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Nyjer Morgan loves to be an entertainer

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:36:00 +0000

Definition of Nyjer: A tiny black birdseed cultivated in Asia and Africa that is high in calories and oil content, loved by finches and other wild birds, and has been used in the feedings of wild birds for more than 40 years.

Definition of Nyjer Morgan: An undersized outfielder who grew up in Northern California and is high in energy and showmanship, disliked by St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins players andSan Francisco Giants fans, and is now front and center in the Milwaukee Brewers' charge to the top of the National League Central standings.

NEW YORK -- As it turns out, Nyjer Morgan's first name has nothing to do with birdseed. The parents, Carl and Trina, went to school during the height of the Black Panther movement in the 1970s, and they were partial to names of Muslim or African origin. Morgan has a sister Naima, which is Arabic for "tranquil,'' and a younger brother Kwame. His parents named him Nyjer in reference to the Niger River, which runs 2,600 miles and is the third longest river in Africa behind the Nile and the Congo.

Morgan's personal back story has even more twists and turns. He left his home in San Jose to play junior hockey in Canada as a teenager, and survived long-shot odds to make it in pro ball as a late-round draft pick in Pittsburgh. He has a well-publicized alter ego named Tony Plush, the old-time sensibilities of a Mickey Rivers, the new age social media savvy of Brandon Phillips and the round-the-clock effervescence of Rex Hudler. His name could be Joe Smith, Bill Jones or Bernie Brewer, and he would still be a walking Six Flags thrill ride.

The folks in Milwaukee will tell you that Morgan has played a pivotal role in the Brewers' success since general manager Doug Melvin acquired him from Washington for minor league outfielder Cutter Dykstra, Lenny's kid, on March 27. Morgan has overcome two visits to the disabled list and staked his claim to the team's center field job since Carlos Gomez suffered a broken clavicle. He's hitting .313 with a .352 on base percentage and chasing down fly balls with aplomb, and he's shown a flair for high drama with comedic twists on several occasions this season.

Morgan fell a single short of the cycle against Minnesota on July 2 -- which just happened to be his birthday. Two weeks ago, he reached base on a strikeout-wild pitch to start a late rally against Pittsburgh, then won the game with a 10th inning sacrifice fly. And the topper might have come June 8 against the Mets, when he stroked a go-ahead double in the bottom of the eighth inning, and was stunned to learn it was actually the ninth inning and his hit had won the game. Morgan was oblivious until joyous teammates began bounding from the dugout in celebration.

All this helps explain why Brewers fans are eagerly awaiting Tony Plush Rally Towel Night against the Phillies at Miller Park on Sept. 9. The first 30,000 fans get towels, so they better come early.

"I just figure we're entertainers,'' Morgan said. "We're on one of the biggest stages. Trust me, if I was batting .202, I wouldn't be doing the [s--] I'm doing.

"People pay good money to see entertainment, and I want to be the entertainer. I want to be making diving catches in the outfield and running balls down. That's what makes me feel good -- when I look back at that pitcher and he's giving the pump, and my guys are fired up. It fires me up when the fans heckle me and give their best and I talk back to them. It's just entertainment.''

When it's suggested that Morgan has some Mark Fidrych in him, he demurs.

"The Bird Man was a little quirky," Morgan said. "I ain't that out there.''

Mr. Popular

The fans aren't the only ones entertained by Nyjer/Tony's antics. Morgan's quirkiness and non-stop energy have struck a chord in a loose and open-minded Milwaukee clubhouse. And if he's not careful, he might become a media darling. The New York Times recently profiled him, and he appears with teammates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder on the latest cover of Sports Illustrated. He's getting more publicity than Kim Kardashian's nuptials.

"Geez, everybody is doing something on Nyjer,'' said a semi-exasperated LaTroy Hawkins when approached for a comment for this story.

In large part because Morgan is playing so well and the Brewers are 78-54 and leading St. Louis by 10 games, he's perceived as more of an energizer and social catalyst rather than an irritant or distraction in the clubhouse. He refers to Fielder as "Big Dog'' and likes to greet pitcher Randy Wolf with a wolf-like howl. Morgan thinks that Hawkins, the veteran reliever, has a penchant for stirring things up, so he calls him "Spatula,'' or "Spatch'' for short. Hey, nobody ever said the guy was an authority on kitchen utensils.

Morgan doesn't line base hits into the outfield -- he "tickles'' them there. He reflects on his turbulent 2010 season in Washington as a bit of a "learning curveball.'' Pressed to cite other offbeat terms in his lexicon, Morgan advises a reporter to look them up in the "Plush-tionary.''

"It works because it's sincere,'' Braun said. "This is who he is, and it's the same every day. He's happy. He's jovial. He's outgoing. He's personable. He comes to the park with a smile on his face, and he enjoys life as much as he enjoys playing baseball. We've kind of embraced his personality, and it's probably enabled him to become a better baseball player. It's worked for everybody.''

Before this season, every major league team that Morgan had played for had lost at least 93 games. It's no wonder he's on a competitive high.

"I saw him sleeping on a plane for the first time and I said, 'That's funny.' I never thought he slept,''' Hawkins said.

American dreamer

Any discussion of what Nyjer Morgan is inevitably goes back to his roots. Morgan grew up in San Jose's Evergreen section, the gritty, lower-middle class section of town, and everybody spoke in hyphy, the fast-talking patter conceived in the mid-1990s by Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak. About 10 years ago, Morgan and two buddies assumed dual identities to help facilitate conversations with girls. One friend became James Dot Dean, another Frankie Sleeze, and Morgan, the Rat Pack ringleader, was "Tony Plush.''

"We always wanted to be different,'' said Matt McKoin, aka Sleeze, Morgan's closest friend. "When everybody else was wearing baggy white T-shirts and big baggy pants, we were wearing slimmer-cut pants with button-up shirts and fancy sunglasses. We preferred the GQ look over the more urban chic.''

McKoin points to Morgan's rise from humble origins as evidence that he's living the "American dream.'' But the dream took a detour through customs. Morgan was 7 years old when he watched the 1988 U.S. Olympic hockey team on TV, and he was smitten. He prevailed upon Carl, an insurance claims adjustor, to take him to the local rink for signups. His ankles were wobbly that first day, but he quickly developed into a fast skater with an affinity for chasing loose pucks into the corners. Morgan also loved to rush the puck from his position as a defenseman, and fancied himself the second coming of Hall of Fame blue-liner Paul Coffey.

As a teenager, he followed his heart and chased his dream to Saskatchewan to play for the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League. Drop your average black city kid down in the middle of moose country, stick him on a bus to places like Red Deer, Swift Current and Moose Jaw, and it reads like a sports version of "Northern Exposure,'' but with fewer teeth.

"It was weird, but it was something I knew I wanted to do,'' Morgan said. "It gave me a chance to just go out and see the world. My parents didn't hold me back. They let me go out and do what I wanted to do, and basically find myself.''

After two years, a new reality intervened. Morgan "got a girl pregnant'' and decided that a different life path was in order. He quit hockey "cold turkey'' and enrolled at Walla Walla Community College in Washington, where he turned his focus to baseball. After the Pirates took a flyer on him in the 33rd round of the 2002 draft, Morgan spent five years on the prove-it-nightly career track. He logged almost 2,000 at-bats with Pittsburgh's farm clubs in Williamsport, Hickory, Lynchburg, Altoona and Indianapolis before making his debut as a September call-up in 2007. McKoin's father runs a small construction company in California, and Morgan earned some walking-around money on job sites during his minor league offseasons.

After a 2009 trade to Washington, Morgan finally began making headlines last year, but it was one bombastic coming-out party. He was at the center of a series of home-plate collisions, bench-clearing brawls and other bizarre incidents, and earned an eight-game suspension and a $15,000 fine from Major League Baseball in September. He was branded as a serial agitator, and a tad on the unhinged side.

In hindsight, Morgan chalks it up to a "bad two weeks,'' but concedes he might have lost his way during a trying 2010 season.

"I came in a little bit big-headed last year, just because I had some success, and I didn't know how to even up the success with the failure,'' he said. "Everybody needs to go through a little bit of failure to succeed in this game.''

Things were destined to end badly. In spring training, Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth confronted Morgan over an alleged lack of enthusiasm for doing sprints, and the two exchanged words. Was the incident the tipping point in Washington GM Mike Rizzo's decision to trade Morgan to Milwaukee? That's hard to say. But butting heads with the team's prize $126 million free-agent acquisition clearly wasn't the best thing for Morgan's job security.

Morgan has found a more welcoming environment in the Milwaukee clubhouse, where free spirits abound and he has the latitude to summon the entertainer within. But his fellow Brewers aren't hesitant to pull him aside and tell him when it's time to harness the exuberance. Hawkins, a respected veteran who has taken it upon himself to monitor Morgan's conduct, said his buddy has been a "model citizen'' this season.

"When he first got on Twitter, I sat him down and told him, 'When you write something, read it three or four times before you push that 'send' button,''' Hawkins said. "He listens. If he doesn't, I'm going to have to get on him harder next time. I haven't had to do that, so I know he listens.''

Plush-damentally sound

Sometimes it's hard to know where Nyjer ends and Tony begins, but they both abide by the governing principles of "Plush-damentals,'' -- the art of laying down a bunt, throwing to the right base and playing the game in a fundamentally sound manner with (hopefully) just the right amount of panache.

Things got a little testy recently in San Francisco when Morgan engaged in a running dialogue with Giants fans, earning a rebuke from broadcaster Duane Kuiper. But when so many fans these days view ballplayers as detached, robotic millionaires, Morgan's childlike exuberance and zest for the game resonates with the common man.

Jason Albert, a freelance writer in Minnesota, conceived a fake Nyjer Morgan Twitter account this spring with imagined conversations between Morgan, sweater-clad GM Doug Melvin and "coach'' Ron Roenicke. Albert recently came clean in an entertaining online column.

Nyjer Morgan

#2 Center Fielder
Milwaukee Brewers

2011 STATS

GM91
HR3
RBI31
R45
OBP.352
AVG.313

"Genius,'' said Morgan, who was so impressed he sent the faux Tony Plush a Tweet of appreciation.

On his own Twitter account, Morgan is one interactive gadfly. At the suggestion of followers, he has donned argyle socks beneath his uniform and spent a day flying a kite on the shores of Lake Michigan. When Morgan recently visited the Humane Society and adopted a cat, "Slick Willie,'' the whole world quickly knew about it. His girlfriend takes care of the cat when he's on the road with the Brewers.

At age 31, Morgan is earning $450,000, barely above the big league minimum, and hoping for financial security and a long-term home. It's hard to believe that, four years ago, he was playing in the Arizona Fall League and crashing on his friend Frankie Sleeze's couch in Phoenix.

"I asked him earlier this year, 'Nyj, if you could choose anywhere in the league to go play, where would it be?''' McKoin said. "He told me, 'Right here in Milwaukee.'''

Skeptics might say that Morgan's act is contrived and laden with shtick. But as Morgan is quick to point out, he rolled out of bed at 6 a.m. each day last winter and worked out like a demon. Nobody handed him anything, and as an afterthought-made-good, he truly embodies the principles of the American dream.

In his transition from sports villain to fan favorite, Morgan has pulled a reverse Tiger Woods. And as Milwaukee's resident gap-hitting, high-sock-wearing catalyst, he's provided some welcome support for MVP candidates Fielder and Braun. So why not have a little fun with it?

Judging from that devilish grin, he's ready to team up with Tony Plush on some more interesting plot lines this season. What's next on their agenda?

"Stay tuned,'' Nyjer Morgan said.

Alan Shearer on where Samir Nasri will fit in for Man City

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Manchester City have an embarrassment of riches going forward after signing Samir Nasri but I am sure their manager Roberto Mancini is happy to have the problem of working out how he is going to fit all his star players into his team.

I would not say yet that City now have the best attack in the Premier League, because it has to stand the test of time over the course of the season, but on paper it looks very exciting.

We have already seen how good David Silva is at instigating attacks, and Nasri is another technically gifted and creative player who can either play alongside Silva or instead of him.

Nasri will offer even more flair and width when City come forward and I can see why Arsenal were so keen to keep him. He will be a huge loss to the Gunners.

When you join a club like Man City you know you are always going to be a squad player. The manager wants to have options

Not all of City's forward players will be able to play at the same time, of course, but the key for Mancini is that he is now able to rotate his squad in every competition. He has not just built one team, he has now got two.

Mancini will be able to rest players and also choose when he wants to bring different people in to suit his tactics and needs on every front, domestically and in Europe.

The one complaint City fans had with their manager last season was that they did not play with enough flair or have enough ambition to unlock defences but I don't think that is going to be an issue now he has signed Nasri and also Sergio Aguero this summer.

SUCCESSFUL PASSES IN FINAL THIRD (2010-11 PL SEASON)

1. Nasri - 601

2. Malouda - 593

3. Fabregas - 548

4. Silva - 530

5. Modric - 528

6. Wilshere - 527

7. Arteta - 499

8. K Davies - 499

9. Murphy - 483

10. Adam - 465

Source: Opta

To put it simply, City have now become realistic contenders in the Premier League and Champions League. I still think Manchester United will win the title but don't be surprised to see City challenge domestically and for the top prize in Europe too this season.

As for Mancini keeping all his star players happy? Well, when you join a club like City you know you are always going to be a squad player. And the fact they are on huge money is going to help.

It will still be a challenge for the manager but Mancini is in four competitions and will definitely prefer to have options.

That is why I think it is important for City that Carlos Tevez stays. In an ideal world for Mancini, Tevez will either change his mind and decide to stay in Manchester or will have to because no other club can afford him.

If Tevez is in the right frame of mind, then he is another player that almost guarantees them goals, although they do not exactly look short in that department anyhow.

To get someone with the same ability as Nasri will be almost impossible. Arsenal fans just have to hope that Arsene Wenger has something special up his sleeve

One City player who will definitely be affected by Nasri's arrival is Adam Johnson. He already gets limited game time, and he might have to live with getting even less.

He is a player who is going to be rotated, which might affect his England chances, but it is not a bad thing that he faces a challenge to win a place in the team.

It is Arsenal who I am most worried about. Just as with Cesc Fabregas, they will miss Nasri badly.

They have to try and bring somebody else in with quality and experience, and quickly. That would be difficult anyway but is made even harder because the transfer window shuts in a few days.

To get someone with the same ability as Nasri will be almost impossible. Arsenal fans just have to hope that Arsene Wenger has something special up his sleeve.

Alan Shearer was talking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan

Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson in four-letter blast at FA

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:31:00 +0000

erguson criticises FA treatment of Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson has accused the Football Association of treating Manchester United unfairly.

The United manager, hit with a five-match touchline ban last season, made the claims while talking about having up to eight players on England duty.

Ferguson, 69, said: "The FA may realise who has produced more players for their country than any club in the world.

"Maybe they will realise how important we are to England instead of treating us like s***."

In March, Ferguson was given a five-match touchline ban and £30,000 fine by the FA for criticising referee Martin Atkinson. He initially received a three-game ban for the remarks and saw a two-game suspended ban he had previously earned for saying referee Alan Wiley was not "fit enough" to keep up with play activated.

The following month, United striker Wayne Rooney was banned for two matches for swearing into a TV camera.

UNITED'S POSSIBLE CALL-UPS TO ENGLAND SQUAD

Wayne Rooney
Rio Ferdinand
Ashley Young
Michael Carrick
Tom Cleverley
Phil Jones
Danny Welbeck
Chris Smalling

Those bans led to Manchester United chief executive David Gill claiming in June the FA had singled out the club for "harsh" punishments.

"There were some poor-ish decisions that wouldn't have necessarily hit others - the actual punishments were harsh," said FA board member Gill.

"That's not to say I'm condoning Wayne's comments, because I don't think they were correct, or what Sir Alex said, because it wasn't helpful.

"We're possibly being caught up in being one of the biggest clubs and the [FA's] Respect agenda being there.

"What better way to demonstrate the authorities are being tough than by hitting one of the biggest clubs the hardest?"

Ferguson's comments came as he spoke about the number of his players who could be called up by England this weekend.

Manager Fabio Capello is due to name his squad for next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales on Sunday evening, and United could have as many as eight representatives.

Ferguson is delighted with that but took the opportunity to criticise the FA over the punishments handed out to the club last season.

"It's not a problem, it's fantastic," he added. "Maybe they will realise how important we are to England.

"I am pleased for the players. They are outstanding."

The FA has declined to comment on Ferguson's accusation.

Mark Webber column

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:05:00 +0000

It's back to business for Formula 1 this weekend after the mid-season break and there could not be a better place to be.

It's the Belgian Grand Prix at the brilliant Spa-Francorchamps circuit and all the drivers without exception will be looking forward to getting out there.

It's one of the best circuits in the world. When you head out on to the track for the first time at Spa, you always think: "Yeah, this is what we do it for".

There are beautiful long, flowing corners, elevation changes and it's so isolated on the back of the circuit. The lap is so long, and it's just you and the car.

Eau Rouge is the most famous corner on the track and although the downforce levels of the current cars have made that less of a challenge than it was, it's still an awesome experience.

Irrespective of how comfortable it is, that's still an amazing sensation, and you need total concentration to make sure the car is positioned correctly - it's three kinks that you need to line up and get right.

The reason it's so massively rewarding for the drivers is there is a huge plunge down into the bottom of the corner at full speed - we're in top gear approaching 200mph - and then you climb the wall on the other side and pop out of the top.

You really don't want to be going off there, even with the increased safety we have these days.

Pouhon, the fast double-left about halfway around the lap, is now probably the single most challenging corner there, but Spa is more about the beauty and flow of the lap.

It's a challenge to set the cars up there, too. You see differing downforce levels and there's always the issue of the weather, with rain never too far away.

I was on pole there last year and, although I finished second to Lewis Hamilton in the race, it was one of the most rewarding drives I've had.

It was a very challenging grand prix for all of us, on slicks in the drizzle, and so on.

It's always a race to look forward to, and it's very difficult to predict how the battle between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari will shape up.

I'm certainly looking forward to it, and I'm sure all my rivals will be too. There is the same 25 points for a victory there as everywhere else, but winning at one of the classic tracks is always that bit more special.

I know some of you are waiting for news on my future. I stopped off in Salzburg for a meeting with Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz on my way to the Hungarian Grand Prix last month and, as planned, the August break gave me a good opportunity to have a chat with team principal Christian Horner about me continuing in 2012.

ON THE MARK

You may remember I said last time that I would rather there hadn't been a mid-season break in Formula 1, but as it turns out I've enjoyed having some time off away from the telephones and everything.

I'm sure it's been the same for everyone in F1 - it's a pretty intense business and it's good to recharge the batteries.

The highlight of my break was cycling up the famous Alpe d'Huez Tour de France stage with four-time F1 world champion Alain Prost for a feature in the 22 September issue of F1 Racing magazine.

The two of us also cycled up another Col on our own before we did the main ride, and it was great to spend some time with Alain and chat on the ride as well as over dinner the night before.

TRUE AUSSIE GRIT

Get the latest updates from Mark through his official Twitter account

Mark's tweets

The other times I've met him have been at functions and that's not the right environment to have a proper conversation, but this was different.

He is 56 now, but still in phenomenal shape - I think he's a kilo lighter than when he was racing.

It's a beautiful part of the world, great weather, and it was great to talk about bikes, about his racing days, and F1 at the moment.

I used to follow him in my teenage days and enjoyed all his great battles with Ayrton Senna.

I told him how disappointed I was that he didn't race in the 1991 Adelaide Grand Prix.

I drove over there from New South Wales with my dad, who was a massive Prost fan, but he had been fired by Ferrari after the previous race, so we didn't get to see him.

OFF THE MARK

Being away from F1 has given me a chance to watch a lot of sport, and it's been fascinating seeing the rugby union matches in the build-up to next month's World Cup.

I can't wait for it to start. New Zealand are the favourites, which is not unusual for a Rugby World Cup, and they really need it after everything that country has been through following the terrible earthquake in Christchurch in February.

Dan Carter's New Zealand are Mark's front-runners for the World Cup

That puts even more pressure on a team that would be really feeling it anyway after missing out at the last World Cup, when they were also favourites, and with them being the home side this time.

They really need it, but unfortunately for them that doesn't put any more points on the scoreboard.

New Zealand have their noses in front in terms of form, and Australia and South Africa are right behind.

South Africa looked a bit rusty when they lost to Australia the other day, but they are the holders and they always seem to go well at the World Cups.

If Australia can get the ball to their backs, they are very dangerous with ball in hand. If they can keep the mistakes to a minimum they've got a good chance.

I was very impressed with Wales, too, when they beat England. You could tell there was a good mentality there. It was a phenomenal performance. They had virtually no possession, they just tackled their backsides off and England couldn't break them down.

It would have been very frustrating for England to be a part of that and very rewarding for Wales.

Discipline is going to be a key thing at the World Cup - give away too many penalties and it can kill your chances really quickly.

WEBBER UNSPUN

England choosing a black kit as their away strip has certainly been noticed in New Zealand and, although I'm a proud Australian, I have to say I think it's a stupid decision.

I don't know how it's come about but there's only one all-black strip in rugby union and that should be dedicated to the New Zealanders. Certain things should be sacrosanct, whatever the commercial ramifications.

Obviously England do need a change kit of some description when they play other countries with a pale strip, such as Argentina, but they have managed perfectly well until now.

There is a massive amount of tradition there, and it should be left alone and respected.

Mark Webber was talking to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson. Read his exclusive column every Thursday

World Athletics 2011: Asafa Powell pulls out of 100m

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:59:00 +0000

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has pulled out of the World Championships 100m in Daegu after failing to overcome a groin injury, according to his agent.

The 28-year-old was expected to challenge world champion Usain Bolt, but has failed to shake off a problem he suffered earlier in August.

Powell's withdrawal marks a blow to the men's sprints, with American Tyson Gay also missing with a hip injury.

The Jamaican team would not confirm that Powell would miss the race.

Team leader Grace Jackson said a "technical meeting" was taking place.

But Powell's agent Paul Doyle told the BBC that despite his injury, he could be fit for the 4x100m relay on 4 September.

Team-mate Michael Frater will replace the former world record holder, who did not compete at the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace on 6 August because of the same issue.

A statement from Doyle read: "Asafa Powell has officially withdrawn from the 100m event in Daegu citing a continued groin strain. Powell suffered a groin strain in Budapest on July 30 and has had recurring tightness and pain ever since.

"After Budapest, Asafa missed eight days of training before he could attempt to sprint again. When he returned to the track he was able to sprint but it caused the groin to flare up.

"He has received all sorts of treatments over the past two weeks in the hope of being prepared to run the 100m here in Daegu but on Thursday Asafa made the final decision not to run. He feels he would not be at 100% and may have trouble coming back after each round.

"Asafa is very disappointed to say the least. He was really hoping to be able to run in what was going to be one of the most anticipated races of the championships. He is still optimistic to be able to run the relay."

Powell clocked the fastest 100m time in the world this year - 9.78 seconds at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne in June.

And although British sprinter Dwain Chambers has insisted Bolt is beatable, the development almost gives the world record holder and Olympic champion a free run at the 100m and 200m titles.

When told of the news, Bolt said: "Asafa's out? That's the first I heard of it."

The 100m heats begin on Saturday in South Korea, with the final on Sunday, while the 200m starts on Thursday 1 September.

Mata makes Blues move

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:47:00 +0000

Chelsea have confirmed that highly-rated Spain international Juan Mata has joined the club from Valencia, penning a five-year contract.

Personal terms have been thrashed out since then, while a medical has also been passed.

It was announced on Monday that an agreement had been reached for the 23-year-old, with Valencia having accepted an offer from the Blues.

Mata is now all clear to open a new chapter in his career in England and admits he is looking forward to getting started.

The World Cup winner told the club's official website: "Right from the first moment there have been good feelings all around me. Training has been great and the players are a great group to train with.

Mata becomes Andre Villas-Boas' fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Oriol Romeu, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.

"Valencia was a big club anyway but I have left to join a bigger club and it is all about the opportunity to win trophies and I have that here."

Trophies

On his early dealings with his new boss, Mata added: "He said he wanted Chelsea this season to play more attacking football, and that I would be a big part of that.

"Villas-Boas is someone who won almost everything last year and we are both here with the idea of winning lots this season.

"The plan is that I can play on either flank or even in the middle playing in between the lines of midfield and attack. I like to keep the ball and use it well, I am an attacking player and above all I like to set up goals and score them also.

Mata joins countrymen Romeu and Fernando Torres in West London and is pleased to have familiar faces around him.

"I want to adapt as quickly as possible to my new surroundings, my colleagues and this league, and I would love to win a trophy in my first season. If it can be the Premier League then great."

He said: "Fernando got me excited about the thought of coming here.

"He said it would be good for me here and that me and him together could be good. I also talked to my family and friends about it as well."

NBA Labor Talks Continue in Disagreement

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:35:00 +0000

The labor talks between players and team owners in the NBA ended on Tuesday still on a note of disagreement, although both sides have already resorted to provocative moves and a fast-approaching deadline is adding pressure.

The players’ union offered its latest proposal to the team owners: a reduction of salary over the next five years of a total of $500 million. The owners responded with a proposal that would guarantee players a minimum of $2 billion every year over the next decade.

Despite these bargaining notes, almost five hours later, the two parties still did not look any closer to sealing a deal, and a lockout was still in place for July 1.

The two sides will meet again on Friday. This meeting will likely be the last time they can negotiate before the declaration of impasse.

Of course, Tuesday experienced a bit of a softening of the language, despite the remaining major obstacles, such as the team owner’s doggedness for having a salary cap and for reducing compensation to players.

Billy Hunter, players’ union executive director, commented, “I don’t even want to talk lockout now.” He added that there appeared to be a greater interest in reaching a deal. The parties reportedly made some headway on Tuesday’s meeting.

The $2 billion offer that NBA put on the table this latest time is an amount close to what the players already make currently, given the average of $5 million salary per individual player.

David Stern, NBA Commissioner, kept from classifying it as his last offer, but he labelled it to be “the best shot” they had to show the players they were in good faith and would go as far as possible in order to prevent a lockout.

Although the owners’ offer seems to be generous, it still translates to a big cut for the players’ salary, estimated at a minimum of $7 billion for the ten-year period versus the current system.
Under the current system, the players can make roughly $2.17 billion in terms of salary and benefits for the season of 2010-11. The union therefore views the $2 billion salary guarantee as a rollback and even as a freeze in salary.

Stern admitted that the players’ share could still increase during the ten-year period depending on revenue benchmarks, but the players’ union is not that convinced.

Despite that, Hunter conceded that the owners’ last offer was the first move they had made over the two years that they had been negotiating.

The players’ union’s proposal of a pay cut of $500 million for five years was dismissed by Stern for being “modest.” This pay cut would result in the lowering of the players’ league revenues share from 57 percent to 54.3 percent.

A 50-50 split of league revenues are more what the owners are looking for, albeit after basketball-related income is properly redefined.

With the redefinition, though, players stand to lose close to $900 million or even $1 billion, prior to the calculation of the 50-50 sharing.

Ronaldinho scores again for Flamengo

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Ronaldinho scored from a free kick in the first half as Flamengo drew 2-2 with Internacional to move closer to the Brazilian league lead on Sunday.
Flamengo played with an extra man the entire second half and twice relinquished the lead, but the draw was still enough to put the popular Brazilian club within two points of Corinthians, who lost 2-0 to Figueirense at home on Saturday.
Third-place Sao Paulo drew 1-1 with rival Palmeiras at Morumbi stadium, while fourth-place Vasco also played out a 1-1 draw with defending champion Fluminense, thanks to a first-half goal by former Brazil playmaker Juninho Pernambucano.
Ronaldinho put Flamengo ahead at the Beira-Rio stadium with a spot kick in the 25th minute, curling a low right-footed shot around the wall.
It was Ronaldinho's 10th goal in the Brazilian league, equaling Santos' Borges as the tournament's leading scorer. A two-time Fifa player of the year, Ronaldinho was called up to Brazil's national team last week for the first time since last November.
Internacional's Argentine midfielder Pablo Guinazu was sent off a minute into first-half injury time when he was shown his second yellow card for diving inside the area.
Defender Indio equalised for Internacional in the 50th minute and striker Jael gave Flamengo the lead again in the 60th. Brazil striker Leandro Damiao leveled the scores a final time with a perfect bicycle kick goal from near the penalty spot in the 77th.
Flamengo moved to 35 points after 18 matches, two points behind Corinthians and one ahead of Sao Paulo and Vasco.
At Morumbi, striker Dagoberto put Sao Paulo ahead of Palmeiras in the 42nd minute, dribbling past a defender and chipping over World Cup-winning goalkeeper Marcos.
Sixth-place Palmeiras equalized with a header from former Barcelona defender Henrique in the 62nd, taking advantage of a free kick cross by former AS Roma and Real Betis midfielder Marcos Assuncao.
Vasco had the lead over Fluminense after a penalty kick goal by Juninho Pernambucano in the 36th at the Engenhao stadium in Rio de Janeiro, but the titleholders equalized via striker Rafael Moura in the 61st.
Copa Libertadores champion Santos defeated Bahia 2-1 in Pituacu after Brazil striker Neymar scored from a penalty less than three minutes into the match. Santos are only 15th in the 20-team standings with 18 points, but have two games in hand.
On Saturday, leaders Corinthians missed a chance to increase their lead atop the standings by losing 2-0 to Figueirense at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo.
Also on Saturday, Cruzeiro defeated Ceara 1-0 with a penalty by Argentine playmaker Walter Montillo in the 72nd.
Botafogo stayed in fifth place by beating Atletico Mineiro 3-1 at the Engenhao. Atletico are winless in seven matches and have lost all four matches since coach Stival Cuca took over the team.
In other results on Sunday, Atletico Goianiense scored late to beat struggling two-time national champion Gremio 1-0 in Goias, while recently promoted Curitiba held Avai to a 0-0 draw in Florianopolis.
The Brazilian league began in May and is nearing its midway point. The Brazilian football calendar differs from those in Europe.

Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos benefitting from favourable penalty counts at home

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:54:00 +0000

Forget 'Fortress Brookvale', it's Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos who have benefited most when it comes to home crowds influencing NRL referees this season.

The Storm and Broncos have enjoyed a stunning advantage in relation to penalty counts at home - a factor which could prove particularly telling heading into the finals.

Both sides are guaranteed home games in the opening week of the finals - and could play at their favoured venues right up until the preliminary finals.

Likely minor premiers Melbourne have lost just two of 12 penalty counts at AAMI Park in 2011 - a figure even more staggering when compared to the fact they have fallen foul of the referees in all ten games they have played outside the Victorian capital.

At Suncorp Stadium, the NRL's highest average attendance has helped the Broncos to a 9-1 advantage in penalty counts at home, a tally that grows to double figures if the Manly home game which was played in Brisbane is included.

Sea Eagles officials have engaged in much protestation over the fact they won't get to play at Brookvale Oval during the finals series but, despite their unbeaten record on the northern beaches so far this year, it hasn't come with the aid of a leg-up from the referees.

Of all the sides who have secured, or are in contention, for a top-four finish - the Sea Eagles have encountered the worst time of it at home.

They have won just four of nine penalty counts at home, which matches their tally away from Brookvale.

Of the four sides battling it out for the last of the home finals in week one of the play-offs, all have enjoyed a healthy lift from the referees on home soil.

The Warriors have lost the penalty count at home just twice this year compared to away from home where they have won it just once, North Queensland Cowboys' numbers are similar with just one lost penalty count at home compared to nine losses away.

Wests Tigers, despite their plethora of home grounds, have been on the right side of the referee in nine of 11 games at home.

While St George Illawarra scratch around for someone or something to blame for their slide down the ladder, the men in the middle aren't one of them.

They have won seven of ten penalty counts at home so far, including five of six over the back half of the season during which their premiership hopes have nosedived.

Netherlands overtake Spain to top Fifa world rankings

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:49:00 +0000

The Netherlands have replaced Spain at the top of Fifa's world rankings, with England climbing two places to fourth.

The world and European Champions have dropped to second after losing ranking points in a friendly defeat by Italy.

England, despite having their friendly against the Dutch postponed,have risen because of Brazil's loss to Germany.

Republic of Ireland went up two places to 31st, Scotland leapt six places to 55th, Northern Ireland rose three places to 59th but Wales fell to 117th.

In topping the rankings for the first time, the Netherlands become only the seventh nation to hold top spot - Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Italy are the others.

FIFA RANKINGS FOR AUGUST

1 Netherlands

2 Spain

3 Germany

4 England

5 Uruguay

6 Brazil

31 Republic of Ireland

55 Scotland

59 Northern Ireland

117 Wales

Spain had held top spot since July 2010 following their World Cup final victory over the Netherlands in South Africa.

Germany lie third, while Uruguay are South America's top-rated nation in fifth after winning the Copa America in Argentina, with Brazil sixth.

Italy, Portugal, Argentina and Croatia complete the top 10.

Wales, who have fallen behind Haiti and North Korea, occupy their worst position since the rankings were introduced in 1993.

Fifa ranking points are accumulated according to results, the importance of the matches played and the strength of the opposing teams.

Baltacha hitting fine form

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:40:00 +0000

British number one Elena Baltacha edged out third seed Julia Goerges at the Texas Open as she continued her US Open preparations.

Baltacha came from a set down to win 2-6 7-5 7-6 (7/3) in a match lasting two and a half hours to make the third round.

Sixth seed Shahar Peer suffered a 6-2 6-4 defeat by Johanna Larsson in Dallas.

The Israeli produced four double faults as she crashed out.

Irina-Camelia Begu, seeded eighth, went through, beating Gisela Dulko 6-4 6-3.

In a first-round match, Magdalena Rybarikova served up 11 aces and seven double faults to beat Aravane Rezai 4-6 6-2 6-1.

Irish highs

Meanwhile, Ireland's Connor Niland made a strong start to his bid to qualify for the main draw of back-to-back grand slams at the US Open on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old from Limerick eased through his opening qualifying match by beating Slovakia's Pavol Cervenak 6-1 6-4.

Niland, ranked 199 in the world, became just the second Irishman in the open era to reach the main draw at Wimbledon earlier this year, before losing his first-round match to Adrian Mannarino in five sets.

Wilshere ruled out for England

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:35:00 +0000

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists Jack Wilshere has 'no chance' of playing in England's European Championship matches against Bulgaria and Wales.

Wilshere suffered a setback in training on Monday during his recovery from the ankle injury that was initially expected to rule him out for one week but now looks certain to sideline him for a minimum of six.

The midfielder's absence would be a big blow to England manager Fabio Capello, who is already without Steven Gerrard for the crucial Euro 2012 qualifiers with Bulgaria on 2nd September and Wales four days later.

It is also more bad news for beleaguered Arsenal boss Wenger, who said: "No chance he will be fit for England.

"It's not ideal for us on the day we sell (Samir) Nasri."

Serious

Wenger claims Wilshere's problems dated back to England's qualifier against Switzerland in June.

The 19-year-old was thought to have recovered over the summer but he limped off after just seven minutes of the Gunners' Emirates Cup match with New York Red Bulls in July.

Club doctors predicted a week's absence but the injury turned out to be more serious and he was forced to use the protective boot, which he is now wearing again.

Wenger said: "He had a setback. It's a hotspot on the bone of his ankle that if you continue to play, it can lead to a stress fracture. So we had to stop him.

"He felt the first sign in the second half of the game against Switzerland. After that, during the holidays, it was all right and then his pain increased when we were on tour in Asia.

Breakthrough

"We had two good test days on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday morning, we had a test with the squad and he felt it again."

Wenger repeatedly expressed concern last term about the number of games played by Wilshere in his breakthrough season at the Emirates.

The Frenchman won his running battle with England Under 21 counterpart Stuart Pearce over Wilshere's inclusion in the squad for the summer's European Championship in Denmark.

Wenger said: "He was in the red like I told you and, in fairness, what nobody wanted to hear.

"We knew he was in the red in the last two months and we continued to play him because we had no choice. But maybe it is a consequence of the overuse last year."