting telethons to benefit children.

"Merlin was always doing good work to help other people have a meaningful life," said Grier, who was told of Olsen's death by Elizabeth Jones, Deacon's wife. "He was always there for you, no matter what."

Gil Brandt, the Dallas Cowboys' player personnel director during Olsen's NFL career, said Thursday there has never been a better defensive tackle to play the game.

"We played them a lot but we also scrimmaged them a lot, and Merlin never took a play off, no matter what kind of game it was," Brandt said. "He obviously was one of the greatest players of all time. You can look at it like this — when he played in the 60s and 70s, he was on a par with the present-day player as far as speed, strength and skill."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that Olsen "was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy."

Olsen was a consensus all-American his senior season at Utah State, and was a first-round draft pick, third overall, by the Rams.

In December, Utah State announced the field at Romney Stadium would be named 'Merlin Olsen field.'

Two members of the Fearsome Foursome remain alive. Lundy died in 2007 after a series of health problems.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2010-03-11-merlin-olsen-obit_N.htm?csp=34

Lakers snap 3-game skid on Bryant’s late jumper

2010-03-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant(notes) never gets tired of being the Lakers’ closer.

And though he savored the chance to stop Los Angeles’ longest losing streak in nearly three years with yet another flawless game-winning shot, Bryant is hoping he won’t have to bail out the Lakers quite so frequently in the final weeks before they defend their title.

Bryant hit a 17-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left, and the Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to snap their three-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

Chris Bosh(notes) hit a 3-pointer with 9.5 seconds left to tie it for the Raptors, who outplayed the champs for most of the first three quarters before losing on yet another big shot by Bryant, who scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter.

Two days after missing a last-second shot in Orlando, Bryant didn’t hesitate to take the ball again on the wing. Bryant, who missed a shot at the buzzer in Los Angeles’ loss at Toronto in January, eluded Antoine Wright’s(notes) defense and glided nearly to the baseline for a graceful jumper.

“That’s my responsibility here, to close things out,” Bryant said with a shrug. “The same shot in Orlando, and I missed it.”

Wright’s failed desperation shot set off a celebration for the Lakers, who haven’t lost four straight since April 2007. Yet the streamers hadn’t fallen from the Staples Center roof before Bryant began criticizing the Lakers’ latest lackluster effort.

“This thing tonight was garbage,” he said of the Lakers’ effort, adding his account of the positives from the win: “None.”

Andrew Bynum(notes) scored 22 points and Pau Gasol(notes) had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who returned from a winless road trip to beat Toronto for the eighth straight time at Staples Center.

Lamar Odom(notes) had 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and several big fourth-quarter plays for the Lakers, who pushed their suddenly tenuous lead over Dallas atop the Western Conference standings back to three games while winning their only home game in a 16-day stretch.

“In the second half, we picked it up and it paid off,” Gasol said. “We’ve got to start building on our confidence and really stepping it up. So far lately, we’ve been struggling. We’ve been playing well in stretches, but not consistently, and we’ve got to figure that out.”

Bosh scored 22 points in his second game back from a seven-game injury absence, and Andrea Bargnani(notes) had 21 as the Raptors opened a four-game road trip by struggling from the field in the final minutes of their sixth loss in seven games. Jarrett Jack(notes) added 18 points, but Toronto managed just four field goals in the final eight minutes.

“They’re the defending champs for a reason and everything,” Bosh said. “It’s always tough bouncing back (from injury), but I just wanted to get a feel, and I didn’t want to force anything.”

Bryant put the Lakers ahead on two free throws with 3:54 left, and Derek Fisher(notes) stole Hedo Turkoglu’s(notes) pass and hit two free throws with 30 seconds left to put Los Angeles up by four. Odom missed a free throw moments later to give Toronto a chance to tie it, and Bosh coolly nailed his second 3-pointer of the game after hitting just six all season previously.

“It’s no secret that (Bryant) is going to take the shot there,” Raptors coach Jay Triano said. “We’ve all seen it happen. We dodged one in Toronto when he had a shot at the buzzer, and tonight we ran two guys at him and he still makes it.”

An only-in-L.A. moment also factored in the final decision moments earlier, when Toronto’s Jose Calderon(notes) went racing to the sidelines to save a loose ball with 1:48 to play. Before Calderon could get there to attempt an out-of-bounds save, the ball was tipped away by Lapo Elkann, the Fiat heir and international playboy watching from a courtside seat.

Elkann, who apologized to Calderon right away, got a loud ovation when he was shown on the overhead scoreboard moments later.

“It was a tough play, because it was a two-point game,” Calderon said. “What was he going to do, though?”

Los Angeles lost at Miami, Charlotte and Orlando over the previous five days, with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Bobcats sandwiched between two tight games in Florida. Bryant’s various injuries and his teammates’ struggles both played roles in the slide, which allowed the streaking Mavericks to eliminate most of Los Angeles’ conference lead.

In a good sign the Lakers were getting back to business, Ron Artest(notes) had shaved his head bald. On Sunday in Orlando, the colorful forward unveiled a Rodmanesque yellow dye job with the word “Defense” apparently written into it in purple in three languages.

NOTES: The Lakers will finish the regular season with 11 of 17 on the road, including Friday’s game in Phoenix to open a three-game trip. … Lakers G Sasha Vujacic(notes) returned from an eight-game absence with a sprained right shoulder, playing just three minutes. … Besides Elkann, courtside fans included actors Eddie Murphy, Jason Statham, Mark Valley, Russell Brand and Noah Wyle.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AhlKzD8HfXaeazy67loXn9SLCpJ4?gid=2010030913

Nets' Yi sprains left ankle, leaves game

2010-03-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

Yi Jianlian sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the Nets' game against the Knicks on Saturday night and did not return.

Yi was hurt with 2:56 left when he appeared to step on a New York player's foot while running back into defensive rebounding position. A team spokesman said X-rays on the forward from China were negative.

Yi scored three points on 1 of 4 shooting before he was hurt. The Nets did not say how long he will be out.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/06/nets.yi.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

Bears snag biggest free agent prize, sign Julius Peppers to deal

2010-03-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

For the second straight offseason, the Chicago Bears have made the biggest splash in the NFL.

One year after trading for Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler(notes), the Bears signed defensive end Julius Peppers(notes) to a reported six-year, $72 million contract on Friday. Peppers is expected to receive $40 milion over the first three years of the deal.

The former Carolina Panthers star was the most coveted free agent on the market. Chicago had long been an expected destination, although there had been rumors in recent days that the Washington Redskins would make its annual push to bring in the top stars via free agency.

The 30-year-old Peppers has played eight seasons in Carolina. He'll be expected to boost the Bears' mediocre sack totals (9th in the NFC last year) and will likely draw added attention from opposing offensive lines, thus freeing up the team's tackles to stop the run.

Peppers is far from a sure thing though. He has been known to take plays off and there's no telling how he'll react to having the pressures that come along with a massive contract. But, for now, it's the type of signing that should give the Bears a good chance of returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Bears-snag-biggest-free-agent-prize-sign-Julius?urn=nfl,226191

Woods back from family counseling

2010-03-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods is closer to competing again.

Woods is back home after a week of family counseling in Arizona and is trying to get back into a routine that includes fitness and his first significant practice in 15 weeks, a person with knowledge of his schedule said Tuesday.

Woods returned to his home near Orlando on Saturday and has been hitting balls on the range at Isleworth, not far from where he ran his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree in a middle-of-the-night accident on Nov. 27 that set off shocking revelations of infidelity.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because only Woods is authorized to release such information, said golf’s No. 1 player still has not decided when he will return to competition.

Woods was photographed hitting balls at Isleworth on Feb. 18, the day before he ended nearly three months of silence by speaking to a small group of associates at the TPC Sawgrass in a 13 1/2 -minute statement that was televised around the world. Those photos of Woods were arranged to counter the paparazzi trying to follow his every move since Thanksgiving.

Woods has not practiced in earnest since winning the Australian Masters in Melbourne on Nov. 15 for his 82nd victory worldwide.

“I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be,” Woods said in his statement at Sawgrass. “I don’t rule out that it will be this year.”

Woods said he had attended inpatient therapy “for the issues I’m facing” for 45 days, from the end of December to early February. He said he was leaving the next day for more therapy, without saying what kind. The person who spoke to The Associated Press said he went to Arizona for a week of family and marriage counseling with his wife, Elin.

Woods said at Sawgrass of his infidelity, “As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss; however, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.”

News of him getting back into a routine is sure to begin speculation when he might return to the PGA Tour. Woods announced on Dec. 4 that he was taking an “indefinite break” to try to salvage his marriage.

To date, he has missed only two tournaments he typically would have played— Torrey Pines and the Match Play Championship—although he had been leaning toward playing Pebble Beach this year because it will host the U.S. Open in June.

Woods is not likely to play next week in the World Golf Championship at Doral, where he has won three times.

His next possibility on the PGA Tour is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he is the defending champion and a six-time winner. The Masters, which Woods has played every year since 1995, would follow. Augusta National officials have not indicated whether they expect Woods to compete.

“When he does come back, I hope it’s in the Masters, and I hope he’s in great form,” Masters champion Angel Cabrera said Tuesday on a conference call.

The fallout from Woods’ sex scandal has been immense. He already has had three sponsors drop him—Accenture, AT&T and, most recently, Gatorade—while other companies like Gillette have suspended promotions of Woods while he takes his break from golf.

When he does return, he will have a different logo on his golf bag, replacing AT&T, if he can find a deal.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news;_ylt=AtiJxry65wdoiL5DWrskEyMogsUF?slug=ap-tigerwoods&prov=ap&type=lgns

Fan furore that Yao's baby could be American

2010-03-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

China's star NBA center Yao Ming can do no wrong on the court in the eyes of basketball fans, but some diehards are crying foul over the possibility that his firstborn could have an American passport.

Yao and his wife have headed back to the United States, where he plays for the Houston Rockets, ahead of the birth of their first child, which is reportedly due sometime between May and July.

If the child is born in the United States, he or she will automatically be considered an American citizen—a prospect that some nervous fans say could potentially deprive China of a new basketball superstar.

"This will not only be a huge loss to Chinese basketball but, as far as feelings are concerned, will be something very difficult for Chinese fans to accept," the Chongqing Business Daily said, citing angry online comments.

But on popular web portal sina.com, some users expressed support over the possibility of an American Yao.

"To not become an American is stupid... China is a paradise for officials, but hell for ordinary people," said a poster named Limin.

Another user from Shanghai named Kekeweiqi said: "We have no right to interfere in the future of baby Yao. When baby Yao grows up, he/she will have the right to choose his/her own nationality and occupation."

Yao and his wife have been in China for several months as the center recovers from a broken foot that has forced him out for the entire NBA season and helps to manage the Shanghai Sharks, his former team which he now owns.

Yao's agent, Zhang Mingji, said the place of birth of the child was a "family matter" and was not an issue up for debate, the Chongqing paper said.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8341285751900755538

PETA won't use Woods image after talk with lawyers

2010-02-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has nixed a plan to use Tiger Woods' image on a billboard urging people to spay and neuter their pets.
PETA previously announced it would erect a billboard in Windermere — near Woods' home — with his picture and the words: "Too much sex can be a bad thing ... Always spay or neuter!"

The group, which is known for edgy campaigns, says it decided to put the Woods billboard on hold after talking with the golfer's attorneys.

PETA wouldn't say whether Woods' attorneys threatened to sue.

Instead of Woods, the ad will feature South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, whose widely known dalliances have also made frequent headlines.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2010-02-28-peta-woods_N.htm

Gatorade bottles feature Tiger 'unfaithful' labels

2010-01-11T23:31:00.000-08:00

Gatorade says bootleg labels with a picture of Tiger Woods, the word "unfaithful" and the Gatorade name have been found on bottles in Colorado stores.

Gatorade spokeswoman Karen May said Monday the labels were fakes. She declined to say whether the bottles contained real Gatorade.

She says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating but she declined to say whether any problems have been linked to the bottles. She says consumer safety is the company's top concern.

The FDA declined comment.

Gatorade sponsors Woods, who has taken an indefinite leave from golf after admitting to infidelity.

May won't say how many bottles were found or reveal what stores they were discovered in.

KUSA-TV in Denver reported the bogus labels over the weekend.

http://www.nypost.com/p/feds_investigate_unfaithful_labels_tIkaV6ta1BkTkMzp33W07K

UFC star wants to do a Pacman

2010-01-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Like Manny Pacquiao in boxing, Fil-Am Mark Munoz dreams of lording it over the octagon ring in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“He’s really a role model, I wanted to be a Manny Pacquiao in mixed martial arts,” said Munoz, one of the fast rising stars in the UFC with a 7-1 (win-loss) record.

“I’m a very, very huge fan of Manny,” said Munoz in a phone interview arranged for the media by television giant ABS-CBN and its sports cable channel Balls at the ELJ Building in Quezon City yesterday.

Munoz is coming off an impressive victory over Ryan Jensen, finishing off his rival in just two and a half minutes in the first round during their middleweight undercard bout in UFC108 Evans vs. Silva at the MGM Grand Arena last Sunday.

It was Munoz’s second straight win since beating Nick Catone via split decision in UFC102 Couture vs. Nogueira last August. Those victories more than made up for his disappointing loss to light heavyweight contender Matt Hamill in UFC96 Jackson vs. Jardine five months ago.

Munoz said he even went to Los Angeles, California – a three-hour drive from his hometown in Vallejo – to train under Freddie Roach for a UFC bout and meet the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

“I actually trained with Freddie Roach when I was in LA and the reason I want to train with him is that I want to see Manny while training under the world’s best trainer,” said Munoz.

“At the same time, I want to see how compassionate a role model he is because aside from boxing, he’s a very good person that’s why I wanted to see and meet him,” Munoz said.

Like all boxing fans, Munoz said he was disappointed that the superfight pitting Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been called off, saying the unbeaten American fighter was scared of the Filipino champion.

“I think Mayweather is scared. I think he is putting off to create a lot of drama, so to speak. But I think they’re going to make it a bigger fight right now,” said Munoz.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=539284&publicationSubCategoryId=69

Griner dunks twice, No.5 Baylor rolls 99-18

2010-01-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

Brittney Griner and No. 5 Baylor put on a show—at the expense of Texas State.

Griner dunked twice, set the school record for blocked shots in a season and the Bears nearly set an NCAA record for fewest points allowed in a 99-18 thrashing of Texas State on Saturday night.

“We would have beat a lot of teams tonight,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. “I don’t care who we would have played tonight, this basketball team was ready to play.”

Griner scored 26 points and became the second player to dunk more than once in a women’s college game. Tennessee’s Candace Parker had two dunks against Army on March 19, 2005.

Griner also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots to help Mulkey get her 250th win. The blocks gave Griner the Baylor record for blocks in a season with 87, just 14 games in.

“I’m not sure when she finishes her four years, anybody will come close to her shot-block record,” Mulkey said.

The Bobcats had only five points on 2 for 32 shooting at halftime, setting a Baylor record by an opponent.

Baylor just missed out on the NCAA Division I records for fewest points allowed in a half and game. Florida State surrendered three points in the first half against Savannah State on Nov. 23, 2003, and TCU yielded 16 points against Texas Southern on Dec. 30, 2002 to set the mark for a game involving two Division I schools.

Diamond Ford led Texas State (4-7) with seven points.

Griner got the second dunk of her career on the first basket in the second half. On a fast break, Kelli Griffin passed across the lane to Melissa Jones, who dumped the ball off to a trailing Griner. Griner took the pass and threw it down strongly with two hands, giving Baylor a 49-5 lead with 19:36 left in the game.

“The one in transition, we just didn’t match up,” Texas State coach Suzanne Fox said. “If it was anybody else, it wouldn’t have been a dunk. It would have been a layup.”

With 17:53 remaining, Griner, standing on the baseline, took a pass and made a one-handed dunk.

“There’s not anyone, especially in our Southland league, comparable to Brittney Griner. There’s not, in very many places in the country, (a player) comparable to her,” Fox said. “You really can’t emulate how she’s going to distort things on the offensive and defensive end. You just can’t emulate that in a practice setting. So that’s a challenge for us.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBJ7JxlBxcE

Cotton Bowl eyes future place in the BCS

2010-01-02T00:58:00.000-08:00

The Cotton Bowl, embarking on a three-year push that could result in it being one of the coveted BCS bowls, got the "perfect storm for us" when Oklahoma State and Ole Miss landed in Saturday's game.

The Cotton Bowl, in what is being called "the most significant move for us in decades," will be played at Cowboys Stadium.

"I don't have any idea what the BCS is going to look like in the future," said Cotton Bowl President Rick Baker. "But, starting with this game this year, we have put ourselves in a position to be seriously considered if the BCS is tweaked."

The Cowboys and Rebels are the stars in the first Cotton Bowl to be played away from its namesake stadium at Texas State Fair Park just east of downtown Dallas.

Regardless of what happens on the field in the game, OSU and Ole Miss will forever be linked with the Cotton Bowl's efforts to return the game to the mountaintop of collegiate football.

The Cotton Bowl, one of the traditional New Year's Day bowls, lost its stature among the biggest games in college football when the Southwest Conference collapse coincided with the establishment of the BCS formula to set up a national championship game.

When the BCS games were picked, the Cotton was left on the outside as the Orange, Rose, Fiesta and Sugar became the rotation for the top-tier bowls and the rotating host of the BCS National
Championship Game.

That was then. This is now.

"I don't think there is any doubt that this move to Cowboys Stadium makes us relevant once again," said Baker. "This is the biggest game we've had in a very, very long time.

"There was no doubt that our Achilles heel as one of the top bowls was our weather. With this move, we've taken the weather out of the equation. In addition, we will be playing in the best football stadium in the world. Everyone at this game will be in the best stadium with perfect weather to watch a football game. This is what we've been working toward for six years, long before we knew where this stadium would be or what it would be."

The move is literally a game changer for the Cotton Bowl.

The only negative has been removed.

Now, the Cotton Bowl will be able to sell all of its positives. It is in the middle of the country. It is in one of the biggest recruiting areas in college football. It is in one of the largest and most supportive business regions for college football.

The Cotton Bowl also can sell history as one of the most tradition-rich bowl games.

"One of the biggest games in college football should be played somewhere in Texas every year," said Baker. "I think we can put on as good of a show as any bowl in the country.

"We are right in the center of the country. We are a driving trip for just about any fan base. Every team in the country recruits here. Some of the best college football in the country is played in this region. We have the corporate support that believes and supports college football. This is a natural home for college football."

No question the Cotton Bowl, with this move, has nothing but positives. Oklahoma State and Ole Miss will get to be on the front end of what most believe will be a long and glorious rise back to the top of college football's bowl structure.

"We've been working with the Cowboys for six years on making this happen, and everything about it has gotten bigger and better than we could have hoped," said Baker. "I don't think there is any doubt that our game can now stand on par with any bowl game out there."

Certainly, the Cotton Bowl, even during some tough times over the last 15 years, has maintained its well-earned reputation as the most professionally run and enjoyable games for players, coaches, school administrators, media and fans.

Most media consider the Cotton Bowl to be superior, in organization and how it is structured, to any of the current BCS bowls. The game has the same reputation with participating teams.

"That is a reputation we've worked very hard to attain over the years," said Baker. "We want to send people home with smiles.

"I think this year you'll see nothing but smiles, especially from all of us associated with the bowl. We've waited a long time for this game."

Any changes in the current BCS agreement, which could result in the Cotton Bowl being elevated into a rotation with the current BCS bowls, is still four years away because of the current BCS contract.

Baker knows this first game at Cowboys Stadium will "set the table" for the future of the game.

It is a sellout. OSU and Ole Miss sold out their initial allotments of 12,500 tickets each in a matter of minutes. They quickly sold an additional 1,000 tickets sent to the schools. In addition, Dallas-Fort Worth fans snapped up the remaining general public available tickets.

All 71,167 seats are sold, and sponsorship, corporate luxury boxes and parking are gone.

"We weren't included in the original BCS rotation for a couple of reasons," said Baker. "The Southwest Conference was breaking up at the time, so we didn't really have anyone to champion our cause. And, the BCS folks were very honest. They did not want to put the biggest game of the college football season in a stadium where there was the possibility of very bad weather.

"Well, that weather issue is done. I think we'll prove, starting with this game, that we are worthy to be in that mix."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=203&articleid=20100102_203_B1_OSUpre28597&rss_lnk=2

Tiger Woods: about a boy

2010-01-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

THE first thing Tiger Woods needs to do if he wants to remake himself is dump all the enablers. By that, I don't just mean the jerk caddie. I mean the so-called mentors who taught him how to play rent-a-hostess in Vegas. I mean the fawners who laughed at his crude jokes, and looked the other way when he was rude, or penurious. I mean all of the apologists, even the well-meaning ones, who conspired to create such a towering phony.

There are a lot of questions surrounding Woods at the moment, from how many women to how long his indefinite leave from golf will last, but most of them are just side issues. The question that really matters, the pressing one, is this: When will Woods become a man? ''Let's please give the kid a break,'' said Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent, recently. Now, Steinberg is a nice guy who obviously cares about Woods. But his client is about to turn 34.

There is a pattern to the comments coming from Woods' friends. It's a pattern of excuse-making and denial, a continual reinforcing of the idea that he has a princely exemption from ordinary obligations, such as, say, growing up. Or honouring his vows while his wife is pregnant. Or answering questions about car accidents, and about why he sought treatment from a doctor who uses HGH.

Woods himself has invoked ''privacy'' time and again in his carefully crafted statements. But he and his overprotective pals are trying to sell us secrecy as privacy. He has a right to privacy, but what he did was lead a secret life, and that's what the tabloids are preying on so relentlessly. A violation of privacy is merely embarrassing. It's the violation of his secrecy that's destroyed his public persona. Big difference. The reason the story has been so engulfing is because of the sheer size of the gap between Woods' public image and his secret conduct.

Looking back over the last few years, it's easy to see how Woods arrived at this point. He has never dealt straightforwardly with his failings. The first sign of trouble was in a GQ article in 1997 by Charles Pierce, a portrait of a chilly, entitled prince who complained about photo sessions and uttered vulgarities. Instead of confessing to tastelessness and bad judgment, Woods issued one of those calibrated formal statements that deflected responsibility. It wasn't his fault; it was Pierce's fault for quoting him.

The Woods who has emerged in the past few weeks doesn't seem to have matured much since. He seems to have simply graduated from lewd jokes to lewd behaviour. While his public persona grew up, he never did.

Woods' puerile foibles wouldn't be any of our business if his sole entry into the public sphere were on a golf course. But Woods - and the huge corporate entities around him - spent the past decade creating an image. He sold himself as a principled family man. The entire premise of his endorsements was: Buy these products because this is someone you want to be associated with.

No one was forced to buy Tiger Woods apparel, or drive his car, or use his chosen credit card. But many people did. Woods created the iconic image - and now cries privacy when reality assails it. But he can't just say, ''This is what I want you to think of me as because that image is a more valuable commodity than the truth.'' There's a lot of salaciousness in the Woods saga, but there's also a valuable vetting of a powerful public brand.

Woods' true friends will help him narrow that gap, instead of perpetuating it. If Woods deserves some sympathy, and he does, it's because no one around him was able to help him do it before now. His identity from his formative years onward has been wrapped up in outward display. It must have been exhausting to carry around such pretense in front of millions.

It's a harsh judge who doesn't suspect that Woods' infidelities are more than just narcissism, but an expression of unhappiness. He is a confessed insomniac and he has been playing on a bad knee for several years.

But as a long line of other child prodigies can tell Woods, genius isn't a free gift. Those who fare best with it figure out how to grow up, and own up, even when everyone tells them how wonderful they are. Andre Agassi and Chris Evert are two who could help Tiger. Both made their peace with their robbed childhoods; both found a kind of authenticity within their public identities, especially once they quit trying to project invincibility.

There's inevitable dissonance in all of us between who we really are and what we show outwardly. But the athletes who seem healthiest and most balanced are those who have fewer reservations about sharing that with others. Interestingly, some of them become truly beloved. It may not be the best way to become a mass market endorser, but it's a decent way to build real relationships.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/golf/tiger-woods-about-a-boy-20100101-lltw.html

Texas Tech suspends coach Mike Leach

2009-12-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)—Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has been suspended while the school investigates complaints from a player and his family about treatment after an injury.

The school said in a release Monday defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill will be the interim coach and lead the team in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 against Michigan State.

McNeill will remain in charge of the team until the investigation is complete.

The Red Raiders went 8-4 this season.

Leach did not immediately returned a call or a text message seeking comment. A message left on McNeill’s cell phone was not immediately returned.

There’s been internal strife this season with the Red Raiders and Leach has resorted to some tongue-lashing.

He chastised players after a loss to Texas A&M in October for listening to “their fat little girlfriends,” and thinking the Aggies were a pushover. And after the Red Raiders loss at then-No. 12 Houston in September, Leach suspended indefinitely starting offensive lineman Brandon Carter for violating team rules.

The loss to the Cougars was the second straight for the Red Raiders, who had fallen 34-24 at No. 2 Texas in an early Big 12 matchup. This season is the first since 2002—Leach’s third season—that the Red Raiders dropped two of their first four games.

That same week Leach banned his players from having Twitter pages after linebacker Marlon Williams asked on his account why he was still in a meeting room when “the head coach can’t even be on time.”

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-t25-texastech-leachsuspended&prov=ap&type=lgns

Michael Jordan sues two Chicago grocery stores

2009-12-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Michael Jordan wants $10 million from two grocery stores — bagged and carried out to his car — that he says used his identity without permission in ads published in a commemorative Sports Illustrated issue, "Jordan: A Hall of Fame Career."

In the pair of lawsuits filed in Chicago court, Jordan says Dominick's Finer Foods and Jewel Food Stores took their Hall of Fame congratulations a little too far.

According to the suit, the Dominick's ad features MJ's name with the phrase "You are a cut above" and a photo of a steak. (Witty!) Below the congratulations is an ad for $2 off a Rancher's Reserve steak, a trademark of Dominick's parent Safeway.

The mesquite-flavored kicker: There are already two steakhouses and an online steak company named after Jordan. As Matt Bortosik at NBA Chicago points out, there is absolutely no way Jordan would want to sell steaks in direct conflict with his restaurants and companies.

In the Jewel ad, a pair of Jordan's Air Jordan basketball shoes with number 23 on the tongues sit below a message of support that ends with Jewel's friendly "just around the corner" slogan. Apparently, the picture is an "inaccurate and misleading copy" of his famous Nike kicks.

Jordan seeks $5 million from each grocery store for false endorsement, consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition.

While it'd be easy to cynically joke about Michael Jordan, of all people, needing more money, it doesn't mean he should allow himself to be advertised unknowingly. Congratulatory or not, Dominick's and Jewel's advertising departments appear to be at fault.

But hey, if either supermarket chain wants to run a full-page magazine to commemorate The Basketball Jones' upcoming 500th epidose, by all means, knock yourself out. Might I suggest a Canadian bacon angle?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Michael-Jordan-sues-two-Chicago-grocery-stores?urn=nba,210403

Testing issues could derail Mayweather-Pacquiao

2009-12-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

Nearly every detail is finalized for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to fight on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas but one. That one detail, though, may kill the fight.

Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said his fighter is willing to comply with strict drug-testing standards, but Roach won’t allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn 48 hours before the fight.

Ellerbe said he would not let Mayweather enter the ring unless Pacquiao agreed to it.

Both sides agreed that the drug testing issue is the only hurdle preventing the fight from being finished. Earlier Tuesday, Golden Boy Promotions officially requested March 13 from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to host the show.

“As Floyd’s management, we are insistent that there be a level playing field,” Ellerbe said. “This is in the best interests of the fighters, the fans and the sport. If you want a level playing field, the best way to do it is to have Olympic-style, random drug testing administered by the premier agency in the world, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency].”

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the demand is “absolutely crazy,” done simply to harass Pacquiao, who is squeamish about needles, and is proof that Mayweather doesn’t really want the fight.

Arum said the request has been an unsettled issue since the first day of negotiations last month.

“We’re not going to agree to have Manny give blood in training, because that’s stupid,” Arum said. “Every doctor in the world will tell you that is stupid. He’ll give his blood at the beginning of the year and he’s willing to be urine-tested 24/7, but blood doesn’t show [expletive] and he’s not going to do it.”

Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser and de facto manager, said Pacquiao believes drawing blood so close to a competition harms the body, but the boxer is willing to have his blood drawn a month away from the fight as a compromise.

Koncz said Pacquiao was willing to pass on the fight if it came to that.

“Manny has a lot more options than Mayweather does,” Koncz said. “Manny is clean and he’s never done a thing, and he’s willing to go to great lengths to prove it. It’s my understanding that this stuff doesn’t just leave your system overnight.

“He’ll take a blood test immediately after the fight, if that’s what they insist upon. But Manny believes very strongly that it would be harmful to him to draw blood that soon before the fight and he plain and simple isn’t going to do it.”

In a statement released by his publicist, Mayweather said he is willing to submit to the testing. There was never any suspicion that Pacquiao had ever taken banned substances until earlier this year, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. suggested he was on steroids.

Pacquiao has passed every urine test he’s been given in connection with boxing matches.

“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in his statement. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.

“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”

Blood tests for illegal drugs and banned substances are not required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which would have regulatory control of the bout if it is held in Las Vegas.

In Nevada, a fighter is required to submit to a blood test that screens for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, as well as other blood-borne diseases, as part of the requirement to gain a license.

A license in Nevada is good for one year. In Pacquiao’s case, he received his 2009 license shortly before he fought Ricky Hatton in May. He submitted his blood to the commission between April 5 and April 20, said Keith Kizer, the commission’s executive director.

Kizer said all fighters who fight in Nevada are subject to random urine tests as well as any other medical tests, such as an MRI or a CAT scan, that the commission deems necessary. Arum said Pacquiao is willing to submit to testing by an outside agency but won’t give his blood. Roach said it’s an issue because Mayweather’s side has been insisting Pacquiao give blood as close as 48 hours within the fight.

“We’ll accommodate their requests and do urine testing up the wazoo and we’ll agree to have them done by an outside agency,” Arum said. “Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood.”

Ellerbe said having the testing administered by USADA would quell suspicions about the procedures or the result.

“This is no rooty toot organization,” said Ellerbe, who noted that such testing was accepted by elite athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong.

Roach scoffed at such talk and said it won’t matter to him if the fight is not held.

“I really don’t care, because Manny doesn’t need Floyd Mayweather,” Roach said. “The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency successfully used blood testing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens to test for HGH.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-boximpasse122209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Asiad goal: 10 golds from 50 athletes

2009-12-22T15:55:00.001-08:00

Fifty athletes and 10 gold medals.

These are the magic numbers Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping is looking at as the country sets its sights on the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

“I think that will be good enough for the Asian Games,” said the PSC chairman, adding that the athletes who will vie in the next Asian Games should be identified by January.

“We’re looking at 50 athletes, and these will include most of the gold medalists in the Laos SEA Games. Again, we’re looking at a lean delegation,” he told scribes Monday evening.

The Philippines won four golds in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, two of them courtesy of boxing and one each from billiards and wushu. It also won six silvers and nine bronze medals.

Angping, barely 10 months as PSC chairman, is counting on these disciplines to deliver anew in Guangzhou, as well as taekwondo or even dancesport.

Angping said with the proper training and motivation, the Filipino athletes should surpass the 2006 gold medal haul in the next Asian Games.

“It’s hard but achievable. We have taekwondo, boxing, wushu and dancesport,” he said.

“It will start on the process of elimination. We will study the comparative records and see if they will fit to the Asian Games standard,” Angping said yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Filipino athletes who accounted for the 38 golds in Laos, either in individual or team events, received their cash incentives of P100,000 for each gold from the government sports agency.

The athletes all came out of the stadium grinning from ear to ear.

“Because for the first time probably, the incentives were given away in cash. I made sure it came in crisp P500 bills. It was Christmas three days ahead for each of them,” he said.

The other P200,000 bonus for each gold, coming from the national government and the private sector, is being readied, but for the meantime, Angping said, the PSC has done its share.

“They were all very happy. I saw it in their faces. And so I told them to go for it in Guangzhou. Win the medals and get greater rewards,” said Angping.

The PSC chief also pledged an additional P200,000 for each of the four Filipino athletes who broke the SEA Games records in Laos. They are swimmers Daniel Coakley and Ryan Arabejo, tracksters Marestella Torres and Arniel Ferrera.

“Marestella broke a 20-year-old record, and for that she deserves P200,000 more, as well as the others,” said Angping.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=535084&publicationSubCategoryId=69

SEA GAMES medalists get international buildup

2009-12-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

Next year will be a very busy year for Filipino medalists in the recent SEA Games in Laos.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping yesterday said these athletes who accounted for 38 gold medals cannot lower their guard as they have the Guangzhou Asian Games in November to prepare for.

And, according to Angping, it means more hours in the training venue, more hours in actual competition.

“Those who delivered can look forward to more international exposures. It could be a quarterly basis. And for the others, they can train overseas for a longer period of time,” said the PSC chief, adding that he will leave no stone unturned in the Asian Games preparations.

“I asked Sheila Mae Perez of diving if she wants to train longer in China or if Marestella Torres (now the SEA Games record holder in women’s long jump) wants to train somewhere else,” said Angping.

He added that the government sports agency is willing to spend more this time, especially on athletes who have real chances of winning a medal in the Asian Games.

“That’s why we will review their performances because in the SEA Games, your effort to win the gold may not even be close to the bronze in the Asian Games. We will make sure.”

Angping said boxing, which won five golds in Laos despite sending only 10 entries, will continue to get the support it used to.

“We will sit down with their officials. Do they want foreign coaches? Do they still want Cubans? Because I think the Cubans are a little off now. Do they want to try Russian or Bulgarian coaches,” he asked.

The PSC chairman said by January, a new pool of elite athletes will be formed and soon enough, the athletes that will go to Guangzhou should be identified.

“And by March, we’re all out training them. Then tuloy-tuloy na yan,” Angping said. – Abac Cordero

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=534556&publicationSubCategoryId=69

Bata, Amit set title duel with Koreans

2009-12-02T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Philippines’ Efren “Bata” Reyes and Rubilen Amit played a near-flawless game this time as they overpowered Team Europe’s Mika Immonen of Finland and Borana Andoni of Albania, 7-1, yesterday to arrange a title showdown with Team Korea in the 2009 World Mixed Doubles Classic at the Nuvo City Lifestyle Center in Libis, Quezon City.

The one-sided victory was far from their error-prone 7-4 win over the Japanese pair of Hayato Hijikata and Kaori Ebe in the opener of the event where the Filipinos needed to lean on a couple of lucky breaks to break out of a four-all count and post their first win.

Against Immonen and Andoni, Reyes and Amit were all business, seizing control early and never giving their rivals a chance to recover with superb pocketing.

Earlier, Team Korea’s Charlie Williams and Park Eun Ji spoiled a projected all-Filipino finale as they beat the host country’s second team, Lee Van Cortez and Fil-Am Shannelle Loraine, 7-3.

The RP-Korea final is set today.

Reyes, a former world 9-ball and 8-ball champion, said he was impressed with Amit’s superb pocketing and solid breaks.

“She’s the main reason why we won, she showed better pocketing and breaking than me,” said Reyes referring to her pint-sized but power-hitting partner.

But Amit, winner of the inaugural world 10-ball women’s championship, refused to take the credit and said it was Reyes who anchored their romp.

“We all know him, he’s always humble, but the truth is, he carried us to this win,” said Amit, who admitted to have had a hard time shaking off jitters against the Japanese.

“I struggled in our first game together. I was afraid to make mistakes because I’m playing with my idol, that’s why I keep on committing mistakes and bad shots,” Amit said. “But he (Efren) told me to just be myself and relax, I did that and it really helped me.”

Immonen, who ruled the recent World 10-ball Championship, was far from top form against the RP duo, missing a textbook shot, making a scratch and coming up with poor preparation for his partner.

“I played a horrible game,” said Immonen, who also retained his US Open title.

Team Europe still placed second in Group A and gained a shot for third place in the $12,000 tournament supported by Puyat Sports, ABS-CBN Sports, ESPN-Star Sports and The Philippine STAR.

Team Korea clinched the first finals berth in the event presented by Nuvo Land Philippines, Inc. and Dragon Promotions by beating Team Philippines B. The pair of Charlie Williams and Eun Ji Park topped Group B with a 2-0 mark.

Corteza and Loraine will take on Team USA’s Shane Van Boening and Amy Chen in the evening session for the right to vie for third.

The 10-ball tournament, produced by Dragon Promotions, is telecast live on ESPN Star Sports and ABS-CBN throughout Asia and the Philippines.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=528994&publicationSubCategoryId=69

So, Malakhov go to tiebreak

2009-12-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

GM Wesley So and GM Vladimir Malakhov of Russia fought to another draw, sending their Last 16 duel into rapid tiebreak matches in the World Chess Cup at the Khanty-Mansiysk Center of Arts in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Tuesday.

The standoff followed a similar truce in Monday’s opener of their two-game classical game duel with the two players disputing the quarterfinal berth in the tiebreaks set Wednesday.

The winner will face third seed GM Peter Svidler of Russia.

The 16-year-old Filipino champion, who impressed the field with victories over former world championship contender GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Russia and dethroned champion GM Gata Kamsky of the United States, is hardly bothered playing the 22nd-ranked Malakhov (2706) in the tiebreaks.

“Generally speaking, I am okay if the classical games were drawn. Here the tiebreak goes. To my mind I play tiebreaks better than classical games. But my previous opponents did not give me any chance to come to this stage,” So told the official World Cup website in an earlier interview.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay, who has backed So’s campaign abroad since 2006, also expressed confidence on the Bacoor, Cavite-native’s chances against Malakhov in the rapid matches.

Asked about So’s chances, NCFP secretary-general Mayor Bambol Tolentino and executive/events director Willie Abalos also believed So will keep up his strong showing even against higher-rated opponents.

So, who was earlier hailed by the foreign media as a “perfect positional player who plays in the style of a young Anatoly Karpov,” did not give the white-playing 29-year-old Malakhov any chance to gain initiative in their second game.

A queen exchange on the 22nd, followed by the white bishops three moves later, led to a position that offered little prospects for both sides.

Next up for the winner of the So-Malakhov match is Svidler, who booted out last year’s World Cup runner-up GM Alexei Shirov of Spain, 1.5-0.5.

Aside from Svidler, the other players who safely advanced to the quarters are GMs Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbiajan, who eliminated GM Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic, 1.5-0.5; and GM Sergey Kariakin of Ukraine, who ousted GM Nikita Vitiugov of Russia by the same score, 1.5-0.5.

Also playing rapid tiebreak matches are top seed GM Boris Gelfand of Israel against GM Maxime Bachier-Lagrave of France, second seed GM Vugar Gashimov of Russia against GM Fabiano Caruana of Italy, GM Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine against GM Etienne Bacrot of France and GM Alexander Grischuk of Russia against GM Dmitry Jakovencko of Russia.