SPANISH CUP 2009-2010 TUESDAY RESULTS: SURPRISE 4-0 DEFEAT BY REAL MADRID TO ALCORCON

Tyson Chandler Traded

The New Orleans Hornets have traded Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith. This could turn out to be a win win for both teams. I like Tyson Chandler as a player because he is a good rebounder and shot blocker who has some offensive skills. Oklahoma City already has Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook so they really don't need Chandler to score much. I like this move for New Orleans even more. New Orleans had gotten as far as they could with their current core. Chris Paul needs some help on the offensive end. The only weapon that he has is David West. Peja Stojakovic is having his worst season in 10 years. Joe S! mith is a solid veteran defender who can give you 15-20 minutes a game and hit the midrange jumper. Chris Wilcox has tremendous upside. I remember how explosive he was in college at the University of Maryland and in Seattle. Wilcox has not been getting much time since the Thunder moved from Seattle. Wilcox could easily be a 15 and 10 guy with his athletic ability. He has a much better offensive game than Tyson Chandler.

The Ryan Blunder

Ryan's unprecedented decision -- at least in the annals of American Women's World Cup history -- to change goalkeepers during a tournament for reasons unrelated to injuries or red cards, turned what had been a quiet buildup to the semifinal between the United States and Brazil into a day of questions and intrigue in Hangzhou.

Washington Freedom wins

The Washington Freedom won their opening game on the road last night with a 3-1 victory over the Long Island Rough Riders Women.

Fisher leaves after 6 games

Former Boston Renegades defender Caitlin Fisher who played six games for Sweden's Hammarby left the Swedish club after the first six matches to return to USA.

Why is Mitts playing?

The BC Fan was watching the updates of people who were watching webcasts of the Germany match (ah, the wonders of modern technology), and reports that the company line about solid defense was rather kind to Mitts, quelle surprise. The mystery is how not one, not two, but three generations of WNT coaches continue to play this semi-disaster area at the highest level. She must be a great practice player.

Bafana silence their critics

Bafana Bafana warmed the hearts of football lovers with an encouraging 3-0 win over Paraguay - ranked about 50 places above South Africa on the world rankings.
A volley from Surprise Moriri, a header from Benni McCarthy and a lobbed shot from Siphiwe Tshabalala were the highlights from a performance that's sure to silence many critics of the national team.
McCarthy re-wrote the record books by scoring his 30th goal for Bafana.

Isaacs wants Premiership and Golden Boot

Santos forward, Erwin Issacs, is confident of the club's league chances as the ABSA Premiership heads into the final straight. The People's Team is on 42 points, 5 behind log leaders Ajax Cape Town and Supersport. They face Chiefs in Durban tomorrow night.

Isaacs says new coach David Bright has made the difference for Santos this season. He says training twice a day has helped the team and his own game, especially at set pieces.

The prolific striker also has his sights on the golden boot award! this season. He's currently on 11 goals, three behind Swallows' James Chamanga. He says it was Bright who pushed him forward from the midfield to partner Eleazar Rogers (right) up front. Isaacs says it seems as though it's a goal soring competition between the two of them, as Rogers has found the net 9 times in the league this season.

Bafana injury update

Bafana Bafana this morning held a successful training session at the Pilditch Stadium, in Pretoria.

Captain Aaron Mokoena sat out training as a precaution and will be assessed on a day-to-day basis.

Bevan Fransman, who suffered concussion in the 4-1 win against Equatorial Guinea, trained, but remains under strict observation.

Tsepo Masilela trained, but is battling with a mild flu. Benson Mhlongo remains on treatment and is not part of this week's camp.

The team departs for Sierra Leone on Wednesday night.

Drive Headlines

Former Springbok wing, Chester Williams, says John Smit leaving the field in the first half on Saturday was the turning point for the Boks. The Boks slumped to a 19 - 8 defeat at the hands of the All Blacks and with that surrendered their world number one status. Smit was spear-tackled by Brad Thorn early in the match and subsequently had to leave the field with a groin injury. Williams says that had a negative effect on the Boks.

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Meanwhile, we've learnt that Smit will only be back for the home leg of the Tri-Nations. He's due back in the country quite soon where he'll start his rehabilitation process. Victor Matfield will take over as captain and Western Province hooker Schalk Brits has been flown in as cover.
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SK Walmers are looking to take hold of second spot on the Club Rugby League. The Greenpoint side got a close 16-13 win against Helderberg in Super League. SK coach Arni van Rooyen says he was not entirely happy wi! th his team performance. He says there are small things they have to work on but he is statisfied with the win. They are currently 6 points behind log leaders Maties, Van Rooyen says are hoping to maintain second spot.

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New Wimbledon champion Raphael Nadal has withdrawn from the Mercedes Cup with a knee injury. Nadal did up the injury in yesterday's epic final against Roger Federer and has been advised to take a few days off.
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Bafana Bafana will take on the Socceroos in London next month as a warm-up for their do or die African Nations cup tie with Nigeria on September 6th. SAFA CEO Raymond Hack says coach Joel Santana will take his strongest team to play Australia. The game will take place on August 16 at Loftus Road, which is home to Queens Park Rangers.
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Roman Feillu from team Agritubel has the overall lead after the third stage of the Tour de France. He takes the yellow jersey from Alejandro ! Velverde.

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The Hamilton win has ! again th rown the championship wide open, with 3 drivers sharing top spot, and as former Benneton F-1's Brian Sims told us, it has been a year that no team has really been a consistent front runner..

Bafana team annouced

Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana has named his squad to face Nigeria in their must African Nations Cup qualifier on 6 September.

The Squad:
Goalkeepers: Itumeleng (Kaizer Chiefs), Rowen Fernandez (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany)
Defenders: Matthew Booth (Krylya Sovetov, Russia), Bradley Carnell(Karlsruhe, Germany, Siboniso Gaxa, Mbulelo Mabizela (both Mamelodi Sundowns), Bongani Khumalo(SuperSport United), Bevan Fransman (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Innocent Mdledle (Orlando Pirates), Bryce Moon (Panathinaikos, Greece), Nasief Morris (Recreativo de Huelva, Spain)
Midfielders: Lance Davids (Djurgardens, Sweden), Kagiso Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows), Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Teko Modise. Lebogang Mothibantwa (Orlando Pirates), Surprise Moriri (Sundowns) Siyabonga Nkosi (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Siphiwe Tshabalala
(Chiefs), Lefa Tsutsulupa (Moroka Sw! allows).
Strikers: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers, England), Subusiso Zuma (Sundowns).

Cowan in trouble

The All Blacks have also found themselves involved in an alchohol related incident with one of their team members.

New Zealand halfback Jimmy Cowan has been convicted on two alcohol-related charges of disorderly behavior while All Blacks teammate Piri Weepu avoided conviction on an unrelated charge.
Cowan, 26, was convicted and discharged yesterday on one charge and fined 300 New Zealand dollars (US$200) on the other after his lawyer argued he had turned to alcohol to deal with "raging" personal issues.

Ajax moving up the table

Ajax Cape Town have got their title onslaught back on track. The Urban Warriors beat Bay United 3-1 yesterday. The win has now put Ajax into fourth spot.

The team went into the first half 1-0 up after Mabhuti Khanyeza netted the opener in the 11th minute. Captain Brett Evans doubled his side's lead at the start of the second half. Bay's George Ngangqu got a consolation goal but Mkhanyiseli Siwahla stamped Ajax's authority on the game when he got the third and final goal.



Next up for the Cape side is Bidvest Wits. The Clever Boys were thrashed 4-1 in this weekend's Johannesburg derby with Kaizer Chiefs. Wits are a point ahead of Ajax and will have a lot to prove when they travel to Athlone Stadium on Wednesday.

Triumph Santos got a much needed 2-0 win over Maritzburg United on Friday. The Natal side's woes continue as they are among the teams who have conceded the most goals so far.

High flyers Golden Arrows are still at the top of the table after their 1-1 draw with Bloemfontein Celtic. Orlando Pirates were 4-2 winners over Thanda Royal Zulu and Durban side Amazulu were beaten 2-0 by Supersport United.

Moroka Swallows faced Platinum Stars at the newly upgraded Orlando Stadium. There was much anticipation ahead of the game but both teams played to a tame 0-0 draw.

Hair today, gone tomorrow!

Maybe it's only me but Schalk Burger seemed a little quiet on the field against the Sharks. This made me think of the old bible story of Samson, who lost all his strength when his hair was cut…

Everybody would have got to see the former Blonde flank's new do this past weekend. He has opted for a more conventional look and decided to shave his head. A style he donned for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.



Burger was well known for his long ! locks and say his old hair style was becoming a bother on the golf course.

"We were playing golf and it was around 42 degrees in Stellenbosch and I said to the guys, jeez okes I am really hot and then I drove to a shop (barber) and cut it all off."



He also agrees that his opponents won't be able to pull his hair anymore, meanwhile, he says the shorter style could add some longevity to his playing career.

"It's looking very neat and ! makes me look younger and hopefully I can extend my rugby care! er by an other five years. "

Shabalala happy with Ajax's season

Ajax Cape Town midfielder Nhlanhla Shabalala said on Wednesday he did not agree with the critics who said his team's season was a disappointment.

The Urban Warriors had an excellent run in the first half of the season when they finished top of the log.

They went on to win the Telkom knockout against Orlando Pirates.

After this, wins did not come easy with the team losing key players to injury and suspension.

The Cape Side did not manage get within the top four before the end of the season as they only won four of their last 10 games.

Shabalala said under the current state of affairs he believed his team performed well.

Shabalala won the Most Improved player Award at the club's Annual Awards on Monday.

He was one of the team members who battled with injuries this year.

He said the fitness programme he was on was what really assisted in his recovery.

Economic downturn and F1 safety

In light of the economic crisis that has impacted global economies, thus impacting the economy of Formula One, the sport has to be very cautious that dramatic changes for 2009 and drastic proposals being considered does not impact safety. Most notably for 2009, Formula One is implementing a kinetic energy recovery system and dramatically reducing downforce. Now, the FIA and F1 teams are looking at more sweeping changes such as a ban on refueling and a further restriction of testing, in addition to the standardization of components ranging from engines to brakes. This technical upheaval amidst these global conditions is bringing up eery feelings of 1994.

What occurred in 1994? Formula One saw itself under threat by North American open-wheel series, CART or Championship Auto Racing Team (preceding governing body to Champcar). This is series closely affiliated with the Indianapolis 500. The series was growing in world wide popularity and was seen as a real contest be! tween drivers instead of the technological and spending competition between cars that was F1. 1993 was seen as the zenith of Formula One technology and drivers were scientist in race suits. Many claimed that F1 was so advanced and the cars were so easy to drive, any slouch could win provided he had the car.

In response, the FIA and Formula One enacted major changes for the 1994 season. Cars were stripped of many aids such as launch control, traction control, ABS, power brakes, fly-by-wire throttles and active suspension. Also, they more rigorously employed the safety car and re-instituted refueling.

During the 1994 pre-season, 3-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna remarked, "it's going to be a season with lots of accidents, and I'll risk saying we'll be lucky if something really serious doesn't happen. It was a great error to remove the electronics in the cars. The cars are very fast and difficult to drive;" and indeed the cars were difficult to drive. Formu! la One suffered a rash of testing and racing accidents: Jean A! lesi, JJ Lehto, Karl Wendlinger, and the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. In response to this situation, the FIA instituted further changes aimed at reducing downforce and horsepower to help ensure drivers safety; drivers were again skeptical. Martin Brundle commented, "if we are fundamentally changing the car to go to the next race with an unknown quantity it does not strike me as particularly safe." About a week and half later, Lotus driver Pedro Lamy was nearly killed in a crash testing the new modifications. All of these changes exposed the safety void that existed in Formula One as well as exposed the poor, rushed decision making.

Today similar conditions are brewing. There appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to implement new regulations in addition to the ones coming on-line for 2009 in an effort to deal with cost. There have been a number of proposals that give the impression that drastic action is needed if the sport is to remain competitive and viab! le. In 1994, the economy was not in great shape and the wide sweeping technical changes were in response to the perception that F1 was 'losing' the competition with CART so a swift response was needed. In 2008, the global economy is in crisis and the sport wants to slash costs but introduce new technology and regulations while competing with evermore diverging fan interests. And we see that F1 is trying to enact a swift response in an effort to remain sustainable.

Even though the times are tough, Formula One needs to be very prudent and not fall victim to the law of unintended consequences. Each time there has been a major overhaul of the sport there has been push back from the teams. This time there seems to be very little push back, so the additional reforms that are proposed might be implemented. I hope with the rush to cut costs that safety is not reduced due to teams not properly sorting their cars because they have budget caps or can not test car properly. ! Moreover, I hope safety is not reduced because one bad batch o! f standa rd parts effects 4 or 5 teams instead of 1 team resulting in accidents. To keep the sport sustainable and exciting will be much appreciated by F1 fans in the long run, but to do it at the expense of killing or maiming 2 or 3 drivers in the process is not the legacy the FIA and F1 need to be remembered by.

Alberto Aquilani: Medical Treatment At Liverpool Is Better Than Roma

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has given a stinging assessment of Roma's medical staff, accusing his former club of failing to meet his needs in the treatment room.

The Italian is on the verge of making his debut for Liverpool. He may feature in their next game, which is against Sunderland, after recovering from a long-term ankle injury.

"I changed many doctors at Roma and there was never any consistency in the treatment to cure me," Aquilani is quoted as saying in Il Corriere Dello Sport.

"I have noted a big difference here [at Liverpool]. From the first moment I was told I would not be rushed back into action to avoid further problems.

"Now I cannot wait to put all my physical problems behind me."

Aquilani joined Liverpool in the summer following Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid.

Liverpool Switch Would Not Guarantee First-Team Football - Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross

Stoke City centre-back Ryan Shawcross has been attracting interest from an elite of Premier League clubs but has publicly reiterated his interest in continuing to kit out for Tony Pulis' Potters, as he could not be guaranteed regular first-team football at a top-four club.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is reportedly an admirer of Shawcross' defensive nous, while Arsenal, Manchester United, Fulham, Everton, and West Ham United have also been linked with a move for the player.

The Sun quoted Shawcross as saying: "I am very happy here. If I moved to a big club like Liverpool, I might not play.

"So my aim is to stay at Stoke and we're talking about a new contract right now.

"I have two years left after this one and we are hoping to sort it out for longer."

The Manchester United-educated defender signed for Stoke in 2008, but interest in the 22-year-old escalated last! season when he proved an influential player in the Trent-based club's impressive ability not only to maintain their Premier League status, but also to achieve a mid-table finish.

Aquilani Wants To Be Anfield Ace

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has plans to become a Premier League ace after easing himself into English football by playing cards with his new team-mates.

After recovering from his long-term knee injury, Italy international Aquilani made his Liverpool debut this week in the Carling Cup defeat at Arsenal following a trip south that included his introduction to the tradition of the card school.

"He's tried to be involved, not only in the training sessions but off the pitch too," said forward Dirk Kuyt.

"He played cards with us before the Arsenal mat! ch and tried to pick up the language. He's learning very quickly for an Italian!"

Aquilani, the 25-year-old Italy international, showed glimpses of his potential during a 14-minute cameo and had a shout for a penalty turned down when his scissor-kick was blocked by Philippe Senderos' arm.

Kuyt, who was stand-in skipper for the evening, believes Aquilani will establish his own style at Anfield, rather than attempt to follow in the footsteps of Xabi Alonso following the Spain midfielder's departure in the summer to Real Madrid.

"Every player who comes to Liverpool is his own personality," Kuyt added.

"He has to do it by himself with the rest of us giving him all the support. We will help him on his way.

"We've known Alberto already for a while. This was his first game and I'm very happy for him that he made his debut for Liverpool and hopefully there is a lot more to see from him.

"He is a nice lad, on and off ! the pitch, and told us he couldn't wait to start. I'm glad for! him and us that he can finally play.

"He's desperate to play and wants to show England how good he is."

Aquilani could make another appearance in the trip to Fulham on Saturday when Rafael Benitez's men look to build on last weekend's win over Manchester United.

"We still go with a lot of confidence to Fulham because everyone knows this is a big week for the club and a few big games are coming up," Kuyt said.

"If we can win this game hopefully we will be back in it.

"We didn't win against Arsenal but that won't stop us being ready for the weekend and the games coming up. We believe if we win the next couple of games and go on a good run, you never know what will happen."

Liverpool's goalscorer at the Emirates Stadium, Emiliano Insua, echoed Kuyt's sentiments.

"Now we have to try and win at Fulham and then in the Champions League," he said.

"We had a big win against Manchester United and we have ! always had belief in ourselves. We have a very good team and we need to keep going."

Sexy Photo and Good Pose by Camilla

Cute with clothes model which sexy, stares at sharply towards camera. Its name Camilla, she is a senior model photo. Now she becomes mode consultant a magazine fashion.

Fast start for Keast

By Brett Lee

Gopher Dunes was in pristine condition for Round 1 of the Motovan.com Amateur National Qualifier Series and Ontario ATV Provincial Championships last weekend.

The Pro class produced some great racing as Joel Saarits, Kyle Snelgrove, Kyle Keast, Ryan Gauld and a host of top riders battled one of the toughest tracks in Ontario.

Machine Racing's Keast showed his off season training paid off with strong 1-1 moto finishes and the GP Pro overall win. Saarits rode well, finishing 2-3 for second overall, followed by Hully Gully Yamaha's Snelgrove in third with 6-2. All three riders served noticed that they will be serious threats in Provincial action come May.

Other weekend notables included Motovan.com/Jagg448-backed Kyle Stephens sweeping 125cc Junior, GP Junior and Supermini. Yamaha's Matt McGuinness went 1-1 in 125cc Intermediate action, Edge Performance Kawasaki's Richard Grey to! ok the checkers in the 60cc main event, Lockhart Odyssey KTM's Mitchell Godkin took home the first place trophy in the 50cc 7 to 8 class with perfect 1-1 moto scores and Yamaha rookie Greg Gee grabbed the overall in the intense ATV Pro action.

For complete results visit www.cmrcracing.com

Racing moves to Rodney Moto Valley in Rodney, ON this Sunday.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Women's series returns

From the Women's Challenge Cup

Women's motorcycle road racing in Canada returns in 2006 with support from Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals. The Women's Cup Challenge, a series unique in North America, is poised to bring the stars of women's road racing to the next level and introduce up and coming stars to the sport of road racing.

The Pro Honda Women's Cup Challenge has announced a seven-race schedule in Canada that will see the girls battle at four Parts Canada national rounds as well as three regional events in both Quebec with ASM and in Ontario with RACE. Expert and Novice ladies will vie for championship titles. The full 2006 series schedule can be found at www.womenscup.ca.

The 2005 season proved to be an outstanding success with 21 riders participating in the series and contesting both Novice and Expert Championships. Marie-! Josée Boucher took home the overall Expert Women's Championship and will defend her title in 2006 while Shawna Aron secured the number one plate for Expert Women's Open. Vanessa Gareau moves up to Expert after her overall Novice Women's Championship wins.

Honda Pro Oils and Chemicals has once again committed to be the title sponsor of the class. Pirelli Tires will provide spec tires for the series. Longtime racing supporter Parts Canada is offering some very enticing contingency to the participants. Other companies who continue to support the Women's Cup Challenge are Yamaha Motor Canada, Graphic Mart, Euro Moto, Hindle Exhaust, Orion Motorsports, RACE and ASM.

New for 2006, two Women's Cup Challenge race schools are being offered. The RACE school is being held on April 21 at Shannonville Motorsport Park near Belleville, ON while the ASM School will be held in St-Eustache, QC on May13. Interested riders should visit w! ww.womenscup.ca for details.

Insid e Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

This week in Reds Baseball- April 20th

- The Reds will wrap up their four game series with Houston tonight, if the Reds can get the victory they will win their second straight road series of the season after going 2-1 against the Brewers and currently sitting 2-1 against Houston.

- The Reds have four games against Division opponents this week. If they can do well against Chicago this week they should move themselves toward the top of the Division.

- The Reds are currently winning the series against Houston despite not scoring a single run against Hous! ton starting pitching. Offense has been the major issue this far with this club. Check out the starting lineup and how they are hitting.

C- Ramon Hernandez .188
1B- Joey Votto .349
2B- Brandon Phillips .176
SS- Alex Gonzalez .069
3B- Edwin Encarnacion .156
RF- Jay Bruce .176
CF- Willy Taveras .267
LF- Chris Dickerson .217

- One of the bright spots thus far has been the Reds bullpen. Arthur Rhodes and David Weathers have still yet to give up a run this season. Nick Massett and Francisco Cordero have also been very solid both at a 1.80 ERA this inning. Cordero is 4-4 on save opportunities. Jered Burton and Mike Lincoln have been terrible out of the bullpen so far but will hopefully turn it around.

-Micah Owings hasn't dazzled much yet on the mound but he has done it with the bat. The kid can hit, not like Ken Griffey Jr. hit, but an honest respectable bat in the lineup. His double put the Reds ahead on Sund! ay against Houston and Owings is leading the team in batting a! verage w ith .400 (but he has only had 5 AB)

NL Central Standings

1. Cubs 7-4
2. Cardinals 8-5 (-)
3. Reds 6-5 (1 GB)
4. Pirates 6-6 (1.5 GB)
5. Astros 4-8 (3.5 GB)
6. Brewers 4-8 (3.5 GB)

Monday Apr. 20 8:05PM at Houston
Tuesday Apr. 21 8:05PM at Chicago
Wednesday Apr. 22 8:05PM at Chicago
Thursday Apr. 23 2:20PM at Chicago
Friday Apr. 24 7:10PM Braves
Saturday Apr. 25 1:10PM Braves
Sunday Apr. 26 1:10PM Braves

Reds Statistical Leaders
AVG-.349 Votto
HOME RUNS-2 Votto
RBI-10 Votto
STEALS-3 Taveras
ERA-2.70 Harang
WINS-2 Volquez
STRIKEOUTS-17 Harang
SAVES-4 Cordero

Reds Trades

First off, I really don't like the deal that the Reds have made with Toronto. The Reds trade Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke, and Zach Stewart to the Blue Jays for Third Base veteran Scott Rolen. I like the acquisition of Rolen, and don't all together mind losing Encarnacion. But I HATE losing Roenicke, and Stewart was one of the Reds best prospect arms, with only two seasons in the minors. Rolen, a fourteen year veteran, has a lifetime .287 batting average and will step into this team as perhaps the second best hitter. I imagine that you will hear a lot about how he will be the good clubhouse guy and the veteran this team needs. But how long will it take him to get the respect from the clubhouse? I just don't like it. Why are dumping youth for veterans? Sure Edwin's contract was too big, but Rolen's is bigger. I hope that they prove me wrong.

Bearcats Roll, Pike Sidelined

Tony Pike suffered an injury to his left wrist/arm on Thursday nights victory at South Florida. The injury to his left arm is the same arm that Tony Pike broke last season. Pike will be visiting with a specialist today to determine the extent of the injury and what the recovery schedule could be. He has a plate and screws in his left arm that may have potentially shifted. After he broke his arm last season he was out for three weeks.
Pike has been no stranger to injury! . His senior year of High School Pike missed an extended period of time due to a separated shoulder. With his stock in the NFL Draft rising during his senior season I wonder how much this could affect his position on the draft. Early indications are that he will miss the Louisville game.
There is a little break in the schedule for the Bearcats with their next two games being Louisville and Syracuse. But the team will have a tough road to finish the season with UCONN, West Virginia, and Illinois all at home and the finale against the Pitt Panthers on December 5th. Currently sitting at 6-0 the Bearcats are in a position to contend for a big time bowl game and will need Pike to make the run.

EliteXC, WEC provide banner weekend for MMA

Every year around the last weekend in May or first week in June, the annual St. Paul's School alumni baseball game descends upon the hallowed grounds of Millville in rustic Concord, NH. And so tomorrow that's where the Sports Brief, both halves of it, will be at 2pm. Rich and I look forward to this event for 364 days a year, essentially right after the last one wraps up. We get there early for a stretch and catch, throw down a nip or two and show these spoiled little trust fund babies that we can still play ball. For the record, no one affiliated with the Sports Brief is a TFB.

Normally, we try and turn this into a weekend extravaganza, incorporating other festivities that we enjoy onto the itinerary in hopes of making it worth our time. Last year was the 5th year reunion, which I missed because I was working an internship with the Boston Red Sox and the game was delayed for over an hour by rain and they were playing the Yankees, which meant the game was four hour! s by default. This year we decided that a round of golf on Saturday would be necessary as would the standard pilgrimage on Sunday morning to the Red Apple. Amidst our rough hangovers, we rise around noon, strap on our buffet shoes and dive into the best Chinese buffet line in the upper New England area.

But this year we've added two more events that will truly make this weekend worth remembering. First and foremost is the EliteXC card promoted by Gary Shaw, headlined by Kimbo Slice and being shown on CBS. A truly landmark event in that it's the first time mixed martial arts is being shown on network television. I'm excited to see Kimbo continue his development from street brawler to MMA fighter against James Thompson, whose heavy hands shouldn't be discounted despite his glass jaw. Yet it continues to bother me that people are clamoring over the fact that Slice is fighting "another tomato can."

Let's set the record straight: Kimbo has three fights unde! r his belt and has only been training for a year and a half. T! he peopl e that argue he'd be defeated by any top tier heavyweight or that he has no right to be headlining this card are the same people who have joined the millions of others in watching his videos on YouTube. You are all the reason this man has risen in popularity and folklore. With another four or five fights and continued training with Bas Rutten and Randy Katami, I think matchups against these top tier heavyweights will be in line. But again, it's his popularity, the demand to see him compete, that is the reason for him headlining his card. It's not because his talent, ability and overall record warrant it.

The undercard itself is pretty impressive, as well. Robby Lawler and Scott Smith will put on the type of standup battle that makes MMA so exciting. While Lawler's tactical skill likens him to a boxer in the MMA game, he's aggressive, has great power and never turns down an opportunity to engage. Smith, meanwhile, just comes to fight and he's got great KO power as ! evidenced by his last win a few months ago over Kyle Noke. He's a former union iron worker who goes by the moniker "Hands of Steel." This should be riveting TV.

The female fight between Gina Carano and Kaitlyn Young should be interesting. Carano is much like Kimbo in that she's fairly inexperienced but she's shown great ability so far and her popularity comes from activities outside of being a sanctioned MMA competitor. Obviously I'm referring to her stellar work on NBC's "American Gladiators." Has anyone watched her on the joust? It's incredible how dominant she is. But the best part of watching her on AG is on the pyramid. She'll literally pull a woman off the pyramid, then either pull her into her guard or secure a mount and hold her there until time elapses. As an MMA fan, I can't help but smile. But her opponent, Young, is no slouch either, and her experience will prove to be a good test for Carano.

Then there's the enigmatic Phil Baroni, the self! -proclaimed "New York Bad Ass" who once petitioned himself to ! be "The F*cking Best Eva" after his brutal KO of Dave Menne for the UFC middleweight title. He's fighting Joey Villasenor, and while neither of these guys can claim to be in the upper echelon of mixed martial artists, they're exciting and TV friendly, much in the same way that Chris Leben continues to be tapped for televised PPV fights despite a so-so UFC record.

And finally we'll be treated to another heavyweight matchup that pits Brett Rogers, fresh off a KO of Thompson in their last fight, against Jon Murphy. You can question why a guy who got KTFO'd against Rogers would be Kimbo's opponent as a headliner. The answer is simple: Kimbo's the main draw here and Thompson is a better matchup for him in terms of continuing his development. Rogers is a more dangerous opponent, and if he'd lost to Thompson, he'd probably be fighting Kimbo in the headliner right now. Perhaps Kimbo, with a victory of course, can take on the winner of this fight in the Fall.

I'm slight! ly disappointed that Shaw didn't put a couple judo or jiu-jitsu artists on the main card, because submissions, rolls, sweeps and throws are a very exciting part of MMA. I understand why a wrestler wouldn't be televised, because lay-n-pray is never exciting to watch. But I would have appreciated Shaw giving the network audience a broader spectrum of the game, as well. Nonetheless, these standup battles should do well in terms of excitement, and ultimately, ratings.

But the best part of Saturday night's fights, however, is that it probably won't have the best fight of the weekend. That's right, everyone seems to be forgetting that CBS isn't the only fight card available for free on cable TV this weekend. So after the fights end and you're left wanting more, remind yourself that Versus has another WEC event scheduled for Sunday. And headlining that card is a featherweight matchup between the current Champion and rising star Urijah Faber and the first ever UFC lightw! eight champ Jens Pulver. "Lil' Evil" should prove to be a trem! endous t est for Faber and certainly a great measuring stick as to where he stands in this sport. Faber has been plowing through his competitors, rattling off 12 straight victories since his first and only loss to current UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin. The "California Kid" has his eyes set on a rematch with Griffin, but Pulver should be his only focus right now. The experience, heavy hands and tremendous heart possessed by the veteran could present problems, especially if Faber can't get Pulver to the ground and control him there. With a win, Faber will truly have arrived as one of the sports' elite. With a loss, it will only make the division more interesting with Pulver establishing himself as a force, and a champion, at that weight.

The rest of the card isn't as deep or talented as the CBS card on Saturday, but it's worth watching nonetheless. Miguel Torres defends his bantamweight title for the first time since defeating Chase Beebe. He takes on Yoshiro Maeda! . To the casual fan, this may not mean anything to you. But in layman's terms, we're talking about two guys with a combined 55-5-2 record. That's just plain filthy. And if you've ever watched a boxing match at this weight, you know these guys are in 5th gear for an entire fight. Torres displayed sick jiu-jitsu and ground skills in his win on Beebe, good enough in fact that I'm hoping he does it again. Whether you're a hardcore fan or giving MMA a shot, watching a guy like Torres on the ground can give anyone an appreciation for the skill.

Meanwhile, "Razor" Rob McCullough returns from his devastating KO loss to Jamie Varner in which he also lost his lightweight belt. McCullough takes on the guy to hand him his first professional defeat, Kenneth Alexander. While this has Rampage-Eastman 2 written all over it, it still provides an interesting storyline, especially with McCullough coming off that loss to Varner.

It should be an exciting weekend for fights! , and truly a banner moment for the sport of MMA. While the UF! C has ce rtainly helped the sport grow exponentially, it's repeated PPV telecasts and recent string of poor ratings on Spike haven't been the most productive and beneficial instances. This weekend should give serious exposure to the game and its fighters and provide a shot in the arm to MMA in general. And it will be a great way to cap off the weekend as Rich and I continue to hang onto the dream for one day out of the calendar year. This comes from a guy who tried to bunt for a base hit in the alumni game a few years back. You gotta do what you can to get on base and help the team. I'll post my picks below:

CBS on Saturday night

Kimbo Slice by KO in the 1st round
Robbie Lawler by (T)KO due to strikes in the 2nd round
Joey Villasenor by submission in the 3rd round
Gina Carano by decision
Brett Rogers by KO in the 2nd round

WEC on Sunday night

Urijah Faber by submission (rear! naked choke) in the 3rd round
Miguel Torres by submission in the 2nd round
Rob McCullough by KO in the 1st round
Chuck Grigsby by decision

-Besse

Which buzzer beater is better?

So today I got out of the shower and my brother told me I had just missed an interesting debate between Kornheiser and Wilbon on PTI. They were discussing Dwayne Wade's steal/buzzer beater play from the other night and whether that was more impressive and better than the Devin Harris shot from earlier this season. Apparently Kornheiser sided with Harris while Wilbon claimed Wade's was better because he stole the pass, ran down the court and lofted up a 3-pointer off of one foot while still on the run. At first I figured Wilbon was getting racial and only voting for Wade because he's black, but then I realized that Harris isn't exactly all white, so that theory wasn't exactly holding any water. But after thinking about it, I've gotta side with Kornheiser on this one. Harris' shot was better for a couple reasons. First and foremost, he was behind half court. If you had Harris and Wade take ten shots from half court and ten running shots from the three-point line, I'm pretty su! re they'd hit far more from the three-point line. Let's face, it's closer. Not only that, but Wade's shot was more or less uncontested. He didn't have anyone on him because he'd pretty much blown by both defenders after stealing the pass. Harris, meanwhile, had someone all over his grill. Which brings me to an even more salient point. Harris had the ball stripped from him, recovered the loose ball, then had the presence of mind and god given ability to still go up with it and get a shot off...and make it....from half court. Wilbon argued that Wade had to "make a play" before even getting a chance to take a shot. I'll argue that Harris did the same thing in recovering the ball after getting it stripped and still getting the shot off...and hitting it...from half court.

Anyways, I posted YouTube clips of each shot below. Take a look. Which one do you think is better?





-Bess

Jimmy the Greek's Week 5 NFL picks

Last week was a little rough for the Greek. But those will happen. What's important is having a nice bounceback week, and that's what will happen in Week 5. There seem to be a lot of cupcake games for some of the elite teams like the Giants, Vikings, Eagles, Steelers and Colts, but there are a lot of points flying around for the underdogs, as well. It's an interesting week of spreads, but the Greek has them all figured out for you...

Redskins (+3.5) over Panthers
This is a field goal game either way. Both teams suck equally, and the only reason the Panthers are giving up points is because they're at home. I actually think they win this game and get out of their funk. Actually, you know what? This is a trap game, please hold...

Panthers (-3.5) over Redskins
D'Angelo Williams is going to run wild today. You can count on it. The Redskins are awful and won't do a thing on offense. Expect this to ! be somewhat of a surprising blowout/breakout/turnaround game for the Panthers while Jim Zorn lines himself up to be the first head coach on the chopping block in 2009.

Cowboys (-8.5) over Chiefs
A nice rebound for Romo and the 'boys. The Chiefs are terrible, there's no other way around it. They can't run, and they only score garbage points at the end of games. I'm sure they will again today, but Dallas will have too big of a lead to forfeit the spread.

Steelers (-10.5) over Lions
I don't know if Stafford is playing or not, but even if he is, he won't be 100%. Which is scary considering he's still a ways from being good. Mendenhall is going to feast like he did last week.

Bengals (+8.5) over Ravens
You're classic lose but cover the spread game. If this was in Cincy, the spread wouldn't be so large and I'd be picking the Bengals to win outright. I actu! ally think they still could; they're playing with heavy hearts! after t he wife of an asst. coach died, and teams like that are always dangerous.

Browns (+5.5) over Bills
Browns will win outright. All signs point to it. The Bills can't pass the football, and their running game has disappeared the last couple weeks. Meanwhile, Derek Anderson has found a favorite target in Massaquoi. For some reason I just see them pulling it off.

Bucs (+13.5) over Eagles
Mcnabb will struggle just enough to keep Tampa Bay in it. I wouldn't be suprised if a late TD covers. Bill Simmons wrote about the possibility of what one of his readers called a "moral loss" the other day. That's what the Eagles will have. The opposite of a moral victory.

Vikings (-10.5) over Rams
I want to pick the Rams here as a classic letdown game for Favre and the Vikings after last week's Monday night thriller. But I can't. The game is in a dome, and I think their o! ffense, especially Adrian Peterson, will just light up the scoreboard.

Giants (-15.5) over Raiders
I'd pick the Giants even if David Carr was the quarterback. You can't make this spread big enough.

Falcons (+2.5) over 49ers
I like Mike Singletary and his team, but you can't give the Falcons offense two weeks to prepare for you. They have too many playmakers. It'll be a nice, balanced attack, and the defense will play well in a solid 17-13 victory.

Texans (+5.5) over Cardinals
High scoring game, but the Texans cover. The Cardinals secondary has been shaky, so look for the Texans passing offense to take advantage. Cardinals win though.

Pats (-3.5) over Broncos
I think we'll all be surprised with how easily the Pats win this game. I don't know why, it's just a feeling I have. One thing I do know is that the post! game handshake between Belicheck and McDaniels will be more of! a hug. For once, Bill still likes one of his former proteges.

Jags (+0.5) over Seahawks
Another high scoring game. Look for these two teams to have an absolute shootout. I think the Jaguars will have enough of an edge to steal this thing on the road, i.e. MJD3.

Colts (-4.5) over Titans
Peyton Manning will continue his dominance in the air and boost his argument for a 4th MVP.

Jets (-1.5) over Dolphins
I have nothing to say about this game. Perhaps one of the more boring MNF games in a while. Thank god Braylon Edwards got traded to NY. It's the only good storyline they have.

Last week: 5-9
Overall: 35-27

Note: I won't be able to have Tarrific Tara's picks in time for the 1pm games. But she doesn't watch them anyway, so I'll post them later.

-Greek

Hamburg 1-0 Bayern Munich

Hamburg reclaimed top spot in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, who slipped down to sixth in the table.

Mladen Petric scored the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute thanks to an assist from former Bayern winger Ze Roberto.

Hamburg were good value for their win, which ended Bayern's three-game winning streak at a sell-out HSV-Arena.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal included both Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in his starting XI for the first t! ime this season as part of seven alterations to the team which defeated Rot Weiss Oberhausen in the DFB-Pokal in midweek.

Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia had also left several first-team regulars out of his side in midweek as they were eliminated from the cup by third division opponents Osnabruck.

David Jarolim, Piotr Trochowski, Jerome Boateng and Eljero Elia were all back in his side.

Ribery and Robben combined for the first time in the 11th minute with the latter placing his shot just inches wide of the far post.

Robben was proving to be a handful for the home defence as Bayern set a high tempo early on.

But they were unable to find the back of the net and Hamburg grew in confidence the longer they were able to keep their guests at bay.

Their first chance arrived on the half-hour mark when Hans-Jorg Butt had to stretch to make a fingertip save to deny Boateng.

From the resulting corner, Joris Mathijsen tested Butt once again ! and the Bayern goalkeeper made another impressive stop.

Butt wa s the busier of the two goalkeepers and he had to make further stops from Mathijsen and Petric as the home side, buoyed by a supportive crowd, increased the pressure.

They were rewarded in the 72nd minute when Ze Roberto, who spent six years with Bayern, dribbled his way to the byline from where he crossed low to the far post to give Petric an easy tap-in for the winning goal.

Roma 2-0 CSKA Sofia

Roma ended a run of disappointing results with victory over CSKA Sofia to register their first points in Group E of the Europa League.

Claudio Ranieri got the result he was after from his Roma players.

The win was secured with two goals in three first-half minutes from Stefano Okaka Chuka and Simone Perrotta, giving the Giallorossi the victory Ranieri had demanded following succesive draws in Serie A and defeat to FC Basle in their first European outing.

It ! took Roma just a minute to get their first shot away, Alessio Cerci getting on the end of Okaka Chuka's cross but sending his shot sailing over the crossbar.

The home continued to get slightly the better of possession, twice forcing corners which, first John Arne Riise and then Simone Perrotta failed to capitalise on.

Okaka Chuka ended the stalemate after 20 minutes when he collected a pass from Marco Motta inside the area and fired beyond Ivan Karadzhov to put Roma in front.

That breakthrough opened the game up and it took just another three minutes for a second goal to follow.

Perrotta was the scorer this time, turning home David Pizarro's left-wing cross from six yards.

CSKA struggled to muster a response to the quickfire double and, with Roma content to protect the lead, another spell of consolidation followed.

Mirko Vucinic attempted to change that six minutes before half-time, moving into space on the right of the penalty box ! but screwing a pass from Pizarro wide.

Ivan Stoyanov wa! s also o ff target with a rare CSKA opportunity, skying from 20 yards.

With three minutes left before the interval, Okaka Chuka attempted an audacious third, but his overhead kick did not have enough power and was easily caught by Karadzhov.

Perrotta got the second period off to a promising beginning for the home side when played in Daniele de Rossi, who headed wide two minutes after the restart.

De Rossi tried his luck from long-range soon after but had no better luck.

The standard in the final third was by now rapidly diminishing, with Kosta Yanev failing to beat defender Nicolas Burdisso with his shot and Cerci shooting tamely for Roma.

The game descended into a series of fouls and free-kicks in the last quarter, interrupted only by Ivan Ivanov headed attempt five minutes from time.

Clark helps Blues book semis spot

Somerset's Airtel CL T20 campaign came to an abrupt end as they suffered a convincing six-wicket defeat at the hands of New South Wales in Hyderabad.

A ferocious batting display from Blues opener David Warner, who hit 40 from just 16 balls, helped the Australian state side ease past Somerset's uncompetitive 111 for seven with 49 balls to spare.

After being asked to bat first! Somerset's innings was wrecked by three Stuart Clark wickets and they had plummeted further until Zander de Bruyn (23) and Wes Durston's unbeaten 20 helped the county side at least pass the 100-run mark.

Warner then put the Somerset bowlers to the sword, smashing six fours and two sixes during his brief but entertaining innings, and ensure the Blues' place in the semi finals.

Somerset's batting frailties again came to the fore as they suffered another top-order collapse.
Clark, who took over after two tidy overs from Brett Lee with the new ball, removed Craig Kieswetter (13) and departing skipper Justin Langer (five) - who had announced before the Champions League that it would be his swansong with the Sabres - in his first over.

Clark struck again to remove James Hildreth (six), who promised much with an attractive boundary to get off the mark, in his second over.

Arul Suppiah (eight) was then run out and Peter Trego (three) perished while a! ttempting to heave Nathan Hauritz across the line to leave Somerset reeling at 44 for five inside 10 overs.

De Bruyn and Omari Banks (15) briefly arrested the fall of wickets with a 37-run stand for the sixth wicket but both batsmen were dismissed in the space of an over and Somerset were in real danger of failing to cross the three-figure mark.

Durston, who top-scored with a career-best 57 in Somerset's previous game against Trinidad and Tobago, bafflingly was demoted to number eight.

Yet, he drilled two boundaries and a six, the only one of the inning, to help Somerset pass the 100-run mark.

Warner got NSW off to a rollicking start in typically belligerent fashion and dominated an opening stand with Phil Hughes worth 56 off just 28 deliveries.

Warner started with two boundaries in three balls off Charl Willoughby and was particularly harsh on Banks, clubbing the first-change bowler for four and six in his first over.

He slammed Banks for a six and two boundaries off the first three deliveries in the spinner's second over, but Banks hit back to snare the batsman caught by Jos Buttler in the deep.

NSW's line-up then wobbled with Hughes (18) and Daniel Smith (20) falling in o! ne over from De Bruyn and Moises Henriques (eight) quickly after.

But NSW needed only 24 from 10.3 overs at that stage and captain Simon Katich chipped in with an unbeaten 18 to steer his team to victory.

Click here for SCORECARD

Chelsea 5 Blackburn Rovers 0

The Premier League football match between Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge on Saturday Oct 24, 2009.

Joe Cole was back –and back to his best – as Chelsea moved back to the top of the Premier League by destoying a weakened Blackburn Rovers side.

Cole made his first league start since January and showed no adverse effects from! the knee injury that had kept him out of action for so long.

The England midfielder was full of inventiveness, always looking to play in team-mates with his trademark tricks and flicks, and fitted smoothly into a well-oiled Chelsea machine that got back to winning ways in the league after their defeat at Aston Villa last week.

Gaël Givet opened the scoring with an own goal in the 19th minute when he beat Didier Drogba to Nicolas Anelka's low cross from the left and turned the ball past Paul Robinson.

The Blackburn keeper performed heroics, however to keep the score down to 1-0 at half-time, saving at the feet of Anelka, tipping away a John Terry volley and then pushing away a dipping shot from Drogba.

But Robinson could not perform like King Canute and hold back the Blues tide forever, and had little chance with any of the goals that put Chelsea 4-0 ahead within the hour.

Frank La! mpard drove the ball home from 12 yards twice in the space of ! 11 mi nutes, first after Drogba's low cross was only partially cleared in the 47th minute, and then from the penalty spot after the Ivory Coast striker was tripped by Ryan Nelson.

In between Lampard's goals, Michael Essien thundered the ball past Robinson from 35 yards with a sweriving shot to make it 3-0, and then Drogba added a fifth in the 63rd minute when he headed in Michael Ballack's corner at the near post.

It was exhibition stuff from Chelsea as they cruised to their biggest victory since they beat Sunderland 5-0 almost a year ago, and when Cole departed in the 77th minute, he got a standing ovation from Chelsea's supporters and a hug from his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Sale Sharks 28 Gloucester 23

The Guinness Premiership game between Sale Sharks and Gloucester at Edgeley Park on Friday Oct 30, 2009.

Mike Tindall's hopes of an international recall lasted only 16 minutes on Friday night before he became another casualty of England's injury-hit autumn.

Tindall pulled up clutching his left hamstring when chasing his own kick ahead to signal that he was still troubled by the injury he picked up a month ago.

Engl! and had released Tindall in a move to give the World Cup winner some match time to gauge his fitness for next Saturday's opening international against Australia at Twickenham.

However, the sight of Tindall slumped over the touchline advertising boards in dejection summed up his thoughts of playing for England next week.

Bryan Redpath, Gloucester's head coach, reported afterwards that Tindall had aggravated the injury though in a different part of the muscle. "He trained all week with England and looked great when he returned to us on Thursday. It's a great shame but, hopefully, it will not keep him out for too long," he said.

Tindall's departure came when the scores were tied at 3-3. Gloucester relied on a collective resolve which brought a losing bonus point via a late try from prop Greg Somerville.

Another low point, besides the injury to Tindall, was the dismissal of Charlie Sharples, the substitute fo! r Tindall, who was sent off for a dangerous tackle.

Sale, who were outscored by three tries to one, were guided by the goal kicking of Charlie Hodgson who kicked 23 points through seven penalty goals and a first-half conversion of a try by Lee Thomas.

A poor first half served up one outstanding moment when Dwayne Peel conjured the try for Thomas. He burst clear from a scrum and his inside flip pass made the gap for the centre.

Hodgson converted to go alongside his three penalty goals in a first half that finished with Sharples, who had replaced Tindall, sent off.

He was shown the red card after he had raced into Marika Vakacegu when the Sale wing was jumping to catch a restart following the third penalty goal by Hodgson.

Referee Wayne Barnes had to first shield Sharples from angered Sale players before deciding that the challenge was reckless.

Gloucester had just clawed their back into a match through a try in the left corner by Tom Voyce after a sharp br! eak by James Simpson-Daniel.

Sale led 16-8 at the break and needed two more penalty goals from Hodgson after the interval and Gloucester's Nicky Robinson followed up his first-half effort. Gloucester generated a terrific period of pressure midway through the second half which gained a try for lock Will James and Robinson kicked the conversion.

Sale had been forced to defend doggedly and needed the renewed impetus of Peel. The pressure brought reward through two further Hodgson penalty goals before Somerville struck for Gloucester.

Match details

Sale: N Macleod; B Cohen, L Thomas, A Tuilagi (J Kennedy 12, O Ripol 53), M Vakacegu; C Hodgson, D Peel; E Roberts, M Jones (M Schwalger 54), J Forster (G Kerr 54), D Schofield (capt), B Cockbain (J Gaskell 52), C Fearns, L Abraham (D Seymour 66), S Koyamaibole.
Try: Peel. Conversion: Hodgson. Penalty goal: Hodgson (7).
Glouc! ester: T Voyce; J Simpson-Daniel, M Tindall (C Sharples 16), T Molenaar, L Vainikolo; N Robinson, R Lawson; P Doran-Jones (P Capdevielle 63), S Lawson (D Dawiduik 76), G Somerville, W James (A Eustace 75), D Attwood, A Strokosch, A Hazell (A Qera 39), G Delve.
Try: Voyce, James, Somerville. Conversion: Robinson. Penalty goals: Robinson (2).
Sent off: Sharples 38.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Att: 7,222.

Brazil The Next 2014 FIFA World Cup Host

by Claudia Beckford

Brazil, the country that has won the FIFA World Cup a record of five different times has been selected by the FIFA executive committee to host the next World Cup in 2014. FIFA president Sepp Blatter stated last Monday that Brazil was a strong and a single candidate after Colombia pulled out of the running in April also that Brazil "supplies tens of thousands of football players to the world, the best football players."

It was also mentioned the fact that there was no further competition from additional South American nations, therefore, FIFA's decision to implement the rotation system that gave each continent a turn at hosting the World Cup laid on Brazil for this time.

The entire country is in extreme joy as it will be the first time for Brazil to host a World Cup since 1950; even the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travelled to Switzerland to the FIFA headquarters for the announcement. Swiss foreign ministr! y officials said the delegation, which had flown in from Brazil overnight, arrived in Zurich on Tuesday morning.

Despite the fact, Blatter had recently questioned Brazil's infrastructure and proposal plans, FIFA stated last week a stadium-inspection trip in August showed the country was completely capable of giving "an exceptional" tournament, and in the mean time, improvements to the infrastructure could be made. Additionally, Brazil has 10 of the world's largest soccer stadiums.

The Brazilian soccer confederation has revealed that the construction work needed for the tournament will cost approximately US$1.1 billion. Brazilian soccer player, Pele, acknowledged that Brazil faces a tough challenge, but they are confident that all the work will be completed in time. "Of course there is a lot of controversy about the real situation in Brazil," he said. "Many people ask me if Brazil is prepared to host the World Cup. If you go to Brazil now and look at th! e stadium, no one is able to play in a World Cup."

! "No doub t," Pele said. "In the seven years from now, Brazil will be prepared and in shape to have the World Cup."

On the other hand, Brazilian president Lula said "Soccer is not only a sport for us." "It's more than that: Soccer for us is a passion, a national passion." He promised Brazil "with great pride, he was to do its homework." And, he added, "if everything works out well, we will win once again a World Cup."

About the Author

Claudia Beckford provides outstanding and current content to sports enthusiast in the sports betting industry.

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Lazio - Samp : storia di una finale

di Rocco Fortunato

fonte:sampdorianews.net

L'altro giorno mi è stato chiesto di riprendere la rubrica sui precedenti storici della nostra Sampdoria da pubblicare prima di ogni partita ed io, da bravo amante delle statistiche e della storia blucerchiata in genere, ho accettato con piacere. Tuttavia, però, quello che mi appresto a scrivere ora e che voi state per leggere (a meno che non clicchiate sulla X che sta in a! lto a destra dei vostri schermi, nel caso sappiate che non mi ! offender ò), non è un puro articolo di giornale come quelli che, forse, avete avuto occasione di leggere in passato. Il seguente vuole essere la storia, vista da me, umile tifoso, dell'amara, ma allo stesso tempo da ricordare, finale di Roma contro la Lazio, persa ai rigori il 13 Maggio scorso.

Certo, come precedente di Lazio - Sampdoria avrei potuto scegliere qualcosa di più allegro o di meno recente, come la famosa partita dell'anno dello Scudetto con i tre biondi in campo, o anche come quel! la dell'anno dopo, la vittoria 2-1 con doppietta di Renato Buso quattro giorni prima di Wembley; ma da me, quasi ventunenne che dal vivo queste partite non le ha viste, sarebbero uscite solamente mere cronache fitte di dati e numeri. Per questo, stavolta, ho deciso di rompere gli schermi e raccontarvi quella finale vista coi miei occhi. Finale che ho scelto perché rappresenta in pieno ciò che io ritengo sia l'essenza della Sampdorianità con la S maiuscola.

E non è retorica, perché chi come me l'ha vista e vissuta sa cosa ha significato per noi Sampdoriani della mia generazione quel Lazio-Sampdoria giocato solo pochi mesi fa. Alla partita eravamo arrivati con gioia e aspettative, io una finale non l'avevo mai vissuta dal vivo; per me era già stato incredibile l'aver battuto l'Inter nella semifinale grazie ad un'altra impresa sull'asse Genova-Milano, e la felicità per il grande appuntamento raggiunto era pari solo alla tensione che accompagnava l'attesa. Ora ricordo quasi con divertimento i giorni pre-finale, caratterizzati da discussioni deliranti con gli amici su ogni tipo ipotesi per quella partita. Discussioni condite ognuna con un tipo di scaramanzia diversa, da ogni possibile accordo e scommessa (u! scì anche un "facciamoci biondi se vinciamo") e da possibili ed inutili acquisti prima della finale.

La frase ricorrente spesso citata era "È un segno", che seguiva praticamente ogni avvenimento accaduto dall'inizio di Maggio fino al giorno della grande finale. Giusto per fare un paio di esempi. Il nostro numerino al punto Lottomatica per la coda per il biglietti è il 17? "Bene! È un segno, il 17 è Palombo che la Coppa la dovrà alzare". LaSampdoria, prima di incontrare la Lazio, vince 5-0 contro la Reggina? "Ancora meglio! È un altro segno, noi Coppe Italia ne abbiamo vinte quattro e questa dovrà essere la quinta" e così via dicendo. Sono part! icolari assurdi da raccontare col senno di poi, ma non me ne v! ergogno. La scaramanzia è parte integrante della vita da tifoso e non sono certo il solo ad avere le sue cabale. Vi posso citare anche un altro avvenimento. Pochi giorni prima di Lazio - Samp guardai con una certa persona "La Leggenda del Pianista sull'Oceano". Niente di particolare, direte voi, se non fosse che a un certo punto del film viene citata la data del 13 Maggio (non sto scherzando, giuro, verificate se volete): nel gioco perverso dei segni e delle scaramanzie vi lascio immaginare come può aver galoppato la mia fantasia quel giorno. È totalmente irrazionale, sono il primo a dirlo, ma il tifo e la razionalità stanno su due piani completamente contrastanti.

Nel mio caso poi, la scaramanzia è uno dei modi con cui cerco di tranquillizzarmi, o anche divertirmi nell'attesa di una partita (per il sottoscritto sfiora la goliardia). È anche un'occasione per sentirsi più vicini alla squadra, simile magari al vedere una partita in TV indossando una maglia coi nostri colori: non serve assolutamente a nulla in realtà, i capi di vestiario non cambieranno affatto il risultato della partita, ma probabilmente ognuno di noi lo ha fatto almeno una volta nella propria vita. Perché? Non lo so, ma il tifo, come del resto l'amore, non è un qualcosa di razionale. E non fu razionale neppure la notte tra il 12 e il 13 Maggio, trascorsa sul letto ad ascoltare musica, soffermandomi spesso su "Uno Scudetto Nel Cuore" di Vittorio De Scalzi, che con la sua strofa "So! le di do mani dai non mi fare aspettare, uccidi questa notte che ormai non vuole farmi dormire. Domani io sarò là tra le bandiere blucerchiate, in mezzo a un mare di voci e di canzoni intonate, che mi faranno volare via, oltre i limiti dell'impossibile" era decisamente la più adatta al momento di una notte insonne aspettando qualcosa che non arrivava mai.

Del giorno 13 Maggio poi ricordo quasi tutto nei minimi particolari, dalla sveglia alle prime luci del mattino dopo sì e no un'ora di sonno, alla partenza e al viaggio in pullman per ore che sembravano interminabili. Ore di attesa che però furono, ammetto, più piacevoli rispetto a quelle dei giorni precedenti. Penso abbia contribuito il fatto di essere stato costantemente in compagnia ! ad avermi aiutato a trascorrere meglio ore, minuti, secondi, che sarebbero stati altrimenti invivibili. É lo stesso concetto per cui chi guarda la partita allo stadio soffre meno rispetto a chi, per vari motivi, è costretto a vederla in TV, o, peggio, sentirla per radio. L'unione fa la forza, ci si sostiene a vicenda. A casa sei da solo, allo stadio assolutamente no.

Nel caso di Roma in particolare, eravamo 20.000 cuori blucerchiati a battere all'unisono dopo più di 500 km di viaggio, 20.000 cuori blucerchiati che erano lì per lo stesso motivo e che quindi condividevano qualcosa: l'amore per una squadra, la propria squadra, l'Unione Calcio Sampdoria. Non c'era solitudine nella Curva Sud all'Olimpico quella sera. Affatto. Ma si soffrì comunque lo stesso. E tanto.

Arrivai allo stadio con non troppo anticipo rispetto all'inizio e mi posizionai coi miei amici in alcuni dei pochi posti liberi rimasti (posti è un eufemismo, sarebbe più corretto dire "mi posizionai in piedi sulle scale", ma non stiamo a sottilizzare). L'ambiente era qualcosa che ora mi risulta difficile descrivere a parole, solo chi l'ha vissuta può realmente capire cosa intendo. Era tutto speciale. I cori che si alzavano alti nella ser! ata di Roma, la stessa aria che si respirava, nella quale si sentiva perfino l'odore delle occasioni importanti, occasioni che tra l'altro per noi non capitavano da 15 anni. Prima ho anche parlato della coesione che si era formata in Curva Sud, coesione che si è vista (non grazie alla Rai, ma questa è un'altra storia) anche dalla splendida coreografia realizzata. Ancora una volta lì, tutti insieme, tutti a indossare la propria pettorina e a tenere alto il proprio foglio di carta (blu, nel mio caso). Tutti insieme sia chi visse i grandi appuntamenti a cavallo degli anni '80 e '90, sia chi, come il sottoscritto, viveva la sua prima finale.

A Roma io c'ero stato solo un'altra volta, a vedere un Roma - Samp la stagione precedente sotto Natale, ma i ricordi legati ai due, per me grandi, eventi restano comple! tamente diversi. Troppo diversi gli obiettivi e l'importanza d! elle due partite per essere paragonate, e proprio per questo, se mi chiedessero quale trasferta ricordo maggiormente a livello di calcio e di amore per la Samp, dico subito la partita contro la Lazio. La partita appunto. I ricordi sono impressi nella mia memoria, ma allo stesso tempo alcuni sono confusi. Tutti ricordi accomunati da noi tifosi. I nostri cori e le nostre urla forti e incessanti per incitare i ragazzi, ancora più forti e incessanti perfino dopo il gol in avvio di Zàrate, ancora più forti e incessanti anche dopo il brivido dello sfiorato raddoppio di Pandev proprio sotto la nostra Curva Sud ("Luca! Luca! Luca!"), ancora più forti e incessanti, fino a toccare il cielo con un dito, dopo la liberazione del pareggio diPazzini che ci fece impazzire di gioia. Una gran rete quella del Pazzo tra l'altro. La bellezza purtroppo la apprezzai solamente più tardi perché dalla mia posizione vidi tutto decisamente male (pensavo avesse segnato Stankevicius), ma mai come allora mi importò davvero poco della visuale che avevo del terreno di gioco. E credo con ogni probabilità che ogni Sampdoriano sia d'accordo con me.

Il resto della partita, dal secondo tempo fino ai supplementari, fu caratterizzato da un grande equilibrio. Entrambe le squadre avrebbero avuto l'occasione per fare un altro goal, ma di queste occasioni onestamente ho solo ricordi confusi, misti tra tensione e paura, e non mi sembra necessario fare una cronaca. I miei ricordi , ribadisco, hanno tutti come filo conduttore il nostro canto e i nostri incitamenti ma, soprattutto col passare del tempo, entrò in noi una costante sensazione di attesa, una sensazione che mano a mano che andavano avanti i minuti si estendeva sempre di più. Era dall'intervallo, quando il punteggio era ancora 1-1, che tra noi avanzava l'ipotesi di andare ai calci di rigore. Da lì, non bastarono altri 65 minuti per decretare un vincitore e alla fine ci andammo veramente. Era una lotteria, si sapeva, si poteva vincere come perdere. E poi alla fine si è perso noi.

Se però dei supplementari ho ricordi confusi, i rigori li ho ancora fissi nella mia mente. Il tiro di Cassano parato da Muslera che ci fece subito capire che forse non era serata, il palo di Rocchi che, ancora una volta, ci rimise in carreggiata, i rigori di Gastaldello eDelvecchio che ci fecero davvero sperare che invece fosse la serata giusta, i desideri legati a un possibile errore di un laziale che ci avrebbe fatto vincere; tutti pensieri a cui l'errore di Campagnaro avrebbe messo fine di lì a pochi minuti ! (di solito è chi gioca meglio in partita che sbaglia, per lui ! è stato proprio così). Lo ricordo bene il rigore di Hugo, con un ragazzo vicino a me a lanciare la propria bandiera 5-6 file sotto in segno di stizza subito dopo l'errore dell'argentino, seguito poi dal goal di Dabo che portò la Coppa Italia verso altri lidi.

Ma, d'impulso, non mi sentii di dare la colpa a nessuno dei nostri giocatori. Ce l'avevano messa tutta e da me, quella sera, arrivarono solo applausi perché ai miei occhi si erano battuti tutti quanti con cuore e grinta per più di due ore, per di più su un campo ostile. "Abbiamo perso, ma non vedo colpe nei miei undici eroi": questo era il mio pensiero quella sera, senza nessun "se Mazzarri avesse! cambiato", "seCastellazzi avesse parato", o altre cose simili che non mi avrebbero portato a nulla. Rileggendo quanto scritto finora, mi sto rendendo conto che il tono suona amaro ed il motivo è semplicemente individuabile: la partita è legata ad un ricordo amaro. Tuttavia, secondo me, era ed è giusto ricordarla, soprattutto per quanto accadde dopo l'assegnazione della Coppa ai romani, che è poi il vero motivo per cui ho scelto questa partita per il mio racconto.

Solo in 20.000 poterono vedere quanto accadde all'Olimpico e, sebbene su YouTube vi siano! alcuni filmati che mostrano cos'hanno, cos'abbiamo compiuto noi Sampdorianiquella notte, nulla potrà mai pareggiare l'averlo vissuto in prima persona. Penso che qualsiasi altra tifoseria, dopo una sconfitta del genere, si sarebbe lasciata prendere dallo sconforto e avrebbe semplicemente aspettato in silenzio che la lasciassero uscire dallo stadio, ma noi no. Eravamo delusi, certamente, ma orgogliosi di esserci stati ed averla vissuta. Un orgoglio blucerchiato quello che vidi agli albori del 14 Maggio, un orgoglio che spinse quelle 20.000 persone, che avevano viaggiato tanto per essere lì, a mettersi ancora a cantare alzando le sciarpe al vento sulle note di "Doria io t'amo", seguito dal grido "Siamo stupendi".

Il tutto dentro ad uno stadio con gli spalti completamente vuoti, sotto lo sguardo esterrefatto degli steward e dei pompieri rimasti, cantando solo per noi stessi, anche con una dose di ironia ("Rispettiamo solo i pompieri!"). Cantando per goderci ogni ultimo istante di quella finale che ci eravamo guadagnati. Cantando per dimostrare che noi c'eravamo stati e che se fossimo potuti tornare indietro nel tempo l'avremmo comunqu! e voluta rivivere anche sapendo già di perdere, perché quella,! comunqu e sia andata, fu un'esperienza indimenticabile, soprattutto perché vissuta con la Sampdorianità di cui avevo parlato all'inizio. Uno stile di vita, la Sampdorianità, insegnataci da un Uomo (U volutamente maiuscola) chiamato Paolo Mantovani, unUomo che ci lasciava proprio 16 anni fa in questi giorni, ma che da lassù sarà stato senz'altr! o orgoglioso dal comportamento dei suoi tifosi dopo il quattordicesimo rigore di Roma. E questo ai suoi occhi è sicuramente valso più di qualsiasi vittoria. Non mi sono mai sentito così Sampdoriano come quella notte.

Mexes titolare?

di Rocco Fortunato

fonte:sportal.it

Tira aria di Mexes, in Milan-Roma. Lui, Philippe il biondo, eterna promessa del calcio francese, portabandiera del gruppo di giocatori che de vono rilanciarsi. Juan sta male, viva Mexes: un posto accanto all'argentino Burdisso domenica sera al Meazza, in casa del Mi lan, e via i cattivi pensieri dell'ultimo mese.Orfano di Spalletti, l'allenato re che è riuscito ad ottenere il meglio dal tolosano testaccino, Mexes si è dissolto. Firmò a Sie na il primo successo del l'era­ Ranieri, riequilibrando la situazione dopo aver ballato il tango con Maccarone. Mexes danzò e Maccarone segnò. Il francese, simbolo di una difesa s! gangherata, la peggiore del campionato con 13 al gol passi vo,! è scivo lato in panchina. Brutto posto, per un calciatore. Ranieri non ha abbandonato Mexes al suo destino. Gli ha fat to capire che conta ancora su di lui, che è sempre un giocatore importante. Gliel'ha fatto capi re alla sua maniera, Ranieri: ur la, richiami, sollecitazioni con tinue durante gli allenamenti. Perché, come pensano tutti, è un peccato che un talento co me quello del francese debba perdersi nelle nebbie di una maturità ancora inespressa.Doni Mexes, ma poi anche Cas setti, e poi Taddei, e chissà che non ci scappi una maglia persi no per Menez: Totti non sta be ne, Vucinic non scoppia di salu te e allora ecco che il francese ha! qualche chance di giocare. La Roma si rimette oggi al lavo ro, con una doppia seduta. Dop­pio lavoro anche domani: alle namento mattutino per i tito lari, amichevole serale (20.30) con l'Anziolavi nio. L'orario insolito ha una spiegazione: Ranie ri vuole vedere come se la cava Doni con la luce dei riflettori. Per la maglia da portiere ballano in tre, per Milano: Doni, Artur e Lobont. Ra nieri ci penserà fino a domeni ca: scelta difficile.