EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFIERS 2009-2010: MIXED NIGHT FOR SPANISH TEAMS

Worst NBA Trades

This post was written on SportFeen.

I was watching a show about the worst NBA trades of all time. This got me thinking about what I consider the worst trades of the past decade. This is my list of some of the worst NBA trades of the past 10 years.

1. Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe
Terrible terrible trade. Webber was the centerpiece in transforming the Sacramento Kings into a championship contender. Webber and the Kings had some classic battles with the Lakers for the chance to go to the NBA Finals. Webber made four all star teams during his time with the Kings. He was a consistent 20 and 10 guy in Sacramento and one of the best passing big men in NBA history. The Wizards received a washed up Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe who were both well past their prime.

2. Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, ! Marc Gasol, pick. After trading Shaq, the Lakers had fallen on hard times and even failed to make the playoffs. Things were so bad that Kobe was looking to be traded. The Lakers fleeced the Grizzlies to get Gasol which resurrected the Lakers franchise. This was a terrible trade for Memphis. Were the Grizzlies trying to help rebuild the Lakers? Why would anyone give up their best player for a bunch of bums?

3. Richard Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse
The Wizards traded Richard Hamilton, Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons for Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Vardo. I actually thought this was a good trade at the time. Boy was I wrong. Rip went on to help form the core of a championship Detroit Pistons team. Rip led the Pistons in scoring and to six straight Eastern conference finals. As for Stackhouse. He was marketed as the next Jordan. Never happened. Stackhouse never lived up to the hype from his Tar Heel days.

4. Ray Allen for Gary Payton
Ray Allen, Ronald! Murray and Kevin Ollie were traded to the Sonics for Gary Payton, Desmond Mason and a pick. George Karl was trying to regain the success that he had in Seattle by bringing GaryPayton to the Bucks. Payton only played 28 games as a Buck before bolting back to the Western Conference. His days as an elite player were over and he was just a shell of his former self. Ray Allen went from a star playing in a small market to superstardom. He made 4 All Star teams in Seattle and became recognized as one of the best two guards in the NBA.

5. Steve Nash for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells and Pat Garrity
Phoenix traded one of the best up and coming point guards in the NBA for a bunch of never will be's. In the Suns defense they did have Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd running the point during Nash's time in Phoenix. It would be tough for any point guard to beat out those two guys. It took Phoenix 6 years to realize their mistake and get Nash back from the Mavericks.
Other bad deals:Elton Brand for Brian Skinner and draft rights to Tyson Chandler. Chicago's demise started with trading this All Star who quietly averaged 20 and 10.

LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas. Aldridge is on the verge of becoming an All Star and Thomas has never developed into the player that dominated during March Madness.

Baron Davis for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis. One of the most underrated PG's in the league.

Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit. This was highway robbery. Caron Butler is an All Star with his scoring ability, rebounding and defense. Kwame Brown and Laron Profit should have been playing in the CBA.

Brandon Roy for Randy Foye . Roy won the 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year and had made two all star game appearances in two years.

PanAm roster announced

GOALKEEPERS (2): Chantel Jones (Virginia), Alyssa Naeher (Penn State);
DEFENDERS (5): Lauren Barnes (Upland, Calif.), Kaley Fountain (Wake Forest), Nikki Marshall (Colorado), Brittany Taylor (Connecticut), Lauren Wilmoth (UCLA);
MIDFIELDERS (5): Becky Edwards (Florida State), Tobin Heath (North Carolina), Teresa Noyola (Palo Alto, Calif.) Nikki Washington (North Carolina), Kylie Wright (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.).
FORWARDS (6): Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Michelle Enyeart (Portland), Melissa Henderson (Garland, Texas), Jessica McDonald (Phoenix College), Casey Nogueira (North Carolina), Kelley O'Hara (Stanford)

USA 1, Canada 0

Team captain Kristine Lilly scored in the 68th minute as the U.S. Women's National Team gutted out a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Canada to win the championship of the 2006 Peace Queen Cup.

Hornbacher fights second drunken driving charge

Iowa State University's women's soccer coach Rebecca Hornbacher is fighting her second OWI charge.
A judge has ruled that the results of her breath test cannot be used because the officer didn't follow the proper procedures.
Her trial has been pushed back to April 6.

Hanks wins Herman again

Kerri Hanks is just the fourth two-time winner of the crystal soccer ball, joining an illustrious list that includes Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow and Christine Sinclair, and is the only one to win in non-consecutive seasons. She was fifth in the nation in goals with 20 and tied for second in points with 55. She led Notre Dame this season to the College Cup final, where she scored just 16 seconds into the match, but Notre Dame lost to North Carolina 2-1. She finished her career tied for second in assists in NCAA history.

F1 : Juan Pablo Montoya: Mosley' just having fun

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

Former Formula One grand prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya says he was "so shocked" by the Max Mosley sex scandal, but stops short of joining the widespread condemnation of the FIA president.

"I was so shocked by it, when they sent (the video) to me, I was like 'no way.' Now, I'm just like 'Hey, he's just an old guy trying to have some fu! n,'" the Colombian told the Associated Press.

The former race winner for McLaren and Williams, who switched to the NASCAR series a couple of years ago, is one of very few contemporary drivers who have commented openly on the affair.

Montoya, 32, gives a less solemn appraisal than some figures in recent days.

"I loved that. I did," he said, laughing, when asked about Mosley's reported romp with five prostitutes.

"It is a laughing matter! You know, when I first heard about it, it was shocking. But then he decided to play it like nothing has happened and it's just so hilarious."

Montoya did not want to say if he thought Mosley, 67, should resign.

"I do have an opinion on it, but I am not going to say it, and I am glad I am not there," he added.

AB smashes the Indians

AB de Villiers blasted his way to 190 on day two of the second test against India.
The swash buckling talent needed 310 balls and hit 16 fours and a six.

Mark Boucher was the last wicket to fall. He was trapped LBW by Anil Kumble on 21. Jacques Kallis got another test century, scoring 132 before being bowled by Sree Sreesanth.

The Proteas reached 458 for 7 in the third session. South Africa have a 382 run lead after India's measely first innings total of 76 all out.

Bosman out of incoming tour

Springbok centre Meyer Bosman has suffered a grade two hamstring tear, forcing him to return home from the Springbok training camp in Somerset West. The injury occurred during Saturday's training session at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
Bosman went for a scan on Monday where the initial diagnosis by the Bok medical team was confirmed. He will therefore be unavailable for selection for the Vodacom Incoming Tour internationals against Wales and Italy.

Fortune smiles on Massa

Felipe Massa took the lead of the drivers' championship after a rather fortunate victory at Magny-Cours . The Brazilian trailed team mate Kimi Raikkonen for the first 38 of the 70 laps, but moved ahead when the Finn's F2008 developed an exhaust problem. Kimi held on to 2nd, nobody else ever got close enough to the red cars for this to be a problem. Jarno Trulli had his hands full fending off a strong late-race challenge from McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, but the Italian held on to score a great podium for Toyota. Pit-lane talk centered around Lewis Hamilton, who left the circuit pointless, but having vented some anger with the media. ! "I found out that there was a lot of negativity in the media, and that's to be expected," Hamilton told Britain's ITV television before the race. "That's what they do: they build you up and then they break you down, but they can't break me. I'm here to race, and I don't want all this stuff." Some believe he's starting feel the heat inside the F-1 kitchen, but there's no doubt that he has the talent to bounce back, he just needs to avoid being sidetracked by emotion and anger.

SA sliding

South Africa lost another wicket just before tea. AB de Villiers got out lbw to Monty Panesar. The ball hit De Villiers on the top flap. Umpire Steve Davis had no hesitation in making a decesion.

SA at tea are 158/7 in 49.3 overs

Gold for Bouwer

Charl Bouwer has added another gold medal to South Africa's medal tally at the Paralympics in Beijing.

The 18-year-old won the 400m Freestyle event earlier today and was visibly emotional during the medal ceremony. Bouwer also came first in the heats for this event. He will be back in the pool for the first heat in the 100m Men's freestyle on Wednesday.

SA Netball team begin test series

Cape Town can look forward to some great netball action tonight. The South African woman's netball team will take on Barbados at the Goodhope Centre in the first of three tests.




The Proteas are eager to get the ball rolling in their first match of the series against Barbados. Newly appointed captain Liezel Wium has just returned from two years of professional netball in New Zealand.

Coach Carin Strauss will lead the team for the first time. Our girls are warming up for the Tri-Nations! against Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica next month.

They are also preparing for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, where only the top 11 teams on the world rankings qualify. South Africa's currently ninth, but eighth place will mean automatic qualification.

The game begins at 19h00 at the Goodhope Centre tonight. Tickets are available at the WP Office. Adults, R20 and Students, R10.

Breakfast Headlines

Henrik Stenson finished on 21 under par to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. It's the third lowest total at the tournament and remarkably comes after the Gary Player Country Club course was extended. Gary Player himself has called it a record score.

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Swallows upset Sundowns 1-0 and in yesterday's only other match Bay United held Celtic to a 1-1 draw in a bottom of the log clash. Ajax Cape Town are top of the ABSA Premiership this morning after a 1-0 win over Pirates. Santos are are only one point behind the fourth placed Chiefs after a 2-1 win over the Amakhozi.
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Aston Villa scored on the stroke of full-time to beat Everton 3-2, after the Toffees equalised in injury-time. Here's Everton manager David Moyes...
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Wins for the big four means Liverpool still have a one point lead over Chelsea, while Man United are six points off the pace and Arsenal are a further two points back.
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The Sevens S! pringboks are on top of the world after winning their first ever George Sevens tournament. If you haven't heard Paul Treu's side won the elusive trophy with a 12-7 win over the All Blacks in the final.
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The Proteas are en route to Australia on a mission to hand the aussies a test series defeat down under.
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Meanwhile, England yesterday agreed to return to India with a full-strength squad for a two-test series.
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The Nashua Cape Cobras are fresh off a 24 run win over the Chevriolet Warriors ahead of their first match at Sahara Park Newlands this season. They face the Nashua Dolphins at home this coming Sunday.
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Oscar De La Hoya has admitted he may have to retire from competitive Boxing. The Golden Boy was soundly beaten over the weekend by Manny "The Pacman" Pacquaio.

Stormers change 4

Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has made four changes to his starting fifteen who'll play the Bulls in a north/south Super 14 derby at Loftus on Saturday.

Nick Koster gets his second start on the wing in place of Sireli Naquelevuki while Willem de Waal will look to dictate terms from flyhalf in place of Peter Grant.

In the pack, AJ Venter gets his first start for the Stormers this season ahead of work-horse Adriaan Fondse which Wicus Blaauw replaces the injured JD Moller at loosehead. Schalk Burger has been named in the starting fifteen but will be given until Friday! to prove that he's recovered from his calf injury.

If not, Francois Louw will come off the bench to replace Burger and UCT's exciting fullback, Tiger Bax, will called onto the bench.

Vodacom Stormers to play the Vodacom Bulls

15. Percy Montgomery; 14. Tonderai Chavhanga; 13. Gcobani Bobo; 12. Jean de Villiers; 11. Nick Koster; 10. Willem de Waal; 9. Ricky Januarie; 8. Luke Watson; 7. Duane Vermeulen; 6. Schalk Burger; 5. Andries Bekker; 4. AJ Venter; 3. Brian Mujati; 2. Schalk Brits; 1. Wicus Blaauw

Replacements:

16. Deon Fourie; 17. Schalk Ferreira; 18. Adriaan Fondse; 19. Francois Louw; 20. Dewaldt Duvenhage; 21. Peter Grant; 22. Sireli Naquelevuki

Formula One Testing: Monza Summary

In Formula One, teams conduct tests throughout the season. These tests are done to try out new parts and work on their reliability, experiment with the car's set up, confirm aerodynamic modifications that have been done on the computer and in the windtunnel and sometimes evaluate prospective drivers. This week, F1 teams were in Monza, Italy for 3 days to conduct work for the final push in the 2008 season.

There was something worth noting before testing began. Renault planned to conduct tire experiments. Ever since Nelson Piquet showed good pace and finished 2nd in Germany after a period behind the safety car, the team has believed that a slow few laps when tires first run has improved their consistency over longer distances. Fernando Alonso thought testing this was necessary to isolate and see if running a few slow laps improves the performance of the Bridgestone tire with the Renault R28 chassis.

Honda Team Principal Ross Brawn believes, "it's just put! ting them through a gentle duty cycle to make the tire more resilient for the race. So I guess that's why they are doing it. We can see the benefit of it, but it's balancing everything else you want to achieve. Possibly it depends on your car or the tires that are available." This "scrubbing in" of the tires, is actually something teams have done for a long time in NASCAR.

On the first day of actual Monza testing, Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa set the fastest time on the historic high speed circuit in which he worked on developing the aerodynamic package for the Italian Grand Prix, concentrating on the car's set-up. BMW-Sauber driver, Nick Heidfeld, in his BMW F1.08, tested mechanical set-ups as well as suspension, aerodynamic work and gearbox ratios. Renault worked on the aero package as well as tire evaluation.

On day 2 of testing, BMW-Sauber driver, Nick Heidfeld set the fastest time of the 3 day test as he worked on the car's set-up. Renault worked ! on brakes and car set-up and balance. McLaren, with Hekki Kova! lainen a t the wheel continued worked on Monza-spec aerodynamic package and tire evaluations. In addition to doing aerodynamic work, Red Bull's Mark Webber worked on car set-up and suspension comparsion tests.

On the final day of testing, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of day followed by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. Renault's Fernando Alonso worked on car set-up and some suspension work with the goal of improving the car's behavior through the chicanes. BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica worked on aerodynamic and mechanical set-up for the F1.08. Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella completed a positive test with a surprising 3rd quickest time after a massive 114 laps.

Teams now make their preparations for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Benitez - We Can Still Challenge

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes his side can still challenge for the title despite going down 2-0 at Chelsea to suffer their third defeat of the season.

Nicolas Anelka opened the scoring on the hour mark before Florent Malouda made the game safe with Didier Drogba creating both goals for the hosts.

The Reds rarely troubled stand-in goalkeeper Hilario and have now lost more times in their opening eight matches than they did all the way through last season.

It is more than 40 years since any team have gone on to win the top-flight crown after losing three of ! their first eight games, but Benitez is unconcerned by the statistics.

"I feel the performance wasn't bad against a good team," said Benitez. "We worked hard, had some good play.

"Defensively we were good enough. They didn't have too many chances, so we were defending better. We didn't have too many chances, which means they're also a good team.

"But if you make a mistake against a good team, they score. The game was a bit more open after they scored and we had some chances but you have to take those if you want to come back into the game.

"Our target has to be the next game. It's important to keep calm, keep working, improving. We came up against a good team doing well today, so we have to focus on the next game.

"This year, the top sides will lose points against the other teams, so the main thing is to try and improve and do better each week. We will try to do better against Sunderland.

"We drew a lot of ga! mes last season. We lost just two but people were telling me a! bout the draws. Now we're winning more and losing a few but maybe we'll have more points."

Midfielder Javier Mascherano lost possession for Chelsea's opener but Benitez refused to single out any of his team.

"I cannot blame any one of the players," he added. "We have to be pleased with the team effort.

"We made some mistakes but I was happy with the team effort. That was something we wanted to do. We were right 90 per cent of the time.

"But it's a long race. Chelsea are very strong but we'll try to stay as close as possible and see what happens in April and May.

"You will see the top sides losing more points against any team. That's good for the Premier League, for the competition, but it means we have to keep going. We can't think about three defeats.

"It's one game at a time, try to win the next game and improve. That's it."

Benitez: Reds Have Depth

Rafael Benitez insists Liverpool possess the quality which means they can cope without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

But privately the Reds boss is fuming that his star men have returned from international duty with injuries.

The Spanish manager has had to revise his plans for the match at Sunderland on Saturday, with the unavailability of Gerrard and Torres coming at a bad time as Liverpool try to re-ignite their season.

Defeat at Chelsea in their last outing was a third of the season in the Barclays Premier League for Liverpool, and Sunde! rland will be determined to cause more misery for their visitors at the Stadium of Light.

Benitez will not go public with any criticism, but there is little doubt he feels the pressures of international football, with the World Cup finals only eight months away, are telling.

Benitez said: "I cannot change the situation, so I just prefer to concentrate on the players I do have and to prepare for the matches.

"What we do not have is control in such a situation. It does not matter whether teams have qualified or not, they will still insists that their players are released.

"The World Cup is coming, so we must wait and hope they all return. There is still one more international date next month so the same thing will happen again."

Liverpool have discovered with their own scan that Gerrard's groin injury is worse than England realised. Torres has a similar problem.

Benitez hopes the pair will have recovered to fac! e Lyon at home in the Champions League on Tuesday, but clearly! that is also in doubt.

The Reds manager said: "Both are not ready yet, but hopefully (they will be available) for the next game against Lyon. The physios are working very hard on them.

"We have quality in the squad and we will have to manage with different players and a different style.

"It is always difficult to keep all of your players fit in international breaks, but there is nothing we can do about the situation, we have to cope with the outcomes.

"I would prefer to see internationals played on a Tuesday to give players the chance to get back for the next Saturday, or if it is a double-header the games should be on Wednesday first with the second game on the Saturday. That gives everyone more chance."

Dirk Kuyt, recovered from an ankle injury he sustained on international duty with Holland in Australia, will probably lead the attack in Torres' absence, with compatriot Ryan Babel and Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin also in li! ne for roles in the side.

Benitez believes Liverpool can handle the problem, saying: "We can win without them [Gerrard and Torres].

"We have good players in the squad who can come in, but we must show spirit and character now to overcome the problem.

"There are players who have been training well and waiting for their opportunity. Well now it has come and they can take their chance."

Less than 24 hours before the Sunderland match, Benitez was still waiting for South American trio Javier Mascherano, Lucas and Emiliano Insua to return from their internationals.

But with Argentina now confirmed as qualifiers for the finals, Benitez hopes that Mascherano's club performances will improve.

He said: "I feel that it will be good for Javier Mascherano now to know the Argentina have qualified. It is always difficult when you struggle and the whole country is watching, but now he can concentrate on Liverpool.

"Javier was under pressure as captain, and with Diego Maradon! a saying Argentina were Javier and 10 others.

"For the players who have now qualified, it is a weight off their minds."

Benitez also believes under-fire defender Jamie Carragher will also prove his critics wrong after a worrying start to the season.

Benitez said: "Jamie Carragher is fit; it is not a question of his physical condition, people talk about his age or his 'legs' but it is not a question of that.

"It is a question of confidence. When you make a mistake and the team is not doing well in defence then the centre-backs and the 'keeper suffer more than the others.

"I am sure that now with more competition in this position, with Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel too, it will be better for the team.

"He has character and thrives on pressure, so the only way to change things is to be on the pitch and prove that you are the right man for the job."

Anfield Atmosphere During Manchester United Clash Inspired Alberto Aquilani

The "incredible" home support witnessed during Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Manchester United has increased Italian international Alberto Aquilani's desire to make his long-awaited debut for his new club.

Aquilani was purchased by Rafael Benitez in August for an estimated £17 million, as a direct replacement for Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso, but the former Roma star has been unable to represent the Reds in competitive action as his season has been beset with ankle trouble.

However, the 25-year-old is edging closer to cementing his Liverpool bow - he enjoyed a cameo role in the reserves on October 21 during a routine 2-0 win over Sunderland - and is now itching to play in front of the Kop.

He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It was incredible to be at the stadium on Sunday.

"It was one of the best games I have seen so far. I don't normally like to watch a match inside a stadium when I a! m not playing, but I really enjoyed Sunday.

"When I was in Rome, although the stadium was bigger, it did not have the same atmosphere as here. Because the fans are closer to the pitch at Anfield, you can feel the atmosphere better."

He added: "It was very important to win against United and hopefully it can give us more confidence."

Regarding his run-out at Prenton Park against the Black Cats' second string, he said: "It was good to play for the reserves because I haven't played for a long time, but to play for the first-team is something different again and I am looking forward to that.

"I really want to play, but I need to be patient - I know the time will come for me.

"I will be very happy when I make my debut. This is my job, it's what I am here to do, and I am looking forward to it."

Dovizioso outlines the task ahead

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

The Italian rider offers his assessment of his campaign on the factory Honda RC212V, and looks forward to next year.

Andrea Dovizioso’s second season in MotoGP brought both highs and lows, with a first premier class win at Donington accompanied by the disappointment of being beaten to fifth spot in the Championship in the final race at Valencia.

An impressive rookie season in 2008 with the satellite Scot Honda team saw the 23 year-old brought in by Repsol Honda for the 2009 campaign, which ended with Dovizioso missing out on fifth spot in the overall standings to Colin Edwards by a single point.

Dovizioso is determined to use his experience this year to good effect for the 2010 season, which he has already taken the first steps towards with the post-season test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

“This year’s results have not been what everybody expected, starting with me,” admitted Dovizioso. “I didn’t feel comfortable enough with the bike to battle with the front pack, and the problem is that we can’t make any significant changes to the bike during the season, so Honda focused on preparing next year's bike. Unfortunately, I couldn’t up my speed during the year and sixth place in the championship is nowhere near my dream. It has been an important year for me, to learn with the future in mind, and I know that Honda is going to work hard. I’m sure that next year, although we have to make up lost ground, all of us will increase our performance.”

Dovizioso also cast a general eye over the season as a whole, and commented on the switch to riding a factory machine.

“The best moment was obviously the win at Donington Park, and the worst I would say in Portugal; we had a lot of problems that weekend,” he stated, going on to add, “There is a huge difference in all aspects. With a satellite team, you focus on using the full power of the bike, but in a factory team, you also have to think about how to improve it and that’s not easy.”

The former 125cc World Champion used the Valencia test to try out the 2010 prototype of his RC212V with promising results, and he aims to make further improvements at the next scheduled MotoGP test at Sepang in February.

“Although everything is not fixed, there has been a change,” he said. “We’ll have to continue working on it for Malaysia, and also on the engine, to have better control of the bike. I feel optimistic, and of course I think that it'll be better than, for example, our last race in Valencia. We have a lot of work ahead of us and lots of changes to make before the season starts, so we'll have to wait. But I'm sure that the direction we have taken over the three days (in Valencia) is the right one.”

Rossi thrilled with charity motocross event

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Italian rider delighted with the success of his motocross event, organised for the benefit of young leukaemia sufferers. Watch the free video on motogp.com now.

FREE VIDEO: Motocross dei Campioni Highlights

Valentino Rossi was extremely pleased with the outcome of the motocross event he organised in Cavallara on Sunday, as more than 10,000 attendees helped make the day a great success.

The event, titled ‘motocross dei Campioni, 30 anni dopo’, was won by Andrea Dovizioso, with other Italian riders such as Marco Melandri, Loris Capirossi, Marco Simoncelli and Mattia Pasini, as well as 125cc World Champion Julián Simón and former 500cc title holder Kevin Schwantz also participating.

Arranged by the 2009 MotoGP World Champion to raise funds for a children’s hospital based in Pesaro which helps leukaemia sufferers, Rossi was overjoyed with the turnout in numbers.

“This was important because it was a charity event for children. We are thrilled by the response, and it is exciting to see all these people here in Cavallara. It’s also nice to compete with the other riders!” explained Rossi. “I thank all the riders who wanted to come. I think it was a good show and we’ve been fortunate this year because it didn’t rain, so we’ve all thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Revealing his plans for the rest of the month, Rossi added, “I will still race. Later this month I’ll participate in the Monza Rally, in a Ford, and the week after I’ll be at the Bologna Motorshow, also with a Ford. After that, I’ll have a holiday, and I’ll go skiing!”

Rossi gives a rundown of his ninth title

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

The nine-times World Champion talks past, present and future in an exclusive interview, and gives an overview of an historical 2009 season.

Magnificent ninth title described by Rossi

Valentino Rossi’s confirmation as 2009 World Champion at Sepang this year added yet another chapter to the Italian rider’s impressive list of accomplishments. A seventh title in the premier class – with one each in the 125cc and 250cc categories – served as further evidence, if ever it was needed, of his status as one of motorcycle Grand Prix racing’s all-time greats.

The 30 year-old’s crown came despite stiff competition from his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who served notice of his intention to push Rossi all the way for the title early on in the campaign.

“All the battles against Jorge, especially the closer battles like Barcelona, Assen and Sachsenring, were so important in terms of the final result,” Rossi started. “If there is one particular key moment, it is Catalunya. It was the highlight of the season I think. Over the next ten years, if I think back to 2009 I will probably remember the last lap and the last corner at Catalunya for sure.”

Rossi continued, “I knew that Jorge on the Yamaha-Bridgestone package would be very fast. Sometimes he surprised me because he can ride very fast, but I expected him to be a main opponent for the championship. It’s strange because you have the same bike as your rival, so you know his machine, but you don’t know what advantage each of you has.”

Winning is something Rossi has become accustomed to, but he still enjoys the challenge provided by rivals such as Lorenzo.

“The taste of victory is something special, better than anything else. But the battle, the thrill of the last lap, the excitement of overtaking comes very close,” he said. “To be World Champion for a ninth time is unbelievable. When you start you always think step by step. When I arrived in 125cc the first dream was to win the first race; the second dream was to win the championship, and after go to 250cc. You take it one step at a time, but I could never imagine winning nine World Championships.”

Concluding, Rossi touched on the subject of his future, adding, “In the middle of last year I decided to sign with Yamaha for another two years. This means that I feel ready for two more years. The goal is always the same: try to go faster than this year and try to defend the championship.”

“The relationship between me and Yamaha is something very special so to change bike and go to another team, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Antonio Banderas Moto2 team takes shape

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Team Manager Dani Devahive outlines Promoracing plans, with an official presentation incorporating the Spanish actor due in early 2010.

Another step in the preparation for the inaugural Moto2 season in 2010 was taken this week as confirmation came that Promoracing plan to race in the new category, with backing from Spanish actor Antonio Banderas.

Team manager Dani Devahive explained to motogp.com that his Promoracing outfit – currently preparing for the final round of the CEV Buckler 2009 (Spanish National Championship) in Valencia this weekend – will race as ‘Team Jack & Jones by Antonio Banderas’ in the Moto2 category next year, with title sponsorship due to be signed this week.

A rider line-up of Joan Olivé, who finished this year’s 125cc World Championship in ninth place, and Kenny Noyes will take to the track for the team, after both had their first experiences on the Promoracing Moto2 machine during last week’s Valencia test.

“We're very happy as after 10 years of hard work in the Spanish Championship and other various international projects, we have finally reached our goal: to move up to the World Championship with our own team, two riders and a strong technical structure. The new Moto2 class is the best possible opportunity for us to showcase our potential,” Devahive told motogp.com.

“Antonio is a big fan of motorcycling and he first became involved in the project when we were looking for a sponsor. He had a look at our history and what we have achieved in the Spanish Championship and decided to commit himself to our project, becoming the team owner. Within the team he'll be a great source of inspiration and motivation for the riders and everybody, but he will also raise the media exposure of the team, which will be important for us to secure more resources and ultimately get more and more competitive.”

The unveiling of the team is due to take place in Madrid in late January or early February of 2010, and Devahive explained the long-term aim for a premier class package.

“With a very busy schedule, it won't be easy for Antonio but he'll try and come to as many races as possible. He's used to waking up at 4am to watch the races as he lives in Los Angeles!” Devahive said.

“He's very keen on this project and just like me, the ultimate goal is to race in the MotoGP class. Looking at how things are going and at the possible rule changes, it seems that within a couple of years a privateer team will be able to move up to MotoGP, with the adequate sponsorship and media profile. That's our target and that's why Antonio wanted to come into the Championship with a new team, starting from scratch and building a new outfit.”

Lorenzo to rest up after minor surgery

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

The 2009 MotoGP World Championship runner-up is to spend ten days recuperating after a small operation to remove a plate in his collarbone.

Jorge Lorenzo’s off-season activities will take a short break after the Spaniard had an operation on Monday to remove a titanium plate in his left collarbone.

Lorenzo required the plate to be fitted in the wake of the 2005 250cc Catalunya Grand Prix, during which a collision with Alex de Angelis resulted in a double fracture of his collarbone. He then injured his shoulder in an off-season test in Valencia.

The 22 year-old will have ten days of respite from his preparations for the new season as he recovers from the procedure, after which he will resume his training programme.

Canepa teams up with Scot Racing for Moto2 project

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Italian rider signs a deal with Scot Racing Team to compete in the new Moto2 category in its first ever season next year.

Scot Racing Team has announced that Niccolò Canepa will ride in the Moto2 class in 2010 for the Republic of San Marino squad, after an agreement was signed with the Italian.

The 21 year-old will ride the prototype designed by the Scot Racing Team, who make the transition to the new class having triumphed with Hiroshi Aoyama in the final 250cc season this year.

“I'm absolutely delighted with the agreement we have signed,” said Canepa, who has just completed his rookie season in MotoGP on a satellite Ducati. “I'm also really happy at the opportunity of playing a creative role in a working group that has displayed great potential and results – this season and in the past. A new class and a new bike: it will be a tough job, but with a rewarding outcome. The target is to do well.”

Team owner Cirano Mularoni added, “We are delighted to have Niccolò with us. We asked him to join Scot Racing Team because he’s fast, competitive and, although still very young, already a very experienced rider. He competed in MotoGP this year, and in the same class he was a test rider the previous season. In our opinion, he’s the right man for a brand new class and a team like ours. We have designed our own bike and we are going to develop it day by day, race by race. We are convinced we can do a great job together.”

Pedrosa perspective on season

Thursday, 19 November 2009

After finishing the season on a high with his win at Valencia, Dani Pedrosa assesses 2009 as a whole.

Dani Pedrosa’s MotoGP campaign was far from an easy one for the Repsol Honda rider, with his pre-season preparations hampered by injury.

Despite a disappointing start in Qatar where he finished eleventh as his injury problems carried into the new season, Pedrosa went on to secure 11 podiums this year. Included in that total were two wins, with the most recent a rousing finale to his season at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

“The win in Valencia was a great moment, and what I most enjoyed was the lap of honour, celebrating the win with all the fans there. I have great memories of the race and that lap of honour,” explained the Spaniard. “The Laguna Seca win was also incredible, on that circuit and after everything that had happened since pre-season testing. What's more, we arrived at the United States Grand Prix at the lowest point of the season, and all of a sudden, it was like rising to the highest. That was an amazing day. The worst moment was possibly in winter, during pre-season testing. I had a really tough time; I couldn't recover properly from the injury to my left knee and had to have another operation, it was a really long period. What's more, the fall in Qatar made the situation even worse.”

Following his win in Valencia, Pedrosa tested the new prototype of his factory RC212V machine. The 24 year-old used the three days to identify what needs to be developed further ahead of the next scheduled test in Malaysia in February.

“We need to improve the stability of the bike when braking and entering turns because that's where our Achilles heel is,” Pedrosa said. “The engine we have is good, it's powerful and it has good power delivery, so we don't need any more improvements in that department at the moment. But we need to take a step forward with the chassis; advance and improve.”

“In the next test, in Malaysia, we will quickly pinpoint whether we have a competitive base or not and if we have improved the stability of the bike with the new chassis. In Sepang, there are very fast bends, where you immediately see if the chassis is working or not.”

Dainese confirm Lorenzo Airbag a success in Valencia

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Italian manufacturer explains in a statement that the D-Air Airbag used by the Spanish rider demonstrated its reliability in a competitive situation.

The activation of the D-Air Airbag - worn by Jorge Lorenzo - on the fourth lap of the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana, due to his sudden near high-side, provided manufacturers Dainese with valuable technical feedback.

The Italian company has revealed that the system worked correctly and did not affect Lorenzo’s perception when driving, after reviewing the data provided by the telemetry on board. Dainese concluded that, “Analysis of the lap times for that section of the track indicated a delay of at least six to seven tenths of a second, mainly due to the loss of equilibrium and opening of the Airbag, which then deflated on course, resetting itself within approximately 20 seconds.”

For technicians of the company, this supports the safety of the system and indicates that the inflation of the D-Air has no detrimental effect on the capacity of the rider to control the bike and continue in the race, provided of course that the cause of the sharp change in direction does not result in a fall.

Lorenzo’s sharp and quick moment on lap four activated the Airbag, and by sensing the danger the D-Air inflated before any possible impact. Although Lorenzo noted that he lost valuable seconds in his pursuit of Valentino Rossi in the race, he has already made clear that he wishes to continue using the Dainese D-Air.

You can view the moment on lap four which caused Lorenzo’s D-Air to activate in the video above.

Grand finale in Valencia with two titles to be decided

Thursday, 19 November 2009

The Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana will be the venue where the 125GP and Extreme titles are decided this weekend.

Alberto Moncayo and Carmelo Morales are the leading candidates respectively in the 125GP and Extreme categories, although both were also in such a position in Jerez last week before circumstances in each race postponed a decision until this Sunday.

Moncayo’s fall in Jerez reduced his lead over Maverick Viñales to 11 points, so the stakes are high. There are 69 registered participants for this race, with World Championship riders Jonas Folger, Johann Zarco, Lorenzo Savadori and Luca Vitali amongst them.

Carmelo Morales’ incident with his team-mate Javier del Amor postponed the Castellar del Vallés rider’s celebration for the Extreme title. Morales must now score two points in Valencia if Iván Silva wins the race to secure his second consecutive title, in a season in which he has already been crowned European Champion.

Moto2 has an unprecedented number of bikes registered, with the possibility of an independent race on Sunday to be decided upon by Race Direction on Friday, or the continuation of integration into the Extreme race. The main attraction is the world premiere of the MZ built by Ralf Waldmann and Martin Wimmer, which will be ridden by former MotoGP rider, Australian Anthony West.

In the Supersport category, Kev Coghlan has already taken the Spanish Champion title ahead of main rivals Adrián Bonastre, Jordi Torres, Yonni Hernández and Iván Moreno.

The race programme also includes the final round of the Kawasaki Ninja Cup, in which local rider Kyle Smith has everything in his favour. He has a 15-point lead over Ángel Molero and 16 over Jaume Ferrer, winner of the last round at the Circuit de Catalunya.

You can view the list of registered riders and all information relating to the Championship at the following websites: www.cevbuckler.com and www.rfme.net.

Pesek to ride with Matteoni team in Moto2

Friday, 20 November 2009

Announcement from Italian team confirms they have reached an agreement with the Czech rider to be a part of their new project in the Moto2 category.

Lukas Pesek and Matteoni Racing have joined forces to compete in the inaugural season of the Moto2 category in 2010, the Italian team has announced.

Matteoni will be using the Moriwaki chassis and the team’s technical staff has scheduled a three-day trip to visit the Japanese company’s headquarters in Suzuka, in order to further familiarise themselves with the new bike. Preparations for the team and rider will then continue with testing.

Pesek finished 15th in this year’s 250cc World Championship on the Aprilia of the Auto Kelly – CP team, with a best race finish of seventh position which the 24 year-old achieved on three occasions.

Negotiations have also advanced between the Matteoni team and Alexis Masbou, with the Frenchman set to ride an Aprilia RSW in the 125cc class.

Bautista continues his Suzuki education

Friday, 20 November 2009

Spanish MotoGP rookie completes a further three-day test aboard the GSV-R in Portugal, alongside official Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki.

Álvaro Bautista’s graduation from 250cc to the premier class continued this week, with the Spanish rider undertaking his second test on the factory Suzuki prototype.

Having experienced his first action on the 800cc machine during the Valencia test earlier in the month, Bautista travelled to Portugal with Aoki to get some valuable track time at the Estoril circuit as the Rizla Suzuki team collected more feedback ahead of the start of the 2010 season.

Bautista completed more than 200 laps over the three days and experienced a range of weather conditions, which included rain, overcast skies and sun, all accompanied by cool temperatures. The Spaniard tested some new specification engine components on the GSV-R, as well as aerodynamic parts and Akrapovic exhaust systems.

Aoki continued with the test programme started by Loris Capirossi in Valencia, further assessing new parts ahead of the winter break.

“Suzuki is very pleased to have been able to complete this test for two reasons - firstly to give Álvaro essential additional seat-time on the GSV-R and secondly to give Nobu the chance to do some important testing on a GP track outside of Japan,” explained Suzuki team manager Paul Denning. “Nobody in Suzuki or in the team is under any illusions regarding the amount of additional performance needed out of the GSV-R for 2010 and whilst the test items have not been night-and-day differences, they will certainly help the overall package be a lot stronger when we get the new bike at Sepang in February.”

Bautista, who by the end of the test was lapping consistently around the 1’38.5 mark, pleased Denning with his display.

“Álvaro has been very impressive over the three days and has completed 212 laps with absolutely no errors,” said Denning. “His pace at the end of the test is very respectable, especially considering that there were only two bikes out there on track. With cooler conditions and no rubber being laid down the conditions were not as good as they were at the race weekend last month. He has gelled really well with the whole team and is taking a very calm approach.”

The team are now looking to the next scheduled test in Malaysia in February, as Denning added, “It is now a long time until Loris and Álvaro get to test again. We really wish Loris could have been here in Estoril, but we are grateful to have had this opportunity to point us in the right direction as Suzuki strives to become competitive in 2010.”

Simón and Di Meglio take first Moto2 steps

Friday, 20 November 2009

Mapfre Aspar’s 2010 line-up rode at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit this week as they had their first experiences aboard a Moto2 machine.

In order to gain their first tastes of a Moto2 prototype Julián Simón and Mike Di Meglio completed some laps on Thursday in Valencia.

The two riders, who will represent the Aspar team in the new category in 2010, did not have their Aprilia machines which they will race next season. The debut of the prototype will be made in Valencia on December 9 and 10, and on Thursday the duo used a bike on loan for the day from the BQR Honda team.

Riding for just under three hours, 125cc World Champion Simón and his new team-mate Di Meglio used the experience to start their familiarisation with the 4-stroke machines, with the Spaniard completing 35 laps with a best time of 1’38.8. Di Meglio was a tenth of a second slower, completing just over 40 turns.

Avril Lavigne in Sexy Photo

Avril Lavigne, in one poses decorating posters patched room the adolescents in American. She becomes idol because beautiful, bright and dulcet voice.

Sexy Girl - Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan look very sexy and beautiful when wearing bikinis

Duhamel sixth in Superbike

By John Hopkins

Miguel Duhamel will be the best placed Canadian on the grid for Saturday's Superbike race at Daytona International Speedway.

The factory Honda rider was sixth fastest in qualifying today aboard his Honda CBR1000RR with a time of one minute, 40.891 seconds.

Australian Mat Mladin set tongues wagging at the Speedway with a 1:38.232 around the 2.95-mile track on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to claim pole. His teammate Ben Spies was a distant second with a time of 1:38.963 and the third Yoshimura GSX-R1000 of Aaron Yates was fourth fastest on a 1:39.894.

The Suzuki monopoly was broken up by Englishman Neil Hodgson on his Ducati 999. Hodgson was third fastest with a time of 1:39.884.

Diablo Suzuki teammates Steve Crevier and Francis Martin qualified 25th and 31st, respectively on their GSX-R1000s. Crevier set a time of 1:44.510 while Martin managed a 1:46.188.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Michael rides Husky

From Husqvarna Motorcycles

Husqvarna Motorcycles has chosen a relatively unknown magazine test rider, Jason Michael to lead its return to Canadian MX racing circles. Eighteen-year-old Michael has been contracted to race the CMA National Arenacross Series and the CMRC Lites class at Gopher Dunes, Sand De Lee, and Walton aboard Husqvarna's impressive new TC250.

Michael, a Pro test rider for IMX and Inside Motorcycles magazines, took the machine to an arenacross facility in Ohio for a test session and was very impressed. "The bike is a perfect fit," he said. "I couldn't believe how comfortable and responsive it felt."

Husqvarna was impressed with Michael's patient approach to racing and bursts of speed last season that resulted in his qualifying for a national after just a few weeks in the Pro ranks. Jason was equally impressed with the bike. "We started negotiations almost immediately after I got home ! from testing," he said. "I hope I can live up to the qualities and potential this bike is showing and help Husky re-establish themselves in Canada."

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

NKU Signee Ethan Faulker

I have been wanting to post this for some time but with all of the Kentucky news it has been placed on the back burner. At the Sweet Sixteen tournament I was able to watch the PG for the Elliot County Lions, Ethan Faulkner, who some time ago signed with Coach Dave Bezold at Northern Kentucky University. Faulker was part of a four senior tandem, which included is twin brother Evan, that let their Elliott County team to the Semi-finals of the State tournament and a 32-3 season. During his varsity career at Elliott County Faulkner scored over 2,000 points, his senior class combined with brother Evan and Johnathan Ferguson scored over 7,000 points in their career.
Ethan is a very fundamentally sound basketball player who really looks to open the floor and enable his teammates. He very quick and explosive and attacks the basket very well for his size. He isn't tiny, 6'2" 180 with an athletic frame. If there was one knock that I could see based on my three game observation w! as he will definitely need to improve his defense. Overall this is a great signing for Northern Kentucky University.

If you didn't catch this story a couple of months ago Pat Forde of ESPN wrote a great story about the Elliot County Team.

Billy Kopp in 7th Place at Day 8 of WSOP

Local Billy Kopp is now in 7th place at the dinner break of Day 8 of the WSOP main event. With only 14 players left, Kopp only needs 5 more people to be eliminated in front of him to make the final table of 9. Kopp currently has $13.5 million in chips and trails leader Eric Buchman by more than twice that amount as Buchman currently has a stack of over $28.5 million. The last player to exit the WSOP was Nick Maimone who was eliminated in 15th Place, good enough for $633,022!

We'll keep you updated.

Remember Him?

Do you remember Andre Smith the Cincinnati Bengals first round selection of the 2009 NFL Draft? Well Andre Smith is recovering well from his foot injury that was sustained on his second day of practice for the Bengals. Head Coach Marvin Lewis has been pleased with the progress of Smith and indicated that he will begin to get some on field work soon. Smith could be ready as soon as week 7 but will more than likely join the team after the bye week. Smith is working at right tackle a spot currently held by Anthony Collins. Collins has been strong for most of the season but at times looks a little Gus Parrish like. Andre could seriously help this line that has been average thus far this season.

Quick Take on the Bracket

-Keefe

Before the bracket was announced on Sunday I thought of a few teams I liked as "sleepers" in this year's tournament. The freshmen, as pointed out in previous articles, have taken over college basketball the last few years. Therefore, how could O.J. Mayo's USC team and Michael Beasley & Bill Walker's Kansas State squad both not make a serious run in the dance as dark horse teams? Well if they have to play each other in the 1st round, that's how. In the Midwest region you will see #6 USC vs. #11 K-State set for Thursday. Not what I was looking for. Other quick notes on the bracket:

*Similar to USC and K-State, I really liked Jerryd Bayliss and Arizona as well as West Virginia. ! Maybe they can pull off some upsets? Also playing each other. Check out the West region 7 vs. 10 match up.

*The number 1 seeds are a combined 127-9. It's hard to imagine UNC, Kansas, UCLA, or Memphis losing prior to the Elite 8. But that's why they call it March Madness, right?

*UNC doesn't have to leave their state until the Final 4.

*As Besse pointed out yesterday, you could have an Elite 8 of: Notre Dame vs. Louisville, Villanova vs. Georgetown, Pittsburgh vs. Marquette, UConn vs. West Virginia. Haha looks like the same teams that participated in the Big East quarters last week in MSG.

*Mascot Breakdown: 65 teams, 5 Wildcats, 5 Eagles (cou! nting the Golden Eagles from Marquette and Oral Roberts), but ! I give t he edge to the dogs. 5 Bulldogs, along with 1 Hoyas, 1 Retrievers, and 1 Huskies.

*My early lean on the Final 4: Tennessee, USC, Memphis, UCLA.

*Double digit seeds to look out for: Villanova, Davidson, Temple, Saint Mary's.

*Besse will enlighten everyone with his thoughts on the bracket as well, so keep reading.

Why BJ Penn will beat GSP

This Saturday's UFC 94 main event between welterweight champion Georges "Rush" St. Pierre and lightweight champion BJ Penn is one of the greatest matchups in the history of combat sports. You're got two of the best pound-4-pound fighters in their prime, combined with their history (a split decision victory for St. Pierre at UFC 58) and the bad blood that has developed between these two since that fight, particularly through the latest TV series UFC PrimeTime.

Leading up to the fight, many critics, fans and pundits alike have tried their best to break down the fight. They discuss Penn's jab and heavy hands, but St. Pierre's versatile striking arsenal. Or Penn's superior flexibility and jiu-jitsu and St. Pierre's world-class wrestling. Penn's questionable cardio against St. Pierre's bottomless gas tank. Or even the fact that Penn is moving up from lightweight while St. Pierre will undoubtedly be cutting 15-20 lbs. this week just to make 170. There will be a! considerable size advantage, but will it matter? Each fighter will walk into the cage on Saturday night with considerable advantages in different disciplines and areas of the fight game.

But one aspect that may have been overlooked, or perhaps not given enough attention is the mental aspect of this fight. Penn has referred to GSP as a mental midget, a bully and a quitter. And while GSP can say all he wants to refute that, and people can point to his impressive resume of victories over the likes of Penn, Matt Hughes (2), Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Matt Serra, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Dave Strasser, Karo Parysian, and Jay Hieron, I'm here to point out a noticeable trend in St. Pierre's fights.

I've been watching MMA and UFC for several years now. My first exposure was TUF Season 1, and my first live fight on TV was the classic TUF finale between Stephan Bonnar. I've been hooked ever since and made it a priority to catch every Fight! Night, PPV and TUF episode possible in one way or another. So! I've se en each and every one of GSP's fights as far back as his destruction of Jay Hieron at UFC 48 in 2004. If you haven't seen that, it's a beauty, reminiscent of Houston Alexander's massacre over Keith Jardine.



The problem with St. Pierre's resume is that all of his fights have, for the most part, been one-sided. His two victories over Hughes and his wins over Fitch, Serra, Koscheck, Trigg, Hieron, Strasser and Sherk were complete dominations in favor of GSP. He controlled the fights from the outset, imposing his will and at no point in any of these fights wa! s he in any bit of trouble. GSP was essentially on cruise control, faced little to no adversity and was able to execute his gameplan en route to a finish or lopsided decision victory. Whether the fight ended via stoppage or went to the judge's scorecards, the fans were left with no doubt from the start of the fight to the end as to who the victor would be.

However, it's important to closely examine those "other" fights. His decision victory over Karo Parysian was said to be closely contested, but I'm tossing that out the window due to the fact that it was five years ago to the date tomorrow. Interestingly enough, five years after his UFC debut, GSP will be competing in perhaps the greatest mega-fight in UFC history. Parysian, meanwhile, is fighting on the undercard against a guy nicknamed "Stun Gun", and reports from mmamania.com indicate the UFC is concerned Parysian may pull out at the last minute. This is after Karo withdrew from UFC 88 hours before the fight ! due to panic attacks after being KO'd by Thiago Alves in his l! ast figh t.

So moving past that early fight in his career we start to see the trend unfold. The loss to Hughes in their first tilt is perhaps the first and most exemplary sign of St. Pierre's weak mental state. Admittedly he was nervous leading up to the fight, which is understandable considering it was his first title fight, only his 8th professional bout, and he was fighting a legend of the sport. GSP could not look Hughes in the eyes during the stare down, but incredibly he dominated the first round. His striking and takedown defense were remarkable, and the highlight of the round was a spinning back kick which caught Hughes and visibly locked up his stomach and chest muscles, knocking the wind out of the opponent and momentarily putting him in trouble. But at the end of the round, Hughes scored a takedown and while trying to impose his legendary ground and pound attack, latched onto an arm from the top, swung his left leg around GSP's head and fell off to the right, lo! cking in an arm bar. St. Pierre instantly tapped, not even attempting to fight off the submission, roll out of it or hold on until the end of the round. And sadly, just as Big John McCarthy stepped in, the horn went off signaling the end of the round. But the stoppage had been declared, and St. Pierre was left to wonder what could have been. He gave up at the first sign of trouble, plain and simple.

Then there was the first fight with Penn. St. Pierre's face was bloodied and bludgeoned by a fighter who was a natural 155, smaller fighter who had a history of fighting bigger opponents and not only holding his own, but holding his own. The guy has a decision loss to Lyoto Machida...remarkable especially with where Machida currently ranks in the light heavyweight division. The second round was more closely contested, with Penn continuing to land strikes, but St. Pierre scoring takedowns and trying to work some ground and pound from Penn's guard. It was competitive an! d close, and was undoubtedly the swing round in the bout. The ! third ro und most likely belonged to St. Pierre, as Penn's gas tank went on empty and shifted the momentum into the Canadien's corner. Many question whether the result would have differed if Penn came into the fight with better cardio. Even so, many including myself argued that Penn did enough early to earn the split decision. But alas, the victory went to St. Pierre although he was immediately ushered to the hospital for overnight observation.

Against Matt Serra, St. Pierre was heavily favored. Serra actually came into the fight as a +800 underdog in Vegas. He was an improbably title challenger, perhaps an undeserving one after claiming the TUF Season 4 welterweight crown via split decision victory over Chris Lytle, a fight that left many in the audience underwhelmed by the action. Serra was certainly a veteran of the sport, a solid resume with fights against Shonie Carter, Din Thomas, BJ Penn and Karo Parysian. But he'd lost all four, and the promotion by Dana White to h! ave the TUF 4 winner fight for a title was undoubtedly an effort to reinvigorate the TUF brand. And in the first round, both fighters exchanged pleasantries in the form of strikes on their feet. A couple minutes in, however, Serra caught St. Pierre with an overhand right that put the champion on queer street. Smelling blood, Serra moved in for the kill, landing bombs almost at will and staggering GSP into the cage, onto the mat and across the octagon. Finally Serra landed a blow that put the champ on his back and into a corner, and a flurry of strikes prompted Big John to step in. But tape revealed that prior to the referee stoppage, St. Pierre was actually tapping out. The strikes were overwhelming him, and he was asking for help. He wanted to be saved from taking any further punishment. Again, he quit in the Octagon in the face of adversity.

Given his history, I can't help but believe Penn will hold a considerable mental and psychological advantage heading into! Saturday's fight. Dana White mentioned in his video blog that! during the staredown at the press conference, Penn kept telling GSP, "You cut too much weight Georges...you cut too much." He's getting in St. Pierre's head and making him question everything, from his training to his ability to his mental state heading into the fight.

The bottom line is that Penn is right: St. Pierre is a bully. He is able to dominate and walk through most opponents with ease. His superior athleticism, cardio and strength combined with his arsenal of strikes, wrestling and submission skills make him a tall task for anyone. But many opponents have allowed him to impose his will, and once St. Pierre has taken control of a fight, he's been allowed to maintain control and blitz through fighters with ease. Yet as Penn has said, all it takes is for someone to stand up to the bully and challenge him. For years that bully stole money from kids in the lunch line every day, until that one time some unknown stepped out of the line and punched him flush in the nose! and put an end to the robbery from that day forth.

Well that unknown is Penn. He will challenge St. Pierre and keep pushing forward, giving the welterweight champion all he can handle. Saturday's fight will prove one of two things: a) Penn is right and St. Pierre will fold under the pressure or b) St. Pierre has evolved and matured and will outlast the lightweight champion. Thus, I see this fight ending one of two ways. Either Penn by stoppage or St. Pierre by decision. But ultimately I think Penn will live up to his word and take on the bully and stop him. As great a fighter as St. Pierre is, Penn is just as great and has the mental fortitude to press forward and pressure his adversary to the tipping point. And on Saturday night, there will be two differences from their first fight. A recommitted fighter in Penn will have the gas to last longer and this time around, he won't need the judges to earn the victory. Penn will become the first fighter to simultaneous! ly hold titles in two weight classes with a 3rd round stoppage! over GS P.

-Bess

The Sports Brief's 2009 NFL Preview

The NFL Season Kicks off tonight with Steelers and Titans. Below are the predictions for the 2009 season. Final division standings, playoff match ups, Super Bowl picks, and the big individual awards.

KEEFE's Picks:

AFC East

1. Patriots*

2. Bills*

3. Dolphins

4. Jets

AFC North

1. Steelers*

2. Ravens*

3. Bengals

4. Browns

AFC South

1. Texans*

2. Colts

3. Titans

4. Jaguars

AFC West

1. Chargers*

2. Raiders

3. Chiefs

4. Broncos

Playoffs:

Wildcard:

Patriots over Bills

Ravens over Texans

Divisional:

Patriots over Steelers

Chargers over Ravens

Conference:

Chargers over Patriots

NFC East

1. Eagles*

2. Giants

3. Redskins

4. Cowboys

NFC North

1. Bears*

2. Vikings*

3. Packers

4.! Lions

NFC South

1. Saints*

2. Panthers

3. Falcons

4. Buccaneers

NFC West

1. Cardinals*

2. Seahawks*

3. Rams

4. 49ers

Playoffs

Wildcard:

Seahawks over Cardinals

Eagles over! Vikings

Divisional:

Eagles over Bears

Saints over Seahawks

Conference:

Saints over Eagles

SUPER BOWL: Chargers over Saints

MVP: Drew Brees, Saints

Offensive Player of the Year: Brees, Saints

Defensive Player of the Year: Mario Williams, Texans

O-Rookie: Percy Harvin, Vikings

D-Rookie: Brian Cushing, Texans

Coach: Gary Kubiak, Texans

BESSE's Picks:

AFC East

1. Patriots*

2. Dolphins

3. Jets

4. Bills

AFC North

1. Steelers*

2. Bengals*

3. Ravens

4. Browns

AFC South

1. Colts*

2. Texans*

3. Titans

4. Jaguars

AFC West

1. Chargers*

2. Broncos

3. Chiefs

4. Raiders

AFC Playoffs

Wildcard:

Chargers over Texans

Colts over Bengals

Divisional:

Pats over Chargers

Steelers over Colts

< /span>

Conference:

Pats over Steelers

NFC East

1. Giants*

2. Cowboys*

3. Eagles

4. Redskins

NFC North

1. Packers*

2. Bears

3. Vikings

4. Lions

NFC South

1. Saints*

2. Falcons*

3. Panthers

4. Bucs

NFC West

1. Seahawks*

2. Cardinals

3. 49ers

4. Rams

NFC Playoffs

Wildcard:

Falcons over Giants

Cowboys over Seahawks

Divisional:

Packers over Cowboys

Falcons over Saints

Conference:

Falcons over Packers

SUPER BOWL: Pats over Falcons

Awards:

MVP – Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Offensive POY – Drew Brees, Saints

Defensive POY – Justin Tuck, Giants

Offensive ROY – Knowshon Moreno, Broncos

Defensive ROY – James Laurinaitis, Rams

Coach of the Year – Mike McCarthy, Packers

-The Sports Brief

Week 1 Picks

Keefe: Steelers(-6) over the Titans

Hate both teams, but I'll go with Pittsburgh at home to win by more than a touchdown. They will be all jacked up and could get off to a slow start, but I think that's going to be the Titans' problem all year. Collins plays himself out of the starting QB job, only for it to get worse with Vince Young at the helm.

Besse: Steelers (-6) over Titans
While some money grubbin' whore in Vegas is digging up the names of every chick Big Ben has slayed (good luck w/ that), he'll be methodically breaking down the Titans defense on opening night. The loss of Haynesworth will gleam brightly tonight for the Titans, and the vaunted Steelers defense will shut down the run and force Kerry Collins to pass more. By the end of the night, we'll be wondering if Collins fell off the wagon again. And look for Willie Parker to do what he did last year: explode in Week 1, get all of his fantasy owners jacked up for the rest of the season, then get hurt and run like Maroney for the rest of the year. If you can't tell, that's exactly what happened to me last year. Bitter? Nah...

West Bromwich Albion 0 Crystal Palace 1

The Championship game between West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace at The Hawthornes on Saturday Sept 26 ,2009.

All good things must come to an end and at least in football terms, that occurrence usually involves a side managed by Neil Warnock.

West Bromwich Albion, perched at the top of the Championship before this game, stood on the brink of equalling a club record of nine league games without defeat from the start of a new season, a feat claimed by Brian Little's team ten years ago and Vic Buckingham's back in the early 1950s.

That the bubble burst against Warnock's workmanlike Crystal Palace, while a fitting jolt to the system, was also the wake-up call that Albion manager Roberto di Matteo has probably been expecting following their hugely impressive 5-0 thrashing of promotion rivals Middlesbrough last week.

The London club's 63rd-minute winner was also apposite, a high free-kick hoisted into the pe! nalty area where a flick-on found Alassane N'Diaye who shrugged off Shelton Martis rather too easily before scoring with a left foot effort from eight yards out. Guileless but effective.

There is of course bitter enmity between Warnock and Albion related to the infamous Battle of Bramall Lane during Gary Megson's first promotion campaign seven years ago. Memories linger longer in the Black Country and it was scarcely any surprise that the former Sheffield United manager was subjected to familiar terrace taunts and few genuinely original ones.

"I always get a good welcome here," laughed Warnock. "Normally I last a couple of minutes but I think it was minus 30 seconds before they started this time. It's all in good spirit, they have a go at me and I wave back. They're a great crowd and they respect me.

"Two weeks ago was my lowest point of my career losing to Scunthorpe but this is probably one of the highest. This is w! hat the game is all about."

The home team's fluent pa! ssing st yle was not entirely stifled by Palace's tactics of a blanket covering across the pitch and with a tad more composure, it might have reaped some reward during its sporadic sightings in the first half.

Graham Dorrans was the initial creator, a left wing run and centre by the Scot to the far post forcing Clint Hill to head behind his own goal as Luke Moore was about to pounce in the 10th minute.

From the corner, Dorrans was once more pivotal, this time his cross from the right eventually falling to Gianni Zuiverloon whose shot was deflected over the top by the ubiquitous Hill with his goalkeeper Julián Speroni seemingly beaten.

Moore, though, should have punished Palace's negativity at the end of the most flowing move of the game. Dorrans and Gonzalo Jara, the Chilean defender on his second Albion start after his midweek debut in the Carling Cup defeat at Arsenal, began it but Zuiverloon's contribution was most tellin! g, turning inside his marker and teeing up the moment for Moore who, leaning back, skied over the crossbar in the 23rd minute.

The fleet of foot Victor Moses was Palace's most potent riposte while Darren Ambrose was a whisker away with a left foot shot from distance after the interval.

Still, the best chance came Albion's way and again it was Moore who was profligate as the hour approached. The Dutchman Zuiverloon was once more the provider, Moore's first touch was impeccable but his finish less so as Speroni scrambled a crucial save.

Substitute Reuben Reid's header narrowly wide almost salvaged a draw as Albion resorted to the long ball ploy. To no avail.

"This was not the Albion we have seen this season," said Di Matteo. "That was the most disappointing."

Match details

West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2): Carson; Zuiverloon (Reid 60), Martis, Olsson, Mattock; Jar! a, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Koren (Wood 78); Bednar, Moore (Cox 60! ).
Subs: Kiely (g), Barnett, Teixeira, Méïté.
Booked: Bednar, Mulumbu, Cox.
Crystal Palace (4-5-1): Speroni; Butterfield, Fonte, McCarthy, Hill; Ambrose (Lee 61), Derry, Danns, N'Diaye , Moses; Scannell (Carle 73).
Subs: Flahavan (g), Hills, Ertl, Davis, Cadogan.
Booked: Derry, Carle.
Referee: R Booth (Nottinghamshire).