chili sports news

Terri Patraw has left the Nevada women's soccer program and fourth-year assistant Antoinette Marjanovic will be interim head coach, Athletic Director Cary Groth announced Tuesday.

Patraw said she was fired in the midst of contract negotiations for the last two weeks.
"They offered me a contract extension and a raise on (last) Wednesday," Patraw, in her third year, said. "Cary Groth terminated me Tuesday. I told her some things she didn't want to hear."

A series of key meetings, between the USSF and WSSI' Tonya Antonucci, is taking place this weekend in Los Angeles.

Sisters and teammates Katelynn and Shannon Donovan each scored Friday for the Fury in a 2-0 win in the semifinal of the WPSL Final Four over a well-experienced San Diego WFC SeaLions team at Juan Diego Soaring Eagle Stadium.

Dr. Bob Contiguglia, a former president of the U.S. Soccer organization and Colorado resident, disclosed that he's working with an initiative to put a WPS franchise in Colorado by 2011.

27 August 2008
Question over the move of giving Nakano the 2008 spec is finally answered, HRC wants to see how the current bike behaves on the Bridgestone's shod and what Michelin afraid of most was coming true, Nakano was faster 2.2 seconds during the race in each leaps. The performance makes Honda feel 'satisfied' that actually their bike is just fine, the problem mainly on the tyres.

After the race, Masumi Hamana (HRC President) held the meeting with his engineers and he said franky he doesn't understand (as an ! engineer) why Michelin failed to run in three series followed, the problems on the tyres were found. On Monday another meeting was held and there was no definite answer from Michelin whether they will improve in Misano or not.

That day (Brno), Masumi Hamana saw Dani Pedrosa, the only pilot that his team is in position to fight for the world title, just the penultimate race and dropped the rest of the pilots, as well as bereaved and embarrassed at not being able to fly your bike properly because of lack of adhesion of their Michelin tyres. Hamana was in pain to see his pilot struggle a lot.

When asked (by solomoto - thanks for the info again) whether they will approach Bridgestone to provide them the tyres next year, he answers briefly: YES!

Okay so who's going to replace Carlos Alberto Parreira as Bafana Bafana coach?

We know SAFA is willing to pay almost anything for a world-class coach, so money is not really an object. The first question will be - foreigner or local. Parreira is a great coach, who has done wonders for the long-term success of South Africa football, but in leaving (for family reasons) he has highlighted why an international coach is not ideal; there'll always be a part of him that's simply not at home in a foreign country.

However, each individual is different and coaches with less personal commitments could flourish in vibrant SA. Portuguese tactician, Jose Mourinho certainly would. He's currently unattached, after leaving Chelsea under a cloud earlier this season, but has been linked to Inter Milan for next season. He could be more expensive and demanding than Parreira, but would be worth every cent.

Jomo Sono took Bafana to the 2002 world cup, so he has some big stage experience. He's also a legendary figure and it would be a great story for him to lead the team during an historic world cup, having been denied the opportunity during his years as a world class player.

Clive Barker is South Africa's most successful coach on the basis that he won the 1996 African Nations Cup. Granted it was on home soil, Barker is still a coach that can instill passion, commitment and heart, attributes I think will be the determining factors for the home side in 2010.

Gordon Igesund is the country's best local club coach, having won the most PSL titles, but can he make the step up to national level? Maybe. I just get a sense that two years is too little time for a coa! ch like Igesund to work his magic and adapt to the vastly diff! erent wo rld of international soccer.

Pitso Mosimane has been in charge of Bafana for very short stints and some say he has had a lot of influence over the Bafana side as the assistant over the past year. In saying that, it might not count in his favour considering Bafana's inconsistent performance graph.

Steve Komphela failed to take the national under 23's to Beijing, so many would put a big cross next to his name immediately, but he does have a lot to offer. Komphela was Bafana's first captain post isolation and is a well-traveled and qualified coach. He also identified and nurtured many of the current Bafana players as under 23 coach.

So there you have it. Who would you employ to bring glory to the nation?

England are one-up in their three test series against New Zealand and are in a confident mood ahead of tomorrow's final test at Trent Bridge.

An extraordinary spell of spin bowling by England's Monty Panesar took the test away from the Black Caps and it looks like the Trent Bridge wicket will again help spin and swing bowling.

New Zealand will be hoping Ross Taylor continues his rich vain of form if they want any hope of leveling the series. With the Proteas on the way, England will be looking to take momentum into the series and how better than a convincing win.

Western Province sent out an ominous warning while the unheralded but dashing Border Country Districts team stole the show on an action-packed opening day of the 2008 Coca-Cola Under-13 Craven Week at Paarl Gymnasium.

There were also wins for Border, Zimbabwe, the Blue Bulls, Valke, Limpopo Blue Bulls and KwaZulu-Natal as the 37th edition of the prestigious primary schools' week unfolded in perfect weather, and in front of a large crowd.
Free State and Boland were the big disappointments, losing their matches to the lesser fancied Pumas and Valke respectively.

Here are the results from Day 1:

Border (7) 12 Griquas (0) 5

Zimbabwe (0) 5 Namibia (0) 0

Blue Bulls (12) 24 Eastern Province (7) 14

Border Country Districts (26) 26 Griffons (0) 0

Mpumalanga (17) 22 Free State (0) 7

Boland (0) 0 Valke (5) 19

Limpopo (6) 19 South Western Districts (10) 10

Golden ! Lions (3) 11 KZN (3) 24

Western Province (8) 30 Leopards (0) 5

South Africa's next chance for an Olympic medal rests with BMX star Siphiso Nhlapo who's through to the semi-finals after winning his quarterfinal this morning. He rides in the first heat at about 3h30 tomorrow morning.

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Earlier this morning, amputee, Natalie du Toit finished 16th in the ten kilometre open water swimming marathon. The Capetonian is the first athlete that will compete in Olympics and the Paralympics. Russia's Larisa Ilchenko won the gold.
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South Africa's 1500 metre finalist Juan van Deventer finished seventh last night as Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi won the gold.
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Today Jamaica's Usain Bolt bids to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win the sprint double when the 200 metre final takes place at about 4 o'clock.
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Conrad Jantjes has replaced Percy Montgomery at fullback for Saturday Tri-Nations test against Australia in Durban. Former Bok wing Breyton Paulse says Montgomery st! ill has a lot to offer the Boks after reaching a record hundred test caps. Paulse says the Boks need to play a conservative style of rugby. Jongi Nokwe replaces the injured Bryan Habana in the only other change.
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Today's Twenty20 match between the Proteas and England has been cancelled due to heavy rain, but let's hope it doesn't affect the one day series which starts on Friday. Former Proteas great, Jonty Rhodes, says the team must put their historic test series win behind them very quickly...
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Benni McCarthy impressed in Bafana's 2-all draw against Australia in London last night. Siyabonga Nkosi and Teko Modise got the goals. Bafana next face Nigeria in a crucial Afcon qualifier.
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Nigeria and Argentina will compete in the soccer final at the Olympics.
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Cloetesville High School in Stellenbosch is still celebrating its triumph in the National Coca Cola Under 18 schools tournament. The team captain, Christopher Flandorf is! meanwhile looking ahead to a professional soccer career after! signing for PSL champions Supersport United...

Maritzburg United beat kaiser Chiefs 2-1 at the Chatsworth Stadium in Durban in a local PSL fixture yesterday, and controversy blows up after the game as Kaizer Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral calls on the SA Football Association Review Committee to ban Maritzburg United defender Gary Goldstone for an elbow challenge. The challenge put Tshepo Bulu in hospital with a broken nose and a broken bone under his eye. Chiefs need to pick up the pieces ahead of a big weekend, when they will meet Sundowns in the MTN 8 final.

Springbok lock Bakkies Botha could miss this coming weekend's test against Scotland at Murrayfield. He missed training yesterday due to an eye injury. The good news is that Adi Jacobs is back in training. Bok coach Peter de Villiers says they won't be underestimating the Scots.

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Luke Watson's disciplinary hearing takes place today. It's alleged he broke SA Rugby's code of conduct by saying he wanted to vomit on the Springbok jersey.
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Ajax Cape Town will face Free State Stars in the Telkom Knockout Cup semi-finals. It's an away match on the 30th of November in East London. Celtic will take Pirates in the other semi. Ajax Cape Town coach Craig Rosslee believes they can go all the way and says they've proved they can beat the top sides...

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Nashua Cape Cobras coach Shukri Conrad says they're looking forward to the limited overs season after finishing the first part of the Supersport Series without a win...

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Conrad continues his search for a talented young fast bowler today. Yesterday the Cobras Roadshow visited Picketberg and Vredendal. At three o'clock today the team is at the Worcester North Primary School. Conrad is confident he'll find fast bowling talent outside the city...

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The extreme athletes participating in the Volvo Ocean Race are preparing for the second! leg from Cape Town to Cochin in India. The yachts leave the W! aterfron t on Saturday after two weeks resting and fixing up the boats.

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Roger Federer suffered a defeat to Gilles Simon at the start of the Masters Cup.
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World number one Rafael Nadal has confirmed he'll miss Spain's Davis Cup final against Argentina.

Santos nor Ajax Cape Town have taken the bragging rights in the Cape Town derby at Athlone Stadium last night. The game ended all square in a 1-1 draw.

The excited voices of fans and Vuvuzela's echoed throughout the stadium as Sanots and Ajax took to the field.

Many where expecting a cracker-jack of match and the supporters were duly rewarded when Mahudi Khanyeza had an attempt on goal in the eighth minute.

The crowd began to get restless as they waited for one of the teams to take the lead which didn't happe! n in the first period.

Later on in the half it was the People's team turn for an attempt on goal, Erwin Isaacs fed the ball to midfielder Tyren Arendse but he couldn't get his foot to the ball.

Santos fans jumped to their feet in the 38th minute when they thought their team had gone ahead but Erwin's Isaacs goal was ruled offside.

The Urban Warriors game out with guns blazing in the second half, they won a free within minutes of the restart freekick which Shameeg Doutie took but again his attempt was saved by Chansa.

It was all Ajax until Santos then got a corner and Captain Musa Oteino managed to score in the 51st minute after some fumbling in the area, the stadium bursts in roars of cheering.

With the way Ajax was playing they didn't not deserve to be a goal down, nonetheless they persisted and eventually it paid off.

The People's began throwing their all into defending their lead. ! However, Khanyeza capitalized on a defensive error by Santos a! nd equal ized for his team in the 82nd minute.

The result now leaves Ajax two points clear at the top as Santos remains in 5th spot.

We speak to the legendary Shane Warne exclusively ahead of the IPL in South Africa. He's captain and coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL T20 in South Africa. Listen as we chat about the cricket festival, team dynamics, the SA vs OZ series and the search for a leg spinner of his calibre...

The 2009 Formula One season edges ever closer and there is no better evidence for that then Formula One team car launches. In the past, these car launch events have been very elaborate and the epitome of opulence and excess. However, the economic times that the sport and the globe face have severely curtailed such events put on by F1 teams.

Today, Ferrari debut their new Formula One challenger in a low key unveiling and have designated their new car the F60, which is a departure of the previous designations of F2008, F2007 and 248F1 (in 2006). The F60 name is derived from the fact that Ferrari are the only team to have competed in each of the 60 years of the Formula One world championship.

Due to the major rules changes in F1 for 2009, the car looks somewhat different that previous cars however clearly carries over some ques from the last generation of Formula One car and their F2008.

Team will be cars in the next several months, however the b! ulk of t eams with be launching their new cars in January. Below is the schedule for F1 teams:

Toyota- January 15th

McLaren- January 16th

Renault- January 19th

Williams- January 19th

BMW-Sauber- January 20th

Reb Bull- February 9th

Force India- March

Toro Rosso- TBA

We will see if the remnants of the Honda team are about to get up on the grid in the coming weeks.

Photos provided with permission: http://www.f1technical.net/

Damien Plessis is hoping to secure his first senior appearance of the 2009-10 season when Liverpool do battle with Arsenal in the fourth round of the Carling Cup later this month.

The French midfielder was an unused substitute for the victory over Leeds United at the last stage of the competition, and is eager to be involved against the Gunners at the Emirates.

It's a venue that holds special significance for the 21-year-old as it was away to Arsenal in a Barclays Premier League encounter in April 2008 that manager Rafael Benitez handed Plessis his Reds debut.

"The Emirates is a fantastic place for any young player to make his debut, but maybe not the easiest of stadiums to play at," he told LFC Weekly. "It is very big and the atmosphere was different to what I had known in France.

"It was a great incentive though. I remember Rafa telling me to go out and keep it simple. T! hat's what I did, I just went out and played my football to help the team get a result.

"I felt I played well that day. I saw in some of the papers that I was man of the match, which was nice."

The former Lyon starlet helped Liverpool to secure a 1-1 draw that afternoon and he is targeting another chance to shine against Arsene Wenger's charges, though he is well aware there has to be a winner this time around.

"This time it will be different because it is the Carling Cup and not the Premier League," he added.

"If we draw at the end of the 90 minutes in the cup, there will be extra time and maybe even penalties.

"Also, in the Carling Cup, you tend to get a lot of players who would not normally play all of the time. It is often a good chance for younger players like myself to come in and show what they can do.

"The Carling Cup is perhaps my best chance to get a game in the first-team at the moment. Young! players may be on the bench for Champions League or Premier L! eague ga mes. You wait and wait but don't always play. The Carling Cup is different though.

"Maybe I will play against Arsenal, maybe I won't. I don't know yet, but I hope I do. Arsenal is a very big game whatever competition you play them in so, if you do play, you know you have to play well."

Keith Harris is regarded as the No.1 mover and shaker on football club takeovers, coming close last year to pulling off a Middle East deal to buy Liverpool, so there can be few greater authorities on the current crisis gripping Anfield.

The boss of high flying City firm Seymour Pierce spoke to ESPN Soccernet about the situation gripping the giant Premier League club on the eve of their critical clash with Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

Investment bank Seymour Pierce's Harris told ESPN Soccernet: "Liverpool is one of the best football brands in the world - but it is currently suffering.

"Liverpool finds it hard to come near to its main rivals in the Premier League because it doesn't have the matchday attendance to compete at the highest level. Anfield is limited to 45,362 and without the stadium source of revenue it is not able to fund investment in the team that is required by all top clubs in this highly competitive climate.

"Liverpool requires further investment in the team to compete, and for that reason it would benefit from new owners who could invest and give the club the backing to build the new stadium that it needs."

No one knows better the degree of difficulty in pulling off a takeover at Anfield. Harris brokered a bid from a Kuwaiti investor, which had an excellent opportunity to take Liverpool a stage further with big investment from the Middle East. The Kuwaiti offer followed closely on the heels of an approach from Dubai's DIC which ultimately was topped by the bid which saw Hicks and Gillett assume joint control.

Harris, the former Football League chairman, says: "We! came ve ry close in July last year when the Kuwaitis pulled out at the last minute.

"The problem at Liverpool is actually straightforward - a short-term debt level which restricts its capacity to build a new stadium and invest further to enhance the playing squad. It is hampered like many other clubs by the continuing difficulty of raising money in the world's capital markets.

"Liverpool has not had a sustained period of success for many, many years. Yes, they won the Champions League a few years ago, but the club needs a sustained period of success, and that is not happening."

The fans turned on Rafa Benitez in the Champions League defeat by Lyon, but George Gillett has issued a statement backing the manager, although that has not yet been endorsed by Tom Hicks.

Earlier this week, ESPN Soccernet revealed the financial importance of qualifying each season for the Champions League, suggesting that without the competition's £30m bounty under! pinning the clubs interest repayments, there would instantly be a crisis situation.

No one at Anfield would have envisaged that the team that nearly won the title last season would now be languishing in eighth place, with little prospect of winning the title, and more significantly from a financial point of view, threatened with the prospect of not finishing in the top four.

Such factors appear to make the clash with Manchester United a make-or-break encounter of enormous importance.

Jamie Carragher admits he is 'hurt' by Liverpool's current plight, but has called on his team-mates not to be too downhearted.

Club stalwart Carragher was sent off on Saturday as a 3-1 defeat at Fulham condemned the Reds to a sixth loss in seven games in all competitions.

The setback at Craven Cottage has left Liverpool nine points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea and unlikely to mount a serious title challenge.

The result in West London followed on from a Carling Cup exit in North London to Arsenal which raised further questions over ! Rafa Benitez's future as manager.

The only bright spot in recent weeks was the 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Manchester United and Liverpool now face a crucial UEFA Champions League tie against Lyon on Wednesday.

Another defeat is likely to see Benitez's men miss out on a place in the last 16 of the competition and Carragher acknowledged the importance of the match.

Carragher, who is captaining the team in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard, admits Liverpool are currently enduring a troubled period.

"These are tough times and it hurts a lot," said Carragher.

"This is un-Liverpool like. But it is not just the fans who are disappointed, it is the players, the staff and the manager.

"We have got to get back on track with Lyon, which is another massive game.

"We made up for a few things last week by beating Manchester United. Then we have had two defeats since.

"There is only us on the! pitch that can turn it around and there will be a lot of talk! about t his result again.

"We have got to sort this out with the management and staff. We can't afford to be too downhearted for too long because we've got to get ready for the next game."

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From Clear Channel Entertainment

AURORA, IL – Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports division announced today that the opening race of THQ World Supercross GP at Toronto's SkyDome will have two live webcasts.

The first live webcast for the pre-race press conference will take place on Thursday, December 2 at 10:00 a.m. EST. Featured in the pre-race press conference are: three-time supercross champion Ricky Carmichael, reigning THQ World Supercross GP champion Heath Voss and former FIM World Motocross champion Sebastien Tortelli.

The second webcast from the Toronto THQ World Supercross GP Series race will be broadcast live on Saturday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. EST on supercross.cc.com. In addition, all 2004-2005 THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series races will be webcast live at 7:00 p.m. local time on supercross.cc.com all of which will include the in-depth post-race press conference.

Chad Damiani, who is the host of Supercross LIVE on supercross.cc.com, will host the webcast as the world's top riders discuss the 2004-2005 THQ World Supercross GP opening round. Last season more than 500,000 live listeners logged on to capture the 2003-2004 THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series.

For more information, please log on to www.supercross.cc.com.

By John Hopkins
with files from Rally Connex

TORONTO, ON -- Meg's Ride, a "Women Only" charity motorcycle trail ride and part of the Ontario Trail Ride Series takes place Sunday Oct. 9.

The event is hosted by the Northumberland Trail Riders Motorcycle Club in support of the Northumberland Hills Hospital/Chemo Cancer Clinic.

A minimum of $60 in pledges is required to enter. Pledge sheets are available on request from the website (www.rallyconnex.ca), email, phone or at Machine Racing (ask for Toni). Motorcycles must have a working muffler and be quiet. Sound levels of 93 dba will be enforced. CMA membership is required and is available at sign-in ($26 per year).

There will be awards, prizes, event memento and lunch provided, with special awards for out-of-province riders, a prize for the rider with the most money pledged! , a prize for the rider with the most donors, a prize for the youngest rider of the day and a prize for the most senior rider of the day.

Ganaraska Trail Tours will supply a limited of rental bikes for experienced riders. Call (877) 939-5267 for more info.

There will be three riding loops to choose from: A novice/beginner loop of easy two-track trail, 5km in length; a similar loop of 12km and a final loop with options of difficulty of about 60km in length.

Contacts are Joanne Bulsara (anvilartistry@eagle.ca, 905-372-1506) or Warren Thaxter (warrent@eagle.ca, 905-372-3336).

Just One step you have to go for e commerce

One second round series matchup has already began in the NBA while two first round matchups finished up their series in 7 games this weekend. The first round proved once again that the NBA playoffs are the only time to watch NBA basketball but provided us drama and highlight reels that are leaving us amazed at their talent. Below are the matchups for the second round. For those of you keeping score I predicted the eastern first round matchups correct but was a little off on the West.

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland dominated their opening round series sweeping the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James took over as usual and look for him to do the same in this series. Atlanta won their first playoff series since 1999 but looked vulnerable in doing so. Miami was not nearly as complete of a team as the Cavaliers and took Atlanta down to the wire. I think the Hawks will defend their home cour! t a little here but will fall to the Cav's in 5.

Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics

This is a very intriguing matchup. If you are comparing names Boston will win, but Orlando gets a whole lot out of Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. I think the key for Orlando is how well (or poorly) Dwight Howard plays. Boston doesn't match up well in the post with Howard and he should have his way with Perkins. But good guard play takes you a long way in the playoffs and this will help Boston. The Celtics are coming off an absolute battle with the Bulls where they played a record seven overtime periods. Look for Boston to pull it out in 7 games again.

Western Conference

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have better talent and better depth than the Rockets which will take them a very long way in this series. A combination of Yao Ming, Luis Scola, and Ron Artest ! in the front court will cause some problems for Bynum and Odom! . But ag ain, the Lakers backcourt is much stronger. If Houston can get some production out of Aaron Brooks they could make it interesting but I think the Lakers will pull this out in 5.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets

We get a little early jump on this one because they have already played one game in this series with Denver beating Dallas 109-95 on Denver's home court. I am not at all surprised by the outcome and after handling New Orleans with some pretty impressive W's in the first series I think Denver will survive. Billups is the key to Denver's success and with a lot of experience on this level he can take Denver to new heights. They will work to contain Dirk which will work in the end. I will take Denver in six.

1. Larry Fitzgerald- ARI
2. Andre Johnson- HOU
3. Calvin Johnson- DET
4. Reggie Wayne- IND
5. Randy Moss- NE
6. Greg Jennings- GB
7. Roddy White- ATL
8. Marques Colston- NO
9. Dewayne Bowe- KC
10. Anquan Boldin- ARI
11. Wes Welker- NE
12. Steve Smith- CAR
13. Vincent Jackson- SD
14. Roy Williams- DAL
15. Chad Ochocino- CIN
16. Terrell Owens- BUF
17. Brandon Marshall- DEN
18. TJ Houshmanzadeh- SEA
19. Anthony Gonzalez- IND
20. Santonio Holmes- PIT
21. Eddie Royal- DEN
22. DeSean Jackson- PHI
23. Bernard Berrian- MIN
24. Lee Evans- BUF
25. Braylon Edwards- CLE
26. Donald Driver- GB
27. Antonio Bryant- TB
28. Ted Ginn Jr.- MIA
29. Santana Moss- WAS
30. Jerricho Cotchery- NYJ
31. Hines Ward- PIT
32. Devin Hester- CHI
33. Laverneus Coles- CIN
34. Torry Holt- JAC
35. Donnie Avery! - STL
36. Lance Moore- NO
37. Derrick Mason- BAL
38. Nate Washington- TEN
39. Steve Breaston- ARI
40. Kevin Walter- HOU

With every major league team tied in the standings at 0-0 (when it was written), what better time to make some predictions? Who will make the playoffs? Who will win the World Series? Also we'll share our take on the most important individual awards: Rookie, Cy Young, and MVP, as we preview the 2007 season.

Note: This is the first entry that all three of us wrote together, hence we couldn't get it on here until after the official start of the season. Won't happen again. Let's get it going...

Who will win the A.L. East?

Keefe- Yankees
I hate to say it, but it's going to be the Yankees again. A 10th straight East title looks almost inevitable, although their pitching doesn't scare you. The lineup does however, even with the loss of Sheffield, 1-8 are all tough outs. The ARod- Jeter relationship is something to watch. Look for Rodriguez to have another great offensive regular season then take a dump in the p! layoffs. Sox fans hope he doesn't turn into Peyton Manning and finally win when it counts. The team bats will bail out the team arms all season long. Red Sox will be there, and expect another strong year from the Blue Jays.

Shark- Red Sox
Yeah, I know that most people have trouble even remembering the last time Red Sox won the division, but I think this is finally the year where the Sox's rotation is stronger (or should I say healthier?) than that of the Yanks and that's going to be the difference maker. I see Dice-K going to go for a solid 15 wins and the same with Beckett, and although it may sound obvious, I think Schilling is poised to have one final good year despite the fact that most people seem to be writing him off because of his age. True, he doesn't bring the heat like he used to, but I really liked the look of his newly added change-up this spring. Plus, I feel obligated to support a fellow blogger. At then end of the season I'll! probably regret writing this, but put him down for 16 w's.Like I mentioned earlier, I just don't see the Yankees, especially their pitching, being able to stay healthy enough to dominate like they have in the past. Look for the A-rod drama to have a negative impact on the team, as well an injury to Giambi. All those "protein shakes" are going to catch up with him this year as his body self-destructs by August.

Besse- Red Sox
Despite Schilling as the "ace" and the buzz surrounding Matsuzaka, Beckett is the guy to watch. Expect him to settle in during his sophomore year in the A.L., and their offensive firepower to out-slug a potent Yankees team that is short on starting pitching. Toronto will continue to steal wins from both clubs and make things interesting down the stretch, but don't expect any of these teams to win more than 95 games.

Who will win the A.L. Central?

Keefe- Indians
Strong division that should have four teams contending fo! r a spot in the playoffs. I give the Indians the edge because of Grady Sizemore (see A.L. MVP) and Travis Hafner. They also have a definite ace in C.C. Sabathia. The Tigers added more pop with Sheffield to help them repeat as A.L. champs, but will be without Kenny Rogers until July. The White Sox and Twins will be pushing for the wild card as well. Minnesota will be without Francisco Liriano (Tommy John- likely miss entire season), their 1-2 punch from a year ago is gone, and they may finish 4th in the central, despite returning both the league's batting champ (Mauer) and MVP (Morneau).

Shark- Tigers
In my mind, the AL Central is going to give us the best playoff race in baseball and other than the lowly Royals, any of the other four teams could be walk away with division bragging rights. While I like the Indians' lineup, their bullpen was just a joke last year and I think will lead to their demise once again this year. However, if its any c! onsolation to you Cleveland fans, I think the Tribe will be th! e most e xciting team in the division (other than days when Santana pitches for the Twins of course), so at least you've got that going for you.
The Tigers have one of the best combinations of hitting and pitching in the league and is the reason why they'll be the last team standing in the Central. Losing Kenny Rogers to injury certainly hurts, but I think the end of their rotation is stronger this year with a healthy Mike Maroth and will take some of the pressure off of Verlander to repeat last year's breakout season. Not to mention that Magglio Ordonez and Gary Sheffield are going to be one of the league's best hitting duos.

Besse- Tigers
The Tigers welcome back Mike Maroth after elbow surgery to a staff that has three, maybe four potential aces. Sheffield adds more pop to a lineup that drove in more runs than the Red Sox and hit more homeruns than the Indians last year. Also, with Brad Radke retiring and Francisco Liriano out after Tommy John,! expect the Twins to compete but fall short in pitching. Cleveland has a nice mix of veteran and young pitching, but are a year away; if this nucleus of young players, including the likes of Sizemore, Hafner and Marte returns, the Indians will take the Central next year.

Who will win the A.L. West?

Keefe- Athletics
Everyone is talking about the Angels, but I like the A's. The outfield is solid with the addition of Shannon Stewart to go along with game ready Milton Bradley and Nick Swisher. Frank Thomas is out but Mike Piazza is in as the everyday DH. They're always in it down the stretch and the 1-2-3 of Harden, Haren, and Blanton will keep them there. Huston Street (37 saves last year) is no K-Rod, but he gets the job done. Also the Angels overspent on Gary Matthews Jr. (always good in the field, but in '06 has a career offensive season, during a contract year, and then is linked to HGH… come on now.), he a! nd Garrett Anderson will struggle, making their offense rely c! ompletel y on MVP candidate Vlad Guerrero.

Shark- Rangers
If I was a smart man I'd pick Oakland. They've got a solid line-up that is anchored by their outfielders: Shannon Stewart, Milton Bradley, and Nick Swisher. They've got Harden and Haren at the top of their rotation and Huston Street coming in to close. Plus they just always seem to be there in October. However, where would the fun be in a making a preseason outlook if you didn't take a flyer on a team? Hence, I'm picking the Rangers.
I love Young and I think Teixeira could be a sleeper pick in the MVP race. Sosa looked like his old self (juiced self, not skinny rookie self) this spring, but after the past couple seasons I just can't realistically expect much production from him. I thought they made a great deal in getting Brandon McCarthy from the ChiSox. Along with Millwood and Padilla, McCarthy gives the Rangers a pretty solid top three in their rotation and I think they might really sur! prise some people.

Besse- Angels
An already strong club added Gary Matthews, Jr. and Shea Hillenbrand, plus Casey Kotchman returns from a season-long battle with mono. The starting pitching is decent, and will need Jered Weaver to be as good as he was last year, but it's the back end that's scary…Justin Speier comes from Toronto to match up with Scot Shields in setting up the explosive Francisco Rodriguez, who went 2-3 last year with a 1.73 ERA and 47 saves. Oakland will hang in there, led by pitchers Rich Harden and Huston Street. But nobody in their lineup scares you and Harden will need to stay healthy or else they'll fade fast.

Who will win the A.L. Wild Card?

Keefe- Red Sox
The Sox won't lose out on their division by too much, and will slide into the playoffs with the wild card. The Angels, Tigers, and White Sox will give them problems, but it might be a team in their ow! n A.L. East that pushes them the most. Halladay and Burnett wi! ll have big years and the Blue Jays will be knocking on the door. But it will ultimately be the best 3-4-5 combination in the majors (Ortiz, Manny, J.D. Drew), the solid starting pitching (Schilling, Beckett- in a great bounce back year, Dice-K), and the new old closer (Papelbon), that gets the Sox back into the playoffs.

Shark- Yankees
Everyone is talking about how the Yankees pitching is weak for the first time in more than a decade, but they're still the Yankees. They have confidence. They have the intangibles. They have tradition. Oh, and did I mention the best lineup in baseball. The line-up is so good that the Yanks will just wear pitchers down over the course of the game and there a very few good bullpens in the league. Like always, they'll be around in October.

Besse- Yankees
There isn't a single break in this lineup, save for the 9-hole spot (Doug Mientkiewicz, Josh Phelps or Andy Phillips). Hideki Matsui ret! urns from that gruesome wrist injury, and Melky Cabrera is as good a 10th player as anyone in the bigs. That being said, Chien-Ming Wang starts the season on the D.L., and the return of over-paid, injury riddled Carl Pavano highlights a starting rotation that simply put, won't be good. Mussina and Pettite will win 12-14 games, but Kei Igawa is unproven and Pavano stinks. Expect this team to make the playoffs thanks to Mariano Rivera and a boatload of homeruns.

Nice try (in order of finish): Cleveland, Oakland, Toronto, Minnesota

Who will win the N.L. East?

Keefe- Braves
The Mets have a better lineup, but the combination of pitching and hitting will land the Braves into the postseason. Chipper needs to stay on the field, and they better hope Andruw Jones still has pop despite losing a lot of weight. Brian McCann might just be the best catcher in baseball, (.333, 24 HR, 93 RBI, in '06). And besides ! Carl Crawford rounding second base I think watching Jeff Franc! oeur thr ow out a runner with his hand cannon is the most exciting play in the sport. Bullpen was a problem last year, Wickman didn't get there until it was too late. Now they have him for an entire season as well as former Pirates closer Mike Gonzalez to make sure they don't blow late game leads. Rollins, Utley, and Howard will make the Phillies interesting, but they have nothing hitting behind last season's MVP. Mets have pop too, but no pitching to clinch the east.

Shark- Phillies
This division race is going to go down to the wire between the Phillies and the Mets, but I think Ryan Howard is going to be the difference maker even if he gets the Bonds treatment from opposing pitchers. The big fella should see Rollins on base in front of him a lot of the time and have Utley and Burrell protecting him from being pitched around.
The Mets certainly have a better line-up, perhaps the best in the NL, but with Pedro out until after the all-star break t! heir pitching will keep them from winning the division outright. I see them walking away with the wild card and then making some noise in the playoffs.

Besse- Phillies
Expect huge seasons from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, who combined for 90 homeruns and 251 RBI's last season, more than any other duo in the majors. They also acquired Freddy Garcia to pitch in between Brett Myers and up-and-comer Cole Hamels in the rotation. Although the bullpen isn't strong, GM Pat Gillick will most likely look to improve that before the July 31 deadline. If Tom Gordon stays healthy, though, he'll top the mark of 34 saves he recorded last year.

Who will win the N.L. Central?

Keefe- Cubs
Anything the Cubs get from Prior and Wood this year is a bonus. They aren't relying on them, and that's a good thing. Addition of Soriano, re-signing Aramis Ramirez, and a healthy Derrek Lee makes the Cubbies ! look like a strong playoff team. Oh yeah, they also have one o! f the be st starting pitchers in all of baseball, Carlos Zambrano. Kip Wells is the number two starter in St. Louis? Wainwright is an unproven starter, and Carpenter will have a lot of pressure on him. Some bad teams here that could be fun to watch depending on who is pitching, I like Cincy with Arroyo and Harang (who led the NL in both wins and strikeouts), and keep an eye on the Brewers when Sheets or Dave Bush takes the bump.

Shark- Cardinals
The Cards don't have the pitching that they had last year after losing Suppan, Marquis and Weaver, so look for them to use their superior offensive firepower to simply out-gun the rest of their division. Hey, its working for Steve Nash. Barring any injury I would almost guarantee that Pujols walks away with his 2nd MVP. I also think closer Jason Isringhausen will have the stones to come in and finish-up those close games... even if the score is likely to be 12-11.
I think the Cubs could be a real fun team! this year, especially with the addition of Soriano. He's both a threat to hit a homerun every time up, as well as to misplay a ball in center. He's going to keep the Cubbie fans on the edge of their bleacher. If either Prior or Wood are able to come back and do something it would be great for the Cubs and the game of baseball in general, but I don't see it happening and thus Carlos Zambrano is going to have to carry the weight of the rotation on his wide shoulders. Unfortunately its going to be just too heavy.

Besse- Cardinals
The Cardinals will win the competitive Central for two reasons: pitching and Pujols. Former Cy-young winner Chris Carpenter leads a staff that welcomes Adam Wainwright, who made a name for himself during last October's World Series run, from the bullpen. If Jason Isringhausen stays healthy and keeps Wainwright in the rotation, St. Louis should win over 90 games in a division that will be second in parody to its A.L. c! ounterpart. The Cubs' addition of Alfonso Soriano and a health! y Derek Lee could make them a sexy pick, but without the Mark Prior and Kerry Wood versions of 2003, the bats alone just simply won't be enough. Expect a young Milwaukee team to finish a respectable third, and tough Astros and Reds ballclubs to make things tough.

Who will win the N.L. West?

Keefe- Diamondbacks
Real tough choice here. I like the Dodgers starting rotation (Lowe and Penny both had 16 wins which was good for a share of the NL lead in '06, Schmidt, and the Wolf Pack, healthy again, heads west), but the middle of their order (Kent, Nomar, Luis Gonzalez) are a combined 111 years old. 111?!? And the youngest of the group, Nomar, is probably the most injury prone. 40th Birthday parties for Kent and Gonzalez may be the highlight for LA this year. Last season's NL Cy Young winner, Brandon Webb, and the return of the Big Unit to Arizona get the Diamondbacks into the playoffs. Not a lot of bats for any team out h! ere, but with the likes of the aforementioned Webb, Schmidt, Lowe, as well as Jake Peavy and new National Leaguer Barry Zito, the Cy Young might very well come from the NL West once again. It might.

Shark- Dodgers
The combination of a strong rotation and a weak division is what's going to put the Dodgers back in the playoffs. They've got a couple of greyhounds at the top of their order in Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre which should really help out the middle of their order which is made up of the seasoned veterans (nice way of saying old) Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez, and Nomar.
The NL west could have some real sleepers, in the Rockies and Diamondbacks, but I think they're just too young to make it to October. The biggest hurdle for the Dodgers is going to be the Padres and their pitching. Peavy is a junk yard dog and is almost certainly going to have a year. The key guy in their rotation is going to be Greg Maddux; if he pitches his age the! n I don't see the Padres doing too much, but if he can pull ou! t one mo re good season he's going to set the tone for the rest of the club.

Besse- Dodgers
The Dodgers will prevail out of the West due in large part to a pitching staff that is up there with the best in the majors. Derek Lowe, Jason Schmidt, Brad Penny and Randy Wolf, who is 21 months removed from Tommy John, will be tough for any offense, never mind the "pop-less" West. The knock on this club is its lack of power, and losing J.D. Drew doesn't help. The 3-4-5 hitters are an average of 37 years old and combined for only 49 homeruns last season. But they'll fend off the pesky Diamondbacks, whose influx of young talent, including Stephen Drew, Carlos Quentin and rookie Chris Young will make them competitive in a fairly weak division.

Who will win the N.L. Wild Card?

Keefe- Mets
Even though I like the Braves to win the East, I'm not ready to leave the Mets home from postseason play. Reye! s, Wright, Delgado, and Beltran are too much in the soft hitting national league for them not to get in. Who knows when Pedro will be back, or if he'll be 100%, but the lineup is the best in the N.L. Similar to the A.L. East, it might be a division rival that gives the Mets the toughest challenge for that wild card. The Phillies have three studs (Rollins, Utley, Howard) that will try to score runs for wife smackin' Brett Myers, soft tossin' Jaime Moyer, young gun Cole Hamels, and "The Rock" look a like, Freddy Garcia.

Shark- Mets
The Mets might as well be the poor man's Yankees. A team with Sketchy pitching which is depending on guys coming back from injury, but will make it to October because of its scary lineup, especially when its feeding on NL pitching. Look for Reyes and Wright to once again make a case for the best left side of the infield in NYC. Whether or not Pedro is able to come back from injury is going to be a real issue for the! Mets, not so much for the regular season, but they really nee! d him if they want to win a 5 game series this fall. Even though I'm picking the Phils to take the NL East, the Mets are just too good to not be around in October and are look to be better built for run in the playoffs.

Besse- Mets
The Mets will battle with and outlast Philadelphia as long as their pitching holds up. Led by 41-year-old Tom Glavine, who as the season begins is 10 wins from 300, the Mets will need youngsters like John Maine, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey to step up and prove they can compete at the big league level. While the offense is explosive 1-9, the bench is weak. If this team stays healthy, they could make a run in the playoffs.

Postseason:

Keefe-
ALDS: Yankees over A's, Red Sox over Indians
ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees

NLDS: Cubs over Mets, Braves over Diamondbacks
NLCS: Cubs over Braves

WS: Cubs over Red Sox

Shark-
ALDS: Red Sox over Rangers! , Tigers over Yankees
ALCS: Tigers over Red Sox

NLDS: Mets over Cardinals, Phillies over Dodgers
NLCS: Mets over Phillies

WS: Tigers over Mets

Besse-
ALDS: Tigers over Red Sox, Angels over Yankees
ALCS: Angels over Tigers

NLDS: Phillies over Dodgers, Cardinals over Mets
NLCS: Phillies over Cardinals

WS: Angels over Phillies in 7

Who will be A.L Rookie of the Year?

Keefe- Delmon Young
Dice-K will probably be there, but after a hot start he will cool off in the second half and hurt his chances of being the ROY. Right now the two best rookies look like guys on two of the worst teams. (Alex Gordon of the Royals and Young of the Rays). If Young plays to his potential he will give Tampa Bay the best young OF in the game. Crawford, Baldelli, and Young could give the fans in Florida something to cheer about. Though Young has a better chance at ROY then they do a! t finishing out of the basement.

Shark- Dic! e K
The Asian sensation is going to have a good year, but probably not outstanding. I'm thinking 15 wins at the very most, but his numbers (plus all his media hype) will be good enough to make Japan feel good and proud.

Besse- Delmon Young
Alex Gordon is getting all the hype, but Young will fly under the radar for most of the season with the dismal Tampa Bay club. He got a taste of the bigs last season, batting .317 with three homeruns, which should prove to be invaluable in his development this season.

Who will win the A.L Cy Young Award?

Keefe- Johan Santana
I know its boring to pick Santana, but how do you pick against this guy? (last season: 19-6, 2.77 ERA, 245 Ks). Other guys in the mix will include two former Marlins in Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett, both struggled in their first season in the American League. Also if the Indians win the central, like I think they ! will, big C.C. Sabathia will challenge Santana.

Shark- Roy Halladay
At 6'6'', 225 lbs, Halladay is just a work-horse who is going to get at least 28 starts. He's not as good as Santana, but because of his size I think its less likely that he misses a few starts because he's on the DL. Although, Santana has put up disgusting numbers after the all-start break nearly every year, proving that he's not a guy who wears down after 15 starts...I'm already regretting this pick.

Besse- Roy Halladay
Halladay returns after a frustrating season shortened by injury. The 2003 winner will return to rare form and dominate once again. With A.J. Burnett taking some pressure off in the rotation and B.J. Ryan coming on in the ninth, Halladay should be primed for upwards of 18 wins and a 3.00 ERA…stellar numbers in today's game.

Who will be the A.L. MVP?

Keefe- Grady Sizemore
Lots ! of names for the potential A.L. MVP race this year: Ortiz, Man! ny, ARod , Vlad, Crawford, Wells, but Sizemore probably isn't on most lists. He should be. Last year, his second full season in the show, he hit .290, 28 HR, 76 RBI, 22 SB. Not unbelievable numbers, but solid if that's all you look at. Sizemore also scored more runs than anyone else in baseball (134), led the league in doubles (53), and had the most extra base hits (92)… and he's just 24 years old. If the Indians are in the playoffs, and Sizemore improves his numbers, just a little, like hit over .300, he could be your MVP.

Shark- Mark Teixeira
Teixeira is going to spark the annual debate about whether the MVP is the league's best player or the guy who's the most valuable to his team. With the Rangers being the surprise of the league, I see him edging out A-Rod and Manny for the league's top honors.

Besse- Alex Rodriguez
Rodriguez will be the fastest to reach 500 homeruns at some point this season. Let's face it, this ! guy is arguably the best pure hitter in baseball. After addressing his relationship with Jeter, he seems to be more comfortable with himself in New York. Look for .300/45/120 out of the highest paid player in the majors.

Who will be N.L. Rookie of the Year?

Keefe- Chris Young
He's a 5 tool guy and will get a chance to start in centerfield for the D-Backs. Young will benefit from playing in the N.L. where there aren't as many talented rookies, like Gordon, D. Young, and Dice-K. Especially if Young helps his team contend for a playoff spot, he should garner the attention to help win him the award.

Shark- Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, Padres
I'm picking him because I just got back from living in Ireland for six months and I honestly know more about European rugby than I do about NL rookies. Saw his name on a "top rookies" list and his name gave me a chuckle. This is going to have to be sufficient reason! ing for you...sorry.

Besse- Chris Young
Young is a five-tool player that will thrive in the weak N.L. West division. He's slated to bat seventh in the order, which should allow him to see a lot of fastballs and continue to cut down on strikeouts, which hampered his development early in his career. A potential 30/30 player down the road, he was listed as one of the "8 Who May Be Great" by Sports Illustrated this month.

Who will win the N.L. Cy Young Award?

Keefe- Carlos Zambrano
Hey if I'm crazy enough to pick the Cubs to win the World Series they better get a monster season out of Big Z right? He'll need to improve on his solid numbers from last year to win the Cy. 16 wins (tied for 1st in NL), 3.41 ERA (5th in NL), and 210 Ks (4th in NL). I envision Zambrano's chief competition coming from last year's winner Brandon Webb, and a rejuvenated Jake Peavy.

Shark- Roy Oswalt
He's got a career ERA of 3.05 and his strik! e out to walk ratio is always fantastic. Truthfully, I think this one has more to do with the Astros' hitting than it does with Oswalt's pitching. Carlos Lee is going to have a big year and that's what's going to get Oswalt a nice shiny trophy to bring home.

Besse- Ben Sheets
Sheets possesses a low-to-mid 90's fastball and a hammer that have made him one of the best underappreciated pitchers in the majors over the past few years. Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder and Bill Hall will give Sheets the offensive support he needs to collect wins and votes.

Who will be the N.L. MVP?

Keefe- Derrick Lee
Similar to my Zambrano pick, if the Cubs make it deep into the postseason they'll need Lee to put up his '05 numbers. (.335, 46 HR, 107 RBI) He should be able to improve the RBI numbers with the addition of Soriano. Lee played in just 50 games last year, so I expect a complete comeback. Pujols and the studs! from the Mets will factor in as well. I don't see Ryan Howard! repeati ng due to his lack of support behind him in the lineup.

Shark- Albert Pujols
He's the best hitter in the game. I feel that's all I have, or need, to say on the matter.

Besse- Albert Pujols
Arguably the other best pure hitter in baseball, Pujols is straight filth…a line drive hitter that sprays the field, he continue to dominate watercooler conversations with his homeruns that glide out at six-feet above the ground. Pitchers may try and pitch around him, especially after Jim Edmonds had a sub-par season last year (.257, 19, 70). But that didn't stop Barry Bonds from winning it from '01-'04, did it?

Hope you enjoyed all of our picks and predictions. We're all looking forward to a great 2007 baseball season. If you have any thoughts or comments, send us an e-mail at sportsbrief@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from ya.

-Rich Keefe, Brian Sharkey, ! Tristan Besse

This was originally going to be a part of the updated MMA rankings (see below), but with so many great fights in the next month it warranted its own segment. Here are the 10 best match ups, with a couple of honorable mentions, that are on tap for the month of September. Highlighted of course, by UFC 88, many of the world's best fighters get in the cage and or ring. In the stoic words of Big John McCarthy, "Let's get it on."

1. Ronaldo Souza vs. Zelg Galesic; Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi; winner vs. winner at Dream 6 on 9-23-08
3 for the price of 1, you get the Dream middleweight Grand Prix, semi-finals and finals. Four relatively unknown fighters square off in Dream 6. I like the winner of Manhoef and Mousasi to take the whole thing, but should be 3 great fights.

2. Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans at UFC 88 on 9-6-08
Wanted to see the Iceman vs. Shogun, but we'll ta! ke it vs. Sugar Rashad. Big fight for both guys, with title aspirations. Remember Evans still has a grand total of 0 losses in his MMA career.

3. Rich Franklin vs. Matt Hamill at UFC 88 on 9-6-08
Hamill's only loss was a result of one of the worst decisions I have ever seen. (In fact only Ricco Rodriguez losing to Big Nog at Pride Total Elimination 2003 was worse in my eyes.) He's a great wrestler is Hamill, but 3 of his 4 wins have come via (T)KO. Franklin moves back up to an already stacked light heavyweight division. This fight should go a long way for the future of both men.

4. Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen at WEC 36 on 9-10-08
The rematch after Sonnen "tapped out." Filho has been in rehab, we'll see if this fight even happens. We here at the Sports Brief are not as high on Filho as many other MMA sites, so let's find out who's right on the 10th.

5. Da! n Henderon vs. Rousimar Palhares at UFC 88 on 9-6-08 Palhares makes his 2nd UFC fight following a win over the recently retired Ivan Salaverry, but this will be his toughest competition. Henderson on the other hand is coming off of back-to-back losses. Of course those fights were against Anderson Silva and Quinton Jackson, look for Hollywood to come back strong.

6. Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown at WEC 36 on 9-10-08
One of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. And on free TV! A must watch for all MMA fans every time Faber is inside the cage.

7. Nick Diaz vs. Hayato Sakurai at Dream 6 on 9-23-08
Nick Diaz has been rumored to be in a number of fights including this one against the legend Hayato "Mach" Sakurai for the Dream Welterweight Belt. I hope this one happens, we'll have to wait and see.

8. Nate Marquardt vs. Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 on 9-6-08
Marquartdt recently suf! fered a bad loss to Thales Leites, he needs this win to get back on track. He was the heavy favorite over Leites and will be again over Kampmann.

9. Karo Parisyan vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88 on 9-6-08
The 5th fight from the upcoming UFC 88, Karo vs. Yoshida is a solid welterweight match up. Parisyan is a tough guy to figure out, and could find himself outside the Top 10 for the first time in awhile with a shaky performance.

10. Kazuo Misaki vs. Joe Riggs at Strikeforce at the Playboy Mansion on 9-19-08
Misaki is another great middleweight outside of the UFC. He holds career victories over Dan Henderon and Denis Kang. The problem is at 185 and now in Dream or the UFC, who's he going to fight? He's coming off a pair of wins in Sengoku, so its hard to truly rank him with the very best. Joe "Diesel" Riggs wants to move back to the UFC and a win over Misaki would certainly make h! im appealing.

Honorable Mention:
! Alistair Overeem vs. Mirko Cro Cop was originally scheduled for that stacked Dream 6 card, but Cro Cop was pulled. They can't make many great heavyweight match ups outside of Affliction and the UFC, this is one of them. Let's hope it happens.

Jens Pulver vs. Leonard Garcia at WEC 36 on 9-10-08
Should be an exciting match up on the same card as Filho vs. Sonnen II. Pulver looks great at 145 and gave Faber a hell of a fight. Big measuring stick fight for Garica. Does he belong with the best in the WEC? We'll see. I hope Pulver runs through Garcia and another guy before getting a shot at Faber once again.

The Clippers won the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night, and today word comes that they will in fact select Oklahoma star and NCAA Player of the Year Blake Griffin. That had to be a relief to Frankie Munez, Penny Marshall, and the other two Clippers fans. I know Elgin Baylor is gone, but it's still the Clippers, LA's bastard second team.

Let's not forget, the last time the Clippers had the #1 pick in the NBA Draft, they went with this guy, just 11 years ago.

Kinda thrown together quickly by whoever did it, but you get the point. ! Not sure I would have gone "Should have picked Vince Carter." The Clip had plenty of options there at number 1. Vince Carter, certainly among the choices along with Antawn Jamison, Paul Pierce, and Dirk Nowitzki. No big deal, you figured a 7 footer out of Pacific was the safe choice, I get it.

They won't screw up the pick on June 25th, but will they screw up the player? Blake joins a front line that already has Marcus Camby, Chris Kamen, and Zach Randolph. Goodluck with all that...

-Keefe

We have made it through the first week of the 2009-2010 NBA season. Here are a few of my observations early on.

The Celtics (5-0), Nuggets (4-0), and Suns (4-0) are the only remaining unbeaten teams.
The Nets (0-4), Pacers (0-3), and Warriors (0-2) are the only teams still in search of their first win.

Allen Iverson is already making comments about he is not a 6th man, and how frustrated he was sitting on the bench in his first game back with the Grizzlies. Didn't he know he was coming off the bench? I knew he was coming off the bench. But for the next month or so I don't think it would be a bad idea to start AI and Mayo along with Gay, Randolph (21.5-9.5 thru 4), and Gasol. Just try it.

On! e of my favorite players in this year's draft, Brandon Jennings, looks like the real deal. Obviously only 3 games in but 22 points and 5.3 assists. I was watching the Bucks/Bulls last night and without Redd in the lineup they just wait for Jennings to do something, they have nothing else.

Carmelo looks like a man possessed. Leading the league in scoring, went for 40+ twice in four games.

Kings guard Kevin Martin dropped 48 in a win over the aforementioned Iverson and the Grizz.

Gerald Wallace and Luol Deng have both posted 20-20 games already. Each had 24 points and 20 rebounds to be exact.

Quentin Richardson (with the Heat after getting passed around in the off season) actually looks like he's in shape. Double-double 18-10 in his last game. Mus! t be a contract year... yes it is!

#2 overall pick ! by Memph is, Hasheem Thabeet is averaging 8.3 minutes per game, and did not get on the court in the Grizzlies only win in four chances so far this year.

Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul do not like each other. Apparently Rondo told Paul, "I have a ring, and you will never get one." Well as true as that may be, come on. We don't need to go over this but Rondo plays with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen... Paul's been working with David West (who he made an All-Star), Tyson Chandler up until this year, and Mo-Pete. Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA period. But if Rondo thinks he can get under his skin... well then maybe I see the point.

In 2 games (who the hell made the GS schedule) Andris Biedrins is! 8-9 from the field good for 88.89%, can he keep that up?

And you, keep checking back in to the Brief for more "NBA Grab Bags" throughout the year.

-Keefe

Almeria experienced a case of deja vu as Kalu Uche struck an equaliser to help his side salvage a point from their match with Racing Santander.

In almost identical circumstances to Wednesday's clash at Atletico Madrid, Almeria took the lead, then conceded two goals to fall 2-1 behind before netting a late equaliser to claim a draw.

And it might have been a dream finale for Uche and Hugo Sanchez's side if the Nigeria international had managed to make the most of his! injury-time chance, but his header from five yards out was saved by the feet of Racing goalkeeper Antonio Tono.

Almeria will have taken huge confidence from their midweek fightback at the Vicente Calderon, and the Andalusian side must have felt it was going to their day today when Albert Crusat put them ahead after just 16 minutes.

Racing had threatened initially with efforts from Mohamed Tchite and Pedro Munitis, but it was Almeria who drew first blood when Hernan Bernardello fed Crusat inside the area and the winger slotted home left-footed.

That was just the start Almeria would have been hoping for and they came within a whisker of doubling their lead just after the half-hour mark when they hit the woodwork.

Crusat was again the man causing the Racing defence problems as he worked himself a shooting chance 25 yards out before rifling in a right-footed piledriver that crashed back off the crossbar with Tono beaten.

Uche then felt he had! made it 2-0 when he guided a header just inside the far post,! but his celebrations were cut short by a debatable offside decision.

Almeria can consider themselves unfortunate not to have been further ahead at the break, but they again failed to hold onto a lead as Racing netted twice in 12 second-half minutes to take control

The visiting side's equaliser came in the 59th minute when Munitis and Oscar Serrano combined well before the latter put Tchite through with a superb lobbed pass with the outside of his left foot, and the former Anderlecht striker coolly slotted his shot just inside the far post.

Racing then took the lead soon after that with a goal that Almeria's defence played a big part in.

Twice the hosts had a chance to clear the danger but failed to do so, and they then allowed the unmarked Mehdi Lacen to bring the ball down on the edge of the area before firing in a half-volley that took a deflection off an Almeria defender to wrong-foot Diego Alves and roll into the net.

Racing, whose four-point ! haul coming into the match had all come from away games, almost made it 3-1 but Alves produced a great one-handed save to keep out Serrano's lot shot.

But just when it looked like Racing would walk off with the spoils, Almeria again dug deep to save a point.

David Rodriguez had gone close to equalising just moments previously, but there was no denying Uche in the 89th minute when he latched onto Rodriguez's corner to thump home a header from 10 yards out.

Uche then had a much easier chance to earn his side a remarkable victory, but with the goal seemingly at his mercy he was denied by Tono as Racing rode their luck late on.

The Coca-Cola Championship game between Reading and Middlesbrough at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday, Oct 3 2009.

The Riverside has been an unforgiving arena for Gareth Southgate and his players this season but Reading provided them with a setting of solace.

Euphoria for Middlesbrough has been rare during a campaign where ! only victories, and ultimately promotion back to the top flight, can assuage the insane pressure already bearing down on the manager's shoulders.

Southgate, wrestling with intense expectancy and the grudges of a section of supporters unconvinced by his ability to resuscitate their fortunes, watched with glee as his side eased past tenacious opponents. If those dissenters were among the 1,518-strong travelling support, they were awfully quiet.

"We knew there's a hangover from last year and I have to accept the backlash of that but I can guide this young group through difficult times and hopefully, more afternoons like this," Southgate said. His side are third in the Championship and clinging to the coat-tails of Newcastle and West Brom.

Reading were disfigured by the past. Leroy Lita, once a symbol of youthful promise at the Madejski, struck the second goal after half time, racing away from Dar! ren O'Dea on the halfway line and beating Adam Federici with a! low shot.

Lita was given warm applause by the Reading crowd before kick-off and upon his late departure for Marvin Emnes but fans have short memories. They cheered in scornful delight when he cut inside in the 28th minute and lashed a shot wide.

Soon after Lita spurned a clear sight of goal having been released by Adam Johnson's sublime pass which dissected Reading. Fleeting Royals satisfaction, though, was slashed to pieces.

Reading manager, Brendan Rodgers, suggested his team is "an ongoing project" and they were far from accomplished collectively. Bristling with confidence in spurts, they were again crippled by immaturity, the lack of a final ball and poor decision-making in possession.

Slackness riddles their play at the back too. Sean St Ledger escaped lax marking and headed in Adam Johnson's corner in the first half.

In Jobi McAnuff, Reading boasted the game's premier barnstormer down the left ! in the first half. His energy was uncontainable. Gliding past two tackles, he played in Brian Howard, whose shot was blocked.

McAnuff was the antithesis of Jimmy Kebe on the opposite flank. Inspired one game, insipid the next, the Malian was woeful and replaced at the break by Noel Hunt. In their current predicament, Reading cannot afford passengers.

Southgate, basking in satisfaction, may well cock an ear towards his detractors as if to say: "Well? How was that?"

Kim Clijsters made a bright start to her BGL Luxembourg Open campaign as she returned to action for the first time since triumphing at Flushing Meadows.

The 26-year-old Belgian, now ranked 18th in the world after achieving swift success in her comeback and seeded second this week, cruised through her first-round match against Meghann Shaughnessy.

American Shaughnessy was outclassed by the former world number one who has taken a month off since winning in New York, ! as Clijsters won 6-2 6-2.

Clijsters will face Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik next after the 28-year-old defeated Germany's Anna Lena Groenefeld 7-5 6-3.

Clijsters' doubles partner and fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens also advanced in the singles, the qualifier beating Poland's Urszula Radwanska 6-4 6-3.

Ukrainian seventh seed Kateryna Bondarenko suffered a 6-0 6-2 defeat to Italian Roberta Vinci.

Switzerland's Patty Schnyder defeated Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-1 and Israel's Shahar Peer overcame another Czech, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-1 6-3.

Slovenia's Polona Hercog beat Italy's Maria Elena Camerin 3-6 7-5 7-5 and Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky beat Julie Coin of France 6-4 6-3.

France's Alize Cornet defeated compatriot Aravane Rezai, a lucky loser, 6-0 6-2.

Bordeaux strengthened their grip on this season's title with a 1-0 home win over Monaco, who had gone into the game in second place.

Laurent Blanc's side dominated the visitors with barely anything coming from the other direction but only Marc Planus' second-half strike separated the teams in the end.

The 10 men of Nancy snatched a late winner to beat Boulogne and edge closer to the European places.

Nancy took the lead through Issiar Dia but were quickly peg! ged back by Alexandre Cuvillier.

The game looked to be heading for a draw as Nancy, were reduced to 10 men with the loss of Jordan Loties with 13 minutes to go, but Youssouf Hadji nodded in the winner with seven minutes left.

Auxerre moved level on points with fourth-placed Montpellier after a 2-1 win over their rivals.

A first-half brace from Ireneusz Jelen put the hosts in control and their position was further strengthened when Montpellier's Alberto Costa was sent off in the 74th minute.

The visitors still managed to snatch a last-gasp goal from Nenad Dzodic.

Lille saw off 10-man Grenoble 2-0. Yohan Cabaye opened the scoring before the hosts had David Jemmali sent off and, after Grenoble had hit the woodwork, Gervinho's late solo goal made victory secure.

Lens were indebted to a second-half goal from Eduardo Dos Santos as they earned draw against Lorient after dominating most of the game.

Lens were nearly made to pay for t! heir poor finishing as Franco Sosa had opened the scoring four! minutes before half-time.

Toulouse overcame the early dismissal of goalkeeper Yohann Pele to earn a superb 1-1 draw against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.

Moussa Sissoko's free-kick gave Toulouse the lead but Brandao levelled in the second half.

Pele was given his marching orders after surging out of his penalty area to bring down Mamadou Niang, with Paulo Machado sacrificed for the introduction of substitute custodian Olivier Blondel.

Bafetimbi Gomis' late strike against his former club gave Lyon bragging rights again as they defeated derby rivals St Etienne.

The result saw Lyon climb to second in Ligue 1, two points behind leaders Bordeaux, while St Etienne remain in trouble and still looking for their first derby victory in 15 years.

1 China Gold 51 -- Silver 21 -- Bronze 28 -- Total 100.

2 U S A Gold 38 -- Silver 38 -- Bronze 36 -- Total 110.

3 Russia Gold 23 -- Silver 21 -- Bronze 28 -- Total 72.

4 England Gold 19 -- Silver 13 -- Bronze 15 -- Total 47.

5 Germany Gold 16 -- Silver 10 -- Bronze 15 -- Total 41.

6 Australia Gold 14 -- Silver 15 -- Bronze 17 -- Total 46.

7 S. Korea Gold 13 -- Silver 10 -- Bronze 8 -- Total 31.

8 Japan Gold 9 -- Silver 6 -- Bronze 10-- Total 25.

9 Italy Gold 8 -- Silver 10 -- Bronze 10 -- Total 28.

10 France Gold 7 -- Silver 16 -- Bronze 17 -- Total 30.

di Massimo Scavello
Fonte: Calabria Ora

Biglietti esaurti per il posticipo della nona giornata di serie B tra la capolista e il Crotone. I rossoblù dovrebbero in campo con Concetti tra i pali, linea difensiva affidata a capitan Galeoto con Abbruzzese, Legati e Morleo. I due mediani dovrebbero essere Beati e Galardo; i tre centrocampisti avanzati Daud, Cutolo e Giabionetta, a sostegno della punta centrale Bonvissuto. A disposizione di Franco Lerda troviamo Ferilli, Grillo, Scognamiglio, Petrilli, Di Matteo, De Martino, Mendicino. Per la sfida di questa se! ra la direzione di gara è affidata a Stefanini di Prato che torna ad arbitrare un match al Matusa di Frosinone dipo dieci mesi. Il fischietto toscano avrà come assistenti Fittante di Cosenza ed Evangelista di Avellino.

di Marco Spinelli
fonte:fcinternews.it

Marco Materazzi è finalmente rientrato. Dopo il problema fisico che lo aveva frenato nelle ultime settimane, il difensore campione del Mondo è tornato a disposizione di Josè Mourinho, e sarà arruolabile già per la trasferta di Genova di sabato, come conferma attraverso il suo sito ufficiale: "Adesso sono pronto. Subito dopo l'infortunio ed un primo periodo di riposto ho ripreso a lavorare con serenità, senza avere fretta. E' già da un paio di giorni che mi ! alleno con il gruppo, quindi mi ritengo pronto non solo per allenarmi insieme con i miei compagni, ma anche per giocare".

fonte: www.empolifc.com

Sara' il signor Tommasi il direttore di gara in occasione del match del Campionato Serie B Tim 2009/2010 Mantova vs Empoli, in programma sabato 17 Ottobre 2009.

Ad assisterlo saranno i signori Dobosz e Passeri mentre il Quarto Ufficiale sara' il signor Romani.

di Marco Spinelli
fonte: L'arena

Come la Juve, al secondo posto tra chi da un anno all'altro ha cambiato pelle e soprattutto musica. Come la Juve, peggio solo della Samp del vecchio amico Delneri, che viaggia sola soletta in vetta a questa speciale classifica. La Samp viaggia a più 12, per ora irraggiungibile, ovviamente. Neanche il Chievo, però, se la passa male. La squadra di Mimmo Di Carlo è a più 5, dato che suscita considerazioni decisamente positive. Un anno fa, la squadra allora di Beppe ! Iachini, aveva totalizzato 6 punti e cominciava a mandare segnali di fumo preoccupanti. Oggi, con 6 punti, il Chievo sarebbe al quart'ultimo posto, tanto per essere chiari. Il fatto poi di essere in compagnia della Juve è sempre confortante. Sarà anche vecchiotta, ma è pur sempre una Signora, no?

Cifre alla mano, il Chievo ha la grande opportunità di dare un ulteriore colpo d'acceleratore, rispetto a quanto accaduto un anno fa. Proprio all'ottava, infatti, la squadra di Iachini cominciò il suo irreversibile declino. Sconfitta a Cagliari, poi ancora dalla Lazio, ebbe il suo canto del cigno a Palermo, surclassata e mai in partita, fino all'inesorabile decisione del campio di panchina. Oggi c'è un'altra realtà e, soprattutto, un'altra squadra. Attesa da impegni difficili, ma in grado di affrontarli dall'alto di una condizione fisica, atletica e psicologica, completamente diverse. Il Chievo di un anno fa, infilò 6 sconfitte di fila (le tre di Iachini, più le prime 3 ! di Di Carlo) prima di dare un segnale, peraltro timido, espugn! ando Udi ne con un colpo di mano. Il che lo portò ad essere a quota 9 dopo 14 giornate. A 10 dopo la diciassettesima, a 13, dopo il giro di boa e il successo sul Napoli

Arriva il Bari, poi il Milan, quindi il viaggio a Catania, prima di ospitare l'Udinese. Tre partite su quattro al Bentegodi, ecco perchè adesso serve un'accelerata in casa. Finora, il Chievo di Mimmo Di Carlo ha fatto le cose migliori lontano dal Bentegodi, mentre in casa ha vinto col Genoa, pareggiato con l'Atalanta e perso con la Lazio. Un ruolino di marcia accettabile, ma che offre comunque margini di miglioramento notevoli. Sfruttare meglio il fattore campo, equivarrebbe (in vista del Bari) a capitalizzare al massimo le attitudini ai colpi d'ala in trasferta. L'ultimo, quello di Cagliari

Uno guarda la classifica, pensa al Chievo di un anno fa, al suo strepitoso rush finale e dice, "tutto regolare, no?". Invece no, diamo a Di Carlo quello che gli spetta. "Siamo ripartiti dalle nostre certezze,! in fondo il gruppo era quello che ha finito la scorsa stagione, con innesti di qualità, che non l'hanno stravolto" spiega spesso Di Carlo. La realtà è che società e tecnico hanno scelto di ripartire dalle consolidate certezze. Fino a «difendere» il gruppo dagli assalti e dalle tentazioni del mercato. Il capitolo Pellissier è solo il più significativo. Ma lo stesso «recupero» di Pinzi, la dice lunga sulla filosofia di Sartori, sposata in pieno a quella di Di Carlo. Piuttosto che salti nel buio, meglio riconfermare il gruppo (ricordiamo anche Sorrentino e Yepes, Rigoni e Marcolini) e ricominciare. Ma Di Carlo ha azzeccato i tasti giusti da premere, soprattutto sotto il profilo psicologico. Il rischio, dopo la cavalcata miracolosa della salvezza, era quello di ripartire con l'aria svagata e un po' di supponenza. "Nessuno ci regala niente, le vittorie non arrivano mai dal cielo". Parole e musica del vecchio Mimmo

L'ex Allegretti punta su Granoche. Giusto in tempo pe! r affrontare il passato. Superato l'infortunio, Riccardo Alleg! retti si è messo a disposizione di Gil Ventura. Lui ci tiene ad esserci. Il Chievo è ricordo lontano. Per certi versi dolce. Il centrocampista biancorosso, però, ha voglia di tornare in fretta protagonista. Certe occasioni capitano poche volte. E allora è meglio prenderle al volo. "Sto bene - racconta Allegretti dalle colonne del sito biancorosso - sono a disposizione finalmente. Sono contento di aver risolto i miei problemi fisici e di essere tornato a lavorare con il gruppo. Adesso, decidere se, quando e dove farmi giocare spetta al mister. Io però, ripeto sto bene e per la partita contro il Chievo sono a disposizione". C'è grande rispetto per la squadra di Mimmo Di Carlo, protagonista di un inizio di stagione sicuramente positivo: "Non sarà una gara facile, loro giocano insieme da tanto tempo. Sono ben organizzati in campo e hanno un buon gioco riescono a sfruttare al meglio le loro caratteristiche. Dovremo stare molto attenti e fare il nostro gioco quello che finora ci ha contra! ddistinto. In settimana abbiamo lavorato tanto e studiato situazioni tecnico tattiche per metterli in difficoltà. Ora abbiamo ancora qualche giorno per lavorarci poi vedremo"

Oggi il simbolo del Chievo è più che mai Pellissier. Per Allegretti, però, suona riduttivo sintetizzare in un solo giocatore la grande forza dei gialloblù: "Loro hanno tanti buoni giocatori. Certamente Sergio è il pericolo numero uno, è un attaccante che sa metterti in difficoltà. E' uno che fa della velocità e della forza i suoi punti migliori. Poi però ci sono anche altri giocatori. Granoche ad esempio è un ottimo giocatore, è temibile. Poi c'è Marcolini e tanti altri. Sarebbe bello vincere a Chievo contro una diretta avversaria per la salvezza. Significherebbe superare un bel banco di prova ma vincere non farebbe cambiare comunque i nostri obiettivi e ci farebbe restare con i piedi per terra. Dovremo stare attenti al Chievo ma dico soprattutto che è il Chievo a dover stare attento al Bari! "

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Almeria experienced a case of deja vu as Kalu Uche struck an equaliser to help his side salvage a point from their match with Racing Santander.

The Coca-Cola Championship game between Reading and Middlesbrough at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday, Oct 3 2009.

Kim Clijsters made a bright start to her BGL Luxembourg Open campaign as she returned to action for the first time since triumphing at Flushing Meadows.

The Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday, Oct 25 2009.

Bordeaux strengthened their grip on this season's title with a 1-0 home win over Monaco, who had gone into the game in second place.

Friday, December 11, 2009

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