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Monday, June 25
Ragers to get free basketball tickets
Entering his third season at Michigan, basketball coach Tommy Amaker continues to embrace the student body. After an anonymous gift to the basketball program, the coach announced yesterday that he would give student season ticket holders a chance to renew their tickets at no charge. Last season's Maize Ragers have until Sept. 30 to claim their free seats.

The donor's name and the amount of the gift have not been released.

"Our students are a critical part of our program," Amaker said. "We cannot reach our goals without their support and spirit. We wanted to extend to our entire 'Maize Rage' section an opportunity to support us without any cost to them. Through this generous donation, we are thrilled to be able to do that."

Other students can still buy season tickets. If free bleacher seats remain unclaimed after the deadline, the students who buy season tickets this year will be entered into a lottery for those spots and a refund.

Prior to his first season, Amaker moved the student section down to the floor with the construction of a new bleacher section. Following 13 years at Duke, where the "Cameron Crazies" are king, Amaker has a deep understanding for the importance of student support. Now, he is the first coach in the Big Ten to help make free basketball tickets available to the student body.

His actions have not gone unnoticed.

"We're very grateful to the donor and to Tommy," said Peter Lund, a Maize Rager also known as Super Fan IV. "That money could have gone toward a lot of things. The relationship between the basketball office and the student body has never been better."

There are about 500 to 600 seats in the bleacher section. Lund estimated about 475 of those spots will be filled by returning Maize Ragers.

The basketball team will return nine players from a team that finished third-place in the conference, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year Daniel Horton and All-Big Ten third-team selection Bernard Robinson Jr. They will be joined by a stellar recruiting class, which includes Michigan's Mr. Basketball, Dion Harris.

The 2003-04 schedule includes a visit from North Carolina State of the Atlantic Coast Conference in early December and home games against Indiana and Michigan State late in the Big Ten season.

The Wolverines have been suspended from postseason play for the upcoming season. They are waiting on word from the NCAA on their appeal of that decision.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:12 PM   |
Free Basketball Tickets
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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:01 PM   |
Free basketball tickets offered to employees
University of Delaware employees looking for an escape from TV reruns and dreary winter weather, look no further.

There is always some hot hoop action at the Bob Carpenter Center, and UD employees can now get up to four free tickets to selected Fightin’ Blue Hen basketball games. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The games include the UD men vs. James Madison at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19. The Fightin’ Blue Hens men’s team includes Calvin Cannon, Zaire Taylor, Andrew Washington and Harding Nana. Tickets for the Jan. 19 game can be picked up prior to game time.

Tickets for UD employees also are available for the UD women vs. Old Dominion University contest at 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19. The Fightin’ Blue Hens women’s team took top honors at the Hawk Classic during the holidays with a 49-48 victory at the buzzer over host St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. The Hens also defeated previously unbeaten Bowling Green State University during the tournament.

Deadline for getting free tickets for the Feb. 19 game is noon, Friday, Feb. 17. Tickets for both games may be obtained at season ticket sales office in the Delaware Field House and at the UD Bookstores in the Trabant University Center and the Perkins Student Center.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:01 PM   |
Free Baseball Tickets
Last year we worked with some of the Baseball teams around the state to offer free tickets to their games. We hope to be able to do the same this year. Below is the list of teams from last year and links to their web sites. Keep checking back, for progress on this year’s season.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 9:56 PM   |
Monday, June 18
Elite tennis academy in pipeline
Judy Murray, the mother of top tennis player Andy Murray, plans to open the new centre in Bridge of Allan with her son's former coach, Leon Smith.

The new academy would work in conjunction with 13 other high-performance centres in England run by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

Mrs Murray, who is in talks with Stirling Council about the plans, said it would be her "absolute passion".

"We've got somebody doing a feasibility study at the moment," she added.

Funding partners

"Leon and I put our heads together and thought about what we'd want. We've got the drive and we will do it."

Mrs Murray, who used to coach her son, said she and Mr Smith would be approaching funding partners once they had an idea of the site and available costs.

Although the new academy would be open to players across Britain, most of its intake would be from Scotland.

The area is already well established for the sport with the Gannochy National Tennis Centre at nearby Stirling University.

A spokesman for the LTA said: "Judy has a role with us already as talent and performance manager for Scotland and this venture would fit in perfectly with that.

"The centre would receive LTA funding for coaching programmes and to offset the cost to parents, which can be huge compared with other sports."

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:45 PM   |
Tennis Channel to Re-Air NCAA Men's Doubles Championship
The Tennis Channel will re-air the NCAA Men's Tennis Doubles Championship match on Wednesday, June 20 at 9:00 p.m. CDT featuring national champions, Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom.

The Tennis Channel can be found on Comcast channel 277, DIRECTV channel 217 or DISH Network channel 400.

Seniors Born and Siljestrom made history on May 28, winning the NCAA Doubles Championships, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), in Athens, Ga., over defending national champs, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe of Illinois. The Blue Raider duo claimed the program's fourth national title in tennis and the first-ever NCAA Championship.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:44 PM   |
Euro 2008 qual. - Carson's England fear
The England Under-21 shot-stopper, who usually makes the senior squad, was impressive on-loan at Charlton last season but after the Addicks' relegation returned to Liverpool, were Spain international Reina is first-choice and recently signed a new long-term contract.

And Carson is concerned at the effect this will have on him making Steve McClaren's squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers and, should England qualify, the tournament itself.

"I think you can only get in the England squad when you are playing games regularly but we'll have to wait and see what happens next season and take it from there," the 22-year-old former Leeds man said.

"Nothing is sorted as yet; I'm just concentrating on the tournament at the moment."

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:33 PM   |
Voters in Swiss capital give narrow backing to Euro 2008
Euro 2008 organisers narrowly avoided an embarrassing defeat on Sunday when voters in the Swiss capital Berne gave their cautious support to the tournament.

Just over 52 percent of voters were in favour of a contribution of 5.6 million Swiss francs ($4.5 million) by the city government towards the cost of staging three group stage matches in the capital.

Local politicians and tournament organisers had warned before the vote that a negative outcome would almost certainly have seen the matches being moved to another location.

"I'm not surprised by how tight it was in the end, because I always said it would be a narrow vote," Berne mayor Alexander Tschappat told Reuters shortly after the results were announced.

"Still, a shot that hits the post and then goes in the goal still counts as a goal.

"Berne has a great passion for sport but I think you will always have these kind of political discussions when it comes to public funding for events that also involve private organisations like UEFA or FIFA."

The city's main political parties had all come out in favour of the government payment, but a small committee of green and left-wing politicians had urged voters to reject it -- arguing that public money was being used to boost profits at European soccer's governing body UEFA.

"Of course it's disappointing to lose by such a narrow margin," committee member Daniele Jenni told Reuters. "But with so many of the political parties stacked against us we are delighted that we were able to garner so much support.

"We think it is a clear sign that the authorities have to be careful how they spend taxpayers' money and that they should not just follow the diktat of big sports organisations."

Berne is the only one of the eight Euro 2008 host cities that is expected to vote on the staging of the tournament.

Zurich, Geneva and Basel are the other Swiss cities involved, while Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Klagenfurt are hosting the Austrian side of the tournament.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:33 PM   |
Tuesday, June 12
Soccer park expands with concessions, storage
A project that has been six years in the making has now become reality for the City of Fort Thomas and the Campbell County North Soccer Club.

The Fort Thomas Soccer Park recently added a new concession stand and storage building to the city-owned facility which is located at the Pendery Sports Complex in Melbourne.

The City of Fort Thomas acquired the Fort Thomas Soccer Park property in 2001 and the Campbell County North Soccer Club has leased the property from the city for recreational soccer use since then.

"Youth soccer is a huge outlet for kids to get out and do stuff," said Neal Frink, coaching coordinator for the club. The Campbell County North Soccer Club registers around 900 children, ages 5-15 who play recreational soccer in the fall and spring each year.

The concession stand will be managed by the city and staffed by volunteer organizations, which will share profits with the Campbell County North Soccer Club.

"The concession stand will be a convenience for the parents and grandparents watching the kids play soccer," said Don Martin, Fort Thomas city administrative officer. "The concession stand will allow the parents and grandparents to bring a lunch and watch the kids play soccer."

The storage building allows the club to house field maintenance equipment, corner flags, and soccer nets. The building project is part of a master plan that the Campbell County North Soccer Club adopted for the Fort Thomas Soccer Park.

The project depleted the club's reserve funds so additional projects are currently on hold. The additional projects include a lighting prediction system, playground equipment, and tree plantings.

"The Fort Thomas Soccer Park will be a bonus to the city, just like a downtown area," said Frink.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:21 PM   |
British Soccer Camp Comes to Stillman Valley
Young soccer players in the Rockford area have a chance to not only learn the game of soccer this week, but learn it with an accent.

The Challenger British Soccer Camps are in Stillman Valley, coaching up close to 100 young players. These British Soccer camps take international players all over the United States. Four of those players are in Stillman Valley until Friday to lend their knowledge of the game and Stillman is one of 1,700 communities that the British soccer camps will be in this year and they hope to reach close to 80,000 players.

Both the students and coaches are having a great time. Camp Director David Thompson says, "They're great. If all the kids are like this throughout the summer then it will be great. They all just want to have fun and are so eager to learn and so enthusiastic. If you get that from any kid throughout the summer you can't ask for anymore. Just a great bunch of kids." Monroe Center student Tatum Glendenning says, ¶"I like their accent and they help me learn a lot of things." Stillman Valley 6th grader Micah Robert says, "It's fun. The coaches are nice. They've been playing some games with us. They play some fun games."

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:19 PM   |
Soccer - Troublesome Fans Face Ban Across EU
Sports fans who misbehave face being banned from stadiums across the whole of the European Union under new legislation proposed in a draft paper on how sport should be run.

The European Commission is due to publish a ground-breaking strategy document on how sport should be governed across the 27-nation bloc on July 4.

In the latest draft copy, obtained by Reuters, the EU executive proposes an EU-wide ban on sports supporters found guilty of violence.

"The Commission will analyse the possibilities for banning from stadiums at European level those found guilty of violence at matches," the draft document said.

"The Commission will promote the exchange of information on violent and racist incidents between sport organisations and national authorities."

It is the first time that such laws have been proposed at EU level. Security in sport has, until now, been the responsibility of individual governments and police authorities.

The news comes after European soccer's governing body announced last Tuesday that it was setting up a task force along with EU governments to look at ways to combat the recent upsurge in soccer-related violence.

Last month's Champions League final was tainted by violence after fans with forged tickets or those with no ticket forced their way into the stadium for the match between Liverpool and AC Milan, while dozens with genuine tickets were refused entry.

An Italian police officer died during riots at a soccer match earlier this year and a drunken fan ran on to the pitch and attacked a referee at a recent Euro 2008 qualifier between Denmark and Sweden.

"The new legislation could be based on the exit ban system in Britain where known offenders have to surrender their passport during the time of international matches or tournaments," a UEFA source told Reuters.

Following a spate of match-fixing in sport across Europe, most notably in Italy and Belgium, the EU's executive would also consider introducing tougher laws on betting, the draft paper said.

"To address the issue of illicit activities related to sport betting, improved monitoring of betting activities will be considered and contractual agreements between sport bodies, database owners and betting companies encouraged," it said.

The Commission is also expected to propose stricter rules for regulating players' agents as it is "concerned about the legality of financial flows".

The document, otherwise known as a White Paper, will cover the way sport is run and focuses on issues such as soccer agents, security, club ownership, labour laws, financing of sport and drugs abuse.

Other issues tackled in the paper are a bout players released for international duty

The draft papers says the Commission is aware of problems raised by the release of players for national teams and the issue of compensation for their injuries while on international duty.

However, it will await the outcome of a related case (Charleroi) which is pending before the European Court of Justice.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:18 PM   |
Henry irate over Barcelona reports
Thierry Henry has slammed reports in the French and Spanish press that he has agreed to join Barcelona.

Reports in France Football claimed on Monday that the Arsenal star was ready to ink a three year deal with the Spanish champions, but Henry and his representatives have dismissed the story as a complete fabrication.

Speaking to French newspaper L'Equipe, the French forward was adamant that no such agreement existed.

"Nothing is done. I repeat, nothing," Henry said.

"Writing about a meeting that never took place is absolute rubbish. At this moment I am an Arsenal player and in the same situation as I was last year. Last season people were announcing all over the place that I was leaving. Some people wrote that it would happen for sure but at the end of the day I stayed at Arsenal. It could be the same this year.

"I've not taken any decision and my name is not up on any departures board. If something happens, I will tell everybody."

Henry's agent Jerome Anderson went even further, threatening legal action: "I can categorically state that I have never met or had discussions with anyone from Barcelona.

"The story says I met with them in the South of France. The fact is I haven't been to the South of France for years. I will be seeking legal advice over this story."

However Henry has admitted his disappointment at David Dein's departure, saying: "David Dein's departure was a mistake. I have said it before and I will say it for the next 20 years. If there was one person who had to stay at Arsenal, it was David Dein."

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:16 PM   |
Pakistan to host Asian football events;FIFA chief also to pay visit
Two Asian-level international football events will be held in Pakistan this year while world football chief, Sepp Blatter, will also visit this country. The Federal Minister for Environment, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, who is also the President of Pakistan Football Federation, made these announcements, at a press talk here on Tuesday.

He has just returned from attending the FIFA (International Football Federation) Congress in Zurich (Switzerland) in which Sepp Blatter and others were reelected.

Blatter will be accompanied by AFC chief Muhammad Bin Hammam during visit to Pakistan in the last quarter of this year, Faisal said.

Pakistan will host AFC President's Cup in September while AFC Under-19 Football Championship is scheduled for October-November,both events to be held in Lahore.

"Asian Football Confederation (AFC) wanted to shift the venue of AFC President's Cup, which involves top football clubs of the continent, away from Pakistan after it was earlier postponed here due to visa problems", Faisal said.

"But I persuaded AFC to announce new dates", he said, adding that PFF will also introduce a league competition among the clubs of the country. "The introduction of professional club league will turn our players into professionals", he said.

PFF, he said, had already been running two premier leagues, involving departments, and was also focussing on women and junior competitions."Our activities of junior and women football is 1800 % more now as compared to four eyars ago".

The 2nd National Women Football Championship will be held in Islamabad while a Pakistani will soon tour Sri Lanka and Afghan team will also visit Pakistan.

"Our focus is on junior competitions" because of which the national team had gone down in international rankings, he said, explaining that the rankings of national teams are determined on the basis of the number of international matches they played and the ratio of victories.

The ranking of Indian team, he said, had also dwindled from 121 to 160. He also claimed that Pakistan was producing best results among South Asian nations as far as junior teams' performance was concerned and he was persuading FIFA to introduce "a Grading system" to determine which federations were performing well.

He said the Pakistan Under-13 team had finished 4th in the Asian competition recently and PFF would given away Rs. 50,000 to each player of the Under-13 team at a function on June 22.

Already, he said, PFF had collected a whopping sum of Rs. 215 million since he assumed the post of PFF President four years ago. "We had just Rs. 25 million in our coffers then while Today we have an amount of Rs. 65 million which is in addition to the Rs. 150 million spent on football activities, including the establishment of three goal-projects at Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi".

He said PFF had devised a model constitution on FIFA statutes in March this year and his reelection was in accordance with this constitution.

He said PFF had also sought help from Iranian federation for promotion of football in the country.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:12 PM   |
High hopes for Euro 2008 (25)
I’ve seen thousands of football matches in my time – but never one played at 11,333 feet above sea level on an Alpine glacier.

That was Switzerland’s way of launching the countdown to Euro 2008 which it is jointly staging next summer with neighbours Austria.

Original definitely, if not a little dangerous for the 400-odd people invited to watch the event who had to risk their limbs sliding around on the snow at the top of the Jungfrau.

It was Switzerland’s way of saying it is not a boring grey country where the trains run on time and everything is organised to the nth degree.

There were even plenty of stars on show for the five-a-side game, including Michael Laudrup (104 caps for Denmark), Arsenal’s charming Swiss youngster Johan Djourou and Portugal legend Paulo Sousa.

Not forgetting the national coaches of both host countries, Kobi Kuhn and Josef Hickersberger, and captains and Euro 2008 ambassadors Stephane Chapuisat (103 caps for Switzerland) and Andreas Herzog (103 caps for Austria).

I couldn’t help but sense a little naivety amid all the thigh-slapping and regalia of the Swiss hosting a major footballing event.

The country oozes class, sophistication and money. There was even a harpist playing at Zurich Airport. The trains do arrive and depart literally to the minute, the scenery is breath-taking with lakes, mountains and Sound of Music-style wooden farm chalets.

Back to the naivety I touched on a few lines back. Given the stunning natural beauty of the place, why would the Swiss want thousands of marauding football supporters invading their peaceful land? I asked numerous Swiss folk that very question and got the same answer every time: “It will be fine”

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posted by ^%&^ @ 11:12 PM   |
Friday, June 8
Donovan's path to Orlando and back to UF filled his days with anguish.
Billy Donovan was distraught Saturday morning, and his wife took action. Christine Donovan dialed Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley and told him Donovan was having second thoughts about becoming the Magic's coach. Foley, having just landed in Richmond, Va., to interview prospective replacement Anthony Grant, quickly explained that with Donovan under contract to the NBA team, there could be legal repercussions if he became involved.She turned to assistant coach Larry Shyatt. "Make a U-turn, " Shyatt recalled her saying as he drove toward a basketball camp. The Donovans needed help.

Shyatt arrived at their house, looked at Billy Donovan and realized something was seriously wrong.

"You could just see it in his eyes, " Shyatt said. "We talked and he explained where he was, where his heart was. He felt he had made a mistake. And I said let's try to make the next best adult decision. If I can help, I'll be happy to."

Over the next five days, Shyatt helped Donovan undo a five-year, $27.5-million contract and return to Florida.

Thursday, Donovan held a news conference, thanking those who helped and apologizing to nearly everyone.

"The last four or five days have certainly been difficult, and I want to take this time to apologize, first and foremost, to the Orlando Magic, " he said. "I feel terrible about this, and I'm very sorry that it happened. ... I made a mistake."

June 1: Contrasts and reservations

Donovan appeared in Orlando in the morning to be introduced as coach. He wore a navy suit, striped tie and a big smile. He said all the right things and seemed eager, after 13 seasons as a college head coach, for the challenge.

Fans cheered and gave him a standing ovation, his wife received a bouquet, and the Magic sold about 200 season tickets.

By afternoon, he was in Gainesville to explain his decision to the Gator faithful. He wore shorts, a polo shirt and choked up a little. He said all the right things and seemed grateful for the support.

"The last 24 hours have not been fun, " he said. "I don't think I got maybe a chance to enjoy like I would like to, but that's okay."

But it wasn't.

As Donovan and his wife drove home later, he told her he wasn't feeling right. The excitement, the jubilation about the new job wasn't there.

"Sleep on it, " he remembers her telling him. "You'll feel better in the morning."

Saturday: A situation in Gainesville

At the Richmond airport, after talking with Christine, Foley talked by phone with Grant, the Virginia Commonwealth coach who had been a Florida assistant for 10 years.

"He said, 'Jeremy, you need to go back home and take care of your coach, ' " Foley said of Grant.

The plane, on the ground less than 30 minutes, returned to Gainesville.

Bill Donovan, the coach's father, was playing golf in New York when he took a call about 10:30 a.m.

"I don't think I did the right thing, " he recalls his son saying. "I think I made a major mistake."

He knew his son had gone back and forth before signing with Orlando, but he didn't realize the level of the despair. He told Billy he'd call him back.

By the time he returned the call about 1 p.m., Billy Donovan had contacted the Magic.

"I felt like the only thing I could do was be forthright and upfront with the Magic, " Donovan said. "I thought about it, took some time to myself and I contacted them right away. I talked to them and discussed my feelings. ... I apologized to them. It became very clear to me Saturday morning that with this mistake I made I had to do something."

While Donovan weighed his options, Shyatt kept vigil, acting as a sounding board. He was well-qualified because he was in a similar situation, though on a smaller and less public scale.

When Donovan left Marshall for Florida in 1996, Shyatt, an assistant at Clemson, agreed to replace him.

"I was scheduled to have a press conference the next morning, " Shyatt said. "I called (Clemson coach) Rick Barnes crying and said, 'Coach you've got to get me out of this.' I stayed up all night and felt like the right thing to do was to face the (Marshall) president the next morning and tell him that I was too blessed with my relationship and situation at Clemson."

By early Saturday afternoon, Bill Donovan had received a call from his daughter-in-law, telling him how distraught his son was. He knew Billy was "very sensitive about how things affect other people."

"He was so upset about what he'd done, " Bill Donovan said. "The Magic, his family, Jeremy, his coaching staff, his players were all affected. All of those things are weighing on his mind at the same time. She said this decision was really torturing him."

He flew to Gainesville that night, arriving about midnight.

In the interim, Magic general manager Otis Smith visited Donovan, reiterating the team wanted him and suggesting he take more time.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:08 PM   |
NASCAR community gathers to mourn France Jr.
The NASCAR community will gather in Daytona Beach Thursday, not for a race, but to say farewell to former chairman and CEO Bill France Jr., who died Monday.

He was 74.

The funeral will be held at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach.

Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, who's scheduled to appear Thursday morning on "Live with Regis & Kelly," will make the appearance in New York and then head south for the ceremony.

He's not alone.

The service is open to the public and considering the tributes that have been made already - and France's contribution to the sporting world - there's no doubt the lines will be long to honor him.

"I loved that old man, he meant a lot to me," Darrell Waltrip said, teary-eyed, during Monday's race telecast on Fox. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him."

The somber mood set in place when word broke Monday that France had died will no doubt carry over into this weekend's event at the Pocono Raceway.

Flags at the speedway will remain at half-mast until the end of Sunday's race. And cars in all NASCAR touring series this weekend will carry a special decal honoring France this weekend.

"We have been associated since 1967," Pocono CEO Dr. Joseph Mattioli said in a statement. "Our families have been friends all that time and had it not been for Bill France, Pocono Raceway would not be here today. Many times over the years he has helped us through some difficult times and Bill France was very important to the success of Pocono Raceway."

It was a relationship that was more than just being business associates.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 9:37 PM   |
Senators, frankly, were beaten by superior team
It came with so much hype, but let's face it, this spring's Stanley Cup final between the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks turned out to be a big boring dud.

Not in terms of how Ottawa reacted to the Senators being in the "Big Dance," and not because the home team lost, but in the way the series unfolded and then ended, with a whimper.

Consider:

- The series went only five games and was over in nine days, exactly the same time the Senators waited between rounds to play their Western Conference rival for the Stanley Cup. It was also clear by Game 4 that there was little or no chance that the round would go to a sixth game, let alone a seventh, as was the case in the past three exciting Cup finals: the Edmonton Oilers versus the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006; the Calgary Flames versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004; and Anaheim versus the New Jersey Devils in 2003.

The Senators-Ducks series was more like that insipid Carolina-Detroit Red Wings final of 2002 that was also over in five games, with Detroit the clear winner. But at least in that series, a real hockey city won (even if it wasn't Canadian).

- It was a series in which the Senators only looked good in one game, which they won, 5-3, but could have also easily lost. Remember, Anaheim took the lead three times in that game before Ottawa finally jumped ahead.

- There wasn't a millisecond of sudden-death overtime, which is like going to a Tim Hortons and not having a doughnut.

- Anaheim dominated Ottawa for 11 periods, maybe 12, of the 15 played in the five games. Basically, only one team played consistently well in the Cup final.

- You knew the fifth game was over when Ducks centre Andy McDonald scored early in the first period on home ice. Sure, Daniel Alfredsson still tried to make a game of it as the Ducks kept pouring it on. Alfredsson valiantly tried to light a fire under his team with two goals in the second period, but all he got was a lot of dense smoke. Anaheim's fourth goal, 50 seconds after Alfredsson scored his second, was the turning point of the game. Too bad it was a fluke and not something that makes you want to say: "Now that's playoff hockey."

When the buzzer sounded Wednesday night, the 6-2 score reflected how anti-climactic the 2007 Stanley Cup final turned out to be.

So why did the final stink? How could the Senators, who cruised by the Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres to get to the final, end up being so overmatched by the Ducks?

Well, we saw. The Ducks were a faster, tougher and bigger team than the Senators, and they didn't deviate from their game plan: A strong skating game, a strong forecheck, excessive hitting and creating an impenetrable defensive wall in front of goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere whenever Ottawa had the puck.

As well, the checking line of Samuel Pahlsson, Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer shut down Ottawa's triumvirate of Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley so effectively coach Bryan Murray broke up the line for Wednesday's game.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 9:35 PM   |
Spurs shut down James
What's ABC's matchup to watch in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Tim Duncan vs. Anderson Varejao?

Game 1's ballyhooed matchup of Duncan vs. LeBron James wasn't exactly one for the ages. Duncan was Duncan, scoring 24 points with 13 rebounds and five blocks. James laid an egg big enough to hatch an elephant, scoring 14 points, missing 12 of 16 shots with six turnovers as the Spurs cruised to an 85-76 win over his Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

James missed his first seven shots before making one with 7:15 left in the third quarter. He didn't reach double figures until the last 6:54, with the Spurs, who had been up 18 points, coasting in.

"I didn't play extremely well," definitely," said James, unfazed, not to mention understated, as ever. Not just shooting the ball, but the six turnovers was uncharacteristic of me in the postseason."

That's what the Cavaliers are hoping, anyway, but they're not in the Eastern Conference anymore.

Before Thursday, their postseason foes were the 41-win Washington Wizards, the 41-win New Jersey Nets and the aging, bickering 53-win Detroit Pistons.

These were the Spurs, who won 58 games in the Wild West, going on a late 21-3 spurt before rolling through the first three rounds of the Western draw at 12-4.

The Spurs are used to defending against high-powered teams such as the Phoenix Suns, who have scoring threats spread out all over the court.

So guarding James without having to worry unduly about anyone else didn't represent the challenge of their lives.

"Stars carry teams," Duncan said. " … It helps a little bit to have somebody like Bruce [Bowen.]"

This was the standard, formidable Spurs defense, the one they throw against the Lakers' Kobe Bryant with Bowen crowding James, trying to make him drive into their big players, backing him up.

Of course, this is nothing new for James, who has been drawing more attention all postseason.

"They're doing what Detroit tried to do to us," Cleveland Coach Mike Brown said. "They're selling out on LeBron.

"When he has the basketball, he plays pick-and-roll, they're putting two guys [on] him. And they're pulling a third guy over.

"And if he gets into the paint, they've got three guys around him. So what they're doing is saying, 'Hey, somebody else beat us.' "

And who would that be?

James, the most heralded teenager ever and a coming star, opened eyes with a 48-point breakout in Game 5 of the East finals. Unfortunately, if he rarely shoots that well from the outside, it just dialed up the hype that follows him everywhere to heights even he hadn't seen before.

Nevertheless, with no teammate likely to beat anyone, as opposed to making some shots, they're deep in the playoffs to trying to beat anyone one-on-five.

The Cavaliers actually got good contributions from supporting players. Daniel Gibson, a rookie second-round pick who has emerged this postseason like a rabbit from a magician's hat, came off the bench to make seven of nine shots, leading them with 16 points.

The problem was in their stars. James was awful. Duncan squashed gawky Zydrunas Ilguaskas, who missed seven of eight shots and scored two points. Larry Hughes, who's lost trying to play point guard and doesn't have an outside shot to complement James, missed four of his five and scored two points.

Rusty after a nine-day layoff, the Spurs were as ugly as the Cavaliers, who led, 25-22, midway through the second quarter.

Yes, this was some classic, all right.

"We didn't play for a long time," said Spurs guard Tony Parker. "The first half, we were just trying to get our wind back."

Parker got enough back to lead all scorers with 27 points, most of them on his trademark drives.

"Tony gets to the rim all the time and that's no knock on anyone, the Cavs or anyone else," said Duncan. "But with his quickness, his ability to finish in the lane, he gets in there almost at will."

That's another adjustment Brown said the Cavaliers have to make. With all the adjustments they need, it's a good thing they have two days before Sunday's Game 2 but it may not be enough.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 9:35 PM   |
Thursday, June 7
Aggies to be Featured on ABC's "Free Ticket: Inside College Basketball"
Texas A&M will be one of several schools featured this season on the ABC series, “Chase Card Services Presents FREE Ticket: Inside College Basketball.”

Created and produced by Intersport, the production team will begin shooting on Monday and will follow the Aggies for a two-week stretch beginning with their preparations for the Texas Tech game on Wednesday and concluding with the “ESPN Gameday”contest at Kansas on Saturday, Feb. 3.

The crew will have access to practices, pregame and postgame locker room talks, and will have one-on-one interviews with head coach Billy Gillispie and various players and staff.

The first half-hour show featuring A&M will be shown on ABC on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. and will be repeated on ESPN 2 on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. The second show will be on ABC on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. and will be rebroadcast on ESPN2 on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.

Created as an extension of Chase Card Services’ Freedom campaign, Chase Card Services Presents FREE Ticket: Inside College Basketball will offer fans unprecedented access behind otherwise closed doors, capturing all aspects of the college basketball experience – from practice and meetings to team travel and campus life.

The series already has featured Kansas State and Indiana this season.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:53 PM   |
SOCCER: Euro 2008 review
England's European Championship qualification hopes received a double boost after chief rivals Croatia and Russia played out a goalless draw in Zagreb.


Russia weathered sustained pressure to escape the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb with a vital point in Group E.

Coupled with England`s 3-0 win in Estonia, it means Steve McClaren`s men are now only three points behind leaders Croatia.

Israel joined Croatia at the top of the group with a 2-0 victory over Andorra at a rain-drenched Estadi Comunal.

Goals from Toto Tamuz and Roberto Colautti either side of half-time handed the visitors a second win in four days - the first a 2-1 victory over FYR Macedonia in Skopje.

France remain three points clear of Scotland in Group B as Samir Nasri`s first-half goal proved enough to see off Georgia in Auxerre.

Playmaker Nasri, viewed as the long-term successor to Zinedine Zidane, stroked home a neat finish in the 33rd minute to earn Les Bleus a 1-0 victory and keep them two points clear of Italy in the standings.

Two first-half goals from Fabio Quagliarella gave Italy a 2-0 victory over Lithuania to keep them a point clear of Scotland.

The Sampdoria striker scored the opener on 31 minutes before adding his second on the stroke of half-time.

Northern Ireland lost the leadership of Group F after Sweden routed Scandinavian rivals Iceland 5-0.

Goals from Marcus Allback (two), Anders Svensson, Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg and Markus Rosenberg did the damage for the hosts, who move two points clear of Nigel Worthington`s new side.

They also drop below Spain after two clinical David Villa strikes earned his country their second victory in a matter of days after seeing off Liechtenstein.

Villa netted twice in the opening 15 minutes to put the visitors on their way to a 2-0 win in Vaduz, but the Valencia striker missed the chance for his hat-trick after blazing a late penalty against the crossbar.

Dennis Rommedahl inspired Denmark to victory in Latvia to keep Morten Olsen`s men in contention in the same group.

He opened the scoring after 15 minutes and added a second two minutes later.

Germany moved closer to a place at Euro 2008 with a win over Slovakia in Hamburg.

The Group D leaders went ahead after just 10 minutes when Jan Durica put through his own goal.

Another own goal, this time from Germany`s Christoph Metzelder, allowed Slovakia to draw level 10 minutes later, but after Thomas Hitzlsperger put the hosts ahead two minutes before the break the result was rarely in any doubt.

Poland missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of Group A after slipping to a 1-0 defeat against a battling Armenia side at the Republican Stadium.

Hamlet Mkhitaryan`s 64th-minute free-kick flew past Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc into the top-left corner of the net.

Fourth-placed Finland improved their qualifying chances with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Belgium.

Goals from former Charlton striker Jonatan Johansson and Aleksei Eremenko were enough for the hosts at the Olympiastadion, while Marouane Fellaini`s dismissal early in the second half made the task for Rene Vandereycken`s men a near impossible one.

In the same group, Ruslan Baltiyev`s goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for 10-man Kazakhstan at home to Azerbaijan after defender Maksim Zhalmagambetov was sent off.

The midfielder`s goal cancelled out Vugar Nadyrov`s first-half strike to leave the Azerbaijan side with one point when they should have had three.

European champions Greece extended their lead over Turkey at the top of Group C to five points thanks to Nikos Liberopoulos` injury-time strike in a hard-fought victory over Moldova.

Angelos Charisteas netted with a typical header in the first half for Otto Rehhagel`s men before Viorel Frunza powered home a surprise equaliser with 10 minutes left.

Bosnia-Herzegovina moved ahead of Turkey and up to second on goal difference after a 1-0 win over a stubborn Malta side.

A goal in the sixth minute from striker Zlatan Muslimovic put Fuad Muzurovic`s men on 13 points, having played one more game than Turkey.

Norway kept their qualification hopes on track with a 4-0 win over Hungary.

Former Tottenham striker Steffen Iversen got the ball rolling in the first half before substitute Daniel Braaten and two goals from Aston Villa forward John Carew made certain of the victory to move the Scandinavians level on points with second-placed Turkey.

Romania maintained their two-point lead at the top of Group G after completing the double over Slovenia with a 2-0 win in Timisoara.

Victor Piturca`s side won 2-1 in Celje on Saturday and rounded off an excellent few days thanks to goals from Adrian Mutu and Cosmin Contra.

Second-placed Bulgaria came from a goal down to claim a 2-1 win over Belarus to boost their qualification hopes.

Roman Vasiluk opened the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty but Martin Petrov`s free-kick hauled the home side level five minutes later.

Chavdar Yankov completed the turnaround before half-time.
Albania climbed to fourth in the group with a 3-0 victory over Luxembourg.

A brace from Edmond Kapllani added to Ervin Skela`s opener sent Otto Baric`s team to a second victory in four days over their opponents, following Saturday`s 2-0 triumph in Tirana.

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posted by ^%&^ @ 10:50 PM   |
 
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