Sports Sector

A Thank You From the Editor

2008-07-20T17:01:00.003-04:00

As all of you know by now, Sports Sector will be combining with Sports Full Circle at 9 PM EST tonight. The URL will be http://www.sportsfullcircle.com/. Do not think of this as the site coming to an end. We are simply growing, moving to a much more professional and efficient standard. All our writers are coming along, so nothing will be missed. It may take some time to improve some features, but do not be discouraged. All breaking news as well as in-depth articles will be featured.

I can always be contacted at nyy27in08@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

I want to thank all of you who have supported the blog for the past 2 months, as it has evolved from a personal step for me to a highly successful sports site. Please continue to visit http://www.sportsfullcircle.com/, as nothing else will be posted on this site.

Thank you once again from myself and all of the people here, and remember, whenever there is news, we will be there.

Sincerely,

Jon

Four 4 the Roughriders!

2008-07-20T01:12:00.003-04:00

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are proving that they are once again worthy of winning the Grey Cup. This time, they had to get past the Montreal Alouettes to stay unbeaten.

Trailing by two points with over two minutes left in regulation at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, an interception by Lance Frazier led to a Darian Durant 1-yard touchdown run that put the Roughriders out in front for good. Saskatchewan would win the game by a score of 41 to 33.

Despite throwing two interceptions in the game, Durant completed 23 of 34 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns to give Saskatchewan their first 4-0 start since 1970.

Evans Retains Yellow Jersey going into Alps

2008-07-19T23:08:00.004-04:00

Heading into the Alps, Australia's Cadel Evans will still be wearing the yellow jersey for the fifth day in a row. He currently holds a 1-second lead over Frank Schleck of Luxembourg while American rider Christian Vandevelde trails Evans by 38 seconds. However, the Alps will likely alter the leader board.

Spanish rider Oscar Freire won stage 14 with a time of 4:13:08. The 32-year-old Rabobank rider needed a last-second sprint to get his first stage victory of the year and fourth career stage victory.

Wie Can't Believe It!

2008-07-19T17:16:00.004-04:00

18-year old golfer Michelle Wie finished the third round of the State Farm Classic in second place. However, that previous sentence is false. In fact, she had already been disqualified before the third round even began! How did this happen?

After the second round on Friday, Wie never signed her scorecard. Wie, also attending Stanford University, was having the best tournament of her year. She had a first round score of 67, a second round score of 65, and a third round score of 67. While impressive, the last two scores will NOT count.

"I don't know how it happened," she said after finishing the third round, when she found out she violated USGA Rule 6-6: "After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that the marker or markers have signed the score card, sign the score card himself and return it to the Committee as soon as possible."

The LPGA discovered this violation while Wie was playing in the third round, but could not take further action "until she had completed 18 holes and been given the opportunity to recount the events of Friday's second round."

Lions Down Bombers to Honor Bob Ackles

2008-07-19T01:39:00.005-04:00

Just 13 days ago, BC Lions executive Bob Ackles died of a heart attack. On Friday, The Lions, playing their first game in Vancouver since the death of Ackles, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 27 to 18, keeping Winnipeg winless this season. After the game, the Lions would pay tribute to the 69-year-old Ackles.

It wasn't an easy road for the Lions to win, however. The Lions were down 18 to 11 entering the 4th quarter and needed 16 points in the final period to win this game for Ackles, which included a 48-yard touchdown pass from Jarious Jackson to Geroy Simon, the only touchdown scored by the Lions offense. This win puts BC back at .500 for the season.

Korey Banks returned an interception for touchdown while Lions kicker Paul McCallum kicked four field goals, one single, and two converts.

Four for Cavendish. Any more?

2008-07-19T00:09:00.004-04:00

Mark Cavendish won Stage 13 of the Tour De France on Friday, which gives him four stage victories in this year alone. Cavendish also won Stage 12 the day before. The Team Columbia rider beat out Australian rider Robbie McEwen by two bike lengths, while French rider Romain Feillu finished in third place.

After the 113-mile-race from Narbonne to Nimes, Cavendish said, "The first stage win was my favorite; today's was the hardest. Every win's a win."

Cadel Evans will keep the yellow jersey for another stage of the Tour De France.

Overall results after Stage 13:

1. Cadel Evans (54:48:47)
2. Frank Schleck (1 second behind Evans)
3. Christian Vandevelde (38 seconds behind Evans)
4. Bernhard Kohl (46 seconds behind Evans)
5. Denis Menchov (57 seconds behind Evans)

Report: Philadelphia Agrees To Extension With Lupul

2008-07-18T23:12:00.004-04:00

Sources indicate the Flyers have agreed to a 4-year contract extension with forward Joffrey Lupul. Financial Terms are still unknown.

Lupul had 46 points in 56 games with the Flyers last season with an additional 10 points in 17 playoff games.

Lupul was known as the main piece of a trade between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks which saw the Oilers sending superstar defenceman, Chris Pronger, to Anaheim while Edmonton received Lupul, Ladislav Smid and a 1st round pick. The Ducks would go on to win the Stanley Cup, the Oilers would miss the playoffs.

Lupul would be dealt again the following off-season to Philadelphia along with teammate Jason Smith, who has signed with the Ottawa Senators, for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson. Edmonton would then trade Pitkanen this off-season to Carolina for Erik Cole.

Sports Sector Is Merging!

2008-07-18T18:07:00.002-04:00

Due to the high success of Sports Sector, I decided to take the site mainstream. However, it would have become a complete hastle. Sports Full Circle, our partner site, has offered a merger deal however, and it will revolutionize your internet sports experience. I will become a head administrator at the site, and all of your favorite Sports Sector writers will be making the jump as well. It is a completely different layout, providing multiple breaking news and article stories all at once!

The new URL will be http://www.sportsfullcircle.com/. I have posted a countdown clock on the side to let you know when the merger will occur!

Thank you for your understanding, any questions email me at nyy27in08@yahoo.com.

-Jon

Miller Time Extended In Buffalo

2008-07-18T13:37:00.004-04:00

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed their starting goalie, Ryan Miller to a 5-year $31.25 million($6.5 million per season) contract extension. Miller was going into the final year of his current contract which would have made him a unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of the following season. This extension puts to rest any rumour of Miller going to play for the team in his home state, the Detroit Red Wings.

The native of East Lansing, Michigan was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres and has played his first five season in Buffalo so far. The 28-year old played 76 games last season with a 36-27-10 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.

Hamilton, We Have a Problem

2008-07-18T12:58:00.005-04:00

Without star running back Jesse Lumsden, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were blown out by the Stampeders on Thursday in Calgary. Propelled by five combined touchdowns from Joffrey Reynolds and Nik Lewis, the Stampeders blew past the Tiger-Cats 43 to 16. In addition, Sandro DeAngelis kicked two field goals from 20 and 44 yards out to tie Cyril McFall for fourth all-time in career field goals.

Joffrey Reynolds' first three touchdown game allowed him to become the sixth Stampeder to rush for over 5,000 career yards while Nik Lewis's two touchdown catches, both of 16 yards, put him in eighth all-time in receptions and receiving yards in franchise history.

Stampeders QB Henry Burris completed 26 of 33 passes for 345 yards and had one interception.

Western All-Stars Shine Bright in Mile-High City

2008-07-18T00:38:00.005-04:00

On Thursday, the Denver Outlaws hosted the 2008 MLL All-Star Game. In this game, the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference by a score of 31 to 15, which included twelve points in the third quarter alone. Ryan Powell, with six goals in the game, won Bud Light MVP honors.

After scoring the first six points of the night, the West never looked back as they shattered the record for most points scored by a team in an All-Star Game.

Also noteworthy was the skills competition during halftime. Jake Byrne won the inaugural 2-point competition in an overtime round. Anthony Kelly won the fastest shot competition with a shot of 109 MPH. Chazz Woodson won the freestyle competition with a stunt that involved jumping over two little kids and unleashing a behind-the-back shot in midair.

Richie Sexson To The Yankees

2008-07-17T22:18:00.002-04:00

The New York Yankees have reached a tentative agreement with Richie Sexson, who had recently been realsed by the Seattle Mariners due to Sexson not preforming well and not behaving well to having his playing time cut. The New York Yankees will pay a small sum of $390,000 to Sexson. He is projected to be in Saturday's game lineup. He fits greatly in the Yankees lineup due to the Yankees not having a right handed slugger to match up against left-handed pitching

Breaking News: Blanton to the Phillies

2008-07-17T18:40:00.001-04:00

The Oakland Athletics have traded P Joe Blanton to the Phillies. This is the second starting pitcher traded thus far for the A's. More to come later.

Notable Dates In Release Of 2008-09 NHL Schedule

2008-07-17T14:56:00.004-04:00

Today the regular season schedule was released by the NHL. The regular season will run from October 4th, 2008 to April 12, 2009. The following are notable dates:

October 4th and 5th: Opening days of the season for the NHL and once again they decide to open in Europe. This time there will be two, two-game sets played in Europe simultaneously. In Stockholm, Sweeden, the Pittsburgh Penguins will play the Ottawa Senators. In Prague, Czech Republic, the Tampa Bay Lightning will play the New York Rangers.

October 9th: Detroit raises 11th Stanley Cup banner before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

November 8th: Hall of Fame game; Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

November 11th: Stanley Cup rematch between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings

January 1st: The NHL Winter Classic takes place at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The game involves the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings.

January 24th and 25th: The All-Star festivities take place in Montreal this year to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens franchise.

April 12th: Final day of regular season

April 15th: Beginning of playoffs

June 25th and 26th: NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, Quebec

Ricco Fail, Ricco Out

2008-07-17T11:20:00.003-04:00

It had been a magical run for the Italian rider, but now it's over. Riccardo Ricco has been kicked out of the Tour De France for testing positive for the performance enhancer EPO. He was the third rider to get kicked out for failing a drug test; the other two riders were Spaniard by the names of Manuel Beltran and Moises Duenas Nevado.

International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid told The Associated Press, "I'm glad they got caught. The Tour needs to continue and get to the finish in Paris. It's another blow to the sport but I have to see it in light of the fact that they're getting caught and going to be thrown out."

This marks the third year in a row at least one Tour De France rider failed a drug test.

Last year, Alexandra Vinokourov, Cristian Moreni and Iban Mayo tested positive for EPO. Two years ago, Floyd Landis lost his title after it was found that he had used synthetic testosterone.

USA Baseball names Olympic team

2008-07-17T01:21:00.003-04:00

The full U.S. Olympic delegation of athletes headed for China in three weeks is now up to 580 of 590 spots to be filled, thanks to the announcement Wednesday of the baseball team that will try to win gold in the Summer Games. Many of the names on the USA roster will be recognizable to baseball fans -- some of them currently on Major League clubs' 40-man rosters and some with past MLB service. Most of them will become even more recognizable after the team opens against Korea on Aug. 13 at Wukesong Baseball Stadium in Beijing. USA Baseball revealed 23 of the 24 members on a team that will be led by Davey Johnson, who won World Series championships as a player (Orioles) and manager (Mets). His team features 12 pitchers and 11 position players, and the final roster spot will be filled in the coming days -- ahead of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad's cut-off date next Tuesday.

Team USA will be together on the field for the first time with four exhibition games against Canada in North Carolina from Aug. 1-4. Johnson said he will have a better idea of his lineup and five-man rotation at that point. Then the team will depart for Beijing, where Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for Aug. 8 -- portending good fortune, according to Chinese proverb. The Olympic Medal Round will be on Aug. 23, a day before the Closing Ceremonies, and only then will anyone know just how powerful this team is on a global stage where so many nations seem to be getting better and better at baseball. The U.S. Olympic Baseball Team's roster is stockpiled with bright prospects, including 14 players currently at the Triple-A level and multiple players who are on Major League 40-man rosters. Any athlete not on a 25-man roster at the time of selection is eligible to compete.

Headlining the group are such prized prospects as outfielder Matt LaPorta (Indians, Double-A Akron) and San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg. LaPorta was recently dealt by the Brewers to the Indians as the key piece of a trade that brought 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia to Milwaukee. Baseball America ranks LaPorta as the top prospect in Cleveland's farm system, and the slugger was also a member of the 2005 collegiate USA Baseball National Team. He had one of the US Team's three hits in its 3-0 loss to the World Team during Sunday's XM All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. Strasburg, who turns 20 on Sunday, is considered a possible high first-round pick -- maybe even a No. 1 overall selection -- in next year's First-Year Player Draft. He made national headlines with a 23-strikeout performance against Utah on April 11, part of a breakthrough sophomore season. He is currently anchoring the pitching staff on the 2008 USA Baseball National Team. The team of collegiate all-stars is fresh off a first-place finish at Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands, including two victories over the Cuban National Team.

Those A's, for the record, are represented by left-hander Brett Anderson and right-hander Trevor Cahill -- both pitchers on the organization's Double-A Midland affiliate in the Texas League. That's a respectable chunk of a Minor League club. In addition to the 14 players currently a step away from the bigs, the 23-man USA roster features seven players in Double-A, one in Class A and one at the collegiate level. When asked about that Class A pitcher -- righty Jake Arrieta (Orioles, Class A Frederick), Johnson said he got a good look at him and had no doubt.
The 2008 Olympic Games will be the ninth time USA Baseball has utilized Major League-affiliated professional players for international competition, including the 1999 Pan Am Games, the 2000 Olympic Games, the 2001 World Cup, the 2003 Olympic Qualifier, the 2005 IBAF World Cup, the 2006 COPABE Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2007 World Cup.

Team USA did not qualify for the Olympics in 2004. Cuba will be back again in its customary role as one of the favorites, having won three of the four Olympic gold medals since baseball became a medal sport in 1992. The lone exception was settling for silver in 2000 when it was upset by the U.S., which won gold on Ben Sheets' three-hit shutout.

It's almost time for Beijing 2008. Final participants are still to be announced for women's volleyball, female gymnastics, men's soccer and the dressage team in equestrian. But now, with one lone exception at the end of the roster, the United States has its baseball team. The world will be watching.

Pacific Coast League Rallies for 6 in the 9th to Win AAA All-Star Game

2008-07-16T22:18:00.004-04:00

Today is Black Wednesday, a day when there are no MLB events on TV, and one of two days when there are no scores to display on ESPN's bottom-line to recap the day in sports. However, there WAS a AAA All-Star Game today, in which the Pacific Coast League defeated the International League by a score of 6 to 5.

The Pacific Coast League trailed the International League 0 to 2 entering the top of the 9th inning, but six runs in the 9th inning propelled the PCL to their first victory since 2005. The International League mounted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning; with two outs, Chris Carter hit a 2-run home run to pull the IL to within one run, but Jonathan Van Every flied out to Nick Stavinoha in right field to cease the comeback.

The best MLB player in this decade

2008-07-16T14:01:00.002-04:00

When I was voting for the Espys two weeks ago I was surprised to see the nominations for best baseball player. The nominees were Alex Rodriguez, Jake Peavy, Josh Beckett, C.C. Sabathia, Jimmy Rollins, and where's Albert Pujols? Nowhere on that list, a guy who is one of the most feared sluggers in the game isn't even nominated for best baseball player. I always thought he's the best player mainly because of his performance ever since he stepped into the big leagues: 2001 Rookie of the Year, 2005 NL MVP, and a world series ring in 2006 to top it all.

We not only have seen the terror that his bat causes pitchers in the regular season, but in the postseason. In 2004, he won the NLCS MVP. When the Astros were 3 outs away from going to the world series in game 5 of the 2005 NLCS, he homered off Houston closer Brad Lidge to send the series back to St. Louis. This is just a taste of Pujol's clutch hitting from April to October and we saw it again in game 1 of the 2006 World series, when his homer led the Cardinals to a game 1 victory. Not to sound negative and mention names but you can't consider guys like A-rod and Sabathia because they have not yet proven to respond to pressure.

This guy is not only clutch but he impacts his team. In 2008, the Cards have been overachieving with names you have not heard of primarily because of Pujols. When he went on the DL, the team's offense began to struggle. It seems like every year Pujols can win the MVP, he came 2nd in the 2006 voting. And don't get me started on his stats, they are sickening. He is only 28 years old and already in his 8 years in the big leagues he has hit 30 or more homers, and batting averages higher than .310 in each of those seasons. Also from 2001-2007 has driven in more than 100 runs per season. In his young career he already has 300 homers and a career batting average of .333, which is 1st on the active list.

So how can this guy not be the best baseball player? At every month of the baseball calender he's a threat to drive in runs, he makes his team better, he's a gold glover at first (2006), and he's a great competitor. Maybe its because he's in a small market St. Louis that doesn't get him the fame he deserves. Let me tell you, he's the LeBron James of baseball, no wait he's better than James at his sport. I know A-rod has been around for a while and his 500 homers and 3 MVPs are nice but in this decade if you look at the numbers and who has exceeded in baseball's main stage, the postseason, its gotta be Pujols and he's at the half point of his career, Pujols is on pace to hit 600-700 homers with a .330 BA, and one of the greatest right handed hitters of all-time.

boygenius88's Take on 2008 MLB All-Star Game

2008-07-16T12:43:00.006-04:00

The clock in my living room said 4:58 PM. I went ahead and picked up the remote on my coffee table. Hitting the "POWER" button, I was excited to watch the greatest baseball players of all time just fifteen feet in front of my eyes. But no. The game didn't start there. As they were introducing the hall-of-famers, I had goosebumps; I was trying to imagine myself standing at Yankees Stadium for their last All-Star Game. Then again, I was steadily getting impatient because I wanted the game to start.

After 45 minutes of an opening ceremony that seemed to last 45 hours, Cliff Lee finally threw his first pitch. Foul ball. I thought to myself, "Wow this guy has an arm! No wonder he got to start for the American League!" After a 1-2-3 inning, I figured "You might as well use Lee for the whole game then!" but of course starting pitchers never go more than two innings in an All-Star Game.

The game quickly got boring at the end of the 2nd inning, when each team mustered just one hit. Nobody scored in the 3rd inning, so I thought this All-Star game was going to be boring and scoreless. I turned off my TV and decided to play some games online.

Dinner arrived, and I turned on the TV in the kitchen to watch the game. It was the bottom of the 7th inning, and the NL was leading 2-0. "How could the AL POSSIBLY get shut out by the 7th inning stretch?" I asked. Then, as I saw JD Drew hit that ball, I was thinking "Hey! Do we go from a shutout to a tied game?" Yes we did! Drew, a Red Sox player, actually TIED the game! Yankees fans were actually CHEERING a Red Sox home run!. That's something you don't see every day.

After the 7th inning, the game was tied 2-2. Miguel Tejada got on base and tried to steal second base. Dioner Navarro made one of the UGLIEST throws I’ve seen in baseball, and Tejada proceeded to third base. He then scored on a sac fly. Yet Yankees fans BLAMED Jonathan Papelbon for being overrated and allowing that run. They just blew things out of proportion and should have blamed Navarro for the crappiest throw in the game of baseball. Ok well I’m sure there have been crappier throws, BUT in an All-Star Game? If the object of catching a runner stealing is to COMPLETELY miss the second baseman/shortstop, that would have been a SPECTACULAR play.

Anyways, 3-2 going into the bottom of the 8th inning, and I figured the AL was screwed. When Sizemore got on base, I was thinking “Okay that’s just ONE base. Not like you can do that at least two more times.” But then, Sizemore STOLE second base…UNCONTESTED. I mean what the heck was up with Russell Martin? He should have AT LEAST thrown it to second in case Sizemore got injured during the run.

And when Longoria came up to the plate, I was really wondering if a ROOKIE can pull his LEAGUE back into the game. Turns out he did! And it was a ground-rule double that allowed Sizemore to score. HAD Sizemore not advanced to 2nd on the steal, he MIGHT NOT have scored. I don’t know the rule about ground-rule doubles with a runner on first base, but the only time I remember that happening was in the All-Star Game only five years ago. Andruw Jones had come onto the plate with Scott Rolen at 2nd base and teammate Rafael Furcal at 1st. Jones cracked the ball into left field, where it rolled into foul territory beyond third base. Rolen easily scored, and Furcal scored too, BUT a FAN interfered with the play! What did the umpires say? They awarded home plate to Furcal because of how fast he ran. Plus, in my opinion, that fan tried to interfere with the ball TO PREVENT FURCAL FROM SCORING. Because obviously he was an American League fan, so he tried to HELP the American League in a stupid, and not to mention ineffective, way. But other than that, I think the runner at first should go to third base. Unless if it’s INTENTIONAL FAN INTERFERENCE, then the call HAS to favor the visiting team. Home-field advantage SHOULDN’T give you that advantage either.

Anyways back to the game, the steal by Sizemore was CRUCIAL because the batter after Longoria got out.

After the 8th inning, the game was tied at 3. After a top of the 9th that saw Francisco Rodriguez get 1 out, and Mariano Rivera get the last two, it was the bottom of the 9th. At the rate the AL scored, I was SURE they could get at least ONE run. When JD Drew came up to the plate again, I was thinking “if he hits another home run, he’s automatically MVP.” But nope. He struck out looking on a full count. Extra innings for the first time since the infamous 2002 All-Star Game!

As extra innings proceeded, I was thinking that virtually ANYBODY could be MVP, even if they hadn’t done anything beforehand. I mean, Michael Young was MVP in the 2006 All-Star Game, and all he did was drive in 2 runs in one at-bat. Ichiro Suzuki was MVP in the 2007 All-Star Game, and all he did was hit an inside-the-park home run (his two other hits in that game were meaningless). If anybody hits the game-winning home run in extra innings, HE’S the MVP.

In the top of the 10th inning, Rivera got into trouble, but managed to squeeze out of it after Dan Uggla GIDPed, almost beating the throw to Morneau. Then, Uggla, or should I say Uggly, made two ugly errors to help load the bases for the AL. The clock at Yankee Stadium said 12:00, and the AL was just 90 feet away from winning their 12th All-Star Game in a row (NOT counting the infamous 2002 game). After Aaron Cook intentionally walked an AL batter to load the bases with NO outs, I figured that would be the DUMBEST decision in a baseball game. Well turns out it was one of the SMARTEST because of the two force-outs at home. Then, Tejada, falling down, made an UNBELIEVABLE throw to Gonzales that reminded me a little bit of Tadahito Iguchi.

It was the 11th inning. NL failed to score, and the AL was threatening AGAIN. Ian Kinsler got on base and tried to steal second, but was called out. Kinsler didn’t agree, and neither did instant replay as it showed Tejada COMPLETELY missing the tag. How crucial would it be? VERY crucial for the NL. Dioner Navarro, not good at running, made it to second base, and Michael Young tried to drive him in. However, Nate McLouth managed to throw out Navarro at the plate, even though it looked VERY close. From my standpoint, it looked like Martin applied the tag after Navarro’s foot touched home plate. BUT it wouldn’t have mattered had Kinsler’s call been safe at second cause then Kinsler would easily have scored the game-winning run. So then we go to the 12th inning!

After SO many more chances, and SO many missed opportunities, I actually decided to write down a list of players who COULD win MVP:

For the NL: Aaron Cook and his three AMAZING innings. Adrian Gonzales for his sac fly and excellent fielding during the 10th inning. Russell Martin for his great plays at home plate (including the tag on Navarro). Nate McLouth with that great throw to home plate. Miguel Tejada with that unbelievable play to save the game.

For the AL: Evan Longoria the rookie coming through in the clutch with an RBI. JD Drew with his 2-run home run to get the AL back in the game. Sizemore with the Stolen Base and the game-tying run. Carlos Guillen hit a double in the 12th inning. HE could have been MVP…too bad his shot ricocheted off the wall, and nobody drove him home. Navarro was involved in a “strike ‘em out throw ‘em out” double play to end the top of the 9th inning with that great throw across the diamond to catch Cristian Guzman stealing second base. Ian Kinsler could have been a good candidate as well…if not for the umpire who called him out at second.

So the clock struck 1:00 at Yankee Stadium, and the game was still going on! I wondered when this game will end! At the time, JD Drew was facing a full count. I was thinking home run. Uggla was thinking ugly error. His THIRD error of the game, and he easily should have had that. Luckily, for Uggla, AGAIN, the NL pitching bails him out.

There were some other interesting parts of the game that I took note of. Uggla also missed a tag on second base when an AL player tried to steal second base. After Guillen struck out to end an inning, I heard him say the F-word really loudly. Nate McLouth and Russell Marin ALMOST hit home runs to lift the NL ahead (I thought McLouth’s shot was out of the park for sure). Sherill of the Orioles had the longest pitching performance of his season: 2 innings…and in the All-Star Game. Not something you see every year.

When Scott Kazmir came in, I figured “He is the AL’s last hope. Their last resort. If he can’t come through in the clutch, the AL is officially screwed.” After having thrown 104 pitches on Sunday, Kazmir managed to get out of the top of the 15th inning quite easily. Then, Brad Lidge came in.

First batter hit the ball into left field. Did it drop in? NO A WEB GEM NOMINEE BY RYAN LUDWICK! And to do that in an All-Star Game! Wow! Amazing catch! Had he not made the catch it probably would have been a walk-off-inside-the-park-home-run for the AL!

The clock at Yankee Stadium said 1:34. JD Drew was facing a 1-1 count against Lidge. Lidge then walked Drew.

Managing to get RISP, the AL had ANOTHER chance to win. Stepping up to the plate was Michael Young. Of all players, Michael Young. Usually, I root for the NL, but in 2006, I rooted for the AL because of an AP Statistics project. My partner (who currently attends HARVARD) and I decided to analyze baseball batting averages for each league. At the time, the Toronto Maple Leafs…err…Toronto Blue Jays had the best batting average in baseball. And we calculated a Type I error of only 1.7%, which indicated a SIGNIFICANT difference in batting averages explained by the presence of a DH. We predicted an American League victory in the All-Star game. And the AL did win…only because Michael Young was Clutch and Trevor Hoffman sucked. Had the NL won that game with their two runs from Mets players, I probably would NOT have followed baseball AT ALL anymore. BUT the AL, with the draconian-style managing of Ozzie Guillen, won, and that’s all that mattered.

This year, I rooted for the AL to win because I made a bet on a sports application on facebook that the American League would win. I had already lost 100,000 chips on the Wimbledon Final, and I wasn’t going to lose another 100,000 on the All-Star Game. And yes, I know it’s fake chips, but they could be used to purchase tickets for raffles the application has every now and then.

Anyways, when Michael Young hit that ball into right field, I figured the game was going to be over. When Morneau tagged up from third base, my eyes were STRICTLY glued to the baseball until I saw home plate. Then, McCann just missed the tag on Morneau, and the AL finally won the marathon 4-3 after having been tied or trailed the ENTIRE 290 MINUTES OF THE GAME. Crazy ending to a crazy game huh? Michael Young’s celebrations at the end weren't indicative of it.

The two years I wanted the AL to win were the two years Michael Young delivered the game-winning run. First, the two-run triple off Hoffman when his LEAGUE was down to their last strike of the game, and now the Sac Fly in the 15-inning marathon. When the umpire called Morneau safe at home, Francona acted as if he won the World Series just 8 months after that feat.

I had been talking to Jon on AIM at the start of the 15th inning discussing my thoughts about the game so far. Before we parted, I told him that I predicted JD Drew to get MVP honors for his 2-run home run and other parts that didn’t really play a factor in the game (except for the walk in the 15th inning).

Then, the MVP ceremony was on TV. I saw a Red Sox player. Is that Drew? Or is that Pedroia just like how RedSoxStillRock08 predicted BEFORE the game? Nope. It was Drew all right! And I was right in predicting the MVP!

Other notable things I noticed:

After the game, I saw a commercial for some fruit drink, and it featured some Diamondback players. I saw JD Drew wearing number 6 for the Diamondbacks in that commercial! What??? The player who just won MVP honors for the American League in the midsummer classic is featured on a National League team in a commercial??? My mind must be driving me nuts! Also, the SAME commercials were being played 2-3 times since I started to watch in the bottom of the 7th. Lou Pinella’s commercial with Aquafina was hilarious, yet illogical. I also grew tired of the overplayed classical music that kept playing after each half of the inning. They should have used something like NHL on NBC that exhibits drama and tension.

Anyways that was the 2008 MLB All-Star Game from my perspective. The National League came oh-so-close each of their last three years, and they came oh-so-short. But I believe they will win the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis simply because they’re DYING to win a game.

On another note, Bud Selig and future All-Star managers may want to change the gameplay of future All-Star Games. Either get more players or allow teams to reuse players who have already played. Let's not have another heart-stomping All-Star Game where managers are worried about not only playing EVERYBODY, but exhausting the reserves.

Wrigley Field Home To 2008-09 NHL Winter Classic

2008-07-16T11:03:00.006-04:00

It has been going around for a while but today it is expected that the NHL will announce that it will hold it's annual winter classic at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. This game will feature the Chicago Blackhawks hosting original six rival, Detroit Red Wings which will take place January 1st, 2009.

The field has served home for the Chicago Cubs since 1916 and can currently hold 41,118 people which is from a baseball standpoint meaning an NHL game can possibly hold more.

Last year, the NHL Winter Classic was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, New York.The home of the Buffalo Bills hosted a game between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh would win the game 2-1 with Sidney Crosby scoring the game winning goal in the shootout. The event was very successful with a record crowd of 71, 217 fans showing up.

MLS All-Star Reserves Announced

2008-07-16T10:47:00.004-04:00

With a game being played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it was only fitting that a few Canadian players make the team. The Canadians added to the team were Houston Dynamo's Dwayne DeRosario and Paul Onsted and Toronto FC's Jim Brennan.

The reserve players for the team are:

F Dwayne DeRosario-Houston Dynamo
G Paul Onsted-Houston Dynamo
D Jim Brennan- Toronto FC
M Pablo Mastroeni-Colorado Rapids
F Juan Pablo Angel-New York Red Bulls
F Edson Buddle- LA Galaxy
M Christian Gomez -Colorado Rapids

The coach is New England Revolution's Steve Nichol.

The 12th annual MLS All-Star Game will take place July 24th at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in a game between the MLS All-Stars and English Premier Club West Ham United.

Strahan Coming Back To Football, As Analyst

2008-07-16T09:46:00.004-04:00

As seen on a commercial yesterday in yesterday's major league baseball all-star game, Michael Strahan, who recently retired from the NFL after winning Superbowl XLII with the New York Giants, is now joining the Fox sports team. Strahan will be on Fox NFL Sunday covering pre-game analysis.

Strahan will be working with fellow analysts Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. This quintet will be with you every Sunday to discuss the stats and gameplans of the teams going to battle.

Strahan is known as probably one of the best defensive ends all-time. Strahan finished with 794 tackles, 4 interceptions, 21 fumbles caused, 2 touchdowns and most notable 141.5 sacks. Strahan holds the NFL record with most sacks in a season with 22.5 and is the Giants franchise leader in sacks. Strahan played 15 years all with the New York Giants and capped off his potential hall-of-fame career with a Superbowl win this year against the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

The American League Wins The Major League Baseball All-Star Game

2008-07-15T23:46:00.004-04:00

It was a hard fought game for both sides, but in extra innings early Wednesday morning, the American league won the all-star game with a final score of 4-3. The game was filled with ups and downs but was easily one of the most exciting all-star games to be played in a long time.

Both starting pitchers, Cliff Lee for the AL, and Ben Sheets for the NL, pitched 2 innings of scoreless baseball to start the game off. Then, in relief for Cliff Lee, Joe Saunders and Roy Halladay combined to pitch another 2 innings of scoreless baseball. Ervin Santana then came on in relief in the 5th inning, and despite striking out 2 players, he allowed one home run to Matt Holliday for the NL to take a 1-0 lead.

As for the NL, Zambrano and Haren combined to pitch 4 innings of scoreless baseball.

In the top of the 6th, Duchscherer relieved for Santana, and pitched 1 inning, but allowed one run to Berkman off of 3 hits, making the NL lead extend to 2-0.

In the top of the 7th for the AL, Joe Nathan came in and pitched a scoreless inning for the AL.

Then, in the bottom of the 7th, the AL finally scored some runs. With Volquez pitching, Morneau doubled to left field and then advanced to third on a grounder by Ian Kinsler. then, after Navarro struck out looking, J.D. Drew came up to the mound and hit a two run home run to tie the game at 2.

Top of the 8th came with more action. Papelbon came onto the mound and had to endure the "wonderful" chants from the Bleach creatures in Yankee stadium. Tejada got a lead off single and was able to steal second and advance to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Then Gonzalez was able to hit a sac fly to score Tejada and allow the NL to take a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the 8th, Wilson came onto the mound and was able to strike out 2 people in the 8th before being replaced by Billy Wagner. Grady Sizemore was able to get a hit off of Wagner and then steal second. The rookie Evan Longoria was then able to a double to score Sizemore and tie the game at 3.

Then, after the 8th inning, Dempster came in and pitched the 9th for the NL while K-rod pitched .1 innings and Mariano Rivera pitched .2 innings of the 9th.

The game went into extra innings still tied at 3. For the AL, Mariano Rivera continued to pitch in the 10th inning, while Arron Cook pitched the 10th for the National League and was able to pitch his way out of a bases loaded no outs situation (thanks to back to backs errors to Dan Uggla), by getting 2 force outs at home and then an out at first base.

The top of the 11th was uneventful as Soria allowed a lead off hit, but then got 3 quick outs to end the inning. with Arron Cook pitching, the bottom of the 11th was anything but uneventful though. Ian Kinsler was quickly able to get a lead off hit, but was then caught stealing on a questionable decision. Navarro then got on base by a walk and then drew singled to put runners on first and second with only one out. Young was then able to single right up the center, but, due to Navarro's poor running skills, he was just tagged out at home plate. Quentin then hit the ball towards Tejada who charged the ball and quickly threw the ball to first to get the out, falling to the ground in the process.

Soria then pitched .2 innings of the top of the 12th, and Sherrill came in and threw 3 straight strikes to end the top of the 12th game still tied 3-3.

In the bottom of the 12th, with Arron Cook still pitching for the Nation League, Carlos Guillen doubled deep to left field to start the inning. Then Sizemore grounded out to second, but allowed Guillen to get to third, Cook then struck out Longoria to get the 2nd out. Morneau was intentionally walked, and then stole second to put runners on second and third, but Kinsler was able to ground out to get the third out.

In the top of the 13th, after allowing a lead off single to Wright, Sherrill was able to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the 13th, Marmol relieved Cook, and after getting Navarro to ground out, J.D Drew was able to get on first thanks to Uggla committing his 3rd error of the game. Drew was then able to steal second base, but Quentin struck out looking.

In the top of the 14th, with Sherrill still pitching for the AL, he was able to get a 1-2-3 inning. This was his second inning pitched which was the most innings in a game he has pitched all season. In the bottom of the 14th, Marmol was relieved by Brandon Webb who also had a 1-2-3 inning, striking out 2 batters in the process.

To start of the top of the 15th, the American league had to do something they didn't want to do, but had to, and that was to bring in Kazmir to pitch (Kazmir had just thrown over 100 pitches on Sunday but was the last pitcher in the American League bullpen). He struck out the first person he faced, and got the second person to fly out, but then he walked someone. Fortunately, he was then able to rebound and get the 4th batter he faced to ground out to first.

The Bottom of the 15th was very eventful. Lidge relieved Brandon Webb to start the bottom of the inning of. Lidge allowed a lead off hit to Morneau, but then got Kinsler to line out. Navarro then came up to bat, who didn't have a hit all night, but was able to single to center, moving Morneau. the winning run. to second base. Lidge then walked J.D Drew to load the bases with only one out. Young then came up to bat and hit the ball to right field, fortunately, although it was an easy catch for the National League right fielder, he had hit it deep enough to all Morneau, who was the winning run at third base, to tag up and try to run home, The NL right fielder threw the ball to home plate, who then quickly tried applying the tag onto Morneau, but it was to late, he was already sliding across home plate. The final score of the game was 4-3, and J.D Drew won the All-Star game's MVP (the remaining fans didn't like this too much and booed him for it.)

Additional Notes From the Game

-Dan Uggla had the worst game in All-star history, committing 3 errors, 3 strike outs, and hit into a double play.

-The All-star game took 4 hours and 50 minutes to play, making it the longest All-Star game to be played.

-If Lidge ran out of gas pitching, the NL was set to have David Wright pitch an inning.

-Nate McLouth was the first fielder in an all-star game to throw out a winning run at home plate.

Breaking News: American League Wins All-Star Game

2008-07-15T23:30:00.002-04:00

The American League has defeated the National League 4-3 in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. More to come later.

Marcus Camby Traded to Clippers

2008-07-15T21:53:00.002-04:00

Well, it appears the Clippers will attempt to help out Baron Davis. They will acquire C Marcus Camby from the Nuggets for a second-round pick. Camby averaged 13.1 rebounds per game last season, and should provide Davis with a low post prescence of some sort.

Breaking News: Yankees May Pursue Barry Bonds

2008-07-15T18:57:00.002-04:00

What I am about to tell you sickens me. The Yankees have reportedly (Yahoo Sports) expressed interest in Barry Bonds. Bonds says he will play for minimum salary, which intrigues the Yankees very much.

Everyday DH/OF Hideki Matsui is likely headed for season-ending surgery, and Johnny Damon's rehab is taking longer than expected.

If the Yankees sign Bonds, he will be playing in the AL for the first time. He has 762 career homers, and would bring upon an interesting situation in NY.

Dallas Drake Retires

2008-07-15T18:30:00.002-04:00

Red Wings RW/LW Dallas Drake has retired after 18 NHL Seasons. The Canadian played for the Wings, Coyotes, Blues, and Jets in his career.

Selig Says More Instant Replay Is Coming

2008-07-15T18:10:00.003-04:00

With the impending inception of Instant Replay on Home Run calls coming within the next month, it appears MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is taking a bigger stance with the product. He claims that by October, it is very possible that Boundary Instant Replay will be instituted, meaning on any play that is questioned as fair or foul.

Baseball will join almost every other Major Leage sport with Instant Replay, and it has brought among much controversy alongside it. Time will tell with the experiment.

No More Final Fours for Billy Packer

2008-07-15T11:04:00.003-04:00

He's been announcing Final Four games every year for the past 34 years, but Billy Packer will not extend his streak to 35. On Monday, CBS reported that Billy Packer will no longer be CBS' lead college basketball analyst, which he had been for the past 27 years. The new analyst that will take Packer's position will be Clark Kellogg.

Kellogg, CBS analyst for 16 years, will be announcing alongside Jim Nantz on the 2009 Final Four broadcasts. Kellogg said he was "excited, humbled and quite pleased" at the opportunity.

Packer told the Associated Press by phone: "These are really good circumstances. This decision was made with myself and CBS over a year ago. Their timing to announce it is their business. I have nothing to do with that. I was working on a series of one-year contracts for several years. I did say there would be no mention during the season so as not to detract from the games and the guys involved."

Albert Pujols: the best baseball player

2008-07-15T00:48:00.007-04:00

MLB Network set to launch in 09

2008-07-14T23:28:00.005-04:00

Major League Baseball is set to launch the MLB Network on January 1st, 2009, this according to a commerical on ESPN during the home run derby. Tony Pettitti was named as the network's first president, a former executive producer of CBS Sports. The network is expected to launch in over 50 million homes in the U.S.

Baseball fans have been wondering why the NFL, NBA, and NHL have their own TV networks and not MLB. Over the past decade or two, MLB has been primarily an online source for news and MLB.TV, live non-free online games.

The network is expected to broadcast portions of the 2009 World Baseball Classic in March. The network in its first year is expected to host 26 live MLB games, and Saturday night is the most likely time slot for these weekly games. The network will also include highlights, baseball news and stories (similar to sportscenter), and a nightly show similar to ESPN's Baseball Tonight.

Breaking News: Peyton Manning Undergoes Knee Surgery

2008-07-14T23:19:00.001-04:00

Colts QB Peyton Manning has just undergone unexpected knee surgery, and will miss 4-6 weeks. This includes the beggining of training camp.

Breaking News: Justin Morneau Wins Home Run Derby

2008-07-14T22:46:00.006-04:00

Justin Morneau has defeated Josh Hamilton in the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby. More to come later.

BREAKING NEWS: Josh Hamilton Breaks Home Run Derby Record

2008-07-14T21:47:00.003-04:00

Josh Hamilton has broken Bobby Abreu's 24 home runs in a single round, and has moved into baseball history. He hit 28 Home Runs off of his 71 year old former high school coach. More later.

Kirchen Gives Up Yellow Jersey to Evans After Stage 10

2008-07-14T19:51:00.002-04:00

When Stage 11 starts tomorrow, there will be a new rider wearing the yellow jersey. Cadel Evans has overtaken Kim Kirchen for the overall lead after Stage 10. Kirchen fell all the way down to 7th place, where he trails Evans by 1:56. American Christian Vandevelde maintains third place, 38 seconds behind Evans, and 37 seconds behind second place Frank Schleck, another rider from Luxembourg.

Leonardo Piepoli from Italy won Stage 10 with a time of 4:19:27. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo of Spain finished in second a split second behind Piepoli, and Frank Schleck finished in third, 28 seconds behind the first two riders.

Weather Update: The Derby Is On

2008-07-14T17:15:00.002-04:00

While it rained for about 4 hours in New York today, it has since stopped with little expected in the forecast, if any. Expect the derby to go down tonight. My prediction: Lance Berkman.

Breaking news: Favre speaks

2008-07-14T15:15:00.003-04:00

Brett Favre was interviewed by a Fox News reporter today about his situation with the NFL and a potential comeback. He confirms his wish to come back to the NFL. He says he is "guilty of retiring early", and would like to be released by Green Bay because he no longer feels welcome there.

Ben Sheets and Cliff Lee to Start All-Star Game

2008-07-14T14:46:00.002-04:00

With the All-Star Game a good 29 hours away, the starting pitchers for both leagues have been announced.

For the National League, Ben Sheets from the Milwaukee Brewers will take the mound in the 1st inning when the American League steps up to bat. This marks the first time Sheets will pitch at Yankee stadium. Sheets said, "I'm going to take the opportunity to see everything like what do they call them, the monuments?" I'm going to do a sightseeing tour and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

But the first pitch of the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium will be thrown by Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians. Lee, after finding out he will be the starting pitcher for the American League, said, "I'm just honored to be here, to be honest with you. To get the start is just icing on the cake. I'm kind of awe-struck by it."

The 79th MLB All Star game can be seen on FOX tomorrow at 8 PM EST.

Weather Update: Home Run Derby May Be Cancelled

2008-07-13T17:18:00.003-04:00

Well I can give you another weather update, as we are just over 24 hours away from the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby. There is a 60% chance of isolated thunderstorms. In other words, it will rain. The question is what time, as the home run derby is not scheduled to begin until 8 PM EST. There is little to no rain predicted in the evening, so there still is a chance it could happen. I'll put it at 40/60 of occuring right now, but that could change in a few mere hours. Stay tuned.

And just for those of you who are curious, there is no rain predicted for the All-Star Game, so expect there to be a full competitive game on that sense.

Bolted For Life

2008-07-13T15:45:00.004-04:00

It has been going around a while but today Lightning forward, Vincent Lecavalier signed a huge 11-year, $85 million "lifetime" contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning which would keep the 28 year old in Tampa until he is 40. The contract will be on average $7.727 million per season and will kick in for the 2009-10 season.

The native of Ile Bizard, Quebec, Canada has played all 9 NHL seasons with Tampa Bay after being drafted 1st overall by the Lightning. In 710 games, Lecavlier has 273 goals and 329 assists for 602 points.

Last season, Lecavalier played 81 games scoring 40 goals and 52 assists for 92 assists and is considered one of the top NHL players of today.

Lecavalier also has 1 Stanley Cup with the Lightning beating the Calgary Flames in 7 games back in 2004.

Report: Mourneau To Take Part In Home Run Derby

2008-07-13T15:31:00.008-04:00

Justin Morneau, 1st baseman of the Minnesota Twins, announced that he will be taking part in the home run derby at Yankee Stadium. Morneau has 14HRs and 68RBIs in 94 games.

The contestants for the home run derby are:

-Ryan Braun, Brewers

-Grady Sizemore, Indians

-Dan Uggla, Marlins

-Chase Utley, Phillies

-Lance Berkman, Astros

-Josh Hamilton, Rangers

-Justin Morneau, Twins

-Even Longoria, Rays

Ricco See, Ricco Do

2008-07-13T14:32:00.006-04:00

The day after Mark Cavendish won his second stage of the Tour De France, Riccardo Ricco did the same thing, winning Stage 9 in dominating fashion, giving him two stage victories this year. Ricco finished the 139.2 mile-long stage in 5:39:28. This stage was the first stage that involved riding through the Pyrenees. Russian rider Vladimir Efimkin crossed the finish line 64 seconds later than Ricco while France's Cyril Dessel finished in third, 13 seconds behind Efimkin.

Kim Kirchen still retains the overall lead, but Stefan Schumacher gives up his third place spot to Christian Vandevelde of the United States.

Overall Standings after Stage 9:

1. Kim Kirchen (38:07:19)
2. Cadel Evans (6 seconds behind Kirchen)
3. Christian Vandevelde (44 seconds behind Kirchen)
4. Stefan Schumacher (56 seconds behind Kirchen)
5. Denis Menchov (63 seconds behind Kirchen)

A Note From the Editor

2008-07-13T13:48:00.004-04:00

Hey guys, Jon here. I am sorry for the lack of posts from me lately, I have been very busy. I got back from Fanfest yesterday, and man was it a thrill. I will have tons of pictures coming up soon. Unfortunately, we were made aware of the passing of Yankees Great Bobby Murcer. I will have more to come later, so stay tuned!

Third-String Durant Leads Roughriders to 3-0 Start

2008-07-13T11:29:00.004-04:00

After last night's game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, we can now safely say that Rider Nation is happy about their team being the only CFL team to go undefeated in the season so far. Faced with quarterback issues, Saskatchewan decided to start third-string QB Darian Durant. The 25-year old would engineer a last-minute 82-yard scoring drive that resulted in a Wes Cates 1-yard rushing touchdown with 29 seconds left in the game.

Durant completed 23 of 32 passes for 347 yards in route to the Roughriders' third victory of the season. After the game, Durant said, "I just wanted to win. It's not like we needed a touchdown there. But if I could just get the chains down there into field goal range then we would win because we have an excellent kicker." That "excellent kicker," Luca Congi, converted on two field goals, one from 47 yards, and the other from 14 yards.

Saskatchewan had led during the entire course of the game until Nick Setta kicked a 41-yard field goal to give the Tiger-Cats a 28-27 lead with less than 4 minutes left in the game, but the Tiger-Cat defense could not stop the Roughriders offense from winning the game.

Kyle Busch Continues to Dominate NSCS

2008-07-12T23:31:00.003-04:00

Kyle Busch continues to dominate the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as he wins his seventh race of the season at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Jimmie Johnson was leading at the start of the Green-White-Checkered restart, but Kyle Busch passed Johnson on the penultimate lap to sweep the Nationwide/Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway. Jimmie Johnson, who hit the outside wall coming into the final turn of the race, finished second, and Kevin Harvick took third place.

Overall standings after Chicago:

1. Kyle Busch (2881 points)
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (259 points behind Busch)
3. Jeff Burton (288 points behind Busch)
4. Carl Edwards (372 points behind Busch)
5. Jimmie Johnson (387 points behind Busch)
6. Jeff Gordon (497 points behind Busch)
7. Greg Biffle (563 points behind Busch)
8. Matt Kenseth (564 points behind Busch)
9. Kevin Harvick (573 points behind Busch)
10. Tony Stewart (576 points behind Busch)
11. Kasey Kahne (589 points behind Busch)
12. Denny Hamlin (598 points behind Busch)

Fighting for a spot in the Chase:

13. Clint Bowyer (625 points behind Busch)
14. Brian Vickers (693 points behind Busch)
15. David Ragan (696 points behind Busch)
16. Ryan Newman (787 points behind Busch)

boygenius88's Take on Rampage/Sabercats Game

2008-07-12T18:48:00.005-04:00

I was watching a majority of the Rampage/Sabercats game today. I was in disbelief at how many times I saw the referees screw up!

With 22 seconds left to go in the first half, the Sabercats led 35 to 14. Rampage QB James MacPherson threw the ball to Jason Shelley in the endzone on a 4th and goal play. A Sabercats defender tripped up Shelley, and the ball landed in the back of the endzone. Should it have been pass interference? The announcers on ESPN thought so. The Grand Rapids players thought so. I thought so. Did the referees think so? Nope. They said that the ball was uncatchable, but it was evident that had Shelley not been interfered with, illegally for that matter, he would have caught the ball. This no-call ultimately led to a Sabercats field goal at the end of the first half.

With San Jose leading 61 to 42 midway through the 4th quarter, MacPherson found a leaning Shelley in the endzone. Shelley leaned forward out of the endzone, but after seeing a replay, it was evident to see that Shelley had possession of the ball in the endzone after the catch. The referees didn't agree, and the Rampage had to find the endzone AGAIN just to score six points. Had the referees made the right all at the start, the Rampage wouldn't have wasted a whole minute to get the ball in the endzone. And if that wasn't bad enough, after the Rampage finally scored a touchdown, Sabercats players starting pushing and shoving to eat up the clock (because in Arena Football, the clock keeps going even after a touchdown unless the game is inside the final minute of a half). There should have been a penalty for wasting time in my opinion. Was there? Nope.

And finally, with the score at 68 to 55, Sabercats QB Mark Grieb throws an interception, giving the ball back to Grand Rapids. On the insuing play, MacPherson threw the ball to Cole Magner, who jumped and almost went over the wall to catch the. Although Magner came back into the field of play, the referees called the pass incomplete even though Magner had a foot inbounds after the catch. Would it cost the Rampage? Yes. MacPherson would throw his fourth interception of the game, and it ended Grand Rapids' hopes of making it into the ArenaBowl.

Could Grand Rapids have had a chance to win had those calls been overturned? Definitely yes. The no-call on the pass interference gave three points to the Sabercats and took away seven from the Rampage, which resulted in a 10-point swing-around. The incomplete pass call on Cole Magner would also have changed the outcome of the subsequent play. I saw MacPherson slam his helmet to the ground after he threw his fifth interception of the game when time ran out. He wasn't upset because he lost (because MacPherson already did this much for his sixth-seeded Rampage squad to get to the American Conference Championship Game considering his team started the season 3-10!), but because of the horrible reffing in a game that meant so much to him. Now, because of referees, James MacPherson and his Rampage teammates will have to watch the ArenaBowl back in Grand Rapids as opposed to playing in it in New Orleans. I guess the look on the Rampage logo can describe MacPherson's feelings after the game.

Now I'm not saying that the Sabercats stole the game, but had the referees done their jobs right, the Rampage would definitely have had a legitimate shot at winning the game.

Just another example of referees sucking at their jobs.

ArenaBowl XXII Matchup Set: Philadelphia vs. San Jose

2008-07-12T18:26:00.004-04:00

The Philadelphia Soul and San Jose Sabercats have earned tickets to New Orleans for ArenaBowl XXII as both teams won their conference championship games today.

In the National Conference Championship Game, the Soul defeated the fourth-seeded Cleveland Gladiators by a score of 70 to 35. The Soul defense forced Gladiators QB Raymond Philyaw to throw two interceptions in route to a victory. Soul QB Matt D'Orazio completed 17 of 25 passes for 184 yards and eight touchdowns.

In the American Conference Championship Game, the Sabercats defeated the sixth-seeded Grand Rapids Rampage by a score of 81 to 55. The Sabercats defense forced Rampage QB James MacPherson to throw five interceptions to lift San Jose to their second straight appearance in the ArenaBowl.

Philadelphia and San Jose will play each other in ArenaBowl XXII in New Orleans on July 27, 2008. ArenaBowl XXII features a rematch of a Week 7 regular season game in which Philadelphia defeated San Jose 58 to 57 on a Clifton Smith two-point conversion with ten seconds left in the game. The Soul had to come back from a 26 point deficit during that game to start the season 7-0.

BREAKING NEWS: YANKEES ANNOUNCER AND FORMER PLAYER BOBBY MURCER DIES AT 62

2008-07-12T17:20:00.003-04:00

Yankee Announcer and Former Player Bobby Murcer has passed away from cancer at the age of 62. More to come later.

Cavendish Wins Stage 8; Kirchen Retains Yellow Jersey

2008-07-12T12:51:00.005-04:00

A great day for Team Columbia as Mark Cavendish currently leads all riders in stage victories as he wins his second stage of the Tour De France. Cavendish's teammate Gerald Ciolek finished in second place, and their teammate Kim Kirchen will still retain the yellow jersey for another stage.

After winning the 107-mile-long stage, Cavendish said, "To finish with a 1-2 and have Kim in yellow, you can't do better than that. When I'm there in the sprint and fired up, normally I can win." This stage was the last chance for riders to sprint for the time being; starting on Sunday, cyclists will ride through the Pyrenees.

Overall standings after Stage 8:

1. Kim Kirchen (32:26:34)
2. Cadel Evans (6 seconds behind Kirchen)
3. Stefan Schumacher (16 seconds behind Kirchen)
4. Christian Vandevelde (44 seconds behind Kirchen)
5. Denis Menchov (63 seconds behind Kirchen)

Jackson-Simon Duo Gives Bombers Third Straight Loss

2008-07-12T11:10:00.002-04:00

In a battle of 0-2 teams, the B.C. Lions defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 42 to 24. The day belonged to Jarious Jackson as he completed 19 or 24 passes for 340 yards and five touchdowns, two of which found the hands of Geroy Simon. Simon caught for 192 yards, which included a 76-yard TD pass.

Lions' rookie receiver Clarence Coleman caught a thirteen and a nine-yard TD pass while rookie fullback Rolly Lumbala scored the other TD with a one-yard touchdown catch.

Lions kicker Paul McCallum converted on two field goals and missed a 34-yard field goal for a single.

This loss makes Winnipeg the only team in the CFL to start the season 0-3.

Later today at 4 PM EST, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Sanchez Takes Stage 7; Kirchen Keeps Yellow Jersey

2008-07-11T23:40:00.004-04:00

After 98.8 miles of cycling, Luis-Leon Sanchez from Spain wins Stage 7 of the Tour De France. The 24-year-old cyclist dedicated the victory to his older brother, Leon, who died in a quad bike accident three years ago. Sanchez took the lead with 2.5 miles to go in the stage, and he never looked back, finishing six seconds ahead of a pack of riders.

Stage 7 Results:

1. Luis-Leon Sanchez (3:52:53)
2. Stefan Schumacher (6 seconds behind Sanchez)
3. Filippo Pozzato (6 seconds behind Sanchez)
4. Kim Kirchen (6 seconds behind Sanchez)
5. Alejandro Valverde (6 seconds behind Sanchez)
9. Christian Vandevelde (6 seconds behind Sanchez)

Overall Standings after Stage 7:

1. Kim Kirchen (28:23:40)
2. Cadel Evans (6 seconds behind Kirchen)
3. Stefan Schumacher (16 seconds behind Kirchen)
4. Christian Vandevelde (44 seconds behind Kirchen)
5. Denis Menchov (63 seconds behind Kirchen)

Wright to All-Star Game

2008-07-11T15:38:00.003-04:00

David Wright will be a reserve in the All-Star game to replace the spot Alfonso Soriano, who is injured, left vacant. Although Matt Holliday will be replacing Soriano as a starter, Holliday had already made the team as a reserve, so there was one other player needed to fill the roster and Wright was chosen to do so.

BREAKING NEWS: Brett Favre Will Attempt Comeback, Asks For Release From Packers

2008-07-11T15:32:00.003-04:00

Humungous breaking news from the NFL, as Brett Favre has asked for his release from the Packers so he can make a comeback elsewhere. More later.

Alberta Shines Bright in Yesterday's Games

2008-07-11T14:11:00.004-04:00

Fueled by the two touchdown performances of rookie Tristan Jackson and new running back A.J. Harris, the Edmonton Eskimos defeated the Toronto Argonauts last night by a score of 47 to 28. This marks the first time since 2005 the Eskimos defeated the Argoanuts.

Tristan Jackson put up 283 all-purpose yards, which included punt and interception returns for touchdowns in the third quarter. Danny Maciocia, coach of the Eskimos, commented on Jackson's performance: ''Every time he touches the ball he can make something special happen. Today he touched it several different ways. He was really good for us. I'm stating the obvious but I think he is a pretty good football player.''

Jackson admitted he was fatigued after the amount of running he did in that game, but he was glad he could help the team win.

In the other matchup, the Calgary Stampeders ended Montreal's perfection by defeating the Alouettes 23 to 19, holding Montreal to just two points in the second half. Joffrey Reynolds and Ken-Yon Rambo scored touchdowns for the Stampeders, and Sandro DeAngelis converted three of four field goals to lift the Stampeders to their second victory of the season.

The B.C. Lions will play against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg later today at 7:30 PM EST.

How To Know If YOU Are A Bandwagon Fan

2008-07-11T13:46:00.002-04:00

By now, most of you should know that I love to rant on almost anything sports. Last night while I was reading an article, I came across an extremely “Bandwagon Style” claim, that the author’s favorite baseball team was going to make a miraculous recovery and make the World Series after a stereotypical playoff matchup. Hey, I understand everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how much I may disagree. Please though, BACK IT UP! Upon reading this, I continued to rant to my friends about how unbelievable this was (call me superstitious if you must, but I firmly believe in Sports Karma), and came up with the inspiration to write this article. How to know if YOU are a bandwagon fan.
For those of you who don’t know, a bandwagon fan is a fan for a team for all the wrong reasons. Essentially, not a real fan. Bandwagon fans tend to be the bud of many jokes, so I am going to give you a little advice to avoid being a bandwagon fan.

1. Bandwagon fans became fans while their respective team was doing great. Let’s take a look at the most obvious example, New York Yankees Bandwagon Fans. The Yankees won 4 World Series and appeared in 7 within the last 13 years. If you became a Yankees fan ONLY because they were accomplishing this feat (regardless if you admit it or not), YOU ARE A BANDWAGON FAN. If you became a Yankee fan after being asked in school who you wanted to win the World Series, and you picked Yankees over Mets, good guess, but YOU ARE A BANDWAGON FAN.

2. Bandwagon fans know little too nothing about their favorite team’s history or possibly even current events. No, we are not asking you to be a historian about the team. How-ev-uh (Stephen A.), it is important to know your basic facts. If I were to ask a Red Sox fan how many years it was until 2004 since they won a Championship and they didn’t know, they would be a Bandwagon.

3. Bandwagon fans often lose interest in or switch to another team if their team is doing bad. I’ll use my cousin as an example for this one. All of us know the Jets didn’t have a great year, and he was a fan of the Jets. He then switched to the division rival Patriots when they went undefeated, and then became a Giants fan when they won the Super Bowl. If you have ever said in your life, “I used to be a ______ fan, but now I’m a _______ fan,” YOU ARE A BANDWAGON.

There are many other cases as well, but I opt not to go into them as they may make me explode. If you do match any of these descriptions, I can give you a little advice to prove your fanhood. A true fan knows a lot about the sport overall, so make sure that you pay attention to all of the league’s happenings. Research your facts, so that when someone asks you a trivia question, you can hopefully answer it. Make sure you NEVER brag about the team, especially if you can’t back yourself up. Hold realistic standards as well, and make sure you don’t over-think your team’s respective situation.

That is pretty much all for today, now you all know what really grinds my gears. Do not let yourself become a bandwagon fan!

Walk It Off

2008-07-11T10:10:00.006-04:00

For the second time this week, and series, the Toronto Blue Jays rallied for a come from behind win against the Baltimore Orioles to complete the three game sweep with a score of 6-5.

Down 5-2 at the bottom of the 8th, Jays cut the lead to 1 going into the 9th against Baltimore closer, George Sherill. Sherill has blown four saves in the past eleven games.

Rod Barajas would start off with a one out single then advance to third thanks to a Scott Rolen double. Gregg Zaun would intentionally be walked before Lyle Overbay's sacrifice fly scored Barajas making it a tie game. Adam Lind then stepped up and delivered with a single which scored Rolen and more importantly, a Jays win.

Even though he had no hits on the day, shortstop David Eckstein was able to contribute with 2 RBIs.

The Jays were able to win even without top contributor, Vernon Wells, who is going to be out 4 to 6 weeks with an injured hamstring. This is Wells second trip to the disabled list this season.

The starting pitchers, John Parrish for Toronto and Jeremy Guthrie each received a no-decision. The winner was Shawn Camp (2-1) and the loser was George Sherill (2-4).

The Blue Jays (45-47) now tie Baltimore (44-46) for 4th in the AL East.

The Blue Jays will play a three game series this weekend against the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Schumacher Loses Yellow Jersey after Crash in Stage 6

2008-07-11T00:26:00.004-04:00

With just over the length of three football fields to go in Stage 6, Stefan Schumacher was looking to retain the Yellow Jersey for yet another stage of the Tour De France. However, a crash precluded Schumacher from keeping the jersey. While Schumacher and Kim Kirchen were finishing stage 6, Schumacher's bike grazed the back wheel of Kirchen's bike, forcing Schumacher to crash. Kirchen, a member of Team Columbia, is now the overall leader of the Tour De France.

Bob Stapleton, an owner of Team Columbia, was excited about the outcome of Stage 6. "It took a little luck, but we'll take it."

Meanwhile, in front of the crash, Italian rider Riccardo Ricco won stage 6, followed by Alejandro Valverde of Spain and Cadel Evans of Australia.

Overall standings after Stage 6:

1. Kim Kirchen
2. Cadel Evans (6 seconds behind Kirchen)
3. Stefan Schumacher (16 seconds behind Kirchen)
4. Christian Vandevelde (44 seconds behind Kirchen)

Report: MLS All-Star Starters Announced

2008-07-10T21:33:00.004-04:00

The eleven starters for the MLS have been announced for the MLS All-Star Game on July 24 taking place at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in a match between the MLS ALL-Stars and English Premier Club West Ham United.

The starting lineup is as follows:

Forwards:
Landon Donovan-LA Galaxy
Kenny Cooper-FC Dallas

Midfielders:
David Beckham-LA Galaxy
Cuauhtémoc Blanco-Chicago Fire
Shalrie Joseph-New England Revolution
Sacha Kljestan-Chivas USA
Robbie Rogers-Columbus Crew

Defencemen:
Jimmy Conrad-Kansis City Wizards
Frankie Hejduk-Columbus Crew
Michael Parkhurst-New England Revolution

Goalkeeper:
Matt Reis-New England Revolution

Wells Not Feeling Well

2008-07-10T19:46:00.009-04:00

The Toronto Blue Jays may just be the unluckiest team in baseball right now. In this latest setback, the Jays have lost centre-fielder, Vernon Wells for 4 to 6 weeks with a left hamstring injury. Wells injured his hamstring while stealing 3rd base in last night's 9-8 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Wells now finds himself on the 15-day disabled list along with pitcher Dustin McGowan who suffered a torn right rotator cuff and is out for at least 4 weeks as well.

In 64 games with the Blue Jays this season, Wells batted .287 with 9 HRs and 42 RBIs and has been the top offensive contributor to a club that has been really inconsistent with batting.

Toronto is playing Baltimore tonight trying to secure the 3 game sweep. It is currently 5-2 Baltimore at the bottom of the 8th. The Jays continue their homestand tomorrow as they host a series with the New York Yankees.

BREAKING NEWS: Longoria and Hart Win Final Vote

2008-07-10T17:34:00.001-04:00

The Rays Evan Longoria defeated Jermaine Dye in a shoot-out to take the AL Final Vote while Corey Hart of the Brewers ran away with the NL. More later.

MLB Mid-Season Review: A Revival

2008-07-10T16:58:00.002-04:00

As I write this article, I am sitting here watching ESPNEWS. They are showing the highlights of CC Sabathia’s first game as a Brewer. Upon seeing this, a thought came across my mind. “We are seeing what may be the single greatest season in baseball history.” Yes, I said it. The GREATEST EVER.

Chances are, you are calling me crazy. I mean we’ve seen the 1927 Murder’s Row, the ‘69 Miracle Mets, the epic collapse of the ‘64 Phillies, last year’s prolific run of the Rockies, and more. How in the world could I possible think this is the best when we are a mere 90 games into the 162 game season? My answer: History is being written.

Never before has a team gone from the worst record in the league to the best record at mid-season. This would be a true statement if it weren’t for the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have gone from the league’s laughing stock to laughing at the league. The best part about about it: They have the lowest payroll in the majors ($31.8 Million). While their season high attendence at home is just over 22,000, they have the best home record in terms of wins in the majors (36-14). They lead the STACKED AL East over the Red Sox and Yankees at this point in the season for the first time EVER. They have been driven behind rookie sensation Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, first time all-star Dioner Navvaro, and great starting pitching. Troy Percival, when healthy, is one of the most effective closers in the league. IF the Rays keep a steady pace, they will set the record for biggest one season turn-around in AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY.

It is also a brilliant year for Chicago as well. Which team? Both of them. Imagine what it would be like if the NL leading Cubs won a World Series 100 years after their last title. They entered last season as a team in dismay, but now appear to be the powerhouse that they promised their fans they would become. Kerry Woods has emerged as one of the league’s top closers, and is up for Comeback Player of the Year. Geovany Soto has established himself as the premier rookie in the league, gaining All-Star status rather quickly. They command the National League, and do not appear to be slowing down. On the other side of Chicago, the White Sox are also making their prescence known. They have who is possibly considered the biggest All-Star snub in Jermaine Dye, as well as an emerging star in Carlos Quentin. Their bullpen has the lowest ERA in the entire majors as well. Clearly, Chicago may be the city of destiny.

We have not even reached the July 31st Trade Deadline, yet we have seen two of the biggest deals in recent history completed. The Artist Formerly Known As C.C. (now CC) Sabathia has been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. This is only the second time in the past 20 years that a pitcher who won the Cy Young has been traded in the season after Roger Clemens. As Milwaukee General Manager Doug Melvin stated, “We’re going for it.” Alongside CC, we have seen a potential playoff contender in the A’s trade off ace Rich Harden to the Chicago Cubs, who currently hold the best record in the National League. It can almost be said that the NL Central has turned into a “Survival of the Fittest” type division, as these teams may not be done just yet. For all we know, more huge trades might be awaiting us. We could see Ken Griffey Jr. make a return to the playoffs if he is traded to the AL East leading Rays. Brian Fuentes appears to be on the move to any contender, and should happen very soon. Only time will tell what transactions will unfold, but it has been nothing short of surprises already.

While we have had our share of upsets with teams like the Rays, we have also seen great disappointment. Let’s take the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners came into this season having just missed a wild card birth last year. All signs pointed up, especially after obtaining star southpar Erik Bedard. However, the Mariners now have found themselves amongst the worst teams in the league. They have claimed that almost everyone but Ichiro is on the trade block, and it’s very possible they could follow along with this claim. While the M’s are a complete disappointment, we are also seeing the slow demise of former dominators, aka the Mets and Yankees. While both teams are in the midst of playoff runs, they have gone from being shoo-ins to nothing more than contenders. It is possible for the first time since 1993 (not counting 1994), the Yankees could miss out on the playoffs, even possibly a wild card spot. The Mets fired the man who got them to the NLCS in 06, Willie Randolph, and replaced him with the “Gentleman” Jerry Manuel. While the move has sparked some move from the Mets, it would be historic if both New York teams missed the playoffs in this day in age. The Detroit Tigers also came in as a powerhouse, having picked up Milguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. While this move seemed good, the Tigers have flubbed, barely being in third place. This could be an unprecedented upset if it occurs.

While we have seen the major team upsets, we have also been presented with history-defying feats from the individual players. Josh Hamilton, who has become the league’s feel good story, is hitting RBI’s at a record pase. He has 89 RBI’s in only his second major league season, and it is only the mid-point of the season! He is also among the league leaders in HR’s and AVG. The man in the lead for AVG. is Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves. It is VERY possible that if Jones gets a 10 or so game hit streak going, he could reach a .400 average for the first time since Ted Williams did so decades ago. Rick Ankiel, the former pitcher, has turned into one of the top sluggers in the league with 19 home runs. Pitching performances have been nothing short of a miracle, as we have seen Cancer-Survivor Jon Lester pitch a No-Hitter for the Boston Red Sox. The American League has ten 10-Game Winners, while the National League has nine. There is a strong chance we can see a 20-Game Winner this season.

Not to mention, the final season of both Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium is in the midst. The All-Star Game has been awarded to the latter for this year, and should be nothing short of spectacular.

Coming up in the second half of the season, we will see for the first time the use of Instant Replay on Home Run calls. Alongside, what may become the greatest division races in league history could shape up and create upsets. Can the Rays hold their stand? Will the Cubs finally win the World Series? Is this the year the Yankees miss the playoffs? All questions that will be answered come September 28th.

When this season is all said and done, you WILL remember this one above most others. Baseball is making it’s return amongst the people of the nation. People are being captivated by the upsets and spectacular showings that this game has to offer. Ever since the 2002 All-Star Game (The Tie), Major League Baseball has seen a dramatic shift in attention. This 2008 Season will not only act as a savior of the league, but a Revival of Baseball Spirit.

Baron Davis to Wear Clippers Jersey Next Season

2008-07-10T16:27:00.003-04:00

Baron Davis will be moving to a different team, but staying in California for now. The 29-year old, who played this past season with the Golden State Warriors, averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds last season. In the season before, he helped lead the Warriors to become only the third eight-seeded team in NBA history to knock off a top-seeded team (during that year, Dallas was number 1).

Although the deal was made on July 1, the official announcement didn't come until July 9. Davis will be making $65 million over a five-year period.

Pitchers Making A Pitch For The DL

2008-07-10T15:44:00.020-04:00

St. Louis Cardinal's pitcher, Mark Mulder cannot seem to catch a break. St. Louis has placed the veteran on the 15-day disabled list due to a strain on his surgically repaired shoulder.

Last night was Mulder's first start since September and 3rd overall appearance this year because he was recovering from surgery. Mulder was able to strike out Philadelphia Phillies' shortstop, Jimmy Rollins before walking the next two batters. Manager Tony La Russa then took him out of the game after only a 1/3 of an inning throwing 16 pitches.

"I just couldn't get my arm up. I couldn't get it to work. I wouldn't throw right," said Mulder about his shoulder.

In his two relief appearances, Mulder had allowed 2 runs and 4 hits over 1 and 1/3 innings. Shoulder injuries have hampered Mulder lately needing 2 surgeries for his shoulder over the past year.

The Seattle Mariners also put a pitcher on the DL placing Erik Bedard on the 15-day disabled list. Bedard has recently had stiffness in his left shoulder and probably a headache from the trade rumours swirling around him. Bedard has started 15 games this season going 6-4 with 72 strikeouts. Bedard has been seen as a disappointment this season after having a career year in Baltimore going 13-5 with 221 strikeouts. Bedard was traded to the Mariners this past offseason.

The Toronto Blue Jays also put pitcher Dustin McGowan on the 15-day disabled list with a torn right rotator cuff. McGowan pitched 4 innings into Tuesday's game against Baltimore before soreness in his right arm forced him to leave the game. McGowan has a 6-7 record this year in 19 starts.

Matt Jones Arrested for Felony Drug Charge

2008-07-10T13:46:00.003-04:00

Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Matt Jones has been arrested earlier today in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on a felony drug charge. Jones was found cutting cocaine with a credit card while in his car.

25-year-old Jared Hicks and 26-year-old Benjamin Cook, two other former Arkansas football players, were arrested as well. Both face misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia.

While at Arkansas University, Matt Jones became a star quarterback, throwing for 5,857 yards and running for 2,535. Jones was selected 21st overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by Jacksonville, who would convert him into a wide receiver.

Real Salt Lake to Hold 2009 MLS All-Star Game

2008-07-10T10:44:00.004-04:00

While details of the 2009 MLS All-Star game are trying to be figured out now, we do know one thing: Real Salt Lake will be hosting it. The announcement was made on Wednesday by team and league officials.

Real Salt Lake fans celebrated by unveiling a giant red banner that hanged from the northwest corner of their stadium; the banner contained the team's logo as well as the phrase "Home of the 2009 Major League Soccer All-Star Game."

Real Salt Lake still needs to decide an exact date of when to play the game as well as which team the American All-Stars will be playing.

In 2005, the MLS All-Stars defeated Fulham 4 to 1. In 2006, they defeated Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a goal by Dwayne De Rosario in the 70th minute. The MLS All-Stars then extended their winning streak to five (they had beaten USA and Guadalajara in 2002 and 2003, respectively) by beating Celtic 2-0 in 2007. In about two weeks, the MLS All-Stars will be playing West Ham United at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Weather Update: Bad News for the Home Run Derby

2008-07-09T20:40:00.002-04:00

Well I have good news and bad news. After consulting with my neighboor (a local meteorologist for NBC), he has told me that the weather looks perfect for Tuesday Night's MLB All-Star Game. HOWEVER, there is a 40% chance of Thunderstorms for the Home Run Derby on Monday. Time will tell.

boygenius88's Take on Underground Sports

2008-07-09T20:33:00.004-04:00

There are four major sports leagues in the United States: NHL, NFL, MLB, and NBA. Of these four leagues, the NHL is the one US citizens least care about. Why is that? I believe that it stems from the fact that hockey was not even invented in the United States! It was first played in Canada sometime during the 1800s, and that's why we see lots of Canadian folks talking about hockey while here in the states, we talk mostly about football, baseball, and basketball because those sports were invented here in the states!

It's like in the states, if someone follows hockey and another person follows baseball, it isn't easy for them to be friends if one has no clue what the word "hockey" means in the lexicon. And heck I deal with it in real life too! Whenever I ask people a SIMPLE hockey question, they just act as if they're from the planet I-Have-No-Clue-What-Hockey-Means-So-I'll-Just-Make-Up-Whatever-Comes-To-My-Mind-Right-Now. Whereas whenever I talk hockey to my fellow youtube friends, they talk like they're an amateur version of Barry Melrose or EJ Hradek.

When the first professional major sports leagues came out, they soon quickly become popular mainly because of their initial success, and most US citizens would assume they are the BEST league in the nation for that particular sport, and it's been like that for as long as they've existed (around a century)! As the newer sports leagues came about, nobody seemed to care about them at all. Take this for example:

The USFL was founded in 1982 that tried to compete with the National Football League. The league lasted only three years, but it was the greatest opponent of the NFL since the American Football League before the merge. Facing a massive debt, the USFL tried to sue the NFL on an account of trying to eliminate the newer league. After much scuffle between the two leagues, the USFL eventually received a compensation...of $3.76. That money, in the form of a check, was never cashed and was never enough to save the USFL. It folded in 1988.

The XFL was a league that was played for only one season. It was owned by Vince McMahon, owner of WWE. However, nobody cared about the XFL at all. In the first game between the New York/New Jersey Hitmen and the Las Vegas Outlaws, only 14 million viewers watched the game on TV. However, the viewers count quickly declined as only a million viewers watched the championship game between the Los Angeles Xtreme and the San Francisco Demons. The league folded in 2001.

The AFL (Arena Football League) is a football league that is very underground, but still garners enough attention from fans to stay active for a 22nd year. While fans of the NFL would think the AFL is like a minor league, they don't realize that the AFL is a COMPLETELY different game compared to the NFL. Remember my post about the CFL vs. the NFL? If the CFL were a foosball table, and the NFL were a ping pong table, the AFL would be more like a deck of cards. With 50-yard wide fields, 8 men per team, players playing both offense AND defense, and not to mention those hard walls on the sidelines, it's so obvious to figure out that the playing style in the AFL is MUCH different than that in the NFL, yet NFL fans fail to realize that. Why? Because they're so concentrated on their own league they become ignorant of other leagues as well!

Put the NFL Europe on the list of ignored leagues as well. It was supposed to be a developmental league for not-so-good players to practice before the upcoming NFL season. After about seventeen years of operation, NFL Europe folded after it lost $30 million in their last season.

But enough about the history of different football leagues. I want to talk about WHY I choose to talk about underground sports like the AFL, Tour De France, NASCAR, and even the NHL for that matter.

Here at Sports Sector, we try to bring you as much news in the world of sports as possible. Does the world of sports consist of only the MLB, NBA, and NFL? NO. Although baseball is the main sport for the states in the summer, we should at least focus on some other sports like the Tour De France and the CFL, even if they're not being played in the states. Sports Sector's audience is NOT the United States. It's the entire WORLD. And if nobody else on the Sports Sector team (except for Doc and me) talk about sports outside the United States, then our audience will have been automatically diminished by over 90%! And that's not good if we want to popularize our blog internationally.

I took a brief look at our partners over in the SportsFullCircle website. I noticed that they mostly talk about the MLB, NBA, NFL, and not so much on any other league. Some of the sports I talk about are never even mentioned on their website! If I could leave them some feedback on their page, I would say this: "You guys at SportsFullCircle NEED to talk about more sports. I would MUCH rather see an eclectic variety of sports on there rather than just posts about the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry or how the Devil Rays are the best team in the MLB."

Here's an example. You're at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and you see all these great choices of food just waiting to be smothered in saliva. Would you rather eat steak continuously until you get full? Or would you rather try a little bit of everything? Well unless you're a carnivore, I would most likely assume you'd wanna take the "everything" path. Same thing with Sports Sector. Who would want to read JUST MLB, NFL, and NBA news for months on end? Wouldn't you rather like to eat a piece of brocolli every once in a while even though we all know how bad brocolli tastes? Wouldn't you do the same and read some articles about the Arena Football League even though it's not as popular as the NFL? I sure as heck would!

So there you have it. The main reason why I choose to talk about underground sports. The other contributors to Sports Sector mainly talk about the MLB, NBA, and NFL, and so do the other guys at SportsFullCircle. Do I have to be the same as them and write about these three leagues as well? HECK no! I want to be unique and write stories about unique leagues!

When I'm on a team, like here on Sports Sector, I try and identify our weaknesses. When I first joined, I noticed there were barely any news about the NHL, so that's what I started writing about. I filled in for their weaknesses and tried to add some more news about other sports to fortify our status as a sports news group.

Tony Stewart Not Racing for Joe Gibbs Next Season

2008-07-09T17:51:00.005-04:00

Tony Stewart drives the #20 Home Depot car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Next year, he will be driving some other car. Today, Stewart has announced that he will not be a part of Joe Gibbs Racing next season. As a member of JGR, Stewart won thirty-two races as well as two Sprint Cup championships.

The formal announcement will be made on Thursday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, where Tony Stewart will race his regular #20 Home Depot car. Stewart will race for, as well as partly own, Haas CNC Racing next year.

As of right now, there isn't a definitive replacement driver for Stewart in the #20 car next year, although Joey Logano claims that he is up for the challenge. In addition, we don't know what car Stewart will be driving next year; ESPN NASCAR Analyst Marty Smith believes that #14, made famous by his racing hero, AJ Foyt, is a possible choice for Tony.

Cavendish Wins Stage 5; Schumacher Retains Yellow Jersey

2008-07-09T17:37:00.003-04:00

British rider Mark Cavendish won Stage 5 of the Tour De France with a time of 5:27:52 (5 hours, 27 minutes, and 52 seconds). The 23-year old, who rides for Team Columbia, almost won the third stage, but was unable to do so. Cavendish said, "Obviously after the other day we were really disappointed, so it made us motivated for today. For sure it is the biggest thing that has happened to me."

Stefan Schumacher will keep the yellow jersey for another stage as he leads Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain by twelve seconds. Schumacher stated, "It was great to enjoy this stage in the yellow jersey. Yesterday, it was a great mix of feelings given that the start of the season was not good for me. Yesterday, I could have cried but I didn't want to cry in front of everyone. Today, I was much more relaxed."

Also noteworthy about stage 5 is Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde, who got injured after hitting debris about fifty miles into the stage. However, he managed to keep riding. The injuries sustained by Valverde, a favorite to win the Tour De France, will not appear to hinder his chances of winning the title.

6 Contestants Confirmed for 2008 Home Run Derby

2008-07-09T11:38:00.003-04:00

With less than a week until the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, 6 out of 8 contestants have been confirmed for the event.

-Ryan Braun, Brewers

-Grady Sizemore, Indians

-Dan Uggla, Marlins

-Chase Utley, Phillies

-Lance Berkman, Astros

-Josh Hamilton, Rangers

Yankees slugger Jason "The Stache" Giambi has said he will participate if he is selected in the MLB.com Final Vote contest to make it to the All-Star Game. So, if you want to see Giambi, make sure you vote for him. Voting for the contest ends tommorow.

Report: Capitals Re-sign Laich, Fedorov

2008-07-09T10:20:00.006-04:00

Reports indicate that the Washington Capitals have re-signed forwards Brooks Laich and Sergei Fedorov.

Laich is getting a 3 year deal worth worth $6.1 million averaging about $2.03 million per season while Fedorov is reported to receive a 1-year deal worth $4 million.

Laich, 25, played all 82 games for Washington last year picking up 21 goals and 16 assists. Laich also scored 6 points in the playoff series against the Flyers. Laich was slated to go to salary arbitration this offseason.

Fedorov, 38, split time between Columbus and Washington last season with 11 goals and 30 assists in 68 games. Fedorov also had 5 points in the playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

CC Has Strong First Outing In Brewer's Win

2008-07-09T09:11:00.005-04:00

In his first start in a Brewer's uniform, pitcher CC Sabathia threw for six strong innings in a 7-3 win for the Milwaukee Brewers over the Colorado Rockies.

Sabathia allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits. Sabathia also allowed 5 walks tying a career high but cancels that out with 5 strikeouts. Sabathia threw 97 pitches in his first appearance as a Brewer.

Ryan Braun was able to give run support to Sabathia belting a 3-run home run. Rickie Weeks also had a strong game going 3 for 4 on the day.

Milawaukee (50-40) are currently 3rd in the NL central, 4 games behind the division leading Chicago Cubs, who picked up pitcher Rich Harden yesterday from the Oakland Athletics.

Colorado (38-53) are 4th in the NL West trailing the leading Arizona Diamonbacks by 7.5 games.

The winner was CC Sabathia (1-0), the loser was Mark Redman (2-4)

BREAKING NEWS: Elton Brand to the Sixers

2008-07-08T22:11:00.002-04:00

Free Agent Elton Brand has just signed a 5 Year/$80 Million deal with the Philadelphia 76er's. Brand had spent a majority of his career with the Clippers, but now will move on. More later.

Breaking News: Cubs Get Harden

2008-07-08T18:43:00.002-04:00

The Cubs have acquired A's ace Rich Harden in a six-player deal. The Cubs will receive the right-handed Harden and righty Chad Gaudin for pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson, and minor leaguer John Donaldson. More to come later.

Schumacher in Yellow Jersey after Stage 4

2008-07-08T18:28:00.003-04:00

The Tour De France is under way, and after four stages, Stefan Schumacher from Germany is wearing the Yellow Jersey.

Schumacher won the first time trial in this three-week marathon with a time of 35 minutes and 44 seconds. However, Australia's Cadel Evans gained more than a minute on his biggest rivals, which will mean a lot when the later mountain stages arrives.

Schumacher currently leads by 12 seconds over Kim Kurchen of Luxembourg. David Millar of Britain sits behind them in third place. However, don't expect Schumacher to wear the yellow jersey for long. "I didn't come to win the Tour," said Stefan. "My goal was to wear the jersey one day and to win a stage. I reached this goal, so everything else is a bonus."

Jon's Top 10 Most Overplayed Moments in Sports History

2008-07-08T16:00:00.004-04:00

Before I begin my rant for today, I would like to thank all of the people at http://www.hotfootblog.com/ for expressing so much interest in my list of Worst Broadcasters of All-Time. A note, I was going to put in Joe Morgan, but felt I owed it to the Hockey Community to put someone in.

So now I start another Top 10. Today, we’ll take a look at the most overplayed moments in sports history. So you’re at home, watching SportsCenter, just when they show Lynn Swan’s miracle catch. You scream at your 3 Year Old son, “NOT AGAIN!”, and throw your TV Dinner at your brand new 52′ Sony Bravia. Just kidding, but you get the point. Not all the time is it a bad thing that something is overplayed, however, as you will see here in a few moments most of the time it will make one want to roll there eyes until their sockets turn red. Let’s take a look now at some of those moments:

10. Music City Miracle-Here’s the situation. The Buffalo Bills are beating the Tennessee Titans 16-15 near the end of regulation in the 2000 AFC Wild Card Game. The Kickoff is the only play there is enough time left for. Bill’s Kicker Steve Christie takes the Kick all the way to Titan’s FB Lorenzo Neal, who hands it off to TE Frank Wycheck. Then the most controversial part occurs. The ball is lateraled to WR Kevin Dyson, who runs it in for the game winning score. The announcers sit and overanalyze the play, while the refs take hours (not really) to make a decision. It is ruled a touchdown, despite Instant Reply likely proving otherwise, and the broadcasters go more nuts than the crowd. Thank you NFL Referee Efficiency.

9. Steve Bartman-I must have seen this footage so many times, I could take an Etch A Sketch and draw Moises Alou’s reaction, as he pointed up a hand while staring at the umpire. He was trying to convince him it was fan interference, and that the play should be ruled as an out. Too bad it’s only fan interference if the ball is in FAIR TERRITORY. We all remember the look of Bartman’s face, headphones and all, as he stares thinking back at what he just did. This moment makes me sick, as many people forget Cubs SS Alex Gonzalez made a crucial error on one of the easiest groundballs you could ever face. Lay-off Bartman, he was entitled to that ball just as much as Alou was.

8. Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary-”He did it! He did it! Flutie did it!” Those are words that as much as I would like to get them out of my head, just can’t. Don’t get me wrong, the pass was unbelievable. It was an incredible catch on that November day, but we’ve seen it enough. Yes we know it established Doug Flutie as one of the greatest college football players of all-time. Yes we know that it made his name a mainstay in all of sports history. But what did it do for his professional career? It established him as the NFL greatest backup for sure, but not as an elite player. Nevertheless, it is one of the most improbable plays in sports history.

7. Miracle on Ice-We all know the line. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” It may possibly be the most famous moment in U.S. Sports history. And is it bad that it’s overplayed? Absolutely not. It was the Semi-Finals of the 1980 Winter Olympics, right here in the United States. The United States pulls off an improbable, check that implausible, victory against the power house Soviet Union. We all recall Captain Mike Eruzione being trampled by his teammates, and the late Herb Brooks attempting to hold in his emotion. Although the game was actually shown in tape delay, it didn’t take long for a new sense of nationalism to take it’s effect on the United States. American Flags were seen everywhere, and everyone still remembers where they were when the United States beat the Soviets. In my mind, there is nothing wrong with me seeing this anytime I turn on my TV.

6. Bill Buckner-This is another moment I can’t get enough of, although I’m sure Bostonians can. All Mets fans rejoice with me here. “It gets through Buckner!” The Red Sox were 1 strike away from the 1986 World Series title. I can distinctively make out the look on Clemens’ face prior to the play, just so happy he was about to win his first world series. Sorry Rahgah (Thanks Suzyn Waldman), but you would have to wait another 13 years. The ball went right through Bill Buckner’s legs, setting up the Mets to complete the World Series win in Game 7. Bill walked off the field, and out of Boston, and didn’t even return until this season.

5. Willie Mays’ Catch-I love this catch. I am just tired of seeing it so many times. It is widely regarded as one of the best plays in sports history, as not only did Mays make an Illusion-like catch, but he spun around and made a spectacular throw home. In our current day, we have seen better catches (Jim Edmonds’ no look dive, David Tyree, etc.), but none of them will eclipse this. The fact is that this is one of the first “Web Gems” ever caught on tape. Being from 1954, it gave people more than 50 years to enjoy its beauty. It brings up the question if we will still remember this 50 years from now. At the rate it’s being produced on TV Screens though, it would not suprise me one bit.

4. Kirk Gibson Goes Deep-”I don’t believe, what I just saw!” When you’ve seen the clip over 500 times, you begin to believe what you saw actually happened. Kirk Gibson, who barely was able to walk to the plate to make his pinch hit at-bat in the 1988 World Series, hit one of the most prolific home runs in baseball history off Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. Everyone remembers his little fist pump as he rounded the bases, so we don’t need to keep seeing it. Unfortunately, we have reminders such as the Wheaties commercial from a few years back that won’t let us get it out of our heads. Next time I do a fist pump, it will be an attempt at punching this clip back to 1988.

3. The Shot Heard Around the World-With this clip comes what is possibly the most famous call in sports history. “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” These were the words as Giants player Bobby Thomson hit the pennant winning home run to left off Dodger’s pitcher Ralph Branca. I used to love watching this whenever I got a chance. However, how can you honestly enjoy watching it when all you hear is allegations of the Giants stealing signs from the Dodgers? Regardless of what they did, the play is one of the most memorable moments in New York Sports history. Next time you see this, try not to think about what might have happened, and start remembering what did happen.

2. The Immaculate Reception-As I watched SportsCenter last night, it just so happened that they were considering Pittsburgh for Titletown, USA. Just when I was getting interested, I saw the extreme close-up of Franco Harris that I have seen way too many times. Franco catches the ball just before it hits the ground, and runs it back as the Steelers move on to the AFC Championship Game. That was 1972. Yes it is a fantastic catch. Yes it is the play that defined Franco Harris as a pro football player. But the fact is that people don’t even know if it was legal. If the ball hit the Steelers receiver before it was caught by Harris, it would be illegal. At that time, a catch could not be touched by 2 offensive players. The debate will roll on for generations, proving this play as legendary. Sometimes though, too much debate is not good. That is the case

here.

Before I reveal Number 1, let’s touch some plays that just missed this list:
-Michael Jordan’s “Bulls Win!”
-Babe Ruth’s Called Shot
-Buffalo Sabres “No Goal!”
-Hank Aaron’s 715
-Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” Speech
-Mike Tyson’s Ear Bite
-Lynn Swan’s Catch
-Several More

And the Number 1 Most Overplayed Moment in Sports history is…

1. The Play-Here’s the situation. Future Hall of Fame Quaterback John Elway has just led Stanford down the field to take a 20-19 lead off a field goal against arch rival California. However, 8 seconds remained on the clock. The Golden Bears had no time to call a play after the ensuing kickoff, so it would be necessary to return it all the way. California was also down a man on the field, only having 10 do to a confused substitution. They received the kickoff as a squib at about their own 45 yard line. After a quick lateral to Cal’s Dwight Garner, he was quikly swallowed up by Stanford attackers. Just before his knee hit the ground, he tossed it cross-field to Richard Rodgers. Thinking Garner was down, the Stanford Student Band rushed the endzone. However, the play continued, and the rest is history. Kevin Moen took the final lateral into the end zone, crashing into a Stanford Band Member. Everyone remembers Joe Starkley’s famous words. Here they are in their entirety.

“All right, here we go with the kickoff. Harmon will probably try to squib it and he does. The ball comes loose and the Bears have to get out of bounds. Rodgers is along the sideline, another one (lateral)… they’re still in deep trouble at midfield, they tried to do a couple of (laterals)… the ball is still loose as they get it to Rodgers! They get it back now to the 30, they’re down to the 20… Oh, the band is out on the field!! He’s gonna go into the end zone! He’s gone into the end zone!! Will it count? The Bears have scored, but the bands are out on the field! There were flags all over the place. Wait and see what happens—we don’t know who won the game. There are flags on the field. We have to see whether or not the flags are against Stanford or Cal. The Bears may have made some illegal laterals. It could be that it won’t count. The Bears, believe it or not, took it all the way into the end zone. If the penalty is against Stanford, California would win the game. If it is not, the game is over and Stanford has won. We’ve heard no decision yet. Everybody is milling around on the FIELD—AND THE BEARS!! THE BEARS HAVE WON! The Bears have won! Oh, my God! The most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heart-rending… exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football! California has won the Big Game over Stanford! Oh, excuse me for my voice, but I have never, never seen anything like it in the history of I have ever seen any game in my life! The Bears have won it! There will be no extra point!”

So there you have it, my view on the most overplayed moments in sports history. Do you agree? Disagree? Comment or respond!

Gladiators force Force out of AFL Playoffs

2008-07-08T00:05:00.004-04:00

The upsets continue in the Arena Football League playoffs as the fourth-seeded Cleveland Gladiators defeated the Georgia Force 73 to 70 in front of 10,173 fans at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia. This win gives the Cleveland Gladiators a ticket to Philadelphia, where they will play the top-seeded Soul in the National Conference Championship Game.

Gladiators QB Raymond Philyaw completed 20 of 29 passes for 295 yards and eight touchdowns, including the game-winner to Robert Redd with 1:19 left in regulation. Chris Greisen for the Force went 29-for-39 for 343 yards and eight touchdowns.

With one minute to go in the game, the Force trailed 73 to 63. Starting from their own 5-yard line, they advanced 35 yards to the Gladiator 10-yard line in twelve seconds, but needed forty more seconds to actually score a touchdown. The insuing onside kickoff was recovered by Otis Amey, who led his Gladiators squad in receiving yards, catching six Philyaw passes for 130 yards.

The National Championship Conference Game between the Gladiators and the Soul can be seen this Saturday at 1 PM EST on ESPN. In the American Championship Conference Game, the (6) Grand Rapids Rampage will play against the (2) San Jose Sabercats at HP Pavilion in San Jose later that day at 3:30 PM EST on the same channel.

Hiroki Kuroda misses perfect game, settles for 1-hitter

2008-07-07T23:51:00.004-04:00

Dodgers starter Hideki Kuroda was 6 outs away from a perfect game after 7 solid innings, but in the 8th, the perfect game was broken up by a double from Mark Teixera. He was trying to become the first Dodger to have a perfect game since Sandy Koufax did it in 1965. However, he did pitch 6 more outs and end the game with a 1-hitter. Kuroda's Dodgers won 3-0.

HR Derby Champ to not defend title

2008-07-07T22:48:00.002-04:00

Vladimir Guerrero won the Home Run Derby last year, but he will not participate this year. Sources said that he would be in it on July 5th, but on July 7th, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that he will not be in the final Home Run Derby to be held at Yankee Stadium. So as of now, Lance Berkman of the Astros, Chase Utley of the Phillies, Dan Uggla of the Marlins, and Josh Hamilton of the Rangers are the only contestants that have been confirmed to play.

REPORT: Favre Possibly Coming Out Of Retirement?

2008-07-07T18:27:00.010-04:00

It looks like Brett Favre's retirement may end before it even starts. Sources say that Brett Favre has changed his mind and wants to play in the NFL next season and has asked the Packers to remove him from the retired reserve list. Favre retired on March 6th of 2008 which means he has not even gone through 1 NFL season as a retired player yet. Favre currently is downplaying this story saying that it's "all rumour", but could a possible comeback from retirement be in the mix?

Doc's Take On Potential Retiring NHL Players

2008-07-07T15:41:00.012-04:00

I know it might be a bit too early to speculate this but with the recent leaving of Jaromir Jagr from the NHL and the recent retirements of Dominik Hasek and Trevor Linden, plus the fact that I'm feeling under the weather and have nothing better to do, I look at other notable players that might hang up their skates for good.

First off is Teemu Selanne. Teemu was part of the team that helped bring the Stanley Cup to Anaheim in 2007. After this victory, many thought Selanne would take this opportunity to retire on top. This turned out to be false as he re-signed with the Ducks again after taking an extended period of time deciding on his future like his teammate Scott Niedermeyer who also returned and Niedermeyer has also stated he will play again next season. The 38 year old from Helsinki, Finland has played in 15 NHL seasons with Winnipeg, Anaheim, San Jose and Colorado. He has been selected as an all-star 10 times and has also won the Calder, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Bill Masterton and Stanley Cup trophies. Selanne has played 1,067 games with 552 goals and 606 assists giving him 1158 points. Selanne also holds the record for most goals scored in a rookie season with 76.

Another long time face in the NHL that could be gone is long-time Colorado Avalanche captain, Joe Sakic. Joe has had a recent setback this season with a sports hernia which required surgery. Joe was still able to score 40 points in 44 games last season which is pretty respectable for a 38 year old. Born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, Joe has played 19 seasons all with the Quebec/Colorado franchise. He was the leader for his team when the Avalanche won the Cup in 96' and 01' and is known as a heart and soul player throughout the league. The 12 time all-star has also been awarded the Conn Smythe, Lester B. Pearson, Lady Byng, Hart, Olympic gold and 2 Stanley Cup trophies. Sakic has played1,363 games with 623 goals and 1,006 assists for 1,629 career points. Joe currently has the most points of active players, holds the NHL record for most overtime goals in the playoffs with 8 and holds the NHL all-star game record with 16 assists in one all-star game.

Another Avalanche that could call it quits is Peter Forsberg. Along with Sakic, Forsberg was also on Colorado's two Stanley Cup winning teams in 96' and 01'. Forsberg has been known in the NHL as a scorer with very agressive forechecking ability but more recently a player with ankle issues that will not go away because of how he played previously in his career. Forsberg took time, just like Selanne did this year, to decide if he could still be an impact to the game even with a weak ankle. After spending some time training with a hometown team in Sweeden, Forsberg signed a deal with the Avalanche for the remainder of the season but his groin, not ankle, forced him to miss a few games. In the 9 regular season games that he did play, he scored 14 points. The 34 year old from Ornskoldsvik, Sweeden has played 12 seasons with Quebec/Colorado, Philadelphia and Nashville, and is a 5 time NHL all-star. Forsberg has also won the Calder, Hart, Art Ross, Olympic gold and 2 Stanley Cup trophies. In 706 games, Forsberg has accumulated 249 goals and 636 assists for 885 points.

The fourth notable player that might leave the game is Detroit defenceman, Chris Chelios. The 46 year old from Chicago, Illinois has proven that he can stay in shape and has been a reliable stay at home defenceman. Sure he does not have speed any more but you got to have respect for the man to be able to stay in NHL shape at the age of 46. I would not be surprised if he played until he was 50, the last player and only player doing so was Gordie Howe. Chelios has played in 24 NHL seasons with Montreal, Chicago and Detroit. The 11 time NHL all-star has 3 Norris, 1 Mark Messier and 3 Stanley Cup trophies. Chelios has played 1,616 games with 184 goals and 763 assists for 948 points.

Another player is long-time Toronto Maple Leaf captain, Mats Sundin. Sundin is like the NHL's version of Brett Favre, not career wise but the fact their last seasons are similar. Like Favre, Sundin had a successful year statswise with 78 points in 74 games. Like Favre, Sundin has garnered interest to make a return to the NHL. Now with this interest, will Sundin be like Favre and retire even though teams had interest in brining those players back in their respective leagues. Sundin is a big centreman that is strong on the forecheck and can provide team leadership. He is not as inspirational as Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman or Mark Messier, but he can make his presence known. The 37 year old from Bromma, Sweeden has played 17 seasons split with Quebec and Toronto. The 9 time NHL all-star has also recieved the Mark Messier trophy and Olympic gold. Sundin has played 1,305 games collecting 555 goals and 766 assists for 1,321 points. Sundin also is a shareholder for the NHL record of most career overtime goals with 15 which is shared with Jaromir Jagr.

One more possible player that might retire is Sergei Fedorov. Fedorov split time last season between Columbus and Washington and although he is not the scorer like he was when he was younger, he can provide veteran leadership which every team could use. Fedorov is also a good utility player that can play centre, the wings, or defence. The 38 year old from Pskov, Russia has played 17 NHL seasons with Detroit, Anaheim, Columbus and Washington. The 6 time NHL all-star also has a Lester B. Pearson, Hart, 2 Selke and 3 Stanley Cup trophies. Fedorov has played 1,196 games collecting 472 goals and 674 assists for 1,146 points.

All of these players have the credentials to make the hall-of-fame and the impact these 6 players had on the game will not be forgotten even if they decide to play, or not play, next season.

Rafael Nadal Withdraws from Mercedes Cup

2008-07-07T15:26:00.002-04:00

A day after winning the epic Wimbledon finals match against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal will not be playing tennis for a while. ESPN.com reports that muscle pain above his right knee will preclude Nadal from playing in the Mercedes Cup, a tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, that is played on clay, Nadal's specialty.

"This was the least I can do. I'm disappointed that I can't play," Nadal said. "My doctor said I need a few days off. I will have a checkup and treatment and won't return to the court until I am 100 percent fit."

As of right now, Federer is still ranked #1 according to tennis' world rankings (6600 points), and Nadal is still ranked #2 (6055 points).

The fact that the Mercedes Cup starts the day after the final day of Wimbledon precludes some players, like Nadal, from playing in the later tournament. This problem will attempt to be remedied next year.

Jon's Take on the Worst Broadcasters of All-Time

2008-07-07T12:13:00.005-04:00

When one decides to watch or listen to their favorite sports team's game, they do not only expect to see a game. It is all about what commentary comes alongside which intrigues the viewer/listener. They have people for these jobs, and they are called Sportscasters. Not only is it the job of the caster to provide play-by-play, but it is also their duty to educate the audience about what is going on, usually using stories or past experience to do so. We have had many great broadcasters in our time (Mel Allen, Bob Costas, Al Michaels, and so on), but we have also been cursed of having to listen and process the "information" given by others. Here is a list of those Sportscasters that the world might be better off without:

10. Rick Jeanneret-The longtime hockey play-by-play man has been worshiped by the people of Buffalo for many years. However, his extreme outburst of emotion has provided for many viewers to hide under their couches, as well as for some awesome Youtube videos. He has been recorded as for saying and holding the phrase, "Goal!" for more than 15 seconds! Rick also will repeat a player's name during a play more times than is necessary, something that often aggrivates the viewer.

9. Charles Barkley-If I may use one of his own phrases, Chuck is just "Turribul". While Barkley enjoyed an extravagent NBA Career, his mistake to move to the TNT NBA Crew was a bad idea. While he does provide for comical moments at times, he is also known for his use of hyperbole much to often. He frequently will disrupt quality analysis from his colleagues to present the viewer with useless information. During the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Barkley made over 10 references to Dwayne Wade's Red Suit rather than paying attention to the actual event.

8. Joe Buck-I am sure to draw some fire with this one. While Joe Buck has won numerous Emmy's (Which I have the utmost respect for), he has also been known for his bleak attitude during a game. While it is important for a broadcasting personality to not show bias, it is also necessary to show enthusiasm, which he does not display. Take Super Bowl XLII, Giants vs. Patriots. David Tyree makes what is regarded now as one of the best plays in maybe NFL History. Joe Buck began by painting the picture well of Giants QB Eli Manning rolling out, but then only to follow with, "Tyree makes the catch." Buck even stated he has no passion left for baseball on numerous occassions. He has also been marred in controversy with former Giant Barry Bonds as well as the Minnesota Vikings for an onfield incident in 2005.

7. Keith Hernandez-Hernandez is a very smart man, don't get me wrong. He was an All-Star multiple years, and will often provide good insight. However, it is the stupid things that he says which makes you want to do a face-palm. During a game in San Diego, Hernandez spotted a girl employee in the Padres' dougout. Upon realizing herself as an employee, Hernandez stated, "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout." Why Keith, why? This brought large amounts of criticism to himself, which he may never recover from. It is said to "Have a Keith Hernandez Moment" when you have a sudden realization of what you have done, all in reference to his appearance on Seinfeld.

6. Tim McCarver-Another Emmy Award winning Broadcaster finds himself on the list. Now you may be callng me crazy right now, but I know for a fact I have this one right. McCarver has been known to cause a lot of problems with players. For example, Tim often used to crticize Deion Sanders for playing two sports, baseball and football. When Sanders' Braves won the 1992 NLCS, Sanders dumped 3 buckets of Ice Water on McCarver's head, while he was still on assignment. Many think of this as Tim's punishment for making the remarks. He also often flubs names, recently pronouncing Yankees Pitcher Joba Chamberlain's name as J-OH-BUH. SI's Norman Chad once said, "When you ask Tim what time it is, he will tell you how a watch works." This is in reference to him often over-analyzing everything. His work has been even mentioned on FOX's hit show Family Guy, saying that, "...well, at least he couldn't be any worse than Tim McCarver is at sports casting".

5. John Madden-Madden is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable men in the NFL. He coached the Raiders to a Super Bowl title, as well as has his own line of video games. However, Madden will often find himself on the end of ruthless, tasteless (and often hilarious) jokes about his actual broadcasting ability. During Super Bowl XL, Madden said the word "Bootleg" 10 times in a span of 30 seconds. He will often fumble over his words in mid-sentence, sounding almost like he is "eating" his own words (not a joke at his weight). His willingness to endorse almost anything is paradied by comedian Frank Caliendo, having in a skit Madden endorsing the women's product Vagisil. It has also been known during the broadcast for John to overuse the telestrator, drawing things numerous times during the game. He is also known for his sudden outbursts of "Boom!" during big plays.

4. Mike Adamle-Adamle is best known as the voice of the original "American Gladiators". Alongside the Gladiators, Mike worked as an on-field interviewer for the failed Vince McMahon project, the XFL (Extreme Football League). Currently, Adamle provides play-by-play for WWE's "ECW". While I personally do not watch wrestling, I have read in many places that Adamle often flubs people's names and will actually "Wonder Off" just prior to a show going live. He is often heckled by the audience for his insipid work, actually having led him to walk off set on one occassion.

3. John Sterling-What I am about to say will anger any true bandwagon Yankee fan. John Sterling is the worst play-by-play announcer in the history of sports. Working for the Yankees Radio Affiliate WCBS 880 AM, Sterling has covered New York Sports for years. As a matter of fact, he has never missed a Yankee Game (including Spring Training) in all of the years he has covered them, which is more than 19 years. I 100% praise him for this. It is his handling of the game and EXTREME hyperbole which can agitate any sports fan. He will overuse the phrase, "Theeeee Pitch..." when a pitcher is ready to deliver a ball. However, his home run catchphrase, "It is high, it is far, it is gone!" is by far the most frequently spoken of them all. On one occassion, Sterling exclaimed this 4 times in a game, none of which were even a home run (obviously excluding the "gone" part). He aggrivates the whole sports world with his, "Yankees Win. TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!" call after every Yankee win as well. I was once at a sports broadcasting lecture given by an NBC sports personality, and he even warned the whole audience to not be like Sterling. You can see a "tribute" I made to Mr. Sterling, which was featured on Sports Illustrated's website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDPfV8qljHM

2. Stephen A. Smith-Will someone get me some cheese doodles (you will have no idea what I am talking about if you have never seen the hit Stephen A. Youtube video)? "Stephen A." is by far the most opinionated sports analyst in the whole entire nation. In fact, Smith used to have his own talk show, Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, which failed miserably on ESPN. He would often hold a question and answer with fans, in which it seemed he would bash almost anything they would say or ask. Smith brings a new meaning to the word "hyperbole". He is known to shout words such as "How-evuh!" or something along the lines of "The New York Knicks of New York are..." In fact, Smith once stormed off the set of an ESPN NBA Halftime show after ranting on the Knicks. Smith regularly hosted a radio show on ESPN Radio, which was cancelled due to lack of viewers this year. 2008 has continues to be dismal for Stephen A., as he has been fired from the Philadelphia Inquirer and demoted from NBA Lead Analyst to Interviewer.

And the Number 1 Worst Sportscaster Today is...

1. Suzyn Waldman-Rated the worst Sportscaster in New York by the citizens of New York City, Waldman has been the Yankees color commentary announcer since 2005. Her and the aforementioned John Sterling undoubtedly are the worst duo of all-time (yes even worse than Captain and Tenneal). Waldman made national headlines last season, for her call when Roger Clemens announced his comeback to the Yankees. Being from New England, her accent took control of her actions. "RAGAH CLEMENS, IS STAHNDING RIGHT OWTSAHDE OF GEAHGE'S BAWKS!" The call earned her many appearances in the popular radio show, Mike and the Mad Dog, in which she called in warning them not to play the clip again. This was to no avail. When the Yankees were eliminated during the playoffs last year, Waldman cried on air after fearing manager Joe Torre would leave. This earned her much criticism, as it is widely known not to express personal emotion during a broadcast. She has also been involved in minor run-ins with players, such as an incident with former Yankee Jesse Barfield. You can see another "tribute" I made at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Uz79_SO_A

So there you go, this is my list of the Top 10 Worst Sportscasters of all-time. Am I saying that these people have put in no work? Absolutely not. All I suggest is that these people figure out alternate ways to present the game to the audience. Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment!

Alex Rodriguez Hits Home Run Number 536

2008-07-07T10:08:00.002-04:00

In the final, nail-bitter, game of the Yankees-Red Sox July 4th series, A-rod was able to hit home run number 536, which ties him with New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle for 13th on the career list.

Other notes from the game:

-Brett Gardner is the first Yankees rookie to have a walk-off hit against the Red Sox since Derek Jeter did so on September 21, 1996.

-Joe Girardi was ejected from the game after arguing a called strike.

-Chamberlain got his sixth no decision since joining the starting rotation.

5 Contestants Confirmed For Home Run Derby

2008-07-06T23:04:00.004-04:00

3 More Contestants will be named, but I have 4 names that have been confirmed for the State Farm Home Run Derby on July 14th at Yankee Stadium.

Stats as of 6/5/08:

Astros-1B Lance Berkman (22 HR)
Phillies-2B Chase Utley (24 HR)
Marlins-2B Dan Uggla (23 HR)
Rangers-OF Josh Hamilton(19 HR)
Angels-OF Valdmir Guerrero(14 HR)

Rampage Continue to Rampage Their Way Towards ArenaBowl XXII

2008-07-06T22:08:00.005-04:00

The sixth-seeded Grand Rapids Rampage are making a run for the ArenaBowl as they have knocked off top-seeded Chicago Rush 58 to 41 to advance to the American Conference Championship Game, where they will play against the two-seeded San Jose Sabercats at HP Pavilion in San Jose next Saturday at 3:30 PM EST.

Rampage QB James MacPherson led the way for his Grand Rapids squad completing 33 of 39 passes for 326 yards and six touchdown passes. He also had one interception thrown, which was critical because following the interception, a fight ensued, which resulted in the ejection of Jason Shelley from the Rampage. Fortunately, for the irate Shelley, his team ended up winning the game. Rush QB Russ Michna went 19-for-32 for only 252 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Tomorrow, the last divisional game will be played when the (2) Georgia Force host the (4) Cleveland Gladiators at 8 PM EST on ESPN2.

All-Star Game Could Be Rained Out

2008-07-06T20:27:00.004-04:00

Well I know we are stil 9 days or so away from the game on July 15th, but early forecasts show 60% chance of Scattered Thunderstorms for the All-Star Game. This is not good news for Major League Baseball, as it would be unlikely the Game could be made up.

BREAKING NEWS: C.C. Sabathia Traded to Brewers

2008-07-06T19:59:00.003-04:00

Reigning AL Cy Young C.C. Sabathia is now a Brewer, after having been traded for minor league prospects. Most notably of the players is AA Star Matt La Porta. The trade is pending approval.

Once it goes through, the Brewers will have the talented 1-2 punch of both Ben Sheets and C.C.. This brings up my arguement from the other day though. Both Sheets and C.C. are free agents come season's end. Can the Brewers afford both of them?

Jon's Take on the MLB All-Star Selections Plus Predictions

2008-07-06T18:11:00.007-04:00

Only one word can describe my attitude towards the players selected for the 2008 MLB All-Star Game in New York: Disgust.

Sure, we have 7 first time staters. That's great. However, it's the other choices that have made me want to vomit, as it has proved the ignorance of the fans and Major League Players and Managers.

Let's start with the AL. I am fine with Josh Hamilton starting in the Outfield, the man leads the Majors with 84 RBI's. That is 18 more than any other player in the Majors. Then you put him alongside Manny Ramirez and Ichiro Suzuki. Obviously, these 2 players got in strictly off popularity, as neither of them are putting up All-Star quality numbers. They are appearing in their 7th and 6th All-Star Games respectively. As for the infield, I see few problems. Rodriguez is arguably the best player in the game, and Dustin Pedroia is one of the best overall hitters in the AL. Kevin Youkilis is showing his All-Star potential with his hitting as well. Joe Mauer is the best hitting Catcher in the Majors as well. However, putting Derek Jeter in at SS (as much as I love him) is the wrong decision. He has a career low batting average (.274) at this point in the season, and is putting up numbers nowhere comparable to Texas' Michael Young. Jeter is more deserving of a reserve spot on this team. Also, voting in David Ortiz as DH is wrong as well. Even before Ortiz got hurt, his numbers were nothing spectacular. He will not play however, and a reserve will be chosen as DH.

That is the most lenient I will be, so get ready for a rage. Let's begin with the reserves. Jason Varitek was put on the team, while he has a .219 AVG.! This is pure bias from AL players, and I don't say that as a Yankee fan. In fact, it is the lowest batting average a player has had while being slected to an All-Star Game. Another problem I have with the reserves is that there is only 1 Tampa Bay Ray in Dioner Navarro. While Evan Longoria is a candidate for 30th Man, notables like Carl Crawford (.288 AVG.) and B.J. Upton were not even considered. Jermaine Dye has a .308 AVG. with 19 HR's, and he too was snubbed. However, himself, Jason Giambi, Brian Roberts, Evan Longoria, and Jose Guillen are all up for the Final Vote Category.

As for the pitching, I am relatively pleased. The biggest snub however is Mike Mussina. Mussina is tied with Cliff Lee (who will likely get the starting nod for the game) for second in the AL with 11 wins. Yet Francona leaves him off the team. Power to the Angels though, putting 3 pitchers on the squad. Saunders was the right pick for this All-Star team. Joakim Soria has established himself as a household name, and Mariano Rivera should find a spot in the game at Yankee Stadium. Overall though, Francona is a big disappointment with his selections in my mind.

Now to the NL.

As for the Starters, the fans almost got it right with this one. Voting in Alfonso Soriano would have been the right move if he hadn't been hurt all year. This is once again a display of popularity. Fukudome would have been better off as a reserve, but you have to give the guy credit. Ken Griffey Jr. had the lead for the third spot going into last week, but the fans pulled Ryan Braun ahead, thankfully doing the right thing. With the infield, there are no complaints. Hanley Ramirez may be the best SS in the league, and Chipper Jones is having a career year. Lance Berkman was hovering .400 at one point this year, so he locks of the spot at First while Chase Utley does the same with Second Base. The best pick in my mind was Geovany Soto, and man do I regret not drafting him on my fantasy team. The DH will be determined later, but will likely end up going to Albert Pujols. I disagree with this decision, as Adrian Gonzalez has already hit a home run in Yankee Stadium this year. He should get the nod in my mind.

The reserves are strong as well, with guys such as Dan Uggla and Miguel Tejada taking strong spots. Congrats to Ryan Ludwick, for sure having a career year for the Pirates. Same goes to Cristian Guzman, who barely escaped with a minor league deal a few seasons ago. Other strong forces such as the aforementioned Pujols and Gonzalez control the bench, and will sure find a spot in the game alongside Aramis Ramirez. The BIGGEST MISTAKE I see is NO RYAN HOWARD. The man is leading the National League in RBI's (76). How is he not on the roster? Another robbery I find here is no David Wright, as he is one of the most talented overall players in the game today. Wright is however a candidate for the Final Vote, as well as Pat Burrell, Corey Hart, and Aaron Rowand.

Pitching looks great for the National League as well. Tim Lincecum will likely receive the start from Manager Clint Hurdle. Backup is strong though, with Brandwon Webb and Dan Haren being strong backups. Edinson Volquez has been flawless this season, alongside Cubs Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Kerry Wood. Brad Lidge or Brian Wilson could get the closing spot in the game if necessary. Hurdle made nice selections in this category.

When it is all said and done, I believe this game will be a blowout this season. Who is the winner? My vote of confidence (despite my wish) goes to the National League. The bench is just so much more versitile than the AL's, and the pitching has no holes whatsoever. I could be wrong of course. But isn't that the point of being a journalist? Only time will tell.

You can vote for the "Final Vote" contestants on www.mlb.com.

MLS Recap July 3rd-5th

2008-07-06T17:22:00.005-04:00

On Thursday July 3rd there was a 0-0 tie between the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Like. There were 6 yellow cards given out that game plus a red card to Real Salt Lake's Chris Wingert for his involvement in a scrum between the two teams. The tie between the teams gave them each their 20th points of the season good for a tie for 3rd in the Western Conference.

Friday July 4th brought 3 games with 1-1 tie between the Kansas City Wizards and FC Dallas. Scott Sealy (2) opened it up for the Wizards in the 39th minute. The Wizards were poised to win this game but a late goal by Abe Thompson (2) in the 91st minute made the outcome of the game a tie. Kansas City is last in the Eastern Conference with 17 points while FC Dallas is 2nd last in the Western Conference with 18 points.

July 4th also saw a blowout as the Colorado Rapids rammed over the New York Red Bulls 4-0. Colorado goals were scored by Tom Mcmanus (4), Mehdi Ballouchy (1), Colin Clark (3) and Omar Cummings (4). The win puts Colorado 5th place in the Western Conference with 19 points, while New York is in 5th place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points.

The final game of the day saw the New England Revolution squeak past the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1. Adam Cristman (5) would open the scoring for the Revolution in the 33rd but the Revolution would strike again at the 37th minute with Adam Cristman (6) scoring his 2nd goal of the game. David Beckham (5) would add 1 for the Galaxy in the 66th minute but the Galaxy could not find the game-tying goal. New England is 1st place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points while Los Angeles is Tied for 1st in the Western Conference with 21 points.

Saturday July 5th held two games first being a 2-2 tie between the Chicago Fire and the Columbus Crew. Chicago would set the pace of the game early as Chris Rolfe (3) scored in the 8th minute. Chicago would strike again in the 25th minute as Calen Carr (2) put Chicago up 2-0. Columbus would get on back late in the half as Emmanuel Ekpo (2) scored in the 36th minute to make the score at half 2-1. Searching for the game-tying goal, Columbus would get late heorics from Steven Lenhart (2) in the 87th minute to make it 2-2 and that would be how the game would end. Chicago is tied for 4th in the Eastern conference with the Toronto FC which did not play this weekend and both have 21 points. Columbus is 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 27 points.

The final game of this weekend was a 1-0 victory for Chivas USA over the San Jose Earthquakes. This game was scoreless until the 88th minute with a goal by Ante Razov (3). Chivas USA is tied for 1st in the Western Conference with the LA Galaxy with 21 points while San Jose sits at the bottom of the Wester Conference with 12 points.

This week in the MLS: Thursday, July 10:
New York Red Bulls @ Kansas City Wizards
Chivas USA @ Los Angeles Galaxy

Saturday, July 12:
Colorado Rapids @ San Jose Earthquakes
Toronto FC @ Chicago Fire
Columbus Crew @ Real Salt Lake

Kim first since Tiger as players under 25 to win twice in year

2008-07-06T17:01:00.002-04:00

Anthony Kim saved his diamond-studded "AK" belt buckle for the final round, then turned in a gem Sunday in the AT&T National to affirm his status as a rising star. Three shots behind going into the final round, the 23-year-old Kim emerged from the pack with consecutive birdies around the turn at Congressional and closed with a 5-under 65 for a two-shot victory over Fredrik Jacobson. Kim became the first American under 25 to win twice in one year on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods. Woods, the tournament host who is recovering from season-ending knee surgery, wasn't around to see a game that he might have recognized. Kim is an explosive talent who wasn't getting much out of his game until he dedicated himself more to practice than partying. He eliminated the mistakes on a soft, cloudy morning at Congressional and fired at flags when it made sense. Kim stretched his lead to four shots on the back nine before Jacobson made a charge that came too late. Kim, who won earlier this year at the Wachovia Championship, finished at 12-under 268 and earned $1.08 million, moving him to No. 6 in the Ryder Cup standings and closer to the top 10 in the world ranking.

Rafael Nadal Wins at Wimbledon

2008-07-06T16:16:00.007-04:00

It's over! After a seven-hour marathon, including rain delays, Rafael Nadal has ended Roger Federer's streak of 65 consecutive wins on grass in dramatic fashion!

Nadal defeated Federer by the score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. This match, which lasted five hours, was the longest match in Wimbledon History, and it was the first match to end after 9:00 PM.

With that win, Rafael Nadal becomes the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win both Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year.

In the fifth set of this epic tennis match, each player won their first seven service games, but Federer lost the 15th game while serving, which allowed Nadal to serve for the match in the 16th game. Federer didn't back down, however, forcing a deuce, but his unforced errors killed him as Nadal went on to take the title.

In the ladies' side, Venus Williams defeated sister Serena in straight sets to win her fifth Wimbledon title.

MLB All-Star Game Rosters Announced

2008-07-06T15:02:00.005-04:00

The starters for both the AL and NL have been announced today, and they are dominated by the Red Sox and Cubs. Here are the lineups:

AL: Starters
1B-Kevin Youkilis-Red Sox
2B-Dustin Pedroia-Red Sox
3B-Alex Rodriguez-Yankees
SS-Derek Jeter-Yankees
C-Joe Mauer-Twins
OF-Manny Ramirez-Red Sox
OF-Ichiro Suzuki-Mariners
OF-Josh Hamilton-Rangers
DH-David Ortiz-Red Sox *Will Not Play In All-Star Game (wrist), Will Be Replaced

Pitchers:
P Justin Duchscherer, OAK
P Roy Halladay, TOR
P Scott Kazmir, TB
P Cliff Lee, CLE
P Joe Nathan, MIN
P Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
P Mariano Rivera, NYY
P Francisco Rodriguez, LAA
P Ervin Santana, LAA
P Joe Saunders, LAA
P George Sherrill, BAL
P Joakim Soria, KC

Reserves:
C Dioner Navarro, TB
C Jason Varitek, BOS
1B Justin Morneau, MIN
2B Ian Kinsler, TEX
SS Michael Young, TEX
3B Joe Crede, CWS
3B Carlos Guillen, DET
OF J.D. Drew, BOS
OF Carlos Quentin, CWS
OF Grady Sizemore, CLE
DH Milton Bradley, TEX

NL:Starters
1B-Lance Berkman-Astros
2B-Chase Utley-Phillies
3B-Chipper Jones
SS-Hanley Ramirez-Marlins
C-Geovany Soto-Cubs
OF-Alfonso Soriano-Cubs
OF-Kosuke Fukudome-Cubs
OF-Ryan Braun-Brewers
DH-TBA

Pitchers:
P Aaron Cook, COL
P Ryan Dempster, CHC
P Dan Haren, ARI
P Brad Lidge, PHI
P Tim Lincecum, SF
P Ben Sheets, MIL
P Edinson Volquez, CIN
P Billy Wagner, NYM
P Brandon Webb, ARI
P Brian Wilson, SF
P Kerry Wood, CHC
P Carlos Zambrano, CHC

Reserves:
C Russell Martin, LA
1B Brian McCann, ATL
1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD
1B Albert Pujols, STL
2B Dan Uggla, FLA
3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC
SS Cristian Guzman, WAS
SS Miguel Tejada, HOU
OF Matt Holliday, COL
OF Ryan Ludwick, STL
OF Nate McLouth, PIT

The 30th Man Vote Contestants:
AL:
Jermaine Dye, CWS
Jason Giambi, NYY
Jose Guillen, KC
Evan Longoria, TB
Brian Roberts, BAL

NL:
Pat Burrell, PHI
Corey Hart, MIL
Carlos Lee, HOU
Aaron Rowand, SF
David Wright,NYM

A-Rod led the overall voting with 3,934,518 votes, and Chase Utley led NL voting with 3,889,602.

Youkilis, Pedroia, Hamilton, Soto, Ramirez, Fukudome, and Braun will all be making their first starts in an All-Star Game. Braun overtook the Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. in the last week of voting.

Wimbledon Update: Rain Delay in 5th Set

2008-07-06T14:59:00.005-04:00

Today is not a very beautiful day for tennis, but those in Wimbledon, England have witnessed a beautiful tennis match between tennis superstars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The match has just been called for a rain delay. As of right now, the match is at an even deadlock. Federer serves in the 5th set of the 5th game that stands at deuce; both Federer and Nadal have both won two games each in this 5th set.

However, we would not have seen the fifth set if it weren't for Roger Federer fighting off two tiebreakers from Rafael Nadal, which included two championship points for Nadal. The turning point of the 4th set tiebreaker came when Nadal double-faulted serving for the match with a 5-2 advantage over Federer. After that double fault, Federer won three consecutive points before Nadal forced a tiebreaker in the tiebreaker. After some fantastic back-and-forth action, which included Nadal's two blown championship points, Federer edged out Nadal in the 4th set tiebreaker.

Unforced errors have plagued Federer in this game as he has made 43 compared to Nadal's 25, but Federer leads in the aces category 18 to 5.

As of right now, it appears that play will resume shortly. Keep checking Sports Sector for all the latest news from Wimbledon!

Soul and Sabercats Advance to Conference Finals

2008-07-06T00:20:00.008-04:00

While the (2) San Jose Sabercats steamrolled the (5) Colorado Crush 64 to 51, the (1) Philadelphia Soul needed a last-second miracle to knock off the (6) New York Dragons and claim a spot in the National Conference Championship Game.

With just seven seconds left in the game, the Dragons were leading the Soul 48 to 43, and Matt D'Orazio was behind the Soul's center on the last play of the game. After the snap, D'Orazio threw the ball to Larry Brackins who barely scored the winning touchdown, although his knee appeared to have touched the ground before the ball broke the plane. The play was reviewed by Arena Football League officials, and the touchdown counted, giving the Soul a ticket into the Conference Finals with a 49-48 victory over the Dragons. The Soul will host the winner of the Force/Gladiators game, which will be played on Monday at 8 PM EST.

Dragons QB Aaron Garcia completed 34 of 45 passes for 337 yards and five touchdowns while Matt D'Orazio went 2o-for-32 for 258 yards and six touchdowns.

Kyle Busch Wins Coke Zero 400 in Dramatic Fashion

2008-07-05T23:36:00.007-04:00

With 4 laps to go in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Jimmie Johnson and five other cars crashed, which forced NASCAR officials to utilize the Green-White-Checkered finish (NASCAR's version of overtime in which there would be two laps left after the restart) to determine a winner.

The restart on the Green-White-Checkered was so slow that a big accident was imminent. Carl Edwards knocked Jeff Gordon spinning into Turn 1, but the green flag stayed out because Gordon continued to drive after the spin. On the next lap, cars started to get loose, and "the big one" occurred. Due to NASCAR's rule of allowing only ONE Green-White-Checkered finish, officials had to use scoring loops and video replays to determine who was in front when the caution flag came out; the driver in front would then be the winner.

During the big wreck, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were drag-racing in the front of the field. After a few minutes of review, officials concluded that Kyle Busch was the winner of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. This victory gives Kyle his sixth win of the season as well as a stronger lead in the NSCS points standings.

Especially noteworthy about this race is Tony Stewart falling ill during the race, which allowed J.J. Yeley to take over the Home Depot #20 car on Lap 72. J.J. Yeley had failed to qualify with his own #96 car, but because he used to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, he was allowed to race Stewart's car for the last 88 laps of the race.

Matt Cooke to Wear Penguins Jersey Next Season

2008-07-05T22:07:00.007-04:00

Matt Cooke of the Washington Capitals signed a two-year $2.4 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 29-year old from Belleville, Ontario, Canada played a total of 78 regular season games last season: 61 with the Vancouver Canucks, and 17 with the Washington Capitals. Cooke scored seven goals and nine assists with the Canucks to go along with his three goals and four assists with the Capitals.

According to Penguins GM Ray Shero, "Matt is a versatile forward that will bring grit, energy and experience to our lineup. He is the type of player that adds depth up front and is capable of providing offense for our hockey club."

On February 26, 2008, the Washington Capitals traded Left Winger Matt Pettinger to the Vancouver Canucks for Matt Cooke. Now, you will see Cooke in a Penguins jersey next season.

Ultimate Sports Forum Has Arrived!

2008-07-05T15:16:00.004-04:00

Now, every Sports Sector viewer has the opportunity to discuss everything sports! In share with www.sportsfullcircle.com, the Ultimate Sports Forum has been created. You will need to register in order to discuss, but don't worry it's free. You can create your own topics to talk about with people across the internet, and show off your sports insight! The link is: www.sportsfullcircle.com/forum

boygenius88's take on CFL vs. NFL

2008-07-05T13:25:00.008-04:00

Most Americans know about the National Football League (NFL), but do they know that there is also a Canadian Football League (CFL)? Odds are, if you followed football in the 90s, you probably did as the CFL expanded to the US during the 90s. There would be new Canadian Football teams in the USA starting with the Sacramento Gold Miners in 1993. The next year, the Las Vegas Posse, Baltimore Stallions (also called CFLers), and the Shreveport Pirates came around. Finally in 1995, the Sacramento Gold Miners moved to San Antonio and renamed their team the Texans. The Birmingham Barracudas and Memphis MadDogs also made their debut.

Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, like college football, lack of televised games, and the Stallions winning the 1995 Grey Cup, all US teams either folded or moved to a city in Canada. Since 1996, the CFL consisted of only Canadian teams.

So after hearing a brief history about the CFL's expansion to the US, you would probably think Americans are being their ignoramus selves when it comes to Canadian football. Most of the time, it's true. You can't watch a CFL game in the states because they're only played on TSN, which you can only get in Canada.

So this brings out the question: Which league is better? CFL or NFL?

In my opinion, that question cannot be answered due to numerous differences between the two leagues. Since most people are familiar with NFL rules, I'll go over some basic CFL rules:

A CFL field is 110 yards wide with endzones 20 yards in depth. While an NFL field is about 53 yards wide, a CFL field is 65 yards wide, which increases the area of the CFL playing field (excluding the goal areas) by 35%! A CFL team consists of twelve players as opposed to eleven, but it is more difficult for 12 players to defend a CFL field than for 11 players to defend an NFL field, thus necessitating fewer downs per set of plays (3).

On a typical CFL play, the defensive line must stay at least one yard behind the ball, so the line of scrimmage is MUCH larger in the CFL than in the NFL. Plus, in the CFL, you get awarded one point for simply kicking the ball in the endzone provided that the other team doesn't return it out. This makes games very interesting as some teams will try kicking the ball back and forth at the ends of very close games (e.g. 1972 Western Division Final between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers) to win or send the game into overtime. Also, it is very important to note that a CFL period MUST end on a play. Unlike the NFL, where a quarter ends at 0:00, you will usually see CFL plays start at 0:00.

Bottom line: The playing style is just not the same. Reminiscence of Steve Dangle's rant about NHL 08, it goes something like this:

The CFL is like a really nice foosball table. You look at it and you're like "wow that is a really nice foosball table! You could literally imagine yourself having fun with a friend at foosball!" Ignorant people who think the CFL is the same as NFL only in Canada will say "Hey do you like the CFL's foosball table?" "umm YES!" 'Well here's the same foosball table in the states," and they're really talking about a ping pong table. Your reaction would be, "That's not a foosball table! It's a ping pong table!" While ping pong is also a fun game to play, it's not the same as foosball, and just because you call it foosball doesn't make it foosball.

So why does foosball have singles and ping pong doesn't? BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GAMES! If you order a 5000-square-foot mansion for $10 million, and the real estate agent offers you a 2500-square-foot condo at the same price arguing "well it's still a dwelling!", it's just not right.

So WHY do some people compare the CFL with the NFL saying their league is better? CFL fans are like "oh our league is better because of this and that" while NFL fans are like "oh the NFL rules because yada yada yada." Just quit the childish arguing and take it for granted that you just can't compare the CFL to the NFL!

C.C. Sabathia To Be A Brewer?

2008-07-05T12:44:00.003-04:00

The MLB Trade Deadline is just weeks away, and it appears that the Man of the Market is C.C. Sabathia. While rumors have swirled for about a year now that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are the front runners, recent reports suggest otherwise. It appears the Milwaukee Brewers' Minor League System has been scouted by the Cleveland Indians, while no one else's has. The Indians appear to be especially interested in the AA Players, yet seem open to the whole system.

If the Brewers were to pick up C.C., it would leave them with two of the top pitchers in the league with Ben Sheets and Sabathia. One problem with this would be that both of them are free agents in the upcoming offseason. It is unlikely that the Brewers would be able to keep both star players, and it would be quite interesting to find out who they would select.