Mariners Expect David Aardsma By April; Chris Ray Might Help Close Early in Year

Filed under: Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are hoping that they can get closer David Aardsma back by the middle of April.

Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said Thursday that Aardsma, who had hip surgery just after the new year, is on crutches and is likely to be there for a total of 8-10 weeks.

That would mean he wouldn't be ready to walk on his own until about the first of March, one-third of the way through spring training.

"He's doing a lot of therapy work," Griffin said. "And he is doing shoulder exercises. The doctors are saying that he should be ready the second week of the season."

That would mean that Aardsma would have about six weeks from the time he gets off the crutches until the time he's pitching in games. While he's out, setup man Brandon League, who was 6-for-12 in save chances when Aardsma was unavailable last season, will take over.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/mariners-expect-david-aardsma-by-april-chris-ray-might-help-clo/

Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers

Golf Point/Counterpoint: 2011 Season Observings

Filed under: PGA

FanHouse Golf Writer Mick Elliott runs through a point/counterpoint on the early weeks of the 2011 PGA season:

Fact: World No. 1 Lee Westwood (pictured) heads the field this week at Abu Dhabi, joined by Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy.

Observation: Not to be outdone, the PGA Tour's Bob Hope Classic, with its pro-am format, has Alice Cooper, Craig T. Nelson, Sterling Sharpe and a Rush Limbaugh listener.

Fact: Of the 26 rookies who made their season debut last week at Sony, only five survived the cut with the best finish belonging to Chris Kirk, a former Ben Hogan Award winner at Georgia (T30).

Observation: Do you wonder if the Bulldogs elected Kirk team captain?

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/golf-point-counterpoint-2011-season-observings/

Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge

N.B.A. Roundup: Polished Celtics Finish Strong Against the Lakers

Paul Pierce scored 32 points for the Celtics in their first meeting since the Lakers won Game 7 of last season?s finals.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/QcOrWuQI8Kg/31nba.html

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Strikeforce Diaz vs. Cyborg Results: Roger Gracie Beats Trevor Prangley

by Michael David SmithRoger Gracie may be the best submission grappler in the world, and now he has his biggest win to date in mixed martial arts, having submitted Trevor Prangley Saturday at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg.

Gracie sunk in a beautiful rear-naked choke that forced Prangley to tap out four minutes, 19 seconds into the first round.

"Everything happened as planned," Gracie said after the fight.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/29/strikeforce-diaz-vs-cyborg-results-roger-gracie-beats-trevor-p/

Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning

Don King: Boxing Could Learn a Lot from the UFC

by Michael David SmithThe UFC overtaking boxing as the No. 1 pay-per-view draw in sports over the last few years has led to a number of boxing promoters taking shots at the UFC. But the most famous promoter in boxing thinks thinks it's time to learn from the UFC.

In a live chat with FanHouse readers, Don King said that UFC has been smart about putting good fights on basic cable to attract fans who will become pay-per-view customers while boxing has declined on basic cable and completely disappeared from over-the-air television.

"Unfortunately the television networks are not broadcasting the fighters and that has been a major disappointment," King said. "Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta have done a great job with the UFC and people like what they do."

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/26/don-king-boxing-could-learn-a-lot-from-the-ufc/

Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Tiger woods

Diesel and Pinarello Team Up to Make World?s Ugliest Hipster-Bike

If you live in a relatively flat city, a single-speed bike is a fantastic idea. But if you live in any modern city, dropping $1,200 on aluminum-framed fashion-bike probably isn’t so smart.
The bike is a “collabo” between the clothing company Diesel and the bicycle company Pinarello. Somewhat ironically, given its lightweight steal-ability, it is called [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/01/diesel-and-pinarello-team-up-to-make-worlds-ugliest-hipster-bike/

Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis

Strikeforce Diaz vs. Cyborg Results: Roger Gracie Beats Trevor Prangley

by Michael David SmithRoger Gracie may be the best submission grappler in the world, and now he has his biggest win to date in mixed martial arts, having submitted Trevor Prangley Saturday at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg.

Gracie sunk in a beautiful rear-naked choke that forced Prangley to tap out four minutes, 19 seconds into the first round.

"Everything happened as planned," Gracie said after the fight.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/29/strikeforce-diaz-vs-cyborg-results-roger-gracie-beats-trevor-p/

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

TUF 13 media day: Lesnar says critics have no business ripping his credentials as a coach

Brock Lesnar has landed in Las Vegas and had plenty to say on Day 2 of taping for Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter." The former UFC heavyweight champion jumped at the opportunity to fire back at critics who said he's too inexperienced in mixed martial arts to be a coach on the promotion's reality show.

"I was the UFC heavyweight champion. What other qualifications do you need? You guys can sit there and discredit me, but in my mind, I’ve got just as many fights as Junior," Lesnar (5-2) said. "I’ve got a great coaching staff [Marty Morgan, Erik Paulson, Greg Nelson and Rodrigo 'Comprido' Medeiros], guys that have been coaching top fighters and wrestlers."

When Dana White announced the selection of Lesnar as a Season 13 coach, one critic asked him about the integrity of the show with such a "green" fighter serving as a one of the coaches.

"I've been competing my whole life. I've got a great coaching staff," Lesnar said. "I think we’re well capable of coaching underqualified guys to become the next Ultimate Fighter. I've got faith in my people. These guys made me a champion. Why can’t we make these young, eager kids successful? I think we can."

Lesnar left pro wrestling to pursue a career in mixed martial arts in 2007. By 2009, he was the heavyweight champ for the world's biggest MMA promotion.    

"I think they see and look at me and the short amount of time that I've been in the sport," Lesnar said. "I've got a lot of things to teach them. I'm a human sponge. Since I got into the sport, I've tried to evolve. We’re going to train the guys exactly how I would train for my training camps. That’s our goal."

The six-week stay in Las Vegas also serves as a chance for Lesnar to train and work on his own game. He said it didn't hurt that the UFC and Spike stepped up with "the benjamins" to change his mind about the stint on the show.

Lesnar is coaching against Junior dos Santos. The two heavyweights will fight at the end of the season, with the winner getting a shot at UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. Velasquez is currently on the shelf recovering from shoulder surgery.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/TUF-13-media-day-Lesnar-says-critics-have-no-bu?urn=mma-312697

Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er 

UFC finding out that Vegas is losing its steam as 'the fight capital'

All is good in the world of fighting when it comes to Las Vegas. At least for the next few weeks. Beyond the mega-card at UFC 126, Sin City has turned into a tough place to hold a fight. If the timing isn't right and the card isn't stacked, Vegas fight fans seem to be staying home in larger numbers.

UFC 126 features Anderson Silva-Vitor Belfort, Jon Jones-Ryan Bader and Forrest Griffin-Rich Franklin on top of the card. It's also on Super Bowl weekend. So it comes as no surprise that the card is nearly sold out and the UFC is working on adding closed-circuit viewing.

It's an amazing turnaround from UFC 125. The New Year's Day card headlined by the Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard fight had an announced attendance of 12,874, but MMAjunkie points out that 5,896 of those tickets were free. With the momentum UFC has going in markets around the U.S. and the world, to hear numbers reminiscent of 2005, it must've been startling for some readers, but it wasn't to Las Vegas media and residents.

Three excellent boxing cards in November and December all failed to eclipse the 5,000 mark in attendance. Vegas has become a fickle city and because of the economy, the residents don't have the extra income they did four years ago.

Yahoo!'s Kevin Iole says it's probably not going to get any better for fight promoters in the near future in Las Vegas. He suggests it may be time to bail on the city unless the fight card is an absolute slam dunk. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-finding-out-that-Vegas-is-losing-its-steam-a?urn=mma-310279

Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er  Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao 

Sports Briefing | Golf: Victorious Casey Ends Barren Run on European Tour

RIFFA, Bahrain (Reuters) - World number nine Paul Casey claimed his first European Tour title since 2009 by winning the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions event Sunday.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/qZO64wXtRwk/sports-us-golf-european.html

Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie

Goal: Thousands Locked Out of Asian Cup Final

If the Asian Cup was the first chance for Qatar to show it is ready to host a major international soccer tournament, the best conclusion to draw might be that it is a good thing the 2022 World Cup is a decade away.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/yTPFaE27rr0/

Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin

UFC Fight for the Troops 2: Matt Mitrione KOs Tim Hague

by Michael David SmithMatt Mitrione needed only a couple minutes to whoop Tim Hague at the UFC Fight for the Troops 2, keeping the fight standing and using powerful punches to beat on Hague, then pounding him some more on the floor before the referee stepped in at the 2:59 mark to stop the fight, handing Mitrione a first-round technical knockout.

"I'm here to fight," Mitrione said afterward. "I'm here to get a piece of gold."

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/22/ufc-fight-for-the-troops-2-matt-mitrione-kos-tim-hague/

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

Straight Sets: Men's Finals Preview: Murray vs. Djokovic

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, friends since junior days, face off in the men's singles final of the Australian Open on Sunday.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/_UDkUCRn1NY/

Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good

Miami Heat Squeak by Pistons With Controversial No-Call

Filed under: Heat, Pistons

The Miami Heat secured just their second victory in their last seven games with an 88-87 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. With the Heat continuing to battle injuries with Chris Bosh still ailing and Dwyane Wade a surprising late scratch due to a right wrist sprain, Mike Miller and LeBron James couldn't get through the game without suffering an assortment of injuries themselves. Once again, the team continued to struggle to find any sort of offensive flow for much of the game while the Pistons held their own while being led by a resurgent Tracy McGrady who paced the team with a near triple-double of 14 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back after their disappointing loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday night, the Heat managed to outlast the Pistons by the slimmest of margins though the victory was hardly convincing. Nevertheless, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sounded grateful just to escape with the hard-fought win.

"This was a mental toughness game where we certainly did not get into a consistent rhythm and that's a credit to the Pistons," he said. "But we had to find a way to grind it out, we were in another close game, and I think we were much better tonight in those late game situations than we were last night."

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/miami-heat-detroit-pistons-recap-dwyane-wade-injury-lebron-james/

Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo 

Mike Holmgren Knows What It Means to Win in Green Bay

Filed under: Packers, Steelers

CLEVELAND -- There is no other city in the country with a team like the Green Bay Packers, and there is no other city with a relationship with its team like Green Bay.

Mike Holmgren understood, but he really understood deeply when he worked as Packers coach from 1992-98.

"It hits you from the first step when you get off the airplane," Holmgren said this week from Cleveland, where he is now president of the Cleveland Browns. "You drive down Lombardi Avenue to the facility. You see the pictures of Bart Starr and Jerry Kramer and Paul Hornung.

"If you know football at all, and I like football ... I was kind of a historian ... you can't help it but feel it. You just can't help it."

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/mike-holmgren-knows-what-it-means-to-win-in-green-bay/

Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi

The New York Cosmos Hire Eric Cantona as Ambitious MLS Bid Takes Flight

Filed under: MLS, Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders FC, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Members of the New York Cosmos' office staff -- the only people currently employed by the soccer club without a team -- began arriving at their Manhattan headquarters at 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Selling a product that doesn't exist is mighty hard work.

By that time, the British media already was in a lather over the late-night announcement that the company/logo had hired former Manchester United forward, Nike pitchman, occasional actor and dime-store philosopher Eric Cantona as director of soccer.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/the-new-york-cosmos-hire-eric-cantona-as-ambitious-mls-bid-takes/

Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman 

Paul Robinson Bouldering In Switzerland (video)

Paul Robinson tore it up in Fall 2010 on the granite boulders of Switzerland, ticking off multiple problems in the 8B and above range, including a couple 8Cs (one, a first ascent). (BD) sent ace lensman Bernardo Gimenez up to … Continue reading →

Source: http://www.prana.com/blog/2011/01/22/paul-robinson-bouldering-in-switzerland-video/

Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin 

Rashad Evans turns to The Force to train for his bout with 'Shogun'

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has plenty of weapons to use against Rashad Evans, so "Suga" had to get creative when training for their March title bout. He had to turn to Jedi powers.

With his own Yoda, Greg Jackson, looking on, the padawan hones his mind-control skills. Jedi Knight will pay off, as the ability to sense danger, control minds and drain life force could come in handy against Shogun. Now, if only light sabers were allowed in the Octagon...

Thanks to Cage Potato for the heads up.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Rashad-Evans-turns-to-The-Force-to-train-for-his?urn=mma-312255

Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie

UFC Sues Justin.tv, Says 50,000 People Viewed UFC 121 Illegally

by Michael David SmithThe UFC is using its status as the industry leader in pay-per-view television to also become the leader in cracking down on companies that allow people to watch pay-per-view events online, without paying.

Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, announced Friday that it filed a lawsuit against Justin.tv, for what it calls "Justin.tv's repeated and ongoing failure to meaningfully address the rampant and illegal uploading of video of live Pay-Per-View UFC events by members and users of the Justin.tv website.

Justin.tv (which did not immediately respond to a request for comment) calls itself "the easiest way to create live video and show anyone in the world." The site says that it respects copyright law and bans users who violate it.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/21/ufc-sues-justin-tv-says-50-000-people-viewed-ufc-121-illegally/

Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet

Bob Hope Classic Power Rankings

Filed under: PGA

The PGA returns to the mainland and begins its West Coast Swing with the Bob Hope Classic. This tournament features a long list of celebrities playing alongside the professionals, and the setup reflects that. It's no coincidence that the four courses used in this event ranked in the top-seven easiest in 2010.

Expect one of the lowest scoring weeks of the year as players take on La Quinta Country Club, SilverRock Resort, PGA West's Nicklaus Course and PGA West's Palmer Course over five rounds. Only the top 70 and ties will play in Sunday's final round, which is the same round David Duval fired a 59 to win by a stroke in 1999.

Here's who we see contending on Sunday:

1. Matt Kuchar -- Last year's money winner has found his place on Tour and seems extremely confident right now. Kuchar, pictured, is one of only two players to record a top-10 finish in each of the first two weeks. In the final round of the Sony Open, he looked as relaxed as anyone and likely would have caught Mark Wilson had he not averaged nearly two putts per GIR.

2. Bubba Watson -- The long-hitting lefty didn't break 70 in the first tournament of the year but still managed a top-25 finish. One of his four top-3 finishes a year ago came at this tournament. His second-round 62 was the lowest of week. With a win under his belt now, maybe he'll be able to close out the tournament if he finds himself the fourth-round leader again this weekend.

3. Bill Haas -- Last year's winner shot only one round higher than a 66 en route to his first career victory. Haas began this season with a 8th place finish at the Tournament of Champions, where he carded two bogey-free rounds and tied for 7th in driving accuracy. The 28-year-old hasn't finished outside of the top 30 since September.

4. Charley Hoffman -- The 2007 Bob Hope winner welcomes a shootout. Seventh last year in birdie average, Hoffman carded nine over a span of 13 holes during his third round in the opener two weeks ago. He's also a long hitter with a personality that seems to fit a celebrity event.

5. Brendon de Jonge -- Now in his fourth full season on tour, de Jonge is a likely candidate to pick up his first win in 2011. He tied for 6th last year with seven top 10s, which included three top 3s. There's no questioning his ability to score as he led the Tour in total birdies in 2010.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/bob-hope-classic-power-rankings-low-scores-galore/

Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney 

Barry emotionally wins unanimous decision at Fight for the Troops 2

Pat Barry leg kicked his way to a unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 over Joey Beltran at Fight for the Troops 2 in Texas on Saturday night.

Beltran controlled Barry throughout the round using the clinch, and even landed a few shots to the groin before the two were separated and Barry was given time to recover. Beltran stayed close enough to keep Barry from throwing many damaging kicks, which clearly frustrated Barry.

In the second round, Beltran started with a series of punches and completed a takedown, but also absorbed several punishing leg kicks from Barry. By the end of the round, Beltran was limping, but still ended the round with a flurry of strikes and knees. 

Beltran continued to use the clinch in the third round, battering Barry's face for the beginning of the round, but Barry didn't let Beltran stick around too long. He continued to use leg kicks, and at one point, pushed off Beltran's face to throw a kick. He inadvertently poked Beltran in the eye, stopping the fight for the doctor to come in.

When the bout was re-started, Barry found a second wind, landing kick after kick on Beltran's already wary leg. Beltran tried for a takedown to avoid the kicks, but Barry used his position on the ground to hammerfist Beltran's tenderized leg. Barry returned to his feet and landed several more kicks as the final horn sounded. Beltran collapsed to the ground, his leg clearly in pain. 

Barry was emotional after the fight, speaking of his father, a solider who died 25 years ago. Several of Barry's family members served in the military, giving his bout at Ft. Hood extra meaning. He said that he was surprised that Beltran contnued to come forward.

"That dude is a zombie. I hit him in the face 300 times, and he kept coming forward," Barry said of Beltran.

This win was Barry's first time back in the Octagon since breaking his hand and foot in a loss to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Beltran has now suffered his second loss in a row, after dropping a unanimous decision to Matt Mitrione at UFC 119.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Barry-emotionally-wins-unanimous-decision-at-Fig?urn=mma-311118

Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté 

A Suspension Strains the Knicks? Lineup

Shawne Williams was suspended one game for throwing a punch in an altercation in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. In the same game, Amar?e Stoudemire was injured.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/Ar0s5nVfB4w/30knicks.html

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida 

Martin Kaymer Grows Lead to Five Strokes at Abu Dhabi Championship

Filed under: European Tour

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Defending champion Martin Kaymer extended his lead at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship to five strokes over Rory McIlroy after shooting a 6-under 66 in the third round on Saturday.

Kaymer, the 2010 PGA Championship winner, birdied three of his last four holes to total 18-under 198 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

"The great thing is I've made only one bogey so far, and that was the first day," Kaymer said. "I played very consistently. I've made a lot of birdies the last three days."

McIlroy finished birdie-eagle for a 65 to move into second place.

David Lynn of England (67) is at 204, two strokes ahead of Race to Dubai leader Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (71) and Alexander Noren of Sweden (67).

U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell struggled with putting and finished with a 71. Paul Casey of England (67) made a hole-in-one at the 12th.

Four-time major winner Phil Mickelson was 3 under at the turn, only to make four bogeys on the back nine. He shot a 72 and trails the leader by 15 strokes. Top-ranked Lee Westwood had a 73 and is tied for 65th.

Kaymer beat McIlroy by two shots in last year's tournament, and the Northern Irishman is aware he faces a challenge on Sunday.

"Kaymer is very, very good on this golf course," McIlroy said. "He's always good when leading from the front as well, so I'm going to have a difficult time to try and catch him."

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/22/martin-kaymer-grows-lead-at-abu-dhabi/

Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

?Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva? Prelims Air on HDNet on Feb. 12

Preliminary bouts from "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" on February 12 will air live on HDNet at 8pm ET, marking the first time Strikeforce prelims have been televised.

Topping the prelims is a bout between lightweight prospects John Cholish and The Ultimate Fighter 12's Marc Stevens.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/17409/strikeforce-fedor-vs-silva-prelims-air-on-hdnet-on-feb-12/

Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge

Houston Dynamo to Move East in MLS Realignment

Filed under: FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Major League Soccer's love of conferences will be tested in 2011 by a balanced 34-game schedule, which makes the separate standings pointless, and the addition of two clubs in the Pacific Northwest.

It addressed the second problem on Friday, announcing that the Houston Dynamo will shift to the Eastern Conference after five years in the West.

Each conference will have nine clubs, thanks to the arrival of the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The league's reasoning? Houston was the eastern-most club in the Western Conference. Done and dusted.

The move splits the Dynamo with in-state rival FC Dallas (mostly to the north, but slightly to the west), but it won't affect the number of times they'll play each other this season.

Houston's Eastern sojourn may be short. With Montreal entering the league in 2012, MLS will be forced to have one conference with 10 teams and another with nine. Houston easily could return next year, or wait until the 20th club (MLS is targeting New York City), joins the league. At that point, conferences will matter because the schedule will be unbalanced.

Either way, the Dynamo likely won't be spending too much time in the East, and they may not mind. Although the new conference offers shorter flights, it hasn't been as kind on the field. Houston has earned just 1.357 points per game against Eastern foes over the course of its five regular seasons, compared to 1.646 points per game vs. Western teams.

Follow Brian Straus on Twitter Follow FH Soccer on Twitter

The most recent existing team to switch conferences was Sporting Kansas City, which moved east in 2005.

The problem created by the balanced schedule, unfortunately, remains one that fans will have to live with in 2011. MLS has committed to determining its playoff participants based on conference standings, in part to avoid the embarrassment of seeing a Western team win the Eastern title for a third straight year.

That means the sixth place team in one conference might stay home this fall while the fifth place club in the other moves on, even if it boasts a better record playing the exact same schedule.

It's unfortunate, but it should be temporary. Unless MLS finds a way to add a 13th month to the calendar, it will return to an unbalanced schedule in 2012. At that point, conference standings will be meaningful once again.

Here's the new MLS alignment:

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
Chicago Fire	Chivas USA
Columbus Crew	Colorado Rapids
D.C. United	FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo	Los Angeles Galaxy
Sporting Kansas City	Portland Timbers
New England Revolution	Real Salt Lake
New York Red Bulls	San Jose Earthquakes
Philadelphia Union	Seattle Sounders
Toronto FC	Vancouver Whitecaps

Follow Brian Straus on Twitter Follow FH Soccer on Twitter

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/houston-dynamo-to-move-east-in-mls-realignment/

Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry David Bielkheden

Wiman manhandles Miller at Fight for the Troops 2

Matt Wiman brings it every fight and it paid off tonight at Fight for the Troops 2. He went hard from start to finish and overwhelmed Cole Miller. Wiman took a unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27, in the first televised fight at Fight for the Troops 2 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tx.

Wiman said he was extremely nervous before the fight. Those nerves served him well. He fought like he was on the verge of losing his job. He's now won three straight and is a very solid 6-3 with the promotion.

Miller, an excellent submission artist, tried to stand and bang with Wiman early on, but the pace was too much. Wiman was smart in his striking approach. He refused to stay on the outside against the rangy 6-foot-1 Miller. Wiman covered up on the way in and bullied Miller.

On the ground, Miller posed zero threat from his back. Wiman made sure to stay active and never got lazy when he was in Miller's guard. With a win, Miller was likely going to face WEC transfer Donald Cerrone. That's probably off for now. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Wiman-manhandles-Miller-at-Fight-for-the-Troops-?urn=mma-311116

Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin 

Charley Rosen: NBA's Most Over/Underrated

Filed under: Bobcats, Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Kings, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Spurs, Suns, Thunder

Overrated

LeBron James heads the list because despite his gargantuan numbers he still has to prove that he's not a quitter (remember the concluding two games of last season's Celtics-Cavs series?) and not a loser. Moreover, although he's become celebrated for running down and blocking breakaways, his posture is still too upright for him to play adequate defense against quick-footed opponents.

Vince Carter also habitually posts gaudy numbers but has been a choker throughout his career.

Dwight Howard is a good defensive helper, but only when a savvy offense hasn't sucked him out of position. At the same time, he's unable to adequately defend opposing big men who can turn-face-and-go. Plus, instead of elevating his own performance he'd rather whine in public about his teammates' shortcomings.

Kenyon Martin has a big mouth and a small game.

Danilo Gallinari is a streaky shooter with a questionable handle and slow-footed defense. If he played anywhere else but New York he'd never be touted as a future superstar.

Stephen Jackson can't differentiate between a shot and a bad shot.

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/charley-rosen-nbas-most-over-underrated/

Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman

Rays Switching to AstroTurf Surface at Tropicana Field

Filed under: Rays, MLB Biz, Sports Business and Media

The Tampa Bay Rays are installing a new playing surface at their home ballpark, Tropicana Field, in time for the 2011 season.

The Rays have played on synthetic turf since their inaugural season in 1998, but on Opening Day this year they will be playing on AstroTurf 3D60H GameDay Grass.

"The AstroTurf fiber and in-fill systems contain the very latest technology and will provide our players the best playing surface available," said Rays president Matt Silverman in a statement.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/rays-switching-to-astroturf-surface-at-tropicana-field/

Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté  Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer

Marta Returns to WPS, Signs with Expansion Club in Western New York

Filed under: WPS

She is, without question, the best women's soccer player in the world -- a five-time FIFA award winner whose stunning skill would impress even Andy Gray and Richard Keys.

Her talents have translated to Women's Professional Soccer, where she led her clubs to first place in each of the league's two seasons while scoring 29 goals.

But she's also been the kiss of death. Worth a reported $500,000 per year, the Brazilian's contract has weighed heavily on clubs struggling to survive in a sport that still hasn't turned the corner. Marta's first team, the Los Angeles Sol, folded one year ago after L.A. Galaxy owner Anschutz Entertainment Group pulled out and a prospective replacement failed to deliver. WPS's marquee franchise was history.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/marta-returns-to-wps-signs-with-expansion-club-in-western-new-y/

Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

Tracy Morgan Brings TNT Pregame Show to Halt With 'Salute' to Sarah Palin

Filed under: NBA Media Watch, NBA Videos

Someone said something shocking on a TNT NBA studio show Thursday night. No shock there, not with Charles Barkley as one of the analysts.

Except, the stunning statement didn't happen in a studio, but rather on the floor of Madison Square Garden. And it wasn't said by Barkley, but by comedian Tracy Morgan, who made the startling declaration that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was attractive.

Really, really attractive.

Here's the set-up: Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson were conducting business at MSG in advance of the Miami Heat-New York Knicks game, which TNT televised. The trio were discussing the pending NBA All-Star Game and Thursday's announcement of the Eastern and Western Conference starters, when Morgan, who stars in the NBC sitcom "30 Rock" happened by their makeshift set.

Barkley and Smith asked Morgan whom he thought merited inclusion on the All-Star roster. Then Morgan was asked to choose between Palin and Tina Fey, who created "30 Rock," and has impersonated Palin on "SNL."

That's when Morgan said that Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee was "good masturbation material." It may have marked one of the few times that the normally loquacious Barkley has ever been speechless.

TNT, however, recovered quickly, issuing a statement from spokesman Jeff Pomeroy that read: "It's unfortunate Mr. Morgan showed a lack of judgment on our air with his inappropriate comments."

 

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/tracy-morgan-brings-tnt-pregame-show-to-halt-with-salute-to-sa/

Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark 

Fresh, Rested Tiger Woods Aims for Comeback at Torrey Pines

Filed under: PGA

SAN DIEGO -- Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 2011 Tiger Woods Show. Kick back. Settle in. For one reason or another, this should be interesting.

Just more than a year after the most damaging and costly car-hits-fire-hydrant collision in motor vehicle history, Woods arrived Wednesday at Torrey Pines, site of this week's PGA stop -- the Farmers Insurance Open -- ready to begin the task of distancing himself from a lost season.

Not only did the game's most famous player go winless in 2010, the first shutout in his 15-season career, he also lost a carefully crafted image, a marriage, and, according to many, the aura of invincibility that he wore like armor.

After a record 281 consecutive weeks as the world's No. 1 ranked player, he now trails England's Lee Westwood and Germany's Martin Kaymer. In an effort to revive his sagging game, Woods undertook the fourth retooling of his swing, teaming with teaching pro Sean Foley in August and working feverishly during the off-season.

Now, it's time to start competing all over again. But will it all come back, or has the magic been lost?

"Well, I think in order to play this game at a high level, it helps to have a clear mind," Woods said Wednesday. "I've played at the high levels before in the past without a clear mind, but it helps to be consistent. It helps having your life in balance.

"Certainly my life is much more balanced than it was in the past. That is exciting for me. I think it's exciting for my kids, and we're really looking forward to it."

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Elliott: Farmers Insurance Open Preview | Point/Counterpoint
More: Farmers Open Tee Times | Latest golf Photos

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/fresh-rested-tiger-woods-aims-for-comeback-at-torrey-pines/

Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie

Mark Wilson Survives Marathon Day to Win Sony Open

Filed under: PGA

HONOLULU (AP) -- Mark Wilson made it through a 36-hole marathon Sunday without a bogey and held on for a two-shot victory in the Sony Open that will take him to the Masters for the first time.

Wilson shot a 5-under 65 in the morning to take a one-shot lead into the afternoon round. He stretched his lead to four shots at the turn, then had to hang on when Tim Clark and Steve Marino made late runs on different sides of Waialae.

Clark, who started the final round five shots behind, birdied three of his last four holes. He narrowly missed an eagle putt on the ninth hole and settled for a 64. Then came Marino with two late birdies and one incredible shot that at least gave him hope.

Two shots behind on the par-5 18th, with his feet in the bunker and his ball about chest-high on the side of a hill, Marino blasted a fairway metal from 234 yards away that landed on the front of the green and rolled 40 feet away. His eagle putt narrowly missed, giving him a 68.

Wilson made one last birdie he didn't need, giving him a 67 for his third career victory.

"It was nice to go right to the tee and not have to think about it," Wilson said of having only a few minutes before the third and fourth rounds. "I'm thankful it's over now."

Wilson, who finished at 16-under 264, played his final 40 holes without a bogey. That proved significant at a couple of points in the final round. He got into trouble on the eighth hole and was 150 yards out in the fairway playing his third shot, sure to lose some of his two-shot lead. But he stuffed it to 7 feet for par, then birdied the ninth to expand his lead to four.

Even bigger was his par on the 17th, even though Wilson didn't realize it.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/16/mark-wilson-takes-sony-open-by-two-shots/

Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto

Fight for the Troops 2 weigh-in: Mitrione and Hague get to know each other

All the UFC fighters on the Fight for the Troops 2 card are ready to go, but it looked like Matt Mitrione and Tim Hague were ready to thrown down on the stage during the weigh-in Ft. Hood in Killeen, Tx. (video).

After weighing in at a combined 516 pounds, the big boys got nose-to-nose (18:15 mark).

Mitrone, who generally fights around 253, was at a UFC career-high 260 while Hague was slimmer than normal at 256.5.

It was also worth keeping an eye on the condition of the fighters in the other heavyweight bout.

Joey Beltran, a blown up light heavyweight, looked doughy as usual. He's survived fighting at 230 with a little extra meat around his midsection, but his opponent Pat Barry has shown that if he blows up too much it can hurt his cause.

Barry weighed a UFC career-high 248 before his loss at UFC 115 to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. He was between 233-237 during his first three UFC fights. Today, he weighed in at a more manageable 240. 

The main event fighters, Evan Dunham and Melvin Guillard both arrived on weight as did the remaining 18 fighters.

Mike Guymon and DaMarques Johnson produced one of the goofiest weigh-in staredowns in the history of fighting, as both fighters smiled for the camera (9:10 mark).

Yves Edwards was also in a relaxed mood. He made weight while eating potato chips on the scale and was even nice enough to offer Cody McKenzie a few chips (10:45 mark). 

Let's not leave out the Octagon girls. Those camouflage numbers were pretty nice. 

MAIN CARD

Evan Dunham (156) vs. Melvin Guillard (155)
Tim Hague (256.5) vs. Matt Mitrione (260)
Mark Hominick (145.5) vs. George Roop (145)
Pat Barry (240) vs. Joey Beltran (230)
Cole Miller (155.5) vs. Matt Wiman (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Yves Edwards (155) vs. Cody McKenzie (155)
Mike Guymon (170.5) vs. DaMarques Johnson (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Mike Brown (146) vs. Rani Yahya (145)
Willamy Freire (155) vs. Waylon Lowe (156)
Amilcar Alves (171) vs. Charlie Brenneman (171)
Chris Cariaso (135) vs. Will Campuzano (135)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fight-for-the-Troops-2-weigh-in-Mitrione-and-Ha?urn=mma-310908

Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman 

Marty Hurney Says Panthers' Not Throwing in Towel on QB Jimmy Clausen

Filed under: Panthers, NFC South

Marty Hurney, the Carolina Panthers' general manager, told The Charlotte Observer the team's No. 1 priority is to get the quarterback situation fixed. That's not a revelation, but then Hurney indicated Jimmy Clausen is not going to be easily cast aside as a bust. He still might be the organization's quarterback of the future.

It also seems to say that Carolina is not going to chase Blaine Gabbert of Missouri or Ryan Mallett as Arkansas as the team's franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Clausen had a dreadful season in 2010. He was 1-9 as a starter and had trouble with accuracy and taking care of the blitzes. The quarterback has to be responsible for the extra rusher at times and Clausen did not deal with that well.

He was a rookie and needs time. Clausen was thrown into the starter's role because Matt Moore was not playing well and then Moore was injured.

"That's the No.1 need," Hurney told the Observer about the quarterback position in Carolina. "I think we have good players. It all starts with solidifying that spot. That's something that everybody in the league would agree with.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/marty-hurney-says-panthers-not-throwing-in-towel-on-qb-jimmy-cl/

Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo  Jeff Big Frog Curran

UFC, Spike TV Reach New Deal to Show Preliminary Fights

by Michael David SmithThe one-hour preliminary shows before UFC pay-per-views are returning to Spike TV in 2011.

Although the UFC's first pay-per-view of 2011 saw its preliminary card appear on Ion TV, whose demographics are not a good fit with the UFC, Spike has now announced that it has re-upped with the UFC to show 12 prelims, which represents almost all of them for the rest of the year.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/24/ufc-spike-tv-reach-new-deal-to-show-preliminary-fights/

Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

Defendant in Jersey Shore murder trial says he killed British tourist in self-defense

MAYS LANDING, N.J. - In an unconventional opening statement in Superior Court on Wednesday, a Cape May County man serving as his own lawyer admitted that he killed a British tourist who tried to intervene on his behalf during an alleged "gang-style" fight in Margate in 2007.

Source: http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=114703964&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20110127_Defendant_in_Jersey_Shore_murder_trial_says_he_killed_British_tourist_in_self-defense.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

Yankees' Offseason Has Been Heavy on Talk, Light in Substance

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

Note: Brian Cashman took exception to the use of the word "backtracks" in this column, and I told him it was probably a poor choice of words in order to get off a one-liner. Cashman insisted he has not "backtracked" this winter but has often had to explain himself (usually as a function of the way modern media, in an era of immediacy, often lends itself to misinterpretation, misquoting or incompletness).

Cashman said he was misinterpreted on the Pettitte story -- the article was eventually taken down from the website -- that he was honest about being overruled on Soriano and that some outlets misquoted his Jeter/outfield remarks, forcing him to clarify his stance. I stand by my main point: Cashman's repeated appearance in somewhat controversial stories -- even if not his fault -- have partially covered up a Yankees offseason that hasn't gone as hoped, but that doesn't mean he is looking to leave New York. -- Ed Price

When the Yankees move Derek Jeter to center field, they have to hope he backtracks as well as Brian Cashman has this winter.

Three times in the past few weeks, Cashman has had to come up with ways to explain away some quotes.

The Yankees general manager said the New York Daily News misquoted him when it reported he said Andy Pettitte would not be able to pitch when the 2011 season opens but could come back midseason.

He declared he wouldn't sign reliever Rafael Soriano as a setup man because it would cost the Yankees their first-round draft pick. Once the Yankees did indeed sign Soriano, Cashman made it known that he was overruled by ownership.

He was then quoted, at a fan function, as saying that he didn't expect Jeter to last at shortstop for the entirety of his four-year contract extension, with a move to the outfield as the next step. Cashman played the "out of context" card on that one.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/yankees-offseason-has-been-heavy-on-talk-light-in-substance/

Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić