Anjat's Spicy Sports Blog

Anjat

Filed under: Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Sponsors, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

The freshly repaved track at Daytona International Speedway is smooth, has plenty of grip and plenty of room for racing, said NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who participated in Wednesday's Goodyear tire tests at the track.

"They smoothed out all the bumps," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 2004 Daytona 500 champion. "The track is real smooth. It's got a lot of grip. The track reminds me a lot like Talladega was like when they first finished it.

"The racing during the drafting was exciting and I think it is going to be a good show, a more exciting show for the fans because the cars are going to stay real tight on each other throughout entire runs."

The speedway said 18 drivers took part in the tire test Wednesday -- the first day of a two-day Goodyear test to determine the proper tire compound for the 2.5-mile speedway's new racing surface before the 53rd annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. Drivers turned laps on the speedway in both single car and drafting sessions.

It was the first time race cars have been on the track at speed since the repaving job was completed earlier this month. From July to December, the entire track was repaved for only the second time since it was built and opened in 1959.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/12/15/repaved-daytona-track-smooth-and-bump-free-drivers-say/

Dennis Boulom Christian Bourgeois Philippe Bouzanne Ellis Boyce Helmut Bradl

Anjat

Filed under: Nebraska, Washington, Coaching, Bowl Games

SAN DIEGO -- Payback, West Coast style, has produced the bowl season's first jaw-dropping upset.

The Washington Huskies, unranked owners of a 6-6 record, defeated No. 17 Nebraska 19-7 in the Holiday Bowl on Thursday for UW's first postseason triumph since a Rose Bowl victory in 2001.

Only three months ago, Nebraska routed Washington by 35 points behind 383 yards rushing.

Washington won the rematch nearly as decisively, outgaining Nebraska 340-189 and registering five sacks for minus-43 yards.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini on his team: "It was just a ridiculous performance."

Huskies defenders outquicked or overpowered Nebraska's blockers for most of the game. The second half playmaking of Huskies quarterback Jake Locker, a senior likely destined for the NFL, kept Nebraska's defense off balance. Huskies running back Chris Polk ran for 177 yards in 34 carries.

Nebraska (10-4) had been 3-0 in bowl games under Pelini, including a 33-0 rout of Arizona in last year's Holiday Bowl. Favored by 14 points, the Huskers insisted they were eager for the rematch -- but they never would lead the Pacific 10's third-place club.

Washington (7-6) won its fourth consecutive game, moving it further from an 0-12 season three years ago that led the Huskies to hire Steve Sarkisian, an offensive assistant to USC coach Pete Carroll, as their head coach. Sarkisian's first Huskies team went 5-7. This year, the Huskies reached their first bowl since 2002.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/31/washington-rolls-to-stunning-upset-over-nebraska-in-holiday-bowl/

Bob Brown Clive Brown Douglas Brown George Brown Jan Bruins

Anjat

Filed under: Nebraska, Washington, Big 12, Pac 10, Bowl Games

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) will face the Washington Huskies (6-6) for the second time this season. This time it will be in the Holiday Bowl, in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, Dec. 30.

The first time the two teams met was all the way back on Sept. 18 and it was a massacre in favor of Nebraska, 56-21. Huskers quarterback Taylor Martinez destroyed Washington to the tune of 137 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while throwing for another 150 yards and a touchdown. His counterpart, heavily hyped Jake Locker, completed only 4-of-20 passes for 71 yards while throwing two interceptions.

This time around, the momentum is a bit different. Washington enters having won three straight, while No. 17 Nebraska has dropped two of three.

Locker has battled injuries for some part of 2010, but comes in with a hot hand, having thrown for 463 yards and three touchdowns in the final two games. He'll likely need a big game to keep up with Nebraska. For the season, he's thrown for 2,209 yards and 17 TDs against nine interceptions. He's also run for 302 yards and five touchdowns.

The Huskers bring in a stellar three-headed monster of a rushing attack. Martinez has run for 942 yards (6.4 per carry) and 12 touchdowns, Roy Helu has 1,211 yards (6.8 per carry) and 11 touchdowns while Rex Burkhead has 912 yards (5.7 per carry) and seven touchdowns. Martinez, a freshman, has also thrown for over 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/30/nebraska-vs-washington-holiday-bowl/

Dick Allen Rudy Allison Pedro Alvarez Luis Alvaro Emilio Alzamora

Anjat

The best hockey game in North American this year didn't happen in the NHL. It came in Vancouver in March, and it featured the dream matchup for Olympic organizers, the hockey-mad host country and an exciting young team from the other side of the border.

NBC decided to air the game between Canada and the United States live in every time zone, and the ratings turned out to be enormous - 27.6 million, the most for a hockey game since two games from the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" Olympics in Lake Placid. The total was similar in Canada - which meant that 80 percent of the country was watching.

The Other Nominees: Flyers-Bruins Game 7 | Rangers-Flyers for Playoff Spot

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/30/nhl-year-in-review-canada-us-for-game-of-the-year/

Bill Lomas Dino Lombardi Enrico Lorenzetti Jorge Lorenzo Marco Lucchinelli

Anjat

Filed under: Little League World Series

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) -- Composite bats will no longer be used in the Little League World Series.

Little League officials announced a moratorium on the equipment Thursday based on research it commissioned from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell.

Composite bats have metal shells enclosing woven fibers inside the barrels.

Critics say the bats endanger youngsters because balls fly off them at high speeds and can injure fielders. Supporters say they are lighter and easier to handle.

Little League banned composite bats in its older junior, senior and big league divisions in August. The league broadened the ban on Thursday to include the younger majors division featured in the World Series.

Players can use wood bats, metal bats or bats with composite materials in the handle only.

Source: http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/12/30/little-league-bans-composite-bats-in-all-divisions/

Jan de Vries Jason Vincent Danny Webb Anthony West Jock West

Anjat

by Milton Kent

Filed under: Eagles, Vikings, NFL Fans, NFL Analysis, Sports Business and Media, NFL Labor Negotiations

Funny how time changes perspective and perception.

Forty years ago, there were open questions about whether the American public would want to watch NFL games on Monday night after taking in a full afternoon of games on Sunday.

Well, the numbers are back from Tuesday's ad hoc Minnesota-Philadelphia game and they suggest that the groundwork could be laid for even more football.

Not only was Tuesday's contest - which drew a 13.8 Nielsen national rating and 23 share - the most watched program of that night, but the audience of 23.7 million was the sixth highest, all time, for any game under the "Sunday Night Football" umbrella.

In the overnight ratings, which measure the top urban markets, Tuesday's game scored higher than any program to air on a Tuesday all season, including the season finale of "Dancing With the Stars" in November.

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/30/tuesday-night-football-in-nfls-future/

Brendan Clarke Noel Clegg Oscar Clemengich Ivan Clementi Jules Cluzel

Anjat

Tiger Woods had a cortisone shot in his right ankle 10 days ago, but was back to work Tuesday.

While the news may come as a surprise, his agent, Mark Steinberg, says Woods always planned to have the shot after the Chevron World Challenge. It was to solve lingering soreness from the ruptured Achilles' tendon he tore in Dec. 2008.

"This was always the plan," Steinberg said. "He's looking at 2011 as a big year for him."

Steinberg also debunked rumors that Woods tore his Achilles recently while skiing.

"There's a rumor that Tiger tore his tendon while skiing. Tiger hasn't been skiing for three years," Steinberg said.

Woods, who went winless in 2010, is hoping to get back to top form from a health and professional standpoint. He doesn't play again until the Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 27.

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/12/21/tiger-woods-has-cortison-shot-in-ankle/

Fuyuki Yamazaki Shunji Yatsushiro Ryuji Yokoe Toshimi Yorino Kenichi Yoshida

Anjat

Filed under: Lakers, Spurs, Sports Business and Media

In his lead-in to narration of the highlights to Tuesday's San Antonio-Los Angeles game, ESPNEWS anchor Will Selva advised Lakers fans not to worry about the team's loss to Miami in the much ballyhooed Christmas Day meeting with Miami. Instead, they'd be better served, Selva said, being concerned with the Spurs.

It was an interesting thought. Too bad someone else had already expressed it.

Nearly word for word, Selva used the lead of a column written by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register to advance the game. Think not? Here are the first three sentences of Ding's piece:

Christmas isn't over yet, Lakers fans. The big game, it turns out, will be the game after the supposed Game of the Year. In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers will be out to give themselves and their fans the much-needed gift of hope.

Here's a transcript of Selva's lead to the highlights:

Christmas isn't over yet, Lakers fans. The big game, it turns out, is the game after the supposed Game of the Year. In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers were out to give themselves and their fans the much needed gift of hope.

More Coverage: ESPNEWS Anchor Suspended for Plagiarism

Save for a couple of verb tenses, Selva's lead sounds identical to what Ding wrote. And Ding thought so, too. In a blog post, Ding noted the sensation of returning to his hotel room after the game and hearing what he had written coming through the TV, without receiving credit for having written it.

"Honestly, it wasn't my best lead, come to think of it. Sorry about that, Will. Unbelievable," wrote Ding.

We're awaiting comment from ESPN .

Oddly enough, the half-hour ended with a segment called, "No, He Didn't."

We couldn't make that up.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/12/29/espnews-anchor-will-selva-plucks-column-for-lead-to-highlights/

Jean Michel Bayle Jean Pierre Bayle Len Bayliss Troy Bayliss Bruce Beale

Anjat

Washington, D.C. ? Following the release of a soccer stadium feasibility study by the City of Baltimore, D.C. United President and CEO Kevin Payne issued the following statement:

Source: http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2010/12/response-to-stadium-feasibility-study-by-city-of-baltimore

Paul Young Yasuharu Yuzawa Shahrol Yuzy Lorenzo Zanetti Vincenzo Zanzi

Anjat

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Mariners, Nationals, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, MLB Free Agency

All this week, the FanHouse staff will look back at the most significant baseball storylines of 2010.

Cliff Lee to the Phillies.

Jayson Werth to the Nationals.

Zack Greinke to the Brewers.

Carl Crawford to the Red Sox.

What do these offseason moves by the baseball establishment have in common?

Just that the baseball establishment thought each of those players would wind up somewhere else.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/12/28/cliff-lees-return-to-phillies-highlights-unpredictable-offseaso/

Jean Louis Tournadre Takeshi Tsujimura Mateo Túnez Keith Turner Carlo Ubbiali

Anjat

Filed under: Sam Hornish Jr., Penske Racing, Indianapolis 500, NASCAR

LAS VEGAS -- Three-time IndyCar champ and 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr.'s NASCAR future remains in limbo, but his team owner, Roger Penske, said Thursday that he will likely field Hornish in the Daytona 500 and possibly in the Indianapolis 500, too.

Penske confirmed the news during a sponsorship announcement at his Ferrari dealership in the Wynn Las Vegas Thursday, where the team unveiled Kurt Busch's new No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series and a similar design for the iconic No. 3 Penske car that three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves will drive at Indy next May.

For all his success in open-wheel racing, Hornish has never managed to make a big splash in NASCAR's big leagues, with only a pair of top-five finishes and eight top-10 efforts in 108 starts over three full seasons. And with no primary sponsor signed for his No. 77 Dodge, Penske said Hornish still doesn't have a full schedule set for 2011. Penske said both a limited Cup and Nationwide Series slate were possibilities.

"I told him that, at the end of the day, I'd much rather do a program where we can support you 100 percent than have some pick-up program with not enough sponsors,'' Penske said. "We need to have the continuity. We have a number of opportunities, but we just couldn't get them closed at this point.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/12/03/sam-hornish-jr-may-return-to-indy-500/

Danny Webb Anthony West Jock West David Whitworth Peter Williams

Anjat

Filed under: Maryland

WASHINGTON -- Maryland wide receiver Torrey Smith will forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.

Smith made the announcement Wednesday after the Terrapins' 51-20 defeat of East Carolina in the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium. He said he came to the decision Tuesday as Maryland prepared for its final game under coach Ralph Friedgen.

"It makes it a whole lot easier when you have the people you respect the most supporting your decision," Smith said. "It was definitely a tough decision, but it was one coach Friedgen was comfortable with, (wide receivers) coach (Lee) Hull, (director of character education) Kevin Glover. It just made me feel better about it."

Smith, who graduated this month, finished the season with 67 receptions for 1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his the regular-season finale, he had 224 yards and a school-record four touchdown receptions in a 38-31 defeat of N.C. State.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/29/marylands-torrey-smith-going-pro/

Pedro Alvarez Luis Alvaro Emilio Alzamora Kunihiro Amano Daniel Amatriain

Anjat

Filed under: Jets, Vikings

The National Football League is really the Good Old Boys League, so says the attorney for Jenn Sterger.

Joseph Conway, who represented Sterger during her claims of sexual harassment by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, blasted the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement Wednesday after the league announced its three-month investigation found no violation of the Code of Conduct policy in the relationship between Favre and the former New York Jets employee two years ago.

"My client and I are extremely disappointed, but not surprised, at today's NFL announcement that Brett Favre did not violate the NFL 'workplace conduct' policy," Conway wrote in an e-mail sent to FanHouse and other media outlets. "While I am not privy to how Mr. Goodell reached such a finding, we strongly disagree with his conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to support a violation of the policy."

More: Favre Fined $50,000 for Not Cooperating in Jenn Sterger Investigation

Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/29/jenn-stergers-attorney-rips-nfl-over-brett-favre-fine/

Jonas Folger Marc Fontan Bob Foster Ted Frend Freddie Frith

Anjat

Washington, D.C. ? Following the release of a soccer stadium feasibility study by the City of Baltimore, D.C. United President and CEO Kevin Payne issued the following statement:

Source: http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2010/12/response-to-stadium-feasibility-study-by-city-of-baltimore

Patrick Pons Sito Pons Sebastián Porto Umberto Praga Tarquinio Provini

Anjat

Much of the country spent this Monday morning either digging out of a blizzard or pounding hi-test coffee to shake off a long weekend of holiday cheer.

There was no such break in the action in Major League Soccer, where there was a flurry of activity. Young players signed new deals, veterans locked down uncertain futures, a trio of foreign stars expressed an interest in joining the league and a handful of MLSers tested the market across the pond.

Source: http://www.dcunited.com/news/2010/12/monday-postgame-movers-and-shakers

Andre Luc Appietto Robin Appleyard Junya Arai Toshiyuki Arakaki Fernando Aranda

Anjat

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Crew Chiefs, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR

Hendrick Motorsports may have won its fifth-straight championship just last Sunday, but it took only a matter of days for the organization to make some of its biggest changes in years.

"This will improve us as an organization, across the board," team owner Rick Hendrick (right) said Tuesday.

Save for champion Jimmie Johnson, each of the three other drivers in the Hendrick stable will have new crew chiefs for the 2011 season.

Steve Letarte, the crew chief on Jeff Gordon's No. 24 since the end of the 2005 season, will now oversee Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 team. Meanwhile, Gordon will now have Alan Gustafson managing his team in Daytona.

Gustafson leaves the No. 5 team and driver Mark Martin, who will now have Lance McGrew in his ear for the 2011 season. McGrew has spent part of 2009 and all of 2010 as Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/earnhardt-gordon-part-of-major-hendrick-crew-chief-swap/

Jean Pierre Bayle Len Bayliss Troy Bayliss Bruce Beale Douglas Beasley

Anjat

Filed under: US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

Twenty Major League Soccer players and four based in Europe, almost all of whom are relatively new to the U.S. national team, will comprise the roster for the traditional January training camp at the Home Depot Center outside Los Angeles, which will culminate with a Jan. 22 friendly against Chile.

Among the invitees are 17-year-old New York Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo, who scored the dramatic winner in last month's game against South Africa, and Norway-based midfielder Mikkel Diskerud, 20, who had the assist.

Bradley also rewarded the players who helped their teams to the MLS Cup Final. There are four members of the Colorado Rapids and four from FC Dallas in the squad, plus midfielder Dax McCarty, who was outstanding for the latter in Toronto before his recent move to D.C. United.

The camp usually comprises fringe players whose clubs are in their offseason, meaning only those in MLS and with Scandinavian teams typically take part.

The 24 players have played a combined 28 times for the senior U.S. national team. Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya has six of them.

"The timing is right to assess many of the younger players and to broaden the player pool as we look forward to the next three years," Bradley said.

"These extended camps give the coaching staff an opportunity to work with these players closely, and at the same time expose them to what the environment and expectations are like at the international level. We have a good feel for the veteran players in the pool, several of whom are coming off long seasons, and we certainly expect many of them to be part of the program for the important tournaments this year."

Real Salt Lake goalie Nick Rimando, 31, is the oldest player invited.

Follow Brian Straus on Twitter Follow FH Soccer on Twitter

The most significant "snub" likely is San Jose Earthquakes defender/midfielder Bobby Convey, who re-entered the national team discussion with his comeback player of the year season that culminated in a two-goal, one-assist playoff tour de force against the New York Red Bulls.

Convey said in this November interview with Pitch Pass that he did not expect to be called up to the national team while Bradley was in charge.

Here is the full roster:

GOALKEEPERS: Dominic Cervi (Glasgow Celtic), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).

DEFENDERS: A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ugo Ihemelu (FC Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Ryan Miller (Halmstads), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids), Marvell Wynne (Colorado Rapids).

MIDFIELDERS: Eric Alexander (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Sam Cronin (San Jose Earthquakes), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabæk), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Dax McCarty (D.C. United), Brek Shea (FC Dallas).

FORWARDS: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/21/u-s-national-team-to-convene-january-camp-with-24-players-incl/

Tetsuya Harada John Hartle Wil Hartog Gary Haslam Leon Haslam

Anjat

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Crew Chiefs, Pit Crews, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR

Although Dale Earnhardt Jr., winner of 18 career Sprint Cup races, has now stretched his winless streak at Hendrick Motorsports to 101 races, that's only part of the reason for the massive shakeup announced Tuesday, team owner Rick Hendrick said Wednesday.

"This was not a Dale Earnhardt ... this was not a move that we made -- this major a move -- because of Dale or his situation," Hendrick said Wednesday in a teleconference. "I'm excited about making all four teams better. We need to be better across the board. It was a move to make all four better."

It's hard to think that a racing juggernaut like Hendrick Motorsports, with five straight Sprint Cup championships in the history books and gunning for six in a row next year, might be going downhill.

But Hendrick said as much Wednesday in describing why he shuffled the drivers and crew chiefs among three of his teams and switched driver partners in the twin pairing arrangement he has for the four teams at the organization's sprawling Concord, N.C. complex.

"I think we just kind of got complacent and other teams were getting stronger and stronger, and we were just not where we needed to be," Hendrick said. "We just were off this year. The 48 was off. And we needed to make a lot of things better.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/24/dale-earnhardt-jr-not-the-only-reason-for-shakeup-rick-hendric/

Leon Haslam Ron Haslam Bjorn Hasli Yasumasa Hatakeyama Mike Hawthorne

Anjat

Filed under: Eagles, Vikings, NFC East, NFC North, NFL Quarterbacks

Two weeks ago, Brett Favre's NFL-record streak of 297 consecutive games started was brought to an end. One week ago, Favre started a new streak. And now that streak has been brought to an end after one game.

NFL Network is reporting that Favre will not start for the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Eagles because he has not yet recovered from a concussion he suffered last Monday against the Bears.

Rookie Joe Webb will start for the Vikings in Favre's place. Webb is the eighth different rookie quarterback to start an NFL game this year, the most different rookies to start in one non-strike season in the NFL in more than 30 years.

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/28/brett-favre-out-vs-eagles-joe-webb-to-start-for-vikings/

Manuel Arias Ken Armstrong Reg Armstrong Arciso Artesiani Sandro Artusi

Anjat

by Terence Moore

Filed under: Sports Business and Media

Satchel Paige was one of the most dominant pitchers in the Negro Leagues, and later starred in the majors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- I couldn't find the glove.

Where was the glove?

Before leaving Atlanta, James "Red" Moore (no relation) told me to look for his old first baseman's glove when I got to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Said Mary Moore of her 94-year-old husband, who is among the fewer than 130 players left from the leagues, "Oh, lordy, Jesus, we promised the glove to them, and we went on and gave it to them. Yeah, and it's the only thing we really had left from back then."

So, moments after I walked into the museum, I searched from exhibit to exhibit, but the glove wasn't there.

The doomsayers are correct, I thought. They swear on a stack of Josh Gibson trading cards that since the death of baseball saint Buck O'Neil four years ago, his obsession inside of Kansas City's 18th & Vine district was going, going, nearly gone.

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/12/08/negro-leagues-museum-tries-hard-to-reinvent-itself/

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Anjat

Filed under: Crew Chiefs, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

No driver competing in NASCAR's two top series showed greater disparity in results in 2010 than Brad Keselowski, who won the Nationwide series championship with six victories while eking out a couple of top-10 finishes in a forgettable Sprint Cup campaign.

Both cars came from Penske Racing, and when Roger Penske is involved, nonperformance won't stand.

Thus, the organization announced Tuesday that Paul Wolfe, Keselowski's championship-winning crew chief in Nationwide, has been promoted to become his Sprint Cup crew chief, replacing Jay Guy.

In addition to the six victories and the championship, Keselowski and Wolfe scored 29 top-10 finishes in 35 races. Twenty six of those were top fives -- a series single-season record. He also won five poles, led 1,147 laps and had an average finish of 5.2.

By contrast, in his Sprint Cup car, Keselowski had no victories, one pole position, no top fives and just two top 10s -- 10th-place finishes at Martinsville and Talladega late in the season. He led 41 laps and had an average finish of 22.4.

Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/30/brad-keselowski-gets-nationwide-crew-chief-paul-wolfe-for-cup-te/

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Anjat

Filed under: Bowl Games

SALEM, Va. (AP) -- Levell Coppage ran for 299 yards and three touchdowns and Wisconsin-Whitewater forced five turnovers and shut out Mount Union in the second half to win its second consecutive NCAA Division III football national championship, 31-21 on Saturday.

The Warhawks completed their second straight 15-0 season, and won their third national championship in four years. They are 57-3 in Lance Leipold's four seasons as coach.

The Purple Raiders (14-1), winners of 10 championships in 13 prior trips to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl under coach Larry Kehres, did all their scoring in a span of less than 4 minutes in the second quarter, but otherwise couldn't solve the Warhawks' defense.

Coppage did plenty, too, scoring on runs of 54, 11 and 75 yards, the latter with 2:34 to play on third-and-6. The Purple Raiders stacked the line, and once Coppage burst through, he sailed down the middle of the field for the clinching touchdown. The run also gave him a Stagg Bowl record for individual rushing yardage, accomplished on 39 carries.

The teams set a record by each appearing in the championship game for the sixth consecutive season. They had shared the mark with fellow Division III member Augustana College (Ill.), which played in five straight 1982 to 1986, winning the last four games.

After a high scoring first half, the defense tightened in the second half.

With both teams using backup quarterbacks because of injuries, three series ended on interceptions in the third quarter, and when Mount Union put quarterback-turned-receiver Cecil Shorts behind center for more mobility in the fourth quarter, he fumbled the ball away on one possession and got sacked for a 9-yard loss by Luke Hibner on another key play.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/18/wisconsin-whitewater-repeats-as-d-iii-champs-second-straight-15/

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Anjat

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- For the first time in history, the University of Akron is an NCAA champion. The Zips' Mens Soccer team claimed the school's first national title in any sport on Sunday, downing the unbeaten Louisville Cardinals 1-0 at the 2010 College Cup in Santa Barbara.

Coach Caleb Porter was emotional after the game, praising the resilience of his star-studded roster.

"I'm not usually at a loss for words, but the thing that comes to mind for me is this feeling that I have of how proud I am of my team," he said. "It's been a long journey. For these guys to recover from a painful loss to Virginia last year and move on, work even harder this year, is a tremendous credit to these guys' character.

"They were hungry all year. They dug deep to win games. It wasn't easy, they kept fighting, and they refused to lose. This team is a rare combination of talent and winning qualities. When you put the two together, it's a very powerful thing. I've never seen a group with as much talent that also buys into the team and is as cohesive as this team was. For me, that's why we won the national championship."

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/12/akron-jubilant-over-first-ncaa-title/

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Anjat

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The University of Akron men's soccer team secured its first NCAA championship on Sunday afternoon, downing the University of Louisville Cardinals 1-0 in Santa Barbara.

A 79th minute strike from sophomore midfielder Scott Caldwell was the difference as Akron raised the school's first Division I trophy in any sport.

Louisville entered Sunday's game unbeaten at 12-0-3, but were outmatched by Akron's talented roster. The Cardinals enjoyed a few spells of good possession, but were unable to crack a resolute Zips defense.

The first half of Sunday's game was a spirited affair, with each team looking to assert itself early on. Akron junior captain Michael Nanchoff led the charge for the Zips, sending all manner of dangerous ball into the Louisville area from the left flank. His efforts were nearly rewarded in the fifth minute when he crosses a high ball into the penalty spot that freshman forward Darren Mattocks just barely headed over the crossbar.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/12/akron-wins-college-cup-2010-claims-first-ever-ncaa-national-tit/

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Anjat

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jonathan Kempin backstopped the United States U-18 squad to a 0-0 draw with Israel on Thursday in their second match of the Traditional Winter Tournament in Tel Aviv.

The Chicago Fire's Victor Pineda played 78 minutes in the midfield before giving way to D.C. United Academy product Marcus Salandy-Defour.

The tie comes two days after Mike Matkovich's side fell 4-0 to France in their opening match. The Americans close out the tournament on Friday against a German side that beat Israel 7-0 in their opening tilt.

Source: http://www.dcunited.com/news/2010/12/us-u-18s-draw-israel-0-0-at-tournament

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Anjat

NEW YORK ? December 17 may fall during the offseason, but there it is still reason to celebrate if you?re an MLS fan: It?s the most important birthday in league history.

This year marks the 17th anniversary of the first formal unveiling of Major League Soccer to the world. Back on Dec. 17, 1993, the chairman and CEO of the World Cup USA 1994, Alan I. Rothenberg, presented the framework for America?s new league and unveiled the logo in an event held in Las Vegas in conjunction with the World Cup final draw.

Source: http://www.dcunited.com/news/2010/12/mls-celebrates-17th-anniversary-of-formal-debut

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Anjat

Filed under: International Soccer, UEFA Champions League, Serie A (Italy)

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Its roster aging, its coach under fire and its domestic dominance on the wane, Inter Milan seized its golden opportunity on Saturday and defeated overmatched Congolese side TP Mazembe. 3-0, in the FIFA Club World Cup Final.

The trophy capped an historic year for the Italian club, which captured a fifth consecutive Serie A crown, the Italian Cup and its first European Cup in 45 years last spring.

Led by Portuguese mastermind José Mourinho, Inter was a veteran team that had matured and reached its zenith in a comfortable win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final.

Mourinho moved onto Real Madrid, and replacement Rafael Benítez has been unable to prevent Inter's slide from the summit. The Nerazzurri lost to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and have opened the Italian season 6-4-5, good for seventh place in Serie A. It entered the Club World Cup winners of just two if its past nine matches in all competitions.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/18/inter-milan-defeats-tp-mazembe-claims-fifa-club-world-cup/

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Anjat

Filed under: Jets, Steelers, NFL Playoffs, NFL Analysis

PITTSBURGH -- The Rubik's Cube of NFL playoff scenarios says the New York Jets have yet to qualify.

The Jets beg to differ.

They will be playing in the postseason, they said after Sunday's nail-biter of a win over the Steelers at Heinz Field.

They promise.

"We're gonna make it one way or another," coach Rex Ryan said after the Jets' 22-17 win, which ended with the Steelers twice throwing into the end zone from the 10-yard-line in an attempt to pull out the win. "We're gonna take care of it ourselves."

And listen to their veteran running back.

"We will make the playoffs," LaDainian Tomlinson said.

Book it, Dano.

Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/19/jets-stop-slide-guarantee-playoff-spot-after-win-over-steelers/

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Anjat

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Petty Enterprises, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Richard Petty will once again run his race team and participate in day-to-day operations as chairman of the new ownership group that was announced Monday.

The assets of Richard Petty Motorsports have been sold from George Gillett Jr. to an investment group that consists of Petty, Medallion Financial Corp. and DGP Investments.

"Today is a great day for me, my family, our fans and our wonderful sponsors," Petty said in a statement that listed 10 partners that "have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart."

RPM will field cars for AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose in 2011.

The transfer of assets has been in the works for several weeks because of Gillett's ongoing financial problems. Debt-laden English soccer club Liverpool recently was sold despite the objection of Gillett and business partner Tom Hicks. And a U.S. hedge fund is suing Gillett over what the firm says is more than $117 million in debt he racked up investing in Liverpool.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/richard-petty-and-investors-take-control-of-rpm-from-george-gill/

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Anjat

Filed under: Sprint Cup, Scott Speed, Red Bull Racing, NASCAR

A NASCAR driver usually don't sue his car owner after parting ways, since taking legal action could dissuade potential future car owners from getting involved with the driver.

But after more than seven years with Red Bull in both Formula One and NASCAR, Scott Speed has made that move, suing his former team for alleged breach of contract in a complaint asking the court to award him $6.5 million, SceneDaily.com reported late Friday.

Red Bull "significantly reduced its financial commitment to Speed's race team and was unable and/or unwilling to provide [Speed] with 'supporting equipment' satisfactory for a driver of [his] skill to [be] effective [to] compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series," Speed's complaint states, according to SceneDaily.

Speed's complaint also provides a rare, inside look at the money being paid in the Sprint Cup series for a driver at his level.

According to SceneDaily, the lawsuit says Speed signed a three-year deal in September 2007 for a salary of $300,000 in 2008, $500,000 in 2009 and $1 million in 2010. He was to receive 50 percent of his purse winnings for each top-10 finish, 45 percent for finishing 11th through 20th and 40 percent for finishes of 21st or worse.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/12/11/scott-speed-sues-red-bull-after-team-releases-him/

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Anjat

Filed under: International Soccer, UEFA Champions League, Serie A (Italy)

Its roster aging, its coach under fire and its domestic dominance on the wane, Inter Milan seized its golden opportunity on Saturday and defeated overmatched Congolese side TP Mazembe. 3-0, in the FIFA Club World Cup Final.

The trophy capped an historic year for the Italian club, which captured a fifth consecutive Serie A crown, the Italian Cup and its first European Cup in 45 years last spring.

Led by Portuguese mastermind José Mourinho, Inter was a veteran team that had matured and reached its zenith in a comfortable win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final.

Mourinho moved onto Real Madrid, and replacement Rafael Benítez has been unable to prevent Inter's slide from the summit. The Nerazzurri lost to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and have opened the Italian season 6-4-5, good for seventh place in Serie A. It entered the Club World Cup winners of just two if its past nine matches in all competitions.

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/18/inter-milan-defeats-tp-mazembe-claims-fifa-club-world-cup/

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Anjat

Wisconsin-Whitewater is set to take on Mount Union in the National Division III Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 18 at at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both teams are undefeated at 14-0 and have met in the NCAA Division III Football Championships every year since 2005, so the game should be sure to excite.

Storyline: Defending champion Wisconsin-Whitewater returns to the Stagg Bowl for the sixth straight time after rolling past Wesley 27-7 in the semifinals. The Warhawks' defense stepped up big against the Wolverines, coming away with five interceptions including one that set up a 1-yard touchdown run to widen the lead to 24-7. Junior running back Levell Coppage did his share for the Warhawks' offense, rushing for 146 yards including two trips to the endzone. Wisconsin-Whitewater is defending national champion and has won two of its previous five matchups against Mount Union in the national title game.

The Mount Union Raiders are frequent visitors to the national championship, having earned a berth in the title game 14 of the last 18 seasons. The Royals have 10 national titles to their name with three of them coming against Wisconsin-Whitewater. They had a scare in the semifinals when starting QB Nick Seaman went down with a foot injury early in the first quarter, but sophomore backup Matt Piloto stepped in seamlessly, completing 17 of 32 passes for four touchdowns in leading the Raiders past Bethel (Minn.) for another trip to the Stagg Bowl.

Who: Wisconsin Whitewater (14-0) vs. Mount Union (14-0)

Where: Salem Stadium, Salem, Va.

When: Dec. 18, 3:30 p.m. ET

TV Coverage: ESPNU

Update: UW-Whitewater beat Mount Union 31-21 for the Division III title.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/18/wisconsin-whitewater-vs-mount-union-national-division-iii-footb/

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Anjat

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR

LAS VEGAS -- In a luxury suite in the Bellagio Hotel high above the Las Vegas strip, Jimmie Johnson was all smiles and "aw shucks" on the eve of collecting an unprecedented fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship trophy. He was at the hotel to meet with a small group of reporters and to unveil the true benchmark of an athlete's success.

Forget the historic five NASCAR titles, Johnson now has a video game named after him: "Jimmie Johnson's Anything With an Engine."

The game doesn't go on sale until 2011, but the concept launch this week meant the vivid collision between two of America's favorite pastimes, video gaming and NASCAR. And it was interesting to observe the hip, young gaming reporters, dressed in black adorned with lots of zippers and skull designs and colorful tattoos, sizing up the NASCAR All-American good guy's entry into their eclectic world.

"So how does it feel to be a legend?'' asked Jon Carnage, a former professional wrestler who is now a reporter from the video game blog Destructoid. He clearly caught the humble Johnson off guard.

"It's still strange to me that I hear that,'' Johnson replied.

Perhaps he should get used to it.

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/12/03/jimmie-johnson-taking-time-to-savor-fifth-championship-in-las-ve/

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Anjat

Filed under: Mets, Yankees, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

The Yankees are close to a deal with left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano, according to reports.

Feliciano, who has spent his entire career with the Mets, will get a two-year deal plus an option for a third year according to SI.com, which reports the contract will be worth $8 million.

Though Feliciano is 34 years old, he had led the majors in appearances each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 92 in 2010. His strikeout-to-walk numbers last season weren't nearly as good as they had been in 2009, but he remains nasty against left-handed hitters with his sidearm delivery.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/12/17/reports-pedro-feliciano-near-2-year-deal-with-yankees/

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