Jamie Collins shares remarkably candid thoughts on trade from Patriots
Collins was open and honest when asked about the Patriots and his new home of Cleveland.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Jamie Collins shares remarkably candid thoughts on trade from Patriots
Jamie Collins shares remarkably candid thoughts on trade from Patriots
Collins was open and honest when asked about the Patriots and his new home of Cleveland.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: RECAP, score, stats (10/2/16), NFL Week 4
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| Wide receiver Chris Conley #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates a touchdown against the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium during first quarter of the game on September 25, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Peter Aiken | Getty Images) |
Kansas City Chiefs
Pittsburgh Steelers
1 2 3 4
0 0 0 14
22 7 7 7
Total
14
43
Mon Oct 3 Status: Final Attendance: 61278
Scoring Summary Stats
PIT 1st Qtr 7:27 Darrius Heyward-Bey 31 yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Markus Wheaton 2pt Pass from Ben Roethlisberger)
PIT 1st Qtr 5:10 Antonio Brown 4 yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick)
PIT 1st Qtr 1:20 Antonio Brown 38 yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick)
PIT 2nd Qtr 0:44 Jesse James 9 yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick)
PIT 3rd Qtr 11:19 Markus Wheaton 30 yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick)
KC 4th Qtr 11:11 Tyreek Hill 10 yd pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick)
PIT 4th Qtr 7:22 DeAngelo Williams 2 yd run (Chris Boswell kick)
KC 4th Qtr 0:04 Travis Kelce 3 yd pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick)
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent a week letting their worst loss in 27 years fester. Catharsis came during a frenetic stretch in the first quarter Sunday night against the seemingly unprepared Kansas City Chiefs.
Six offensive snaps. Three Ben Roethlisberger touchdowns passes. Two to Antonio Brown. One very important reminder of just how good Pittsburgh's offense can look when all of its dynamic parts are moving in sync.
Seven days after a 31-point meltdown in Philadelphia, the Steelers overwhelmed the Chiefs 43-14 behind five touchdowns passes from Roethlisberger and 178 yards of total offense from running back Le'Veon Bell.
"I told the guys before the game, we're driving a car and we don't have a rearview mirror right now," Roethlisberger said. "We're not looking back. We're looking forward. We're moving on. We did a pretty good job moving on."
Sure looked like it.
Roethlisberger hit Brown — wearing cleats featuring the profile of golf great and western Pennsylvania native Arnold Palmer — for a pair of scores. Roethlisberger also found Markus Wheaton, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Jesse James for touchdowns on his way to finishing 22 of 27 for 300 yards.
"When you've got a Hall of Fame quarterback, it looks good like that," center Maurkice Pouncey said the Steelers improved to 3-1.
It helps when the franchise running back is allowed to join in too. Bell returned from a torn MCL that cut short his 2015 season and a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and looked every bit as dangerous as he did when he was an All-Pro in 2014, which also happened to be the last time Bell, Brown and Roethlisberger started and finished a game together.
"I didn't really feel like I was rusty," Bell said. "I was more anxious if anything."
There was no need, not on a night Pittsburgh's struggling defense repaid a pre-game pep talk by Hall of Fame linebacker Kevin Greene by throttling the Chiefs (2-2). The Steelers forced a pair of first-quarter turnovers that Roethlisberger promptly turned into touchdowns during a franchise-record 22-point deluge. Pittsburgh, which came in with just one sack on the season - dead last in the league - but getting to Kansas City's Alex Smith four times and never allowing the Chiefs to get into a rhythm.
"We wanted to get'em one dimensional and take'em to the deep end of the pool," Steelers linebacker Vince Williams said.
Smith was 30 of 50 for 287 yards and two inconsequential fourth-quarter touchdowns after things were well out of hand. Spencer Ware ran for 82 yards but also fumbled in the first quarter that kick-started Pittsburgh's record-setting run.
Below is NJ.com's preview of the game:
The Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Week 4 of NFL action.
We'll have up-to-the-minute scoring and stats here throughout the game. Check the scoreboard above and click on the stats link.
App users: For the best mobile experience, use the mobile web version.
Here's what you need to know:
Who: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Sunday, October 2, 2016
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (Field reporter)
Livestream: NFL GamePass (subscription required), NBC Sports Live
Steelers injury report:
OUT
G Ramon Foster (Chest)
S Robert Golden (Hamstring)
CB Senquez Golson (Foot)
FB Roosevelt Nix (Back)
WR Eli Rogers (Toe)
LB Ryan Shazier (Knee)
C/G Cody Wallace (Knee)
Chiefs injury report:
OUT
OL Jah Reid (Knee, Ankle)
RB Charcandrick West (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE
LB Tamba Hali (Knee, Hand)
CB Phillip Gaines (Knee)
RB Jamaal Charles (Knee)
More to know:
The Chiefs listed Jamaal Charles as questionable for Sunday night's game at Pittsburgh, while fellow running back Charcandrick West has been ruled out with an ankle injury.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday that how well Charles comes out of the final practice of the week would dictate whether he makes his season debut. The four-time Pro Bowl selection has not played since Week 5 last season, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The only other running backs on the active roster are Spencer Ware and Knile Davis.
Kansas City could also be relying on a makeshift secondary against Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown & Co. Phillip Gaines is questionable with a knee injury and fellow cornerback Marcus Peters missed two practices this week with the flu, though he was a full participant in Friday's workout.
source: nj.com
Friday, July 22, 2016
Dennis Green dies
Dennis Green dies at age 67
"Dennis passed away last night from complications of cardiac arrest," Green's family said in a statement. "His family was by his side and he fought hard."
Friday, July 15, 2016
Tom Brady’s legal fight
Tom Brady’s legal fight technically isn’t over, yet
Here’s the official statement from the NFL Players Association: “After careful consideration and discussion with Tom Brady, the NFLPA will not be seeking a stay of the four game suspension with the 2nd Circuit. This decision was made in the interest of certainty and planning for Tom prior to the New England Patriots season. We will continue to review all of our options and we reserve our rights to petition for [appeal] to the Supreme Court.”
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Chelsea hold talks with Lionel Messi?
Football transfer rumours: Chelsea hold talks with Lionel Messi?
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| Lionel Messi: yesterday prison, today Chelsea? Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images |
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Warriors agree to deal with David West
Reports: Warriors agree to deal with David West
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| David West played in 78 games last season for the Spurs. Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports |
The agreement was first reported by NBA.com.
The Warriors, who have a commitment from Kevin Durant to sign with the team, will lose Harrison Barnes after rescinding their rights to the forward, who plans to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.
Barnes posted a farewell to the Warriors on Twitter on Tuesday.
I just want to thank the entire Warriors organization, my teammates & coaches for the amazing 4 years I've had there pic.twitter.com/QDb04pLYci— Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) July 5, 2016
West, a 13-year veteran, opted out of a $12.6 million deal with the Indiana Pacers last summer to join the San Antonio Spurs for a veteran-minimum contract worth approximately $1.5 million.
West played in 78 games with 19 starts during the 2015-16 season with 19 starts. He averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds on 54.4 percent shooting as a key cog on a San Antonio bench that produced an NBA-best plus-10.9 net rating. That rating was the best by a bench since the shortened 2011-12 season, when the Chicago Bulls led the NBA with a plus-12.7 mark.
West, 35, harbored no regrets about turning down a more lucrative financial situation with the Pacers to join the Spurs.
West played just nine minutes during San Antonio's final game of the postseason. He had a $1.5 million player option for the 2016-17 season, which he declined.
source: espn
Dodgers' 10-game home win streak ends in 4-1 loss to Orioles
Dodgers' 10-game home win streak ends in 4-1 loss to Orioles
His struggles at Dodger Stadium culminated in a 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night that cost Los Angeles its five-game overall winning streak and ended its run of 10 consecutive home victories.
Maeda (7-6) gave up a three-run homer to Manny Machado in the fifth inning, helping the Orioles end their five-game skid. The right-hander tied season highs in runs allowed (four) and hits (seven) in four-plus innings, equaling the shortest outing of his career.
Maeda struck out five and walked three. He fell to 3-6 in nine home starts this season.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Luol Deng, Lakers agree to four-year, $72 million deal
Source: Luol Deng, Lakers agree to four-year, $72 million deal
The agreement was first reported by The Vertical.
After struggling to find consistency and a comfortable role through much of his two seasons in Miami, Deng blossomed when he shifted from small forward to power forward with All-Star Chris Bosh lost in February for the second time to treat blood clots.
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| Luol Deng has averaged 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds over his 12-year NBA career. Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images |
Deng, 31, averaged 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 28 games after the All-Star break, when he shot 48.4 percent from the field in 31.4 minutes. Deng's versatility on both ends of the court was vital in the Heat's transition to an up-tempo pace over the second half of the season and fueled their push to the second round of the playoffs.
"He was getting more space and room to run and cut and be himself," Heat president Pat Riley said of Deng, a 12-year veteran who spent his first nine seasons with Chicago. "He's a great leader. We love him. He's a high-character guy. I consider him one of our core people."
The Lakers also have agreed to deals with Jordan Clarkson (four years, $50 million) and center Timofey Mozgov (four years, $64 million) and have made qualifying offers to Tarik Black and Marcelo Huertas. The deal cannot be signed until July 7.
Deng earned $10.1 million last season in the final year of a two-year deal in Miami. But with limited salary-cap space and retaining Dwyane Wade a clear priority after keeping Hassan Whiteside, bringing back Deng appeared to be a huge challenge for the Heat entering free agency.
source: espn
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Who's in, who's likely out in Kevin Durant sweepstakes
Who's in, who's likely out in Kevin Durant sweepstakes
If Durant is anything, it’s genuine. Love him or hate him – and really, how in the world could you hate this guy? – the Thunder star it not in the business of being inauthentic.
So on July 1 when the Thunder, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat start to come his way to discuss the prime years of his career, he will be all ears. The man isn’t one to waste anybody’s time.
Yet while that might be enough to keep Thunder general manager Sam Presti up for a few torturous nights, the prospect of Durant returning on a two-year deal (with a player option in the second) to the only franchise he has ever known remains as likely now as it did on the night his latest season ended in that Western Conference Finals Game 7 loss at Oracle Arena. And yes, that’s still the case after the Thunder’s shocking draft night trade on Thursday.
By all accounts, the trade that sent Serge Ibaka to Orlando in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and No. 11 pick Domantas Sabonis was, in essence, Durant approved. He wasn’t hopping on the trade call, of course, but the nature of this situation meant his perspective simply had to be accounted for.
The move, which made the Thunder younger, deeper and far more flexible going into next summer’s free agency when they could have had Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka as unrestricted free agents, was the latest proof that Presti is a master of sustained success. Add in the massive edge the Thunder hold on the financial front – one that I chronicled at great length in this May 10 piece – and their pitch is about as close to perfect as anyone else’s in this bunch.
So the Thunder enter into this stage with respectful optimism, knowing Durant has earned the right to hear out other teams and that, both now and in 2007 when they drafted him during the Seattle SuperSonics days, they’re lucky to have him. There are, in other words, no hard feelings about all these free-agency flirtations.
As for the other suitors whose odds of landing him still seem relatively slim? Those meetings will matter – the key word there being "meetings." If your team doesn’t have one by now, you shouldn’t be feeling too confident about your place in the Durant race.
Despite years of speculation about Durant possibly signing with his hometown Washington Wizards or the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of his situation told USA TODAY Sports that those two teams are not expected to land a meeting with the former MVP. The New York Knicks have earned their way onto Durant’s radar, having traded for Derrick Rose recently to create quite the combination with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. Yet as of now, it remains to be seen how that particular scenario will be handled. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the situation with other teams.
Barring an unforeseen change in which a meeting is granted as a way of helping a franchise save face, this development will come as quite a blow to the Lakers group that spent the past few years planning with Durant’s free agency in mind. There are other free agency fish in the sea, to be sure, but none with the star power of a Durant. As for the Wizards, they’re taking the two-track approach: patiently waiting on Durant’s call with hopes of being surprised while moving on with their non-Durant free agency plans so as not to be slowed down by a pipe dream.
There’s a never-say-never element that will exist for the six invited teams, with impressive individuals at every scheduled stop who will paint a compelling picture for Durant to ponder. The Warriors, who were relatively confident even before their Finals loss made the prospect of Durant coming their way more palatable, are daring to dream right now. The Spurs, who showed in landing LaMarcus Aldridge last summer that they can win a free agency free-for-all, will take a similar approach to this visit.
The Boston Celtics have quite the promising future to sell – especially in the inferior Eastern Conference – and it doesn’t hurt general manager Danny Ainge’s case that Durant has long had an affinity for the great Larry Bird. Durant in Beantown, should the luck of the Irish fall in their favor, would be the modern-day version of that Larry Legend love affair that the city had with those teams of the 1980s.
Doc Rivers and his Clippers, who would likely have to sign-and-trade forward Blake Griffin to bring Durant to town, have a one-of-a-kind market, top-tier ownership and a title-contending roster to pitch. Then with Miami, putting the Heat’s godfather, Pat Riley, in a room with any NBA superstar is always trouble for the team trying to bring him back.
Durant doesn’t yet know what he will do, and that alone is reason to pay close attention in the next few weeks. His decision is expected to come quickly, before a July 9 trip to Europe that is seen as the possible finish line. While free agents can verbally agree to deals starting on July 1, they can’t formally sign until July 7.
It won’t be quite as understated as it was in 2010, when he sent a tweet about his five-year extension with the Thunder and went on his way. But with the Thunder firmly in the lead, he will be listening. What happens next is up to him.
source: usatoday
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Rory McIlroy won’t be the last to decide Rio not worth the hassle
Rory McIlroy won’t be the last to decide Rio not worth the hassle
Golf at the Olympics has been nothing but a constant pebble in Rory McIlroy’s custom-made Nike Rors golf shoes
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| Rory McIlroy delivered a blow to Ireland’s hopes of an Olympic medal on June 22, 2016, when he said he would not be going to the Rio Games over fears of the Zika virus. “After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realise that my health and my family’s health comes before anything else,” the 27-year-old four-time major champion said in a statement. Photo: Jim Watson/Getty Images |
Q: Jordan, you mentioned earlier talking about the Olympics. Just walk us through your thought process. There’s a lot of concerns with Zika and everything else and the infrastructure down there. Why have you made the decision to for sure go?
A: You’re putting words into my mouth, sir, but right now I am very - I said pending scheduling changes earlier. I’m not sure where I’ll play next, even after this week. I mean, you just never know.
Transcript from Jordan Spieth’s pre-tournament press conference at Oakmont last week
It’s reasonable to assume that Rory McIlroy won’t be the last golfer to withdraw from the Olympics. It will be a surprise too if he isn’t followed by assorted cyclists, tennis players, soccer players and more. Simply put, the Zika virus has provided an out for any and all sportspeople worldwide who have bigger fish to fry.
It will be noted that the athletes for whom an Olympic medal - or even just a personal best at the games - is the be-all, end-all quadrennial target in their sport have shown no hint or wish of giving Rio a miss in August. McIlroy, by contrast, is the sixth golfer. All of them, by the by, are male. No surprises there - an Olympic medal with its attendant exposure and sponsorship possiblities holds greater caché in the women’s game.
But on the men’s side of things, this was always the problem with golf edging its way back into the Olympics. It wasn’t wanted, it wasn’t needed, it was done for all the wrong reasons. They said it was to grow the game when what they meant was to expand the market for Nike Golf, TaylorMade, Callaway and the rest. Golf professionals aren’t working in salt mines but you’ll find they feel they do plenty of singing for their supper already.
With McIlroy gone, attention will inevitably turn to Spieth, Jason Day and the other players at the elite end of the game. For all the broader efforts to gin up enthusiasm for the concept, there is no denying the overwhelming apathy towards it in the pro ranks. By their recent wavering, it won’t be earth-shattering if and when we hear that Spieth and Day have thought better of it as well.
The reason it’s important that the Olympics be the pinnacle of any sport that appears on the schedule is because it’s never good for anyone to have athletes feel like they’re doing you a favour by just turning up. Golfers are creatures of habit, all the more so when it comes to the late summer. By plonking itself down in the middle of August and compacting the major season - in a Ryder Cup year, to boot - the strength of the draw of the games was always going to be tested.
Think about it this way. Had McIlroy decided to go to Rio, he would have stood on the first tee having gone through four years of constant complications to get there. From existential crises to do with identity and nationality to more prosaic practicalities like basic scheduling and travelling to, finally, a threat - however minuscule - to the future health of his family. Golf at the Olympics has been nothing but a constant pebble in Rory McIlroy’s custom-made Nike Rors golf shoes.
There isn’t a pro golfer alive who wouldn’t happily wade through all of that and more to get to play in a major. But it’s a lot to endure for the Olympics and it’s no surprise that one by one, they’re deciding it’s just not worth the hassle.
McIlroy will take a bit of online scouring for his late decision but he owes Irish golf nothing at this stage and shouldn’t give it a second thought. He has single-handedly revived the Irish Open and secured its future, which will be a far more enduring legacy than a gold medal in Rio could ever have been. Any razzing he takes on social media says more about the razzers than the razzee.
As for the Irish team now, it looks certain to be Shane Lowry plus one. Ordinarily, Graeme McDowell would be that one but with his wife set to give birth the week after Rio, it’s not thought likely that he will make the trip. All of which would leave Pádraig Harrington as the next man in.
Pádraig Harrington, Olympic champion? Stranger things have happened.
source: irishtimes
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Phil Mickelson Eyes Final Leg of Grand Slam at Oakmont
Phil Mickelson Eyes Final Leg of Grand Slam at Oakmont
Or was it Merion in 2013?
Battle-scarred Phil Mickelson met the media at Oakmont on Wednesday, on the eve of the 116th U.S. Open, and the popular six-time runner-up in this tournament said the 2006 edition, when he bonked his drive off a hospitality tent and double-bogeyed the last hole, was the worst.
But then he changed his answer.
“My career is built on failure,” Mickelson said, eliciting laughter. A long-awaited success this week “would mean the world,” he added, since it would complete the career grand slam. He said he’s playing well and putting well after finishing tied for second at the FedEx St. Jude last weekend, his fifth top-five finish this year. He said he hopes the USGA will make Oakmont fast and fiery, since he has the experience to handle it.
“I would like to see it go over that edge,” Mickelson said, “because I feel like I've learned how to play that style of golf.”
Inevitably, though, the questions for Mickelson turned to his winless U.S. Open odyssey. This will be his 26th start in this event, and he is one of only four players to have participated in the 1994 and 2007 U.S. Opens at Oakmont. He’s old enough to remember when the place had trees.
“Can’t dwell on the past,” he said, but for the media, he did. (He also answered questions about being part of an insider-trading investigation.)
Mickelson has finished second or T2 behind two sleeves of winners: Payne Stewart (Pinehurst, 1999); Tiger Woods (Bethpage, 2002); Retief Goosen (Shinnecock, 2004); Geoff Ogilvy (Winged Foot, 2006); Lucas Glover (Bethpage again, 2009); and Justin Rose (Merion, 2013). We’ve had to look through our fingers at some of his efforts to arrive at the trophy.
But he’s here, trying, again. Mickelson goes off Oakmont’s 10th tee with Rose and Henrik Stenson at 2:09 ET Thursday.
It’s been an eventful week already. Mickelson practiced at the course Monday, flew home to San Diego to attend his daughter’s eighth-grade graduation on Tuesday, slept in Wednesday, and came to the interview room just after lunch. He said, like seemingly every year, that Oakmont presents his best chance to win so far. He said the brutally hard 477-yard ninth hole is a par-4 in name only, and that because of the evil lurking around the 17th green he won’t go for the driveable par-4 hole no matter where the USGA’s Mike Davis puts the tees. He said it’s clear what’s left on his to-do list.
“I could BS you and tell you I don't think about it,” Mickelson said. “No, I think about it all the time. This is the tournament I want to win the most to complete the four majors. There's no question.”
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| Phil Mickelson of the United States signs autographs during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2016 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. |
No, the only question is which one of his second-place finishes has hurt the most. Just as the Eskimos are said to have words for different snow, Mickelson, who will turn 46 on Thursday, assigns subtle qualifiers to his U.S. Open would-haves, should-haves and could-haves.
His gaffe at Winged Foot in ’06 was disappointing, he said, because he was so close—just one par away from victory. “You know, people talk about the tee shot,” he said. “To me, the second shot, all I had to do is start that 3 iron a little bit further right, miss the tree, and I'm up by the green. And that week my short game was the best it's been in my career.”
Five questions later, he reconsidered. Because he was just one hole away, his 2006 loss, he said, was actually his “most heartbreaking.”
“The 2013 U.S. Open, I think, is actually my biggest disappointment because I was playing so well,” he said. “I was leading. I had an opportunity to win at the back nine where I was leading, and I lost the U.S. Open. And the following week, I was very difficult to be around.”
The following month he won the British Open.
“To have my greatest high within a month of having the greatest low of my career is, I think, my biggest accomplishment,” Mickelson said.
Those highs and lows aren’t over yet. Mickelson is third on the latest Ryder Cup points list, behind only Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson. Tiger can be a vice-captain; Phil, who hasn’t won since that 2013 British Open but has flirted with victories at Palm Desert, Pebble Beach, Doral, Quail Hollow and Memphis this year, is on track to make his 11th straight team.
Only twice has he been on a team that won. Never has he been part of a winning U.S. Open campaign, but you know what they say: 26th time’s a charm. And as Mickelson himself reminds, his career is built on failure.
Did Susan Lucci win her Emmy? Yes—after her 19th nomination.
Did Charlie Brown kick the football? According to a Peanuts fan page, he went to the hospital in 1979, and Lucy promised she’d stop pulling the ball away if he just got better. He did, and she kept her promise.
In the strip from Aug. 2, 1979, Lucy finally left the ball for Charlie to kick; he missed and kicked her hand, instead. “You blockhead!” she said.
“I’m such an idiot,” Mickelson said at Winged Foot.
The quest for the Holy Grail continues.
source: www.golf.com
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Euro 2016
Russia, England threatened with disqualification over violence
(CNN)Russia and England could be kicked out of the Euro 2016 championship if their supporters are involved in further acts of violence at the tournament, UEFA has warned.UEFA's executive committee told the football associations of both countries Sunday that their teams could face further sanctions -- including potential disqualification from the tournament -- if their fans were involved in a repeat of the scenes that marred their fixture in Marseille Saturday.
UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe, has already opened disciplinary proceedings against the Russian Football Union over its supporters' behavior in Marseille.
It faces charges of crowd disturbances, racist behavior and setting off fireworks Saturday in the southern French city's Stade Velodrome.
"UEFA expresses its utter disgust for the violent clashes that occurred in the city center of Marseille, and its serious concern for the incidents at the end of the match inside Stade Velodrome," UEFA said in a statement.
"This kind of behavior is totally unacceptable and has no place in football."
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| Fans clash at Stade Velodrome in Marseille. |
It said a decision on the sanctions would be made "within the next few days," once evidence had been considered.
No action has been taken against England's Football Association, whose fans were also involved in the clashes on the third straight day of football-related violence in the port city. UEFA is responsible for incidents at match venues, but not in surrounding areas.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
EEFA EURO 2016 MATCHES SCHEDULE
MATCHES SCHEDULE
Group stage - MD 1
Stade de France Saint-Denis
FRANCE2-1
ROMANIA
Group
A
Saturday 11 June 2016
Stade Bollaert-Delelis Lens Agglo
ALBANIA0-1
SWITZERLANDFT
Group
A
Stade de Bordeaux Bordeaux
WALES2-1
SLOVAKIAFT
Group
B
Stade Vélodrome Marseille
ENGLAND0-0
64
RUSSIA
Watch onSony Six
Group
B
Sunday 12 June 2016
Parc des Princes Paris
TURKEY18:00
CROATIA
Watch onSony Six
Group
D
Stade de Nice Nice
POLAND21:00
NORTHERN IRELAND
Watch onSony Six
Group
C
Stade Pierre Mauroy Lille Métropole
GERMANY00:00
UKRAINE
Watch onSony Six
Group
C
Monday 13 June 2016
Stadium de Toulouse Toulouse
SPAIN18:00
CZECH REPUBLIC
Watch onSony Six
Group
D
Stade de France Saint-Denis
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND21:00
SWEDEN
Watch onSony Six
Group
E
Stade de Lyon Lyon
BELGIUM00:00
ITALY
Watch onSony Six
Group
E
Tuesday 14 June 2016
Stade de Bordeaux Bordeaux
AUSTRIA21:00
HUNGARY
Watch onSony Six
Group
F
Stade Geoffroy Guichard Saint-Etienne
PORTUGAL00:00
ICELAND
Watch onSony Six
Group
F
Friday, June 10, 2016
UEFA Euro 2016
As FIFA Reels, UEFA’s Euro 2016 Will Make More Money Than Ever
Every game expected to draw more TV viewers than Super Bowl
UEFA expects about 43 percent revenue growth over 2012
One year into a sweeping corruption scandal at the highest levels of global soccer, FIFA’s reputation and finances are still under a cloud. Some 150 miles away, though, the forecast is very different for UEFA, the most important regional soccer body under the FIFA umbrella.
When Euro 2016 begins today in France, it will be the biggest in the tournament’s history, with more teams, more games and more host cities. For UEFA, all that adds up to more money. The organization expects to make 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in revenue, up from the 1.4 billion euro it made four years ago when Poland and Ukraine were host to 16 teams.
The European Championship has long been second only to the World Cup in popularity and revenue. Now with teams from 24 countries participating, there are more tickets to sell, and television rights for the tournament fetched about 1.05 billion euros, a 25 percent increase over 2012. Sponsorships are up 40 percent, to about 450 million euros, according to Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s marketing director for the soccer body. Ticket sales make up the rest.
As an economic engine, the European Championship dwarfs soccer’s other regional championships. The media rights to this year’s Copa America Centenario – a 16-nation event featuring teams from across the Americas – were sold for $112.5 million. Asian soccer sold a decade of soccer rights, including two editions of its tournament, for $1 billion, a contract that ends in 2020.
Behind the billion-euro broadcasting revenue is a TV audience of 130 million for the early games, Epstein said in an interview hours before the Champions League final, UEFA’s other big ticket event. The audience will grow to 300 million by the June 10 final at the Stade de France in Paris. In contrast, Super Bowl 50 in February drew about 110 million viewers. “We will deliver 51 Super Bowls in the next month,” said Epstein.
About three-quarters of the television income comes from the Euro zone, though some countries, including Italy and Spain, balked at the high price. Epstein blamed the sluggish economy and said strong gains were made in the U.S., Brazil and the Middle East.
Sales of 2.5 million tickets, a million more than were available in 2012, will make up the rest of Euro 2016 income. Epstein said UEFA expects a sellout, though it has released to the public some of the tickets set aside for companies entertaining clients.
Epstein said he thought tightening regulations on corporate gift-giving and gift-accepting had put a chill on spending for events like these. “It’s more difficult for companies to invite guests because of compliance issues,” he said, adding that the specter of terrorism and planned strikes don’t help either.
Bringing the tournament to one of Europe’s biggest economies for the first time since 1996 has bolstered sponsorships, up 40 percent since 2012. The roster includes usual soccer sponsors like Adidas AG, The Coca-Cola Co. and Carlsberg A/S. The Danish brewer in particular has made the Euro a centerpiece of its summer marketing, spending as much as 80 million euros on the tournament.
For France as a whole, the tournament is a drop in the bucket. Academics at the Centre for the Law and Economics of Sport in Limoges, France, estimate that it will generate an economic impact of 1.3 billion euros, mostly from fan spending. Another 1.7 billion euros has been spent on the stadiums being used for the event.
“Evidence from other countries suggests the lift is likely to be small and short-lived," Bloomberg Intelligence economists Maxime Sabaihi and Jamie Murray wrote in a note published May 25. “Hopefully the country will enjoy some much-needed weeks of partying, but it will take much more than games to improve France’s economic output.”
source:bloomberg
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Ex-NFL star, convicted murderer
Ex-NFL star, convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez hires Casey Anthony's attorney
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| Aaron Hernandez has hired Casey Anthony's attorney. |
The former New England Patriots star has retained Orlando attorney Jose Baez. The legal team will also include Harvard law professor Ronald Sullivan and New York City lawyer Alex Spiro.
Spiro has confirmed the arrangement to The Associated Press.
Hernandez is awaiting trial for a 2012 double murder in Boston and has pleaded not guilty. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison last year in the 2013 killing of a man who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee. His lawyers in that case, James Sultan and Charles Rankin, tell the AP in a statement that they “wish Aaron the best.”
Baez gained fame during Anthony’s 2011 trial on charges that she murdered her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The case garnered national media attention after photos showed Anthony partying in the days after her daughter’s disappearance.
source: usatoday
The NBA Finals get real but stay absurd
The NBA Finals get real but stay absurd
Heading into Game 4, both the Warriors and Cavaliers have some decisions to make.
CLEVELAND -- Basketball is such a weird game. Could it be that the presence of Richard Jefferson, a 15-year vet who was once part of a massive salary dump that allowed the Warriors to sign Andre Iguodala, really play such a fundamental role in shifting the entire momentum of a series? At the risk of calling the man clairvoyant, Steve Kerr had a feeling before Game 3 that things would be different for his team once he learned that Jefferson would be starting for the Cavaliers in place of Kevin Love.
"Well, they had good spacing with Kevin, and they'll have good spacing with Richard," Kerr said before the game. "The difference is just the speed, the ability to get to the rim. Richard is more of a three, obviously, than a four. So they're really going to spread us out and it should give them more driving lanes and more room for LeBron (James) to operate.
"We're going to have to try to do what we've done the first two games, which is cover the three-point line and also try to cut off LeBron's penetration and keep him from getting all the way to the hoop. It's a lot easier said than done, and I think it may be more difficult tonight, at least, to start the game with that lineup."
Um, yeah.
Right from the opening tip the Cavs blitzed Golden State, scoring the first nine points of the game and then building a preposterous 33-10 lead in the first quarter. LeBron finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, Kyrie Irving added 30 and the Cavs finally busted loose from behind the arc making 12 of their 25 attempts. The lineup switch also put LeBron at the four defensively and that helped blow up the Warriors' vaunted 1-4 pick-and-rolls that feasted in the opening two games.
Clearly Kerr was on to something. Of course, he also thought his Warriors would play with an edge and well, that didn't happen at all. With the notable exception of the second quarter when Golden State fought back to make it an 8-point game at the half, the Cavs were in complete control, eventually winning 120-90 and putting themselves right back in the series.
"We weren't ready to play," Kerr said. "Obviously they just punched us right in the mouth right in the beginning. We're turning the ball over like crazy. Soft, we were extremely soft to start the game, and then they set the tone with their intensity."
Or as noted philosopher Draymond Green put it, "They came out and played like a team with a sense of desperation, like their season was on the line. And we came out and played like everything was peaches and cream."
Credit Cavs' coach Ty Lue with the lineup switch. Credit LeBron with having a signature game when it was needed most. Credit everyone in Cleveland, with the exception of poor Kevin Love who will now have to endure another 48 hours of talk about how he's the problem.
"Let's slow down with that," Jefferson said. "At the end of the day, we protected once. We protected home court. We have a lot of respect for our opponent. Kevin wanted to be on the court. I saw how pissed off he was when he wasn't able to be cleared in time. We're in this together. We've all picked each other up. You have to go with the next-man-up mentality. He is definitely one of the top players in this league. It's our job to just hold on until he can get back."
Jefferson is right on the merits, but this is also a game of context and contextually he may very well be a much better fit for what the Cavs want to do in this series. He was once a high-flying scoring threat on some really good Nets teams, but now he's a grinder and the Cavs need grinders who can muck things up on the boards, clog up the paint and switch defensive assignments. They have enough scoring with James, Irving and J.R. Smith.
Contextually, the Cavs may be better off with Jefferson and now they have an important decision to make. Love will be reevaluated throughout the day on Thursday as part of the league's concussion protocol. Do they go back to him if he's cleared, or ride with what worked so well in Game 3?
"Putting Richard Jefferson in the starting lineup, I just think he gave us speed," Lue said. "I thought he gave us the physicality on Harrison Barnes, and that we were able to slide LeBron over to Draymond Green, which helped us out a lot. We were able to switch pick-and-rolls and things like that. So just being able to get up the floor offensively, pushing the ball, pushing the tempo, and RJ's aggressiveness on the defensive end."
Pressed on whether he would start Jefferson again if Love was cleared, Lue demurred. That was pretty much Kerr's stance, as well, when asked if he would downsize to start Game 4 by lifting Andrew Bogut from his starting lineup.
"We thought Boges played well," Kerr said. "Boges has done a good job for us in the series. We didn't feel like we had to match what they were doing because of their change in their starting lineup. We can always make a quick substitution. So I don't think that had anything to do with losing the game. It wasn't lineups. It wasn't substitution patterns. We just got our tails kicked."
Meanwhile, Steph Curry continued to struggle to do much of anything. The two-time Most Valuable Player had a couple of defensive breakdowns early and then compounded his errors by getting himself in foul trouble with some ill-timed reaches. Save for a handful of brief flurries, he's been unable to get himself going in this series. Kerr even pulled him late in the second quarter, which never happens.
"Unfortunately, it was all me," Curry said. "They were playing aggressive defense and they came out with a big punch. I didn't do anything about it or play my game, and for me to do what I need to do to help my team, I have to play a hundred times better than that, especially in the first quarter, to kind of control the game, and I didn't do it."
This game is more complex than that. That's not a brilliant insight, but it will have to do in a series that has lacked for any kind of a compelling dramatic arc. When Richard Jefferson is the answer all we are left with are more questions.
source: sbnation
Chris Ash says Rutgers' recruiting camp wasn't retaliation against Michigan
Chris Ash says Rutgers' recruiting camp wasn't retaliation against Michigan
While 1,000 high school players spread out over three fields at Farleigh Dickinson's Madison campus on Wednesday evening, Ash downplayed any bad blood with Harbaugh, who was the headliner at a satellite camp 30 miles away at Paramus Catholic High.
"I commend Coach Harbaugh for what he's doing," Ash said. "He's done a great job of getting his brand and Michigan's brand out there around the nation, promoting the game of football. What he's done is force a lot of other coaches to think outside the box and go out and do the same things. We're just excited to be able to come out and coach some football and we're thrilled about the turnout." If Rutgers' camp, which also included Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and his staff, truly wasn't in response to Michigan's infiltration of New Jersey, it's a huge coincidence that Ash just happened to schedule his camp at the exact time as Harbaugh's. "People can say what they want," Ash said. "I'm just excited about our event. I'm excited about the coaches that came to work with these guys. Thrilled about the interest in our program and the turnout tonight. I'm really thrilled for the state of New Jersey. To be able to host two events like this is outstanding."
source: nj
Some of Maria Sharapova's biggest sponsors are saying they'll stick with her despite her 2-year tennis ban
Some of Maria Sharapova's biggest sponsors are saying they'll stick with her despite her 2-year tennis ban
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| Maria Sharapova. |
Significantly, Nike, which initially suspended its estimated $12.5 million-a-year contract with Sharapova when she admitted in March she tested positive for banned drug meldonium at the Australian Open, has now come out in support of the tennis champ.
In a statement given to The Evening Standard, Nike said: "The ITF [International Tennis Federation] Tribunal has found that Maria did not intentionally break its rules. Maria has always made her position clear, has apologized for her mistake and is now appealing the length of the ban. Based on the decision of the ITF and their factual findings, we hope to see Maria back on court and will continue to partner with her."
Sharapova's racket sponsor Head has always said it would continue its deal, despite her admission that she had taken the recently banned substance.
In a lengthy statement sent to Business Insider (which we have published in full below), Head chairman Johan Eliasach criticized the ITF's decision, which he said was based on a "flawed process" undertaken by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Other big sponsorship deals are still up in the air
However, some of Sharapova's other sponsors are postponing their contracts with the five-time Grand Slam champion.Watchmaker Tag Heuer, which said earlier this year it would not renew its deal with Sharapova, told Business Insider it would not be signing another contract with the athlete any time soon.
Jean-Claude Biver, Tag Heuer CEO, said: "We now have some time and as she is suspended for two years we are not in a hurry anymore to sign a new contract today or this month. We will see later what we are going to do.
Sorry, but cannot say anything more for the time being."
Porsche, which announced in March it was suspending its deal with Sharapova, was not immediately available for comment.
Avon and Evian, which have yet to make any statement so far about their relationships with Sharapova, were also not immediately available for comment.
The ITF announced Wednesday Sharapova's two-year ban would commence from January 26, the day she failed a test for meldonium at the Australian Open. The tribunal found that she had not intentionally broken anti-doping rules but she bore responsibility for not noticing the drug had recently been added to its banned substances list. The tribunal also found she "concealed" her use of the drug from anti-doping authorities.
Sharapova has previously said she had been taking meldonium since 2006 because of a variety of health concerns, including the possibility she may have diabetes because it runs in her family.
The drug is used to treat cardiac issues and can increase endurance, according to the Independent. WADA added meldonium to its list of banned substances at the start of 2016, but Sharapova said she failed to read the update.
Sharapova says she plans to appeal the ITF's decision, The Guardian reported.
Head chairman Johan Eliasch's statement in full:
In response to the ITF Tribunal decision today to ban Maria Sharapova for 2 years for the unintentional usage of a banned substance, I would like to clarify our position. Based upon the evidence provided by Miss Sharapova, WADA and by Dr Don Catlin, the Chief Science Officer of the Banned Substances Control Group, it appears that the ITF have made their decision based upon a flawed process undertaken by WADA that clearly highlights how WADA have broken their own rules in determining whether or not Meldonium should be banned.
Using WADA's decision rubric, WADA's decision to ban Meldonium is not based upon extensive clinical testing that underlines Meldonium's performance enhancing benefits. There are a limited amount of scientific studies that point to Meldonium's cardioprotective and anti- ischaemic properties but nothing that correlates Meldonium as a performance enhancing drug. There are also no published studies that indicate that using Meldonium is detrimental to the health of an athlete. This indicates that WADA banned Meldonium without fulfilling their first two rules. The only condition that could potentially be argued in favor of WADA's rules is that the prevalence of Meldonium use amongst certain groups of athletes violated the spirit of sport. This is subject to interpretation and if deemed correct would only fulfil a single rule. In order for a product to be banned it must fulfil two rules.
We believe, based on the facts and circumstances provided to us, that this is a flawed decision. HEAD will continue to stand by Miss Sharapova.
source:.businessinside
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