SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2009 - 2010 - ROUND 7 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Dwight Howard - Howard leads the league in blocked shots averaging 3.2 per game. He also leads the league in rebounding pulling down 14 boards per night. Howard has really taken his game to another level on both ends of the court this season. He is a great hustle player and a
solid defender.

2. Kevin Garnett - KG averages 9 boards and 1.5 blocks per night. You can't measure KG's impact by numbers alone. He is the heart and soul of the Celtics defense which holds opponents to 91.3PPG. Any doubts, look at the way KG shut down Dirk Nowitzki last Sunday.

3. Chris Paul - CP3 leads the league in steals averaging 2.68 steals per night. Paul is an underrated defender. He has the NBA record of 108 consecutive games with at least one steal.

4. Lebron James - James has really stepped up his defensive intensity this season. He is playing hard on both ends of the ! court as evidenced by his 2 steals a night. He had led the Cavs to the number one ranking in points per game against and scoring differential.

5. Marcus Camby - Camby is second in the league with 13.8 rebounds per game and blocked shots with 2.60. Playing for the Clippers kills any chance the he would have at winning the award.

Jersey Sky Blue 2, New Jersey Wildcats 0

Casey Nogueira and Lara Dickenmann connected for goals as Sky Blue scored once in each half to claim a 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Wildcats. The shutout was the fifth straight for Sky Blue, which improved to 8-1 for the season and moved into first place in the Northeast Division with 24 points - two points ahead of the Washington Freedom. Sky Blue held a 19-7 advantage in shots and keeper Jillian Loyden needed just one save to secure the shutout - the team's eighth of the season.

UNC 2, FSU 1

Senior Elizabeth Guess scored the golden goal on a give-and-go in the 99th minute of the first overtime session to give top-seeded North Carolina a 2-1 victory over second-seeded Florida State in the finals of the 2006 ACC Women's Soccer Championship

Texas A&M beats China University All Stars

Texas A&M - 1
China University All Stars - 0

Marta's deal

- 5 year guaranteed contract
- $225,000 salary guaranteed by AEG
- $225,000 from Puma
- 10% of gross Marta merchandise sales
- house
- SUV
- cell phone
- equity position in the league
- team and individual performance bonuses

F1 : Fernando Alonso - McLaren 'not a winning team'

Thursday, 10 April 2008

Fernando Alonso says he chose to leave the McLaren Formula One team at the end of last year because the Anglo-German outfit is "not a winning team".

The former double Formula 1 world champion is quoted by the Dutch website f1today.nl as justifying his return to Renault this year, following his spectacular falling out with British McLaren duo Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

"McLaren seem like a winning team, but they are not," Alonso, 26, said.

"Some teams are a! ble to produce good cars," he said. "They seem like winners, but in fact they are not, like McLaren.

"They haven't won any titles in years, so I would rather be with Renault, who in the same period collected two drivers' and two constructors' championships."

For the moment, however, Alonso is making no concrete commitment to the French outfit for 2009.

"Next year I want to be with a team that can win," he said. (some quoted from f1live.nl)

Arsenal looking to avenge draw

With FA Cup action taking place this weekend, there is also the Premier League on the go. Arsenal take on Liverpool at the Emirates on Saturday, the Gunners will be looking to avenge the one all draw when the Reds held them during a Champions League fixture on Wednesday.

The draw has been a contentious issue as Arsenal feel they should have been awarded a penality, when Dirk Kuyt was seen to have tugged on Alexander Hleb arm bringing him down.

However one may say that if Arsenal were the better team on he night they would have not

needed a penalty to be ahea! d as they had the best chance of the game to go ahead when Nicklas Bendtner cleared of his own line.

Blatter wants to explore quota scheme

FIFA Boss Sepp Blatter will be looking at the controversial quota system which will limit clubs to having five foreign players in their team. Blatter said he will move a resolution at this week's FIFA Congress here to investigate European laws for ways to make the plan a reality. However the EU has warned that the proposal by the World Football's governing body conflicts with its laws on the free movement of labour. He does however says that foreign quotas are necessary for the growth of football and also to make sure that richer club do not monopolise the game.

Zuma returns to the PSL

There are a number of big moves on the cards in the PSL, but why would Sibusiso Zuma move from Arminia Bielefeld to Sundowns. It could be that Zuma the Puma's form has dropped dramatically with age and that he can no longer keep up with the pace of European soccer, or perhaps the salary being offered is good enough combined with the chance to return to his beloved South Africa.

Many players dream about finishing their careers on home soil and there's no better club to do so than at Sundowns. I just wonder whether his pay packet will further widen the gap between the highest and lowest paid players in the league. Bear in mind the Players Association is still fighting for a minimum salary of R15 000 for PSL players.

Anyway, well done to Downs for bringing back South Africa's most celebrated export, since Lucas Radebe.

Pirates are also beefing up after a disappointing season. The Buccaneers have already secured the services of goalkeeper, Moneeb! Josephs and could soon add Downs defender, Benson Mhlongo to their squad.

SA Collapse

South Africa are in deep trouble in the fourth test at the Oval. The tourists have lost quick wickets with tail-enders Paul Harris on 11 and Makhaya Ntini on 7.

SA 192/9

Spa Farce Still Big Talking Point

World-wide condemnation of the stewards' decision to strip McLaren's Lewis Hamilton of the win at Spa-Francorchamps yesterday still continues to make headlines.

The British media are calling it a conspiracy theory against Mclaren, outlining the five times this year where Hamilton has been on the wrong side of the stewards' decisions.

A few of those dubious decisions include Hamilton and teammate Heikki Kovalainen being given five-place grid penalties in Bahrain for obstructing other drivers, Hamilton's 10-place grid penalty for ramming into the back of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and of course yesterday's debacle. Former Ferrari world champion, Nikki Lauda, has called the decision the worst ever in the history of the sport and doubts the credibitlity of the sport and its administrators.

The Daily Mail points out that Ferrari were given a mere slap on the wrist when they released Felipe Massa early in the pitlane, in the wa! y of another driver in Valencia a fortnight ago. They ask the question "Why was he not punished where it hurts -- on the race track?"

McLaren have signalled their intent to appeal the decision but that process could take a number of weeks before being finalised. Until then, they need to focus on winning the remaining five grand prix starting at Monza this weekend.

Breakfast Headlines

Die jongste nuus oor die Springbok embleem is dat handelsmerk kenners bevestig het dat SA Rugby die regte besit en die die Departement van Sport nie. Die Minister van Sport het die week gese SA Rugby oortree die wet om die simbool te gebruik. Die storie gaan nog lank nie opgeklaar word nie.

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Former Sharks and Springbok hooker, John Allan, says it's about time the Sharks bury their chokers tag and win the ABSA Currie Cup after a 12 year drought. They face the Blue Bulls at 16h30 on Saturday and have a full-strength squad, while the Bulls are without the injured Bakkies Botha and Akona Ndungane. Allan was part of the Sharks team that last won the Currie Cup in 1996 and says the Sharks have the team to do it.
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Sundowns moved to seventh on the ABSA Premiership log after a 3-0 win over AmaZulu.
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Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Robbie Keane put the Reds ahead, but Al! tetico equalised late in the match. Liverpool however top their group. Bad news for coach Rafa Benitez are injuries to Steven Gerrard, Xavi Alonso and Keane. Benitez says they should've won. Chelsea got a 1-0 win over Roma thanks to a John Terry goal 13 minutes frrom full-time. PSV beat Marseille 2-0 and Panathanaikos drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen.
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The friendly between Bafana Bafana and Namibia has been called off as Namibian soccer bosses are unable to call up their overseas based players.
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Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn could miss the start of the international season due to a mystery illness. He's spent almost the entire month in bed suffering from headaches. Doctors suspect it could be related to fatigue.
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Meanwhile, South African cricket great, Shaun Pollock, says despite Australia's questionable form, the Proteas will still need to be at their best to beat them in their backyard. He says he would've liked to see the team play more! cricket ahead of the crucial tour.
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The South Af! rican ne tball team got a 43-34 win over Barbados in their first test at the Good Hope centre last night. They'll play the Caribbean in two more games, on Friday night and Saturday. Coach Carin Strauss says the team is looking forward to seeing the local supporters.

Boks Bury George Hoodoo

George is no doubt still feeling the effects of a wonderful weekend's rugby. The Springbok side recorded it's first ever tournament win on home soil since the event was first staged 10 years ago with a hard-fought win over the All Blacks in the much anticipated Cup final.

The Boks went into the tournament as outsiders despite the fact that they won the Dubai tournament last weekend. It's been their bogey-tournament having never won in George before Saturday.

South Africa started their campaign against the USA, who've given a good account of themselves in past tourname! nts. The Boks won the match 24 - 0 but gave away far too many penalties which they, at any other venue on any other day against better opposition, would have been punished for. Their ill-discipline led to the sending off of Phillip Snyman in the final seconds.

Then along came minnows Georgia who were never really going to bother the Springboks. The only thing that coach Paul Treu would've been a little irritated with was the fact that Georgia managed a second half try.

The stage was set for a thrilling finish to the day when the Boks met Australia, argueably their biggest challenge of ! the group stage. The match was played at a frantic pace with b! oth side s exchanging early blows, but South Africa ran away with it in the second half and recorded a 17 - 7 win.

Last week's finalists, England lay in wait for the Boks. The English were hyped up by the media and many felt South Africa's tournament would come to an end. But the Boks had other intentions, running the erratic English off their feet. They recorded a 17 - 12 win despite a strong comeback at the end by England.

Fiji had no answer for the Boks and the passionate crowd and wilted to a 21 - 7 defeat. There were two clear camps in the stands for the final, those flying All Black flags and those wearing the green and gold from almost head to toe. The All Blacks opened the scoring courtesy of converted try by DJ Forbes. Renfred Dazel dotted down for the Boks to take them to within two points at halftime. But three minutes from time, captain Mzwandile Stick crashed over the line and added the extras to give the Boks a narrow 12 - 7 victory.
!

WP women take top honours

Western Province Woman's cricket Captain Olivia Anderson says despite winning the National Women's Provincial A Section league they are not light years ahead of the rest of the country.

Anderson and her squad competed against eight other teams from around South Africa for the coveted trophy. This is the third time in four years Western Province has taken the title.



The team topped the log with Boland finishing in third place. Anderson! says their success is due to the great club structure that Western Province have in place.

"In the Western Cape we have a better club structure, for instance in Gauteng. As far as I know they do not have any clubs that play women's cricket. In the Western Cape we have four or five sides that play every second weekend."

It was Gauteng who beat the Women's side in their first game of this year's campaign but their game against local rivals Boland, at the start of this year where they gathered momentum for final stretch. This led to them winning five of their seven games.

Anderson says they worked hard on and off the field as they gunned for glory.

"We all benefit from time in the middle and our coach Nazeem Smith has done a lot of work with us in terms of fitness training and agility. Our side is coming together quite well and everybody is contributing as apposed to having one or two superstars."

The Case Against Nick Heidfeld

Nick Heidfeld, a quiet, reserved German, veteran of 146 F1 races, a professional and well liked in F1 circles. He has always been a driver that people regard as talented but always lacked a good car. He has demonstrated that he can be quick, consistent and reliable. Nick has done a solid job for BMW-Sauber. However, BMW-Sauber can do without Heidfeld. U! p and coming driver, Robert Kubica has emerged as the true leader of the team in that he has demonstrated his quickness and his ability to adapt and develop. Also, he has already achieved what Heidfeld has failed to do in 146 races...win. Although Heidfeld has bounced from team to team in his career, teams find him talented enough to continue to employ him.

However, I believe the beginning of the end for Heidfeld was in 2006, when 1997 F1 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve was his teammate. After performing well at Williams in 2005, then engine supplier BMW brought Heidfeld with them when they acquired the Sauber F1 team. Heidfeld looked rather average against Villeneuve, a driver many had considered to be over the hill. It was assumed that the car was rather average and Heidfeld was doing the maximum with the car.

BMW-Sauber decided to replace Villeneuve during the season with test driver Robert Kubica. In his first race, the 2006 Hungarian GP, he impressed a lot of people in variable conditions. Then almost as if a switch was turned on, Nick Heidfeld raised his game seemingly being able to ! extract more performance out of the car. It was at that moment, Heidfeld was truly exposed as not having the internal motivation or the ability to move a team ahead in my opinion. A team does not need a driver like that, particularly at the price needed to retain him. In addition to this apparent lack of motivation, given the reduction of testing and the fact that there is a single tire supplier and engine development is virtually frozen, there has been a reduction in the importance of car development skills from a driver. This diminishes the need of one of Heidfeld's strengths hence reduces his value to the team.

So, who would replace ! Heidfeld? There have been rumors linking Fernando Alons! o with B MW-Sauber, but I will tell why BMW does not need Alonso. They have Kubica. Kubica sits 4th in the championship with a real shot of finishing 3rd overall in the 3rd best team. Although Kubica and Alonso reportedly have a very good relationship, it is rather different to be friends as teammates in a sport where your teammate is considered your biggest rival because he has the same car. BMW may think twice about Alonso for fears of reliving the drama that was McLaren in 2007.

An ideal 2nd driver for BMW-Sauber would be current reserve and test driver Christian Klien. There would be little conflict from Klien in supporting a championship push for Kubica and BMW in 2009. Klien has experience with nearly 50 F1 races under his belt, he already knows the BMW equipment, he generally does not make a mess of things on track, and he is cheaper than Heidfeld. If he can provide similar results to Heidfeld at a reduced cost and perhaps provide a different exposure to sponsors, then the choice of Klien would be a good, safe choice to support Kubica.

In conclusion, it is rather simple; if one was to look at Heidfeld objectively he amounts to a journeyman driver that will keep the car on track and not make any waves that would damage the team PR-wise. That might work for a team like Toro Rosso or Force India, but not a team that is looking to get championships like BMW-Sauber.

Lucas Fails To Step Up To The Mark

There is a feeling that Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez can be a little too stubborn for his own good at times and he is putting his reputation in unnecessary jeopardy by belligerently backing misfiring midfielder Lucas.

Few Liverpool observers are convinced that the Brazilian midfielder has what it takes to claim a regular role in the heart of Benitez's side and his woeful performance in the defeat against Fiorentina on Tuesday night did little to silence the army who believe he would be more effectively employed as a bench warmer.

As it is, Benitez seems hell-b! ent on standing by a player he has long promoted as a star in the making, even though Lucas looks out of his depth against the better sides in the Premier League. He showed signs of life against the lesser lights Liverpool have come up against this season; when the chips were down against Tottenham and Aston Villa, Lucas went missing.

The same was true in this game at Stamford Bridge. He may have been helped by the return of Javier Mascherano after the Argentine missed the midweek trip to Florence, yet Lucas was anonymous and ineffective against rivals who rarely felt threatened by his presence.

Hard working and willing to give his all to the cause he may be, yet Lucas offers little more than uncreative energy to this Liverpool side. Indeed, by the time Benitez belatedly gave up on his "hero" by replacing him late on, this game was slipping out of Liverpool's grasp and a third Premier League defeat of the season was assured.

Quite where Beni! tez and Lucas go from here is anyone's guess. The imminent ret! urn to f itness of summer signing Alberto Aquilani may give the little Brazilian a chance to rebuild his eroded confidence in the reserves, but it seems as if he has a lot to do before he reaches the levels expected of him in a team hoping to challenge for the Premier League. However, such is Benitez's determination to prove those who doubt Lucas wrong that he will almost certainly be starting when Liverpool travel to face in-form Sunderland in their next league outing two weeks from now. Another defeat and their fading title bid would be all but over.

Such sweeping conclusions may be a little premature in the first weekend of October, yet such is the life of a Premier League manager and a player who appears to be falling below the grade.

Chelsea would have been suffering a similarly withering backlash if their indifferent week had continued with a second successive league defeat and yet they returned to the top of the table as the two key moments in this game w! ent in their favour.

All too often, games between these sides have turned into dour stalemates and this was another morbid scrap for long periods. Liverpool may have started brightly, but their early enthusiasm waned all too quickly as the first half failed to sparkle.

To start with, we didn't even have the familiar side show of Drogba taking on the Reds back line by fair or foul means as we had to wait until the 33rd minute for his first battle with long-standing adversary Jamie Carragher. Drogba was to have a more prominent role in the second half.

The Chelsea striker spent much of the opening ten minutes of the first half rolling around as if a sniper was taking shots at him from the crowd. Liverpool supporters are not alone in believing the Ivory Coast marksman adds a little too much theatrical content to his play at times and it seemed as if this was going to be another day when he put his play-acting ahead of his sporting prowess.

However, the frustrating and brilliant Drogba often wor! k in tan dem and thus was the case again. His cross for Nicolas Anelka's opener was perfectly weighted before Drogba provided Florent Malouda with the second goal that killed off Liverpool in the closing stages.

As he held off the challenges of determined opponents to create Malouda's goal, Drogba proved he is more than capable of standing up to the most heated of physical confrontations. Why does the experienced footballer persist in indulging in his embarrassing tumbling antics when he has so much to offer the game?

Drogba's manager was not complaining as he toasted a much-needed victory in a week when the side went down to a shock defeat at Wigan and then played poorly against Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League.

"Liverpool are a strong team and made it very difficult for us," said Carlo Ancelotti. "We stayed compact and struck at the right moment on the counter attack. Our concentration was excellent and hopefully we can now feel as if we can fo! rget about our bad performances of the last few days."

Benitez refused to hit the panic button when he was presented with a predictable set of negative questions from the press pack. "I felt that we were doing a good game and working hard, but then the small details went in Chelsea's favour," was the view of a surprisingly upbeat Benitez.

"They took their chances and we didn't. We felt as if we were in control until they scored and then things changed. We have to keep going as this is a long race. Yes were are disappointed, but the main thing is we can come back. There were some positives from this game."

The real question Benitez must answer in the next fortnight is whether he continues to lobby for a player who is not contributing enough to deserve re-election. After this latest no-show, Lucas's reputation must have hit rock bottom among Liverpool followers.

Liverpool Without Steven Gerrard And Fernando Torres At Sunderland

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have both been ruled out of Liverpool's trip to Sunderland on Saturday because of injuries picked up on international duty.

Gerrard, Liverpool's captain, suffered a groin injury in England's World Cup defeat to Ukraine last weekend and limped out of training two days later, subsequently missing the home win against Belarus.

Torres also suffered a groin injury, with Spain, and was an unused substitute for their final group match on Wednesday.

Both players have been unab! le to train with the Anfield club since returning from international duty, and neither will be involved at the Stadium of Light.

Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benítez, now faces the prospect of having to field those players who were involved in international matches in South America, something he has been loath to do in the past.

Javier Mascherano, Lucas Leiva and Emiliano Insua played in Argentina and Brazil's World Cup qualifying matches, and with Benítez short of midfield options, the three players are now expected to travel to Sunderland for Saturday's 3pm kick-off at the Stadium of Light.

Benítez was more enthusiastic about Dirk Kuyt's chances of starting. Kuyt had picked up a knock in action for Holland. "He was training normally with the team and will be available," he said.

Liverpool Still The Number One Choice For Billionaire Kraft

Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots NFL franchise, has once again spoken out about the possibility of buying into a Premier League soccer club, with Liverpool his favoured destination.

Kraft, who watched Liverpool's 2-0 win over Premier League Manchester United on television before seeing the Patriots beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owned by the Glazer family, again expressed his interest in a Premier League move, but confirmed he would not enter a league where success is so dependent on finance.

Kraft has often expressed his belief that the Premier League should have a salary cap and other measures in place, similar to the NFL, to encourage fairer competition.

"We don't want to be a business where the wallet determines what kind of player you have," he told the press at the weekend, before adding to the New York Times: "At some point in the future there's a go! od possibility we could be involved.

"I'm a very big fan of the Premier League. I would probably want to see some kind of salary-cap potential to get into it, but we have all kinds of opportunities come to us in this area."

On Sunday, some 5,000 Liverpool fans took part in a protest march against the team's current owners, American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Valentino Rossi’s first World title

Friday, 20 November 2009

motogp.com begins a series which looks back over Valentino Rossi’s nine World titles, starting at the very beginning…

The start of something special: Rossi's first world title

Valentino Rossi was already assured of his legendary status before this year’s MotoGP title was secured at Sepang, but the confirmation of his ninth World Championship across all classes in Malaysia added to his status as a legend.

Fourteen seasons have passed since the Italian made his debut in the 125cc class, and it was in this category that he claimed his first World title back in 1997 as an 18 year-old. In his second campaign, Rossi’s 11 Grand Prix wins – 13 podiums in total – delivered him the title on his Aprilia.

It was at Brno, where he finished third behind Noboru Ueda and Tomomi Manako, that Rossi was crowned champion in 1997 with three races of the season still to go. The young Italian’s celebration gave a hint of things to come, as he paraded down the track with a giant number one strapped to his back. Valentino Rossi had arrived…

Next week, motogp.com will bring you further Rossi celebration videos as his 250cc title and premier class triumphs are also recalled.

Lorenzo Fan Club has first gala dinner

Monday, 23 November 2009

Friday saw Jorge Lorenzo meet with his official fan club at a dinner, and the Spanish rider gave his thoughts on how his plans for 2010 are progressing.

There were 150 attendees at a gala dinner hosted by Jorge Lorenzo’s official fan club on Friday, as the 2009 MotoGP World Championship runner-up enjoyed an event at which five of his ‘alter egos’ wore designs displayed by the Mallorcan rider at various stages this season.

There was also a raffle in which some of the Spaniard’s racing equipment was auctioned, including X-Lite helmets, Dainese gloves and Fiat Yamaha memorabilia.

“I have been impressed. I found it very funny that there were the five Lorenzos, especially in this spectacular venue,” said Lorenzo of the event held at Opium in Barcelona. “This was the first dinner of the official fans’ club; 2009 was the first year with the fan club and it’s very important to me that so many people have come.”

Lorenzo underwent a minor operation last week to remove a titanium plate in his left collarbone, and the 22 year-old’s recovery is going well, as are his early preparations for the new campaign.

“At the moment, the most important thing is to finish taking care of my left collarbone after my recent operation, and I’m much better now,” he said. “Then I’ll go to Indonesia and Bali to rest. Afterwards, we have to begin preparations for pre-season.”

Lorenzo continued, “The first feelings on the M1 are very positive. We are living in very competitive times and must be very happy to improve by a few tenths of a second. I’m also very happy with the work done by Yamaha, and next time it is available we’ll be able to test the new engine with more horsepower.”

Casting his thoughts further ahead, Lorenzo commented on his future beyond the end of next season.

“We’ll see what happens during the year. Never, or very rarely, has there been a situation with the top four riders out of contract at the same time. It will be very interesting to see how it develops,” he stated. “For me, Yamaha is the priority, they have put their confidence in me and I enjoy working with them a lot. Anyway, never say never.”

Alberto Moncayo and Carmelo Morales proclaimed Spanish 125GP and Extreme Champions

Monday, 23 November 2009

There was a brilliant end to the CEV Buckler 2009 at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana, where Alberto Moncayo and Carmelo Morales were crowned Spanish 125GP and Extreme Champions respectively.

The victory of the Cadiz rider in the eighth-litre category was filled with tension in a race won by German rider Jonas Folger, who dominated from the start. Moncayo was occupied with controlling Maverick Viñales’ position, who was 11 points behind him, but was situated in the middle of a tight group and opted to not enter into any direct fights that could lead to a fall. Moncayo finished in tenth place, sufficient to take the title as Viñales placed fourth. The podium was formed by Folger, Frenchman Johann Zarco and American Patrick Jocobsen.

The Extreme title was a lot smoother for Caremlo Morales, who needed only two points more than Iván Silva in the race. Silva made a bad start however, finishing the first lap in 16th place, which handed the initiative to Morales, who enjoyed an intense fight for the race victory with Kenny Noyes and Javier del Amor which he won. Morales took his second consecutive title, the last before the category makes way for the Stock Extreme next year. Manuel Tirado was awarded the Spanish Privateer trophy after finishing seventh.

Moto2 shared the track with Extreme, as a total of ten prototypes were taken out with Dani Rivas achieving the best classification in eleventh, ahead of British rider Graeme Gowland.

Another category recently decided in the CEV Buckler was Supersport, which next year will be replaced by Moto2. With the title already won by Kev Coghlan in Jerez, Valencia made for an exciting race with five riders providing a spectacle. Jordi Torres achieved his second triumph of the season, ahead of Colombian Yonni Hernández and Spaniard Román Ramos, while Coghlan finished fourth. The highest privateer was Frenchman Jeremy Guarnoni in 11th, with Jorge Castellanos taking the Spanish Privateer award with 13th place.

In the Kawasaki Ninja Cup, Kyle David Smith won the Championship with his third victory of the season, in a race dominated from start to finish ahead of Ángel Molero and Jaumer Ferrer, who came second and third in the Cup.

For more information and images of the Championship: www.cevbuckler.com.

Rossi excels in Ferrari 430 in Vallelunga

Monday, 23 November 2009

Italian takes third place in the GT3 class, as he participates in the 19th edition of the 6 Hours of Vallelunga in a team with Andrea Ceccato and Alessio Salucci.

Over 10,000 spectators gathered at the Vallelunga Circuit to watch Valentino Rossi on four wheels, as the MotoGP World Champion teamed up with Andrea Ceccato and Alessio Salucci in a Ferrari 430 prepared by the Kessel Team.

Fog forced the opening laps of the endurance race to be driven behind the safety car, but it was Rossi who started behind the wheel and again took over in the sixth hour. However, there were problems for the Italian trio, as mechanical issues and an outbreak of fire in the closing stages prevented them from challenging for victory.

Rossi and his team-mates eventually finished third in the GT3 class, behind the Corvette of Emanuele Pirro, Carlo Graziani and Elio Marchetti and the Ferrari 430 of Forgione, Carugati and La Mazza.

“We had a bit of misfortune at the end, so I’d like to come back and try again,” said Rossi. “If there is an opportunity to return next year, I’d be happy to, because when you are at the front only 40 minutes from the end it leaves a bit of a bitter taste.”

“I was scared a little by the fire, but the safety guys were very quick to react. It’s tough, because we came close to victory. There wasn’t a battle at the start because of the safety car, but we’ve all had fun because we ran well and had many fans who came along.”

Pirro, who won the GT3 class, was quick to acknowledge Rossi’s efforts, and said, “Valentino is an example for everyone, because he’s a champion and has the humility to try different disciplines, without regret and giving his all.”

The Guardian Angel: Rossi’s 250 title

Monday, 23 November 2009

Continuing its series which recalls Valentino Rossi’s nine World titles and the celebrations that accompanied them, motogp.com looks back at the Italian rider’s 250cc triumph in 1999.

The Guardian Angel: Rossi's 250 title

It took Valentino Rossi a season to acclimatise in the quarter-litre category – as it had done in 125cc – before he secured the World Championship, but in his debut season in the intermediate class a runner-up spot was a highly impressive first attempt at the crown.

Having finished behind Loris Capirossi in 1998, a year later Rossi beat his fellow Italian – who finished in third place in the overall standings – with Tohru Ukawa second.

Rio de Janeiro was the location where Rossi claimed his second World title, in a season which delivered nine wins and 12 podiums in total on the Aprilia. Finishing the race at Jacarepagua in first place, with Ukawa and Capirossi completing the podium, Rossi was champion with a race to spare.

Further establishing his growing reputation, the 20 year-old’s celebration saw him riding with his guardian angel on board.

Tomorrow, motogp.com remembers Rossi’s 500cc title with another celebration video.

De Puniet ankle operation a success

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Frenchman has surgery to remove screws inserted in his left ankle earlier in the year, following a break in a training accident.

Randy De Puniet has had surgery on his left ankle to remove screws which were inserted earlier in the year, following a motocross training accident.

The LCR Honda rider fractured his left ankle at the start of August when involved in a private training session to maintain his fitness over the summer break, and had the screws inserted to help him continue his season.

The accident, which came after his first and only podium of the season at Donington, did not prevent De Puniet from racing again in the 2009 campaign, and he was back on the grid in Brno just two weeks later as he underwent some intense rehabilitation.

Having raced through the pain barrier for the remainder of the season, De Puniet will now be able to allow his ankle to recover fully, before resuming his pre-season preparations ahead of the next scheduled test in Malaysia in February.

“It was a very quick and easy operation,” explained the 28 year-old. “After the crash in August I worked hard to get the best from the bike but sometimes it has been very painful for me. After the races my ankle was always very swollen but now I am very satisfied because the size is normal. I am going to remove the stitches in 18 days and after that will begin my rehabilitation training to be in good form at Sepang in February.”

Rossi makes the step up: 500cc title added to the list

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

The third of Valentino Rossi’s nine World titles is reviewed, as motogp.com goes back to 2001 and the Italian’s first premier class crown, the last ever 500cc World Championship.

Winning ways continue in 500cc for Rossi: Australia 2001

Something of a pattern was developing in Valentino Rossi’s career by the time he reached the premier class, and it was not just a winning one.

As he had done in both the 125cc and 250cc categories, it took the man from Tavullia a single season to find his feet in the premier class before he won the World title in his second campaign.

Rossi’s introduction to 500cc with Honda saw him go head-to-head with Max Biaggi, and their rivalry made for an engrossing spectacle. Finishing second in his debut season, a place ahead of Biaggi, Rossi was crowned Champion the following year with his fellow Italians Biaggi and Loris Capirossi second and third in the standings respectively.

Sealing the 2001 title at Phillip Island with a victory and beating Biaggi over the finish line by just 0.013s, Rossi’s season of 11 wins – 13 podiums in total – made him the last ever 500cc World Champion with two races to spare, and was the start of a run of five consecutive premier class titles.

On Wednesday, motogp.com looks back at Rossi’s two further titles with Honda with more celebration videos.

TAGS

The Honda years: Rossi takes a dominant hold

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Having relived Valentino Rossi’s 125cc, 250cc and 500cc World Championship titles, motogp.com continues its series and brings you video footage of his celebratory antics for the MotoGP titles won with Honda.

MotoGP era starts with Rossi on top: Rio de Janiero 2002

2002 was the first year of the MotoGP 4-stroke machines, but this made little difference to Rossi as he continued his victorious ways in the new era of premier class racing having claimed the 500cc title the season before.

The second in a run of five straight premier class titles came with Rossi’s win in Rio de Janeiro, as a season made up of 11 wins saw the Italian make the podium in all but one of the 16 races that season – the exception being Brno.

The following season was to be Rossi’s last with Honda, and he signed off in style by doing what he only just failed to in winning the title the previous year by making the podium in every race of the 2003 campaign. Winning nine races along the way, Rossi was assured of the title at Sepang with one of those victories, and his celebration slogan of ‘Condemned to win’ added to his by now established reputation of a man who knew how to mark an achievement.

motogp.com concludes its series tomorrow by taking in Rossi’s four Yamaha titles to date with more celebration videos.

HRC bosses take to the track at Motegi

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Vice President Nakamoto, along with former Grand Prix riders Okada and Ito, take part in a mini-bike endurance race at the Japanese circuit.

Riders taking part in the final round of the NSF100 HRC Trophy mini-bike series were joined on track by HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto, with ex-World Championship riders Tady Okada and Shinichi Ito also participating on Monday.

The trio joined HRC Directors Seiki Ishii and Tomoaki Nagayama to make up a HRC team which competed in a special four-hour endurance race at the track, which hosts the Japanese round of the MotoGP World Championship.

A total of 86 teams and 420 riders took part in the one-off race on Honda mini-bikes, with the HRC team completing 105 laps and placing a respectable 57th out of 80 finishers.

“It was really good fun to take part in this race today with my colleagues and with our professional riders,” explained Nakamoto. “We probably could have gone a little faster, but we were here simply to enjoy the race rather than go for glory! For us today was an important opportunity to see how the NSF100 machine is used by the riders across a wide age range, and to see how we can develop these type of race

The 2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

The Cup enters its fourth season in 2010 with 15 nations represented in the provisional entry list of 25 riders.

The number of races for the 2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has been increased to 10, and there are more double race weekends so that the Rookies will perform both on the same day as the MotoGP races in Jerez, Assen, Sachsenring and Brno and on the preceding day of MotoGP qualifying in Jerez, Mugello, Assen, Sachsenring, Brno and Misano.

With an ever increasing fan base and TV coverage the series goes from strength to strength. The 2009 Cup winner Jakub Kornfeil received his FIM award from the Federation President Mr. Vito Ippolito at the final MotoGP round in Valencia where he was racing in the 125cc World Championship class, and the 16 year-old Czech is due to start next season as a full time Grand Prix rider.

Kornfeil is not the only one to be launched into a professional career from this year's Rookie Cup; runner-up 17 year-old Norwegian Sturla Fagerhaug is also hoping to compete in the 125cc class. Third-placed Florian Marino, the 16 year-old Frenchman, steps across to the European 600 Superstock Series as a full time member of the prestigious Ten Kate Team.

With those men added to the list of the Rookies Alumni already in GP racing like 2007 Cup winner Johann Zarco, and the runners-up from 2007 and 2008 Lorenzo Savadori and Luis Salom, it is easy to see how well the Cup has proved itself as the development ground for teenagers with great ambitions.

Next season’s Rookies Cup will be broadcast live on www.redbullrookiescup.com, as well as on an increasing number of TV stations around the world, with 16 year-old Californian Jake Gagne - fourth in 2009 - aiming to complete his incredible transformation from motocross rider to winning international road racer in just three seasons by taking the 2010 Rookies Cup. He will be joined by another 14 riders who remain in the Cup from this season and the 10 new Rookies brought in through this year's selection process.

2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Provisional Entry List:

3 Deni Cudic AUT
5 Philipp Oettl GER
7 Alejandro Pardo ITA
16 Joshua Hook AUS
17 Antonio Chiari BRA
18 James Flitcroft GBR
20 Mathew Scholtz RSA
22 Daniel Ruiz ESP
23 Niccolo Antonelli ITA
24 Harry Stafford GBR
27 Alessio Cappella ITA/NGR
32 Jacob Gagne USA
34 Xavier Pinsach ESP
41 Brad Binder RSA
46 Daijiro Hiura JPN
47 Tomas Vavrous CZE
52 Danny Kent GBR
57 Brody Nowlan AUS
61 Arthur Sissis AUS
66 Florian Alt GER
72 Alexander Kristiansson SWE
74 Kevin Calia ITA
77 Taylor Mackenzie GBR
95 Xavier Figueras ESP
98 Alan Techer FRA

Provisional Calendar:

Pre-season test - April 12th, 13th & 15th - Valencia, Spain
Races 1 & 2 - May 1st & 2nd - Jerez, Spain
Race 3 - June 5th - Mugello, Italy
Races 4 & 5 - June 25th & 26th - Assen, Netherlands
Races 6 & 7 - July 17th & 18th - Sachsenring, Germany
Races 8 & 9 - August 14th & 15th - Brno, Czech Republic
Race 10 - September 4th - Misano, Republic of San Marino

Bridgestone survey 2009 MotoGP season

Thursday, 26 November 2009

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, assesses the company’s first season as sole tyre provider to the premier class.

This year’s MotoGP season saw Bridgestone tasked with being the official tyre supplier to the World Championship, and it was a successful one for the manufacturer.

Increasing their supply from seven teams and a total of 13 riders by the end of the previous year to the whole of the class in 2009, Bridgestone enjoyed seeing five different race winners throughout the campaign on their tyres.

A first MotoGP win for Andrea Dovizioso and a first on Bridgestone tyres for both Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, combined with 11 different riders finishing on the podium made for an exciting season, and Yasukawa gave his thoughts on the year.

“The 2009 season was an important one for us because it marked our move to the single tyre supplier in MotoGP, having only entered the sport in 2002,” said Yasukawa. “The challenges for Bridgestone this year were very different as it was our first in MotoGP without tyre competition. In the past our objective was to provide tyres that allowed the riders using them to be faster than the competition, whereas this year our role was much more involved, providing not just tyres but support to every team and rider in the series.”

“We have seen some thrilling racing, and our appointment as the sole tyre supplier has been well received by teams, riders and of course Dorna and the FIM, for which I would like to thank them all. Casey Stoner’s victory at the Australian Grand Prix this year also marked the 50th premier class win on our tyres from the 133 Grands Prix we had competed in by that point in the season.”

Yasukawa concluded, “The economic climate has changed this year but MotoGP remains very valuable to the Bridgestone brand worldwide for the exposure it affords us and the platform it gives us to demonstrate our technical expertise. With our existing agreement with Dorna we are committed to supporting the series as the official tyre supplier for the next two seasons, and I think this reflects the value of MotoGP to Bridgestone Corporation.”

Aspar to meet with Aprilia over Moto2 project

Thursday, 26 November 2009

After receiving the news that the factory will not be participating in Moto2 next year, Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ will travel to Italy next Tuesday to discuss possible solutions.

Earlier this week Aprilia announced they would be stopping their Moto2 project for the 2010 season. The news was of great surprise to Team Aspar, who had expected the Italian brand to supply them with bikes for next season. Now, Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’, head of Team Aspar, and Gino Borsoi, Sporting Director, will travel to Aprilia’s headquarters in Noale next Tuesday to meet with the Italian firm’s directors, and seek a solution to the current situation.

The Aspar Team has two 125cc World Champions to ride in its Moto2 team in 2010, in current title holder Julián Simón and 2008 champion Mike di Meglio, and also have top-level international sponsors. In their best interests, Aspar are keen to find a solution, but will otherwise seek the most competitive option to pursue its goal of competing in the intermediate category next season.

“The news came as a surprise to me,” explained Aspar. “We believed the project was developing and wanted Aprilia for our arrival in Moto2, because there is no doubt the Italian brand has great experience in World Championships.”

“Next Tuesday, Gino and I will travel to Italy to meet with the leaders of Aprilia, and see if we can find a solution. If there isn’t one, we’ll immediately look at our other options. What is clear is that we’ll go with the most reliable project, because Julián and Mike, both 125cc World Champions, must have the best equipment to challenge for the title. We also cannot let down the trust placed in us by our sponsors.”

New team, same Rossi: Winning with Yamaha

Thursday, 26 November 2009

Valentino Rossi’s titles won with Yamaha are reviewed with video highlights of more entertaining celebrations, in the final instalment of the motogp.com series looking back at the Italian’s accomplishments.

A new age of winning with Yamaha begins for Rossi: Australia 2004

The switch from Honda to Yamaha did not upset Rossi’s winning rhythm as he immediately claimed his fourth and fifth successive premier class titles with Yamaha.

Wasting no time in settling on the Yamaha prototype, Rossi won his first race of the 2004 MotoGP season on his new machine at Welkom and collected 11 podiums – including nine wins – on his way to glory. ‘What a Spectacle’ was the triumphant slogan on his t-shirt as he secured the title at Phillip Island.

The following year in 2005 provided another crown and yet another memorable festivity. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs joined Rossi on the track at Sepang as he marked his seventh World title in a season that delivered 11 wins.

‘Sorry for the delay’ was the party line at Motegi in 2008 as Rossi reclaimed the title which had for the past two years been won by Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner respectively. Nine wins and a total of 13 podiums are the statistics of an eighth World title winning season.

At 30 years old, the success shows no sign of fading as Rossi held off the spirited challenge of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo throughout the 2009 campaign to take his ninth World title at Sepang, with ‘The old hen makes good soup’ Rossi’s celebratory tag.

Sexy Japan Idol

Yosuki in action. Model photo girl from Japan. She is hobby mount rising and rides bicycle. Every day holiday Yosuki go to fitness center.

She Is a Beautiful Style In The Hot Desert Sand

She can change her looks in a flash and that is a really neat trick. She's an amazing girl.

First ever for Duhamel

By John Hopkins

Miguel Duhamel edged Honda teammate Jake Zemke to claim his first ever Daytona 200 by Arai pole in qualifying at Daytona International Speedway today.

The Montreal native took his Honda CBR600RR around the revised 2.95-mile track in one minute, 42.593 seconds just as the session ended to snatch the top grid spot for Saturday's race.

"I've been close," said Duhamel, a four-time Daytona 200 race winner. "In '91 I had pole and Doug Polen comes around on that Ducati and, at the checkered flag, steals it away. I was like, 'Ah, I'll get it next year.' But it took a little longer. It's feels great to get the Daytona Rolex. That was one thing missing in souvenir tray if you will."

Zemke settled for second on the grid with a 1:42.599 on his CBR600RR. Josh Hayes qualified third at 1:43.012 on his Attack Kawasaki ZX-6RR and Kurtis Roberts completes the front row for Saturday's race wi! th a 1:43.552 on his Erion Honda CBR600RR.

Two more Canadians will line up on the third row of the grid for the first Daytona 200 to run as a round of the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Championship. Granby's Pascal Picotte set the ninth best qualifying time of 1:44.937 on his Yamaha YZF-R6 while Calgary racer Chris Peris was 10th best today at 1:45.178 on another R6.

Alan Schmidt of Clearwater, BC will start the 200 17th on his R6 after qualifying with a time of 1:46.844, and Vancouver Island racer Oliver Jervis qualified 28th on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR at 1:48.277.

Kevin Lacombe of Granby was 47th in the field of 80 riders with a 1:50.266 aboard his Suzuki GSX-R600.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Endowment fund for FFB

From the Foundation Fighting Blindness

TORONTO, ON - The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) has announced its first-ever endowment fund for vision research, thanks to the generosity of Arthur and Sonia Labatt.

The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Endowment in the amount of $1,000,000 will bring new financial stability to meet vision research needs over the long-term. The principal of the Endownment will be held in perpetuity and invested. The Endowment earnings will be used primarily to support research in childhood blindness.

"Arthur and I have put a lot of thought into a focus for our donations and have the three criteria of education, health and research," said Sonia Labatt. "Obviously the FFB fulfills all these categories."

On the personal side, Mrs. Labatt has had some eye problems (a hole in the macula) and has experienced first-hand the anxiety that accompanies visual impairment and sight l! oss. When she was introduced to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, she was immediately receptive to its cause.

"The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Endowment couldn't have come at a more exciting time, as researchers' discoveries move from the laboratory to human trials," said Sharon Colle, national executive director. "The Labatts' commitment to funding vision research means children and future generations will benefit from treatments and cures."

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is the only organization in Canada whose sole mandate is to fund Canadian vision research. It is responsible for groundbreaking eye research being conducted in teaching hospitals and universities across the country. Its mandate is to support Canadian research directed at discovering causes, treatments and ultimately cures for eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and related retinal diseases.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemo! torcycles.com

Why the Bengals Should Draft Andre Smith

With the draft coming up in a couple of weeks I felt it would be a good time to hit on a few of the names that are seriously floating around the Cincinnati Bengals at pick #6. The one that has caught the most attention has been Alabama OT Andre Smith. We all saw his "jello-man" 40 yard dash from his pro day and have heard all of the terrible things that he has done in the combine. But the one thing that people are forgetting is everything that he accomplished at the University of Alabama. Smith was virtually untouchable at LT for the Crimson.
We are living in a day and age where every move a player makes is absolutely scrutinized and that has been the case with Andre Smith. He may not be the smartest player in the world, but I also don't remember Willie Anderson winning any academic bowls. Smith carries his size well and is very athletic and quick ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD. I don't care what he can run in the 40 yard dash because I hope to never have to see him run 40 yard! s on the football field. If he is he is probably chasing down a defender who just created a turnover. So lets forget all of the scrutiny that he has met after the season and remember that initial draft reports right after the season had Smith as the #1 pick. We have put too much value on the combine. We spend too much time evaluating 40 times, weight lifting, high jump and not enough time watching tape and evaluating talent ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD. Draft Andre Smith!

Leader At Day 7 Dinner Break Billy Kopp: 2009 WSOP Main Event

Braylon Edwards traded to the Jets

You don't mess with the King in Cleveland. Just two days after reports surfaced that Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards was involved in an altercation with a member of LeBron James circle of friends Edwards was reportedly traded to the New York Jets. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed as this news is just breaking. We will have more on this when we get more information.

In 8 games against Cincinnati in his career Edwards has 31 receptions for 406 yards and 5 TD's. Although he was held without a catch in their most recent contest Edwards has had some success against us, his 5 TD's against the Bengals are the most TD's against any opponent in his career. So long Braylon!

Sox in '08 trying to avoid another '06

Fresh off the team's second World Series title in the last four years, I implore Sox fans not to forget 2006. Need I remind you it was only two years ago that Boston failed to make the post-season, winning only 86 games and finishing 3rd, yes 3rd in the American League East. While the team's batting average was about ten points lower in '06 than last year's title team, the 2006 club swatted 26 more homeruns paced by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, who combined for almost 100 bombs between them. The problem wasn't hitting. Many teams, particularly this century, have won titles without prodigious lineups, i.e. the Angels (2002) and Marlins (2003) are the most obvious examples; the Cardinals (2006) didn't even win 90 games but were the beneficiaries of a weak NL Central division.

The problem that season for the Sox was its pitching. During the offseason, the Sox traded Hanley Ramirez and no-hit pitcher Anibel Sanchez to the Marlins (along with others) for Josh Beckett! and Mike Lowell, the proverbial throw-in. The team countered that move by trading Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for Wily Mo Pena and a bag of Ken Griffey, Jr. autographed baseballs. At the time, the trade was lauded due to the depth of pitching in the Sox clubhouse and the need for a big bat off the bench. But karma exists, and it came out in droves once Opening Day rolled around.

The starting rotation of Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield, '05 All-Star Matt Clement and crafty veteran David Wells was formidable. Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon were young stars on the rise, with the latter taking over closer duties when Keith Foulke pulled a "Way Back" Wasdin. But Wakefield, Clement and Wells all went down. Lester raced out to a 7-2 start to his career but was later diagnosed with cancer. Jason Johnson, Kyle Snyder, Lenny Dinardo and Kason Gabbard were called in to hold down the fort and at that point you'll find more talent down in Southie at a Yawkey Lea! gue game.

Which brings us to 2008. The Sox didn't b! ite on t he Johan Santana deal, opting to stick with the young talent in Clay Bucholz and Jon Lester that provided The Nation with a no-hitter and Game 4 of the World Series back in '07. The team had six options already and the Santana deal would have cut it to five and depleted a wealth of young talent at the same time. Essentially, they were facing the same problem as 2006: too many pitchers, too much depth. I know a little about a lot of a things, and one of those things is that you can NEVER have too much starting pitching. So for the Red Sox, it was the move they didn't make that was the team's best off-season move.

After Schilling went down, that depth became all the more important and Theo reacted by taking a flyer on Bartolo Colon, which I wrote about earlier. But the Beckett injury is the most concerning. This is a muscle issue in his back, not a broken bone or a tired arm. Which begs the question: after last season, did he do anything except BBQ, drink b! eer and hunt? Instead of squatting down to light the fire or camp out underneath an oak tree, maybe he should have had a couple hundred pounds on his back getting ready for the season. A bona fide ace just went down, and with some disconcerting efforts in Spring Training thus far, that deep staff is could suddenly be looking barren again.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is still a number three in my eyes. Until he finds the strike zone with two pitches (never mind three) on a consistent basis, he won't be effective against another team's number 1 or 2 pitcher. Wakefield is a crapshoot. Roll the dice, because odds are he'll go down at some point. And with two youngsters who are still trying to find an identity at the major league level, that Colon signing suddenly becomes more important and critical than originally thought. The Sox are going to need him to return to old form quickly whether they like it or not. I know Theo and his team of doctors had this glorified throwing pro! gram mapped out, but it's time to toss that out the window. If! he can' t at least develop into a number 3 or 4 by Opening Day, the Yankees and Blue Jays could return the favor from April and May of last year.

The bottom line is this: While it's arguable as to whether Theo did the right thing by balking on the Santana deal or not, you can't predict injuries. With this flurry of injury and mediocrity hitting the Sox since camp opened, it looks pretty good right now. Had it been made, you may be looking at a rotation of Santana, Matsusaka, Wakefield, Snyder and Colon with Beckett on the DL. Drop Beckett in at the top of that rotation and that's arguable the best in the game, right? Sure, but regardless of Beckett's impending health issuess, you're stuck with a barren coffer of eligible starters thereafter. As in that '06 core of Johnson, Dinardo…well you get the point.

Instead, the team will go in with more youth and obviously more question marks. But if Beckett, Colon and down the road even Schilling return (although that's ! a stretch), the possibility of more depth will benefit this club upon entering that critical stretch in August and September. With Papelbon, Okajima, Delcarmen, a rejuvenated Mike Timlin and Snyder holding court in that bullpen, it will be important for the starters to give the Sox five or six solid innings, keeping the team within striking distance before handing it over for its shutdown bullpen. If that can happen, this thing will turn into a classic horse race, with the Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays all staying close until Tito finally cracks the whip coming down the home stretch and pulls it out in the nick of time. If not, the Sox horse will stumble out of the gate and never recover, finishing a distant 3rd in the East and Wild Card races.

-Bess

Razor Ramon tribute

How did this guy not receive a single vote? Shame on all that voted. Watch the vignettes below and tell me you don't wanna vote for this guy now. I certainly don't have a problem with him taking whatever he wants. He can take my girl (if I had one) for all I care. She'd probably be better off with a man like him. Besides, we all want to be him.

And let's hear it for him biting the fruit and spitting it on the guy, then the camera. Great theater. Thanks to Scotty for the tip.













-Bess

NFL Previw Soon!

The Sports Brief's 2009 NFL Preview is coming soon. Check back later today. It will be up before kick off of the season opener between the Steelers and Titans.

Leicester City 1 Preston North End 2

The Championship game between Leicester City and Preston North End at Portman Road on Saturday Sept 26 ,2009.

The longest unbeaten home record in English football came to an end when Preston conquered the Walkers Stadium. Goals from Neil Mellor and Richard Chaplow secured a clinical victory over Leicester that moved them lifted them into the rarefied air of third place. In a division filled to the brim with fallen giants and bruised heavyweights, plucky Preston are punching well above their weight.

It was a triumph of invention over industry. Leicester had twice as many shots on goal and a good deal of the possession, but were undone by Preston's greater precision with the ball and organisation without it.

"We needed to be very disciplined in the second half," manager Alan Irvine said. "I was impressing on the lads at half time that you don't go a year unbeaten without knowing how to come back, and there were ! a lot of good performances."

In such a game the opening goal was always going to be critical, and it went to the away side after a flowing opening in which both sides had chances.

Shortly before half time Billy Jones received the ball from Chaplow inside the area, danced his way past Wayne Jones and laid the ball off for Neil Mellor, who pummelled a low shot from the edge of the box. The goal, Mellor's sixth of the season, kept up Preston's record of scoring in every game this season.

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson sent on Martyn Waghorn and Lloyd Dyer in the second half in an attempt to turn the tide, but Preston were content to remain robust in defence, man-mark top scorer Matty Fryatt and hit back on the break. A classical counter-punch sealed the points. Neil Mellor gathered the ball from a headed clearance and ran the length of the pitch unimpeded.

The final pass was timed as perfectly as Chaplow's r! un, and the midfielder finished right-footed to seal the po! ints. < /p>

Leicester continued to pepper the Preston area with crosses, and gained a late consolation when Bruno Berner fired in from an angle. It was not enough for the home fans, who howled with anguish at their side's failure to find a way through. Nor was it enough for manager Nigel Pearson, who tasted home defeat for the first time since losing to Millwall over a year ago.

"There were some disappointing aspects with both goals," he said. "But today we came up against a side that is going to be consistently of a decent standard. They took their chances at important times, and I've got no complaints."

Team details

Leicester: Weale; Neilson, Tunchev, Brown, Berner, Oakley, N'Guessan (Waghorn 63), Wellens (Kermorgant 77), Gallagher, Howard (Dyer 62), Fryatt.
Subs: Logan, Hobbs, King, Adams.
Booked: Neilson, Waghorn, Howard.
Preston: Lonergan; Collins, Chilvers, Jones, Nolan, Chaplow, Sedgwick, Shumulikoski, Wallace, Brown, Mellor.
Subs: Henderson, Hart, Mawéné, Carter, Parkin, Elliot.
Referee: J Linnington.

Nagoya Grampus 3-1 Kawasaki

Josh Kennedy's late strike secured a 3-1 second-leg win for Nagoya Grampus over J.League rivals Kawasaki Frontale.

The win sends them through to the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League with a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Kawasaki went into the game looking to defend their 2-1 win from the first leg but found themselves 2-0 down when Yoshizumi Ogawa and Maya Yoshida scored for Nagoya before Jong Tae-se reduced the deficit for the visitors before half-time.

Th! e game looked to be heading for extra time but Australian Kennedy popped up to fire home with two minutes remaining and send Nagoya through.

The victory also marked the first time Nagoya have beaten Kawasaki in their last 10 meetings.

Kennedy caused problems for the visitors from the outset as Nagoya enjoyed the majority of the possession in the opening exchanges.

And they deservedly took the lead after 27 minutes when Nagoya midfielder Ogawa drove an effort into the top-right corner of the net after breaking through the defence from midfield.

That goal spurred Nagoya on and they added a second in the 35th minute when Yoshida headed home Alessandro Santos' precise free-kick.

Kawasaki battled back, however, just three minutes later when Jong Tae-se latched on to a pass from Renatinho and the North Korea international made no mistake from inside the area.

The balance of play swung in favour of Kawasaki after that but Nagoya came close! st to scoring again when Kennedy's close-range effort was well! saved b y the Kawasaki goalkeeper.

Nagoya started to take control once again as the game entered the closing stages and Kennedy sent the home fans into raptures when he pounced to fire home a rebound from Magnum's decent shot.

Stuttgart 1-2 Schalke

Schalke remained hot on the heels of the Bundesliga leaders with a hard-earned victory at struggling Stuttgart.

Ivan Rakitic opened the scoring in the 24th minute for the visitors and, after Stuttgart level 17 minutes from time, Kevin Kuranyi restored Schalke's lead just three minutes later to continue the dire streak of his former team.

Stuttgart have won just once in their last seven Bundesliga games and, with eight points, are closer to the relegation zone in 13! th place than the Europa League spots.

Schalke have now collected four victories in their last five games and have 19 points - leaving them third in the table behind Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg.

In rainy Stuttgart, Schalke struck midway through the first half when Rafinha's high cross from the right was not cleared by Stuttgart's Stefano Celozzi and Rakitic made him pay, beating helpless keeper Jens Lehmann.

Stuttgart nearly equalised just two minutes later but Cacau's shot went just wide of the far post.

Cacau was denied by Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer just after the half-hour mark and Zdravko Kuzmanovic fired the rebound over the crossbar.

Kuzmanovic again shot over 12 minutes after the break but Stuttgart finally got their equaliser after 73 minutes. Julian Schieber raced down the right side of the area and crossed to Cacau, who slotted home his first Bundesliga goal of the season.

The home fans had little time to enjoy the goal ! as former Stuttgart striker Kuranyi restored Schalke's lead ju! st three minutes later. Rafinha delivered a through-ball and Kuranyi finished across Lehmann and inside the far post.

Lehmann made a superb save from Jefferson Farfan with nine minutes left to keep his team in the game but they could not find an equaliser.

Preston North End 2 Middlesbrough 2

The Championship football game between Preston North End and Middlesbrough at Deepdale on Saturday Oct 24, 2009.

When Gordon Strachan was handed his first managerial post, Coventry City were languishing in the Premier League's relegation zone.

Fast forward 13 years and Strachan will officially take charge of Middlesbrough on Monday with his latest club sitting fourth in the table, three points behind leaders Newcastle United.

It would have been much better had Preston not been allowed a late equaliser with the type of defensive lapse that cost Gareth Southgate his job earlier this week.

Strachan's first task will be to raise spirits after the team he is about to inherit dominated at Deepdale only to have a deserved victory snatched from them in first minute stoppage time.

Strachan chose to stay away as Colin Cooper was put in temporary charge ahead of the Scot's official arrival. Despite the late heartbreak, the former Manchester United player will have been encouraged by what he saw had he been present.

Adam Johnson, the 22-year-old midfielder, typified his team's excellent first half performance. Everton manager David Moyes was in attendance with some of his backroom staff, apparently running the rule over Johnson, and t! he player did not disappoint.

He went close to br! eaking t he deadlock in the 13th minute before Gary O'Neil forced Andy Lonergan a fine save from a free-kick. Lonergan then denied Emnes, but just when it seemed Middlesbrough's good work would go unrewarded, O'Neil scored from a 20-yard free-kick which Lonergan got a hand to but failed to keep out.

Preston, much better in the second half, levelled through Paul Parry before Middlesbrough, who were given permission to field Sean St Ledger, their loan signing from Preston, regained the lead through Johnson.

But a traumatic week for Middlesbrough ended in further agony when Billy Jones headed an equaliser following Ross Wallace's free-kick.

"I was speaking to Gareth on the phone last night and he was wishing the team all the best," said Cooper, whose long association with Middlesbrough is in doubt with Strachan's imminent arrival.

"I've spent two-thirds of my life at this club. I don't want to leave."

Ma! tch details

Preston North End (4-4-2): Lonergan, Jones, Chilvers, Collins, Nolan, Carter (Brown 76), Wallace, Shumulikoski (Chaplow 56) Parry, Mellor (Elliott 90), Parkin.
Subs: Henderson, Hart, Mawéné, Sedgwick.
Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Jones, Hoyte, St Ledger, Wheater, Bennett, O'Neil, Digard, Williams, Johnson, Lita, Emnes (Francis 90).
Subs: Coyne, Pogatetz, Yeates, Arca, Grounds, McMahon.
Referee: K Woolmer (Northamptonshire).

Safin through in St Petersburg Open

Marat Safin began his final home tournament in style, beating Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7/5) 6-4 in the first round of the St Petersburg Open.

The 29-year-old, who bows out of professional tennis after next month's Masters event in Paris, took the first set on a tie-breaker before sealing the second with a single break of serve to book a second-round match with Igor Andreev, the fifth seed.

Safin's countryman Mikhail Youzhny, the top seed, made light work of his first-r! ound game, beating Kazakhstan's Andrei Golubev 6-3 6-2, whilst another Russian, Igor Kunitsyn, beat seventh seed Pablo Cuevas 6-4 6-3.

In second-round action, the highest-profile casualty was fourth seed Jeremy Chardy.

The Frenchman lost 7-6 (9/7) 6-3 to Latvia's Ernests Gulbis.

There were no such problems for second and eighth seeds Victor Hanescu and Horacio Zeballos who were straight-set winners over Illya Marchenko and Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr, while Germany's Bjorn Phau was a set to the good when his opponent, Karol Beck, withdrew because of illness.

AIK clinch Swedish league title

AIK Solna clinched their 11th Allsvenskan crown this afternoon after winning the title decider at IFK Gothenburg.

AIK went into the final day just a point clear of the home side and with all to play for.

The title appeared to be heading IFK's way when Thomas Olsson put them ahead after 32 minutes but Antonio Flavio equalised nine minutes after half-time.

And with the home side pushing forward in search of a winner, AIK capitalised with substitute Daniel Tjer! nstrom scoring with just four minutes to go.

At the other end, Orgryte were relegated after a 2-2 draw at Gefle.

Alexander Gerndt scored twice for Gefle with Alvaro Dos Santos and Markus Gustafsson replying.

Orgryte finished four points adrift of Djurgarden, who beat Kalmar 2-0 thanks to goals from Patrik Haginge and Markus Johannesson.

Hammarby were already condemned to the second tier and they signed off with a 1-0 defeat at home to Hacken.

Elsewhere, James Keene scored the only goal as third-placed Elfsborg beat Helsingborg 1-0, GAIS won 3-1 at Halmstad while the matches between Malmo and Brommapojkarna and Orebro and Trelleborg ended 1-1.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

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Frosinone-Crotone:tabellino

Fonte:Sportlive.it

Frosinone: Sicignano, Bocchetti, Del Prete, Scarlato, Maietta, Basha, Bolzoni (81' Tavares), Basso (81' Aurelio), Calil, Troianiello (64' Mazzeo), Santoruvo
A disposizione: Frattali, Ascoli, Cariello, Gori, Ucchino Guidi, Semenzato, Aurelio, Mazzeo, Tavares.

Crotone: Concetti, Galeoto, Morleo(64' Grillo), Legati, Abruzzese, Beati, Galardo, Cutolo (72' De Martino), Daud (59' Zito), Bonvissuto, Gabionetta
A disposizione:Farelli, Scognamiglio, Grillo, Quondamatteo, Petril! li, De Martino, Di Matteo, Coresi, Zito, Mendicino

Arbitro: Stafanini
Reti: 41' Santoruvo, 50' Cutolo
Ammoniti: Calil, Legati, Galardo
Espulsi: 66' Galardo

Cannella: "Imprenditori pronti a rilevare la Salernitana"

di Filippo Capurso
Fonte: solosalerno.it

Se fosse suffragata dai fatti, l'indiscrezione pubblicata nell'odierna edizione di un noto giornale locale sarebbe a dir poco clamorosa e destinata ad animare le discussioni dei prossimi giorni. Cadrebbero di colpo tutti gli alibi creati da Antonio Lombardi , secondo il quale senza di lui sarebbe scomparso il calcio a Salerno , quasi a giustificazione della disastrosa, sotto tutti i punti di vista, gestione societaria.
Giuseppe Cannella (in foto, fonte: salernopress) ex dirigente della Salernitana targata! Aliberti, ha infatti deciso di uscire allo scoperto e, dopo le rivelazioni delle scorse settimane nelle quali affermava che già in estate c'erano stati contatti con l'attuale proprietà per la cessione di parte del pacchetto azionario, naufragati per le esose richieste di Lombardi , ha nuovamente parlato della presenza di un gruppo di imprenditori pronti a subentrare alla guida della Salernitana. "Non bisogna perdere altro tempo. Lombardi ha esaurito il suo mandato, deve passare la mano nell'interesse di tutti. Non è vero che non c'è nessuno disposto a subentrargli. Rappresento un gruppo di fidati amici imprenditori che, stuzzicati dal mio progetto, mi hanno delegato a seguire in prima persona le trattative" ha affermato Cannella. Alla domanda se Lombardi avesse davvero intenzione di cedere l'ex d.s. del Treviso ha rivelato: "La sua reale volontà la si capirà dalla cifra che intenderà chiedere. Lombardi deve cedere la società gratuitamente in quanto non solo l'ha presa con ! poche migliaia di Euro ma, a causa di una gestione dissennata,! ha accu mulato 6-7 milioni di Euro di debiti, anche se finora nessuno ha avuto la possibilità di visionare i bilanci. Ho una città intera pronta a sostenermi, il progetto non è un bluff. Abbiamo intenzione di fare calcio come si deve, non di affidarci alle grazie dei politici di turno".
Dichiarazioni importanti che non lasceranno indifferente il pubblico granata, mortificato da un inizio campionato che definire umiliante è un eufemismo. La tifoseria, pur all'apice della contestazione verso Lombardi, è pronta a sostenere questo nuovo gruppo a patto che faccia chiarezza, sui nomi dei componenti e sulle prospettive per l'immediato futuro .

CHIEVO, SE SEGNO NON ESULTO

di Marco Spinelli
fonte: Leggo

Doveva essere uno dei rinforzi più importanti del Chievo di Beppe Iachini e del suo 4-3-3. Invece Antonio Langella in gialloblù non ha inciso come ci si aspettava. Penalizzato dal cambio di modulo, con Di Carlo è finito sistematicamente in panchina, chiudendo l'anno con 22 apparizioni e 855 minuti giocati. Ora è a Bari, in cerca di riscatto, ma la situazione non è cambiata: 6 presenze con la squadra di Ventura, tutte a gara iniziata, tutte nel secondo tempo. Langella! , nella scorsa stagione segnò una rete importante a Bergamo e non esultò nel rispetto dei suoi ex tifosi. Farà lo stesso domenica prossima contro il Chievo? "Prima di tutto bisogna vedere se gioco. Poi devo segnare. Se dovesse andare così, farò la stessa identica cosa. A Verona mi sono trovato bene e i tifosi mi hanno sempre rispettato e sostenuto. Quindi anche contro il Chievo, se dovessi segnare, non esulterei. Io la penso così". Bari e Chievo sono sullo stesso piano? "Per me sì. Entrambe hanno l'obiettivo della salvezza. E' vero, il Chievo è partito forte e si trova a ridosso delle prime, ma siamo ancora all'inizio". Chi teme di più della sua ex squadra? "Rispondere Pellissier sarebbe facilissimo. Sergio è un grande giocatore, su questo non ci sono dubbi, ma il Chievo ha costruito le sue fortune sul gruppo. Quindi non dobbiamo preoccuparci solo di Pellissier"

Ieri una bella novità sul programma settimanale del Chievo. Mario Yepes è rientrato in anticipo dal Su! d America e si è già riunito al gruppo, visto che la sua Colom! bia è ma tematicamente fuori dalle qualificazioni ai prossimi Mondiali. Yepes si è allenato ieri pomeriggio e domenica contro il Bari sarà regolarmente al suo posto

Serenità Ariatti. Sta faticando a farsi largo, ma non è tipo da sollevare polemiche. Luca Ariatti ammette. "In tutta la mia carriera non ho mai fatto la riserva. Lo dico molto tranquillamente, sia chiaro. E' una novità anche questa". Sorride l'ex esterno di Fiorentina, Atalanta e Lecce. "Sono sereno perché so che la stagione è lunga e che ci sarà bisogno di tutti. Al momento mi faccio da portavoce per chi non sta trovando spazio. Stiamo tranquilli, lavoriamo duro e attendiamo il nostro momento"