Saturday, January 24, 2009
Spurs Make Jones Approach
Redknapp chasing Black Cats strikerTottenham boss Harry Redknapp has admitted to lodging a bid for Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones.
Spurs have made no secret of their desire to bolster their attacking unit during the January transfer window, having already secured Jermain Defoe's arrival from Portsmouth.
They have been heavily linked with Jones for some time and it comes as no surprise that they have made a move.
Redknapp, though, insists he remains in the dark as to the progress of the bid, admitting a deal for the Trinidad & Tobago international is far from a foregone conclusion.
"We have made an enquiry for Jones," he confirmed.
"I have no idea how far the chairman has got with it or even whether Sunderland want to do a deal."
source: skysports.com
Manchester United's Silva Lining
THIS tie was settled on the day, granting Sir Alex Ferguson his wish, but replays are still required. Footage from the match is something Manchester United fans will want to watch over and over again. Old Trafford is used to seeing stars being born but always cherishes the experience, and Ferguson finds nothing more sustaining than springing a new player on the game.
At 18, via his unexpected performances at right-back this season, Rafael Da Silva is already a sensation. Yesterday it was the turn of Fabio, his twin, to announce himself as a talent of substance.
Fabio, playing at left-back, was the outstanding performer of a vivid opening act that decided a game that petered out disappointingly. Tottenham led early but were forced on the defensive, never their most convincing state, and buckled in a two-minute period when goals were conceded to Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. The rest was routine and Harry Redknapp had to defend tactics and a performance that appeared unambitious. “You have to have the ball to put them under pressure. You have to open up, and when you open up you get smashed by four or five,” the manager said. “To say we weren’t trying is rubbish. We got beat 2-1, not 6-1.”
The Da Silva twins are identical, sharing the same wide-eyed, curly-haired boyishness, youthful builds and coltish gaits. Injuries meant Fabio had to wait for yesterday’s debut. Spectators mused that he could not be as good as his brother and soon knew their instincts were right: he looks better. From kick-off until he was forced off early in the second half with a calf knock, Fabio tore up and down his flank, overshadowing the teammate he kept surging beyond on the overlap, Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year but United’s second best left-sided player yesterday.
“His injury’s disappointing because he’s done really well,” said Ferguson, who did not rule out the Brazilian recovering for Tuesday’s league game against West Bromwich Albion.
Danny Welbeck, who hurt an ankle, is definitely out and Ronaldo was revealed to be suffering from a bug. United now have 13 senior players injured and Gary Neville was at centre-back, where he has played rarely in recent years. It took 10 minutes for the makeshift defence to settle, by which time Tottenham were 1-0 up. Tom Huddlestone wafted an expert chip deep into the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko arrived ahead of Nemanja Vidic to glance a diving header past Ben Foster. With Redknapp resting Jermain Defoe, however, further moments of penetration from Spurs were few.
Ben Alnwick, their keeper, assuaged concerns raised by his midweek display at Burnley by executing a fine stop on Carlos Tevez’s volley after Fabio had flitted past two opponents and Berbatov teed up Tevez. The Argentinian also hit the bar and Welbeck was poised to score one of the goals of the season — having tricked his way into a shooting position with fine close control — when Chris Gunter dived valiantly to block.
The arrival of the equaliser was no surprise, though Spurs’ laxity was shocking. Michael Carrick rolled a corner to Scholes, whose shot hit Huddlestone and ricocheted past the unsighted Alnwick. “A lucky goal,” Scholes said with a shrug. Almost immediately it was 2-1 as Carrick speared a beautiful pass between Tottenham’s centre-backs and Berbatov controlled the ball before rifling a volley in off Alnwick’s far post from 20 yards.
Giovanni was Redknapp’s half-time replacement for Luka Modric, who was signed to be Tottenham’s heartbeat but is too often no more vital to their anatomy than a little toe. David Bentley was also replaced — to boos — though not before skimming the post with a drive.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto went close with five minutes remaining and Spurs pressed hard in stoppage time but, these scares aside, United closed out the game in comfort.
Ferguson was pleased, except for the jeering of Berbatov by a section of Tottenham fans. “It’s a social disease. I think we’re the only club who do not barrack former players,” he said.
MANCHESTER UTD: Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Neville 6, Vidic 6, F Da Silva 8 (Eckersley 53min, 6), Welbeck 7 (Fletcher 86min), Carrick 7, Scholes 6, Ronaldo 5 (Tosic 72min), Berbatov 7, Tevez 6
TOTTENHAM: Alnwick 7, Gunter 5, Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Bentley 5 (Defoe 72min), Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Bale 5 (Taarabt 67min), Modric 4 (Giovanni h-t, 7), Pavlyuchenko 7
SCHOLES’S CHOICE
Paul Scholes has shown his independent streak by leaving Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo out of his all-time XI of Manchester United stars he has played with. Cantona does not even make the bench. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be happy to hear it but he’s a substitute,’ said Scholes, whose team is: Schmeichel, G Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Robson, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham
Source: timesonline.co.uk
At 18, via his unexpected performances at right-back this season, Rafael Da Silva is already a sensation. Yesterday it was the turn of Fabio, his twin, to announce himself as a talent of substance.Fabio, playing at left-back, was the outstanding performer of a vivid opening act that decided a game that petered out disappointingly. Tottenham led early but were forced on the defensive, never their most convincing state, and buckled in a two-minute period when goals were conceded to Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. The rest was routine and Harry Redknapp had to defend tactics and a performance that appeared unambitious. “You have to have the ball to put them under pressure. You have to open up, and when you open up you get smashed by four or five,” the manager said. “To say we weren’t trying is rubbish. We got beat 2-1, not 6-1.”
The Da Silva twins are identical, sharing the same wide-eyed, curly-haired boyishness, youthful builds and coltish gaits. Injuries meant Fabio had to wait for yesterday’s debut. Spectators mused that he could not be as good as his brother and soon knew their instincts were right: he looks better. From kick-off until he was forced off early in the second half with a calf knock, Fabio tore up and down his flank, overshadowing the teammate he kept surging beyond on the overlap, Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year but United’s second best left-sided player yesterday.
“His injury’s disappointing because he’s done really well,” said Ferguson, who did not rule out the Brazilian recovering for Tuesday’s league game against West Bromwich Albion.
Danny Welbeck, who hurt an ankle, is definitely out and Ronaldo was revealed to be suffering from a bug. United now have 13 senior players injured and Gary Neville was at centre-back, where he has played rarely in recent years. It took 10 minutes for the makeshift defence to settle, by which time Tottenham were 1-0 up. Tom Huddlestone wafted an expert chip deep into the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko arrived ahead of Nemanja Vidic to glance a diving header past Ben Foster. With Redknapp resting Jermain Defoe, however, further moments of penetration from Spurs were few.
Ben Alnwick, their keeper, assuaged concerns raised by his midweek display at Burnley by executing a fine stop on Carlos Tevez’s volley after Fabio had flitted past two opponents and Berbatov teed up Tevez. The Argentinian also hit the bar and Welbeck was poised to score one of the goals of the season — having tricked his way into a shooting position with fine close control — when Chris Gunter dived valiantly to block.
The arrival of the equaliser was no surprise, though Spurs’ laxity was shocking. Michael Carrick rolled a corner to Scholes, whose shot hit Huddlestone and ricocheted past the unsighted Alnwick. “A lucky goal,” Scholes said with a shrug. Almost immediately it was 2-1 as Carrick speared a beautiful pass between Tottenham’s centre-backs and Berbatov controlled the ball before rifling a volley in off Alnwick’s far post from 20 yards.
Giovanni was Redknapp’s half-time replacement for Luka Modric, who was signed to be Tottenham’s heartbeat but is too often no more vital to their anatomy than a little toe. David Bentley was also replaced — to boos — though not before skimming the post with a drive.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto went close with five minutes remaining and Spurs pressed hard in stoppage time but, these scares aside, United closed out the game in comfort.
Ferguson was pleased, except for the jeering of Berbatov by a section of Tottenham fans. “It’s a social disease. I think we’re the only club who do not barrack former players,” he said.
MANCHESTER UTD: Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Neville 6, Vidic 6, F Da Silva 8 (Eckersley 53min, 6), Welbeck 7 (Fletcher 86min), Carrick 7, Scholes 6, Ronaldo 5 (Tosic 72min), Berbatov 7, Tevez 6
TOTTENHAM: Alnwick 7, Gunter 5, Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Bentley 5 (Defoe 72min), Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Bale 5 (Taarabt 67min), Modric 4 (Giovanni h-t, 7), Pavlyuchenko 7
SCHOLES’S CHOICE
Paul Scholes has shown his independent streak by leaving Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo out of his all-time XI of Manchester United stars he has played with. Cantona does not even make the bench. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be happy to hear it but he’s a substitute,’ said Scholes, whose team is: Schmeichel, G Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Robson, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham
Source: timesonline.co.uk
Pompey Fall To Super Swans
A CLUB who have taken something of a battering since the beginning of the season suffered another huge blow yesterday when they surrendered their hold on the FA Cup, being comfortably beaten at home by Swansea City. With Harry Redknapp having left Portsmouth, there was evidence in defeat that Tony Adams had taken on a task that is too onerous for him to handle.
Afterwards, Adams put on a brave face but Pompey were so ordinary that at times they made the opposition in the all- white strip look like Real Madrid rather than the representatives of Wales’ second biggest city. The continental ethos instilled in the side by Swansea’s Spanish manager, Roberto Martinez, and the presence of gifted players such as Jordi Gomez also have something to do with that.
However, the man who twisted the knife in Portsmouth was a local boy, Nathan Dyer. Not only is Dyer on loan at Swansea from Southampton, he was also given a community service order after a burglary at a Portsmouth nightclub last July.
Hardly a surprise, then, that Dyer was booed, at least until the point where he scored the opener for Swansea in the 26th minute. When Jason Scotland scored a second goal on half- time from the penalty spot, even then it looked as if there was no way back for Portsmouth and so it proved.
This is only the third time in 40 years that Swansea have reached the fifth round but on this type of form who’s to say that they can’t emulate the achievement of their fiercest rivals, Cardiff City, who reached the final last year?
“We’ve been working hard to try to keep the ball and dictate things in the Championship,” Martinez said. “In that respect I didn’t think we were 10 out of 10 today. There is still room for improvement.”
Martinez had raised some eyebrows by dropping goalkeeper Dorus DeVries to the bench and replacing him with Demitrios Konstantopoulos, a 30-year-old Greek on loan from Coventry whose saves in the
second half proved crucial.
Portsmouth gave a debut to their loan signing, Jermaine Pennant, the Liverpool winger who looked dangerous early on, but nearly all the good play was coming from Swansea, 11 games unbeaten going into this game. Their previous FA Cup tie in these parts resulted in defeat last season to Havant and Waterlooville, but that clearly wasn’t weighing on their shoulders as they took the game to their hosts. David James saved from Gomez and Dyer before Swansea took the lead.
Coming deep, Scotland received the ball on the halfway line by the left touchline and, with Sol Campbell out of position, played a deliciously flighted ball over the top of the
Portsmouth defence. Dyer controlled perfectly and with his next touch smashed the ball past James.
Crouch should have equalised five minutes later when he sidefooted Armand Traore’s cross goalward from inside the six-yard box but he didn’t get enough pace on the ball to beat Konstantopoulus. Still Swansea continued to play all the football, with Leon Britton running everything from the midfield, and Darren Pratley, Angel Rangel and Gomez also comfortable in possession. On the stroke of half-time they scored a second after Gomez made a scorching run down the right and was brought down inside the penalty area by Nadir Belhadj. Scotland sent James the wrong way with the penalty kick to register his 42nd goal in 72 starts. The half-time whistle sounded with Swansea’s supporters going crazy.
The home support were cheered to see the arrival of Kanu for David Nugent after the break, while Traore made way for Hermann Hreidarsson. With his ability to create space where none seems to exist, the Nigerian forward made an instant difference and for much of the second half Portsmouth looked as though they could get back into the game. This was the time for Konstantopoulos to come into his own.
From Pennant’s cross, Crouch produced a header that forced Konstantopoulos to make an excellent diving save. Belhadj then produced a great cross from the left that Crouch missed.
Konstantopoulos enjoyed his finest moment when he dived low to his right to keep out a shot from Sean Davis that Pompey fans thought had got them back in the match.
The goalkeeper suffered a rush of blood to the head when he allowed a ball to bounce over him and towards the goal and then slipped as he went to clear it, but when Kanu pulled the ball across the box there was nobody there to put it in the net.
Portsmouth were getting caught on the break as they pushed forward and Dyer had a chance to seal the game for Swansea, only to be denied by the feet of James. Konstantopoulos then pulled off excellent saves from Pennant and Younes Kaboul as the home side responded, while another Crouch header came off the crossbar. At the other end, Gomez should have scored in the closing minutes when, with all the time in the world and a yawning net, he shot at James’s feet. Had Redknapp still been at Portsmouth, he might have remarked that it was the type of chance his missus wouldn’t have missed. But Redknapp is no longer here. And how Pompey are suffering.
PORTSMOUTH: James 6, Cranie 5, Campbell 5, Distin 5, Belhadj 5, Nugent 5 (Kanu h-t, 5), Davis 5, Hughes 4 (Kaboul 84min), Traore 4 (Hreidarsson h-t, 5), Pennant 6, Crouch 6
SWANSEA: Konstantopoulos 8, Rangel 7, Monk 7, Williams 7, Tate 8, Britton 8, Pratley 8, Allen 7 (Pintado 61min), Gomez 8, Scotland 8, Dyer 7 (Gower 79min)
Welsh pain for Adams
The FA Cup defeat by Swansea City at Fratton Park was arguably the most embarrassing moment of Tony Adams’s short managerial career but it is not the first time he has experienced heartbreak against a Welsh club. Portsmouth manager Adams, who lifted the trophy three times as a player, was a member of the league title-winning Arsenal team who threw away the lead to lose 2-1 at Wrexham, who had finished bottom of the Football League the previous season, in the third round in 1992. Adams was at fault for Wrexham’s winner, scored by Steve Watkin
Source: timesonline.co.uk
Afterwards, Adams put on a brave face but Pompey were so ordinary that at times they made the opposition in the all- white strip look like Real Madrid rather than the representatives of Wales’ second biggest city. The continental ethos instilled in the side by Swansea’s Spanish manager, Roberto Martinez, and the presence of gifted players such as Jordi Gomez also have something to do with that.However, the man who twisted the knife in Portsmouth was a local boy, Nathan Dyer. Not only is Dyer on loan at Swansea from Southampton, he was also given a community service order after a burglary at a Portsmouth nightclub last July.
Hardly a surprise, then, that Dyer was booed, at least until the point where he scored the opener for Swansea in the 26th minute. When Jason Scotland scored a second goal on half- time from the penalty spot, even then it looked as if there was no way back for Portsmouth and so it proved.
This is only the third time in 40 years that Swansea have reached the fifth round but on this type of form who’s to say that they can’t emulate the achievement of their fiercest rivals, Cardiff City, who reached the final last year?
“We’ve been working hard to try to keep the ball and dictate things in the Championship,” Martinez said. “In that respect I didn’t think we were 10 out of 10 today. There is still room for improvement.”
Martinez had raised some eyebrows by dropping goalkeeper Dorus DeVries to the bench and replacing him with Demitrios Konstantopoulos, a 30-year-old Greek on loan from Coventry whose saves in the
second half proved crucial.
Portsmouth gave a debut to their loan signing, Jermaine Pennant, the Liverpool winger who looked dangerous early on, but nearly all the good play was coming from Swansea, 11 games unbeaten going into this game. Their previous FA Cup tie in these parts resulted in defeat last season to Havant and Waterlooville, but that clearly wasn’t weighing on their shoulders as they took the game to their hosts. David James saved from Gomez and Dyer before Swansea took the lead.
Coming deep, Scotland received the ball on the halfway line by the left touchline and, with Sol Campbell out of position, played a deliciously flighted ball over the top of the
Portsmouth defence. Dyer controlled perfectly and with his next touch smashed the ball past James.
Crouch should have equalised five minutes later when he sidefooted Armand Traore’s cross goalward from inside the six-yard box but he didn’t get enough pace on the ball to beat Konstantopoulus. Still Swansea continued to play all the football, with Leon Britton running everything from the midfield, and Darren Pratley, Angel Rangel and Gomez also comfortable in possession. On the stroke of half-time they scored a second after Gomez made a scorching run down the right and was brought down inside the penalty area by Nadir Belhadj. Scotland sent James the wrong way with the penalty kick to register his 42nd goal in 72 starts. The half-time whistle sounded with Swansea’s supporters going crazy.
The home support were cheered to see the arrival of Kanu for David Nugent after the break, while Traore made way for Hermann Hreidarsson. With his ability to create space where none seems to exist, the Nigerian forward made an instant difference and for much of the second half Portsmouth looked as though they could get back into the game. This was the time for Konstantopoulos to come into his own.
From Pennant’s cross, Crouch produced a header that forced Konstantopoulos to make an excellent diving save. Belhadj then produced a great cross from the left that Crouch missed.
Konstantopoulos enjoyed his finest moment when he dived low to his right to keep out a shot from Sean Davis that Pompey fans thought had got them back in the match.
The goalkeeper suffered a rush of blood to the head when he allowed a ball to bounce over him and towards the goal and then slipped as he went to clear it, but when Kanu pulled the ball across the box there was nobody there to put it in the net.
Portsmouth were getting caught on the break as they pushed forward and Dyer had a chance to seal the game for Swansea, only to be denied by the feet of James. Konstantopoulos then pulled off excellent saves from Pennant and Younes Kaboul as the home side responded, while another Crouch header came off the crossbar. At the other end, Gomez should have scored in the closing minutes when, with all the time in the world and a yawning net, he shot at James’s feet. Had Redknapp still been at Portsmouth, he might have remarked that it was the type of chance his missus wouldn’t have missed. But Redknapp is no longer here. And how Pompey are suffering.
PORTSMOUTH: James 6, Cranie 5, Campbell 5, Distin 5, Belhadj 5, Nugent 5 (Kanu h-t, 5), Davis 5, Hughes 4 (Kaboul 84min), Traore 4 (Hreidarsson h-t, 5), Pennant 6, Crouch 6
SWANSEA: Konstantopoulos 8, Rangel 7, Monk 7, Williams 7, Tate 8, Britton 8, Pratley 8, Allen 7 (Pintado 61min), Gomez 8, Scotland 8, Dyer 7 (Gower 79min)
Welsh pain for Adams
The FA Cup defeat by Swansea City at Fratton Park was arguably the most embarrassing moment of Tony Adams’s short managerial career but it is not the first time he has experienced heartbreak against a Welsh club. Portsmouth manager Adams, who lifted the trophy three times as a player, was a member of the league title-winning Arsenal team who threw away the lead to lose 2-1 at Wrexham, who had finished bottom of the Football League the previous season, in the third round in 1992. Adams was at fault for Wrexham’s winner, scored by Steve Watkin
Source: timesonline.co.uk
Friday, January 23, 2009
Klitschko’s WBC title Defense Set for Stuttgart
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)—Vitaly Klitschko’s mandatory WBC heavyweight title defense against Juan Carlos Gomez of Cuba on March 21 will be held in Stuttgart.The Ukrainian had been hoping to fight David Haye in June in London, but will instead take on the No. 1-ranked challenger by the WBC.
Klitschko’s management announced Tuesday that the fight will take place in Hanns-Martin-Schleyer hall in the southern German city.
Gomez, a former cruiserweight champion, has lost only one of 46 fights. Klitschko has a 36-2 record, making a comeback out of an injury-induced retirement to beat Samuel Peter in October.
Oosthuizen Takes Charge in Qatar
South African Louis Oosthuizen took control of the Qatar Masters after shooting a seven-under-par 65 in his second round to take a three-shot lead.The 26-year-old, who finished second in last week's Abu Dhabi Championship, moved to 12 under.
Overnight joint-leader Andrew Coltart is second, one shot ahead of Alvaro Quiros and Brett Rumford.
At the other end, Darren Clarke, Justin Rose, Colin Montgomerie and Abu Dhabi champion Paul Casey all missed the cut.
It was Coltart who made the early running on day two, opening up a one-stroke lead at the midway point of the second round.
The Scot capitalised on good weather to shoot a round of 69 that included four birdies.
Portugal Masters champion Quiros leapt up the leaderboard courtesy of a five-under 67 which ended with a hat-trick of birdies.
Rumford, who began the day in a tie for second, carded a respectable 69 to go with his five-under first round to join Quiros.
However, the day belonged firmly to Oosthuizen, who recorded a bogey-free round with birdies on the 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th and 16th.
Casey missed the cut, which came at level par, after scores of 76 and 69 saw him experience a drastic reversal of fortune from his victory in Abu Dhabi.
Clarke, Montgomerie and Rose all ended with combined two-round scores of 146 to end two over and will not compete over the weekend.
"I would have definitely taken a three-shot lead after the second round. I am playing well and I am very happy," said Oosthuizen.
Rusedski Plans Surprise Comeback
By Jonathan Overend Former British number one Greg Rusedski is planning a comeback at the age of 35 after almost two years in retirement.
Rusedski is believed to be asking for wildcards into several ATP tournaments next month to get back into contention.
But he will not be considered for Britain's Davis Cup team for their next match against Ukraine in March.
"We talked about it and I thought about it and I called him up the next day and told him this was not the right time," GB captain John Lloyd told BBC Sport.
"I thanked him for desperately wanting to do it but I felt it was the time to move on with younger players."
Since retiring from tennis in April 2007, Rusedski has taken up a role at the Lawn Tennis Association to help identify and develop talented youngsters.
The Canadian-born former US Open finalist had dismissed rumours of a Davis Cup comeback in September.
But while Rusedski is said to be disappointed over his snub, Lloyd offered the big-serving left-hander encouraging signs for future Davis Cup matches.
"If he was still willing to play tournaments and play enough matches then maybe we could talk again," said Lloyd.
"You know what you're going to get with Greg, someone who's going to fight 110% for every point."
Rusedski's return is totally on tournaments giving him wild cards and the likelihood is that he will swiftly abandon comeback plans if his requests are turned down.
Meanwhile, Lloyd has discarded Alex Bogdanovic for the match against Ukraine in Glasgow.
Lloyd has lost patience with the 24-year-old, who has not won a meaningful Davis Cup singles match in six attempts.
"I believe that Alex has had a lot of opportunities and he hasn't been successful," said Lloyd.
"It's time to move on and give other people a chance."
Lloyd will instead hold a play-off for the other singles places on his team between Josh Goodall, James Ward, Alex Slabinsky, Jamie Baker, Dan Evans and Colin Fleming.
Jamie Murray's place in the team is far from secure as he struggles to find his form in doubles.
Lloyd will pick only one doubles specialist and Murray faces strong competition from Ross Hutchins for that place.
"It's going to come down to results and at the moment Ross Hutchins is the form player," said Lloyd.
"I hope that Jamie gets himself sharp and wins matches because it's going to come down to that."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Tennis - Aussie Open Photos
Vera Zvonareva looks in top form as she beats Italy's Sara Errani in straight sets to set up a meeting with fellow Russian Petrova
Third seed Dinara Safina plays her best tennis of the tournament so far to dispatch a disappointing Kaia Kanepi 6-2 6-2
Del Potro fights back against Muller, hitting some fine groundstrokes and booming serves en route to a 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 7-5 victory
Nadia Petrova, the 10th seed, becomes the first woman to reach the last 16 when her opponent Galina Voskoboeva retires hurt
A lone guitarist welcomes the crowds into Melbourne Park as day five of the Australian Open gets under way amid glorious sunshine
But lucky loser Delic, a Bosnian-borm America, rallies to stun the world number three by taking the second set and levelling at 1-1
Defending champions Novak Djokovic looks set for a comfortable passage to round four after easing to the first set against Amer Delic
Del Potro fights back against Muller, hitting some fine groundstrokes and booming serves en route to a 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 7-5 victory
British number one Anne Keothavong and her partner Mervana Jugic-Salkic are knocked out by Maria Kirilenko and Flavia Pennetta
Fernando Verdasco relaxes with some penguins on the rest day ahead of his third-round match match against Radek StepanekWhy Is Football Poor In Land Of Riches?
By Chris Whyatt
The rollercoaster saga that saw AC Milan's Brazilian attacking genius Kaka eventually reject a world-record move to Manchester City might have broken the will of some individuals.
But probably not City's wealthy Arab owners, who are determined to set the Manchester club on the road to unparalleled success.
The Al Nahyans of Abu Dhabi bought the Blues in September for £200m - small change for the former tribal clan estimated to be worth £15 billion - and are now happily endowing them with an almost limitless, unprecedented budget for this January's transfer window.
But with 'fantasy football' riches being lavished on the game abroad, should the all-powerful Sheikhs not be looking closer to home? BBC Sport investigates the state of football in the United Arab Emirates.
Virtually brand new. Football, though hugely popular with locals, did not have a fully-recognised professional league until the UFL (UAE Football League) started in September.
It was set up after a firm nudge from the Asian Football Confederation, whose Premier League-loving president Mohammed Bin Hamman has demanded that all leagues must implement a commercially-driven professional management system to ensure they are self-sufficient.
Romy Gai, who spent 14 years as marketing director of Italian giants Juventus, has been handed the job of leading the UFL to the promised land of professionalism in his role as UFL chief executive.
"I was surprised at the lack of organisation," Gai told BBC Sport.
"But I saw how enthusiastic they are about this new era, how they are proud to be part of this new professional league and how much they want to know and learn.
"Having the chance to work and build up a league is unusual in the modern football world."
Despite the professional league's late arrival, a relatively deep heritage exists among its clubs.
Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - who also holds a 16.3% in Britain's second biggest bank, Barclays - is president at Abu Dhabi glamour club Al Jazira.
Their rivalries with neighbouring clubs from the capital such as Al Wadha, and sides from Dubai like Al Wasl and Al Ahli, along with Al Ain - the only UAE side to win the AFC Champions League title - have provided a growing level of competitiveness.
"Beforehand, it was slightly unprofessional and slightly sporadic," says Duncan Revie, whose famous late father Don left the England job to coach the UAE. "They are going to get it organised now."
More than £110m in total has been raised through sponsorship and TV rights.
"Previously it was zero. So this is good," says Gai.
Beyond the title sponsor, the UFL is also close to securing deals for extra partners and two suppliers.
And there will now - crucially - be an active central source from which money is distributed.
"This means we have the possibility to raise more money on behalf of the clubs and be able to give it them back," Gai enthuses.
"The clubs will now have much more money to invest, resulting in a better quality of football, which will mean more revenues."
"The UAE has good facilities; stadiums, coaches, and the rest. But what is missing? The main factors is players," AFC president Bin Hamman, the most powerful man in football on the world's most populated continent, told BBC Sport.
Bin Hamman questions the "mindset" of players in a country where football as a vocation can sometimes come second to other priorities.
"They eat when they want, drink when they want, sleep when they want," he says. "But this mindset will change."
The highest-profile UFL player is Brazil international Rafael Sobis, who in September joined Al Jazira in a five-year deal worth nearly £15m from Spanish side Real Betis, where he scored eight goals in 57 appearances.
Other big names include Chilean international midfielder Jorge Valdivia, who plays for Al Ain after a £7m move from Brazilian giants Palmeiras.
Ultimately the UFL hopes to be able to lure the type of players that another Gulf state, gas-rich Qatar, was able to a do few years ago when Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta, France World Cup winner Marcel Desailly and the Dutch De Boer twins headed to the Middle East.
"We don't want it to start big and then shrink," stresses Bin Hamman.
Revie warns the UAE should not throw money into trying to develop the league until there is a concrete plan.
"Until somebody sits down and says 'here's the 10-year plan, this is how the professional league will look in 2020', they are not going to progress quickly," he insists.
Striker Ismail Mattar, a national hero who plays for Abu Dhabi club Al Wadha, is the UAE's biggest star.
Voted player of the tournament at the 2003 World Youth Championship, he slipped back into the shadows for a few years, before leading the country to its first trophy - the 2007 Gulf Cup, scoring five goals in five games and picking up both the best player and top scorer trophies.
Brazilian side Vasco da Gama were rumoured to be interested in Mattar, but players moving clubs is almost unheard of: the all-powerful owners have, traditionally, been unwilling to let them go.
"We have some players with the quality to play in Europe," Al Jazira coach Ayed Al Hajeri, who works under Brazilian manager Adel Braga, told BBC Sport.
"But people in charge of the clubs don't understand, and are afraid to let them go. They are focused only on the club and fear they will miss a good player.
"It's good to give them the chance. They will come back with a lot of experience which will help the national team."
Yet many believe that with new rules allowing greater freedom of movement - Saif Mohammed's £1.8m September transfer to Al Ain from Al Shaab being seen as a landmark deal - a corner has been turned.
"Everything will change soon, they will be allowed to leave. It will help, even if it is to Qatari or Saudi leagues," insists Bin Hamman.
"It just needs one tiny breakthrough," adds Revie, who established his well-known Soccerex football business conference company in Dubai.
"They really do have very good players, but, at present, they don't have the tenacity or the will to win."
The UAE's population is a rare beast: Emirati's football-mad nationals make up only a tiny, ever-dwindling percentage while the biggest majority are from the Indian subcontinent.
"Most people who live in this country don't love football, but the UAE FA, and the clubs, are working very hard on this" says Al Jazira coach Al Hajeri.
The level of attendance (and manic, obsessive atmosphere) at high-profile cricket events which take place in the emirates of Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi tells its own story.
"I think the biggest challenge they face will be to get people to come and pay money through the gate to watch the games," says Revie.
Hordes of western expatriate communities, meanwhile, are busy watching the Premier League in bustling bars across the nation's cities.
Revie is adamant that football will grow because of the new generation of younger Sheikhs who are gradually being given more power in a country which is working hard to implement democratic processes.
"They have everything else, but they haven't got football," he said.
"They are now waking up to that and the investment in Man City, and probably other clubs, will help bring that along.
"The two sons of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum [Ruler of Dubai and UAE prime minister], Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Rashid, are absolutely mad keen: not only as fans, but also as players.
"The younger generation has a mad passion for it, unlike the older generation who are still into their horse racing, powerboating, and golf.
"Having said that, I know that Sheikh Mohammed's sons are Man United fans, and I don't think they are for sale are they?!"
For the past five years Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been embarking upon what represents probably the biggest marketing drive in the world.
Sport has played a large part, with huge golf and rugby sevens tournaments taking place there and a new Formula One circuit set to be used as the climax to the 2009 season.
Creating a decent football league, along with prolifically spending millions on footballers to fire Manchester City into the big time, is a continuation of that.
"They will be doing this for a reason, whether it's a combination of PR and diversification into football," says Revie."
"They have become aware that football is the biggest and greatest game in the world.
"It wouldn't surprise me if they've got their eyes on pitching for a World Cup in the future."
Greater exposure for the UAE national team on a global scale will have to wait: adding to their one solitary World Cup appearance (1990) is unlikely at South Africa 2010, as they currently sit bottom of their Asian qualifying group.
But, crucially, its footballers are now playing in a domestic league which is far stronger than it had ever been before and a select few could make pioneering moves abroad.
Al Hajeri, a proud UAE national himself, insists the demand is there.
"Everybody here watches the Spanish league, Serie A and the Premier League," he says.
"But they also want a good quality of football here in our own country."
"And [the City deal] will help: we can make agreements for them to come and play here and maybe even send some of our players to train with their youth set-up, which I know is the best in England."
The key question, however, is one that is relevant in both the case of the nation's new professional football league and Abu Dhabi's cash-fuelled acquisition and management of Manchester City.
Are they in for the long haul?
"Maybe [the purchase of Manchester City] will help with the image of the country?" speculated AFC boss Bin Hamman, when asked about its impact by BBC Sport in October.
The sceptics who mention the 'silly' money they are throwing at the game might argue otherwise and perhaps, in that, there are lessons to be learnt.
Unless Robinho, Bellamy and co lead City into the Champions League as Premier League champions in 2014 before moving to play in the UFL to help develop it for their Arab friends.
The rollercoaster saga that saw AC Milan's Brazilian attacking genius Kaka eventually reject a world-record move to Manchester City might have broken the will of some individuals.
But probably not City's wealthy Arab owners, who are determined to set the Manchester club on the road to unparalleled success.The Al Nahyans of Abu Dhabi bought the Blues in September for £200m - small change for the former tribal clan estimated to be worth £15 billion - and are now happily endowing them with an almost limitless, unprecedented budget for this January's transfer window.
But with 'fantasy football' riches being lavished on the game abroad, should the all-powerful Sheikhs not be looking closer to home? BBC Sport investigates the state of football in the United Arab Emirates.
What Is The Uae's Own Professional League Like?
Virtually brand new. Football, though hugely popular with locals, did not have a fully-recognised professional league until the UFL (UAE Football League) started in September.
It was set up after a firm nudge from the Asian Football Confederation, whose Premier League-loving president Mohammed Bin Hamman has demanded that all leagues must implement a commercially-driven professional management system to ensure they are self-sufficient.
FIFA NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS
- 108th - Georgia
- 109th - Guatemala
- 110th - United Arab Emirates
- 111th - El Salvador
- 112th - Montenegro
- 109th - Guatemala
- 110th - United Arab Emirates
- 111th - El Salvador
- 112th - Montenegro
Romy Gai, who spent 14 years as marketing director of Italian giants Juventus, has been handed the job of leading the UFL to the promised land of professionalism in his role as UFL chief executive.
"I was surprised at the lack of organisation," Gai told BBC Sport.
"But I saw how enthusiastic they are about this new era, how they are proud to be part of this new professional league and how much they want to know and learn.
"Having the chance to work and build up a league is unusual in the modern football world."
Despite the professional league's late arrival, a relatively deep heritage exists among its clubs.
Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - who also holds a 16.3% in Britain's second biggest bank, Barclays - is president at Abu Dhabi glamour club Al Jazira.
Their rivalries with neighbouring clubs from the capital such as Al Wadha, and sides from Dubai like Al Wasl and Al Ahli, along with Al Ain - the only UAE side to win the AFC Champions League title - have provided a growing level of competitiveness.
"Beforehand, it was slightly unprofessional and slightly sporadic," says Duncan Revie, whose famous late father Don left the England job to coach the UAE. "They are going to get it organised now."
What Kind Of Money Is Being Invested Into The Domestic Game?
More than £110m in total has been raised through sponsorship and TV rights.
"Previously it was zero. So this is good," says Gai.
Beyond the title sponsor, the UFL is also close to securing deals for extra partners and two suppliers.
And there will now - crucially - be an active central source from which money is distributed.
"This means we have the possibility to raise more money on behalf of the clubs and be able to give it them back," Gai enthuses.
"The clubs will now have much more money to invest, resulting in a better quality of football, which will mean more revenues."
What Standard Of Footballers Play In The UFL?
"The UAE has good facilities; stadiums, coaches, and the rest. But what is missing? The main factors is players," AFC president Bin Hamman, the most powerful man in football on the world's most populated continent, told BBC Sport.
Bin Hamman questions the "mindset" of players in a country where football as a vocation can sometimes come second to other priorities.
"They eat when they want, drink when they want, sleep when they want," he says. "But this mindset will change."
The highest-profile UFL player is Brazil international Rafael Sobis, who in September joined Al Jazira in a five-year deal worth nearly £15m from Spanish side Real Betis, where he scored eight goals in 57 appearances.
Other big names include Chilean international midfielder Jorge Valdivia, who plays for Al Ain after a £7m move from Brazilian giants Palmeiras.
Ultimately the UFL hopes to be able to lure the type of players that another Gulf state, gas-rich Qatar, was able to a do few years ago when Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta, France World Cup winner Marcel Desailly and the Dutch De Boer twins headed to the Middle East.
"We don't want it to start big and then shrink," stresses Bin Hamman.
Revie warns the UAE should not throw money into trying to develop the league until there is a concrete plan.
"Until somebody sits down and says 'here's the 10-year plan, this is how the professional league will look in 2020', they are not going to progress quickly," he insists.
Have Any Uae National Team Players Made It Big?
Striker Ismail Mattar, a national hero who plays for Abu Dhabi club Al Wadha, is the UAE's biggest star.
Voted player of the tournament at the 2003 World Youth Championship, he slipped back into the shadows for a few years, before leading the country to its first trophy - the 2007 Gulf Cup, scoring five goals in five games and picking up both the best player and top scorer trophies.Brazilian side Vasco da Gama were rumoured to be interested in Mattar, but players moving clubs is almost unheard of: the all-powerful owners have, traditionally, been unwilling to let them go.
"We have some players with the quality to play in Europe," Al Jazira coach Ayed Al Hajeri, who works under Brazilian manager Adel Braga, told BBC Sport.
"But people in charge of the clubs don't understand, and are afraid to let them go. They are focused only on the club and fear they will miss a good player.
"It's good to give them the chance. They will come back with a lot of experience which will help the national team."
Yet many believe that with new rules allowing greater freedom of movement - Saif Mohammed's £1.8m September transfer to Al Ain from Al Shaab being seen as a landmark deal - a corner has been turned.
"Everything will change soon, they will be allowed to leave. It will help, even if it is to Qatari or Saudi leagues," insists Bin Hamman.
"It just needs one tiny breakthrough," adds Revie, who established his well-known Soccerex football business conference company in Dubai.
"They really do have very good players, but, at present, they don't have the tenacity or the will to win."
Players Aside, What Other Challenges Does The Ufl Face?
The UAE's population is a rare beast: Emirati's football-mad nationals make up only a tiny, ever-dwindling percentage while the biggest majority are from the Indian subcontinent.
"Most people who live in this country don't love football, but the UAE FA, and the clubs, are working very hard on this" says Al Jazira coach Al Hajeri.The level of attendance (and manic, obsessive atmosphere) at high-profile cricket events which take place in the emirates of Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi tells its own story.
"I think the biggest challenge they face will be to get people to come and pay money through the gate to watch the games," says Revie.
Hordes of western expatriate communities, meanwhile, are busy watching the Premier League in bustling bars across the nation's cities.
Revie is adamant that football will grow because of the new generation of younger Sheikhs who are gradually being given more power in a country which is working hard to implement democratic processes.
"They have everything else, but they haven't got football," he said.
"They are now waking up to that and the investment in Man City, and probably other clubs, will help bring that along.
"The two sons of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum [Ruler of Dubai and UAE prime minister], Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Rashid, are absolutely mad keen: not only as fans, but also as players.
"The younger generation has a mad passion for it, unlike the older generation who are still into their horse racing, powerboating, and golf.
"Having said that, I know that Sheikh Mohammed's sons are Man United fans, and I don't think they are for sale are they?!"
How Strong Is The Uae's Sporting Infrastructure?
For the past five years Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been embarking upon what represents probably the biggest marketing drive in the world.
Sport has played a large part, with huge golf and rugby sevens tournaments taking place there and a new Formula One circuit set to be used as the climax to the 2009 season.
Creating a decent football league, along with prolifically spending millions on footballers to fire Manchester City into the big time, is a continuation of that.
"They will be doing this for a reason, whether it's a combination of PR and diversification into football," says Revie."
"They have become aware that football is the biggest and greatest game in the world.
"It wouldn't surprise me if they've got their eyes on pitching for a World Cup in the future."
What Does The Future Hold?
Greater exposure for the UAE national team on a global scale will have to wait: adding to their one solitary World Cup appearance (1990) is unlikely at South Africa 2010, as they currently sit bottom of their Asian qualifying group.
But, crucially, its footballers are now playing in a domestic league which is far stronger than it had ever been before and a select few could make pioneering moves abroad.Al Hajeri, a proud UAE national himself, insists the demand is there.
"Everybody here watches the Spanish league, Serie A and the Premier League," he says.
"But they also want a good quality of football here in our own country."
"And [the City deal] will help: we can make agreements for them to come and play here and maybe even send some of our players to train with their youth set-up, which I know is the best in England."
The key question, however, is one that is relevant in both the case of the nation's new professional football league and Abu Dhabi's cash-fuelled acquisition and management of Manchester City.
Are they in for the long haul?
"Maybe [the purchase of Manchester City] will help with the image of the country?" speculated AFC boss Bin Hamman, when asked about its impact by BBC Sport in October.
The sceptics who mention the 'silly' money they are throwing at the game might argue otherwise and perhaps, in that, there are lessons to be learnt.
Unless Robinho, Bellamy and co lead City into the Champions League as Premier League champions in 2014 before moving to play in the UFL to help develop it for their Arab friends.
England Stars Clear For IPL Deals
England stars are set to play in the Indian Premier League after the England and Wales Cricket Board agreed to release them for three weeks.
The move has prompted members of the squad to sign central contracts, which were first offered last September.
"They have been signed by the players and we are waiting on the IPL to come back with confirmation," said England all-rounder Paul Collingwood.
It is thought up to six England players could be involved in the IPL in April.
Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are sure to be two of the hottest properties at the player auction on 6 February.
"Flintoff and Pietersen are very big names in India and certainly Pietersen enhanced his reputation there when he took the team back after the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
"Estimates suggest they could earn as much as $1m and there are add-on benefits like adverts," said BBC sports editor Mihir Bose.
The ECB had previously insisted it would only release England players for a two-week window, which Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi said was unacceptable.
A compromise now seems to have been reached, with players likely to be selected in England's squad for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord's starting on 6 May allowed to play in the IPL for up to 21 days.
The ECB will also ensure that its Test players are available for a three-week period in 2010.
"Their participation has to be for two years," Modi told BBC Sport.
"A particular franchise has a limit of international players in their squad. If they use an English player for this year, and he doesn't play next year, they will be wasting that space."
Any England players signed for the IPL but deemed unlikely to make the Test squad by the ECB would be available for up to 28 days.
The initial list of players for the next IPL auction will be published on Friday, with 27 January the closing date for additions.
All-rounder Samit Patel could fall into the second group, having already attracted interest from the Delhi Daredevils franchise, and he has already been told by his county side, Nottinghamshire, that he can take up an IPL contract.
Patel told BBC Radio 5 Live he would not turn down the chance to play.
"I think it's a great opportunity to play against the world's best players. It's all about taking the opportunities and making sure England do well in the Twenty20 World Cup," he said.
Despite some of the England squad potentially missing out on competing in the IPL, Patel added: "We've got a great bunch, there won't be a split."
The second IPL season gets underway on 10 April, just seven days after England complete their current tour to the West Indies.
A return home series against the same opponents starts at Lord's on 6 May, which means England Test players competing in the IPL would arrive home just five days beforehand.
Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, told BBC Five Live that Test cricket remained the "pinnacle" for the England players.
"It's reasonably tight, but with the way the international schedule is these days, you're on a treadmill all the time.
"I think it fits well with [captain] Andrew Strauss's style - players have a personal responsibility, so they've got to come back raring to go."
But Morris added: "It was a question of there being lots of benefits to playing in the IPL against the best players in the world, so there was a question of how could we make it possible for them to take advantage of this.
"Everyone has had to be a bit flexible, so I'm delighted ECB have been and the players can participate as a result."
Pietersen and Flintoff are coveted by IPL franchises
The IPL was launched last year after the eight team franchises were sold for ?368m and TV rights packages for ?500m.
The player auction followed and the two biggest deals saw India captain Mahendra Dhoni signed by the Chennai Super Kings for ?770,000 ($1.5m), and Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds join the Hyderabad-based Deccan Chargers for ?694,000 ($1.35m).
The inaugural title was won, however, by Rajasthan Royals, captained by former Australia spin bowler Shane Warne.
"You can't get away from the fact that it's a big earner for the boys if you get a good deal, but there are other benefits," Collingwood told BBC Five Live.
"We've got a Twenty20 World Cup coming up in the summer and as international cricketers we haven't played too much Twenty20 cricket, so the more information we can gather, the more confidence we can gain from playing in these kind of tournaments [the better]."
One potential problem, however, concerns the participation of Indian players in the inaugural English Premier League (EPL) in 2010.
"There is a clause which the ECB has put as part of the players' contract, that's what I have been given to understand," said Modi.
"If an English player signs with a particular IPL franchise, the Indian players of that franchise must be made available to the EPL structure.
"I don't think our franchises can agree or deliver that. I don't think the IPL is going to be able to agree a quid pro quo agreement - that's not going to happen."
The move has prompted members of the squad to sign central contracts, which were first offered last September.
"They have been signed by the players and we are waiting on the IPL to come back with confirmation," said England all-rounder Paul Collingwood.
It is thought up to six England players could be involved in the IPL in April.
Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are sure to be two of the hottest properties at the player auction on 6 February.
"Flintoff and Pietersen are very big names in India and certainly Pietersen enhanced his reputation there when he took the team back after the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
"Estimates suggest they could earn as much as $1m and there are add-on benefits like adverts," said BBC sports editor Mihir Bose.
The ECB had previously insisted it would only release England players for a two-week window, which Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi said was unacceptable.
A compromise now seems to have been reached, with players likely to be selected in England's squad for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord's starting on 6 May allowed to play in the IPL for up to 21 days.
The ECB will also ensure that its Test players are available for a three-week period in 2010.
"Their participation has to be for two years," Modi told BBC Sport.
"A particular franchise has a limit of international players in their squad. If they use an English player for this year, and he doesn't play next year, they will be wasting that space."
Any England players signed for the IPL but deemed unlikely to make the Test squad by the ECB would be available for up to 28 days.
The initial list of players for the next IPL auction will be published on Friday, with 27 January the closing date for additions.
All-rounder Samit Patel could fall into the second group, having already attracted interest from the Delhi Daredevils franchise, and he has already been told by his county side, Nottinghamshire, that he can take up an IPL contract.
Patel told BBC Radio 5 Live he would not turn down the chance to play.
"I think it's a great opportunity to play against the world's best players. It's all about taking the opportunities and making sure England do well in the Twenty20 World Cup," he said.
Despite some of the England squad potentially missing out on competing in the IPL, Patel added: "We've got a great bunch, there won't be a split."
The second IPL season gets underway on 10 April, just seven days after England complete their current tour to the West Indies.
- ENGLAND CENTRAL CONTRACTS
- James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Stephen Harmison, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan
- Matt Prior, Tim Ambrose, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann and Luke Wright have "incremental deals"
Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, told BBC Five Live that Test cricket remained the "pinnacle" for the England players.
"It's reasonably tight, but with the way the international schedule is these days, you're on a treadmill all the time.
"I think it fits well with [captain] Andrew Strauss's style - players have a personal responsibility, so they've got to come back raring to go."
But Morris added: "It was a question of there being lots of benefits to playing in the IPL against the best players in the world, so there was a question of how could we make it possible for them to take advantage of this.
"Everyone has had to be a bit flexible, so I'm delighted ECB have been and the players can participate as a result."
Pietersen and Flintoff are coveted by IPL franchisesThe IPL was launched last year after the eight team franchises were sold for ?368m and TV rights packages for ?500m.
The player auction followed and the two biggest deals saw India captain Mahendra Dhoni signed by the Chennai Super Kings for ?770,000 ($1.5m), and Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds join the Hyderabad-based Deccan Chargers for ?694,000 ($1.35m).
The inaugural title was won, however, by Rajasthan Royals, captained by former Australia spin bowler Shane Warne.
"You can't get away from the fact that it's a big earner for the boys if you get a good deal, but there are other benefits," Collingwood told BBC Five Live.
"We've got a Twenty20 World Cup coming up in the summer and as international cricketers we haven't played too much Twenty20 cricket, so the more information we can gather, the more confidence we can gain from playing in these kind of tournaments [the better]."
One potential problem, however, concerns the participation of Indian players in the inaugural English Premier League (EPL) in 2010.
"There is a clause which the ECB has put as part of the players' contract, that's what I have been given to understand," said Modi.
"If an English player signs with a particular IPL franchise, the Indian players of that franchise must be made available to the EPL structure.
"I don't think our franchises can agree or deliver that. I don't think the IPL is going to be able to agree a quid pro quo agreement - that's not going to happen."
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Reebok, NHL Debut New Referee And Linesmen Jerseys For Historic NHL All-Star Game
Canton, MA / New York, NY – Reebok and the National Hockey League (NHL) are proud to announce the debut of new NHL All-Star jerseys for referees and linesmen for this year's historic NHL All-Star Game, which will be held in Montreal, on Jan. 25. The jerseys -- 18 percent lighter in weight than current officials' uniforms -- are customized to fit the specific needs of officials, providing increased range of motion and better moisture management.
In addition to the introduction of new officials jerseys, the jerseys that will be worn by the Eastern and Western Conference NHL All-Stars will include Reebok's patent-pending Smoothfit™ performance name and numbering technology, which allows players to move more efficiently on the ice and will contribute to improved moisture management. The Smoothfit™ performance name and numbering technology eliminates up to 35 percent of the weight inherent to the traditional name and numbering system, which in many cases, includes multiple layers of twill.
Features on the officials' uniforms include stretch mesh in the underarm and back of the jerseys, a zipper-less neckline, numbers on the back and sleeve and an enhanced Referee arm bar design to allow for greater on-ice visibility. The uniform also features a microphone channel that allows the officials to maneuver seamlessly across the ice with their microphones securely fastened to them.
The players' uniforms pay tribute to the history of the game through use of color and symbolic references. The Montreal Canadiens' red, white and blue color scheme is present in both the East and West uniforms and celebrates the organization's 100th anniversary. Additionally, the three stars etched on the players' sleeves commemorate the three most-recent NHL All-Star games held in Montreal. The jerseys also were constructed with the latest in performance fabrics currently used in the Reebok EDGE Uniform System. These fabrics have been strategically placed or "mapped" throughout the uniform to maximize the athletes' performances.
"Aesthetically, the design of the 2009 NHL All-Star Eastern and Western Conference uniforms is a deliberate break from traditional hockey uniform patterning and symbolizes the revolutionary advances the sport has made in both technology and popularity," said Keith Leach, Director of NHL Merchandising, Reebok. "The asymmetric cut lines are meant to create visual motion in the uniform, which is both a literal reference to the speed of the game and symbolic reference to its evolution into the future. The officials' jerseys will enhance the way the referees and linesmen follow the action on the ice without fear that their microphones will become entangled."
"Over a year ago, the NHL and our on-ice officials began collaborating with Reebok to refresh and modernize the officials' uniforms. The results are uniforms that incorporate the latest in technology to offer a lighter, more comfortable fit," said Stephen Walkom, NHL Senior Vice President & Director of Officiating. "We appreciate the time and effort that Reebok put into making this sweater a reality and look forward to their debut at this year's NHL All-Star game."
The Eastern and Western Conference NHL All-Star jerseys currently are available at the Reebok store in Montreal, which has been turned into the city's NHL merchandise headquarters for this year's NHL All-Star game, and NHL Powered By Reebok in New York, as well as on Reebok.com and Shop.NHL.com.
The 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend will be held in Montreal from Jan. 24-25, with live national broadcasts of the Honda/NHL SuperSkills® event on Saturday, Jan. 24, and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 25, on CBC and RDS in Canada and VERSUS in the United States. NASN, ASN, J Sports, Sky Mexico, Fox Sports Australia and other NHL international broadcast partners will provide live coverage of both the Honda/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 150 countries and territories in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific Rim, Mexico and the Caribbean. NHL Radio™ will provide exclusive, national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on Sirius XM Radio's NHL Home Ice, located at XM channel 204 and on SIRIUS channel 208 with the "Best of XM" programming package. NHL.com and NHL Network™ will provide extensive coverage of the All-Star Weekend.
In addition to the introduction of new officials jerseys, the jerseys that will be worn by the Eastern and Western Conference NHL All-Stars will include Reebok's patent-pending Smoothfit™ performance name and numbering technology, which allows players to move more efficiently on the ice and will contribute to improved moisture management. The Smoothfit™ performance name and numbering technology eliminates up to 35 percent of the weight inherent to the traditional name and numbering system, which in many cases, includes multiple layers of twill.
Features on the officials' uniforms include stretch mesh in the underarm and back of the jerseys, a zipper-less neckline, numbers on the back and sleeve and an enhanced Referee arm bar design to allow for greater on-ice visibility. The uniform also features a microphone channel that allows the officials to maneuver seamlessly across the ice with their microphones securely fastened to them.
The players' uniforms pay tribute to the history of the game through use of color and symbolic references. The Montreal Canadiens' red, white and blue color scheme is present in both the East and West uniforms and celebrates the organization's 100th anniversary. Additionally, the three stars etched on the players' sleeves commemorate the three most-recent NHL All-Star games held in Montreal. The jerseys also were constructed with the latest in performance fabrics currently used in the Reebok EDGE Uniform System. These fabrics have been strategically placed or "mapped" throughout the uniform to maximize the athletes' performances."Aesthetically, the design of the 2009 NHL All-Star Eastern and Western Conference uniforms is a deliberate break from traditional hockey uniform patterning and symbolizes the revolutionary advances the sport has made in both technology and popularity," said Keith Leach, Director of NHL Merchandising, Reebok. "The asymmetric cut lines are meant to create visual motion in the uniform, which is both a literal reference to the speed of the game and symbolic reference to its evolution into the future. The officials' jerseys will enhance the way the referees and linesmen follow the action on the ice without fear that their microphones will become entangled."
"Over a year ago, the NHL and our on-ice officials began collaborating with Reebok to refresh and modernize the officials' uniforms. The results are uniforms that incorporate the latest in technology to offer a lighter, more comfortable fit," said Stephen Walkom, NHL Senior Vice President & Director of Officiating. "We appreciate the time and effort that Reebok put into making this sweater a reality and look forward to their debut at this year's NHL All-Star game."
The Eastern and Western Conference NHL All-Star jerseys currently are available at the Reebok store in Montreal, which has been turned into the city's NHL merchandise headquarters for this year's NHL All-Star game, and NHL Powered By Reebok in New York, as well as on Reebok.com and Shop.NHL.com.
The 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend will be held in Montreal from Jan. 24-25, with live national broadcasts of the Honda/NHL SuperSkills® event on Saturday, Jan. 24, and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 25, on CBC and RDS in Canada and VERSUS in the United States. NASN, ASN, J Sports, Sky Mexico, Fox Sports Australia and other NHL international broadcast partners will provide live coverage of both the Honda/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 150 countries and territories in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific Rim, Mexico and the Caribbean. NHL Radio™ will provide exclusive, national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on Sirius XM Radio's NHL Home Ice, located at XM channel 204 and on SIRIUS channel 208 with the "Best of XM" programming package. NHL.com and NHL Network™ will provide extensive coverage of the All-Star Weekend.
Robbie Russo Shows You How To Skate San Pedro Skatepark
After 34 games of skeeball, 22 games of basketball, countless rounds of Dance Dance Revolution and House Of The Dead, 13 pitches of Coke, 9 large pizzas, and a birthday cake, DVS formerly welcomed 16-year-old Robbie Russo to the team. Then it was time to hit up the San Pedro Skatepark. If you have been there you know its hard as hell to skate!
Phils' Howard Wants $18 million
NEW YORK -- Ryan Howard proposed a salary as prodigious as one of his home runs.
The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman asked for $18 million in arbitration Tuesday, the third-highest figure submitted since the process began in 1974.
Cole Hamels Supports Ryan Howard
Phillies' ace on Howard's arbitration case
Philadelphia offered $14 million to the 2006 NL MVP, who is not eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season. Howard had a major league-leading 48 homers and 146 RBIs last year, helping the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. Before the season, he was awarded $10 million in arbitration rather than Philadelphia's $7 million offer.
Houston pitcher Roger Clemens set the record for highest request in arbitration at $22 million in 2005. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is second at $18.5 million in 2001.
When asked by 950 ESPN Philadelphia what he thought of Howard's demands, teammate Cole Hamels said, "All I can say is more power to him."
"He's a tremendous talent," he continued. "Anybody who's able to go out there and has the type of way of changing the game with one swing, it's certainly the best thing for us. I'm just happy that he's on my team."
Hamels, the World Series MVP, avoided arbitrations this offseason and signed a three-year, $20.5 million contract.
Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder had the second-highest request this year at $8 million and was offered $6 million by the Brewers, who renewed his contract last year for $670,000. He had 34 homers and 102 RBIs as Milwaukee reached the playoffs for the first time since 1982, down from 50 homers and 119 RBIs in 2007.
Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins was third at $7.95 million. The Rockies offered a raise from $4.44 million to $6.65 million after he had 21 homers and 99 RBIs.
While Howard's situation isn't settled, the Phillies did avoid arbitration with center fielder Shane Victorino, pitcher Joe Blanton and reliever Ryan Madson. Victorino agreed to a $3,125,000, one-year contract, Blanton got a $5,475,000, one-year deal, and Madson a $12 million, three-year deal.
Right fielder Jayson Werth and pitcher Chad Durbin remain in arbitration. Werth, who made $1.75 million last year, asked for $4 million in 2009 and was offered $3 million by the team. Durbin, who earned $980,000 last season, requested $1.95 million while the Phillies submitted $1.35 million.
Meanwhile, forty-two players reached one-year agreements Tuesday just before the exchange. Among them were Seattle left-hander Erik Bedard ($7.75 million), Pittsburgh first baseman Adam LaRoche ($7.05 million), New York Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady ($6.55 million) and Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon ($6.25 million).
While 111 players filed for arbitration last Thursday, just 46 exchanged figures with their teams. That group included Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis, who has a tentative agreement on a $66 million, six-year deal.
Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera settled just after the swap, agreeing to a $1.4 million, one-year deal.
Howard's $4 million gap was the largest among players who exchanged figures with their teams. Tampa Bay and third baseman Willy Aybar had the smallest margin at $150,000, with the player asking for $1.05 million and the club offering $900,000.
For cases that don't settle, hearings will be scheduled for the first 21 days of February. Just eight of 110 players who filed last year went to hearings, and clubs won six. The average increase for those who filed last year was 120 percent.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman asked for $18 million in arbitration Tuesday, the third-highest figure submitted since the process began in 1974.
Cole Hamels Supports Ryan Howard
Phillies' ace on Howard's arbitration case
Philadelphia offered $14 million to the 2006 NL MVP, who is not eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season. Howard had a major league-leading 48 homers and 146 RBIs last year, helping the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. Before the season, he was awarded $10 million in arbitration rather than Philadelphia's $7 million offer.
Houston pitcher Roger Clemens set the record for highest request in arbitration at $22 million in 2005. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is second at $18.5 million in 2001.
When asked by 950 ESPN Philadelphia what he thought of Howard's demands, teammate Cole Hamels said, "All I can say is more power to him."
"He's a tremendous talent," he continued. "Anybody who's able to go out there and has the type of way of changing the game with one swing, it's certainly the best thing for us. I'm just happy that he's on my team."
Hamels, the World Series MVP, avoided arbitrations this offseason and signed a three-year, $20.5 million contract.
Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder had the second-highest request this year at $8 million and was offered $6 million by the Brewers, who renewed his contract last year for $670,000. He had 34 homers and 102 RBIs as Milwaukee reached the playoffs for the first time since 1982, down from 50 homers and 119 RBIs in 2007.
Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins was third at $7.95 million. The Rockies offered a raise from $4.44 million to $6.65 million after he had 21 homers and 99 RBIs.While Howard's situation isn't settled, the Phillies did avoid arbitration with center fielder Shane Victorino, pitcher Joe Blanton and reliever Ryan Madson. Victorino agreed to a $3,125,000, one-year contract, Blanton got a $5,475,000, one-year deal, and Madson a $12 million, three-year deal.
Right fielder Jayson Werth and pitcher Chad Durbin remain in arbitration. Werth, who made $1.75 million last year, asked for $4 million in 2009 and was offered $3 million by the team. Durbin, who earned $980,000 last season, requested $1.95 million while the Phillies submitted $1.35 million.
Meanwhile, forty-two players reached one-year agreements Tuesday just before the exchange. Among them were Seattle left-hander Erik Bedard ($7.75 million), Pittsburgh first baseman Adam LaRoche ($7.05 million), New York Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady ($6.55 million) and Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon ($6.25 million).
While 111 players filed for arbitration last Thursday, just 46 exchanged figures with their teams. That group included Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis, who has a tentative agreement on a $66 million, six-year deal.
Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera settled just after the swap, agreeing to a $1.4 million, one-year deal.
Howard's $4 million gap was the largest among players who exchanged figures with their teams. Tampa Bay and third baseman Willy Aybar had the smallest margin at $150,000, with the player asking for $1.05 million and the club offering $900,000.
For cases that don't settle, hearings will be scheduled for the first 21 days of February. Just eight of 110 players who filed last year went to hearings, and clubs won six. The average increase for those who filed last year was 120 percent.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Renault And Williams Unveil New Cars For Formula One Season
Renault and Williams became the latest teams to launch in 2009 when the covers were pulled off their respective challengers, the R29 and the FW31, at the Algarve Motor Park on Monday morning.
Most teams - with the notable exception of Ferrari - are testing in Portugal over the next four days as they pit their new-look cars against each other on the track for the first time.
Renault's new model displays a wide nose and narrow rear wing. They have carried over the 'shark fin' engine cover of last season Photo: GETTY IMAGES
And it promises to be a fascinating few days as we see which technical departments have responded best to the challenges posed by this season's radical new rule changes - the biggest in the sport for 25 years.
Lewis Hamilton's new MP4-24 is out here, although the 2008 world champion is not scheduled to try out his new wheels until Wednesday, with McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa on the pedals until then.
Unfortunately, there will be no chance to see how it shapes up against Ferrari's new F60 after the 2008 constructors' champions made a late decision to switch their testing to Mugello, in Tuscany, due to adverse weather conditions in the Algarve.
Renault team manager Flavio Briatore, poses with drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet at their unveiling Photo: GETTY IMAGES
They may have made a good call. It was against the backdrop of dark skies and drizzle that Renault and Williams made their low-key launches on Monday and neither sprung any great surprises.
As stipulated in new FIA regulations, both cars incorporate a wide nose and narrow rear wing - similar to those on the cars launched by Ferrari, Toyota and McLaren last week.
In fact, the most striking thing about Renault's R29 is its new yellow livery, which replaces 2008's blue and orange design. Furthermore, red panels plugging new oil supplier Total adorn the front and rear wing endplates. The R29 also features the shark fin engine cover that the team used for most of 2008, and a wide nose that seems to be a trend with the 2009 machines.
Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jnr will put the Renault through its paces on Monday before speaking to the media at around 6pm.
The striking yellow colour scheme is the most visible change on the new R29 Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Williams meanwhile, unveiled their FW31 in an interim winter testing colour scheme, with the definitive 2009 livery not expected until February. The FW31's most distinctive feature lies beneath the chassis where Williams have taken the bold approach of producing own flywheel-based Kinetic Energy Recovery System, in contrast to the battery devices that the rest of the teams have developed. It is a gamble, but one probably worth taking after a disappointing season in 2008.
Test driver Nico Hulkenberg will give the car its initial test on Monday.
Most teams - with the notable exception of Ferrari - are testing in Portugal over the next four days as they pit their new-look cars against each other on the track for the first time.
Renault's new model displays a wide nose and narrow rear wing. They have carried over the 'shark fin' engine cover of last season Photo: GETTY IMAGESAnd it promises to be a fascinating few days as we see which technical departments have responded best to the challenges posed by this season's radical new rule changes - the biggest in the sport for 25 years.
Lewis Hamilton's new MP4-24 is out here, although the 2008 world champion is not scheduled to try out his new wheels until Wednesday, with McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa on the pedals until then.
Unfortunately, there will be no chance to see how it shapes up against Ferrari's new F60 after the 2008 constructors' champions made a late decision to switch their testing to Mugello, in Tuscany, due to adverse weather conditions in the Algarve.
Renault team manager Flavio Briatore, poses with drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet at their unveiling Photo: GETTY IMAGESThey may have made a good call. It was against the backdrop of dark skies and drizzle that Renault and Williams made their low-key launches on Monday and neither sprung any great surprises.
As stipulated in new FIA regulations, both cars incorporate a wide nose and narrow rear wing - similar to those on the cars launched by Ferrari, Toyota and McLaren last week.
In fact, the most striking thing about Renault's R29 is its new yellow livery, which replaces 2008's blue and orange design. Furthermore, red panels plugging new oil supplier Total adorn the front and rear wing endplates. The R29 also features the shark fin engine cover that the team used for most of 2008, and a wide nose that seems to be a trend with the 2009 machines.
Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jnr will put the Renault through its paces on Monday before speaking to the media at around 6pm.
The striking yellow colour scheme is the most visible change on the new R29 Photo: GETTY IMAGESWilliams meanwhile, unveiled their FW31 in an interim winter testing colour scheme, with the definitive 2009 livery not expected until February. The FW31's most distinctive feature lies beneath the chassis where Williams have taken the bold approach of producing own flywheel-based Kinetic Energy Recovery System, in contrast to the battery devices that the rest of the teams have developed. It is a gamble, but one probably worth taking after a disappointing season in 2008.
Test driver Nico Hulkenberg will give the car its initial test on Monday.
Kobe Bryant Ankle Insurance Co (Broken Ankle Claim) (Never Seen Before)
After watching kobe bryant sell ankle insurance from a horse, kobe comes up with a even better commercial.
New MLB Rules Cause Maple Bat Flap
Less than a week after Major League Baseball announced new regulations in December concerning maple-wood bat production, a bat manufacturer named Romeo Filip sent an email to the owners and operators of nearly every bat-making company. He wanted them to read the letter he had written to Roy Krasik, baseball’s point man for the bat debate, that ran 696 angry, profane, passionate words long.“The morons you hired to do this amazing research have put together a list of the stupidest regulations ever assembled on one piece of paper,” wrote Filip, one of his milder comments. The debate over maple bats stokes ardor on both sides, and nothing illustrates this better than the argument by some manufacturers that MLB’s new rules – backed up by a multi-pronged study that cost half a million dollars – are not just scientifically wrong but also potentially dangerous.
Already wary of scrutiny after a year in which one broken bat catapulted into a dugout and sliced Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Don Long’s face and another went into the stands and broke a fan’s jaw, some maple-bat manufacturers worry the new standards will hurt their bottom line, too.
Particularly disturbing, two manufacturers say, is the new mandate to place the manufacturers’ stamp on bats’ edge grain instead of the face grain. Label stamps have been on the face grain pretty much since bats were invented, and players are encouraged to hold the bat with the label facing toward them in order to strike the ball 90 degrees from the label.
Extensive testing from MLB during its nearly six-month-long study of maple bats showed hitting on the wood’s face grain would produce fewer catastrophic breaks than the edge grain. Baseball hired the Forest Products Laboratory, a government entity, along with Harvard statistician Carl Morris, Massachusetts-Lowell mechanical engineering professor James Sherwood and wood-certification company TECO to analyze more than 2,200 bats broken between July 2 and Sept. 7.
Their task: Figure out why the bats are breaking and make suggestions to limit future breaks. Their conclusion: Conventional wisdom that discouraged face-grain contact was actually wrong.
“We didn’t tell them what they should look at,” said Dan Halem, MLB’s general counsel who helped draft the new guidelines. “The one thing we all knew from the beginning of this issue is that it was complicated. We wanted science and statistics to validate what we do.
“We hired experts. We let them run with it. And wherever their conclusions led them, they went.”
The research found that the majority of catastrophic breaks – ones in which barrels with splintered ends go airborne like medieval weaponry – are due to a poor “slope of grain.” Essentially, the best quality wood has an even grain, and some manufacturers were using low-quality wood with large barrels and thin handles, leading to increased breakage. The other suggestion, about hitting on the face grain, came from Roland Hernandez, a TECO employee.
Hernandez owned his own maple-bat company, RockBats, and worked with the Forest Products Laboratory before going to TECO. RockBats was the lone bat company that suggested hitting on the face grain. No major league players are known to use RockBats.
“Nobody other than MLB and TECO agrees with this theory,” said one bat manufacturer, who asked for anonymity because of concerns over MLB pulling his certification.
Filip paints a darker picture. The tensile strength of wood, he said, runs down its edge grain. Hitting against the grain, Filip said, will cause bats to snap even more violently and straight ahead instead of toward the foul lines.
“You’re going to have helicoptering hammers flying directly at the pitchers,” Filip said. “I’ll bet my company on the fact that you’re going to see pitchers not impaled but knocked out by these things.”
Admittedly, Filip’s company, Diablo Bats, isn’t worth much these days. He’s fighting to stave off bankruptcy, and he blames MLB. The $500,000 study commissioned by the league resulted in the doubling of a licensing fee required to sell bats to major league players. Filip said he cannot afford the $10,000, nor can he pay for the $10 million in insurance coverage mandated by MLB, also twice as much as last season.
In the study, Morris ran regression analyses on the characteristics of the bats that broke, Forest Product Laboratory’s Dave Kretschmann tested the actual wood and Sherwood used his lab to try different bats and see which held up best. They studied maple and ash-wood bats, and recommend players continue to hit ash bats on the edge grain because striking with the face grain produces “shelling,” or the separation of wood grains.After dismissing the theory of most bat makers – large-barreled, thin-handled bats, and those with a differential of three between a bat’s length in inches and weight in ounces (i.e., 33-inch 30-ounce bats) – MLB’s team went to five manufacturers’ plants to see the bat-making process. Included were Hillerich & Bradsby, the parent company of the best-selling Louisville Slugger; and the Original Maple Bat Corporation, home of Sam Bats, which started the maple craze in 2001 by providing bats to Barry Bonds during his 73-home run season.
Still, as MLB prepared to release its study, some bat manufacturers weren’t content with its scientific merit. One sent MLB two dozen questions that went unanswered. In a conference call with MLB’s Health and Safety Advisory Committee, the question was posed whether the experts had tested bats that weren’t breaking to see why they performed so well. The answer was no. MLB also did not submit the study to a peer review, figuring that the checks and balances among the scientists from different disciplines were enough.
MLB chose not to release the 50-page report, citing the breadth of proprietary information gathered on its trips to the manufacturing plants. If asked by a bat-maker to see the results, Halem said, “We could do that.”
Filip asked Krasik to read it and never heard back, his chances probably killed by his Dec. 16 letter. In it, he addressed nine curse words at Krasik and questioned his understanding of the complicated bat-making craft.
“How many bats have you made in your lifetime Krasik?” Filip wrote. “How many maple, ash, or yellow birch billets have [you] sorted for quality? How many custom orders have you processed and hand delivered to the players? The answer is zero. Zero, like the amount of information you have on bat making.”
After Filip sent the letter, he said, he received a call from MLB security. The official, Filip said, asked if he planned on harming Krasik. He replied no, though he now says, “I wouldn’t take back a single word of what I said. Not one word.”
Filip doesn’t mince words when it comes to the new regulations on maple bats, either. He said the test to determine whether the wood used in maple bats has an even slope of grain can easily be beaten (manufacturers will be required to place an ink dot on the bat handle, and if it bleeds more than a quarter of an inch diagonally, the bat is not certified). By rubbing 250-grit sandpaper on the handle, Filip said, the pores on the wood close and mask its true grain.
The confusion, said the bat maker who requested anonymity, has stretched to the players as well. With the new bats currently going through lathes in preparation for spring training, manufacturers are calling players to explain the changes and how bats will look different. Even with the recommendations to hit using the face grain, the manufacturer said, “The players are going to hold the bat how they want to hold it, hit it how they want to hit it. Just because MLB wants them to use the face grain doesn’t mean they will.”MLB and the players’ association plan to meet with manufacturers again during spring training. Next on the agenda is studying the different drying methods used and how bat shapes affect breaks. The manufacturer believes certain standards for bat geometry – smaller length-to-weight ratios for bats with larger barrels and thinner handles, for example – is likelier to curb breakage than slope-of-grain policing.
“We’re not done with anything,” Halem said. “This is the first step in fixing the problem. We’re doing continuous research and analyzing data and speaking to people. The committee will change things if need be.”
Filip finds no solace in that. He started making bats for himself as a hobby, then sold some to friends. His business boomed on eBay and picked up when Eric Chavez started using them. Manny Ramirez got Diablo publicity last year when MLB banned him from using a batch of the bats in Japan because of their red barrels, and Filip is convinced baseball has used other strong-arming to discourage players from using his bats.
“We were one of the people they were able to beat,” Filip said. “You kick somebody enough times, they’re going to fight. But when there are 20 bullies on you and they’re all kicking you in the face, you’re gonna stop.
“These people don’t deserve us. These entities doing their best to stomp us out don’t deserve our ability, our expertise, our loyalty to their players. If they want a bad product and want to threaten the integrity of the game by making it more dangerous, that’s on their conscience.”
Jeff Passan is a national baseball writer for Yahoo! Sports.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Oilers to Retire Anderson's No. 9 Sunday
What a year for Glenn Anderson!
Anderson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 10 and will have his No. 9 retired Sunday by the Edmonton Oilers in Rexall Place, where he helped lead the Oilers to five Stanley Cups from 1984-90.
Anderson patrolled the right wing for the Edmonton Oilers for 11 seasons, 1980-91, then played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues before returning for 17 Oilers games in 1995-96. In 12 seasons with the Oilers, Anderson had 417 goals and 906 points in 845 games.
Anderson ranks high among all-time Oilers, third in games played and goals, and fourth in assists and with 240 multiple-point games.
Anderson's ability to play better in important games, particularly the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is what made him so great. He ranks first among Oilers with 73 game-winning goals and 126 power-play goals. Anderson's 93 postseason goals still ranks fifth in NHL history. He is seventh with 121 assists and fourth with 214 points.
Big-game player, that was Glenn Anderson. He retired second only to Rocket Richard with five Stanley Cup Playoff overtime goals. Richard had six.
"The bottom line is championships," Anderson said. "I think it exemplifies the fact that you're a true team player and you know what it takes to be part of a team. And I think you need to win championships."
For all his success, Anderson always felt like a support player in Edmonton.
"The players just kind of really revolved around (Wayne) Gretzky," he said. "When you are playing with the best player in the world, I mean, you start doing things you never even dreamed about doing."
Anderson's No. 9 will join the banners of previous honorees Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri and Al Hamilton.
The Hammer' has it nailed
JAdam Kimelman - NHL.com Staff Writer
After a career spent mostly in the penalty box, Dave Schultz has tried coaching, sales and now wine maker.
"Putting Glenn's number up with the other honored players at Rexall Place is absolutely deserving and it's the right thing for our organization to do," Oilers President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe said. "Glenn could bring fans out of their seats with his unbelievable goals and they always seemed to be such timely goals, especially in the playoffs. Being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame is what should happen to a player of his stature and having No. 9 up with the others is also the perfect tribute to one of the greatest Oilers."
"Never in a million years would I have dreamed as a kid growing up that this could ever be possible," Anderson told edmontonoilers.com. "You could dream that you can travel the world and that you want to be a hockey player, but as far as having your number raised to the rafters or being inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, that's almost beyond dreams."
Anderson always credited the Oilers' championships to a personal and team feeling that it hurt worse to lose than it felt good winning. They emerged as one of the NHL's top teams in 1983 but were swept by the New York Islanders, who won their fourth straight Stanley Cup.
In a rare rematch of Stanley Cup finalists, the Oilers eked out a 1-0 victory at the Nassau Coliseum in Game 1 and then were crushed, 6-1 there. The series moved to Edmonton, where the Oilers never trailed after Anderson's go-ahead goal in the Game 3, 7-2 victory. The Oilers won the next two games for the first of their five Stanley Cups.
"It was a lot of time and a lot of effort getting to that position," Anderson said. "And it was a learned condition. It was more like a relief, we finally did it. Then once you get there -- getting there is one thing and staying on top is another. But it was more of a relief and you're just so exhausted and so content you finally did it, that there is a great relief."
Anderson was part of a blockbuster 1991 trade with Grant Fuhr and Craig Berube to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Vincent Damphousse, Peter Ing, Scott Thornton and Luke Richardson. He played three seasons in Toronto before being traded to the New York Rangers, where he played only 12 games but helped them win the 1994 Stanley Cup. He finished his career by playing parts of two seasons with the Blues and Oilers.
"The players just kind of really revolved around (Wayne) Gretzky. When you are playing with the best player in the world, I mean, you start doing things you never even dreamed about doing." -- Glenn Anderson
Anderson retired after 16 NHL seasons with 498 goals and 1,099 points in 1,129 games. He was plus-201 for his career.
Source: nhl.com
Anderson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 10 and will have his No. 9 retired Sunday by the Edmonton Oilers in Rexall Place, where he helped lead the Oilers to five Stanley Cups from 1984-90.
Anderson patrolled the right wing for the Edmonton Oilers for 11 seasons, 1980-91, then played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues before returning for 17 Oilers games in 1995-96. In 12 seasons with the Oilers, Anderson had 417 goals and 906 points in 845 games.
Anderson ranks high among all-time Oilers, third in games played and goals, and fourth in assists and with 240 multiple-point games.
Anderson's ability to play better in important games, particularly the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is what made him so great. He ranks first among Oilers with 73 game-winning goals and 126 power-play goals. Anderson's 93 postseason goals still ranks fifth in NHL history. He is seventh with 121 assists and fourth with 214 points.
Big-game player, that was Glenn Anderson. He retired second only to Rocket Richard with five Stanley Cup Playoff overtime goals. Richard had six.
"The bottom line is championships," Anderson said. "I think it exemplifies the fact that you're a true team player and you know what it takes to be part of a team. And I think you need to win championships."
For all his success, Anderson always felt like a support player in Edmonton.
"The players just kind of really revolved around (Wayne) Gretzky," he said. "When you are playing with the best player in the world, I mean, you start doing things you never even dreamed about doing."
Anderson's No. 9 will join the banners of previous honorees Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri and Al Hamilton.
The Hammer' has it nailedJAdam Kimelman - NHL.com Staff Writer
After a career spent mostly in the penalty box, Dave Schultz has tried coaching, sales and now wine maker.
"Putting Glenn's number up with the other honored players at Rexall Place is absolutely deserving and it's the right thing for our organization to do," Oilers President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe said. "Glenn could bring fans out of their seats with his unbelievable goals and they always seemed to be such timely goals, especially in the playoffs. Being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame is what should happen to a player of his stature and having No. 9 up with the others is also the perfect tribute to one of the greatest Oilers."
"Never in a million years would I have dreamed as a kid growing up that this could ever be possible," Anderson told edmontonoilers.com. "You could dream that you can travel the world and that you want to be a hockey player, but as far as having your number raised to the rafters or being inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, that's almost beyond dreams."
Anderson always credited the Oilers' championships to a personal and team feeling that it hurt worse to lose than it felt good winning. They emerged as one of the NHL's top teams in 1983 but were swept by the New York Islanders, who won their fourth straight Stanley Cup.
In a rare rematch of Stanley Cup finalists, the Oilers eked out a 1-0 victory at the Nassau Coliseum in Game 1 and then were crushed, 6-1 there. The series moved to Edmonton, where the Oilers never trailed after Anderson's go-ahead goal in the Game 3, 7-2 victory. The Oilers won the next two games for the first of their five Stanley Cups.
"It was a lot of time and a lot of effort getting to that position," Anderson said. "And it was a learned condition. It was more like a relief, we finally did it. Then once you get there -- getting there is one thing and staying on top is another. But it was more of a relief and you're just so exhausted and so content you finally did it, that there is a great relief."
Anderson was part of a blockbuster 1991 trade with Grant Fuhr and Craig Berube to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Vincent Damphousse, Peter Ing, Scott Thornton and Luke Richardson. He played three seasons in Toronto before being traded to the New York Rangers, where he played only 12 games but helped them win the 1994 Stanley Cup. He finished his career by playing parts of two seasons with the Blues and Oilers.
"The players just kind of really revolved around (Wayne) Gretzky. When you are playing with the best player in the world, I mean, you start doing things you never even dreamed about doing." -- Glenn Anderson
Anderson retired after 16 NHL seasons with 498 goals and 1,099 points in 1,129 games. He was plus-201 for his career.
Source: nhl.com
Willis McGahee Got Leveled
Willis McGahee suffers a vicious hit from Ryan Clark in the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens said the star RB had "significant neck pain" but movement in his arms and legs.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
#1 Goes Down at the Hands of Rick Pitino and the Cardinals
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There comes a time late in games when Louisville players believe they can spot the tipping point.
Their opponents, gassed from constant pressure and harassment, begin to get weak in the knees and careless with the ball. The Cardinals know that's when it's time to strike.
Against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, the telltale moment came near the four-minute mark, after a Samardo Samuels dunk tied the score at 58.
"You could see it right then -- they were wasted," Louisville guard Edgar Sosa said. "They weren't running their press offense. They didn't want to do anything with it."
The closing mismatch between fitness vs. fatigue is a major reason why the No. 20 Cardinals knocked off the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Panthers 69-63 at Freedom Hall. It also has allowed them to beat three straight ranked teams and win four down-to-the-wire games in their past five outings. After a shaky start to a promising season, Louisville is back to top-flight status precisely because of the way it finishes.
On his 21st birthday, Earl Clark scored 16 points and grabbed 11 boards.
"We try to hang our hats on being in the best shape of any team in the country," guard Preston Knowles said. "Then, come five minutes or three minutes left in the game, they don't have their legs any more. And that's how we thrive."
The formula worked Monday night against Notre Dame. The Irish didn't make a field goal in the final seven minutes of regulation and were outscored 16-2 in overtime of an 87-73 Louisville victory.
A similar scenario unfolded Saturday after Pitt (16-1, 4-1 Big East) muscled out to a 55-45 lead on Jermaine Dixon's lay-in with 8:55 left. The Cardinals (13-3, 4-0) responded with a 19-3 run to seize control, and the Panthers' only other field goal of the game came on a DeJuan Blair layup with 14 seconds left.
Point guard Levance Fields entered Saturday ranked second nationally in assist-turnover ratio and had only 24 turnovers in 16 games. Hounded and trapped up the court all night, Fields committed a season-high six of Pitt's season-worst 20 miscues. He had only six turnovers in his previous four games combined.
Louisville applies waves of backcourt pressure. When coach Rick Pitino subs out starting guards Sosa and Jerry Smith, reserves Preston Knowles and Andre McGee attach themselves to dribblers like a terrier on a mailman's ankle. Using three different types of presses, the Cardinals trapped, rushed and generally frustrated Fields.
"Usually, [Fields] tries to go by you," Knowles said. "We could see that he and their other guards were starting to turn their backs a little bit. They were speeding up their dribbles and throwing outrageous passes. That's how we create turnovers and quicker shots."
For his part, Fields wasn't sucking on an oxygen mask after the game. He disputed any notion that he wore down during his game-high 39 minutes, though he admitted Louisville's pressure pushed his team away from its preferred half-court style.
Levance Fields had a season-high six turnovers against Louisville.
"I take the blame," he said. "I was out of control, and that helped make my teammates speed up a little bit. I think they saw me not playing at the tempo I usually do, and I think I kind of forced that."
The second-half numbers show how the Cardinals' defense gradually took over. Pitt went 1-of-16 from the floor in the final 8:42 and was 0-for-8 on 3-pointers after starting the game 10-for-18 behind the arc. The Panthers shot just 30.6 percent in the second half, while Louisville made 54.5 percent and 5 of 7 3s after halftime. Sam Young missed 14 of 20 shots and Fields was just 3-for-14.
Pitino's team was ranked No. 3 in the preseason -- two spots ahead of Pittsburgh. But head-scratching losses to Western Kentucky, Minnesota and UNLV at home sent the Cardinals tumbling down the polls. It wasn't until a Jan. 4 win over Kentucky when Pitino started seeing the type of all-out hustle his style requires.
"If you rely on offense and you get down, you get down more because you can't come back," Pitino said. "We're so good at the defensive end, and our effort is so good that we can always come back, and we believe in that. Once the effort got to the level where we want it to be, I think we became a good basketball team."
The effort against Pitt meant not just 40 minutes of pressing, but also being physical enough to match up against one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Louisville won the rebounding battle 42-38, drew even on the offensive glass and held double-double machine Blair to just nine points and 10 rebounds in 20 foul-plagued minutes.
Earl Clark wore the scar -- literally -- of that rough style. A three-inch long red scratch snaked across his forehead after the game, a badge he earned at some point in the paint.
Edgar Sosa and Louisville took the game over in the final minutes of the second half in the Cardinals' 69-63 win over Pitt.
"I'm feeling it right now -- my body is tired and bruised up," said Clark, who celebrated his 21st birthday with 16 points and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes. "But you just have to go after it. They [Pitt] keep telling the media how tough a team they are, how physical, and we just wanted to match that."
The Cardinals will need every ounce of their conditioning to plow through the ridiculously demanding Big East, in which almost every night seems like an NCAA tournament Sweet 16 dogfight. But right now, they are one of only two teams left undefeated in league play (along with Marquette), and they finally look ready to live up to preseason expectations.
The tipping point in their season may have already arrived.
"Rankings don't really matter and we don't look at it, but I'm going to go ahead and say it," Clark said. "Coach might get mad at me, but I say put us back in the top 10."
Brian Bennett is a college football and basketball writer for ESPN.com.
Louisville Hands No. 1 Pitt First Loss
Earl Clark had 16 points and 11 rebounds in No. 20 Louisville's 69-63 win
Earl Clark had 16 points and 11 rebounds in No. 20 Louisville's 69-63 win
Their opponents, gassed from constant pressure and harassment, begin to get weak in the knees and careless with the ball. The Cardinals know that's when it's time to strike.
Against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, the telltale moment came near the four-minute mark, after a Samardo Samuels dunk tied the score at 58.
"You could see it right then -- they were wasted," Louisville guard Edgar Sosa said. "They weren't running their press offense. They didn't want to do anything with it."
The closing mismatch between fitness vs. fatigue is a major reason why the No. 20 Cardinals knocked off the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Panthers 69-63 at Freedom Hall. It also has allowed them to beat three straight ranked teams and win four down-to-the-wire games in their past five outings. After a shaky start to a promising season, Louisville is back to top-flight status precisely because of the way it finishes.
On his 21st birthday, Earl Clark scored 16 points and grabbed 11 boards."We try to hang our hats on being in the best shape of any team in the country," guard Preston Knowles said. "Then, come five minutes or three minutes left in the game, they don't have their legs any more. And that's how we thrive."
The formula worked Monday night against Notre Dame. The Irish didn't make a field goal in the final seven minutes of regulation and were outscored 16-2 in overtime of an 87-73 Louisville victory.
A similar scenario unfolded Saturday after Pitt (16-1, 4-1 Big East) muscled out to a 55-45 lead on Jermaine Dixon's lay-in with 8:55 left. The Cardinals (13-3, 4-0) responded with a 19-3 run to seize control, and the Panthers' only other field goal of the game came on a DeJuan Blair layup with 14 seconds left.
Point guard Levance Fields entered Saturday ranked second nationally in assist-turnover ratio and had only 24 turnovers in 16 games. Hounded and trapped up the court all night, Fields committed a season-high six of Pitt's season-worst 20 miscues. He had only six turnovers in his previous four games combined.
Louisville applies waves of backcourt pressure. When coach Rick Pitino subs out starting guards Sosa and Jerry Smith, reserves Preston Knowles and Andre McGee attach themselves to dribblers like a terrier on a mailman's ankle. Using three different types of presses, the Cardinals trapped, rushed and generally frustrated Fields.
"Usually, [Fields] tries to go by you," Knowles said. "We could see that he and their other guards were starting to turn their backs a little bit. They were speeding up their dribbles and throwing outrageous passes. That's how we create turnovers and quicker shots."
For his part, Fields wasn't sucking on an oxygen mask after the game. He disputed any notion that he wore down during his game-high 39 minutes, though he admitted Louisville's pressure pushed his team away from its preferred half-court style.
Levance Fields had a season-high six turnovers against Louisville."I take the blame," he said. "I was out of control, and that helped make my teammates speed up a little bit. I think they saw me not playing at the tempo I usually do, and I think I kind of forced that."
The second-half numbers show how the Cardinals' defense gradually took over. Pitt went 1-of-16 from the floor in the final 8:42 and was 0-for-8 on 3-pointers after starting the game 10-for-18 behind the arc. The Panthers shot just 30.6 percent in the second half, while Louisville made 54.5 percent and 5 of 7 3s after halftime. Sam Young missed 14 of 20 shots and Fields was just 3-for-14.
Pitino's team was ranked No. 3 in the preseason -- two spots ahead of Pittsburgh. But head-scratching losses to Western Kentucky, Minnesota and UNLV at home sent the Cardinals tumbling down the polls. It wasn't until a Jan. 4 win over Kentucky when Pitino started seeing the type of all-out hustle his style requires.
"If you rely on offense and you get down, you get down more because you can't come back," Pitino said. "We're so good at the defensive end, and our effort is so good that we can always come back, and we believe in that. Once the effort got to the level where we want it to be, I think we became a good basketball team."
The effort against Pitt meant not just 40 minutes of pressing, but also being physical enough to match up against one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Louisville won the rebounding battle 42-38, drew even on the offensive glass and held double-double machine Blair to just nine points and 10 rebounds in 20 foul-plagued minutes.
Earl Clark wore the scar -- literally -- of that rough style. A three-inch long red scratch snaked across his forehead after the game, a badge he earned at some point in the paint.
Edgar Sosa and Louisville took the game over in the final minutes of the second half in the Cardinals' 69-63 win over Pitt.The Cardinals will need every ounce of their conditioning to plow through the ridiculously demanding Big East, in which almost every night seems like an NCAA tournament Sweet 16 dogfight. But right now, they are one of only two teams left undefeated in league play (along with Marquette), and they finally look ready to live up to preseason expectations.
The tipping point in their season may have already arrived.
"Rankings don't really matter and we don't look at it, but I'm going to go ahead and say it," Clark said. "Coach might get mad at me, but I say put us back in the top 10."
Brian Bennett is a college football and basketball writer for ESPN.com.
Debris Kills Boy In Stands At Monster Truck Show
TACOMA, Wash. – Debris flew into the grandstands at a monster truck show in Washington state, killing a 6-year-old boy and injuring another spectator, witnesses and fire officials said Saturday.A red truck came apart while doing doughnuts during the freestyle competition of Friday night's Monster Jam show, the witnesses said. Debris flew 30 to 50 feet over a safety barrier into the stands.
"Parts were falling off and a piece flew up and hit a little boy," Christine Moe told King Television of Seattle.
Fire Department spokeswoman Jolene Davis told The News Tribune of Tacoma she had no details on the nature of the accident or the injuries to the boy and man.
The Pierce County medical examiner's office identified the boy killed as Sabastian Hizey of Puyallup.
Some spectators told the TV station they had to throw cups off the stands to get the attention of medics. The show continued after the boy and man were hurt, and many spectators left.
"They just kept going," Moe said. "We grabbed our kids and just bee-lined out of there."
Laurie Deranleau, 32, a nurse from Westport, told The (Tacoma) News Tribune, "Everybody sitting around thought they should have dropped the show and gave the family some respect. Nobody was paying attention to the show."
The Tacoma Dome, operated by the city, was continuing with four Monster Jam shows on Saturday and Sunday.
The city was working with the event's promoter to investigate the accident and ensure the safety of spectators to the upcoming shows, city spokesman Rob McNair-Huff told the newspaper.
Promoter Feld Motorsports of Aurora, Ill., would not discuss details.
"Our company follows strict safety guidelines designed to protect both spectators and competitors alike," said Bill Easterly, Feld's senior director of operations, in a statement issued Friday night.
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