Sports Betting Unlimited

The Celebrity UFC Fighter: Randy Couture

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:31:00 -0700

Every fighter in sports and all gamer of online casino come out from a dream to be on what they want to become, they start for being a nobody till they became somebody. Like in a sports, one most take their full effort when pursuing a career but every career requires time to be professional in the field of sports. A normal sports made us fit and much able and stronger also give you confident in many things, such us facing difficulties, work and relationship this has a character which teach a man to be patient and be more perseverance to what their doing and when you master you surely building a wiser and nicer you.

In a sports like UFC, fighter on this game took many years to establish themselves before entering into the world of entertainment. Dedicated man like Randy Couture did a lot of strategical effort. He is an American mixed martial artist, and part of a team Xtreme Couture and actively been on the sport since 1997 and continuously growing and being known till present. Couture has competed in a record 15 title fights. At 23 couture already known to be called as one of the first members of the UFC Hall of Fame and many consider him to be the most popular fighter in MMA history.

Randy Couture known in using the style of Greco-Roman Wrestling, Boxing, Catch Wrestling. Couture put on a display that began to earn him the reputation of a master strategist in the sport. Couture appear in UFC after retiring from the professional fighting circuit. Couture has the ambiance of good vibes and as a relaxed as can be and smiling in the cage as he enter. Now that he reach his fame and become a celebrity through hardship and proper training see he made it to the top.

Tim Clark: First PGA Tour Victory

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 9 Sep 2010 11:07:00 -0700

Are you a golf game fans?, or you just like golfing and belong to the those wealthy people who can afford the sports. Well to tell you the truth golfing gives ease from stress, this even let you play with strategy and move you through a definite and limited movement that runs your plan. As many said this kind of game requires a lot of patient and focus. People that dwell or have this kind of lifestyle are been said that they were the people who has the ability its been viewed as the level of riches.

If you are a avid fan of golf then you might know Tim Clark he is a South African professional golfer. From his good career of golfing when he is college he continue his agenda on making himself much greater player. Clark turned professional later in 1998, and starting or initially played on the second tier U.S. professional tour, which is also known as the Nike Tour, where in that moment he gain membership to the main PGA Tour for 2001 for the accomplishment of the 2000 two tournaments. From their on he even struggle for such injuries but later on he pursue his ultimate career.

Like in any gaming hobby similar to online casino, this sports or hobby is own way out from heavy stress and greater depression having such time for yourself and focusing to other related things makes your mind and body stay fit and healthy as well. Like to what Clark said there is a chance of winning from any events or tour but what he just experience is that some of his tour doesn't make him winner specially when his competing in his own land rather than elsewhere he wins more than he thought. In this statement it seems that failing or winning it is still about your endurance and patience the real attitude of champion is showing positive though towards your game.

Tashard Choice

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:13:00 -0700

American Football is a game that played on a grass field, this is known and famous in the United States. The objective of the game is to score and it requires protective gears, training and travel. Their strong body and through advancing the ball into the opposing team. Do you know Who's Tashard J. Choice and what is hes contribution on the American Football Team and all hes achievements on the game. Well he is an American football Player from the Dallas Cowboys and he started hes career and building himself in a good community while hes still studying.

Tashard is a former football player in his high school career played for Lovejoy High and he recorded 40 career all for touch-down and continue his college to Georgia Tech where he took up his major course of History, Technology, and Society and gained All-Big 12 Academic Honor Roll in 2004 with his All-ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2005-2006. He performed well in his academic performance and he even played more and enhance his skills for his football career.

He started his professional career as a football player for the Dallas Cowboys and was selected in the fourth round and as a position of running back. Continue his year still in a Dallas Cowboys and at 2009 he had his a 3 weeks injury received in the Carolina Panthers. That year he even give his 18 carries for 82 yards and one touch-down in a Dallas wins. He even has a million contract worth $2.44 million signed July 23, 2008 carried for 4years it also include $439,000 signing bonus and continuing for the coming year. Like in an online casino it has an entertaing value that people really look forward for each and every game. With all his achievements on the game he already reach his choice as good as he is right now playing and performing the best of his game.

Rafael Nadal

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 3 Aug 2010 11:37:00 -0700

If you are an avid tennis sports fanatic then you surely knew Rafael “Rafa” Nadal from Manacor, Mallarca, Spain, he's now at the age of 23, having a handsome look, with a good body structure, build through his tennis sports. Through discipline and hard work he already reach this far of fame, with the help of his good coach Toni Nadal, he became much greater and known in tennis field. Rafa plays in left-handed position, at the year of 2001 and he turned professional, with a total tittles of 47 winning tittles he receiving 6 from Doubles and 41 from single competition. Through the years he received the best titles and currently ranked no 1 in the world.

This year he became more active and advocate in tennis sports. He is even a legendary pride of Spain playing his best game always on his game. People do appreciate his talent and his contribute honor to his countries honor, he already travel from different countries and fight almost to all the best player around the globe, with or without doubt he is really amazingly good in playing tennis. He is not even an ordinary guy but rather his a player who has a deep heart and connection to all this games. Getting hook with gaming or sports is something for a person or people could do help him see discovered his own talent. We are all sure that being famous has a lot of responsibility accompanied to it. A man or a person could practice gaming or sports and be part of himself, and be normally dwell for them.

Knowing that people also gamble for money in terms of betting for their favorite player same with online casino gaming. In as much as we all know tennis is a game that require a lot of stamina and thinking and strategy able to win the game. The game tennis has been around for many years. Tennis is played in some schools, and in order to play this active game, you need to follow the instruction and standard rules of the game. Need to know the basic facts about tennis and its equipment, materials to play the game like knowing the courts width or dimension which is about seventy-eight feet long and is twenty-seven feet wide for single play, or thirty-six feet wide for double play.

Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Mon, 2 Aug 2010 12:50:00 -0700

Ultimate fighting Championship, has a need of greater strength ability and consciousness. It is a fight of now or never, a game of real man, and the discovery of new strategic sport. UFC is a mixed martial arts with now a president name Dana Whites, In here only men allowed to compete. Currently the US based mixed martial arts are the largest of all. Now we commonly called UFC as Ultimate Fighting Champion. Now do you know Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie of UFC if you know them then you are surely inclined and a fun of the sports. Then still would surely take your intense attention to the both player who's been known in this field.

Are you familiar to Matt Hughes vs Royce Gracie? If then so good, because now they were the greatest player of UFC who can give a good sports fight for the game. Well Matt Hughes has been training for about a decade and about a legendary, while Royce Gracie kn-owned for his Gracie Jiu Jitsu, this means for him a style of fighting. This men of the ring has been trained and work hard for their title and for the reputation they've already been giving to the people and to the sports they love. Then it happened that people are all now interested of they gaming life and the controversy of their game. As a young professional or even a legendary, it just depend how you fight for the best,

For you who is your bet though we already know we wins the game. If you were really for Matt or for Royce. Then if so lets look for something common for them I guess its their will, power and endurance that both of them found themselves stronger. Its not really about winnings its also about how they've created a good selves and enhance everything they've know just to reach the spot light they were in. Though new generation now are moving the goal and the oldest getting out of the box. Young and fresh UFC players should always look still to those who has already been pioneered to them, its like looking back for the best. Like in a saying never compare so you wouldn't until they the fight the best for each other. Lastly the fight might now been a talked of the town but moving forward we should accept the fact that sooner another great battle would happen in the UFC field, the game for real men.

Javier Vazquez Makes Yankees Win Over Orioles

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 1 Jun 2010 23:41:00 -0700

New York Yankee righthander baseball player Javier Vazquez was public enemy Number 1 in his own house. He was treated better while walking the streets of New York than he was at Yankee Stadium. Javier Vazquez said fans told him they supported him and his resume spoke for itself.

On Tuesday night, the embattled veteran was finally shown the love at Yankee Stadium as he had his fastball blazing (he was in the low 90s) and his offspeed pitches dancing in a gem of a performance that sent a sigh of relief throughout the Yankees organization.

In his first start at home since a May 1 implosion against the White Sox, Javier Vazquez (4-5) was brilliant, allowing four hits while striking out a season-high tying seven and walking just one over seven innings in a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He also pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning.

“I don't even remember the last time I started here It feels like a while. Obviously, I want to pitch good here. Everybody knows that. I'm working on that. I think it was important to throw a good game here, I feel better. I feel like my mechanics are there. I'm throwing much better pitches than I was early in the year. I have better command. My location was much better. It doesn't matter how hard I throw it. That (location) is the key for me.'' said Javier Vazquez.

Javier Vazquez rebounded from a shaky start last week in Minnesota by striking out seven, allowing four hits and one run, and pitching out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh. In the bottom half, the Yankees scored two unearned runs to make him the pitcher of record, and Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera ensured his win by pitching two spotless innings.

“Obviously, I want to pitch good here,” Javier Vazquez said. “That’s something that everybody knows. I’m working on that.”

In his last outing, Javier Vazquez took a giant step backwards when he was rocked by the Twins, giving up eight hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He needed a strong outing on Tuesday night to solidify his place in the rotation, and he delivered.

New York Yankees all-star baseball player Javier Vazquez was rolling along until he gave up a a solo homer to Corey Patterson (he struck him out the first two times at bat) in the sixth inning to tie the score, 1-1. Then, he ran into trouble in the seventh. The Orioles loaded the bases with one out on two hits and an intentional walk.

But Javier Vazquez struck out Adam Jones swinging and got Julio Lugo to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Yankees scored two unearned runs on a throwing error by third baseman Miguel Tejada with two outs on a ground ball by Alex Rodriquez to take the lead for good.

“I wanted to stay (in the game) and I'm glad Joe let me finish that inning.'' said Javier Vazquez. “That was huge. ... I think (the strikeout of Jones) was the key pitch there. He's a dangerous hitter and I threw a pretty good pitch (an 87-mph fastball).''

Yankees manager Joe Girardi insists he saw this type of performance coming. After a rough start to the season -- losing four of his first five decisions, Javier Vazquez held the Tigers to two runs over seven innings on May 12, earned a victory against the Red Sox in relief on May 17 and shut out the Mets over six innings on May 21 before his meltdown against the Twins.

“He was great (Tuesday night), Four hits, he attacked the zone all night, I thought he used his fastball very effectively. This is kind of what we thought we were going to get from him. Everybody is going to run into bumps in the road. But we've been really encouraged by the way he has been throwing the baseball. He has strikeout stuff. He has groundball stuff. There's a lot of things that Javier can do. He has three different off-speed pitches, he can sink it. He can four-seam it. I thought he used everything effectively, but he was really good with his fastball.'' said New York Yankee Manager Joe Girardi

LA Lakers and Boston Celtics: A Victory For TV Ratings?

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:38:00 -0700

With 32 of a possible 63 titles between them, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are the most successful franchises in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. They’re also a boon to television ratings. When the Lakers and Celtics meet for another championship in this year’s NBA Finals starting in two days, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC may emerge a winner.

“This is best matchup ABC could have possibly hoped for,” Brad Adgate, research director at Horizon Media, a New York- based advertising company, said in a telephone interview. “It’s a classic rivalry -- cross-country, major markets and two teams loaded with history.”

Jeff Lindsey, a spokesman for ABC, didn’t immediately return an e-mail last night seeking comment.

The Lakers won their 15th NBA championship last season, while the Celtics won their 17th title two years ago.

Boston’s six-game win over the Lakers after the 2007-08 season yielded the highest television ratings for the NBA Finals in the past five years. It was the most recent championship- round meeting in one of sports’ most celebrated rivalries, which featured Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s.

The 1987 championship series, the third showdown in four years between Johnson’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics, was watched in 16.7 percent of U.S. homes, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was the highest-rated NBA finals that didn’t include Michael Jordan since Nielsen began keeping records in 1974.

“These teams have national followings and leaguewide followings,” said Phil de Picciotto, president of Athletes &; Personalities at the Los Angeles-based marketing and representation firm Octagon. “Anybody who’s a basketball fan appreciates what the Lakers and Celtics stand for.”

Made A Living On Lakers And Boston Celtics

Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson, who used to sit alongside Boston President Red Auerbach during the NBA Finals, said his network “made a living” on the Celtics and Lakers. Pilson expects more ratings success this season.

“There’s every indicator from size of markets, to quality of the matchup, to the athletes themselves, to the history and tradition,” said Pilson, president of Pilson Communications, Inc., in Chappaqua, New York. “This definitely is a great matchup for the NBA and the networks.”

The teams met in the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, featuring Hall of Famers such as Bill Russell and Bob Cousy for Boston and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor for Los Angeles. Wilt Chamberlain played for the Lakers in the 1969 Finals.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Series

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader with 38,387 points, helped lead the Lakers to NBA Finals victories against the Celtics in 1985 and 1987. Los Angeles is the second-largest media market in the U.S. behind New York, and Boston is seventh.

The Lakers are led by former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kobe Bryant, who has averaged 29.4 points in 16 games this postseason. The Celtics are paced by a quartet of All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

“Boston and L.A. -- wake up the echoes,” Pilson said in a telephone interview. “This is classic. The only thing that could spoil this matchup right now are blowout games or a four- game sweep. But it seems unlikely.”

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won three of four regular-season basketball matchups against the Celtics. Los Angeles will host Game 1 of the best-of-seven championship series on June 3 at the Staples Center. Game 2 will also be played in Los Angeles, on June 6, before the series shifts to Boston for the next three games.

Phil Jackson Seeking Revenge

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has 10 NBA titles, said the loss to the Celtics two years ago still stings. During the offseason, after Los Angeles beat the Orlando Magic for the NBA title, Phil Jackson said he ran into Pierce at his daughter’s housing complex in Los Angeles and made it known he wanted a championship rematch.

“I said, ‘Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals,’” Phil Jackson said after beating Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. “So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry.”

Since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960, they’ve faced the Celtics 10 times in the NBA Finals. Nine of those championship series were decided in more than five games, with four going to a seventh game.

“You’ve got great star power and great tradition,” said Horizon Media’s Adgate. “The only other thing that ABC could possibly hope for is that the series goes seven games.”

Eri Yoshida: The Knuckle Princess From Japan

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Mon, 31 May 2010 00:38:00 -0700

Since landing on American terrain earlier this year, nothing about baseball has fazed 18-year-old Japanese pitching sensation Eri Yoshida much. It's off the field that has been the real challenge. Eri Yoshida has coped with the language barrier, has by all accounts become "one of the guys" in the clubhouse with her Chico Outlaws teammates, and has held her own against some former big-league hitters.

But judging by the awkward gaze she flashed at the gobs of lasagna on her plate in an instructional league clubhouse earlier this year, American eats might just take some getting used to. The moment the lasagna was served was captured on a YouTube video.

"It's cheap, and quantity is much more than we get in Japan," Eri Yoshida said of American food through a translator after making her U.S. debut on Saturday.

But if she has her way, the 5-foot-1, 115-pound Eri Yoshida will be seeing a lot more lasagna. Heralded as the "Knuckle Princess" by the Japanese media, Yoshida became the first female to pitch professionally in two countries when she debuted for the Outlaws in the independent Golden League against the Tijuana Cimmarones.

Baseball princess Eri Yoshida made her debut for the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden League on Saturday night, the first appearance by a woman in American professional baseball since Ila Borders in 2000.

Eri Yoshida allowed four runs in three innings against Los Cimarrones de Tijuana, and she was hit hard at times; one 70-mile-per-hour fastball was crushed for a two-run homer. But she retired 7 of the first 10 batters she faced before tiring. And in her one plate appearance, she drove in a run by bouncing a bases-loaded single to right field

Eri Yoshida got off to a much better debut than Borders did in her first game in 1997, when she failed to retire any of the three batters she faced for the Saint Paul Saints of the Northern League. Borders pitched four years in independent leagues, ending her career in 2000.

After former San Francisco Giants infielder Ivan Ochoa led off the game for the Tijuana Cimarrones by bunting for a single, drawing jeers from the crowd, Eri Yoshida settled down and kept Tijuana off-balance with a sidearm knuckleball that usually registers in the 50 mph range.

It is a world away — and halfway around the globe — from where Eri Yoshida grew up, in Kawasaki, an urban city on the outskirts of Tokyo. Spurred by the interest in Eri Yoshida, the Outlaws are streaming all of their home games live on the Internet this season. About 25 media outlets were credentialed for the game.

While this might seem like a gimmick, it appeared to work as the Outlaws drew 4,400 fans to the game. Eri Yoshida learned to throw the knuckleball as a young girl by watching Wakefield. She taught herself the pitch and never had any formal coaching for how to throw the knuckler until meeting her idol during spring training in Florida earlier this year.

Mike Marshall said he has no doubt Eri Yoshida has the makeup to handle this historic challenge. He said the biggest factor in determining how far she will be able to take it will be how much stronger she gets in the next few years.

"There's going to be a draft here in a couple weeks and there's probably only a handful of 18-year-old high school kids who are going to get drafted who could come here and play. Men, Look at the rosters. You have Double-A, Triple-A, big-league guys. This isn't affiliated rookie ball; this isn't affiliated A-ball. This is way up there. These are 25- to 35-year-old men she's playing against." Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall said.

Despite the disparity in age, experience, gender and cultural upbringing, Eri Yoshida is fitting in well with her new team. Manager Garry Templeton, an admitted skeptic when he first saw her pitch this winter, said the players missed her when she didn't make a season-opening road trip to Mexico.

He said Eri Yoshida has been taken to kangaroo court, where she was fined a dollar, like all newcomers to the court. The only special treatment she gets is separate locker room facilities to change in and her own hotel room on the road.

"They're protective of her," Garry Templeton said. "She blends in well. She's just a ballplayer. They see her as a ballplayer, not as a girl."

Lakers Wins The Game – Thanks To Ron Artest

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 27 May 2010 23:37:00 -0700

Basketball fans catch up their breath when the Lakers' small but terrible forward Ron Artest made only one of his eight shots in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, misfiring on a late three-point attempt that drew the ire of Coach Phil Jackson.

But Jackson had a funny feeling Ron Artest was capable of something special in the final minutes of a tight game against the Phoenix Suns, so he sent the struggling player back into the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Good thing for Ron Artest, and a good thing for the Lakers. Ron Artest cut across the lane to grab an errant Kobe Bryant three-point attempt and tossed it into the basket with 0.8 seconds left to give the Lakers an exhilarating 103-101 victory tonight at Staples Center.

"He has an uncanny knack of doing things," Phil Jackson said of Ron Artest, whose shot joins Derek Fisher's 0.4-second heave against San Antonio six years ago in Lakers' playoff lore.

Ron Artest finished with only four points for the Lakers, who have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series that shifts to US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday for Game 6. The home team has won each of the five games in the series.

"I thought Kobe got fouled on the shot, so I figured it was going to be short," Ron Artest said. "You've just got to continue the play."

The Lakers needed those heroics after Phoenix had battled back from a 101-96 deficit with 1:38 remaining on a 20-foot jumper by Steve Nash and a banked-in three-pointer by Jason Richardson with 3.5 seconds left. Steve Nash finished with 29 points on 12-for-20 shooting and he had 11 assists.

Kobe Bryant attempted a three-pointer from the wing while falling out of bounds with two seconds left, but the shot was well short and Ron Artest grabbed the ball and quickly shot it while turning toward the backboard.

"Bottom line, we didn't box Ron out," Phoenix Coach Alvin Gentry said. "We let him walk right in and get the rebound."

Kobe Bryant finished with 30 points and Fisher had 22 for the Lakers, who have won their last nine Game 5s under Phil Jackson, including a pair of triumphs this season. The Lakers are 8-0 at home in the 2010 playoffs. Pau Gasol added 21 points and Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 13 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns won Games 3 and 4 at home by utilizing a zone defense, repeatedly getting to the free-throw line and enjoying several breakthrough performances from its bench. Only one of those factors -- free throws -- worked in the Suns' favor in Game 5.

Phoenix did attempt 29 free throws to the Lakers' 23, but the Suns' bench combined for 31 points after getting 54 in Game 4.

The Lakers also scored 38 points in the paint and 23 points off 15 Phoenix turnovers. Phoenix Suns went with its reserves to start the second and fourth quarters, and the unit failed to reproduce its Game 4 magic. Guard Goran Dragic did little besides shove the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic early in the fourth quarter, resulting in offsetting technical fouls.

The Lakers appeared to have put the game out of reach late in the third quarter when a free throw by Lamar Odom gave them an 18-point lead at 74-56. But the Suns closed the quarter on a 16-4 run that included a four-point play by Jared Dudley, who was fouled by Pau Gasol on a three-point basket and made the ensuing free throw.

"It was a crazy game," Steve Nash said. "Just when you thought everything was OK, we lose."

Sharks Have To Decide Between Marleau And Nabokov

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:21:00 -0700

When the goal is hoisting the NHL Stanley Cup, anything short of that is perceived as failure, so here are the San Jose Sharks once again going thru the annual post-mortem of a season that ended too soon. Only two members of the Sharks have played in both of the team's NHL Western Conference finals appearances.

Will both be back for another run at the Cup? Patrick Marleau, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov are among San Jose's five most notable unrestricted free agents, and it might be tough for the team to keep both.

Three days after being eliminated from the post season, the Sharks packed up their gear, signed some final autographs, and said goodbye. But it still stings that they're not in the Stanley Cup finals.

Each is an elite player and will be pursued by other clubs, and though there are breakdowns that show how teams can get all their current players to fit under the salary cap, several Sharks executives Wednesday emphasized that the figure that San Jose really considers is its own budget.

Maxing out the cap (which is expected to be about $58 million) isn't something the Sharks are looking to do, and forget long-term back-loaded deals that might hog-tie future payrolls. That means the team is unlikely to retain all its unrestricted free agents.

"Systemically, that's not a reality," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said at the team's practice facility. "Every team has to go through tough decisions, that's part of the business. Right now, sitting here, it would be premature to assume anything."

"When you lose, you think the world is going to end and then you kind of have a couple of days to think about it, reflect on the year and I think we had a pretty darn good year. It was a big step we took this year, and we just have to learn from it and build on for next year," says Sharks center Joe Thornton.

The team will now begin putting together next year's roster with three key free agents: Sharks center Patrick Marleau, Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabakov, and Rob Blake.

"People should not get into the point of premature assessments or jump to any conclusions. We will make those decisions going forward. These are people who have done tremendous jobs for this organization," says Sharks general manager Doug Wilson.

Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabakov have the longest tenure in this locker room and both would like to come back and finish what they've started.

"Sometimes when you're part of something for so long, and you get the job done so you want to be here to get the job done," says Evgeni Nabokov.

"To help put that work in and get that feeling of winning a couple of series, it's an experience you've got to build up," says Patrick Marleau.

"This season is a success as long as we do something with the growth next year. If we take a step backwards, we can't look at this as being a successful one," says Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.

Two restricted free agents, forwards Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi, are looking at hefty raises, making it even less likely that both Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabakov - who each made more than $6 million last season - can return.

There are good arguments for keeping each man: Patrick Marleau is coming off a 44-goal season and he was San Jose's best player in the conference finals. Evgeni Nabakov is among the game's top goaltenders, and the Sharks have few other options in net.

Should the team part ways with Nabokov, Wilson would have to look to the free-agent or trade markets; there are some notable restricted free-agents there, including Montreal's Jaroslav Halak and ... Chicago's Antti Niemi.

Patrick Marleau , Nabokov and useful one-year contract additions Scott Nichol and Manny Malhotra all expressed a desire to come back.

"We've put down roots here and love the area," said Marleau, whose wife is from the South Bay. "It's become home."

Evgeni Nabakov raved about the organization and said, "We took a huge step this year. I hope to be a part of it the next couple of years. ... Let's face it: The mission is not accomplished yet. I want to be a part of it but I don't know if it's up to me. We'll see."

Asked if that means it's up to the Sharks, Nabokov said, "I think so. That's how things are. It's not in my court, really. It's a weird situation. I don't know the right answer.

"I don't like to not finish something. I'd like to finish something and say, 'Now I can sleep well.' "

Along with some personnel changes, there will be some tweaks coming in terms of the team's play. Head coach Todd McLellan said that after reassessing the sweep by Chicago, he and his staff will look at potential issues such as the Sharks' drop-off in scoring from the blue line during the NHL season, as well as the lack of secondary scoring in the conference finals.

"Just when you think you have it solved because you're getting it, it goes away," he said.

San Francisco Giants Win Over Washington Nationals

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 25 May 2010 23:30:00 -0700

Baseball player Edgar Renteria's flare to left won't look like much in the box score, but the way the Giants offense had been going, it might as well have been a 550-foot blast into McCovey Cove. The fifth-inning single brought Todd Wellemeyer home, snapping a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings. The Giants had gone 25 at-bats with a runner in scoring position without a hit, but Renteria's knock opened the floodgates.

San Francisco Giants tacked on three more in the inning, and snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

Todd Wellemeyer more than held up his end on the mound. The right-hander had been in danger of losing his spot in the rotation but looked sharp against Washington, allowing two earned on four hits in six innings.

Todd Wellemeyer (3-4) improved to 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA at home this season. He ran into trouble in the seventh and left with a run in and two runners on, but relievers Sergio Romo, Guillermo Mota and Brian Wilson combined for three hitless innings of relief.

When the Giants wasted a leadoff double by Andres Torres and stranded Renteria on third in the fourth inning, there appeared to be no end in sight to a scoreless streak that started in the eighth inning of Friday night's loss to the A's.

But after three games of hitting hard shots in all the wrong spots, the team caught a break in the fifth inning when Wellemeyer's soft fly ball landed just inside the line in right. Torres followed with a single up the middle, setting up Renteria, who is 4 for 10 since returning from the disabled list.

Mired in a five-game losing streak, manager Bruce Bochy has repeatedly stressed that all it would take was one or two guys to get the whole lineup going.

Renteria's single did the trick.

Freddy Sanchez followed with a two-run double to right, and Pablo Sandoval brought him home with a double to deep center.

For the second straight game, Bochy made big changes to the lineup in search of a spark. Torres was moved to the leadoff spot Sunday, and for Tuesday's series opener, three players were on the move in the field. Juan Uribe was back in the starting lineup at third base, which moved Sandoval to first and Aubrey Huff to the outfield for the first time since 2006.

"There's no getting around it, we're having a tough time putting runs on the board, so we're trying different things to see if they can get going," Bruce Bochy said before the game. "It's really the same guys, but we mixed it up to hopefully get the offense going.

"That's our biggest issue and we know it."

The Giants pulled out of their collective slump, and as an added bonus, the new-look defense didn't lead to any problems. Huff told Bochy that he felt comfortable playing left field, and he looked it.

The first ball of the game was hit right at him, and he later made a nice running catch on the warning track. Sandoval was also tested right off the bat, but he had no problems coming up the line and applying an inning-ending swipe tag when Renteria's throw sailed wide in the first.

With San Francisco Giants nursing the lead late, Huff was replaced in left and Sandoval and Uribe returned to third and short, respectively.

The Giants have just one error in their past 11 games, and their 17 errors on the season are the fewest in the National League.

Soccer News: England Wins Over Mexico

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:50:00 -0700

England's soccer ace players left coach Fabio Capello frustrated at their lack of aggression in an unconvincing 3-1 victory over Mexico on Monday. While defenders Ledley King and Glen Johnson scored and Peter Crouch had a contentious goal, problems on defence made it an uncomfortable night for England at Wembley Stadium.

England, which opens its World Cup campaign against the United States on June 12, relied on goalkeeper Robert Green and a tactical change at halftime to beat its fellow World Cup qualifier.

“The manager wanted more aggression from the whole team,” England midfielder Steven Gerrard said. “They had too much possession in the first half, we stood off them and let them play. In the second half we got in their faces and stopped them playing. We need to be more aggressive.”

Returning after a three-year international absence, King headed in England's opener in the 17th minute after Crouch's setup across the net.

And Crouch, King's Tottenham teammate, managed to score a second — with the help of his arm — in the 34th from a rebound after goalkeeper Oscar Perez touched Wayne Rooney's header onto the crossbar.

England, though, was being outplayed, with Green twice denying Mexico's Arsenal forward Carlos Vela, while Carlos Salcido hit the goal post.

Guillermo Franco claimed a goal for the visitors seconds before halftime when left back Leighton Baines cleared Rafael Marquez's header at the far post straight to the forward, who scored from close range.

“Mexico are technically very good — they are faster than us and it was not easy getting the ball back,” Fabio Capello said. “Not all the teams we play against will be like this, but it is very important to press the ball and win it back quickly.”

Fabio Capello made several changes at halftime with Green, captain Rio Ferdinand, who partnered King in central defense, and Crouch replaced by Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe.

James Milner, who had been ineffective in central midfield with Michael Carrick, was shifted out to the left, with Gerrard moving into the middle.

“We need to be able to adapt to different formations during a game and also for different opposition,” Steven Gerrard said.

And two minutes into the second half, Johnson restored England's two-goal cushion with a curling shot from 20 yards and the home side looked more comfortable.

“We can play better than we did tonight. There's still time to sharpen up,” Steven Gerrard said.

There was one late scare for Fabio Capello, with striker Rooney indicating he wanted to come off in the closing minutes.

“He said he had a small problem in his neck, but it is not a problem,” Capello said. “Rooney is OK. At this moment he just needs to play and find his form.”

The four Chelsea players — John Terry, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Ashley Cole — and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, who played in last weekend's FA Cup final, were rested. Capello will assess them in Sunday's final friendly against Japan in Austria before the 30-man squad is trimmed to 23 by the June 1 FIFA deadline.

Ledley King will be allowed to rest his knees on Sunday. The Spurs captain, never featured before in Capello's 30-month reign, looks to have ensured his place in the squad after finally making his 20th England appearance.

“It wasn't one of my best games, but it was tough out there,” King said. “The knee is getting better; the more I play the better I get.”

Despite the scoreline and being frustrated at how the goals were conceded, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre saw some encouraging signs before his side faces host South Africa in the World Cup opener June 11.

“We need to keep our style and we want to try the same thing again on the 11th of June,” said Aguirre, who needs to trim just one player from his squad. “We need to convert our chances more and not concede so early and that will take us to our next level.”

Mexico is in soccer action again on Wednesday against the Netherlands and takes on Gambia on Sunday.

Venus Williams Create A Straight-Set Win At French Open

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Sun, 23 May 2010 23:49:00 -0700

Tennis superstar Venus Williams beat Patty Schnyder for the second time this month on clay, opening Sunday at the French Open with a 6- 3, 6-3 win, as holder Svetlana Kuznetsova pulled her clay game together to advance. With a lacy, black overlay giving it the illusion of being see-through, and bright red trim on the bodice, Venus Williams' corset-like get-up made her look as if she were ready to perform in a 19th century Parisian cancan chorus line. Her tennis game, a mix of power and niftier-than-usual footwork on this day, was very 21st century, and befitting a star of the show.

Venus Williams explained that her look was "about illusion," which, she noted, is "a lot of my motif this year" when it comes to clothes design. She also said she might not wear that particular dress again on court. Then again, perhaps she will. She's not sure. Either way, Venus Williams comes to a tournament with eight to 10 outfits, just in case the victories keep coming.

Venus Williams, newly promoted back to second in the world, followed up her defeat of the veteran Swiss early this month in Rome. The American player overcame 21 unforced errors, breaking six times to make the difference. Kuznetsova steadied after losing the first three games to emerge with a face-saving first-round win, defeating Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-1.

The Russian sixth seed came to the court with just one clay victory this season from a sparse four matches. The seed advanced on her second match point against No. 34 Cirstea, a quarter-finalist a year ago. She will next play German Andrea Petkovic, a winner over Russian Elena Vesnina 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

"Definitely I was a little bit nervous in the start, and it was rough start for me, but I'm very happy about it," said the relieved Russian.

"I managed to come back and fight for every single game. It didn't matter if I was down 0-40 or 15-40, whatever was it. I was just playing as many balls back as I could. The first two matches are very important, so the second match is gonna be very hard mentally."

Venus Williams' only real problems came at the very end against Patty Schnyder, who fell to 0-11 against the American but certainly is no slouch, particularly on clay. The 31-year-old lefty from Switzerland has been a Grand Slam semifinalist, has been ranked No. 7, and leads active women in career clay-court victories.

She forced Venus Williams to fend off three break points in the final game, and also made her accumulate four match points before finally ending things with a forehand winner.

"It's just too tough to really play good, and then on top of that, to beat her," Patty Schnyder said. "She has a great answer to my lefty serve, she has the backhand down the line, which hurts me a lot, and she's a great mover."

That last part hasn't always been the case on clay, but the 29-year-old Williams had neither of her sometimes-bothersome knees wrapped Sunday. She covered the court quite well, both side-to-side and moving forward, which helped her win 12 of 14 points at the net.

It's part of a resurgence on the slow surface this season for Venus Williams: She is 13-2 on clay.

"Look at her results," Patty Schnyder said. "She's coming into the tournament playing good clay-court matches, winning clay-court matches."

And she's dressed for success, you might say.

And she plans a lengthy stay in Paris this time around, perhaps capped by a title.

"I always — goes without saying — believe I can win," said Venus Williams, whose biggest hitches Sunday were eight double-faults.

Venus Williams lost in the third round at each of the past three French Opens and only once has been beyond the quarterfinals in 13 previous trips: She lost to younger sister Serena in the 2002 final. Still, Venus' hitting partner, David Witt, said after Sunday's victory: "If she goes out there and is smart and plays smart tennis, I think she can win the tournament."

There are others who will have some say in that, of course, including defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who also won in straight sets Sunday, and the top-ranked Serena, whose first-round match is Monday. Venus Williams is back at No. 2 in the rankings for the first time since May 2003, and was not shy about saying she wants to bump her sister off the top spot.

"It feels good to be moving up the ranks. Obviously, when you get to 2, of course, the next dream is 1," Venus Williams said.

Jason Day Leads In Byron Nelson Championship

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:36:00 -0700

Australian golf legend in the making Jason Day was so sick early Thursday that he almost withdrew from the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Instead, he got rest, drank plenty of liquids and took 66 shots. He was under the weather and 4 under par at the TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas.

He was thinking about withdrawing from the Byron Nelson Championship. Then he realized it looked like rain and he'd left his umbrella in the car. Walking to the parking lot, Day pictured himself getting behind the wheel and heading to his home in Fort Worth. He ended up toughing it out, and "it was probably a good idea," he said with a smile.

Jason Day was long gone before the day actually ended. Play was delayed for 3 hours, 43 minutes because of lighting and rain. Play was suspended at 8:29 p.m. because of darkness and will resume at 7:15 a.m. today with second-round tee times pushed back one hour.

Jason Day birdied four of his first six holes on his way to a 4-under 66 for a share of the first-round lead when play was suspended late Thursday.

The threatening skies that sent Jason Day fetching his umbrella never actually drenched the TPC Four Seasons course, but the radar looked so scary there was a delay of 3 hours, 44 minutes. Joe Durant finished with an eagle and a birdie to match Day at 66. Steve Elkington, Hunter Mahan and Jarrod Lyle were still on the course with scores of 4-under.

Steve Elkington will have two holes left, Hunter Mahan three and Lyle seven when play resumes at 7:15 a.m. Friday, pushing back the start of the second round by an hour. Thursday's late starters are the first to go off Friday, which means it will be a long day for them.

Among those working overtime will be 16-year-old Jordan Spieth, a high school junior from Dallas and the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion. He's the first high schooler to get a sponsor's exemption into this event since Tiger Woods in 1993, and he showed he belongs by shooting even par through 11 holes.

Jordan Spieth woke up nervous and held his emotions in check during the delay by playing table tennis, shopping for souvenirs and putting. After a raucous ovation at his introduction, he ripped his tee shot down the middle, beyond his two playing partners. He parred the first four holes, then dropped in a birdie. He finished with a par putt and walked away saying, "I wanted to keep playing, I didn't care how dark it was."

Dustin Johnson was part of a group tied for second at 3-under, one shot behind. He's No. 9 on the season's money list, the top earner in this field.

Defending champion Rory Sabbatini was among a pack at 68. Vijay Singh and Rickie Fowler got off to poor starts in their quests to qualify for the U.S. Open. Both need to be near the top of the leaderboard to get into the top 50 in the world rankings by Monday's deadline, but both were stopped at 2-over. Rickie Fowler had two holes left, Vijay Singh three.

Although the weather made for a long afternoon, it helped Jason Day. He used the down time to recover from the strength-sapping eight-plus holes he'd played.

"I just kind of sat down and rested," Jason Day said. "I just sat down at a table with a bunch of friends and my wife and we sat there and talked, drank a lot of water, tried to keep up with my nutrition at least in there."

After the restart, he sure kept things interesting: two birdies, two bogeys and several scrambling pars — like on No. 1, his first full hole after the break. His tee shot was so poor it landed on the cart path, against a fence.

"I don't think any player has been over there except me today," he said.

Jason Day's season has been a lot like this round, spurts of great shots and bad ones, and ever-present illness. His physical problems began at the season-opening tournament in Hawaii. He's seen about six 6 is and allergies, and he's been given a bunch of different medicines.

Turns out he has a chronic sinus infection. He was given a shot and a batch of heavy antibiotics that should finally clear things up — but only after they threaten to clean him out. That's why he stood on the driving range wondering if 18 holes was a good idea.

"I really didn't think I was going to play this morning," he said.

Now the really weird part: The longer Day's medical woes have dragged, the better he's played. He's had three top-25 finishes this season, all in the last five weeks.

Jason Day suggests it's because he's practiced less and lowered his own expectations.

"I think I'm going out there and trying to play smarter golf," said Jason Day, who is only 22 but grew up being described as Australia's answer to Tiger Woods. "I didn't chip and putt as well as I would like to at the start of the year, and everything is turning around nicely now."

That breakthrough, first PGA Tour win would be even better.

Boxing News: Amir Khan Refused Ricky Hatton

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:10:00 -0700

Boxing world was a bit shock when Ricky Hatton, in an interview at Sky Sports, offered to promote WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, saying “I am certain with my help he can become the big star that his talent deserves.”

The 23-year-old Khan was quick to respond to Ricky Hatton, saying in an article at the Dailystar.co.uk, “Ricky is a good friend, but I already have Golden Boy Promotions behind me and my own company Khan Promotions. If I needed some help, I would phone him for advice, but things are going well for me right now.” Indeed, Amir Khan is working with Golden Boy Promotions now in an effort to try and become a huge mega star in the United States like his hero Manny Pacquiao.

It’s a gamble but Amir Khan is going to give it a try. Chances are, Khan will fail to become a huge star in the U.S. like Manny Pacquiao, but he will likely become as popular as Paulie Malignaggi, whom he recently defeated by an 11th round TKO last Saturday. If Khan wants to become a bigger star, he needs to step it up a couple of levels and start facing guys like his mandatory WBO light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana, and other top guys like Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander. Those are all tough fights for Khan but ones he needs to win for him to at least get to the level of popularity of Malignaggi.

Beyond that, Khan will need to face a huge star like Floyd Mayweather Jr. to become a big mega star. Manny Pacquiao won’t likely ever fight Khan because he sees him as a friend and not someone that he would like to fight. Khan, if he does get a fight against Mayweather, would have very little chance of beating him unless the fight takes place many years in the future when Mayweather is in his 40s.

Right now, Mayweather would likely embarrass Khan and instead of Khan becoming a huge mega star like Mayweather, he would just another one of Floyd’s victims. You don’t become a huge mega star by getting trounced by Mayweather, unfortunately. It just doesn’t work like that.

A good start for Khan in becoming somewhat popular in the U.S. would be for him to step up and fight Maidana instead of a small lightweight. There is talk of Amir Khan possibly fighting WBO lightweight interim champion Michael Katsidis next instead of Maidana or some other top fighter from the light welterweight division.

Amir Khan says “I would love to fight Maidana next. He can punch but is slow and can be hit. I would love to shut him up.” I wasn’t aware that Maidana was doing a lot of talking in the media.

At any rate, this is good news that Khan is interested in fighting Paulie Malignaggi. Of course, Khan said he was interested in fighting Maidana before his bout with Malignaggi, but instead of fighting Maidana, Khan said he wasn’t popular enough in the U.S. for him to fight him right now. Khan then opted to fight Malignaggi.

Amir Khan needs to show boxing fans that he’s not afraid to fight Maidana, because more than a few think that Khan is running from Maidana and afraid to fight him. Amir Khan could quiet his critics if he stepped up and chose to fight him rather than the lightweight Katsidis.

Amir Khan wants to fight on July 31st, so he’s going to have to make a decision pretty soon about who he will be fighting next. Paulie Malignaggi would be the best opponent if Khan wants to win respect among the hardcore fans, but his promoters want him to fight the better known Michael Katsidis, even though he’s a lot smaller than Amir Khan and fights at a lower weight class.

MLB News: Dodgers Win 9 Straight

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:49:00 -0700

Another baseball history marks the spot as the Dodgers kept winning games after losing Manny Ramirez last year, so they know the drill now that Andre Ethier will be disabled as long as six weeks. They didn't let the official loss of Ethier to a broken finger, or a shaky start by Hiroki Kuroda, keep the win streak from reaching nine Tuesday night with a 7-3 victory over the Astros and sweep of the two-game series.

"We're playing well," said manager Joe Torre. "We have a nice confidence right now. We had a lot of contributors tonight, we did a lot of little things. We're not going to be the same without Ethier, but so far, so good."

Hiroki Kuroda squandered a first-inning three-run lead but regrouped to go six innings and raise his record to 5-1 as Casey Blake, James Loney and Ramirez each drove in a pair of runs while the bullpen threw three more scoreless innings.

"Every team goes through adversity and you hate to see it with one of the best hitters in the lineup," said Casey Blake. "It changes the dynamics of the lineup a little bit, but we've got guys who can step in. We showed that the last few nights. Last year with Manny gone, it was Juan Pierre. We were a good team with Juan Pierre."

The nine-game streak is the longest for the Dodgers since 2006. They've won 11 of their last 12 and the opposition has been held to no more than three runs in each of the nine wins, the first time for a Dodgers team since 1980. This was the fourth win since Andre Ethier's injury and the winning streak is the longest for the Dodgers since they reeled off 11 straight in 2006.

"(Ethier) is just as much of a threat up there as Manny is, but that's not necessarily what wins games," said Russell Martin, whose hitting streak reached 13 games. "If we keep pitching and doing what we've been doing we'll be tough to beat. Obviously, you'd rather have him in the lineup, but if you don't, you pick each other up and do what you can, each individual to best of his ability."

The Dodgers gave Hiroki Kuroda a 3-0 first-inning lead with a two-out rally, James Loney singling in two, stealing second and scoring on Blake's RBI single. But Carlos Lee led off the bottom of the second with a home run to left field off Kuroda.

The Astros used a two-out rally in the third to tie the game, with Lee singling an 0-2 pitch up the middle with the bases loaded for two runs, but Kuroda shut down the Astros for the next 3 1/3 innings. The Dodgers regained the lead in the fourth on Jamey Carroll's sacrifice fly to shallow right field that scored Loney.

Houston starter Bud Norris sealed his fate by walking Kuroda to lead off the fifth. Martin singled, Xavier Paul bunted them over and with first base open Houston manager Brad Mills had Norris pitch to Ramirez, whose two-run single chased Norris.

"Matt Kemp is no easy pickings," said Torre, who had Kemp batting behind Ramirez. "I'm glad I'm on this side and don't have to make that decision."

Said Norris: "First base is open, but I've got to attack there and the guy on deck's no slouch either. I threw the pitch I wanted to throw and he hit it, I got to tip my cap. He's Manny Ramirez."

Blake added a solo homer in the eighth, the 150th of his career and third hit of the game. Blake was hitting as high as .328 on April 25, but in the three weeks since, has hit .159 to bring his average down to .233 entering this game.

"It's been frustrating," he said. "I was telling my wife about it. You want to do so well to help the team. I've gone down the path where I sit in beg and brood over it, driving myself crazy, lost a lot of sleep about my swing. I've tried that route. I hope I've gotten smarter with age, staying confident and patient. I know things are going to turn around and I'll come out on top of this thing."

A key play in the game was a running catch at the fence by Ramirez, who shaded Jeff Keppinger toward center field and ran down his two-out drive with a runner on first in the seventh off Ronald Belisario. On deck was Lance Berkman, and Torre said he would have brought on Hong-Chih Kuo to face him, earlier than desired, had Ramirez not caught the ball.

Instead, Hong-Chih Kuo pitched a perfect eighth inning and over his last eight innings has allowed no runs, two hits with nine strikeouts. Ramon Troncoso pitched the ninth as the bullpen as turned in 15 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over the last six baseball games.

Kobe Bryant Scores 40 Makes Lakers Win

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:30:00 -0700

The basketball fans soared high kickin' some buts when the Lakers struggled to the end of the regular season and then were dominated in Games 3 and 4 by Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs. But, we're seven games removed from that and it was also the last time the defending NBA champions lost.

Kobe Bryant started playing like Kobe Bryant again as Los Angeles Lakers' 128-107 win over the Phoenix Suns, Kobe Bryant had 40 points, including a remarkable 21 points in the third quarter of the Western Conference finals opener. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday at Staples Center.

It really wasn't much of a game once Kobe Bryant took over. It was the fifth consecutive game in which Bryant has scored more than 30 points. He scored his 40 on 13-of-23 shooting from the field while making 11 of 12 from the line. He made three of six three-pointers.

Perhaps the greatest praise for Kobe Bryant came from two-time MVP Steve Nash of the Suns, who was held to a below-average 13 points.

"I don't think we sent him to the line a lot," Phoenix Suns' player Steve Nash said. "I don't think we let him inside a lot, but still he scored a ton." Kobe Bryant played only 35 minutes as he left the game with about nine minutes to play and nothing left to prove. As the game wound down, even the normally nervous Lakers crowd started to loosen up, chanting: "We want Boston."

The Boston Celtics have a 1-0 lead over the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, with Game 2 on Tuesday.

"Kobe had an outstanding game," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said in an understatement of fact. "Pau (Gasol) played a fine game and so did Lamar (Odom)."

Pau Gasol contributed 21 points while Odom had 19 points and 19 rebounds. "Kobe carried a lot of the offense tonight," Phil Jackson said. "He came in and was going to shoulder the game."

Kobe Bryant's health is a constant topic around Los Angeles. The Times reported on Monday that he recently had a "significant" amount of fluid drained from his knee, something Phil Jackson verified although he said it was not done this past weekend.

And Kobe Bryant certainly made everyone forget about his date with a syringe early when he came out and scored 11 points in the first quarter. But there was an anxious moment with 1:46 left in the opening period when he slipped as he drove down the lane and fell on his injured knee. It hushed the sellout crowd of 18,997. But what was hurting him was his head, which banged into Phoenix guard Jason Richardson as he fell.

How did he respond? He got up, stayed in the game and sank a 17-footer at the buzzer. It was that kind of game for Bryant.

"When he's making those shots, there's not a whole lot more you can do about it," said Suns Coach Alvin Gentry.

"Every time he plays, he takes it personal. . . . He knows how important the first thing is."

Amare Stoudemire was the main reason the Suns were only seven points behind at the half before Kobe Bryant took over in the third. Stoudemire scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half and was the Suns' leading scorer. Richardson added 15 points with Robin Lopez contributed 14.

Besides Kobe Bryant, another subplot around Los Angeles has been the future of Jackson. He is in the last year of a contract that pays him $12 million a year. He said he would decide his future after the playoffs but in a radio interview he did before the weekend he said he was leaning toward retiring.

Is Lakers Ready For The Western Conference Finals?

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:13:00 -0700

Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant recently had fluid drained from his right knee and has not practiced in the week since their last game, and Andrew Bynum says his torn knee cartilage feels a little worse. Both will try to shake off their injuries Monday when Lakers face Phoenix in Game 1.

The Lakers haven't played since completing a sweep of Utah a week ago, but the circumstances are more considerable, the results more weighty when they begin the Western Conference finals Monday against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center.

They're four victories away from a 31st appearance in the NBA Finals, but they'll get there only if Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum shake off knee injuries that have basically kept them off the practice court the last week. Kobe Bryant recently had a significant amount of fluid drained from his swollen right knee, The Times has learned, and hasn't practiced since the last round. Andrew Bynum practiced only once and said the torn cartilage in his right knee was "getting a little worse" after making it through Saturday's scrimmage.

Ready or not, here come the run-and-gun Suns.

"We need some different company out on the court," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said with a smile Sunday after yet another day of practice.

Phil Jackson was a little more somber when discussing Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, the former averaging a solid 32 points a game in the conference semifinals, the latter totaling only six points the last two games against the Jazz.

Jackson, on Bryant: "He came out [Sunday] and shot a little bit and tried to get in rhythm. We hope that he's on board and his game is right at that point where it needs to be."

Jackson, on Bynum: "I thought he played well [Saturday] and we're hopeful that he's going to be at that level."

Neither Kobe Bryant nor Andrew Bynum spoke to reporters Sunday, but it's been unusual to see Bryant off to the side watching and Bynum padding around in flip-flops as teammates run up and down the court at the team's El Segundo training facility.

Their teammates have shrugged off their absence.

"At this point of the year, we need those guys during the game," forward Lamar Odom said. "If they've got something that's ailing or something that's aching, that's bothering them, I'd much rather have them ready for game time."

Phoenix Suns won't take pity on the Lakers, bringing an offense that created a sweep in the last round, the Suns throttling the San Antonio Spurs behind the ageless legs of Steve Nash, the lively pick-and-roll game of Amare Stoudemire and the suddenly consistent shooting of Jason Richardson.

The Suns are shooting an impressive 41.7% from three-point range and averaging 105.8 points in the playoffs, almost five more than the Lakers. They will push the pace with the ever-crafty Nash in an up-tempo offense that somehow has a degree of control to it.

"It's not so full-out run as, say, Oklahoma [City]," Jackson said. "This team has some sense behind what they're doing on their runs."

The Lakers will counter by pounding the ball down low to Pau Gasol and, if possible, Andrew Bynum. They also have put a premium on getting offensive rebounds to limit the Suns' fastbreak opportunities.

"That's something we're going to focus on," Lamar Odom said.

The Suns will have gone eight days since their last game, one more than the Lakers, and they'll have a minor slice of history on their side, having eliminated the Lakers in the first round in 2006 and 2007.

UFC Is Safer Than Football And Boxing: Dana White

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 13 May 2010 21:34:00 -0700

UFC President, Dana White talks about why he’s not overjoyed at his son wanting to pursue a career in football, explaining he considers mixed martial arts to be safer than that and boxing. “The misconception is, these guys can kick, knee, punch, elbow, slam to the ground, this has to be more violent and dangerous. It's not true,” says UFC President Dana White of the sport of mixed martial arts.

"What's more violent than boxing? You and I stand in front of each other for 12 rounds, and my goal is to hit you so hard in the face that I knock you unconscious. In the UFC you and I can fight, and I can beat you and win, and never punch you in the head once. We can go right to the ground, start grappling, and pull off a submission. It's not 25, 30 minutes of blows to the head non-stop.” UFC President Dana White said.

As well, he adds, “the difference with the tap out is that if I get you into a submission and you're in a bad place - you can tap out with honour. It's acceptable in this sport.”

White further points out that there’s never been a UFC injury more serious than a broken arm. However, he says, "At the end of the day it's a contact sport and anything can happen."

On the new HBO deal, Dana White says he believes UFC events are going to be a great addition to HBO’s lineup. HBO has said they won’t include people from their current boxing coverage team on the UFC productions, which seems to please White.

“I love the sport of boxing, let me tell you. That’s where I came from, and I used to live, eat, breathe, sleep boxing. Unfortunately, all the guys who were involved in boxing, all had a hand in helping kill that great sport. And the thing that scares me is, all the sleazy, slithering, creepy guys from boxing all are starting to work their way over to MMA now. And hopefully, the UFC can position themselves right now to keep all the creeps out of the sport.”

I absolutely agree with Dana White’s assertions… I actually wrote a research paper that compared injury rates of different sports. In a nutshell, football players tend to suffer from chronic debilitating injuries over the course of their career.

If you compare rugby to NFL, you find much less chronic injuries because ruggers don’t wear pads. In boxing, boxers are at an extremely high risk for brain trauma (and disease), since their sport basically consists of being hit in the face repeatedly. A K.O is actually a mild form of concussion to the brain. Studies have shown that many boxers have portions of their brains that are literally “mush” from being repeatedly traumatized.

Boxing is much worse because of the accumulation of damage from being punched in the head thousands of times in a career is just not safe. Look at James Toney, I remember when he was young and in his prime he can barely talk now. Thats the guys who didn’t get beat to death like Jimmy Garcia who died after taking a beating from one of the Ruelas brothers or beat till his higher brain functions cease like Gerald McClellan.

UFC on the other hand gives the fighter the option to tap out (stopping the trauma), grapple instead of strike, and is restricted to 3-5 rounds. I would absolutely submit that UFCF fighters suffer much less trauma over the course of their career as compared to NFL football players or boxers.

Over 90% of the injuries sustained by fighters happen in training. Boxing is straight brutal. Everyone thinks its the big knockout that hurts you. I looks far worse then it is. The KO is a result of the bodies own defense system. Its those fighters that have so-called good chins that sustain brutal damage to their brains. Facts dont lie. NFL football is indeed more dangerous sport then UFC as a whole.

Although none of this actually means UFC is a safe sport. It is just safer then the two sports mentioned. I don't think it is anything one should rejoice over. Its still dangerous and anything can happen.

Dana White may not have articulated it well but he’s right. A ten year NFL football players no matter how good he was or how healthy he is will have his life dramatically changed by the sport of football. Its just not physically possible for men that size, to move that fast and have multiple collisions. I’m not only talking concussions, I’m talking knee injuries , ankles etc. Look at Curtis Martin, he’s a guy who's in his 30’s and should still be in the prime of his life and can barely walk. Earl Campbell, etc.

To view the video click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f71Zi8srwr4&feature=player_embedded

Thanks For The Memories Lebron James?

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:17:00 -0700

It's in progress, just one Boston Celtics victory from completion after the Cavaliers' embarrassing 120-88 Game 5 meltdown Tuesday at home in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. In the most stunning on-court development of the season, two-time basketball shark ace player MVP LeBron James— the Cavs' leader, the homegrown star destined to deliver a championship after the city's 46-year drought — is faltering with an underwhelming, unfathomable playoff performance. It's not that he had 15 points on 3-for-14 shooting Tuesday.

It's that he disappeared.

All that against the backdrop of Lebron James' impending free agency and potential departure, hanging over the city like a dark, gloomy Lake Erie cloud. Lebron James demurs.

"We know what it takes to win as a team, but at the same time, we haven't played great basketball," Lebron James said without great passion after the game.

If Game 5 was a big game in his career, Game 6 today in Boston (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) looms the biggest. His reputation, at least temporarily, is at stake.

"You guys are crazy," Lebron James said after Wednesday's practice. "I'm 25, and you're talking about a reputation and legacy. C'mon.

"Man, I got more years and a lot more time to play this game. ... The only time I work out is to win an NBA championship, to compete for an NBA championship, and I'm excited we have the opportunity to do that here."

This is when the greats are special.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself, of course. That's the kind of player I am," Lebron James said. "That's how I hold myself accountable. ... I need one of those games, and I look forward to having one.

"I'm going to be ready for Game 6."

So that a Game 7 is forced back home.

Lebron James' Inconsistent Play

Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry assembled a team to win a title this season. He traded for center Shaquille O'Neal and signed guard Anthony Parker and forward Jamario Moon in the offseason and acquired forward Antawn Jamison at February's trade deadline.

Those moves helped the Cavs to a 61-21 record and home-court advantage for the playoffs. But they are not paying off now, the reverse of the Orlando Magic, who needed time to work newcomer Vince Carter into the system. The Magic are rolling.

Those are subplots. It all begins with Lebron James, who appeared disengaged at times during the game and indifferent in his postgame news conference.

"You don't know if I'm angry or not," James said after practice Wednesday. "If I show a sense of panic, guys follow my lead. ... If I say, 'Oh, we lost by 30 last night and we don't know what to do,' that's not right. That's not who I am."

Fire and brimstone is not Lebron James' style. But his team needs something now.

"The thing you're worried about is our consistent play, which hasn't been there," he said of the 3-2 series. "As far as being worried about the series, I'm not worried."

NBA basketball ace player Lebron James has been uneven, averaging 36.5 points and shooting 56.5% in two wins and 20.3 points and 36% shooting in three losses.

He brushed off questions about his strained right (shooting) elbow. "I don't hang my head low or make excuses about anything that may be going on because that's not the type of player and type of person I am."

Without James performing at an MVP level, the Cavaliers don't look like a championship team.

He is beloved in northeast Ohio. He grew up in nearby Akron, has an affinity for his hometown.

But how much does this postseason influence where James plays next season? What if he left the Cavaliers after a second-round exit? How would fans feel? James isn't thinking that far ahead.

"It makes no sense for me to look that way, say, 'This could potentially be my last game here or be our last game in Cleveland for the season,' " he said.

A loss to Boston has repercussions off the court, too. How much would James' departure hurt the franchise?

In 2003-04, Lebron James' first season with the Cavaliers, Forbes estimated the franchise was worth $258 million, 15th out of 30 NBA teams. In its latest NBA valuations in December, the Cavaliers were worth $476 million, an 84% increase.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, "The last two home playoff losses and the manner in which we lost does not come close to the high expectations all of us have. Our fans and supporters deserve more."

Boston does have some say in this. The Cavaliers are being outcoached and outplayed. The Celtics are defense first and foremost, and when they're healthy and getting offensive contributions from guards Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo and forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, "They're as good or better than anybody," ABC/ESPN analyst and former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy said.

Boston is playing its best basketball of the season at the right time, just the way coach Doc Rivers had hoped. That has left northeast Ohio angry, depressed and in a panic, and rightfully so.

Growing up here, James understands: "If I'm a fan from Cleveland and watching the game, I would have booed, too."

Cleveland sports fans haven't experienced a championship since the NFL Browns won in 1964.

Sports talk radio revealed frustration and resignation on the state of the Cavaliers. ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo said, "I'm flabbergasted. I may be speechless. I don't know what to say."

But he really did.

"LeBron is going to go somewhere else and win a title," Rizzo said, hitting Cleveland fans where it hurts most, in the heart. "You choked in the biggest game of your career, and where you play next year — and I don't think it's going to be here — this is going to follow you."

Darrell Mayo, 38, is a life-long Cleveland resident. After so many disappointments, Mayo conditioned himself for what seems like the inevitable finish.

"I tell people, I'm a Brown fans, I'm a Cavs fan, I'm an Indians fan. For many years, I used to be one of those die-hard fans," Mayo said. "I took my emotions out of it. Now I go off of what I see and not what I feel. I still root for the team."

So where has it gone wrong? Did O'Neal's return after missing 23 games with a thumb injury mess with coach Mike Brown's rotation?

Brown's distribution of minutes, especially with his big men, has been inconsistent. He barely played center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the first four games, then gave him quality time in the first quarter of Game 5.

O'Neal played 49 seconds in the fourth quarter of Game 4. J.J. Hickson gets minutes one game and not the next. When pressed, Brown has been diplomatic, trying to massage egos and protect the sanctity of locker room talk.

His demeanor changed after Game 2. The playoffs can do that, especially with so much at stake, including his job. He joked after the Game 1 victory. But the jovial coach who likes to chitchat about life outside of basketball disappeared after Game 2. Even after the Game 3 win, his mood was serious.

"I'm bothered about me not putting them in a better position to win," Brown said. "I have to change my mind-set and attitude to make sure I'm focused just as much as they are."

James supported his coach Wednesday when asked about the game plan: "The whole coaching staff and I agree with the system that they put in. We've been successful in the postseason, we've been successful in the regular season."

In the playoffs, the story line can change quickly. If the Cavs win Game 6, the series finale is Sunday in Cleveland.

The pressure would shift to Boston.

"They have to play one great road game," Van Gundy said of the Cavaliers. Brown said they would learn a lot about themselves in Game 6. We'll learn more about James.

The Ultimate Female UFC Fighters Entering The Octagon

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:39:00 -0700

Years ago, when the UFC was trying to get sanctioned across the country, Dana White decided that having women fight on his show would just create PR nightmares that he didn't need. He may have been right. It's easy to imagine legislators showing pictures of bloody girls in order to fight regulation efforts. Now that the sport is regulated in almost every state, that concern is gone for the most part, but it made no sense until this week for the UFC to even consider a women's division.

In a world where women's UFC is a constant uphill battle, both of these women had the opportunity to prove the professionalism of women in martial arts - and show that we belong in the ring. But now, thanks to this weekend's Elite Extreme Combat (EliteXC) event in Southaven, Miss. (which will be broadcast on Showtime), the debate about women in UFC/MMA has once again heated up. Carano, after all, will meet Julie Kedzie on the televised portion of the card tomorrow and bring women's UFC to a national audience.

Over the course of two major CBS shows, Gina Carano established herself as an elite-level draw. Her fights drew over a million new viewers each show, and she does incredible search numbers online. Nobody in the UFC has drawn those kind of TV ratings all year besides Anderson Silva in July. People are very interested in her. Even better, she actually has exciting fights and has the talent to carry the pressure put on her. With sagging TV ratings for live specials, featuring the women's division on Ultimate Fight Nights could be a boost.

While UFC gains momentum on the heels of UFC's rise in popularity, there are still a lot of people resistant to the idea of women's MMA. The reactions have been mixed at some of Carano's fights.

"Half of the people are fascinated, and then half the people are just kind of judgmental about it, most of those being guys in the sport," Gina Carano said...

Training with men is not a problem for Gina Carano. The problem, she said, is proving to some of those men that she belongs there.

"At first they look at you kind of crooked, like 'What are you doing in here?' They almost want to be like 'Do you really want to do this? Let's see if you really want to do this.' So you have to go through the pressure of being the new person, also female. Once they see that you're serious and you've actually got some skill, then those people's opinions change. It's really a beautiful thing, because they see it more as a sport, and not just a female trying to fight."

In Gina Carano's opinion, the idea that women are the "weaker sex" has given some men the false impression that women are in more danger than men are when they step into a cage or ring for a fight.

"Guys are just real protective over females for some reason," she said. "At least some of the guys I know. Here's what I think: I don't think they can handle the pressure of not being able to save the female. She's got to fight her own battle, you know?"

Another renowned UFC female fighter Tara LaRosa's skills have certainly been opening eyes. She won't disclose her exact purses, but says she'll make between $15,000-$25,000 per fight, and aims to fight four times a year. No, it's not Chuck Liddell money, but it's full-time pay, and that's definite progress, for males and females alike.

"I represent the common folk, I'm a common chick, not a stellar athlete, who shows that anybody can do it. I want people to watch me and say, 'Wow, that girl is good,' as opposed to, 'Wow, that girl is hot but her ground game stinks.' On the looks thing, unfortunately, that's the way society can be. I'm not the quintessential hot chick, but I bring a skill set. I'm not going to get implants to impress people." Tara Larosa said.

Alberto Medina's goal gives El Tri victory over Senegal

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Mon, 10 May 2010 23:54:00 -0700

Soccer superstar Alberto Medina has at least one souvenir from his trip to the United States. Medina scored four minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute Monday night, lifting Mexico to a 1-0 victory over Senegal and easing — for a few minutes, at least — concerns over El Tri's ability to finish. But the score should have been far more lopsided as Mexico squandered opportunities for at least four more goals, including shots by former Chicago Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez from within 5 yards.

Senegal, which failed to qualify for the first World Cup in Africa, had a few shots on goal but never really threatened. Drawn into Group A with host South Africa, France and Uruguay, Mexico is expected to get out of the first round. But its sloppiness in its first two games of its three-city U.S. tour is sure to concern coach Javier Aguirre.

Mexico looked a bit sharper than it did in Friday's sloppy 0-0 draw against Ecuador. But it still struggled to finish, squandering chances for at least three additional goals and looking out of sync defensively against a team that didn't qualify for next month's World Cup and seemed to have little interest in offense.

The addition of Medina and Blanco in the 56th minute immediately energized El Tri — and not just because of the loud cheers and whistles in honor of Blanco's homecoming. In the 60th minute, Andres Guardado, also a second-half substitute, sent a long pass upfield that was clearly going to outpace Medina. Senegal goalkeeper Khadim Ndiaye came out to collect the ball but bobbled it and Medina, who'd never slowed down, collected the rebound. With Ndiaye on the ground and no one else close to the goal, Medina buried his shot into the far corner of the net, setting off raucous cheers from the sellout crowd of 60,610.

Hernandez, set to join Manchester United next season, had a chance to double the score a few minutes later, but duffed a wide-open pass from less than 5 yards out. Blanco had a point-blank shot in the 89th minute, but it sailed right into Ndiaye's arms. But Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre had reason to be a bit unsatisfied with the performance. El Tri had a bunch of scoring opportunities, and Medina particularly had several other chances. The one-goal win did the trick, but Mexico clearly could have done more.

"We missed a few [opportunities] in the last third of the field," Aguirre said. "We need to look at connecting short passes. In the great leagues you only have one opportunity and you need to score it."

For two-thirds of the soccer match, Senegal goalkeeper Khadim Ndiaye did his best to keep his squad in contention. He was efficient coming off of his line to intercept a bunch of threats and had some key saves to try to silence Mexico's attack. In the 60th minute, Ndiaye nearly replicated his previous efforts when he disrupted Andres Guardado's deep send for Medina. But in this instance the ball popped out a bit from his gloves, and Medina found the far left netting for the 1-0 Mexico lead.

Just a few minutes before that play, former Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco made what nearly proved to be a picture-perfect entrance. Blanco did not get the start, but to the pleasure of the Mexican faithful in Soldier Field, he came off the bench for a shade more than half an hour. Blanco and Medina came into the match in the 56th minute for Adolfo Bautista and Pablo Barrera, respectively. Less than 1 minute later, Blanco provided a crisp send to Medina. But Ndiaye came up with the clutch save to keep Mexico off the scoreboard.

Little did Ndiaye know that Mexico would amp up its attack and tally the first strike a few minutes later. Mexico wholeheartedly attacked from their right side, clearly the weaker portion of the pitch from Senegal's standpoint. But Senegal managed to hold things close for a bulk of the match.

"The goal here was to challenge Mexico and help Mexico prepare for the World Cup, and I felt that the boys stood up to Mexico and gave them a good challenge," Senegal head coach Joseph Marie Koto said. "Overall, I'm satisfied with the game."

In the net, Ndiaye made seven saves. Mexico goalkeeper Oscar Perez, on the other hand, only had to make three saves. Mexico now plays Angola on Thursday in Houston before heading home to host Chile, a fellow World Cup qualifier, at Azteca Stadium. El Tri then goes to Europe for friendlies against England, the Netherlands and Italy before opening against host South Africa on June 11.

New York Giants Lawrence Taylor Accused Rape

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 6 May 2010 19:55:00 -0700

Lawrence Taylor, the former NFL New York Giants linebacker whose quarterback-chasing exploits secured him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was arrested by police in the Suffern, N.Y., area early Thursday morning and charged with rape.

Authorities accused Lawrence Taylor of paying $300 for sex with a 16-year-old runaway from New York City. The alleged victim in the case, identified only by her initials during Taylor's arraignment Thursday, was accompanied to Taylor's hotel room by a man who later was arrested in New York, authorities said.

Lawrence Taylor was charged with third- degree rape -- a felony involving sex with a minor below the age of 17 -- and patronizing a prostitute in the third degree, a misdemeanor. The felony charge is punishable by up to four years in jail and the misdemeanor charge is punishable by up to a year in jail, authorities said at an afternoon news conference.

Ramapo Chief of Police Peter Brower said Lawrence Taylor was cooperative when police woke him up around 4 a.m. Taylor was arraigned Thursday on charges of third-degree rape and patronizing a prostitute.

"I'm not that important," Lawrence Taylor told a scrum of media after being released on $75,000 bail. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, said Taylor is a "loving family man" who did not have sex with the teenager. "My client did not have sex with anybody," Atty. Arthur Aidala said. "Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody."

Brower would not comment on whether Taylor knew the girl's age; third-degree rape is a charge levied when the victim is under the age of consent, which is 17 in New York. "Ignorance is not an excuse to an individual's age," Brower said.

Police said the girl was reported missing by her family in March and had been staying with a 36-year-old parolee, Rasheed Davis, in the Bronx. The two met a few weeks ago at a Bronx bus stop, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

"He chats her up. She explains she doesn't have a place to stay. He provides one," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

A judge set bail for Lawrence Taylor at $75,000. was arrested in New York, authorities said. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, said at a news conference that Taylor "did not have sex with anybody," disputing an account by authorities that Taylor acknowledged to investigators that he paid for intercourse.

Lawrence Taylor had a highly publicized struggle with drug addiction and has had multiple legal run-ins since retiring from football.

A quick, fierce and athletic linebacker who redefined his position, Lawrence Taylor anchored the Giants' defense and led New York to Super Bowls titles in 1987 and 1991. He was selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

A 10-time Pro Bowler, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132½ sacks, which doesn't included his 9 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn't official.

In 2001, Lawrence Taylor was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. The conviction stemmed from the September 1998 discovery in a hotel room of a butane torch and other materials commonly used to smoke crack.

Suns Team Owner On The Way To Immigration Law

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Thu, 6 May 2010 00:36:00 -0700

We all know that politics and basketball don't mix but they sometimes collide. On this day, the MVP of the Phoenix Suns isn't Amar'e Stoudemire or Steve Nash, but team owner Robert Sarver, with an assist from General Manager Steve Kerr. They saw a political freight train heading right toward them and - rather than veer out of the way - accelerated full-speed right into it.

That doesn't happen often in the pro game. Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in professional baseball was a collision of sports and politics. Muhammad Ali's legal fight against the draft was a collision. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising a Black-power salute during the playing of the national anthem in the 1968 Olympics was a collision.

And now, in a way no one saw coming, Senate Bill 1070, the state's new immigration-enforcement law, has collided head-on with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Suns. The Diamondbacks tried to avoid it. Owner Ken Kendrick, a major contributor to Republican causes, was surprised by the protesters who greeted his team outside ballparks. Kendrick issued a mild-mannered statement saying that he personally disagreed with the law, then sent out his public-relations flacks to spread the word about sports not really having anything to do with politics and that people upset with SB 1070 shouldn't take it out on his franchise.

The team, for the most part, was silent, allowing the baseball players association to issue a tough statement against the law. The Phoenix Suns and their owner, Sarver, took a slightly different tack. Instead of trying to avoid a collision, Sarver steered his high-rolling franchise right onto the controversy.

He sought and received unanimous support from his players for them to wear their "Los Suns" jerseys for Game 2 on Wednesday. He told The Arizona Republic that the new immigration law was not "the right way to handle the immigration problem, Number 1. Number 2, as I read through the bill, it felt to me a little bit like it was mean-spirited, and I personally just don't agree with it."

Team General Manager Steve Kerr added, "It's hard to imagine in this country that we have to produce papers. It rings up images of Nazi Germany. We understand that the intentions of the law are not for that to happen, but you have to be very, very careful. . . . It's important that everyone in our state and nation understands this is an issue that needs to be explored. So, we're trying to expose it."

According to some sports analysts, a reader calling himself "chatmandu" wrote, "Steve Nash can move back to Canada, and the Suns can go play for Mexico City. ... I am burning all my Suns stuff in effigy." Reader "tonyman10" added, "I attended the first ever Suns game at the Madhouse on McDowell and became an avid fan. . . . I've attended at least a dozen games each year and watch every other one on TV. That all ended today. . . . " Others, like "Bob46" praised the team, saying, "Sometimes you just have to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. Thank you, Robert Sarver and Suns players. ..."

Whether you agree with the Suns' decision or not, you should be proud of them for taking a stand and for doing so the right way. No wavering. No dancing around the issues. It took guts. It showed heart. In basketball terms, they drove straight down the lane and jammed it.

Or as the "voice of the Suns," Al McCoy, might say, "It's a wham, bam, slam!"

Red Sox Wins Over Angels 5-1

jannahstrat@gmail.com (Jaeger Jarisch) — Tue, 4 May 2010 23:46:00 -0700

It's like a rite of passage for the Angels' top young relievers, a baptism by Fenway fire. It happened here to Troy Percival, to Brendan Donnelly, to Scot Shields, to Francisco Rodriguez, and it happened Tuesday night to Kevin Jepsen, whose rare meltdown during a four-run eighth inning led to the Angels' 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Kevin Jepsen had been the team's best reliever this season, with a 1.64 earned-run average in 14 games, but the right-hander walked as many batters in the eighth inning Tuesday night — three — as he had all baseball season. That set the table for Jeremy Hermida's tiebreaking, opposite-field, three-run double, a fly ball that left fielder Juan Rivera appeared to have a chance of catching after a long run to the corner before pulling up in front of the wall.

Jeremy Hermida's hit laid to waste a superb start by Angels right-hander Ervin Santana, who gave up one run and seven hits in 7 innings, and sent the Angels to their fifth straight loss and their first 0-5 start to a trip since 2003.

"Right now," Manager Mike Scioscia said, "it stings."

The Angels were stymied by Boston left-hander Jon Lester, who gave up one run and five hits in eight innings, but with the score tied, 1-1, they loaded the bases in the eighth when Howie Kendrick and Mike Napoli singled, Brandon Wood bunted the runners up, and Erick Aybar walked.

But Jon Lester, with his 120th pitch, got Bobby Abreu to ground to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who tagged Aybar and, as he fell to the ground, shoveled a 20-foot toss to first for an inning-ending double play. walked Kevin JepsenVictor Martinez and Kevin Youkilis to open the bottom of the eighth, and J.D. Drew singled to left to load the bases.

It appeared Kevin Jepsen might escape the jam when David Ortiz, with the infield in, grounded sharply to Howie Kendrick. The second baseman threw home for the force, and Mike Napoli fired to first for a rare 4-2-3 double play.

But Adrian Beltre walked on four pitches to load the bases, and Hermida, who bats left-handed, lofted a fly ball to left. Juan Rivera, who was shaded toward the gap, about 95 feet off the line, had a bead on the ball but turned his back at the last second to play it off the wall. The ball bounced a foot in front of the wall, scoring three runs for a 4-1 lead. Mike Lowell's RBI double off Scot Shields made it 5-1.

"I ran hard, I thought the ball was going to hit the wall, I got real close, but I was too far toward the gap." Juan Rivera said.

The seats down the line in Fenway Park block the view of the corner from the third base dugout, and neither Scioscia nor bench coach Ron Roenicke, who positions the outfielders, saw a replay.

"It's hard because the wall is so high, if the ball is going to hit off the wall you want to stay off of it," Ron Roenicke said. And because the wall is only 310 feet from home, "you don't know how much to pinch in that corner."

Any time there's a fly ball to left, "You kind of hold your breath,I had trouble finding the strike zone with all three pitches, and that limited me to the fastball, I tried to battle, but you put yourself in a bad position when you walk the first batter. That gives them the upper hand." Kevin Jepsen said, which is exactly what the Angels probably did while Jepsen was pitching. Of his 32 pitches, 13 were strikes. His ERA ballooned to 4.63.