Letter to MLS fans from Commissioner Garber

Dear MLS Fans,

Although we are all disappointed in FIFA?s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar rather than the United States, we will continue moving forward. We remain as committed today as we have ever been to continuing our mission of growing the sport in North America and growing MLS into one of the best leagues in the world.

Source: http://www.dcunited.com/news/2010/12/letter-to-mls-fans-from-commissioner-garber

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Michael Vick, Eagles Swat Away Texans, Look Ahead to Bigger, Better Things

Filed under: Eagles, Giants, Texans, AFC South, NFC East, NFL Analysis

PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles here on Thursday night put it on the Texans much like the Giants did nearly two months ago. Both teams roasted the Texans defense for 34 points. Both teams gained more than 400 yards of offense on the Texans. Both made the Texans succumb to their pressure, their styles, their whims.

The Texans finished 1-3 against the NFC East with this 34-24 loss at Lincoln Financial Field. They dropped to 5-7 overall. When they look back on this loss and the one to the Giants, they will remember how that duo reached top caliber in the NFL with a quarter of the season left.

The bold, confident teams in this league push back.

"So, you're sitting there, 24-20, in control of the football game with a quarter left to play and then that's where we started to make our mistakes,'' said Texans coach Gary Kubiak, whose team rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit but still wound up on the wrong end of the final decision.

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Eagles linebacker Ernie Sims explained: "For the last quarter, we got the defense together and told everyone to man up. We've got two big divisional rivals in Dallas and the Giants left. This was no time to mess around. I was in Detroit for four years. I know what it's like when you are just playing good here and there throughout a game but not winning games. The Texans have talent. But we've got ball players. We've got athletes who use their technique when it counts most and make the plays you're supposed to make to win the game. That's what happened.''

Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/03/michael-vick-eagles-swat-away-texans-look-ahead-to-bigger-bet/

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Richard Petty and Investors Take Control of RPM From George Gillett Jr.

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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Kyle Busch Wins Nationwide Race, Danica Patrick Leads Lap, Finishes 19th

Filed under: Nationwide Series, NASCAR

As Kyle Busch motored to a comfortable victory in the Nationwide season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday, Danica Patrick led her first lap in NASCAR racing before settling for a 19th-place finish, nonetheless her best ever in the series.

Busch dominated the event before winning by about a second over Kevin Harvick. Series champion Brad Keselowski was third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne.

It was Busch's record-settiing 13th victory in the Nationwide series this year, and it clinched the owner's championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, even though Keselowski won the driver's title. Busch did not run in every race this year and thus did not compete for the driver's title.

"That says it all right there, boys!" Busch shouted on his radio as he took the checkered flag. "You guys are the stuff. I can't do it without you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

"This is fun," he added while still circling the track. "This is what it is all about. I wish I had something for tomorrow, but we'll play with teammates tomorrow and try to get them one."

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/20/kyle-busch-wins-nationwide-race-danica-patrick-leads-lap-finis/

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As MLS Expansion Draft Nears, FanHouse Unveils the Unprotected Best XI

Filed under: MLS, Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will look to find that diamond in the rough (like 2010 Best XI honoree Sébastien Le Toux, selected by the Philadelphia Union one year ago) when the MLS expansion draft kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The league's existing sixteen teams each were required to submit a roster of eleven protected players on Monday -- names that the Whitecaps and Timbers can't touch. While the top talent is off limits, there still are a number of high-quality players left available for the two expansion clubs.

With that in mind, FanHouse presents its Expansion Draft Best XI:

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/as-mls-expansion-draft-nears-fanhouse-unveils-the-unprotected-b/

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Three Crew Chiefs Say What Their Drivers Must Do to Win Sprint Cup

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Crew Chiefs, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Denny Hamlin is said to be over his minor meltdown after the Phoenix race, and his crew chief, Mike Ford, is feeling good because they've had the best car and done the most winning down the stretch in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Kevin Harvick is bringing a new car to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend and as the third-place driver, will race flat out, crew chief Gil Martin said. But before Harvick goes for broke, the team is hanging out the "Gone Fishing" sign and headed to the Keys.

And Jimmie Johnson? Well, he's just a better driver than the other two, or so says crew chief Chad Knaus.

It may be that some of the things said Tuesday in a triple-header media conference featuring the three contending crew chiefs will - for motivational purposes - end up taped to one or another team's tool box in the garage at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Or it may be that it's just a lot of hot air that disappears into the air like so much exhaust smoke out of their engines.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/16/three-crew-chiefs-say-what-their-drivers-must-do-to-win-sprint-c/

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not the Only Reason for Shakeup, Rick Hendrick Says

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/

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