MOTO GP - MALAYSIA 2009: ROSSI WINS NINTH CHAMPIONSHIP & SIMON WINS IN 125CC

Six and O

6 Wins 0 Losses....Incredible. The Lakers finished their six game road trip undefeated after a 101-91 win at Cleveland. The Lakers gave the Cavs their first loss in 24 home games this season. L.A. roared back from a 10 point halftime deficit led by Lamar Odom with 28 points and 17 rebounds. This was Odom's second straight game with 20+ points this season. An ailing Kobe Bryant kicked in 19 points, Pau Gasol had 18 and Derek Fisher added 13. Kobe was suffering from the flu all game long. The Lakers played outstanding team defense on LeBron James holding him to 16 points on 5-20 shooting. The Lakers did a great job of turning James into more of a passer than a scorer. They consistently double teamed to get the ball out of James' hands. Zydrunas Ilgauskas led Cleveland with 22 points and Mo Williams had 19.

L.A. beat the Eastern Conference's two best teams on the road at Boston and Cleveland in back to back games. They broke the Celtics 12 game winning streak and the! Cavs 23 game home winning streak. L.A. has the best record in the league at 41-9. The Lakers are now an impressive 18-5 on the road this season.

L.A.'s next game is at home Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

USA Player Ratings

USA vs. England Player Ratings (scale 1-10)

Hope Solo - 6 - Hardly tested but solid when required.
Christie Rampone - 7 - Very professional display.
Whitehill - 7 - Her best performance of the tournament.
Kate Markgraf - 7 - Firmly in charge in the back.
Stephanie Lopez - 7 - Very mature performance.
Heather O'Reilly - 7 - Solid both ways.
Shannon Boxx - 8 - Very strong performance capped with a goal.
Osbourne - 6 - Very effective defensively.
Chalupny - 7 - Lot of selfless running.
Wambach - 8 - Too much to handle for England.
Lilly - 8 - Very good match by teams leader.

Well done by Gregg Ryan. Good half-time adjustements.
Player of the Match - Shannon Boxx.

UNC Departs Wednesday For 12-Day Trip To Oceania

The University of North Carolina's defending NCAA champion women's soccer team is heading Down Under for 12 days as head coach Anson Dorrance takes his team on a 12-day training and competition trip to Oceania from May 16-28. NCAA Division I teams are allowed to make the overseas trips once every four years.

Hurless leaves AIK

Former University of Illinois forward Tara Hurless is leaving Swedish 2nd division side AIK after appearing in 11 games.

UNC 5, NC State 0

The North Carolina women's soccer team scored three goals in the first 9:47 of play and rolled on to a 5-0 win over visiting NC State Friday evening at Fetzer Field. UNC improved to 11-1-1 overall and 4-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while the Wolfpack fell to 7-5-1 (2-3 ACC). Freshman Renee Premji led the way for the Tar Heels as she assisted on four tallies with five different players notching goals on the night.

Daily Sport Bits

Cricket ::: The Proteas have ended the first day of the first test against India in Chennai on 304 for 4. Neil McKenzie top-scored for the visitors with 94 while Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla also took advantage of a good batting pitch scoring 74 and 85 not out respectively. South Africa stuttered after losing Smith and lost McKenzie, Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince soon afterwards.

The Standard Bank Pro20 continues tonight with the Nashua Cape Cobras hosting the Dolphins at Sahara Park Newlands. The Cobras have possibly their strongest available squad with the likes of Charl Langeveldt and Herschelle Gibbs expected in the lineup for tonight. The match starts @6 o' clock tonight.

Last night the Zimbabwe Chevrons scored an upset win over MTN Championship finalists the Warriors in Port Elizabeth, clinching the match by two wickets.

Rugby::: Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has kept faith with more or less the same starting fifteen who did duty ag! ainst the Blues last weekend. The only change for Friday's clash with the Force is at lock, where Andries Bekker replaces Adriaan Fondse. Former All Black flyhalf Tony Brown will once again start on the bench.

Management of England's Rugby Football Union are expected to release their decision later on whether or not Brian Ashton should stay on as head coach. The RFU's elite director Rob Andrew is delivering his report on the team's Six Nations campaign to the board. The inconsistent form of the team could cost Ashton his job, while World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson is being tipped for a role within the coaching set-up.

Football::: Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira says he wants to see an improvement from his team tonight when they play Paraguay at the Super Stadium. South Africa showed glimpses of brilliance during their African Cup of Nations campaign in Ghana recently. Now Parreira wants to see his team play better than they did a fe! w months ago. Kick off there is @ 8.
Fabio Capello aims t! o contin ue his winning start as England manager this evening. They're in Paris to face France in a friendly. Rio Ferdinand skippers the side, while David Beckham is due to win his 100th cap. Capello is expected to rotate the captain's armband until their qualifiers for the 2010 world cup starts.

Golf::: Retief Goosen is in a confident mood ahead of tomorrow's New Orleans Open. The Goose returned to form in the WGC - CA Championship this week where he finished join second. Other notable figures in tomorrow's tournament are Padriag Harrington, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker.

Lions fade to Brumbies

The Lions threw away a good opportunity to get their second win in the Super 14. Loffie Eloff's side led 21-13 at one stage, but eventually went down 28-21 to the Brumbies in Canberra. Like so many times this season, the Gauteng side faded away late in the second half.

Earl Rose scored 16 points, including 2 tries. The Lions' other try came from Cobus Grobbelaar. Brumbies skipper, Stirling Mortlock scored 13 points, including a try. Mark Gerrard scored a try, a penalty and a conversion, while Christian Lealiifano scored the third try.

Cristiano on fire

This ones for the ladies, Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted Most Beautiful player at the Euro 2008 Football Tournament. The Portugese hearthrob finished top of the list ahead of France's Thierry Henry who was second. Swede Freddie Ljungberg, who is well known for his Calvin Klein ad campaign was tied third with Italian Captain Fabio Cannavaro.

Breakfast Headlines

Rafael Nadal ended Roger Federer's five-year reign at Wimbledon, winning an amazing, five-set marathon to take his first title at the All England Club. Nadal ended the Swiss's five-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a thrilling 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 victory.

The Springbok management have called up Western Province hooker Schalk Brits as cover for the injured Bok captain John Smit. Smit was examined by the team's medical staff yesterday, and he will undergo further investigation today following the groin injury he sustained in the first Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks on Saturday.
All Black lock Bruce Thorn meanwhile has been red-carded for the spear tackle on John Smit, which is where Smit said the injury originated. Sanzar have suspended Thorn for one week "for an act contrary to good sportsmanship".

Australia played to a 169-run win over the West Indies yesterday in the fifth and final one-day cricket internatio! nal at Warner Park. Australia scored 341 for eight off 50 over's, the West Indies 172 were all out off 39.5 over's.
In Karachi, Sri Lanka beats India by 100 runs to successfully defend their Asia Cup title with spinner Ajantha Mendis taking a record 6-13.


Lewis Hamilton gave a master class in wet weather driving yesterday to win the British Grand prix, the McLaren driver lapped almost the entire field, to finish over a minute ahead of Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber. Honda's Rubens Barrichello was third for his first podium in four years and Honda's first of the season.


FC AK won a place in the Premier Soccer League's promotion playoff final against Bay United after beating fellow National First Division side Dynamos 2-1 in a tense semifinal playoff second leg match yesterday. Black Leopards were relegated from the Absa Premiership after their 2-1 aggregate defeat against Bay United.

Chelsea have put a big-money offer on the tabl! e for Brazilian playmaker Kaka, according to AC Milan vice-pre! sident A driano Galliani. No figure has been mentioned, but it's been called 'astronomical'.

Norwegian Thor Hushovt of Credit Agricole won the second stage of the Tour de France yesterday, a 164.5km stage. Robert Hunter of team Barloworld was 4th after a great ride. South Africa's John-Lee Augustyn of team Barloworld is currently 22nd overall, and the top South African.
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde retained the overall lead ahead of today's third stage, a 208km stage.

Britain's Ross Fisher won the European Open by 7 shots yesterday. The 27 year old won with a 68 for a 20-under-par total of 268, with Sergio Garcia 2nd. David Frost was 4th, 9 strokes off the lead.

Breakfast Headlines

Former Springbok assistant coach, Australian Eddie Jones, says Bok coach Peter de Villiers's expansive gameplan is "nonsense". Jones is quoted by Independent Newspapers as saying, "the Springboks will get worse if they continue in this way."

***
Bok prop CJ van der Linde will find out later today whether he'll be suspended for a headbutt. There are injury problems for the Boks as well, with JP Pietersen out with a thigh injury. Hooker Bismarck du Plessis is also doubtful. Other injury concerns are Tendai Mtawarira, Victor Matfield, Juan Smith, Butch James and Frans Steyn. Bryan Habana could return to action.
***
Meanwhile, former Bok centre, Brendan Venter, says law changes around the lineouts have impacted on the Boks forward play...
***
Daar's ook beseerings vir die Proteas wat vandag kragte meet met Engeland in die tweede eendag wedstryd. Morne Morkel sal die wedstryd misloop, maar sy broer Albie, sal glo speel al su! kkel hy nog met 'n skouer beseering. Die wedstryd begin drie uur. Jacques Kallis says they must bounce back...
***
The 2008 PSL season has been launched and kicks off tomorrow night. Both Cape Town clubs are in action. Santos are away to Wits, while Ajax face Gordon Igesund's newcomers Maritzburg United at Athlone tomorrow night. After a disappointing season last year, Kaiser Chiefs have started well, reaching the final of the MTN8. Local coach, Sergio Dos Santos says they will be a threat, with a lot of depth in the squad...
***
In England, Darren Fletcher scored his second goal of the season to secure a 1-0 win for Manchester United over Portsmouth. It's the Red Devils' first win of the season. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney returned to action.
***
Roger Federer kicks off his US Open campaign this afternoon. He's hoping to follow world number one Rafael Nadal into the second round. The Olympic champ beat Bjorn Phau in straight sets and says h! e's happy with his form this year...
***
Olympic gol! d medali st Elena Dementiava has continued where she left off at the US Open, winning her opening round match, despite saying afterwards that her mind is still very much stuck in Beijing. Ana Ivanovic gets her tournament underway this afternoon.

SWD Hold Cobras to a Draw

The Nashua Cape Cobras were put to the task and tested, by drawing their first preseason warm up match against the South Western Districts in Oudtshoorn on the final day of their two day match.

After winning the toss and batting first, the Nashua Cape Cobras declared their first innings with their score on 272/7 on day 1. Vernon Philander contributed an unbeaten 103 not out off 183 balls hitting 15 fours. JP Duminy too made an unprecedented contribution with 51, whilst Brendan Adams made 40 which included 1 six and 5 fours. The SWD bowlers were made hard to work with Terence Davis-Taylor getting 2 wickets for 39 runs in 12 overs and Nigel Mercuur took 2 wickets for 36 runs in his 14th over before the declaration came.

The Cobras bowlers came to the field hungry with an appetite of ripping through the SWD batting lineup, but too had to bend their backs for reward. Vernon Philander once again stood out as undoubtedly the finest perfor! mer, taking 3 wickets for only 5 runs in his 12 overs bowled, which saw 8 maidens. Rory Kleinveldt bowled an economical feat of 14 overs taking 1 for 31, whilst Brendan Adams, Sybrand Engelbrecht and Abdul-Aziz Temoor too were rewarded with a wicket a piece. The local team saw Gary Moos contribute 33 and Rudi Hillerman made 44 in the home side banking 146 for 7 as their declaration came.

With a lead of 126 runs, the Cobras added 161 runs to their first innings total, as the end of days play signaled a draw. Ryan Canning added 47 runs in his second innings, whilst Brendan Adams being promoted up the order made 13, both fell victim to Baartman who finished with 2 for 51 off 13 overs. Leeroy Walters was the not out batsman on 20 and Richard Levi with 65 runs off 89 balls also not out, could have posed a danger in banking a partnership which could have proven difficult for the home side to achieve.

The Nashua Cape Cobras will play their second warm up gam! e against the Warriors in Oudtshoorn on 19 September 2009.

Langa hosts Street Cricket final

The Pinnacle Point Street Cricket finals took place in Langa today. Here is one of the youngsters practicing his swing.

Our exclusive S14 Prediction Pool kicks off

Ratty has emerged as the early leader in the Kfm Sport Super 14 Challenge after the Brumbies 33-31 win over the Highlanders at Dunedin.

Ratty, who was closest with his prediction of a win by 8 points, can thank Christian Lealiifano's last minute drop-goal for the bonus point.

Myself (12 point margin) and Morne (15 point margin) managed a point each, but as for the rest it was a bad start.

They predicted a Highlanders victory. derkus predicted a 6 point margin, KFM SPOT 7 and Stomper 9.

Unfortunately Snoop and JasonX didn't make their picks in time.

Next up it's the Western Force versus the Waraths.

Another title for Supersport

Supersport United did only what they needed to against Santos with a 0-0 draw ensuring the title remained at the club.

The two teams met in the last game of the league at Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch.

The visitors game out blazing in the second half which was a total contrast to their performance in the first half.

Supersport's upfront players of Anthony Laffor and Glen Salmon became a headache for the Santos defenders as they pressed for a winner.

Both coaches made numerous substitutions towards the end of the game as a last ditch effort for a victory.

Despite the game ending goalless it was undeniably Supersport who went home the biggest winners.

Da Professor Driver File: Mark Webber

Billed as the next Australian star in the mold of Alan Jones or Sir Jack Brabham as a youngster, Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber had a lot to live up to. Although he has not lived up to those comparisons in terms of results, he has demonstrated skill, speed and a gruffness that makes him a fan favorite as well as a spokesman. In addition to being a real professional, he is a driver who is down to earth and the kind of guy you want to share a beer with.

Before going into the higher levels of single seater racing, Mark Webber is probably most noted for his devel! opment stint in the Mercedes Benz Sportscar Program which can be compared to the development stints of Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger. In 1999, he was one of the drivers that infamously had his Mercedes-Benz CLR do two backward somersaults during the weekend of 24 Hours of LeMans. After his stint with Mercedes he was named official test driver with Arrows F1 in 2000 and ran with the European Arrows F3000 team. For 2001, he signed with Benetton Renault to do some testing. Webber impressed in testing and in F3000 and as a consequence, landed a drive with Minardi for 2002.

He drove masterfully to a 5th place finish in his first F1 race which happened to be his home grand prix. He also drove well during the season in less than stellar equipment where he was consistently in the midfield when the car was reliable; and reliability became a major theme for Webber in terms of his glide path to recognition, or lack thereof, as ! a top driver.

Mark Webber was in high demand as his! perform ance at Minardi demonstrated clear potential as a top level driver and he eventually signed with Jaguar Racing for 2003. However, prospects of being a regular race winner or podium finisher with Jaguar were dashed by poor leadership and leadership instability as well as financial mismanagement by Jaguar's parent company, Ford. Nevertheless, he continued to demonstrated the ability of a front line driver but the reoccurring theme of reliability and sub-par equipment at Jaguar in 2003 and 2004 seemed to stymie him. He was signed with Jaguar through 2005, but his talent and Ford's lack of money in addi! tion to performance clauses in the contract, the widely sought Mark Webber signed up with Williams-BMW for the 2005 season. Not too long after Webber's announcement was made, Ford announced that they were pulling out of F1 and that Jaguar was being sold. The Jaguar racing operation was bought by energy drink company, Red Bull.

Mark Webber and team principal Sir Frank Williams thought they had a winning combination on their hands, but as was the case at Minardi and Jaguar, reliability was Mark Webber's problem during his stint at Williams. Although Webber scored his first podium and scored 36 points, it was clear that Williams was not the same team it has been in its great past. He struggled to be consistent and again suffered from reliability issues. However, what was more disappointing was he was generally outperformed by teammate Nick Heidfeld until Heidfeld suffered an injury. What was also disappointing was that Webber and Williams were losing BMW engine! s in 2006. He scored only 7 points at Williams in 2006 and aga! in suffe red from reliability issues. Also, he was only marginally better than rookie teammate Nico Rosberg. After much promise, even though his equipment was not the best, the shine came off of Mark Webber in terms of his potential as a top level driver.

For the 2007 season, Webber went to Red Bull Racing, which was his old Jaguar team. Many of the personnel were the same and had worked with Webber previously but had some technical staff additions and had engine power from Renault, who just came off of winning two consecutive constructor titles and wa! s renown for its reliability. He again demonstrated the speed of a front line driver, getting back on the podium at the Nurburgring even though there were some reliability problem, but the light was at the end of the tunnel. As the car became more reliable we again saw the speed and skill that makes Webber a worthy F1 driver. In 2008, the car has been reliable but the once mighty Renault engine is down on power to its rivals and is putting Webber in position to where he needs to overdrive. In the first eight races, he scored points in six of them. In the last seven races he has only scored twice and the car has suffered in terms of reliability.

However, Webber is more than just a driver. He has been a vocal member of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) and one of it's directors since 2003; although he briefly was not a director from 2005 to 2006. He does not pull punches and has been a real advocate for safety backing ideas such as improved emergency ! response crews at tests as well as letting teams know that the! GPDA is watching the development of the KERS systems in light of some safety issues. He is someone that will call it like he sees it and presents as a free spirit.

Mark Webber still has the ability to be at the front of grid provided he has the equipment that will not let him down and as this season winds down, he can still score some points but I think he is looking forward to 2009 and will be ready to cash in on a more successful season.

Liverpool Interested In Werder Bremen Forward Aaron Hunt

Premier League powerhouse Liverpool are considering making a move for versatile Werder Bremen forward Aaron Hunt, according to English paper The People.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is desperate to add another striker to his squad to support Fernando Torres, and the Spanish manager has reportedly made Hunt his primary target.

The 23-year-old attacker is a product of the Werder Bremen youth academy and has made well over 80 league appearances for the Hanseaten since making his official debut in September 2004.

Hunt has represented Germany at U! nder-21 level, but he also qualifies to play for England because of his English mother.

The attacker's current Werder Bremen deal is due to expire in the summer of 2010 and the Europa League contenders could be tempted to cash in on Hunt this winter if a good offer comes in.

Former Ref Jeff Winter Blasts Goal Against Liverpool FC

Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter branded the decision to allow Sunderland's winner against Liverpool FC on Saturday as "absolutely amazing".

Darren Bent's strike beat Liverpool FC goalkeeper Jose Reina with the help of a sizeable deflection off a beach ball which had been thrown onto the Stadium of Light pitch by an away fan.

Referee Mike Jones conferred with his assistant but decided the goal should stand, helping Sunderland to a 1-0 win.

Winter said: "I'm absolutely amazed. It is basic law in football. The goal should just not have stood.

"The la! ws of the game state that if there's an outside interference the game has to be stopped.

"Talk about an outside influence - the ball went in off the beach ball and completely deceived the Liverpool goalkeeper.

"I am absolutely amazed that for a referee at that level of football, that between him, his assistant, the fourth official, they didn't see what had happened and give the correct decision."

Winter added he was surprised more focus had not been put on Jones.

He said: "I try to defend referees wherever possible having been there and knowing the problems they face but, on this particular occasion, everybody's having a laugh and a joke about it, but this is far more serious in terms of the laws of the game than when the referee doesn't see the ball go over the goal line.

"That is understandable with the pace of the modern game and being unsighted, but this is just basic law.

"An outside influence is any out! side influence. It is anything other than the 22 maximum playe! rs on th e field and the referee.

"If it hits the referee and goes in, he's part of the game. If a spectator comes on the pitch and kicks the ball, the game must be stopped.

"It's a basic law of the game - one that fortunately doesn't come into practice too much - but it's a basic law of the game that a referee would learn on his initial refereeing cause, not when you're an established Premiership referee.

"The fact that the referee conferred with his assistant, they knew something was wrong, it's just absolutely amazing the goal was allowed to stand."

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal Wanted Alberto Aquilani

Alberto Aquilani is expected to make his debut for Liverpool against Arsenal on Wednesday night but Arsene Wenger has revealed that the Italian could have been donning the red shirt of the home side.

Aquilani joined Liverpool from Roma for a fee of £20 million over the summer but has been prevented from making his debut due to injury. With his fitness problems now behind him, the Italy international should make an appearance in the Carling Cup tie.

But Aquilani was also a player who interested Arsenal following some eye-catching perf! ormances in Serie A and Wenger only halted his pursuit when the player suffered from fitness problems last season.

"Yes I know him well," Wenger told the club's official website. "He played against us in the Champions League last year and came off the bench in Rome. He is a talented player but has been troubled a lot by injuries.

"We followed him for one or two years but he did not play a lot last year so he got a little bit out of sight for us and we lost our interest in him."

Arsenal are expected to stick with tradition and field a weakened team in Wednesday's game but Samir Nasri could make his return from a broken leg and Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner have also been named in an 18-man squad.

Get be Sexy

Two model girls with body and pose which sexy. They become model for summer clothes product. That fashion you can get in gallery mode.

Especially Funny Pose

Funny Girl in Funny Pose with Contrast Wear. She is young model, she is student too and she is looking smart.

Pelchat back with Yamaha

From cmrcracing.com

Three-time Canadian ATV champion Richard Pelchat will compete aboard a Yamaha YFZ 450 under the racing colours of Splash 'n Dirt / Yamaha Canada in 2005.

The sponsorship agreement with Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd. was signed immediately following the 2004 campaign. Yamaha Canada was very impressed with Pelchat's performance throughout the 2004 national and provincial championships, and was very pleased with his amazing performance at the 12 hours endurance of La Tuque, where Team Splash 'n Dash finished an amazing seven laps in front of its closest competitor.

"I'm very proud of racing again for Yamaha Canada and I know I can get them another national championship aboard the Yamaha YFZ450," Pelchat said. "This ATV is outstanding. With the help of RP Evolution and Elka suspension, I know I have the best suspension ever. This year my SS Performance-tuned and DMC-equipped YFZ motor is a ! rocket, to say the least."

Shot MX will supply Pelchat with his racing apparel. Torco Oil and Torco Race Fuels will make sure the engine runs at its best.

Other sponsors currently on the team are AC Racing, Powermadd, ITP tires, Maier, Outerwears, Streamline brakes, Trail Tech, WebCam, JE Pistons, Team industries, Sit on It, Quero Metal and Structures Pelco.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Bloor building Kawi

By John Hopkins

TORONTO, ON -- Noted tuner and drag racer Jeff Bloor of Cycle Max Service has completed a deal with Canadian Kawasaki Motors to run a ZX-14R in the Heads Up Shootout class this summer.

In an email to Inside Motorcycles Bloor said he hopes to build, "the quickest street legal Kawi in Canada.

"With Hindle Exhaust building us the newest generation Sidewinder exhaust and a multi-stage nitrous system, some minor engine mods performed by Gord Bush Performance, we hope to have the bike in the 400 hp area."

Bloor said he will be announcing a full schedule and sponsor list in the near future.

Bloor made the announcement just after returning from the first of a planned series of Cycle Max customer track days in Jennings, FL Feb. 21-23. Cycle Max provided six customers with flight, hotel, ground transport, riding gear and personal training from Superbike star Frank Trombino! .

"The customers were treated as if they were all factory riders with full pit support," Bloor said. "They only need ride and get faster."

Bloor and Cycle Max have booked a second event at Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama Mar. 4-5. More details are available at www.cyclemax.ca.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Why Chris Mack is the Right Guy for the Xavier Job

1. With a great team coming back it was vital for Xavier to bring back a coach they can relate to. Mack is familiar with the players and has built relationships will all of them. For example, Kenny Frease was contemplating transferring until he heard of the Mack signing. Mack was the main person that recruited Frease to Xavier. Yes, Derrick Brown may still test NBA waters but with Mack at X they won't have to worry about players transferring.

If Xavier decided to hire a guy like Darrin Horn then players may have transferred and X would have to re-build. Not to mention if the team started on a downward slide because lack of talent how would this help recruiting? Incoming recruit Kevin Parrom may have tried to opt out of his scholarship if Mack wasn't the coach, next week Mack is visiting him to make sure he's happy.

2. Mack is dedicated to the university. No other coach in Xavier history has went to St. X, played at Xavier as a captain for two! seasons, and then went on to be head coach of the basketball team. I'm not saying that Mack is going to jump in and have instant success, but he certainly will have the tools around him to get started. People were calling for Sean Miller's head after his first season at X after they missed the NCAA tournament and looked what happened. Also, the 5-year contract means nothing to me because college coaching contracts are pointless nowadays but Mack could be the guy that sticks around for awhile, I hope.

3. The players on the current team are used to his style of play. I'm sure they'll need to learn some new plays but the offense and defense that Mack puts together on the floor is going to be close to what Miller put out there. Mack is more of a defensive minded coach but at least the players won't have to learn whole new offensive and defensive schemes.

Cincinnati Reds News and Notes

* The Reds are now 9 games under .500, their lowest point the season. Mired in a 6 game losing streak Cincinnati is now 7.5 games out of first place also their lowest part of the season. The Reds started the season decent going 26-23 in April and May but have seriously tailed off in June and July with an abysmal 18-30 record.

* Not only did the Reds get swept by the Cubs this weekend in Chicago they also suffered the loss of Chris Dickerson, Jared Burton, and Micah Owings. Owings left the game with tightness in his shoulder, Dickerson also injured his shoulder after a fall in the outfield,! and Burton has been dealing with issues such as fatigue and shortness of breath.

* The Reds starting pitchers are now 2-13 over their last 18 games.

* Where is the offensive firepower? The Reds have only scored in double digit runs twice, both were against the Diamondbacks. 13-5 W on May 11th, and 10-3 win on May 13th. On the flip side, the Reds have allowed double digit runs on 8 occasions. (One of which was 22 runs, a franchise record)

Remaining Bengals Schedule

No one thought the Cincinnati Bengals would come out this hot. Especially by looking at their early season schedule. With Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore on the calendar I assumed that we would be 2-3 at this point. But the Bengals have been shocking the league with all of their games being decided in the last 60 seconds the "Comeback Cats" as they have been dubbed have already reached their win total from the 08-09 season. The Bengals actually have a pretty nice looking road ahead of them. Of their 11 remaining games 5 of those teams have losing records. And with a 3-0 record in the conference they are sitting in a very good position for the AFC North. Of course, all of this could change. But their remaining games should afford the Bengals some good opportunities to get some victories. Check it out.

Oct 18- Houston (2-3)
Oct 25- Chicago (3-1)
Bye
Nov 8- Baltimore (3-2)
Nov 15- @ Pittsburgh (3-2)
Nov 22- @ Oakland (1-4)!
Nov 29- Cleveland (1-4)
Dec 6- Detroit (1-4)
Dec 13- @ Minnesota (5-0)
Dec 20- @ San Diego (2-2)
Dec 27- Kansas City (0-5)
Jan 3- @ NY Jets (3-2)

Rucker Park Showdown (Who Wins?)

As we anticipate the announcement of the NBA's MVP, the question rises each year, what makes an MVP? Is it the best player on the best team (Dirk Nowitzki 06-07), or the guy who makes everyone around him better (Steve Nash 04-05, 05-06), or simply the player with the best stats (Kevin Garnett 03-04)? One criteria Bill Simmons uses is if 2 people were choosing sides for a pick up game that would decide their lives or something like that. Who would be the first pick? Well we'll take it one further. Tristan and I have chosen teams based on players performances through the 2007-2008 seasons, and our 8 man teams will decide our lives (or at least a beer or two), the ga! me will be played at historic Rucker Park.

We flipped a coin for the first pick, and then it went to the next two, next two, and so on. End result is an 8 man street ball squad (not street ball rules), also tacked on a coach to lead these dynamic players. Here is how the draft went with a brief reaction after each selection by the guy who made it.

Rich Keefe won the toss and deferred.

Besse 1st (1) pick: Chris Paul

Sure, I probably should have taken Kobe or Lebron here, but I'm on the Chris Paul bandwagon and at an inner city hoop game, guys like this carve up the court. He has surpassed Steve Nash as the best point guard in the game. A guy like this won't just make no look, behind-the-back, ! highlight reel passes, but he has the ability to score as well! as any other player on the court. In my eyes, the primary ball handler is a key position for a game at Rucker Park, so I went ahead and took the best one there is.

Keefe 2nd (1) pick: Kobe Bryant

As good as Chris Paul has been this year (my pick for the MVP) there's no way I'm passing up on Kobe. LeBron has monster numbers, but I still think Bryant is the best in the game. He's been threw battles on the court and with my life depending on it, I have to have Bryant. If this game comes down to a last second shot… yeah I like my chances.

Keefe 3rd (2) pick: LeBron James

Really thought I would end up with Kobe or LeBron, not both. I now have 2 guys who can take over a game and score at will. It's going to be a physical game, and LeBron certainly has what it takes. These two guys worked very well together on Team USA in the qualifier, and should win himself a Gold Medal this summer. LeBron has lived up to all the hype he got coming out of high school. He has a chance to one day be the greatest player of all time. And he falls to 3? What a game.

Besse 4th (2) pick: Allen Iverson

I wasn't surprised at all that Rich took both Kobe and Lebron. Having taken the two best scorers in the game, I ne! eded a scorer of my own. There's plenty in the league, but onl! y one tr uly belongs at Rucker Park. A.I. looks the part, plays the part and he is the part, as like Kobe, he's actually played at Rucker Park before. And Iverson plays every game like he's in Rucker Park, sacrificing his body to create lanes, open shots and scoring opportunities across the floor. And his experience in a game like this with his scoring ability will be essential.

Besse 5th (3) pick: Amare Stoudemire

I wanted a big man that can score here. I debated Dwight Howard and almost pulled the trigger on it, especially after seeing these 20/20 games he's posting in the post-season. But I didn't want his rebounding ability to be the end all in making this pick, so I went with another bad-ass in Stoudemaire. KG and Tim Duncan were other options, but I didn't ! like KG's offense in a game like this, and Duncan is great, but too soft.
Amare gives me good size down low and was a force at C before Shaq allowed him to move back to his natural PF position. Based on my first two picks, I'm starting a trend of playing small, so logic tells me a natural C won't work here. And I like his attitude and energy for this.

Keefe 6th (3) pick: Kevin Garnett

Besse is on his way to recreating the Western Conference All-Star team. His guards are good, but small. I have my two wings so I need to focus on bruisers up front and a point to match Chris Paul. If my life is truly on the line here, I want a guy that I can count on to play like his life is also on the line. I'll go with KG. Intense is too light a word for Garnett, maybe "KG" s! hould be a new entry in the dictionary. This guy won't let me ! down.

Keefe 7th (4) pick: Dwight Howard

Should I go point guard here? Maybe I should have, but with Dwight Howard sitting here with all the muscle can't pass him up. A windy day outside probably won't effect his two handed thunder dunks he's put on opposing big men all season. He and KG down low will be a perfect compliment. Some say all he does right now is dunk and rebound. Well with Kobe, LeBron, and KG, all I want him to do is dunk and rebound.

Besse 8th (4) pick: Paul Pierce

Pierce was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and! back at a late night dance club back in 2000. He had surgery to repair his lungs as a result of the attack. The following season he played all 82 games and averaged 25.3 points per game. Excuse me?
This is the same guy who earned the moniker "The Truth" from Shaquille O'Neal in 2001 and was fined last week for flashing a gang symbol. As far as I'm concerned, these are HOF credential at Rucker Park. His numbers took a dive this year, but so did everyone else's on the Celtics' 66-win squad. Like Iverson, he can find ways to create and score at will; he just does it with a 6'7 frame. We've seen solid defense this year, as well, and with his toughness I like the pick here.

Besse 9th (5) pick: Steve Nash

Rich has gone all big so far and has yet to! take a ball handler. So instead of taking a guy like Duncan t! o add so me size, I took the second best point guard off the board. I was sure he'd have to take Jailhouse Williams which was fine by me. The reason I don't mind this pick is that we can run different sets with Paul and Nash up top. This will force us to play small, but with the top two passers in the league, scoring opportunities will be aplenty in this one. And let's not forget that Nash can nail the 3, or 2 in this case. Either way, the last two years he's had the second highest percentage from beyond the arc (behind Jason Kapono) and in the two previous years before that he was ranked sixth. Not too shabby. As far as his street cred? Reference last year's playoff series against the Spurs. The guy's a gamer.

Keefe 10th (5) pick: Deron "Jailhouse" Williams

Tw! o solid picks back-to-back by Besse right there. Really wanted Pierce on my team, being a fan of the Celtics and great players, but with Kobe and LeBron he wasn't a necessity. I'm glad Jailhouse slipped to me at 10. (Note: while playing at Illinois, Deron Williams was given the nickname by myself and college roommates because of his ridiculous "Jailhouse" tattoos. We were all a fan as the Illini may or may not have won us all some money that season. I have been a huge fan ever since.) This guy is right behind CP3 for best point guard in the game right now, and in Rucker Park, he certainly looks the part.

Keefe 11th (6) pick: Tim Duncan

I know the Big Fundamental doesn't exactly scream outdoor, physical street ball. Well his 4 championship rings, great defensive, and! versatile offensive game make him a must. In fact he will be ! coming o ff the bench for my team with KG and Howard ahead of him, but the winning experience will go a long way. He's a top 5 power forward in the history of the NBA, so I can't keep him off the board any longer. Welcome aboard Timmy.

Besse 12th (6) pick: Shaquille O'Neal

Keefe selected Duncan which I didn't mind at all. To counter, I came back with Neon Bodeaux. So he's not as good as the Neon we saw in Blue Chips, but he's a big force down low and is a good matchup against any big man in a game like this. I'm not looking for him to score – I have plenty of guys that can do that already. But when in the game, he can move Amare back to PF like he did for the Suns and give us more size down low. It should clog the lane for Keefe's team, and after seeing him flatt! en Tony Parker in Game 2, what's not to love? The opposing team may be bigger overall, but if we defend on the perimeter they'll have to come inside and meet Diesel, who should feel right at home on the court at Rucker Park.

Besse 13th (7) pick: Gilbert Arenas

I won't lie, I almost picked him about eight picks ago. Talk about swagger, confidence and a guy that's destined to play in a game like this. He'll be a great scoring threat shooting from the outside and with slashers like A.I. and Pierce to go with Nash and Paul, plenty will be done to free up Arenas on the outside to shoot. And he'll talk plenty, too, adding plenty of character and dialogue that is so commonplace at games like this. I refer back to the YouTube video of Arenas taking on DeSha! wn Stevenson in a 3-point contest. If you haven't seen it, che! ck it ou t: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn6O42a5vl8

Keefe 14th (7) pick: Caron Butler

After taking Duncan with my last pick I needed some more street cred, and round out my bench. I'll go with Tuff Juice. This guy is a force. Does everything on the court for yeah and has been a man since his days at UConn. With Arenas out most of the year and for the rest of the playoffs (we're saying he's healthy for this game, hence Besse just taking him), Butler has been the reason why they're not only in the playoffs, but playing a game 6 tonight against LeBron. He'll be a valuable guy off the bench for me.

Keefe 15th (8) pick: Carmelo Anthony

Stop snitchin'. Teaming Melo with LeBron can't miss. Hasn't been a winner in the NBA's playoffs, but he's not the main man on this team. In fact, he's the 8th man. But with a game like his there's room for him on my team. He can score a number of different ways and is strong enough to play in a physical game that this will undoubtedly be. Being my final pick he was up against the likes of Baron Davis, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, Chauncey Billups, Marcus Camby, T-Mac, and Shawn Marion.

Besse 16th (8) pick: Rasheed Wallace

Rasheed! reminds me of Raymond from White Men Can't Jump; the dude tha! t sniffe d out Sid and Billy, prompting him to grab his piece from the car. He also tried to rob the convenience store around the corner, but let's not concern ourselves with that. It's all I think of when I look at Sheed, though. He'll come packin' heat, no doubt about it. This guy is bad ass, and in a street game, he's a no-doubter in my book. Size, toughness and the dude can play. I thought about Ron Artest here for his defense and BAM (bad ass mentality), but you gotta be able to score in this game, so we'll let Ron call next.



Keefe:
Deron Williams
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Kevin Garnett
Dwight Howard

Tim Duncan
Caron Butler
Carmelo Anthony

Besse:
Chris Paul
Allen Iverson
Paul Pierce
Amare Stoudemire
Shaquille O'Neal

Steve Nash
Gilbert Arenas
Rasheed Wallace


Besse: Coach – Jeff van Gundy
What more can you say about a guy who got dragge! d across the floor breaking up a fight between Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson in '98? Well, you can also say that he got rocked by his own player, Marcus Camby, trying to break up another fight in '01. That one left his bloodied and battered. That's a guy I'd wanna play for, and a guy I want coaching my team at Rucker Park.

Keefe: Coach – Stan van Gundy
My sources got win that Jeff van Gundy was coming out of the booth to coach Besse's squad. So I thought we'd play mind games with him a bit and take Magic coach Stan Van. This is by no means saying he is the best coach in basketball, rather just some gamesmanship.


Game Outlook:


Besse: There's no question that with both King James and Lord of the Rings, Rich probably takes this thing in an NBA. But this is at Rucker Park, not the Quicken Loans Arena. I have the two best guards in the game and a roster of scorers whose personalities and playing style blend nicely with Rucker! Park. Looking at my lineup, I have more guys that play with t! oughness and have the ability to find and create scoring opportunities. We're certainly smaller in size, but we can hit the 2 from the outside and I picked up guys like Shaq and Sheed that will be bangers down low. We'll play a lot like the Rangers did in Game 4 against the Penguins, playing physical and going after his key players, ala smashing Sidney Crosby against the boards over and over again. I like our mix of skill inside and outside, and with Paul and Nash running the show, look for some serious street ball highlights en route to victory.


Keefe: Kobe and LeBron. Should I go on? I don't care if this game is in the TD Banknorth Garden, my back yard, the moon (which would be the first time anyone has been there, but that's a whole other thing), or Rucker park. I have the 2 best basketball players in the world on my team. Not to mention KG and Howard up front with Deron Williams at the point. Yes CP3 is better, but not enough to overtake this stacked lineup. Not! to mention Duncan, Butler, and Melo coming off the bench. I like my team very, very much.


Now what do you think? Decide who's team would win a game where the lives of the people who selected the teams are on the line. We'll tally up the votes and see who the winner is. Remember this game is being played at Rucker Park, there are whistles, but they are few and far between. Leave a comment and let us know.

Team Besse or Team Keefe?

Keefe's Oscar Picks

This Sunday marks the 81st annual Academy Awards. Being the huge movie fan that I am, I will share with you my picks for the most prestigious awards in Hollywood.

Best Picture: The Dark Knight

(What? This movie wasn't nominated? Forget it.)

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Best Actress: Liv Tyler (The Strange! rs)

(This movie was scary! Well kind of, could have been better. She's in the mix right?)

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress: Rosie Perez (The Pineapple Express)

(Great film, great acting. She wasn't nominated either? Nevermind.)

!

Best Director: Jon Favreau (Iron Man)

Ok, I'm going to stop. I've seen The Dark Knight and The Wrestler, that's it. Nothing else gets nominated. Where's Iron Man, The Pineapple Express, Strange Wilderness, Incredible Hulk, The Strangers, and so many other fantastic cinematic treasures? The last 3 years I successfully picked, Crash, The Departed, and No Country for Old Men. This year? Who knows, everyone says Slumdog, so I'm rooting for the field.

Enjoy it. And let me know if you've seen any of the films up for best picture.

-Keefe

BJal's Lock du Jour

So I was driving home today when I got a text from my buddy BJal. Some of you may recognize his name, as he's contributed to TSB before. I'll preface this by saying that BJal has what some may call a gambling problem, but we choose to call a passion for betting on sports. He'll bet on an obscure soccer game at 1pm just because it'll be on ESPN2 while he's at work. You can't make this stuff up, but it makes for a good story.

Which leads me back to the text from BJal today. He asked if he could post a daily "Lock of the Day". I actually liked the idea for a couple reasons. First off, it gives him something to do. Second, it allows me to track his gambling success rate. And thrice, it gives you, the readers, more material to read and enjoy. I talked with Keefe and we both said yea, what the hell we'll do it.



And thus, much like a restaurant serves up a "World's best cup of coffee" or "Award winning clam chowder", we'll try and pawn off his addiction as a legitimate daily betting tip.

BJal doesn't like the odds for Brad Pitt and the men of Troy. Is he full of shit?

Starting tonight, you will be treated to a daily (or more or less daily) segment called BJal's Lock du Jour. We'll track his record every day as he gambles on one pick per night, any! sport, any game. And in typical BJal fashion, he's opening up! with a real douzy...this more or less sums up who the guy is. Tomorrow night on ESPN2 we'll be treated to a riveting college football game between Troy and Middle Tennessee State. I know nothing about these teams except what I just looked up: both teams are 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play; MTSU (3-1) lost its opener at Clemson 37-14 but stunned Maryland 32-31 a couple weeks ago; Troy is a very uninteresting football team.

That being said, BJal's inaugural Lock du Jour is Middle Tennessee State (+6). Let's see if he can start out on a good note. Enjoy the game and hopefully this segment.

-Bess

J-League Saturday Review

J.League leaders Kashima Antlers' recent woes continued after they were humiliated 4-1 by Nagoya Grampus at Kashima Soccer Stadium.

Nagoya's Australian forward Josh Kennedy scored the opener and Montenegrin international Igor Burzanovic struck twice to highlight the visitors' victory.

Nagoya stunned the hosts after six minutes when Kennedy reacted quickest after Burzanovic's initial effort was blocked.

Eight minutes later, it was Burzanovic's turn when he ca! pitalised on Hitoshi Sogahata's error in the box. The former Red Star Belgrade midfielder pounced on the ball when the Kashima goalkeeper missed his kick, rounded Sogahata and tapped the ball into the empty net.

Nine minutes into the second-half, Nagoya further extended their lead when midfielder Keita Sugimoto latched onto a long ball and headed over Sogahata.

Defending J.League Kashima managed to pull a goal back in the 75th minute when Marquinhos met Mitsuo Ogasawara's free-kick with a low diving header.

However, they then let the visitors in with another mistake as Japan defender Atsuto Uchida attempted to head Sogahata's ball to a team-mate but it went straight to Burzanovic. The 24-year-old midfielder then blasted the ball past the stunned Kashima goalkeeper for his second goal.

"Our players were very motivated for this game and they did well defensively too. I'm very satisfied today," Nagoya manager Dragan Stojkovic said,

Kashima bo! ss Oswaldo Oliveira said: "We made various preparations for to! day's ga me but suffered by giving an early goal away.

"We couldn't play our usual game at all and Grampus took full advantage of our mistakes."

Gamba Osaka midfielder Yasuhito Endo struck twice in his side's 2-1 win over Kawasaki Frontale in a rematch of the Asian Champions League last 16 clash.

The north Osaka outfit took a lead when Endo slotted home Takahiro Futagawa's pass in the 17th minute.

Frontale levelled three minutes before the break when Hiroyuki Taniguchi converted Kengo Nakamura's pass from the right but Endo bagged the winner when he curled home a free-kick in the 76th minute as Gamba climbed to third, four points behind Kashima.

"This game was very important to us and we really wanted to win it by any means. The win came due to our team work," said Endo.

"We cannot afford to lose any more games. We just work hard, believing that we can win the league and will take it a game at a time."

Hiroshima failed to narrow the ga! p to Kashima after suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Albirex Niigata. Kisho Yano and Brazilian defender Gilton struck in the first half-for Niigata before Toshihiro Aoyama scored for Hiroshima early in the second period.

Elsewhere, FC Tokyo edged out Jubilo Iwata 3-2 thanks to a late goal from substitute forward Shingo Akamine at home.

Tokyo midfielder Naohiro Ishikawa put his side in front with his 13th strike of the season in the 63rd minute but Jubilo forward Ryoichi Maeda equalised two minutes later.

Jubilo's South Korea forward Lee Keun-ho put the visitors ahead in the 71st minute but full-back Yuto Nagatomo levelled with eight minutes to go.

Substitute Tomotaka Kitamura scored midway through the second half to give Montedio Yamagata a crucial 2-1 win against JEF United Chiba as both sides battle to survive in the top-flight.

Bottom club Oita Trinita were held to a goalless draw by Kashiwa Reysol, while Omiya Ardija beat hosts Kyoto Sang! a 3-1 with goals from Naoki Ishihara, Chikara Fujimoto and Bra! zilian f orward Rafael.

APOEL Nicosia 0 Chelsea 1

The Champions League game between APOEL Nicosia and Chelsea at GSP Stadium on Wednesday Sept 30 2009.

Chelsea are dominating Group D without Didi. Or, at least, according to the table they are. Once again they, just about, coped with the loss of Didier Drogba, to suspension, with Nicolas Anelka, so long in the shadows of the powerful, talismanic striker stepping up to t! he plate to score a decisive goal.

But just as against Porto in the previous Champions League fixture, Chelsea were far from their fluent best. Against Apoel they were, at times, rotten.

There are worrying signs. Lack of concentration, sloppiness, errors. Chelsea suffered the lot. And all this against the most limited of opponents as it became unnecessarily edgy. It's not exactly a slide but its looking a little slippery at the top. It will be a concern for manager Carlo Ancelotti although there will be relief, also. Two matches, two goals for Anelka and six points. Europe truly is Ancelotti's domain.

Drogba's suspension has one more match to run, at home to Atlético Madrid, but Anelka's contribution has helped ease that loss even if he is not the frightening marauder that Drogba is. The France inte! rnational, however, has calmed jangled nerves ahead of Sund! ay's vit al Premier League meeting with Liverpool.

Beating Liverpool last season, at Anfield, was Chelsea's last away victory in Europe although the last time, before this encounter, they collected the points outside of the United Kingdom was way back in December 2007, in the days of Avram Grant, against Rosenborg.

For the Cypriots this was, probably, the biggest night of European football that this club had delivered and there had been an unprecedented anticipation about the fixture. Tickets were at a premium, cars and mopeds were strewn on the roads around the GSP stadium and a wall of noise greeted the arrival of the teams with each touch by a Chelsea player met with sustained whistling. Just what such games are meant to deliver. Each foul made that noise ever angrier while Apoel's supporters, a mix of their traditional orange and the yellow strip commissioned by the club for this competition, worked their way through a reper! toire of chants.

The noise level grew. Not that Chelsea, who were bolstered by their own 1,400-strong support, many making a holiday of the trip, were remotely fazed. With injuries and suspensions biting, Ancelotti decided to opt for the Christmas tree formation that he has used sporadically and hoped that this would deliver the present of a victory, needed after that weekend loss to Wigan Athletic that has led to questioning and introspection. He also used Ashley Cole even though the left-back had been an injury doubt.

And it was Chelsea who threatened first with Frank Lampard's whipped in cross reached by Branislav Ivanovic, but he couldn't direct his header. Moments later and Anelka, who had drawn the foul for the free-kick, slipped a pass to Salomon Kalou who steered his shot wide from the area's edge. With their next meaningful attack, Chelsea struck. Juliano Belletti darted down the right and towards the by-line and! pulled the ball back. Anelka, just inside the area, was un! marked a nd stroked a first-time, right-footed shot across goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis and into the net. Interestingly it was the first time Chelsea had scored inside the opening half hour of a match this season. Ancelotti punched the air although, immediately, Apoel almost hit back with the ball dropping to Constantinos Charalambides who screwed it over the bar.

But the goal settled Chelsea into a rhythm, not that they had been struggling, of rapid counter-attack and both Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda spurned opportunities. Apoel were struggling and, by now, their support, bar the hard-core self-styled Apoel Ultras behind Petr Cech's goal, were muted. They were roused by two breakaways, both prompted by Chelsea mistakes, with Michael Essien surrendering possession, but both times passes were over-hit and the danger abated. A near post header by Christos Kontis provided some hope for Apoel but Chelsea's only real opponent was complacen! cy – and some curious decision-making by Kalou.

Maybe it had, indeed, been too easy for Chelsea because they started the second-half carelessly. Ricardo Carvalho, awfully, passed waywardly and Nectarios Alexandrou crossed only for Ashley Cole to scamper back and concede the corner. It got worse. Malouda erred and suddenly Savvas Poursaitides had a gilt-edged chance. He shot – but Cech parried with his feet and the ball was scuffed away. From the corner Nenad Mirosavljevic headed across goal and wide. Finally Apoel had some momentum and Ashley Cole had to head another cross clear before Cech pounced on a low centre. Once again Chelsea lost the ball – this time Ashley Cole – and once again Apoel failed to capitalise with John Terry intercepting as Mirosavljevic waited to meet the cross.

Malouda should have settled nerves but sho! t weakly at Chiotis and Chelsea had to endure a difficult f! inal few minutes with Charalambides heading over. He should have scored.

Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina

Juventus' winless streak extended to five games as bitter rivals Fiorentina held them to a draw in Turin.

The result meant the teams remained locked together on 15 points, but the visitors would be the happier with this outcome as they look to secure Champions League qualification again for next season.

Juan Manuel Vargas gave La Viola an early lead but Amauri equalised for Juventus before the 20-minute mark in an evenly-contested game.

Ciro Ferrara's side l! ost 2-0 to Palermo before the international break and they made a miserable start as the Serie A campaign resumed as Peruvian wing-back Vargas put Fiorentina in front in the fifth minute.

Montenegro forward Stevan Jovetic provided an excellent assist and Vargas fired low into the left corner of Gianluigi Buffon's goal.

Jovetic missed a chance to double the Tuscan side's lead five minutes later when he steered a left-foot shot wide from 10 yards after Cristiano Zanetti had played him in.

Vincenzo Iaquinta had the first chance for Juventus after a quarter of an hour when he turned and drilled in a shot which Viola goalkeeper Sebastien Frey fielded low to his right and three minutes later sent an effort wide from a Fabio Grosso cross.

The equaliser came in the 19th minute, Iaquinta turning provider from the left to set Brazil-born striker Amauri up for a simple tap-in.

Iaquinta headed another good Grosso cross wide in the 25th minute but ther! e was a scare for Juve seven minutes later as an own goal was ! ruled ou t for a foul by Dario Dainelli.

Buffon then parried a Jovetic shot following a Fiorentina counter-attack before Christian Poulsen's acrobatic effort from outside the box lacked the power to truly worry Frey.

Iaquinta was then controversially ruled offside to deny him in a one-on-one with Frey, and Italy goalkeeper Buffon pulled off a tremendous save in first-half stoppage time to keep out a left-foot shot from Vargas.

Juventus created the first second-half opening as Amauri laid on a chance for Mohamed Sissoko to shoot first time but Frey blocked it with his right foot.

The former Liverpool midfielder headed wide a minute later from Zdenek Grygera's cross from the left.

Buffon was called on again just before the hour mark to deny Mario Alberto Santana's left-foot strike before French stopper Frey twice kept out Amauri headers in quick succession.

Amauri fired a right-foot shot wide from 30 yards and Buffon then comfortably dealt with! a weak shot from former Juve team-mate Adrian Mutu.

The last chance for a winner fell to in-form Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino with nine minutes to go, but after four goals in two games for Italy during the international break he spurned the chance to be the hero for his club.

Hannover 1-0 Stuttgart

Didier Ya Konan's goal gave Hannover a 1-0 victory at home to Stuttgart and heaped further pressure on Markus Babbel.

The Ivory Coast international scored the winner after 30 minutes to inflict a fifth defeat in six games on Stuttgart.

The win moved Andreas Bergmann's men, who had not beaten Stuttgart at home since the 1988/89 season, up to 11th place, four points clear of the bottom three.

Stuttgart, though, and now 14th and only separated from the drop zon! e only by goal difference.

Stuttgart's first chance came after 22 minutes when Thomas Hitzlsperger headed a free kick on to Serdar Tasci, whose header was blocked away by Hanover keeper Florian Fromlowitz.

The hosts took advantage of their first opportunity after 30 minutes. Arnold Jan Bruggink beat two Stuttgart defenders and crossed over Ya Konan, who shot home from three yards.

Fromlowitz misjudged a long ball from Arthur Boka in the 37th minute but produced a fine reflex against Julian Schieber to keep his side in front.

The visitors had three chances to score in the 59th minute. Schieber's shot was blocked by a defender before his second attempt was tipped over the crossbar by Fromlowitz. The Hannover keeper then fended Elson's 14-yard shot away via the right post to continue to frustrate Stuttgart.

Babbel's side were again denied by the frame of the goal 16 minutes from time as Hitzlsperger's deep free-kick from the right came back o! ff the far left post.

Seconds later Ciprian Marica thou! ght he h ad scored only to see the effort ruled out for off-side.

And Fromlowitz sealed the victory for Hannover with another save in the final minute, holding on to Matthieu Delpierre's effort from the left.

Shakib stars in Bangladesh win

A dazzling unbeaten ton from Shakib Al Hasan helped Bangladesh claim a seven-wicket against Zimbabwe in the second ODI.

Chasing a target of 220 for victory, Shakib entered the field with the hosts on 56 for three and promptly set about Zimbabwe's pace attack, smacking 15 fours and three sixes in a lively 69-ball knock in Dhaka.

Raqibul Hasan added a steady 39 as the pair put on an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 165.

Earlier, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 219 in 47.2 overs with Malcolm Waller (40) and Chamu Chibhabha (39) contributing the most runs to their total.

Abdur Razzak was the biggest thorn in the side of the visitors, claiming five for 29 to put Zimbabwe firmly on the back foot.

Naeem Islam and Mohammad Ashraful also chipped in with two wickets apiece.

Victory sees! Bangladesh level the five-match series 1-1 with the third one! -dayer s cheduled for Saturday.

Short Biography of Ronaldo

Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima is the full name of super Brazilian football player. He was born on September 22 1976 in Bento Riberio city Brazil. He was the best player of the Brazil National Football Team. Now he is playing at the biggest football club in Italy called AC Milan.

March 2004 Pele (fomer great Brazilian's history football player) gave another name for him that called The Phenomenon .

His Success:

In 1994 - 2002 he helps Brazil won FIFA World Cup.

In 1996, 1997, 2002 he won FIFA Player of the year.

His Life Time:

The first time he played football was on every small roads where he lived.

April 1999 he got marry with Milene Domingues.

In 2000 they have one child.

In 2002 he divorced with his wife.

His Football Time:

In 1993 when he was 14, he helped Brazil Youth Team won World Cup. He played for Cruzeiro Esporte Club and shot 12 goals in 14 matc! hes and helped the club won Brazilian National Championship.

In 1994-1996 he moved to play for PSV Eindhoven which cost 6millions dolar and shot 51 goals in 53 matches.

In 1996-1997 he played for Barcelona and helped the club won a lot of cup like:

1. Copa Del Rey

2. European Cup

3. UEFA Cup

shot 39 goals in 44 matches.

In 1997-2002 he played for Inter Milian, shot 59 goals in 99 matches.

In 2002-2007 he played for Real Madrid, shot 98 goals in 166 matches.

January 8 2007 he playing for AC Milian, shot 7 goals in 12 matches.

Top Ten Men Tennis Players Ranking

1. Nadal Rafael ( ESP ).

2. Federer Roger ( SUI ).

3. Murray Andy ( GBR ).

4. Djokovic Novak ( SRB ).

5. Del Potro Juan Martin ( ARG ).

6. Roddick Andy ( USA ).

7. Simon Gilles ( FRA ).

8. Verdasco Fernando ( ESP ).

9. Tsonga Jo-Wilfried ( FRA ).

10. Gonzalez Fernando ( CHI ).

Torino, Ogbonna piace ad Arsenal e City

fonte: Tuttosport

Il difensore: «Qualsiasi giovane sarebbe attratto da queste squadre»

Secondo la stampa britannica, Angelo Ogbonna sarebbe finito nel mirino dell'Arsenal e del Manchester City. Il difensore del Torino Angelo ha però smentito ogni contatto: «Non so nulla. Se ne parla molto sui giornali, ma non sono mai stato in contatto con questi club. Io a Torino mi trovo benissimo, anche se squadre come quelle appena citate sono molto! attraenti per giovani come me...».

Perinetti: "Non sono io la scelta di De Laurentiis"

di Tiziana Garofalo

fonte: asbari.it

Perinetti - Napoli - De Laurentiis - Bari. Non è un nuovo quadrangolare né tanto meno un gioco ai quattro cantoni. E' semplicemente la questione che si è venuta a creare da quando Marino è stato mandato via dal Napoli. La squadra partenopea è alla ricerca di un direttore sportivo e più volte si è accostato il nome di Perinetti al Napoli. Soprattutto dopo le dichiarazioni del presidente, il qualche ha detto di avere in tasca un accordo con un dirigente tesserato già con u! n'altra società. A quel punto il primo nome balzato alla mente è stato proprio quello del direttore Perinetti "impegnato" con il Bari.

Ma è stato proprio Giorgio Perinetti, intervenendo a Radio Gol che ha specificato: " Non sono io la persona che il presidente De Laurentis ha scelto per il suo Napoli. Ho un contratto triennale col Bari, poi è chiaro che gli accordi possono essere ridiscussi ma mai a stagione in corso. Poi, io devo ripagare la fiducia del club e la stima e l'affetto dei tifosi. Devo rispettare gli impegni col Bari e portare a termine i programmi studiati insieme. E' chiaro che è un onore essere accostato al Napoli, ma non c'è niente di vero. Al Napoli comunque auguro ogni bene "

16 Ottobre 2009: il programma

fonte: www.empolifc.com

Prima della partenza alla volta di Mantova, gli azzurri effettueranno la seduta di rifinitura allo stadio Carlo Castellani di Empoli: la sessione di allenamento avra' inizio alle ore 14.30.

Rocchi - Samp un conto aperto

di Orazio Resta
Fonte: tuttomercatoweb.com

L'ultima vittoria in campionato allo stadio Olimpico è stata anche l'unica in casa e risale a domenica 23 agosto, prima giornata di campionato. Lazio-Atalanta 1-0 gol di Rocchi. Ballardini non ha ancora sciolto l'interrogativo, il ballottaggio con Cruz (appena recuperato) resta aperto e bisognerà calcolare un turnover equilibrato: altre sette partite nei prossimi venti giorni attendono i giocatori biancocelesti. Ma il f! avorito appare Rocchi, che può vantare anche un bottino niente male con i blucerchiati, a cui ha segnato cinque gol in carriera. L'amarezza Samp. Quattro prodezze con la maglia della Lazio e un'altra con l'Empoli. Risale al 21 marzo 2004. Tommaso, al minuto 90, realizzò il gol del pareggio. Si giocava al Castellani. Era la prima Samp di Novellino. Giocavano Antonioli e Diana, Volpi e Bazzani. Oggi ne resta uno soltanto, si tratta del playmaker e del motore del centrocampo, Angelo Palombo. Passarono in vantaggio i blucerchiati grazie ad un autogol di Manuel Belleri, che poi sarebbe arrivato alla Lazio.

E' nata TELE EMPOLI. Ci siamo anche noi.

di Gianni Assirelli
fonte: Ufficio Stampa Empoli F.C.

In concomitanza con il lancio della tessera del tifoso, che avrà il nome di "EMPOLIFE", l'ufficio stampa dell'Empoli F.C., nella persona dell'Avvocato Gianni Assirelli, responsabile marketing e comunicazione della società azzurra, rende noto che verrà lanciata la tv ufficial! e che prenderà il nome di "TELE EMPOLI".

A questo progetto prenderà parte attiva anche PianetaEmpoli.it con il suo staff, sia in veste organizzativa e produttiva sia in quella di Official Media Partner.

Il tutto con la collaborazione di altri esponenti del giornalismo empolese.

Questo sarà un contenitore all'interno del palinsesto quotidiano di Antenna5, visibile in analogico, con una programmazione quotidiana della durata di circa 15 minuti, con tre passaggi giornalieri in fasce orarie che saranno comunicate nelle prossime settimane.
La trasmissione è at! tualmente in fase di preproduzione, non appena avremo altri ag! giorname nti saremo lieti di rendervi tempestivamente partecipi di questo nuovo progetto innovativo.

#023 Amarcord 2

Queste convocazioni sono un filo strane .. non so l'anno, ma i nomi di quel Pool sportivo fanno rabbrividire!


Conduce Roberto Bortoluzzi, da Verona per Verona - Napoli Enrico Ameri CP, da Brescia per Brescia - Atalanta Sandro Ciotti, da Avellino per Avellino - Inter Enzo Foglianese, da Firenze per Fiorentina - Empoli Alfredo Provenzali, da Ascoli per Ascoli - Sampdoria Paolo Carboni, da Milano per Milan - Torino Emanuele Dotto, da Genova per la Serie B per Genoa - Messina Ezio Luzzi.
In redazione: Maurizio Losa e Sergio Chiesa

#115 Monografie 6: Livio Forma

Livio Forma è nato ad Aosta nel 1948. E' un giornalista e radiocronista sportivo italiano.
E' stato, agli inizi della sua carriera, redattore del TG3 e successivamente è passato alla radio.
Dal 1985 fa parte degli inviati di "Tutto il calcio minuto per minuto", anche se la sua prima radiocronaca, Cremonese - Varese, risale al 1982.
Negli ultimi anni Forma segue le partite più importanti della serie B al sabato e l! a domenica racconta una delle partite della Serie A.
In passato seguiva con frequenza le partite del Torino e della Juventus.
Proprio i tifosi juventini ricordano con piacere i suoi collegamenti dal "Friuli", nella famosa domenica del 5 Maggio 2002, quando raccontò il clamoroso sorpasso in classifica della Juventus ai danni dell'Inter, che permise ai bianconeri di vincere in volata lo scudetto.
Ha effettuato anche la radiocronaca dello storico incontro calcistico tra Milan ed Inter nella semifinale di Coppa Campioni nella stagione 2002-2003.
E' stato il radiocronista delle partite della Nazionale Under 21 di calcio, ed in particolare ha raccontato le imprese degli Azzurrini di Cesare Maldini, Marco Tardelli e Claudio Gentile.
Per RadioRai ha seguito, come inviato, 5 Mondiali di calcio ed 8 tra Olimpiadi estive ed invernali.
La sua voce è una parte di storia della trasmissione, così come famoso è l'inizio della frase quando è chiamato a ricordar! e il punteggio di una partita di cui effettua la radiocronaca ! :"……per coloro i quali si mettessero soltanto ora di fronte ai diffusori……..".
A Livio Forma vanno tutti i nostri complimenti per la sua magnifica ed inossidabile voce, nonchè per la sua professionalità.

La rubrica "Monografie...." torna sabato prossimo con un doppio appuntamento con le vite di Antonello Orlando e Giulio Delfino. Buon fine settimana a tutti.

Il sondaggio di TiCB

Si è chiuso il sondaggio del miglior radiocronista di TiCB.
Ecco i risultati, su cui nutro qualche dubbio sulla validità visto qualche repentino aumento nelle ultime ore del sondaggio! Ma a noi piace anche per questo!!!

1- Tarcisio Mazzeo 23%
2- Riccardo Cucchi e Francesco Repice 17%
4- Emanuele Dotto 9%
5- Alfredo Provenzali 9%
6- Livio Forma 8%
7- Giulio Delfino, Antonello Orlando, Massimo Barchiesi, Giuseppe Bisantis 4%

Ora stiamo preparando una serie di Premi speciali che pubblicheremo alla fine di Giugno.

La giuria sarà composta da tutti coloro che nell'ultimo periodo hanno contattato via mail questo sito.
Per entrare nella giuria manda una mail di richiesta a tuttoilcalcio@raibobo.it

Un'altra curiosità: La graduat! oria che viene riassunta ogni venerdì in "Super Classifica" verrà pubblicata in versione definitiva al termine della stagione che verrà fissato per il 30 Giugno. La nuova partirà ovviamente dal 1 Luglio.

Highlights Champion's League

Cari lettori, oggi pomeriggio presso il Grimaldi Forum di Montecarlo, sono stati sorteggiati i gironi della Champion's League. Vediamoli tutti:

Girone A: Bayern Monaco, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa.

Girone B: Manchester United, Cska Mosca, Besiktas, Wolfsburg.

Girone C: Milan, Real Madrid, Marsiglia, Zurigo.

Girone D: Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Apoel Nicosia.

Girone E: Liverpool, Lione, Fiorentina, Debreceni.

Girone F: Barcellona, Inter, Dinamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan.

Girone G: Siviglia, Rangers, Stoccarda, Unirea Urziceni.

Girone H: Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos, Standard Liegi.

Proviamo ora a commentare il sorteggio. Nel girone A sicuramente corsa a tre per la qualificazione. Per la squadra torinese sfide avvincenti cont! ro Ribery & C. ed i campioni di Francia, guidati da Loren ! Blanc. I l girone B sembra non avere storia per il primo posto con lo United che dovrebbe primeggiare sulle rivali. Il girone C metterà difronte il Milan di Ronaldinho contro i Galacticos guidati da Kakà. Sicuramente il ritorno a S.Siro del brasiliano, ex asso del Milan, sarà interessante. Tra le fila del Milan però anche un altro ex, Huntelaar. Nel girone D non dovrebbe incontrare particolari ostacoli il Chelsea di Ancellotti, anche se l' Atletico Madrid potrebbe risultare un avvrsario particolarmente ostico. Sicuramente duro il sorteggio per la Fiorentina, finita nel girone E, dove oltre al Liverpool, ritrova il Lione, che nonostante abbia venduto il suo asso Karim Benzema, mantiene una certa qualità nello schieramento. Altra sfida suggestiva quella che opporrà nel girone F, il Barcellona di Ibrahimovic all'Inter di Samuel Eto'o. Le due compagini non dovrebbero incontrare difficoltà contro Dinamo Kiev e Rubin Kazan, anche se le trasferte nell' est europeo potrebbero presentare impr! evisti. Nel girone G troviamo Siviglia, Rangers e Stoccarda a contedersi i due posti validi per la qualificazione agli ottavi. Gli spagnoli dovrebbero essere favoriti sui rivali scozzesi e tedeschi per il primo posto. Infine l'Arsenal è stato sorteggiato nel girone H e sembra essere la squadra favorita per la vittoria del gruppo, insidiose però potrebbero essere le trasferte in Grecia, contro l'Olympiacos, e in Belgio, contro lo Standard. Questa la nostra analisi del sorteggio; sarà poi sempre il campo però a decidere le sorti dei vari gironi secondo quella che è la caratteristica peculiare del calcio, l'imprevedibilità dei risultati. In chiusura non resta che ricordarVi le date di questa prima fase: 15/16 Settembre, 29/30 Settembre, 20/21 Ottobre, 3/4 Novembre, 24/25 Novembre, 8/9 Dicembre. Buona Champion's League a tutti!!!!......

Per tutte le informazioni relative alla competizione potete consultare il sito www.uefa.com

SuperSintesi della 7a di A e 8a di B

FANTANEWS !!!!

--------- L' ARMATA RALLENTA, LA P.P.P.P. SPAVENTA ------------

Cari fantacolleguzzi, rieccoci con un nuovo numero di Fantanews. Per prima cosa diamo il benvenuto con affetto al nuovo settimanale Triplice Fischio, scritto da una firma prestigiosa come quella di Ser Campopiano. Ovviamente la nostra "penna" amatoriale e dilettantistica non vuole in nessun modo cimentarsi in un confronto, impari in partenza, con la penna "professionistica, poliedrica e con esperienza decennale" di Mr. Campopiano Junior.
Ma siamo contentissimi di accogliere una nuova voce. Una nuova voce, che ci racconterà la realtà in forme e prospettive diverse rispetto alla voce, spesso distorta per ragioni campanilistiche, del nostro redattore Lambertozzo Cannavò, dirigente dell'Armata. Anche se ci mancherà il pagellone. Consiglio: Campos non puoi inserire il Pagellone all'interno di Triplice Fischio?

Quindi coerenti con il nostro stile Fantanews d! iamo un occhio alla classifica:

Armata Lambertoska (Raf) 18
Il giorno dei giorni (Piero) 15
I Love Giorgia (Pask/Gigi) 13
Blucrociata Mattia (Gio') 11
Real Marcina (Tommaso) 11
Amici Miei (Celestino) 11
Mani Pulite (Paolo) 8
Dinamo Tofa (Felice) 7

In vetta c'è sempre Ser Lambertozzo. Ma viene marcato a stretto contatto da Mr. Pomodorino, distante soli 3 punti. Eh già, perché nelle ultime 3 giornate l'Armata ha portato a casa solo 2 pareggi con Ser Tommy Trap e con Ser Passafiume e una sonora sconfitta con Ser Tofone. E quindi la "tirata di piedi" del GAL ha funzionato. Però un dato è confortante: 29 gol, il miglior attacco. E c'era chi sosteneva il contrario. E al mercato qualche colpo che fa già discutere: Caracciolo subito in gol e Legrottaglie. Non invincibile. Ritorno alla realtà.

Mr. Pomodorino ha totalizzato 7 punti in 3 giornate. E la cosa fa un certo effetto se si pensa che Totti no! n è stato neanche convocato. I punti sono frutto di Giardino, ! Leon, Ma ncini e Di Natale. Grande squadra. Non c'è che dire. La media è incredibile: 73.2, la migliore del campionato. Al secondo posto troviamo Raf con 71.4 e al terzo Gio con 70.5.
Lo avevamo scritto nel precedente Fantanews e lo ripetiamo. Le Quattro P di Mr. Pomodorino sono la squadra da battere.

Al terzo posto troviamo Ser Pasqualotto. Cacchio cacchio, punticino dopo punticino, eccolo lì, al terzo posto. E a chi sosteneva che fosse la Banda degli anni 80 Campopiano & Giggios rispondono con i fatti e con le vittorie. Noi ci siamo. Però un dato è preoccupante: solo 17 gol, il peggiore attacco dopo quello della Tofa. Aspettando Ronnie.

Al quarto posto ecco un trio: Gio, Ceg e Tommy. E qui signori ci inchiniamo a 3 ottime squadre.
3 squadre destinate a lottare fino alla fine per cercare di risalire velocemente la china. Sfortunate. Che dire. I 3 porcellini potrebbero diventare cigni. Ma al momento è solo un ipote! si.

Celestino con un grande Trezeguet, capocannoniere con 10 gol e un grande Doni che continua a segnare. Però c'è da notare un dato preoccupante: Celestino ha una media di soli 65.8 ! Forse si tratta di un primato storico. Noi pensiamo che questa squadra può fare di più ma serve il miglior Celestino. Storico.

Gio con un grande Ibrahimovic. Ma anche qui dobbiamo notare un altro dato: Gio ha la stessa potenza di fuoco di Piero (28 gol) ma ha una media voto di 3 punti più bassa (70.5 contro i 73.2 di Piero). E' questo è il segno che ha un gol a partita in panchina. Ottimo dirigente, allenatore mediocre. Pollo Giò, un consiglio: per scegliere gli 11 titolari prova a lanciare la monetina. La statistica ti aiuterebbe. Anti-Statistico.

Su Tommy diciamo solo che Tavano, Cavani, Pazzini e Lavezzi hanno iniziato a segnare, mancano all'appello solo Quagliarella e Papa Waigo. Grandi delusioni. E non si vedono i frutti ! neanche di scommesse come Adriano, Viera e Emerson. Come sempr! e, Tommy Trap resta in attesa di nuovi colpi al mercato di Gennaio. Squadra quadrata ma senza leader.

E in coda troviamo Paolo e Felix. Paolo sta ancora cercando il bandolo della matassa. Dopo aver realizzato un colpo al mercato degli "scambi" si è saziato ed è rimasto stranamente silente al mercato di riparazione. La tifoseria è delusa. Si aspettava qualche colpo. Conservatore.

Felix quest'anno ha perso lo stellone. Non segna, non vince, non convince. E ha il peggiore attacco della Lega con soli 15 gol. Il CAMPIONE D'ITALIA MR. TOFA è incredulo. Si è smarrito. E ai nostri microfoni dichiara con il suo caratteristico vocione: "Sono più forte dell'anno scorso e sono ultimo... come è possibile?". Anche secondo noi una squadra che ha Mutu, Pandev, Iaquinta, Cozza, Stankovic non merita di restare in fondo. E la Tofa canta: salirò, salirò tra le rose di questo giardino….

Un abbraccio a tu! tti i pollastri fantalettori.
Il vs. Umile dilettante,
Raf Lambertozzo Cannavò