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Sam Hornish Jr.: "I Am Right Where I Want To Be"

Mary Jo Buchanan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:01:53 -0400

"I didn't make the move to NASCAR on a whim or without being fully committed to becoming a successful stock car driver," said Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Dodge. "When I made the decision to come to NASCAR, I considered myself a stock car driver and have ever since".

"There was never any question in my mind if I would return to open wheel racing," continued Hornish. "I am right where I want to be."

In 2007, Hornish made the most difficult decision to leave his very successful IndyCar Racing Series career. Hornish had incredible success in that series, winning three championships and 19 races.

But Hornish chose to give that all up and move on to the challenge of NASCAR stock car racing.

"Roger Penske let me run a few Nationwide races while I was still competing in the IndyCar Series and in 2007, we made a couple of Cup starts as well," said Hornish.

"He (Penske) wanted me to see if it was something I liked and we both knew that I had to do it full-time if I wanted to succeed."

As a result, Hornish said farewell to IndyCar racing and hello to full-time NASCAR Cup racing.

"I knew how hard it was going to be," continued Hornish. "I wanted to challenge myself."

Hornish continued, "I told myself this could be the biggest mistake that I ever made. But I had a taste of this, and wanted more."

Since coming over to stock car racing, Hornish has indeed been challenged. But he and his team have been making steady progress, bringing home an eighth-place finish at this past weekend's race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

This great top-ten finish, in spite of the rain-shortened race, was the fourth top-ten finish for Hornish and his Penske team. As a result of the finish, Hornish gained one position in the points and now is in the 25th position in the points standings.

"Our team has had some top ten finishes so far this season and it really builds a lot of momentum," said Hornish. "There were some races early on where we didn't get the finish we deserved due to overheating, or a blown tire, or a pit stop mistake."

Hornish continued, "But there has been consistent improvement for the Mobil 1 Team throughout the season and it seems as if all the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place."

"We know that we have to start running consistently in the top ten, and then the top five," said Hornish of his goals for the rest of the 2009 season. "Everything is a progression, and we are building a solid foundation that will eventually lead us to Victory Lane."

After leaving New Hampshire, Hornish and team headed to Daytona for this weekend's July 4th fireworks on the superspeedway. Hornish was fast in practice, but unfortunately tangled with Greg Biffle in Happy Hour, wrecking his primary car.

Both Hornish and Biffle will now have to go to back up cars for the Saturday night race. As is typical at Daytona, however, starting position is not all that critical, given the chess game of using the draft to move to the head of the pack.

With the practice crash in his rear view mirror, Hornish is now focused on a good run at Daytona. He has experienced success in the IndyCar Series and is now anxious and poised to experience it in the highest level of NASCAR stock car racing.

"The ultimate goal is to win races, of course," said Hornish.

Hornish is hoping that he can indeed achieve that goal as soon as possible in the 2009 season. If so, he will take with him his biggest supporters, wife Crystal and daughter Addison (pictured above).

If Hornish ends up with the checkered flag at Daytona, he will also have another reason to celebrate. Hornish celebrated his 30th birthday on July 2.

Whether he wins or has another great finish, Hornish is sure of one thing.

"I feel like I'm learning all the time," said Hornish. "The team is growing and getting stronger. Penske Racing as a whole is also getting stronger, and I think you are seeing the results on the track."

Photo Credit: Mary Jo Buchanan, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Yank Takes Down Brit at Wimbledon Semis Day Before Fourth of July

McCord Roberts — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:52:47 -0400

Even though Andy Murray is from Scotland, he still is a representative of the United Kingdom and therefore gets my juices flowing red, white, and blue with Patriotic pride.

Andy Roddick took out Murray in the Wimbledon semi-finals Friday, the day before America celebrates its Independence from England.

The unique thing about the match is that England rarely has a quality representative this far in what is considered the most coveted tennis championship of them all.

Murray had an entire nation behind him with hopes of becoming the first UK representative to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

Many Americans have won Wimbledon near the fourth of July, or even on it in the past, but Roddick's win at a time where the U.S. doesn't have the talent pool in tennis as it has had in the past made me proud.

Most of all, I wish I could have been in a London pub to trade barbs with the English. I always have fun in my visits to England while going to soccer matches and when it gets into a discussion regarding our countries, it gets pretty comical, for both sides.

We're all there to have a good time and laugh, but the English while drinking try to goad you into getting angry just to see how far they can go with you. I'm a happy drinker and after a few jabs at each other, we all laugh and drink some more.

One of the many jabs I always keep in my hip pocket is how come an Englishman can't win Wimbledon if they hold it in such high regard. Is it not the greatest tournament in Tennis? How come you can't win your own tournament?

After they tell me how much George Bush is a wanker and we can't play proper football, I come back with telling them to buy me another pint as part of a down payment for all the money Roosevelt gave Churchill and England during World War II. It gets more laughs, and we drink more.

Then we start talking about Rugby and how an American isn't tough enough to play. Not that they know who the American pro football players are, but I start to give them guys like Ray Lewis, Jon Lynch, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shawn Merriman, and Ed Reed and feel pretty confident my guys would do quite well at their game.

Now it's on to the Olympics where I can barely stop laughing and get it out in one sentence as I attempt to tell them their most famous Olympic Athlete was a goof named Eddie the Eagle.

So where are all the great English athletes, I ask?

They tell me they're more interested in focusing their talents at proper football, which leads me to ask when they last won a World Cup, and then the final blow is asking how they did in the Euro Cup.

They called me a cold-blooded Yank with that low blow, so I bought them more beer, including a nice Champagne/Guinness mix.

We laughed and sang some more, uniting with the German Bomber song where we insert U.S.A. alongside the R.A.F. portion of the song as a tribute to the many Americans who flew, protected, and/or died for England before the USA was in the war.

As the night ended after several pints, they tell me that if they hadn't given America away - which I find funny as in we didn't beat them, they gave it away like a gift, that we might have some culture over here.

We all laugh and they think they've got the last laugh as I get into a cab when I say, I'd much rather have good-tasting food than Culture.

It's all in good fun, but I really was happy to see the Yank take down the Brit and give me some more ammo for my next visit. I miss those guys and the Guinness, which I can't seem to find as good out here!

"The Answer" Might Be in Chicago, or Maybe Even With Dwyane Wade and Miami

Bhavik Darji — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:52:01 -0400

We all know that Ben Gordon has agreed to terms to sign with the Pistons as soon as the players are eligible to sign on July 8. It's how Ben Gordon is going to get to Detroit city that has been talked about recently.

Although the talks between the Bulls and the Pistons are not heated at the moment, there is always a chance the Bulls would do a sign-and-trade for Allen Iverson.

It has been revisited a ton of times and talked about how it would benefit Gordon and the Bulls.

Ben Gordon would probably get an extra year in his contract, worth around the same the Pistons have offered.

The Bulls, on the other hand, would receive Allen Iverson, a surefire Hall of Famer who does seem on the downside of his career.

Just picturing Derrick Rose and Allen Iverson is pretty mind-shattering actually. Both are very speedy guards, but Iverson would have to accept the secondary role behind Rose, Deng, and maybe even Salmons.

The only way this would be possible is if the Pistons gain anything else out of this besides Ben Gordon. That gain is cap savings.

With the recent verbal agreements between Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon, the Pistons have taken themselves out for that highly anticipated free agent class for 2010.

He would fill in the role of SG and could possibly be the No. 1 scoring option. Allen Iverson's career is far from over. He was on a team that oriented around being a team. There was never really a true all star. Although, Billups does seem like one.

Then there have been reports that Allen Iverson has been in contact with Miami's Pat Riley.

Seeing Iverson and Dwyane Wade together in the backcourt seems exhilarating. Wade would be able to control Allen, and I really think Iverson would love to play with someone as explosive as Dwyane Wade.

It would either be moving Wade to the point guard spot or having Iverson start at the point guard spot. With a healthy Jermaine O'Neal and Wade, the Heat could possibly have a great chance of going far next year in the playoffs.

Allen would not be getting those amazing contracts that he has been offered in the past. He would likely receive the mid-level exception, starting at $5.4 million and moving up. I would say at least around $7 million.

Iverson would help both teams contend, and I would hate to see him go to the Bobcats. He wants a ring, and going to Charlotte is just killing his career.

Wrestler Orlando Savage, Still Waiting for His Break

lee raydean — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:24:18 -0400

Hello, wrestling fans! As many of you know, I have two profiles on here and many of you have read the articles that I wrote about a young unknown wrestler, Orlando Savage.

I didn't really do that well, hardly any views or comments. I don't know if it was my writing or because Orlando isn't well known as John Cena or Triple H, Randy Orton or if it was a combination of both.

I would like to have another chance to help Orlando to get some publicity. He works hard and is very dedicated. Orlando is smooth and he has the moves.

All he needs is for someone to watch him perform, watch what he can do. Orlando is an Indie and he hardly makes a cent. But he's doing what he loves to do, what he's good at, and that is to wrestle.

Savage's dream is to wrestle for the WWE and perform in front of thousands. He says that's what gets his adrenaline pumping. The cheering from the crowd, the action in the ring.

I think he would be great on ECW, because there are new talents on there and they are promoting even more. He can bring something to them, raw talent. He's a friend of Bret Hart's, and Bret has given him pointers.

If anyone is interested in this young star, then check out his videos on YouTube and my articles under Chipper Smith on here.

And if anyone wants to know about him, then contact me under either one of my profiles. Once you've seen him, you'll want to watch him again and again.

Casey at the Bat | Pimentel Signing a Good One For M's

Casey Greer — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:19:35 -0400

The Mariners signed Guillermo Pimentel on Thursday, effectively stealing him from the Rangers.

It may have proved that the Mariners aren’t committed, at least not to the hell-or-high-water extent that the previous members of front office were committed to their own specialized recipe for success, to defense.

Actually, perhaps the proper characterization is that the team has actually acquired a philosophy and stopped hiding from the evolution of baseball scouting.

Because you see, philosophy isn’t black and white by definition. The Mariners have shown adaptability this year and an apparent shift in organizational emphasis.

The previous regime seemed committed to using veterans, often high priced and generally with power and little regard for the strike zone in the batter’s box, or gimmicks on the mound.

Between Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre, Carlos Silva, Erik Bedard, and Kenji Johjima, nearly every paradigm for success in the early 2000s is represented.

When they decided to start Endy Chavez and employ three center fielders in their outfield, I was skeptical. While Chavez is an interesting player at the plate, he’s far from what this team needed more of, soft-hitting speedsters.

Plus, despite having better defensive range, Chavez was not a adequate replacement for Raul Ibanez. Then Chavez got hurt, and the Mariners seemed to have no choice but to play Wladimir Balentien, a product of the Bill Bavasi regime.

They acquired Ryan Langerhans, a patient lefty with some power, some range in the outfield, and a solid contact bat. Langerhans will probably be absent from every All-Star Game for the rest of his career, but an Ibanez-like career at the plate isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

The team has since replaced Chavez’s defensive prowess at a minimal cost and added another position player.

Having Chris Woodward playing third should help the Mariners stay in games while Adrian Beltre recovers. Before getting hurt, Beltre wasn’t hitting, and at least for now, Woodward is hitting.

Moreover, since Woodward just needs to match Beltre's recent, poor hitting, it is possible that the team is a better overall team, despite not having a long-term answer for Beltre’s loss.

Then, by bringing Pimentel on board, the team made it clear that while a solid defense is a nice luxury, it is far from the sole contributor to overall success.

Bleeding Blue and Teal noted an article from Prospect Insider which criticized teams for spending less money during the draft in order to sign apparently more risky international prospects. I take issue, however, with the notion that these players are more risky.

While conventional wisdom and individual anecdotes note that cultural differences could cause less players to achieve their potential from the international pool, players are younger coming from the international ranks, and athletic projections are also on the plates of international scouts. It’s hard to tell what a 16-year-old will look like in the bigs.

But from 2001-03, a range of draftees drafted between 6-8 years ago, there have been 47 first-round and sandwich-round draftees who haven’t stepped on a major league field, let alone contributed.

Dozens of others had a cup of coffee or disappointing tenures and either returned to the minors or continue to disappoint at the big-league level.

Besides, there wasn’t a surplus of power left-handed bats in this year’s draft. Dustin Ackley aside, there wasn’t a lefty with a set position and a good plate approach available.

Actually, Ackley is only included because I assume that he’ll be able to make the transition to either left or center field, though he played first base last season after Tommy John surgery.

However, Ackley’s signing bonus will probably be at least three times more than Pimentel's.

Spending two million dollars on an unproven commodity is far from ideal, but in this case, the Mariners were able to add somebody unique to their farm system. Something that they didn’t have an opportunity to acquire elsewhere.

Check out more of Casey's work, an MLB trade tracker and much more at 5th quarter sports.

Buffalo Needs a Sports Museum; They Already Have the Collection

John Howell — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:11:27 -0400

John Boutet is a very interesting man. For most of his adult life, he has been collecting every piece of Buffalo sports memorabilia he can find.

This physical education teacher at Niagara Wheatfield Central High School in suburban Buffalo, is a classic example of following your passion. While he enjoys his day job, his true calling and passion is his avocation.

He is the owner and curator of Buffalo Sports Museum. Currently the museum exists only in cyberspace, and in Boutet's home along the Niagara River in suburban Grand Island.

The display in the photo above is one small section of Boutet's family room. The entire room is set up with Boutet's favorites from his collection. Virtually every space of wall and counter top in this room is covered with attractively organized and displayed memorabilia.

The collection includes seats from Offerman Stadium (Buffalo's original minor league baseball park), War Memorial Stadium, and Memorial Auditorium. It includes actual game sticks from Sabres and old Buffalo Bisons hockey players.

It includes complete sets of game programs and tickets from the early days of the Bills, going back to the All-American Football Conference (AAFC, late 1940s) and the American Football League (1960-1970).

The collection also consumes a good portion of his home office, including every inch of space in the closet, largely devoted to game jerseys and a few replicas of numerous Buffalo teams.

Boutet was called upon by Tim and Chris Wendel for help with their recently released book about the former Buffalo Braves of the NBA, Buffalo, Home of the Braves. Many items from his collection were photographed and featured in the book. In addition, Boutet provided historical consultation.

And even with all of this, I'm sure I've forgotten something important.

Boutet has been lobbying to establish a Buffalo Sports Museum space for his collection for several years.

A few years ago he approached Buffalo Sabres management to request some unused space in the new HSBC Arena. All he got was a curt call from their lawyer.

But this man is as persistent in his commitment to take the museum from the Internet and his home to a space worthy of the collection as he has been to compile the collection itself. He continues to look for allies and backers to help him establish the museum.

Link to the Buffalo Sports Museum:

http://www.buffalosportsmuseum.com/

A related project is the drive to enshrine the Buffalo Braves at HSBC Arena. Boutet was the first voice, many years ago, calling for the city to hang a banner and/or retire a jersey of the two most notable Buffalo Braves, local college star, Randy Smith, and NBA Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo. (See separate article about this campaign, linked below.)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/211555-attempts-to-memorialize-the-buffalo-braves-at-hsbc-arena-ramp-up

Hedo Turkoglu Agrees with Trail Blazers

James Williamson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:54:15 -0400

Hedo Turkoglu left the Orlando Magic and has signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to the Sports Illustrated website, the 6'10" forward has agreed, at least verbally, to playing in Portland after losing the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.

This will be a loss to the Orlando Magic because Turkoglu averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season.

Against the Lakers, he averaged 18 points a game.

It was said that he was looking for a deal that would pay him around $10 million per year in contrast to the $7.3 million guaranteed by the Magic if he had stayed with them for the final year of his contract.

Turkoglu will join All-Pro guard Brandon Roy and forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge as the third star player. The Blazers won 54 games last season and hope the addition of Turkoglu will advance them to a playoff berth in the upcoming future.

Turkoglu left the Magic right after they acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets.

Expect further news on Wednesday, when the free agency officially begins.

2009: The Greatest Sports Year Ever

General Peppers — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:54:12 -0400

(Pictured above are the Arsenal Youth Team celebrating a win over the Liverpool Youth Team. They would go on to win the youth league crown.)

For me, this has been the best year in sports.

Every so often, we as sports fans, are granted a reprieve.

We toil through mediocre seasons from all our teams.

We put up with terrible coaching and general managers, who insult our intelligence with trades we know won't pan out—insert Mike Dunleavy jokes.

To make matters worse, most sports fans have multiple teams sinking into mediocrity.

Then, in one magical year, the sports gods shine down upon us.

Boston got theirs in 2004: The Red Sox coming back from 0-3 to beat the Yankees, and the Patriots cementing themselves as the team of the 21^st century.

In 2009, I received my payment.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, fresh off a Stanley Cup beatdown at the hands of the Red Wings in 2008, returned in 2009 to defeat Detroit and subsequently rubbed karma pie all in Marian Hossa's grill.

The Lakers, fresh off an embarrassing beatdown from the rival Celtics, returned in 2009 to claim their 15^thtitle.

Adding to my joy is recent news that All-Universe defensive stalwart Ron Artest will be taking a paycut to play for the fabled Lakers.

The Arsenal Gunners made it to the semifinals of the Champions League and saw its youth team win yet another crown.

Transfer season has brought the Gunners Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen and will most likely see A.C Milan pay 25 million to take Emmanuel Adebayor off our hands.

The Minnesota Vikings seem destined to sign the QB we need to take us to the Super Bowl.

Everything just seems to be going right.

If this sounds like gloating, well, it probably is, but it doesn't come without a premise.

What is your greatest year in sports history?

Team Canada: Keith's Edition

Keith Harrison — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:49:23 -0400

This is just my take on the 2010 Canadian Olympic roster. Feel free to use the comment board to show me your 2010 lineups.

Goaltenders

Roberto Luongo: He is the best goalie in the game today. He will play the majority of the round-robin games and all the elimination rounds.

Martin Brodeur: He is the best goalie to ever play the game. He will play a game or two and be a steadying influence on Luongo, and he brings experience to the table.

Cam Ward: In a short tournament like the Olympics, a goalie that can elevate their game quickly is important. As his Conn Smythe Trophy can attest, he can raise his game when it matters most.

Goaltending should be a strength for Canada. No other team can match their depth, and their talent is All-World

Defence

Scott Neidermayer: He is an believable skater and a very smart player with and without the puck. Neidermayer will the leader of the defence for Canada.

Chris Pronger: He's big, mean, talented, and smart. Love him or hate him, Pronger is a brilliant defenceman. He and Neidermayer should be the top pair.

Jay Bouwmeester: An all-around two-way defenceman with great vision, patience, and technique, Bouwmeester will be valuable to Team Canada. He isn't going to smash his way around, but by using his body and his reach, he is a great addition to this team.

Robyn Regehr: It is hard to quantify, but he could be the best shutdown defender in the game. Regehr will quietly and efficiently do a brilliant job and occasionally throw a bone-crunching hit to keep oppositions honest.

Dion Phaneuf: Three teammates making the team is tough, let alone three defencemen, but Phaneuf's grit and offence are both top notch. Plus, with the players ahead of him, he won't be called upon to play against the top lines, freeing him up to make more rushes without sacrificing defence.

Duncan Keith: Brent Seabrook, Brent Burns, and Shea Weber are all capable and deserving, but Keith's game of good decision-making and responsible play would seem to pair up with Phaneuf's game very well. Both are big-bodied young men that will serve Team Canada well for years.

Mike Green: As the seventh defenceman, Green would be used sparingly, most specifically on the power play. The first 30-goal defenceman in years, Green's offensive talent will be welcome.

The defence will be a threat to join the rush on every pairing, and this group is responsible in its own end. While Lidstrom and Chara are both arguably the best in the world, this group should be deeper than any other, one through seven.

Center

Canada has a great problem: Far too many great centers. Those that can play the wing will probably end up there. As well, on the NHL-sized ice, size matters. Bigger players may get the call over smaller counterparts.

Joe Thornton: A big-bodied, smooth-skating center that puts up huge amounts of points without every having capable and consistent wingers, Thornton is a controversial selection to some, but he is too good of a player to leave off the team.

Vincent Lecavalier: Lecavalier is the best goal-scoring center in the NHL, and he is another big body to crash around. Plus, he is a threat every time he is on the ice.

Ryan Getzlaf: He's a young, talented center that can play: Good size, great hands, and a fast skater. Canada will be riding this center for years.

Mike Richards: The shutdown center that everyone needs, Richards can score goals just as well as he can prevent them. This Flyer will be a captain for Canada in the near future.

Center is the strongest position for Canada. As a result, some of the best centers will play wing, and some great centers, such as Marc Savard, have been left off the invite list all together. Anyone of Canada's centers can be compared to the best center on any other country's team.

Left Wing

Rick Nash: Strong, fast, and with a nose for the net, Rick Nash is a premier power forward in the league. One of the top left wingers in the game, Nash is exactly what Canada needs on the NHL-sized ice.

Sidney Crosby: Crosby's talent and vision allow him to make the switch to wing without a significant drop off in production. His offensive prowess and commitment to defence will be a huge boon to Canada, and having two natural centers on a line will allow the center on his line to cheat on faceoffs, knowing if he gets thrown out, Crosby can step in.

Dany Heatley: Heatley is capable of playing both wings and may end up on the right side in order to balance everything out. Because he plays left wing during the regular season, that is where he will be placed on the list. Despite the Edmonton/Ottawa situation, he is one of the most productive scorers today and will be needed in Vancouver.

Shane Doan: Also able to play both wings, Doan's physicality and effective approach to defence see him on a checking line that will still be dangerous offensively. He is a fast and strong forward capable of digging in the corners and making smart decisions.

Left wing will have only one natural left winger along with a center and two hybrid wingers. Despite this, Canada will still be deep and capable of creating offense one through four. None can match the genius that is Oveckin on the wing, but Team Canada's left wingers will more than hold their own on the world stage.

Right Wing

Jarome Iginla: One of the best players in the league over the past 10 years, Iginla is ultimate power forward and one of the best two-way players in the league. "Most Complete Player" is something that gets mentioned with Iginla on a regular basis, and he will be a huge part of the 2010 team.

Martin St. Louis: Despite the small ice, St. Louis is just too fast, too talented, and too hardworking to consider leaving off the team. His familiarity with Lecavalier and his nose for the net are all positives that Team Canada will want on their roster.

Jeff Carter: A natural center, his goal scoring talents and his size (6'3", 200) will hopefully allow Carter to make the transition to the wing easily, and his +23 rating demonstrates his commitment to playing in both ends of the ice.

Milan Lucic: Despite the talent that is still available in camp, Lucic brings something to the table that not many teams bring to the Olympics; he is a shift disturber that can put the puck in the net, and he is a plus player. On international ice surfaces, he would be a liability, but, on NHL ice he is a talent of a different sort and someone this team could use.

13^th Forward

Joe Sakic: Sakic might not get plenty of playing time, but his contribution won't be on the ice; it will be in the dressing room. Sakic is one of the most respected players of all time, and if he returns this season, he will be on the team.

Letters

Jarome Iginla, Sidney Crosby, and Scott Niedermayer will be the letters. Niedermayer or Iginla will be captain. Sakic may not be a letter because he may not be on the ice. His role on the team will still be a leadership role, as it doesn't take a letter to make a leader.

Roster

Crosby-Thorton-Iginla

Nash-Lecavalier-St Louis

Heatley-Getzlaf-Carter

Doan-Richards-Lucic

Sakic

Neidermayer-Pronger

Bouwmeester-Regehr

Phaneuf-Keith

Green

Luongo

Brodeur

Ward

This is my offseason team. As the season gets underway, things may change. What does your team look like; what roles do your players fit?

The Worst Week in Rockets History?

Scotty Rauba — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:46:42 -0400

If you went on a week long trip, to say, Alaska, and had no way to watch ESPN or text your sports buds, I would understand if you came back to see if your Rockets did anything in free agency, and punched your computer screen and screamed.

Ron Artest and Kobe, in the picture above, are teammates as most of you reading this know by now. To think, about two months ago we all witnessed these two getting into it on the court in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Sources say two things: He either signed a three-year deal for a mid-level exception (about $5.6 million/year), or they agreed to a five-year, $33 million deal.

This occurred days after he almost made a verbal commitment, saying that he wanted to stay in Houston, and Chris Broussard almost guaranteed he would stay because Houston could pay him the most.

Now, you would think to yourself, oh well, Trevor Ariza, who signed a five-year, $33.7 million dollar deal, is a pretty solid up and coming player, and is five years younger than Artest.

But oh no, we forgot about The Great Wall. The next five seasons or so rest on Yao Ming's left foot, wouldn't you agree?

It is almost a guarantee that he will not touch the floor next year, making others and I look stupid for saying he is not as injury-prone as you would think.

However, it is not as bad as most think. When reporters say "career threatening" that does not necessarily mean he will never play again, it just means he may take an early retirement.

This year is definitely going to be eventful for Houston, considering some said they could compete for a title next year, who are now Artest-less and Yao-less.

So it is fair to say that unless we can deal Tracy McGrady and get some stars, that this season is going to rest on the young players' shoulders.

Ripples From Vick Dogfighting Story Continue To Spread

John Zaktansky — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:41:15 -0400

Before we outdoorsy people like your's truly chastises Sports Illustrated's John Rolfe for his anti-hunting online column (August 21, 2007), I should at least give him the benefit of the doubt, right?

Perhaps he has a point.

In his “Getting Loose” column, Rolfe applauds the NFL in regards the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal. He (and PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) say that while the NFL did the right thing in this case so far, it should go further, making a blanket policy that outlaws any cruelty to animals. Rolfe points at Jonathan Babineaux (accused in February of beating his girlfriend's pitbull, which later died) and Thomas Hammer (accused in 2001 for beating his dog) as examples.

He then suggests that this new blanket policy could include other versions of animal cruelty, such as hunting. He makes a point that NFL players who take part in hunting should be sanctioned similarly to Vick.

For those who don't agree with Rolfe (and his PETA cronies) that hunting isn't cruel, he explains:

“Don't think that widely-accepted recreational activity is cruel? That deer or rabbit that just had a shell or arrow put into it and crawled off to bleed to death in the brush will beg to differ, as will the buffalo, boar, elk and more that are sitting ducks in enclosed areas on so-called 'canned hunt' farms. And if you go by PETA's standards, fishing is a no-go, too. Think that bass enjoys that hook in the roof of its mouth while it's hauled gasping out of the drink?”

Deep stuff. Why stop there, Mr. Rolfe?

While we're at it, let's ban all NFL players who eat meat. Forget about Bambi getting shot in the woods—at least Bambi got to experience a little freedom before his demise. What about all the beef cattle that are raised strictly for meat, standing knee-high in manure? (I know this isn't the case at most farms, but then again, most true hunters don't leave rabbits and deer to suffer in the bushes. If Rolfe can make unfair stereotypical generalizations, why can’t I?).

Let’s also ban all NFL players who wear clothes made of wool or leather or other animal-based substance. Those animals were all miserable during their lifetimes at various farms, too, I'm sure. (Again, some unfair stereotypical generalizations).

Let's ban the NFL players who drive cars, or ride in cars (or limos). The leather-based seats and other animal-based products in cars are nothing when compared to the animals who are killed, maimed, and tortured on America's highways, not to mention affected negatively by automobile pollution problems. I don't have official figures, but I’d bet there are exponentially more animals injured by automobiles each year in this country than by hunting.

Let’s ban all the NFL players who fly in airplanes to games or anywhere. How many birds have been victims of airplane collisions? What about all the animal habitat that was ruined in the building of America’s airports and runways?

Speaking of habitat, let's ban all NFL players who live in a home. Animal products involved aside, homes destroy animal habitat. Wetlands, trees (for wood building supplies), and even pastures are destroyed every day across the country as more and more new homes are built. Forget about the inconvenience of a hook in the roof of a bass’s mouth. Destroying habitat is much more cruel than fishing.

While we're at it, let’s ban all NFL players who use medicine or any item developed from animal byproducts. Let’s ban players who use oil-based products, so that less oil is needed and less wells are drilled, less pollution finds its way into our waterways and less holes wind up in our ozone layer. What about those who use paper or other wood-based items that take away, again, from the trees in our ecosystem?

If we really want to go all the way, why don’t we ban any NFL player who breathes? They leave behind less oxygen for all the little critters in our great outdoors, which might be a little too stressful for the animals in our ecosystem.

Then again, why do we look at NFL players under such a high-powered microscope? Do we expect them to be role models for the rest of us? If that's the case, let's arrest every person who violated an animal, whether intentional or not.

Trying to relate the atrocities of dogfighting—a legitimate cruelty-to-animal crime—to hunting is like comparing Paris Hilton to Mother Teresa. There is no real comparison.

What Rolfe, and many of the PETA ranks, seem to forget is that the freedom of speech they practice in complaining about hunting is no more valuable than the freedom and rights of hunters to practice their trade.

I agree that there are many “hunters” who tarnish the image of what we hold dear. Canned hunts, being unsafe and unethical in the woods, etc., only fuel the fire of people like Rolfe.

And with that, Mr. Rolfe does share a powerful message for each of us in his column: That more than ever, hunters need to take their trade seriously, or we may all be banned from a way of life.

Planning the Key If Andy Murray Is to Win a Grand Slam

Liam Blackburn — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:36:28 -0400

The hype surrounding Andy Murray may have amounted to nothing, but the British No. 1 has not been outplayed at Wimbledon, he has been out-thought.

When Murray reflects on the past two weeks he should start by studying the finalists and their route to Sunday’s match.

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick have formulated game plans and executed them to near perfection and it is this which has lifted them above the levels of their opponents.

Take Roddick for example. Despite not tending to serve volley, he implemented this style to devastating effect against Murray, often narrowing angles and limiting the Scot’s trademark passing winners.

Federer too has not just played his own game but has played his opponent when the circumstances have warranted it. Against Ivo Karlovic, Federer attacked the big Croat’s serve much earlier, making it more difficult for him to come into the net.

It is not just the men who have shown that the “thinking” players have enjoyed the most success at SW19.

The women’s final will once again be contested by the Williams sisters and their nous and experience has seen them prevail.

The sweltering conditions have left the grass courts resembling hard courts and Serena has used this to her advantage. She has the most potent second serve at this year’s Wimbledon and her ability to gain points off her first and second serves have been vital.

Venus, on the other hand, powered through because she has a superb all-round game. The shortcomings of a one-dimensional game have never been more evident than they were when Dinara Safina took to centre court in her semi-final match with Venus.

Wimbledon will ultimately always be the most difficult prize for Murray.

As a Brit, he represents the perennial underachievers. In Britain, Wimbledon truly engrosses people but for the rest of the calendar year, tennis fails to capture the imagination.

Carrying the nation’s expectations is a burden Murray does not have to endure at other Grand Slam tournaments and it is there where he may just make his breakthrough.

There is no doubting his talent. Physically and mentally he has improved and he has every right to be positioned in the elite bracket.

Unfortunately, his career will coincide with the Federer and Nadal era and simply being in that bracket does not guarantee a Grand Slam title.

Federer is the best there is and the best there ever was because he adapts to every surface, to every game, and to every situation better than anybody else. It is this all-round package which Murray needs to try and emulate.

Murray has matured over the last few years and deserves to be touted as a future Grand Slam champion. His desire and commitment is there for all to witness.

He must now begin to plan for each game meticulously, assessing not just his own game but his opponent’s game too.

JaMarcus Russell: Make or Break Season

Colin Mehigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:31:51 -0400

It may be the beginning of July but there is no denying the fact that the Oakland Raiders sit proudly atop the AFC West.

Then again the Detroit Lions are in joint pole position in the NFC North and those Cincinnati Bengals are challenging for top spot in the AFC North with the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Setting aside my flippancy this is a crucial year for the Raiders franchise. Specifically it is a crucial year for quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

This is Russell's third year. In recent years the likes of Philip Rivers and Eli Manning were proven NFL starters by the end of the same period. Ben Roethlisberger had famously won a Super Bowl by the end of his second year and of course there are last year's rookie sensations Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan for Russell to emulate.

Adding to the pressure is the fact that Oakland acquired a veteran alternative in the off season. Jeff Garcia did not join the Raiders to hold a clip board and take in the tourist sites of the Bay Area. He will expect to start.

The Raiders will officially support JaMarcus Russell and will continue with the established rhetoric of Garcia being a mentor/backup figure.

In reality Russell is one early poor performance away from getting benched.

Al Davis wants to win and win now. Garcia is insurance for the Raiders and the 79 year-old owner (80 on July 4) will have no hesitation in clamouring for Garcia's inclusion whenever he thinks the Raiders have a superior chance of winning with the former 49er stalwart.

Al Davis has invested plenty of dollars into JaMarcus Russell and publicly has lavished praise on his quarterback—cast your minds back to last season and "that" press conference.

The former LSU standout also has many positives in his favour: A strong arm, a great habit of not throwing interceptions and he finished the 2009 season in impressive fashion leading Oakland to wins over Houston and Tampa Bay with Russell throwing four touchdowns in the process.

That said the acquisition of Jeff Garcia is a statement of intent by the Raiders.

Regardless of who is under centre, winning is now expected.

San Jose Sharks: Free Agent Update

Andy Bensch — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:27:54 -0400

With the NHL salary cap destined to take a significant decrease after the 2009-2010 season, Sharks GM Doug Wilson has been wise not to over-pay for big-name free agents during the first few days of free-agency.

Players like Marian Gaborik, Martin Havlat, and Marian Hossa have all inked expensive long-term deals with new clubs.

To be fair, the Sharks already have a core of top tier players, so one may not think it would be difficult to avoid over-paying for a free-agent. However, it would have been completely justifiable if Doug Wilson were to have made a big splash during the first couple days of the free-agency period.

His team finished the regular season with the best record in the NHL and yet failed to get past the first round of the playoffs. Nobody would be surprised if a major shake-up were imminent.

But with players like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau still under contract, holding back from making any rash decisions during free-agency may in fact help the Sharks in the long-run.

Currently, Wilson has yet to ink a single new player during free-agency but has made smart decisions regarding his team's free-agents.

In the first three days of July, Wilson has parted ways with aging right-wing Mike Grier, veteran goal-tender Brian Boucher, disappointing forwards Marcel Goc and Tomas Plihal, and the experiment that was Claude Lemieux is over.

Neither one of the aforementioned players were significant contributors to the franchise best regular season that was 2008-09.

Despite being a quality penalty killer and third-line right wing, Mike Grier was often injured this past season and seemed to age five years when it came to the playoffs. Not resigning him will give younger, faster players a chance to compete for a roster spot.

Last year's backup net-minder Brian Boucher filled in nicely when Evgeni Nabokov was fighting a lingering groin problem but the 32-year-old goaltender is just not of the talent to push Nabokov for a starting position.

With the 34-year-old Nabokov on the last year of his contract, signing a more established goal-tender or a hot-young prospect to push Nabokov for playing time is a much better solution.

Marcel Goc and Tomas Plihal were both drafted back in 2001, with Goc in the first round and Plihal in the fifth, but neither one lived up to their potential. Either free-agent acquisitions or call-ups from Worcester will be better fits on the bottom two forward lines than keeping Goc or Plihal.

When it comes to Claude Lemieux, well, how bout we just chalk that one down as a mistake and move on.

Not only has Wilson parted ways with some of his free-agents but he has also re-signed those who actually have the ability to make a difference next season.

The Sharks have re-signed forward Ryane Clowe to a four-year deal worth 3.5 million per season, and re-signed defenseman Kent Huskins to a two-year deal.

Clowe posted career numbers last year, playing in 71 games and putting up 22 goals, and 30 assists for 52 points.

Kent Huskins has yet to play a game for the Sharks after being traded from Anaheim along with Travis Moen last season but in his last full season with the Ducks in '07-08, posted 19 points and a plus/minus of 23.

Both players look to be a big part of the Sharks success next season.

Despite Wilson keeping two quality free-agents from leaving San Jose, he still has a couple of decisions to make regarding former Sharks.

Travis Moen provided solid two-way play and penalty killing in his short stint with San Jose and whether or not Wilson can snatch up bigger scoring threat in free-agency will determine whether he wants to re-sign the former Duck.

But the more intriguing decisions Doug Wilson has to make deal with both defenseman Alexei Semenov and forward Jeremy Roenick who are free to sign with whomever they wish.

However, Roenick has no other team on his mind than San Jose and will either return to the Sharks or retire. If Roenick decides that he wants to come back, Wilson should be smart enough to make it clear that JR will be playing for the league minimum and be used only when needed.

Roenick missed significant time with injuries last season and it is important for the Sharks that if he does comeback that he is fresh and healthy for the playoffs.

After Roenick, the last Sharks free-agent that Wilson needs to make a decision on is Alexei Semenov.

Although Semenov has been in the dog-house of the majority of Sharks fans ever since he came to San Jose back in 2007, he actually filled in quite nicely this past season as a seventh defenseman.

Semenov is a quality seventh defenseman but not good enough for other teams to really want to pick him up as a free-agent. Therefore if Semenov can play as well this upcoming season as he did last year, he may actually be an asset.

Currently Semenov is eighth on the depth chart after Huskins' resigning but keeping both of them would make room for Doug Wilson to trade the much maligned Christian Ehrhoff who finished a minus-12 last season.

But enough with players who were already in teal last season, it is vital that Sharks GM Doug Wilson act fast before all the quality secondary scoring forwards are snatched up in free-agency.

Wingers that would have fit well in the Sharks' system like Erik Cole and Mikael Samuelsson have already been snatched up.

Cole resigned with the Carolina Hurricanes, and Samuelsson has signed with Vancouver, most likely filling in the right wing spot on a line with the Sedin twins.

Perhaps the Sharks GM has his eyes on adding scoring depth through trading Christian Ehrhoff or even Evgeni Nabokov but there are also still a few talented free-agents out there.

Both long-time Buffalo Sabres Maxim Afinogenov and Alex Kotalik are still available.

Afinogenov has suffered with numerous injuries over the last couple seasons that saw his production drop tremendously. In just 48 games, Afinogenov tallied just 20 points last season and just 28 points in 56 games two years ago.

However, the former third round pick put up 61 points and 73 points in 2005-06 and 2006-07. The scoring ability is clearly there and his injury issues may enable the Sharks to nab him on the cheap.

Ales Kotalik also has the ability to score, as the former Sabre has scored 20 goals or more in four of his six full seasons at the NHL level. Last season Kotalik split time with the Sabres and Oilers, putting up 20 goals and 43 points. His ability to put the puck in the net could be huge for added depth the Sharks are looking for.

Only time will tell whether or not Doug Wilson is interested in these types of free-agent scorers or if he is going to find scoring depth through a trade.

Sharks fans will just have to wait and see.

A Juan Marichal Memory: July 2, 1963

Raymond Mullan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:22:27 -0400

In my humble opinion, baseball, more than any other sport, lends itself to historical analysis and the reliving of its greatest moments. Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" immediately come to mind.

Record breaking moments, amazing streaks, and heroic postseason plays are often times retold to the point they become legendary.

The game played between the San Francisco Giants and the Milwaukee Braves on July 2, 1963, was simply a mid-season game that surely would have been long ago forgotten if not for the pitching performance that would ensue.

There were only 15,921 fans in attendance at Candlestick Park for the Tuesday-afternoon affair as over 26,000 seats were unoccupied.

Warren Spahn took an 11-3 record to the mound for a Braves team that had split their first 76 games, both winning and losing 38 games.

The amazing young Dominican, Juan Marichal, came into the game boasting a 12-3 record for the Giants, who were 45-33.

To put the game in perspective, a total of seven future Hall of Famers would play in the match up. The Braves fielded future Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, and Warren Spahn while the Giants were stacked with Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, and Marichal.

The 42 year-old Spahn ended up pitching 15.1 innings and giving up one run. Yes, you read correctly, 15.1 innings.

San Francisco's 25 year-old right hander outdid him. Marichal tossed 16 innings of shutout ball including holding Aaron hitless in six at-bats. I can imagine Braves' hitters trying to pick up the pitch out of his hand and being distracted by the famous high-kick delivery the Dominican Dandy possessed.

All told, the future Hall of Famers mustered five hits and a run in 38 at-bats. Surprisingly, one of the five hits was a two-out double to right field in the top of the seventh inning by Spahn that would have driven in a run if Del Crandall had not been caught attempting to steal second earlier in the inning.

Through 15 innings of baseball, a run did not score, and both starting pitchers were still in the game.

With one out in the bottom of the 16th, the great Willie Mays came to the plate. I'm sure you have an idea how the story finishes. One pitch, a screwball from Spahn, and Mays ended the game. He had hit one of his 660 home runs. This one was a game-winner over the left-field wall. The Giants won 1-0.

Marichal would get the victory and go on to win 25 games in 1963 while posting an ERA of 2.41.

That night in July, as is always the case in baseball, all that mattered was that the Giants had won. In hindsight, we can appreciate the amazing pitching exhibition Marichal and Spahn put on 46 years ago.

It is challenging to fathom what these two men would do in an era when pitchers are coddled, and more attention is paid to pitch counts than a pitcher's performance at a specific point within the game.

I, for one, simply wish I had been alive to see Marichal beat Spahn.

LA Kings Offseason: Disappointing

Joe Pacheco — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:22:16 -0400

The Los Angeles Kings are coming off another disappointing season in which they finished in 14th place out of 15 teams in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season (there were no playoffs in 2005 because of the lockout).

As someone who has seen many more downs than ups while following the Kings throughout my life, I have gotten used to their lack of success this decade. The one thing that I at least took some kind of solace in was the fact that both fans and experts alike could agree that Kings GM Dean Lombardi had at least assembled a strong nucleus of players with which he could turn things around. Unlike the teams around the league that stunk and were going nowhere, people at least would say, "Yeah the Kings stink, but at least they have some hope and are going somewhere."

There are some things to be excited about for the die hard LA hockey fan. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Alexander Frolov are all younger than 30 and are some solid offensive players.

Of those three, Frolov is the oldest at 27, while Brown and Kopitar are 24 and 21, respectively. On the defensive end, Drew Doughty is as bright an up and comer as Kings fans have seen since Rob Blake first broke into the league.

Matt Greene and Kyle Quincey are also good young defenseman that the front office can build around. Of course, if the Kings can sign restricted free agent Jack Johnson then I will include him in this group of solid young defenseman.

Between the pipes, Erik Ersberg and Jonathan Quick have both showed signs of being promising young goaltenders. Outside of Sean O'Donnell every player on the roster is 30 or younger. While youth is important, it's not going to get the job done by itself.

This offseason I felt the Kings were at the point where they could turn the corner if somehow they could land a top flight free agent that could really tie things together. Free agents including Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat and Marian Gaborik were amongst the type of players that really could have solidifed the Kings march back into the playoffs. One by one they all came off the board and signed with other teams.

Signing free agent defenseman Rob Scuderi to a four year, $13.6 million deal was a good pick up and will be able to provide a veteran presence on the blue line. In addition, it gives the Kings some insurance in case Johnson departs. Scuderi played a pivotal role in helping Pittsburgh hoist the Stanley Cup and should be a good character guy in the locker room. Despite the benefits of him becoming a King, he wasn't exactly the free agent splash that many fans were looking for.

So far the Kings' offseason has been uneventful and disappointing when you consider where they're at with the development of their young core and the amount of money that they are under the salary cap.

I agree with Lombardi's assessment that their young group of players needs to get better and that they must take advantage of their extra time in the offseason to train together and build team chemistry, but at the same time the front office could really boost the morale of the team and the fans by making some kind of a move that will raise the team to the next level.

The Kings last appeared in the playoffs back in 2002 and to have missed every year since is unacceptable. Bringing in a veteran who could lead them on the ice and in the locker room could have gone a long way in getting the team back into postseason play. The team really needed help on the offensive end having scored the third fewest goals in the league last season and management provided them with none.

The same way that you will not score a goal unless you shoot the puck on net, the Kings will not get better unless management takes some risks and stops playing everything so conservatively. They have the young talent; now is the time to provide them with help.

Killing Ducks, One Loaf of Bread at a Time

John Zaktansky — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:21:59 -0400

What started out as an innocent trip to the park Friday afternoon became a learning experience.

For lunch, the ducks and geese of Middleburg were eating leftover bread from my pantry. For supper, I was eating humble pie.

It all began that morning. One of my daughter’s favorite pastimes is to visit the local duck pond in and interact with the waterfowl. The weather was beautiful on Friday. The bread ends and stale hotdog buns were taking over one shelf in our pantry.

At the pond, the ducks and geese greeted us with open beaks...to be exact, 63 open beaks—from big ones (Canada geese) to small ones (baby Mallard ducks). It was as if my daughter and I were mobbed by some waterfowl version of the paparazzi. Even a few large carp decided to join in the hunt for stray bread crumbs.

Throughout this barrage of feathers and webbed feet, my daughter was in her own little world. She talked to the ducks as if they were her best friends. She would squat down near a duck, drop a few bread crumbs, and then coach the bird through its meal. When a duck waddled over and missed out on a flying hoagie roll or piece of whole wheat, my daughter made sure it didn’t feel left out for long.

Her interactions with the birds were priceless. A goose honked. A duck quacked. My daughter giggled. I laughed. Sharing a moment on a beautiful day in the outdoors.

It was a neat experience, and I decided to write a small column about it Friday night as I was putting together the Outdoors section for our local newspaper.

To get the blood pumping and creative juices flowing before writing the column, I decided to search the internet for similar feel-good stories of little kids feeding ducks. It would be just like listening to extremely loud Metallica in the locker room before each of our high school football games.

I went to the search engine and typed in, “feeding ducks bread.”

The first result was a Yahoo! Answers question asking: I have some home-raised ducks. What can I feed them other than worms? They don’t seem to like bread, or corn.

The answer: Never feed ducks bread!

Why couldn’t you feed ducks bread? The Yahoo! response continued, “Another reason to restrain from feeding ducks is that although ducks seem to love bread, it is not nutritious. White bread in particular is made from refined flour and is not proper for avian nutrition. Many ducks suffer from degenerative liver disease because they eat too much."

"Also, leftover bread and duck droppings pollute the water. The uneaten bread turns into a deadly mold called Aspergillus, which is fatal to ducks, fish and other animals. Rotting bread can also breed other deadly diseases and parasites, particularly duck virus Enteritis, which with a single outbreak will kill all the ducks of that area. Duck droppings can also breed diseases such as Avian Botulism and a parasite that causes swimmers’ itch. Feeding ducks bread is like feeding dogs chocolate. They may seem to like it, but in the end it does more harm than good.”

At first, I was annoyed by this. Go ahead, take away my ability to throw rice at a wedding (allegedly the dry rice swells in small birds’ abdomens and causes major issues) and to release helium balloons into the air (whales and other animals could choke on the balloon fragments), but feeding ducks bread is like watching football on Thanksgiving. You don’t mess with an American tradition.

So, I decided to forget the first post of my search—to write it off as some sort of doomsday over-reaction—and checked out the next one. And then the next one, and the next one. I began to notice a trend.

Perhaps feeding ducks bread isn’t a smart thing to do. It seems that Butterkrust bread is to ducks as Butterscotch Krimpets are to people.

Some more "Web wisdom" included, “When wild ducks are fed human foods, their organs become engorged and fatty on the inside and they quickly die from malnutrition, heart disease, liver problems and other health complications. An overfed, malnutritioned duck is sluggish and can’t escape from predators. Feeding wild ducks adversely affects natural migration patterns, which are critical for their ongoing survival.”

In the Gloucestershire town of Newent, the town council passed a law in 2004 banning people from feeding bread to ducks. Since then, numerous other towns in England, Canada, the U.S. and other countries followed suit.

The New Canaan (Connecticut) Nature Center warns that, “Feeding bread to ducks and geese is the equivalent of feeding your child nothing but candy. Ducks and geese like bread, and will clamor for it much like a child will ask for candy. But bread has no nutritional value for waterfowl.”

The center also warns that feeding ducks bread will ultimately lead to overcrowding on ponds. I wonder if 63 ducks/geese would be considered overcrowding on our local pond?

The bottom line is that in order to help waterfowl around the Valley, we all need to be flexible enough to make changes, ruffled feathers or not.

2009 College Football Top 10: Florida to Repeat

T-Man Cruz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:15:13 -0400

So here we are two months away from the beginning of the 2009 College Football season. Yes it might be early to start predicting the upcoming season, but I just couldn't wait. The 2009 College Football season is sure to be thrilling and exciting. With the three teams that dominated the league last season in Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. And with all three teams coming back with almost completely the same team, they are looking to dominate yet again. But there are some teams looking to spoil their chances, including Ohio State, Virginia Tech, USC, and some newcomers are seeking a national title. So with all that said here are my top 10 for the 2009 College Football Season.

No Market for Allen Iverson? Are the Charlotte Bobcats Insane?

Jonathan Slotter — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:04:55 -0400

Ah basketball free agent season. You smell money shifting hands, athletes moving their oversized suits from one city to another, and brings new hope to struggling franchises.

Some key moves have already been made to help their respective teams: Hedo to the Blazers (unless you are Rudy Fenandez), Charlie Villenueva and Ben Gordon to the Pistons, Ron Artest to the Lakers, and Trevor Ariza to the Rockets.

Others are on the verge of making signings like Sheed to the Celtics. Then there are other teams who are confusing.

One of these teams is the Bobcats. Now I'm not a huge Bobcat fan or follower, but I feel I can shed some words of wisdom on this issue.

The Bobcats seem on the verge of a breakout season. They have some good talent, Emeka Okeafor, Gerald Wallace, DJ Augestine, and Raymond Felton. They also have some quality role players, who have already reached their peak Boris Diaw and Raja Bell.

They were the only team to figure the Lakers last year, inexplicably (I guess Raja is still in Kobe's head) and are team that could easily make the playoffs in the East.

It seems they are one piece away from doing this. What do they lack? As I scroll through the standings last year I notice this 93.6, what is that?

No, it's not the Cavs points allowed per game, that would be somewhere in the 91 range, it was the Bobcats points per game last year. 93.6! The Warriors got that in the third quarter consistently last year. Alaska has seen hotter days than 93.6.

So with this lack of scoring it seems the Bobcats would be poised to get a scorer this offseason. Now this offseason isn't filled with as much talent as next year, and it seems the best players have already signed, or on the verge of signing.

So who does this leave in the free agent pool? Only the second leading scorer, average wise, in ALL of basketball, EVER.

Now, he is 33 this year, but showed no signs of slowing down. He can still hit tough jump shots, he still is one of the fastest players in the league, and will probably give you 25 points a game, six assists, 2.5 steals, and 30-40 minutes a game.

Not to mention the Bobcats could use someone that creates shots, and can take big shots at the end of games.

Even though the Bobcats have nice pieces they don't have people who create. Wallace needs someone to set him up, Okafor is a nice piece down low but can't carry a team. Clearly.

Because his market is so slim they can probably get him for a reduced price. He and Larry Brown work well together, he won't be taking anyone's spot really. There would be less minutes for Felton, Augestine, and Bell but that's not asking that much I do not believe.

He would be the best pickup Charlotte could get to help their team for the upcoming year. And would be the best fit for AI, who still thinks he can play and contribute to a team as a starter and a star. Much better than the Grizzlies, which I don't get why he wants to go there.

Fishing and Economics: A Lesson in Worm-O-Nomics

John Zaktansky — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:02:27 -0400

For those who missed it, gas prices jumped considerably during the past week. July 4th is tomorrow, we fuel-guzzling Americans know all too well what that means.

However, before you start hyperventilating or popping some Paxil, just remember that it could be worse. Much worse.

You see, Exxon and Chevron have nothing on Mike’s Bait Shop.

Mike’s provides live bait to be sold at convenience stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and other eastern states. Obviously, if you are shopping at a convenience store you aren’t shopping for value, but for the convenience of not having to run the extra five miles to a larger store. For that convenience, you expect to pay a little extra for your loaf of bread, gallon of milk, or Snickers bar.

But paying $3.89 for a dozen Canadian nightcrawlers is just plain ridiculous, no matter where you buy them. You can buy one gallon of milk, one-and-a-half gallons of gas, or three loaves of bread for the same price as 12 worms.

However, that’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. According to various online sources, the average nightcrawler weighs approximately one gram. (Seems a little light for a nightcrawler, but who am I to question information found on the internet?) So, for $3.89, you get 12 grams of worm.

That converts to $9.20 an ounce, or $147.14 per pound of nightcrawler.

That may be short of the gold standard (currently $913 per ounce of gold), yet nightcrawlers, at $9.20 an ounce, rank up with plenty of other high-end products.

Silver right now is selling for $14 an ounce. Ritzy perfume Chanel No. 5 can be found for sale online for $11 an ounce. High-end pure maple syrup sells for 57 cents an ounce. Whitefish caviar sells for $6.75 an ounce. Black Truffle Puree sells for $13.71 an ounce.

Pretty disturbing, especially if you’ve driven on a local rural road at night during a soaking rainstorm. During the 20-mile drive home from work the other night, I must have killed well over $1,000 worth of worms.

At least fuel prices aren’t as unbearable as they were last year. Goodbye gas-gouging, hello worm-gouging.

Who is confronting the live bait industry? Who’s protecting us small-time, procrastinating fishermen who forget the bucket of garden worms at home and swing into the Turkey Hill on the way to the trout stream?

Of course, the only real solution is to take matters into our own, individual hands. Buying your worms in bulk drops the price considerably. Taking a little time in the backyard with a shovel helps out even more.

While roto-tilling our garden this spring, and taking care of a septic problem, we made an extra effort at the Zaktansky homestead to harvest the worms we found while digging. They currently live in a neat styrofoam worm habitat my wife purchased for me two years ago.

There are plenty of alternative live bait options online. For those who like fishing with waxworms, which is my bait of choice for trout fishing, there is a waxworm breeder kit for $24.95 at www.waxwormkit.com. According to information at that site, you can use the kit to raise “hundreds—even thousands” of waxworms.

Not only does this sound like a neat family project (yes, to some of us raising little white worms that resemble maggots can be considered neat), but it is a good investment. At the convenience store, two dozen waxworms are $3.89. That means for the same price of a waxworm breeding kit, you would only get six containers—or 144 waxworms.

No matter how you personally deal with the treacherous economics surrounding live bait buying, there are two lessons here. Some pre-planning, getting back to basics, and doing more for yourself isn’t just a smart way to prepare for a fishing trip, but also makes a wise lifestyle choice for those trying to tackle bigger economic situations.

And the other lesson?

If a pound of nightcrawlers costs $147.14, just imagine how much you are worth!

Andy Roddick: Lock Stock and One Smoking Barrel

Long John Silver — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:59:31 -0400

Notes from the match: Murray vs Roddick (Wimbledon Second Semifinal)

Randy is playing a tactically ingenious match. He is taking control of the points from the mid court. He has had tremendous success at the net and he has come in a lot, shoe string pick ups.
Mandy is feelin’ the weight of Britain a tinge here, No?
This was always a case of Randy serve vs. Murray’s return. If Randy is serving 75 percent first serve and winning significant points off that serve…then there isn’t a lot you can do. The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle right, ROD knows what he has to do and he is executing it with ruthless precision.
Mandy needs to stop chipping returns and flatten em out (HIT em)—to have a chance at this. He knows it. This is the fourth time Mandy is smacking the net with his stick in sheer frustration, poor net.
Larry Stef and Brooklyn Decker look happy, Stef looks proud the way his charge is playing.
Randy is also winning a boat load of baseline exchanges, which we did not expect him to. He is playing quite beautifully. He is playing a big, big game
Pascal Maria is not having a great match: he was not sure about a net chord in the fourth. An audible obscenity warning from Mandy (for bellowing "COME ON…Pass"). How did he hear the F-bomb there?
They have taken down the net on court two—and the stands are absolutely packed to that they can watch the match on the big screen. First time that has happened.
Commentator please, number s break points converted isn’t a good metric for how good a returner one is.
4-4, 30-40, fourth set, I repeat: Mandy should do more with the return. ROD has hit two balls that were probably going out.
If the fourth goes to a breaker, I think Randy must be feeling confident about the second Sunday. I just don’t see how Mandy is going to win the breaker the way Rod is bombing today?
Yeah, I was right.

Lock, stock and one smokin’ barrel.

The other smokin’ barrel will hopefully be firing on Sunday.

Let's go play ball Andy.

'Sheed and the Spurs: Why It Works

Robert Kleeman — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:59:03 -0400

If I was Tim Duncan, my personal pitch to Rasheed Wallace would start with a thank you.

As in, thanks for leaving Robert Horry open in 2005.

Surely a defender of your caliber intended that as an act of generosity.

We owe you one. A title, that is.

Want another? Come to the franchise that has lassoed four of them in the last 10 years.

I would also tell him how much I yearn for a fifth ring, and he could be the final piece that helps me secure it.

I would come alone, allowing the chance to play with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Richard Jefferson under Gregg Popovich to speak for itself.

How can any pitch the Boston Celtics made, heartfelt as it may have been, top that?

Duncan would never tell another soul that he is the greatest to ever play at his position, so I will.

Someone has to do the dirty work.

The Spurs are courting Wallace—a player with a history of mood swings and on-court meltdowns, who averaged career lows in many categories last season—as free agency Plan A because they can make it work like few others can.

All of his suitors can offer the same mid-level deal. Money is not the dilemma.

Maybe Shaquille O'Neal could get Wallace to shut up and play in Cleveland, maybe not. Shaq is not a guy I want playing peacemaker in my locker room.

In the last year, O'Neal's PR gems have included asking Kobe Bryant how his ass tastes, calling Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy the "master of panic" and trying to discredit Dwight Howard as any kind of "superman."

The Hall of Fame-bound center will say anything if it gets him the attention he craves. Duncan won't.

Maybe the 2008 champs—anchored by Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen—could also convince Wallace to tame his wild ways.

They did make the Stephon Marbury acquisition work reasonably well.

The Spurs, however, would give Wallace the sure thing he needs.

A Popovich-led locker room is groomed and ready for such a mercurial talent. It has been since 2003, when Stephen Jackson walked away with his only championship ring and a newfound defensive prowess.

Many didn't see in 2002 how Jackson's flighty temper would work in such a professional locker room just as many don't see this working now.

Won't he rack up technical fouls and scream and pout his way into the Pop doghouse?

How about his dreadful 2009 playoff averages of six points and six rebounds?

Wallace may have drifted away and lost it on a baked Detroit Pistons squad close to missing the playoffs.

He will not screw up the chance to win a second ring alongside three potential Hall of Famers and a 29-year-old Jefferson.

Popovich holds a short leash for malcontents, and not even Wallace has enough bark to bite his way from its grasp.

With his size and length, he could help frustrate Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum as he did Duncan for so many years.

Their mutual respect goes back to their ACC days.

When 'Sheed channels his aggression the right way, the opponent pays for it.

He is a terrific spot up shooter from behind the arc, though not a high percentage one.

He can still score reliably in the post with a host of crafty spin moves and hook shots, despite what most saw in April.

Two years ago, in game one of the opening round against the Philadelphia 76ers, he blocked seven shots.

In Detroit, where a depleted front court necessitated his producing like an All-Star, he looked every bit of 34 years.

At times, his days in Portland seemed decades ago.

With proper support and motivation, Wallace's many remaining talents could shine.

San Antonio's system promises to give him one hell of a fog lamp.

GM R.C. Buford has previously pursued J.R. Smith and Ron Artest.

This time, they don't want a rain check. They want the kind of commitment they are ready to give him.

Such as, the starting role, which would allow niche center Matt Bonner to score as a reserve, or a chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers again.

In a surprising move to some, Spurs Owner Peter Holt has OK'd the team's ascent into luxury tax territory.

The Jefferson heist does not signal a coming trade of Parker or Ginobili. The Spurs are paying up to pry open Duncan's championship window. Wallace—and perhaps free agent forwards Drew Gooden and Fabricio Oberto at bargain prices—represent the final pieces of what could be the most talented squad in franchise history.

No athlete deserves another title as much as Duncan. Dealing for Jefferson left a huge hole on the team's frontline.

Wallace, whacky as he can be, would fit just as a sized championship ring does.

We owe you one, Duncan should say.

The first step to collecting your dues is signing on this dotted line.

'Sheed and the Spurs an odd couple?

This time, it works.

Looking Ahead: Who Will Be the Best Running Back in the SEC in '09?

Heath McGuff — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:50:10 -0400

As the 2009 football season creeps a little closer ever day, I get more anxious to see the most talented football players in all college football compete, those players being in the SEC.

I think the running back position is the second most fun position to watch in all college football behind that of the QB role. We all know the SEC has it's fair share of talented quarterbacks but often the many talented RBs are left out?

So I would like to take a little time and list just a few guys who have what it takes to make a good SEC team a great team.

Now I know I might leave a guy or two off who you think deserves to be on this list, but know that their are many to chose from. So if I do indeed leave off your favorite running back please just ask why I did this or make me aware of who it is, as I am not aware of all the many RBs in the SEC.

So with that said, I would like to list five guys who I think has what it takes to help their team in a great way in '09.

The first is Michael Smith: Smith was more or less a third string guy most of his career at Arkansas until he was brought into the spotlight in '08. Michael played behind two great players in the two-time Doak Walker award winner Darren McFadden and well rounded back Felix Jones.

Smith turned gained much confidence in the '08 spring game where he put up some great numbers in the red vs white spring practice game. The football season soon followed and so did the emergence of star Michael Smith. Michael had some great games in '08 but almost none better than the Kentucky game that came down to the last seconds.

Kentucky did not have an answer for explosive Smith, he was the Pig's leading rusher and receiver in that game. Smith had a total of 192 yards rushing and 33 yards receiving for a total of 225 total yards. Smith had some great runs in that game but Kentucky's Mike Hartline helped his team to a one point win that made the score 21-20.

Michael Smith also made a strong finish to the '08 season gaining 630 yards in a four game stretch against foes Florida, Auburn, Kentucky and Ole Miss.

In '09 look for Smith to take the led and help bring this team back to the top of the SEC. Michigan State transfer Ryan Mallet will also be a big help as he is said to have a great football IQ.

Smith will help carry his team to the top of the SEC and Bobby Pertino and Ryan Mallet will only make the process that much easier for him. Smith is going to get a lot more carriers this year and will look to impress some scouts in '09.

The second is Charles Scott: Charles Scott maybe the most well rounded back in the SEC in '09. He is not a very fast guy but has the ability to turn on the speed once he hits the edge of the line. Scott has a very nice frame he stands 5'11'' tall and weighs 233 lbs.

This is a guy teams have to build their game plan around when they face LSU. He has the ability to make a short and inches dive play turn into a 20 yard first down. Scott is a very hard working kid who gets most of his yards between the tackles. Scott is one of LSU's most productive running backs in school history with 1,775 career rushing yards to go along with 28 TDs.

Scott runs with out standing power along with the fact he has great balance in his game. Scott is also one of the most versatile backs the SEC has to offer.

Scott brought a lot to the table last season and he had to with the inconsistent play for the QB position he was often the only answer LSU could come up with to sustain a very good dive. Others like Brandon LaFell and Demetrius Byrd also helped the Tigers stay in late games with their great play making ability.

Thankfully the Tigers saw some great play out of Jordan Jefferson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, he connected on 16-25 passing and totaled 142 yards in that game.

In '08 Scott rushed for 1,174 yards on 207 car. He averaged 5.2 ypc and had a total of eight touchdowns. I look for Scott to be a major part of the Tigers offense again in '09. He will have more help this year, knowing Les Miles he will not allow the poor play for the QB position and the rest will fall in place.

The third is Anthony Dixion: Anthony Dixion is a guy who will line up in front of you and flat out run your tail over. It's obvious that he is not afraid to take a lick mainly because everyone is afraid to lower their head and take on Dixion one-on-one.

He has the power and agility to make some highlight plays as we saw in '07 when they spoiled the hopes of Ole Miss to win the Golden egg trophy. Dixion and Mississippi went on the beat UCF in the Liberty Bowl to break their very long none bowl game streak.

'07 proved to be Dixion's best year of his career as he gained 1,007 yards rushing on 287 car.

But in '08 he was not a let down, with the big bowl win and coming off a winning season the Bulldogs looked to make some noise but the only noise they heard was the screaming of Croom at half time. The Bulldogs often found themselves down late in games and finished the season with a 4-8 regular season record.

In '08, Dixion had 197 car. for 869 yards, he averaged 4.4 ypc and totaled seven touchdowns on the season. Dixion's rushing attempts went down almost 100 attempts for the '07 season, this could maybe be a reason why the Bulldogs were not successful in '08?

In '09 with their new head coach in tact I think the Bulldogs will have a improved season but none the less a rebuilding year for this team. With the improved play from QB Tyson Lee the Dawgs have a chance to redeem themselves for the horrific let down in '08!

The fourth is Mark Ingram: Ingram was just a freshman last season and played more like a veteran in some most of Bama's games. Myself being a Bama fan loved the style of running Ingram brought to the table.

I never saw him lose his composer and I think that is why he was a great runner down the stretch, he never complained and never got down when Coffee would come in when he was just warming up. When Julio and Ingram made their freshman debut in '08 at the Georgia dome against ACC foe Clemson I knew Julio and Ingram were special.

These two played so well I think Clemson could not believe what hit them. Ingram out rushed both Spiller and Davis. CJ Spiller and Davis combined for a total of 20 yds. Ingram had a total of 96 yds. and out rushed them by 76 total yards all together.

Ingram had some amazing runs last season and put of phenomenal stats for a Alabama freshman, especially under coach Nick Saban. With such great success in '08 I think Saban will let Ingram run the rock just like he did Coffee, Ingram will have his share of time and probably split time with Trenton Richardson.

Nick Saban being a guy who loves to ground and pound the ball right down to the goal line will have to fill the spots on the O-line first. In '09 look for Ingram to have a great year and break the 1,000 yard mark. Last season Ingram totaled 143 car. for 728 yards and an amazing 12 TDs.

The fifth and final player is Chris Rainey and Jeffrey Demps: Rainey who stands 5'9'' tall is probably one of the of the best and most versatile players for the blue and orange. Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey are a part of the best team in college football, the Florida Gators.

Rainey and Demps who run 4.42 and 4.46 forties are what helped the gators combine for the most dangerous ground game in the SEC and probably in Division I football last season. Rainey is surprisingly able to make most of his huge gains running straight up the centers but! He manged to rip off many gains last season by running the ball right up the middle and once he is past the linebackers he is not going to be caught.

Emmanuel Moody the USC transfer was supposed to be the next big thing Florida fans had seen in a while but saw very limited action in '08? My only guess is that Moody had some kind of injury, I did not do extensive research to find that out. Last season Demps and Rainey combines for a amazing total of 1,257 yards on 162 car. with 11 TDs and a combined total of 15.6 ypc!

Their is not a doubt in my mind or anyone else's mind that these two players are going to be the best running back duo the SEC and the NCAA has to play in '09. These two players have speed, agility, strength, and the will to win any game they play.

So in '09 look out for lighting in Chris Rainey and Jeffrey Demps and right when you think there will be no thunder Tebow will launch a huge pass for six or run a linebacker over for a first down.

I hope you agree with most of these picks I have selected, I think these players are the best the SEC has to offer at the running back position. I think I might try and break down a few more positions: quarterback, wide receiver, etc...

Please leave a comment and tell me what you though of these seletcions!!

Virginia's 10 Greatest Games of the 2008-09 Season

Ben Gibson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:46:17 -0400

The University of Virginia may have had a down year in its major revenue sports, the season was far from lost.

The Cavaliers finished eighth in the Director's Cup, which is a culmination of all the different collegiate sports. They also picked up six ACC titles.

As a result, we also had some of the most compelling games in a long time.

With over 20 different men's and women's programs and so many amazing moments, it was hard to pick the top ten games of the season.

It was even harder to rank them.

After all, does the importance of the sport outweigh the game itself? What about the importance it had to the program? Was the game itself great or the situation around it?

I did my best to weigh all of these factors.

Without further ado, here's the list:

10. Men's Basketball vs. Clemson: 85-81 (OT)

With a 20-3 record and a No. 12 ranking, the Tigers appeared to be in great shape heading into Charlottesville.

Last year they embarassed the Cavaliers, winning by 30 points in their John Paul Jones arena debut.

With an eight-game losing streak, this version of the Cavaliers appeared to be no real challenge to break that trend.

The Cavaliers came out hot early and that was enough to hold an eight-point lead at half. However, Clemson responded with a 14-0 run to take a 39-33 lead and Virginia's upset bid appeared over.

Instead Virginia battled back, keeping the game close.

Using a big supporting effort by freshman guard Sammy Zeglinski and forward Mike Scott the Cavaliers were able to match the offensive prowess of the Tigers.

In the end though it was freshman sensation Sylven Landesberg. Six of his team-high 23 points came in overtime, capping off a final drive in the waning seconds that tied the game at 74-74 in regulation.

Landesberg had similarly taken over the game in Virginia's only other ACC win at that point against Georgia Tech. The freshman put on a show and was able to salvage one shining moment from a dismal season.

9. Women's Basketball vs. Tennessee: 83-82

The women's basketball program at Virginia had fallen into obscurity in recent memory.

Gone were the memories of Dawn Staley taking the Cavaliers to the championship game.

Those winning dreams were crushed by the Tennessee Volunteers. A bitter rivalry had developed between Virginia coach Debbie Ryan and Volunteer coach Pat Summitt.

However, when Virginia discontinued its series with the Connecticut Huskies, it needed a new premier program for it's non-conference schedule.

So Virginia took the short trip to Knoxville to take on a team that had lost only 18 times at home since the arena opened in 1987.

Young and inexperienced as the Volunteers may have been, no one expected Virginia to win this game. However, they forgot to inform junior guard Monica Wright of that fact.

Wright had her coming out party on a big stage, scoring a career-high 35 points.

However, the game was ultimately won by a role player named Britnee Milner.

The scrappy player converted the huge free throw with 6.4 seconds on the clock after Wright had tied the game at 82-82 to give Virginia the one-point lead.

The win may be diminished considering how Tennessee would fare the rest of the season, but it was a large statement that the Cavaliers could compete with any team in the country.

Something we would learn with No. 8.

8. Women's Basketball vs. Maryland: 89-81

Since 2001, when it came to the big three (UMD, UNC, and Duke), Virginia simply had no chance.

The Cavaliers had lost their spot on the top tier and they had no chance of getting it back unless it could finally knock off one of these perennial powers.

The best chance for that came when the Terrapins visited the JPJA in a big home contest for the Cavaliers.

Just so happened, Virginia had a big three of their own. Wright, alongside center Aisha Mohammad and the increasingly versatile Lyndra Littles provided an offensive force that few in the country could match.

The three combined for 77 of Virginia's 89 total points.

However, their biggest moment came in the second half when they were down by 13 and appeared to be on their way to another meltdown against the Big Three in the ACC.

Instead, Littles and Wright put on a show. The two helped not only erase the deficit but put up a 10-point edge of their own.

The Cavaliers shot nearly 54 percent in the second half and came away with their biggest win of the season.

The mark gave Virginia confidence that they could go toe-to-toe with any team in the ACC.

More importantly, it built a foundation for one of the strongest recruiting classes Debbie Ryan has ever assembled to work on.

7. Football vs. Georgia Tech: 24-17

As abysmal as the Virginia football program was at points last season, let's not forget that they were the No. 1 team in the coastal division standings heading into November.

That was made possible by a fateful day in October.

With the injuries to both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor against Florida State, the Hokies appeared in trouble at 3-2 in the ACC.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers were in Atlanta facing a red hot Yellow Jacket team that flew out to an early 14-3 lead in the first quarter.

Game over? Not quite.

Virginia quarterback Marc Verica, with only a few starts under his belt, showed poise under pressure, using his skill players to get the Cavaliers back in it.

Verica connected with Kevin Ogletree in the middle of the second quarter to erase the deficit to four. Then he found Maurice Covington in the third to take the lead.

Meanwhile, the Virginia defense had tightened up brilliantly after a bad first quarter.

Georgia Tech did not help their cause either, Yellow Jacket QB Jonathan Dwyer had two fumbles in the second half. Both turnovers were in Virginia territory.

The final turnover, that was an interception by Vic Hall to seal the win.

Verica finished the game 29-of-39 for 270 yards with two touchdowns but also two interceptions, a precursor of things to come.

Virginia continued to use the ground game of Peerman as well, his game-winning score showed the grit and determination of a senior looking for a storybook ending to his career.

6. Men's Soccer vs. Wake Forest: 3-2 (2 OT)

Virginia's men soccer entered the ACC tournament as an afterthought.

The Cavaliers were seeded fourth but had terrible injury problems that had kept them from reaching their full potential.

In the semi-finals they were given the unfortunate task of taking on the undefeated Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Ranked No. 1 in the country, the Deacons had already defeated the Cavaliers one week ago 2-0.

However, none of that mattered on a rainy night in Cary, N.C.

Chase Neiken scored the go-ahead goal for the Cavaliers with less than eight minutes remaining but the Demon Deacons responded in 89th minute to force the game into overtime.

In the extra session, defender Matt Poole was given a penalty kick opportunity after Wake's Nick Courtney fouled Brian Ownby of the Cavaliers.

Poole, taking over the penalty kick spot that Yannick Reyering had left behind, took full advantage and hit the game-winning shot.

The loss knocked Wake Forest from perfection and gave Virginia a great deal of confidence heading into the postseason.

Although Virginia would lose the ACC Championship game against eventual national champion Maryland, the depleted Cavaliers posted a great win to give the program momentum heading into next season.

5. Men's Lacrosse vs. Maryland: 10-9 (7 OT)

While the game was not always pretty, it certainly was memorable.

Virginia lacrosse was in a desperate situation. After defeating the Duke Blue Devils earlier in the season, Maryland was in position to deny the Cavaliers the top seed in the ACC tournament with a victory at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers were not as sharp as they had been earlier in the season, particularly on offense.

However, goalie Adam Ghitelman could not have been better for Virginia on this day.

While his teammates had trouble clearing the ball or even getting off a shot in the wet field conditions, Ghitelman was the rock that Virginia desperately needed.

With 22 saves and a key penalty that saved a sure-fire goal for the Terps, it was the goalie who allowed "Big Shot" Brian Carroll to add to his legacy of overtime winning shots.

Last season, Carroll knocked out Johns Hopkins and Syracuse but this shot helped cap off the longest game in college lacrosse history.

Virginia would go on to the Final Four where it lost to Cornell, but Cavalier fans will always remember the drama and intrigue of a seven-overtime thriller.

4. Football vs. UNC: 16-13 (OT)

The Tar Heels had not won in Charlottesville since 1981, but this appeared to be the year to turn things around.

North Carolina was coming in with a national ranking and a talented offense assembled by coach Butch Davis. Although the Tar Heels had lost in 2007, it was a failed two-point conversion which cost them a chance at overtime.

The near miss fueled them, but Virginia was not ready to lay down and die.

The Cavaliers had been left for dead by everyone after a 31-3 dismantling by Duke. However, after thumping Maryland 31-0 and a victory over media darling East Carolina, Virginia had begun to play some solid football.

Carolina came out fast with a touchdown by Ryan Houston after a nice pass by Cameron Sexton put them at the one-yard line.

Virginia's defense locked down after that and only allowed three more points in regulation.

Good thing too, because the Cavalier offense was anemic.

Through 57 minutes and 42 seconds, Virginia had amassed 168 yards of offense.

So who would have guessed inexperienced Marc Verica would lead an 82-yard drive in the final two minutes to tie the game and force overtime?

Verica simply could not miss when it mattered most and willed his team towards the endzone where Cedric Peerman put it away.

In overtime, Virginia held Carolina to three points and then a long pass from Verica to tight end John Phillips set up Peerman for the winning two-yard run.

The win did two equally important things.

First, it energized the Virginia fan base and allowed the Cavalier fans to celebrate their biggest win of the season.

Second, it demoralized a Carolina team off to its best start since 1997 and continued the Cavalier winning streak in Charlottesville.

3. Baseball vs. Florida State: 6-3

Since the arrival of coach Brian O'Connor, Virginia baseball has gone from the garbage heap to the penthouse.

O'Connor has produced one of the most consistent programs at the University.

Oh yeah, except he never won the big game.

Sure, O'Connor could get his team to the NCAA tournament, they just could never advance.

Sure, O'Connor could get his team to the ACC Championship game, he just couldn't win.

Certainly his youngest team in years that was not even ranked before the season started could not buck that trend.

Right?

Well, the Cavaliers entered the ACC baseball tournament seeded sixth. Their 19-0 start to the season had gained them attention but they had to prove they could win the big game, and particularly the close one.

Well Virginia beat Clemson 5-4 in the opener and then proceeded to proverbially punch the Carolina Tar Heels in the mouth with an 11-1 mercy rule victory.

After a comeback victory against Duke, it was on to the championship game with the Seminoles.

The Cavaliers were here last year, losing 8-4 to the Miami Hurricanes.

When the Seminoles scored two runs in the first it appeared Virginia would meet a similar fate. However, a strong relief outing by Matt Packer and Tyler Wilson held Florida State scoreless for over five innings allowed the Cavaliers to come back and tie the game at 3-3.

In the ninth, freshman John Hicks hit the biggest base hit of his life for the go-ahead run and an insurance run to boot. Hicks had not exactly shined during the tournament but his big hit was followed by another RBI for all-tournament catcher Franco Valdes giving Virginia a 6-3 lead.

The lead was more than enough for Kevin Arrico who notched the save and Virginia captured only the second ACC baseball title in school history.

The win gave Virginia six ACC titles, the most of any ACC program that year and tied for most in school history.

2. Men's Tennis vs. Georgia: 4-1

Coach Brian Boland has done just about everything at Virginia.

In 2008, Virginia tennis claimed its first national championship with an indoor title.

However, in tennis it's the outdoor title that is the standard for champions.

The Cavaliers had gone undefeated the entire season reaching the Final Four.

There they did battle with the Georgia Bulldogs.

You see, as great as Virginia has been against the rest of the country, they had never beaten the Bulldogs

In 2008, it would be no different. A hot day full of cramping and tension led to a 4-3 Georgia victory.

In 2009, Virginia once again faced Georgia. This time in the finals of the indoor national championship.

The Cavaliers were able to capture the valuable doubles point, just like they had done in their last meeting.

Without three starters from last season, including the all-time UVA great Somdev Devvarman, Virginia put on a show for the ages.

Houston Barrick took care of business quickly 6-4, 6-0 but the Bulldogs answered right back with knocking out top seeded Cavalier Dom Inglot.

In response, it was two freshman for Virginia that would clinch the match.

Steven Rooda won in straight sets and Drew Courtney responded after losing the first set 6-0 to take the match and the victory.

The win was a statement that Virginia desperately needed to make.

By getting the monkey off their back, the Cavaliers would once again enter the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record.

Though their season once again ended prematurely, this time to the USC Trojans, Virginia continues to be a program on the verge of an outdoor national championship.

If they do, expect the win over the Bulldogs to have served as the confidence needed to bring them championship glory.

1. Baseball vs. Ole Miss

Virginia baseball was already on cloud nine.

The Cavaliers had survived the "Region of Death" for their first ever appearance in the Super Regionals.

Their reward was a trip to Oxford, MS., one of the toughest places to play baseball in the country.

Virginia was kicking themselves after throwing away the first game on two costly errors that led to two runs for the Rebels.

Ole Miss was not feeling any better after game two where an error of their own in the eighth inning led to a decisive, winner-take-all contest on Sunday.

The Cavaliers had already used their two aces Danny Hultzen and Robert Morey, so coach Brian O'Connor was left to implement a pitcher-by-committee approach.

Robert Poutier began the game and recovered from a tough start where the Cavaliers gave up the opening run for the second straight game in the first.

Phil Gosselin helped tie the game by using the "small ball" gameplan that has typified Virginia baseball.

Gosselin singled and stole second without a throw before a Dan Grovatt walk and double steal.

John Hicks was able to sacrifice and let Gosselin get the key run.

Then the fifth inning turned into a comedy of errors where Virginia scored three runs off costly fielding mistakes by Ole Miss.

The pressure of having to win a regional after three straight close losses at home began to weigh on the Rebels and an insurance run in the eighth gave Virginia a 5-1 edge that they would not relinquish.

The victory gave Virginia their first ever appearance in the College World Series and gained the program and unprecedented amount of exposure and respect.

For a program that was almost eliminated in 2001, the Virginia baseball team put on a spring to remember. After the football and basketball seasons, Cavaliers needed a team to believe in and the baseball team filled the role beautifully.

Coach O'Connor took a bunch of kids that no one believed in and got them to believe in each other.

The result was the greatest season in the program's history and it culminated one fateful day in Oxford.

Where It All Starts: Notre Dame's Offensive Line

Erin McLaughlin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:44:34 -0400

Phil Steele predicts that Notre Dame will win a lot of games this season. In fact, he has them ranked No. 7 in his preseason poll.

Why shouldn't they be expected to do well? Look at what is returning on offense. Jimmy Clausen is going into his third year as the starting quarterback. He is loaded with weapons around him. Armando Allen, James Aldrige and Robert Hughes are all good out of the backfield.

Clausen will also have an awesome receiving corps with Golden Tate, Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph. Duval Kamara and Mike Ragone will also have key roles as backups.

All this offensive firepower has to be the reason Steele has the Irish doing so well this year, right? Wrong!

One of the key ingredients in Steele's formula is experience on the offensive line. In fact, he adds up the total number of starts by the whole offensive line heading into the season.

According to Steele, the most experienced offensive line in all of college football is Notre Dame. This unit that consists of LT Paul Duncan, LG Eric Olsen, C Dan Wenger, RG Trevor Robinson and RT Sam Young. This group has been together for a long time. Most have been starting since their sophomore season.

These guys definitely had their struggles. In 2007, the 3-9 record was the result of poor and inexperienced line play. In 2008, the 7-6 record was the result of inconsistent line play. Clausen was sacked much fewer times. That was a positive sign.

The unit really game together in Hawaii and they played great. The nation saw what the rest of the team can do when they are given the protection.

In 2009, Weis wants to establish more of a running game to go along with the passing game. If he is to be successful, the line is a huge part of that. I have always liked how Armando Allen hits the hole. If the holes are there, he can be a great runner.

The offensive line is definitely a huge key to the Irish's success. Without them, it will be tough. Can you imagine a super fast sports car without any gas? Then the car isn't quite so fast.

I am optimistic that the line will be solid with all their experience.

But as Clashmore Mike says, I won't give them credit until they deserve it.

Geoff Watches the Toronto Blue Geays Game

Geoff Zochodne — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:39:42 -0400

For something completely different today, I decided to watch the Toronto Blue Jays play baseball. How unlike me.

The Jays took on the New York Yankees in the Bronx, and I settled into my couch and took notes. For your reading pleasure, I have put them in chronological order. Enjoy!

Pregame

-The sky looks angry today. So does my cat.

-A.J. Burnett pitches for the Yankees and Brian Tallet goes for the Blue Jays.

-Rod Barajas is quoted by Jamie Campbell as saying that these are the games that will prove the Jays are "for real", which questions the validity of the other 161 games of the season. That and the existence of the Matrix.

-A.J. Burnett takes the mound wearing a red Fourth of July hat. The Jays are wearing their Canada Day hats still. It's official people, National Hat Fight Day!

-The announcers promptly jinx the entire game by mentioning that Yankees Stadium is easy to hit home runs out of. I prepare to watch nine innings of no-hit baseball.

-That You Belong at The Game commercial kid is clearly at a day game. How could it be past his bedtime yet? Are babies nocturnal? I need clarification.

-David Delucci got called up to replace the perpetually demoted Russ Adams. Russ, we hardly knew ye.

First Inning

-A.J. Burnett's face resembles that of the Immortals from 300. I won't lie, this has been in my head for a while.

-Bleacher Creatures starting their Roll Call. Neat.

-Burnett's looking pretty wild out there after uncorking two wild pitches to Aaron Hill and walking him.

-Why don't the snipers take the shot when the bank robbers are talking to Roy Halladay? People's lives are at stake here.

-Alex Rodriguez pops out to end the first and Brian Tallet reaches the dugout before the ball reaches Vernon Wells' glove. Love the confidence.

Second Inning

-Lyle Overbay takes a ball off the foot but it doesn't get called. Cito Gaston goes out to argue. Cito's voice is probably the most soothing in all of baseball, I love his postgame interviews. If you're reading this Cito, I want to get into the books-on-tape business with you.

-The Jays BA/RISP is .262 (ninth in the AL).

-David Delucci gets nailed with a pitch, earning him the nickname: Detarget.

-Hideki Matsui's batting average against Brian Tallet is over .500. Before I can flip a coin, he singles.

Third Inning

-Johnny Damon botches a Marco Scutaro pop fly. My brother recalls to me a game where Damon had three errors and threw his glove at the outfield wall. Fingers crossed.

-My cat falls off the table.

-Jamie Campbell says Derek Jeter has "found his legs." I find mine faster and declare I am better than Jeter at leg finding.

-Damon is covered in dirt from missing the pop fly. The Yankee Stadium media people blow it by not playing Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder."

-Mark Teixeira's batting stance looks like it's been choreographed to "Achy Breaky Heart."

-Another graphic, The A-Rod effect. Yanks are 32-18 since his return.

Fourth Inning

-Overbay doubles.

-Rios singles home Overbay. I want Rios' autograph so badly, yet therapy is a costly thing.

-A.J. Burnett is unsatisfied with the pitcher's mound. Apparently his salary is being paid out of the landscaping budget.

-Campbell says Cervelli is great at throwing out runners. He promptly throws out a stealing Rios. Rios got Cerved!

-Delucci walks. New nickname: DeOnBasePercentage.

-Woo! Dog Day is coming up soon. The Rogers Center employees rejoice.

-A closeup of Tallet reveals a fat guy scratching his bare (and beer) belly in the background. Classy.

-How do those guys dressed as umps get such good seats? If I dress as Cito Gaston, can I sit in the dugout?

-The Yankees have out-homered their opponents 72-57 at new Yankee Stadium. I want the stadium drug tested.

Fifth Inning

-The Yankees have two men on with no outs. I'm scared, but that wacky Johnny Damon is up.

-Damon bunts on base safely. That's not wacky at all. Bases are juiced.

-The outfield gate in center field won't close. Vernon Wells tries to shut it himself. Insert your own "Finally earning his money" jokes.

-Tallet walks home a run. Tallet throws a wild pitch and a run scores. I look around the room to see if there's anything I can break that doesn't cost a lot.

-Mark Teixeira is thrown out at home. He's clearly safe, I mean out.

-Swisher strikes out and the inning is salvaged. Three-0 Yanks.

Sixth Inning

-The top of the sixth is so boring I actually start hearing my brother's pleas for food. We discuss going to Taco Bell.

-Vernon Wells socks a pitch into low orbit. Taco Bell will have to wait.

Seventh Inning

-A foul ball is grabbed by Sportsnet's own Sam Cosentino. Rance Mulliniks tells him that's the only play he's made his whole life. Words can hurt too, Rance.

-Delucci strikes out. New nickname: Deoh-for-one.

-Scutaro DESTROYS...an infield single.

-Aaron Hill responds to a near head shot from Burnett by fouling out. Take that A.J.!

At this point, I caved into the demands for food. I spent the next two innings driving and listening to the game on the radio. I made it back just in time to see Mariano Rivera strike out Raul Chavez. Four to two, Yanks was the final score.

So there you have it folks, from my brain to your eyes. A disappointing result from the Jays, especially since they went 1-8 with runners in scoring position. Brian Tallet was having control issues all game and ended up walking four batters.

Toronto really needs to win this series. Today was a competitive game, but sleepwalking through at-bats is not good enough.

Roy Halladay pitches tomorrow afternoon as the Jays look to even up the series. I'll spare you my thoughts though, if the Jays are losing they may not be exactly PG-13.

Fedotenko Will Stay in Pittsburgh Next Year

Eric Naughton — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:33:43 -0400

Ray Shero managed to keep one piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle in Pittsburgh. Unrestricted free agent Ruslan Fedotenko has signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract.

(Read more at Pittsburgh Penguins News and SI.com.)

Fedotenko joins Craig Adams and Bill Guerin as players who took a pay cut to stay with the Stanley Cup Champions.

This is good news for the Penguins on the heels of losing two important defensemen in Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi, who took big pay increases from the Canadiens and Kings, respectively. Due to salary cap issues, there is no chance that Pittsburgh would have been able to afford these two players, even with hometown discounts.

Fedotenko represents the most important free-agent retention for the club. Feds has great chemistry with Evgeni Malkin and scored 39 points in 65 regular-season games as well as seven goals and 14 points in the playoffs.

Deals have not been made with Petr Sykora, Miroslav Satan, Phillippe Boucher, or Mike Zigomanis. While Satan is likely to leave Pittsburgh, Sykora should be a top priority for the Pens.

Sykora is an important player for Pittsburgh with 46 regular-season points. His late-season slump and playoff absence has been attributed to a shoulder injury.

Shero has proven to not be in a hurry this year and results on these contracts might be pending for some weeks.

EDIT: Ray Shero's comments here indicate that they may not be trying to re-sign Boucher but confirm my thoughts that Sykora's future will unfold over the next week or so.

Before UFC 100, All Woman's MMA Fight Card

Brian Oswald — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:33:36 -0400

Caption: Could LaTasha Marzolla be the next face of woman's MMA?

If you are going to be in Las Vegas for the weekend of UFC 100 and want to squeeze in some extra MMA, then perhaps "Tuff" Girls" may be just what you’re looking for.

Taking place the night before the biggest event in MMA history, UFC 100, “Tuff Girls” will showcase amateur women fighters who could one day be competing with professional fighters like Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

Tuff-N-Uff, the nation’s premiere amateur mixed martial arts organization, will present an all-female MMA card at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 10. “Tuff Girls” will be headlined by Barb Honchak and Las Vegan Meegan Thomas who will fight in the 125-pound weight class for the Tuff Girl Belt.

Barb Honchak has compiled an impressive record of 6-1, while her opponent Meegan Thomas is undefeated with three wins under her belt. The other bouts will feature battles in weight classes ranging from 105 pounds to the 170 pounds.

The state of woman's mixed martial arts is at a critical juncture with "Carano vs. Cyborg" just around the corner. In order to capitalize on the momentum of that event, it will need stars to rise up from the ranks and be the future of the sport.

One particular star in the making could be former playboy model LaTasha Marzolla. Along with Gina Carano, LaTasha appears in the 2005 quasi-documentary Ring Girls about 5 women who, under Muay Thai trainer Master Toddy, fight in Las Vegas and Thailand.

LaTasha made her MMA debut on May 30, 2009, defeating Christy Tada by corner stoppage at the end of round 1 in a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas. She was supposed to be fighting on this fight card, but her broken nose sustained in her last fight did not heal in time. Latasha currently trains at Xtreme Couture under Shawn Tompkins.

Don't be surprised if you see some UFC fighters hanging around. Call it a hunch but we were also able to confirm it with VP of Tuff-N-Uff Jeff Meyer who said it's not uncommon to spot your favorite male fighters in attendance.

Main Event:

125 pounds: Barb Honchak (6-1) vs. Meegan Thomas (3-0)

135 pounds: MaEisha Lowe (3-1) Amanda Lavoy (3-1)
145 pounds: Patricia VanDermeer (2-0) vs. Moa Palmer (3-1)
170 pounds: Brooke Guidry (0-1) vs. Latoya Walker (0-0)
120 pounds: Lauren Feldman (5-1) vs. Jessica Laubacker (3-1)
110 pounds: Jaclyn Greenwell (1-1) vs. September Thornton (1-1)
155 pounds: Courtney Stowe (1-1) vs. Aleaha Williams (1-2)
140 pounds: Robin Hartman (2-2) vs. Stephanie Webber (2-2)
135 pounds: Kiley Martin (0-0) vs. Paige Zio (1-0)
135 pounds: Michelle Velebit (0-0) vs. Tamara Riley (0-1)
120 pounds: Gabriella Lakoczky (0-0) vs. Kate McGray (0-0)

Tickets for the event are on sale for $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the fight. Tickets may be purchased by calling 702.284.7777, online at www.orleansarena.com. Also be sure to check out the TUFF-N-UFF website for pictures and more information.

Hedo Turkoglu-Orlando Magic: Can't Believe They Didn't Resign Him

Terrell Woods — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:33:30 -0400

The performance that Hedo Turkoglu put up in the playoffs was incredible.

If it wasn't for Turkoglu's smart shot decisions and great ball handling the Magic would have never won the only game they won in the finals or even gotten to the Finals.

You would think that someone that stepped up like that in the playoffs would have definitely had a spot on the team next year.

Turkoglu has reached an agreement to join the Portland Trail Blazers, it was kind of obvious that he was not going to get resigned once the Magic traded for the older Vince Carter, who has a large salary and plays small forward, which is Turkoglu's position.

This made it highly unlikely Turkoglu would be back in Orlando. But Turkoglu had been looking for a five-year deal around $50 million. Most Likely the cap will be somewhere between $57-59 million.

If it is that high, the Blazers can offer close to what Turkoglu want to get. I can see why they didn't want to resign him but why give that much money to Vince Carter.

If that the person they think is the peace to the missing puzzle then so be it.

The Michael Owen Fact-File

Nathan Cicchini — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:33:16 -0400

The factfile of Michael Owen, who has signed from relegated Newcastle to Manchester United on a free transfer.

1979: Born December 14, Chester.

1995: Beats the goalscoring record of Kevin Gallen and Nick Barmby for England Under-15s.

1996: Helps Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup in May. Signs professional terms with Liverpool on 17th birthday after previously joining them as a schoolboy.

1997: May 6 - Scores on his first-team debut against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.

September 16 - Scores on European debut against Celtic in UEFA Cup.

November 18 - Nets his first senior hat-trick against Grimsby in the Coca-Cola Cup.

December 17 - Scores on his debut for England Under-21s.

1998: February 2 - Named in Glenn Hoddle's senior squad for the first time.

February 11 - Becomes youngest England international of the 20th century when he starts against Chile.

February 14 - Scores his first Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday. Finishes season joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 18 goals.

May 31 - Named in England's World Cup squad of 22.

June 22 - Scores after coming on as substitute against Romania but England lose 2-1.

June 30 - Scores a sensational goal against Argentina before England bow out of France 98 on penalties.

December 13 - Named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, one day before his 19th birthday.

1999: April 14 - Liverpool announce Owen is out for three months because of hamstring and tendon injuries.

2000: June - Named in Kevin Keegan's Euro 2000 squad.

2001: May - Scores twice in the last seven minutes as Liverpool come back to beat Arsenal 2-1 in the FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.

Plays, but does not score, as Liverpool complete a cup treble when they beat Alaves 5-4 after extra-time to win the UEFA Cup.

September 1 - A hat-trick helps England to an historic 5-1 win over Germany in the World Cup qualifier in Munich.

September 26 - Signs a new four-year deal with the Anfield club.

December 17 - Named European Footballer of the Year.

2002: April 16 - Named as stand-in England captain for friendly against Paraguay.

June - Scores goals against Denmark and Brazil during England's run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Japan.

2003: April 26 - Scores his 100th Premier League goal, the second of four in a 6-0 rout of West Brom.

June 11 - Making 50th England appearance, captains the side in the absence of David Beckham and nets twice in 2-1 Euro 2004 qualifying defeat of Slovakia at Riverside Stadium.

September 24 - Breaks Rush's club record, scoring his 21st goal in European competition with a header against Olimpija Ljubljana in the UEFA Cup first round 1-1 draw in Slovenia.

2004: June - Scores one goal for England in Euro 2004 - in the quarter-final defeat to Portugal.

August 12 - Sources close to Real Madrid reveal the Spanish club have agreed to give Liverpool £8million and Antonio Nunez for the services of Owen.

August 13 - Passes medical with the Spanish giants.

2005: May 23 - After scoring 16 goals in his debut season in Spain, states his intention to stay with Real Madrid despite reported interest from Newcastle.

August 3 - After Real Madrid sign Robinho and Julio Baptista, Owen admits he has had "brief dialogue with three or four Premiership clubs."

August 30 - Owen signs four-year deal with Newcastle, sealing STG17million ($A34.7million) permanent transfer.

September 18 - Opens scoring in second game—a 3-0 win at Blackburn—and follows up in the next game with winner against Manchester City at St James' Park.

October 12 - Takes England goal tally to 33 with first goal of the World Cup qualifier against Poland - equalling Gary Lineker's competitive record of 22 for England.

December 17 - Scores first hat-trick for Newcastle in 4-2 win at West Ham.

December 31 - Breaks metatarsal bone in defeat at Tottenham and is ruled out for "several months."

2006: March 24 - Newcastle announce Owen requires surgery to tighten the screw inserted into his foot during the initial operation.

June 20 - Regains fitness to take his place at the World Cup but injures his knee in first minute of group game against Sweden in Cologne and is immediately replaced. Ruled out for at least nine months.

2007: April 15 - Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd says Newcastle may seek an injunction to stop Owen playing for England in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia in June.

April 30 - Owen makes first competitive start in over 10 months, playing the full 90 minutes as Newcastle lose 1-0 to Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

September 29 - Owen undergoes a hernia operation, which proves such a success he is expected to return to action in time for England's Euro 2008 games.

2008: January 19 - Appointed Newcastle captain by new manager Kevin Keegan.

2009: May - Finishes the season with 10 goals as Newcastle are relegated from the Premier League on the final day.

June 22 - Confirms that he will not be renewing his contract with Newcastle.

July 1 - Becomes a free agent after his Newcastle contract runs out.

July 3 - Reports link Owen with free transfer to Manchester United and he later signs a two-year contract with the champions after passing medical tests.