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US opens January Olympic qualifying against DR (PA SportsTicker)

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:54:06 +0000

US opens January Olympic qualifying against DR (PA SportsTicker)
NEW YORK (AP) —The U.S. women’s soccer team will play the Dominican Republic in its first game at the CONCACAF Olympic soccer qualifying tournament. The schedule released Wednesday has the U.S. playing the Dominican Republic on Jan. 20, Guatemala on Jan. 22 and Mexico on Jan. 24 in Group B. Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti are in Group A at the eight-team tournament being held Jan. 19-29 at B-C Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The top two teams from the region that covers North American, Central America and the Caribbean will advance to next summer’s Olympic Games in London. The U.S.-Mexico game will be a rematch of their CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying in November 2010, when Mexico upset the Americans 2-1 in Cancun for its first victory in 26 attempts.

Stosur advances to second Slam final (AP)

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:18:10 +0000

Stosur advances to second Slam final (AP)
NEW YORK (AP)—Sam Stosur told her parents she wasn’t leaving for school until Patrick Rafter won the U.S. Open. Growing up in Australia, Stosur was glued to the TV when her countryman captured titles in 1997 and ’98. Now she wonders if kids back home will do the same when she plays for the Open championship Sunday. The 27-year-old Stosur reached her second major final Saturday, her experience showing in a three-set victory over 92nd-ranked Angelique Kerber. The ninth-seeded Aussie won 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in a semifinal that would have seemed overshadowed by the upcoming Serena Williams-Caroline Wozniacki tilt even if it weren’t relegated to the Grandstand. The 2010 French Open runner-up, Stosur had two record-setting three-set wins earlier in the tournament, so this 1-hour, 46-minute match seemed like a breeze in comparison. She went up 5-0 in the final set, then was broken when she first tried to serve out the match. The second time, Stosur had to save four break points before finally clinching victory with an emphatic backhand volley. Stosur lost a tight 6-4, 7-6 (2) final to Francesca Schiavone at Roland Garros last year, wasting a break point in the second set. “It had never happened up until that point, so you never know if it is going to happen again,” she said. “Multiple people came up to me and said, ‘You’re gonna get another chance. You can come back and make it again.’ Of course you want to believe that, but until it happens, you never know if that’s the case.” Kerber had never been past the third round of a Grand Slam before this tournament. The German still hasn’t beaten a top-10 opponent—she hadn’t faced any player ranked better than No. 13 in her run at the Open. Stosur needed 3 hours, 16 minutes to win in the third round against Nadia Petrova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5—the longest women’s match at the Open since the advent of the tiebreaker in 1970. Two days later, Stosur was part of the longest tiebreaker in a women’s Grand Slam, beating Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-7 (15), 6-3. This semifinal wasn’t on the center court of Arthur Ashe Stadium because rain delays meant there were four singles matches Saturday instead of the normal three. It had to be played in Flushing Meadows’ third-largest venue because of water on the court at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Stosur and Kerber pleaded with tournament officials that their match belonged on Ashe, to no avail. “I think it was not fair for us that the semifinal of the Grand Slam is on the Grandstand,” Kerber said. She still felt a bit overwhelmed in the setting—under the lights and in front of a packed house as fans with tickets to the night session waited for the men’s matches to end so they could get into Ashe.

Aussie Open field features top 100 men (AP)

admin — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:36:11 +0000

Aussie Open field features top 100 men (AP)
The top 100-ranked men in the world and top 98 women are scheduled to play at next month’s Australian Open, giving the first Grand Slam of the year one of its best-ever fields. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal will attempt to win his fourth straight major, while defending champion and No. 2 Roger Federer is chasing his fifth Australian Open title.

The Miami Heat aren’t looking over their shoulders as much
The Heat might not be fully on track, yet, but they are winning and winning big. Miami has won nine straight games after a 9-8 start to 2010-11, and part of the credit has to go to a loosening of the reins from the sidelines. But only if the players are good boys. From the Miami Herald:A simple reward system has contributed to the Heat’s current run of eight consecutive blowout victories.If Dwyane Wade grabs a defensive rebound, he has the green light to do whatever he wants offensively. If LeBron James makes a defensive stop, he controls his own game on the other end of the court.These are the parameters set by coach Erik Spoelstra, and the chance for offensive freedom has helped spark the most dominant winning streak in franchise history. “Our job is to defend and then we get rewarded with what we want to do on offense,” James said.Wow. So, excuse me for being flip (I’ve got a bad cold, and I can barely stay awake much less type, so I’m quite cross right now), this means that two of the greatest players of their generation get to make decisions on the fly instead of submitting to running mapped-out plays that teams have scouted a hundred times over and anticipated a night before?Players get to read and react, as opposed to remember and submit? Doesn’t that sound like the main principle of an offensive system that has produced 11 NBA championships since 1991? Doesn’t that sound like the way to go?Next thing you know, they’re going to give these guys guaranteed contracts or something.

Hall of Famer Feller dies at 92 (AP)
Teenage pitching sensation, World War II hero, outspoken Hall of Famer and local sports treasure. Bob Feller was all of them. One of a kind, he was an American original. Blessed with a right arm that earned the Iowa farmboy the nickname “Rapid Robert” and made him one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Feller, who left baseball in the prime of his career to fight for his…

Hurricanes extend Islanders’ skid to 5 (AP)

admin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:54:15 +0000

Hurricanes extend Islanders’ skid to 5 (AP)
Once the Carolina Hurricanes finally figured out how to score at home, they just didn’t stop peppering New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro. Carolina was shut out by Washington and Pittsburgh in its only other home games this season, but broke out in a big way with a 7-2 rout of the Islanders on Wednesday night.

Bruins’ Thomas moves to 7-0, tops Sabres (AP)
Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara thinks his surging team can get better. If Tim Thomas keeps playing this well, there might be no limit to how good they can be. Thomas made 33 saves in his seventh straight win, and Brad Marchand and Michael Ryder had a goal and assist each to lift the Bruins to a 5-2 victory over the Ryan Miller-less Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

BNP Paribas Open expands replay coverage (AP)
The BNP Paribas Open will become the first tennis tournament to feature replay technology on all eight match courts in 2011. The tournament, to be played March 7-20 in Indian Wells, Calif., combines the men’s and women’s pro tours. Most pro tournaments feature Hawkeye replay technology and video displays on up to three courts, but none have made it available on all eight courts.

Ex-Panthers WR Carruth appealing verdict (AP)

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:35:57 +0000

Ex-Panthers WR Carruth appealing verdict (AP)
Lawyers for former NFL player Rae Carruth asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to throw out his conviction for plotting to kill his pregnant girlfriend in 1999. Carruth’s attorneys told a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that statements and written notes by Cherica Adams after she was shot so tainted the jury that his conviction should be tossed out.

Azarenka, Troicki win titles in Moscow (AP)
Victor Troicki of Serbia claimed his first title and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her fifth women’s crown in the Kremlin Cup finals Sunday. The 43rd-ranked Troicki rallied to beat fourth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, while Azarenka downed Russian doubles partner Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-4.

Davison-Dube withdraw after Davison hurts knee (AP)

admin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:17:59 +0000

Davison-Dube withdraw after Davison hurts knee (AP)
Canadian pairs Bryce Davison and Jessica Dube have withdrawn from Skate Canada International because Davison hurt his knee. A Skate Canada official said Davison was injured last week and was having tests done Monday. Davison and Dube are former world bronze medalists. Their withdrawal comes days after Canada’s Olympic and world ice dance champions, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, also announced…

No final decision on women’s ski jump for Sochi (AP)
The wait goes on for women’s ski jumping. After losing their battle to get into the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, women jumpers will have to hold on for a few more months to learn if they’ll be competing in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. The International Olympic Committee said Monday it looks “favorably” on women’s ski jumping and six other proposed new events but put off a…

Peppers feels Panthers disrespected him (AP)

admin — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:54:40 +0000

Peppers feels Panthers disrespected him (AP)
Julius Peppers described his offseason departure from Carolina as “a little sour” on Wednesday, claiming the Panthers tried to paint him in a bad light after deciding to let him leave in free agency. In a conference call with reporters ahead of Peppers’ return to Charlotte on Sunday with the Chicago Bears, the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end said he was under the impression the…

Lions QB Stafford won’t return this week (AP)
Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz says quarterback Matthew Stafford is still not healthy enough to play. Shaun Hill will start Sunday for the winless Lions at home against the St. Louis Rams. Stafford hasn’t played since he injured his right shoulder in the season-opening game at Chicago. Schwartz says Stafford has begun to throw and his rehabilitation is on schedule.

US wins women’s world championship beating Czechs (AP)
Sue Bird handed the world championship trophy to Tamika Catchings and the two embraced, sharing a large grin. The only blemish on their distinguished U.S. basketball career was now gone after an 89-69 victory over the Czech Republic in the women’s basketball title game Sunday night. It was one sweet win for Bird, Catchings, and Diana Taurasi, who were on the U.S.

The Detroit Lions will debut officially-unofficial cheerleaders

admin — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 03:17:59 +0000

The Detroit Lions will debut officially-unofficial cheerleaders
For the first time since 1934, the Detroit Lions will have cheerleaders at a game this weekend. Except that the women won’t be official Lions cheerleaders. And they can’t perform any organized cheers. And they aren’t allowed to wear the team’s colors or logos. And they’ll also be sitting in the stands. According to Terry Foster of the Detroit News, a group of 12 women who call themselves the Detroit Pride will attend Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia Eagles and serve as the team’s unofficial cheerleaders. The Pride had to get the team to approve their presence at Ford Field and agree to terms of etiquette as well. Those terms include all the rules listed in the first paragraph, plus other restrictions on picture taking and blocking the views of other fans.With all those rules in place, the Pride are essentially fans with less rights than everyone else. If me and a group of 11 buddies wanted to go to a Lions game and call ourselves The Motown Manes, we could do so and not have to worry about how many of us get into a picture or how coordinated our cheers are or worry about whether anyone behind can’t see.Because the Pride eventually want to become the official Lions cheerleaders, they did agree to these rules. The hope is that Lions ownership will see how many fans like the Pride’s presence and this will lead to the team reversing its anti-cheerleader stance. It’s a great theory and all, but how will fans know that the Pride are cheerleaders if they can’t do anything remotely resembling cheerleading? If a cheerleader isn’t allowed to cheer in a stadium, does she make a sound?Detroit has never approved an official cheerleading squad. Current owner William Clay Ford wants to promote a family-friendly atmosphere at games, though if that was his true goal he wouldn’t subject people to watching the Lions play.

Cox gets 2,500th win, Braves end skid (AP)
Bobby Cox enjoyed a little champagne and a cigar after earning his 2,500th victory as a major league manager. And it turns out it was all a big surprise to him. “I had no clue during the game,” Cox said. Atlanta’s longtime skipper earned a landmark victory at an opportune time Saturday, getting five effective innings from Derek Lowe and a three-run homer from Alex Gonzalez in the…

The five Least Valuable Players of Week 2
5. Seneca Wallace, QB, Cleveland Browns.As far as quarterbacking gigs go, it doesn’t get much sweeter than “guy who gets to replace Jake Delhomme.” And still, Seneca Wallace disappointed. Granted, he doesn’t have a lot of help in the lineup, but he lost at home to the Chiefs, and he did this:All credit to Brandon Flowers for making the read and making the play, but holy goodness, is that a terrible throw. I think the biggest obstacle Flowers had to overcome there was the sense of disbelief he experienced when he realized that Wallace really was going to throw that ball.4. Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots.I know — surprise addition to this list, right? After all, Moss did this, and that tends to overshadow anything else he did or didn’t do. But a closer look at the numbers reveals that Tom Brady targeted Randy Moss 10 times, and Moss made just two catches.For comparison’s sake, Wes Welker was targeted seven times and made six catches. Granted, Welker’s were of the shorter and easier variety, but still, if you’re a superstar like Moss, you’ve got to do better than catching two of the 10 passes headed your way. 3. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens.When’s the last time two good quarterbacks — or at least, two quarterbacks who are supposed to be good — faced each other, each of them threw the ball 35 or more times, and neither was able to complete even 50% of their passes or go above 170 yards? What an odd stat line.Now, maybe this one’s just the story of two great defenses. I’m not saying I’m completely sold on that idea, but maybe. Even if that is the case, the Ravens didn’t allow the Cincinnati Bengals a touchdown, Ray Rice was running for more than 5 yards per carry, and they still couldn’t get the win. Why? Well, four interceptions will do that to you.Just a shocking waste of an opportunity to beat a rival opponent on the road in what figures to be a very tight division.2. Cornell Green, T, Buffalo Bills.I’ll be straight with you. I didn’t watch a second of the Buffalo vs. Green Bay game. I’m sorry, but I’m not watching Buffalo unless I’m forced to at gunpoint.However, when the performance of an offensive tackle gets him labeled “the worst offensive lineman ever,” in a year where Alex Barron exists, I’ll take the guy’s word for it that Green was pretty bad. 1. Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings.You had to know this was coming. Favre threw three interceptions and went without a touchdown in a game that the Dolphins seemed to be actively trying to lose. Now, one of those interceptions wasn’t Favre’s fault — in fact, the throw should have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, it bounced off of Percy Harvin’s chest and was intercepted. But the blame can’t be placed on anyone else for the other two cripplers. Not to mention the fumble he coughed up in his own end zone.Tarvaris Jackson was perfectly capable of getting the Vikings to 0-2, and he could have done it with far less expense and headache.

Brady happy with contract extension (AP)

admin — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:18:10 +0000

Brady happy with contract extension (AP)
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is happy to be staying in New England. The former NFL MVP broke his silence on a four-year contract extension Saturday, two days after the sides agreed to terms. “Not only have I had the good fortune of playing for just one franchise, I have also played for the greatest head coach and with some of the best teammates a player could ever ask for,” Brady said.

FIBA to rule by March on British status (AP)
Britain will know by next spring whether its basketball teams will earn a spot in the 2012 London Olympics. While most Olympic host nations automatically qualify for the games, governing body FIBA wants to see progress in Britain’s basketball programs before giving the men’s and women’s teams places in the 2012 tournament.

Bobcats to give Miles shot at comeback (AP)
The Charlotte Bobcats will bring veteran forward Darius Miles to training camp with a non-guaranteed contract as he attempts another comeback from a serious knee injury. General manager Rod Higgins said Friday the former No. 3 overall draft pick will get a chance with after participating in offseason workouts and summer-league practices with Charlotte.

Schumacher accepts ruling, apologizes (PA SportsTicker)

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:18:14 +0000

Schumacher accepts ruling, apologizes (PA SportsTicker)
Michael Schumacher apologized to former teammate Rubens Barrichello for the way he drove during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Haynesworth doesn’t pass test again (AP)
This time, Albert Haynesworth started but had to stop. The two-time All-Pro defensive tackle tried to take the Washington Redskins conditioning test again Monday morning, but he pulled up after three back-and-forth sprints because he felt some irritation in his left knee. Haynesworth isn’t allowed to practice until he passes the test, which consists of two timed 300-yard back-and-forth shuttle…

Obama attends WNBA game after shooting hoops (AP)
President Barack Obama checked out the WNBA’s Washington Mystics on Sunday after spending the morning shooting some hoops himself. Obama, his daughter Sasha and a friend of Sasha’s had courtside seats for a women’s basketball game between the Mystics and the Tulsa Shock at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington.