Sports News

Blount Punch Video

2009-09-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Sports News Update! LeGarrette Blount was suspended after he punch Byron Hout with a right hand on the jaw after the game on September 3, 2009. LeGarrette Blount is a running back player of University of Oregon while Byron Hout is from Boise State. Read more ... Blount Punch Video

Watch Blount Punch Video | YouTube

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Caster Semenya Pictures | YouTube Video

2009-08-20T00:14:00.000-07:00

Caster Semenya set a new record in Women's World 800 meters Track And Field event and won the title at 2009 Berlin Track and Field World Championships (pictures above). Caster Semenya is a South African middle-distance runner was questioned her gender by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) but manage to joined the event. Caster Semenya hermaphrodite testing is yet unknown. Read more ... Caster Semenya Pictures

Watch Caster Semenya Won the Women's World 800 meters Track And Field Event Video

Caster Semenya YouTube Video

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Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping Knockout Video

2009-07-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Watch UFC 100 full actual fight video and find out how Dan Henderson knockout Michael Bisping. Both fighters have the same intensity and strategy, they both manage their skills well inside the fighting arena. I think Dan Henderson got his timing in taking one punch to knockout Michael Bisping. Watch more videos here ... Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping Knockout Video

Watch UFC 100 Full Actual Fight Video

UFC 100 Full Actual Fight Video

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Lance Armstrong Suffers Collarbone Injury

2009-03-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong Suffers Collarbone injury in Spain Vuelta a Castilla y Leon race tour.

Lance Armstrong fell off on his bike on the first day of the race in Spain entitled Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. Lance Armstrong force to brought into the hospital because he suffered a fractured collarbone that might disrupt his chance to compete in 2009 Tour de France.

Watch the video of Lance Armstrong as he fell off on his bike and suffered collarbone injury.

Lance Armstrong Suffers Collarbone Injury Video

FYI - Sport News

Privacy Policy

2009-03-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

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Manny Pacquiao wins over Oscar de la Hoya

2008-12-06T00:31:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao wins over Oscar de la Hoya! This will be soon, so be better watch out. If Pacquiao despite of the mismatch manage to win against the bigger Oscar de la Hoya we can say now Manny Pacquiao is the ultimate pound for pound champion. Either of the two fighter has the ability to knock out their opponents. It is just a matter of timing and execution. The fighter who has the right training and proper strategy might win the this Dream Match of the year.

Video of Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya Fight : Trailer
FYI - Behind Sports

Andy Murray Smashing Roger Federer In Masters Cup Semis

2008-11-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Briton Andy Murray first assignment is to stop Roger Federer and second is to beat Nikolay Davydenko before he can play in the Masters Cup finals in Shanghai. This is not easy as it can be, after beating Roger Federer with a match score of 4-6 7-6 7-5 and assure himself to be in the final four, Murray will be facing a top caliber player again against Davydenko.

Andrew "Andy" Murray was born on May 15, 1987 and classified as the number one British player and number four in the world. Murray turned pro in 2005 with a total winning cash prize of US$4,849,434 and career record of 152 wins, 64 loses and 8 titles.

FYI - Sports News

Spying Over Burn After Reading

2008-11-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

I want to watch the movie Burn After Reading to see how those hunk performed their comedy role and also to see other co-Nuffnangers.

LeBron James Dunks From Free Throw Line! Amazing Video!

2008-11-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

LeBron James Dunks From Free Throw Line
LeBron James dunks from free throw line! LeBron James is just amazing with his dunks specially when he jumped from the free throw line. What can I say? LeBron Raymone James was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1984. LeBron James is known as King James, because he is the youngest millionaire and only NBA player who was been a first overall pick that came from high school at the age of 18.

Ohio's Mr. Basketball is what they call LeBron James When he was still playing in St. Vincent - St. Mary High School.

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Antonio McDyess Back To Detroit Pistons

2008-11-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

Denver Nuggets waived Antonio McDyess and back to Detroit Pistons along with Chauncey Billups and Cheikh Samb and a trade with guard Allen Iverson a nine-times NBA All-Star that play to Detroit.

Antonio McDyess Back To Detroit Pistons

Antonio McDyess is 34 years old and McDyess has been playing in the NBA for almost 13 years. McDyess is avering 13.4 points with 7.7 rebounds as professional NBA player. McDyess was also the second draft pick in the 1995 NBA Annual Draft.

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Juan Manuel Marquez Ring Magazine Lightweight King

2008-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Juan Manuel Marquez knockout "El Cepillo" Casamayor at 2:55 minutes in the 11th scheduled by 12 round at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Juan "Dinamita" Manuel Marquez is now the Ring Magazine lightweight champion with 49 wins 4 losses and 36 wins by knockout while Casamayor down with 36 wins 4 losses. Casamayor of Guantanamo, Cuba, was suffered a cut in the right eyebrow that causes him out of focus.

Juan Manuel Marquez scores a 31 percent throw punch about 160 out 516 while Casamayor still show his fighting power with 22 percent punch 122 over 552.

Juan "Dinamita" Manuel Marquez says he is now the best Lightweight and he wants Manny Pacquiao to be his next opponent.

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Pinoy Fear Factor

2008-11-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

Fear Factor Pinoy Edition will launch on November 10, 2008 in the Kapamilya channel ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. Great prizes awaits the winner of Pinoy Fear Factor and will become The Ultimate Participant. Who will be the lucky winner in the 12 selected participants. Watch the Pinoy Fear Factor and be amazed with the stunts and challenges.

Pinoy Fear Factor

Related Post:
Pinoy Fear Factor complete list of participants and game details.
Pinoy Fear Factor Full Video

FYI - Sports News

Top Gear Season 12 Episode 1 Watch Video

2008-11-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

The show that won different awards is back with a new twist. Top Gear new series is set for all the viewers. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will be the host of this new series.

Top Gear Season 12 Episode 1 start on Sunday November 2. Watch Top Gear.

Here is the latest video of Top Gear Season 12 Episode 1.

FYI - Behind Sports

Kimbo Slice versus Seth Petruzelli video fight

2008-10-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

Kimbo Slice match against Seth Petruzelli were something to remember by the fans. Kimbo Slice did not knew what hit him. It is just a one shot before a non stop punch and it is over. Kimbo also known as the Cash Machine, who fights like the baddest man on earth.

Related News: Kimbo Slice Versus Shamrock

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Lance Armstrong Race To Colorado For Tune Up In 2009 Tour de France

2008-09-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colorado - Lance Armstrong only individual to win seven times at Tour de France announced recently his intention of riding in a prestige cycling event Tour de France. Armstrong 36-year-old cancer survivor is training and getting his legs to its winning form.

FYI - Behind Sports

United States Soccer Team Nears World Cup Qualifying

2008-09-11T00:33:00.000-07:00

BRIDGEVIEW, Illinois – A 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup qualifying, the United States assured in CONCACAF regional finals next year with an outstanding game by Clint Dempsey who scored his fourth goal in four games. While Brian Ching and Michael Bradley scored to United States and get its fifth straight win - nine points five ahead of Trinidad that firms its place at Group One in the semi-finals qualifying.

FYI - Behind Sports

Manu Ginobili Needs Arthroscopic Surgery

2008-09-02T01:13:00.000-07:00

SAN ANTONIO - Manu Ginobili of San Antonio Spurs needs to repair a ligament injury to his left ankle through arthroscopic surgery. An MRI exam of the injury showed no improvement from a previous one, "They're going to operate on me," "It's the same as it was two months ago, when they did the first exam," he said. "It's not worse, which is important. Now, the thing is, it's not better either, and it seems like the only way to repair it completely is arthroscopic surgery."

FYI - Behind Sports

Tennis World Number 3 Novak Djokovic Prevailed

2008-09-01T02:12:00.000-07:00

Novak Djokovic tennis world number three win over Marin Cilic in a four-hour battle, Djokovic was tested to the limit before scraping into round four of the US Open. Cilic after winning the first set and saved two match points in the fourth before losing 6-7 (7-9) 7-5 6-4 7-6 (7-0).

Former world number one Roger Federer cruised through, barely breaking sweat as he beat Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-3 6-2.

Home favorite Andy Roddick also showed something like his best form as he saw off Andreas Seppi 6-2 7-5 7-6 (7-4).

Cilic won a high-quality first set on a tie-break, bravely smacking a clean backhand winner down the line to snatch it.

Both men then fluctuated between the sublime and the distinctly average, with Djokovic allowing an early break to slip in each of the next three sets.

An inspired Cilic survived two match points before leveling at 5-5 in the fourth but he crumbled in the tie-break and Djokovic prevailed after three hours 52 minutes.

The Serbian admitted: "I was really trying to stay in the match all the time.

"It is always good in the early stages to have long matches, to hustle and stay on the court a long time. Now I'm motivated to go far.

"I always manage to get through these tough matches. If you are mentally able to play the best tennis in the most important moments you are different than the others.

"The good thing about that second set was that I stayed focused. He was stepping in and I was playing a bit too defensive.

"He didn't have much to lose as a youngster. He won at New Haven (one week before the US Open) and he won a couple of matches here and he was on the centre court for the first time.

"It was more the fight and focus I had in the end.

"I got myself together after those two match points. I was mentally strong. For me this match is extremely important mentally for me to continue going on."

Djokovic will now meet Spain's Tommy Robredo in round four.

Who Is Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was born on May 22, 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia, Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player and current World No. 3.

In January 2008, he won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. After a straight sets win over World No. 1 and defending champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, Djokovic won the final in four sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He thereby became the first player representing Serbia ever to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest player in the open era to have reached all four Grand Slam semifinals.

Djokovic Playing Style
Djokovic is an all-court player. His greatest strengths includes his dominant groundstrokes, especially the forehand which are powerful, deep, well angled, and hit with strong topspin, although his preferred groundstroke is the backhand. With considerable speed, his serve is one of his major weapons winning many free points from his flatter first serve and employing a sharp curving kick serve as his second serve. Djokovic, while very sound and powerful from the baseline, often finishes points by coming to the net similar to Roger Federer. He also utilizes a well-disguised backhand underspin dropshot and sliced backhand (groundstroke) in his repertoire.

Djokovic Equipments
Djokovic endorses/is sponsored by Wilson and adidas; he is currently using the Wilson [K]Blade Tour racquet strung with Wilson Champions Choice. Djokovic also wears the adidas Barricade V shoes and the adidas Edge Group clothing. Adidas allowed Djokovic to wear Nike shoes at Wimbledon in 2008.

FYI - Behind Sports

Manny Pacquiao Will Fight Oscar De La Hoya

2008-08-30T01:49:00.000-07:00

Goliath meets David in a fair and square battle. In a non-title bout on 6 December in Las Vegas, WBC lightweight world champion Manny Pacquiao will fight Six-weight division world champion Oscar de la Hoya.

The fight, which the 35-year-old De la Hoya refused to label his last, will take place at the MGM Grand.

"My focus is on my next fight. I am not going to talk about retiring," said the American, who has won 10 world titles in all.

"I am going to give 100% of my focus to this fight and then we will see."

De la Hoya had been scheduled to fight Floyd Mayweather on 20 September before his countryman announced his retirement in June this year.

De la Hoya rose to fame by winning a gold medal for the United States at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona where he earned the nickname "Golden Boy".

Since then he has won titles at six different weight classes and boasts a record of 39-5 that includes 20 knockouts. His last victory, over American Steve Forbes, came in May.

Filipino Pacquiao, 29, has built up a huge following back home and he believes he can upset his opponent by utilizing his greater speed.

"I'm faster and younger and I think I can beat him, it is going to be a great fight," he said.

FYI - Behind Sports

US Open 2008 Rafael Nadal Win Over Bjorn Phau

2008-08-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal currently World number one at the US Open vanquished his German opponent Bjorn Phau 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) and got his first-round win at Flushing Meadows. Nadal, 22, needed almost three hours to see off a determined challenge from qualifier Phau in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Spaniard even double-faulted when serving for the match to hand Phau a break back, and he required a second tie-break to finally wrap things up.

Rafael Nadal goes on to face American Ryler De Heart, ranked 251, who had a surprise 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4 3-6 6-4 win over Belgian Olivier Rochus.

"To win in three sets is always a good result," said Nadal. "I had some difficult moments, so that's going to help me a little bit to be prepared for the pressure moments. "I played well today when I had the pressure moments."

He added: "I am a little bit tired, yes, but it is the US Open so I have to try my best here. "The problem is playing Toronto, Cincinnati and Beijing, then coming back here. In two weeks, two times, 12 hours' jet lag. "I'm a little bit more tired than I usually am but, at the same time, I must be very happy how I did this year."

There were easy wins for fourth seed David Ferrer, who beat Martin Vassalo Arguello, and seventh seed David Nalbandian, who overcame Marcos Daniel.

But ninth seed James Blake needed five sets to overcome fellow American Donald Young 6-1 3-6 6-1 4-6 6-4.

Blake looked poised to make quick work of Young, leading two sets to one and up 2-0 in the fourth before the left-handler hit back to take the match to a deciding set.

"Donald really picked up his game and really played great toward end of the match," said Blake, who committed 50 unforced errors in the match.

Gael Monfils was an early winner on the first day's play in New York, the Frenchman crushing Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4 6-4 6-1, while 10th seed Stanislas Wawrinka beat Simone Bolelli 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-3.

Jurgen Melzer upset 27th seed Feliciano Lopez 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 2-6 6-4, with Britain's Andy Murray a possible third-round opponent for the Austrian.

FYI - Behind Sports

Olympic Football Gold Kicks By Argentina

2008-08-23T02:03:00.000-07:00

Beijing Olympics – Argentina is on heat beating Nigeria 1-0 to win its second Olympic football title in a row. Angel di Maria collected a through ball from Lionel Messi in the 58th minute to give 2004 winner Argentina another gold medal and leave the Nigerians, champions in 1996, the silver. Brazil won the bronze on Friday by beating Belgium 3-0 in Shanghai.

The only football game to be played in Beijing's Olympic stadium, Saturday's match was watched by a crowd of 89,102 but hampered by very hot conditions and the referee took the rare step of twice allowing players to stop and take drinks.

Who Is Angel di Maria
Angel Fabian Di Maria was born on February 14, 1988 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Di Maria is an Argentine football midfielder who currently plays for S.L. Benfica and is known as "The Little Angel".

Di Maria started his professional football career in 2005, when he made his debut for Rosario Central. In January 2007 he had an opportunity to play in Russian Premier League when FC Rubin Kazan offered him a contract. At first he agreed, but soon afterward he changed his mind and turned down the offer. After putting up a remarkable performance in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, playing for Argentina, Di Maria caught the eye of several international teams and in the end Benfica signed him for €6m.

So highly regarded was Di Maria by Benfica that the president of the Portuguese club, Luís Filipe Vieira, when presenting the young Argentine, told the club’s supporters he had bought the perfect replacement for Benfica’s departing captain, Simao Sabrosa, a talismanic figure for Benfica for over five seasons.

During the first months of his tenure in Lisbon, Di Maria showed that he was not in the least weighed down by the expectations, and the fans quickly took to the exciting talent.

FYI - Behind Sports

Usain Bolt Going To Racks Up The Gold Bars

2008-08-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

GENEVA - In anticipation of new records by the sport's newest superstar Usain Bolt the fastest man on the planet, European track meet organizers are polishing the gold bars for the Weltklasse meet in Zurich next week, where Bolt can collect a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gold and prize money worth a combined US$93,000 (€63,000) if he breaks his 100-meter world record of 9.69 seconds.

After that, Bolt is staying in Switzerland to run the 200 at the Sept. 2 Athletissima meet in Lausanne, where he can net another gold bar worth around US$27,000 (€18,300) if he improves on his newly minted 19.30 mark.

By dominating the Olympic sprint events with devastating ease, Bolt has quickly become the new darling of international meet organizers. Aside from increased bonuses, he can also expect to receive significantly higher appearance fees.

"In the contract, with the two world records, maybe we can pay $30,000 more," Athletissima spokesman Pierre-Andre Pasche said Thursday. "For us it is very important. He is the superstar of the Olympic Games and we expect to fill all the stadium with people coming to see Usain Bolt."

Some 14,000 are expected in Lausanne for the meet, and Zurich's 25,000-seat Letzigrund stadium is sold out for Bolt's first competition after the Olympics.

Weltklasse meet director Patrick Magyar said it may not take long for Bolt to break his 100 mark — which he set in Saturday's final despite showboating for the last 20 meters.

"I still think he has the potential to improve the 100 by quite a bit to get it to the same level he is running the 200," Magyar said. "There is, of course, a very nice bonus available if you run a world record in Zurich."

Weltklasse said it is offering a US$50,000 (€34,000) record bonus on top of US$16,000 (€10,900) for winning a race. A Swiss bank sponsor has promised the gold bars.

Long recognized for fast times, the Zurich track is expected to run even quicker since being resurfaced during stadium renovations last year. The synthetic rubber surface was poured into place rather than rolled out like a carpet to ensure consistency and energy efficiency.

"I think Zurich is probably the most advanced track there is in the world," Magyar said. "It needs time to settle in so we expect the track to be in better condition for the athletes than last year."

Bolt is slated for a rematch with Olympic runner-up Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago and Walter Dix of the United States, who won the bronze medal. The 100-meter record has been equaled or broken on three previous occasions at the meet.

In 1960, Armin Hary of West Germany clocked the first 10.0 time, while Carl Lewis in 1988 equaled the 9.93 mark he shared with fellow American Calvin Smith. Two years ago, Bolt's Jamaican rival Asafa Powell ran 9.77 for the third time.

Bolt ran the 200 at Weltklasse last year, clocking 20.19 to finish second behind Xavier Carter of the United States.

He was also beaten at the 2007 Athletissima, where his 20.11 run trailed far behind American Tyson Gay's time of 19.78.

Pasche said Bolt has missed the meet just once since debuting in 2003 but has never won there. World record or not, that streak seems sure to end.

FYI - Behind Sports

P1 Billion For Manny Pacquiao If He Fights Oscar De La Hoya

2008-08-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

P990 million for an ordinary people is too much, but Manny Pacquiao apparently stands to make that much if he decides to soften up on his previous demand. Pacquiao insisted that the prize money should be split 60-40. De la Hoya was adamant about a 70-30 cut. Talks have bogged down since no one refused to give way, although the handlers of both fighters continued to express interest in making the bout possible.

If he accepts Oscar de la Hoya’s offer, Pacquiao could earn a staggering $22 million or roughly P990 million, trainer and confidante Freddie Roach said.

“Oscar is a big draw. He draws millions of pay-per-view buys. And Manny is bigger than Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think Manny will break records and I think he and Oscar will make 200 million buys. If Manny does that at 70-30, Manny will get over $22 million (P990 million)," Roach told Sports Radio personality Dennis Principe.

Roach also confirmed in the radio interview Friday that the negotiations for the blockbuster meeting is apparently not yet over.

“The negotiations are not dead yet," Pacquiao’s trainer said. “I’ve talked to Bob Arum and Michael Koncz and we feel the fight is not dead yet."

Talks for a Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya megabuck fight broke off last week when both fighters stuck to their pay-cut demands: 60-40 for Pacquiao and 70-30 to de la Hoya.

On Monday, two US-based media outfits reported that the major players involved are still moving to make the megabuck fight scheduled on December a possibility.

“I think Oscar wants to go against a big name and wants to make a big event … and certainly Pacquiao is one of those names," Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions CEO, said on the Sports Illustrated web site Monday.

Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, told the Los Angeles Times that Pacquiao “remained adamant about receiving more than 30-percent share of the purse"

“There’s still the possibility of meeting somewhere in the middle," Arum said.

Schaefer also told the LA Times that he had heard Pacquiao was softening up on his previous demand.

“He sort of realized that 30 percent of the big pie is better than 100 percent of the small pie," Schaefer said of Pacquiao. Last week, Pacquiao said he wanted to “move on" and had instructed Arum to look for “another opponent". Roach believes Pacquiao’s decision was not final.

“We’re going to try and make this deal happen. It’s not yet a final decision of Manny."

FYI - Behind Sports

Sailors Iain Percy And Andrew Simpson Sail GB Fourth Gold Medal

2008-08-21T02:01:00.001-07:00

Great Britain's fourth gold won by sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson in a thrilling climax to the Star class event in Qingdao. Percy and Simpson started the medal race in second place and had to fight tooth and claw with Sweden before getting to the line just ahead of them.

The gold provided the perfect finish to Britain's most successful ever regatta.

Brazil's Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada took silver, and Sweden's Fredrik Loof and Anders Ekstrom claimed the bronze.

Britain finished on 45 points, eight in front of the Brazilians and Swedes. The South Americans took silver by virtue of their better result in the medal race.

Percy and Simpson added another gold medal to Britain's tally in Qingdao, following in the wake of Ben Ainslie, Paul Goodison and the Yngling crew of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson.

"It's unbelievable and it's so special to do it with this fella (Simpson)," said Percy, after claiming the second Olympic gold of his career.

"I knew we weren't going to bottle it, and we didn't."

Simpson, who took gold in his first ever Olympics, added: "I'm just shocked. To do this after this week and this year we've had is unbelievable.

"There are no words to describe how happy we are.

"Since last year, everything focused on this week. We've worked really hard for the last 12 months.

"We had to pull it back from the brink. It was a tough race and we just did enough."

Britain eventually finished fifth in the medal race, behind race winners Poland, but the crucial factor was that they finished ahead of Sweden.

The two boats were neck-and-neck for much of the race but Percy and Simpson, who started the race two points behind Sweden, did just enough to keep their noses in front as the pressure increased in the closing stages.

FYI - Behind Sports

Usain Bolt The Fastest Man On The Planet

2008-08-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

Jamaica's Usain Bolt sprints to victory and rise to stardom in the Beijing Olympics 100 metre race and sets a new world record of 9.69 seconds. With world champion Tyson Gay out in the semifinals, the 21-year-old Jamaican seemingly only had Asafa Powell to beat, but when he looked around and realized he was all clear with 30 metres to go.

Well behind, Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago took the silver medal in 9.89, and Walter Dix of the United States was third in 9.91.

Powell again crumbled under the pressure of a big competition and finished fifth.

"Usain was spectacular," Powell said. "He was definitely untouchable."

Who Is Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt was born on August 21, 1986, Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter. He is the reigning Olympic champion over 100 meters and holds both world and Olympic 100 meters records with a time of 9.69 seconds. Bolt is also the world junior record holder in the 200 meters (19.93 seconds), and Jamaican national record holder in the 200 meters (19.67 seconds). His name and achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "Lightning Bolt."

Bolt was born in Trelawny, Jamaica, to Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt. As a child he was successful in the annual, national primary schools' meeting for his parish, and enjoyed playing cricket, specializing in fast bowling. Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial High School, his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events. Pablo McNeil and Dwayne Barrett coached Bolt, encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities. The school had a history of athletic success with past students including Michael Green. Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001, attaining the silver medal in the 200 meters with a time of 22.04 seconds.

Performing in his first Caribbean national event, Bolt clocked a personal best of 48.28 seconds in the 400 meters in the 2001 CARIFTA games, earning himself a silver medal. The 200 meters also yielded a silver as Bolt finished in 21.81 seconds. He made his first appearance on the world stage at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Running in the 200 meters event, he failed to qualify for the finals but he still set a new personal best of 21.73 seconds. In 2002 Bolt won both the 200 and 400 meters events in the High School Championships, CARIFTA Games and Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. He set championship records for both 200 and 400 meters in the 2002 CARIFTA games with 21.12 seconds and 47.33 seconds respectively. He continued to set records, with 20.61 seconds and 47.12 seconds finishes at the CAC Junior Championships.

Bolt grew up in Trelawny, Jamaica, with his parents, Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt, and his sister Sherine. Bolt expresses a love for dancing and his character is frequently described as laid-back and relaxed. The first sport to interest him was cricket and he said if he wasn't a sprinter he would be a fast bowler instead. Bolt's Jamaican track and field idols include Herb McKenley and, former Jamaican 200 meters record holder, Don Quarrie. Michael Johnson, the 200 meters world and Olympic record holder, is also held in high esteem by Bolt.

After winning the 200 meters title in the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma. To promote Bolt's chase for Olympic glory in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Puma released a series of videos including Bolt's then-world-record-setting run in Icahn Stadium and his Olympic preparations. During the Beijing 2008 100 meters final, Bolt wore golden Puma spikes that had "Beijing 100m Gold" emblazoned across them.

FYI - Behind Sports

Top Seed Rafael Nadal Aiming A Grand Slam At Us Open

2008-08-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Following his elevation to world number one, Rafael Nadal will be the top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career at next week's US Open. Followed by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, with Scot Andy Murray seeded sixth while ex-world number one Lleyton Hewitt has pulled out with injury.

Ana Ivanovic is women's top seed, with Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serena Williams next.

The singles draws for the tournament will be announced on Thursday.

Nadal officially became the new world number one on Monday, ending Federer's record reign of 237 successive weeks. Federer was the top seed at the last 18 majors.

Murray will be looking to overcome his disappointing early exit from the Beijing Olympics and rediscover the form that took him to success at the Cincinnati Masters.

The British number one's best effort in New York was in 2006 when he reached the fourth round.

Hewitt will miss the rest of the season after having arthroscopic surgery on a long-term hip problem.

"Surgery was always the last resort, but unfortunately that's what it came down to," the 27-year-old Australian said.

"I am also shattered that I can't lead the Australian Davis Cup team in Chile (in Santiago from 19-21 September) in our bid to rejoin the world group, and hope that the boys can still come through with a great win.

"I am looking forward to playing again in January in my home country, and using that as a springboard to compete at my best again on the world stage for at least a couple of more years."

The most notable absence on the women's side is world number six and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who announced earlier this month that she is missing the event to recover from a shoulder injury.

Who Is Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal Parera was born on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, Majorca, Nadal is a Spanish professional tennis player who has been ranked World No. 1 since 18 August 2008.

Nadal has won five Grand Slam singles titles and the 2008 Olympic gold medal. He captured four consecutive French Opens from 2005 through 2008 and Wimbledon in 2008. He is the only man other than Bjorn Borg to have won four consecutive French Open titles, one of only three men in the open era who won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year, only the second male Spaniard to have won Wimbledon, and the only man who entered the Olympics ranked in the top five to win the gold medal.

For much of his career, Nadal has had a rivalry with Roger Federer. He was ranked World No. 2 behind Federer for a record 160 weeks before earning the top spot. Nadal has won 12 of their 18 singles matches, including four of their six Grand Slam finals.

Nadal's tennis success has been especially pronounced on clay courts. Some tennis critics and top players regard Nadal as the greatest clay-court player ever. He has a 22–1 record in clay court tournament finals and is undefeated in over 40 best-of-five-set matches on clay. In each of the last four years, he has won both the French Open and two of the three clay court Masters Series tournaments. He also owns the longest single-surface winning streak in the open era, having won 81 consecutive matches on clay from April 2005 to May 2007.

Family And Early Life
Rafael Nadal was born in Manacor, Majorca to Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera. He has a younger sister named María Isabel. His uncle, Miguel Ángel, is a retired professional football player, having played for RCD Mallorca, FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team. He is an avid supporter of Real Madrid. His other uncle, Toni, himself a professional tennis player, introduced Rafael to tennis as a 3 year-old boy and has been coaching him ever since. Toni has also stated that Rafael had a natural talent playing tennis while preferring to play football. By the time Rafael was five, he was going to the tennis club twice a week to play and at eight years of age, also a promising striker in the local football team, he won the regional tennis championships for under-12s. By the time Rafael was 12 he had won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group and was playing either tennis or football all the time. Then in stepped the third of the three brothers, Rafael's father, Sebastian. He forced Rafael to choose between football and tennis so that his school work would not suffer. When Rafael was 14 years old, the Spanish tennis federation requested that he leave Majorca and move to Barcelona to continue his tennis progression and training. Rafael's parents and uncles turned down these requests, which resulted in Rafael receiving less financial support to aid his development. Sebastian covered these costs himself. By the age of 16, Rafael was ranked in the world's top 50 players.

While Rafael's upbringing and early years are largely kept private, he has stated growing up his passions were football, tennis, and fishing.

Nadal has been dating María Francesca "Xisca" Perello, also from Majorca, for three years as of 2008.

FYI - Behind Sports

US Team Crushed Germany 106-57 Finish Top Of Group B

2008-08-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

Dwight Howard scored 22 points, LeBron James added 18 points for USA, was two of five players to score in double figures as the US team crushed and eliminated Germany 106-57 to finish top of Group B. Team USA have averaged a 32-point win in their five group games and are strong favorites for the gold.

The Redeem Team, as they have become known, will now face Australia in Wednesday's basketball quarter-finals.

Australia won 106-75 against Lithuania, who had already secured top spot in Group A and a tie with China.

Greece beat China 91-77 and will face Argentina, while Croatia earned a tie with Spain by beating Iran 91-57.

Andrew Bogut led Australia with 23 points against Lithuania, while Greece's heroes against China were Ioannis Bouroussis and Vassilis Spanoulis, who scored 19 points each. Local hero Yao Ming played only 18 minutes in China's defeat and reacted angrily when benched by China's Lithuanian coach Jonas Kazlauskas.

"If we'd been closer to Greece he'd have played longer minutes," said Kazlauskas after Yao had stormed off after the final buzzer. "But he's a player, I'm the coach. I make the decisions."

Spain recovered from their hammering by the US two days ago with an easy 98-50 win over Angola. LA Lakers centre Pau Gasol led the Spaniards with 31 points, despite playing just 24 minutes.

Croatia, too, had an easy time in their final group game after restricting Iran to just 16 first-half points. Marin Rozic and Marko Tomas scored 16 points each for Croatia.

Defending Olympic champions Argentina, watched by football legend Diego Maradona, beat Russia 91-79 as forward Luis Scola scored 37 points.

Russia, the reigning European champions, went out of the tournament with only a single win to their names.

FYI - Behind Sports

Philadelphia 76ers Andre Iguodala Signs $80 Million Contract

2008-08-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers Andre Iguodala was rewarded with a six-year contract worth $80 million, who helped the Philadelphia 76ers reach the NBA playoffs for the first time in three years. Iguodala was the ninth overall pick in the 2004 draft. He averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.1 steals in 82 games last season. But he struggled against the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, averaging only 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as the Sixers were eliminated in six games.

"We felt like he had a very good track record to warrant a contract like that," Sixers president Ed Stefanski said. "We think he's got the upside to become an even better player than he is today."

The 24-year-old swingman could have played this season under the terms of a one-year, $3.8 million (€2.6 million) qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next year. When Philadelphia signed forward Elton Brand away from the Los Angeles Clippers, it became evident that keeping Iguodala was vital.

"We clearly wanted Andre in a Sixers uniform," Stefanski said.

Over his four-year career, Iguodala has been quite durable, playing in 322 of 328 games while averaging 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

"I think a lot of guys kind of relax when they get their money," Iguodala said. "They're like, 'I got my money. Maybe I don't have to be as hungry.' My mind-set is to work just as hard as I always have if not harder every day to prove myself."

Who Is Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala was born on January 28, 1984, Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association.

Iguodala was born in Springfield, Illinois to Linda Shanklin and Frank Iguodala, who was of Igbo Nigerian descent. His older brother, Frank, played for the University of Dayton and is currently a free agent.

Highschool And College Career
Iguodala attended high school at Lanphier High School in Springfield. During the summer of 2001, he grabbed the attention of coaches around the nation as he was named the AAU national tournament Most Valuable Player after hitting the game-winning shot at the final buzzer to give his team the 17-and-under national title. As a senior at Lanphier in 2002, he averaged 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, helping lead his team to the state championship game. He was named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year.

Iguodala initially signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Arkansas. However, after their coach, Nolan Richardson, was fired that year, Iguodala decided to go the University of Arizona instead to play for Lute Olson. He would be named to the Pac-10 All-Freshmen team for 2002-2003. In the 2003-2004 season, Iguodala would be named team MVP after leading his team in rebounds, assists and steals. He also made the All- Pac 10 team and was named Honorable Mention All-America by The Associated Press. He collected three triple-doubles that season, joining Jason Kidd as the only two players in Pac-10 history to post two or more triple-doubles in a season. After posting career totals of 594 points (9.6 ppg), 409 rebounds (6.6 rpg) and 95 steals (1.53 spg) in 62 games (34 starts).

2007 - 2008 Season
Iguodala came into the 2007-2008 season under much controversy. Iguodala was offered a 57 million dollar deal and denied, which left some to believe he wants "out" of Philadelphia. Iguodala got off to a slow start to the season, at one point leading the league in turnovers. He began to step up his game as the season went on, leading the 76ers to a playoff berth. The 76ers finished the season at 40-42, winning 22 of their last 29 games and earning a playoff spot with a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on April 4th. Iguodala averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game through 82 games. In the playoffs the 76ers lost in the first round to the Pistons in 6 games after leading the series at one point 2-1. On August 12, 2008 Andre Iguodala reportedly agreed to a six-year, $80 million contract. He officially signed on August 17, 2008. The contract has $5 million in bonuses and a player option for the sixth year.

FYI - Behind Sports

Michael Phelps Even Mark Spitz's Seven Golds

2008-08-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

US Swimming superstar Michael Phelps winning the men's 100m butterfly take his seven gold medals and matched Mark Spitz's 1972 Munich Games record.

"I'm speechless," said Phelps. "I really don't now what to say. I guess I've had the perfect situations all week. "I just have one race left, the relay, and then it's done. He added: "Tying Spitz's record is pretty cool. It's great to be a part of all of this."

The American was not in the top three at the turn but fought back and just managed to take the gold by a hundredth of a second in a time of 50.58 seconds.

Phelps, 23, goes in the final of the 4x100m medley on Sunday looking to win his eighth gold.

Serbia's Milorad Cavic won silver and Australia's Andrew Lauterstein bronze.

Phelps had previously won the 400m medley, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x100m free relay, 4x200m free relay and the 200m medley, all in world record time.

And while his victory in the 100m fly wasn't a world record the US swimmer did set an Olympic record narrowly edging out Cavic in a thrilling race.

Phelps trailed Cavic with 10m to go and it looked as if his record bid was over, but the American turned on the style and snatched the victory by just one-hundredth of a second.

FYI - Behind Sports

Great Britain's Track Cycling Trio Take Gold

2008-08-15T18:40:00.001-07:00

Jamie Staff Jason Kenny Chris Hoy" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234924766702391810" />
Great Britain's men's team sprint trio Jamie Staff, Jason Kenny and Chris Hoy defeated France with a winning time of 43.128 seconds to win GB's third gold of the Games in the first track cycling final in Beijing.

They had finished second to France at the World Championships earlier this year but always looked in control to win the Olympic final by 0.523secs.

Germany defeated Australia by 0.008secs to take the bronze medal.

The team sprint medal is GB's eighth of the Games and never looked in doubt as the sprint trio dominated the competition.

They opened with a ride of 42.950secs, an unofficial record on a 750m track, with Staff riding the opening leg in 17.19secs.

There is no world record for the team sprint because the event is held over three laps regardless of the size of the track.

"We had no idea what we could do really," said Kenny, who came into the team in place of Ross Edgar.

"When I saw the time for the first ride on the board I thought I must have read it wrong."

GB then secured their place in the final with a time of 43.034.

The gold is the second of Hoy's Olympic career after he won the 1km time trial four years ago.

"To win as part of a team is a totally different feeling from the 1km time trial in Athens," said Hoy.

"Our friendship has been so dominant in the last few years. As part of a team, you can't let anyone down.

"To beat them by half a second made it that exciting. Honestly, it took every inch of effort in beating the French who have been invincible.

"The French have been so dominant. We have really put all the pieces of the jigsaw together. We really focused on the details. To stick half a second into them, it's amazing."

Scot Hoy, hoping to win three golds in Beijing, is also competing in the keirin and the men's sprint.

He told BBC Sport: "There's still plenty in the tank. At the end of the week, if I get three, I'll do a dance for you and that's a promise."

Staff was a member of the team that finished fifth in the event in Athens.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, it's weird, but mostly exciting," he said.

"We were very disappointed after Athens. I've given absolutely everything I could into it and it paid off.

"We've got a fantastically strong team, we showed everyone at the worlds how strong we are."

FYI - Behind Sports

US Softball Team Aiming For Olympic Gold

2008-08-15T02:40:00.000-07:00

The 18 winning streak in Olympic is an amazing achievement, that is why the US softball team is aiming for the Olympic gold in Beijing. The US softball team scored four unearned runs in the sixth inning to beat Canada 8-1.

The United States women's national softball team is the national softball team of the United States. It is governed by the United States' Amateur Softball Association and takes part in international softball competitions. The US team has been dominant in international play, taking the gold medal in three straight Olympics and six straight world championships. They will go for their fourth consecutive gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In the 2004 Olympics the team held its opponents to one run scored in 7 games. The lone run came in a 5-1 victory over the Australian team. It was the first run scored by an opponent against the US softball team in 9 games.

On March 26, 2008, the United States Olympic softball team had their 185 game winning streak snapped in a no-hitter thrown by Virginia Tech's Angela Tincher, who struck out 10 batters in a 1-0 exhibition win for the Hokies. The no-hit win proved something extra special in this case, as Tincher had previously tried out and failed to make the 2008 US Olympic softball team.

Winning Result
* Olympics: Gold Medal - 2004, 2000, 1996
* ISF Women's World Championship: Gold Medal - 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1986, 1978, 1974; Silver Medal - 1970, 1965
* World Cup of Softball: 1st (2007), 1st (2006), 2nd (2005)
* 2006 Japan Softball Cup: 1st

FYI - Behind Sports

Teddy Riner Gold Medal Favorite Lost In Judo Quarterfinals

2008-08-15T01:44:00.000-07:00

BEIJING – In the men's Judo at over 100-kilogram division, Teddy Riner a French teenage world champion was lost his chances at an Olympic judo gold by loosing a close overtime bout in the quarterfinals.

Riner, a judo sensation since he took the world championship last year at age 18, started off cautiously, winning his opening bout on points. He blasted through his second match, flipping Kazakhstan's Yeldos Ikhsangaliyev shortly after their bout began.

But he slowed down again in the quarters, going into the final minute at 1-1 with Uzbekistan's Abdullo Tangriev. The two then went into overtime, and again neither was able to find an opening.

Tangriev was declared the winner on a penalty against Riner for passivity just before time ran out.

Russia's Tamerian Tmenov — who lost to Riner in the world championship final — took an early lead in his first bout over Athens bronze medalist Dennis van der Geest, but the match never turned into much of a rivalry because the Dutchman hurt his right arm and spent most of the second half on the defensive.

Tmenov then scored two waza ari on China's Pan Song to make the quarterfinal against Japan's Satoshi Ishii, who is making his Olympic debut after coming out of the shadow of longtime champion Kosei Inoue.

Ishii won that bout on a yuko point, sending Tmenov into the loser's bracket. Ishii meets Georgia's Gujejiani and Tangriev fights Cuba's Oscar Brayson.

In the women's 78-kg, China's heavyweight judo champion, Tong Wen, breezed into the semifinals.

A three-time world champion, she flipped her first opponent and pinned her second and third to make the semifinal, where she will fight Cuba's Idalys Ortiz.

Athens gold medalist Maki Tsukada fell behind to France's Anne-Sophie Mondiere, who is ranked second in the world, on a koka point, but came back with an ippon to clear her first fight. She pinned Mexico's Vanessa Zambotti for her semifinal berth.

In the semifinals, she will meet Slovenia's Lucija Polavder, who is ranked fifth in the world.

FYI - Behind Sports

First Gold Of Great Britain Sprinted By Nicole Cooke

2008-08-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Nicole Cooke finished first in a women's cycling road race for Great Britain's first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics. Having finished a disappointing fifth at the Athens Olympics in 2004, her delight as she crossed the line first was obvious as she leap off her bike and whooped with delight, racing to hug her team-mates.

"We did it, it was perfect. It's a dream come true," said Cooke, who became the first Welsh person to win Olympic gold for 36 years.

"I came over the line and there was so much - I was just so happy and there were so many emotions that were coming out all at once. I made so much noise because I guess that's just the person I am.

"I want to thank all the people who have been there from the start. I have worked so hard, I am so happy.

"I don't think it has sunk in yet. I still feel like the normal Nicole from before the race. But it's just so exciting."

Cooke clocked of three hours, 32 minutes and 24 seconds gives her finish to perfection, powering off the front and away from Emma Johansson and Tatiana Guderzo in the sprint to the line.

Who Is Nicole Cooke
Nicole Cooke was born on April 13, 1983, Cooke is a Welsh road bicycle racer and Olympic gold medalist. Cooke was born in Swansea and grew up in Wick, Vale of Glamorgan. She began cycling at the age of 11. At 16 she won her first senior national title, youngest rider to take the senior women's title at the British National Road Race Championships. In 2001 she was awarded the Bidlake Memorial Prize, given for outstanding performance or contribution to the betterment of cycling. She also won four junior world titles including 2001 held in Portugal.

Cooke represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Women's Road Race event where she won the gold medal; this was also the 200th gold medal for Great Britain in the history of the Modern Olympic Games.

Related News
Nicole Cooke Rides Great Britain First Gold

FYI - Behind Sports

Olympic Basketball Opener US Outplayed China 101-70

2008-08-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Beijing Olympics - The U.S. basketball team outplayed the host country beating China 101-70 at the Olympics. Thrilling the billions crowd to a game to remember at Beijing's basketball arena.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade soared for dunks. Wade scored 19 points and James had 18 for the Americans in one of the most highly anticipated events of the Summer Games.

USA Basketball officials were told the game could draw the largest viewing audience ever for a sporting event.

Houston Rockets All-Star Yao Ming scored 13 points for the Chinese, who played over their heads for more than 15 minutes, forcing the Americans to raise their level of play for the lopsided final score.

FYI - Behind Sports

Chinese Weightlifter Chen Xiexia Olympic Gold

2008-08-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

2008 Beijing Olympic on the opening day in Weightlifting, China won their first gold medal through the power of Chinese weightlifter Chen Xiexia who also set an Olympic record.

"I have been thinking of winning a medal but never thought it would turn out to be the first gold medal for China,"I'm very happy and think I did a good job." said Chen Xiexia.

Who Is Chen Xiexia
Chen Xiexia was born on August 1, 1983, in Panyu, Guangdong province, Chen Xiexia is a Chinese weightlifter. She won three golds at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships, and the first gold medal for China in the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 48kg class, setting an Olympic Record by lifting 212kg.

She also won 3 golds in 2007 Asian Championships, and made world record of 120 kg. clean and jerk, created in 2007 Asian Championships. At the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium on Day 1 of the Olympic Games, 152cm Xiexia, 25, yelled "jia you!" (come on!), and succeeded on all six attempts (snatch: 95kg; clean and jerk: 117kg).

FYI - Behind Sports

Katerina Emmons First Gold Medal For Czech Republic

2008-08-09T00:03:00.001-07:00

Czech Republic get their first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics in the women's 10m air rifle event through the steady pulse of Katerina Emmons. While Lioubov Galkina of Russia claimed the silver, and Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia took bronze.

There was disappointment for the home fans as China's defending champion Du Li failed to get amongst the medals.

Emmons capped her win by setting an Olympic record of 503.5 points, after shooting a perfect 400 in qualifying.

The 24-year-old Czech wife of American shooter Matt Emmons shot a near flawless 103.5 in the final to take the gold.

She revealed afterwards how she overcame nerves and a splitting headache to become Olympic champion.

"Thank God it's over because I was so nervous," she said. "I had a headache this morning. I felt so terrible that I did not know how I would shoot. "So to win the first gold medal of this Olympics is pretty amazing."

Emmons' win at the the Beijing Shooting Range Hall marks a big improvement on four years ago, where she finished with bronze behind Li and Galkina.

Russian shooter Galkina finished just a point behind the champion to claim silver once more.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge was among the crowd of 5,000 to present the first medals of the Games.

Who Is Katerina Emmons
Katerina Emmons was born on November 17 1983 in Plzeň, Emmons named Kateřina Kůrková before she married USA Olympic rifle shooter Matt Emmons in 2007, is a female Czech sports shooter who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she won her first gold medal in the women's 10 metre air rifle competition.

Katerina Emmons, a bronze medalist at the Athens Olympics, equaled the world record of 504.9 points. She totaled an Olympic record 503.5 points and became the first in the Games' history to record a score of 10 on all 40 of her qualifying air rifle shots: “Just because I won here today doesn’t mean I can win an Olympic medal.” Emmons crushed China's hopes of sport dominion, with China's defending Olympic champion Du Li finishing 5th.

FYI - Behind Sports

Brazil Football Nike Jersey Uniform Change For Olympics

2008-08-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

SHENYANG, China - The country's football confederation said that in the remainder of the Olympic tournament, Brazil should not wear its regular official Nike Jersey uniform because of concerns it could affect Rio de Janeiro's bid for the 2016 Games.

Rules of the International Olympic Committee say that nations should not wear confederations' emblems on uniforms during the games, and Brazil's Nike jersey has the football confederation badge on it.

"The president of the Brazilian football confederation, Ricardo Teixeira, accepted the Brazilian Olympic Committee's request that the Olympic team did not wear the official jersey because it would blemish Brazil's bid to host the 2016 Olympics," the confederation said in a statement.

Rio de Janeiro is a finalist to host the games along with Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid, Spain. The IOC will select the host city in October 2009.

Brazil will still wear a Nike jersey, but without the confederation's badge.

"Teixeira decided to accept the committee's request to avoid any embarrassment or inconveniences to the city's bid for 2016," the confederation statement said.

Brazil's national teams are sponsored by Nike, but the Brazilian Olympic delegation is sponsored by Olympikus, which was not happy that the football squads used uniforms from one of its competitors.

The Brazilian committee had said before the Beijing Games that it would not be in the nation's best interest to have one of its Olympic teams wearing different uniforms.

The Brazilian women's team will be the first to drop the official jersey for its match against North Korea on Saturday at the Shenyang Olympic Stadium. The men's team will do the same against New Zealand on Sunday, also in Shenyang.

Neither squad has ever won the Olympic gold medal for Brazil in football.

The Brazilian women lost the final of the 2004 Olympics in Athens to the United States. It also was fourth in Sydney in 2000 and in Atlanta in 1996, when women's football began at the Olympics.

The men's team won the silver medal twice, in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul. It won the bronze in 1996 in Atlanta.

"All the players and the Brazilian people are proud of the jersey with the five stars on it," said Ronaldinho, referring to the uniform's emblem which reflects the team's five world titles in men's football. "We could still wear it, but if it gets in the way of Brazil's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, we have to understand it and accept it."

Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup.

FYI - Behind Sports

French Cyclist Jeannie Longo Take Her Seventh Olympics

2008-08-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

"Beijing Olympics may not be my last ride," said French cyclist Jeannie Longo who is taking part in her seventh Olympics in Beijing. Longo started her Olympic career in Los Angeles in 1984 is stretching her record to eight appearances at London 2012.

The 49-year-old ex-Olympic champion says she bids farewell to the Games every four years.

"I'm not a liar, but every time, the urge comes back and I resume training and I feel fine," she said.

"This season I told myself 'why not give it another try?' and the training went well."

A road race Olympic champion in 1996 and a time-trial silver medallist in 1988 and 1996, Longo returned once again this season to win three French titles to add to her previous 52 and earn Olympic qualification.

She will not, however, be seen at the Olympic Stadium on Friday, having never taken part in an opening ceremony.

"Road cycling races usually take place early in the Olympic programme and it's nonsense spending three hours standings in a stadium on the eve of competition," she said.

The Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, where she made her debut, was the first year women cyclists were allowed to compete.

Following Beijing, she may consider competing in London almost 30 years after her first Games.

"London could be fun," she said, "and it's not far from home."

The overall record for the number of appearances at an Olympics is held by sailor Hubert Raudaschl of Austria, who competed in nine Games.

Who Is Jeannie Longo
Jeannie Longo was born on October 31, 1958, Longo is a female French racing cyclist, multiple (55 times) French and world champion. Longo is still active in cycling as of 2008 and is widely considered the greatest female cyclist of all time. She is famous for her competitive nature and her longevity in a sport where some of her competitors were not yet born during her first Olympic competition in 1984. She has been selected to compete for France in the 2008 Olympics, her seventh Olympic Games. She has stated that this will be her final participation in the Olympics.

Longo was born in Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps where she began her athletic career as a downhill skier. After winning the French schools' ski championship and three university skiing championships, she switched to cycling at the urging of her coach (and later husband) Patrice Ciprelli. Within a few months, Longo won the French road race Championship. She was 21.

In addition to her sport , Longo distinguished herself in the academic field. She has been awarded academic degrees in Mathematics (B.S.), an MBA, and a doctorate in sports management.

She competes both in road and track bicycle racing events, and is an Olympic gold-medalist and twelve-time world champion.

Her impressive records include:
1. Olympic Games road race: Gold Medal/Champion (1996); Silver Medal (1992)
2. Olympic Games time trial: Silver Medal (1996); Bronze Medal (2000)
3. 5x UCI Road Race World Championship: Gold Medal/Champion (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1995)
4. 4x UCI Time Trial World Championship: Gold Medal/Champion (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001)
5. 4x UCI Track World Championship:
* Points Race: Gold Medal/Champion (1989)
* 3 km Pursuit: Gold Medal/Champion (1986, 1988, 1989); Silver Medal (1984, 1985, 1987); Bronze Medal (1981, 1982, 1983)
6. UCI Mountain Bike Championship: Silver Medal (1993)
7. 15x French Road Race Champion: 1979 to 1989, 1992, 1995, 2006, 2008
8. 7x French Time Trial Champion: 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008
9. 3x Tour Cycliste Feminin / Grande Boucle: 1987, 1988, 1989
10. 2x Women's Challenge: 1991, 1999
11. Set Hour Record (45.094 km/hr) in 2000 in Mexico City (14 years after setting the best hour performance record)

FYI - Behind Sports

American Players Heading To Europe To Play NBA Basketball

2008-08-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

Stay in Cleveland? Leave for New York? or Accept a deal for $50 million a year to play in Italy? LeBron James is trying to decide for the summer of 2010. Far-fetched? Impossible? Perhaps, but the steady stream this summer of American players heading to Europe, where the euro dwarfs the dollar, the salary cap doesn't apply and the game is rapidly improving, has changed the dynamic of player movement in the NBA.

"The European market has been growing year by year and it's certainly been a hope of ours that it would become a viable alternative for players," agent Mark Bartelstein said Wednesday. "The luxury tax in the NBA has put a crimp on what teams can spend, so players are looking for alternatives."

Josh Childress started the trend last month, when the restricted free agent grew tired of Atlanta's bargaining and signed a three-year deal with Greek club Olympiakos worth about $20 million after taxes. Because the NBA's collective bargaining agreement only applies to the league's teams, the Hawks couldn't match the offer. Atlanta lost its sixth man from last season and got nothing in return.

Since then Earl Boykins, Carlos Arroyo, Nenad Krstic, Carlos Delfino and Jorge Garbajosa have left the NBA for European teams. The 5-foot-5 Boykins, who played for the NBA minimum last season in Charlotte, signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Virtus Bologna of the Italian league Tuesday.

"We're not terribly concerned," said Joel Litvin, the NBA's president of league and basketball operations. "In fact, we see this as a positive indication of how popular the sport of basketball is on a global basis."

But the league would sure be alarmed if Kobe Bryant wasn't joking when he told reporters after a pre-Olympic exhibition game: "Italy, Greece, Russia, $40 million a year? Yeah, I'm there, as simple as that."

ESPN.com reported this week that an unidentified person close to James said the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar would consider playing in Europe for $50 million a year when he's eligible to opt out of his contract after the 2009-10 season.

"If it happens, it happens. I'd be surprised if it did with players of that caliber," Litvin said. "But certainly we would deal with it if it happened and I continue to think that the NBA will be the gold standard for the top players in the world for a long time to come."

Under the collective bargaining agreement, James couldn't make more than $20 million a year in the NBA. Plus, league teams face a dollar-for-dollar tax once they reach $71.15 million in total payroll.

European leagues face no salary cap and many are awash in cash because of the sinking dollar, which earlier this year reached a historic low against the euro. A euro was worth $1.54 Wednesday.

Throw in some creative tax loopholes and maybe James wearing a CSKA Moscow uniform isn't an outrageous prospect.

"It just shows you what a global game basketball is that there are good leagues and leagues that are willing to pay for high caliber talent," Charlotte Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said. "But the NBA is the best."

While the quality of play in European leagues continues to improve, the NBA remains superior. The influx of European players to the NBA, started many years ago, leaves the league with a stockpile of talent.

So NBA players will want to stay stateside for the competition, right?

"Ultimately, it's about money," Hawks GM Rick Sund said after losing Childress. "The more money they get the better they feel about the commitment."

Bartelstein, who represents players in the NBA and overseas, believes European leagues could eventually be an option for the likes of James, Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh once the issue of guaranteed contracts is cleared up. Bartelstein said he's had to go to court in the past to get teams to pay the full amount of deals to his clients.

"Without there being a players association and a collective bargaining agreement in Europe, there's nothing behind the contract to enforce them other than to go to court," Bartelstein said. "For Europe to truly get to the point where they can compete with the NBA for all kinds of players, they're going to have to implement a system where there's a lot more comfort that the contracts are truly guaranteed. Once that happens then I think you'll truly see great competition for players."

Higgins believes the European option will put extra pressure on NBA teams to lock up players before their four-year rookie contracts expire. The Bobcats had to wait before finally re-signing restricted free-agent Emeka Okafor to a six-year, $72 million last week, a year after he turned down a similar deal.

"We could have came to an agreement last year, so I think that's the window of opportunity for a lot of teams," Higgins said.

While Okafor said playing in Europe "never crossed my mind," Bryant has at least thought about what trading in Los Angeles for a $40 million payday overseas would feel like.

"You cut the check," Bryant said, "and I will bring my Nike checks."

FYI - Behind Sports

World Champion Tyson Gay Fit For 100m

2008-08-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

For the hotly anticipated 100m showdown at the Olympics, "I am Fit", Gay said. World champion Tyson Gay has dismissed any concerns over his fitness as he suffered a strained hamstring at the US trials in July.

But he said in a statement: "When I step on the line in Beijing, don't worry, I'll be ready to go."

World record holder Usain Bolt, fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell and Gay are expected to challenge for the gold medal in the final on 16 August.

Qualifying begins the day before.

American 200m star Wallace Spearmon believes all three sprinters could run under 9.70 seconds.

"I honestly think Bolt can run 9.6 seconds, Asafa can run 9.6 and a healthy Tyson can run 9.6," he said.

"Four athletes ran faster than 9.90 seconds in 2004 but that might be like sixth place here."

Gay, who turns 26 on Saturday, opted out of the US track team's training camp in Dalian in favor of completing his preparations in Munich.

He arrived in Beijing on Tuesday in time to attend Friday's opening ceremony.

Who Is Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay was born on August 9, 1982, Gay is an American sprinter who won gold medals at the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 x 100 m at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan.

Gay attended Lafayette Senior High School in Lexington, Kentucky where he was an outstanding sprint athlete, winning several state titles. He competed collegiately at Barton Community College and the University of Arkansas and in 2004 he won the 100 metres event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as well as achieving a time of 10.06 seconds in June.

FYI - Behind Sports

Swimmer Jessica Hardy Positive For Banned Substance

2008-08-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - Swimmer Jessica Hardy after testing positive for a banned substance at the Olympic trials, withdrew from the U.S. Olympic team. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said that "she did so" used a banned substance.

The 21-year-old from Long Beach, California, could have contested the drug test results before the American Arbitration Association and potentially filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which would have kept her first Olympic berth in doubt until the eve of the games that open Aug. 8.

"While some might have chosen to exhaust their legal options to try to force their way into the games, Jessica instead chose to put her team's interests ahead of her own," said Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of USADA.

Hardy tested positive for a low level of clenbuterol, a prohibited anabolic agent, at the trials on July 4. Hardy said in a July 25 interview that she was innocent and said she had no idea how she tested positive for clenbuterol.

"I had never even heard of this drug," she said. "I've never wanted to do anything remotely close to doping. It's never, ever crossed my mind. I've never been approached about doing it. It's never been an issue my entire career. It's the last thing I would ever do."

The U.S. swim team was training in Singapore on Friday and leaves Monday for Beijing. Hardy qualified for the Olympics in two individual events — the 100-meter breaststroke and 50 freestyle — and the 400 free relay. She was a strong contender to medal in her specialty, the breaststroke.

Hardy's withdrawal allows USA Swimming to place swimmers already on the team in her open events, according to executive director Chuck Wielgus.

Olympic rookie Rebecca Soni, who trained with Hardy at Southern California, will swim the 100 breast and Kara Lynn Joyce will swim the 50 free, he said.

It's the second lucky break Joyce has gotten since the trials.

The 22-year-old Georgia swimmer was initially added to the team as an alternate on the 400 free relay after Dara Torres withdrew from the 100 free.

Joyce finished third in the 50 free at the trials — one spot out of making the team. She was seventh in the 100 free at the trials — one spot out of making the team, which left her in tears afterward. She earned two silver medals in Athens, in the 400 free and 400 medley relays.

The 100 breast will be Soni's second individual event; she had qualified in the 200 breast.

A panel from the American Arbitration Association issued a decision Friday that was jointly agreed to by Hardy and USADA after Hardy had a full opportunity to review the laboratory test results and to have those results analyzed by independent experts.

Hardy did not contest the laboratory findings and was granted additional time by the arbitration panel to investigate possible causes of her positive drug test.

The decision allows for a two-year period of ineligibility but allows Hardy to come back to the panel to present evidence that could reduce her period of ineligibility.

Hardy was tested three times during the trials in Omaha, Neb. The results were negative for the samples taken on July 1, after she won the 100 breaststroke, and on July 6, shortly after she finished second in the 50 free.

But Hardy's "A" and backup "B" samples both came back positive from the test on July 4, when she finished fourth in the 100 free.

Who Is Jessica Hardy
Jessica Hardy was born on March 12, 1987, Hardy is an American swimmer from Long Beach, California. After setting the world record in the 100 m breaststroke as a high school senior, she competed for two years at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a four-time NCAA Champion. She gave up her eligibility and turned professional in 2007, and returned to train with her age group coach Dave Salo for Trojan Swim Club out of the University of Southern California. She currently holds the 50 m breaststroke (short course) world record after winning the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships final in a time of 29.58 seconds on April 12, 2008.

On July 23, 2008, an anonymous person told the Associated Press that Hardy's "A" sample tested positive for a banned stimulant. Her attorney has since confirmed that her "A" and "B" samples from a test administered on July 4th were positive for clenbuterol, a banned stimulant. It has been noted that the positive test was sandwiched by two negative tests, each within a few days of the positive result. It should also be noted that clenbuterol has a rapid half-life and is usually non-detectable by urine test 72 hours after use. Proceedings to determine her eligibility for the 2008 olympic games have been launched.

August 1,2008: "US swimmer Jessica Hardy tested positive for the prohibited substance clenbuterol at the US Olympic trials on July 4, 2008 and has agreed to withdraw from the 2008 United States Olympic Team in the best interests of the team," USADA said in a statement Friday.

Jessica's future plans beyond swimming include designing her own line of swim wear for European beach goers.

FYI - Behind Sports

US Olympic Basketball Team Win Over Lithuania

2008-08-01T22:09:00.001-07:00

MACAU - U.S. Olympic basketball team roll to a 120-84 exhibition victory over Lithuania on Friday night. Kobe Bryant harassed longtime nemesis Sarunas Jasikevicius into a miserable night and helped the U.S. Olympic basketball team win.

Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, Dwight Howard had 17 and LeBron James 15 for the Americans, who raced to a big early lead, then pulled away again after Lithuania got within single digits early in the second half. Bryant finished with 13 points, nine during the big U.S. first quarter.

The Americans, who shot 64 percent, swept two games here and leave Saturday for Shanghai, where they will play European champion Russia and Australia.

Michael Redd finished with 16 points and Carmelo Anthony added 11 in a rematch of the bronze-medal game from four years ago.

Jasikevicius was just 2-of-8 from the field for nine points, with three turnovers. Rimantas Kaukenas led Lithuania with 17 points.

The United States needed a quarter to warm up in its first two games, but was sharp right from the start this time. Howard had three consecutive baskets, James dunked twice, and the Americans were already up by double digits barely 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Minutes later, Bryant had two jumpers and a 3-pointer in a quick flurry that made it 24-5.

Howard had 10 points and Bryant nine in the first 10 minutes, with the Americans opening a 31-15 lead.

Lithuania kept the deficit in the teens from there, then opened the second half with a flurry of 3-pointers to make it a game. Jasikevicius had a rare open look and hit the final one to cut the U.S. lead to 61-52 with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter, but the Americans immediately blew it open again.

Anthony, Howard and James combined for the next 12 U.S. points, everything coming from inside, to make it 73-55, and Lithuania was never close again. Wade took over at the end of the period and early in the fourth, bringing the fans to their feet with a double-pump dunk on an alley-oop pass from Chris Paul.

Wade was 7-of-9 from the floor and Paul had seven assists. Every U.S. player scored.

The teams split two meetings in the 2004 Olympics, with the United States winning the second one to claim the bronze medal. Jasikevicius scored 28 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, in Lithuania's 94-90 victory in pool play.

He nearly led Lithuania to a stunning victory four years earlier in Sydney, missing a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of a semifinal game as the Americans held on for an 85-83 win.

Taking the challenge of defending the opponents' best player, as he frequently did last summer in the Olympic qualifier, Bryant never gave Jasikevicius a chance to get going. The former Indiana and Golden State point guard found little room to dribble or shoot when Bryant was near him.

He missed both shots and had a turnover in the first quarter and was still frustrated long after Bryant had checked out for good, screaming at the referee after throwing up an air ball on a 3 with about 4 1/2 minutes left.

Lithuania plays Turkey here Saturday and opens the Olympics against defending gold medalist Argentina on Aug. 10.

FYI - Behind Sports

£40m Chicago Contract For British Star Luol Deng

2008-07-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

Position: Small forward
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight: 220 lb (99.8 kg)
League: NBA
Team: Chicago Bulls
Jersey: #9
Born: April 16, 1985 Wau, Sudan
Nationality: England
College: Duke
Draft: 7th overall, 2004 Phoenix Suns
Pro career: 2004–present
Awards: 2004-05 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2007 NBA Sportsmanship Award
A new six-year deal contract for the 23-year-old South Londoner is worth a guaranteed $71m (approx £36m), with incentives taking its possible worth to $80m (£40m). Great Britain will not be competing at the Beijing Olympics but hope to qualify for the London Games in 2012. Deng hopes to be a star at the 2012 Olympics with Team Great Britain.

Deng had rejected a five-year deal but his impressive displays in the team's miserable 2007-08 season ensured they were keen to find a way to keep him.

He represented England at under-16 and under-19 level with basketball's authorities recognising his status as a refugee, but his entry into the Great Britain set-up was delayed by his lack of a British passport, even though most of his family had them.

In 2006, lobbying by British Basketball and the London 2012 Olympic officials helped him gain the passport he needed.

Who Is Luol Deng
Luol Deng was born on April 16, 1985 in Wau, Sudan, Deng is a British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls, where he plays small forward.

When he was young, his father Aldo, a member of the Sudanese parliament, moved the family to Egypt to escape the Second Sudanese Civil War. In Egypt, they met former NBA center Manute Bol, another Dinka, who taught Deng's older brother, Deng Deng, how to play basketball. Manute also served as a mentor for Luol himself. When they were granted political asylum, his family emigrated to South Norwood in London, England. Deng developed an interest in association football and basketball, and was invited to join England's 15-and-under teams in both sports. During this time, he began his career at Brixton Topcats. At the age of 13, he played for England's squad in the European Junior Men's Qualifying Tournament, averaging 40 points and 14 rebounds. He was named the MVP of the tournament. Next, he led England to the finals of the European Junior National Tournament, where he averaged 34 points and earned another MVP award. He counts himself a fan of Arsenal F.C.

At the age of 14, Luol moved to the United States to play basketball at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where one of his teammates was future NBA player Charlie Villanueva. Deng was also named a Tri-Captain at Blair along with Charlie Villanueva. During his senior year, Deng was considered the second most promising high school senior in America after LeBron James. He was named First Team All-America by Parade Magazine and USA Today, and was selected to play in the McDonald's High School All-America game, in which he performed at a very high standard and impressed many top NBA players. After graduation, he decided to attend Duke University. In one season at Duke, he appeared in 37 games and made 32 starts. He averaged 30.1 minutes and scored 15.1 points per game en route to a berth in the 2004 Final Four. He is only the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead all rookies in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.

Luol Deng Citizenship
Since his birth in Sudan, Deng has lived in Egypt, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States. Deng represented England at Under-16 and Under-19 level, and is an ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games. In October 2006, Deng became a naturalized British citizen in a ceremony in Croydon and was called up to play in European competition for the Great Britain team. He made his debut against Georgia in Pau, France on August 9 2007, scoring 19 points. In his first competitive qualifying game repesenting Great Britain Deng scored (32 Pts, 16 Rbs, 11 Asts, 8 Stls & 2 Blks) against Slovakia, at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena on 21 August 2007.

FYI - Behind Sports

Martyn Rooney Smashing His Personal Best

2008-07-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

The 21-year-old Great Britain 400m runner Martyn Rooney powered down the home straight to claim victory ahead of Ricardo Chambers and Leslie Djhone at the Monaco Grand Prix in 44.72 seconds. This run is for the preparation for 2008 Beijing Olympic.

Rooney's success came after he broke the 45-second barrier for the first time at last week's London Grand Prix.

The men's 400m heats in Beijing begin on 18 August.

Rooney's victory in Monaco lifted him back to the top of the European standings and to ninth in the world rankings.

The Croydon runner said after his landmark performance at Crystal Palace last weekend: "If I don't make the final at the Olympics now it'll be a bad championships.

"Then if I get a good lane in the final, who knows?"

American defending champion Jeremy Wariner is favourite to retain his Olympic title in China as he leads the world rankings with a time of 43.86 secs.

Compatriot Lashawn Merritt is also expected to get amongst the medals.

Rooney and Andrew Steele represent Team GB in the individual 400m while Rooney's PB will boost hopes of a strong performance in the 4x400m relay.

Who Is Martyn Rooney
Martyn Rooney was born on April 3, 1987, Rooney is an English sprinter. Rooney was born and raised in Thornton Heath, London, UK, Rooney started running for Croydon Harriers just before starting his secondary school, The John Fisher School in Purley. He also attended St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath. Initially training and competing at the Middle distances; 800 m and 1500 m and doing cross country throughout the Winter, his talent for the one lap sprint was discovered by coincidence when he stood in to make up points at a London fixture a little over two years ago.

Rooney was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2005 European Juniors, held in Lithuania in July of that year. He achieved the Silver Medal in the individuals and gold with the relay team and on his return home was then asked to make up the senior’s 4x400 m Men's Relay team at the IAAF World Championships, held that year in Helsinki, Finland. Martyn was originally running only in the heat, but impressing the GB coaches with a time of 44.9 seconds, he was selected to also run in the final. Despite completing his leg in 44.8 seconds, Martyn and team mates Timothy Benjamin, Robert Tobin and Malachi Davis came in fourth, with a sub three minute time.

Rooney represented England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia. Despite impressing everyone throughout the heats, he came fifth in the final with a time of 45.51 seconds and set a new British Junior Record, previous held by Roger Black for 20 years. The English 4x400 m Men's relay team came in fourth at the Games, with the Women coming in First but being disqualified.

At the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing he finished third in 45.87 seconds. The British relay team too finished third, earning him a second bronze medal of the Championships.

Rooney is currently studying at Loughborough College, while training with Coach Nick Dakin of Loughborough, and Mike Fleet of Croydon Harriers.

He has a PB of 44.72, clocked at the Super Grand Prix in Monaco on 29th July 2008.

FYI - Behind Sports

Yelena Isinbayeva Set New World Record In Pole Vault

2008-07-30T02:01:00.001-07:00

A new pole vault world record set by Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva when she cleared 5.04m at the Super Grand Prix meeting in Monaco on Tuesday.

The Olympic and world champion bettered her previous world record of 5.03m, set in Rome on 11 July.

The 26-year-old's 23rd world record was set on her third and final attempt in the south of France.

The mark cements her standing as firm favourite for gold at the Beijing Olympic Games next month.

"The record just happened," said Isinbayeva. "Monaco is my home town and it's my first competition (in Monaco) since I've been living here. That motivated me.

"I'm in a good shape, I just need to keep my condition that way until the Olympics. I wanted to improve my personal best and that's what I did.

"I see this world record first of all as a personal best."

Isinbayeva initially trained as a gymnast in her hometown of Volgograd. She left gymnastics as a teenager because as she grew she was considered too tall to be competitive.

Her role model since she began the pole vault has been Ukrainian legend Sergei Bubka, and Isinbayeva has said that she would love to better his tally of 35 world records in the event.

Who Is Yelena Isinbayeva
Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva was born on June 3, 1982 in Volgograd, Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter. She won the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal with a new World Record then 4.91 m, was elected Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF twice (2004 and 2005), and Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus. On July 22, 2005, she became the first female pole vaulter to clear the metric barrier of 5.00 metres.

At the age of 26 she is seen as the best female pole vaulter in history. She has already been a 8-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion).

Her current world records are 5.04 m outdoors, a record Isinbayeva set at a gala in Monaco on July 29th, and 4.95 m indoors, a record set at the Donetsk indoor meeting on 16 February 2008. The former was Isinbayeva's twenty-third world record.

Her mother is of Russian ethnicity, while her father is of Tabasaran people.

Personal LIfe
Her father, Gadzhi Gadzhiyevich Isinbayev, is a plumber and a member of a small (70,000-people strong) ethnic group of Tabasarans who mostly live in Dagestan. Her mother, a shop assistant, is an ethnic Russian. Isinbayeva also has a sister called Inna. Isinbayeva was born in a modest environment and remembers that her parents had to make many financial sacrifices in her early career.

She has a bachelor's degree after graduating from the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture, and is currently studying for her master's. In the Russian club competitions she represents the railroad military team, she is formally an officer in the Russian army, and on August 4, 2005 she was given military rank of senior lieutenant. On her homepage, she states she is working to become a Physical Educator.

Isinbayeva states that she has a boyfriend of three years, a fellow pole vaulter whose name she doesn't reveal. She also acknowledges that she does not get along with her compatriot and rival Svetlana Feofanova.

She likes dolphins and Russian history. "I read a lot about Russian history, but I also love everything to do with dolphins, and collect small models of them. I have about 30 of them. My dream one day is to swim with real dolphins. I like them so much." Since recently, she writes on her homepage that she indeed now owns several of them.

In an interview with The Guardian, Isinbayeva makes fun of the fact that female pole vaulters are seen as sex symbols for "male couch potatoes", as their usual muscular, but slim build makes them highly attractive. In addition, she acknowledges that her rags-to-riches career, combined with her work ethic and sex symbol status, makes her somewhat similar to Maria Sharapova: "We [Sharapova and herself] are quite similar. Being famous sportswomen is not easy and her parents also sacrificed everything for her. And, like (Sharapova), the idea of being glamorous is very important to me. I always want to look like a girl. I don't agree that you are either a sportswoman or a girl. It's important that there are women who bring glamour to sport." Isinbayeva feels she could peak at 5.15 m, and plans to jump at least until the Olympics of 2012, but since Moscow was elected hosts of the 2013 World Championships, she has suggested she may continue until then.

She features in Toshiba ads promoting their entire product line in Russia.

FYI - Behind Sports

U.S. Men's Basketball Eying For Gold In 2008 Beijing Olympic

2008-07-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Mike Krzyzewski head coach of the U.S. men's basketball team said, the growth in international talent will make the team face a "tough challenge" to win Olympic gold.

"Basketball around the world has exploded. Thirty percent of the NBA are international players, and many of the teams we face ... will have a starting five of five NBA players," Krzyzewski said in Macau, where the gold medal favorites will play exhibition games against Lithuania and Turkey before traveling to Beijing.

"It will be a tough challenge for us."

The U.S. have won 12 Olympic men's titles but their supremacy has slipped in recent years.

Spain won men's gold at the 2006 world championships behind inspired Los Angeles Lakers player Pau Gasol, who will be key to Spanish ambitions in China. Argentina, who took gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, will also be a serious threat to American hopes of redemption.

Team U.S.A. finished with bronze four years ago and were third at the 2006 worlds.

Previous U.S. teams have been all-star squads tossed together just weeks before the Games and Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the U.S. team, said "that was good enough, but that's not the case anymore."

The players "wanted to see this thing turned around because there is pride in representing our country and the commitment that was made three years ago means that the core players have been together for the past three years, and that's a big difference," he said.

NBA top scorer LeBron James, who was wearing a U.S.A. basketball shirt printed with the words "Together we rise", said confidence would be the key.

"Every time we step onto the court we know we have the talent and we know we have the strength to go out and be the best team out on the court. So, we have to be confident to go out there and play the way we want to play," he said.

Krzyzewski later clarified that "we're trying to be very confident. That doesn't mean over-confident.

"We don't have anything to be complacent about."

James will play in Beijing, despite an earlier right ankle injury that he described as "healthy".

Basketball is extremely popular in China and will be one of the hottest tickets at the Beijing Games.

The host team have been given a huge boost by the return of towering Houston Rockets center Yao Ming after he broke a foot in an NBA game in February.

Krzyzewski said China merited respect.

"I would think that they'd be better than they were the last time we played them. They will be a foe -- especially (since) they are our first game in the Olympics."

The U.S. and Chinese teams meet on August 10.

FYI - Behind Sports

Carlos Sastre 2008 Tour de France Winner

2008-07-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

2008 Tour de France Map

The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from July 5 to July 27, 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage. All time bonuses for intermediate sprints and at each stage finish line have been scrapped.

On February 13, 2008, the event organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation, announced that the Astana Team would be barred from the 2008 Tour due to its involvement in the doping scandals that marred the 2007 Tour and its links to the 2006 Operación Puerto doping case. This move comes despite an almost complete turnover of the team's management, and rider roster in the wake of the 2007 scandals. The ASO's decision means that defending champion Alberto Contador and last year's third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer, both of whom signed with the revamped Astana Team, will not compete in the 2008 Tour. 2007 green jersey points winner Tom Boonen tested positive for cocaine in a test on May 26, 2008. Since this was outside competition, Boonen does not face sanctions by the UCI or WADA. Despite the absence of official sanctions, Boonen was barred from the 2008 Tour de France.

Carlos Sastre 2008 Tour de France Winner
Sastre coming into the 2008 Tour de France was considered one of the favourites to win the year's race along with Australia's Cadel Evans of Team Silence-Lotto, Spain's Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d'Epargne and Russia's Denis Menchov of Rabobank. However, he also faced competition within his own team from brothers Fränk Schleck and Andy, despite officially being classed as team leader of CSC.

Sastre had a quiet, understated opening to the tour. After a lacklustre opening time-trial, he remained relatively restrained in the opening mountain stages in the Pyrenees and opted to stay defensive and follow the wheel of his main rivals. This allowed his CSC teammate Fränk Schleck to claim the yellow jersey at the finish to stage 15 at Prato Nevoso. However, going into the crucial 17th stage culminating at the 21 hairpin climb up to Alpe d'Huez, it was Sastre who showed his class and strength. He attacked at the bottom of this famous climb away from the main general classification contenders and overhauled his deficits to claim the stage and the yellow jersey.

Going into the final time trial, Sastre had an advantage of 1 minute and 24 seconds over his teammate Fränk Schleck, although more crucially he had 10 seconds more over Cadel Evans, a man considered a more accomplished time trialist than himself. Evans was widely expected to overcome the arrears to leapfrog Sastre; however Sastre on this occasion was able to put in a winning performance to stave off the challenge of Evans and keep the yellow to eventually win in Paris by fifty-eight seconds.

Sastre's victory capped an exceptional 2008 tour for the Danish Team CSC Saxo Bank. CSC also won the young rider classification with Andy Schleck and the overall team classification.

Carlos Sastre 2008 Tour de France Winner

Who Is Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre Candil was born on 22 April 1975 in Leganés, Madrid, Sastre is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer and champion of the 2008 Tour de France. Through his consistently improved top 10 results in the Vuelta a España and good showings in the Tour de France, Sastre established himself as a strong and stable climbing specialist, and after working to improve his individual time trial skills, he has become a contender for the top GC spots in the Grand Tours.

2008 Tour de France Teams
Belgium
Quick Step
Silence-Lotto

Denmark
Team CSC Saxo Bank

France
Ag2r-La Mondiale
Agritubel
Bouygues Télécom
Cofidis, le Crédit par téléphone
Crédit Agricole
Française des Jeux

Germany
Gerolsteiner
Team Milram

Italy
Lampre
Liquigas

Netherlands
Rabobank

Spain
Caisse d'Epargne
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Saunier Duval-Scott

United Kingdom
Barloworld

United States of America
Team Garmin-Chipotle
Team Columbia

2008 Tour de France Stages
In previous years, the Tour started with a prologue, followed by a week of flat stages. The flat stages were dominated by the sprinters' teams, and the yellow jersey was worn by a sprinter who had a good prologue. Tour Director Christian Prudhomme announced that the 2008 Tour should be different: "We have wanted a first week of racing with much more rhythm. With no prologue, an uphill finish that will suit different types of sprinters at the end of stage one, with a short time trial on stage four and the first mountain at Super-Besse only 48 hours later, we have decided to change the scenario." The time bonuses at the end of each stage were removed, and there will be 82 kilometers of time trials, rather less than usual.

The 2008 Tour de France is almost entirely in France, with only a small part in Italy.

FYI - Behind Sports

Doping In Tour de France

2008-07-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

PARIS – The final act Sunday was supposed to be a champagne-sipping, idyllic run to the Champs-Elysees for winner Carlos Sastre of Spain. Instead, it was yet another announcement of a positive drug test. From the very start to the very finish, doping was along for the ride on the Tour de France.

That the bust involved a Kazakh rider who was never in contention didn’t matter. Once again, drugs left their mark at cycling’s premier event.

Until Sunday’s finale, the race had gone 10 days without a doping scandal—three others had already marred the three-week race.

This time, Dmitriy Fofonov tested positive for a “very heavy dose" of heptaminol after Thursday’s 18th stage, said Pierre Bordry, the head of France’s anti-doping agency. Fofonov was immediately fired by his Credit Agricole team. French police said he was detained for questioning.

“These guys are crazy, and the sooner they start learning, the better," International Cycling Union chief Pat McQuaid said by phone. “You can never rule out at the Tour de France—the biggest event of the year—that these guys are going to take risks."

Sunday’s doping episode gave the Tour a certain symmetry: Veteran Spanish rider Manuel Beltran tested positive after the first stage.

Bordry said Fofonov was asked whether he had a medical exemption for heptaminol, and he did not provide one. The stimulant is used as a vasodilator that helps relieve bronchial spasms.

“Fofonov said he bought the product on the Internet," said Roger Legeay, sporting director of Credit Agricole. “He says that it was for cramps, but that he forgot to tell the team doctor."

Fofonov, known mainly as a strong climber, finished in 19th place in the Tour, 28 minutes, 31 seconds after Sastre.

Word of Fofonov’s failed test came as some teams were still riding farewell laps in the French capital. The announcement compounded the damage of positive tests for the banned blood booster EPO—cycling’s designer drug—by Italy’s Riccardo Ricco and Spaniards Beltran and Moises Duenas Nevado.

Ricco’s Saunier Duval team quit the race and fired him, and the sponsor said it was ending its relationship with pro cycling. Barloworld, a South African conglomerate behind Duenas Nevado’s team, said it would do so as well.

Ricco won the sixth and ninth stages. After his positive test was announced before Stage 12, it looked as if the cheats had been chastened if not deterred.

Tour officials seemed relieved to see cyclists suffer after each day’s ride. It was as if that was a telltale sign they hadn’t relied on pick-me-ups to withstand the ordeal of a trek covering more than 2,175 miles.

This year, because of a long dispute, the Tour said it would not use cycling’s governing body to conduct drugs tests. It gave the job to the French anti-doping agency, contending an outside agency with no ties to the sport would be a more evenhanded arbiter.

Christian Prudhomme, the head of the Tour, insisted there were “a lot of good things" this year: “The faces of the riders, burnt out, exhausted, mouths wide open at the end. ... The fight against doping has made enormous progress."

“The difference between those who cheat and those who chase after them has considerably narrowed," he said.

Bordry pointed to laboratory proof. From the July 5 start in Brest until the first rest day in Pau 10 days later, blood parameters culled from dozens of anti-doping tests showed fewer anomalies on average, he said.

“That means that either the riders were in better health, or that it’s proof they’re not taking as many substances," he said.

Better yet for organizers, the race was intensifying after the Ricco bust. As racers began three climbs through the Alps by riding into Italy in the 15th stage, five racers were within 49 seconds of then-leader Frank Schleck of Luxembourg—the last of them Sastre.

That’s when the 33-year-old Spaniard, who now has six top-10 Tour finishes, took over. The climax for him came in the last and most punishing day in the Alps. He won Stage 17 and took the prized yellow jersey from Schleck, his CSC teammate.

Sastre had one final big hurdle: Saturday’s time trial. Australia’s Cadel Evans, known as an ace in the discipline, was seen as a favorite to recover the yellow jersey that he seized in the Pyrenees but had lost to Schleck.

Sastre knew he needed the time trial of his life to hold to a 1:34 lead against the Australian, and he got it. Evans made up only 29 seconds against the Spaniard, paving the way for his victory cruise—champagne in hand—into Paris.

By the finish on the Champs-Elysees, Sastre finished seven seconds behind Evans, giving him a 58-second margin of victory. Bernhard Kohl of Austria finished 1:13 back in third, the second-tightest podium finish in the 105-year-old race.

Sastre crossed arms and butted helmets affectionately with CSC teammate Stuart O’Grady as they crossed the line behind Gert Steegmans of Belgium, who won the 21st and final stage in a sprint. Sastre was then surrounded by his family after getting off his bike.

“It’s very moving," Sastre said, hugging his two children.

This is the third straight year a Spaniard captured the Tour. Alberto Contador won last year, and Oscar Pereiro inherited the 2006 title lost by American Floyd Landis in a doping scandal.

Sastre grew up in Leganes south of Madrid and became interested in racing at 8 years old when his father opened a cycling school.

“When he was young, we thought that one day he could attempt the Tour de France," Sastre’s mother, Teresa, told Eurosport television from Spain. She said her son had “sacrificed" for this moment.

Television images showed hundreds of cheering fans pouring into the streets Sunday in the mountain village of El Barraco, where Sastre now has a home.

Sastre began racing in 1997 and has been involved with team managers with questionable doping histories.

In 2000, he made his professional debut with the Once team, which was managed by Manolo Saiz. Saiz was one of five people arrested in 2006 as part of the Operation Puerto doping scandal, and is no longer involved in the sport.

Now, Sastre rides for CSC’s Danish owner Bjarne Riis. Riis stayed home from the 2007 Tour after admitting he used EPO from 1993-98, a span that included his 1996 Tour title.

Aware of the doping cloud over cycling, Sastre put it bluntly after his victory appeared certain Saturday. “I’m clean," Sastre said.

What Is Doping
In sports, doping refers to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, particularly those forbidden by organizations that regulate competitions. Doping is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance enhancing drugs. Another form of doping is blood doping, either by blood transfusion or use of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) or anabolic steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). Also considered "doping" by many is the use of substances that mask other forms of doping. Doping is considered unethical by most international sports organizations and especially the International Olympic Committee. The reasons are mainly the health threat of performance-enhancing drugs, the equality of opportunity of the athletes and the exemplary effect of "clean" (doping-free) sports in the public.

This entry concerns the doping of humans. In horse racing and other equestrian sports, and in greyhound racing, horses and greyhounds can also be doped.

Origin of word
There are many suggestions as to the origin of the word ‘doping’. the One is that it is derived from ‘dop’ an alcoholic drink used as a stimulant in ceremonial dances in 18th century Southern Africa. Another suggestion is that the word comes from the Dutch word ‘doop’ (a thick dipping sauce) that entered American slang to describe how robbers stupefied victims by mixing tobacco with the seeds of Datura stramonium, known as jimsonweed, which contains a number of tropane alkaloids,causing sedation, hallucinations and confusion. By 1889, ‘dope’ was used in connection with the preparation of a thick viscous preparation of opium for smoking, and during the 1890s this extended to any stupefying narcotic drug. In 1900, dope was also defined as ‘a preparation of drugs designed to influence a racehorse’s performance.

History
Texts going back to antiquity suggest that men have always sought a way to work harder or at least to suffer less as they were doing so. When the fittest of a nation were selected as athletes or combatants, they were fed diets and given treatments considered beneficial Scandinavian mythology says Berserkers could drink a mixture called "butotens", perhaps prepared from the Amanita muscaria mushroom, and increase their physical power a dozen times at the risk of "going crazy". In more recent times, the German missionary Albert Schweitzer wrote of Gabon in the early 19th century: "The people of the country can, having eaten certain leaves or roots, toil [pagayer] vigorously all day without feeling hungry, thirsty or tired and all the time showing a happiness and gaiety."

A participant in an endurance walking race in Britain, Abraham Wood, said in 1807 that he had used laudanum, or opium, to keep him awake for 24 hours while competing against Robert Barclay Allardyce. By April 1877, walking races had stretched to 500 miles and the following year, also at the Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, to 520 miles.

FYI - Behind Sports

Alex Pagulayan Reign In Guinness 9 Ball Tour

2008-07-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

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Pagulayan Wins Guinness 9-Ball Singapore Leg
Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines ended the Chinese-Taipei stranglehold of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour after the former world pool champion defeated countryman Dennis Orcollo, 10-6, Sunday in the Singapore leg of the Tour at Velocity@Novena Square.

Taiwanese players have been dominating the Asian 9-ball circuit, sweeping all six legs last year and this season’s first three.

But Pagulayan and Orcollo have been in top form and the two Filipinos beat, coincidentally, two Chinese-Taipei players in the semis to set up the all-Filipino finals.

“It’s about time that the Philippines won because the Taiwanese kept on winning all the legs since last year," Pagulayan said.

"Everything went wrong for Dennis and all the rolls went my way. It feels good and extraordinary to beat the no.1 player in the world," the 2004 world champion added.

The last time a Filipino won a title on the Tour organized by ESPN STAR Sports was in 2006 when Efren "Bata" Reyes won in Jakarta.

Pagulayan reached the Finals after a 9–6 triumph over 2005 World Pool champion Wu Chia-Ching. Orcollo advanced following a down-the-wire 9–8 victory over Yang Ching-Shun.

Pagulayan trailed Orcollo, 2–0, but seized control of the match as he won the next five racks. Orcollo managed to make the game interesting, narrowing the deficit to 8–6 after capitalizing on a scratch by Pagulayan in the 14th rack.

But Pagulayan went on to win the next three tables off an Orcollo dry break in the 15th rack and a scratch in the 17th.

"I felt that they changed the way they set up the racks on the table," Orcollo said.

“Alex was really lucky and it seemed that he was motivated ever since the quarterfinals. I played my game, but sometimes it’s all about the breaks of the game," he added.

The Pagulayan-Orcollo match was the first between two Filipinos since Lee Van Cortez beat Francisco “Django" Bustamante in 2004.

Not counting an exhibition match in 2006, Pagulayan’s victory broke a tie between the Philippines and Chinese-Taipei for the most number of Guinness titles won since 2003. The Filipinos upped their card to 13-12.

No other country has won on Tour.

Pagulayan’s victory earned him $15,000 (P675,000). Orcollo, who entered the tournament as a wild card bet, settled for $6,000 (P270,000).

Who Is Alex Pagulayan
Alejandro "Alex" Salvador Pagulayan, was born on June 25, 1978, Pagulayan is a Filipino-Canadian professional pocket billiards pool player. His nicknames are "The Lion" and "The Killer Pixie". He was born in Cabagan, Isabela, Philippines and was raised in Toronto, Canada.

Pagulayan's parents emigrated to Canada when he was 15 years old. His father managed a pool hall, so Pagulayan's exposure to the game came early. Though he was attracted to others sports, he thought his stature may not have been right. "I like a lot of sports, but with pool, you don't have to be physically tough. His main hot spot was the pool hall "Loma's."

Achievements
2008 World Pool Masters, Las Vegas, Nevada
2007 World Summit of Pool
2006 Philippine National Championship
2005 Philippines Snooker Team Gold Medal, SEA Games
2005 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2005 Derby City Classic Ten-ball Ring Game Champion
2005 SML Entertainment Nine-ball Champion
2004 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
2003 Joss Tour Grand Final Winner
2003 Carolinas Open Nine-ball Division, Goldsboro, North Carolina
2003 IBC Western Canadian Open
2002 World Pool Trickshot Champion

FYI - Behind Sports

Manny Pacquiao Who Will Fight Next

2008-07-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

The answer will be resolved not later than August, promoter Bob Arum said.

“People are asking how long it will take for a resolution on who Pacquiao will fight next and it’s probably the middle toward the end of August," Arum revealed. “We will have it resolved. Who Manny’s going to fight, when he’s going to fight, and where he’s going to fight."

Soto, a super-featherweight title contender and Valero, an undefeated power puncher, are two of the prime candidates to take on Pacquiao. Until recently, so is de la Hoya.

Oscar de la Hoya, whose next bout is likely his last before retiring from professional boxing, also has a handful of choices for his next opponent. Arum said, One of them is Pacquiao.

“As I understand it based on my discussion with the de la Hoya people, there are four possible candidates. One is Floyd Mayweather Jr., who we know is already retired so I don’t know if he’s really a candidate. Second there’s Felix Trinidad, who I don’t believe is a real candidate because Oscar would have to fight him at a very high weight at, like, 175lbs. So that leaves us with two fighters—Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao," Arum said.

According to the legendary promoter, there are several factors to consider, primary of which is the prize money. Arum added that de la Hoya, a natural 154-pounder, reducing weight won’t be a factor.

“I don’t think the weight is a problem as far as Oscar coming down to 147 is concerned. Based on my preliminary discussions, that wouldn’t be a problem," he said, adding the biggest factor may be what his client’s heart and mind dictate.

Is it Humberto Soto?
Armando Humberto Soto Ochoa is a Mexican professional boxer. Soto won the WBC interim featherweight title by beating Rocky Juarez on August 20, 2005, a fight he accepted with two weeks notice. He is known for his unorthodox boxing style, being referred to as a "gumby man" by boxing manager Emanuel Steward.

On November 17, 2007, became the challenger to fight Joan Guzmán, the reigning WBO Super Featherweight champion. Unfortunate for him, Soto lost by unanimous decision.

On June 28, 2008, Soto faced off against Francisco Lorenzo (33-4, 14 KOs) for the vacant interim WBC Super featherweight title. Soto knocked Lorenzo down twice in the fourth round with a barrage of punches. However, after lengthy consultations with officials at ringside, referee Joe Cortez disqualified Soto for hitting Lorenzo after he was down in what appeared to be a grazing punch. Cortez's decision was widely criticized and the WBC refused to award Lorenzo the title.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman condemned the decision as a "gross injustice" and one of the biggest he has seen in a long time. Sulaiman also announced that the WBC board of governors will vote on whether to declare the fight a no contest or to declare Soto the winner by knockout. Lorenzo, therefore, was not presented the green WBC belt as its champion, since it, though, opted to ignore the official verdict, and declared the title vacant. Sulaiman stated he wasn’t seeking to overrule the decision, but: “While we respect the authority of the (Nevada commission) for a decision of the fight, we are the only ones to have the authority to decide on the decision relating to the WBC world title.

Is it Edwin Valero?
Edwin Valero was born on December 3, 1981 in Bolero Alto, Mérida, Venezuela, he is an undefeated southpaw boxer who fights in the super featherweight (130 lb) division. His professional boxing record is 24-0 (24 KOs, 19 of which occurred in the first round). Valero is the current WBA super featherweight champion.

Valero started boxing at the age of 12, reportedly compiling an amateur record of 86-6 with 57 knockouts. He was Venezuelan amateur champion three years running, as well as Central and South American Champion (beating Francisco "Panchito" Bojado).

On February 25, 2006, Valero set a new world record by winning his first 18 fights as a professional by first-round knockout (that record has since been broken broken by Tyrone Brunson). The previous record for consecutive first-round knockouts was 15 by Young Otto (record), who accomplished the feat in 1905. In Valero's nineteenth fight (March 25, 2006), Genaro Trazancos ended the first-round knockout streak by surviving until the second round.

Because of his awesome punching power and perfect knockout ratio, he became the darling of hard core boxing fans. His biggest backers in the sport includes Doug Fischer of maxboxing.com (who regularly covers Valero in his articles for the website which also aired videos of his workouts and sparring sessions) and Boxing Inside with Peter Palmiere (Boxing Inside airs on SPTV Channel 33 every Thursday night at 7pm.) The Los Angeles local cable show also aired Valero's workouts, sparring sessions and interviews conducted by journalist Palmiere.

Valero defeated Vicente Mosquera by tenth-round TKO on August 5, 2006. With this win, Valero won the WBA super featherweight title. He has defended the title four times. The last fight was against Takehiro Shimada in Tokyo on June 12, 2008.

Or is it Oscar de la Hoya?
Oscar De La Hoya was born on February 4, 1973 his nicknamed "The Golden Boy", he is a Mexican American boxer and promoter who won a gold medal for the United States Boxing Team at the Barcelona Olympic Games. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother Joel Jr. were all boxers, but it was Oscar who took his boxing talent to superstar status. De La Hoya became Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" in 1995 and Ring Magazine's top-rated Pound for Pound fighter in the world in 1997. De La Hoya has defeated seventeen world champions and has won ten world titles in six different weight classes. He has also generated more money than any other boxer in the history of the sport. De La Hoya's amateur career included 223 wins, 163 by way of knockout, with only 5 losses. He won the United States' only boxing gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, by knocking down his opponent; a win which he dedicated to his deceased mother. De La Hoya is also the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, a combat sport promotional firm. He is the first Hispanic-American to own a national boxing promotional firm and one of only a handful of boxers in history who have taken on promotional responsibilities while still active.

On November 23, 1992, De La Hoya made his professional debut, and in his twelfth professional fight, he won his first title, stopping Jimmy Bredahl in (TKO 10) to win the WBO junior lightweight title. He moved up a division several fights later, defeating Jorge Paez (KO 2) to win the WBO lightweight title, and in his first title defense he defeated former world champion John-John Molina (UD 12). Despite his early success, De La Hoya was criticized, with many dismissing his opposition as weak and noting that he had been knocked down several times early in fights.

This perception begin to change when he faced IBF lightweight champion Rafael Ruelas in a unification bout. Many picked Ruelas to win, but De La Hoya knocked him out in the second round. Then in his next fight, he defeated the undefeated WBC super featherweight champion Genaro Hernandez. Hernandez had criticized De La Hoya heavily going into the bout, but De La Hoya broke his nose in the bout, forcing him to retire after the sixth round. On December 15, 1995, he defeated former champion Jesse James Leija. In total, De La Hoya successfully defended his lightweight title six times.

De La Hoya soon moved up in weight again to challenge WBC junior welterweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, who was an idol to De La Hoya. Chavez believed he would win easily, as he had broken one of De La Hoya's ribs in a sparring session when De La Hoya was an amateur. But in the fight held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, De La Hoya cut Chavez's eye with a jab in the first round, and the fight was stopped in round four due to the cut. Because of this and his later victory over Chavez, De La Hoya has always received criticism from some Mexican fans. In his only defense of this title, De La Hoya defeated previously undefeated WBC lightweight champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez (W 12).

FYI - Behind Sports

Manny Pacquiao Can Knock Out Oscar De la Hoya

2008-07-17T02:29:00.000-07:00

Freddie Roach is taking it further. He said that after the Diaz annihilation, he was convinced Pacquiao could go up against Oscar de la Hoya. And beat him.

“That performance against Diaz is what set me to make that decision," Roach said. “I’ve been working on his right hand for some time now and sometimes it’s there a little bit. Against Juan Manuel Marquez, it wasn’t there because he’s a guy who’s hard to land a right hand on. But the thing is, Manny has so much confidence now after beating Diaz, he knows he can do a lot more using both hands," Roach added.

“Manny’s become a better fighter after the Diaz fight."

Roach was said to have given Pacquiao an “A-plus" for his win over Diaz, a rating he’s never given his fighter before. But the ultimate compliment could be his recent projection that Pacquiao could stand up to de la Hoya, a sure Hall-of-Famer, and knock him out.

That is, if the Pacquiao the world saw won over Diaz is the same Pac-man who will trade mitts with the Golden Boy.

“I’ve always had confidence in Pacquiao’s right hand," Roach said. “Sometimes he doesn’t have that confidence. But now, the way he dominated Diaz, using that right and setting everything up including his left hand, he’s become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."

“And you know Oscar, he loves all these challenges and I know this is going to be a big motivation for him," Roach added.

FYI - Behind Sports

Paeng Nepomuceno 3rd Guinness Record In Bowling

2008-07-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Guinness Book of World Records honored for the third time - Paeng Nepomuceno six-time world bowling champion, and now for having won the most number of career championships worldwide.

Nepomuceno racked up his 118th career title last September in Melbourne, winning the South Pacific Classic, Australia’s most prestigious individual tournament. Nepomuceno prevailed over Jason Belmonte, last year’s World Tenpin Masters Champion.

That victory gave Nepomuceno the distinction of having three existing Guinness Records.

For winning in Melbourne, Nepomuceno was honored last January 3 at the Malacañang Palace by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who conferred on him the Order of Lakandula with the Special Class of Champion for Life.

The Hall of Famer first Guinness Record was for winning four World Cups in three different decades (70’s, 80’s and 90’s). His second Guinness distinction was in recognition of his feat as the youngest to win a world title at age 19.

“This is a great honor and I’d like to share it with all my countrymen," said Nepomuceno. “Whenever I compete, my countrymen always give me great support, which gives me great inspiration to always do my best."

Nepomuceno was congratulated again by the Guinness World Records Management Team and welcomed to the select club of World Record-holders in an accompanying letter.

In November 1999, Nepomuceno was awarded the International Olympic Committee President’s Trophy, the highest award for sports made especially significant because bowling is still not recognized as an Olympic sport.

In the same year, Nepomuceno was named by the World Bowling Federation’s Athlete of the Millennium.

In 2003, Nepomuceno was recognized by the Bowler’s Journal International as “the Greatest International Bowler of All Time" and became the first athlete to be enshrined in the International Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, where his seven-foot image is displayed at the museum’s entrance.

Nepomuceno, who still actively competes up to this day, is the only bowler in the world who has won titles in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Who Is Rafael Nepomuceno
Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno was born on January 30, 1957 in Manila, Paeng is a Filipino and a 6-Time World Bowling Champion. Paeng is acknowledged as the greatest international bowler in the history of the sport. Paeng won the World Cup of Bowling four times in three different decades:

* In Tehran, Iran on November 19, 1976
* In Jakarta, Indonesia on November 1, 1980
* In Le Mans, France on November 8, 1992
* In Belfast, Northern Ireland on November 23, 1996

Nepomuceno's two other world titles are from winning the World's Invitational Tournament which was participated by the World's best bowlers and was held in Sam's Town bowling center in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 8, 1984 which was a global event to showcase the sport in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Paeng also won the World Tenpin Masters championship in London, England on March 7, 1999.

He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for three records:
1. for being the only athlete in the world to win world titles in three different decades
2. for being the youngest ever to win the Bowling World Cup (at 19 years of age)
3. for having the most number of career championships worldwide.

In total, Paeng has won 118 career international championship tournament titles in five continents. Paeng who still actively competes up to this day is the only bowling athlete to have won championship titles in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

He is the only bowling athlete who has received the prestigious International Olympic Committee President's Trophy which is the highest sports award that can be given to an athlete. Paeng was the first international male bowling athlete to be enshrined in the International Bowling Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri in 1993 and his seven foot image is displayed at the entrance of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. In November 1999, the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) named Paeng as the "International Bowling Athlete of the Millennium."

In a ceremony held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates during the World Championships, an FIQ official cited Paeng with these words: "No international bowling athlete is more deserving of recognition than Paeng. In addition to his long list of well-known achievements as a world champion in three decades, Paeng truly has been and continues to be an extraordinary ambassador for Filipino sport."

Paeng is the only athlete in the Philippines who has been given the highest award to a Filipino by three Philippine presidents. In 1984, Paeng was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. In 1999, President Joseph E. Estrada awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor and in 2008, President Gloria M. Arroyo awarded Paeng, the Order of Lakandula with Class of Champion for Life and was declared Best Filipino athlete of all time. Both the Philippine Senate and House of Congress has declared Paeng the "Greatest Philippine Athlete of All Time".

In its September 2003 issue, the Prestigious Bowlers Journal International named Paeng as the Greatest International Bowler of All Time.

Paeng was named Athlete of the Century by the Philippine Sportswriters Association in the end of 1999 and Athlete of the Millennium in 2000.

At present Paeng has been designated by the USBC (United States Bowling Congress) as its International Bowling Ambassador for Bowling and promotes bowling around the world. He is available for clinics and appearances.

FYI - Behind Sports

Biggest Entrecard Contest Ever - Held By Fantasy Baseball

2008-07-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

I want to win the Fantasy Baseball 10,000ec to trade for something ___________?

Welcome Entrecarders! The entrecard community is launching it's biggest contest ever. It is held by yours truly, Fantasy Baseball. There are lot's of sponsors which means lot's of prizes. So count your entries now.

Here is how to join, click this! You have up to July 19 to join. So hurry!

FYI - Behind Sports

British Grand Prix To Donington In 2010

2008-07-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

SILVERSTONE, England - In 2010, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said that the British Formula One Grand Prix will switch to Donington Park from Silverstone.

"Following discussions with Formula One Management (FOM), the FIA can confirm that the British Grand Prix will be retained on the Formula One World Championship calendar," the FIA said in a statement.

"From 2010 the new home of the British Grand Prix will be Donington Park."

Donington Park's Web site said the circuit's co-owners, Simon Gillett and Lee Gill, had signed a 10-year agreement that included an investment of $198.4 million during a five-year period.

The surprise decision, while securing the future of the race in Britain, represents a huge blow for the Silverstone circuit owned by the British Racing Drivers' Club, whose contract to host the race expires at the end of next year.

The club had plans to redevelop the pits and paddock complex to bring the circuit in line with other more modern facilities -- but it needed the guarantee of a grand prix to proceed.

Formula One executive Bernie Ecclestone, himself a Briton, had threatened repeatedly to remove the race from the Formula One calendar if Silverstone, which hosted the first championship grand prix in 1950, is not upgraded.

Privately owned Donington, home of the British round of the MotoGP championship, hosted the European Formula One Grand Prix in 1993.

"Finally the uncertainty is over," Ecclestone said in the FIA statement handed out at the British Grand Prix. "A contract has been signed with Donington Park and the future of the British Grand Prix is now secure.

"We wanted a world-class venue for Formula One in Britain, something that the teams and British F1 fans could be proud of," he added.

"The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that. A venue that will put British motor sport back on the map.

"I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run Formula One," continued Ecclestone, who also took a sideswipe at the British government and the funding of the London 2012 Olympics.

"I believe that the government should have supported them [Silverstone], which would have cost probably less than .002 percent of the government's commitment for the Olympic Games," he said.

FIA president Max Mosley said he was delighted that the race's future had been secured.

"We understand that the development program planned for Donington will achieve the very high standards we and FOM expect from a modern F1 circuit," he said. "Finally, British Formula One fans will get the Grand Prix venue they deserve."

The Donington circuit, near the East Midland cities of Derby and Nottingham, will require considerable improvement of its outdated facilities with poor access roads plagued by severe congestion on race weekends.

What Is British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire. The British and Italian Grands Prix are the oldest continuously staged Formula One world championship Grands Prix.

Grand Prix motor racing was first established in Britain by Henry Segrave at the Brooklands course in 1926 after his winning of the French Grand Prix in 1923 and the following year at the Spanish Grand Prix which raised interest in the sport. The first ever British Grand Prix was won by the French team of Louis Wagner and Robert Sénéchal driving a Delage 155B.

Silverstone has hosted the race regularly since the start of the F1 championship in 1950 (in which it was the first race of the first ever official World Championship) and every year since 1987; it alternated with Brands Hatch between 1964 and 1986, and with Aintree (better known as a horse-racing course) between 1955 and 1962.

Before it was heavily modified in 1991, Silverstone was one of the fastest tracks on the Formula 1 calendar. The drivers loved the challenge of the sweeping and extremely demanding Copse, Stowe and Club corners. 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg held the all-time Formula 1 qualifying lap record for 16 years after posting fastest time for the 1985 British Grand prix with an average speed of 258.983km/h(160.92mph).

In recent times Silverstone has produced some fine race wins by British drivers, such as John Watson (1981), Nigel Mansell (1987, 1991, 1992), Damon Hill (1994) and David Coulthard (1999, 2000).

A dispute between Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), and the Formula One authorities in 2003 over the funding of necessary improvements to the track's facilities led to doubts over the future of the race.

In October 2004 the British Grand Prix was left off the preliminary race schedule for 2005 because the BRDC refused to pay the race fee demanded by Bernie Ecclestone. However, after months of negotiation between the BRDC, Ecclestone and the Formula One constructors, a deal was made for the Grand Prix to be held at Silverstone until 2009.

Despite the controversy and political bickering that has surrounded the future of the race in recent years, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone remains one of the world's premier motor racing events.

It was announced on 04 July 2008 that Donington Park will host the British Grand Prix from 2010.

Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire, England. It is best known as the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted in 1948 and which has been held on the circuit every year since 1987. The circuit is also home to the BRDC International Trophy, formerly one of the premier non-Championship F1 races in the calendar, today awarded to the winner of a race for historic F1 cars at the annual Silverstone Classic meeting.

Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a site near Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire, England, owned by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd. It is used as a motor racing track, and for music festivals. On 4th July 2008 it was announced that from 2010, Donington Park will stage the Formula One British Grand Prix.

FYI - Behind Sports

6th Straight Wimbledon Crown For Roger Federer - In The Making

2008-07-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

WIMBLEDON, England - Record in the making, add up all of Roger Federer's greatness on grass courts, and the numbers are striking: 40 wins in a row at Wimbledon, 65 overall on the surface.

Now he seeks an additional victory, a victory that would make him the first man since the 1880s to win six consecutive Wimbledon titles, a victory that would give him a 13th Grand Slam championship, one shy of Pete Sampras' career record.

And a victory that would have to come against his only real rival in today's game, Rafael Nadal.

No. 1 Federer and No. 2 Nadal set up their third straight showdown in the Wimbledon final, and sixth meeting in a major title match, by handily beating unseeded opponents Friday. Federer eliminated Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the first semifinal, and Nadal defeated Rainer Schuettler 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

"There's one more left," Federer said. "I don't think it matters really a lot if I'm the favorite or not. I'm on an incredible winning streak on grass. First somebody has to be able to break that before we start talking differently."

He reached his 16th Grand Slam final, tying him with Bjorn Borg for fourth most in history. Borg was the last man to win Wimbledon five years in a row. The only man with six successive titles was Willie Renshaw from 1881-86, but he merely needed to win one match in each of his five title defenses because back then the reigning champion got a bye directly into the final.

"A little different," Federer noted.

On the other hand, the ease with which Federer dominates the All England Club these days sort of makes it seem as though he's getting a pass to the second Sunday. For the second time in three years, he's reached the final without losing a set.

"He didn't even give me a chance," said Safin, a former No. 1 with two major titles.

Federer walked out in his custom-designed cream cardigan, the one with the gold "RF" on the chest. Safin, in contrast, looked as though he might have just rolled out of bed, emerging from the locker room with his T-shirt wrinkled, his sneakers untied, his hair mussed. During the third set, a woman in the crowd yelled, "Come on, Safin, wake up!"

Federer did plenty well, but he served impeccably.

He smacked 14 aces, took 70 of 90 points in his service games and faced only two break points. Both came with Safin leading 2-1 in the second set, and Federer erased them in similar fashion: a second serve delivered right at Safin's body, setting up short returns that led to forehand winners.

Federer's return game was working, too, and he broke Safin in the match's second game and its last one. Asked if it was easy out there, Federer said, "Easy in terms of being able to control a really dangerous player who's got the potential to upset anyone — in this aspect, yes."

One example: Safin beat No. 3 Novak Djokovic last week. It was Djokovic who ended Federer's record run of reaching 10 consecutive major finals by stopping him at this year's Australian Open, then wondered aloud before Wimbledon whether the Swiss star was slipping. Djokovic thought Federer's 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 loss to Nadal in last month's French Open final — his worst loss in 179 career Grand Slam matches — might have left him "a little bit shaken."

Federer has scoffed at such suggestions and did so again Friday.

"For me, anyway, that final is out of the picture. I hardly remember anything of it. It went so quickly," he said, without a trace of irony. "Yeah, for me it's not really that big of a problem."

He also alluded to the fact that while he is only 6-11 against Nadal — 0-3 in French Open finals — over their careers, Federer does lead 5-2 in matches played on surfaces other than clay. That includes victories in the 2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals, the latter a taut, five-set thriller.

That is why, Nadal acknowledged, "I believe I can win, but I also know he's the favorite."

Like Federer, Nadal faced only two break points Friday, and while the Spaniard did get broken once, he never was in true trouble. Thanks to that break, the 94th-ranked Schuettler went ahead 2-1 in the second set, then served for it at 5-4.

But Nadal broke the 2003 Australian Open runner-up there to pull even, and that was pretty much that. The only thing that really bothered Nadal on this day was the condition of his shoes, which he said were worn out from too much running around on the bare earth where the grass has disappeared near the Centre Court baselines. A member of Nadal's entourage tossed a fresh pair onto the court from the stands, and Nadal was back to his usual perpetual motion.

Afterward, Nadal spoke of how a Wimbledon championship would change his career. He'll try again, just as he did each of the past two years, to beat Federer to become the first man since Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

"It doesn't matter at any tournament who you beat. It matters that you get to take the trophy home," Nadal said. "But beating Federer would be special."

Borg showed up at the All England Club in 2007, and watched Federer match his modern mark of five consecutive titles. Borg returned this year and sat in the second row of the Royal Box on Friday, rising to clap when Federer finished off Safin to close in on breaking that tie.

"He is still hungry to win. He is still the No. 1 player in the world, and he wants to win more Grand Slam tournaments. He still has motivation to win. I think he will play many more years to come," said Borg, who walked away from the game in his 20s. "Sooner or later someone will beat him here at Wimbledon on Centre Court, but that might not happen this year."

Who Is Roger Federer
Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981, he is a Swiss professional tennis player, ranked World No. 1 since February 2, 2004, for a record 231 consecutive weeks. Federer has won twelve Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five Wimbledon, four US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and fourteen ATP Masters Series titles. He holds many records in the game, including having appeared in ten consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005 Wimbledon Championships through to 2007 U.S. Open). He also holds the open era records for consecutive wins on both grass courts (with 65) and hard courts (56). Additionally, he is currently on a streak of appearing in 17 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals, also an all-time record.

Federer's remarkable success has prompted a number of tennis critics, legendary players, and current players to consider him to be among the greatest tennis players ever. In 2008, he was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record fourth consecutive time.

Personal Life
Roger Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Swiss-German Robert Federer and South African Lynette Durand. He grew up in suburban Münchenstein, ten minutes from Basel and close to the borders of France and Germany. As a boy, Federer was a very emotional player and was occasionally kicked off practice courts for his behaviour. Federer was also a talented football player. He had considered becoming a professional but instead decided to pursue a career in tennis. He continues to support FC Basel, his hometown club and is a fan of Italian club AS Roma. As a youngster, he enjoyed watching Marcelo Ríos in action. Federer especially liked Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Marcelo Rios and has cited them as idols.

Federer is currently dating former WTA player Mirka Vavrinec, who retired from tennis in 2002 after a foot injury. The two met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Federer launched a fragrance called RF Cosmetics in October 2003. He considers Swiss German his first language, but also speaks German, French, and English fluently[6] and conducts press conferences in all three. His favorite vacation spots are Dubai, the Maldives and the Swiss mountains. He is also a good friend of golf superstar Tiger Woods. Federer is Roman Catholic, and met Pope Benedict XVI while playing the Rome Masters in 2006.

Roger Federer is highly involved in various charities. He established the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003 to help disadvantaged people and to promote sports to youth. He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF from 2006. Since then, he has visited Tamil Nadu, one of the worst tsunami-affected areas in India, and South Africa. He has also appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise public awareness of AIDS.

Time Magazine named Roger Federer as one of the 100 most influential people in 2007.

In 2007 Roger Federer was photographed by Annie Leibowitz as King Arthur. This was part of a series of photographs taken by her of many different celebrities for Disney's 'Year of a Million Dreams' project.

Playing Style
Federer has a versatile, all-court playing style and can hit all of the fundamental shots with a high degree of proficiency. He is an adept volleyer and an excellent baseliner who can dictate play with precise groundstrokes from both wings. He uses an extreme eastern grip, which places the hand between eastern and semi-western for his forehand and finishes with his right arm around the shoulder, and he keeps his eyes on the moment of impact longer than other players. He also can generate extreme top-spin with the forehand shot, allowing him to open up cross-court angles while still hitting the ball with pace. David Foster Wallace has described the exceptional speed, fluidity and brute force of this forehand motion as "a great liquid whip", while John McEnroe has referred to it as "the greatest shot in our sport" on numerous occasions. Federer plays with a one-handed backhand, and has an excellent slice, and can also fire top-spin winning shots. Federer tends to hit his groundstrokes early, while the ball is still on the rise, much like Andre Agassi did. While this requires excellent reactions and footwork, it means that Federer hits his groundstrokes closer to the net than most of his opponents. This reduces the reaction time of his opponents and allows him to hit the angled winners that are a trademark of his game.

His serve is difficult to read because he tosses the ball in the same spot no matter where he intends to serve it and he turns his back to his opponents during his motion. His first serve is typically around 190 km/h (However, he is capable of serving at 220km/h). His second serve usually has a heavily kicked delivery. Federer generally serves with placement and precision, but on occasion he will hit a powerful serve to keep his opponents off balance. His footwork, balance, and court coverage are exceptional and he is considered to be one of the fastest movers in the game. Unlike most players who take many small steps when approaching the ball, like Jimmy Connors, Federer takes long fluid strides. He can hit a strong shot on the run or while backpedaling, allowing him to switch from defense to offense. Federer's relaxed, smooth playing style belies his aggressive and opportunistic tactics as he constructs points that allows him to hit winners with his powerful groundstrokes. Federer is capable of performing in high pressure situations, often saving break, set or even match points during a match.

Equipment And Apparel
Federer currently plays with a customized Wilson (K) Factor (K)Six-One Tour 90 Racquet, which is characterized by its smaller hitting surface (90 square inch), heavy weight (12.5 oz strung weight), and thin beam (18 mm). Federer strings his racquets at a 53–60 pounds tension (depending on his opponent and surface) with natural gut main strings (Wilson Natural Gut 16 String) and polyester cross strings (Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L String). This allows him to hit balls at higher velocity with less effort but makes consistent accuracy more difficult. Federer also uses string savers to extend the life of the natural gut strings. Federer endorses Wilson tennis racquets and accessories and Nike footwear and apparel (he wears the Nike Air Vapor V and Nike Sphere Pinstripe Polo shirts).[60] For the 2006 championships at Wimbledon, Nike designed a jacket emblazoned with a crest of three tennis racquets symbolizing the three Wimbledon Championships he had previously won. This jacket was updated in preparation for the 2007 Wimbledon Championships, with four racquets. He also has endorsement deals from various other companies, many of them being Swiss. He also endorses Gillette with French, Brazilian and Mexican football stars Thierry Henry, Kaká and Rafael Márquez, American golfer Tiger Woods, South African rugby player Bryan Habana and Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid. Nike released a line of personal apparel such as hats and shirts that are embroidered with an "RF" to represent Roger Federer. He also endorses Moores suits and his image is used in the computer.

FYI - Behind Sports

Venus and Serena Williams Third All Sister Wimbledon Final

2008-07-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

WIMBLEDON, England - It will be the first all-Williams final at any tournament since 2003, Venus and Serena Williams won in straight sets Thursday to set up their third all-sister Wimbledon final and seventh Grand Slam championship matchup.

Defending champion and four-time winner Venus beat Elena Dementieva 6-1, 7-6 (3), then two-time champ Serena overcame two rain delays and served 14 aces to down China's Zheng Jie 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Serena holds an 8-7 career edge over Venus, including 5-1 in Grand Slam finals. Since Venus won the U.S. Open in 2001, Serena has won five straight of their major finals.

"She's a tough opponent," Serena said. "I think she'll be the toughest person I've played. I'm excited."

Said Venus: "It's every Williams for themself."

Venus overpowered the fifth-seeded Dementieva in the first set and then prevailed in an error-filled tiebreaker to improve her record to 7-0 in semifinals at the All England Club.

"I am dying for S. Williams to get through," said the 28-year-old Venus, who hasn't dropped a set in five matches and will be going for her seventh Grand Slam title.

Venus then went back out to watch her 26-year-old sister, who sat through rain breaks in both sets before cranking up her big serve, saving a set point in the second set and finishing off the 133rd-ranked Zheng to put her one win away from a ninth Grand Slam crown.

After Zheng dumped a second serve into the net on match point, Serena looked more relieved than anything to get through the match. Venus fiddled with her fingernails as she watched alongside their father, Richard, in the players' box.

"She definitely pushed me," Serena said of Zheng, the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal and first wild-card entrant to get this far at Wimbledon. "Unbelievable, and not only that she played a great game. She played like she had nothing to lose and she didn't.

"I wanted to do more than maker a Wimbledon final," she added. "I'm just happy to be back in a Grand Slam final."

Richard Williams said he would fly back to the United States on Friday and doesn't plan to watch a single point of the final on television, saying he can't bear to watch his daughters playing against each other.

In men's play, 32-year-old Rainer Schuettler outlasted Arnaud Clement 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (7), 8-6 in a match that took two days to complete. The German saved a match point at 5-4 in the fifth set before pulling out a 5-hour, 12-minute victory that sends him into the semifinals Friday against No. 2 Rafael Nadal.

The other men's semifinal has five-time champion Roger Federer facing a resurgent Marat Safin, a former No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion.

Like her sister, Serena Williams hasn't dropped a set so far. And, like Venus, she relied on her serve to pull her through when she needed it most.

"I didn't want to go three sets," she said. "I could have. I was ready to go three sets, but I felt like I didn't want to. I just wanted to close it. I just hit some big serves."

Serena, who strode onto the court wearing her custom-made white trench coat, was up 5-2 in the first set when play was suspended for 35 minutes. She came back out after the break and held serve at love to close out the set.

From one stretch late in the first set into the second, Zheng was unable to get the ball back into play on 11 consecutive return points as Serena came up with five aces and six service winners.

But Zheng, hitting cleanly from the baseline and winning most of the long rallies, hung in and went up a break at 4-2 in the second set. Serena broke right back and the two stayed even until play was stopped again by rain at 5-5.

After a delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes, Zheng earned a set point on Serena's serve at 6-5 but failed to convert, smacking a second-serve backhand return into the top of the net.

Serena got fired up, letting out a mighty scream — "Come on!" — and pumping her fist after an overhead smash on the next point. She then smacked back-to-back aces to set up the tiebreaker.

Serena took a 5-2 lead with the help of three more aces, but Zheng kept fighting and pulled even at 5-5. Serena hit a 123 mph service winner to set up match point, letting out another loud shout. The match ended tamely with Zheng's only double-fault.

Dementieva, playing in her first Wimbledon semifinal, looked nervous and was completely overmatched in the first set by Venus Williams' sheer power and pace, but settled down and made it competitive in the second. The Russian then faded badly in the tiebreaker and committed repeated unforced errors.

After Dementieva knocked a forehand into the net to end the 1:42 match, Venus skipped and hopped up and down with joy like a kid at a birthday party.

"I guess it started to set in a little bit about being in the final," she said. "When I'm excited I always jump. That I guess will never change. I'd like to celebrate even more if I'm good enough to take that title."

Asked about the likelihood of an all-Williams final, Dementieva said she couldn't imagine playing against a sibling, adding, "For sure it's going to be a family decision."

Venus took offense to a question about a predetermined outcome.

"I'm extremely professional in everything that I do on and off the court," Venus said. "I contribute my best in my sport and I also have a ton of respect for myself and my family. So any mention of that is extremely disrespectful for who I am, what I stand for, and my family."

Later, Dementieva issued a statement through the WTA clarifying her comments, saying English was not her first language.

"I do not think for one second that matches between Serena and Venus Williams are family decisions," she said. "What I meant was it is a unique situation for a family to be in to be playing for a Grand Slam title. I have a lot of respect for Serena and Venus."

FYI - Behind Sports

Gilbert Arenas $111M Deal With Wizards

2008-07-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - "$111 million over six years", Gilbert Arenas has agreed to re-sign with the Washington Wizards, essentially taking millions less so that his team could have more financial flexibility, two newspapers reported Thursday.

Arenas told the Washington Times and Washington Post that he was offered a maximum deal in the neighborhood of $127 million on Tuesday, the first day of the free agency period.

"The Wizards offered me the max, and I'm basically giving back $16 million," Arenas told the Washington Times from China, where is traveling as part of promotional tour for a shoe company. "This is in line with what I've been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don't wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can't do anything about it."

The three-time All-Star became a free agent after opting out of the final year of his six-year, $65 million contract. He initially said he was opting out to receive a max contract, but he later indicated he would be flexible in negotiations.

Arenas also said that he would not re-sign unless the team retained two-time All-Star forward Antawn Jamison. The Wizards lived up to that part of the bargain Monday by giving Jamison a four-year, $50 million deal.

Arenas has proven to be one of the most dynamic players in the league when healthy, but two knee operations caused him to miss most of the last season. He has averaged 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in his seven-season NBA career.

The Wizards cannot comment on talks with Arenas or announce the deal until a league-mandated moratorium expires next week.

"It's a relief," Arenas told the Washington Times. "It was a burden at the same time. Your whole city is depending on you, wondering if you're going to make the right decision. I'm a franchise player and sometimes franchise players need to make franchise decisions."

FYI - Behind Sports

Wizards Negotiate With Arenas And Jamison

2008-07-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - Abe Pollin placed a call to free agent Gilbert Arenas, who was at a layover in Toronto on the way to China for a promotional trip on behalf of a shoe company.

In the afternoon, the 84-year-old Washington Wizards owner arrived via cart and was helped into a cushioned chair for a news conference for the newly re-signed Antawn Jamison. Although the body appeared frail, the voice and mind where strong and sharp.

"I'm getting a little old and a little sick," Pollin said. "But I'm still around, and I'm going to be around until we win the ... championship. I'm stubborn and hardheaded."

And determined to achieve his goal with the core group that has led his team to four straight playoff appearances. So far, half of the major offseason work has been accomplished.

While negotiations with free agent Jamison were relatively straightforward — a four-year, $50 million deal that was signed Monday night — the talks with Arenas will be much more complicated. The Wizards can sign the three-time All-Star point guard to a maximum deal worth roughly $125 million over six years, but Arenas has also said he doesn't want to hamstring the team's ability to sign other players.

Under NBA rules, the Wizards couldn't start negotiating with Arenas until the start of the free agency period on Tuesday — Jamison's situation was different because Arenas became a free agent by exercising an opt-out clause. The team also can't comment on the talks with Arenas or announce a deal until a league-mandated moratorium expires July 9.

"We've contacted the players, and the process is going to play out," said president Ernie Grunfeld, referring to both Arenas and free agent guard Roger Mason.

Jamison's signing satisfies one condition in the talks with Arenas, who had said he would not return unless the team also kept his longtime teammate.

"I'm confident something will get done," Jamison said. "He just likes to go at his own pace."

Jamison, meanwhile, was lauded with praise from Pollin, who compared the team co-captain to Wes Unseld, who led the Wizards to their only NBA championship in 1978.

"Mr. Pollin, I love you," Jamison replied. "And I'm going to do everything possible to continue to make you happy."

Jamison is coming off perhaps the finest season of his 10-year NBA career: 21.4 points, a career-high 10.2 rebounds and a second appearance in the All-Star game. Although he's 32, Jamison said he's taken good care of himself and is confident he can continue to be a consistent 20-and-10 threat.

"I couldn't go anywhere else. This is where I'm going to end my career," Jamison said. "I totally believe that we have what it takes to hoist the trophy. That's my job. That's the reason I'm here."

Who Is Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. was born on January 6, 1982, in Tampa, Florida. He is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and currently a free agent.

Gilbert wears number 0 because a high school coach once told him he would play 0 minutes in college at Arizona.

From the time of his entry into the league, Arenas's popularity soared. He transformed himself from being a relative unknown to being voted by fans as an All-Star starter for the Eastern Conference in 2007. Now considered to be one of the best point guards in the NBA, but still is known as a "shoot first" point guard. Arenas overcame a 213,000 vote deficit at one point to edge out Vince Carter by just over 3,000 votes for the second of the two starting guard spots, the other spot going to Dwyane Wade. Arenas was most often nicknamed "Agent Zero," but has increasingly been referred to as "Hibachi." Both names have quickly become fan favorites in the Washington area.

Player Profile
Arenas is a prototypical "shoot-first pass-second" guard. He is a highly skilled scorer who has scored at rates of almost 30 points per game (2005-06 regular season average: 29.3), often using his trademark slashing drives to the basket as well as his long-range jumpshot.

His assists per game career average is relatively unremarkable for a point guard at 5.4, and moreover, he is very turnover-prone, as his lifetime tO rate of 3.35 per game proves (he also "leads" the 2006 TO statistics with 3.71 and the previous three years in the top ten). In addition, his on-ball defensive game is still considered below average.

Who Is Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison was on born June 12, 1976, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He currently plays power forward for the Washington Wizards and the USA National Team.

FYI - Behind Sports

Venus And Serena Williams One Step Away On Wimbledon Final

2008-07-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

WIMBLEDON, England - One prematch glance at the data displayed on those fancy, new digital scoreboards at staid, old Wimbledon provided a pretty persuasive case for why Venus Williams might be considered the woman to beat.

The entry under career record at the grass-court Grand Slam: "55-7." The listing of her best result: "WINNER 2007, 2005, 2001, 2000."

Yet another reason to like the American's chances: The way she served during the ensuing 6-4, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Tamarine Tanasugarn — smacking eight aces, saving nine of the 10 break points, tying her Wimbledon record with a 127 mph delivery.

That extended Williams' winning streak at the All England Club to 12 matches, including 19 sets in a row. Nonetheless, at least one person who knows a thing or two about tennis and a thing or two about Venus Williams flatly rejected the notion that she's the favorite: Serena Williams.

Asked after her own impressive quarterfinal victory — 6-4, 6-0 against 11th-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska — whether her older sister should be considered the likeliest champion, Serena shot back: "I would never sit here and say she's the favorite when I'm still in the draw. What are you on?"

Rather than a sibling rivalry, that response perhaps reflects nothing more than the sort of competitive drive that helped the younger Williams win eight Grand Slam singles titles. That haul includes the 2002 and 2003 Wimbledon championships, each time concluded by beating her sister.

One more win apiece, and they'll reprise the all-in-the-family final tradition Saturday. In Thursday's semifinals, Serena will face 133rd-ranked Zheng Jie, who became the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals at a major tournament by upsetting 18th-seeded Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

Venus next plays the highest-seeded remaining woman, No. 5 Elena Dementieva, who beat No. 21 Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3.

Zheng is the first wild-card entrant to reach the women's semifinals at Wimbledon; only one woman ranked lower has made the semifinals at any Grand Slam.

"China has quite a lot of sports in which it is a world leader," she said through a translator. "Unfortunately, tennis is not one of them."

Like Zheng, Radwanska and Tanasugarn were playing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time. Unlike her, they were forced to deal with a Williams on Tuesday.

More specifically, they were forced to deal with those Williams serves, developed by Dad all those years ago on the courts in Compton, Calif.

"We're different," Venus said. "I serve big almost every time. She goes for a little more placement."

Against Radwanska, Serena hit 11 aces, including four in one game while pulling even at 3-3 in the first set. On the last of those, Radwanska lunged and whiffed, then grimaced at her racket.

"It's too much, you know," Radwanska said.

She isn't exactly a nobody, having won the Wimbledon junior title in 2005 and pulled off an upset of defending champion Maria Sharapova at last year's U.S. Open. But Serena made her look absolutely ordinary, if that, taking 28 of the last 37 points.

While Serena mixed in flat 120 mph serves with spinning, kicking changeups, Venus stuck with the hard stuff against Tanasugarn.

"I have a lot of power, so it helps," Venus said. "Definitely, the power helps."

She produced some of her best stuff when she needed to, particularly in the match's sixth game.

Tanasugarn earned six break points, and the first five vanished thanks to, in order, a 107 mph service winner, a 102 mph service winner, a 115 mph service winner, a 94 mph service winner and a 122 mph ace.

"I'm really blessed to be able to have a serve to get me out of those issues," Venus said.

On break point No. 6, Tanasugarn managed to put her return in play but then slapped a forehand into the net.

That's when she turned her back to the court and motioned toward the players' guest box with her hand, raising one finger at a time to count out those missed opportunities: 1-2-3-4-5-6.

"She served very well during the break points," Tanasugarn said. "So what can I do?"

A few moments later, she did come up with a possible solution. A tad envious of her statuesque opponent — the 6-foot-1 Williams has 8 inches on her — Tanasugarn said, "Next life, I want to be tall as her. Please."

Neither Williams has dropped a set during the tournament, and their seedings — Serena is No. 6, Venus No. 7 — certainly seem to have been miscalculated. It's the first time at any Grand Slam in the 40-year Open era that none of the four top-seeded women reached the quarterfinals, making the path even smoother for the siblings.

Hard to believe, but there hasn't been a Williams vs. Williams final at a tournament since 2003 at the All England Club.

And what if they do meet again for the title, in what would be their seventh matchup in a Grand Slam final? What would breakfast be like Saturday morning at the place they're sharing here?

"I'm going to sabotage her and eat all the breakfast," Serena said. "I'll eat all the Wheaties so she doesn't have any chance."

FYI - Behind Sports

Rays Win Sixth Game In Seven Tries, First In AL East

2008-06-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Rays 5 - Red Sox 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox with first place on the line in the AL East, stuck to playing baseball.

James Shields scattered five hits over 6 1/3 innings and B.J. Upton and Gabe Gross homered, helping the Rays remain unbeaten at home against the Red Sox with a 5-4 victory that hiked their lead to 1 1/2 games in the division.

The Rays (50-32), surprising owners of the best record in baseball, have won six of seven and shrugged off a six-game losing streak to Boston, which is 6-0 against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park but 0-4 at Tropicana Field.

It was the first meeting between the combative division rivals since their much talked about June 5 benches-clearing brawl at Fenway that led to the suspensions of eight players, including Shields (6-5).

Both managers said beforehand that they didn't anticipate any carryover from the melee that ensued after Shields hit Coco Crisp in the leg with a pitch during the second inning of a 7-1 Tampa Bay loss.

"I knew from both sides nothing was going to happen. It was over," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We're professionals, they're professionals, and all that business is in the past."

Shields was suspended for six games for his part in the brawl. This time, he limited Boston to two runs before Tampa Bay's bullpen barely held on to hand the Red Sox their 11th straight one-run road loss.

Grant Balfour bailed the Rays out of a jam in the seventh, and J.P. Howell got the final out of the ninth after Boston scored twice on Brandon Moss' RBI double and Jason Varitek's sacrifice fly off Troy Percival trim the Red Sox deficit to one run.

Percival limped off the mound after appearing to tweak a sore hamstring backing up the plate on Varitek's sacrifice fly. Percival had an animated argument with Rays manager Joe Maddon before leaving.

"Percy was very upset, and I knew he was going to be very upset. He and I go way back, and everything's going to be fine between he and I," Maddon said. "He's been [closing games] for years and I know he wants to be the last man standing, but I have to do what I believe is right at that particular moment."

The 38-year-old closer apologized to the manager.

"I hate coming off the mound in the middle of the inning -- don't like doing it, and it's embarrassing -- but Joe did the right thing. ... I know better than to act like that. The situation got the better of me."

Howell earned his second save in three opportunities when Julio Lugo lined out to shortstop.

J.D. Drew hit his 16th homer for Boston, cutting Shields' lead to 4-2 in the sixth. It gave him 12 homers in June, third-most by a player in Red Sox history behind Jackie Jensen (14 in 1958) and Ted Williams (13, 1950).

James Anthony Shields was born on December 20, 1981 in Newhall, California. He is a major league pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. He bats and throws right-handed. Shields lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the off season with his wife, Ryane (nee Barber), and their daughter, Ashtyn. They married in November 2007 in Kauai, Hawaii. Shields is the first cousin of San Francisco Giants Outfielder, Aaron Rowand.
Lowell drove in Boston's first run with a fourth-inning single off Shields, who walked one and struck out five.

The Rays scored four runs off Justin Masterson (4-2), three of them following two-out walks. Upton homered on the right-hander's first pitch of the game, and Gross added a two-run shot after the Boston starter walked Dioner Navarro in the fourth.

A two-out walk to Willy Aybar also proved costly when Carlos Pena followed with a RBI double to make it 4-1 in the fifth. Jonny Gomes drove in what turned out to be the deciding run when he grounded into a force play with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Shields departed after giving up a leadoff single to Lowell and retiring Kevin Youkilis on a soft liner to shortstop in the seventh. Trever Miller walked Moss before Balfour escaped the jam by getting Varitek to foul out to the catcher and Lugo to hit a grounder back to the mound.

Both Varitek and Lowell said they think Tampa Bay has the capability to hang in the division race for the long haul.

"It's no fluke. They're a talented group," Lowell said. "I think a lot of times when you have a lot of young guys, you don't know how they measure up. There's no track record. But I think the talent is there. You've got to respect that."

FYI - Behind Sports

Venus advances, Second Seed Jankovic Loosed In 4th Round

2008-06-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

Jelena Jankovic - In Serbian: Јелена Јанковић is a Serbian professional female tennis player born on February 28, 1985, who ranked World No. 3 as of June 23, 2008. Jankovic has reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open, the French Open, and the U.S. Open. In 2007, she won the mixed doubles title with British partner Jamie Murray at Wimbledon.

WIMBLEDON, England - Second-seeded Jelena Jankovic was ousted in straight sets in the fourth round by Tamarine Tanasugarn on Monday, leaving the women's draw without its top three ranked players.

Jankovic's 6-3, 6-2 loss means that none of the top three women reached the quarterfinals — the first time that's happened at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era. No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Maria Sharapova were upset last week.

Playing with her left knee heavily strapped, Jankovic was never in serious contention against the 60th-ranked Tanasugarn. The 31-year-old Thai, playing in her 12th consecutive Wimbledon, also was treated for a lower back problem during changeovers in the second set.

Defending champion Venus Williams, meanwhile, beat Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-4 to move closer to another potential final against sister Serena.

Williams, a four-time Wimbledon winner, nearly squandered a 5-1 lead in the second set against the 18-year-old Kleybanova. She lost nine points in a row from her third match point in the eighth game and saved three break points at 5-4 before finally closing it with a backhand volley winner.

Williams played out on Court 2 — nicknamed the "Graveyard of Champions' for its long history of upsets.

Two-time champion Serena Williams was up next on the same court against Bethany Mattek, the only other remaining American in the draw. The sisters also were scheduled to play doubles together on Court 2 later Monday.

FYI - Behind Sports

Pacquiao Will Defend WBC lightweight Title On Nov 8 This Year

2008-06-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

The new World Boxing Council lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao is set to defend his title on November 8.

In an interview, Pacquiao said the schedule for his next fight is already set but his next opponent remains unknown.

"Wala pa (kalaban) pero yung date November 8 (There is no specific opponent yet but it would be on November 8)," Pacquiao said.

He said his next fights would depend on the schedule which would be given by his promoter, Top Rank president Bob Arum. He added the decision to go up to the heavier weight division also depends on Arum.

"Depende sa makakalaban kung 140 pounds o 135 pounds (kung aakyat ng weight division). Depende sa (decision) ni Arum. Pwede kung matuloy yung kay Hatton (It will depend on the opponent if I will go to 140 pounds or stay at 135 pounds. It will all depend on Arum. But I can go up if the fight with Hatton will materialize)," Pacquiao said.

Hatton is the International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight champion.

The Filipino southpaw boxing champion said he aims to continue improving on his right hand. I still need to improve my right hand. I will develop my right hand so I can use it more in my fights," Pacquiao said.

At present, Pacquiao is mending his bandaged right hand which was hurt during the fight against David Diaz. It is still swollen but it has no other injuries," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao stole the WBC lightweight belt from Mexican-American champion Diaz via a ninth-round knockout. With the victory, Pacquiao became the first Asian boxer to win world titles in four weight classes. Pacquiao is also the holder of the WBC super featherweight title. Pacquiao and his team are tentatively set to return to the Philippines on July 4.

Eyeing On The Next Oponent - Who Is Richard Hatton
Richard "Ricky" Hatton - an English boxer, born October 6, 1978, in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. He is one of the most popular British fighter of all time . He is more commonly known as Ricky The Hitman Hatton.

Hatton a two-time IBF and IBO Light Welterweight Champion, having relinquished the IBF belt, only to step back down to the weight class and beat Juan Urango. He was the WBA Welterweight Champion, but relinquished this title on August 31, 2006. Hatton is also the former WBU, WBA Light Welterweight Champion and WBC, WBA, WBO Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion, and current Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Champion.

Biography
Hatton was raised on the Hattersley council estate in Hyde, Greater Manchester and trained at the Sale West ABC on the Racecourse Estate. Both his grandfather and father played for Rochdale A.F.C. and Ricky had a trial for the youth team. But Hatton found a local boxing club in Hyde, which he still trains at and found he enjoyed the sport. Hatton's entrance music is the Manchester City club song "Blue Moon" as performed by the band "Supra." Aged 14, Hatton was taken by his uncles Ged and Paul to Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium to watch the second fight between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank. Hatton joined the family carpet business on leaving school, but after he cut four of his fingers with a Stanley knife, his father made him a salesman to prevent him from losing his fingers.

FYI - Behind Sports

US Women's Open - Stars Gear Up

2008-06-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

Lorena Ochoa (born in Guadalajara, Jalisco on 15 November 1981) is a Mexican golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and is currently the number one ranked female golfer in the world. As the first Mexican golfer of either gender to be ranked number one in the world, she is considered one of the best Mexican golfers of all time.

EDINA, Minnesota – Lorena Ochoa knows how mentally draining a US Women's Open can be, and the 2008 edition will be perhaps the most challenging of all as she takes on a long course, a retiring star and the woman who beat her to last year's title.

Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam in her last US Women's Open, and defending champion Cristie Kerr will be among the players to watch among the woods of Interlachen Country Club.

"It's one of those tournaments you just take so much out of you that hopefully you can take a week off after the US Open," said Mexican Ochoa, the LPGA Tour's leader and winner of six events — including one major — already this season.

"Just too much thinking and worrying and trying to save pars, and giving yourself some birdie chances that you really want to make. Just a lot of up and down. You need to be prepared," Ochoa said.

Swede Sorenstam is not only preparing for four rounds of long fairways and tiny tilted greens, but for the end of her decorated career that includes first-place finishes at 10 major tournaments.

"You only have so much to give, and I'm coming to a point where it's hard to get geared up other than for big events," Sorenstam said. "I have a lot of patience coming into a tournament. If it goes well, it's easy to stay on top and keep going. But when things are not going so well, it's easy to lose it."

American Kerr lost it last year, but not until after she tapped in the ball for par on the final hole to beat Ochoa by two strokes at Pine Needles. She dropped to her knees and cried, before leaping into the arms of her husband.

Her game is peaking toward the Open again this summer, and she'll try to repeat her feat by maintaining that bring-it-on attitude toward this layout of 6,789 yards, the longest in tournament history.

"This is a golf course you definitely have to respect," Kerr said. "You have to golf the ball around it. You have to execute that game plan as well as you can."

The dogleg 18th hole could be a major source of risk-reward suspense down the stretch. It's a par 5 that measures 530 yards but can be reached in two shots, and Ochoa was among the handful of players who easily cleared the pond with a 5-wood during practice rounds.

Some of the length of the course is negated by the generous assigned par of 73 — including five par-5s. Organizers have also mitigated the difficulty of the elevated, severely undulating greens with conservative pin placement.

"Sometimes caddies, they come and talk to you, 'We really need to be below the hole.' Sometimes they overreact," Ochoa said. "It's OK if you are 2 or 3 feet by; you can make a nice birdie putt. Not on these greens. You really need to pay attention."

There will be plenty of people paying attention to Sorenstam, especially in a state like Minnesota with so many Scandinavian descendants. One house next to the course has hoisted a big banner outside reading "Skol Annika" colored in Sweden's blue and yellow.

"I try to just stay cold about my emotions and focus on what I have to do," Sorenstam said. "But I do know in the back of my mind that when Sunday comes, I will not be playing here any more."

Ochoa figures to participate in many more of these, but she's still looking for her first US Open title. The 26-year-old from Mexico has had a rough couple of weeks, though.

She withdrew from the Ginn Tribute when her uncle died, and later learned after the LPGA Championship that her maternal grandfather passed away. He had been ill for some time, but Ochoa figured she would only be gone a week and have plenty of time to see him again.

"I never really said goodbye ... so that was tough," Ochoa said this week. "He was my joy and motivation."

She is longer than ever off the tee, and while her putting has cost her the past couple of events, she has a Tiger Woods-like drive to constantly improve all facets of her game.

The hardest part now will be blocking out all the potential distractions around her.

"The last few weeks have been rough for me," she said. "I play for a week, and I didn't play. It's been on and off, and I feel that it's important for me to get a rhythm, get my concentration on the golf course, and I'll be ready to play."

FYI - Behind Sports

Germany 0-1 Spain: Torres Spain's Hero - Euro 2008

2008-06-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984 in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish footballer, who plays for Liverpool.

Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, with whom he progressed through the youth ranks. He made his professional debut in 2001 and finished his career with the club having scored 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to this, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals. He joined Liverpool in 2007, after the club paid their record transfer fee to sign him and marked his first season with the club by being their first player to score more than 20 league goals for the club in a season since Robbie Fowler in 1995–96.

He is also a Spanish international and made his debut for the team against Portugal in 2003. He has since participated in three major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He was unable to score for Spain during the 2004 tournament, but did so on three occasions in the 2006 World Cup. He has been given the nickname El Niño ("The Kid").

Fernando Torres was the hero for Spain by firing them to Euro 2008 glory against Germany in Vienna - and ending 44 years of underachievement.

Torres struck in the 33rd minute at Ernst Happel Stadion and despite the efforts of Germany skipper Michael Ballack, they held on to their lead to spark wild celebrations in Austria's capital.

Heavyweights in European football who produce a constant stream of individual talents, Spain had not won a major tournament since 1964 but finally shook off their tag of being chokers, not able to cope with the pressure of the highest stage.

They have also been perceived as a nation divided by their regions - the lyrics to their national anthem are not used - but full-back Sergio Ramos had kept mentioning the word "united'' this week, and when Torres secured the Henri Delaunay for them they were just that.

Just shy of his 70th birthday, Luis Aragones will now leave his post as coach, probably for Fenerbahce, as a champion. Vicente del Bosque has been tipped to take over and he will inherit a young squad who have their sights on the World Cup.

While Portugal appeared destabilised by Chelsea announcing Luiz Felipe Scolari as their new coach during these finals, there were no signs of the same happening to Spain following Fenerbahce's statement revealing Aragones as their new boss on the eve of their semi-final.

They finish as the tournament's top goalscorers, helped by Torres who took the Premier League by storm with 33 rookie goals for Liverpool.

He was not on the top of his game for the whole of the tournament, but the 24-year-old stepped into the shoes of David Villa when Spain needed him.

"Viva Espana'' sang their fans before the sangria started flowing.

This was billed as a clash of Germany's efficiency and power versus Spain's fluidity and creativity which were on display as Russia were swept aside in the semi-finals.

Germany's drive came from Ballack, with the Chelsea midfielder passed fit despite carrying a calf injury on the eve of the final.

'Against the odds we will win the trophy', read one headline from a German newspaper on the day of the game - and Ballack was seen as the key to their chances.

They had been inconsistent in the group stages, then stuttered past Turkey after outmuscling Portugal.

Only Ballack's level of performance had been high throughout all of it but he ends the tournament a 'nearly man' again.

Six years ago he missed the World Cup final through suspension just after Bayer Leverkusen missed a trio of chances for silverware.

This season Manchester United pipped him to the Premier League and Champions League - and he finds himself the bridesmaid once more.

Facing Ballack was a Barcelona-bred wall of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas in midfield, with Arsenal's youngster getting his chance following Villa's injury.

But before they were allowed to impose themselves on the game, Germany had already wasted two early chances.

Ramos lost his bearings and gifted a pass straight to Miroslav Klose, whose poor touch let him down as he sped past Carles Puyol - and the opportunity had gone.

Then Thomas Hitzlsperger was teed up on the edge of the area by Klose but could not get purchase on his shot.

Spain started to move through the gears after their double reprieve, never looking back after they were let off the hook.

Their opening chance came after a Xavi pass had split the German defence to find Iniesta on the left. When the cross came over, Christoph Metzelder sliced towards his own goal and Jens Lehmann, the oldest player to feature in a European Championship final, athletically tipped around the post.

The post came to Lehmann's rescue when Torres climbed above Per Mertesacker to meet Ramos' centre - but the Liverpool man was not made to wait long for his goal.

It came 12 minutes before the break when Xavi played the ball beyond Philipp Lahm. The full-back was favourite to clear but Torres used pace and muscle to get around him and chip over Lehmann before celebrating his goal by sucking his thumb.

It could have got worse for Germany had David Silva not volleyed over wildly when found at the far post by Iniesta.

And German fans feared the worst when Ballack was forced off with a cut eye, but he returned after getting the bloodied injury treated twice. He was also booked along with opposing captain Iker Casillas for talking back at the referee.

Spain had chances to make it comfortable after the break, with Lehmann saving from Ramos' header and Iniesta getting a drive cleared off the line.

Their own indiscipline almost cost them when Silva butted his head towards Lukas Podolski - but no card was shown.

Torres was taken off in the 78th minute, with his job already done in waking the sleeping giants of European football.

FYI - Behind Sports

Michael Phelps, Kathryn Hoff Set World Records In 400 IM

2008-06-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Omaha, Nebraska - Michael Phelps set a world record in his first event of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, touching just ahead of Ryan Lochte to win the 400-meter individual medley in 4 minutes, 5.25 seconds Sunday night.

Katie Hoff matched her former North Baltimore teammate in the 400 IM, taking down the women's mark in 4:31.12. Wearing the high-tech Speedo LZR Racer, Phelps beat his own mark of 4:06.22, set at last year's world championships in Australia when he turned in one of the greatest performances in swimming history with seven gold medals.

After saying he had no fear of Phelps, Lochte proved it by also going under the previous record. But his time of 4:06.08 was only good enough for second with Phelps in the next lane over.

"That was probably one of the most painful races of my life," the winner said. "Everything was left in the pool. I definitely would not have been able to do it without Lochte beside me. He's a great friend and a great competitor. I love racing him."

The 19-year-old Hoff -- playfully described by Phelps as the little sister he never had -- showed no signs of the nervousness that ruined her first trip to the Olympics four years ago. The youngest member of the U.S. team, she was overcome by the moment and threw up on deck after failing to advance from her first event.

All grown up, Hoff dipped under record pace on the breaststroke leg and held on with her freestyle to beat Stephanie Rice's mark of 4:31.46, set in March at the Australian Olympic trials.

"Stephanie really raised the bar when she broke my old record," Hoff said. "I'm just excited for Beijing, and I think it's going to be a really tough challenging race with her."

Like Phelps, Hoff also was wearing the revolutionary Speedo suit, which has been worn for 40 of the 44 world marks set since it was unveiled in mid-February.

"It definitely gave me a few tenths," Phelps said. "At the end, when I was getting a little tired, the suit gave me a little extra edge."

Larsen Jensen, also wearing the LZR, set an American mark in the 400 freestyle in a three-way race to the wall with previous record holder Peter Vanderkaay and Erik Vendt.

Jensen's time of 3:43.53 topped Vanderkaay's mark of 3:43.82, which was set last month in California. Vanderkaay also went lower, touching second in 3:43.73.

Brendan Hansen just missed another world record in the 100 breaststroke semifinals, advancing to Monday's final in 59.24. He holds the mark of 59.13, and nodded his head confidently when he looked toward the scoreboard.

Christine Magnuson was top qualifier in the semis of the 100 fly in 57.50 less than a second off Inge de Bruijn's 8-year-old world record.

Phelps was slightly off world-record pace after the opening butterfly, but he had a body-length lead on Lochte as they switched to the backstroke.

The minus sign indicative of a swimmer under record pace flashed on the board when Phelps made his flip turn on the back, sending the crowd at the Qwest Center into a frenzy. But Lochte was starting to close the gap, and he nearly pulled even as they headed toward the far wall in the breaststroke.

Lochte, a world record holder himself, was less than a second behind at the 300 mark and looked poised to pull off a monumental upset. He and Phelps went at it stroke for stroke over the final two laps, but Phelps never relinquished his lead.

After his arm touched the wall ahead of Lochte's, Phelps looked at the scoreboard, saw the record and thrust his right fist in the air. Then he slapped the water.

Lochte, breathing heavily, grinned as Phelps celebrated. They hugged in the water, and then again on deck while the fans saluted them both with a standing ovation.

"He looked great, and what an epic swim," said Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman. "One of the best swims I've ever seen."

Phelps won six gold medals and two bronzes at the Athens Olympics, just missing Spitz's record of seven wins at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps who turns 23 on Monday is determined to knock off the mark in Beijing.

Lochte was the top qualifier in the morning prelims.

Who Is Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps III (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer who holds World Records in several events. Phelps' achievements include eight medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, six of which were gold, tying the record for medals at a single Olympics, held by Alexander Dityatin since 1980.[5] Phelps's international titles, along with his various world records, have resulted in his being named World Swimmer of the Year four times — in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. His stroke s are butterfly, individual medley, freestyle, backstroke.

Personal Life
Phelps grew up in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from Towson High School in 2003. His father, Fred Phelps, worked with the Maryland State Police and his mother, Debbie Davisson Phelps, is a middle school principal. The two divorced in 1994. Michael has two older sisters, Whitney and Hilary. Both of them were swimmers as well, with Whitney coming close to making the U.S. Team for the 1996 Summer Olympics before injuries derailed her career.

In his youth, Michael was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He started swimming at age seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his restless energy. He blossomed quickly as a swimmer, and by the age of 10 held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Michael's rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15.

In November 2004, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and ordered to serve 18 months probation, fined $250, obligated to speak against drinking and driving to high school students, and had to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting.

Between 2004–2008, Phelps attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, studying sports marketing and management. In May 2008, Phelps said he intends to return to Baltimore following the 2008 Olympics, joining Bob Bowman there when he leaves the University of Michigan, saying, "I'm not going to swim for anybody else. I think we can both help the North Baltimore Athletic Club go further. I'm definitely going to be in Baltimore next year." The club has announced that Bowman is leaving the University of Michigan to become the club's CEO.

Who Is Kathryn Hoff
Kathryn ("Katie") Hoff (born June 3, 1989 in Stanford, California) is an American swimmer.

Competitive Career
She trained with Michael Phelps in Baltimore, at North Baltimore Aquatic Club, and is currently trained by Paul Yetter. She holds the American record in the 200 meter individual medley at 2:10.05. She is a strong contender for the 2008 Olympic Games in multiple events. She is best at the 200 and 400 individual medley, though Katie is a very capable swimmer in many events, ranging from any of the four 200s to the 800 free. Katie lost the world record in the 400 meter individual medley to Stephanie Rice in March 2008. However, Hoff reclaimed the world record at the 2008 Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska with a time of 4:31.12.

She qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics, but had a rather disappointing showing in her first Games, placing 7th overall in the Women's 200 metre individual medley and 17th in the 400 metre medley.

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, she set a Championships Record for her time of 2:10.41 in the women's 200m individual medley. She received two more gold medals at the competition, one in the 400m medley and the other for the 4x200m freestyle, with teammates Natalie Coughlin, Whitney Myers, and Kaitlin Sandeno.

She retained her 200m individual medley title by winning at the 2007 World Championships setting a new championship record of 2:10.13. She also won gold and set a new world record in the 400m IM, eclipsing Yana Klochkova's the old mark of 4:33.59, with a new standard of 4:32.89. This record was lost to Stephanie Rice on 22 March 2008 at the 2008 Australian Swimming Championships who swam a 4:31.46 shaving 1.43 seconds off Hoff's time. Hoff's previous experience helped her use her "veteran" status to help the most experienced member of the US team, Natalie Coughlin, prepare for their world-record-setting pace in the 4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay at the 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships.

Hoff was born in Stanford, California and lives in Towson, Maryland. Her mother, Jeanne Ruark Hoff, played basketball for Stanford University from 1979 to 1983.

FYI - Behind Sports

Boxing Idol Pacquiao Meets 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics

2008-06-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Boston Celtics players showed up and rejoiced over Manny Pacquiao's victory against Mexican-American pugilist David Diaz.

Manny Pacquiao, who was crowned as World Boxing Council’s lightweight champ, was elated by Celtics’ presence, especially by Kevin Garnett who is Pacman’s favorite.

The Celtics, who recently won the NBA finals, reportedly reserved 16 tickets to watch and support Pacquiao in his fight at the Mandalay Events Center.

Immediately after the bout, the cagers went to Pacquiao’s room to congratulate the boxer in getting his fourth world title. The Celtics, among them Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassel posed with Pacquiao for a photo shoot.

“Alam mo, sabi ko, bago ako lumaban at natapos ‘yong NBA finals at Celtics and nag-champion, sana ma-imbita ko ang Celtics. Nagkataon na nandito sila sa Vegas, so inimbita ko (sila). Nagpasalamat naman ako na pina-unlakan nila ang imbitasyon ko," he said.

(Before I fought and after the Celtics won at the NBA finals, I was hoping that I could invite the Celtics. It so happened that they were in Las Vegas, so I invited them and they agreed to watch my fight)

Seeing his idols watch his bout was an overwhelming experience for Pacman. Sobra-sobrang saya at nanalo ako at pinanood ako ng mga idol ko (I was so happy my idols watched my fight).

Did Pacquiao ever think that one day he would be on top the world? He said he didn’t. But because he trusted God so much, “binigyan niya ako ng blessings" (he gave me blessings).

FYI - Behind Sports

Lethal Combination - Manny Pacquiao Outspeed David Diaz

2008-06-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS - The Philippines' Manny Pacquiao, who is now the World Boxing Council's lightweight champ, made his best performance, making his title bout with Mexican American David Diaz, not just a fight but an execution.

Even Pacquiao's trainers said, were awed by his speed, which did not change, but had in fact improved even after he put on some weight to qualify as a lightweight fighter. Speed has been Manny Pacquiao's specialty ever since he was a scrawny 106-pound teenage brawler. When he stepped in the ring weighing 135 pounds on Saturday night, even his trainer wondered whether Pacquiao would lose some of his splendid speed with all that extra bulk.

That theory evaporated with one look at David Diaz's lacerated, bloody face, even before it hit the canvas in the ninth round. Not only did Pacquiao keep his pace while winning the WBC lightweight title with a ninth-round knockout, he got stronger along the way.

What a frightening thought for the rest of the talented lightweight division.

"I feel much, much stronger and more powerful at 135," said Pacquiao, the first Asian boxer to win title belts at four weights. "This is where I plan to stay. I did real well. I was really surprised it wasn't stopped sooner."

After winning a recognized championship fight at his fifth weight - including a nontitle victory over 126-pound king Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 -- Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) definitely has the credentials to qualify as boxing's mythical pound-for-pound champion.

His lightweight debut at the Mandalay Bay Events Center was every bit as action-packed as his long history of brawls at lower weights -- and like most of Pac-Man's victims, Diaz (34-2-1) just couldn't keep that ferocious pace.

Pacquiao was relentless with his right hook, apparently capitalizing on something seen by trainer Freddie Roach in Diaz's defense.

"It was his speed," said Diaz, the game but overmatched champion. "It was all his speed. I could see the punches perfectly, but he was just too fast. He boxed me more than I thought he was going to box. I said to Freddie, 'It's the best I've ever seen him box.' Freddie said, 'Me too. That was our game plan.' "

Three months ago, Juan Manuel Marquez stretched Pacquiao to the limit before losing a split decision in the same ring in perhaps the year's best bout so far.

Pacquiao took much less punishment this time while winning every round on every judge's scorecard, but Diaz was remarkably tenacious in the face of nonstop attacks -- until Pacquiao sneaked home a left hand that dropped Diaz to the canvas.

Diaz, the likable but unlikely champion from Chicago, knew he faced long odds -- 4-to-1 at fight time -- in his second title defense. The former U.S. Olympian hung in despite severe cuts and weary legs that wobbled with each of Pacquiao's big punches.

"His punches are just too fast," Diaz told his corner after the sixth round.

Round 8 and 9 Full Vresion
Diaz's face was dripping blood by then, and both fighters' white trunks were shaded pink by the eighth, when Pacquiao battered Diaz relentlessly. After Pacquiao's decisive punch in the ninth, referee Vic Drakulich stopped the bout before even counting to 10. Pacquiao tugged on Diaz's arm in compassion before leaping onto the ropes in celebration.

Pacquiao threw 788 punches to Diaz's 463, also landing 10 percent more of his blows. Pacquiao jabbed well, with remarkable discipline for an instinctual brawler, but Diaz was hurt most by the 180 power shots that connected.

Pacquiao started fighting as a scrawny 16-year-old in the Philippines, but he grew into a dynamic competitor who won world titles at 112, 122 and 130 pounds. Few of those victories gave Roach more pleasure than this disciplined effort.

"That was beautiful," Roach said. "The game plan was not to stand and trade, because Diaz is too dangerous. The plan was to go in and out, outbox him, do what Manny does best. He did everything that we asked him to do."

Some think Pacquiao's next move could be to bulk up five more pounds for a wildly lucrative fight with England's most popular plugger, Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao seems more likely to stick around to fight other lightweights -- perhaps 130-pound champion Edwin Valero or Humberto Soto, who lost a curious disqualification Saturday in an undercard bout.

"I can fight in November," Pacquiao said. "Who I fight is the job of my promoter [Bob Arum]."

Pacquiao has made his career on a series of exciting brawls with the best Mexican fighters of the post-Julio Cesar Chavez era, going 5-1-1 against Barrera, Erik Morales and Marquez, who lost a supermodel-thin split decision to Pacquiao last March.

Meanwhile, Diaz has made a career out of defying meager expectations, starting with two surprising victories over Zab Judah for a spot on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. After quitting the sport for nearly two years early in this decade, Diaz earned his title nearly two years ago in a stunning 10th-round knockout of Jose Armando Santa Cruz.

Mandalay Bay was filled largely with Filipino fans, including an overly optimistic man whose sign read, "Pac-Man, Marry Me!"

FYI - Behind Sports

$43.5 Million Deal As Giants For Chris Snee

2008-06-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Signing guard Chris Snee as Giants for $43.5 million contract extension to keep young offensive line together to a six-year. The New York Giants guaranteed that their offensive line will stay for the foreseeable future.

Snee, 26, will earn nearly $24 million in the first three years of the deal, agent Tony Agnone said.

The extension will keep the right guard under contract with the Super Bowl champions through 2014.

Since beating the New England Patriots for the NFL title in February, the Giants have locked up three starters on the offensive line. Left tackle David Diehl got a two-year extension last month that will keep him under contract through 2013 and pay him $31 million. Left guard Rich Seubert also got a new contract through 2013.

Right tackle Kareem McKenzie and center Shaun O'Hara are under contract through 2012.

"Chris thought re-signing everyone was important," Agnone said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "They can have a cohesive unit for a while now."

The signing will also keep the family happy. Snee is the son-in-law of coach Tom Coughlin. The Giants rewarded the coach after the Super Bowl with a four-year contract worth $21 million.

"I am just happy to have it done before the season and really just have peace of mind and not worry about it and go out and play," Snee said. "I had faith that it would be done."

A former second-round draft pick, Snee has started all 59 regular-season and six postseason games that he has played for the Giants. The former Boston College product has started 48 consecutive regular-season games. He missed the final five games of his rookie season because of an inflamed gland under his jaw.

"We are very pleased to get Chris extended," general manager Jerry Reese said. "He has been a tremendous player and person for us since day one. It's also very important to keep our offensive line intact."

The Giants scored 373 points, their fifth-highest total in franchise history, last season. New York averaged 134.3 yards rushing, fourth best in the league.

The Giants also acquired guard Kurt Quarterman off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons. He spent most of last season on the Falcons' practice squad.

FYI - Behind Sports

Olympic Bed Of Yao Ming Memorabilia To Be Auctioned

2008-06-26T00:54:00.001-07:00

BEIJING - It may be a little long for most people, but the bed Chinese basketball star Yao Ming will use at the Beijing Olympics is going on sale.

The official China Daily newspaper said Thursday that Yao's 7 foot, 6 inch (2.3-meter) bed from the Olympic Village will be just one of the items in an auction of Olympic memorabilia. Online bidding started Wednesday, the newspaper said. About 200 items of furniture such as coffee tables and closets from the village have already been listed, and the auction will include sports equipment, electrical fittings, and even pieces of land.

"This is not the first time Olympic organizers are auctioning memorabilia," Xiong Yan, president of the China Beijing Equity Exchange, who Olympic organizers have authorized to sell the items, was quoted as saying. "But as far as I know, this will be the biggest."

Auctions will take place after the Olympics and Paralympics, the newspaper said. The Olympics are Aug. 8-24 and the Paralympic Games are Sept. 6-17.

Houston Rockets center Yao is one of the most popular athletes in China. He had surgery on his left foot after suffering a stress fracture on Feb. 27, threatening his star turn as part of China's national basketball team at the Olympics.

A top official of China's national basketball team said last week no decision had been made whether Yao will play in an Olympic warm-up tournament next month.

FYI - Behind Sports

Wood Still Remembers 20-K Game After 10 Years

2008-06-26T00:40:00.000-07:00

CINCINNATI – Kerry Wood still has vivid memories of his greatest game.

The Chicago Cubs closer remembers everything about the day he struck out 20 batters in his fifth major league start, joining Roger Clemens as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.

Wood remembers how he felt warming up on May 6, 1998. He remembers how the strikeouts piled up. He remembers certain pitches he threw to certain batters. He remembers what he ate for dinner to celebrate.

"It was one of those days I just had it," Wood said Monday before the start of a series against the Cincinnati Reds. "Very few days stick out like that."

Wood was a 20-year-old rookie when he delivered one of the greatest pitching performances of all-time. He allowed only one hit, a third-inning single by Ricky Gutierrez, in a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros.

When he fanned Bill Spiers in the ninth for his 19th strikeout, Wood tied the NL record. He struck out Derek Bell to end the game and tie Clemens' major league mark. It wasn't until after the game, when he was being interviewed, that Wood realized he had struck out so many.

Wood finished the 1998 season ranked third in the NL in strikeouts and won the league's Rookie of the Year award. He missed the final month with a sore right elbow, then had reconstructive elbow surgery the next April, starting a run of arm and shoulder problems that undercut his career.

"It's been a roller coaster of good, bad, indifferent – sometimes not even here," Wood said. "I've experienced a lot in Chicago."

Ten years after his greatest game, Wood is the Cubs' closer, something he never envisioned as a possibility when he was a rookie.

"I probably would have said, 'No chance,'" Wood said. "Probably with somebody else at some point in my career, but not with the same team."

Who Is He?
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977 in Irving, Texas) is an American baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he plays professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. Wood has recorded over two hundred strikeouts in four different seasons between 1998-2003, with a high water mark of 266 K's in 2003. In recent years, he has had three serious arm injuries, and has only started a total of 14 major league games from Opening Day 2005 through the middle of 2006. Wood returned to the Cubs during the 2007 season as a relief pitcher.

Early Life
Wood became a high school phenom while attending Mac Arthur High School in Irving, Texas, for his first three seasons of high school baseball. He continued his domination of batters at Grand Prairie High School in his final season as a high school player.

MLB Records
* Fastest to reach 1000 strikeouts in MLB history (in appearances): 134 games
* Fastest to reach 1000 strikeouts in MLB history (in innings pitched): 853 IP
* Strikeouts in a 9-inning game: 20 on May 6, 1998 (tied record then held by Roger Clemens)

Personal life
Wood is married to the former Sarah Pates of Waukegan, Illinois. The couple has a son, Justin Dean (born 2006). After FOX repeatedly kept showing her reactions in the crowd during playoff games Kerry was starting, he asked that the shots of her in live telecasts be reduced.

FYI - Behind Sports

Manny Pacquiao Favored To Win Over David Diaz

2008-06-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

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LAS VEGAS - The World Boxing Council lightweight champion made it from the Olympics to the pinnacle of prizefighting with a firm belief that his fate was in his own hands. He absorbed that philosophy from his parents while they raised nine kids, including baby David, as Mexican immigrants in Chicago.

David Diaz the underdog in this fight clearly isn't the star in Saturday's fight. Wearing shorts that made him look like any young Las Vegas vacationer, Diaz spent several moments at Wednesday's news conference patiently waiting as Manny Pacquiao signed gloves and posed for pictures before the fighters could do their own photo shoot.

Yet Diaz doesn't mind, since he obviously appreciates everything he's earned. He got choked up when he thanked his father, who overcame minimal education and tight financial circumstances to raise nine children in Chicago. "He's my first best friend," Diaz said. "He's the man I look up to. Doesn't read, doesn't write, and he still took care of nine kids. ... He loves boxing like I do. I asked him one time if I could go out and play (American) football, and he said, 'That's a sport for animals.'"

Diaz also is a mid-major sports celebrity in Chicago these days.

Yet even on the verge of an $800,000 (€513,000)-plus payday for taking on Pacquiao, Diaz still drives around Chicagoland in a 1991 car with no air conditioning — or at least he did, until he loaned it to his nephew.

After earning an unlikely berth on the 1996 US Olympic team with that same tenacity, Diaz determined his own fate when he quit boxing for two years — and again when he returned to the sport in 2002. Four years later, Diaz rallied from a heavy deficit for a knockout victory that eventually secured his title belt.

Diaz's life is stuffed with examples of why superstitions should be powerless over him. So why did Diaz want to sprint off the Santa Monica Pier on Monday at the sight of a goat in a Chicago Cubs baseball hat?

Well, because Diaz is also a lifelong Cubs fan who knows just enough about the Curse of the Billy Goat, the 63-year-old jinx that's supposedly keeping his long-suffering club from winning the Major League Baseball title, to be very afraid.

The promoters of his Saturday bout with WBC super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao for Diaz's lightweight title jokingly recruited the goat to provide color at the news conference, yet Diaz wasn't really laughing.

"Man, that billy goat scared me, dude," Diaz said with a laugh. "Can you imagine if the Cubs start messing up, and that gets around? I'm not having that on my ticket."

Diaz wants nothing more than an honest chance to do the improbable. Pacquiao is a heavy favorite in the Vegas sportsbooks for the Filipino's first fight at 61 kilos (135 pounds), and Diaz is widely expected to struggle against Pacquiao's formidable power.

But it's never been a good idea to count out Diaz — not since he beat favored prospect Zab Judah twice to take the light welterweight spot on the US team in the Atlanta Games. He then posted a stunning comeback win in 2006, falling behind on all three judges' scorecards before knocking out Jose Armando Santa Cruz — a victory that led to his coronation.

"He's had a tremendous career when he's been behind," said promoter Bob Arum, who re-signed Diaz after the fighter's two-year break. "No matter how hopeless it looks, he stays in there and never quits."

Diaz won't acknowledge thinking much about how his life would change if he beat Pacquiao. Jim Strickland, Diaz's longtime trainer and beloved adviser, has said he might finally retire if Diaz wins, though Diaz claims he wouldn't allow it.

And though he claims to have more superstitions than he could mention, Diaz knows the responsibility for beating Pacquiao rests solely on his unimposing shoulders — goat or no goat.

"I have to go out there and perform," Diaz said. "If I don't do it, I'm not going to win. I never thought I'd get the championship, but now that I have it, I don't want to let it go."

FYI - Behind Sports

Manny Pacquiao And David Diaz Now In Las Vegas For Lethal Combination

2008-06-25T02:11:00.000-07:00

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World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Mexican boxing champ David Diaz are now in Las Vegas in Nevada to prepare for their bout on June 28.

Pacquiao and Diaz were given a warm welcome at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino where the fight dubbed "Lethal Combination" would be held. The report said Pacquiao proceeded to an hour-long workout at the University of Nevada after meeting the media and giving interviews upon his arrival. In the midst of his preparation for the bout, Pacquiao expressed sympathies to the victims of typhoon Frank which hit the country over the weekend.

"Gagawa ako ng paraan, gagawin ko ang aking makakaya upang makatulong sa kanila (I will find ways, I will do everything to help them (victims))," Pacquiao said.

Diaz's World Boxing Council lightweight championship belt is on the line in the fight. Pacquiao will attempt to take Diaz’s championship belt on Saturday night.

Pacquiao (46-3-2, 34 KO’s), who has three championship belts under his name, the most recent being the WBC super featherweight title, decided to move up the 135-pound division to challenge Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KO’s).

For his part, Diaz said he would not let Pacquiao run with the WBC lightweight championship belt.

FYI - Behind Sports

Venus Williams Has 5th Title In Sights At Wimbledon

2008-06-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. 1, and the reigning Wimbledon singles champion. Williams has won 14 Grand Slam titles, including 6 in singles, 6 in women's doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles. She also has won Olympic gold medals in the singles and women's doubles events. She is the older sister of fellow former World No. 1 tennis player Serena Williams. The Williams sisters are noted for their power games.

WIMBLEDON, England – Is her fifth Wimbledon title might change her? Wimbledon 2000 was Venus Williams first Grand Slam title, coming off a brief clay court swing after four months out with wrist tendinitis, she beat top-ranked Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, her sister in the semis and defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the final.

She won the U.S. Open a few months later — replacing Serena as champion — and successfully defended both titles in 2001, giving her four wins in six majors.

Her two Grand Slam triumphs since then have been at Wimbledon, in 2005 — after a stretch of five losing finals to Serena from the '02 French Open to Wimbledon '03 when the Williams sisters were at the peak of their powers — and in '07.

She thinks it might even be more emotional than her first.

"I'm definitely not a crier. I'm the most happiest winner ever," she says, describing the big smile and pirouette that have followed her previous titles, "but maybe I would even cry."

She flashed a smile as she pondered that celebration for a while Sunday at a news conference for the defending champions on the eve of the tournament. Then she quickly snapped back into professional mode.

"But that's so long from now. Two weeks is a long time, especially if it rains. So my main focus is most certainly that first round."

The women's champion will get a Tuesday start on Centre Court against Naomi Cavaday, a British wild-card entry with a No. 199 ranking.

Younger sister Serena was getting the Court 1 program started Monday against Estonia's Kaia Kanepi at the same time as Roger Federer was to start his bid for a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title against Dominik Hrbaty on Centre Court, the traditional start to the tournament.

Ivanovic's fellow Serbian Jelena Jankovic, ranked No. 2, and No. 3 Maria Sharapova are on the bottom half of the draw with Venus Williams on a side that will be challenging to survive.

It's little wonder she likes coming back to the manicured lawn courts at the All England Club.

"I just think it's the ultimate place to play your best tennis," she says. "The most wonderful tournament to win would definitely be here.

"I've been blessed to do well a few times here, so that feels obviously very good. I just love it here. It's good for my game, too."

She would likely have to get past Jankovic in the quarterfinals and 2004 champion Sharapova in the semis to make another final and maybe that chance she'll allow herself to tear up a little.

"Of course I think about that," she said. "But I know that I'm going to have to work for it. I'm willing to pay that price. "

The Williams sisters have entered in the doubles at a major for the first time since 2003, hoping to add to their six Grand Slam doubles titles and maybe rehearse for the Beijing Olympics.

Being on opposite halves of the singles draw, they can't meet until the final. And that's a good thing, as far as Venus sees it.

"I have the most respect for Serena as a player on tour. Definitely I see her as a player who can produce any shot at any time from anywhere," she says. "So I would say that obviously it would be great to meet her in the finals, but we have to work at it."

Of the other, younger contenders — 20-year-old Ivanovic's name is mentioned — Venus, who turned 28 last week, is less forthcoming.

"I mean, obviously she's playing well. No particular observations," she said. "I really don't know much about the favorites or what have you going into this year. I've been really just head to the ground, just practicing and training.

"Ultimately the best player will win. I'm going to aim for that to be me."

FYI - Behind Sports

Who Is The Fastest To Get The 600 Homerun Club?

2008-06-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Cincinnati Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. is only the sixth to make the 600 Home Run Club, but he's not the fastest to get there, as he had to play 2,439 games to make the 600 milestone hit.

Who Is Ken Griffey Jr.

George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. (born November 21, 1969, in Donora, Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds. He is one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, currently #6 on the list of most career home runs, and is tied for the record of most consecutive games with a home run. His nicknames have been "The Natural", "The Kid", and "Junior". He is the son of former big league outfielder Ken Griffey, Sr. His swing has been described as "one of the most beautiful and effortless," as well as "perfect" and "majestic". He has also been described as a "beautiful man."

The fastest is Babe Ruth, who got it in just 2,004 games. Of course, the still unsurpassed homerun topnotcher is Hank Aaron, who made a total of 755.

Following are the stats of the 600 HR Club, arranged according to most number of hits, with the number of games played when they got HR No. 600 in parentheses:

• Hank Aaron: 755 (2,592)

• Barry Bonds: 762 (2,394)

• Babe Ruth: 755 (2,004)

• Willie Mays: 660 (2,557)

• Sammy Sosa: 609 (2,302)

• Ken Griffey Jr. 600 (2,439)

The statistics come from the official website of Major League Baseball.

FYI - Behind Sports

Boston Celtics 39 Point Margin Sets Record

2008-06-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

BOSTON – The Celtics' 39-point margin in Tuesday night's championship clinching win is the largest in a decisive NBA finals game.

In fact, Boston now has four of the six biggest margins in games that clinched titles. The Lakers have the other two in championships won while they were in Minneapolis. The previous biggest winning margin in such games was 33 points by Boston on April 25, 1965, when it beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-96.

On Tuesday night, the Celtics trounced the Lakers 131-92 to take the series 4-2.

Ray Allen set a record for most 3-pointers made in a finals series with 22. The previous mark of 17 was set by Dan Majerle with Phoenix in 1993 and matched by Derek Harper with New York in 1994. Allen's seven 3-pointers Tuesday night tied the finals record shared by Houston's Kenny Smith and Chicago's Scottie Pippen.

And Boston's 52 baskets from 3-point range erased the finals mark of 51 set by San Antonio in 2005.

The Celtics also put on a record-setting defensive performance Tuesday with 18 steals, eclipsing the single-game finals mark set by Golden State against Washington in 1975.

The Lakers put their own stamp on the record book, despite being crushed in the decisive game. League MVP Kobe Bryant's 16 steals in the series tied the mark held by some pretty special players — Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Dwyane Wade.

And Boston broke its own NBA record for most championships with 17. The Lakers are second with 14.

FYI - Behind Sports

Energetic And Powerful Manny Pacquiao To Face David Diaz

2008-06-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

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Expect a more energetic and powerful Manny Pacquiao to face David Diaz on June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines).

Pacquiao's decision to move up to the 135-pound lightweight division of the World Boxing Council (WBC) proved to be an boost to his diet, according to coach Freddie Roach.

"He's able to eat a little more so he's not starving himself as much, as was the case when we were looking to make 130 pounds," Roach said in an interview with fightfan.com. "And it's definitely translated to Manny having more energy and seems to be carrying more power on his shots."

But Roach is keeping close tabs on Pacquiao's weight.

I don't want to see him any heavier on fight night than ten pounds over the limit," Roach said. "I'll just be monitoring what he eats a little more closely. We've talked about it and we'll be drinking fluids and keeping a close eye on it."

Currently Pacquiao weighs 142 pounds and Roach expects that when the Filipino reaches his fighting weight, he will pick his speed.

"His speed is slightly off at the moment, but he's weighing 142 pounds as of today and as we get down to fight weight I expect he'll be right on point," Roach said. "When he gets right down to fighting weight his speed always picks up."

Roach also added that he would monitor Pacquiao's weight after the weigh-in so the Filipino would be in the best shape possible in the ring.

Pacquiao has also been training with southpaws to ensure that the current pound-for-pound champion can adjust to the style of Diaz who is also a southpaw.

Roach added that Pacquiao is sparring for 12 rounds which would be decreased as the fight nears.

FYI - Behind Sports

Derrick Rose As Number One Pick Not Michael Beasley

2008-06-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

In 2007, one question dominated the months before the NBA draft: Who is the No. 1 player in the draft?

Greg Oden, a once-in-a-decade center prospect?

Or Kevin Durant, who had been arguably the most productive freshman in the history of college basketball?

After more than a month of deliberation, the Portland Trail Blazers decided to take Oden with the top pick.

This year, again, the focus is on two players.

The consensus two months ago was that Kansas State forward Michael Beasley was, far and away, the likely choice for the No. 1 pick. Beasley had a freshman season that, in almost every way, was even more impressive than Durant's. He ended the season as the country's leading rebounder and one of its top scorers -- impressive feats for an 18-year-old freshman playing in an elite conference such as the Big 12.

Beasley, a 6-foot-10 power forward, has the physical tools and basketball skills to be a great NBA player. He's a prolific scorer both inside and outside, with elite athleticism, great range on his jump shot, the power to bang in the paint, the speed to run the break and the nastiness to mix it up down low -- with the cockiness to think that he can deliver a victory for his team every night.

But a late charge by Memphis point guard Derrick Rose has dramatically changed the game. Rose, not Beasley, was a dominant force in the NCAA tournament, putting on a performance that would've garnered him MOP honors for the tournament had Memphis not blown a late second-half lead in the championship game versus Kansas.

Rose is considered a cross between Chris Paul and Deron Williams, with excellent size, athleticism and leadership abilities. The lack of a consistent jump shot is the only real mark against him.

In the last 20 years, only one player shorter than 6-6 -- Allen Iverson -- has ever gone No. 1. When in doubt, NBA GMs almost always opt for a big man. However, as we watch point guards such as Paul, Williams and Tony Parker dominate in the playoffs, the thinking is beginning to change. It's no longer considered a given that a big man is the key to winning in the NBA.

Over the past few months, I've talked to scouts and/or executives from almost every team in the draft lottery in an effort to determine what each would do with the No. 1 pick. Some were open, while some refused to answer.

With character questions still swirling around Beasley, and Rose gaining stock in the eyes of NBA front-office decision-makers, Beasley is no longer the favorite to be the No. 1 pick -- and he has dropped to No. 2 on our Top 100.

With about a week to go before the NBA draft lottery, Rose has emerged as the most likely candidate for the No. 1 pick.

The race remains close: We're projecting seven lottery teams opting for Rose and seven for Beasley. But if you break down the likelihood of each team's landing the No. 1 pick, it's a landslide for Rose. According to our latest intel, Rose has a 66.3 percent chance of becoming the No. 1

FYI - Behind Sports

NBA Draft - New Big Men To Become The Best Pros?

2008-06-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

Michael Beasley has Chris Webber's skills and Gilbert Arenas' personality. Does that make you psyched or scared?

The numbers support the case of Kansas State's Michael Beasley being the best big-man prospect.

What's not to love? The sweet lefty stroke that pulls the D away from the basket? The handle borrowed from a shifty guard? Those coast-to-coast forays that start with a space-clearing rebound and end with an emphatic slam?

Man, that Derrick Coleman was a beast. When the Nets made him the top pick in 1990, they were giddy with visions of his becoming the best power forward ever. These days, though, he's a warning beacon of untapped potential—one that is especially relevant to the upcoming draft.

Eighteen years later, Michael Beasley is offering Coleman's same dizzying blend of grace, power and skill. On the night of the draft lottery, ESPN flashed a Beasley/Coleman split screen with both players sporting the same shooting form. As soon as Beasley banked one of the most spectacular freshman seasons in NCAA history (26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg), the expectations matched too. "Twenty and 10 from day one," predicts a West GM.

But there are those who think Beasley may have a little too much in common with Coleman. Like his predecessor, B-Easy has been dogged by questions about his drive and devotion. "At times he gives the impression of having a little more than he's giving," says another GM. Still, if Coleman's career never matched the hype, neither the Bulls, the Heat nor anyone else who winds up in the top two (Beaze won't slip past the second pick) is likely to be swayed by precedent.

Talent is only one of the factors that determine whether a player will flame out, reserve a place in Springfield or fall somewhere in between. Grit. Determination. Refusing to accept failure. They sound like trite buzzwords and phrases, but they're exactly what separates franchise saviors from the rest of the pack. In the NBA, you are what you do—and do again. "You don't have to worry about that," Beasley says. "There is nobody who's going to play harder. I don't want to be the next anybody. I want to be the best there ever was, plain and simple. No disrespect to MJ."

Beasley has backed up those words with intense predraft prep. From two-a-day on-court drills to strenuous upper-body conditioning and repetitive hand-eye work, he's sweating to squash the skepticism, even as he is annoyed he has to. "So how did I get this good?" he asks the naysayers. Just as he can look as if he is going half speed even as he dominates at both ends of the floor, it's equally tough to get a read on his off-court persona. For one thing, you never know if he's pulling your leg. Beasley is as accomplished a goofball as he is a baller. At Kansas State, postpractice high jinks were the norm: impromptu dodgeball games, mock interviews, dunking contests on lowered rims. A YouTube clip that follows his ongoing fascination with an iPod that keeps showing up at his press conferences has drawn more than 30,000 hits. "I'm not a serious person, I like to have fun," he says. "But I know when to turn it off."

Does he? Two years ago, at Oak Hill Academy, he and a teammate had a bet about who could write his name in more places on campus. The prank ended when Beasley signed the principal's truck. All he got was a lecture, but the rest of us got a glimpse of a guy who may not know quite where to draw the line.

"People forget he's a 19-year-old kid," says former K-State teammate Clent Stewart. Still, Stewart says that Beasley never had a problem getting on a guy for not going hard, and that the public doesn't know about all those times the big guy dived for loose balls in practice or cried after tough losses. And Beasley's mother, Fatima Smith, says, "It's not like he's going to be pulling people's shorts down in the middle of a game." Fair enough, but a lot less will be too much in a locker room full of grown men.

Coleman says Beasley can work out as much as he wants, but none of it will matter if he doesn't spend as much time managing his image. First impressions last. DC clashed with Nets coach Bill Fitch from the start, and it earned him a rep he never shook. He thinks Beasley needs someone to make him aware of consequences. "It's the one thing I didn't have," Coleman says.

Beasley has Bruce Shingler, a 26-year-old former K-State administrative assistant who has been hired to ease the star's transition. "I'm not his babysitter," says Shingler, even though he will move wherever his charge lands. "My goal is to get him to understand that professionalism counts."

He chugs a blue sports drink and removes a soaked T-shirt, revealing his newest tattoo. It reads: MARRIED TO THE GAME.

What's not to love?

FYI - Behind Sports

Will Home Court Crowd Favors Manny Pacquiao?

2008-06-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO, Illinois – Boxing writers have started wondering if home court crowd would be an advantage for Manny Pacquiao over David Diaz. Manny Pacquiao has won so many fights before so many Filipinos in Las Vegas.

"I am now very comfortable fighting in Las Vegas. I like the place," Pacquiao said. "I just don’t know if the place is factor against David Diaz."

The question was posed by Roman Modrowski of the Chicago Sun Times during a teleconference call with boxing writers last Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

A day before, Raoul Faez asked Manny Pacquiao if he would be ready for the "humongous Filipino crowd" at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Faez noted that the place on fight night, June 28 (June 28 in the Philippines), would once again become "Manila Bay."

Diaz gamely conceded that Manny might have the majority of about 18,000 spectators at fight time behind him against his 100 supporters coming from Chicago.

But he's ready to face Pacquiao, invoking a popular Spanish expression, "Pocos pero locos." That means, "We may few but we're mad."

Filipino-American fans from Los Angeles and San Francisco in California, which is home to the largest Fil-Ame population in the US, usually drive to Las Vegas in record numbers to watch their boxing Filipino idol fight.

Aside from having "a home court advantage" in Las Vegas, Pacquiao also feels at ease in moving up to the 135-pound lightweight division.

"Although it is not easy to move up the division, so far, I am comfortable in the 135-pound division," he said. "I feel stronger. What I need in my training is to maintain speed."

The 29-year-old Filipino boxing sensation said he now enjoys eating, loading up on rice and vegetables for his 135-pound weight.

Asked how he assumes a split personality – by being soft-spoken outside the ring and by having a nasty demeanor inside – Pacquiao said: "In the ring, I am like a warrior and I fight as if there is no tomorrow. Outside the ring, I'm a friendly man. A good guy."

After two months of training in Los Angeles, Pacquiao is now ready to fight.

Has the deep cut in the eyebrow that he got in his last bout with Juan Manuel Marquez already healed?

"It already healed a month ago," Pacquiao said.

So what does he expect when he faces a fellow southpaw?

"Because my style and his style are similar, this coming fight should be a good fight," he said.

Diaz is staking his WBC lightweight championship belt on the line.

FYI - Behind Sports

David Diaz - I am ready to go Against Manny Pacquiao

2008-06-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO, Illinois - An emotional David Diaz told fans and journalists on Thursday (Friday in the Philippines) at his one and only public workout at the JABB Boxing Gym in this city's northwest side. "I am ready to go." David Diaz said.

David Diaz had to extend the short public workout because autograph seekers refused to leave until he had signed everyone's posters.

The workout capped two months of non-stop promotional appearances in key US cities by the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champ.

The 32-year-old Chicago native will leave this weekend for California in what will be the final week leading to his dream fight with Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, who will attempt to take Diaz’s WBC Lightweight championship belt away from him, next Saturday, June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines) at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao (46-3-2, 34 KO’s), the WBC super featherweight champ, has had to move up the 135-pound division to challenge Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KO’s).

Diaz pledged to frustrate Pacquiao’s quest for his fourth title in four different divisions, during a press conference on Wednesday (Tuesday in the Philippines).

"I‘m going to retain my title," Diaz said.

After Thursday's autograph-signing, manager Jim Strickland and co-trainer Mike Garcia started in earnest David’s workout in the gym. No more picture-taking was allowed.

Bernie Bahrmasel, Diaz’s publicity agent, had to beg photographers from further taking footages, saying the more than one-hour public workout should be more than enough.

Diaz said he psyched himself up by "thinking positive and looking forward that we’re going to come out with a victory and that we’re going to be faster and stronger than our opponent. And our mentality is always the same – going forward and never giving up."

For Diaz fighting Pacquiao would be like living a dream.

"one of the most dangerous guys in boxing, if not the number one, pound-for-pound fighter, and it’s great," Diaz said. "I want this challenge, so it’s coming out to be pretty good."

Because he wanted this fight to go the distance, Diaz said he wanted to be in great condition.

Trainer Jim Strickland believes Diaz can "outwork" Pacquiao, though the Filipino champ is aggressive and in top condition.

At noon on Monday, June 23 (June 24 in the Philippines), Diaz will join Pacquiao at a press conference in Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California, according to Top Rank and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

He said that would kick off "what should be an extremely, extremely exciting week, leading up to the fight."

On Wednesday, June 25 (June 26 in the Philippines), the two boxers will hold the last press conference in Las Vegas.

FYI - Behind Sports

Khan Wants Filipino WBC Featherweight Champion Manny Pacquiao

2008-06-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

Amir Khan wants to fight the winner of next week's world title clash between Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz if he disposes of Michael Gomez on Saturday.

Khan, 21, defends his Commonwealth lightweight title in Birmingham on Saturday against Gomez, a former British super-featherweight champion.

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters, is challenging for David Diaz's WBC belt.

"Diaz and Pacquiao are great fighters, but I could beat them both," said Khan.

"I'm fighting in front of a 10,000 sell-out on Saturday night so I think I'm one of the main men in the division.

"I've got a high rating with the WBO no.2 and WBC no.4 and I feel I'm ready for a world title shot", Amir Khan said.

"And by the end of the year I'm not just going to be one of the main men, I'm going to be number one, everybody's going to be after me.

Manny Pacquiao, who has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Ricky Hatton, is a legend in his home country and has wins over Mexican greats Marco Antonio Barrera [twice], Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez on his record.

Nate Campbell, holder of the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, is also a target for Khan and promoter Frank Warren has already held talks with the American.

"I'd love to fight Campbell," said Khan, who is undefeated in 17 fights as a professional.

"But I can't get too far ahead of myself and I have to do a job on Gomez first on Saturday night."

Saturday's fight promises to be an explosive affair, and Khan's temporary trainer Dean Powell has warned his man not to get involved in a brawl with Gomez, who has predicted a "tear-up".

Powell said: "Gomez is going to bring a special kind of intensity to the fight. We all know how Michael Gomez likes to fight and we are fully prepared for what he's going to bring.

"Amir certainly doesn't need to get involved in World War Three with Gomez. But Gomez is going to have a big shock if he thinks he can shove Amir around the way he shoved Alex Arthur around."

The fight will be Khan's first working with Powell following the former Olympic silver medalist's split with Oliver Harrison last month.

It is also his last on terrestrial channel ITV and his current contract with Warren also comes to an end after Saturday night.

FYI - Behind Sports

Lethal Combination David Diaz versus Manny Pacquiao

2008-06-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

David Diaz
WBC Lightweight Champion
W 34 (17 ko's) | L 1 | D 1 | Total 36
Sex: Male
Nationality: United States
Alias: ---
Birth Name: David Diaz
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Birthplace: Chicago, IL, USA
Rated at: Lightweight
World Rank: 7 / 1280
Date of Birth: 1976-06-07
Age: 31
Reach: 69"
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5'6"

Manny Pacquiao
WBC Featherweight Champion
W 46 (35 ko's) | L 3 | D 2 | Total :51
Sex: Male
Nationality: Filipino
Alias: PacMan
Birth Name: Emmanuel D. Pacquiao
Hometown: General Santos City, Philippines
Birthplace: Bukidnon, Philippines
Rated at: Super Featherweight
World Rank: 1 / 1032
Date of Birth: 1978-12-17
Age: 29
Reach: 67"
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5'6"½

About David Diaz

It's been a year since David Diaz defended his World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title – beating Mexican Erik Morales via unanimous decision on August 4. In contrast, his challenger Manny Pacquiao has the momentum of a very recent victory, in which he snatched the WBC super featherweight title from Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.

Can Diaz stop Pacquiao? Or will he be just another rung in the weight ladder for Pacquiao to step on?

Fittingly, Diaz would test Pacquiao's mettle in the same arena where they earned their victories on the very same day – the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where last March 15 (March 16 in the Philippines) Pacquiao beat Marquez, and where Diaz, in a 10-round nontitle undercard, beat Ramon Montano.

On June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines), Diaz will bank on the strengths listed in his official website www.diazboxing.com: "Diaz is a lefthander with an aggressive style and good skills. At his best, he keeps a busy pace, pressures his opponents and wears them down. David is tough and durable, possessing above average physical strength. He is always in good condition and has good stamina."

Diaz is also a natural lightweight, which may be a slight advantage over Pacquiao, who's fighting at 135 lbs. for the very first time.

The only thing more certain is that it's going to be a thrilling bout, as both fighters have a never-quit attitude, which they had shown against a common opponent that they had – Mexican Erik Morales.

About Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacman Pacquiao, born in Bukidnon but raised in General Santos City, was named 2006 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Manny Pacquiao has come a long way since starting his professional boxing career in 1995 at 106 pounds at the age of 16. His early fights usually took place in small venues and were shown on Vintage Sports' Blow by Blow evening boxing show.

His first professional fight was a four-round bout against Edmund Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Manny Pacquiao won via decision, thus becoming an instant star of the program.

In just a few years, Manny Pacquiao went on to become a three-division champ – featherweight, bantamweight, and flyweight. Hes rated no. 1 by the WBC, no. 3 by the IBF, and no. 1 by the WBO.

In Mexico, Manny Pacquiao is known as "Republica Enemy No.1" and "verdugo de mexicanos" because he has beaten up some of the best Mexican fighters since 2003 - Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar Larios, Emanuel Lucero, and Hector Velazquez.

After beating Barrera in 2003, he managed to get a drawn match against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004. Many Pacman Pacquiao fans considered the decision questionable because Manny Pacquiao sent Marquez to the canvas three times in the first round.

He got the same honor from The Ring magazine for his two spectacular knockout victories of Mexican icon and three-division champion Erik Morales and his round unanimous 12-round decision over former world champion and current No. 1 contender Oscar Larios.

Manny Pacquiao has fought six other boxers since he last faced Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004, losing only one, against Erik Morales in March 2005. But he had his revenge in January 2006,defeating El Terrible twice in their trilogy of matches.

Just last October 2007, he got another milestone victory in his career, beating challenger Marco Antonio Barrera, whom Marquez had earlier stripped of the World Boxing Council super featherweight title.

Now will Manny Pacquiao be able to snatch the belt from Marquez?

Many of his fans feel that he could. After all, when Manny Pacquiao last faced Marquez, in 2004, he managed to send the Mexican three times down the canvas – and all in the very first round. Never mind that the judges made a controversial decision to declare the match a draw.

In recent interviews, Manny Pacquiao himself repeatedly affirmed his confidence in his sharper skills, especially now that he has been under the most intensive training in his entire career.

But as always, he was careful not to be overconfident, saying: "Mahirap ng magsalita ng tapos."

It was lesson that Manny Pacquiao learned recently, not in the boxing ring but in the political arena, in the 2007 national elections.

Manny Pacquiao slows but punch harder

2008-06-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

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Manny Pacquiao gained some pounds but packs a more powerful punch now to challenge lightweight champ David Diaz. But for the same reason, his lost some speed. This is the assessment made by Manny Pacquiao (World Boxing Council super featherweight champ) mentor Freddie Roach.

"I think it's probably a lot better at this weight, but the speed is a little bit... a slight difference in that," Roach said. "But when he gets to fighting weight of 135, I think his speed will come back."

Last Saturday, Pacquiao weighed in at 142 lbs., or 7 lbs. over the lightweight limit. The Filipino champ, who did 10 sparring rounds on Wednesday (Tuesday in Los Angeles, where he's training), hopes to shed and be in top shape in a few days.

Pacquiao will fight the Mexican-American Diaz, who lives in Chicago, on June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines) at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

It will be the first time that Pacquiao will tangle with a leftie like him, which is why he's slightly altered his training.

Boston Celtics Win 17th NBA Championship

2008-06-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Celtics dominant in every way. After 22 long years, the NBA has gone green. And now it is time for a Green Parade.

Lifted by ear-splitting chants of "Beat L.A." early and cries of "Seven-teen" in the closing seconds by their adoring crowd, the Celtics concluded a shocking rebound of a season with a stunning 131-92 blowout over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 on Tuesday night.

On a new parquet floor below aging championship banners hung in the rafters two decades back, the Celtics won their 17th NBA title and a first one -- at last -- for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen -- their Big Three for a new generation.

"It means so much more because these are the guys, the Havliceks, the Bill Russells, the Cousys," Pierce said. "These guys started what's going on with those banners. They don't hang up any other banners but championship ones.

"And now I'm a part of it."

With the outcome assured, Boston fans sang into the night as if they were in a pub on nearby Canal Street. They serenaded the newest champs in this city of champs, and taunted Kobe Bryant and his Lakers, who drowned in a green-and-white wave for 48 minutes.

Garnett scored 26 points with 14 rebounds, Allen scored 26 and Pierce, the Finals MVP who shook off a sprained right knee sustained in Game 1, added 17 as the Celtics, a 24-win team a year ago, wrapped up their first title since 1986.

Rajon Rondo had 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals as the Celtics, who built a 23-point halftime lead and obliterated the Lakers, who were trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.

They didn't stand a chance.

Boston's 39-point win surpassed the NBA record for the biggest margin of victory in a championship clincher; the Celtics beat the Lakers 129-96 in Game 5 of the 1965 NBA Finals.

In the final minute, Pierce doused Celtics coach Doc Rivers with red Gatorade. Owner Wyc Grousbeck, who named his group Banner 17 to leave no doubt about his goal, put an unlit cigar in his mouth -- a tribute to Auerbach, the patriarch who had a hand in the franchise's first 16 titles.

Garnett dropped to the parquet and kissed the leprechaun at center court and then found Russell, the Hall of Famer who taught him the Celtic way, for a long embrace.

"I got my own. I got my own," Garnett said. "I hope we made you proud."

"You sure did," Russell said.

Rivers pulled Pierce, Garnett and Allen with 4:01 left and they shared a group hug with their coach, who was nearly run out of town last season. Rivers lost his father at the beginning of this remarkable run, a season no one expected.

By the time Rivers was handed the Larry O'Brien Trophy, it was June 18 -- his late father's birthday.

When the game clock reached zeros, Rivers reflected on his dad.

"My first thought was what would my dad say," Rivers said, "and honestly I started laughing because I thought he would probably say, if you knew my dad, 'It's about time. What have you been waiting for?'"

It's was Boston's first title since the passing of Auerbach, whose presence was the only thing missing on this night. Even Auerbach, who died in 2006, got some satisfaction. Led by Rivers, Auerbach's beloved team denied Lakers coach Phil Jackson from overtaking him with a 10th championship.

The Boston-Los Angeles rivalry, nothing more than black-and-white footage from the 60s and TV highlights of players wearing short shorts in the 80s to young hoops fans, remains tilted toward the Atlantic Ocean. The Celtics are 9-2 against the Lakers in the Finals.

Boston missed its first crack at closing out the series in Game 5, but the Celtics didn't miss on their second swing, running the Lakers out of the gym.

Bryant, the regular season MVP, finished with 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting.

He started 4-of-5 from the field and seemed intent on forcing a Game 7. But he missed seven shots in a row and everywhere he went, L.A.'s No. 24 ran smack into a wall of Boston defense as high as the Green Monster.

"They were definitely the best defense I've seen the entire playoffs," Bryant said. "I've seen some pretty stiff ones and this was right up there with them. The goal was to win a championship, it wasn't to win MVP or anything like that, it was to win a championship."

Garnett and Allen were All-Stars in other cities, stuck in Minnesota and Seattle, respectively, on teams going nowhere. But brought together in trades last summer by Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, a member of the '86 Celtics champions, they joined Pierce and formed an unbreakable bond, a trio as tight as the club's lucky shamrock logo.

They resisted being called The Big Three, a nickname given to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish two decades ago.

"This is the reason we came here," Garnett said. "This is the reason we got together, and Danny made it go down. This is it right now."

With Garnett scoring 17 points and Pierce adding 10, Boston built a 58-35 halftime lead, and unlike Game 2 when they let the Lakers trim a 24-point lead to two in the fourth quarter before recovering, the Celtics never stopped.

They pushed their lead to 31 in the third, and with Boston still up by 29 after three, plastic sheets started going up in the Celtics' locker room in preparation for a champagne celebration.

No team had to work harder for a championship than these Celtics, who were playing in their record 26th postseason game after being pushed to seven games by Atlanta and Cleveland before taking care of Detroit in six to win the Eastern Conference title.

They entered Game 6 slowed by injuries as Pierce, Kendrick Perkins (shoulder) and Rondo (ankle) were less than 100 percent. There was also uncertainty surrounding Allen, who stayed behind in Los Angeles following Game 5 after his youngest son became ill and was diagnosed with diabetes. The Celtics needed three planes to get back from L.A. and didn't get home until late Monday night.

But there were no excuses, and just as they had while winning 66 games during the regular season, the Celtics got plenty of help from their bench as P.J. Brown, James Posey, Leon Powe and rookie Glen "Big Baby" Davis came in and contributed.

It was a group effort by this gang in green, which bonded behind Rivers, who borrowed an African word ubuntu (pronounced Ooh-BOON-too) and roughly means "I am, because we are" in English, as the Celtics' unifying team motto.

The Celtics gave the Lakers a 12-minute crash course of ubuntu in the second quarter.

Boston outscored Los Angeles 34-19, getting 11 field goals on 11 assists. The Celtics toyed with the Lakers, outworking the Western Conference's best inside and out and showing the same kind of heart that made Boston the center of pro basketball's universe in the '60s.

House and Posey made 3-pointers to put the Celtics ahead by 12 points and baskets by Pierce, Garnett and Rondo put Boston ahead by 18.

In the final minute, Garnett floated in the lane, banked in a one-handed runner and was fouled. His free throw made it 56-35, and after Perkins scored, the Celtics ran to the locker room leading by 23.

On his way off the floor, Garnett screamed, "That's that."

And so it was.

Lakers Win Over Celtics In Game 5

2008-06-16T01:45:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, June 15 (AP) --No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals to win a title. The first 28 failed, and now the Lakers, who blew a 24-point lead and lost Game 4 and nearly squandered a 19-point lead in Game 5, have a chance to do something extraordinary.

Pau Gasol was soft. The lanky Lakers center spent the better part of the first four games of the series sandwiched between a Celtic and the rim. And it wasn't just Kevin Garnett doing it; James Posey, P.J. Brown and Ray Allen each took turns muscling Gasol.

Lamar Odom was soft. Perhaps trying to get a jump start on his reincarnation as a small forward next season, Odom played the first four games of the series like he was allergic to contact.

Vladimir Radmanovic. Soft. Sasha Vujacic. Soft. Luke Walton. Soft.

So what happened in Game 5?

Bryant scored 25 points - including a decisive dunk in the final minute - and Odom added 20 as the Lakers, playing with pride on their star-studded stage, prevented the Boston Celtics from winning a 17th title with a 103-98 win in Game 5 on Sunday night to close to 3-2 in this restored rivalry.

If you're just looking at box scores, Perkins is easy to miss: The Celtics starting center is averaging just 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in the postseason. But the contributions of Perkins, who missed Sunday night's Game 5 with a shoulder injury, go beyond the numbers. He is the yin to Garnett's yang in the Boston frontcourt, a burly presence willing to mix it up with the most physical opposing big man, leaving Garnett to roam free on defense (if Garnett had given an Academy Award-style speech after winning Defensive Player of the Year, Perkins would have been the first person he would have thanked) and conserve valuable energy for the offensive end. That's the dynamic in great frontcourts: Jermaine O'Neal had Brad Miller. Garnett has Perkins.

With Perkins sidelined, the Lakers suddenly morphed into a physical team. Gasol (19 points, 13 rebounds) looked rugged. Odom (20, 11) had an edge to him. The Lakers won the rebounding battle (40-37) for just the second time this series, while keeping the likes of Garnett and Paul Pierce busy on the defensive glass. It didn't help that Perkins replacements, Leon Powe (zero points, two rebounds) and P.J. Brown (four points, three rebounds), were non-factors.

"That's the reason guys start," said Garnett. "Perk is a physical guy. He plays the post better than anyone in this league."

"I guess they did miss him," acknowledged Gasol. "He's a bigger presence than their other guys. They were forced to go into a smaller lineup, which sometimes is good and it could be helpful to their team; but having a bigger body out there is a positive thing. And Perkins has been playing well for them all playoff long."

Perkins' playoff run, however, may be over. Perkins dislocated the same shoulder in 2006, an injury that eventually required surgery. Prior to Game 5, Celtics coach Doc Rivers called Perkins "doubtful" for Game 6, an indication that his season may be over. If it is, the Celtics will look to Powe, Brown and rookie Glen Davis. As backups, that's a tough troika. As starters? A little iffy. Either way, with Perkins on the shelf Boston will now have to find some way --wait for it -- to match the Lakers' physical play.

"We have to have more physicality to us," said Rivers. "I thought [the Lakers] started out the game more physical. They posted when they wanted to post. They caught the ball in the spots they wanted to catch the ball on. I thought they forced us off our spots offensively. We told them before the game, this was going to be a game of who could invade the other person's space, and I thought they invaded our space."

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2008-06-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

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2008-06-14T23:21:00.000-07:00