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The Long Awaited Game Again Of Lakers V.S. Celtics

2010-06-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

Not long after winning the basketball championship last week, the Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson visited his daughter’s apartment complex. There, improbably, he bumped into Paul Pierce, the Boston Celtics star.

The Celtics beat the Lakers in the 2008 finals but had failed to make it back for the rematch. Phil Jackson had a request.

“I said, ‘Get it back. We want to meet you in the finals,’ ” Phil Jackson said, recalling his moment with Paul Pierce.

Wishes were fulfilled this past weekend, when the Celtics finished off the Orlando Magic and the Lakers closed out the Phoenix Suns. The NBA's most storied rivalry will resume once more, for the 11th time since the Lakers moved West.

The finals will be colored in green and white, purple and gold, and several shades of redemption. The Lakers want payback, after getting pummeled by the Celtics two years ago. The Celtics are seeking validation, after having their title defense short-circuited by injuries last year.

“It’s a great challenge for us, to see how much we’ve improved, how much we’ve gotten better, to be able to go up against this team in a playoff series,” Lakers' star player Kobe Bryant said Saturday night, after the Lakers closed out a six-game victory over the Suns.

The Boston Celtics are seeking an 18th championship to add to their record total. The Lakers are seeking their 15th title, their 11th in Los Angeles, and their fifth since 2000.

If the LA Lakers win the championship, it will also be Jackson’s 11th, further separating him from the Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach (nine).

Kobe Bryant would earn his fifth ring — breaking a tie with Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal, among the biggest stars of the post-Michael Jordan era. He would be one shy of tying Jordan, the league’s modern standard-bearer. And he would further separate himself from LeBron James, who has won the last two Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards but has yet to distinguish himself in the postseason.

The Lakers were missing two critical players then, center Andrew Bynum and forward Trevor Ariza, who were injured. Andrew Bynum will play this time, although he is limited by a knee injury while Trevor Ariza has departed, replaced by Ron Artest, one of the fiercest defenders in the league.

The Celtics’ starting five from 2008 remains intact, although the power sources have shifted over time. Rajon Rondo was a willing role player two years ago but is now a star, on par with the Big Three of Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

The Lakers remember only anguish, and an arena filled with the scent of cigar smoke, a tribute to Auerbach.

“There’s nothing worse than losing in a finals,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “It’s about as low as you can get after riding a high, getting through three series, going into the fourth one. I had hoped I’d never experience it, but I’ve done it twice now. So I know it’s a real difficult summer after that.”

The finals begin Thursday in Los Angeles.

Soccer News: Seattle Beat Argentina Boca Juniors

2010-05-31T00:21:00.000-07:00

Roger Levesque cleaned up the ricochet of Fredy Montero's free kick late in the first half, Pat Noonan and Michael Seamon both scored midway through the second half and Seattle beat Argentina's Boca Juniors 3-0 in an soccer exhibition match Wednesday.

Having scored just two home goals since a 2-0 season opening win over expansion Philadelphia, the Sounders were hoping the exhibition with the one-time South American soccer powers might be an opportunity to solve some of their offensive woes before returning to MLS play on Saturday at Colorado.

Seattle wore their "Electricity" rave green soccer uniforms for the first time against Boca Juniors. “Electricity” had Fox Soccer Channel spectators all across the country adjusting their television’s contrast settings Wednesday night. In a friendly against Boca Juniors, Sounders FC donned their new Electricity yellow jersey—an audacious color choice that makes Seattle’s Rave Green uniforms look downright drab.

Fortunately for the fans who came out on Wednesday night, the game itself was played at a high-energy tempo that complemented the jerseys. They also saw the best of the mercurial Fredy Montero, who looked sensational against the storied South American club, winning 3-0.

Roger Levesque, Pat Noonan and Michael Seamon notched the goals for the home side, but it was Fredy Montero who set the tone early.

Showing the most energy he has displayed thus far into the 2010 season, the tireless Colombian pestered the Argentine club’s defense in his 45 minutes of action. He also triggered the first goal of the game, coming inches away from a sublime free kick goal before Roger Levesque ushered in the rebound off his midsection.

After a long scoring drought in Qwest Field, Roger Levesque’s goal set off disproportionately delirious celebrations amongst the strong crowd of 40,122. The 1-0 halftime lead was a commendable result against a Boca Juniors team that fielded several starters among its starting 11, including capped players Leandro Aguirre and Fabián Monzón in the starting back line.

Fredy Montero left at halftime, and for a moment it looked like he took the Sounders attack with him. With Freddie Ljungberg not dressing for the match, the departure of the Colombian led to some comically bad finishing.

Brad Evans will be hearing about his egregious miss on an empty net for the foreseeable future. Not to be outdone, Levesque skied a shot over the Boca goal seconds later with a better-positioned Miguel Montano getting ready to take the strike.

However, the Keystone Kops routine ended thanks to Noonan’s left-footed goal in the 64th minute. Taking a pass from David Estrada, Noonan calmly put the ball away after cutting back on his marker.

Minutes later, Seamon put a strong right-footed blast inside the right post. Having recently rejoined the team after finishing his degree at Villanova, the graduation present to himself was greeted with cheers from the Seattle bench.

Boca Juniors now head to Portland to take on the Timbers in the final match of their three-game US tour on Saturday at PGE Park.

NFL Super Bowl's Next Destination: New York

2010-05-27T01:07:00.000-07:00

NFL owners could award a Super Bowl to the New York area when they conduct their one-day spring meeting Tuesday in the Dallas area. The owners also might consider extending the sport's new overtime format to regular season games.

New York is bidding to host the 2014 Super Bowl and is regarded by many observers as a strong favorite to get the game. The other bidders are Florida sites, Tampa and the Miami area. The potential cold-weather Super Bowl would be played in New Jersey at the new stadium at the Meadowlands being built by the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The stadium opens next season.

The 2014 game is the next available Super Bowl without a host city. Next season's game is to be played in Dallas, followed by Super Bowls in Indianapolis in 2012 and New Orleans in 2013.

There appears to be strong sentiment within the league to play the sport's biggest game in the shadow of New York City. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he will remain neutral on the topic, but he believes it is an idea worthy of the owners' consideration. Some owners have expressed wariness about playing a Super Bowl at a cold-weather site.

But the league waived its usual average-temperature restriction for outdoor venues to allow the New York bid to proceed, and some observers consider it a foregone conclusion that the owners will vote to award the game to New York.

The four U.S. senators from New York and New Jersey wrote a letter to Roger Goodell on Monday endorsing a possible New York-area Super Bowl:

"As the nation's most populous metro area with more than 19 million people, and as the nation's top media market, the fanfare of the Super Bowl would be uniquely enhanced by the vibrancy that the region has to offer," said the letter, which was signed by Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

"I think it can be very attractive to the ownership and to the NFL in general, and I continue to believe that," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the March meetings when asked about staging a Super Bowl in the New York area.

Owners could also vote on whether to expand the new overtime rules to encompass the regular season. The rules that were adopted at the March meetings — ones that do not allow the team to win with a field goal on the opening possession — are in place only for postseason games.

The NFL Players Association has said the new overtime format must be collectively bargained with the players. The league has rejected that notion, contending that the owners merely must seek the players' input on the matter and have done that. The issue could become increasingly contentious if the owners extend the new rule to the regular season.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also is likely to address a Supreme Court ruling against the league Monday in its quest for antitrust protection. Justices said the league must be considered 32 separate teams — not one big business — when selling branded items like jerseys and caps.

Phoenix Suns Game Plan Is No Match For Lakers

2010-05-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

Basketball excites us especially when the LA Lakers jumped to a 2-0 series lead Wednesday night with a 124-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns, who have provided as much resistance as a collection of Saguaro cactuses. The decisiveness of the Lakers’ victories has already begun to set Los Angeles fans’ sights past Games 3 and 4 in Phoenix, and on toward their nemesis Boston, which opened the Eastern Conference finals by winning the first two games in Orlando.

Until then, they had turned their affection to Kobe Bryant, who after torching the Suns for 40 points in the opener, turned into Kobe the Facilitator. Bryant had 13 assists to go along with 21 points, while Pau Gasol scored 27 points as the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter after Phoenix had crawled back from an early 14-point deficit.

Lamar Odom, whose 19-point, 19-rebound performance in Game 1 was called lucky by Stoudemire, managed 17 points and 11 rebounds. The comment drew a shrug from Odom and some head shaking from the Suns. Phoenix Suns Coach Alvin Gentry called Stoudemire’s contention ridiculous on Tuesday, and on Wednesday he said it was probably just a poor choice of words.

Jason Richardson scored 27 points and Grant Hill, who had 23 of his 27 points in the second half, led Phoenix. Steve Nash had 15 assists and 11 points. But the Suns were undone by their matador defense. Kobe Bryant, rejuvenated since having his swollen left knee drained late in the first-round series against Oklahoma City, made Hill look like he was in danger of needing another ankle surgery in Game 1 after Bryant’s crossover dribble sent Hill stumbling backward to the floor.

Kobe Bryant wasted little time in reaffirming his superiority in Game 2. On the opening possession, he backed Hill down and hit an 18-foot jumper over him. Then, with the Suns sending another player at him, Kobe Bryant spent much of the rest of the night setting up his teammates. With the ball in his hands as the first-quarter clock ran down, he started toward the basket, then dished the ball to a wide-open Ron Artest in the corner. Artest, with the crowd on its feet, made the shot as the buzzer sounded and Bryant celebrated a 36-24 lead by pointing both his index fingers at Artest.

Phoenix Suns would fall behind by as many as 14, then close even late in the third quarter, but as the night moved on, it was increasingly clear that despite their improvement — and interest — in playing defense, they may as well held up an S.O.S. sign — Same Old Suns. When the Suns knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, it prompted the Lakers to retool, and they have repeatedly hammered Phoenix. It was the Lakers’ ninth victory in 11 meetings since they acquired Gasol.

So, no matter how slick the Suns’ offense looked at times — Steve Nash was effective in creating dunks for Stoudemire or open 3-pointers for Dudley and Richardson — they only rarely stopped the Lakers. And those stops mostly came when the Suns’ reserves were on the court.

Tiger Woods Add Up British Open This Summer

2010-05-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

Even if he is not fully recovered from neck injury, Tiger Woods added the British Open to his summer schedule. The golf legend filed his entry form, according to Golf Digest, and added the British Open to the schedule on his website Monday.

Tiger Woods has a chance to become the first player in the 150-year history of the British Open to win three times at St. Andrews, where golf's oldest championship will be held July 15-18.

Tiger Woods, the 2000 and 2005 British Open winner, withdrew from the final round of the Players Championship on May 9 after a week in which he was seen stretching and rolling his neck. Woods said his neck had been bothering him since before he returned from a five-month layoff at the Masters, and that it was not related to the Nov. 27 car accident when he ran into a tree, setting off revelations of infidelity.

Tests last Wednesday showed an inflamed neck joint that causes pain and makes it hard for him to turn his head, an injury that will require little more than medicine, massages and rest. Tiger Woods had an MRI exam that revealed inflammation in a facet joint of his neck. He said on his website that when facet joints are inflamed, it causes pain in the area along with headaches and difficulty rotating the head.

"I now need to take care of this condition and will return to playing golf when I'm physically able," Tiger Woods said last Wednesday.

The British Open entry marks the third tournament commitment Tiger Woods has made for this summer. He has already committed to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the AT&T National at Aronimink, where he is the defending champion.

Tiger Woods said in a news conference last week that he hoped to be able to defend his title at the Memorial, which starts June 3 at Muirfield Village in Ohio. His next tournament will be his first without swing coach Hank Haney, who stepped aside last Monday.

According to his Web site, Woods will compete in the year’s third major, July 15 to 18 at St. Andrews in Scotland. He has committed to the United States Open in June 17 to 20 and the AT&T National in July 1-4. Tiger Woods has won the British Open the last two times it was held at St. Andrews — in 2000 and 2005.

Moreover, and if by chance, Tiger Woods has a chance to become the first player in the 150-year history of the British Open to win three times at St. Andrews, where golf's oldest championship will be held July 15-18.

Back in 2000, Tiger Woods became the 5^th golfer to win the Career Grand Slam. Along with the '00 Open, Tiger Wood's slam is made up of the 1997 Masters, 1999 PGA Championship and 2000 US Open. In winning the 200 British Open at the age of 24, Tiger Woods became the youngest ever to compete the slam. Tiger Woods has won a total of 14 major championship thus far on his career.

Who's Tiger Woods Next Swing Coach?

2010-05-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

After an MRI on Wednesday in Orlando, Florida, it was determined that golf legend Tiger Woods has an inflamed facet joint in his neck. When the facet joints are inflamed, it causes pain in the affected area as well as headaches and difficulty rotating the head. Physical therapy, including soft-tissue massage, rest and anti-inflammatory medicine will be used to treat the injury.

"I want to thank everyone for their caring and concern, I now need to take care of this condition and will return to playing golf when I'm physically able." Tiger Woods said.

The prognosis for Tiger Woods is a full recovery, although a return date to competitive golf is contingent on how quickly the condition heals. The layoff is not expected to be extensive but can vary. Healing his neck isn't the only problem Tiger Woods faces. After his series of pop-ups and minimalist drives at The Players Championship he also needs someone to patch his swing back together.

With Hank Haney having resigned as Tiger Woods' swing coach the New York Times suggests the frontrunner may be little-known Sean Foley, who is based in Orlando, near Tiger Woods' home. Hank Haney started working with Tiger Woods in 2004, and they combined to win six major championships together.

Sean Foley coaches two young PGA Tour players who are friendly with Tiger Woods, Sean O'Hair and Hunter Mahan. Sean Foley also drew attention when he followed those two pupils as they played a practice round with Woods at the TPC.

Rumors are already flying around PGA Tour locker rooms -- not to mention the blogosphere -- that Foley is next in line to become Tiger Woods' main man. Currently the coach for Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair, who is considered a friend of Tiger's, Foley issued a statement last week in rebuttal: "I have not talked to Tiger about coaching in any form whatsoever."

Also possibly in the mix is Billy Harmon, which would make for a good story. Billy's brother Butch is Tiger's former coach, but moved on to Phil Mickelson after an unhappy split with Woods. Billy Harmon is said to be funny and a quipster, and who wouldn't like to see a little joy return to Tiger Woods' game?

Tiger Woods has transformed golf with a combination of power, touch and tenacious resolve. His astonishing success, often accompanied by his signature fist pump after holing clutch shots, has even placed him on many people's short list of greatest American athletes, alongside figures like Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan.

Tiger Woods is thanking Hank Haney for his six years as swing coach. He is not saying, however, who his next coach might be. Hank Haney said in a statement on his website Monday night that he has resigned. Tiger Woods posted a short comment on his website Tuesday that they have agreed Haney will no longer work with him.

He calls Hank Haney an outstanding teacher who has helped him and a great friend. He says their friendship will not change. Tiger Woods missed the cut at Quail Hollow and withdrew in the final round of The Players Championship with a sore neck. It was the first time he played consecutive tournaments without earning official money.

Top 10 UFC Female Fighters

2010-05-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

Fighting isn't for everyone, and fighting women have had their fair share of detractors over the years. But as UFC becomes more accepted, more and more women are taking to the cage. Now UFC president Dana White created a new octagon not for the boys but for the girl. He introduces the UFFC (Ultimate Female Fighter Championship).

Here are the top 10 of the best known and most promising ladies in the UFC female fighters:

Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson – Absolutely smoking body, pretty little face, absolute perfection. Ladies please try not to cut her gorgeous face in the cage. She is also more than just a pretty face, she is clearly the best choice for the number one spot in the top ten hottest female MMA fighters.

Gina “Conviction” Carano – She is arguably one of the most famous female MMA fighters in the world, and not without good reason. Along with being absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous, she is clearly one one of the most dangerous out of the top ten hottest female MMA fighters.

Kyra Gracie – You read that right, Gracie. Not only would you have to deal with her if you hurt her, but you would have to deal with the whole Gracie family who are responsible for what the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is today. A native to Brazil, but lives and trains in the U.S.

Cris "Cyborg" Santos – Cris Santos is a fighter pure and simple. If you watch Cris fight, you can figure out where she got the nickname "Cyborg". Before getting into UFC, Cris Santos was a national-level handball player in Brazil. Cris trains at the Chute Boxe Academy with her husband, fellow UFC fighter Evangelista Santos. Her primary fighting styles are Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Her MMA record is 8-1-0, her only loss being in her very first fight against Erica Paes.

Kerry Vera – The wife of UFC great, Brandon Vera has had quite the start to her professional MMA career, including a win against fellow top ten nominee Kim Couture. The funny thing about that fight was that shortly before the wives went at it in the octagon, their husbands battled it out and Randy Couture came out victorious. In the case of the women, well payback was served and Kerry Vera earned the win.

Julie “Fireball” Kedzie – This bombshell holds an impressive professional record as well.

Leiticia Pestova – Although she has a terrible record, what she lacks in victories, she makes up with her looks. Her claim to fame in a way came from being the first fight and victory for Gina “Conviction” Carano. She was knocked out by the beauty and has not done much else since.

Kim “Sugar Free” Couture – Yes, Couture, as in the very beautiful wife of UFC hall-of-famer, Randy “The Natural” Couture. Her record doesn't quite shout impressive just yet, but you all know that her future in the sport looks very bright, especially considering who she has in the gym and in her corner come fight night.

Molly Helsel – She possesses some very technical skills that set the bar high for the future of women's UFC She definitely throws the stigma out the window that women's UFC is just placed into events for the attraction of watching hot girls roll around together in the cage. She truly has a love and passion for the sport and is strong force in the sport aside from her beauty.

Debi “Whiplash” Purcell – Although she doesn't have much experience yet, she is still a force to be reckoned with in the octagon.

Forrest Griffin Out Of UFC 114 Due To Shoulder Injury

2010-05-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 114 bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira due to a shoulder injury. The news of Forrest Griffins injury comes courtesy of a recent report from celebrity news website TMZ. The two were set to co-main event UFC 114 on May 29 in Las Vegas. A grudge match between former light heavyweight champions and “Ultimate Fighter” coaches Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson heads the fight card.

Sources close to Forrest Griffin’s camp, have confirmed that the TUF alumni has injured his shoulder, causing him to step down from the match. The injury is an unfortunate setback for Griffin after winning a split decision against Tito Ortiz last November at UFC 106, digging himself out a two fight losing streak.

Fans last saw Nogueira making quick work of Luiz Cane in the first round during his debut in the UFC, garnering Knockout of Night honors. The Brazilian was suppose to step in the octagon with Brandon Vera at UFC 109, but was forced out of the bout due to a fractured ankle.

UFC 114 falls on Memorial Day weekend, headlined by main event grudge match between Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Along with the pay-per-event, the promotion is holding their second annual UFC Fan Expo.

Forrest Griffin who last fought against Tito Ortiz in November, is still on the comeback trail after back-to-back losses to Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva. Although sources close to Griffin have mentioned that his shoulder is injured, no further information is currently available on the situation.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is coming off of an impressive showing in his debut fight with the UFC. Nogueira knocked out Luiz Cane in less than two minutes and earned Knockout of the Night honors in their bout last November. He had to previously withdraw from a fight against Brandon Vera at UFC 109 due to an ankle injury. Lil’ Nog is currently on a six-fight winning streak.

Below are the UFC fight night schedule for May 28- 29:

Main Card

Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller

Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow

Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. TBA?

Spike TV Prelims

Amir Sadollah vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Efrain Escudero vs. Dan Lauzon

Preliminary Card

Melvin Guillard vs. Thiago Tavares

Luiz Arthur Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate

Aaron Riley vs. Joe Brammer

Jesse Forbes vs. Ryan Jensena

Meanwhile, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira seeks his second UFC win after stunning countryman Luiz Cane with a "Knockout of the Night" performance on the same card as Griffin's win over Ortiz.

The win was Nogueira' sixth-straight overall, and five of the wins during that current streak have come via stoppage. The twin brother of UFC heavyweight contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, "Little Nog's" three career losses have to come to current UFC contenders Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Vladimir Matyushenko, as well as UFC and PRIDE veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

2010 NHL Playoffs Update: Sharks Beat Red Wings In OT

2010-05-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in game one of the NHL Western Conference series. The Sharks scored 3 goals in a 1:19 time frame to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The Wings fought back and trailed only 3-2 at the end of the second period. The Sharks started the third period with a 5-on-3 advantage, however, and scored in the opening minute of the period. Detroit would decrease the deficit to one once more in the third but the Red Wings could never find the necessary tying goal.

Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom and Dan Cleary gave a 2-0 lead in the first. San Jose Sharks' Devin Setoguchi scored with 4 seconds left in the period, but Henrik Zetterberg restored Detroit's two-goal lead early in the second. Red Wings' Jimmy Howard made 29 saves and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 32 shots for the Sharks. The Red Wings would've had a bigger lead in the third period if not for a disallowed goal in the first.

Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg Zetterberg had a goal negated by video review because the puck went in off his left skate in a distinct kicking motion. Zetterberg was also stopped by Nabokov on a penalty shot — awarded in the first when Couture made a rookie mistake of covering the puck in the crease with his glove.

The crowd at Joe Louis Arena stood silently for a couple of minutes, knowing the Red Wings had fallen into a lot of trouble against the top-seeded Sharks. San Jose Sharks was 0 for 6 on the power play in regulation and Detroit didn't score on its two chances with an extra skater over the first three periods. Patrick Marleau scored 7:07 into overtime, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a 4-3 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night and a 3-0 lead in the second-round series.

San Jose Sharks has been dogged for failing to get to the Western Conference finals since its longest run in 2004, but an impressive rally from a 3-1 deficit with 13 minutes left in regulation could prove to be pivotal for the franchise.

"Our history dictates that we haven't played well in that building, so we'll have to try to change that and overcome that situation, There is a history and we're aware of it, but what happened has absolutely nothing to do with May of 2010." said the San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan.

The Detroit Red Wings haven't become meek after carving a reputation as perhaps the best franchise in any sport the past two decades. They are in the playoffs for the 19th straight time -- the longest streak in any league, which started before San Jose Sbharks had an NHL team. They won their 4^th Stanley Cup title during this dominant stretch two years ago and fell just short of repeating last June.

But if Detroit Red Wings doesn't win Game 3, its season likely will end before the conference finals for the first time in 4 years.

Horse Racing Trainer Jeff Mullins Suspended

2010-05-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

The California Horse Racing Board has suspended Jeff Mullins for 30 days effective May 9 and also fined the trainer $2,500 for a total carbon dioxide (TCO2) violation that occurred in 2008, according to a release. This latest incident violates the terms of his probation from another case against Jeff Mullins stemming from a 2006 medication violation and could result in him serving an additional 70-day suspension.

Jeff Mullins is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer who trains the Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge, acknowledged that he gave his horse Gato Go Win a dose of what he characterized as a “liquid cough medicine” in the detention barn at Aqueduct on Saturday. Mullins, however, said he did not know that he was violating any rules.

Jeff Mullins trained Pathbreaking when the horse finished third in a race at Del Mar on Aug. 3, 2008. A blood sample tested at the University of California Davis laboratory showed the horse exceeded the allowable limit for total carbon dioxide, or TCO2, a performance-enhancing alkalizing agent known as a "milkshake".

Afterwards, the Maddy Laboratory at UC Davis reported the blood sample taken from Pathbreaking exceeded the regulatory threshold for total carbon dioxide (TCO2), which is a Class 3 violation. This disciplinary case went before a hearing officer, Steffan Imhoff, who conducted hearings at Del Mar last summer. All filings and briefings were closed in February 2010, and then Steffan Imhoff’s proposed decision was sent to the board last month. The board considered Steffan Imhoff’s proposed decision during executive session April 15 and accepted the penalty recommendations of a 30-day suspension and $2,500 fine.

Horse racing trainer Jeff Mullins was on probation for a prior mepivacaine violation at the time of Pathbreaking’s TCO2 violation. Jeff Mullins had served 20 days of a 90-day suspension in the mepivacaine case, and the remaining 70 days was stayed subject to the conditions of his probation, which required that Mullins have no further violations of CHRB regulations. Steffan Imhoff recommended that the 30-day suspension for the TCO2 violation be served concurrently with the 70-day suspension from the probation violation. Instead, the Board instructed a deputy attorney general to proceed expeditiously with a hearing to revoke Mullins’ probation.

Racing association officials said the rules were clear. “It doesn’t really matter what the substance was — you cannot give a horse anything on race day.” said Stephen Duncker, the racing association’s chairman.

Jeff Mullins has a history of medication violations in California. Last spring he was suspended for 20 days by the California Horse Racing Board for use of mepivacaine, an anesthetic. In 2005 one of his horses tested positive for exceeding the limit of total carbon dioxide, which indicates the horse had been given a treatment known as a milkshake, a concoction of baking soda, sugar and electrolytes that helps ward off fatigue. After that positive, his horses were put under 24-hour surveillance for 30 days.

"He (Jeff Mullins) has an entirely different history,I realize it seems a little inconsistent, but we're trying to work with the trainer on this." said Dr. Rick Arthur, a member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and chairman of the Total Carbon Dioxide Testing Review Committee in California, rejects the idea of accidental contamination.

Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather Wins Over Sugar Shane Mosley

2010-05-04T02:56:00.000-07:00

Another boxing history has created as Floyd Mayweather vs. Sugar Shane Mosley Who R U Picking fight ended successfully. Floyd Mayweather maintained his undefeated record and win his 41th win via Unanimous decision. Both fighters were prepared to the opening of the fight. Shane Mosley shock the MGM Grand with his two right-straight to Floyd Mayweather. Fans and everyone was shouting out loud but things favor to Floyd after that round. Floyd Mayweather showed more speed, quickness, boxing play and accuracy punches to Shane Mosley.

The fight was sparked by excitement as these 2 great boxing fighters threw punches to each other during the first few rounds of the game. There was a time where the crowd shouted for Mosley since he aggressively threw punches to Mayweather consecutively. However, excitement slowed down and boredom started to grow during the rest of the game as these two boxing fighters began hugging each other without bringing much action in the boxing ring for their spectators worldwide.

Boxing fans never thought this fight was going to be huge. The reason being was that Shane Mosley, as great as he is, never was a huge PPV draw on his own against other fighters not named Oscar De La Hoya. Shane Mosley did well in his fights against De La Hoya, but he failed to bring in the huge numbers in other fights. There was something missing from him. It didn’t help matters that he was beaten twice by both Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright in the prime of his career.

Those defeats really took a lot of the air out of making Shane Mosley a huge PPV attraction, in my estimation. It obviously wasn’t a good idea on his part to fight rematches with both fighters after being soundly beaten in his first fights with them. Nothing much changed in his rematches, and it now seems like a bad decision on his part to fight them again.

The fans knew the Mayweather vs. Mosley fight wasn’t going to be as popular as that fight, because that bout was talked about for months. There was huge excitement about that fight. It didn’t matter that De La Hoya was seen as on the downside of his career, there was still a lot of interest in that fight going into it. In the case of the Mayweather-Mosley fight, a lot of people saw Mosley as too old, not active enough and not a good enough boxer to beat a skilled fighter like Mayweather.

It turned out to be the exact case, as Mayweather totally dominated Mosley, beating him by an easy 12 round decision. But the lack of excitement about the fight going into it was really telling. Mosley didn’t have anything really special about him to grab onto in recent years.

Floyd Mayweather punched 208 of 477 punches and Shane Mosley has 92 of 452 during the match. Two out of three ringside judges scored it 119-109 and the third had it 118-110 all in favor of Mayweather. Well, not so surprising to see this result as before the fight it was been concluded that Mayweather will won this bout.

Welterweight Super Fight Mayweather vs Mosley

2010-04-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

On May 1, 2010 the highly anticipated Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley fight will be upon us and it’s the bona fide fight in the first half of the boxing history, and it should serve to answer many questions about both boxer's status in the welterweight division as well as their positioning amongst the all-timers from this generation and others previously.

Shane Mosley will defend his welterweight title against Mayweather on May 1 on HBO PPV at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather's adviser Leonard Ellerbe said that he expected Mayweather's paperwork to be completed in the next few days with a formal announcement likely next week and the financial terms were not disclosed, but Floyd Mayweather has the option for an immediate rematch in the event he loses.

This Mosley -- Mayweather fight became possible when Mayweather became available after his agreement for a fight with Manny Pacquiao that went to ashes. Both fighters agreed to fight each other but it’s the drug testing protocol that stopped the negotiation because Pacquiao camp did not agree on Mayweather’s camp Olympic style drug testing which is not a requirement under the NSAC.

While Shane Mosley was set to fight Andre Berto but Berto’s family was affected by the Haiti earthquake so he withdrew from the fight. Then, negotiations between Mosley and Mayweather’s camp began. Floyd Mayweather has a 40 wins 0 losses with 25 KOs record in 5 division championships while Shane Mosley has 46 wins, 5 losses and 39 KOs in 3 division championships. With their impressive records, the boxing fans are sure to get an exciting fight between two great fighters.

Floyd Mayweather has only been in the ring once with a man with comparable hand speed as his own, and that was his 2006 fight against Zab Judah. Mayweather ended up breaking down Judah and winning the bout without problem – save an in-ring riot caused by a Judah meltdown. However, the first third of the bout saw Judah beating Mayweather to the punch and scoring what could have been called a knockdown.

Shane Mosley is certainly not as fast as he was when he was burning through the competition as a lightweight champion, however he still possesses very fast hands and very good timing. Mayweather is a notoriously slow starter as he waits to gauge his opponent’s tactics, and this will be the best time for Mosley to make his mark. It’s entirely possible that his speed, pressure and power prove to be big trouble for Mayweather in the early going of the fight “I'm trying to clean up my sport, That is why we are both (he and Mosley) taking random urine and blood tests.” Said Floyd Mayweather ina n interview. Sahen Mosley has agreed to undergo random blood and urine testing, as has Mayweather, Ellerbe said.

Shane Mosley has had a lay off, but putting the Marquez fight aside, Floyd Maywether has been longer. Mosley will put his punching power on Floyd in a way that he has not seen before. He should use his jab like Oscar did not do to keep Floyd preoccupied and off balance until an oppening happens and then let go with a barage of rights and lefts that are too numerous for Floyd to track with his “see everything defense”.

UFC Top 10 Middleweights Warriors

2010-04-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

The middleweight division in mixed martial arts is tabulated and the undisputed best middleweight in the world is Anderson Silva who looks bored with middleweight division in the UFC since his last fight with Demain Maia, and he's moving up to fight Forrest Griffin at light heavyweight, at least for the time being. The UFC 99 main event of Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin features one star to Anderson Silva moving down from light heavyweight to middleweight because he wants a shot at Anderson Silva's belt, and another star Rich Franklin moving up from middleweight to light heavyweight because he knows he'll never get another shot at Anderson Silva's belt.

The UFC 100 middleweight battle between Ultimate Fighter coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping will probably produce the next contender to the middleweight throne, but Henderson already tried and failed at beating Wanderlei Silva, and Michel Bisping seems very unlikely to beat Anderson Silva. Meanwhile, the guy who I've been saying forever deserves a shot at Silva -- Yushin Okami -- keeps getting hurt and may never get that shot.

There are questions beyond the UFC as well. Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le isn't fighting because he'd rather be a movie star, and the two fighters who won the two middleweight Strikeforce fights on Saturday night – Nick Diaz and Jake Shields who won't fight each other because they're friends and training partners. And anyway, those two fights were technically at catch weights rather than middleweight, and Diaz and Shields should really be fighting at welterweight. There are some good middleweight fights coming up this summer: Henderson-Bisping, Vitor Belfort vs. Jorge Santiago at Affliction Trilogy and Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia at UFC 102 will all be fun.

Below are the latest ranking of UFC Top 10 Middleweight Warriors:

Anderson Silva – The UFC middleweight champion had his title defense against Vitor Belfort in April called off. Will he fight Sonnen instead? Silva seems to want fights against bigger names and bigger challenges, and that may necessitate a move up to light heavyweight — or even heavyweight.
Chael Sonnen – Chael Sonnen has won some impressive decisions, but now he needs to start finishing fights — something he hasn’t done since TKO’ing a little-known opponent named Kyacey Uscola in 2007.

Dan Henderson – Strikeforce’s big acquisition will fight Jake Shields for a title belt on CBS in April.

Vitor Belfort – No word yet on how soon he’ll be able to return from shoulder surgery.

Jake Shields – Jake Shields will be the underdog when he takes on Henderson.

Demian Maia – It might seem unfair to have Maia below Sonnen after Maia needed only half a round to submit Sonnen last year. But Sonnen has looked much more impressive than Maia since then.

Nate Marquardt – Nate Marquardt desperately wants another chance at Silva. That’s not going to happen.

Robbie Lawler – His comeback win over Melvin Manhoef was thrilling, and his presence gives Strikeforce a middleweight division with more depth than just the Henderson-Shields fight.
Yushin Okami – The UFC just keeps on burying Okami; his next fight will be against Lucio Linhares on the non-televised portion of the UFC Fight Night 21 card.
Mamed Khalidov – His rematch with Jorge Santiago at Sengoku 12 in March should be outstanding.

Jim Cleamons Hoping For LA Lakers' Victory Next Season

2010-04-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

NBA's most renowned basketball team LA Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons stated his team statistics where the LA Lakers won by 8 points. But they shot just 41% from the field, 68% from the free-throw line. They outscored the Thunder by 14 points in the first quarter, but Oklahoma City outscored them, 66-60, the rest of the way. The Lakers built a 17-point lead, but saw that cut to six points in the fourth. The one constant was the stifling LA Lakers defense, which held the Thunder to 40% shooting for the game.

At the start of every season, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson gives his assistants eight to 10 teams they are in charge of scouting. The Thunder is Jim Cleamons' team, and it's his job to develop the Lakers' game plan.

"I thought we did OK, OK is nothing to brag about because the first game you never know anyway what they were going to do or how we would respond. But we survived and it's always nice to get a win as you go." As LA Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons collected his thoughts, he came to a conclusion.

The Game 2 is on Tuesday night at Staples Center. Jim Cleamons said the Thunder has a versatile menu of plays it runs, something it did out of timeouts Sunday. "Even opening the game, they ran a couple of plays that we hadn't seen before," Jim Cleamons added.

Jim Cleamons was very complimentary about the young talent on the Thunder. He called the league's top scorer Kevin Durant a versatile player. Jim Cleamons said Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook showed he can attack the rim and that Jeff Green can play both power and small forward. The LA Lakers' assistant also noted that Thunder rookie James Harden is a swing player who can score and be a facilitator.

LA Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons has a wish list for the Lakers to be successful in Game 2. The LA Lakers were really never in any danger of losing Game 1 of the best-of-seven first-round series although the Thunder did cut the lead to an uncomfortable six points a couple of times. More might not be known until Thursday when the Lakers play their first road game in Game 3. The next game will be Tuesday at the Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant also came back after a self-imposed respite in order to try to heal some of his various injuries. He finished with 21 points on less-than-stellar 6-of-19 shooting. He was 7 of 12 from the free-throw line including two times that he missed both of his free throws. The Lakers got the lead back to 8 when Pau Gasol made two free throws after being fouled by Russell Westbrook. But the Thunder got it back to an uncomfortable seven when Serge Ibaka made one of two free throws with 1:40 to play. Derek Fisher had a flash from the past when he sank a three-pointer to lengthen the lead to 10. It was his first field goal since the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the whiteboard created by Phil Jackson in the LA Lakers' locker room had a simple message, "Look @ this," for the Lakers basketball players, and posted a box score of the last time the Lakers played the Thunder, a 91-75 loss. There are 2 stat categories were circled: The LA Lakers shot a miserable 39% from the field and were only two of 15 from the 3-point line in that game.

NBA Star Lebron James Starts A Good Game Next Season

2010-04-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 11 months since LeBron James walked off the court in Orlando after the Cavaliers were eliminated by the Magic in six games in the Eastern Conference finals, but he says the pain from that loss is fresh in his mind.

Cleaveland Cavaliers' ace player Lebron James says he has been waiting for the start of this year's playoffs since he walked off the court last May in Orlando after the Cavaliers lost Game 6 and the Eastern Conference finals to the Magic. Promising to be better than ever, Lebron James said he knows what a championship would mean for the Cleveland area.

"It feels like yesterday, It hurt for a long time when you've got to hold that in all summer and all regular season to get back to this point. I'll be happy Saturday when I get an opportunity to release it." Lebron James said after the Cavs' first practice in preparation for Saturday's first-round opener against the Chicago Bulls.

"It would mean everything, I'm trying everything possible to do it. It would mean a lot to a lot of fans, a lot of dreams. I would be happy to be a part of it." NBA 2009 MVP player Lebron James added.

It's been a while since the Cavaliers had a game that mattered. Thankfully, Wednesday was the last meaningless game on the schedule. With LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Mo Williams watching from the bench, the Cavaliers completed a week of officially endorsed NBA scrimmages with a 99-83 loss to Atlanta. With their first-round playoff opponent settled, the Cavaliers will host the Chicago Bulls this weekend in the opener of their chase of the franchise's first NBA title.

Unfortunately, perhaps it would have made some happier if the Cavaliers came out and declared that James had a phony injury. Achilles tendinitis was popular back when there was an injury list. So was bursitis. Then there wouldn't have been an issue, just lots of concern over Lebron James' health or more criticism because the team wasn't being truthful.

Moreover, the Cavaliers players did not like having to take it on the chin over the last 10 days. This is a team that hadn't lost four in a row in 2.5 seasons. They were restless during the loss tonight and in the second half just wanted to get the game over and it showed. A case can be made that the team risked losing its edge by laying down for the last four games. There are historical references that can support both sides. The Cavaliers' recent history suggests they will struggle opening the playoffs because they don't adjust quickly to changes. But judgment will have to be saved until the weekend for that.

The Cavaliers totally have given up on this game. They are barely moving by NBA standards. Their defense is lethargic at best and they are just going through the motions when it comes to rebounding. They are now 16-of-30 at the foul line.

"This is what everyone was brought here for. This is why everybody worked hard in the off-season and all year long. This is the time, now.” Lebron James said after the Cavaliers' first practice in preparation for Saturday's first-round opener against the Chicago Bulls.

MLB Baseball Players Have On No. 42 Jersey To Honor Jackie Robinson

2010-04-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

The Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced that all MLB baseball players, coaches and umpires will once again wear Number 42 to honor the 63rd Anniversary and enduring impact of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier. Continuing last season’s inaugural effort, Baseball Commissioner Allan H. Selig has again invited all on-field personnel wear the number as a sign of unified, League-wide support of Jackie Robinson Day.

Commissioner Allan Selig and MLB have celebrated Jackie Robinson’s longstanding legacy as the first African-American to break the color barrier by retiring Robinson’s number throughout the League in 1997 and, since 2004, dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day in his memory. Robinson played his first Major League game at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

“Jackie Robinson’s incredible legacy continues to impact our society today,Baseball’s proudest moment was when Jackie took the field in 1947, so it is important to always remember him and his achievements. It is a privilege to pay tribute to the effect he had on baseball and our country by continuing to honor his Number 42.” Said Commissioner Allan Selig.

All Clubs will commemorate Jackie Robinson Day. The Robinson family will join MLB baseball in a special Jackie Robinson Day celebration at Yankee Stadium, prior to their 7:05 p.m. ET game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a nationally televised game carried live by MLB Network. The on-field ceremony will include Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s wife and Founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation; their daughter Sharon Robinson, Vice Chair of the Foundation; and Jesse Simms, son of Sharon and Jackie’s grandson, who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The game will be called by Bob Costas and Jim Kaat.

“When Jack stepped onto Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, he set a new course for American history both in the game and in society, I am grateful that Major League Baseball continues to honor his enduring impact, along with the values he lived by, both on and off the baseball field.” said Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s wife and Founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

Major League Baseball will be airing “42: Beyond a Number”, a 30-second television ad that illustrates the significance of Robinson breaking the color barrier and mixes imagery of Robinson with that of today’s players and on-field personnel wearing Number 42. The spot, which is the latest in the “This is Beyond Baseball” campaign, can be viewed here.

In recognition of Jackie Robinson Day, one Number 42 jersey from every Club will be signed and auctioned off on MLB.com, the official web site of Major League Baseball, with the proceeds benefitting the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The Foundation, established in 1973, provides, four-year college scholarships, graduate school grants and extensive mentoring to academically distinguished minority students with leadership capacity. MLB and the 30 Clubs sponsor more than 60 Jackie Robinson Scholars.

Major League Baseball has created and annually supports a number of programs to ensure that Jackie Robinson’s legacy lives on, including Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life; Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) presented by KPMG and the Jr. RBI playing divisions; Diverse Business Partners; and the MLB Urban Youth Academy.

NASCAR Star Josh Parker Wins His First iRacing Title

2010-04-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

The moment so many have anticipated for so long is nearly upon us. People like car racing co-founders John Henry and Dave Kaemmer, who dreamed of the day when the world's best sim-racing would be sanctioned by NASCAR. And the late Bill France Jr. who, as NASCAR chairman, spoke more than a decade ago of a time when race fans would be able to race virtual stock cars on their computers under the auspices of NASCAR.

Josh Parker barged into the lead with 10 laps remaining to secure his first NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship victory at Phoenix International Raceway. Josh Parker out-muscled leader Josh Berry on a late restart and then cruised to the win in front of John Gorlinsky and Derek Wood when a multi-car crash resulted in the race finishing under caution. Prior to the rough-and-tumble finish, PIR produced some of the best racing action to date in the NiSWC, with no fewer than eight drivers swapping the lead 11 times. Although a dozen cautions disrupted the flow of the race, many of the incidents were for single-car spins resulting in little to no damage.

"On the second to last restart I got into Josh Berry, looks like he missed the corner a little bit and had to slow down way too much and caught me off guard. Real sorry to him. ... All-in-all I wish it turned out better." NASCAR iRacing Champion Josh Parker said.

On Lap 150, however, Josh Parker got a good restart, forcing Berry to take a defensive line into Turn 1. Contact ensued, sending Berry into the fence and ruining his chance for his first NiSWC win. When the desert dust settled it was Parker, Gorlinsky and Wood with Theo Olson from Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. in fourth ahead of Schoenburg, Chris Main from Germantown, Md., Lewandowski and Davies.

Although Theo Olson got the better of Wood on the Lap 154 restart, Wood returned the favor on the following lap with Main losing a couple of positions before the multi-car crash on Lap 156 seemingly ended the race. During the final caution period, Josh Parker inadvertently nosed ahead of the pace car. Although he was initially penalized two laps for the infraction, NASCAR and iRacing officials subsequently declared Josh Parker the winner and issued a stern warning to all NiSWC drivers that future pace car infractions could result in severe penalties, including the loss of laps.

Exactly what Davies didn't want to happen after the yellow, happened. Josh Parker took the lead and dominated the rest of the race, getting the win and the points he needed to take the championship lead for the first-ever lead change in iPSO points, while Davies came home a lap down in 12th spot. Derek Wood could not manage a win. He had a good run, finishing third, but nobody in his split had anything for Josh Berry, who started outside the top five, but picked them off one by one, found the lead and was never really challenged.

"First off, I want to applaud iRacing on a great inaugural Pro Road and Oval Series, before Pro Oval began, if you said I will be battling for the championship I would probably say, 'Uh, what?' Especially with some of the best racing against me. After 24 weeks of racing, and it coming down to whoever wins the last race between Brad Davies, Derek Wood and myself is just incredible. I have won a few big races but this is by far the most accomplished series championship I've won.” NASCAR iRacing Champion Josh Parker said in his interview.

NHL Updates: Toronto Maple Leafs Come Back Against New York Rangers

2010-04-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

Just when you think the New York Rangers are out, they pull themselves back in. A dominant performance against the Islanders and a come-from-behind win in New Jersey have pushed the New York Rangers to within three points of the eighth-place Boston Bruins. But don't sleep on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have won 4 of 5 despite having the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Not that teams ever lose on purpose, but without a first-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs have no incentive to lay down over their final eight games.

Last Tuesday, New York Rangers came out flat in a 2-0 loss to the 7^th place Philadelphia Flyers. A day later, they repeated that effort in a 5-1 loss to the 9^th place New York Rangers. With one more game remaining, the Toronto Maple Leafs are destined to finish the season with the second-worst record in the NHL. And, unlike the last two years, they are without a first-round - or second-round - draft pick to look forward to.

Toronto Maple Leafs team that embodies the term "playing for pride". They have a better chance of seeing a unicorn than a postseason berth, but it hasn't stopped them from putting forth a strong effort since the Olympic break. In a road game against the Atlanta Thrashers, a team in the thick of the playoff race, the Toronto Maple Leafs fought their way to a 2-1 overtime win Thursday. So don't expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to do the New York Rangers any favors.

"We've been finding ways to win hockey games, We don't care if takes 60 minutes or 65, and that's a good sign. We know we can be better, but with saying that every game is not going to be a perfect one. We'll take the two points." said the Defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who was a Calgary Flame the last time Toronto faced New York.

Desperate for a win, the Rangers certainly came out to play on Wednesday. "A lot of people thought we were dead, But we just come out and play. That's all we can do." Rangers head coach John Tortorella told TSN.

The problem was that the Toronto Maple Leafs' once-thriving offence has dried up recently. Toronto has managed jut two goals in its last three games. And its power play, which went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, last scored on March 28. New York Rangers rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last three games. Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel has 7 goals in his last 7 games, and goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, who will start Saturday, has won six straight.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were in a hurried state to make their charter flight to Pittsburgh for their late Sunday afternoon tilt against the Penguins, but there was time to first celebrate their come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers moments before at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a two-goal deficit in the first period to continue to successfully play their spoiler role against teams like the New York Rangers, who still have a shot at cracking the top eight playoff positions in the NHL Eastern Conference.

NFL Passes Football Players Safety Rules

2010-04-06T04:35:00.000-07:00

NFL football players should be out of harm's way during games thanks to several rules changes passed at the league meetings. The NFL passed rules last Wednesday to further protect defenseless players, including ball carriers who lose their helmet during a play. There are 7 of 8 oveNFL Passes Football Players Safety Rulesrall rules proposals were adopted. The key rules change for player safety bars a defenseless player from being hit in the head or neck area by an opponent who launches himself and uses his helmet, shoulder or forearm to make contact. Previously, those kind of tackles were banned against receivers who couldn't protect themselves, but now it will apply to everyone.

NFL rules also will now echo those in college when a player running with the ball loses his helmet. The whistle will blow immediately and the ball will be placed at the "progress spot" where the helmet came off. Several football team owners said they also expect the modified overtime for the playoffs that passed the previous day to be revisited in May to include the regular season.

NFL rules also will echo those in college when a player running with the ball loses his helmet. The whistle will blow immediately and the ball will be placed at the "progress spot" where the helmet came off. The umpire now will be stationed behind the offensive backfield rather than in the linebackers area after the competition committee saw "a hundred" examples of umpires being run over.

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said "It's a better system, so why not have a better system every game?" Who states about expanding the new OT rule that allows a team losing the coin toss and allowing a field goal on the first series to then get a possession. On the other hand, the New York Giants owner John Mara added he expects discussion and possibly a vote on using the new OT system to occur at the owners meetings in Dallas in May. The change was proposed only for the postseason by the competition committee and was passed 28-4 Tuesday.

"We had a proposal for the postseason, we passed that with the understanding that it'll be discussed for the regular season," said the NFL football Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league wants to meet with the players and the networks for some input and further discuss the ramifications of expanding the OT change.

The 2010 schedule will be released in April and NFL football Commissioner Roger Goodell also mentioned scheduling only intradivision games on the final weekend of the season, and placing many such games in Week 16, as well. He said at the end of last season he was concerned about teams not playing their regulars after clinching titles and is hopeful such scheduling would help avoid that.

The most valuable rules that passed in the NFL game are:

Coaches can also challenge whether there was interference with the ball.
If the clock is stopped in the final minute of either half for a replay review, but would not have stopped without the review, officials will run off 10 seconds before resuming play. Either team could take a timeout to void the 10-second runoff.

NHL Highlights: Minnesota Wild V.S Los Angeles King

2010-03-30T03:07:00.000-07:00

A very high tempo to start off the NHL game with lots of end-to-end skating with very little whistles. It was the special teams that were the stars of the show for Minnesota as their power-play and penalty kill came up strong to defeat the falling Los Angeles Kings 3-2 last Monday night in St. Paul. Minnesota Wild came out with one goal in mind, play physical. Derek Boogaard and the big bodies were active early in the game trying to send a message early. Along with that high-tempo and physical start comes a lot of sloppy play. Lots of transition hockey with no real room opening up in the neutral zone and no real good offensive chances for either team. Later in the first the Los Angeles Kings started controlling the puck in Minnesota's defensive zone. A pressing forecheck and great puck movement kept the Wild on their heels for a few shifts before Minnesota got some chances of their own.

A big reason for the offensive success is the return of captain Mikko Koivu from a hand injury that kept him out for the last two games. It was up-and-down hockey for for the first period and the game remained scoreless after the opening period. The second period started off just like the first period but an early penalty by Los Angeles's Ryan Smyth sent Minnesota on the power-play. The Wild took advantage as Owen Nolan buried a rebound off Jonathan Quick and Minnesota took a 1-0 lead early in the second. The Wild power-play was near absent in the first part of the season but now its the ninth best the NHL with a 19% success rate. However, the Kings came out storming after the goal by Nolan as desperation mode seem to kick in for Los Angeles and for good reason. The Kings have been falling lately and what seemed to be a locked in team for the playoffs now are a team fighting to stay in.

They came into the game just 2-7-1 in their last 10 and have dropped from 5th spot to seventh spot in the Western Conference standings. After a couple of offsetting penalties Brent Burns makes a beautiful move in a four-on-four situation drove to net and beat Quick upstairs to increase the lead for Minnesota to 2-0. However with another penalty to Nolan Los Angeles had a 5-on-3 for about one minute but the Wild and their penalty kill got the job down keeping the Kings off the score sheet. Minnesota wild had most of the momentum in the second period until a shot from Scott Parse at the blue line was deflected in past goaltender Niklas Backstrom and the Kings cut the lead in half to 2-1. It was a chippy end to the second period but it was a good ending for Minnesota earning two goals and most important a 2-1 lead heading into the 3rd.

It didn't last 90 seconds as Scott Parse for the second time tonight blasted a one timer past Backstrom to tie the game 2-2. It could have gotten worse, as the Wild was tagged twice on the same shift to give the Kings another 5-on-3 advantage this time for a full two minutes. Los Angeles perppered Niklas Backstrom with shot after shot, and the player of the game Greg Zannon, who is already in the top five in shot blocks in the league made a few key blocks on the powerplay to keep the Kings scoreless on the man advantage. Minnesota Wild got a powerplay of thier own and for the second time of the game the Wild take advantage this time from a Martin Havlat slapshot from the left point that beat Quick upstairs to put Minnesota ahead 3-2.

Los Angeles Kings wont go away quietly as they continue to pressure the Minnesota Wild and claw back into the game. The Los Angeles Kings had yet another opportunity on the power play late in the game but the penalty killers stood tall for Minnesota Wild conserving the one-goal lead with three minutes left to play. Los Angeles pulled their goalie with a minute to play and nearly tied it with a one-timer from Drew Doughty that changed direction but was fought off by Backstrom.

With that save Minnesota Wild defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a hard fought game for both teams.

Online Casino Rules Criticized By Soccer Club

2010-03-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

French soccer club Olympique Lyonnais criticized the national government's failure to follow with European Union regulations regarding online gambling. Because French law still draw a distinction against foreign online casino operators – Lyon, as the team is commonly known, cannot accept sponsorship from gaming operators.

Lyon plays in France's ultimate soccer league and faced world power Real Madrid in a UEFA Champions League match in Spain last Sunday. Lyon managed a 1-1 tie, which advanced it past Madrid on aggregate goals, a stunning upset that team officials say may not be possible if French teams are forced to operate at a competitive disadvantage by betting online rules. Madrid wore shirts bearing the bwin brand, bringing the club a massive flow of cash. Lyon, which had a deal with BetClic, is forbidden to advertise the online casino site until French laws concerning online casino are revised.

There are 3 French online casino companies, Joagroupe, Tranchant, and Barriere, who have joined together to sue at least 14 online casino operators, regarding this issue. The 3 companies have also lodged a request with Paris' Criminal Court to put a block for at least two years against these online casino operators with regards to licensing. Essentially, the 3 companies have asked that these companies will not even be considered for French licensing for the next 2 years.

France is meant to be opening up its online gambling market in order to comply with the European Union regulations regarding free trade within the EU. Although this has not yet taken place, Joagroupe, Tranchant, and Barriere are hoping that the 14 online casino operators that have already allowed French citizens to use their online casinos, will be penalized for doing so. Should the court agree, these companies will not be allowed to request licensing in France once the market opens up.

“Olympique Lyonnais is now faced with the fact that we cannot display our sponsors logo this Wednesday in Madrid, in a country which legally allows this type of publicity, and during a match where the main competitor of BetClic will appear on the shirts of Real Madrid!, Olympique Lyonnais questions the exact motivation for these media-related and financial restrictions which impede the French champions in their search for competitiveness.” statement by the French Soccer Club.

French law will not permit BetClic to sponsor a club or advertise in any way in France until the casino site is licensed. New regulations opening the French gambling market have been in the works, but French lawmakers are resisting calls by EC examiners to amend the rules to allow free competition as required by the European Treaty. As French online casino slowly becomes a reality the online gambling industry is watching with great interest as various scenes unfold.

The partnership deal represents a very large consumer base that could spell a competitive advantage over smaller operations in France. The French Senate Finance Committee's legislation is controversial in so much as the representative gambling groups don’t think that the rules that are coming provide fair, free and open markets for E.U. member states.

David Beckham Left AC Milan For Surgery

2010-03-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

Soccer fans and online sports betting enthusiasts are having now a problem with their favorite team AC Milan when David Beckham's left Achilles' tendon was totally torn, and the doctor who performed the surgery said the England midfielder is expected to be out of action for about six months.

The soccer superstar David Beckham twisted his left ankle during the final minutes of AC Milan's 1-0 Serie A win against Chievo last Sunday and limped off the field before being stretchered away in pain and in tears. Although David Beckham is doing well after an operation at a Finnish hospital to fix his ruptured Achilles tendon and will leave with his wife Victoria Beckham. David Beckham's leg is expected to be in a cast for three to four weeks and in a support for around the same length of time, but the on-loan LA Galaxy midfielder already began practicing to walk with crutches.

The injury shattered David Beckham's hopes of becoming the first English player to appear in four World Cups and put his future on the national team in doubt. He will miss most of the MLS season. According to a Milan physician Jean Pierre Meersseman told Italy's Sky TV that David Beckham flew to Finland for surgery, where he will be treated by specialist surgeon Dr. Sakari Orava.

Dr. Sakari Orava said it would be four months before David Beckham could even try to run and six months before he could play again — in other words, mid-September, when the Galaxy will have only a half-dozen games remaining in what would be Beckham's fourth season in Major League Soccer.

Unfortunately, but the injury is so severe that David Beckham already knows he will not be going to South Africa World Cup which strats hat June 11, 2010 with his country this summer for a competition that would have given him the chance to close in on goalkeeper Peter Shilton's international appearance record of 125 caps.

David Beckham was scheduled to rejoin the team after the World Cup, but now it looks as though he might miss all of the 2010 MLS season. Ruptured Achilles tendons are no joke, and one has to wonder now how much incentive Beckham will have to go through a long rehabilitation just so he can finish his Galaxy contract in 2011.

Meanwhile, Fabio Capello, England's coach, told reporters that the injury was "a big blow" for David Beckham, significantly not stating that it was a big blow for England, considered one of the World Cup favorites. Reaction in the English media to David Beckham's absence from the South Africa's World Cup was consistent.

Most outlets expressed sympathy for him, but most also agreed with the BBC that David Beckham would have been little more than "a fringe player" in South Africa, "someone who — barring exceptional circumstances — would not have started any game at the World Cup."

As replacements go, some would argue that Aaron Lennon's fitness is more of a worry than David Beckham's unavailability. Aaron Lennon was the reason David Beckham was relegated to the bench in recent England games. He offers searing pace and more often than not an end product. He would be sorely missed should he not travel to South Africa.

Tiger Woods To Return To Golf In April

2010-03-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

After the announcement that Tiger Woods intends to break his silence last Friday, everyone is speculating about when the world's No. 1 golfer will return to golf. Tiger Woods played in a tournament in mid-November last year. Over Thanksgiving weekend, he was injured after crashing his sport-utility vehicle into a fire hydrant and a tree near his home outside of Orlando, Fla. In subsequent weeks, at least a dozen women claimed or were reported to have had affairs with him. Last December 2, Tiger Woods said via his website the TigerWoods.com that "I have let my family down," and 9 days later he said he would take an indefinite break from golf.

The PGA Tour, which runs the three major men's professional golf tours in the U.S., said it welcomed Mr. Woods's decision to play at Augusta. "He has invested a lot of time taking steps, both in his personal and professional life, in order to prepare for his return," said the PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. Augusta is where Tiger Woods became a household name, winning the Masters in 1997 at age 21. He was not only the youngest-ever winner of the tournament, but he set records for 72-hole score with 270 and victory margin of 12 strokes. He also won at Augusta in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

In addition, it's a tournament where Tiger Woods often finishes near the top of the field even when he doesn't hit the golf ball particularly well. He hasn't missed the cut—when the field of players is pared down after the tournament's second day—at Augusta since his 1997 pro debut.

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect, after a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta. I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment,When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments, and I look forward to competing in them again. I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game.” said Tiger Woods on his statement.

Tiger Woods apologized in public February 19, 2010, and since then speculation has focused on when he would return. Tiger Woods said that while he's returning to competition, he still has a lot of work to do in his personal life.

Augusta also is in many ways the most comfortable environment in which the golf master Tiger Woods could make his comeback. Augusta National exerts tighter controls on both the crowd and the media than any other event on the PGA Tour calendar. Crowds are typically significantly smaller than at the other major tournaments, and it's the only major tournament in the U.S. where reporters aren't allowed inside "the ropes," the area limited to players and their caddies, and officials.

Tiger Woods has won 14 major championships in hie career, the others being four PGA Championship titles, 3 U.S. Opens and three British Opens.

Maria Sharapova and Maria Kirilenko Highlights At 2010 Australian Open

2010-03-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

The tennis barbie statuesque Russian and the online sports betting favorite Maria Sharapova is making her first appearance since crashing out of the 2010 Australian Open first round. Maria Sharapova’s performance at the 2010 Australian Open last month wasn't the only thing getting bad reviews: message boards lit up with commenters slamming her outfit.

Maria Sharapova made 76 unforced errors and struggled throughout the game in no. 58. In the third and final set, it seemed that the 14th seed Sharapova was on her way to victory when she lead 2-0. But Maria Kirilenko fought back and took the set 6-4.

Maria Sharapova's lack of preparation for the Aussie Open was held as the main reason why she flopped royally. Critics pointed to her choice to compete at an Exhibition event instead of the two Aussie Open series events in Brisbane and Sydney as that which cost a positive start to the season in Melbourne. Maria Sharapova returned to the Australian Open this afternoon for the first time since winning it all in 2008. And Maria walked off the court a winner. Unfortunately for Sharapova, the winner was countrywoman Maria Kirilenko. Maria Kirilenko jolted the first Grand Slam of the 2010 season into overdrive in the first match at Rod Laver Arena, upsetting Sharapova 7-6 (4), 3-6, 5-3 in a 3 hour, 12-minute marathon during which Maria Sharapova committed 77 unforced errors.

Though Maria Sharapova was the richer, the taller and the louder of the 2 Russian Marias on the Australian Open’s Rod Laver Arena today, however, Maria Kirilenko was the blonder, the cuter and the sharper and the winner of todays 2010 Australian Open in the Women's Single 1st round.

Maria Sharapova said on an interview after her loss at the 1st round, "I could be disappointed or I could just take it as it is and just go back on the court and just keep working, I choose option two. A bad day's not going to stop me from doing what I love. I'll be back here on a Saturday of the second week, so you watch." Maria Sharapova, who missed last year's Australian Open because of a shoulder injury, committed 77 unforced errors and made her earliest exit at a Grand Slam since 2003, struggling with her serve and mobility.

Only twice before has the tennis superstar Maria Sharapova lost in the first round of a grand slam, at the 2003 Australian Open and the 2003 French Open. Back then, Sharapova had come through qualifying to make the main draw. In 2010, things were very different. Sharapova was appearing in Melbourne for the first time since she won the Daphne Akhurst Trophy a couple of years ago, since she missed last year’s tournament as she recuperated from an operation to fix the weakness in her shoulder.

Maria Sharapova rallied from 5-2 down in the deciding set, holding serve and then breaking Kirilenko to stay in the match. She dropped her own serve after giving Maria Kirilenko double match point. Maria Kirilenko said about beating Maria Sharapova, "It's never easy. I'm good friends with Maria, but I tried my best to win today -- I came here quite confident."

UFC Fight: Frank Mir Wants BrocK Lesnar To Die In The Ring

2010-03-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

UFC fighter Frank Mir's longstanding grudge with former wrestler Brock Lesnar shows no signs of dissipating, and in a radio interview last week, Frank Mir raised the stakes by saying that if he gets a third fight with Brock Lesnar, he'll be motivated by a desire to break Brock Lesnar's neck and see him die in the ring! That might not sound like a big deal at first, but the problem is that he didn’t say it in the “Dude, you're totally dead” kind of way that B.J Peen did.

During a radio interview with former WCW commentator Mark Madden, he stormed: "I want to fight Brock Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person”. Frank Mir said it in the extremely detailed and very literal way, as in, "I'd rather go ahead and say what's on my mind than to sit there and come up with some PC 'Oh, the guy is a great fighter and I have a lot of respect for him.' If I don't mean it, why is it even coming out of my mouth? ... I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries. That's what's going through my mind."

Those comments are disastrous, and they don't reflect the good sportsmanship that Frank Mir usually stand up for. Perhaps Frank Mir is just trying to play up his rivalry with Brock Lesnar, but he says he truly hates Brock Lesnar, whom he beat in 2008 and who beat him in 2009.

In the Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar UFC fight galnce, Brock Lesnar retained his UFC heavyweight title in dominating fashion and avenged his only loss with a dominating second-round stoppage of Frank Mir at Las Vegas. The former collegiate wrestling champion easily threw his more experienced opponent to the ground early in each of the two rounds and rained punches to the head of his over matched foe.

In the second round, the blows were too overwhelming, and referee Herb Dean had to step in to rescue the semiconscious Frank Mir. Brock Lesnar improved to 4-1, while Mir dropped to 12-4. Brock Lesnar used his superior size and strength to keep Mir pinned to the mat in each of the two rounds. The UFC heavyweight champion was able to land numerous hard punches on Mir and opened up an assortment of cuts and bruises on his arch rival, who had submitted Brock Lesnar in his first UFC bout nearly 18 months ago.

Four days after scorning it, Frank Mir joined the bandwagon of cookie-cutter responses. The former heavyweight titleholder raised hackles with officials at the Ultimate Fighting Championship after saying he would go into a fight against Brock Lesnar with death on his mind. Now the company has forced Mir to eat his words in a press release issued today by UFC:

"I would like to apologize to Brock, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks. I respect Brock, all the other fighters, and the sport of mixed martial arts. I'm sorry that I stepped out of line." Frank Mir apologized in an interview.

Perhaps now Frank Mir can simply focus on his real fight. He faces Shane Carwin at next month's UFC 111 show for an interim heavyweight belt. On the other hand, Brock Lesnar can wait.