Naija Sport

How to Survive Office Politicking [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:05:27 PDT

The VP and I never saw eye to eye. He was in charge of the failing channel model when I took over. He also thinks he is a marketing genius but nothing could be further from the truth. Once he became VP, he saw himself as my “superior” even though our

The World Uncovered Daylight Robbery in US [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:05:25 PDT

When the US goes to war Wall Street and corporate America goes too. More than seventy whistleblower cases threaten to reveal the scandals behind billions of dollars worth of waste, theft and corruption during the last five years of war

How to dual-boot Vista with Linux [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:05:24 PDT

So you want to install Linux and Vista on the same drive? This UPDATED dual booting tutorial shows you how to do it even if Vista SP1 scorches your bootloader

SCRAM: A New Protocol for Password Authentication [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:05:22 PDT

new protocol and data storage mechanism to support password based authentication. Isode has been closely involved with standardization and early implementation of SCRAM, and we believe this is very important technology for Internet Client/Server protocols, including XMPP, LDAP, SMTP and IMAP. SCRAM addresses a number of important security issues that are not dealt with by existing mechanisms, in a manner that can be cleanly deployed and widely implemented

Seven Critical Workplace Maneuvers [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:05:11 PDT

All office politicking relies upon a simple concept: the biggest help (and the biggest hindrance) to reaching your goals is other people. What’s the right way to win friends and influence people? The most effective moves build alliances, sell your ideas

How to dual-boot Vista with Linux [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:37:07 PDT

So you want to install Linux and Vista on the same drive? This UPDATED dual booting tutorial shows you how to do it even if Vista SP1 scorches your bootloader

How to Survive Office Politicking [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:37:07 PDT

The World Uncovered Daylight Robbery in US [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:37:07 PDT

SCRAM: A New Protocol for Password Authentication [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:37:06 PDT

Seven Critical Workplace Maneuvers [del.icio.us]

obiakpere — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:37:04 PDT

UNIBUJA POST JAMB SCREENING

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:38:50 PDT

Be informed that UNIBUJA post <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />UME is coming up from the 4th to 7th of November, 2009.

The scratch card can be obtained at the cost of N2000.00 only.

For more information call me on 08029077334, dont email me please.

NowPublic

Tags: Sports | Internet | Nigeria | Facebook

Ahead of Germany v Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:53:29 PDT

Germany will have mixed feelings regarding referee Roberto Rosetti. The Italian was in charge on 28 April 2004, when Germany suffered one of their biggest defeats in recent memory in a friendly against Romania (1-5). Rosetti was also the referee in Germany's 2-1 away win against the Czech Republic in the 2008 European Championship qualification.

Spain have also had changing fortunes when Roberto Rosetti was the referee. At the 2006 World Cup, Spain lost 3-1 against France in the round of the last 16. In the 2008 European Championship qualification, Rosetti was also the referee when Spain beat Sweden 3-0 at home

Germany and Spain have met each other 19 times and Germany have won eight of these contests, while Spain proved the strongest on five occasions.

At the World Cup and European Championship, the two teams have played each other five times, with Germany winning three times and Spain having the upper hand only once.

Spain's only victory in the Europeans was a 1-0 group phase triumph in 1984. Antonio Maceda's legendary injury time header eliminated West Germany, marking the only time until 2000 that (West) Germany were stranded in the group phase of a European Championship finals.

The last time these two met was a friendly in February 2003, which Spain won 3-1

NowPublic

Record-breaking serve at Wimbledon by Venus Williams

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:19:22 PDT

Venus Williams records the fastest serve ever by a woman at Wimbledon with the scoreboard also had Williams winning 6-1, 7-5 Saturday over qualifier

One swing from completing her week’s work, Venus Williams toed the baseline, dribbled the ball, gave it a toss and delivered yet another thunderclap serve at sun-kissed Wimbledon.

The ace bounced off the Court 1 backstop as Williams trotted to the net to bid another foe farewell.

The scoreboard said 127 mph, the fastest women’s serve ever recorded at Wimbledon

NowPublic

NBC: Beijing Olympics Online Video Available Only After TV Broadcast

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:01:39 PDT

Sports fans in the world over had started rejoicing that finally we could do away with the lame soft-focus athlete stories and parochial commentary from NBCU with this Olympics: Yes, the company will have 2,200 hours of live competition from Beijing available online on NBCOlympics.com, but such hope is now gone with some heavy restrictions...we mentioned some of this heavy handedness earlier about Olympic trials

Other TV networks have a limited window in which to show Olympics highlights, but no video of Olympic events is permitted to be shown on any website besides NBCOlympics.com
-- No events that are scheduled to be televised (on NBCU’s six TV channels) will be available online until after they are seen on TV. If this is the case, what’s this about 2,200 hours of live coverage online? Is it only on-demand later

NowPublic

Euro 2008 Finals: Germany v Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:25:10 PDT

Germany coach Joachim Low must decide whether to recall Torsten Frings for Sunday's Euro 2008 final against Spain.
The midfielder has declared himself fit after recovering from a broken rib and could replace Simon Rolfes (cut eye) in the only change to the side.
Spain also look sure to alter their line-up with striker David Villa almost certainly out with a thigh injury.
That could mean a start for Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in a five-man midfield, with Fernando Torres the lone striker.

Quarter-final 4: Spain v Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:16:00 PDT

Spain coach Luis Aragones is likely to revert to his first-choice XI having fielded his reserves in the 2-1 win over Greece.

Aragones gave a strong indication to what his starting line-up might be when he played the XI in the first two games against the substitutes on Friday.

Italy midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo are suspended.

Alberto Aquilani and Massimo Ambrosini will probably come in while Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta may start.

"Alberto Aquilani and I can co-exist quite well," Ambrosini said.

"But the choice is up to coach Roberto Donadoni. A lot will depend on what formation we use."

Camoranesi added: "I've started twice, which pleases me, but I'm not happy with how I've played.

"I wanted to be decisive, but I haven't contributed anything."

In defence, 35-year-old Christian Panucci, a regular full-back, is likely to play alongside Giorgio Chiellini in the heart of the Italian defence.

Italy have a number of key players who are just one booking away from a one-match suspension - Giorgio Chiellini, Luca Toni, Daniele De Rossi and Gianluca Zambrotta.

In the Spanish camp, despite the likelihood of playing the starting XI that faced Russia and Sweden, boss Aragones said he had not decided on his line-up.

"Things are basically clear but the play of some has me thinking, I'm not sure which team will play," he added.

Meanwhile, the coach played down a heated discussion he had with full-back Sergio Ramos in a practice session this week.

Ramos was reported to have been pulled aside by teammate Carlos Marchena to bring an end to the argument that came a day after the coach criticised him in a news conference.

"He expressed his opinion, that's all," said Aragones, responding to a question about the spat.

Although there is a full squad to pick from, Carlos Marchena, Daniel Guiza and Alvaro Arbeloa are one booking away from a suspension.

BIG MATCH STATS

Head-to-heads

Spain and Italy have played each other on 27 previous occasions. Spain have won eight, Italy nine and there have been 10 draws.

In competitive matches, Spain have been less successful winning just one out of nine. Italy have won five times and there have been three draws. Spain's sole competitive victory was in the very first match between the two, a 2-0 win at the 1920 Olympic Games.

The two teams have played each other twice at European Championships, drawing 0-0 in a group phase match in 1980 and Italy winning another group match 1-0 in 1988. Italy head coach Roberto Donadoni played in the latter of those games.

Spain have not lost to Italy in their last four encounters since a 2-1 defeat in the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals. Donadoni also played in that match.

Team facts - Spain

Been knocked out of major tournaments on three occasions on 22 June, all three after a penalty shoot-out. Lost against Belgium at the 1986 World Cup, England at Euro 96 and South Korea at the 2002 World Cup. Their only other international on 22 June was a 3-2 friendly win against Italy in 1930.

On a streak of nine straight wins and will break their best ever international winning run with a victory against Italy. Their previous streak of nine straight wins was ended by Italy in 1927.

Victory will see them break their record for longest winning streak in competitive matches (seven).

Team facts - Italy

The last two reigning world champions from Europe went on to the final of the next European Championship. Germany finished runners-up in 1992 and France won Euro 2000.

Player facts - Spain

Used 22 of the 23 players in their squad at Euro 2008 with only third choice goalkeeper Andres Palop missing out.

David Villa is Euro 2008 top scorer with four goals. He is now Spain's record goal scorer at the European Championship with four goals, and also top scorer for Spain at European Championships and World Cups combined with seven goals.

Carlos Marchena, Daniel Guiza and Álvaro Arbeloa will miss a possible semi-final match if they receive a yellow card against Italy.

Player facts - Italy

Alessandro Gamberini and Marco Borriello are the only outfield players yet to play for Italy at Euro 2008.

Alessandro Del Piero can play his 13th European Championship match, which will equal Italian record holder Paolo Maldini.

If Del Piero scores, he will become the first Italian to score in four different major tournaments (European Championships and World Cups).

A yellow card for Gianluca Zambrotta will equal the record of six yellow cards at European Championship finals, set in Spain's last group match by Giorgios Karagounis of Greece.

Zambrotta will face his FC Barcelona teammates Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso are suspended for this match having received their second yellow cards of the tournament in Italy's last match, against France.

Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi, Luca Toni and Zambrotta will be suspended for a possible semi-final match if they receive a yellow card against Spain.

Souce: BBC Sport

Switzerland v Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:53:35 PDT

Switzerland and Portugal have met each other 19 times before, with Switzerland holding the upper hand with eight wins against six victories for Portugal. Five matches have finished in a draw.

In nine competitive matches (World Cup and European Championship qualifiers), Switzerland have won twice, Portugal have won three times and four matches have been drawn.

This will be their first encounter at a major tournament. Their last meeting came in a World Cup qualifier on 13 October 1993, when Portugal won 1-0 at home, courtesy of Joao Vieira Pinto's winning goal.

Switzerland will be playing for pride against Portugal in their final Group A game after the hosts failed to qualify.

Home striker Eren Derdiyok picked up a slight ankle injury in the defeat by Turkey - their second in the tournament - so Daniel Gygax stands by to start.

With Portugal having secured top place in the group, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is expected to rotate the squad.

Seven changes are likely - two in the back four, four in midfield and Hugo Almeida partnering Nuno

NowPublic

Most overpaid MLB players

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:28:08 PST

Going into the 2008 season, 124 baseball players hold contracts with an annual salary of $8 million or more. Getting a contract of that value generally means a player has shown his worth with great performances or long-term durability. Teams, however, sometimes overpay for past performance.

Eighty-six of those 124 players carried over their contract from the previous season, but some did not produce enough last year to justify the salary paid. By examining these players and their contracts, is it possible to avoid such mistakes in the future?

To evaluate a player’s output versus his salary, “Win Shares” provides a single number of a players value, including batting, fielding and pitching. The Win Shares metric, developed by Bill James, is intended to indicate the number of wins contributed by a certain player.

Win Shares per million dollars allows the ranking of players based on bang for the buck. For the players in question here, we use the average number of win shares per season since the signing of the contract, and the average yearly value of the contract.

For example, shortstop Orlando Cabrera played three seasons on a contract that averages $8 million annually. In that time, he posted 19.6 Win Shares per season. 19.6 Win Shares divided by $8 million results in Cabrera producing 2.45 Win Shares per million dollars—a good number. For the 86 players we are talking about, the average is 1.4 Win Shares per million dollars.

Splitting the players into four groups provides a better way of seeing who is not producing at a level worthy of their contracts. We divided players into batters and pitchers, then subdivided them based on how far into their deals they are—short term (one or two seasons in) and long term (three or more).

Bottom five short-term pitchers

5. Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks: 0.3 WS/million. Johnson needed back surgery during the ‘07 season. He is throwing well in spring training so far, so it’s possible he can bring up that number in the second year of his contract.

4. Vicente Padilla, Texas Rangers: 0.2 WS/million. He played most of the season, accumulating 23 starts with a 5.76 ERA. He struggled with elbow problems most of the year.

3. Adam Eaton, Philadelphia Phillies: 0.2 WS/million. This was just a bad deal. Eaton never was very good and sustained a strained middle finger tendon in each of his previous two seasons. With the Phillies, he posted the worst ERA of his career.

2. Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals: 0.0 WS/million. Carpenter made one start in ‘07 and eventually had to have Tommy John surgery. He’s not expected back until mid to late ‘08 at the earliest. He’ll basically provide no value for the first two years of a five-season contract.

1. Jason Schmidt, Los Angeles Dodgers: 0.0 WS/million. Schmidt made six starts in ‘07 and pitched very poorly, posting a 6.31 ERA. He missed the rest of the season after shoulder surgery. He has two years left on his contract and threw pain free in his first bullpen session of the spring.

Bottom five short-term hitters

5. Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers: 1.2 WS/million. He could not sustain his solid ‘06 campaign and fell even further off his poor ‘05 numbers. The Dodgers are rid of this contract after this season, though.

4. Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs: 1.1 WS/million. A great ‘05 season earned Lee a big contract for ‘06. Lee’s low rank here is based on a 50-game season in the first year of the contract. Based on ‘07, he can make this deal look a lot better over the next three seasons.

3. Jim Edmonds, San Diego Padres: 0.95 WS/million. Edmonds saw both his on-base average and slugging percentage take a nose dive for a second year. The Padres acquired him from St. Louis in the offseason and hope for some kind of rebound in the final season of the deal.

2. Hideki Matsui, New York Yankees: 0.9 WS/million. Once an iron man, injuries limited him to 194 games over the last two seasons.

1. J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox: 0.85 WS/million. Drew actually stayed healthy in ‘07, but his slugging percentage was off about 75 points from his career average. Drew has four seasons left to improve his standing.

Bottom five long-term pitchers

5. Jason Isringhausen, St. Louis Cardinals: 1.1 WS/million. Isringhausen is effective, but closers just don’t deliver that much in terms of Win Shares because of the few innings they work.

4. Ben Sheets, Milwaukee Brewers: 0.9 WS/million. He signed a four-year deal after an outstanding ‘04 season. That was his third year in a row throwing 200-plus innings, but he hasn’t qualified for the ERA title since.

3. Pedro Martinez, New York Mets: 0.6 WS/million. Injuries wiped out most of the ‘07 season and caused him to post the highest ERA of his career in ‘06.

2. Mike Hampton, Atlanta Braves: 0.4 WS/million. He enters the last season of his eight-year contract having not pitched since ‘05.

1. Carl Pavano, New York Yankees: 0.08 WS/million. He signed a four-year, $40 million contract after the ‘04 season, but a series of injuries have limited him to 19 starts and a 4.77 ERA with the Yankees.

Bottom five long-term hitters

5. Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners: 1.3 WS/million. He performs better than one may think, averaging 17.1 Win Shares in his three seasons with the Mariners. He just didn’t live up to his breakout final season with the Dodgers, the basis for his big contract.

4. Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox: 1.3 WS/million. Yes, Manny is a great hitter. But the price tag is just too high. Note that the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez over the length of his previous contract averaged seven more Win Shares per season than Ramirez. If you take their WS/million out to the next decimal point, Alex beats Manny 1.34 to 1.27, but still doesn’t reach the average of 1.4 WS/million. These numbers reflect superstars receiving a premium for contributing to lots of wins. It’s those extra wins that put teams over the top and into the playoffs.

3. Garrett Anderson, Los Angeles Angels: 1.2 WS/million. This is simply a case of a team valuing batting average more than on-base average. Anderson doesn’t get on base very often for a player with such a good batting average.

2. Jason Giambi, New York Yankees: 1.2 WS/million. His average is brought down by poor seasons in ‘04 and ‘07. He also was limited to 139 games in both the ‘05 and ‘06 seasons. Still, he has had four great years with the club—on-base averages more than .400 and slugging percentages well over .500, hitting 151 home runs.

1. Ken Griffey, Jr., Cincinnati Reds: 1.1 WS/million. His contract seemed like a sweet deal at the time for the Reds. Griffey, however, played 140-plus games in a season just twice in eight years. He has hit 195 home runs for Cincinnati after hitting 209 in his final four years for the Mariners.

Hitters vs. pitchers

Note that pitchers, in general, are a poor investment. When you rank the players by Win Shares per million dollars and divide them into four even tiers, or quartiles, you get the following counts of pitchers and batters:

WS/million quartile	Pitchers	Batters
First (highest)	5	16
Second	3	19
Third	8	14
Fourth (lowest)	18	3
Total	34	52

Nearly 53 percent of the pitchers in the study finish in the bottom quartile, compared to 5.8 percent of batters. However, many of these were in the first year of their new deals, so they have a chance to bounce back.

Lessons learned

What lessons can we learn from these contracts? Pitchers produce much less than hitters, so big contracts are not the best idea for pitchers. Maybe the Twins knew what they were doing in trading away Johan Santana.

Pitchers with any injury history are bad gambles. Johnson, Pavano, Schmidt, Carpenter, Eaton and Martinez fit this mold.

The hitters are more complicated. Great hitters simply demand a premium. It’s tough to argue that the Ramirez and Rodriguez contracts were mistakes, despite less bang per dollar. But signing older players with a history of declining productivity doesn’t work. Garciaparra, Edmonds and Anderson prove that older hitters just aren’t worth a lot of money.

Culled from Yahoo Sports

Fake wrestling star tries UFC

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:57:15 PST

In the spring of 2000, Brock Lesnar was a University of Minnesota senior, just two weeks and a handful of workouts away from the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament.

Today, the 30-year-old Lesnar finds himself in a similar situation as he trains for his match against former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the most publicized debut in UFC history.

The former “Next Big Thing” of pro wrestling has become ultimate fighting's next gigantic question mark, a 1-0 fighter with 69 seconds of ring experience thrown into the deep end of a shark-infested pool.

Whether he's in over his head remains to be seen, but the reason he's being billed as the semi-main event of UFC 81 on Feb. 2 in Las Vegas is because of his fame as a former World Wrestling Entertainment champion.

The success of this card hinges on people buying the novelty of a

former WWE champion fighting a former UFC champion. The idea, if it

clicks, is to rally the UFC fan base to want to see the fake wrestler

get smashed, and for the pro wrestling audience, to whom the show is

being heavily marketed, to tune in out of curiosity to see how one of

its all-time tough guys can do.

Lesnar knows his role is to antagonize UFC fans, as he did in

dismissing Mir's submission ability in a commercial. Lesnar noted upon

signing with UFC a few months ago that when it comes to promoting a

fight, he "learned from the best."

"I've got eight workouts left (as of late last week) and I'm very

excited for February 2," Lesnar said. "I've got it all to lose and I've

got everything to gain. Frank Mir doesn't have the same kind of

pressure."

Source: sports.yahoo.com

NowPublic

Africa Cup of Nations: Nigeria 0-1 Ivory Coast

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:16:57 PST

Ivory Coast secured a major victory against fellow favourites Nigeria in the first match to be held in Sekondi.
Chelsea's Saloman Kalou beat three Nigerian defenders, in a moment of brilliance, to shoot home from 15 yards to score the only goal of the game.

Despite the abundance of talent in the Super Eagles' squad, Berti Vogts' team laboured but were unable to respond.

Newcastle United's Obafemi Martins came closest to scoring for Nigeria in the first half, shooting at the goalkeeper.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk via Obi-Akpere

NowPublic

World Series ball mystery may be solved

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:07:09 PST

The World Series ball is gone, and Jonathan Papelbon has an excuse: My dog ate it.

Farfetched or not, that's what the Red Sox closer insists happened to the souvenir from the final out of Boston's sweep this year. Really, Papelbon blamed it on his bulldog, Boss.

"He plays with baseballs like they are his toys," Papelbon told the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American. "He jumped up one day on the counter and snatched it. He likes rawhide. He tore that thing to pieces. Nobody knows that. I'll keep what's left of it."

While the Red Sox have swept two of the past four World Series, they've had less luck when it comes to preserving the ball that was caught for the final out. It took a prolonged negotiation before first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz agreed to donate the 2004 ball to the Hall of Fame.

Papelbon, who has a home in Hattiesburg, struck out Colorado pinch-hitter Seth Smith to finish off Game 4 on Oct. 28. Papelbon threw his glove high in the air while catcher Jason Varitek tucked the ball in his back pocket.

After the game, Varitek said he planned to give the prize to the team. A few days later, he said he'd given it to Papelbon.

Instead, the relief pitcher said, Boss got hold of that doggone ball.

Papelbon told a similar tale to the New England Sports Network for a story that aired Nov. 30 -- but with a slightly different ending. He told NESN he threw what was left of the ball in the trash.

"It's in the garbage in Florida somewhere," he said.

The fate of the last ball became an issue in 2004 when the Red Sox swept St. Louis in the World Series to end an 86-year championship drought.

Mientkiewicz, who caught a toss from pitcher Keith Foulke for the final out, kept the ball. The team wanted it back. Mientkiewicz eventually agreed to lend the ball to the Red Sox for a year and then donated it to the Hall of Fame.

The Red Sox didn't sound particularly concerned with what happened to this latest souvenir.

"The 2004 ball is obviously very special to us because it was the club's first World Series win in 86 years," team spokesman John Blake said. "This ball was in the hands of one of the players and we take his word at what happened to it, but it's a non-issue as far as the club's concerned."

The Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., has a bunch of Red Sox memorabilia from the 2007 World Series, including Papelbon's glove.

"We did not ask for the ball," spokesman Jeff Idelson said. "We were more focused on other items."

Papelbon wasn't in Boston and wasn't immediately available for comment, Blake said.

Source Yahoo Sports

Who's the Hottest Man in Sports?

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:38:51 PDT

Who is the hottest athlete in sports? Check out the men's final matchup and see who upset David Beckham

Source: Aol Sports

Shocking Details In Vick Indictment

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:04:07 PDT

NFL star Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation so grisly the losers either died in the pit or sometimes were electrocuted, drowned, hanged or shot.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three others were charged with competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

The operation was named "Bad Newz Kennels," according to the indictment, and the dogs were housed, trained and fought at a property owned by Vick in Surry County, Va.

The 18-page federal indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges the 27-year-old Vick and his co-defendants began the dogfighting operation in early 2001, the former Virginia Tech star's rookie year with the Falcons.

The indictment states that dogs fought to the death - or close to it.

If convicted, Vick and the others - Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor - could face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution.

Telephone messages left at the offices and home of Vick's attorney, Larry Woodward, were not returned. A woman who answered the phone at the home of Vick's mother said "no comment" and hung up.

"We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
"The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."

Vick and the Falcons are scheduled to report to training camp on July 25.

"Obviously, we are disturbed by today's news," the team said in a statement posted on its Web site, apologizing to fans for the negative publicity.

"We will do the right thing for our club as the legal process plays out. We have a season to prepare for," it said.

John Goodwin of the Humane Society said the manner in which losing or unwilling dogs were killed was especially troubling.

"Some of the grisly details in these filings shocked even me, and I'm a person who faces this stuff every day," he said. "I was surprised to see that they were killing dogs by hanging them and one dog was killed by slamming it to the ground. Those are extremely violent methods of execution - they're unnecessary and just sick."

Vick and the others are accused of "knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting an animal fighting venture" and conducting a business enterprise involving gambling, as well as buying, transporting and receiving dogs for the purposes of an animal fighting venture.

About eight young dogs were put to death at the Surry County home after they were found not ready to fight in April 2007, the indictment said. They were killed "by hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."
The indictment also outlined a rough chronology:

In March 2003, after a pit bull from Bad Newz Kennels lost in a fight, it said Peace consulted with Vick about the losing dog's condition, then executed it by wetting it with water and electrocuting it;

In March 2003, after two Bad Newz Kennels dog lost fights to dogs owned by a cooperating witness, it alleged that Vick retrieved a bag containing $23,000 and gave it to the owner of the winning dogs. One of the fights had a $20,000 purse;

In the fall of 2003, a person witnessing a dog fight involving one of the dogs trained by Bad Newz Kennels incurred the ire of another cooperating witness by yelling out Vick's name in front of the crowd during the fight.

It also said that after establishing Bad Newz Kennels in early 2002, Vick and the others obtained shirts and headbands promoting their affiliation with the kennel.

After a police raid on the property in April, Vick said he was rarely at the house, had no idea it may have been used in a criminal enterprise. He blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity.

On Vick's Web site, he lists his birthplace as Newport News, "a.k.a. BadNews."

Purses for the fights ranged from hundreds of dollars to the thousands, and participants and spectators placed side bets, the document said.
Local authorities have been investigating the allegations since the April 25 drug raid at the property Vick owned. On June 7, officials with the Department of Agriculture executed their own search warrant and found the remains of seven dogs.

Surry County prosecutor Gerald G. Poindexter said he didn't know of the indictment before it was filed, and said he's not sure how the county will continue its case.

At the start, authorities seized 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting. About half the dogs were tethered to car axles with heavy chains that allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact - an arrangement typical for fighting dogs, according to the search warrant affidavit.

The indictment said dogfights were held at the Virginia property and dog owners brought animals from six states, including New York and Texas.

In a search warrant executed July 6, the government said the fights usually occurred late at night or in the early morning and would last several hours.

Before fights, participating dogs of the same sex would be weighed and bathed, according to the filings. Opposing dogs would be washed to remove any poison or narcotic placed on the dog's coat that could affect the other dog's performance.

Sometimes, dogs weren't fed to "make it more hungry for the other dog," it said.

Poland stuns Brazil at U-20 World Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:31:47 PDT

Brazil is renowned for its samba soccer, but it was Poland that displayed Latin flair.

The Poles overcame a man disadvantage to upset mighty Brazil 1-0

Saturday afternoon in the opening game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Defender Grzegorz Krychowiak scored on a beautiful, bending free

kick from 25 yards out in the 23rd minute to lift Poland to a surprise

victory over Brazil in a key Group G game in Montreal.

Poland, competing in this tournament for the first time in 24 years,

was reduced to 10 men four minutes later when forward Krzysztof Krol

was expelled for earning his second yellow card of the game.

Forced to play a man short for the rest of the contest, Poland

played a tight defensive game, shutting down the potent Brazilian

attack. Led by dangerous striker Alexandre Pato, Brazil pressed

furiously, but the South Americans couldn't convert any of their

scoring chances as they stumbled to the loss.

Brazil, the renowned samba kings, had to have been frustrated by Saturday's result.

Pegged as one of the tournament favourites, the South American

powerhouse dominated possession (a staggering 63 per cent) and

registered 14 shots, compared with just two for Poland.

But it was Poland who made the most of their scoring chances, with

Krychowiak firing a beautiful free kick just inside the post and past

Brazilian keeper Cassio.

Battered and bruised by the tough-tackling Poles, who earned four

yellow cards in the game, Brazil took control after Krol's expulsion,

attacking through Pato and down the wings.

Real Madrid fullback Marcelo entered the game as a substitute in the

66th minute to give Brazil more attacking edge down the flanks. As

Marcelo and his teammates pressed forward, Poland stood back and soaked

up the pressure, thwarting the Brazilians at every turn.

Poland's shocking victory over the four-time world champions has to

be considered one of the biggest upsets in the 30-year history of the

tournament.

Poland next plays the United States on July 3 (CBC Country Canada, 5

p.m. ET). Brazil takes on South Korea on the same day (CBC Country

Canada, 7:45 p.m. ET). Both games are in Montreal.

NowPublic

Pacman's Troubled Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:31:44 PDT

Suspended NFL player Adam "Pacman" Jones was being sought by
police for questioning about a shooting early Monday involving members of his
entourage after a fight at an Atlanta strip club.
Jones, a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans on suspension following a melee
and shooting at a Las Vegas strip club, his group and three other people got
into a fight, apparently over a woman, at a club around 4 a.m., officer Ariel
Toledo said.

After everyone involved left the strip club - the three people in one car,
and Jones and his entourage in three other cars - someone in Jones' group shot
at the car, and the others returned fire, Toledo said.

Toledo said Jones was not present when the shots were fired.

"We believe he knows some of his entourage who were involved in the
shooting," Toledo said. "On himself, we do not have any charges on him. He
wasn't there when the shooting occurred."

One person who was outside the vehicles and not involved in the dispute was
injured by debris in the shooting and was treated by emergency medical
technicians, Toledo said.

Manny Arora, Jones' attorney, said he was trying to find out what had
happened from the police, but he understood Jones was sought only as a witness
to the incident.

Authorities have also been investigating what role Jones had in a February
shooting outside a Las Vegas club that left a bar employee paralyzed and two
other people wounded.
Attorney Robert Langford said no evidence tied Jones to the shooting, but an
aide to Clark County District Attorney David Roger said it could take several
days to decide if there is enough information to file charges against Jones and
two friends.

The Las Vegas allegations were among a series of arrests and encounters with
police that led NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Jones for one season.

Jones agreed last week not to appeal the suspension. The 23-year-old player
could be reinstated after 10 games for good behavior if he adheres to
conditions set by Goodell and is not arrested again. Missing the entire season
would cost him his salary of nearly $1.3 million.

Horrific Wreck, Historic Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Edward) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:58:22 PDT

Lewis Hamilton's learning curve just got shorter - a lot shorter.
The 22-year-old Englishman, the first black driver in Formula One history, added his first F1 victory to an already remarkable career start by winning the crash-filled Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.

And he made it look easy.

Hamilton started from the pole, also for the first time. Apart from losing the lead for three laps when he made his first of two pit stops, he led all the way and was never challenged.

The slim, soft-spoken youngster has six consecutive top-three finishes in six starts, something no other first-year F1 driver has accomplished.

"This is history," Hamilton said, grinning.

The only one to give the Mercedes McLaren driver any competition during the 70-lap race on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's 2.71-mile road course was BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld. He chased Hamilton all day without catching him.

The only thing that kept the race close at all was accidents - four full-course caution flags that wiped out the leads Hamilton built with seeming ease. He kept winning the restarts though and beat Heidfeld to the finish by 4.3 seconds.

"It was a fairly simple race, apart from the restarts," Hamilton said. "On those, I was just trying to keep the tires warm and not make a mistake. The last few laps I was just counting down.

"I'm the type of guy that will usually push right to the end, but it's a tricky circuit, and if you make one mistake you go into the marbles and into the wall. So I quieted down towards the end and just enjoyed it."

Once he had the race in hand, the youngster scrambled out of his cockpit. He thrust his arms in the air and jumped up and down. He then bounced to the ground, trotted to a barrier and jumped across to dive into the midst of his crew, hugging everyone in sight.

"It's been a fantastic season already," he said. "We've had six podiums and I've been ready for quite some time for the win - it's just been a matter of when and where. The team gave me the best car and I had no problems during the race at all."

Heidfeld was almost as happy with his runner-up finish, matching his career best.

"I think I had a very good chance to finish second even in normal race conditions, without so many safety cars (on the track) and without Fernando (Alonso) being penalized," Heidfeld said.

Alonso, the two-time and reigning F1 champion, started alongside his McLaren teammate on the front row. He made a mistake on the start when he drove off the course in the first turn and allowed Heidfeld to dive past into second.

That was just the beginning of a very bad day for Alonso, who was hit with a penalty for pitting too soon during one of the full-course cautions. That set the Spaniard back to 14th, but he got back as high as sixth before two more off-course excursions slowed him. Alonso was passed two laps from the finish by Super Aguri'a Takuma Sato and finished seventh.

Hamilton, who came into the race tied with Alonso at the top of the standings, will take an eight-point lead into next Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis.

"The next dream is to win the Formula One championship," he said. "But, bear in mind, I'm still a rookie and there's bound to be some bad times, too."

Robert Kubica, a 22-year-old driver from Poland and Heidfeld's teammate, was involved in a frightening crash just before the halfway point. Team officials first said he broke his right leg and later said the driver was sore but had no apparent injuries.

Considered one of the rising stars of F1, Kubica was racing with the Toyota of Jarno Trulli and the Ferrari of Felipe Massa when he suddenly veered off course into the grass as they drove toward the hairpin turn.

Kubica's car slammed into the inside concrete wall, then somersaulted across the track in a shower of debris. He then hit the outside wall and came to rest with what was left of the car on its side. The Ferraris of Massa and Kimi Raikkonen were expected to pose a threat for the McLarens, but both had problems.

Massa was running fourth when he was disqualified, along with Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella, who was eighth at the time. Officials said they both ran a red light at the end of pit road during a caution.

Raikkonen ran through the grass several times and struggled to a fifth-place finish, coming in behind the Williams of Alexander Wurz and the Renault of Heikki Kovalainen. Ralf Schumacher, driving a Toyota, took the eighth and final points position.

Source Aol Sports

Al-Qaida: Captured U.S. troops killed

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 10:07:14 PDT

CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida linked insurgents killed three American soldiers after capturing them last month in

Iraq, according to a militant video released Monday that claimed to show footage of the ambush. The video offered no proof for its claims.

The clip, which was made available to The Associated Press by the Washington-based SITE Institute, showed confused and jerky night battle scenes, and later offered close-ups of two identification cards. It did not show the soldiers.

"The Americans sent 4,000 soldiers looking for them," said an unidentified voice on the video, which featured the logo of the media production house of the Islamic State of Iraq. "They were alive and then dead."

The body of one of the soldiers was found in Iraq's Euphrates River, but the other two remain missing. Family friends of the missing men said the U.S. military briefed relatives about the video over the weekend.

The video offered no proof for its claims that the soldiers had been killed and buried. The voiceover blamed their deaths on "the American Army and their leaders, who do not care for the feelings of the soldiers' mothers."

"And as you refused to deliver the bodies of our killed people, we will not deliver the bodies of your dead, and their end will be beneath the ground, Allah willing," the voice said.

A body found May 23 in the Euphrates River was identified by the U.S. military as Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, Calif. The missing soldiers have been identified as Spc. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Mass., and of Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich.

The three vanished after their combat team was ambushed May 12 about 20 miles outside Baghdad. Five others, including an Iraqi, were killed in the ambush, subsequently claimed by al-Qaida.

The attack triggered a massive search in the area south of Baghdad known as the "triangle of death" for the rampant insurgent activity there.

Gordon Dibler, Fouty's stepfather, said he was holding out hope for the soldiers' safe return: "We're praying, and so far, we don't know for certain that they aren't alive."

At the end of the 10-minute 41-second video, the identification cards of the two missing soldiers were shown, with the headline: "Bush is the reason of the loss of your POWs" written on the screen above the cards. SITE, an organization that monitors terrorist groups, did not say how it obtained the video. A card belonging to Anzack was not shown.

Along with the identification cards, the footage also showed credit cards, American and Iraqi money and other personal items that the militants called "booty."

There was no immediate word from U.S. officials about the Islamic State of Iraq claim.

The video also showed footage, apparently taken before the ambush, of three masked men standing around a stand displaying a sketch of the area, mapping out the attack plan. One of the three men, who were all dressed in black, talked to the camera and pointed to the sketch. Another stood by him carrying a gun.

"I have urged you to bring me American prisoners," said the man, whose name was not given but was identified as one of the militant group's leaders.

A Islamic Web site that commonly posts videos from militant groups including the Islamic State of Iraq said in a banner headline that it would show the video within hours, but the video has not yet appeared.

After the soldiers disappeared, the Islamic State of Iraq issued Web statements warning the Americans to call off the hunt "if you want their safety."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070604/ap_on_re_mi_ea/missing_soldiers_video;_ylt=Ap.Fw6VP0Wtj21yV7yRO0Bus0NUE

King James Leads Cavaliers to First NBA Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:46:43 PDT

As his teammates danced and carried on while
wearing baseball caps and T-shirts proclaiming "Champions,"
LeBron James walked around in a daze with a smile etched across his
face. "This is like a dream," he said, shaking his head. "This
is probably the best feeling that I've ever had in my life." An
entire city felt the same.
For the first time in a long time, championship-starved
Cleveland has something to feel good about.

The Cavaliers , once the punch line to jokes and Michael Jordan 's
favorite foil, are Eastern Conference champions - and on their way
to the NBA finals.

Lugging an entire region's hopes with him on every trip to the
basket, James had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and unflappable rookie
Daniel Gibson added 31 points - 19 in the fourth quarter - to give
the Cavaliers a 98-82 victory in Game 6 against the Detroit
Pistons .

Cleveland, a city that hasn't celebrated a world championship
since the Browns won an NFL title in 1964, has the next closest
thing. And now the Cavs, who won only 17 games the year before
James arrived from just down the Interstate in Akron, will meet the
San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the finals on Thursday night.

James, who scored 48 points in Cleveland's double-overtime win
in Game 5, didn't have to carry the Cavs by himself.

Gibson gave him all the help he needed.

The slender second-round pick from Texas, who didn't become a
major contributor until March, outshined his superstar teammate.
Gibson made three 3-pointers in the first 2:16 of the fourth and
drilled another long-range jumper with 6:52 left, setting off a
massive celebration in Quicken Loans Arena.

"If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up," Gibson said.
"This was perfect, to win it for Cleveland."

The Cavaliers are only third team to come back from an 0-2
deficit in a conference finals, joining the 1971 Baltimore Bullets
and 1993 Chicago Bulls .

The season couldn't have ended worse for the top-seeded Pistons,
making their fifth straight appearance in the conference finals.

England v Brazil (Fri 1 June)

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:14:24 PDT

Brazil are set to field some unfamiliar names for Friday's friendly against England at the new Wembley Stadium.

Stars such as Milan's Champions League winner Kaka, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, and Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva are well known and expected to play.

But the side could include the likes of Heerenveen striker Afonso Alves, who is top scorer in the Dutch league.

CSKA Moscow duo Vagner Love and Jo, Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Elano and Porto goalkeeper Helton may also play.

However, attacking midfielder Anderson, who has just signed a deal to join Manchester United, is not in the squad to take on England but is in the squad for the Copa America next month.

Brazil coach Dunga is using the England game as preparation for the defence of the Copa America.

Kaka and Ronaldinho have already said they will not be taking part in the competition because of tiredness.

"As far as winning the cup again, Brazil never goes to a tournament without the idea we are going to win," said Dunga.

"As far as the team, there is still 20 days to go. Many things can happen, someone can get injured, someone can get better or not, there is still a lot to go."

When Dunga announced his squad for the England game, many reporters in Brazil were surprised at the number of players he included from overseas.

So here BBC Sport looks at some of the players to watch at Wembley on Friday evening.

VAGNER LOVE - STRIKER

The former Corinthians forward has had an impressive year for CSKA Moscow, scoring six goals in 12 games. The 22-year-old made his Brazil debut in 2003 and has been linked with a move to Chelsea.

JO - STRIKER

Another former Corinthians player, Jo has been an instant hit since joining CSKA Moscow last year - scoring 29 goals in 45 appearances. The-20-year-old claimed both goals in the 2-0 victory over Zenit St Petersburg last weekend.

AFONSO ALVES - STRIKER

A relative unknown in Brazil, the 25-year-old Heerenveen forward has been making headlines in Europe. Alves, yet to earn his first cap for Brazil, fired 34 goals to top the Dutch League scoring list, setting a new club record in the process.

GILBERTO - MIDFIELDER

The 31-year-old, who can also play in defence, joined Hertha Berlin in 2004 and scored for Brazil against Japan in last year's World Cup. Gilberto has become a key member of Hertha's line-up and scored five goals for the Bundesliga outfit this season.

Brazil squad:
Doni (Roma), Helton (Porto), Daniel Alves (Sevilla), Maicon (Inter Milan), Gilberto (Hertha Berlin), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Juan (Bayer Leverkeusen), Alex (PSV), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Naldo (Werder Bremen), Gilberto Silva (Arsenal), Edmilson (Barcelona), Josue (Sao Paulo), Mineiro (Hertha Berlin), Elano (Shaktar Donetsk), Diego (Werder Bremen), Kaka (AC Milan), Ronaldinho (Barcelona), Robinho (Real Madrid), Vagner Love (CSKA Moscow), Jo (CSKA Moscow), Afonso Alves (Heerenveen).

Full England squad to face Brazil and Estonia:

Goalkeepers: Robinson (Tottenham), Carson (Liverpool), Green (West Ham).

Defenders: P Neville (Everton), Terry (Chelsea), Bridge (Chelsea), Brown (Man Utd), Carragher (Liverpool), King (Tottenham), Shorey (Reading).

Midfielders: Beckham (Real Madrid), Gerrard (Liverpool), Jenas (Tottenham), J Cole (Chelsea), Bentley (Blackburn), Carrick (Man Utd), Lampard (Chelsea), Downing (Middlesbrough), Dyer (Newcastle).

Forwards: Crouch (Liverpool), Owen (Newcastle), Smith (Man Utd), Defoe (Tottenham).

Why are Brazil so good?

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:10:04 PDT

Brazil. That single word has come to sum up the very best of football.

It stands for artistry, inspiration and genius, for the combination of sublime individual skill and collective fluidity to create a whole that is both beautiful to watch and devastatingly effective.

The country has produced 50 years' worth of great players - Garrincha, Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao, Socrates and Zico to name but a few.

They had a disappointing World Cup in 2006. But with outstanding individual talents such as Ronaldinho and Kaka orchestrating the team, expectations that they will produce more moments to live on in football legend remain as high as ever.

But how does Brazil produce so many great teams and wonderful players?

As the world's most exciting team prepare for their friendly with England on Friday, BBC Sport asks some of the biggest names in Brazil's football history what makes them so good.

The story of Brazil's domination of world football starts with the sport's uniquely important position in national life.

"The national football team," says its former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, "is the symbol of national identity, the only time the nation gets together."

Football is the most important thing in Brazilian national life

"Football in Brazil is like a religion," adds Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of the side that won the 1970 World Cup.

"Everybody talks about it all the time - not only when we are close to the World Cup.

"This is the difference between Europe and Brazil. After the World Cup, people in Europe start to think about life, business. Here in Brazil, we breathe football 24 hours a day."

According to Parreira, no-one is quite sure why.

"Sociologists, psychologists have tried to explain, but nobody can find one reason," he says.

"Maybe because we didn't have to fight for independence, we don't have earthquakes or things like that. We didn't go to war." Read Article in Full

Yankees Star Angers Team

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:42:39 PDT

Alex Rodriguez helped the New York Yankees end their five-game losing streak with his bat - and his mouth. Rodriguez distracted Toronto third baseman Howie Clark by shouting at him on a key popup in the ninth inning, touching off arguments all over the field, and the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 10-5 Wednesday night.

"I just said, 'Hah!' That's it," Rodriguez said. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

It definitely worked in rankling the Blue Jays.

"The thing about the Yankees, one of the reasons they're so respected, is they do things right. Always have," manager John Gibbons said. "They've got a lot of pride and a lot of class. They play the game hard.

"That's not Yankee pride right there," he said. "That's not the way they play. I thought it was bush league."

Rodriguez hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth that made it 7-5. Jorge Posada followed with a high infield pop and Rodriguez ran hard, cutting between Clark and shortstop John McDonald.

Replays showed Rodriguez shouting something, and Clark backed off at the last second. McDonald was only a few steps behind Clark, but couldn't make the catch and ball dropped for an RBI single.

"I don't know what my intention was," Rodriguez said. "I didn't say, 'I got it' or anything like that." Read Full Article

Giggs ends international career

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Wed, 30 May 2007 11:42:04 PDT

Wales captain Ryan Giggs has announced his decision to retire from international football.

The Manchester United winger, 33, will play for his country for the last time in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic in Cardiff.

"I feel this is a good time, the right time to retire and it's a difficult decision for me," said Giggs.

"I have loved playing for my country and I have loved captaining my country. It wasn't an easy decision."

Giggs admits that he is finding it hard to combine the physical demands of playing for both club and country.

"It definitely helps myself, I'll get those breaks in the season, and obviously it will help Manchester United because I'll be playing less football," added Giggs.

"But it will also help Wales - I don't feel that I've been performing as well as I could have.

"Whether it was the amount of football I was playing I don't know, but I think all three parties will benefit from this.

"Hopefully this will not only prolong my career but allow me to be fresher and allow me to enjoy the last two or three years."

Giggs has won more English league titles than any other player - nine in all - but his decision means he will never play at a major international tournament.

And it deprives Wales of one of the greatest players in their history.

"I've had such a successful time at club level but obviously that hasn't been the case in my international career because we haven't qualified," he said.

"That is something I've always wanted to do because you want to play against the best players, you want to play in the best tournaments whether it be the World Cup or European Championships.

"I'm disappointed not to have done that, but many players go through that and I've been fortunate to have had such a successful career so I'm not going to grumble."

The last time Wales took part in such an event was the Sweden World Cup of 1958.

Since then world-class players such as Ian Rush, Neville Southall, Mark Hughes, Dean Saunders, Kevin Ratcliffe and even Wales boss John Toshack himself have been forced to accept the limitations that Wales play under.

Giggs, who will end his career with 64 caps, has been pondering the decision since March's loss to the Republic of Ireland all but ended Wales's chances of making the Euro 2008 finals.

But he will try to finish his Wales career on a high note by beating the Czechs in Cardiff on Saturday.

"It will be emotional because it's my last game but it's not just about me on Saturday, it's an important game and one that we're hoping to win and hoping to put on a good performance," said Giggs.

Wales officials were made aware of Giggs' feelings last week when they assembled for the friendly against New Zealand in Wrexham, which finished in a 2-2 draw.

Manager Toshack, who is expected to make Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy his new captain after Saturday, wished Giggs well.

"Ryan came to see me and I could see he was a little bit disturbed. I had an idea what might be coming," said Toshack.

"I would like to say it has been a privilege to have him as my captain, he has always set a terrific example to all the young lads in the squad.

"We shall certainly miss him. I think we are talking about a very special person here, 16 years on the international scene under quite a bit of pressure when he plays for Wales - probably more than when he does for his club.

"I would like to wish him all the very best and say just how much he has helped me."

Toshack has always said that he is primarily aiming for a serious qualification bid for the next World Cup in South Africa.

Giggs will be approaching 36 by then, but Toshack would have ideally wanted the Manchester United player around for his immense experience and the quality of his leadership.

RYAN GIGGS FACTFILE
Wales caps: 64 (*incl Czech Rep match)
Wales goals: 12
Wales debut: Oct 1991 v Germany (Nuremberg)
Last Wales cap: June 2007 v Czech Republic (Cardiff)
Place of Birth: Cardiff
Date of birth: 29/11/1973
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 11st
Clubs: Manchester United

Giggs made his Wales debut against Germany in October 1991 at 17 years and 321 days old, and at the time he was the youngest-ever Wales international.

His Wales career was blighted by regular withdrawals in his younger days, with club boss Sir Alex Ferguson often citing the hamstring trouble that Giggs has suffered from.

It was not until Toshack's reign, which started three years ago, that Giggs even played in an away friendly for his country.

But when former boss Hughes quit to manage Blackburn soon after the heartbreak of losing a play-off to reach the last European Championships, Giggs was one of the few senior players who opted to stay on.

Giggs accepted the captain's armband and has aided Toshack's attempts to bring in a succession of new, young players.

"My highlights are my debut, coming on against Germany, and then starting against Belgium at Cardiff Arms Park, and also when John announced that I would be captain," Giggs said.

Giggs said he had not thought about his future after playing, and perhaps returning to the Wales team in a coaching capacity.

But there is little doubt that even having withdrawn from representing his country, Wales will still never be far from the thoughts of the proud Welshman.

Tocchet pleads guilty in gambling case

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Fri, 25 May 2007 11:56:34 PDT

Former NHL player Rick Tocchet pleaded guilty Friday to running a sports gambling ring, but might not have to serve any jail time.

Tocchet, who played for Phialdelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix in a career that spanned 22 seasons, is on leave from his job as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to promote gambling and promoting gambling. Such offenses usually do not carry a jail sentence for first-time offenders.

"It's a huge operation and I think it exposes to people the allure of gambling, illegal gambling, in New Jersey," state Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw said outside the courthouse.

The maximum sentence for the charges Tocchet pleaded guilty to are 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Paw would not say whether prosecutors will ask for jail time for Tocchet.

The 43-year-old Tocchet is the third man to plead guilty in the case, which New Jersey authorities dubbed "Operation Slapshot." The others, including state Trooper James Harney, are expected to get jail time.

Janet Jones, the wife of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, was accused of betting but was not charged in the case.

Prosecutors said in February 2006 that the ring handled $1.7 million in wagers during a 40-day stretch that began at the end of 2005 and included college football bowl games and the Super Bowl. They said there were no bets on hockey games.

Tocchet did not speak during Friday's court hearing except to answer yes or no questions. When asked by his attorney, Kevin Marino, if he ever bet on professional hockey, Tocchet said "no."

Marino said Tocchet has not spoken with the NHL about how his guilty pleas will affect his coaching career.

Tocchet played in 1,144 regular-season games, scoring 440 goals and 952 points. He also appeared in 145 playoff games, with 52 goals and 112 points.

Yanks make $1M donation to Virginia Tech

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Thu, 24 May 2007 01:19:18 PDT

The New York Yankees made a $1 million contribution to the Virginia Tech "Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund" prior to playing the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

The fund is designed to cover expenses like grief counseling, memorials and other costs for the victims and their families. Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people in two campus buildings before committing suicide in a classroom on April 16.

The Yankees, who are also honoring the victims of the massacre by wearing the Virginia Tech logo on their caps, plan to play an exhibition game on or near the campus in 2008.

"The events that took place this spring in Virginia have deeply affected us all," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "But the Virginia Tech community has shown great spirit and resolve during this difficult time, and the New York Yankees are proud to join so many others in supporting the healing process."

AC Milan 2-1 Liverpool

noreply@blogger.com (Obi-Akpere) — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:13:06 PDT

By Phil McNulty

Inzaghi celebrated putting AC Milan in Athens

Pippo Inzaghi struck twice as AC Milan gained revenge for their 2005 Champions League final defeat against Liverpool with victory in Athens.

Inzaghi scored a freak opener in first-half injury time, unwittingly deflecting Andrea Pirlo's free-kick past a wrong-footed Pepe Reina.

Steven Gerrard missed a glorious chance to equalise before Inzaghi slid home a second eight minutes from time.

Dirk Kuyt pulled one back with a header with two minutes left but time ran out.

Liverpool, as expected, used Kuyt as a lone front man with captain Gerrard pushed into an advanced role.

And it was a ploy that worked well until Liverpool conceded unfortunately in the dying seconds of the first half.

Jermaine Pennant was also prominent as Liverpool posed the greater threat, forcing a fine save from Dida after Marek Jankulovski had conceded possession.

The much-touted Brazil star Kaka was a peripheral figure early on, but he brought a comfortable save from Liverpool keeper Reina with a 20-yard drive.

Alonso then came within inches of putting Liverpool ahead after 26 minutes, sending an angled drive just wide after more poor Milan defending.

But after controlling the game, Liverpool conceded needlessly in first-half injury time.

Alonso had committed several careless fouls, and he paid the price for another infringement on Kaka 20 yards out.

Pirlo's free-kick took a crucial deflection off Inzaghi that completely wrong-footed Reina.

Liverpool struggled to exert their superiority in the early stages of the second half and Benitez made a change after 58 minutes, sending on Harry Kewell for Bolo Zenden.

Gerrard had Liverpool's best chance on 62 minutes when he was sent clear by a dreadful pass by Rino Gattuso, but his finish was weak and Dida saved.

Time was running out for Liverpool and Benitez made a second change with 13 minutes left, sending on Peter Crouch for Javier Mascherano.

As Liverpool pushed forward, they were punished by a piece of brilliance by Kaka and a trademark ruthless finish from Inzaghi.

Kaka unlocked Liverpool with a glorious pass and Inzaghi rounded Reina before scoring from an angle.

Crouch then tested Dida with a 25-yard drive as Liverpool tried to mount an unlikely recovery.

Liverpool pulled one back with two minutes to go when Daniel Agger flicked on Pennant's corner and Kuyt headed home.

But this time there was no dramatic comeback and Milan celebrated wildly.

AC Milan: Dida, Oddo, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski (Kaladze 79), Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf (Favalli 90), Kaka, Inzaghi (Gilardino 88).
Subs Not Used: Kalac, Cafu, Serginho, Brocchi.

Booked: Gattuso, Jankulovski.

Goals: Inzaghi 45, 82.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan (Arbeloa 88), Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant, Alonso, Mascherano (Crouch 78), Zenden (Kewell 59), Gerrard, Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Hyypia, Gonzalez, Bellamy.

Booked: Mascherano, Carragher.

Goals: Kuyt 89.

Att: 74,000

Ref: Herbert Fandel (Germany).