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Ohio State University Football is a winning proposition in more ways than one this year. Not only are the team members winning every game they play, but also several of their players are putting forth the right foot in a show of good examples and role modeling that brings back a measure of respect to the game at OSU. This more than makes up for the legacy of Maurice Clarett and other players in the recent past years who have been convicted of assault and battery and other evils.

Four Ohio State football seniors combined forces for the edification of the crowd gathering on Monday evening, October 30 at St. John Arena. They did this to give back to the Buckeye Football and Sports community that supports them throughout their season, win or lose. They took it upon themselves to get together and organize The Main Event, which was free and open to the public. Crowds adorned with buckeyes on a strong around their necks, scarlet and gray jerseys and all manner of other OSU paraphernalia, were just as excited about The Main Event as they were about OSU Football and the Buckeyes winning streak this year.

Roy Hall, David Patterson, Joel Penton and Stan White Jr., along with Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel and the former Ohio State University Buckeyes quarterback Craig Krenzel, returned the favor to the crowds in October in order to support their fans at The Main Event. The Ohio State University Football Athletes in Action and Central Ohio Fellowship of Christian Athletes supported this program.

In an effort to relate their own personal stories to the fans, the four players invited the general public to the Ohio State campus to listen to their candid panel discussion and witnessing format. The team members did their best to openly and freely share the accounts of Faith and Football, aiming to convey how Christianity affects their lives to the good, both on and off the field as a lifestyle. Senior fullback Stan White said that they wanted to show the fans that the team members are rooting for them also.

The evening began with a rousing rendition of songs and cheers from members of TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band in the Land), The Ohio State Marching Buckeyes Band and The Ohio State Cheerleaders and Brutus Buckeye. They cheered the crowds, spreading the joy and pride in a no-lose season of football, followed by insight into the lives of the players, coaches, and guest speakers.

Craig Krenzel said, "I'm excited to join Coach Tressel and the players to show my appreciation to the fans by sharing with them what is most important in our lives."

Coach Jim Tressel himself, at the end of the evening, got up and gave his own Christian Testimony in St. John Arena, in front of thousands of people. He said of The Main Event, "We hope this is something that will touch lives."

Other guest speakers from the annals of football included James Laurinaitis, Vernon Gholston, Marcus Freeman and many more OSU Buckeyes.

Senior defensive tackle and Co-captain David Patterson said that while the fans always see the players play football on Saturdays, he was also hopeful that when Buckeye Nation packed the house at St. John Arena to hear the team message on October 30th, that a certain spirit would lift up and go with the crowds into their daily lives. The Main Event was about life itself and its purpose, and OSU football was just the vehicle - a vehicle with an incredible winning streak. The team wins and has the integrity to talk up the good points of the other team as well, without gloating.

The first 1,000 people that entered The Main Event received a photo signed by one of the participating OSU Buckeye Football players. You might see some of these on eBay in the future, especially if the Buckeyes keep winning and then win the Rose Bowl on top of that. These players would then go down in Buckeye history as the team that not only won the title, but also did their best to win souls for Christ as well. It takes real guts to stand up and do either one of those things, especially in front of a Big Ten college football crowd.

By Ed Jennett


He has been fined over a dozen times. His fines have totaled in excess of $1.5 million. But the new rule that the NBA is about to introduce has absolutely nothing to do with Mark Cuban, the extremely controversial owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

The league is preparing to enact a rule that will further curb the behavior of outspoken team owners. Last week the NBA Board of Governors passed legislation at its meeting last week that is intended to regulate the behavior of team owners at NBA games. While it has not been said, it is incredibly obvious that the new rule is at the very least partially due to the actions and antics of Cuban. Last year during both the regular season and the NBA Finals, Cuban sat at courtside, participated in team huddles, and often verbally abused NBA referees. Perhaps realizing that showing up could not possibly be more pointless, and may have resulted in getting verbally abused himself, Cuban did not attend the meeting last week.

While the final language of the new impending legislation has yet to be finalized, it is expected that NBA Commissioner David Stern will soon make an announcement regarding it. Officially, the policy will be aimed at assuring that owners do not enter the basketball court, do not taunt NBA players or NBA officials, and in general maintain a level of decorum that is mandated by the league. Unofficially, the policy will be aimed at Cuban.

Last year during the NBA Finals Cuban was fortunate to only receive a fine of $250,000 for his numerous, and ridiculous, acts of misconduct. Despite the fact that he has been, to put it in the politest terms possible, a thorn in the side of the NBA Commissioner, Cuban told the local Fort Worth-Star Telegram that he did not know the content of the impending code of conduct for NBA owners. According to Cuban, when Stern was asked for the specifics of the code of conduct, he was not able to give any details about it.

Cuban also explained that some of the other owners are attempting to turn him into an example. He said that these owners do not like the way that he conducts his business, except for when the teams of these owners want him to speak to their customers and season-ticket holders to try to help sell their tickets and luxury suites. Apparently Cuban feels that it is in his best interests to continue to insult and anger the other owners that he believes already have it in for him.

While he clearly is a target, Cuban clearly causes the majority of his own problems. Last year after Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-final series against the defending NBA World Champion San Antonio Spurs, Cuban went onto the basketball court and began criticizing the selection process of the NBA for playoff officials. The Maverick owner of the Mavericks must have felt that the Spurs did not represent enough of a challenge for his team (despite the fact that they lost Game 1) and decided the only way that San Antonio would even be slightly competitive in the series against Dallas is if he criticized the league in order to force Stern to have the referees be biased against his team.

The most ridiculous and embarrassing aspect of the antics and outbursts of Cuban is that he actually sometimes has legitimate complaints and grievances against the NBA. If none of his complaints and grievances had any validity it would be much easier to simply dismiss and ignore him. It would also be much easier for the league to try to force Cuban to sell the Dallas Mavericks.

Cuban was completely right in his belief that the NBA should have an established process for how its referees are selected to officiate playoff games and that the top officials from each round should continue to advance and officiate the later rounds. However this correct opinion is easily, and unfortunately, ignored when it is being expressed by someone who is acting like an ignorant madman. Cuban would do himself, his team, and the league, if he were to follow the soon to be implemented code of conduct for owners. It might allow him to be taken seriously and listened to, which would likely result in improvements to the NBA. The Mavericks were a complete mess and an unfunny joke before Cuban purchased the franchise. He has since helped them become a perennial powerhouse. If he were to ever behave in a professional manner he would become just as an important asset to the entire league as well.

By Ed Jennett


The new synthetic ball that will be used by the NBA this season is definitely not a new and improved ball. This is clearly the opinion of the majority of NBA players, who have been complaining about the ball for the past month. NBA players have said that the new and not improved synthetic balls feel and perform differently than the old leather balls that the league has used in the past.

This strong opinion may in fact be a fact. That is according to the results of a study that had been requested by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The study was conducted by physicists at the University of Texas-Arlington. The physicists have released the results of the preliminary tests. According to the physicists the new synthetic balls, which are made of a microfiber composite, do not behave like the old leather balls that the league has used previously. Numerous players had been complaining about the ball, specifically both the grip of the ball and the unpredictable bounce of the ball ever since training camps had opened.

The preliminary tests were performed after Cuban had contacted Dr. James L. Horwitz, who is the chairman of the Physics Department at the University of Texas-Arlington. Despite the fact that he is the person that initiated the tests, Cuban says that he does not have any intention of doing anything with the results of the tests.

When he was contacted by The Associated Press about the matter, Cuban said that he would do nothing with the results and added that he would support NBA Commissioner David Stern and the league to the fullest of his ability with the data gathered from the tests.

According to the preliminary test results, the new synthetic ball made of microfiber composites bounces 5 to 8 percent lower than the old ball made of leather did when the balls were dropped from a height of 4 feet. The preliminary test results also revealed that the new synthetic balls bounce 30 percent more erratically than the old balls than the old balls that were made out of leather. The preliminary test results were released by the physicists at the University of Texas-Arlington this past Sunday.

NBA Commissioner David Stern had dismissed the complaints of the players last week. Stern had also said that the NBA was going to continue to use the new synthetic balls. In his internet blog last week Cuban also said that the league should continue to use the new synthetic balls.

The old leather balls that were used by the NBA were manufactured by Spalding. Vice President of Marketing for Spalding, Dan Touhey, has said that the difference in bounce between the new synthetic balls and the old leather balls could be due to a couple of different issues. The first reason for a difference in bounce could be because of the surface that the two balls were bounce on. The second reason, which Touhey believes is the more likely reason, is because of the age of the balls that were used in the preliminary tests. According to Touhey, an old leather ball would bounce more than a new leather ball would. Touhey also explained that an old leather ball would also bounce more than a new synthetic one would.

Touhey also added that the leather ball that was used in the preliminary test had to be an older one. This is because Spalding has not shipped any new balls to NBA teams since August of 2005. He explained that because of this the ball is probably out of the spec of the NBA and if it was not that it had a greater likelihood of being so. Touhey added that there would have been a lot of wear and tear on the old leather ball that was used in preliminary test.

The preliminary test results also revealed something that is in direct contrast to what the NAB and Spalding have said about the new synthetic balls. NBA players have said that the new synthetic balls become slippery when they are wet. Both the NBA and Spalding have said that the new microfiber composite material is easier to grip when it starts to become damp. According to the results of the preliminary tests, the players are correct. The physicists have discovered that the new synthetic balls are less absorbent than the old leather balls are. This causes the new microfiber composite balls to be more slippery when they are wet.

According to Touhey, one of the strengths of the new synthetic balls is that they prevent the absorption of water. Water absorption causes the weight of the ball to change as the game goes on. Touhey says that Spalding and the NBA felt pretty strongly about their tests and the way that they were conducted. He believes that their test that were conducted gave the two companies accurate readings. Touhey added that Spalding and the NBA do not know is how the physicists wet the material of the balls. According to Touhey the tests of Spalding and the NBA attempted to replicate the rate of perspiration, in order to replicate game situations throughout all of their tests. He pointed out that it is possible that the physicists could have simply dunked the balls in a basin of water.

The study of the physicists recommends changing or frequently drying the balls during an NBA game. A spokesman of the NBA said that it is up to the discretion of the referees who are officiating the game to decide if the ball needs to be changed during the course of the game.

In addition, the physicists have recommended inflating the ball to 14.5 pounds per square inch, instead of the regulation 8.5 pounds per square inch, in order to address the problem of a lack of bounce. It is highly unlikely that this recommendation will be followed since the NBA and Spalding do not agree with the revelation of the results that the new synthetic balls do not bounce as high.

A common complaint of the new microfiber composite ball is that it will always feel new. In general, NBA players want to play with an old, used basketball.

By Ed Jennett


It took another embarrassing incident to force the league to finally take action. But the NBA finally is heading in the right direction when it comes to the ridiculous and disgusting conduct of some of its fans who attend league games in person. The Orlando Magic and the league have decided to ban for the season an obnoxious fan who yelled a racial slur at Houston Rockets backup center Dikembe Mutombo during a preseason game between the Rockets and the Magic in Orlando last week.

Hooman Hamzehloui is an Orlando Magic season ticket holder who for some reason felt that it would be a good idea to call Mutombo a monkey. There is no need to use the word alleged as many news outlets continue to do as Hamzelhoui has already admitted to doing this. His unintentionally hilarious, incredibly idiotic, and clearly untrue defense is that he did not realize that calling Mutombo a monkey was offensive. That leads to one very obvious question. If Hamzehloui did not think it was offensive to call Mutombo a monkey, why did he say that while he was heckling him. He certainly must not have thought that it was a compliment.

Unfortunately a lot of people will now think it is right to call Hamzehloui a monkey. That could not be any further from the truth. Because are actually quite intelligent, while Hamzehloui is definitely not.

Fortunately Mutombo is one of the kindest and most generous people in the world, not just the world of sports. Because of this he has forgiven Hamzehloui. Hamzehloui has apologized to Mutombo through a letter and has offered to do so in person as well. He has also said that he will not attend another game of the Orlando Magic until Mutombo gives the team his approval and that he would donate $5,000 to a charity that Mutombo chooses. While Mutombo said that it meant a lot to him that Hamzelhoui offered to apologize in person, that it was not necessary.

At the time of the comment Mutombo was justifiably furious. Mutombo yelled back at Hamzehloui and gestured at him from the basketball court, during the third quarter incident. Hamzehloui was ejected from the game. Mutombo was still understandably very angry immediately after the game. He said that the next time something like this happened he would go into the stands even if the league fined him for it.

Tim Frank, who is a spokesman for the NBA said that no action has been taken against Mutombo and that the matter was closed. This would probably be the worst aspect of the entire despicable incident, that the matter is closed. The NBA and the Orlando Magic took away the season tickets of Hamzehloui but they also refunded his money for the season tickets. There is no reason to refund the money of a person who has been banned due to their own reprehensible conduct. There is also no reason that the Orlando Magic and the NBA should not have banned Hamzehloui from ever attending a league game in person again.

This proactive line of thinking was what NBA Commissioner David Stern had in mind when he suspended then Indiana Pacers small forward Ron Artest for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs when he went into the stands an attacked a fan who he through threw a cup of beer at him. Stern was attempting to set a precedent so harsh that no NBA player would ever think about going into the stands again. But the actions of Stern were incredibly short sighted and only addressed the second issue that led to the embarrassing brawl. The fight between the players of the Indiana Pacers and the fans of the Detroit Pistons began when a Detroit Pistons fan threw a beer on Artest. The league chose note to address the causational issue of the near riot and has continued to pay for it.

Last season then New York Knicks power forward Antonio Davis justifiably went into the stands when he felt his wife and children were being threatened and attacked by fans in Chicago. Davis was suspended five games for his actions. Just as there was a lack of action in the sickening Detroit debacle, the league still did not do any thing about unruly fan behavior after the Chicago incident.

While taking away his season tickets was a big step in the right direction, it definitely is not enough. The best, and possibly only chance, the league has of controlling unruly fans at NBA games it to immediately ban for life any fan that causes any disturbance. If the NBA does not see that then it may be only a matter of time before the league sees another incident like the Brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

By Ed Jennett


It looks like the only functioning basketball brains in New York reside in the office of NBA Commissioner David Stern. The bumbling New York Knicks and their unprofessional former Head Coach Larry Brown have finally settled their divorce/dispute/separation/impasse/never-ending bad joke that managed to make the entire league look bad. But of course, it only happened because of the Commissioner.

Stern requested that the Knicks and Brown agree to a compromise on the remainder of his contract. After disgustingly making him twist, the Knicks fired Brown forty days after word spread throughout the entire basketball world that the team was going to fire him. The team probably would have dragged it out even longer to add to the torture and humiliation, but did not want the ongoing Brown saga to be a distraction for them at the 2006 NBA Draft.

But if the Knicks really thought that it was over the franchise is as delusional as it is inept. Knicks owner James Dolan decided that he was not going to pay Brown due to his frequent unprofessional and insubordinate conduct during his one season on the job. Under Brown the Knicks finished last in the putrid Eastern Conference last season and ended the year with a pathetic 23-59 record. That alone would have been enough to justify firing Brown.

However it was the reasons Dolan gave for refusing to pay Brown the $40 million dollars that he was owed for the remaining four years on his contract that made this situation bizarre. Dolan charged that Brown was intentionally losing games so that team President/General Manager Isiah Thomas would make the trades that Brown wanted. This assertion was supported by Brown using over 40 different starting lineups last year during an 82-game season.

After repeatedly being told not to bad mouth his own players in the press by the Knicks organization, Brown referred to young Knicks small forward Trevor Ariza as delusional. Brown was the delusional one if he thought that blatantly defying his bosses this way was a good career move.

Brown also instigated a feud with his best player, All-Star point guard, and fellow native New Yorker Stephon Marbury. This was obviously a bad idea as Marbury initially reacted in the same manner as the young Ariza, but the veteran eventually had enough and began bad mouthing Brown back in the press. The situation only became worse when the Knicks did not even reprimand Marbury. It was later revealed during the offseason that Thomas told Brown that he could discipline Marbury if he wanted to, even if he wanted to suspend him. Brown chose not to take action against his sparring partner. This was most likely because Brown had to realize how hypocritical it would be for him to do something to Marbury for retaliating in a feud that Brown had started. Especially since the Knicks had already old Brown to stop publicly criticizing his own players. Brown was actually lucky not to be disciplined by the team himself.

The most damaging, and shocking, allegation of Dolan was that Brown was undermining Thomas by calling other teams and making trade proposals with other teams for the Knicks that had the club giving up more than what Thomas was willing to. This clearly was undermining his immediate boss and would have been grounds for justifiable and immediate termination even if the Knicks had finished the regular season 82-0. While it would be difficult to prove these allegations, during the time that it was supposedly taking place, it was widely reported in the New York media that Brown was speaking with other teams regarding trades. In defense of Brown, whenever this was mentioned in any media outlet it sounded as if he was attempting to help the team and was simply speaking with his numerous friends that work for other teams around the league.

Dolan also alleged that after the nightmare season ended Brown wanted Thomas to waive several players including Marbury, fellow All-Star guard Steve Francis, rookie guard Nate Robinson, power forward Maurice Taylor, and small forward Jalen Rose. Francis is the second best player on the team and Brown pushed for the Knicks to acquire him before the trade deadline last season. Robinson is incredibly popular with the Knicks fans and provided one of the only highlights of the season by winning the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend. Taylor and Rose have recently been waived by Thomas. Dolan claimed that wanting all of these players waived was an unreasonable request that Brown did not expect to be granted and was actually an attempt to force the team to fire him. This is definitely an example of the old saying be careful of what you ask for because you just might get it. Dolan supports this claim by pointing out that during his contract negotiations with the Knicks that Brown insisted on a clause that stated if there were any financial disputes between Brown and the club that Commissioner Stern would serve as the arbitrator. This clause was unheard of and eventually had to be invoked. Although it was only after Dolan refused to pay Brown.

In order to keep up his streak of bad decisions, Brown must have felt that simply being in the right was not a good enough position. He chose not to sue the Knicks for the $40 million he was owed, but for $53 million instead for breaching his contract and attorney fees.

While Stern would not reveal what the eventual settlement was, he did reveal that they no longer have any future obligation to one another. Stern also added that both sides have assured him that there will be no additional further discussion of the matter.

Stern had been expected to rule on the matter next week at the earliest. But fortunately the Commissioner wisely, and rightly, decided to end one of the biggest embarrassments from last season before the new season began. There was no statement released about what Stern would do if the Knicks continue to be arguably the biggest eyesore in the league. There was also no statement released on what Stern would do if Dolan lets Thomas twist for 40 days and then refuse to pay him for the remained of his contract after firing him following the 2006-2007 season.

Chief Christian Eze, Black Belt 1st Dan
Mr. Monday Okoro, Black Belt 2nd Dan
Chief Theo Muoneke, Black Belt 2nd Dan
Chief Austin Igwe Edeze, Black Belt 2nd Dan & 2 Golden Trophies
Right Honorable Chief Christopher Omo Isu, Black Belt 1st Dan
Dr. C. O. O. Chukwu, Black Belt 1st Dan
Hon. Maxwell Nwali, Black Belt 1st Dan
Hon. Oko Ude Uko, Black Belt 1st Dan
Mrs. Phyllis Ogo Ogah-Chukwwu, Black Belt 1st Dan

AWARD FOR NOMINEES
Mr. Olushola Luke Black, Belt 1st Dan
DSP Michael O. Oladeinde, Black Belt 1st Dan
Mr. B. Orodele, NUGA Secretary Genera, Black Belt 1st Dan
Enobong Idot, Sec. FGPC Akwa-Ibom State, Black Belt 1st Dan


AWARD FOR PRACTITIONERS
Boniface Akuma, head coach, EBSU, Black Belt 4th Dan
Kingsley Idam, Black Belt 1st Dan
Gabriel Idam Jr., Black Belt 1st Dan


In response to their various awards and induction into the Black Belt College as Honorary Fellows, the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, who is also Chairman of Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) of Ebonyi State, Nigeria; Chief Austin Edeze, thanked the Vice Chancellor for the occasion. He stated that by virtue of the awards, he has been further challenged in the advancement of combat sport, and he promised to take Tae Kwon Do to greater heights in the State of Ebonyi. As for his own part, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Right Honorable Chief Christopher Omo Isu, called for a proposal from the organizers of the event with the aim of instituting a zonal Tae Kwon Do championship for the South Eastern zone, right now being planned for end of the year 2006.

Congratulations to all participants in this celebration of good sports and sportsmanship! The Ebonyi State inaugural celebration of the International Year of Sports and Physical Education has been a great success. We hope that in each successive year of celebration, the world will recapture that same spirit of camaraderie that we witness and experience at each new Olympic Games.

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By Derek Wilson

This mid-week presents me with another interesting quandary. While many of Europe's - and indeed the world's - football fans will be eagerly awaiting the next round of Champions League fixtures I am suffering from decidedly mixed feelings. The game I will be going to watch in a couple of hours is Levski Sofia against Werder Bremen. I am delighted, as ever, to see Bremen. They are a wonderful side blessed with great players and an attacking attitude that makes them a joy to behold. But more importantly, for me at least, is their off field status. They are able to spend significant sums of money, yes, but not the stupid amounts that the top teams in England, Spain and Italy do. Heck, they are not even on the same financial level as Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg in Germany, never mind Bayern Munich. And yet here they are only a couple of results away from knocking out Barcelona from the group stage in what will be one of the biggest shocks in modern European football. Why does that excite me so much while at the same time I try to ignore it?

Well to be brutally honest, for a football fan I have a strange attitude towards big/rich clubs, the Champions League in particular and most of all the G14 group. Okay they maybe play in the most glamorous club competition in the world, with the best players and they can produce some dazzling games. But I loathe them. I hate them all. I detest them with a passion I never knew I had for their greed and what they're doing to football. Yet when the games arrive I still find myself checking the results, noting the ups and downs and now, now that Bremen are on the verge of something great I am turning into a fan of these mid-week Euro struggles. I know I shouldn't do it and I know I should maintain my principles and be strong enough to say no. But just when your cute female friend has had a glass of wine too many and gets flirty, even though you know it's a terrible idea you crack and do it anyway...so I have cracked and decided that I will be following Bremen as much as I can in their Champions League campaign.

There is no question in my mind that the G14 are bad for football. They are obsessed with making money for themselves and they have forced UEFA to batter European competition out of all previous recognition just so they can play more games with each other and make more money. They, of course, claim that they are acting in the best interests of the game. That by providing more games between the big clubs they are supplying what the public want. But the public, in my view, do not want the Champions League in its current carnation. They want a proper sporting competition where the best teams can compete with each but they do so on a fair and level playing field not one that is artificially slanted in favour of the rich and those who were successful in the past. The G14's true attitude occasionally slips out when one of the anointed teams somehow fails to qualify for the competition. They simply change the rules needed to qualify as they did when Real Madrid and Liverpool missed out in previous years. Great for fans of Liverpool - being yet again in the tournament even though it was undeserved - but not many people remember Slavia Prague who were forced out of the seeded pot and into the non seeded group for the qualifying draw. As a result rather than getting a game they would likely win, they drew a Euro giant and lost out. Never mind though, they were never in the exclusive club in the first place and few people missed them. A similar outrage should have occurred when Manchester United lost to AC Milan in the first knock out stage a few years ago. The Milan president said it was a disgrace that two clubs like this should meet so early in the competition. He ignored the fact they were drawn together only because Man United weren't good enough to win their own group and that the competition had already reached its springtime stage. There were only a few months left in the football year, if March was unsuitable for one of these teams to be knocked out, just when was? But as this comment hinted at their true desire to protect their own access to the pots of gold TV and sponsorship bring, it also showed what they truly want beyond anything else - their own league, where none of their little club ever has to worry about being knocked out. Who wins it won't actually matter since they are all guaranteed the same number of games and whether you finish first or last the difference in prize money is negligible compared to what you earn from TV and sponsors simply from bringing your historic name to the party. And best of all, this will be a closed league where such trivial things as form and being the best from your country matters not. The league will not be run for the sporting aspect it will be run to keep the big clubs ticking over with cash. And if TV wants AC Milan rather than Chievo, if they want Liverpool rather than West Ham etc then there is no way the G14 will risk Cheivo or West Ham qualifying to the party ahead of one of the chosen few.

What further angers me is the trickle down effect of the greed shown by the biggest clubs. In Scotland the top 12 teams broke away from the rest of the league so they would not have to share TV income with teams who play in front of a few hundred loyal fans. These clubs are amongst the most prudently run in the country, they have no 'problem elements' or religious baggage as is so prevalent with other teams. Yet they have been cut off by clubs like Motherwell, Dundee United and Dunfermline, small clubs who battle against the odds and should know better than to discriminate against others. All this greed comes from the desperate desire to stay a few places ahead just incase they somehow make it into Europe for then the real money starts to flow. Most people in Scotland - indeed, I would say, almost everyone who does not support one of the Old Firm - hate the SPL and what it stands for. But they cannot turn their backs on their clubs, the clubs continue to look after their own interests and the circle of greed continues.

That is why I am so desperately hoping Werder Bremen win the next couple of games and knock out Barcelona. Okay Barca will still get to play in the UEFA Cup but that competition is now only a shadow of it's former self and the reason for that is clubs like Barca ruined it by effectively insisting they should only play in the big competition. So Werder have a wonderful chance in the coming weeks, not just to better themselves but also to deliver a bloody nose to one of the big boys who thought they were invincible. I can already imagine the TV companies and sponsors gnashing their teeth at the thought of Werder progressing rather than the mighty Barcelona. I can hear the pundits saying how big a shame it is that a club like Barca were knocked out before the dramatic knockout stages. But it's not a shame. If Barcelona get knocked out at the group stage they have no one to blame but themselves. They helped organise the rules of the tournament, they benefited hugely from the discriminatory seeding policy and yet they still might simply not be good enough to progress. How sweet would that be? From normal football fans all over Europe, good luck Werder!

The 2006 Major League Baseball season is now over, and one of the worst teams in the National League (well the second worst record) has the 2006 National League batting champion. That team is the Pittsburgh Pirates, and that National League batting title winner is none other than Freddy Sanchez.

Before this record season, nobody outside of Pittsburgh really knew who Freddy Sanchez was. After all, he did in fact start the 2006 season as a utility fielder / backup player. But the question is, how did a relatively unknown player at the beginning of the season turn into an National League All Star half way through the season, and end the season by winning the National League batting title?

Born on December 21st, 1977 in Hollywood, California, Freddy played baseball for his Burbank, California high school. During his senior year in high school Freddy Sanchez was declared most valuable player on his high school team. Although he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 30th round after high school, Sanchez did not sign. Instead, following high school Sanchez enrolled in Glendale Community College where he played for two years before later transferring to Dallas Baptist University, and later Oklahoma City University. Throughout his college years, Freddy continued to win assorted awards for his baseball talents.

In 2000, Freddy Sanchez was finally signed to play professional baseball by a Boston Red Sox scout. As a result, Freddy would spend the next two years quickly advancing through the Boston Red Sox's minor league system. Sanchez's skills were being refined, and his batting average was skyrocketing.

Freddy Sanchez was finally called up to play for the Major League Boston Red Sox team on August 2nd, 2002. In the game, Freddy went one for two with a solid single. Sanchez spent the majority of the next season bouncing back and forth between Boston's minor league Pawtucket organization, before he was ultimately traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31st, 2003 in a deadline deal.

Sanchez was only able to play in one game on a Pittsburgh Pirate minor league team, the Nashville Sounds, before he suffered an ankle injury which caused him to be placed on the disabled list for the rest of the season. After showing a lot of potential early on, it seemed as if Freddy Sanchez's best days were gone. In the 2004 season, Freddy was side lined most of the season due to the ankle injury he had suffered the previous season.

All hope was not lost, as Freddy started to bounce back for the 2005 Major League Baseball season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2005, Freddy was able to play in a hundred and thirty two games, which is quite odd considering Freddy Sanchez was a backup player. In those one hundred and thirty two games, Sanchez managed to get a batting average of .291 with five home runs and thirty five runs batted in. Although his stats for the year were by no means remarkable, it showed that Freddy back on his way to reaching his full baseball potential.

The following season (2006) was Freddy Sanchez's break out season. Just like the previous season, Sanchez began the season as backup / utility fielder, and did not get much play during the first several games. An injury however soon took third baseman Joe Randa out, and Freddy Sanchez in. Joe Randa's injury is perhaps the best thing to occur to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in the 2006 season. Manager Jim Tracy of the Pittsburgh Pirates continually stated several times during the month of April that Freddy Sanchez's role in the Pittsburgh Pirates was a utility fielder / backup player. With Joe Randa out of the picture, Freddy Sanchez was able to show the baseball world what he was capable of.

Sanchez quickly earned the nickname "Steady Freddy" as he was capable of always getting hits. If there was a player you could count on to get a hit, it was Freddy. Although the Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, Freddy Sanchez was still gaining rapid attention through out the baseball world.

Although his name appeared no where on the voting ballot for the 2006 Major League Baseball All Star game, Freddy Sanchez still managed to obtain over eight hundred thousand write in votes; the most of any Major League Baseball player. This ultimately led the National League team Manager, Phil Garner to utilize Sanchez in the game starting in the 5th inning.

The 2006 Major League Baseball All Star game was soon over, however Freddy Sanchez continued to amaze the public. His popularity increased as he delivered hit after hit, and incredible plays became the norm. Throughout the rest of the 2006 season, Freddy Sanchez found himself not only leading his team in batting average, but also the entire National League as well.

As the small market Pittsburgh Pirates team continued find themselves in last place, fans continued to come to every home game to support their All Star, Freddy Sanchez. While Jason Bay was the Pittsburgh Pirates' superstar for the past two years, it was evident that Freddy Sanchez had stepped up to take his place.

While Sanchez may not be able to smash home runs (he only hit six home runs in the 2006 season) Sanchez still has enough power to get the ball out in to the field. Freddy Sanchez managed to get an even two hundred hits in the 2006 season, as well as an impressive eighty five runs batted in. Sanchez also broke the Pittsburgh Pirates single season double record, when he smashed a very impressive fifty three doubles.

What will the future hold for Freddy Sanchez? Will he stay in Pittsburgh, or go to a better team. Personally, Sanchez is my favorite player (I'm a Pittsburgh Pirate fan) and I would hate to see him leave. He brought a lot of people to the last games of the season (Everybody wanted to experience Freddy Sanchez at bat) and a lot of attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was the 2006 National League batting champion, hopefully he will stick around and help the Pittsburgh Pirates become World Series champions in the near future.

Arsenal 1 Everton 1
28 Oct 2006

For three seasons now, this is how managers tell their teams to play Arsenal: put ten men behind the ball; do not give them any space; the main objective is to destroy, not create; tackle them hard, kick them if necessary; waste a lot of time... As Arsene Wenger told reporters, "It seems we will have that all season where teams play 4-4-2 everywhere they play and then come to play us and play 4-5-1."

That was what Everton did, and it worked again. It was hard to blame Everton though, as they were thrashed by the Gunners 7 - 0 only 18 months ago. David Moyes knew full well what Arsenal could do if you let them play. Reading let them play and look what happened to them. They were hammered. Even a team like Man U could not cope. Arsenal went to Old Trafford, Man U gave them space, and Arsene Wenger promptly handed the Red Devils their first defeat of the season.

The Arsenal manager was less than impressed by Everton's time wasting, "From first to last their goalkeeper was placing goal kicks from the left then moving them to the right and they were standing in front of the ball at free-kicks. It was negative but that's the game. It was like a film you have seen 10 times. It's becoming boring."

Simply take a look at the match stats, and you will see how dominant Arsenal were. 16 corners to Everton's 3. 26 goal attempts to Everton's measly 2. But Everton's defence held firm, despite an Arsenal onslaught in the last 15 minutes, when there were only two Arsenal defenders on the field. Wenger sent on Theo Walcott and Jeremie Aliadiere, which means there were four Arsenal strikers on the pitch. Wenger knew how important it was to get all three points as Chelsea and Man U had already won.

It was understandable that Arsenal fans were frustrated, but it was shocking to hear some fans venting their frustration on Captain Thierry Henry. But Henry was not going to stop playing the beautiful football now associated with Arsenal. As he told reporters after the match that he would rather "die" than to play ugly.

Arsenal probably had the upcoming Champions League match in mind on Saturday, and Henry was told to conserve energy. CSKA Moscow defeated Arsenal 1 -0 in Moscow, and it is important for the Gunners to win on Tuesday to not make a once easy group stage difficult.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "It was very frustrating, but we shouldn't have conceded the goal in the way we did. Everton deserve the credit for the way the defended. They were very intelligent and once they went 1-0 up they never came out. When you play like we play we have the ability to open up teams and punish them, but unfortunately we weren't able to do that today."

Everton manager David Moyes was proud of his players, "The lads showed great character and there is a bug doing the rounds and I may have to give them a few days off to recover. All the lads who have played with injuries and illness need a pat on the back for their performances. It's great for the lads to come here and get a result, especially the way they played against Reading last week."

Credits have to be given to Everton for a disciplined defensive display. I do not like the way they played, but it is possibly the only way they could play to get anything out of the match. American goalkeeper Tim Howard made an outstanding save to make sure his team earn a hard fought point at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal:
Jens Lehmann, Johan Djourou (Theo Walcott), William Gallas, Justin Hoyte (Mathieu Flamini), Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Aleksandr Hleb (Jeremie Aliadiere), Tomas Rosicky, Gilberto Silva, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie
Goal: Robin van Persie 71.

Everton:
Tim Howard, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville, Alan Stubbs, Joseph Ikpo Yobo, Mikel Amatriain Arteta, Tim Cahill, Lee Carsley, Simon Davies, Leon Osman, Andrew Johnson
Goal: Tim Cahill 11.

Referee: Riley, M
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,047

Corners: Arsenal: 16Everton: 3
Goal Attempts: Arsenal: 26 Everton: 2
On Target: Arsenal: 12 Everton: 2

Bolton 0 Man Utd 4

Oops. I got this one completely wrong. So Wayne Rooney played his best match since last season and totally destroyed Bolton by scoring his second hat trick since joining the Red Devils. Based on this impressive display, Man Utd are actually better than I thought. Even though it is still early in the season, they look like the most likely challengers to Chelsea's title.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce admitted that Rooney was too much for his side to handle, "Wayne Rooney has proved beyond doubt he's the best English player in the Premiership. His hat-trick was well deserved and it just shows the people who were writing him off were talking nonsense. Apart from the third goal, there was very little we could do to stop him. The first two were magnificent goals made of outstanding quality."

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, knew his faith in his young star would pay off, "It was going to happen sooner or later. I spoke to Wayne and told him to relax and keep concentrating. Once he got the first one, you could see the confidence coming back and after that, I was just hoping the ball would go to him all the time. There is a growing confidence within the club, we are looking very strong."

Bolton:
Jussi Jaaskelainen, Tal Ben-Haim, Nicky Hunt (Henrik Pedersen), Abdoulaye Meite, Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye, Stelios Giannakopoulos (Idan Tal), Ramos Ivan Campo, Gary Speed, Nicolas Anelka, Kevin Davies (Johann Smith), El Hadji Diouf

Man Utd:
Edwin Van der Sar, Patrice Evra (Gabriel Heinze), Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs (Darren Fletcher), Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha (John O'Shea)

Goals: Wayne Rooney 10, 16, Cristiano Ronaldo 82, Wayne Rooney 89.

Sheffield United 0 Chelsea 2

Too bad Sheffield United missed a penalty. After that, they just did not have a chance. And third choice keeper Henrique Hilario is taking full advantage of his rare appearance by saving the penalty. Who knows? If he keeps this up, he might play a bigger part in the team.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said of him, "Hilario is amazing. He is cool and comfortable in goal and I think the penalty save was a three-point save. If Hilario doesn't save it maybe we are in trouble."

The scary thing about Chelsea is that, even when they are not playing at their best, and they are not close to their full potential right now, they still win matches. I don’t like either Chelsea or Man U, but I am glad that this season is not a one horse race like the last two.

Sheffield United, on the other hand, seem out of depth at this level. Manager Neil Warnock said, "We are a little bit naive. Their players sometimes go down where we stumble on. We have to learn what to do in certain situations. We will be looking to add some quality in January but we need to stick in there in the meantime. We are easy to referee because we never try to convince him."

Sheffield United:
Paddy Kenny, Chris Armstrong, Leigh Bromby (Rob Kozluk), Claude Davis, Mikele Leigertwood, Keith Gillespie (Steven Kabba), Phil Jagielka, Alan Quinn, Michael Tonge (Nick Montgomery), Rob Hulse, Danny Webber

Chelsea:
Henrique Hilario, Wayne Bridge, Ricardo Carvalho, Renato Paulo Ferreira, John Terry, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole (Shaun Wright-Phillips), Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba (Salomon Kalou), Arjen Robben (Claude Makelele)

Goals: Frank Lampard 43, Michael Ballack 49.

Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 1

I expected Liverpool to come good, and what better place to do than at Anfield in front of their fans? And on top of that, beat the only undefeated team in the league. It was probably Liverpool's finest performance of the season. They played attacking football, and the third goal was a beauty. Aston Villa hardly got out of their own half in the first 45 minutes.

Liverpool:
Jose Manuel Reina, Jamie Carragher, Steve Finnan, Sami Hyypia, John Arne Riise, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard (Robbie Fowler), Javier Sanz Luis Garcia (Boudewijn Zenden), Mohamed Sissoko, Peter Crouch (Jermaine Pennant), Dirk Kuyt

Goals: Dirk Kuyt 31, Peter Crouch 38, Javier Sanz Luis Garcia 44.

Aston Villa:
Thomas Sorensen, Gareth Barry, Wilfred Bouma, Aaron Hughes, Olof Mellberg, Isaiah Osbourne (Steven Davis), Liam Ridgewell, Stilian Petrov, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Juan Pablo Angel (Chris Sutton), Milan Baros (Didier Agathe)

Goal: Gabriel Agbonlahor 56.

By Tovash Hatcher

Since it's Halloween week, I have the scariest movie title..."The NFL just keeps getting better and better" (insert your own scream). If your Halloween night is a little less scary than normal, it's probably because witches, evil clowns, Jason, Freddy, Myers, and the other guys will be tuned in to the NFL waiting for next week's NFL action. Heck, even the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins will find themselves preparing for Halloween night by tuning in to the Monday night games pairing the Patriots and Vikings. Everyone is doing their part in keeping the professional game of football at the top of the watching list. I'm pretty sure that the man upstairs even puts off performing miracles for at least 4 quarters on Sundays.

I even blame the NFL for overshadowing this country's pastime...baseball. Did you know that there was a world champion that was crowned in the form of the St. Louis Cardinals? Congrats to Tony La Russa and the rest of the Cardinals for winning the 2006 title. But for some reason, I think the sports audience forgot to tune in to see it. I hold the NFL responsible for that too.

I was one to tune in on Sunday when I saw a guy in a Michael Vick costume pick apart the Bengals secondary like a fat man dissecting a turkey leg. Oh wait, that was Michael Vick? This just in, Michael Vick is now a precision pocket passer. Sarcasm is hard to interpret in print but that last sentence was totally just that. Michael Vick has been getting better behind center for the Falcons and it's beginning to be a little frightening to opposing teams. With 7 touchdown passes in the last 3 games, Vick is back to being that dangerous QB from Virginia Tech. Yesterday Vick and the Falcons took on the interception happy Bengals defense. Vick's numbers were pro-bowl like. He threw for 20/28 for 291 yards and those 3 TD passes. And for those of you who are still non-believers, he's done this against quality opponents in the tough AFC. If I can recall the Steelers are still the champs and the Bengals are teetering on the edge of greatness. Ok, enough with the Vick love because other superstars also played in yesterday's game as well. The Bengals have a wide receiver that somehow loves media attention. During the week, Chad Johnson changed his name to; get ready for this...Ocho Cinco?? What the hell? He made a prediction that he was going to run circles around Falcons' corner DeAngelo Hall. He predicted that he would end up scoring two TDs. Although he did get to paydirt once, Hall and the Falcons left Ohio with a 29-27 victory.

Let's do a quick tongue-twister. Try saying "unpredictable NFL" five times straight. Tough to do? It's tough for me to even think that analysts and experts can make their weekly picks with confidence. Some results of Sunday's action will haunt your soul and send chills down your spine. The next two games will shed some light on this theory of mine.

1) The Eagles were finally able to get some home cooking on Sunday. After laying a goose egg on the road, the Philly fans at Lincoln Financial were ready to cheer their team on to victory...so it seemed. Without starting QB Byron Leftwich the Jags seemed to be destined to fall to the Eagles. Not so fast my feathered friends. The Jaguars' defense looked like the same Jags defense that ran thru Dallas and Pittsburgh to open the season. All of a sudden Donovan McNabb and the Eagles resemble a team that could be on the ropes for the season. Jacksonville scored early and often. They scored first by punching the ball in on a 15-yard TD scamper by Fred Taylor. That proved to be plenty since Mr. McNabb could not put together a good performance against the Jags to save his life. He was only able to throw for 18/34 with 161 yards. The Eagles were only able to get 2 field goals for the entire game. They fall to the Jaguars at home by the score of 13-6 and fall to third in the NFC East with a 4-4 record.

2) The World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers got to experience the "black hole" that is known as Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland as the Raiders played host. One word describes the way Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger...horrible. I'm telling you now, the man should be benched. If I'm Bill Cowher I'd bench Roethlisberger ASAP! Whenever a guy suffers a concussion the week before, I think it's his call on whether he should be playing or not. But when is enough, enough? The Raiders took back 2 interceptions for TDs, one which was for 100 yards by Raiders' CB Chris Carr. Roethlisberger was able to muster up one TD pass to Willie Parker. Who would have thought that by the end of Week 8, the Steelers and the Raiders would be deadlocked with a 2-5 record? One more thing, don't think that Oakland came out and dominated the Steelers with potent offense. Andrew Walter the Raiders' QB threw for a laughable 51 yards on 5/14 passing. It's ridiculous that the World Champs are playing this way. Pretty soon Steelers faithful will be calling for the head on the head coach which by the way, is the longest tenured coach in the NFL. Things will be quite interesting in the next couple of weeks in Steelers nation. The Raiders topped the Steelers 20-13 on their way to a 2-game winning streak.


And did the ghost of Troy Aikman return in the form of Tony Romo? After losing an embarrassing game to the New York Giants on Monday night, the Cowboys found themselves with a new starting QB and more problems. On Sunday night in front of the nation again the Cowboys went into Carolina to face the Panthers. For the 98% of you that began to count the Cowboys out for the season, you didn't know of the secret weapon that Jerry Jones had in store huh? Last night I watched a brand new Cowboy offense, special teams, and defense. Hell, even the head coach looked to be brand new. With the proverbial passing of the torch from Bledsoe to Romo, many critics believed that Tony Romo would not be the longtime answer for Dallas. Romo temporarily silenced all skeptics by throwing 24/36 for 270 yards with 1 TD and one INT. Here in Dallas everyone is going wild for Romo and the new found offense. One thing that I do like about Romo is this; he throws the ball to pro-bowl receivers!! Owens, Witten, and Terry Glenn got a good workout on the Panthers defense by coming up with grab after grab. The offensive line seemed to be rejuvenated also by not allowing the above average Panthers defense. The nation's favorite receiver, Terrell Owens, had 9 grabs that went for 107 yards. Julius Jones and Marion Barber helped keep the offense balanced by combining for over 150 yards on the ground. The Panthers didn't help their cause either. Dropped passes haunted receivers and turnovers were constant. All-world receiver Steve Smith was kept in check by Cowboys defensive back Terrance Newman. Dallas rallied in the 4th quarter to score 25 points and running away from Carolina with the final of 35-14. Head coach Bill Parcells told the media in the post game press conference that he actually enjoyed the game. Just 6 short days ago Parcells was "embarrassed" to even put that team out on the field.

Coaching legend Vince Lombardi once said that "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". I guess winning does cure everything huh?

I'm Tovash Hatcher

By Derek Wilson

The Scottish Premier League is frequently a tight and exciting contetst with many battles being fought right until the end of the season. This year however things look to be pedestrian already and we are not yet in November. Champions Celtic had a quiet pre-season, making few moves in the transfer market. This was in contrast to Rangers where Paul Le Guen took over in a blaze of publicity, optimism and new signings of dubious quality. Many people looked at Le Guen's excellent managerial record and expected him to coast the league this year. This was showing scant respect not only to Celtic as champions but to Gordon Strachan's managerial abilities. Rather than rush into the transfer market early he waited his time. Stilian Petrov departed but Graveson and Venegoor of Hesselink arrived. Both of these players are quality of the highest order and not only help the cause by themselves but they also make better players of those around them. The result is that Celtic are now motoring along like a finely tuned machine while Rangers stutter from loss to draw to debacle. Rangers have shown occasionally (notably away to Livorno in the UEFA Cup) that they can play well and that there is hope for the future. Accordingly most fans are being patient with Le Guen but Celtic are already 12 points ahead of Rangers and all but the most optimistic Bear is admitting the title this year is already gone. So given that the great rivalry looks like being a mismatch for at least one more season is there any point in watching Scottish football for the rest of the year?

The answer to that question is that it depends on what you're looking for in your football. The entertainment value (even if it's the type of car crash can't help but look horror provided by Dundee United and Hearts) will be high but the quality low. As the respected Scottish football journalist Bob Crampsy once said, a 100-metre sprint between grandmothers would be close and competitive but the quality would ensure it's not worth watching. In truth the SPL is not that bad as it already has a hardy band of loyal fans that will pay through the nose to watch their teams fight and scrap. Not many new fans will be tempted along but the clubs, as shown by their ticket pricing, have already given up on that potential stream of new revenue anyway.

The battle to be best of the rest behind Celtic should now be led by Hearts. They turned themselves around when Vladimir Romanov took over as chairman and promised the investment needed not only to save their Tynecastle home but also to make the club a challenger on the European stage. At first all seemed well but when George Burley was sacked despite having a 100% record last season the first signs of trouble appeared. Despite the club finishing second and winning the cup last term there was a lingering feeling of underachievement. Failure in the European competitions this year seems to have enraged the Lithuanian banker and he has made it clear both through the press and with his actions that he intends to treat the club and the players as his own personal toys. That has forced the Scottish trio at the heart of the side - Gordon, Pressley and Hartley - to come out and criticise the owner for continually involving himself in on field activities. Hearts are presently second in the league but 10 points behind Celtic. With the players available to them they should be doing so much better but the constant meddling from above has taken its toll. The title is all but gone already and with several dissenting players liable to be sold in January it is not inconceivable to imagine Hearts free falling through the league in the coming months. That means that while Rangers will surely take enough points to claim the Champions League spot for the runners up the third spot and the UEFA place that goes with it could be up for grabs. If Hearts fail to hang on, the teams competing to represent Scotland in Europe will have to stumble over the line after slipping and sliding along the way.

Hibs are without a doubt the best team in the middle of the pack but their exciting youngsters never seem to produce on a consistent basis. They have lost their manager and look set to appoint John Collins to what will be his first challenge as the top man. Whether he can somehow produce regular results from his talented squad and how many of them depart in January will be the biggest factors for the rest of their season. Inverness and Kilmarnock are both a struggle to watch at times but they are both clinically efficient when it comes to defending and hitting on the break. These sides should be a good bet for the top six but it is hard to see either having the talent to take third. Instead the dark horses in this particular race may well be Aberdeen. They have a few excellent players but a whole lot of rubbish and a heap of expectation on their shoulders. If the likes of Smith and Anderson can carry them they have some hope but despite currently sitting fourth a mid-table finish is probably the best they can hope for. However if Hearts do implode there is no reason why Aberdeen shouldn't be looking to steal the UEFA place from under their noses.

It is at the bottom that things begin to get really interesting. Dundee United have been mediocre all season but are still within touching distance of both Dunfermline and Motherwell. Motherwell have gone on a mini-revival in the last weeks but they are still in trouble and with a managerial novice in charge of a wafer thin squad it would surprise no one to see them down at the bottom come the end of the season. Dunfermline are currently without a boss but they have a comparatively good squad and if they can somehow stop their key players picking up so many injuries they will be fine. Dundee United have recently appointed Craig Levein as their new boss but quite what is expected of him with the squad available is unclear. United have gone through manager after manager in recent years but the big problem seems to be that the players simply aren't good enough. Levein will be content if United can remain in touch with the rest of the pack until the January transfer window gives him the chance to change the playing staff. Falkirk and St Mirren will also end up somewhere in the bottom half but every so often they pick up some great and unexpected points. So long as they can balance this with taking their share from teams round about them they will be able to survive in the SPL for at least another season.

The trouble with the SPL is that despite its low quality no team can afford to risk the financial disaster which falling out of the league would inevitably bring. As a result no one is able or willing to forget the short term and gradually build a side with the aim of having them come good in 3-4 years time. This is reflected in the battle at the bottom - regardless of who goes down and who stays up there will be little change in the quality of football on show at Dunfermline, Motherwell or Dundee United in the coming years. But that concern does not stop the short-term battle against the drop being intriguing and with the European issue wide open and Hearts and Rangers both struggling there are many questions to keep the fans occupied over the coming winter. Scottish football may not be spectacular but parity of the competitors ensures there is always something to play for in some part of the league.

Pardon the cliche, but often times the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Stoughton's (Wis.) standout freshman swimmer Carly Meuer is a prime example.

Meuer, along with an up-and-coming underclassman class, is helping breathe new life into the Vikings' program with her stellar performances in the pool.

Sally MacLaren-Meuer, Carly's mother and Stoughton's Director of Aquatics, is helping establish a winning mentality at Stoughton with her work out of the pool.

A powerful one-two-punch, the mother and daughter tandem could invoke a monumental turnaround in the Stoughton swimming program.

As for Meuer, she's always felt comfortable in the water.

MacLaren-Meuer coached swimming in Washington when Meuer was a child and opted to bring her to practices instead of leave her at home with a baby sitter.

"She's probably the main reason why I swam and why I still am swimming," Meuer said. "I'd always be at the pool and she would always get me in the water and just play around. So she's the reason why I'm still swimming right now, because she's my hero."

Growing up, Meuer was regaled with stories of her grandparents and parents swimming and watched as her older siblings took to the pool competitively.

As Meuer began to come into her own as a swimmer, her mother moved the family to Wisconsin.
MacLaren-Meuer wanted to do something she was passionate about, and while it wasn't related at all to what she studied in college, she found and accepted the aquatics director post as Stoughton.

MacLaren-Meuer couldn't have been happier.

Her arrival came on the heels of Stoughton High School constructing a nearly $4.5 million state-of-the art natatorium and immediately started assisting the Vikings' swimming programs.

She soon began assembling a feeder program in Stoughton and continues to develop STAR (Stoughton Aqua Racers).

Meuer entered Stoughton High School as a freshman this year and made a splash in the pool from the beginning.

She established herself as one of the team's fastest swimmers and has a chance to make waves in just her first postseason.

With Meuer a charge in the pool and MacLaren-Meuer establishing more interest and generating younger swimmers out of it, the pieces are falling into place for Stoughton's program to build a winning tradition.

MacLaren-Meuer said now that the high school and STAR teams can host a variety of meets, something they couldn't previously do in part because of the old pool's depth and outdated facility, she hopes it will get younger kids interested in swimming and, perhaps, add competitive depth to the high school programs, all while boosting the morale of Stoughton's current swimmers.

"It's going to come around, because Stoughton built that pool, they're going to have that power (to become a strong swimming program)."
She reiterated that she can tell from the swimmers' behavior in practices and meets that they take pride in their facility and hopes that will soon translate over to results in the water.

That was a sentiment Meuer agreed with.

"I definitely think it's a plus, coming to practice everyday and having this huge nice, new facility," Meuer said. "And it's nice to be able to host meets, it's definitely a plus."
Meuer said she has seen first-hand younger kids' accelerated interest in swimming and thinks incoming freshmen will continue to improve the team over the next few years.

"I definitely think that we're getting more depth on the team," Meuer said. "Because of the depth, I think our program is improving immensely and I really think that this year, compared to other years, we've been more successful. With the feeder teams ... our depth will get better and, on top of what we already have for the rest of the team right now, that will be awesome."

While they know it's not an overnight process, both Meuer and her mother agree with kids starting to swim earlier in life and taking pride in their facility, the Vikings aren't far off from establishing themselves as a swimming contender.

When all is said in done, Meuer again hopes to prove the apple and tree cliche right.

"I really would enjoy being a coach and kind of following in my mom's footsteps," Meuer said. "I really enjoy being able to teach people about swimming because I think it's an awesome sport and it's so much fun to do."

By spreading attitudes like that, Stoughton may be on the rise sooner than later.
The Vikings travel to the Badger South Conference meet on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Monona Grove High School.

OK, they did only win 27 games last year. And they did trade Vince Carter, the human highlight reel. But all in all, when it comes to developing a competitive team in the NBA, one that has playoff potential you have to like what the Toronto Raptors have done, literally almost over night.

Because let's face it, even with Carter the team managed just 33 wins in each of the prior two years and just 24 the year before that. Yes it has been four full years since the Raptors have been seen in the NBA postseason.

But that just may be about to change.

Start with the smooth left-hander Chris Bosh. This guy is an NBA talent and Toronto recognized that 6-10 guys that can really play don't come along every day. The management signed the big guy up for maximum money, ensuring he would be around long enough for the team to build around. Though no one who follows the NBA was surprised by the offer, some were surprised that Bosh took it. But there in lies the real key, the most talented player on the roster sees that the team's new management has an understanding as to how to build a basketball team.

In fact, General Manager Bryan Colangelo has retooled the team so quickly that many have not even contemplated where this team stands. But Bosh noticed, and he signed on for the long haul.

First off, the team has always had the talented shooter Morris Peterson. The forward has played in all 82 games for four years running and last year began to put up some serious numbers, averaging nearly seventeen points per game.

But the team has a number of new players including their top draft pick, rookie Andrea Bargnani, a new point guard in TJ Ford who came over in the Charlie Villeneuva trade and a new center in Rasho Nesterovic, though the slow footed former Spur might end up coming off the bench. The team also acquired the athletic Freddie Jones from Indiana and Darrick Martin is in just his second season with the team. But the other side of the story is who they unloaded, the underachieving (at least while in Toronto) Vince Carter and the talented but winless forward Jalen Rose.

Where the team now stands is an International beacon for new talent. The team began by drafting the smooth moving big man, Bargnani, one of three Raptor regulars that was playing in Europe a year ago. The team also brought in Anthony Parker, a defensive stopper who had played in Israel and Jorge Garbajosa, a savvy veteran who can flat out shoot. The native of Madrid played in Spain and was a member of Spain's title team at the World Championships in Japan last fall. Throw in Nesterovic, back up point guard Jose Calderon of Spain and reserve forward Pape Sow of Darkar, Senegal and the boys from across the border are loaded with International flavor.

The young talent meshed well during the preseason, when the Raptors went 7-1. The overall talent level is so much better that the team knocked off the Celtics in Boston, in the seventh game of the exhibition season, and did so while resting the team's best two players, Bosh and Ford.

But it is a young team and the NBA is generally not kind to teams that are young. And the Raptors are only one year removed from last year's start. Dare we state the team was 0-9 and 1-15 out of the gate.

But those numbers make the 27 wins all the more significant. Throw in the fact that the team competes in the Atlantic Division and you have to think this team might top forty wins. Since only New Jersey is seen as a legitimate playoff team from the division, the Raptors have an excellent chance of climbing into second spot in the division, perhaps even into the top eight and a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

If they do not make the postseason this year, they still should be one of the NBA's most improved teams.

Nobody expected the 2006 World Series matchup between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals to be very interesting. After all, the Tigers were a team that had won 95 games in the regular season, while the Cardinals won only 83. The Tigers led the ultra-competitive AL Central Division nearly the entire season until the Minnesota Twins caught and passed them on the very last day. The Cardinals, meanwhile, only really had to worry about the Houston Astros towards the end. The Tigers boasted an amazing starting rotation that included Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, and Kenny Rogers. The Cardinals had Chris Carpenter. The Tigers were from the superior American League and would have home field advantage. The Cardinals were from the subpar National League, the league that hasn't won an All-Star Game since 1996.

But no matter how good, how dominant a team looks on paper, anything can happen out on the field. That's why they play the games, as the old adage goes. And when all was said and done at the 2006 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals emerged as the best team in baseball thanks to winning four games to Detroit's one.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the series by taking the opener in Detroit by a score of 7-2. Rookie pitcher Anthony Reyes threw eight amazing innings for the red birds, scattering four hits and giving up just two earned runs. The St. Louis batters roughed up Detroit's Verlander, tagging him for two doubles, two home runs, and six earned runs in only five innings.

Detroit came right back in Game Two, however. The Tigers sent veteran Kenny Rogers to the mound, and it was his turn to dominate. Rogers gave up only two hits in eight innings, struck out five, and walked three en route to the victory. Meanwhile, Jeff Weaver of the Cardinals had a night to forget, giving up nine hits and three earned runs in five innings, including a first inning home run to Craig Monroe. The Tigers never looked back from that blast and went on to win 3-1.

Game Three saw St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa send ace Chris Carpenter to the mound for the first time in the series. Carpenter responded by turning in a stellar performance, going eight innings (the third game in a row that the winning pitcher lasted that long) and giving up just three hits while striking out six. The Cardinals offense, helped along by a timely fielding error by relief pitcher Joel Zumaya, pounded out five runs on just seven hits against starter Nate Robertson and reliever Fernando Rodney.

Game Four took place a day later than expected thanks to heavy rains in the St. Louis area. Jeff Suppan of the Cardinals faced off against the Tigers' ace Bonderman, but neither pitcher was dominant in their respective outings. Suppan yielded eight hits and three earned runs in six innings of work, while Bonderman gave up six hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings. The hero of the game was St. Louis shortstop David Eckstein, whose double in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Aaron Miles for the go-ahead and eventual winning run. The Cardinals' 5-4 victory gave them a 3-1 series lead and three chances to close out Detroit for the World Series title.

Game Five was also played in St. Louis due to the 2-3-2 format used by Major League Baseball. LaRussa decided to start Weaver again instead of going with the rookie Reyes, whose turn it would have been in the rotation. The extra day off because of the rainout gave LaRussa that luxury, so he went with the seven-year veteran against Verlander of the Tigers. That move paid off in a big way as Weaver turned in eight solid innings, giving up just four hits and two runs in that span. The Cardinals were able to rough up Verlander for six hits and three runs in six innings as they cruised to a 4-2 win and the title. Eckstein, who hit .364 in the series, was named the MVP.

This was the 10th World Series championship for the St. Louis franchise, and their first since 1982. The 83 wins the Cardinals recorded in the regular season was the lowest total ever for an eventual champion.

Posted by JE

Saturday 28 Oct 2006

Sheffield Utd v Chelsea
As much as I want Chelsea to lose, it is very difficult to see Sheffield United beating them. Shevchenko has ended his goal drought and Drogba is playing the best football of his life. These two strikers alone cost more than the entire Sheffield United team, and I think they will be too much for the home side's defenders to handle.

My Predictions: Sheffield 0 Chelsea 3

Arsenal v Everton
If you saw how Arsenal demolished Reading last Saturday, you would be a brave man to bet against them against Everton. Even though David Moyes' side is playing well, Arsenal are once again playing their flowing football, and it would be tough any side to stop them right now. Arsene Wenger's side has also settled into their new home, the Emirates Stadium. I expect to see Everton trying to stuff the midfield and defend in number, but unless Arsenal just happen to have an off day, this should be a home victory.

My Prediction: Arsenal 2 Everton 0

Bolton v Man Utd
Man U were almost embarrassed by a third division side in the Carling Cup, but Sir Alex Ferguson only fielded a second string team for that fixture. Bolton are flying high this season. The strategy of making sure the defence is water tight and nick a goal (usually from set pieces) is working out well. The Reebok Stadium is a notoriously tough place to play, even for the big teams. Even though Man U are the leaders in the league right now, I have my skepticism of how good they truly are. I think Sam Allardyce's side has a good chance of beating them. It is quite remarkable that a Bolton victory would not really be considered an upset, it shows how much Bolton has come along in the last several seasons.

My Prediction: Bolton 1 Man U 0

Fulham v Wigan
These two teams are of roughly equal quality. Even though Fulham's home advantage makes them slight favorite for this fixture, I expect a tight match, without a lot of goal scoring opportunities.

My Prediction: Fulham 0 Wigan 0

Liverpool v Aston Villa
Liverpool have too much quality to continuously underperform, although their slump is a costly one. I do not believe that they have a chance for the title but a Champions League place is just as important. Aston Villa seem to have trouble winning matches, especially on the road, but they are still the only unbeaten team in the Premiership. With the match at Anfield, with their passionate fans, I think Liverpool will come good in this match.

My Prediction: Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 1

Portsmouth v Reading
Portsmouth have lost some steam of late, but they are still favorites for this match. Reading were absolutely outplayed by Arsenal last weekend, but show tremendous determination against Liverpool in midweek. Their passion is their most important asset. As well as Portsmouth have been playing, they are no Arsenal, so Reading have a chance here.

My Prediction: Portsmouth 1 Reading 1

Watford v Tottenham
Watford are way off the standard of the Premiership, though you must admire them for how hard they try. Tottenham are not playing as well as they did last season, but they still should have enough quality to take all 3 points against the relegation candidate.

My Prediction: Watford 0 Tottenham 2

Newcastle v Charlton
These are two teams in a whole lot of trouble. Based on form, they are both terrible. I give Newcastle an edge simply because of their home advantage.

My Prediction: Newcastle 1 Charlton 0

Sunday 29 Oct 2006

West Ham v Blackburn
How much worse can West Ham's season get? Now there are rumors that another South American player might join them. The players just do not show any enthusiasm out there. Blackburn, on the hand, are tough to beat. They are physical and no nonsense. I like their chances at Upton Park,

My Prediction: West Ham 0 Blackburn 2

Monday 30 Oct 2006

Man City v Middlesbrough
Man City are quite inconsistent, and to a lesser extent, so are Middlesbrough. The difference is Boro are improving.

My Prediction: Man City 2 Middlesbrough 2

By Tovash Hatcher

What's a guy to do about his favorite football team that constantly screws things up? Give me a minute because this should hit home for most of you Dallas Cowboy fans as well.

Remember the song "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands"? Well, if you're happy with the Cowboys clap your hands. Its ok, I didn't clap either. I am SO angry, frustrated, and ready to pull my hair out at this team that it's silly. They do everything backwards at Valley Ranch. For the record, you may see me use the word "we" when I reference this team because I'm a part of the paying audience that goes to Texas Stadium on Sundays and yell until I blackout and my throat is sore. I buy all types of Cowboys merchandise including tee-shirts, hats, and even a $250 Roy Williams jersey that I sometimes get embarrassed to wear because I hear so much junk from non Cowboys' faithful. However, I'm a true fan so I take in the bad along with the good. But how much good is there?

Over the years I've seen the most eye-popping and jaw-dropping stuff as a Cowboys fan. Check out this quick list of some amazing things:

-Three Super Bowl wins in 4 years
-The firing of head coach Tom Landry
-The Hall of Fame induction of Troy Aikman
-Michael Irvin getting busted with drugs (many times)
-Jerry Jones signing the most flamboyant player of all-time in Deion Sanders
-The firing on head coach Jimmy Johnson
-Three consecutive 5-11 seasons
-The signing of coaching legend Bill Parcells
-9 horrible quarterbacks since Troy Aikman
-The signing of loud mouth wide receiver Terrell Owens

Need I say more? Some are changes that have been good and others are needless. And I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel either. Let's put it this way, if the Cowboys lose on Sunday or Monday night, then the rest of my week goes bad. If we win, the week is ok until the next game or if news breaks of something going tragically wrong at Valley Ranch during the course of the week. It sort of reminds me of the Groundhog's Day ritual where Phil the groundhog is yanked out of the ground to predict the start of winter only by a glimpse of a damned shadow.

Just a few days ago the Dallas Cowboys organization began a new chapter when head coach Bill Parcells had his hand forced when he announced that 2nd string quarterback Tony Romo will be the new starter for "America's Team". Romo has been a backup for the past 3 seasons and is now ready to lead the Cowboys into the future. Parcells benched 14-year QB Drew Bledsoe for his lackluster and turnover prone play. Bledsoe threw a first half interception in the red zone of the Cowboys' Monday night game against the New York Giants. That interception may have been the last pass that Bledsoe may ever throw in the National Football League.

So what's a Cowboy fan to do? There are thousands of questions that fans of Cowboy country need and want to know. Seemingly, Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells have only answered just one. I'm interested to see what young and inexperienced, but bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Tony Romo can do as the new starting quarterback.

There is also a new structure in the works. That worldwide known stadium with the hole in the roof located on highways 183 and 114 in Irving, Texas is on its last days. I remember being a kid and hoping that I would one day set foot into the stadium. Now, after going to many games at Texas Stadium, I know I will miss the stadium but at the same time I can not wait for the new place to open.

Take it from me, being a Dallas Cowboy fan is tough work. The pregame, post game, and weekly rituals are wearing on my patience, especially since the Cowboys haven't put a team on the field that frightens opponents in a good while. As a matter of fact, the last time we've even sniffed the playoffs was in 2003, Bill Parcells' first season as head coach in Dallas.

My message to Cowboy fans is just be patient. Eventually the losing will be so bad that Mr. Jones will wake up and smell the loss column. Don't worry everyone, the winning will one day return to Dallas...hopefully.

I'm Tovash Hatcher

Nobody expected the Northwestern Wildcats football team to have an easy go of it in the 2006 season. They were coming off the shocking and tragic news that their head coach of seven years, Randy Walker, had died suddenly of a massive heart attack at the end of June. The powers that be then named former Walker assistant and Wildcat football alum Pat Fitzgerald as the new head coach. At 31, Fitzgerald was the youngest head coach in Division I-A history. And finally, the 'Cats had lost four-year starting quarterback Brett Basanez to graduation and the NFL (where he's currently a backup for the Carolina Panthers). These three factors combined to ensure that the cards were stacked against Northwestern right from the start of the season.

Nevertheless, things started out on a positive note as the Wildcats posted a 21-3 win over Miami (Ohio) in their first game under Fitzgerald. It was an emotional victory, one that was clearly in honor of Walker, and the players and coaching staff alike seemed pretty overwhelmed by it all.

The good feelings in Evanston didn't last long, as the Wildcats lost their home opener to New Hampshire, a Division II-A team that they probably should have beaten, by a score of 34-17. That put a damper on an otherwise memorable day that featured numerous pregame and halftime tributes to the memory of Coach Walker, with his family members on hand to participate.

The Wildcats bounced back to defeat Eastern Michigan the following week, 14-6. Now Northwestern was 2-1 and things didn't look bad at all. However, everything seemed to fall apart at the same time, and since that third game of the season, the Wildcats have lost five consecutive games. Coaches, players, and fans alike are searching for answers, particularly after a stunning loss to M