Go Sport Blog

Kings' Murray wants to move on from Jason Demers hit

2011-04-18T12:23:00.000+07:00

Kings' Murray wants to move on from Jason Demers hit: "

Kings Coach Terry Murray, who was irate Friday that San Jose defenseman Jason Demers wasn’t punished for a high hit on Kings forward Ryan Smyth in Game 1 Thursday, declined to discuss it again Saturday.

“You know what, it’s time to turn the page. This is Game 2. Forget about it,” Murray said after the team’s morning skate at HP Pavilion.

“The game is over. There was a lot of competitive atmosphere there. There’s a lot of competitive play. It was a good game and this is now Game 2 and that’s the focus.”

Murray said Friday that Demers’ hit in the third period was “five times more severe a hit on Ryan Smyth than what Jarret Stoll’s hit is on [Ian] White,” and compared it to a hit by Steve Downie four years ago that drew a 20-game suspension from the NHL.

“All I know is that other hit is five times more severe, more intent, traveling distance, launching yourself 2 to 3 feet off the ice and a blow to the head. That is a major, long-time suspension,” Murray said of the Demers hit, which occurred early in the third period.

Murray’s remarks were reviewed by the NHL but it’s believed he was not fined.

Smyth said he wasn't injured by the hit and hadn't looked at a replay. “At the time, on the ice, I thought it was a high hit,” he said. “Obviously, it wasn’t called so … things happen.”

A league executive who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly said Demers’ hit should have been a minor penalty and that a couple of other hits in the game probably should have led to penalties as well.

Demers, as could be expected, said his rising hit on Smyth didn’t merit punishment.

“I thought it was clean. I thought he was just falling back so I fell on him,” he said. “It may have looked questionable but from my point of view I think the refs got it right and just keep moving forward from there.”
Demers also said he wasn’t concerned with Murray’s comments.

“Everyone has their opinion. I can’t get mad at him for his opinions,” Demers said. “He saw what he saw and I saw what I saw. Not much I can do about that. Just let him have his opinions and get ready for the next game.”

Demers agreed with a suggestion that Murray might have been planting a seed in the minds of the referees but said he won't change his game.

“I’m going to keep hitting and I’m going to keep playing aggressive,” Demers said. “It’s playoff time so I think it’s time to step up our physical game. Maybe he is trying to get in my head but I’m going to play the same way I played the last game, finishing hits and keep playing hard.”

Photo: Sharks defenseman Jason Demers lifts Kings forward Ryan Smyth off the ice with a hit in the first period Thursday night at HP Pavilion in San Jose. Credit: Ben Margot / Associated Press"

British driver Mike Conway wins Long Beach Grand Prix

2011-04-18T12:21:00.000+07:00

British driver Mike Conway wins Long Beach Grand Prix: "

Mike Conway, badly injured in a crash at last year's Indianapolis 500, completed his comeback Sunday by winning the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, his first victory in the Izod IndyCar Series.

The 27-year-old Englishman passed Ryan Briscoe for the lead with 14 laps left in the 85-lap race and held on to win by more than six seconds on the 1.97-mile, 11-turn course on Long Beach's seaside streets.

"On the restarts the car was awesome, it just came to life," Conway told a television audience as he basked in Victory Lane. "Just had to make the right moves and hang in there and keep it clean.”

Briscoe finished second and Dario Franchitti, the reigning IndyCar champion, was third.

Danica Patrick, Conway's teammate at the Andretti Autosport team, finished seventh.

Pole-sitter Will Power finished 10th after his car was hit from behind by Helio Castroneves, his teammate at Team Penske, as they tried to maneuver through Turn 1.

Conway crashed near the end of last year's Indy 500, his car going airborne, flying over Ryan Hunter-Reay's car and then slamming into the catchfence in front of the grandstands.

The crash ended Conway's season because he suffered multiple fractures to his lower left leg, among other injuries, requiring months of rehabilitation.

Hunter-Reay, last year's Long Beach winner, finished 23rd after his car had late mechanical problems.

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: Mike Conway leaves the track after a crash during the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 27. Credit: Chris O'Meara / Associated Press"

Erick Aybar nearing return to Angels' lineup

2011-04-18T12:20:00.000+07:00

Erick Aybar nearing return to Angels' lineup: "

Shortstop Erick Aybar, limited to just three games this season by a strained muscle in his left ribcage, will make a minor league rehab assignment and, if everything goes well, could be back in the Angels' lineup during the team's next series in Texas.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Aybar played six innings in the field during an extended spring training camp in Arizona last week. Next the Angels want to see if the switch-hitter can bat from the right side without pain, and if he passes that test he would probably start Wednesday against Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison. Aybar is most likely to play in a Triple A game in Tucson, where the Angels' Pacific League Coast affiliate is playing Sunday and Monday.

Right-hander Joel Pineiro, on the disabled list with shoulder stiffness, was scheduled to throw his second bullpen session Sunday at the Angels' training complex in Tempe, Ariz., and could be rejoing the team soon while first baseman Kendrys Morales, originally expected to meet the Angels in Texas to continue his rehab, is likely to remain in Tempe where he has stepped up his running program. Morales hasn't played since breaking his ankle last May.

-- Kevin Baxter in Chicago

Photo: Erick Aybar during a spring training game. Credit; Gus Ruelas / Associated Press

BOTTERILL AND VACY-LYLE SURVIVE CHALLENGING SASOL RALLY

2011-04-18T12:19:00.000+07:00

BOTTERILL AND VACY-LYLE SURVIVE CHALLENGING SASOL RALLY: "

In a sport that demands knowledge and punishes inexperience, Race Prep’s young Super 1600 pair of Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle survived 200km of slippery mountain roads to claim a 4th in class and clock up their first championship points of the season.

The former Shelby Can-Am racer faced a wide range of new conditions including mud, slippery hard surfaces, water and mist. In their 2nd rally, the Yato Tools/Liqui Moly Toyota RunX pair did well to finish after suffering a failed relay in stage two, which cost the pair 5 minutes stranded on the side of the road. Additional service lateness added more time lost and put the talented pair out of contention for a class win.

Consistency and a cool head gave Botterill and Vacy-Lyle some quality seat time and gain further experience of the sport. Another problem to overcome was a tendency for the RunX to cut out over the jumps – and there are a lot of jumps on the sasol Rally.

“After losing all that time at the start of the rally, there was no point pushing too hard or over-driving in those conditions, so we decided to settle for a steady drive. I drove as fast as I felt comfortable. My favourite stage was 13 where we set our best time,” said Botterill.

“Scary,” was Vacy-Lyle’s description of his first Sasol Rally. “The mountains were quite intimidating and in places the roads were incredibly rough. It was both awesome and daunting. Guy was pretty committed in the faster corners – it was a thrilling ride.”

Stage two was a bad one for the Race Prep team. Besides Botterill’s problems, Ian Young and Henry Dearlove, competing in the Super 1400 class, ended their rally halfway through the stage when a fanbelt came off and the Associated Alterations Toyota Yaris’ engine overheated.

“It was disappointing to end so early”, said the young former karter. “Henry was excellent in the car and really helped me push a lot harder. I was much quicker per kilometer than I was in Natal. Every time I drive the car I’m feeling better about it. I can’t wait for the next rally,” said Young Jr.

“We sorted the in-car communication in the first stage. We didn’t have much time to prepare for the shakedown so we were a bit tentative in the first stage. I felt comfortable with Ian’s driving so I think the other guys in the class will have to look out for the Yaris later in the season,” said Dearlove.

Team boss Rod Hering commented: “The issues we had need to be investigated. The engine temperature went through the roof. I’m happy that Ian and Henry are getting on well. We managed to talk Guy through his problem and they could drive out. It’s not a rally we will remember with any fondness.”

Issued on behalf of Race Prep Motorsport Solutions

FIESTA, FOUST, ERIKSSON SWEEP GLOBAL RALLYCROSS IN SEATTLE

2011-04-18T12:18:00.000+07:00

FIESTA, FOUST, ERIKSSON SWEEP GLOBAL RALLYCROSS IN SEATTLE: "

The Ford Fiestas of Andreas Eriksson and Tanner Foust have proven to be quite effective. The Fiesta, driven by Foust and prepared by Eriksson and his Olsbergs MSE team has regularly topped the podium in the early stages of RallyCross here in the United States. This weekend the results were the same but with a twist.

Eriksson, the team principal at Olsbergs MSE, donned the Best Buy fire suit filling in admirably for his friend Marcus Gronholm who missed the second GRC event due to a family commitment. Eriksson showed the skills that have made him a mainstay in the European RallyCross Championship and his Best Buy Ford Fiesta was consistently the fastest throughout the weekend. The Swede captured the SuperRally victory on Friday and finished third in the RallyCross ‘A Main Final’ on Saturday despite driving on a flat tire the final lap and a half.

'Third is good because I was a little worried that I might have lost the podium,' said Eriksson. 'I thought I might be able to hold onto second, but I am happy anyway and I am really happy that I didn’t crash car. It was really really bad and I actually lost control of the car before the hairpin and I thought I was done, but I was able to get it back and finish. I had fun covering for Marcus and I’ll restore the car for him for Colorado. This was a perfect setting for our Fiesta. The Best Buy Fiesta is splendid to drive it is just brilliant.'

Foust, who captured a pair of podium results last month at Irwindale, was in position to hoist the victory champagne after winning the RallyCross feature if not for the fact he dislocated his shoulder on Friday during his head-to-head showdown with Eriksson in SuperRally final. Foust painfully persevered on Saturday and when Eriksson relinquished the lead with the flat tire, Foust drove to victory in the ROCKSTAR Fiesta.

'There was a point in the second to last lap where I felt the shoulder pop, but the EMT people did a wonderful job taping the tar out of it and I could barely move it and I think that is what needed to happen to keep it in,' said Foust. 'Andreas was honestly the quickest today, but as the track deteriorated he had a flat and that opened the opportunity for the ROCKSTAR Fiesta. Wow what a race. I am stoked to come away with a win and a second place this weekend. For Fiesta if Andreas doesn’t have the flat tire we finish 1-2, but we still had two cars on the podium and the Fiesta is still showing its stuff here in the US that is for sure.'

The Global RallyCross Championship will return to action at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado June 17-18 Round 3: Last Chance."

IRC: Rally Islas Canarias: Neuville, the top-roaring Lion

2011-04-18T12:17:00.000+07:00

IRC: Rally Islas Canarias: Neuville, the top-roaring Lion: "

This weekend’s Rally Islas Canarias, round two of the 2011 IRC, ended with Peugeot in second place in the Manufacturers’ standings. The feat of the weekend was the performance of Peugeot Belgium’s Thierry Neuville who finished on the podium after challenging for the win all the way, despite his limited experience.

A thrilling four-way scrap

The visit to the Canary Islands has accustomed us to extremely close gaps and exciting battles. This time round, Kopecky, Hanninen, Loix and Neuville rapidly emerged as the foursome to beat. Guy Wilks (Peugeot UK) profited from the first loop to claim two fastest times but was then unable to match the pace of the leaders. Crews had to cope with fog, the occasional patches of damp and the cancellation of Day 1’s final stage because of excessive spectator numbers, but Thierry Neuville never left his rivals a moment to relax. The Belgian youngster and his co-driver Gilsoul even figured at the top of the overall order after the second leg’s opening stage before a mistake on the following test handed control to the eventual winner, Hanninen, who succeeded in getting the better of Kopecky.

A competitive display from the Peugeot 207 Super 2000

“We always knew it was going to be a close-run thing here in the Canary Islands and that the fight for victory would probably be tough,” said Frédéric Bertrand, the Customer Competition manager of Peugeot Sport. “And that’s exactly how it turned out. The main lesson for us this weekend was that the Peugeot 207 S2000 is perfectly competitive. Neuville and Wilks did everything they could to prove that on both days. Having a good ‘feeling’ with the car on this sort of terrain is very important. That was less the case for Bryan Bouffier and Bruno Magalhaès.” The two-day rally ended with Neuville as the best-placed Peugeot runner, a mere 8.2 seconds behind the winner. “I don’t think we can talk about Thierry as a revelation; this event has simply confirmed his talent,” continues Frédéric Bertrand. “We have always been aware of his potential, but he seems to have progressed in his grasp of the niceties of driving a four-wheel drive car. He produced a fine performance which makes up for his error on the Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.”

Thierry Neuville: briefly on top

“The balance of my Peugeot 207 S2000 was perfect,” reports Thierry. “I was wide awake when the rally resumed on Saturday and I was able to up my pace, and that enabled me to take the lead. Unfortunately, I asked a little too much of my tyres which weren’t as quick on the following stage. I tried to make up for that by pushing harder, but that only caused my tyres to suffer more. I ended up dropping valuable seconds with a half-spin.”

After the incident, Thierry chose not to take any excessive risks, but still kept up the speed in order to defend his footing on the podium, despite pressure from his compatriot Freddy Loix. Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh finished in fifth place after spending much of the event on the pace of the front-runners. “I lost my chance on day 1, on the same stage which we did twice,” said the Peugeot UK driver. “It featured two sections that were very fast with a sequence of flat-in-sixth corners. Everywhere else, my 207 performed perfectly but it tended to move about a bit through the very fast sections. It’s my fault. I didn’t opt for the wider tracks which would have helped make the car more stable. It was my call, and it’s a shame.”

Bryan Bouffier, second in the Drivers’ standings before Corsica

Bouffier/Pansery led the Drivers’ standings before the trip to Spain and finished the event in seventh spot. “I felt quite tense,” admits the Peugeot France driver. “It just wasn’t a good event for me. I tried different settings but that didn’t change anything. It’ll get better, though!” The winner of January’s Rallye Monte-Carlo is still second and the best-placed Peugeot runner in the Drivers’ championship, however, just two points behind the new leader, Finland’s Juho Hänninen. Bruno Magalhaès (Paolo Grave), too, believes he could have done better. “You only have to look at my times to see that I wasn’t on form. On the last day, I had nobody I could really target in front of me, and nobody on my tail, so I focused on reaching the finish.”

Next IRC round: Tour de Corse (May 12-14).

Classification

Rally Islas Canarias

1. Hanninen (Skoda) 1h40mn38s1

2. Kopecky (Skoda) +1s5

3. Neuville (PEUGEOT) +8s2

4. Loix (Skoda) +16s7

5. Wilks (PEUGEOT)+48s3

6. Mikkelsen (Skoda)+55s6

7. Bouffier (PEUGEOT) 1mn00s6

8. Maglhaes (PEUGEOT) +1mn49s8

9. Basso (Proton) +2mn37s8

10. Gardemeister (Skoda) + 2mn38s2

Drivers championship standings

1. Hänninen, 33 points

2. Bouffier, 31

3. Loix, 30

4. Wilks, 25

5. Kopecky, 22

6. Neuville, 15

7. Sarazin, 12

8. Delecour, 10

9. Mikkelsen, 8

10. Vouilloz, 6

11. Basso, 4

12. Magalhaes, 4

13. Gardemeister, 2

Manufacturers championship standings

1. Skoda, 73 points

2. Peugeot, 67

3. Subaru, 18

4. Proton, 16

5. M-Sport (Ford), 12

6. Honda, 9

7. Ralliart, 6

8. Abarth, 1

Hockey: Teammates come to Selanne's defense

2011-04-11T13:02:00.000+07:00

Hockey: Teammates come to Selanne's defense: "

The five-minute major penalty for fighting assessed to Ducks star winger Teemu Selanne late in the third period of Saturday's game against the Kings at Staples Center is believed to be the first of his 18-year NHL career.

Selanne got in a tussle with Kings center Brad Richardson and both were sent to the penalty box at the 16:38 mark of the period with the Ducks leading 3-1. A skirmish ensued in which Ducks defenseman Sheldon Brookbank received two minutes for roughing and five minutes for fighting, Kings winger Kyle Clifford got a five-minute fighting major and Wayne Simmonds received a two-minute minor for roughing.

"I was pretty mad," Selanne said."At that point in the game, for him to do that... I mean, I usually just go about my business but that crossed the line."

Ducks goaltender Dan Ellis, who made 43 saves in the victory, agreed:

"That [cross check] was completely gutless by Richardson. If you want to pick a fight with someone, pick a grinder, don't go after a Hall of Famer like Teemu. He held is own, though."

-- Steve Galluzzo

Photo: Ducks winger Teemu Selanne squares off with Kings center Brad Richardson in the third period Saturday night. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

Serrano 2 x 3 Vitória - 09/04/11 - Vitória joga um bom 1º tempo e vence 9º jogo consecutivo

2011-04-11T13:01:00.000+07:00

Serrano 2 x 3 Vitória - 09/04/11 - Vitória joga um bom 1º tempo e vence 9º jogo consecutivo: "

Implacável, foi assim que começou o time rubro-negro no Estádio Lomanto Júnior contra o Serrano, foram 3 gols nos 20 minutos iniciais da partida, válida pela penúltima rodada das quartas-de-finais do Baianão.

Já classificado desde a rodada passada, o Vitória venceu por 3 a 2, com gols de Elkeson, Nikão e Geovanni, Renilton e Carlos Júnior descontaram para o Serrano.O Vitória chega a 9 triunfos consecutivos e o time comandado pelo técnico Antônio Lopes entra pra história do clube.

Neste sábado, Lopes igualou o recorde de Arthurzinho, que em 1997 levou o Vitória a nove triunfos seguidos no Campeonato Baiano. Arthurzinho, por sinal, é o recordista de vitórias seguidas no comando do rubro-negro: 11. No ano de 1997, ele ganhou dois amistosos.

O primeiro tempo foi fácil para o time rubro-negro, mas dormiu na segunda etapa e quase deixa o Serrano empatar o jogo.

A última partida do Vitória nesta fase será no próximo sábado (16/04), contra o Camaçari, no Barradão.

// Confira a ficha do jogo Serrano 2 x 3 Vitória
// Assista o vídeo dos gols de Serrano 2 x 3 Vitória
// Pelo SUB-20 o Vitória empatou em 0 a 0 com o Fluminense-BA

O jogo - Logo aos 2 minutos de jogo, Nikão quase abre o placar na cobrança de falta, a bola bateu na trave. Um minuto depois o goleiro André, do Serrano, saiu errado com a bola, que foi parar nos pés de Elkeson, que da intermediária chutou forte e fez o primeiro do leão. Serrano 0 x 1 Vitória.

Vitória forte na marcação, o Serrano falhou novamente na saída de bola aos 7 minutos, Nikão na entrada da grande área manda o chute direto para o gol. Serrano 0 x 2 Vitória.

Tranquilo em campo o Vitória administra a posse da bola, o Serrano tentou na bola parada mas o time rubro-negro tirou. Eis que aos 20 minutos Nikão em jogada rápida lançou Geovanni que invadiu a grande área do Serrano e deu um toque de leve por cima na saída do goleiro. Serrano 0 x 3 Vitória.

O gol do Serrano saiu aos 23 minutos, na cobrança de escanteio Renilton se antecipa e cabeceia de costas no meio do gol, Viáfara não alcançou. Serrano 1 x 3 Vitória. Quase que Uelliton marca o 4º, chutando forte a bola bate na trave.

O Serrano equilibra a partida e tem mais chances nos cruzamentos na área com a bola parada, nas cobranças de falta e escanteio. O Vitória continua marcando a saída de bola do Serrano, mas o placar não se altera.

O segundo tempo não começa bem para o Vitória, voltou mais lento e desatento, o placar dá muita tranquilidade e deixa o time sem muito objetivo. O Serrano volta com mais disposição e dá trabalho para a zaga rubro-negra.

Mesmo com a maior posse de bola, o Serrano pecava nos últimos passes ou na finalização, apesar de tentar algumas vezes, a zaga do leão foi eficiente, e pouco assustou Viáfara. A partir dos 30 minutos o leão acordou e deixou a partida mais equilibrada.
Já perto de terminar a partida, o Serrano voltou a pressionar e conseguiu mais um gols aos 42 minutos, cruzamento na linha de fundo, Viáfara saiu errado e Carlos Júnior fez de cabeça. Serrano 2 x 3 Vitória.

Surprising Angels moves: Jepsen, Kohn demoted; Chatwood to pitch Monday

2011-04-11T12:59:00.000+07:00

Surprising Angels moves: Jepsen, Kohn demoted; Chatwood to pitch Monday: "

The Angels, as expected, announced after Sunday's 3-1 victory over Toronto that 21-year-old Tyler Chatwood would be called up from triple A to start Monday night against Cleveland, and that veteran reliever Scott Downs would be activated off the disabled list.

But the two players who were sent out to clear roster spots for Chatwood and Downs came as a big surprise: Kevin Jepsen, one of the team's key late-inning relievers since 2009, and Michael Kohn, one of the team's most promising young relievers, were both optioned to triple-A Salt Lake.

Remaining with the Angels was struggling right-hander Jason Bulger, who has walked eight batters in five innings but is out of minor league options, meaning any team could claim him if the Angels try to send him to the minor leagues.

Asked if he was surprised by the demotion, Jepsen, who hasn't pitched in the minor leagues since 2009, said, "You think? Yeah, it caught me by surprise. This is always difficult to swallow."

Jepsen, 26, was 6-4 with a 4.94 earned-run average in 54 games for the Angels in 2009 and 2-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 68 games last season, but he has struggled with his command this season, going 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in five games, walking four and striking out only one in four innings.

"It's about him getting back to basics, throwing his good, live fastball with command, bringing his cut fastball into the game and controlling counts," Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Kohn, who went 2-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 24 games for the Angels after being racelled last July, was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA and two home runs allowed in five games. Scioscia said the 24-year-old needs to regain command of his fastball and slider.

"It's a business -- you have to throw the ball well to stay up here, and I didn't throw to my abilities," Kohn said. "I got away from attacking the zone. I have to get back to the way I know I can pitch."

--Mike DiGiovanna

Photo: Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the eighth inning on April 2 at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken / US Presswire

The Perfect Golf Swing

2011-04-11T12:58:00.000+07:00

The Perfect Golf Swing: "

So much ink has flown in the attempt to provide tips for the perfect golf swing that it makes things seem so complicated when in fact they are not. Adding more information to an already very popular subject such as the perfect golf swing has only succeeded in making things worse. Let’s have a simplified view of the way to get to master the perfect golf swing and the key-word here is imitation. There are several main possible flaws in a golf swing, the speed of movement, the lack of coordination between arms and body or deficient eye focus.

Watch a professional player execute a perfect golf swing and you will see that a moderate, yet firm body movement only takes a second or even less. By imitating the balancing and learning a few golf tricks yourself, you may easily come and perform the perfect gold swing yourself. It very much depends on what kind of shot you want to take: a long shot requires a different position than a short one. For instance, when you want to have a long distance and sure shot, the perfect golf swing is achieved by shifting the body weight from one foot to the other.

The head movement is also important for the perfect golf swing. By this we actually mean a comfortable position in which the head is three to five inches to the right before hitting the ball. Once the club has touched it, your head will move onwards describing a circular movement. However, don’t try to focus on the exact precision of these details. The perfect golf swing has to come naturally and sometimes, though you understand it technically, it still doesn’t work. So, too much thinking and too little practice may keep you away from the perfect golf swing.

Last but not least, if for some people the perfect golf swing seems a true natural talent; it is often not the case. There may be many hours of training or practice behind the perfect golf swing, since this is the way to getting the best shots and hit the green as often as possible. In order to improve your skills and find the way to the perfect golf swing have a look at the following web page: www.ultimategolftips.com. There are also lots of forums were you may see videos of great golf games, so, surf the net, it’s really useful."

Citroen WRC: Three questions to Sven Smeets

2011-04-11T12:55:00.000+07:00

Citroen WRC: Three questions to Sven Smeets: "

Photo: Brian Butcher

Three questions to Citroen Racing team manager Sven Smeets ahead of Rally Jordan, round 4 of the 2011 World Rally Championship (WRC).

Was there ever any doubt about Citroën Racing taking part in Rally Jordan?

“We kept a very close eye on the situation in the region in liaison with the PSA Group management, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the FIA and the Rally Jordan organizers. Our priority was the safety of our personnel and our suppliers. Only when we’d obtained the right guarantees did we confirm our participation in the event.”

What changes did you have to make to the logistics?

“The major logistical difficulty of Rally Jordan is transporting the equipment we use in Europe. Our trucks are too big to be freighted by air so we have to use sea transport. The initial plan was to go through the Suez canal and land in Aqaba in the south of Jordan. But the situation in Egypt made the trip through the canal difficult, so we decided to land in Tartous in Syria. Given the recent events there this solution was no longer possible. Together with Ford, Northone Sport, Michelin and a few private teams we chartered a boat for Haïfa, in Israel. All the equipment should arrive at the Dead Sea on Monday night.”

From a sporting point of view, how do you see Rally Jordan unfolding?

“The main specificity of this rally is the number of kilometers on Thursday (Day 1), a total of seventy. This means that it’ll be impossible for a driver starting from fifth or sixth place to open up a big gap thanks to sweeping. Normally speaking, the classification of the first leg should be similar to the starting order. Even so, if a driver loses one or two minutes the first day his chances of victory are still intact. Friday will be important but not vital in determining the outcome because of the number of kilometers on Saturday. A new, harder-wearing Michelin tyre will also appear in this rally We haven’t yet fully evaluated its endurance, and its characteristics could modify the way in which the drivers can push depending on road conditions.'

Triple H fue el encargado de contratar a Sin Cara

2011-04-08T22:09:00.000+07:00

Triple H fue el encargado de contratar a Sin Cara: "

De acuerdo con un comunicado de la WWE llamado 'Más allá del Wrestling', donde habla que Paul Levesque mejor conocido como Triple H fue el encargado de reclutar a el Méxicano Sin Cara, a continuación un extracto de el comunicado.

La compañía reforzará el núcleo de su negocio con el lanzamiento de un nuevo departamento de desarrollo de talento dirigido por Paul Levesque.

El nuevo departamento pondrá un mayor énfasis en las contrataciones internacionales, la formación y el desarrollo de los personajes para identificar a las futuras superestrellas y Divas de la WWE. La primera superestrella reclutada por el nuevo departamento a cargo Levesque se dio el mes pasado con la firma de 'Sín Cara', anteriormente conocido a nivel mundial como Místico.

Atacante Leandro Cearense: Vitória nega interesse mas empresário do jogador confirma

2011-04-08T22:07:00.000+07:00

Atacante Leandro Cearense: Vitória nega interesse mas empresário do jogador confirma: "

Com 16 gols na temporada, o segundo artilheiro do Brasil está na mira do Vitória. É o atacante Leandro Cearense, que joga na primeira divisão do Campeonato Paraense pelo Cametá.

Em apenas 11 jogos, o craque fica atrás apenas de Rafael Oliveira, do Paysandu (PA), que joga nesta quarta-feira contra o Bahia pela Copa do Brasil. Rafael marcou, até agora, 17 gols.

O diretor do Vitória, Beto Silveira, negou na manhã desta quarta-feira o interesse do time pelo atacante, reforçando que nunca foi iniciada uma negociação. Mas o empresário do jogador, Almir Conceição, disse o contrário.

- Há oito dias, Oscar Yamamoto (gerente de futebol do Vitória) e Beto Silveira ligaram pra gente, querendo fazer um contrato até dezembro.

Mas, diante da proposta feita pelo rubro-negro, Leandro preferiu aguardar o fim Campeonato Paraense – restam seis rodadas – para então decidir o seu rumo, pois também é sondado pelo ABC (RN).

- Atualmente, ele ganha R$ 6 mil. O Vitória ofereceu R$ 8 mil de salário, mais R$ 1 mil de moradia. Só que o jogador quer um salário de no mínimo R$ 15 mil – diz Conceição.

Leandro passou pela base do Remo e do Paysandu e aos 20 anos teve que parar para trabalhar. Três anos depois, retomou a carreira no Santa Rosa, time da segunda divisão do Pará. Em 2008, foi para o Vila Rica, que na época estava na primeira divisão do Campeonato Paraense. Já 2010, integrou ao elenco do Camicá.

- É um jogador diferenciado. Quando dá um tapa na bola, dificilmente não marca – define o empresário do atacante. (Bruno Wendel / GloboEsporte)

UM POUCO SOBRE LEANDRO CEARENSE

Leandro Cearense nasceu em Castanhal, um município a 68km de Belém, a capital do Pará. É filho de cearenses, foi vigilante até os 23 anos recebendo R$ 700 por mês na cidade natal, mas graças à bola, sua amiga do peito nas peladas do fim de semana, deu uma guinada na vida profissional. Leandro Cearense ingressou tarde na carreira de jogador de futebol, mas dois anos foram suficientes para o sucesso.

'Minha vida mudou da noite para o dia”. Literalmente. O ex-vigilante treina em um período. Às vezes pela manhã, outras durante a tarde e raramente em dois períodos.

“Hoje, as minhas noites estão livres para ficar com a família e passear, mas o melhor de tudo é ter a madrugada para dormir”, comemora Leandro Cearense. Melhor do que ter tempo é colocar a mão no bolso e encontrar dinheiro.

“O meu salário aumentou oito vezes. Eu ganhava R$ 700 como vigilante e tinha de fazer bico em festas para complementar. Hoje, ganho R$ 6 mil para fazer o que mais gosto”, revela a estrela do Mapará Atômico — apelido carinhoso do Cametá. (Marcos Paulo Lima / Correio Braziliense)

Ducks' Corey Perry gets star treatment, Ray Emery gets lower-body treatment

2011-04-08T22:05:00.000+07:00

Ducks' Corey Perry gets star treatment, Ray Emery gets lower-body treatment: "

Ducks right wing Corey Perry got an unexpected perk for becoming the NHL’s first 50-goal scorer this season and a formidable most-valuable-player candidate.When the team’s practice ended Thursday, Perry had a new personal valet in the locker room to unlace his skates: linemate Ryan Getzlaf.

“He scores 50, I untie his skates,” Getzlaf said. “We don’t want him hurting his hands untying his skates.”

Perry, who hit 50 with a hat trick in the Ducks’ 6-2 rout of San Jose on Wednesday, said he didn’t feel much different Thursday than any other day.

“The phone was off the hook this morning that’s for sure,” he said. “I had a few text messages and voice mails but nothing’s changed. It’s another day and the sun came up again and you just go out again and practice.”

But it's also the day the Ducks can clinch a playoff spot if the Dallas Stars lose to Colorado. The Ducks must gain two points or have Dallas fail to gain two points in its remaining three games. If Dallas doesn’t oblige Thursday night, the Ducks can secure a spot by beating the Kings on Friday at the Honda Center in the opener of a home-and-home series that ends each team’s season.

The Ducks have several chances to clinch but would like to make quick work of it.

“It’s something we’ll keep a close eye on, for sure, but we know if we do our job and get a win that would be something we’re looking forward to,” Perry said. “We don’t want to go in with us losing the last two games.

“We know what’s at stake and we want to get the next four points.”

Goaltender Ray Emery, who left Wednesday’s game because of a lower-body injury but returned to back up Dan Ellis, worked out off the ice Thursday and said his injury felt a lot better than he expected. He will be reevaluated on Friday.

“It’s a thing where I’m trying to be cautious because I’m wary of things I had in the past and I want to be able to contribute when I’m in there for a long period of time,” said Emery, who underwent major hip surgery last April. “So it’s more me being cautious.”

He said he doesn’t think the problem is related to his old hip injury.

“Around the start of the second there I felt a little bit of something a bit funny and kind of tried it out for five, 10 minutes there and kind of told them I thought it would probably be best if I got out of there and took care of myself,” he said.

Coach Randy Carlyle said that if backup Ellis had been injured, enforcer George Parros would have gone in the net. Emery laughed when told that. “I think I could have got back in there last night,” he said. “He’s big, but that’s about it.”

Parros would have welcomed the chance even though he never played goal. “I would have loved to. That would have been my pleasure,” he said. “How many guys are going to get a chance to play goalie? I’ll definitely take that honor.”

And Carlyle came up with a new explanation for a player's absence from practice. Asked why 37-year-old Todd Marchant wasn't on the ice Thursday, Carlyle's answer was "birth certificate."

Neymar unmasks the stupid side of soccer's rules on goal celebrations

2011-04-08T21:58:00.000+07:00

Neymar unmasks the stupid side of soccer's rules on goal celebrations: "

It was meant to be a harmless bit of fun, nothing more.
Neymar, the 19-year-old sensation in the making, had just scored a goal for his Brazilian club team, Santos, during its 3-2 victory over Colo Colo of Chile in the Copa Libertadores, South America's annual club championship.
In celebration, Neymar picked up a paper mask of himself that had been dropped onto the field by a fan. He put the mask on and paraded in front of his home fans. The light moment brought both a smile and a good photo opportunity.

Not in the eyes of Uruguayan referee Roberto Silvera, however. Silvera gave him a yellow card for excessive celebration and that, coupled with an earlier yellow card for a foul, was enough to see the Brazilian player ejected.

The celebration was not violent and did not taunt Colo Colo. It was simply Neymar celebrating being Neymar. But soccer's rules, sadly, don't allow even that much leeway.
Neymar has scored three goals in three games for Brazil and is projected to be a starter on his country's 2014 World Cup team.

Lakers' chance at top seed all but gone

2011-04-06T16:28:00.000+07:00

Lakers' chance at top seed all but gone : "

When Kobe Bryant meekly fumbled the ball away before the buzzer sounded, even Utah rookie Gordon Hayward seemed a bit stunned to realize he had just won a duel with the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar. He'll gladly take this memory from an otherwise forgettable season for the Jazz. Hayward scored a career-high 22 points and hit the go-ahead free throw with 6 seconds to play, and Utah snapped..

Privacy Policy for rankontel.blogspot.com/

2011-04-05T21:36:00.002+07:00

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BMX-Chad DeGroot is Raw!

2011-02-13T22:34:00.000+07:00

Does it seem to you that bmx gets more and more fragmented all the time? Lots of little boxes to

Either way, bear with me a second: You’ve got your low top tube trendies v. staunch high tt geometry enforcers. There’s your light weight digi-scale obsessors v. back-in-my-day heavy weight protectors or the roasted brakeless street slackers v. the protein shaking gyro gymnasts.

It’s getting harder and harder to choice the hard and soft goods and piece together a fitting bmx persona for yourself. That is what you're doing isn't it? Anyway it’s almost enough to make you want to put your seat post to a comfortable level, put on a front brake, Chicago your bars and do one-footed, x-up kickturns in your driveway.

My point here is acutually that there is a clear new division emerging. The Raw v. The Colour kids. Raw is definitely the mode preferred at my local park and has even been taken to new levels of rawness with the spray bottle of salt water used to create a very even layer of rust over a frame. Sounds dumb, looks good. Probably not great if you value your warranty, but at least you're hard. Here are some of the contenders in this new sub-sub-cultural divide:

Fly are definitely in the colour camp and their 2010 stuff will allow you to match your pedals to your cables, to your brakes, to your brake pads. You may now view a shitty quality image of said stuff right here.

Failure have a new Jerimiah Smith frame called the Flying Lion that is r-r-r-raw:

More shots here.

Mutiny have a new frame called the Lucky Strike that cleverly combines paint job and decals to mess with your eyes:

Bright. Looks like they've also got some new forks on the way.

The graphics on Colony’s Gnarkill frame are obscenely colourful:

But for the pinnacle of rawness. Chad DeGroot’s “brand” Deco Bmx which kind of looks legitimate, despite his website being the least legitimate company website imaginable – it’s an odd mix of porn (how are those two kids in the background not curious as to what's going down on the mini ramp?), new born babies and general freakiness.

But there is even a selection of bmx parts on show that may just be a product line… or they might be some stickered up things he found in someone’s garden shed. Actually the frame is complete with bullet tipped stays and a logo’d lasercut seat-stay bridge and seems very unlikely to be a hoax.

Upon further examination of this rawness, it appears there is a pair of forks with removable 990 mounts that will do their part to create harmony between the front brake and brakeless sub-sets. Despite this gesture, the level of raw product combined with a website unmatched in bmx for it’s raw female content, you've got to say that Chad DeGroot is raw!

BMX-A park bench

2011-02-13T22:26:00.000+07:00

Dean, Chris Lauder and I found this amazing broken aluminum bench while out riding last night. This thing is so fun to ride we ended up bringing it to the skatepark. You hop into it like you would a rhythm section and the bend and flex of the aluminum gives you this crazy pop out of the other side. case in point, Dean destroyed this thing.

BMX - Flippin Heck

2011-02-13T22:24:00.000+07:00

There is just so many bikes, grips, tyres, pedals, shirts and everything else that it just makes your face hurt looking at it all, let alone reading everything. But even at a skim it's interesting looking at just how different the two brands are. Fit's all quality photos and minimal layout while Eastern just piles as much shit as they can in there with photos that look like they've been taken by your mum and graphics laid out by your dad. That's harsh, but my point is that they do things completely differently, yet both sell a shitload of bmx paraphernalia.

This pretty much sums up the difference:

Absolute chaos...

...v.s Absolute clean

And when it comes to the words, I'd say Eastern has crammed about 2000 into the first few pages, including a detailed analysis of how to identify whether you're a "Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, Pro and Team" rider and a very scientific chart to decide upon your TT length. But there is also a dark side to all this information that no kid will ever read:

Since you still didn't read it, you wouldn't have seen that bit that warned of other brands hiding subpar products behind flashy advertising. Is that code for "read on to find flashy products behind subpar advertising?"

BMX - Late Night Quarter

2011-02-13T22:23:00.000+07:00

Dean and I rode Dean's quarter the other night after work. He wanted to shoot a barspin photo and as usual a couple other photos came about as well.

BMX - Shields

2011-02-13T22:21:00.000+07:00

The new shields is open and it is gorgeous. Dean has taken a liking to it and rides there all the time. It shows. Eric Marion with the photos with a borrowed camera body lol.

BMX - Rays MTB Park Ohio

2011-02-13T22:19:00.000+07:00

On another note, here's two more barspins in public places to add to the list.

Hey guys,

Dean, Adam, and I along with Efinger friends Gary, Mike, Billy, Brian, Dave, and Justin took a trip to Rays MTB park in Cleveland Ohio. Let me just say, that place is AWESOME! The park was super different then anything NJ had to offer with stuff such as bridges, rythem rooms, curved wallrides, rocks, skinnies, tetter-totters, elevators, and much more. Expect a video from the trip soon. Thanks to Nina at Rays for letting us ride on Thursday and Tony for letting us borrow a video camera for the trip.

Turtle Power

2011-02-13T22:18:00.000+07:00

At the risk of alienating the small but perfectly formed readership that come here exclusively craving bmx product content, I'm going to post this thing:

Aaahhhh! Cover your eyes, it's a mountain bike stem!

That's true, but it is intriguing. Not least because the only information that I can find is in German and as a result I can't really work out what the fuck is going on and where the big innovation is. It's called the Strata btw and it's made by a company called Kodex.

My trusty German translator-ette, who turns out to be less trusty than required when it comes to technical bicycle terminology, leads me to believe that it's a three piece "sandwich" design that "almost completely encloses the handlebars" (hmmm... that's fine, but we are going to need a little bit sticking out at the sides to hold on to) and that "the screw torque is reduced", thus "decreasing the load at the clamp". Don't worry, I've already sacked her.

I see it like this:

It's an alien robot turtle head with lots of small screws in it, that despite being for mountain bikes would be very popular with kids should a bmx version be produced as the three part design allows for maximum mix'n'match colour coding combinations points and it weighs in at just 188 grams or 6.6 oz.

If you take a close look at the pic above you'll see that there does seems to be something going on with the compression cap being extended down into the stem where a flange on it is then sandwiched between the upper and lower parts of the stem. This innovation makes the *flangelessness* of regular stems seem blunt and pre-historic by comparison.

But seriously, if you actually do speak German could you do me a favour and have a quick read of this, this or this and let me know what the hell is going with this thing?

AusBike Round Two

2011-02-12T21:27:00.000+07:00

So I mentioned that I had a bit more stuff to post from AusBike. Well there actually isn't much, but I'll try and string it out a little - no killer, just filler.

I had seen a black version of the SE X DC track bike a while back and thought it was pretty average, probably cause the only shots you ever saw were of the badge. And as it turns out the badge is pretty much all that DC seemed to have done for the project :

The bike's nice though and for mine the looptail looks better on this sized frame than it ever did on a bmx. And if you do actually have some remote interest in fixies, singlespeeds or whatever, the spec is pretty good. Velocity rims on a Sugino hubset, Oury grips and the rest is pretty much all SE. Except the badge.

You probably haven't had a look at the SE website lately for fear of seeing something like this. But let me just tell you, they have a shit load of bikes - I didn't count them, but I'd say there's maybe 40 in total.

And on the Kickass stand I got to have a look at that new Superstar stem that I posted a pic of along with their new hubs a couple of weeks back. It's a pretty standard top load with plenty of negative space. Looks nice:

But I'll leave you with true innovations. Kids, if your friends are hating cause you ain't got no manual - solution. And if you want to keep your head together without losing your street credibility - covered.

How long till InterBike?