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All the stuff being covered outside the unfriendly confines of the award-winning Dirty Tackle…

That’s how Dortmund fans intimidated Wolfsburg before their side’s 5-1 win last weekend. Well done. [Brasil Mundial]

American football player wears Cristiano Ronaldo’s boots, confuses refs. [KCKRS]

Is this enough poppies? [TBG]

Even if you’re not a Bayern Munich fan and you don’t celebrate Christmas, you need this advent calendar. [FC Bayern]

Wake up. [Twisted Blood]

The perfect manager. [IBWM]

Shut up and enjoy the show — La Liga’s pub fight to the death. [Surreal Football]

Two years later — what can we learn from Robert Enke’s tragic death? [Bundesliga Fanatic]

Robin van Persie entering his prime. [STI]

Retired tennis player says Fulham players have special phones to use when calling their mistresses. [Kickette]

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/More-links-And-Borussia-Dortmund-s-awesome-skul?urn=sow-wp6545

Michael Cuddyer Michael Young

Adam Scott sure does enjoy making the most difficult shots look insanely easy. One week after he holed out for eagle at the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, the Aussie marked his return to his homeland with an impressive 3-under 68 on Thursday that included an incredible albatross on the par-5 eighth hole.

After knocking his drive short of the bunker on the hole, Scott took dead aim at the pin, hitting the ball absolutely flush and then watching as it hit short of the hole and rolled in on the second shot.

Even more amazing is that Scott accomplished his two most recent hole-outs just days after having to deal with the Tiger-Stevie saga. Who knows, maybe he needs Steve Williams to make some more off-course noise. It certainly seems to be helping his game.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Adam-Scott-cards-unbelievable-albatross-at-Austr?urn=golf-wp6813

Tony Parker Zach Randolph Tom Brady Philip Rivers Aaron Rodgers

It just wouldn’t be a proper 7-on-7 without an update on some broken San Diego running back, so let’s get started with the delicate flower pictured above…

? Ryan Mathews reportedly put in a full practice on Tuesday, so he looks promising for the Thursday night match-up with the Raiders. Mathews has managed to top 100 scrimmage yards in six of his seven games this season, so you can’t easily bench him, not unless your bench options are stellar. Oakland’s defense currently ranks No. 29 against the run (139.6 YPG, 5.2 YPC), and of course that group just allowed triple-digit yardage to both Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow.

? Darren McFadden is apparently still riding around in a Rascal, a warm blanket on his lap, wishing his grandkids would call more often. Doesn’t sound like he’ll be playing on Thursday, so it’s another excellent week to start Michael Bush. Here are some key McFadden details, via Steve Corkran:

It’s a long-shot, at best, that McFadden will return after missing most of the Kansas City Chiefs game, every practice the past two-plus weeks and the Denver Broncos game last Sunday.

When last spotted, McFadden was on crutches and with his right foot in a protective boot. The smart money says, Jackson rests McFadden this week in hopes of getting him back for the Minnesota Vikings game Nov. 20.

? Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) is expected to practice in some capacity did not practice on Wednesday. Neither did Ahmad Bradshaw (broken foot). The match-up ahead against San Francisco isn’t too appealing for anyone ? the Niners are holding opponents to just 14.8 points per game, the lowest number in the league ? but it’s particularly bad for the New York running game. San Francisco has the NFL’s top-ranked run D and, incredibly enough, they still haven’t allowed a rushing score.

? There’s no link in this blurb, just a piece of advice: We’re nearly finished with the bye weeks, so it’s time to deal. As we get closer to the end-game, it becomes increasingly important to have the best possible starting fantasy roster. Trade surplus, upgrade your active lineup. Make a strong multi-player offer, maybe trading three singles for another owner’s five. When we hit Weeks 15 and 16, all those useful bench players will be wasted resources.

? I can’t see any obvious reason to be hopeful about a Felix Jones return this week. He’s not practicing on Wednesday, instead just heading in for ankle maintenance. I’ve got DeMarco Murray at No. 5 in my RB ranks this week, facing a Buffalo defense that allows 4.6 yards per carry and 120.8 rushing yards per game. Murray was fantastic last Sunday, against a highly ranked Seattle run D. He gets the strongest possible endorsement in Week 10.

? As you might have already heard, the Lions re-signed Kevin Smith recently, and he’s now running behind Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams. The team would like you to believe that this addition is unrelated to Jahvid Best’s playing status, but … well, c’mon. There hasn’t been much in the way of good news on Best, who’s suffered multiple concussions this season. Best is not likely to be available in Week 10 against the Bears, but he’s talking as if he still expects to play at some point in the second half. So that’s somewhat encouraging.

? Frank Gore suffered a left ankle sprain in Week 9 and limped away from the Niners’ win. But when asked about his availability for the Giants game, he said, “I’ll be all right.” He wore no boot on Monday, which is a relatively good sign. There’s really no benching him now, as he’s coming off five straight 100-yard performances.

—

Photo via Getty Images

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/post/7-on-7-Mathews-looks-good-for-Thursday-McFadde?urn=fantasy-wp11125

Michael Vick Ben Roethlisberger Josh Freeman Joe Flacco Matt Cassel

In what has to be a first for any league’s Most Valuable Player, the 2011 MLS MVP is Dwayne De Rosario — a man who was traded twice and played for three different teams in two different countries this season before ending the year with DC United as the league’s highest scorer. That makes him the only athlete in the history of North American professional sports to win an MVP award for a season in which he played for three different teams.

From MLSsoccer.com:

De Rosario began the year with TFC, his hometown club, but was dealt to New York on April 1 after just two games. From his central midfield spot he helped guide the Red Bulls to the top of the table by the end of April, but a prolonged, team-wide slump through May and June prompted RBNY to deal him to United for Dax McCarty.

His arrival in Washington lit the spark that propelled De Rosario to one of the most memorable hot streaks in league history. He racked up 13 goals and seven assists in his 18 games with D.C., giving him a total of 16 and 12 on the year. He was the only player in MLS to reach double-digits in both categories in 2011, finishing tied with Chris Wondolowski for the league lead in goals and placing fourth overall in assists.

Though two of the three teams he played for didn’t make the playoffs and the third just barely eked in after he left, 33-year-old De Rosario’s numbers are undeniable (he even notched a hat trick over a span of nine minutes against Salt Lake — an MLS record). Plus, you can probably make the argument that just on the sheer number of teams he played for, he really was the league’s most valuable player. Even though he made some enemies in Toronto with his check signing goal celebration last season during his contract negotiations and his harsh words for the city while on trial with Celtic during the offseason.

Here’s the MVP campaign video DC United put together for him…

Houston’s Brad Davis, Dallas’ Brek Shea and the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan rounded out the top four (in that order) in the MVP scoring, which was a weighted vote among clubs, media and players. Noticeably absent from even the top five: the league’s second-leading assist leader, David Beckham (15 assists), and the league’s third-leading goal scorer, Thierry Henry (14 goals). Also, the league’s top teammate insulter, Rafa Marquez.

So with this award added to his Golden Boot, De Rosario can now set his sights on a new goal for next season: winning both awards after playing for four different teams in one year.

Photos: Getty

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/The-2011-MLS-Most-Valuable-Player-was-traded-twi?urn=sow-wp6753

Chauncey Billups Chris Bosh Danny Granger David West DeMar DeRozan

With a jubilant presentation headlined by figure skating champ Yu-Na Kim and Korean-American bronze medalist Toby Dawson as well as a strong and compact plan for the Games, Pyeongchang captured the bid for the 2018 Olympics. It was their third bid, and their experience helped them win.

Well, that’s one way to look at it. If you’re from Munich, the city that lost to Pyeongchang, you may see it slightly differently.

“We know that in sport winning is not everything and that defeat does not spell the end,” said IOC Vice President Thomas Bach, a German who was one of Munich’s bid leaders. “But obviously we are very disappointed. It seems that the sympathy effect for the Korean proposal played its role.”

Yikes! The sympathy effect, Munich? That’s not nice. Pyeongchang worked hard to overcome their last two losses. Their presentation was moving and focused on what the legacy of sport can do for a country. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt would understand that, right?

“At the moment I am at a loss for words,” Witt told reporters. “Obviously we are bitterly disappointed but the decision seems to have been taken before our good presentation today and we could just not turn it around.”

Ouch, Katarina. Look, it’s awful to have your city lose out on the Olympics you’ve dreamed about for years. Trust me, I know this all too well. Even when every pundit in the world was saying that Chicago wouldn’t get the Olympics because of the political problems between the USOC and the IOC and the IOC’s wish to get an Olympics in South America, I held out hope that I’d get to see the Olympic flame burn on the shores of Lake Michigan. That means I was broken-hearted by the my city’s humiliating defeat in the race for the 2016 Olympics.

But I got over it, and you will too, Katarina and Thomas and all the other good people of Munich. It helps to indulge in two of your country’s best exports: beer and chocolate. Time eases the pain, as does a Stanley Cup championship. In a few years, you’ll forget about the disappointment, pain and hole left in your heart from your city not winning the Olympics.

At least, that’s what I’ve been told.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Munich-bitter-in-2018-Olympics-loss?urn=oly-wp406

Joe Mauer Johnny Damon Josh Hamilton Juan Pierre Luke Scott

This week has seen the UFC come up with several upcoming bouts as the Rio, Super Bowl weekend and Japan fight cards start to fill up.

UFC 142 in Brazil: Siyar Bahadurzada revealed via Twitter that he will take on Erick Silva. Silva destroyed Luis Ramos in just 0:40 at UFC 134. Bahadurzada will be making his UFC debut after putting together a record of 20-4 in Europe, Japan and Brazil. Mike Massenzio and Rousimar Palhares have also been added to this card.

UFC 143 in Las Vegas: Featherweights Erik Koch and Dustin Poirier will fight on Super Bowl Weekend. Poirier asked for the bout which will pit two rising stars against each other.

UFC 144 in Japan: Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon will meet on Feb. 26. Both lightweights are coming off wins, with Pettis taking out Jeremy Stephens and Lauzon submitting Melvin Guillard.

Jake Shields will try to put his tough 2011 behind him with a bout against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Shields lost to Jake Ellenberger in September just weeks after losing his father. This will be Akiyama’s first fight at welterweight.

In his first fight since losing in a title fight to Anderson Silva, Yushin Okami will meet Tim Boetsch in Okami’s native Japan.

Who will win these fights? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Matchmaker-matchmaker-Pettis-Shields-Lauzon-?urn=mma-wp9508

Dirk Nowitzki Dorell Wright Dwight Howard Dwyane Wade Joe Johnson

Tiger Woods was always going to be the biggest story at the Presidents Cup; Fred Couples made sure of that when he decided to announce more than a month prior to finalizing his team that Woods would be a part of the event, regardless of where he stood in the standings.

Since the announcement was made, we’ve seen a handful of high profile names come out and question the decision to put a struggling Woods on the team. But despite the criticism, Couples has not wavered one bit from his initial opinion that the former No. 1 was a worth pick.

Couples seems to have a lot of faith in Woods, but that still doesn’t mean he’s not trying to find other ways to make sure Woods is in a good frame of mind when he steps on the first tee on November 17th. After Michael Jordan decided to step down from his post as assistant captain at the Presidents Cup, Couples went out and tabbed John Cook to be his right-hand man.

The move seemed like a smart one. Couples and Cook were good friends, and the new assistant captain had a good relationship with the rest of the players on the team — most notably, Tiger Woods.

One Wednesday, Couples admitted that while Cook would have “probably” been his pick all along, the main reason he brought him on in the first place was to help the one player that needs a confidence boost: Tiger Woods.

“I felt like John and Tiger are very close, and that would help Tiger as much as any of the other guys,” Couples said during his press conference at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Cook even admitted that while he’s happy to be a part of the team, his main reason for being there in the first place is to do whatever it takes to have Tiger Woods ready to go.

“[Woods] just texted me and said, ‘Congrats. Really excited to have you aboard.’ I said, ‘I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” Cook said. “Get you water, get your energy bars, you know, whatever.’ That’s going to be my job.”

Honestly, I have no problem with the Cook pick. I think he’ll make a great assistant captain during the event. But the way Couples and Cook have gone about this whole announcement makes it appear that the only thing that matters at the moment is how Tiger’s feeling.

If Couples was trying to add some extra scrutiny to the pick by bringing Cook abroad to help Tiger, as well as heaping more pressure on Woods, well, he’s doing a pretty good job of making this all about one man.

The President Cup may be a team event, but if Couples continues to keep Tiger front and center, we may just find out there’s an “I” in team, after all.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Writer’s hope for Tiger Woods in his 2012 golf wishes
? Baseball’s ultimate free-agent tracker: What will happen to Albert Pujols?
? DaJuan Summers’ cautionary tale about life overseas during NBA lockout

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Fred-Couples-admits-he-picked-John-Cook-to-help-?urn=golf-wp6682

LeSean McCoy Matt Forte BenJarvus Green-Ellis LeGarrette Blount Fred Jackson

The Presidents Cup kicks off in one day, and that meant Fred Couples and Greg Norman were set to announce the opening-day pairings for the foursomes. Every player is out on Thursday in Melbourne, and without further ado, your American versus International pairings.

Match No. 1: Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson vs. Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa — Not a complete shocker on the American side as both these guys have become friends and share a similar outlook on faith, but a little bit of a surprise on the International side splitting up Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang. The good thing is, you pair young Ryo with a veteran in Ernie, which could really help the talented Japanese phenom.

Match No. 2: Bill Haas and Nick Watney vs. Geoff Ogilvy and Charl Schwartzel – A duo of great 2011 seasons on the American side going up against a major-heavy International team. Might not be the final match of the first day in terms of hype, but could definitely be the most competitive.

Match No. 3: Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar vs. Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day — The first set of all-Australians for the International team will be up against a tough American squad in Kuchar-Johnson. Word on the street was Johnson might get thrown out with Tiger, but it might be nice to have similar outlooks on the game for the Americans.

Match No. 4: Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk vs. Retief Goosen and Robert Allenby — While this match might have been a lot sexier in 2005, it’s still bound to be exciting with the long-hitting Lefty paired with the accurate Furyk. The biggest problem for the Americans here? The short-stick, which both have been struggling with this season.

Match No. 5: Hunter Mahan and David Toms vs. K.T. Kim and Y.E. Yang — Don’t look past this International pairing that I really like together and think could be a consistent one for Norman all week.

Match No. 6: Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker vs. Adam Scott and K.J. Choi — Here is your storyline of the first day, as Tiger will be stuck in the same group with his old caddie for the first time in competition since they broke up. Yes, Williams/Woods is the story of the first day, but watch out for Scott, who is arguably the hottest player in Australia right now, and paired with Choi, will be looking to steal the first ever point from Woods and Stricker in these matches.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Presidents-Cup-pairings-announced-Woods-William?urn=golf-wp6895

Philip Rivers Aaron Rodgers Michael Vick Ben Roethlisberger Josh Freeman

A little over a week ago, I wrote this article claiming that Penn State should receive the death penalty for what Jerry Sandusky allegedly did to those children. It received a ton of different emotions and started this huge debate of whether or not they should receive the NCAA harshest penalty if Sandusky did in fact molest little boys.

I stood firmly behind that opinion and I still do to this day.

I received tons of comments and emails saying that Penn State could not be punished by the NCAA because they didn’t break any NCAA bylaws. Well, not that we know of at least. The case is just getting started and I’m sure more and more evidence will come to light once this goes to court.

But I’m almost positive that you can read the NCAA rulebook and find a few things to use against Penn State if you really wanted to. The rulebook is over several hundred pages, there has to be something that fits this crime.

It didn’t take me long as I looked over the rules and regulations to come across this rule 2.4.

For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program. It is the responsibility of each institution…

Maybe I’m crazy, but I think covering up sexual abuse falls under breaking this rule. Coaches, the school president and athletic directors allegedly knew about what was happening and they chose to cover it up.

As you skim down to section 19, which is the enforcement part of the rulebook, you’ll come across rule 19.01.2 which says:

Individuals employed by or associated with member institutions for the administration, the conduct or the coaching of intercollegiate athletics are, in the final analysis, teachers of young people. Their responsibility is an affirmative one, and they must do more than avoid improper conduct or questionable acts. Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen.

If what Sandusky did happens to be true, this rule has been broken no matter how you want to flip or turn it. Sandusky was associated with Penn State University and allegedly molested little boys in the Penn State locker room.

He did not avoid improper conduct or questionable acts.

But let’s say that Penn State didn’t break any NCAA rules, they still did something that was beyond horrible. Does it really take a recruiting violation or a player selling a jersey to get the NCAA to step in? So, people can run around raping little boys in the showers of our schools and nothing happens, but Ohio State players get tattoos and it’s World War III?

Seems like we need to add a few more rules to the rulebook, huh? Probably the only reason that “molesting little children” isn’t in the rulebook to begin with is because nobody would have ever thought something like this would actually happen.

While I still stand beside the death penalty wish, I also understand that it probably won’t happen. Penn State is too much of a valuable football program and they bring way too much money in for the NCAA. It also wouldn’t be fair to the student-athletes that didn’t do anything wrong in this whole mess.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said they will wait and see before possibly punishing the university.

“Well we have rules and bylaws that while they were never written to address anything quite like this of course, they speak directly to the control that institutions have to maintain over their athletic departments and their programs,” Emmert said. “And they speak very directly to ethical behavior of people in those programs and we’ll apply those bylaws, and if the allegations hold up then we’ll act accordingly.”

I proved that what Sandusky allegedly did violates NCAA rules.

Let’s see if the NCAA will do something about it.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com

Bleacher Report is your home for college football for the 2011 season. From scores, news, analysis, live blogs and updates on your favorite teams and the big national games every week, keep it on Bleacher Report for the very latest in college football news.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/946880-penn-state-scandal-ncaa-may-do-something-but-it-wont-be-death-penalty

Felix Hernandez Francisco Liriano Gio Gonzalez Hiroki Kuroda Jaime Garcia

UPDATE: Kit Cope is now off the Lion Fights card because of problems with the Nevada State Athletic Commission and his use of testosterone replacement therapy. Watch the video with a cool dummy at his side to hear Cope’s side of the story.

For a guy with a 4-7 record in mixed martial arts, Kit Cope has always been able to maintain some buzz amongst MMA fans. It helps when you have a big mouth and a history with Gina Carano. People want to hear what Cope has to say.

This weekend, he can lean on his fighting a little more as he goes back to his roots on a big kickboxing card in Las Vegas. A muay thai champ for much of his early 20′s, Cope explained why he’s back in the ring with the bigger gloves.

“I never really left on purpose. It’s just that there weren’t anymore interesting kickboxing fights. There weren’t anymore interesting kickboxing promotions. Now finally there’s a resurgence from the mid-90′s, where it’s starting to gain popularity,” said Cope.

The 34-year-old is fighting all the way down at 147 pounds. He’s spent most his MMA career at 155. Cope lost to some pretty high level MMA fighters including Kenny Florian in his lone UFC fight and Rob McCullough in the WEC. You’ll notice a trend with his MMA losses, the word “submission” is awfully prevalent. Cope can laugh about his deficiencies. He acknowledges that he simply has more passion for the stand-up game.

“You’ll see a lot of awesome action. All the stuff when you’re into the UFC, you’re watching and people are cheering, and they’re like ‘oh my gosh, this is so awesome.’ That’s cause they’re standing up and doing muay thai,” Cope said. “That’s what we’re doing. So you get to stand up and cheer and think it’s awesome the entire time. Instead of waiting for (the referee) to stand them up.”

Cope is part of Lion Fight Promotions: “Battle In The Desert 4″ at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this Saturday.

Check out the entire interview. Cope also updates everyone on his television career and his thoughts on Gina Carano and her June fight cancellation.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Update-Waifish-Kit-Cope-is-off-Vegas-kickboxi?urn=mma-wp9531

David Garrard Jon Kitna Kyle Orton Jay Cutler Eli Manning

UPDATE: Kit Cope is now off the Lion Fights card because of problems with the Nevada State Athletic Commission and his use of testosterone replacement therapy. Watch the video with a cool dummy at his side to hear Cope’s side of the story.

For a guy with a 4-7 record in mixed martial arts, Kit Cope has always been able to maintain some buzz amongst MMA fans. It helps when you have a big mouth and a history with Gina Carano. People want to hear what Cope has to say.

This weekend, he can lean on his fighting a little more as he goes back to his roots on a big kickboxing card in Las Vegas. A muay thai champ for much of his early 20′s, Cope explained why he’s back in the ring with the bigger gloves.

“I never really left on purpose. It’s just that there weren’t anymore interesting kickboxing fights. There weren’t anymore interesting kickboxing promotions. Now finally there’s a resurgence from the mid-90′s, where it’s starting to gain popularity,” said Cope.

The 34-year-old is fighting all the way down at 147 pounds. He’s spent most his MMA career at 155. Cope lost to some pretty high level MMA fighters including Kenny Florian in his lone UFC fight and Rob McCullough in the WEC. You’ll notice a trend with his MMA losses, the word “submission” is awfully prevalent. Cope can laugh about his deficiencies. He acknowledges that he simply has more passion for the stand-up game.

“You’ll see a lot of awesome action. All the stuff when you’re into the UFC, you’re watching and people are cheering, and they’re like ‘oh my gosh, this is so awesome.’ That’s cause they’re standing up and doing muay thai,” Cope said. “That’s what we’re doing. So you get to stand up and cheer and think it’s awesome the entire time. Instead of waiting for (the referee) to stand them up.”

Cope is part of Lion Fight Promotions: “Battle In The Desert 4″ at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this Saturday.

Check out the entire interview. Cope also updates everyone on his television career and his thoughts on Gina Carano and her June fight cancellation.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Update-Waifish-Kit-Cope-is-off-Vegas-kickboxi?urn=mma-wp9531

Ronnie Brown Chris Ivory Brandon Jackson Ryan Mathews Michael Vick

In what has to be a first for any league’s Most Valuable Player, the 2011 MLS MVP is Dwayne De Rosario — a man who was traded twice and played for three different teams in two different countries this season before ending the year with DC United as the league’s highest scorer. That makes him the only athlete in the history of North American professional sports to win an MVP award for a season in which he played for three different teams.

From MLSsoccer.com:

De Rosario began the year with TFC, his hometown club, but was dealt to New York on April 1 after just two games. From his central midfield spot he helped guide the Red Bulls to the top of the table by the end of April, but a prolonged, team-wide slump through May and June prompted RBNY to deal him to United for Dax McCarty.

His arrival in Washington lit the spark that propelled De Rosario to one of the most memorable hot streaks in league history. He racked up 13 goals and seven assists in his 18 games with D.C., giving him a total of 16 and 12 on the year. He was the only player in MLS to reach double-digits in both categories in 2011, finishing tied with Chris Wondolowski for the league lead in goals and placing fourth overall in assists.

Though two of the three teams he played for didn’t make the playoffs and the third just barely eked in after he left, 33-year-old De Rosario’s numbers are undeniable (he even notched a hat trick over a span of nine minutes against Salt Lake — an MLS record). Plus, you can probably make the argument that just on the sheer number of teams he played for, he really was the league’s most valuable player. Even though he made some enemies in Toronto with his check signing goal celebration last season during his contract negotiations and his harsh words for the city while on trial with Celtic during the offseason.

Here’s the MVP campaign video DC United put together for him…

Houston’s Brad Davis, Dallas’ Brek Shea and the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan rounded out the top four (in that order) in the MVP scoring, which was a weighted vote among clubs, media and players. Noticeably absent from even the top five: the league’s second-leading assist leader, David Beckham (15 assists), and the league’s third-leading goal scorer, Thierry Henry (14 goals). Also, the league’s top teammate insulter, Rafa Marquez.

So with this award added to his Golden Boot, De Rosario can now set his sights on a new goal for next season: winning both awards after playing for four different teams in one year.

Photos: Getty

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/The-2011-MLS-Most-Valuable-Player-was-traded-twi?urn=sow-wp6753

Chris Bosh Danny Granger David West DeMar DeRozan Deron Williams

After an exciting week of tennis at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, the finals field for London is set.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London will kick off on November 20th, and the competition is intense. 

The Tour Finals are always heated and have a history of producing some surprise winners or runners up. (David Ferrer runner-up in 2007, James Blake when he was runner up in 2006, Champion David Nalbandian in 2005, and 2009 champ Nikolay Davydenko)

I’ll lay out my own personal opinion on odds for each player to claim his title in O2 arena.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/938696-mens-tennis-odds-for-each-player-to-win-the-london-tour-finals

Hiroki Kuroda Jaime Garcia Jered Weaver Johan Santana Johnny Cueto

While we wait for the Presidents’ Cup Day 2 matches to begin, take a moment to check out this fine new track from the ’80s hair metal knockoff band Steel Panther. (You MUST visit their website.) Crank up the neighborhood-fertilizing music; no one at work is going to mind this peppy little number. And tell me you’re not going to be singing “If you wanna be like Tiger Woods…” the rest of the day.

Visor tip: Reader Brett.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/The-greatest-80s-hair-metal-style-Tiger-Woods-s?urn=golf-wp6975

Russell Westbrook Stephen Curry Stephen Jackson Tony Parker Zach Randolph

Currently languishing a single point outside the League 2 relegation zone, former Premier League side Bradford City are having a tough season. Bantams fans faced a little more humiliation last weekend, when their 2012 official calendar went on sale at the Valley Parade club shop. The front cover of West Yorkshire’s must-have Christmas gift features an array of Bradford stars ? plus Dele Adebola. The striker enjoyed a brief loan spell with the Paraders in 2004, but he now plays for Hull. Which is why he’s wearing a Hull kit on the calendar.

The Bradford Telegraph and Argus explains that the epic fail was down to a designer who was too lazy to proof his work or consider that two teams might play in similar looking colors:

City provided images for the cover but were not part of the proofing. The pictures included a pre-season shot of Guy Branston challenging one-time Bantams loanee Adebola in a friendly at the KC Stadium.

But when the picture was used in the front-cover montage, Branston had been cropped off.

The erroneous calendars have now been recalled, and City’s Director of Operations put a positive spin on the situation, insisting that those who bought them are now in possession of a “collector’s item”.

Frankly, why anyone would want a wall calendar that features anything other than dogs doing yoga is beyond me.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Bradford-put-Hull-City-player-on-the-front-of-th?urn=sow-wp6619

Tim Hudson Tim Lincecum Tommy Hanson Trevor Cahill Ubaldo Jimenez

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim isn’t believing the molestation allegations against Bernie Fine for a second. While the public may remain uncertain as to how true the allegations are, Boeheim accuses the victim of attempting to gain money by lying about molestation charges in light of the Penn State scandal.

Many coaches would shy away from calling coming out and calling a perceived victim a liar, but Boeheim believes he’s got the accusers motives all figured out, saying,

The Penn State thing came out and the kid behind this is trying to get money. He’s tried before. And now he’s trying again. If he gets this, he’s going to sue the university and Bernie. What do you think is going to happen at Penn State? You know how much money is going to be involved in civil suits? I’d say about $50 million. That’s what this is about. Money.

Nobody wants to see the Penn State scandal spark a molestation accusation frenzy if the claims are unwarranted, but completely writing off the claims, as Boeheim is, will land him in extremely hot water if anything comes of this investigation.

It’s unclear at this point who is telling the truth, but if the former ball boy’s claims end up holding any sort of merit, these remarks from Boeheim are going to appear unbelievably insensitive.

With so many people showing such strong support for the Penn State victims and asking others who are affected to step forward, Boeheim is really putting himself out there by calling the accuser a money-seeking liar.

The claims of extortion go too far. Even if Boeheim believes that is the only logical explanation, he’s gone beyond supporting his assistant and has officially crossed the line.

Boeheim has now jumped in the fire with his assistant. He doesn’t benefit whatsoever from doing so, and the backlash he receives is justified, whether or not he turns out to be correct.

Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/946585-bernie-fine-scandal-jim-boeheims-extortion-claims-take-defense-of-fine-too-far

Vladimir Guerrero Adam Wainwright Anibal Sanchez Brett Myers C.J. Wilson

I went through last week with a chip on my shoulder.

I was angry about the news circulating regarding the grand jury findings and subsequent charges against former Penn State defensive coach Jerry Sandusky.

I was mad as hell and I wasn’t going to take it anymore.

So I wrote this.

Even with some of the rumors circulating about what people knew or didn’t know, I felt I said my piece and had no inclination to revisit Sandusky or any other molestation story. It’s not exactly what sports writers dream about writing and the whole vocabulary needed to write such columns churns my stomach.

With the unpleasantness out of my system, I decided it was time to start writing about the upcoming matchup between the much-heralded Syracuse Orange and its once and future conference rival, Virginia Tech, in next week’s NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals in Madison Square Garden.

Then I read this headline…Syracuse coach Fine in molestation inquiry. I was shocked.

I feel the world has desensitized me somewhat.

Mass media has evolved into a beast that spews every factoid a person wanted to know was out there but was afraid to ask.

We also get everything we never cared to know. 

We used to get our news from just three major networks.

If something crazy happened in the world, it had to be important and shocking enough that it would make the 6:30 news or it wasn’t getting broadcast.

We were rationed our crazy world with a 19” pixelated sippy cup.

Today, anything and everything that happens in the world from Kardashian to Kazakhstan is a click or a pop-up away and nothing shocks me anymore, or at least I thought.

The Sandusky story shocks me. Not Sandusky’s alleged acts, but that a perceived good man such as Joe Paterno could make such terrible decisions for what seems to be either loyalty or school pride.

As far as Sandusky is concerned, the charges aren’t as shocking as they are sickening, but that is because I haven’t been familiar with the man other than him being a name in passing over the years at Penn State.

Syracuse men’s basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine, on the other hand, is someone who I’ve been familiar with since I was a lad.

Again, I’m shocked at a time when I didn’t think it was possible.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Coach Fine a few times. Nothing more than a handshake or two, and I won’t ever claim to know the man, but something about this story just isn’t sitting right with me.

He didn’t come off creepy like Sandusky. He just seemed to be a guy who, like his longtime coaching partner Jim Boeheim, bleeds orange and loves the game of basketball.

So what’s different?

I had to look deep into my own psyche and figure out if I was just in denial.

I’ve been following Syracuse Basketball since before I could spell Seikaly.

We never really know our sports idols intimately, save a few sound bites here and there, but when we put our time, treasure and hearts into our sports teams, they feel like family.

We fight and argue, all in the name of being a good fan.

The problem is that even if it’s family, there are some things that can’t be overlooked.

The allegations against Bernie Fine are just alleged at the present, but they can’t be overlooked nor dismissed just because he seems like a good guy.

When the Sandusky story broke, I wondered how I would feel if one of the beloved teams I root for went through a similar allegation.

I’ve been through New Jersey Net Jayson Williams killing his limo driver, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry’s cocaine problems and Mike Tyson…well, take your pick with Tyson. But molestation is something I’m not familiar with and it makes me uncomfortable and angry, as it should.

I would now, unfortunately, get the answer to my inquiring mind.

It’s far too early in the process to pass judgment, but if Jim Boeheim’s word is worth anything, he vehemently claimed that Fine’s accuser, Bobby Davis, is lying about statements involving seeing Jim Boeheim in Fine’s hotel rooms at various locations.

I’d like to take Boeheim at his word.

If Davis is lying about this detail; what else could he be lying about?

Everything will come out in the wash, but the once-clean image of a man whose development of Syracuse’s big men has been almost as significant as the implementation of the 2-3 zone at the Carrier Dome, is forever tarnished.

If Davis is telling the truth, then may Fine be damned.

If Davis turns out to have made up a story to ruin a man’s career, well, I guess I’ll just be shocked again.

This time around, I would welcome the shock.

Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/946192-syracuse-basketball-allegations-a-bernie-fine-mess

LeSean McCoy Matt Forte BenJarvus Green-Ellis LeGarrette Blount Fred Jackson

No one leaves the UFC voluntarily. Dan Henderson broke that unwritten rule back in 2009 when he bolted for a bigger deal with Strikeforce. It appeared that he’d never fight for Dana White again, but crazy things happen in the world of MMA.

A nasty win streak combined with Zuffa’s unexpected purchase of Strikeforce, has Hendo right in the middle of the mix again with the UFC. The former PRIDE middleweight and light heavyweight champ faces a fellow PRIDE veteran and former UFC 205-pound champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the main event of UFC 139 tomorrow night in San Jose, Ca.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Henderson told UFC.com’s Tom Gerbasi. “When I left the UFC and went to Strikeforce, I didn’t know what was in the future. It was always a possibility; I knew the UFC wasn’t going anywhere and I know I didn’t leave on bad terms at all, so it was a matter of how things worked out at Strikeforce. And (UFC President) Dana (White) missed me so much he had to go buy Strikeforce.”

At the time, White thought Henderson (28-8, 5-2 UFC) wasn’t worth the money he was getting from Strikeforce and that his style wasn’t that crowd pleasing. Henderson changed that image by turning off the lights of Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko. Amazingly, he posted those dynamic finishes of three veteran fighters at the ages of 40 and 41.

Henderson seems to be getting better. The former Greco-Roman wrestling Olympian (1992 and 1996) says he’s gotten more proficient at pinpointing what he needs to do before and during fights to counter the aging process.

“[...] Give me a week and I’ll give you a list of what I used to be able to do. But the key is experience, knowing that I can relax in a lot of places where I used to not relax. I could keep going back then, but now I go when I need to go, and I put my energy and strength in the right places.”

An impressive win by Henderson could put him in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva at middleweight or 205-pound phenom Jon Jones. Chael Sonnen showed holes in Silva’s game. Jones is slowly earning the label of unbeatable, but Henderson doesn’t agree.

“I do think that would be a fight I would enjoy. He’s awkward and unorthodox and it creates something to think about and how to beat that, and that’s what excites me these days,” Henderson said. “I’m not one to buy into things too quickly. I’ve been doing this for a long time and seen a lot of guys beat a lot of tough guys really quick and then die out. I think he’s going to be around a long time, he’s just going to get better. But at this point he’s still got a lot to improve on, and he’s athletic and talented and he does learn. He’s got a huge future, but I think he’s got a little ways to go.”

Henderson is excited about his future which could resemble a Randy Couture or Bernard Hopkins-like run down the stretch.

“I do this for the challenge as well, and not saying there’s not tough guys to challenge me in Strikeforce, but the bigger fights and better matchups for me right now are in the UFC, so I think I will be retiring in the UFC, and not somewhere else,” he said. “I’m not retiring soon, but I won’t be going anywhere and I’ll be fighting the remainder of my fights in the UFC I’m sure.”

Anyone willing to bet against Henderson? With what we’ve seen recently, who can doubt him?

Watch UFC 139 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Older-but-wiser-Dan-Henderson-returns-to-UFC-wit?urn=mma-wp9611

Ryan Torain Marshawn Lynch Tim Hightower Mike Tolbert Ronnie Brown

Ian Thorpe is returning to the pool next month in hopes of making an Olympic comeback in London. Except, he’s not at all confident about his prospects and already is making excuses for his failure. In a rambling interview with The Telegraph, Thorpe laid out his modest expectations for the comeback, then contradicted himself a few times before restating said modest expectations. We’ve highlighted some of the most defeatist quotes from the interview:

1. “I’m more comfortable knowing that, chances are, I’m going to fail at this. I’ve become comfortable with that.”

That’s the spirit!

2. “My goal at the start — and this will remain my goal through the Olympics – was to be able to swim faster than I used to. If at any stage I didn’t think I could do that, I don’t know if I’d continue.”

If that was his goal and he has already said he’s going to fail at his goal, shouldn’t he not continue? It’s a maze of reasoning that I don’t quite understand. Who exactly is Thorpe lowering expectations for? The public or himself?

3. “Medals are good but, for us in swimming, times are better because you have very little control over who wins.”

Right, because Michael Phelps totally would have been happy in Milorad Cavic out-touching him in the 100 fly in Beijing because, more important than the gold medal he lost, he’d have had a best time.

4. “Push yourself beyond that and take that attitude of not just trying to win by one tenth of a second when you can win by two seconds. Take it that far. That’s athletic accomplishment, not just what you get to wear around your neck.”

I thought it doesn’t matter whether you win or not?

5. “I don’t think anyone’s done this before with the timeframe that I have. Realistically, it’s probably too short.”

Either he fails to live up to the loftiest, unrealistic expectations as predicted or he surpasses them and sets himself up as a conquering hero. In a way, it actually could be a brilliant PR move.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Ian-Thorpe-s-defeatist-circular-logic-about-his-?urn=oly-wp834

Peyton Manning Matt Ryan Drew Brees David Garrard Jon Kitna

If you wondered why the UFC was so eager to return to Brazil, just months after their jam-packed UFC 134 event, watch this video of Junior dos Santos returning home to Brazil after winning the heavyweight championship. You don’t have to watch the whole thing to get the idea — especially if you get seasick — but catch the last 20 seconds to see “Cigano” celebrate atop a firetruck.

Who wouldn’t want to be greeted by a brass band, hordes of cheering fans, media, cameras and a firetruck? That sort of passion for dos Santos speaks both to the love of MMA in Brazil and to his popularity.

Thanks to Ariel Helwani.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Watch-Junior-dos-Santos-return-to-Brazil-after-w?urn=mma-wp9566

Danny Granger David West DeMar DeRozan Deron Williams Derrick Rose

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/11/17/2568334/bob-davie-hired-new-mexico-coach-notre-dame

Michael Bush Jahvid Best Danny Woodhead Justin Forsett Brandon Lloyd

It’s hard to remember a time when the Heisman race was this wide open so late in the season. With the season coming to a close, it’s impossible to pick a front-runner.

The upcoming games are going to be critical, and though the field has been cut down significantly, Andrew Luck’s performance against Oregon proves that it only takes one game to completely turn the Heisman race upside down.

There are a number of potential finalists still lurking in the race. Here are seven players who are in contention to be a Heisman finalist.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Brandon Weeden has become the Heisman front-runner. He put up an insane 502 yards through the air and four touchdowns against Kansas State and followed it up with a 423-yard performance and five touchdowns against the Texas Tech team that fed Landry Jones a loss.

Weeden still has Oklahoma lying in front of him. Oklahoma State’s offense has been unstoppable this season, and if he takes down Jones and the Sooners, he’s not just a lock to be a finalist, he’s a lock to win the award.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

So Andrew Luck is human. Somebody sound the alarm.

All of the hype surrounding Luck has people completely caught off guard when he makes a bad throw. Chris Owusu going down has made it so Stanford has virtually no true playmaker wide receivers in the offense.

Luck still has a chance to bounce back, but he faces an uphill battle in competing with Weeden. Weeden is throwing to Justin Blackmon in Oklahoma State’s high-octane offense.

That doesn’t mean that he’s out of contention though. He’s thrown 29 touchdowns on the season, and one bad game against the Ducks shouldn’t define his season. Luck is a shoo-in for one of the finalist spots.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Trent Richardson is an absolute beast. He’s the most complete back in the nation and with an incredible seven games of over 100 yards, he’s the best player on one of the best teams in the entire nation.

While the No. 1-ranked Alabama defense is deservedly soaking up a lot of the attention, Trent Richardson has been the best player on the field in every game he’s played in this season, including the one against LSU, where Richardson had 89 yards rushing and another 80 receiving.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

It’s unclear if Case Keenum is just a product of the Houston offense, and frankly, it doesn’t matter. He’s the driving force behind the No. 1 offense in the nation and is putting up numbers that put Luck and Weeden’s numbers to shame.

Is he taking advantage of weak Conference USA opponents, picking apart defenses with the offense that has perfected spacing out defenses and putting up insane numbers that would be impossible to attain in a major conference?

Yep.

Even so, he has to be given credit for throwing 37 touchdowns and just three picks. He’s just 49 yards away from hitting the 4,000-yard mark, and his historic nine-touchdown performance against Rice launched him right into the thick of the Heisman race.

Houston is on the verge of cracking the top 10. How long is the “system quarterback” connotation going to be used as an excuse to write off ridiculously productive quarterbacks who make all the right decisions?

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

LaMichael James isn’t going to let a little missed time knock him out of the Heisman race. Battling back from an ugly dislocated elbow makes his season even more unforgettable.

It’s incredible that his brief time away didn’t deter him from racking up 1,207 rushing yards this season. His three touchdowns and 146 yards against Stanford are even more impressive than the 288 yards he racked up against Arizona.

Many felt James was out of the race the moment he dislocated his elbow. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Kellen Moore took a huge hit in the Heisman race when Boise State lost to TCU. If he had managed to bring Boise State within striking distance of a national championship, he may have had a shot at winning the award.

While he’s got no chance at winning the award now, he’s still got a chance to be a finalist. Keenum’s numbers dwarf his, and he isn’t having the season that Oklahoma State is.

A win over Georgia to start the season should outweigh the one-point loss to TCU, but voters have to be stingy with the talented group of candidates in the race.

His numbers, 2,549 and 31 touchdowns, are impressive, Moore is just up against it with the crop of quarterbacks he’s up against.

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Landry Jones gets to square off against Robert Griffin III and Brandon Weeden before the season ends. Jones lost to Texas Tech, but taking down those talented quarterbacks after demolishing Kansas State will make voters have a quick memory.

Jones has a chance to finish out this season with a bang and even with their ugly loss, they aren’t out of the national championship picture.

He’s got a solid chance at finishing the season with over 4,000 yards, and if he is able to win out, he’s going to be a dark horse to win the award outright.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/947013-heisman-watch-2011-projecting-legitimate-trophy-finalists

Deron Williams Derrick Rose Dirk Nowitzki Dorell Wright Dwight Howard

It may be tough to remember now, but there was a time when Tiger Woods was the most dominant player in golf. (It’s true. We checked.) And while he’s had his troubles in match play events, he was dead-bang flawless in the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco. The U.S. thumped the internationals, 19½ to 14½, marking the sixth American win in eight gatherings.

The U.S. team, captained by Fred Couples and vice-captained by Michael Jordan, was a mix of old-line stars (Woods, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry) and newcomers (Anthony Kim, Lucas Glover, Hunter Mahan). Greg Norman‘s internationals were even more diverse, ranging from Vijay Singh and Ernie Els to 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa.

Oh, and this was only about six weeks before a certain one-car accident. We were all so young then, weren’t we?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Presidents-Cup-flashback-Tiger-Woods-dominates-?urn=golf-wp6873

Pau Gasol Paul Millsap Paul Pierce Ray Allen Russell Westbrook

Well hello there.

I see you’ve caught me jetting around the world during the international break. Now that I’m retired from dominating the early qualifying rounds of international football, I, like you, must find inventive and erotic ways to occupy my time during the many long and tedious international dates. And since you’re not currently making out with me right now, I’m assuming you’re quite bored. So here are a few arousing options to help you fill your Berba-barren minutes.

-Read a magazine The Berba Way: Right now I am reading The Economist because I require intellectual stimulation just as much as physical stimulation — which you can begin at any time, by the way. But instead of reading it in the unintelligent way it was written, I change every third word to either “sexy,” “thrusting,” or “mayonnaise” to ensure every article is titillating and meaningful. So while we wait for my hot tub filled with dairy products to heat up, you can do the same with the issue of Playboy beside you. Ha-HA!

-Play a board game The Berba Way: Board games are often thought of as activities for slow children and elderly couples who can’t afford lubricants, but this is not entirely true. With slight modifications, board games can bring enjoyment to groups of all legal ages. For example, in the back of this plane, I have a custom Monopoly board that looks very similar to a water bed with a large video camera manned by my cousin Timitar at the foot of it. Would you like to start a new game by drawing a custom Chance card? Ha-HA! … No, you can’t use a “get out of jail free” card to force me to never speak to you again.

-Loitering in department store dressing rooms The Berba Way: Would you like to meet new people and see them in various states of surprise and undress? Then partake in the very best form of volunteer work as an unpaid yet extremely “hands-on” dressing room attendant. In addition to being asked existential questions like, “What are you doing here?!” you also get the added adventure of never being able to visit the same store twice and frequent guest appearances by the local police, who present a whole additional spectrum of networking opportunities.

Of course, those are just a few of the ways to keep yourself occupied during the lack of club football. There are several more I can think of right now, but it would be best if I removed these restrictive tear-away trousers first.

Oh-OHHH! These trousers were not tear-aways! Oh, this is terrible. Not being allowed to try on clothing in certain shops is the only drawback to loitering in department store dressing rooms The Berba Way. Now I’ll have to spend the rest of the flight without pants. Please alert the stewardesses. Ha-HA!

Join us again next time for another chapter in the life of…The Continental…

Photo: Getty

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Dimitar-Berbatov-is-The-Continental?urn=sow-wp6597

Derrick Rose Dirk Nowitzki Dorell Wright Dwight Howard Dwyane Wade

In 2001, I had my first big motorsports interview with NHRA Funny Car legend John Force in the quiet luxury of his motor coach at Gainesville Raceway in Florida. To no surprise to any of his many fans, Force was anything but silent.

That interview was supposed to be limited to 15 minutes, but it went on for a raucous hour when Force shifted to his entertainment mode.

I prepared weeks in advance for that interview moment and had dozens of questions logged in a small notebook. It was my first big opportunity.

After five questions with solid answering by Force, I asked him this.

In some ways success can be tougher than failure. What bugs you the most about being successful?

“People take you for granted, that you always did it,” Force said. “Like they want to say, ‘he was always rich’, and some people aren’t always rich, they earn it. Ask that whole question again.”

I repeated the question, but as I did Force asked for and snatched my notebook and started flipping through the pages. As he held my notebook captive he was quick to blurt.
“You didn’t make these (expletive) questions up,” Force said. “You ain’t that (expletive) smart.”

I laughed and answered, “I created them, John.” I was also wondering what I was going to do without my questions, but John let me get my notebook back after he read several of my questions

Force has mellowed some since then and tossed his use of profanity, but his animated character remains as colorful as ever.

But back then during our first interview my questions were outside the normal routine journalistic inquiry. His curiosity was challenged and he seemed to enjoy the nature of my probing and sometimes unique questions. That’s probably why a 15 minute limit turned into a fun hour.

Several years after Force got my question book, I was on the way to a racing event on a back road trip in the southern Georgia. One of several road-side Vidalia onion display stands caught my eye and brakes.

The roof of the stand had onions hanging in net-like bags with two sizes and two prices. As I studied the bags I wondered, too, about the onions—small ones in three-pound bags and large ones in five-pound bags. The price was not hefty for either.

As a young girl, about 16 years old, sat at the front of the stand—an older lady worked behind the structure, bagging onions.

I pondered a bit about the produce and then asked the young girl what the difference was between the small onions and the large onions. She wasn’t prepared for any inquiry and turned to her mom for an answer.

“Momma … What’s the difference between the big’ns and little’ns?”

Momma wasn’t swift answer, but with a smooth Southern drawl she soon spoke in a helpful country way.

“The Big’ns had been in the ground longer.”

It was all I could to buy a five pound bag without laughing.

As I drove away and down the quite country road smiling, it hit me after a few miles that my question was not specific. I should have asked about taste in addition to size. That lesson in specifics has followed me for about a decade.

My access and media credibility grew with the Internet, and with it chances to ask questions rose exponentially.

Many times since the onion encounter I’ve been privileged to ask many NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA stars and other celebrities multiple questions.

As my access improved I worked harder to make my questions tough and specific. Thousands of experiences later the effort has proved productive.

I like to think my questions are sometimes unique, intense and prone to swift delivery, but what do I know? I learned as much from an onion lady on a country road as I did in numerous writing classes.

It’s time to fast forward and return to the present. Comparing the John Force of a decade ago to the present champion is the focus of this series and more quotes from the past will be placed side-by-side with present thoughts for fan review.

Force answered this question in 2011.

Some might say John Force has a built-in power cord to supply energy. Where do you believe you get your energy?

“I never lie, but I embellish a lot. Basically I’m kind of full of it sometimes. But I’m full of a dream. I sell everything I can. That’s what it’s all about. Instead of just giving energy, I’m a storyteller–sometimes not so good. I’ve been thrown out of the few shows.

“I stay with what I know, auto racing. That’s what I do. I try to entertain, because we’re in the entertainment business. We think we just race for a living, but we’re in the entertainment business.”

Following John Force, an FYI WIRZ series by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com will return with the next part soon.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained from personal interviews provided by John Force Racing or during NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series teleconferences.

Photo credit: Dwight Drum at Racetake.com

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/941701-fyi-wirz-following-nhras-john-force-a-fast-decade-of-questions-and-answers

Marques Colston Brandon Marshall Jason Witten Terrell Owens Jeremy Maclin

Junior dos Santos won the UFC heavyweight belt with a quick knockout of Cain Velasquez on the UFC’s network debut on Saturday night. If you had any doubt that referee John McCarthy made the right call in stopping the fight, this picture from Tracy Lee should erase it.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Photo-Junior-dos-Santos-convincing-KO-of-Cain-?urn=mma-wp9429

Andre Johnson Dwayne Bowe Larry Fitzgerald Calvin Johnson Santana Moss

The IOC announced Friday that athletes at the 2012 Olympics will be banned from possessing needles and syringes. The announcement is part of the IOC’s ongoing efforts to rid the event of performance-enhancing drugs.

Athletes and doctors will need medical clearance to bring needles in living areas, locker rooms, practice sites and competition venues.

Some thoughts:

1. Have athletes been openly flaunting their needle possession? Because that’s the only way this rule would have any impact. Of all the things that cheating athletes have to do to cover-up steroid use, hiding the needle is probably the easiest thing. This is like DUI enforcement teams banning empty beer bottles from cars.

2. “We won’t accept medical equipment like syringes and needles in the field of play.” – IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist

Finally! There have been far too many instances in past Olympics of sprinters shooting themselves up with deca durabolin during races. Remember when those East Germans would get on the starting blocks wearing bathing suits, goggles, caps and fanny packs filled with syringes and vials? Or that infamous 1988 incident in which Soviet doctors injected a boxer with anabolic steroids in full view of reporters and his wife/manager before a big fight? (Note: This may have been “Rocky IV.”)

3. What’s the next step, banning all pills that look similar to steroids? All shady-looking doctors? Words that contain the letters E-P-O?

4. How is enforcement of this rule going to work anyway? Unless the IOC is proposing random room and bag checks, there’s no way to catch violators unless they’re really dumb, in which case they probably wouldn’t be able to evade testing in the first place.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/IOC-bans-needles-from-Olympics-because-that-will?urn=oly-wp421

DeSean Jackson Hakeem Nicks Miles Austin Marques Colston Brandon Marshall

Is it going to be a flat serve out wide, is it going to be a slice serve, a top spin serve or will it be a kick serve? 

This is the thought process you go through as you watch your opponent eye up the descending ball. 

Like chess, there are a variety of strategies in tennis implemented when serving. 

Let’s look at the 30 most feared male tennis servers in the history of the game. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/941313-roger-federer-and-the-30-most-feared-servers-of-all-time

Luis Scola Luol Deng Manu Ginobili Michael Beasley Monta Ellis

It’s a loaded pod this week ? or at least it felt that way ? as we scrapped the usual game previews in favor of a forward-looking mid-season sweep of the league. We discuss buy-low and sell-high candidates, we talk trade strategy, we name a few players you can safely drop, then we list teams that have the friendliest fantasy playoff schedules. Again: Loaded. And then we spend the final minutes discussing fantasy pick-ups for Week 9. Do the do…

The Fantasy 46, Mid-Season Review

In future weeks, the idea is to focus more on individual match-ups and sit/start dilemmas, maybe take some Twitter questions. I’d like this thing to complement the fine audio work that Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell are already doing on Shutdown Corner. No need for multiple game previews. Please check out the SC podcast, because those two are as good as it gets. I’ll be over here, recommending running backs and receivers.

To subscribe to the 46, you can click this. (I won’t make anymore iTunes promises until that’s a done deal). If you have a question for the hosts, hit these links: @andybehrens, @bmac670. We’re both willing to respond, sometimes correctly. And as always, feel free to use the comments section however you like…

—

Photo via US Presswire

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/post/The-Fantasy-46-Podcast-ep-10-Special-mid-seas?urn=fantasy-wp10853

Santana Moss Steve Johnson DeSean Jackson Hakeem Nicks Miles Austin

There was always an idea current, during Roger Federer’s heady days of dominance, that winning the French Open would make up for all the losses he had had to suffer there. He had won five Wimbledons from 2003-07, but still couldn’t quite get past the hurdle of the Parisian terre-battue.

That all ended, of course, in 2009, when he clinched that career-defining maiden Roland Garros title.

Something similar happened yesterday, when, more than two years since he last won in Paris, and nearly two years since he last won a grand slam, Federer claimed the Paris Masters 2011.

It was something on a smaller scale, for sure, and little to be compared to the other titanic achievements of his illustrious career. But as it goes with Federer nowadays, any victory makes history, and this one was no different.

For one, he faced his first final at the Paris Masters, but one which completed a remarkable set that had begun nearly 10 years ago, with his first Masters Series final at Miami in 2002. No one, ever, has made it to all the finals of the Masters Series circuit; but here, Roger the Extraordinary made history even before swatting a forehand against Jo-WIlfried Tsonga.

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, Federer did come out swatting forehands, and he did just about everything right to emerge the undoubted champion for 2011, 6-1, 7-6. For the most part it was a sublime performance. Perhaps it wasn’t as dazzling as his dismantling of Tomas Berdych the day before.

He faced break points—something the Czech had failed even to muster—for many a service game, had to fend off deuces and tight moments. He was holding serve even where he probably shouldn’t have, while Tsonga was losing his when he probably should have held.

The truer story was told in the second set, when both men held serve unflinchingly to force a tiebreak. Tsonga, it should be said, held close to Federer; but only close. He could not surpass.

When the right moments came the Swiss master raised his game appropriately. At 5-6, and serving for a tiebreak, one was held spellbound by a succession of ferocious forehands, inside in and inside out. Some have said that Federer lacks the power of others, but there it was unleashed, effortlessly and irrepressibly.

It was a return to the old days, simple and short. Paris 2011 will be the sequel to many a late-season title charge that Federer pursued in the past, and in fact was highly reminiscent of the last few months of his annus mirabilis in 2006. Tsonga was chalked up just as Federer had so many other victims—Gonzalez, Hewitt, Henman and Roddick, of all.

Victory over Tsonga, and Berdych in the semis, and on both occasions so convincingly, must surely be satisfying for Federer. He is not vengeful, but Paris has now avenged Wimbledon. Where he had always won, on the lawns of Wimbledon, he had lately been dethroned by these two very foes—in 2010 by Berdych in the quarters, and this year by Tsonga in the same round.

They were both, no doubt, crushing defeats in some sense. Federer will likely only achieve an apt measure of retribution in defeating them there sometime in the future. But where they had defeated him at a tournament he had always won, he had now defeated them, at a tournament he was almost never going to win.

At least, it took nine appearances before he did so. Federer isn’t done yet—one would know that when, even at 30, he is achieving firsts in his career.

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/939251-roger-federer-wins-paris-masters-for-the-first-time-avenges-wimbledon

Peyton Hillis Darren McFadden Cedric Benson LeSean McCoy Matt Forte

Junior dos Santos knows all about Cain Velasquez’s decorated wrestling background and legendary stamina, but he thinks his technical boxing will be the difference in making it a short night for the reigning UFC heavyweight champ.

JDS began working with famed Brazilian boxing coach Luis Carlos Dorea back in 2006. He quickly transitioned from being a guy who relied on his jiu-jitsu to one who could overwhelm opponents with good footwork, hand speed and power punching. Dos Santos said that combination will prevent the fight from going the full five rounds.

“No, no … for sure no. I’m going to finish this fight before that. I want to finish,” Dos Santos told the media gathered at the UFC on Fox workout day in Rosemead, Ca. “Heavyweight fights, when they go five rounds they’re boring fights. I know Cain Velasquez is very fast. He’s a different heavyweight. Me too, I’m very fast for the division too. For sure, it’s going to be a war. I think it’s going to finish before the third round.”

Dos Santos has also worked a lot with Acelino “Popo” Freitas, a world champ at both 130 and 135 pounds. The Brazilian stopped fighting in 2007 with 38-2 record that included 36 KO’s. Dos Santos’ camp also covered the wrestling aspect of the fight by bringing in a huge wrestler to simulate Velasquez’s hard-charging style. Josh Janousek, a squatty, fast wrestler in the mold of Velasquez has been working with JDS and Antonio Nogueira since the beginning of the year.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-on-Fox-video-Dos-Santos-says-boxing-coaches?urn=mma-wp9280

Monta Ellis Nick Young Pau Gasol Paul Millsap Paul Pierce

Months ago, when Tiger Woods decided to fire caddie Steve Williams after all the turmoil the two had gone through the previous 18 months, blame was tossed Tiger’s way. People didn’t understand how you could let go of such a loyal employee right when things seemed to be somewhat back to normal. Williams was obviously the victim.

But nearly three months ago, when Williams’ new boss, Adam Scott, torched Firestone, Steve let it be known that he wasn’t happy with Tiger, telling CBS that the Scott win was, “the best week of his life.” People questioned the comment considering Williams was on the bag for 13 of Tiger’s 14 major championships, and many saw it as a dig at Woods.

[Related: Fred Couples admits he picked John Cook to help Tiger Woods]

That might have been a paintball fight. What happened earlier this week in China was flat out gunfire, and it came at the hands of Williams. Asked to come on stage at a caddie dinner during the pre-tournament festivities at the HSBC Champions and tell the crowd what he was thinking during that now-infamous interview, Williams let out a crowd-silencing remark that can’t be viewed any other way but racist.

Via The Telegraph …

“My aim was to shove it right up that black —hole,” Williams said.

The remarks are obviously inappropriate on a ton of levels, but the timing is one of the more shocking things. Why would he still be hung up on this thing months later, after it seems he’s found a great player to work with? And why would he do this during a week that Scott is playing great golf, and has a chance to win this tournament?

Williams has since apologized for the remarks, saying on his website, “I apologize for comments I made last night at the Annual Caddy Awards dinner in Shanghai. Players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun. I now realize how my comments could be construed as racist. However I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to Tiger and anyone else I have offended,” but the damage has been done.

One of the keys to being a caddie is to never become the story, and Williams has been as much the story in golf the past three months as any player. He might still be upset about the abrupt firing, and frankly, most people are in this world when they get let go, but there is a way to exit with dignity and then there is this.

If I was Scott, I’d fire him right when the final putt drops this Sunday. Both Williams and Woods are expected to be at the Australian Open next week. With this looming larger than anything else, it seems like the right time to show the caddie that he is frankly that, a caddie, and can’t be spitting out stuff like this and expect to get away with it.

It’s ridiculous, it’s stupid, and it really shows why Tiger might have let him go in the first place. We all know there are times for jokes, and you can take stuff out of context, but the racism line is a fine one, and this crossed it.

-Follow Yahoo! Sports’ Devil Ball on Facebook and follow Shane Bacon on Twitter at @shanebacon.-

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Tiger-Woods-ex-caddie-drops-racist-comment-abou?urn=golf-wp6713

Larry Fitzgerald Calvin Johnson Santana Moss Steve Johnson DeSean Jackson

We’re not yet at the most nerve-wracking event of the golf season — that’d be Q School, which still lies ahead. But for 25 Nationwide Tour players, this past weekend was Christmas and their birthday all wrapped up in one. They placed among the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list, and as such won a PGA Tour card for 2012. Congrats to these fine players, starting with the gentleman pictured above:

1. J.J. Killeen
2. Ted Potter, Jr.
3. Mathew Goggin
4. Jason Kokrak
5. Jonas Blixt
6. Danny Lee
7. Ken Duke
8. Scott Brown
9. Gary Christian
10. Miguel Angel Carballo
11. Troy Kelly
12. Russell Knox
13. Erik Compton
14. John Mallinger
15. Kyle Thompson
16. Kyle Reifers
17. Gavin Coles
18. Matt Every
19. Daniel Chopra
20. Steve Wheatcroft
21. Garth Mulroy
22. Mark Anderson
23. Roberto Castro
24. Martin Flores
25. Billy Hurley III

Our Jonathan Wall has broken down five of the more significant players on that list. Each player received a Tiffany money clip with their 2012 PGA Tour card inside. (Think they have to keep up with that card all through the year? I’m sure somebody’s run theirs through the wash by mistake.)

Anyway, six players won tournaments on the Nationwide Tour but weren’t able to break into the top 25; that list was headed by James Nitties, who finished barely $5,000 behind Hurley for the 25th position. Golf is a cruel game, but for these 25 guys, it’ll pay off handsomely in 2012.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Your-complete-Nationwide-to-PGA-qualifiers-list?urn=golf-wp6636

LeGarrette Blount Fred Jackson LaDainian Tomlinson Thomas Jones Frank Gore

So with the most important golf in the world taking place on the other side of the world from the United States, American golf fans now face a choice: stay up to the wee hours of the morning to watch golf, or dodge everyone and everything and stay off the Internet to find out what happens on replay.

Here’s how the TV will shake out, all times Eastern:

Wednesday
Foursomes, Golf Channel, 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. (live)

Thursday
Foursomes, NBC, 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (replay)

Four Ball, Golf Channel, 7:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. (live)

Friday
Four Ball, NBC, 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (replay)

Foursomes, Golf Channel, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. (live)

Saturday
Foursomes, NBC, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (tape)

Singles, Golf Channel, 6:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. (live)

Sunday
Singles, NBC, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (tape)

Heads up: we will NOT be holding back our coverage to match replay times. So on Saturday night as you’re staggering from pub to pub, check in with Devil Ball to find out who won. Just don’t break anything in celebration.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Get-the-caffeine-ready-Your-Presidents-Cup-TV-t?urn=golf-wp6880

Cedric Benson LeSean McCoy Matt Forte BenJarvus Green-Ellis LeGarrette Blount

For the Oklahoma Sooners, performing at a high level in their three remaining regular season contests is crucial for their chances of playing in New Orleans for the national championship. 

Robert Griffin III is a man possessed, and the Baylor Bears present an interesting yet surmountable obstacle to the Crimson and Cream’s quest for another Big 12 Championship and possibly more. 

The Bears, playing in primetime on their home field, have a legitimate chance to spoil OU’s season for good, but as long as the Sooners execute in all three phases of the game, they should depart Floyd Casey Stadium with a victory.

That brings us to the issue of how, specifically, the Sooners can have success against RG3 and Co. Here are the five areas OU should focus on to remain perfect on the road and garner momentum for the looming Bedlam contest with Oklahoma State.  

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/945981-oklahoma-sooners-football-5-keys-to-victory-over-no-22-baylor

Felix Hernandez Francisco Liriano Gio Gonzalez Hiroki Kuroda Jaime Garcia

The end of the PGA Tour always brings a bevy of awards, and on Wednesday, the players up for the two biggest awards were announced. Here are the candidates for both the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year and why they were nominated.

Rookie of the Year

Charl Schwartzel — Obviously winning the Masters put him on the list, but the young man from South Africa had ten top-25s in just 15 PGA Tour events, including a t-4 at last week’s HSBC Champions.

Chris Kirk — A win at the Vikings Classic put Kirk on the list, but it wasn’t his only good finish, as the 26-year-old had four top-10s in his rookie campaign.

Scott Stallings — A win at the Greenbrier Classic, two other top-10s, and nearly $2 million in earnings gets him on this list.

Jhonattan Vegas — The early season favorite to take in this award, Vegas wrangled up the Bob Hope Classic in a playoff and had four other top-10s.

Brendan Steele — Another rookie with a solid season, Steele took home Valero Texas Open and carded three other top-10 finishes.

Keegan Bradley — The only nominee with two wins, Bradley snagged both the Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship in his first season.

Who should win? Bradley, obviously (even Steele knows it’s Keegan’s award). Not many times does a rookie card his first win and his first major win in the same season, and along with that, it seemed Bradley was comfortable being one of the top dogs at the end of the season.

Player of the Year

Nick Watney — Watney won twice, at Doral and the AT&T National, and had 10 top-10s in just 23 events on the PGA Tour. His consistency is one of the things that got him on this list, and he’d possibly be the front-runner if he could have pulled out the win in Vegas.

Bill Haas – A great year for Haas, highlighted by that water shot to not only capture the Tour Championship but also the FedEx Cup. Haas only had one win, but was in playoffs for both the Greenbrier and the Bob Hope.

Webb Simpson — Two wins, two playoff losses, and twelve top-10s for Simpson, who finished second in the FedEx Cup race and had an all-around great season.

Keegan Bradley — You’ve seen his season up top; two wins, and the only person in the POTY hunt with a major championship on the resume.

Luke Donald – A career year for Donald, who had a win at the Accenture Match Play and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Donald had the most top-10s of anyone on tour with 14 (in just 19 starts), and won the money title with a really gutsy performance at Disney.

Who should win? Before Disney, I was Bradley all the way, but I think Donald wrapped this award up. Normally the voters lean towards people with a major win that year, but Bradley’s mediocre performance in the tournaments he didn’t win might sway the voters towards Luke.

And your thoughts? Who should win both the Rookie and Player of the Year?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Player-of-the-Year-and-Rookie-of-the-Year-nomine?urn=golf-wp6776

Danny Woodhead Justin Forsett Brandon Lloyd Roddy White Reggie Wayne

While we wait for the Presidents’ Cup Day 2 matches to begin, take a moment to check out this fine new track from the ’80s hair metal knockoff band Steel Panther. (You MUST visit their website.) Crank up the neighborhood-fertilizing music; no one at work is going to mind this peppy little number. And tell me you’re not going to be singing “If you wanna be like Tiger Woods…” the rest of the day.

Visor tip: Reader Brett.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/The-greatest-8217-80s-hair-metal-style-Tiger-W?urn=golf-wp6975

Tim Hightower Mike Tolbert Ronnie Brown Chris Ivory Brandon Jackson

Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Greg Chappell, Mark Taylor and Greg Matthews shine in this edition of “What They Said, Really Meant and Definitely Did Not.”

Murray cannae gulp down fish for breakfast.

Matthews verbally spars for Simon Katich.

Roddick slams the ATP for trying to play for both sides.

Taylor wakes up to an Australian shambles.

And Chappell has mistakes to admit in his autobiography.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/936994-sporting-quotes-greg-chappell-andy-roddick-andy-murray-and-others

Brett Gardner Carl Crawford Daric Barton David Ortiz Delmon Young

“I did it!”

If you’re still trying to figure how FIFA chief buffoon Sepp Blatter could say “there is no racism” in football and explain away all racism that does occur during matches as perfectly reasonable competitive vigor, well, I feel sorry for you. But maybe his latest comments will help clear up his line of thinking.

You see, Sepp has been working under the assumption that he already fixed all of the discrimination and racism in THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD by putting a World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

From Soccernet:

In a fresh TV interview on Thursday, Blatter insisted that he has been at the forefront of trying to tackle racism, telling Fox Soccer: “I can tell you in all my life in football now has been accompanied by fighting discrimination and fighting racism.

“I thought, and I’m still a very optimistic man, that after the World Cup in South Africa where it was really connecting the people, all different races, all different cultures being brought together through football, that not only in the continent of Africa but everywhere in the world that this was over.

“But still, where human beings are, there are still some moments and we can never stop going against racism, against discrimination.”

Yeah, there’s still one or two moments (everywhere, everyday) where racism and discrimination still pops up but hey, that one sporting event cleared up most of it, right?

The man is living on another planet in a different dimension. And how could he not be? He’s had a long career of being able to do whatever he wants, answering to no one and overseeing one of the largest and safest empires in the world. He has absolutely no relationship with the reality in which the rest of humanity lives. This will continue until he croaks or someone even more powerful than he cares enough to extract him from his position.

Photo: AP

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Blatter-thought-2010-World-Cup-would-end-racism-?urn=sow-wp6732

Jamaal Charles Michael Turner Chris Johnson Maurice Jones-Drew Adrian Peterson

Carl Edwards took his No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion one step closer to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship after the ninth installment of the Chase at Phoenix International Raceway.

After appearing as though he would not be able to pass fellow Chase hopeful Tony Stewart during the middle laps of the race, Edwards took advantage of a slight mishap and was able to maintain three points on Stewart.

More importantly for Edwards, Stewart did not take the points lead from him with yet another trip to Victory Lane in the Chase.

It is still very close. The only way that Edwards can guarantee himself a championship would be to win at Homestead. Besides that, there are no solid clinching scenarios.

Aside from winning, here are six additional things he needs to do to put himself and Roush Fenway Racing in the best position to win.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/939687-nascar-sprint-cup-6-things-carl-edwards-needs-to-do-to-win-the-cup

Kevin Love Kevin Martin Kobe Bryant LaMarcus Aldridge LeBron James

The potential driver lineup options for a Formula 1 team are endless. The new driver juggernaut churns out at least half a dozen new candidates every year to rival the already seemingly endless list of hopefuls all aiming to get a coveted seat in the fastest cars in the world.

Unfortunately, the short-term mindset of this sport, along with its brutally competitive and financially orientated agenda, means that only the top handful of wealthy teams can afford to cherry pick their drivers and maintain their status quo. This has ultimately left a number of talented young hopefuls over the years on the outside looking in, or leaving this division of motorsports early in pursuit of drives and success in alternate formats.

The situation this winter is no different, with a number of young drivers anxiously hoping they avoid the ax.

There has been a lot of talk both in the paddock and in the press about the situation in the midfield, specifically at three teams: Force India, Williams and Torro Rosso.

The situation is simple. Force India have three drivers they need to fit into two spots, with the promising German Nico Hulkenberg wanting a race seat for next season. At Williams, there is much talk of a return for Kimi Raikkonen while the futures of both Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado are uncertain—however, the Venezuelan has the financial advantage. At Torro Rosso, both Daniel Ricciardo—currently on loan at Hispania—and Jean-Eric Vergne want the spots of the current duo Jaime Alguesuari and Sebastien Buemi.

That leaves potentially 10 drivers for six spots, and that’s before we include the unconfirmed spot at Renault alongside Vitaly Petrov, the spot at the newly named Marussia—formerly Virgin—alongside Timo Glock and the two spots at Hispania.

That’s now 10 spots, but we know it’s not going to be the case that the 10 drivers mentioned above will all get a seat. Some will have to continue testing, and others may leave for good. Let’s try, however, to fill the gaps, and I’m going to do it in the way I would like to see it happen.

The easiest spot is at Renault, because if Robert Kubica is fit he will replace Bruno Senna. Renault have struggled in the second half of the season—with or without Nick Heidfeld, who I thought was harshly replaced—and so I believe the issue is down to the car, though I don’t think either Petrov or Senna have covered themselves in glory.

Petrov is, however, guaranteed a seat, so if Robert comes back Bruno will make way. If he isn’t fit that opens the door for Bruno or the losers from the re-shuffles at Williams, Torro Rosso and Force India.

I’m going to make it clear, I think both Nico Hulkenberg and Jaime Alguesuari deserve seats next season. I am impressed with both and think they are both talents that F1 should try its best not to lose. Jaime is outperforming Sebastien Buemi this season and is also younger and has spent less time at Torro Rosso. I can’t see them restricting both Ricciardo and Vergne to either a loan to a lower team or testing next season, so as harsh as this sounds, I would let Buemi go and partner Ricciardo with Alguesuari.

Nico impressed me in his first season at Williams, and I thought that replacing him with Pastor Maldonado for financial reasons was a complete shame and summed up the bad side of Formula 1. The problem is that a return to Williams is off the cards, so unless Renault took a punt, he’s stuck at Force India.

I would give him the seat however, probably in place of Sutil, who has a mixed press reaction and has been at the team for a long time in F1 terms without really delivering success. I would partner Di Resta with Hulkenberg and move on to Williams.

Williams has had a disastrous year, and their priority has to be the car. However, I don’t think either of their drivers makes the grade anymore. Rubens, despite his popularity, has always been a number two, and I don’t think he’s at his best anymore, while Pastor is there for the money. If I could remove that from the equation, he would have no reason to be there.

My ideal situation would be to bring in both Kimi Raikkonen and Adrian Sutil and give a much-needed shot in the arm to the ailing team and help them back on the path to their former glories.

So to sum up, then, here’s my ideal F1 2012 season driver lineup for the midfield teams that haven’t filled their slots:

Force India: Nico Hulkenberg and Paul Di Resta.

Williams: Kimi Raikkonen and Adrian Sutil.

Torro Rosso: Jaime Alguesuari and Daniel Ricciardo.

Renault: Vitaly Petrov and Robert Kubica/Sebastien Buemi.

The experience of someone like Rubens at Marussia or Hispania could really help them, while the likes of Vergne and Senna really need time behind the wheel to develop. Another point to consider is that it’s unlikely that Webber at Red Bull, Schumacher at Mercedes or Trulli at Lotus would go on beyond 2012, particularly if they keep being beaten by their younger teammates.

There is plenty of potential in Formula 1, and regardless of the way that it eventually sorts itself out, it would be a great shame if we were to lose young drivers before they’ve even had a chance to reach their peak.

That is, however, the ruthless nature of the sport.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/941922-the-new-era-why-f1-needs-to-look-after-its-young-stars

Justin Forsett Brandon Lloyd Roddy White Reggie Wayne Greg Jennings

Venue Hopping takes you around the sites for the 2012 London Olympics.

The London Aquatics Center isn’t as visually striking as Beijing’s Water Cube, nor will it likely host the same sort of swimming history. Yet it’s one of the most complex designs of all the London venues and certain to be one of the most memorable. The 17,500-seat venue will be the site where Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Tom Daley, Qui Bo, synchronized swimmers and water polo teams will compete next summer in the 2012 Olympics.

It was finished this summer and unveiled to the public.

London Aquatics Centre was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. It features three concrete supports holding up a 3,000 ton roof and more than 850,000 tiles. The double-curved parabolic design is meant to evoke the image of an undulating wave.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Venue-hopping-London-s-wave-like-Olympic-swimmi?urn=oly-wp688

Kevin Martin Kobe Bryant LaMarcus Aldridge LeBron James Luis Scola

Clay Guida and Ben Henderson’s bout at UFC on Fox will not be aired on the debut of the UFC on network television, but it will be exciting. Knowing how both fighters have endless cardiovascular endurance and mops of curly hair, Guida described the bout that will run on Facebook as a likely “whirlwind of hair and cardio.”

Guida won four fights in a row to get to this bout. Most recently, he beat Anthony Pettis in a decision. Henderson, the former WEC champ, dropped a five-round bout to Pettis in December, but since then beat Mark Bocek and Jim Miller. Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar’s next bout will reportedly be the main event of UFC Japan in late February. Should it be against the winner of tomorrow’s bout? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Guida-vs-Henderson-will-be-8216-whirlwind-of-?urn=mma-wp9265

Tom Brady Philip Rivers Aaron Rodgers Michael Vick Ben Roethlisberger

Every time I watch the pole vault, I marvel at how much the thin, 15-foot poles are able to bend in order to withstand the weight of the athlete being propelled high into the air. The process of making the approach, placing the pole in the small plant, propelling into the air, having the pole bend just enough to get an athlete over the bar and falling safely to the pit is one of the more remarkable scenes in sports.

Unfortunately for Dmitry Starodubtsev, it doesn’t always work out that way.

The Russian was attempting a jump of 5.75 meters (a little less than 19 feet) Monday at the IAAF World Championships in South Korea when his pole snapped in half mid-jump.

The Russian injured his hand in the fall and had to withdraw from the competition. Watch that clip a few times and you’ll realize he was lucky his hand was the only thing that got hurt.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Video-Pole-vaulter-8217-s-pole-snaps-during-ju?urn=oly-wp617

David Ortiz Delmon Young Derek Jeter Elvis Andrus Evan Longoria

Cody Zeller delivered in his homecoming to Evansville, Ind. For those that didn’t know, Zeller is from Washington, Ind., which is right up the road from Evansville.

His brother, Tyler, that plays for current No. 1 North Carolina came back home to play the Aces last year in Roberts Stadium. North Carolina won that matchup, 76-49, in which Tyler was the leading scorer and rebounder with 18 points and eight rebounds.

The youngest of the Zellers, Cody, almost outperformed his brother in just his third career collegiate game in which Indiana won, 94-73, in the new Ford Center in Evansville.

Zeller finished the game with 14 points and seven rebounds. He shot 6-of-8 from the field and 2-for-4 from the free throw line.

Zeller wasn’t the only star on the court tonight for the Hoosiers, though.

Five Hoosiers scored in double figures, including four of the five starters.

Senior Verdell Jones III led Indiana with 17 points. Jones III was 5-of-7 from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three point land. Jones III was also 3-for-5 from the line with six rebounds and six assists.

Junior Christian Watford had 15 points with a team high eight rebounds.

Fellow junior Jordan Hulls matched Zeller with 14 points in the game.

The only other Hoosier player in double figures was sixth man Will Sheehey, as he had 10 points off the bench.

The leading scorer of the young season so far, Victor Olidipo, added eight points of his own and was the only starter not in double figures in scoring.

After a dominating first half where the Hoosiers led 51-27, they were outscored by the Aces, 46-43, in the second half.

The Aces were led by junior Colt Ryan and senior Kenneth Harris, who had 17 points each. The only other Aces player to reach double figures was senior Denver Holmes, who had 13 points in the loss.

Evansville shot 42.9 percent from the field, which was the highest percentage against Indiana in the three games so far.

The Hoosiers made 11 three-point shots, which is a season high.

Indiana also led Evansville, 35-26, on the boards.

Indiana opens 3-0 for just second time in the Tom Crean era. The Hoosiers opened 6-0 last year.

Evansville falls to 1-1 after beating in-state rival Butler on Saturday to open the new Ford Center.

The next Hoosiers game is against the Savannah State Tigers (1-2) in Assembly Hall at 8 p.m. on Saturday night. The Tigers started off the season 0-2 before their 73-70 win over Jacksonville tonight.

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Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/944244-total-team-effort-leads-indiana-past-evansville-to-open-season-3-0

Chris Ivory Brandon Jackson Ryan Mathews Michael Vick Ricky Williams

Santos announced on Wednesday that they have resigned Neymar to a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the club until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and ensure the continued regularity of rumors linking the 19-year-old phenom to various European clubs.

“This is a great day for me,” Neymar beamed at a press conference to announce his decision to stay. “I am so happy to remain at Santos and I’m eager to resume talk of joining Real Madrid or Barcelona or Manchester United or any other European club that will continue over the rest of my time with Santos. I was told there would be a new rumor every day. That was a promise.”

The extension comes a week after reports that Neymar will join Real Madrid in a ?53 million transfer set for January. A deal that could still happen, according to “Mr. X” — the shadowy figure who disseminates all transfer rumors and invented scandals that appear in the world’s media.

“This really doesn’t change anything,” said Mr. X through a creepy voicebox. “Tomorrow I have the Spanish press reporting a ?60 million offer from Barcelona for Neymar and next week I told the English papers to say he had a food fight with Mario Balotelli at Rio Ferdinand’s restaurant in Manchester.”

After making a hushed phone call, Mr. X offered a final thought: “Contracts in football mean nothing. Only the idiots haven’t realized that yet.”

Photo: AP

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Future-News-Neymar-commits-to-two-more-years-of?urn=sow-wp6484

BenJarvus Green-Ellis LeGarrette Blount Fred Jackson LaDainian Tomlinson Thomas Jones

Welcome to Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Jay Busbee and head writer Shane Bacon take a day’s topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by writing jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or hit us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon. Today, it’s Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup … which one do you love?

Busbee: The Presidents Cup is about to tee off, and as it always does, it brings about thoughts of its more well-known forebear, the Ryder Cup. Both are exceptionally enjoyable events to watch and (I assume) play in, but which one do you enjoy more? Which one is the better competition, Mr. Bacon?

Bacon: It’s strange, because when you first read that sentence, you instantly think, “Ryder Cup! No question! What are we even talking about!,” but just think, the International squads continue to get better and better. The Ryder Cup will always be the first of the team events you think of, but the Presidents Cup is no slouch. I’d probably say Ryder Cup still, but it isn’t nearly as big of a gap as it used to be. Do you agree?

Busbee: Absolutely agree, and not just because of the pedigree; the range and diversity of players on the International team is far more fascinating than the horde of Euros on the Ryder Cup. Scott, Ishikawa, Choi … all these guys and more give a whole different feel to the Presidents Cup squad. Question is, what will it take to get this to have the prestige of the Ryder? Time? Different location on the calendar?

Bacon: As we’ve seen with just about everything, it’s tough to overtake the first to the party, and that was the Ryder Cup, so time will help, but I like some of the things the Presidents Cup has done to change things up. I love the Battleship-like feel of the captain’s picking match-ups against each other. I like that we have an extra day of golf. But why not more wrinkles? I love the idea that the top point-getter on the winning team should be exempt into the next Presidents Cup and also be allowed to pick the venue. That would give the International teams top earner a chance to have it in his home country, and the top American a chance to have it in his home state. Got any other ideas to give this a slightly different taste than the Ryder Cup?

Busbee: All of those are fine suggestions, good ways of putting more at stake. I particularly love the venue choice one; oh, that’d lead to some lobbying that would make Congress blush. I wonder about the position on the calendar, but we always come back to this: when else could you do it? In March, it’s too cold in the States, but now, this is getting totally subsumed by football. Still, for golf fans, it’s a nice bonus, a great way to check out the best in the game with a lot on the line. I’m all in.

Bacon: At least we get it in primetime this entire week, and it only has to go up against the NFL one day! Take that, fellas!

And your thoughts … has the Presidents Cup come on strong or are you still partial to the Ryder Cup?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Teeing-Off-Is-the-Presidents-Cup-gaining-on-the?urn=golf-wp6920

Terrell Owens Jeremy Maclin Billy Butler Brett Gardner Carl Crawford

Women will get a chance to box in the Olympics for the first time in 2012. If the Amateur International Boxing Association has anything to say about it, they will be wearing skirts.

That’s right, skirts. The AIBA has introduced a trial alternate uniform, asking female boxers to wear skirts because it will make the women easier to distinguish from the men, as if the completely different bodies wasn’t enough. Poland adopted the uniform, calling the uniforms more “elegant” and “womanly.”

Unsurprisingly, many top female boxers are against this plan. Three-time world champion Katie Taylor from Ireland does not want to wear something that she would find uncomfortable while fighting:

“It’s a disgrace that they’re forcing some of the women to wear those mini-skirts. We should be able to wear shorts, just like the men.

“I won’t be wearing a mini-skirt. I don’t even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won’t be wearing mini-skirts in the ring.”

England’s Nicola Adams would rather stick with the uniform that is in line with boxing’s heritage:

“Boxing has always been in shorts. I don’t see why it should change to skirts just because you’re a female.”

There are other Olympians who wear skirts while competing. Ice skaters wear dresses created by top designers, but what their performance looks like matters. Tennis and field hockey players wear skirts and kilts, but both outfits are part of those sport’s heritage.

[Related: Detroit girl excels for high school football team ? as offensive lineman

In other combat sports in the Olympics, women wear the same thing as men. Judo players wear gis, wrestlers wear singlets, and fencers wear kits. Those sports don’t have a problem distinguishing between men and women.

Athletes should be allowed to wear what is right for their sport, regardless of whether it is elegant or not. Playing sports is not always elegant, but that does not make it any less womanly. Getting a knockout, grabbing a rebound, sticking a vault, hitting a home run or breaking a world record are all womanly, whether the athlete is wearing a skirt not.

Thanks to Women Talk Sports

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Boxer Artemio Reyes fights for comatose father
? Two-time MVP Steve Nash introduces slick clothing line
? Is Tom Brady manly enough to change shoemaker’s image?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Boxing-federation-wants-female-boxers-to-wear-sk?urn=oly-wp850

Joe Mauer Johnny Damon Josh Hamilton Juan Pierre Luke Scott

The UFC recently rewarded Forrest Griffin $5,000 for his “creativity” on Twitter, but he went too far on a tweet Tuesday, saying, “Rape is the new missionary.”

When a fan unfollowed him and called him out on what he considered a joke, he responded, “Keep it to yourself.” Later, he deleted the tweet and said, “I’m sorry, I’m gonna go ahead and put myself on Twitter restriction until next week.”

Yep, when “creativity” leads to jokes about sexual assault, that’s a good time to keep your mouth shut.

Let’s just be 100 percent clear on something: Rape isn’t funny. Every time a joke is made about it, victims are reminded of their trauma. If you think it’s funny, you clearly have never been held down and forced to have sex against your will. If you think it’s funny, you’ve never seen the path of destruction it causes in a victim’s life. If you think it’s funny, you have no empathy for the 81K reported rape victims in the U.S. every year.

I don’t think Forrest Griffin is that cold of a person, but he does need to learn that what he said is not OK, and that his words have weight. Taking that UFC Twitter bonus and giving it to a rape victim’s group like R.A.I.N.N. would be one way to properly apologize.

If he doesn’t do it, the UFC should step in and fine him. It’s been reluctant in the past to step in when fighters or any other representatives step over the line, but it just gave Griffin $5,000 for what he tweets. Letting him keep that cash would be condoning more of the same from him in the future.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/After-getting-Twitter-bonus-Forrest-Griffin-twe?urn=mma-wp9193

Josh Smith Kevin Durant Kevin Love Kevin Martin Kobe Bryant

Alabama Coach Anthony Grant has his No. 15-ranked Crimson Tide firing on all cylinders after two games. On November 11, Alabama destroyed North Florida by 20 points before defeating Oakland on Monday by 17.

Alabama is lead by senior JaMychal Green. Green is leading the Tide with 18 PPG. Junior Tony Mitchell is also a key competent for the Tide. His 14.5 PPG and 9.5 RPG are another reason why Alabama is favored to win the SEC West.

Alabama will have a tougher battle in their next game. The Crimson Tide will tackle Maryland on Thursday in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Alabama is favored to meet Purdue in the tourney final.

Grant is in his third year as Alabama’s head coach. He came in at 42-27 overall at Alabama and 118-52 overall in his career. With the help of Green and Mitchell, Alabama will easily make the NCAA Tourney as long as freshmen Trevor Lacey and Levi Randolph provide a spark. 

With the SEC needing more quality teams in the NCAA Tourney, the growth of Alabama is a blessing for the conference.

Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/943494-sec-college-basketball-grant-has-alabama-firing-on-all-cylinders

Brett Gardner Carl Crawford Daric Barton David Ortiz Delmon Young