Mike Langy: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

On Basketball: UConn Hits March With 29 Wins, but Only 8 Players

The Huskies began the season wondering if they could go undefeated. Now, for the first time in years, they will enter the N.C.A.A. tournament as an uncertainty.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/gXxJYm_uwPg/01uconn.html

Dean Amasinger Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen Alex Andrade Jermaine Andrè

At Deadline, Rangers Are Unable to Fill Sudden Need

The valuable backup goaltender Martin Biron sustained a fractured collarbone during practice, less than three hours before the deadline.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/2gMxJsH2UVE/01trades.html

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Fallout From Tragic Car Accident Lingers as Charlie Davies Returns to D.C.

WASHINGTON -- The siren from a passing emergency vehicle could be heard as D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper introduced Charlie Davies to the media at RFK Stadium on Wednesday, the sort of blare that surrounded the striker as he lay critically injured after a single-car accident not far from here in October 2009.

Not that Davies recalls much about that tragic night that left a fellow passenger dead and derailed his soccer career.

"The only thing I remember was getting in the car, eventually putting on my seat belt and waking up in the hospital," Davies said. "I didn't know how I got there. The only thing I could do was panic. I started taking the staples out of my stomach until a nurse ran over and stopped me."

Davies broke curfew to meet up with Maria Espinoza and Ashley Roberta, college friends from the University of Maryland that Davies met on a prior trip to the Washington area. The three were headed back to the hotel where the U.S. national team was staying in advance of a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, when Espinoza lost control of her Infiniti SUV on the George Washington Parkway in Arlington, Va.

The high-speed wreck split the vehicle in half, killing Roberta instantly. Davies suffered multiple injuries, including bleeding on the brain, a ruptured bladder, breaks to his femur, tibia and elbow and several facial fractures. Espinoza, who was not seriously injured, eventually pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. She isn't scheduled to be sentenced until March 23, but was ordered to court next week after federal probation officials issued an order that alleged she had violated terms of her pretrial release by consuming alcohol.

"I think it's a good thing I don't remember too much from the accident," Davies said. "That's maybe why I'm not too emotional about the whole thing."

Davies, in fact, wasn't hesitant about visiting the site of the crash a couple months afterward with U.S. teammate Oguchi Onyewu, who's from Washington.

"He wanted to see his father who was having back surgery in the same hospital I was in," Davies said. "He said, 'Do you want to come?' I said I wanted to. He asked if I wanted to go down the GW Parkway. I said, 'Yeah, I do.' He drove down and showed me. As weird as it sounds, it was interesting to see all of it again from a different perspective. I felt so thankful for my life. I felt relieved."

Those around Davies said the near-death experience and the months of grueling rehab changed the 24-year-old Boston College product.

"This experience has made him mature," Nina Stavris, Davies' fiancée, told FanHouse. "He's a better person now. He's more compassionate. He's more sensitive. The (crash) has had an impact on him, but in a good way."

Not unusual for somebody attempting to come back from such serious injuries, there were setbacks.

"There was time in rehab when a shard (of his femur) would puncture his muscle every time he tried to do something," said Stavris, whom Davies credited as being vital to his comeback effort. "He never knew if that would go away. It's totally rounded off now and doesn't affect him anymore."

Then there was the emotional torment of being left off the U.S. roster for last summer's World Cup.

"That was the first big low point," said Lyle Yorks, Davies' agent and a former D.C. United player. "Emotionally, that was very difficult for him for about a 24-hour period. Then it was on to having the best season he could with (his French club) Sochaux."

Davies, however, languished as a reserve at Sochaux, and Yorks began to explore Davies' options stateside. After weeks of negotiations, United acquired Davies on a one-season loan.

Even though he will be only a few miles away from the Alexandria, Va., courtroom where Espinoza will be sentenced next month, Davies has declined to participate in person. He had the option to give a victim impact statement in court, but his lawyer, Jon Pels, told FanHouse that Davies has opted to instead submit a written statement. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, declined to comment on Davies' decision not to participate more in the penalty phase of the case.

"We just made the decision that it was best to focus on soccer," Davies said. "I want to leave that to the (U.S.) Attorney and the lawyers. My focus now is getting back to where I was and help (D.C. United) win games."

As Davies moves on, Espinoza faces as many as 13 years in prison and the Roberta family -- some members of which were still nearly inconsolable during Espinoza's plea hearing in November -- still haven't fully come to terms with the loss of a daughter and a sister.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/02/16/fallout-from-tragic-car-accident-lingers-as-charlie-davies-retur/

Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto

Leading Off: Talkin? Baseball and the Knicks

The death of Duke Snider and the rebirth of the Knicks spurred memories of New York?s golden eras.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/ANIJYsMAKSw/01leading.html

Luke Cummo Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan

Angels Pitching Coach Mike Butcher Says He's Cancer Free

Filed under: Angels

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher said Friday that he is cancer free. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer six weeks ago.

Butcher, who has participating in limited coaching duties so far this spring, had his thyroid gland and 14 lymph nodes removed on Feb. 10.

He said that a decision on his treatment would be made next month and that he was told he would not need chemotherapy.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/02/25/angels-pitching-coach-mike-butcher-says-hes-cancer-free/

Mikey Burnett Murilo Bustamante Grant Campbell Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane

Michael Patterson Rip Clip

Michael Patterson's Rip Clip makes us pretty sure we'll be seeing more video research of this rare Washington beast.

Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/shad-lambert/2011/02/26/michael-patterson-rip-clip/

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Ignite High Top Stripe Beanie ? Orange Mix

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Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen Chris Dolman Edson Drago Tomasz Drwal

Nearing Technical Foul Suspension, Dwight Howard Rallying Magic

Filed under: Magic, Thunder

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Magic center Dwight Howard received his 15th technical foul of the season Friday night, leaving him one shy of an automatic suspension, a cloud that now will hang over the final 23 games of the regular season.

But he also will be scary at playoff time.

Howard leads the NBA in technical fouls -- and at least one one-game suspension looks inevitable -- but he also made it clear that the Magic could be a real wild-card team when the playoffs begin.

Despite the Magic's struggles with consistency all season, Howard's growing dominance and recent willingness to hold his teammates accountable, still makes them dangerous for any opponent -- even if no one thinks they are a serious contender anymore.

"We don't care what anything says or thinks about us,'' Howard said after another Herculean effort Friday. "We know we can beat any team in the league.''

The Magic throttled short-handed Oklahoma City, 111-88, again riding Howard, who had 40 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots, a trifecta that no one else in the NBA has matched since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999.

The Magic (37-22) are resting in the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, having already beaten the Celtics, Heat, Lakers and Spurs, while losing to the Raptors, Pistons and Kings.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/26/nearing-technical-foul-suspension-dwight-howard-rallying-magic/

Michael Jordan Patriots Giants Superbowl

Nearing Technical Foul Suspension, Dwight Howard Rallying Magic

Filed under: Magic, Thunder

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/26/nearing-technical-foul-suspension-dwight-howard-rallying-magic/

Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson

Straight Sets: First Lady Teams With U.S.T.A. on Obesity

The first lady, Michelle Obama, is teaming up with tennis's first couple, Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, in a partnership between the United States Tennis Association and Obama's "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/3ufC11kQJto/

Steve The Snake Claveau Rich No Love Clementi Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper

'Rampage' now wants Hamill: 'I'm gonna knock him into tomorrow'

All it takes is a little trash talk or perceived disrespect to get the juices flowing for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Over the weekend on Twitter @rampage4real, the former UFC champ sounded disappointed that he was booked to fight Matt Hamill at UFC 130 in May.

Hamill is filling in for Thiago Silva. Initially there were rumors the fill-in would be Rashad Evans. That fight never came to fruition, so Hamill it is.

Jackson's manager Anthony McGann told Yahoo! Sports' that Hamill's been running his mouth and it's lit a fire under Rampage.

"We found out that Matt Hamill actually requested to fight Rampage. His camp pushed hard for it turning down other possible opponents. When Quinton found this out, his opinion rapidly changed on Matt Hamill," McGann said. "Matt's strategically aiming at Quinton with the words if he takes out the ex-champ then he's in the mix for a shot. Those are brave words considering Rampage just beat (Lyoto) Machida. So the fight is set for May 28, Rampage doesn't take lightly to being called out."

Jackson said bring it on.

"He wants me? Well, he can have me," Jackson told Yahoo! Sports. "I'm gonna knock him into tomorrow."

McGann also wanted to clear the air about what happened when Jackson was offered UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on short notice.

"We were signed to fight Thiago Silva on May 28 in Las Vegas. He had some problems and we were told straight away," McGann said. "Around the same time Rashad (Evans) got injured and we were offered Shogun on short notice."

Rumors had it that Jackson was walking around in the 250-pound neighborhood in .

"Quinton wanted the fight but he was too heavy and there wasn't enough time. Both Thiago and Shogun, are guys that will get into a fight with Quinton, something his last two opponents haven't. (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva gave (Jon) 'Bones' Jones the opportunity (to fight Rua), as he was good with the short time and we waited for our opponent."

McGann explained that the Hamill offer caught Team Rampage off guard.

"We were given Hamill on the May show and initially Quinton was disappointed. Matt just wasn't one of the guys he has been focusing on. He really wants Rashad again or Stephen Bonnar because both guys are disrespectful to him," McGann said. "He respects Matt as a tough opponent and he believes that Matt is someone who will put on a show which is what he loves to do. He just had never paid him no mind until Joe Silva offered him."

Silva was forced off the card because some of his drug test samples, from his win at UFC 125 over Brandon Vera, were in question.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-Rampage-now-wants-Hamill-I-m-gonna-knock-him?urn=mma-321363

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

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/

Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza

Sunday, February 27, 2011

UFC 127: Sotiropoulos in line for lightweight title shot

George Sotiropoulos is one of the hottest names in the world at 155 pounds, but he's not waiting around for his UFC title shot. Frankly, he can't. There'd be no paychecks and who knows what the future holds.

Seconds after Sotiropoulos beat Joe Lauzon at UFC 123 in Detroit, he was asking for a quick turnaround so he could fight 13 weeks later in his homeland of Australia. UFC champ Frank Edgar will defend the title again against Gray Maynard at UFC 130 in May. Anthony Pettis is next in line for the winner. He fights Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in June. Sotiropoulos may be waiting a while and that's only if he can avodi the upset against Denis Siver this weekend.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole joined us to talk about Sotiropoulos' mindset and just where he sits in the UFC's 155-pound pecking order.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-127-Sotiropoulos-in-line-for-lightweight-ti?urn=mma-324357

Alexander Gustafsson Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi Daniel Acacio

Off the Dribble: Overlooked Gems of the Trade Deadline

Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams were among the bigger names to change teams just prior to Thursday's trade deadline, but a number of smaller deals also produced notable returns.

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

Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber

Bats: Salt River Fields, the New Spring Sensation

The new spring home of the Diamondbacks and the Rockies gets glowing reviews on its first day.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/IR0AhdqImBc/

Ryo Piranha Chonan Dan The Sandman Christison Logan The Pink Pounder Clark Steve The Snake Claveau Rich No Love Clementi

UFC 127 post-fight news: Bonuses, Bisping and Fitch

UFC president Dana White wasn't at the UFC 127 post-fight press conference, but the main players from the fights were.

-- The UFC awarded $75,000 bonuses to its top UFC 127 performers: Brian Ebersole and Chris Lytle won Fight of the Night, Kyle Noke won Submission of the Night for his quick choke of Chris Camozzi and Mark Hunt won Knockout of the Night for his nonchalant KO of Chris Tuchsherer. The UFC also announced that Aussie James Te Huna donated his fight purse to Queensland Flood relief.

-- After Bisping erupted after beating Jorge Rivera, White told him to keep his cool. Bisping then commented on a report that Rivera's camp believed that Bisping's illegal knee was intentional. For that and for spitting at Rivera's corner, they thought that Bisping should be suspended.

"Doesn't surprise me. One classless move after another," Bisping said. "The knee wasn't intended. I just threw it too early. He just needs to accept that he's lost and move on."

He did. He got under my nerves. He upset me. He embarrassed me."

Bisping did confirm that he is considering moving to Australia, but also said that he is a prod Englishman.

-- After fighting to a majority draw with B.J. Penn, Jon Fitch said that he was disappointed in his performance and that he wished his title shot was not a question.

Still, Fitch's performance in the third round was impressive. He outstruck Penn 134-0, landing 42 power strikes.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-127-post-fight-news-Bonuses-Bisping-and-Fi?urn=mma-326880

Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan

Spring Training Position Battles to Watch

Filed under: Cubs, Giants, Phillies, Red Sox, MLB Video, Spring Training, Executive Take

It's not even Opening Day yet, but many baseball experts already have the Phillies and Red Sox playing in the World Series in October. There is no doubt that both teams had excellent offseasons, but even powerful contenders have spring training question marks.

FanHouse TV's Steve Phillips takes a look at some of the biggest position battles going on right now, including two in Philadelphia and Boston.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/02/24/spring-training-position-battles-to-watch/

Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves Andre Amade Dean Amasinger

New NASL Holds Fast to Ambitious Second Division Vision

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer

The North American Soccer League is undaunted.

On Tuesday, the new eight-team circuit unveiled its 2011 schedule, with games set to begin April 9. On Wednesday, an expansion club set to enter the league in 2012, the San Antonio Scorpions, announced its partnership with Nike.

It's full steam ahead for the NASL, even though the road ahead may be blocked. Last week, the U.S. Soccer Federation withdrew its provisional approval of the new league's second division status. Without that sanctioning, there will be no 2011 season and no second division soccer in the United States.

Conversations with sources connected to the decision indicated that the federation was troubled by either the financial health of NASL backer Traffic Sports, by a delay in the posting of the $750,000 annual performance bond by one or more clubs, or perhaps both.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/new-nasl-holds-fast-to-ambitious-second-division-vision/

John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves

Mets Stingy With Cash as They Eye Future

Filed under: Mets, MLB Free Agency, Spring Training

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Just down the street from the Mets' spring training facility, QVC operates a call center.

There is no truth to the rumor that the Mets did all their offseason shopping there.

An analysis of data from the MLB Trade Rumors website shows that the Mets spent $6.6 million on major league contracts to free agents, 26th-most of the 30 teams. That's less than small-market teams Pittsburgh, San Diego, Oakland and Florida gave just one free agent this winter.

This has led to some grumbling in New York, where nothing comes cheap.

But the Mets did the right thing ...

If.

There's a big if. More on that in a bit.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/02/25/mets-stingy-with-cash-as-they-eye-future/

Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin

Bats: Salt River Fields, the New Spring Sensation

The new spring home of the Diamondbacks and the Rockies gets glowing reviews on its first day.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/IR0AhdqImBc/

Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito

Strikeforce's Three Stars: Silva, Kharitonov and Griggs

Strikeforce's kickoff of their heavyweight Grand Prix featured plenty of submissions, knockouts and slugfests, but it will be remembered for one thing: Fedor's (possible) end.

No. 1 star -- Antonio Silva: At fight time, Silva weighed 55 lbs. more than Fedor, and he used that size advantage to dominate Emelianenko in the second round. He rained down fists, beating up Fedor's face until it was barely recognizable. Then, after the confusion cleared and it was clear Silva had won, "Big Foot" immediately headed to his opponent's corner and honored him. Next, he will face the winner of Alistair Overeem vs. Fabrico Werdum.

No. 2 star -- Sergei Kharitonov: Riding a wave of emotion from the Russian fans at the Izod Center, Kharitonov patiently waited through early strikes from Arlovski and then picked a spot to lay a bevy of punches that knocked Arlovski out of the tournament. Kharitonov gets Josh Barnett or Brett Rogers next.

No. 3 star -- Chad Griggs: His win over Gian Villante was bloody, ugly and a whole lot of fun. Griggs and his fantastic sideburns brawled Villante to a first-round win as blood poured from Griggs' ear. Now that he's beaten Bobby Lashley and Villante, Strikeforce owes him a real challenge in the heavyweight division.

Honorable mention -- Fedor Emelianenko: "The Last Emperor" gets a spot here not because of how he fought but because of how he reacted to his second loss. He praised his opponent, then made an honest assessment of his ability to fight on. On Saturday, Emelianenko acted with honor in every sense of the word.

Follow Cagewriter on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Strikeforce-s-Three-Stars-Silva-Kharitonov-and?urn=mma-320845

Pat Barry Vitor Belfort Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping

Enuff Logo Complete Skateboard ? Blue

Enuff Logo Complete Skateboard – Blue Enuff Logo Complete Skateboard – Blue The Enuff Logo Complete is a very high quality skateboard at a bargain basement price. Enuff Skateboards are pro-sized and manufactured from the best materials and hardware, so you know you can flip ‘em just like a pro model deck. The Enuff Logo [...]

Source: http://snowboardaction.net/enuff-logo-complete-skateboard-blue/

Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Tank Abbott

Zhang Tie Quan Becomes First Chinese Fighter to Win in the UFC

by Michael David Smith Zhang Tie Quan taps out Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127.

In a sign of the continuing worldwide growth of mixed martial arts, the UFC is in Australia this weekend, and China's Zhang Tie Quan earned a victory in a fight broadcast internationally on Facebook.

Zhang became the first Chinese fighter ever to fight in the UFC, and he became the first Chinese fighter ever to win in the UFC when he choked out Jason Reinhardt in the first round of their UFC 127 bout.

The fight was short and sweet, with Zhang quickly locking in a guillotine choke and putting Reinhardt to sleep. Reinhardt, a 41-year-old who hadn't fought in three years, was no challenge for Zhang at all.

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/26/zhang-tie-quan-becomes-first-chinese-fighter-to-win-in-the-ufc/

Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga

Off the Dribble: Utah Regroups

The Web site CoolStandings.com gives the Jazz a 35.1 percent chance of making the playoffs based on record and scoring differential, but recent drama will most likely erase Utah's hopes.

Source: http://feeds1.nytimes.com/~r/nyt/rss/Sports/~3/204t9_JDHIc/

Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie

Saturday, February 26, 2011

WGC-Accenture Match Play Power Rankings: Euros Lead Ranks

Filed under: PGA

As March Madness draws near, this week's PGA stop will give you a little taste of the bracket format that makes college basketball so exciting. The World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championships is one of the best tournaments outside of the majors, pitting the top 64 available players in the world rankings.

This will easily be the best field thus far in 2011, and it will be particularly interesting to see the top 5 players in the world all in the same location for the first time since Tiger Woods was unseated as No. 1.

We've decided to break this week's power rankings down a little differently due to the match play format. This week we'll dissect players' chances by where they're seeded.

From the top group (seeds 1-4), here are the three that have the best chance:

1. Graeme McDowell -- Last time we saw McDowell in a match play format, he was closing out Hunter Mahan to retain the Ryder Cup for Europe. He's playing in the same half of the bracket as defending champion Ian Poulter, but McDowell is arguably the best player in the world right now.

2. Rory McIlroy -- McDowell's fellow countryman hasn't finished outside of the top 10 in six starts and holds a 4-2 all-time record at this event. McIlroy has a difficult draw that includes a possible matchup with Martin Kaymer. It would be a coin toss at that point, but I like McIlroy's game a slight bit more at the moment.

3. Martin Kaymer -- Rounding out the European trifecta of favorites, the No. 2 player in the world could very well be the only No. 1 seed to advance beyond Friday. As a Ryder Cup rookie, the German lost just once in four matches. With a potential matchup looming, Kaymer or McIlroy won't be making the semifinals, but whoever escapes the Player bracket will be a heavy favorite come Sunday.

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/02/23/wgc-accenture-match-play-power-rankings-euros-lead-ranks/

Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin

Clippers Trade Baron Davis to Cavaliers for Mo Williams, Jamario Moon

Filed under: Cavaliers, Clippers, NBA Rumors

The good times appear to be over for Baron Davis in Los Angeles.

As we approach Thursday's trade deadline, the hits just keep on coming. The latest deal has the Clippers sending Davis to the Cavaliers, along with an unprotected 2011 first round draft pick in exchange for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Marc Spears first reported the deal, which was confirmed by FanHouse's Sam Amick.

From the Clippers' standpoint, anything they could do to get out from under the hefty contract of Davis would be a welcome form of relief, despite Davis' recently improved play alongside rookie sensation Blake Griffin. Davis is averaging almost 13 points and seven assists per game, but if you watch the Clips on a regular basis, you'll notice that his shot selection is largely still terrible, despite feeding Griffin for the occasionally ridiculous highlight that makes everything seem like it's working out in Los Angeles.

But it's not, because Davis is -- and now, was -- a liability for this young and developing Clippers team, plain and simple.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/24/report-clippers-trade-baron-davis-to-cavaliers-for-mo-williams/

Michael Bisping Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku Tony Bonello

UFC 127 Results: Nick Ring Wins, Riki Fukuda Robbed

by Michael David Smith Nick Ring punches Riki Fukuda at UFC 127.

Nick Ring stepped into the cage on Saturday for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury when he was an Ultimate Fighter contestant a year ago, beating Riki Fukuda by unanimous decision at UFC 127. But it's hard to find much to celebrate in the win for Ring, as it was lousy judging that took the victory from Fukuda.

All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Ring, but it's hard to believe just about anyone else did. Fukuda clearly should have won, and the crowd voiced their displeasure afterward. UFC President Dana White immediately took to Twitter to write, "Judges f**king suck again!! Fukuda got robbed!!!" Even Ring looked surprised when his name was called.

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/26/ufc-127-results-nick-ring-wins-riki-fukuda-robbed/

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

Yahoo! exclusive video: TUF 13 tryouts

Spike takes you behind the scenes of the Las Vegas tryout for Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter." It's a pressure cooker with hundreds of aspiring fighters getting just a few minutes to show off their skills.

Included this bunch, that showed up back in November at the Red Rock Casino, were a 51-year-old, a K-1 veteran coming back from open heart surgery and a U.S. Army captain, who just returned from Iraq in April.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Yahoo-exclusive-video-TUF-13-tryouts?urn=mma-325881

Edson Drago Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus Todd Duffee

Farcical Xoom 4G Upgrade Plan Requires 6-Day Mail-In Operation

The Xoom tablet has a respectably fast Verizon 3G connection, but Motorola promises a free upgrade to Verizon’s faster 4G network within a few months.
To do that, however, you’ll need to ship your Xoom back to the manufacturer for more than a week.
It’s not often I laugh out loud when researching a post, but when [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/farcical-xoom-4g-upgrade-plan-requires-mail-in-six-day-operation/

David Baron Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry Vitor Belfort

Playoff and TV Uncertainty Overshadow MLS Schedule Announcement

Filed under: MLS

mls schedule major league soccer schedule

There will be an MLS schedule on Thursday, finally. But don't expect all the confusion to be cleared up, and don't expect the pressure on the league to decrease.

The list of dates and opponents MLS unveils will leave a host of unanswered questions about the upcoming season, as well as the more distant future. And of course, it will be subject to change.

The regular season begins in five weeks (the Los Angeles Galaxy will visit the Seattle Sounders on March 15, and the rest of the clubs will kick off four days later), and the fact that clubs and fans still don't have a full fixture list to work with has been a source of frustration and embarrassment.

That discontent reached the league's Fifth Avenue headquarters.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/02/09/playoff-and-tv-uncertainty-overshadow-mls-schedule-announcement/

Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo

More of Libya slips from Gadhafi's grip

BENGHAZI, Libya - The scope of Moammar Gadhafi's control was whittled away Wednesday as major Libyan cities and towns closer to the capital fell to the rebellion against his rule. In the east, now all but broken away, the opposition vowed to "liberate" Tripoli, where the Libyan leader is holed up with a force of militiamen roaming the streets and tanks guarding the outskirts.

Source: http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=116799003&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20110224_More_of_Libya_slips_from_Gadhafi_s_grip.html

Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko

Farcical Xoom 4G Upgrade Plan Requires 6-Day Mail-In Operation

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/farcical-xoom-4g-upgrade-plan-requires-mail-in-six-day-operation/

Yoji Anjo Ao Hailin Shinya Aoki Andrei Arlovski Ricardo Arona

Arum says MMA audience is still too white

Bob Arum irked mixed martial arts followers a few years back when he said the majority of fans were "skinhead white guys."

Even with MMA pay-per-view and arena audiences exploding across the U.S. and the world, Arum still believes MMA's scope is limited.

"It's the same audience over and over," Arum told USA Today. "It's white males, and they have never been able to expand their demographic."

For that reason, the UFC and MMA can only reach certain heights according to Arum.

"The Hispanics don't care anything for it. Most African-Americans don't watch it. Hey, this country is becoming more and more Hispanic, and it's growing African-American (in the) audience," Arum said.
"So the future success of UFC is limited. The success of boxing is not, because boxing reaches those groups. The only demographic that boxing has lost is the white, young males, period."

Arum believes the fight market includes all males and that MMA doesn't draw the eyes of Hispanics and African-Americans. He also hints at the fact that boxing may experience a resurgence if it can mend fences with network television and deliver more of its product for free.

We posted the latest fan video from Strikeforce. The audience at the Izod Center appeared to be pretty diverse.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Arum-says-MMA-audience-is-still-too-white?urn=mma-322854

Jermaine Andrè Yoji Anjo Ao Hailin Shinya Aoki Andrei Arlovski

Phil Davis stepping in for Tito Ortiz at Ultimate Fight Night 24

Phil Davis is getting his shot to move into the upper echelon of the UFC's light heavyweight division. The undefeated fighter is stepping in for Tito Ortiz at Ultimate Fight Night 24 and will take on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Ortiz, who was last seen in a Twitter spat with Forrest Griffin, reportedly suffered a cut in training that forced him to withdraw from the fight.

Ortiz's cut is Davis' opportunity. He had originally been booked for a fight with Jason Brilz, but now is headlining the UFC's stop in Seattle as well as taking on a respected veteran in "Little Nog."

Davis had a breakout year in 2010, fighting four times and winning four times. He topped off the year with a Submission of the Night with over Tim Boetsch at UFC 123. When he last spoke with Cagewriter, Davis laughed off the idea of a title shot. But Davis has a chance to make a big step towards the top of light heavyweight division with a win over Nogueira.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Phil-Davis-stepping-in-for-Tito-Ortiz-at-Ultimat?urn=mma-324097

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

MMA Top 10 Heavyweights: Fedor's Fall Continues

by Michael David Smith Antonio Silva defeats Fedor Emelianenko in the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.

From 2003 to 2009, Fedor Emelianenko was the No. 1 heavyweight in mixed martial arts. In 2010, he finally fell from the top spot.

In 2011, Fedor is only a marginal member of the Top 10.

On a two-fight losing streak, with neither of those fights even being competitive, Fedor has fallen a long, long way. That's not surprising: Fedor is, after all, a man in his mid-30s. Athletes in all sports decline in their mid-30s, and MMA is no different. And Fedor trains in seclusion, which means that as the sport grows and other fighters get better, Fedor isn't improving along with them.

So as we look at the Top 10 heavyweights in mixed martial arts, we'll see Fedor in a place we're not accustomed to seeing him.

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/16/mma-top-10-heavyweights-fedors-fall-continues/

Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo Luciano Azevedo Ba Te er

Charlie Davies Comes Full Circle in Long Road to Recovery

Filed under: MLS, U.S. Men's National Team, D.C. United

WASHINGTON, DC -- Charlie Davies was offered a tryout by D.C. United because the club was atop Major League Soccer's allocation priority list.

The expansion franchises in Portland (Kenny Cooper) and Vancouver (Jay DeMerit) had made their choices, and United was next in line thanks to its wooden spoon performance in 2010.

On the surface, it's that simple. It's in the rules.

But Davies, who credits religion for some of the strength required to overcome the horrific litany of injuries suffered in that 2009 car accident, might argue that greater forces are at play.

It was in the Washington area, of course, where the crash occurred -- two nights before the national team's World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica and about four miles from RFK Stadium, where Davies was introduced as United's newest player on Wednesday.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2011/02/18/charlie-davies-ready-to-finish-his-recovery-in/

Bao Ligao Josh Barnett David Baron Phil Baroni Don Barr

Friday, February 25, 2011

Kevin Johnson, Maloofs Lacking Communication Over Kings Relocation

Filed under: Kings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - With so many signs continuing to point toward a Kings exodus to Anaheim, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson on Thursday admonished the owners of his city's only professional sports team for the way in which they've handled the ongoing process.

Johnson, the former NBA player who is so uniquely positioned in this attempt to retain the Capital City's basketball team, was reacting to an announcement from the NBA that Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof had requested an extension on the March 1 deadline to file for relocation. Johnson, who said he learned of the news through a Google alert in his e-mail account, wasted no time in responding.

"Today's news is very disappointing in my opinion for the city of Sacramento," Johnson said early in his news conference that lasted nearly 20 minutes and much of which can be seen here. "As you know, the Kings have asked the NBA for an extension of March 1 in terms of relocation, that deadline. I don't think you can mince words. It means one thing: they're looking for a deal elsewhere, and they're going to take the next few weeks or so to see if they can pull off something in another city, and I just think, in my opinion, Sacramento deserves better than this."

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/25/kevin-johnson-maloofs-lacking-communication-over-kings-relocat/

Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie

Teardown: What?s Inside The Motorola Xoom

From the outside, tablets are almost all the same, especially when seen from the front. But like a pretty actor in a reality TV show, once you get under their skin you find out what really makes them tick. So it is with the Motorola Xoom, which has been opened up and photographed by — [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/teardown-whats-inside-the-motorola-xoom/

Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch

Match Play Presents Early Intrigue, Often Unfulfilling Final Rounds

Filed under: PGA

This week's WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., could be something really special.

Or it might not.

That's the tricky thing about match play. When competition begins Wednesday with 64 of the top ranked players in the world, there will be all sorts of intriguing possibilities. A few times over the years, promise has even delivered. In 2000, Darren Clarke beat Tiger Woods in the final. Woods won in 2003 by taking down David Toms in the final and won again in 2004 over Davis Love III. Woods defeated Stewart Cink in 2008. Even last year, although an all-England final, Ian Poulter's victory over Paul Casey had its viewing strengths.

But then there was 2001 when Steve Stricker beat Pierre Fulke in the Sunday final. Or 2007 when Henrik Stenson beat Geoff Ogilvy. And who doesn't remember Kevin Sutherland's 1-up decision over Scott McCarron in 2002?

Because players are eliminated as the week wears on, it is always possible that by the time Sunday's final match arrives, there is the possibility of a "Who's He?" taking on "Who Cares?"

That makes match play events fascinating in that much of the intrigue often occurs early in the week, and the final days can drag.

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/02/22/match-play-presents-early-intrigue-often-unfulfilling-final-rou/

Gilbert Aldana José Aldo John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade React to Carmelo Anthony Deal

Filed under: Heat, Knicks, Nuggets

MIAMI -- With the trade of Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat's longstanding rivalry with them now has some serious star power. This year has marked a resurgence for the East, and the two old foes have benefited the most by adding two superstars each to their rosters since last season.

LeBron James pointed out after their latest loss to the Boston Celtics that rivalries are made in the playoffs and not the regular season. With the Knicks no longer a perennial lottery team, both teams could be headed to another memorable playoff series that would be a must-see event. For now, James was cordial when asked about the blockbuster trade before the Heat dismantled the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

"I know he's happy about it. I'm glad that it's over with for himself and it's always good when a friend of yours can just focus on the game," said James. "I think it's great for the NBA. The fact that the Knicks are back, the Celtics have been back for the last few years and all the other teams are trying to compete. I think it's great."

With a revamped roster also featuring veteran Chauncey Billups at the helm of an offensive attack led by an impressive frontcourt of Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, Heat guard Dwyane Wade sounded like he'd prefer to avoid the Knicks altogether in the first round of the playoffs by finishing in the top two in the East.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/02/23/lebron-james-dwyane-wade-react-to-carmelo-anthony-deal/

Tiger woods Koby Bryant Michael Jordan Patriots Giants