SPANISH FOOTBALL: NO LIGA THIS WEEKEND, BUT SPAIN PLAYS BELGIUM

EUROPEAN U-21 GROUP CLASSIFICATION: SPAIN 1 - FINLAND 0

Sky Blue destroy Freedom 3-0

Casey Nogueira scored twice and Lara Dickenmann contributed assists on all three goals as Jersey Sky Blue rolled past the Washington Freedom 3-0 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in a battle for supremacy in the W-League's Northeast Division.

Anson Dorrance

The long-running sexual harassment case involving the North Carolina women's soccer program reached a new height Wednesday when 10 federal judges convened to assess whether the case should go to trial.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to rule within the next several months. If it reverses the ruling, former UNC goalkeeper Melissa Jennings will be free to have a jury trial on her contention that she was sexually harassed by UNC coach Anson Dorrance.

U20s and U21s split

US U20 - 3
US U21 - 1

US U20 - 1
US U21 - 4

Boston signs Latham

Canadian striker Christine Latham has signed with Boston of the new Women's Professional Soccer league, becoming the Breakers' first international player.
Latham has 49 caps for Canada and started all six matches at the 2003 FIFA women's World Cup, scoring a team-high three goals in the tournament.
The 27-year-old hasn't played for Canada since 2007 when she was suspended along with veteran Charmaine Hooper and Sharolta Nonen. The trio was cut after they failed to attend a training camp in Newfoundland and play in an exhibition series in China.
Latham has played in the W-League since WUSA's demise. She spent the 2005 season with the New Jersey Wildcats and captained the Atlanta Silverbacks from 2006 to '08. She was the Silverbacks' leading scorer in 2007 with 10 goals and two assists, and was third in the league with 15 goals this past season.

F1 : Hamilton: I let the team down

Sunday, 6th April 2008


"I am really disappointed and feel like I let the team down today," Hamilton rued afterwards, holding his hand up to the mistake that saw him bog down at the start. "I am always am the first to blame myself. The whole weekend has not been ideal starting with the accident on Friday, but I will keep my chin up and bounce back at the next race. "

Hamilton said it as quoted in autocourse.com

Pat Symond also said that! Alonso had done nothing to contribute to the accident. Fernando was coming out of the turn and accelerating down the straight," explained Symonds. "He reached fifth gear, at 227km/h, on full throttle, no touching of the brakes or anything like that. And you can see on the accelerometer the impact. He got hit from behind.

When asked about the view of some experts in the paddock who believed it could have been a brake test, Symonds said: "Well, they are not as expert as they think then. We have the data and there is nothing untoward there. You don't need to be an expert to see that."

Mark Webber hopes for another good weekend

The Formula One teams have arrived in Bahrain, for the 'duel in the desert' this weekend. Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber and David Coulthard were both in the points in Malaysia and Mark Webber spoke to us exclusively from his motorhome, saying that he was expecting another tough race on the desert circuit on Sunday, where he hopes that Red Bull Racing will lead the challenge behind the front running Ferraris, McLarens and BMW's.

SA amateurs favourites against France

South Africa are favourites win the annual amateur golf Test against France this year. That's if the World Amateur Golf Rankings are anything to go by.

Here are the Proteas: Derik Ferreira (ranked 19), Jacques Blaauw (ranked 27), Adrian Ford (ranked 29) and Ryan Clarke (ranked 313)...
...and here are the French: David Antonelli (ranked 610), Victor Dubuisson (ranked 94), Rudy Thuillier (ranked 717) and Romain Wattel (ranked 829).

"We beat the French last year in Port Elizabeth, although then there were eight players to a team" said team manager and Senior Vice President of the South African Golf Association (SAGA), Enver Hassen. "We have a solid team this year and will be going all out to beat the home side. The French have won two of our last three encounters, so we are hoping to even the score," an upbeat Hassen commented.
!
The two day Test match tees off tomorrow at the Chantilly Golf Club, north of Paris. The Proteas will also be participating in the French Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship this coming weekend.

Italy trial for Steyn

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says Francois Steyn has a chance to stake his claim to be the number two flyhalf for the Springboks when he starts in that position against Italy at Newlands on Saturday. De Villiers says he cannot ignore a player with Steyn's talent and World Cup experience, but warns that it can backfire. He says Steyn is not guaranteed a place in the Tri-Nations team and could still find himself playing Currie Cup rugby this year.

SA reeling

South Africa are in a state of disarray as Steve Harmison is on a hatrick ball. Harmison dismissed Skipper Graeme Smith with a well directed bouncer in the previous ball and Hashim Amla was his next victim. Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince are at the crease.

SA 103/3

Great start for Du Toit

Natalie du Toit picked her first gold medal at the Paralympics in Beijing yesterday.

Du Toit clocked a time of 1min 6.74sec in the 100m butterfly clinching the gold. She won the one of 16 medals up for grabs for swimming. With such a great start she will be hoping to get her hands on the four medals on offer. In the 2004 Athens games Du Toit picked up five gold and one silver medal, an amazing feat which she will try an repeat.

She will be going for gold later today in the Woman's 100m Freestyle, the race is scheduled to start at 15h37 South African time.

Springbok or King Protea?

I'm warming up to the idea of having the King Protea as the official symbol for the National Rugby team. At first it seemed preposterous - a move 14 years too late and divisive at this stage of our democracy. That was also the general view covered in the media, but many people also disagreed with me, saying the Springbok itself is a symbol of the dark days of 'apartheid'. I personally feel we've moved on from that and after two world cup victories it has done more to unify the nation than divide it.

But...it's only a symbol. It represents the be! st rugby team in the world and is quite fitting in relation to the sport, but...it's only a symbol. Changing it won't, or shouldn't, change anything about the team and the way we play.

Then why change it? That was my initial question, but I've since listened to various arguments for and against keeping the Bok and have come to my own conclusion. Here it is: I think it would be better to change it than keep it.

Parliament's Sport Committee chairperson Butana Khompela yesterday read out a letter which ended with the writer claiming that the Springbok is a symbol that unifies white South Africans. This might not be the popular view, but it does represent a view non the less. The Protea on the other hand has no natural enemies.

Again, the Springbok is only an emblem, and one which clearly still reminds many South Africans of an unhappy past and a team which they couldn't relate to or maybe even despised. I know it's different! now, but the memory still lingers and that's why I think we s! hould ad opt the King Protea and scrap the Springbok. Remember, it's only a symbol and since it represents a national asset, one could say uniformity is better.

Anyway, the King Protea, as worn by the cricket and the soccer teams, looks very bold and I also like the shield shape of the emblem, but that's just me. That's also the point - everyone has their own feelings about the emblem and since no-one has anything against the Protea, let's use it and forget about the Bok.

Perhaps we'll still call the national rugby team the Springboks for a while, ! before we find a new identity in the rugby world, who knows. If it was my call, I'd drop the Bok emblem, but keep the nickname on the jersey, as some form of compromise. Whatever the outcome, I know it won't negatively affect the true professionals in the team and in the long run it will be embraced by all who love rugby.

If not, then we'll have to wait about three years for another unifying event - winning the 2011 World Cup, without the Leaping Springbok over the heart.

Ajax and Santos face 'Giant's'

Ajax Cape Town will face Orlando Pirates on Saturday in what has been dubbed the curtain raiser to the Telkom Knockout (TKO) final next weekend.

The Urban Warriors have been enjoying good form and are joint log leaders with Golden Arrows. However Pirates are in fifth spot only three points behind Ajax, so a win can help in their title campaign as well as give either side the edge heading into the final.

Teko Modise's inclusion in the Buccaneers side is yet to be decided. The midfielder has two yellow cards and if he picks up another one against Ajax on Saturday he could miss the TKO final.

Meanwhile Modise has cemented his place in the Pirates and Bafana line-up but Ajax Striker Mabhuti Khanyeza says he won't be giving him any special treatment.

Santos is the other Cape side in action. They face one of the so-called Soweto Giant's, Kaizer Chiefs at Athlone stadium on Saturday.

The People's team is ! sitting ninth on the log and will want to continue with the string of good results they have had lately, winning their last three games.

Captain Muso Otieno says they are aiming for the three points against their league.

Stormers ready, but not able

I can't help but think the Stormers have approached the season in the wrong frame of mind.

They played some great rugby during the first half of the opener against the Sharks, but that's where it ended.

In those 40 minutes Rassie's men hardly slipped any tackles and broke the Sharks line with ease. To me they looked better prepared than the Sharks, who were weak in the tackle (still are) and rarely brought their play-makers into the game (still struggling).

So, if ! the Stormers were well prepared, what went wrong?

I say they've dropped the intensity too low. Perhaps they're looking ahead to a long tour down under and players like Schalk Burger and Andries Bekker are 'saving' themselves for 'tougher' matches.

It's not far fetched for teams to think like that. Certainly the Stormers' failed tactic of kicking the ball up field is a gameplan that minimizes 'grunt' work, which we've seen very little of so far.

For example, Schalk seems to be playing for par, when he should be doing what he does best. He made far too many passes against the Blues when he should be running through defenders. He simply isn't effective if he doesn't put his body on the line. He may have been told to tone it down to prolong his career, but that's not what he's about and that's not what makes him one of the best flankers in the world.

The Super 14 is tough and long, but giving 80 percent is just too much of a gamble. I! 'd rather like to see Rassie rotate the squad and call on play! ers to g ive 100 percent for 80 minutes.

Da Professor Driver Files: Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen came on to the F1 scene as a driver with only 23 races in a car period, but it did not take very long for F1 brass to figure out this man from Finland with the cool exterior had superior talent. In the first F1 tests for Sauber, he impressed. Team Principal, Peter Sauber said of Raikkonen, "there are several aspects why we very strongly believe that Raikkonen is the right man for us; first of all his very professional approach towards his work and his astonishing maturity considering his age. Even more impressive is his natural speed."

Interestingly enough, the FIA and other luminaries in the sport, did not see it the same way. The FIA were reluctant to issue Raikkonen a super license. A driver needs this license if he or she is to compete in Formula One. Former World Champion Keke Rosberg said, "The world will change if Raikkonen gets a super license. It will turn the whole driver market on its head. In my day it would never have happened because there was massive power and a lack of road-holding. You just could not have done it." Nevertheless, after much wrangling Raikkonen was granted his super license and was eligible to drive for the Sauber team in 2001. However, he still had his doubters; like FIA president Max Mosley: "I do not believe that they (F1 Commission) adopted a defensible position in giving an inexperienced driver like Raikkonen a license. It is quite wrong given that we have strict criteria for graduation into F1. When there is a major accident caused by the presence of very inexperien! ced drivers in F1, I'm the one who will have to explain it to ! the worl d's media and television cameras." Well, in Raikkonen's very first Grand Prix, he promptly finished 6th on the lead lap.

Raikkonen moved to McLaren in 2002 in which he continued to demonstrate the promise of a potentially dominant World Champion and almost taking the title in 2003 in competitive but not great equipment.

In 2005, McLaren had the equipment, had the speed, had Raikkonen, but they lacked the reliability of eventual champions, Renault and Fernando Alonso. In many eyes, this lack of reliability cost Kimi Raikkonen the 2005 World Ch! ampionship. Some squarely placed blame on the fragility of the McLaren package while others, myself included, placed critical responsibility for some of the reliability issues on Raikkonen. There were times in which he drove outside the limits of the car. One case in point was the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. It was reported that the drivers were told to mind the driveshafts and use of curbs. Kimi proceeded to blitz the field at the beginning of the race; he brokedown inside of 10 laps due to a driveshaft failure. Also, one had to question some of the motivation to develop his skills in other areas such as testing and car development.

Late into the 2006, it was announced that Kimi Raikkonen had signed with Ferrari for 2007 to replace the retiring Michael Schumacher. It was generally seen as a match of the fastest car and fastest driver in F1. However, there were murmurs about the choice and how he would function in other capacities:

Former 3 time Wo! rld Champion Niki Lauda stated, "...Raikkonen can drive fast, ! but he c an't do anything else, so Ferrari must give him a complete car." It worked at McLaren, but they're not an emotional team like Ferrari. The Italians, by contrast, need the human component, and Michael was ideal for this. He could get the whole thing working. I can't see Kimi doing the same."

Ferrari's Chief Track Engineer, Luca Baldisseri said, "I don't know Raikkonen well: we only have information from the engineers who worked with him at Sauber. Well, when he gets inside the car he gets his job done very well, he's very quick, but Schumacher knew how to do other things too and created an incredible relationship with the team. He contributed to produce winning cars, while now it will be up to us to give the driver a car capable of winning."

As 2007 progressed, it seemed that some of these concerns were perhaps valid. After 10 races, the much feared combination of Raikkonen and Ferrari could only yield 4th place and 52 points, 18 points behind then leader Lewis Hamilton and 7 points behind teammate, Felipe Massa. Then the last 6 races Raikkonen tore through the deficit, capitalizing on the mistakes, dysfunction and misfortune of Alonso, Hamilton and Massa and captured the elusive World Championship that stymied him twice before.

In 2008, Raikkonen seems rather average given his level of equipment, but is still in prime position to strike and defend his championship. However, with continued rumors he actually may retire and continued emergence of teammate Felipe Massa, the full dream potential of the Raikkonen/Ferrari partnership is! not all that fulfilling. You can probably say given the expec! tations, it is disappointing.

Next Driver File: The Phenom, Lewis Hamilton

Kuyt Can't Fathom Rush Record

Dirk Kuyt today spoke of his immense pride at the prospect of matching Ian Rush's European Cup goals tally.

Kuyt is just two shy of Rush in Europe's premier club competition after taking his haul to 12 against Debrecen.

If the Dutchman draws level with his Welsh predecessor, only Steven Gerrard with 28 will have scored more Champions League goals for Liverpool.

"That is unbelievable," said Kuyt. "To have the chance maybe to draw level with someone like Ian Rush is unbelievable.

"He is one of the biggest names in the history of Liverpool Football Club and it would give me a great feeling if I could manage to do that.

"I have to be respectful of his achievements in his career, but it would be good to match his goals and then maybe continue scoring.

"It is nice to get personal things, but for me the most important thing is winning trophies. The milestones ar! e nice, but if you don't have anything to go with them like a trophy then it is not the same.

"Don't get me wrong, individual honours are nice, but it is all about the team winning."

Remarkably, Kuyt didn't trouble the scoresheet on any of his first 10 Champions League games for Liverpool.

That sequence ended in the 2007 final, when the 29-year-old bagged a consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan.

"I'm not sure why it has gone so well for me," said the Holland international. "In my first games in the Champions League I couldn't score at all. I got one in the final and it has just gone on for me since then.

"I think I have scored in every stage of the competition now and I am enjoying it. I just want to keep going. I don't try and do anything different to what I do in the Premier League.

"It is always nice to be involved in big Champions League nights and I feel confident going into them."

Kenny Dalglish Delighted To See Daniel Agger Back For Liverpool

Liverpool hero Kenny Dalglish believes that the return of centre-back Daniel Agger from injury will provide a big boost to the Red line-up.

A back problem has seen the Danish international sidelined so far this season, but he returned to action for the reserves last week and played 90 minutes of Denmark's 1-0 win over Sweden on Saturday.

"While the first-team squad were in Italy recently, Daniel Agger was making his return from injury in the less romantic surroundings of the reserve league, but he will be delighted, as will the manager and the punters, to get back into action," Dalglish told LFC Weekly.

"It's a shame that he's missed so much football ove! r the last couple of years because he's a top class defender, and with him nearing a return to the first-team reckoning then the manager has got good options and permutations in the centre of his defence with Carra [Jamie Carragher], [Martin] Skrtel, [Sotirios] Kyrgiakos and Agger back to health."

And Dalglish feels that Agger adds another varied option to those available at the back to Rafa Benitez.

He added: "They've all got their particular strengths and they're all internationals with a wealth of experience. Agger's a lovely silky footballer, in the way he brings the ball out of defence and commits teams who like to sit deep.

"Being able to call on him in the future will be important for the team."

Hansen: I Have A Feeling That With The Anfield Crowd's Backing We Could Be In For An Upset

Alan Hansen believes Liverpool will surprise the rest of the Premier League by beating Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

The former Anfield stalwart concedes his old club have been in terrible form but suggests it is almost unthinkable Rafa Benitez's side will lose their fifth straight game.

Hansen told footballpools.com: "Rafa Benitez enters his 200th Premier League match in charge of Liverpool facing a mini-crisis after four successive defeats in all competitions for the first time in 22 years."

"Next up is a visit from the champions Manchester United with a possible ten-point gap looming between the teams if Sir Ale! x Ferguson's side win."

"Despite a lack of confidence and injury doubts to key players, I think Liverpool may well shock the rest of the Premier League with a performance few would expect."

"The Reds have not become a bad side overnight although it's fair to stay the team is not playing well."

"Key members of the side have not performing to the high levels expected of them but it's unthinkable to anyone at Anfield that the team will suffer a 5th consecutive defeat."

"In fact, if Liverpool were to lose then this would be the first time under Rafa that the Reds had lost three league games on the bounce."

"My old club have also failed to score in their last two league matches, if they were to do so again, it would be for the first time since March 2005."

"It all makes miserable reading for anyone associated with the club."

"There are serious injury doubts over key players in both camps with Fernando T! orres, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs ! and Darr en Fletcher all struggling."

"However, with so much riding on this match even this early in the season, I expect to see most of them on the pitch."

"I do feel Liverpool have relied too heavily on both Gerrard and Torres in recent seasons but with a lack of depth in the Reds squad, there has been little choice."

"If both are available then Liverpool will be a totally different proposition for United but before writing off the Reds chances without them, it's worth remembering that neither started last season's 2-1 home league win."

"That remains United's only defeat in their last seven trips to Anfield (five wins) but after being beaten home and away by Liverpool last season, Sir Alex will be more than aware his side are in for a tough game whether the home side has been in form or not."

"Manchester United may be top but they are not firing on all cylinders themselves having struggled to pick up a win and a draw at home to! Bolton and Sunderland respectively."

"Sir Alex's team may have been picking up the points but they have been far from convincing in terms of the performances we have come to expect from them over the years. However, they remain unbeaten in 11 matches in all competitions (ten wins) so won't be short on confidence."

"The pressure is on Liverpool and in particular Rafa Benitez but I have a feeling that with the Anfield crowd's backing we could be in for an upset."

"I don't expect my old club to lose."

Sexy Young Korean Girl Model

Seo Young Hee, name of young actress, model photo girl and Korean advertisement star. Her specific face represents Korean face, very classy, soft, sweet and cool.

Calabogie eyes July opening

By John Hopkins

TORONTO, ON -- Calabogie MotorSports Park is planning to be open for business by July, 2005, according to an email release from the facility received Thursday.

According to the email, the Council of the Township of Greater Madawaska passed the third and final reading of the re-zoning ammendment for the track on Oct. 12. "This was a significant and pivotal step towards the completion of the new road course," the release said.

The projected paving date for the track is mid to late May of next year. With a cure time of about two months for the polymer asphalt surface the track should be ready to host competition by July.

More information is available at www.calabogiemotorsportspark.com.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Stewart Toronto bound

From Clear Channel Entertainment

AURORA, IL – Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports division announced today that Kawasaki's James Stewart of Haines City, FL will race in the 2005-'06 Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP that starts Dec. 3, at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Stewart, who will be making his Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP debut, joins Ricky Carmichael, the reigning Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP champion, and Chad Reed, the 2003 World Supercross GP champion, to make the most competitive Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP line-up ever.

"I felt like racing the world rounds this year because knew they would be fun, and this year's line-up is bigger than ever," said Stewart. "The world rounds are becoming an important part of supercross racing. I have found that I have lots of fans in other countries, and the world rounds can help our sport grow even more."

Stewart, 19, won three 2! 50cc main events in his rookie season of AMA Supercross Series racing. Prior to entering the 250cc division Stewart won both the 125cc Eastern and Western Regional 125cc AMA Supercross Series championships.

"I think the world rounds are a great opportunity for me and our sport to reach new people," said Stewart. "I am looking forward to seeing the Canadian fans and want to give them a great race to watch."

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

This Week In Reds Baseball- May 11th

* Pitcher Micah Owings was used in a pinch hit situation on Sunday in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to tie the game. Owings hit a Home Run which sent the game into extra innings. On the season Owings is hitting .333 6/18 at the plate with 1 HR and 4 RBI. His OPS is 1.111, best on the team.

* Prior to entering Wednesday's game against the Brewers the Reds pitching staff led the Majors in ERA. After the 9 run game from Arroyo in the 15-3 loss and taking some lumps from the Cardinals on Sunday the Reds now rank 7th in MLB and 5th in the NL.

*This week will mark the Reds first west coast swing with six games in the West. We will see how this young team adjusts.

*The Reds currently boast a 14-9 record against NL Central teams, the Cardinals and Cubs both have 11 wins against the Central, the Brewers have 12.


*1B Yonder Alonso is having a great start to the season in Sarasota. Alonso is currently hitting .279 with 5 HR ! and 28 RBI. Alonso is currently leading the Florida State League in RBI.


NL Central Standings
Cardinals 20 12 -
Brewers 18 14 (2)
Cubs 17 14 (2.5)
Reds 17 14 (2.5)
Astros 14 17 (5.5)
Pirates 12 19 (7.5)

This Week's Schedule
Monday May 11 9:40PM at Arizona
Tuesday May 12 9:40PM at Arizona
Wednesday May 13 9:40PM at Arizona
Friday May 15 10:05PM at San Diego
Saturday May 16 10:05PM at San Diego
Sunday May 17 4:05PM at San Diego

Reds Statistical Leaders
AVG- 0.376 Votto
HOME RUNS- 10 Bruce
RBI- 24 Votto
STEALS- 7 Taveras
ERA- 1.59 Cueto
WINS- 4 Volquez
STRIKEOUTS- 43 Volquez
SAVES- 9 Cordero

2009 NFL Predictions Contest

Here is how it will work: List each of your playoff teams below along with you Super Bowl Matchup and end of season awards. For each playoff team you get correct you will get 5 points, 20 points for picking the SuperBowl winner, and 5 points for each award selected correctly. Winner will receive bragging rights and the respect of your fellow NKY SportsWorlders.

Here are mine:
AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals*
AFC West: San Diego Chargers
AFC South:Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans*

NFC East: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles*
NFC North: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers*
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals
NFC South: New Orleans Saints

SuperBowl: San Diego Chargers over Chicago Bears

NFL MVP: Drew Brees
Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Beanie Wells
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Rey Maualuga

Draft Madness?

-Shark

Why are we so crazy about the NFL Draft? We've had Draft preview shows running daily on ESPN for more than a month; we have countless newspapers, websites, and draft guides giving us tips on who this year's hidden gems will be; and of course, we have Draft god Mel Kiper who demonstrates his omnipresence every time I turn on the television.

Today, Cold Pizza was interviewing a player from Harvard who is predicted to be the last player in the draft. I repeat. The LAST player in the draft. There is a reason why the last guy drafted gets called Mr. Irrelevant. So what makes them think anyone would want to watch an interview with this guy?

Unless you've somehow managed to avoid the Draft previews completely, which is impossible, then you already know that the NFL draft is a pretty big crapshoot. For every "can't miss" prospect like Tim Couch and Ryan Leaf that doesn't make it, there are guys you probably have never heard of like ro! okie of the year Marcus Colston and stock boy turned MVP: Kurt Warner. Once the first round is finished, go back and see how close the experts were in their mock drafts. If they get 10 picks correct in the first round then they did a very good job. The rest of the draft is an even bigger gamble. It just seems pretty irrational that someone will listen to weeks of "expert" discussion, read endless mock drafts, and partake in hours of water-cooler debates, all over something that is almost completely unpredictable. . .

Except that's your answer right there. The draft IS almost completely unpredictable. The chaotic nature of the draft gives every fan hope that their team might land the next Who? (Kurt Warner), the next Where did you say he went to school? (Jerry Rice), and possibly the next Thank God he's still on the board (Vince Young). No team is in last place on Draft Day and every fan has the right to dream of its team playing in January or simply climbi! ng out of the divisional cellar. We DO want to see interviews! with Mr . Irrelevant because we all want a glimpse at a current nobody who could be a future Disney movie…something that speaks of triumph in the face of adversity, but scares off viewers because its given a stupid one-word title like "Invincible" …oh my bad.

If we were intelligent beings we'd simply wait to see which players our team drafted and then start from there. We wouldn't spend hours upon hours speculating over something that we have absolutely no control over. However, we are not intelligent beings, we are sports fans. For us, the NFL draft is very much like New Year's Eve: it gives us an excuse to start over, an excuse to imagine how the upcoming year will be better, and best of all, an excuse to have a few drinks and celebrate for no real good reason. Happy NFL Draft Day.

-Brian Sharkey

UFC 88 Results

Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via violent KO - 1:51 of round 2
(You'll see this next on Ultimate Knockouts 6. Watching this on TV you had no idea how long it took the Iceman to get back to his feet. This was vicious. He was out. Not until after Rashad's interview by Joe Rogan did you see Hackelman and the rest of Liddell's corner holding him up ala Weekend at Bernie's or dare I say Weekend at Bernie's II. Just unbelievable. Who fights Forrest now for the Light Heavyweight title? We shall see.)

Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO - 0:39 of round 3

Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision

Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO - 1:21 of round 1

Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision

UNDERCARD:

Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision.

Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via TKO - 2:03 of round 1.

Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission - 1:20 of round 2.

Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via split decision.

How we did...

Keefe UFC 88 Picks: 8-1, (14-5 overall)

Besse UFC 88 Picks: 5-4, (13-6 overall)

Worst First Pitch

Saw this on Espn.com today and laughed my ass off in my office for a good few minutes. I'm a big fan of watching people absolutely fail at throwing out the first pitch. And they happen every single night at every single MLB game in America, so to me, it's surprising that we don't see more like this on a regular basis. Enjoy this though, because anytime mascots are involved it just adds to the overall humor.



There's a lot to love there. First off, get a load of the Parrot mascot flashing the "two" sign for a deuce. That's more or less what he got. And as R! ich pointed out, he didn't even move as the ball rolled by him. The breakdown of Charlie Brown's mechanics was solid too. Great stuff. Below are a few other awful first pitches I found. Having thrown out the first pitch at Fenway, I know how hard/nerve-wracking it can be. But for god's sake, you almost have to try to be this bad...












There are a few good ones here. Personally, I like the homemade video of the first pitch at Wrigley Field. The guy clearly isn't an athlete (look at him), so you almost saw it coming. But you have to love the fact that he threw it right into the ground to the right side. It was heading for a point halfway between third and home. He actually picked it up himself, the catcher couldn't make it out there first. But good for him for getting back up there and giving it another go. Th! ankfully he had a little more success. Which one do you like? Take a vote on the poll and let us know...if you have any others, send them along. Gotta love em!

-Bess

Quick Turnaround

Tim Thomas and the Dallas Mavericks Used a 26-0 Run En Route to 130-99 Blowout of Rockets on Second Night of Back-to-Back.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Dallas Mavericks (11-4), likely hung over from a loss to a bad team with only six players Tuesday night, got off to a rocky start in Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets (8-7). The Rockets led 15-2 at one point in that first quarter, and 25-13 later in the quarter, before the Mavericks went on a 26-0 run from 5:03 in the first quarter to 11:29 in the second. When all was said and done, Dallas had turned a 12 points deficit into a 14-point lead at 39-25.

"Our start was horrendous," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "The rest of the game was great. Our tempo was perfect."

Dallas finished the half at 69 percent shooting, their highest for a half this season, and had 36 bench points.

Last year’s Sixth Man of the Year award winner Jason Terry and newcomer Tim Thomas led the Dallas run coming off the bench. The duo combined to score 21 points during the 26-point run, while Jason Terry finished with a game-high 27 points while shooting an incredible 10-11 from the field, including 4-4 from behind the arc. Terry also finished with 10 assists for his first double-double since March 3, 2007.

Making the most of his time on the floor, Thomas finished the game with 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting for his best performance in a Mavericks’ uniform. Both Thomas and Terry finished the first half with 17 points a piece.

"Tim played great," Carlisle said. "He brings a playoff mentality to our team, that's evident. He's worked hard to get back to this point, and we're just going to keep bringing him along."

At 10:50 in the third quarter, Jason Kidd threw a perfect alley-oop pass to a leaping Rodrigue Beaubois for his 10,335 assist of his career, passing Mark Jackson for 2^nd place on the all time list. With John Stockton more than 5,000 assists away, Kidd understands that number two on the all-time list is about as good as it’s going to get.

"Some records are meant to stay where they are," Kidd said. "I don't see anybody breaking that any time soon."

Kidd finished the game with nine points and seven assists as he played sparingly in the second-half as Dallas had a double digit lead throughout.

Carl Landry led the Rockets’ in scoring with 24 points off the bench and Trevor Ariza ended with 20. After Golden State ripped the Mavericks for 54 points in the paint the previous night, it was surprising to see Houston take so many outside shots. The Rockets missed 15 of 20 hoists from behind the arc for the game.

Dallas had their best shooting percentage in a game this season with 65.5 percent and with their highest 3-point shooting percentage for a game with 52.9 percent.

After a break for Turkey-Day, the Dallas Mavericks travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on the first night of yet another back-to-back. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. on Friday (Nov.27).

Dallas plays King James and the Lebrons in Cleveland on Saturday night.

D-Town Beat-Down, 24-7

The Oakland Raiders Defense Was Just What the Doctor Ordered as Miles Austin and the Cowboys' Ailing Offense Finally Broke Out of It's Two-Game Slump.
(AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)

In their last two-games, the Dallas Cowboys (8-3) offense accounted for a total of 279 yards and 14 points. Thursday against the Oakland Raiders (3-8), Dallas had 324 yards and 17 points in the first half.

Miles Austin broke out of a slump of his own as he had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' explosive first half. Austin finished the game with seven catches for 145-yards and a score, his 8th of the season.

Tony Romo threw for 309 yards, the 21st 300 yard game of his career, along with two scores. Romo, many times, was able to get out of the way of would be tacklers with some nifty moves in the pocket; despite the fact that he has been banged up all week after taking a knee to his lower back last game.

Tight-end Jason Witten also came into Thursday's game nursing an injury, but persevered and had his best game of the season. Witten caught five passes for 107 yards, a 21.7 average, and was there for Romo any time he had to bail out of the pocket.

Big plays were prevalent in this one as the Cowboys totaled 10 plays of 20-yards or more, eight plays of over 25-yards and four plays of over 40-yards. The Cowboys finished with 494 total yards. This was easily Dallas' best performance offensively in the last several weeks.

One constant over the past few games has been the consistently good play of the Dallas defense. The Cowboys' defense sacked Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski three times for the game, but their relentless pressure led to many miscues by the 4th-year pro. Gradkowski ended the game going 18/35 for 200 yards and, Oakland's only score of the game, a 4-yard touchdown pass to Darius Heyward-Bey.

Felix Jones and Tashard Choice led a revitalized rushing attack with a combined 135 yards on 10 carries. Choice had a 66-yard run in the first quarter that led to a Dallas field goal, and Jones had a 46-yard touchdown run that mad.0e it 10-0 Cowboys.

"We still have a lot of work to do," said Choice, whose big run came out of the Razorback formation. "A lot of things that we've messed up on we have to get better. We have to stay focused coming into December."

The Dallas offense looked much better in this game, likely because they were playing an awful Oakland team that has only one road win in five road games this season. Now the Cowboys' have time to get healthy and re-focused (with 10 days off) as they have one of the toughest final five game stretches of any team in the league this season.

Dallas has put themselves in the driver's seat with eight wins in their first 11 games. It is feasible that if the Cowboys' win two of their final five games they will at least be assured a playoff spot. Win three or even four of the last five? Then Dallas will likely be playing at Cowboys' stadium throughout the playoffs.

"I think you put yourself in position well before December," Romo said. "You have to maintain a level of consistency, then you raise it up going into January — if you're good enough to do that."

Dallas begins the trek up the mountain Sunday (Dec. 6) at 3:15 p.m. in New York against the Giants.

News and Notes:

• Tony Romo is now 4-0 on Thanksgiving day. Romo has thrown 14 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions in these games.
• Romo is also 2nd in the NFL with 22 300-yard+ passing games since 2006. Tom Brady is number 1.
  
• Anthony Spencer had his first two sacks of the season after not recording one in his first 10 games.
• After a rocky start to the season, the Dallas defense is now first in the NFC in points allowed per game with 16.5.
  

Mavericks Roll, 113-92

Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks Coasted Through Friday (Nov.27) Night's Game Against the Indiana Pacers. Nowitzki scored 31 points in only 30 minutes. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

The Dallas Mavericks led by as many as 22 points in the first half on their way to their 12th victory of the season. The Pacers didn't put up much of a fight as they spent the evening dribbling the ball off of their feet into the back-court, passing the ball to no one in particular out-of-bounds, and basically playing an all-around terrible game.

"We did not play tough enough. That's why we got pounded," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "You have to play with tremendous force and we did not."

The Dallas bench played a large role in a 13-0 second quarter run that basically iced the game in the first half. Kris Humphries had the first double-double of his career with 12 points and 11 rebounds, including eight points and 10 rebounds in 10 first half minutes.

Jason Terry had another big night off the bench, scoring 17 points on 50 percent shooting. Terry has scored in double figures in all but one game this season (Nov. 15 at Detroit, nine points).

Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points or more for the fifth time this season and Dallas is 4-1 in those games. Nowitzki scored 31 points, shooting 10 for 14 (71.4 percent) from the field, and 11-13 from the free throw line.

"I don't really know what happened, but our offense really seems to click, really everybody is shooting the ball," Nowitzki said.

Dallas took care of business against a bad team which is what they are supposed to do, especially on the first night of a back-to-back. No Mavericks' starter played more than 30 minutes, which is a good thing as Dallas flies to Cleveland following the game and take on the Lebrons tomorrow night.

Mavs-Cavs Tonight

4th in the Western Conference takes on 4th in the East tonight in a battle of early season title hopefuls.
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton,AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dirk Nowitzki and Lebron James go head-to-head for the 13th time Saturday night (Nov.28) so I did some research to see just how these two titans have done against one-another in their careers.

Series History Since Lebron's Rookie Season:

Dallas is 7-5 against Cleveland since Lebron's rookie season in 2003-2004. The Mavericks have outscored the Cavaliers by a slim margin, 95.3-94.4 in that time span.

Nowitzki has averaged 21.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, and four assists in the 12 games against James. James has averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in these games.

Dallas started off strong, winning seven of the first nine games between the teams. Since then, Cleveland has won the last three by an average of 18 points a game (Cleveland 96.7 - Dallas 78.7).

Nowitzki has averaged only 15.7 points in the losing streak but still averaged a double-double with 11 rebounds. James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebound, and 7.3 assists in the victories.

This Season's Stats:

The Dallas Mavericks (12-4) are top-10 in the NBA in both offense and defense this year. Dallas is 8th in points scored (103.3), 9th in points allowed (96.2), and are first in the West in point differential (and 2nd in the NBA behind Boston, 8.7), beating opponents by an average of 7.7 points per game. Dallas is also 8th in the NBA is field goal percentage allowed at 44.1 percent and 13th in offensive shooting percentage at 46.1 percent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (11-5) are 17th in points per game (99.1), 6th in points allowed (94.6), and 10th in point differential with an average margin of victory at 3.8. The Cavaliers are just behind Dallas at field goal percentage allowed at 8th with 44.2 percentage and 8th in team field goal percentage with 47.1 percent.

Dirk Nowitzki comes into the game 6th in the NBA in scoring at 27.1 points per to go along with 8.6 rebounds and has scored over 20 points in 11 straight games.

Lebron James is the 3rd best scorer in the league with 29.4 along with 6.8 boards and 7.8 dimes per game.

Dallas is coming off a 113-92 victory Friday night against the Indiana Pacers and are still banged up with Josh Howard and Erick Dampier expected to be in street clothes. Quinton Ross is expected to play.

Cleveland also played Friday night and lost 94-87 against the Charlotte Bobcats in Shaquille Oneal's first game back since Nov. 14 at Utah. It is still uncertain whether or not the addition of Shaq is working for Cleveland as they are 6-4 with the big man in the line-up and 5-1 when he sits.

Dallas is 7-2 on the road this year while Cleveland is 5-2 at home.

This should be a great game tonight and a test for both teams to see just where they stand early-on in the regular season. Cleveland should be pissed and ready to play after losing to the 6-9 Bobcats Friday night.

Royal Ass-Kicking, 111-95

King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers Had Trouble Missing the Basket Against the Mavericks. James scored 25 points and Cleveland shot 57.7 percent for the game. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

When Anderson Varejao scores 13 points in a single half and makes all seven of his attempts for the floor, you know your in for a long night against the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-5). The Dallas Mavericks (12-5), who came into the game the second best road team in the NBA (7-2), were dominated throughout as they allowed Cleveland to score at will from the very start. Varejeo finished the game with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Cavaliers had 10 layup or dunks in the first quarter, scoring 35 points in the period, which was a precursor for the rest of a game in which Cleveland ended with 54 points in the paint compared to Dallas' 24. Cleveland shot 68 percent for the first half and scored a season high 68 points. Dallas never led after that, only getting the deficit down to seven points once in the third quarter.

When Cleveland wasn't scoring-at-will on the inside, they were on-fire from beyond the arc. The Cavs hit 9 of 13 three-pointers for the game and Moe Williams was 7 for 7 as he led the team (along with the King) with 25 points.

Speaking of Lebron, King James had 11 points, four rebounds and eight assists in the first quarter. James finished the game with 25 points, 12 assists and only five rebounds, frankly, because Cleveland didn't miss much.

When the Cavaliers did miss, they dominated the Mavericks on the boards. Cleveland out-rebounded Dallas 39-24 for the game. In fact, Cleveland beat Dallas in every meaningful statistical category, except for free-throw percentage (wooohooo!).

Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 and Jason Terry had 25, but that was about it for a Dallas team that was down for the majority of the first half and the entire second half. The Mavericks waved the white flag with 2:30 left in the 4th quarter, down by 15.

Hate him or love him, there is no doubt in my mind that a healthy Erick Dampier would have made a huge difference in the outcome of this game. While Dallas has been able to win without the big man (Dallas is 6-1 with Damp out of the line-up), its hard to argue that teams have been able to get to the paint at will against the smaller Drew Gooden.

Dallas has now lost four straight against Cleveland, their next meeting is Dec. 20 at the AAC.

The Mavericks' next game is 7:30 p.m. Monday, at home, against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mavericks Survive, 104-102

Thanks to Jason Terry, the Dallas Mavericks Were Able to Stand Tall at the End of Regulation. (AP Photo/Mike Stone)

It shouldn't have even been this close. I bet that and much more was going through the Mavericks' collective heads as they found themselves tied 102-102 with less than 6 seconds left in regulation.

Dallas (13-5) had led by as many as 17 in the second half, but it all came crashing down as Philadelphia (5-13) used a 21-10 run (from 6:24 in the fourth) to force the Mavericks to make the game winner. Jason Terry obliged with his 6th and 7th points of the contest on a toughly contested fade-away from the base-line (about 17 feet out), leaving less than 2 seconds on the clock. For Terry, his lowest scoring game of the season, but his most important basket through these first 18 games.

"That's one of the areas that I like to get to," Terry said. "I pump faked and he didn't go for it. I went up, it was clear, and the rest was history."

While Terry hit the most important shot, it would be hard to argue that Jason Kidd wasn't the most important player on the floor against the 76ers. Kidd started off strong as he had 13 points (a season high for a quarter) and four assists in the first quarter. I counted three alley-oops thrown by Kidd on the night and his quick hands created turnovers all game long. Kidd completely destroyed the stats sheet, finishing with a season high for points with 22, along with 11 assists, six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. He also shot 50 percent from the field and 5 of 8 from distance, easily his best game of the season.

For the 76ers this is their 7th straight loss, but yet another game they kept close until the end. Philadelphia's average margin of defeat for these games is only 5.7 points. Willie Green led the 76ers in scoring with 23 points and also chipped in 8 boards.

"We just fought all game long," Green said. "We didn't hang our heads and I think those are some positives we can build on."

Dampier Back After Absence, Has Rough Start

Erick Dampier returned to action after nine-games missed due to that mysterious illness and started, but only played 16 minutes. Damp scored three points and had a rebound, but what a complete non-factor on both sides of the ball. He was unable to control the paint or the boards during his time on the floor.

Drew Gooden played 31 minutes off the bench and recorded his 5th double-double of the season with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocked shots. Dallas had trouble on the glass as a whole, though, as Philly out-rebounded the Mavs 60-37; the most lopsided discrepancy for Dallas this season.

Nowitzki Money Again

Dirk Nowitzki has only scored under 20 points in a game once this season. Nowitzki scored 20 by the end of the third quarter and ended the night with 28 points, six rebounds, and four assists. This was the 13th straight came Dirk scored 20+. Just another night at the office for Nowitzki, who is playing some of the best basketball of his career.

News and Notes:

• Shawn Marion hobbled to the locker room after the game, yelling an expletive (F***!) that was clearly heard over the air-waves as he vented his frustration as he continues to deal with that injured left ankle.
• JJ Barea scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. I still don't like the 3-PG attack.
• Dallas, at 13-5, is off to the second best start since 2006-2007, the year they won 67 games and were quickly (and mighty embarrassingly) ousted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. (Good Omen, Bad Omen?)