Sport-Blog.com

Sunday 17 Dec 2006

West Ham United 1 Man United 0
It always happens. When a new manager takes over a club, the players usually raise their game and try to impress their new boss. Even a team a team as messed up as West Ham was able to come up with the goods to defeat the league leaders, Man U. Alan Curbishley was not exactly an exciting choice as a manager, but he is a solid manager, and he brought stability to the club immediately. West Ham played liked they did last year and frustrated Man U, who desperately needed the points, throughout the match. With Chelsea winning at Goodison Park, Man U were under pressure to win to keep their five points lead. But it was not to be. Now the lead is only 2 points. But then again, in the January transfer window, Man U will have Henrik Larsson, who has already started training. In that area, Man U will have several capable strikers to choose from, as oppose as Chelsea's reliant on Didier Drogba.

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley said, "There has been a lot of criticism of the players and they've got to answer that and face the music. We had the first training session on Friday and they responded. Now we've got something to build on."

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said, "We have been throwing away lots of chances recently and this was another example of that. It's something I've spoken about with the players over the last few days. I am not so sure Chelsea are on a charge. They got a fantastic win where they've clawed it out of nothing (at Everton). We have got to put on a charge of our own, which is the stuff champions are made of, and we've shown we can do that. The Championship race was not going to be decided in December but I am happy with the form of the team and we're playing well."
"We didn't deserve to lose but we have to gather ourselves and start another charge," said Ferguson. "We have got to show our mettle. That's the true mark of champions and we've proved it in the past. Two fantastic strikes won the game for [Chelsea] out of nothing. It's been a very important day for Chelsea and it's not been a great day for us but the championship race is not going to be decided in December."
West Ham United
Robert Green, James Collins, Anton Ferdinand, Paul Konchesky, Hayden Mullins (Yossi Benayoun), Jonathan Spector, Lee Bowyer, Matthew Etherington (George McCartney), Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood, Bobby Zamora (Teddy Sheringham)
Subs Not Used: Carroll, Tevez
Booked: Reo-Coker, Sheringham, Ferdinand
Goals: Reo-Coker 75

Man Utd
Edwin Van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Gabriel Heinze (Ji-Sung Park), Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick (John O'Shea), Ryan Giggs (Ole Gunnar Solskjaer), Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Silvestre
Booked: Heinze, Vidic

Referee: Dowd, P
Venue: Upton Park
Attendance: 34,966


Everton 2 Chelsea 3
Didier Drogba once again rescued Chelsea with a late goal. As much as he is unlikable, there is no denying that he is about the most important player at Chelsea right now. Shevchenko was once again on the bench. One has to wonder what would Mourinho do if Drogba ever got injured.
Of course, Mourinho had to cause a scene by accusing Everton striker Andrew Johnson was cheating, "He's dangerous for opponents because you cannot trust him, and I was not happy with that. But I think he was a bit embarrassed and he behaved very well after that. In my country we call them 'intelligent' players. In other countries you can use different words and are critical. I've been in this country for three years now and I am influenced by your culture. It is a country I admire, I am proud to be part of it. For me when a player chases a penalty, he is no longer an intelligent player."
That of course angered Everton manager David Moyes, who responded, "He (Mourinho) has got a big 15 stone striker up front who is quite partial to it (diving) himself. I saw the incident on television and I don't think it was a penalty but it certainly wasn't a dive either. A few weeks ago the Chelsea keeper got caught by a Reading player, who was criticized for that. Our player is slightly bumped, straddles the goalkeeper and jumps over him. He's missed the keeper and he gets criticized for that, so you can't win."
Everton have submitted a formal complaint to the FA.

Johnson said: "I merely jumped out of the way of Chelsea's goalkeeper as he came out at my feet. I do not consider myself to be a diver. I was not trying to get a penalty. I have to say that I feel greatly disappointed that my integrity as a footballer has been unfairly questioned. I believe the incident highlighted by Mr. Mourinho was badly misinterpreted by him. I hope that the Chelsea manager will retract his statement."

Everton manager David Moyes said, "I can't be critical of my team in any of their performances except for the way they conceded the goals. When we got to 2-1, we knew they'd change their system, chase the game and push people forward and I thought we'd coped with that and seen it off - but for Lampard's goal. You can tell everyone what he's capable of but I thought we should have got to the ball quicker when it was rolled back to him, so for me that was disappointing."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on coming for behind, "Players with normal personalities would put their arms down and the game is lost. But they kept believing until the last second and fought for the result. I told them it's about belief. If you don't believe you have no chance. At this moment, everything looks like it's against us so they need to be very strong, and that belief they had was very important."

Everton
Tim Howard, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville, Alan Stubbs, Joseph Ikpo Yobo, Mikel Amatriain Arteta, Lee Carsley (James Beattie), Simon Davies, Leon Osman, Victor Anichebe (James McFadden), Andrew Johnson
Subs Not Used: Wright, Naysmith, Weir
Booked: Neville
Goals: Arteta 38 pen, Yobo 64

Chelsea
Henrique Hilario, Khalid Boulahrouz (Wayne Bridge), Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Ndjitap Geremi (Salomon Kalou), Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele, Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben (Andriy Shevchenko)
Subs Not Used: Hedman, Ferreira
Booked: Carvalho
Goals: Howard 49 og, Lampard 81, Drogba 87

Referee: Halsey, M
Venue: Goodison Park
Attendance: 33,970

Saturday 16 Dec 2006

Aston Villa 0 Bolton 1
Bolton keeper, Jussi Jaaskelainen, had great game to help his side stay on course for their quest of European qualification. This Bolton team does have high ambitions, and they believe that it is possible to gatecrash the top four to snatch a Champions League spot. "There is an opportunity if we want to take it," said Allardyce. "It is not beyond us now to try and compete at that level for two reasons. Firstly we have not got a big squad but the players we have got are talented, so if we keep them fit we have got a chance. Secondly all the other teams that are up there are playing in the the Champions League and we're not. That gives us a little bit more respite in terms of the number of games we have got to compete in compared to them."

Villa boss Martin O'Neill on referee Mark Clattenburg's decision to award the penalty, "I have seen it and I think it was particularly harsh. I think (Nicolas) Anelka struck the back of Stilian Petrov's leg, but we didn't have the luck today. We should have won the game, no argument. We should have won the game by a good distance. We were thrusting forward at every opportunity. The effort we put in and the football we played was an absolute delight."

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce said, "We were a bit fortunate at times but you have to give the players credit for the way they defended today. There was a poor miss by Villa in the second half - that's where you pay the price in the Premiership. We have faltered in the past but this time it may not be the case."

Aston Villa
Gabor Kiraly, Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill, Olof Mellberg, Liam Ridgewell, Steven Davis, Gavin McCann (Craig Gardner), Stiliyan Petrov, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Milan Baros (Juan Pablo Angel), Chris Sutton
Subs Not Used: Olejnik, Bouma, Hughes

Bolton
Jussi Jaaskelainen, Nicky Hunt, Abdoulaye Meite (Tal Ben-Haim), Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye, Stelios Giannakopoulos (Idan Tal (Ricardo Gardner)), Ramos Ivan Campo, Kevin Nolan, Gary Speed, Nicolas Anelka, Kevin Davies, Henrik Pedersen
Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Vaz Te.
Booked: Abdoulaye Diagne Faye, Kevin Davies, Henrik Pedersen, Ricardo Gardner
Goals: Gary Speed 75 pen

Referee: Clattenburg, M
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 27,450

Charlton 0 Liverpool 3
Since beating Wigan away 4 - 0, Liverpool have turned their season around. Criticized for not able to score, they have now scored 11 goals in 3 league matches.

Liverpool completely dominated the game and Charlton's Premiership hope looks as good as over. Since taking over as Charlton manager, Les Reed has only won one match out of six.

Charlton boss Les Reed said, "We need to broaden and widen our squad. We need some balance and have a strong bench and, hopefully January will allow us to do that. We have to turn it around. We've got to stop those performances and build on the confidence of the players. We've got to work hard and dig in. It's going to be a long job but we have to be better and show more passion. I've got to exude the belief that we can do it. If I don't, we're in trouble."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez said, "The idea is to find the balance between attack and defence. We're now doing that but every game is different and we need to keep going. My idea is to think about the next game. Maybe in one or two months we will see if we are closer but we need to keep going."

Charlton
Thomas Myhre, Talal El Karkouri, Hermann Hreidarsson, Djimi Traore, Luke Young (Souleymane Diawara), Amady Faye (Bryan Hughes), Matt Holland, Andy Reid (Darren Ambrose), Darren Bent, D, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dennis Rommedahl
Subs Not Used: Andersen, Marcus Bent.
Booked: Djimi Traore

Liverpool
Jose Manuel Reina, Jamie Carragher, Steve Finnan, Sami Hyypia, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Mark Gonzalez (Javier Sanz Luis Garcia), Jermaine Pennant (Peter Crouch), John Arne Riise, Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt (Fabio Aurelio)
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Agger.
Booked: Javier Sanz Luis Garcia
Goals: Xabi Alonso 3 pen, Craig Bellamy 82, Steven Gerrard 88

Referee: Webb, H
Venue: The Valley
Attendance: 27,111

Saturday 16 Dec 2006

Arsenal 2 Portsmouth 2
Arsene Wenger's plan of resting Emmanuel Adebayor nearly back fired big time. With Thierry Henry injured, Wenger opted to start Jeremie Aliadiere instead of Adebayor, but the Frenchman was almost anonymous and did not have an impact at all. Soon, Portsmouth were up two goals. With the home fans booing during half time, Wenger had no choice but to play Adebayor. His introduction changed the game, as he scored within minutes on coming on, thanks to a superb assist by Cesc Fabregas. Theo Walcott came on early in the first half when Freddie Ljungberg was injured. Walcott's pace definitely caused some problems for Portsmouth's defence.

It was another case of poor set piece defending from Arsenal that once again caused them to go behind, this time two goals behind, at home. It was to their credits that they could come back to preserve their unbeaten home record. But when will they learn?

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "After we went two goals down we had to show we are a special team and show special character and determination. We did and I can't praise my players enough. We showed how good we are, but I thought we should have won the game in the end because we created so many chances. I was sent from the dug-out because I spoke to the officials at half-time and suggested it was not a free-kick that led to their first goal. I just couldn't see how that was a free-kick and to be punished in that way by conceding a goal was hard to take."
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said, "At two up I thought we were sitting comfortably, but in the end we will settle for a point. It is a fantastic result for us and the Portsmouth players have been fantastic this season. Arsenal put pressure on us after they got back in the game, but we hung in there and I'm delighted. To be in the top four alongside teams like Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal is incredible."

Arsenal
Jens Lehmann, Gael Clichy, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue (Mathieu Flamini), Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Aleksandr Hleb, Fredrik Ljungberg (Theo Walcott), Gilberto Silva, Jeremie Aliadiere (Emmanuel Adebayor), Robin van Persie
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Senderos
Goals: Adebayor 58, Silva 60

Portsmouth
David James, Sol Campbell, Glen Johnson, Noe Pamarot, Linvoy Primus, Matthew Taylor, Sean Davis, Gary O'Neil, Miguel Pedro Mendes, David Thompson (Niko Kranjcar), Nwankwo Kanu (Richard Hughes)
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, O'Brien, Douala
Booked: Johnson, O'Neil
Goals: Pamarot 45, Taylor 47

Referee: Bennett, S
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,037

Newcastle 2 Watford 1
Even in the defeat by Chelsea, one could sense that this Newcastle team has a renewed sense of determination. Despite all their injury problems, they have been playing better and better. More importantly, they are getting results. Obafemi Martins is fast becoming one of the deadliest strikers in the Premiership, scoring his 8th and his 9th goals of the season against Watford.

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder said, "We had to pull out all the stops to get the victory. Watford are difficult to play against and they made it hard for us but we just about deserved the three points. But we coped with them well and when we had the chance we played some good stuff. We're delighted to have got our home form back on track."
Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd said, "The performance was good and there were a lot of positives that point to us winning. We have improved since we have come into this division and we need to keep doing that. When we play as well as we have in this game you expect to win but we didn't. I am surrounded by a tough group of players and we have to keep going and keep fighting."

Newcastle
Shay Given, Celestine Babayaro, Paul Huntington, Peter Ramage, Nicky Butt (Scott Parker), Kieron Dyer, Belozoglu Emre (Damien Duff), James Milner, Antoine Sibierski, Steven Taylor, Obafemi Martins
Subs Not Used: Srnicek, Rossi, Pattison.
Goals: Martins 49, 85

Watford
Richard Lee, James Chambers (Adrian Mariappa), Jay DeMerit, Danny Shittu, Jordan Stewart, Alhassan Bangura, Gavin Mahon, Hameur Bouazza, Darius Henderson, Tommy Smith (Damien Francis), Ashley Young
Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, Powell, McNamee
Goals: Bouazza 57

Referee: Atkinson, M
Venue: St James' Park
Attendance: 49,231

Saturday 16 Dec 2006

Reading 1 Blackburn 2
Even though Blackburn's South African striker, Benni McCarthy scored to help his team earned an important victory, he was not that happy after the match, especially with some of the decisions in the match. "I'm pleased and disappointed because I got a yellow card - my fifth this season - and now I miss our game at Arsenal on Saturday, so I'm not too happy about that," he said, "On top of that I scored four goals and three were disallowed. That's the first time I've ever had a hat-trick of disallowed goals in one game. In Spain and Portugal that's normal because the referees are shit but I never imagined that it would happen in England. Today was not my day. I've come across Graham Poll in the Champions League many times in Europe and he's a brilliant ref. I have a lot of respect for him. But his assistants? They'd better hope I don't get them in a nightclub." As for being off side so often, he said, "I'm always on the lookout for a chance to score and sometimes I'm probably too eager for my own good. Maybe I could time some of my runs a bit better."

Reading boss Steve Coppell said, "All the signs in the first 45 minutes were good as we scrapped and fought hard. I thought once we took the lead that we would be strong enough to withstand them. We lost our way after the break and it is the first half this season in which we have let ourselves down. Blackburn improved their game and they took advantage of our frailties and I was disappointed by our response."

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes said, "We had a real go in the second half - we were 1-0 down so we needed a reaction and we got it. The way we were playing and the attitude we had in the second half, we weren't to be denied." David's scored quality goals this season, but he'll be very pleased because that one won us the game."

Reading
Marcus Hahnemann, Ivar Ingimarsson, Graeme Murty, Nicky Shorey, Ibrahima Sonko, James Harper, Steve Hunt (Shane Long), Glen Little (John Oster), Ki-Hyeon Seol (Leroy Lita), Steven Sidwell, Kevin Doyle
Subs Not Used: Federici, Gunnarsson
Booked: Murty
Goals: Harper 41

Blackburn
Brad Friedel, Michael Gray, Jay McEveley (Shabani Nonda), Lucas Neill, Andre Ooijer, Andy Todd, David Bentley, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Robbie Savage, Kerimoglu Tugay, Benni McCarthy (Matt Derbyshire)
Subs Not Used: Brown, Matteo, Peter
Booked: McEveley, McCarthy
Goals: McCarthy 64, Bentley 84

Referee: Poll, G
Venue: Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 23,074

Wigan 0 Sheffield United 1
This was Wigan's first home defeat against a non top 4 side this season. After the defeat by Arsenal in the last match and then by relegation favorites Sheffield United now, Paul Jewell has to look forward to some very tough fixtures ahead: they will play Chelsea at home this Saturday and then Man U on boxing day.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell said, "We were disjointed and lacked endeavour, energy, cohesion and all the things you associate with Wigan. That was probably the worst first-half performance in four or five years since I have been here and there can be no excuse for that. Our home record isn't good and it's only ourselves who can dig us out of this."

Blades' boss Neil Warnock backed referee Peter Walton's move to reverse his penalty award, "It was the right thing to do. The linesman had the best view of things so it was the correct thing for Peter to consult him. If the referee thought there was any doubt he's got to disallow it."

Wigan
Chris Kirkland, Leighton Baines, Emmerson Boyce (David Wright), Arjan De Zeeuw, Fitz Hall, Kevin Kilbane (Svetoslav Todorov), Denny Landzaat, Josip Skoko, Henri Camara (David Cotterill), Emile Heskey, Lee McCulloch
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Johansson
Sheffield United
Paddy Kenny, Claude Davis, Derek Geary, Rob Kozluk, Chris Morgan, Keith Gillespie, Phil Jagielka, Stephen Quinn (Chris Armstrong), Michael Tonge (Nick Montgomery), Rob Hulse, Danny Webber (Leigh Bromby)
Subs Not Used: Nade, Kazim-Richards
Booked: Morgan, Davis
Goals: Hulse 45

Referee: Walton, P
Venue: The JJB Stadium
Attendance: 16,322

Although Argentine polo players continually travel all over the world to play, they rarely do so as a team. To see the best polo in the world played by Argentine teams, one has to go to Argentina, more particularly Buenos Aires where the top tournaments are played in October and November.

Polo
- Polo is played almost all year in Argentina, but the big tournaments are played in the spring. The main ones are the Hurlingham Open at the fashionable Hurlingham Club and then the Argentine Open on the picturesque polo fields in Palermo in the centre of town. Games, however, frequently have to be postponed due to rain and wet fields and it is quite usual that they are still being played in December.
- Polo, although originally started in India, was brought to Argentina by Britons as were most other sports. There are references to it being played in the province of Santa Fe by British Farmers as early as 1875 and at the Hurlingham Club since 1888. The first Argentine Open Championship was won by Hurlingham in 1893.
- The locals soon took up the game. Many Argentines, especially those living in the country, were practically born on a horse and as such, any game on horseback naturally attracted them.
- By 1924, when polo was included in the Olympic Games for the first time, Argentina was represented by a team of home-born players, though some of them of English descent. The team of Arturo Kenny, Juan Nelson, Enrique Padilla and Juan B. Miles walked off with the medals.

Reigning Champions:
Argentina is the reigning Olympic champion. When polo was again included in the Games for the last time in 1936, they also won the title. Only once was an open world championship held - in Buenos Aires in 1949 - and Argentina won that also.
- The United States is the only other country whose polo is somewhere near the standard of Argentina's. A trophy, the America Cup, is occasionally played between them and this is in Argentina's hands also. Today nobody disputes Argentina's superiority in the game, although they get few chances to show it. They just do not have any rivals.
- The upkeep of horses (of which a regular player needs at least 20) and playing kit is quite expensive, so the game is basically for the rich and upper middle classes. It is, nevertheless, very popular in Argentina mainly because people know their players are the best in the world and because it is overexposed in the press.
- Many leading Argentine players are also in the curious position of being amateurs at home and professionals abroad.
- Nobody gets paid for playing in Argentina. In fact the players have to spend quite a bit of money to be able to play. When they go to play abroad, however, they usually do so at the invitation of some wealthy player or fan that pays them to play on his team. The players also take their own horses with them and invariably sell them abroad at a far better price than they would fetch on the home market.
- Argentine polo horses are much sought after all over the world. The word may still be "polo ponies," but in actual fact, ponies have not been used for the game in Argentina for a very long time. Fully-grown horses are used for speed, stamina and strength. The game has become very fast and horses must be strong to withstand the pushing which takes place during a game.
- A horse needs special training for polo and nobody can do this better than certain stable hands, known as "petiseros", at the "estancias" (ranches). The skill for this job tends to run in families and it is often said that teams depend a lot not only on the quality of their horses, but on their "petiseros".
- Polo has a set of rules designed to eliminate danger as much as possible. In spite of the vigour with which the game is played, nasty accidents to horse and rider are quite rare.

Following the game:
Basically, teams of four players hit a wooden ball the size of an orange with a wooden mallet in order to shoot it into the opposing team's goal. This is formed by two posts at each end (in the middle) of the field. To avoid crashing into each other at top speed, the rules forbid a player from crossing the line of the ball (the direction in which the ball is going) and the horseman riding towards it. And when two players ride towards each other, both must give way to the left.
- There are penalty shots at goal from different distances for a variety of infringements. The teams change ends after each goal and at the end of each period when a bell sounds. Other than that, play continues until a natural stoppage for a goal, an infringement or when the ball goes out of the field.
- Each period is called a chukker and lasts seven minutes. Games are composed of six to eight chukkers, depending on who's playing whom.
- There are over 6,000 registered polo players in Argentina today which means they have a handicap according to their standard and they play in tournaments. There are also tournaments for youngsters in various age groups from below 10 to 21. Women also play, and have their own annual tournament.
- As mentioned earlier, it is a game for the wealthy. Many of them are landowners for whom rearing and keeping horses is not such an expense. There is an atmosphere of cordiality, friendship and sportsmanship among players probably not seen in any other sport. it stems mostly from long-standing friendships between the families involved.
- To a large extent, the game runs in families with generation after generation playing it. Sons of leading polo players start to ride and hit a polo ball around almost before they can walk. By the time they are in their teens, they are good enough to rank among the top players in any country.
- If you attend a polo match in Buenos Aires, you will rub elbows with relatives and friends of the players themselves. They are landed gentry for the most part, "beautiful people" who divide their time between the family estancia and elegant apartments in the city. Their dress code is casual elegance (sports coats, designer jeans, and crisp skirts) and they watch the matches with the reserved demanor of a crowd at a garden show. It is all a world removed from the boisterous and sometimes violent crowds of the soccer stadiums. It is a world of belonging, one most Argentines have heard about but few have actually experienced, a world where one mingles between matches with players in dusty breeches while eating finger sandwiches under the grandstand.

Pato
- A cross between polo and basket-ball, pato is an authentic Argentine sport probably played by the Indians before white settlers set foot in South America, and certainly by the gauchos as far back as the 16th century. It has a colourful history, starting with its name which is Spanish for duck. The duck certainly got the worst of it during the formative period of pato.
- A leather basket with handles and a duck inside it was placed midway between two estancias (ranches) or Indian encampments. Two teams of horsemen, either workers from the ranches or Indian tribes, lined up at their respective homes. At a given signal, both teams raced across the countryside towards the duck. The object was to grab it and carry it home. There was no limit to the number of participants.
- The game was thus a trial of strength and horsemanship between horsemen wildly tugging at the basket's handles. As one would be pulled off his horse (with the likely fate of being trampled to death) and another would let go to avoid falling, a third would manage to get away with the duck's basket and ride at full speed for home. The rest would race after him in hot pursuit.
- There were no holds barred, from lassoing an opponent to cutting his saddle free. The only unbreakable rule was that the man in possession of the "pato" had to ride holding it in his outstretched right hand, offering it to an opponent to grab if he was caught up. This would invariably produce another tug-of-war. The winning team was the one which managed to get the duck's basket back to their own farm or village.
- The game was played after a feast which would include the inevitable barbecue and which would ensure that most of the participants were the worse off for drink. It was followed by a dance at the winner's farm or village for those still able to stand.

Excommunication for pato players:
- In fact, "games" so often ended in fights and disorders that the Catholic Church tried to ban them in 1796 under the threat of excommunication for anyone who took part. The Church was not very successful, but the government was when it banned pato by law in 1822. The punishment was one month's hard labor and the penalty was doubled for subsequent offences.
- As a result, fewer games were played, but the sport, if one can call it that continued to flourish in the more remote areas. The passage of time did what government and church were unable to do. As people became more civilized, they turned to less dangerous sports and pato virtually died out.
- It was left to Alberto del Castillo Posse, a great champion of Argentine tradition, to revive the game in 1937 by first drawing up proper rules. Then he arranged exhibition games and a year later, the Argentine Pato Federation was formed.
- Today pato is played by teams of four horsemen. The duck's basket has been replaced by a leather ball the size of a soccer ball with six handles. The playing area is approximately 650 feet by 300 feet (200 meters long and 90 meters wide). At each end is a basket, with the opening facing the field, about 10 feet (three meters) from the ground. The ball must be thrown into the basket to score a "goal". Games are played in six periods of eight minutes each.
- One of the few links with the past is that players wear gaucho costumes. Unlike the past though, players now wear protective head gear. Players must still ride with the ball in their outstretched hand. They punch or throw the ball to each other in team work. When it falls to the ground, they must pick it at full speed. It provides a spectacle of outstanding horsemanship.
- The game is still played mostly in the provinces but major tournaments, such as the annual Argentine Open, are played either at Campo de Mayo, a military base in the western suburb of Hurlingham, or at the Palermo polo fields.

Saturday 16 December 2006

Charlton v Liverpool
Liverpool are on the rise, and Charlton are sinking. It should be a comfortable Liverpool win.

Charlton boss Les Reed said, "Saturday's is a big game all round. For Liverpool to remain in contention at the top, they have got to win every game. We will take every advantage we have got - and if there is pressure on Liverpool, then that can only be good from our point of view."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez on Charlton's position in the table, "When you're at the bottom of the table you are desperate to win every game, so this game is dangerous. People think it will be easy, but these are not easy games. Only when you are winning a game 3-0 can you say it is easy."


Arsenal v Portsmouth
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp on his side's injury problems, "We have just got to get on with it this weekend. Arsenal are a fantastic side, playing at a fantastic new stadium and with fantastic fans. But we are not just going to their new place to lie down. I know the rest of the players will give it everything as usual. They don't want to waste the great start we have made to the season."


Newcastle v WatfordNewcastle manager Glenn Roeder said, "In a strange way you could argue the injuries we have had have actually made the squad stronger. They are a tight-knit squad anyway, they do get on ever so well around the training ground and some of them socialise outside the training ground. You can sense a real willingness from the injured players for the team to win the next game."

Watford defender James Chambers said, "The key for us is to stay positive. When you are at the bottom of the table, it is easy to feel sorry for yourself, and I have been through that before at West Brom. At times like these, you need to keep your spirits up and dig in, because it really does only need one result to turn around a season."

Reading v BlackburnReading boss Steve Coppell on Blackburn's lowly league position, "I look at their squad and think that their time will come. They have too many good players for them to be where they are and I'm sure they will, with time, climb their way up the table."

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes said, "Winning against AS Nancy in midweek and the good performance in the second half against Newcastle bodes well for a hard game against Reading. We've got a big period coming up, some difficult games against good opposition. But there are other matches where we feel we have a real chance to get points on the board. I've no worries, we're a good team."


Wigan v Sheff UtdStand-in Wigan captain Leighton Baines said, "It's going to be another tough test, but it's one we're really up for. They've done well this season but the mood in our dressing room is excellent at the moment and we want to build on Wednesday's performance. Although we lost against Arsenal there are a lot of positives that we are taking into the Sheffield United game."

Sheffield United defender Leigh Bromby said, "I feel we've grown as a squad. There's more confidence about the place, especially after the last three games. We're creating chances, scoring goals, and we've proved we can play in this league. There is belief in the squad. Now we want to build on the run we're on, and although it's going to be a difficult game as is every away game in this league, we're going there full of confidence."


Aston Villa v Bolton
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill said, "If we can get a bit of confidence at home and get the crowd stirred up that would be great. We need to raise the level of the players. The supporters have seen us at Sheffield United, they know we're battling like men. Now for the first time, it's up to the crowd to lift us. The supporters can play a huge part."

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce said, "First and foremost it is about not losing. It is unlikely we will score as many at Villa as we did last weekend when we beat West Ham 4-0. But if we can emulate what we were doing earlier in the season when we were winning away, I will be happy."


Sunday 17 December 2006
Everton v Chelsea
Now is the time to see how tough Chelsea really are. 5 points behind Man U, they are in an unfamiliar position. Everton away is a tricky match.

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard said, "Chelsea are the champions on merit and so we will have all hands to the pump and see where we go. It is key for us to get on top early, as you saw when we played Arsenal, even though we ended up with a draw, it makes the game that much easier. It will be a very difficult match. Not too many people have taken points off Chelsea and there's a reason for that. We just have to make sure we grind out a result."

Chelsea winger Arjen Robben said, "Everton away is always difficult. It is a tough place to go and we have to get our minds again on that game. We can't afford to lose points because last Sunday, of course it was a difficult game against Arsenal, but we lost two points there. Last Wednesday was an important win so we have to continue that."


Man City v Tottenham
Tottenham captain Ledley King on trying to record a first away win in the Premiership this season, "It's been a problem this season and something we want to put right as soon as possible. It's a tough place to go, we got a good result up there last season and, with the way it is starting to come together, we will be confidence again. City are a good side at home and it could take some doing to win there."


West Ham v Man Utd
Man U at the moment are flying high and they need the points to keep Chelsea at bay. West Ham, having sacked Alan Pardew, might very well be heading to the Championship League next season. Let's see what Curbishley can do.

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley ahead of his first game in charge, "I do not think I will change things too much this weekend and I have not got any pre-conceived ideas. However, the players all owe Alan Pardew a performance, because there has been a lot of criticism of them. It would be great if that was with a win as well on Sunday."

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson on Alan Curbishley being appointed West manager this week, "You always wonder what kind of effect it will have in the dressing room. We're expecting it to be difficult. Players will have a desire to do well and impress the new manager. It will be hard and we've got no illusions about that, but we have a good record at Upton Park."

By Tovash Hatcher

What do Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Doug Flutie, Tommy Frazier, Maurice Clarrett, OJ Simpson, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Michael Vick, Marshall Faulk, Charles Woodson, Doak Walker, Ricky Williams, and Mr. Heisman all have in common? All are great names that make college football one of the most adored games in the United States. There is nothing like a stadium full of hundreds of thousands of students, parents, and football junkies who look to spend their Saturday afternoons. It gets my adrenaline going when rivalries such as Michigan and Ohio meet up, Texas and Oklahoma square off, and Florida State and Miami duke it out. And you cannot forget about the Dallas Cowboys of college football… the fighting Irish of Notre Dame. College football is THE college sport and many people plan their week around this great game. Let's take a look at what makes college football what it is.

As a kid, I always had dreams of playing football for an NFL team someday. I never once thought about what college I wanted to go to. I'm a Texas boy and I watched many University of Texas football games on the tube. I declared that I DID NOT want to attend that school but that I did want to play college football. That was no shot at the Longhorn nation, but I just grew tired of watching nothing but UT football. Notre Dame was another school that got on my nerves because NBC decided that Notre Dame and the Chicago Bulls were the only two teams that they would air. As a result I became a fan of the underdog, and if you are a fan of NCAA football, very seldom would a no-named or unranked team knock off a powerhouse school. My interest grew because of that and the tracking of promising players with NFL futures. I loved that a Marshall Faulk could run wild on opponents while he was at San Diego State. It grabbed my attention that a young Peyton Manning could lead his band in playing the Tennessee fight song immediately after he just carved up a defense with his right arm. I was amazed when Tommy Frazier led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a college football dynasty but did so by running past every defender on any team with regularity. By the way, he was a quarterback.

Always expect the unexpected in this game. When you think a team is good, there will be some team that jumps up and shocks the college football world. Just recently Notre Dame went into the hostile confines of "the big house" or Michigan and upset the Wolverines. And, instant replay has also reared its ugly head. Two weeks ago the Oklahoma Sooners took on the Oregon Ducks and one particular play has people in Sooner-nation on fire. An onside kick that did not travel the required 10-yards was recovered by Oregon. The play was reviewed by the replay official in the booth and was not overturned. Another play that was also later reviewed by the same official was also missed. As a result, Oregon won the game and that sent Oklahoma fans in a frenzy. Sooners' brass and coaching staff publicly expressed demise for the two missed calls. The sports media also had many opinions about the missed calls. Needless to say that the replay official that blew those two calls in the game, has been under scrutiny as well as the victim of many death threats. I think that it's silly that fans and school officials can get that angry over football. Why the severity? Well, it's as simple as the nose on your face. There is no playoff system in college football and that's where the problem starts. In college football, a loss on the field equals a loss in revenue for that particular University.

The BCS (bowl championship series) is how the college football champion is crowned. Take the defending national champion Texas Longhorns for example. Last season, they did not lose a game and were rewarded by playing in the championship game. The Sooner faithful were mad because with a loss on the record, it decreases the chances of Oklahoma getting to the championship game. I would even go out on a limb of saying that those chances look like...let's say 0%. Many people and followers of college football say that there should be a different method of crowning a national champion. Personally, I think that the controversy is a good thing for the sport because it compels you to stay tuned to see which high ranked team can continue the good fortunes, or fall out of champion contentions.

If you like the game or not, college football is an addiction in this country and it keeps getting better. Players do not get paid to play and you can see them giving their all to play this game. The passion, desire, intensity, and love for this sport will keep every football fan tuning in each and every Saturday.

I'm Tovash Hatcher

By Ed Jennett


Allen Iverson has played his last game for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he definitely has not played his last game in the NBA. In fact, Iverson may pop up in a city near you (or your city) very soon. Tomorrow is December 15, which is the day that NBA teams can begin trading players that signed contracts this past summer. With more players available to be used in trades, it makes it more likely that a team will be able to work out a deal for Iverson.

There are not a lot of teams that are attempting to acquire Iverson, who is still one of the top players in the league. That leads to the obvious question of why? The obvious answer is The Answer himself. Iverson is a small player who plays a reckless style of basketball, which leads to frequent injuries. He is usually able to play through the pain or has been able to return quickly when he has been forced to miss some games. But he is 31 now. His size, style of play, and injuries are going to eventually catch up to him. It will most likely happen soon and it will happen to the next team he plays for.

The massive contract of Iverson is also scaring off many teams. Iverson makes $18 million this season and is owed approximately $40 million over the following two seasons. Combining this with the high likelihood of injuries and declining play it makes sense that teams are staying away.

Iverson the person also has a great deal to do with why so few teams are attempting to acquire him. Last week Iverson stayed on the team bus after the other players left to play a game against the Chicago Bulls. He then asked Sixers President/General Manager Billy King to trade him. Iverson eventually left the bus and played in the game against the Bulls. He also eventually left the game early, with the team saying that he had a back injury. At the time that led to the obvious jokes of Iverson hurting his back because he has to carry the team. The situation is certainly not funny anymore. What is uncertain is the obvious question of whether or not Iverson really did have a back injury. That may be a question that only The Answer himself can answer.

One of a few brave teams will have the chance to ask him this directly though. Those teams will not reside in North Carolina or Northern California though. Iverson told the Sixers that he did not want to play for the Charlotte Bobcats when there were rumors that this is the team where he would be traded. He has also informed his soon to be former club that he did not want to play in Northern California, which would eliminate the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. Both teams have been rumored to be interested in Iverson. However after initially saying that they were interested in Iverson, Kings ownership reversed their position the next day and said that there was no interest. Most likely they realized that pairing Iverson, who has been a troublemaker throughout his entire career, with insane Ron Artest would be a horrible idea. It is also possible that former Sixer teammates John Salmons and Kenny Thomas had been asked for their input and were not in favor of the idea. Both have played better away from Iverson in Sacramento. The rumor mill had the Kings sending Mike Bibby to Philly for Iverson. This could have been a disaster for Bibby. While he is still friends with former King and current Sixer Chris Webber, his father Heny Bibby is an assistant coach for the 76ers. The two have had a horrible relationship since the younger Bibby was a child. Rumors also had the Warriors sending Baron Davis to Philly for Iverson. But Head Coach Don Nelson wanted to pair the two in his backcourt. It is also unlikely the Sixers would have wanted the highly paid Davis, who is legitimately injury prone and also milked and exaggerated his injuries to get traded by the New Orleans Hornets. He would most likely do the same thing playing for the terrible Sixers.

It is possible that any of those three teams could get involved in a three-team trade to help someone else acquire Iverson. The Bobcats would be the most likely ones to do this. They have already informed the 76ers that they are willing to use their enormous cap space to help them make a trade.

There are teams that are trying to get the Answer for their own squad. The frontrunner among those clubs is the Denver Nuggets. Denver has two first round picks in the upcoming 2007 NBA Draft, which is supposed to be very good this year. Trading those picks to the 76ers would give them three first round picks. The Nuggets also have some smaller contracts that expire this season or next, which is when the humongous contract of Webber runs out. The stumbling block is that the Nuggets do not want to trade Marcus Camby or J.R. Smith. Denver is willing to trade Nene, but he is difficult to move because he signed a $60 million contract this past offseason after missing all but one game last year after tearing a ligament in his knee. He was also injured again earlier this season. Because of this Philadelphia does not want him. These issues will also make a lot of other teams want to stay away from Nene. One team rumored to be interested in helping make the deal is the Portland Trail Blazers, who have the huge expiring contract of Jamaal Magloire. There are reports that Portland is no longer considering getting involved, but that could just be a smoke screen by the Trail Blazers to get one or both of the first round draft picks of the Nuggets.

Despite Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor saying that his team would not get involved, there continues to be rumors that they are trying to trade for Iverson. This could be due to the fact that Kevin Garnett began lobbying for the acquisition of the answer as soon as the news of his trade request was broken. The Timberwolves do have Villanova alumni Randy Foye to trade to Phildelphia, but they have very little else. Plus in order to make the transaction they would have to send out nearly as much salary as they would take in. Most of the players on the Minnesota roster have horrible contracts that other clubs would not have any interest in. The only player, besides Garnett and Foye of course, who does not fit that description is Ricky Davis, whose deal expires after next season. Davis and Foye do not come close to matching the salary of Iverson however.

Another long shot candidate is the Los Angeles Lakers. Head Coach Phil Jackson has said that the club is interested. But is shot-happy Kobe Bryant? How will the newly christened number 24 continue to hog the ball with Iverson on the club? Will he get mad if he can no longer continue to take too many shots? What happens the next time Bryant is questioned by the police after a wild night with another sleazy hotel employee? Will he snitch on Iverson? Will it be considered the worst dime in the career of either player? The Lakers are definitely a long shot, without even factoring in the whole Iverson-Bryant dynamic. Their one prized young player is Andrew Bynum. It is very difficult to replace a quality center, although the Lakers do have a history of acquiring them. The two players on the roster that have appealing contracts are Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown. But trading any of them except Mihm (who is out for the season with an ankle injury) would be crippling. The Lakers front court will be missing Lamar Odom for at least a month due to a sprained knee. Los Angeles cannot afford to thin its front court even more.

The Los Angeles Clippers are another team rumored to be involved in the Iverson chase. But the 76ers want Shaun Livingston, who the Clippers seem to have absolutely no interest in trading. It does not look like a deal will be made their.

In the East, there are rumors that the Indiana Pacers are interested, but it is highly unlikely that these teams will make a deal. The Pacers would have to send the Sixers the large and lengthy contracts of another trouble maker in Stephen Jackson, along with Marquis Daniels and injury prone Jamal Tinsley. The 76ers would have no interest in that. Plus it would be crazy of the Pacers to bring in Iverson after trading the aforementioned psychotic Artest.

One legitimate Eastern conference destination for Iverson would be the Miami Heat. James Posey has an expiring contract this season, while Jason Williams has an expiring contract next season. If the Heat is willing to toss in a young player(s) and/or a draft pick(s) this would be a trade that would be just what the 76ers are looking for. It is hard to imagine an effective backcourt of Iverson and Dwyane Wade though. Plus there may not be enough shots once Shaquille O’Neal returns from his knee injury, especially since Iverson is so shot-happy, to put it kindly. To be blunt he is a ball hog and shoots too much.
If Iverson does stay in the Eastern Conference, the team most likely to get him however will be a division rival of the Sixers, the Boston Celtics. Boston has the huge contract of Theo Ratliff, which ends after next season. The Celtics also have a lot of young talent. Despite being division rivals, the teams also were part of a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz at the 2006 NBA Draft that would have sent Iverson to the Celtics and would have also involved Wally Zczerbiak of Boston and Carlos Boozer of Utah. Because of his incredible play this season though Boozer is now an untouchable and will not be moved by the Jazz, so the three-team trade with Utah will not be revisited.

By Tovash Hatcher

The 2006 NBA season is in full swing and we've already seen some brow-raising events. How many of you knew that the Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson would be parting ways? What team in their right mind would get rid of their franchise player? It actually went the other way however. Iverson went up the front office of the Sixers and told the ownership that he demands to be traded. Seeing Iverson in another uniform other than the Sixers, well, the clock is ticking.

Ten years of service, multiple scoring titles, 28 points per game, an NBA Finals appearance, 1 MVP title, and a partridge in a pear tree describes one Allen Iverson. Let me ask this question first, would you love to have Iverson join your favorite team? Allen Iverson is a gritty tough player who puts his body on the line for the love of the game. He has a passion for putting the ball in the hoop. He also has a passion for winning. So why doesn't Iverson have a team to play for? It's been 1 whole week and the guy is at home waiting for someone to pick him up. The Sixers have ended their relationship with Iverson after he demanded a trade just seven short days ago. Iverson has been out of work for a week but there is no temp service or unemployment line for him to jump into. Iverson is due to make $39 million dollars for the next two seasons so not many teams would like to make that financial move. It is a bit risky to pay any one over the age of 30 who is injury prone, but people we are talking about a Hall of Fame lock here. Iverson is at least worth the risk of acquiring. Remember this, Iverson has no championship under his belt and is starving to take a stroll down championship lane.

Many people close their eyes and imagine number 3 in a uniform of their favorite team but who are the real players in the A.I. sweepstakes?

-The Los Angeles Clippers are in a good position to take Iverson but with a nucleus of young players, does Mr. Sterling want to add Iverson to that group? Iverson, Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston are a way to get a team deep into the playoffs. Last season the Clips were just one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

-The Minnesota Timberwolves have Kevin Garnett. Here is a simple formula that the T-Wolves need to do: See KG. See KG not win. See KG remain a loyal player to the T-Wolves franchise. See KG demand to win or else. See the T-Wolves spend money to get Iverson. And see a happy and rejuvenated KG play championship ball with Iverson on the team. Minnesota can use a guy like Iverson because that provides scoring from another source other than Garnett. Teams allow Garnett to get his points but they shut down the rest of the team. Minnesota almost desperately needs someone like an Iverson on their team because it would take a ton of pressure away from Garnett who pretty much leads his team in every category except popcorn sales.

- Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets have been rumored to have interest in Iverson as well, but you have to ask yourself can Melo and "The Answer" co-exist. Anthony and Iverson are 1 & 2 in scoring in the league and I don't think that Denver would need another scorer. I still believe that the Nuggets will need to find a big man that can score in the paint before they load up in the guard category.

-Or what about the LA Lakers? Phil Jackson told us not to count out the Lakers in this whole thing. Two words Phil: Kobe Bryant. There wouldn't be enough basketballs to go around in LA. But it sure would make for good TV huh? If Kobe was successful enough to run Shaq out of Lala-land, what do you think he'd do to the little guy? Bryant has made it very clear that he wants to be the man in Los Angeles so even though Jackson may say not to count them out, Bryant will tell you otherwise.

In the midst of this Iverson love fest, do not forget this rose also comes with a few thorns. Everyone remembers the tirade that he went on in front of the media when he talked about how he feels about practicing. If I can recall I think he said the word "practice" 27 1/2 times. If you have the official count please email me at tovash10@yahoo.com. But if you're a coach on a team that just signed him, does that affect the way you run your team? A lot of teams still keep that in mind when they make their evaluations. Mark Cuban told Dan Patrick that the Mavericks have no interest in Iverson because of team chemistry. Iverson and his wife Tawanna have made the news more than once as well. Domestic violence is nothing new in this country, but when an athlete is accused, everyone knows about it. Allen and Tawanna have been in more fights than Ali-Frazier and quite frankly, that weighs heavily on teams' decisions as well. Anytime a player's wife's first name is known in public that would be a bad thing. If you think I'm lying do your research. Take Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Doug Christie for example. Michael and Kobe were guilty of cheating on their wives Juanita and Vanessa, Magic brought Cookie to the public when he announced his disease, and Doug Christie and Jackie are the biggest joke of a couple outside of Lucy and Ricky who actually got paid to be funny. Iverson is a big risk to any team in the NBA. But what he contributes on the floor is nothing less than exceptional.

If your team decides to make a move on Iverson, would that end being a good move or a disastrous one?

I'm Tovash Hatcher

By Tovash Hatcher

The pitcher, the catcher, the point guard, and even the center cannot compare to the importance of the quarterback. There is a sports writer in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area that goes by the name of Randy Galloway who has coined the phrase, "The game is all about the quarterback". How true is that? Do you think that your NCAA gaming experience all relies on your QB play? Actually, Mr. Galloway would be considered a genius for this theory. Disagree?

Well I'm here to say that the game IS all about the quarterback. What do the Dallas Cowboys, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Indianapolis Colts, the USC Trojans, the New England Patriots, and the 2005 Texas Longhorns have in common? Quite frankly those teams are or have succeeded because they have solid QB play. Sometimes those teams have had even GREAT quarterback play. We've all been watching the news where Tony Romo has lit a fire under the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. The man has been on every sports media show and is already being compared to NFL passing legends. ESPN has created a love fest for the 4th year QB and deadspin.com has made him closer to God. No matter how you look at Romo, his play on field cannot be downplayed.

Having a decent QB on your team can mean the difference between a win and a loss. When I watch NCAA, I normally get a heavy dose of the Quinns, the Smiths, the Bootys, and many other good QBs in the college game on my television screen. Even though those teams have good defenses, the offense of course has to put up the points. There is a reason why quarterbacks continue to win Heisman trophies year in and year out. With the exception of Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, and recently Reggie Bush, QBs have the life. The game is all about them on every level. And in the NFL, coaches often lose jobs because they haven't found a decent QB to lead their offensive group. And next to coaches, it is the quarterback that takes the largest part of the criticism when things go wrong. QBs are the winning formula and you better have a good one taking snaps if you want to have even a slight chance to win.

For those who disagree and believe that your team can win because your running back is nice, or that your lockdown corners get it done, or that your All-American defensive end is a freak, check out the play of your quarterback too. For your sake, if you plan on winning you'd better have a good one! Notre Dame is a team that I will excuse from this discussion because they have a good QB as well as an outstanding coach.

Signs of an under par QB
-the offense cannot move the ball
-the running back gets NFL type number of carries in one game
-the coach limits his number of passes, thus making him a "bus driver"
-there is a QB controversy at an unranked school
-fans, students and some players say "who" when the QB name is discussed at any time

You know something; I get sick of hearing about the teams with that have the good running backs that say "we don't need a good QB". Ohio State won the NCAA championship with Maurice Clarrett at running back. Clarrett was a hell of a running back too. And yes, he's an even better criminal. He was obviously not a leader at OSU and his off the field actions showed that. The QB is the designated leader of the team and if Craig Krenzel had any kind of toughness, he would have stepped up and pointed Mr. Clarrett in the right direction.

Emmitt Smith is arguably the best running back of all-time and who was his QB? The quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys had to be at least semi good to take that team that far right? What happened to the Cowboys when Aikman left? Smith was the last man standing and without Aikman leading the offense, Smith was very ineffective.

Getting it done, winning that is all depends on the guy who is the field general. He is an extension of the coach, he gets the ball to the open receivers, and he dictates the action on the offensive side of the ball. He is the quarterback...and it's all about him.

I'm Tovash Hatcher

Wednesday 13 Dec 2006

Chelsea 1 Newcastle 0
Jose Mourinho abandoned the 4-4-2 system and reverted to the 4-3-3 formation he used last season. By resting his leading scorer Didier Drogba, Mourinho went for width with Arjen Robben, who was so dangerous against Arsenal on Sunday, and Shaun Wright Phillips on the flanks. What was surprising was he decided to us the young Salomon Kalou as the lone striker instead of Andriy Shevchenko, who started on the bench. Having early implied that a win against Newcastle was pretty much a foregone conclusion, Mourinho found that Newcastle were a much tougher nut to crack than anticipated. Without Drogba to lead the attack, Chelsea were unable to penetrate Newcastle's defence. At the end, Mourinho had not choice but to put Drogba into action, along with Shevchenko, and it was Shevchenko's miscued shot that landed onto the Ivorian's feet 6 yards in front of the goal, and he duly converted it to win all 3 points for the Blues.

Chelsea have reduced Man U's lead to 5 points.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said, "Didier Drogba's attitude was brilliant. He was injured and there was maybe the risk of a bigger injury if he played, but at a tough time we needed him and he came on and made his contribution with the goal. The team understood the message at half-time and the message was that we couldn't afford to lose points from this game. Sometimes you get points through quality and sometimes you get it with your heart, and we did it with our heart."

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder said, "I was very proud of my players. I think we deserved a point. We were little unlucky with the goal because Andriy Shevchenko's ball for Didier Drogba's goal was not a pass. World class players don't normally scuff shots, but Shevchenko scuffed his shot and it turned out to be a very good scuff and Drogba is lethal from six yards. It was a real shame because we battled so hard and I cannot say enough good things about the attitude of my players here, especially with so many young players in the team."

Chelsea
Henrique Hilario, Ricardo Carvalho (Claude Makelele), Ashley Cole, John Terry, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Ndjitap Geremi (Andriy Shevchenko), Frank Lampard, Shaun Wright-Phillips (Didier Drogba), Salomon Kalou, Arjen Robben
Subs Not Used: Hedman, Bridge.
Booked: Essien, Makelele.
Goals: Drogba 74

Newcastle
Shay Given, Celestine Babayaro, Paul Huntington, Peter Ramage, Nicky Butt, James Milner, Charles N'Zogbia (Matty Pattison), Antoine Sibierski (Albert Luque), Steven Taylor, Obafemi Martins, Giuseppe Rossi
Subs Not Used: Srnicek, O'Brien, Edgar.
Booked: Ramage, Babayaro

Referee: Dowd, P
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,945

Wigan 0 Arsenal 1
One of this Arsenal team's weaknesses is to get results against lesser teams. They have played like champions against the likes of Man U, Liverpool and Chelsea, but have lost to West Ham, Fulham and Everton. Against Wigan, they were second best most of the match, but were able to get the result needed. It could be a sign of this young team growing up.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell said, "I thought we were terrific. They had a few chances in the second half - but I thought we played really well. People will say it was a great pass for the goal, but we lost concentration and switched off for a second. We paid the price, losing the game - which I didn't think we deserved."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "It was a difficult game - Wigan were up for it. It could have gone for them but it went for us. We created chances but they had one or two and we needed to be strong to claim the three points. Sometimes when you play every three days you have problems getting into the game but it gets better."


Wigan
Chris Kirkland, Leighton Baines, Emmerson Boyce, Fitz Hall, David Wright, Kevin Kilbane, Denny Landzaat, Josip Skoko, Henri Camara, Emile Heskey (Andreas Johansson), Lee McCulloch
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Jackson, Cotterill, Todorov
Booked: Wright

Arsenal
Jens Lehmann, Gael Clichy, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure, Julio Cesar Baptista (Robin van Persie), Mathieu Flamini (Cesc Fabregas), Fredrik Ljungberg, Gilberto Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor, Theo Walcott (Justin Hoyte)
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Hleb
Goals: Adebayor 88

Referee: Styles, R
Venue: The JJB Stadium
Attendance: 15,311

Where will Allen Iverson end up? By now everyone remotely interested in sports, and probably a few people who are not, is aware that Iverson has demanded a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers made Iverson the number one draft pick in 1998 when they selected him out of Georgetown University where Iverson had been a Hoya for only two years.

Since the draft, Iverson and the Sixers have had more than their share of ups and downs with most people believing that the Sixers would not trade their franchise player despite the problems. After all, who could blame them? Even if Iverson has caused the occasional public relations debacle, the truth is that he brings people to the arena night in and out. Even with the current team, which has been horrific for the past couple of seasons, the Sixers are able to make money largely because of Iverson through ticket and merchandise sales.

He represents the best of sports in America to many young people, and the Sixers know that. So, they have kept him despite legal problems and his sporadic attendance at practices, public events, and even games.

Iverson, for his part, has stayed with the Sixers, always proclaiming that he wants to retire in Philly, although the team has been terrible. Their 2001 run to the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals was the last time the team had any type of chance to be a real championship contender. And anyone who watches Iverson play knows that the little man of basketball has the heart and talent to be a championship player.

Instead, though, he has languished in Philadelphia where first former coach Larry Brown and now general manager Billy King have made terrible personnel decisions that have tied up the team for many years. They have fat contracts for players who do not deserve them, and the team has a long and sordid history of turning down or trading players who can make the roster better. Still Iverson has given of himself for almost a decade, but apparently the time has come for the two to part ways.

Iverson has been critical of the front office and current coach Maurice Cheeks, and apparently the team and the star player have grown weary with the constant wrangling. The team now has put Iverson on a suspension of sorts. He is not permitted to play for the team any longer while they try to trade him.

The word from sports reporters is that Iverson most likely will land in Minnesota or Dallas. Los Angeles has been mentioned as a possible trade spot, but it is difficult to believe that Iverson could co-exist with Kobe Bryant. The two have a fairly contentious history, as Bryant has with a number of players, and their egos probably would make it on the same court together night after night.

Iverson reportedly nixed trades to Sacramento, where he would be playing primarily with former Indiana Pacer Ron Artest, and to the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats are 5-15, and one could hardly imagine that Iverson would have any desire to play there with that kind of record. Still it is ironic that the Answer can demand a trade and then have any say in where he will go.

Basketball enthusiasts are interested in the trade because it will affect the 76ers and the other primary team for the next couple of years. No one is sure quite how much play Iverson has left in him. He is 31 years old, ancient for the world of professional basketball. Being with the 76ers has hurt his career in recent years though he currently is the leading scorer in the league.

Basketball fans should know in the next few days what will happen with the trade as both the team and Iverson have expressed their desire to get the trade done as quickly as possible. Then, a new team will have the chance to see what can happen with Iverson. At the very least, one of the long-standing questions about his career will be answered in the next season or so. Is Iverson a championship player stuck on a bad team, or is he the reason the Sixers have not done well in recent years?

I have a quick question for you. Can you name the original six teams of the National Hockey League? If you live in Canada or know anyone that does or even think of Canada, what do you think of besides ice and snow? Most likely it is the game of hockey. Here in Canada of course, hockey is one of the number one sports in the nation. A permanent fixture on most televisions throughout the land of Canada on Saturday night is Hockey Night In Canada. This feature became a Canadian staple even before the birth of Television. In fact, Hockey Night In Canada became a Canadian fixture back in during the forties and could be found in most Canadian homes where people were huddled around the radio listening each Saturday night.

Sure, you say, Hockey, well Canada is pretty cold all year round right? And the game of hockey seems to fit right in there with most pre conceived notions that most people have about Canada and that thought what most think about when they think of Canada, right? Not so! We do not (contrary to most opinions) have snow 365 days a year (where I live, we actually do hit temperatures in the high nineties) but sure, you counter, hockey is a Canadian game, right? Wrong!

Hockey, it would seem has become an American game. The National Hockey League headquarters is in New York City. Over half the National Hockey League franchise teams are from the United States, but the thing is that there seems to be very little interest in the US about the game of hockey as a whole. I understand that in some cases it is kind of hard to wrap your head around a winter activity that involves with ice and snow if you live in sunny and warm Florida all year long, but other than that, what is the problem here? Why is hockey such a neglected sport in the United States?

In the United States, there are other sports that seem to take precedent over the game of hockey. Even if you check out most sports blogs on the Internet, they seem deal with football (you all just love your football), then I would say baseball comes second, and then either tied or followed very closely by basketball. Why is there very little or no interest in hockey in the US? Could it have to do with the NHL lockout that happened during the 2004 to 2005 season? Could this be a factor or was there no interest in hockey even before the strike?

In fact, recent studies show that when a hockey game is on TV, except for the diehard fans, there is practically NO interest in watching it. In fact, the games that are shown on TV actually score lower in the national ratings than bowling shows! Can you believe that? Maybe it is because I am Canadian and because I have pretty much grown up with hockey and perhaps that is why I do not understand. It would seem that the game of hockey is centred in the upper half of the United States, close to the Great Lakes and in the New England area. And in these areas it would seem that interest in hockey can start with the little kids and getting them involved in minor hockey (and even putting a rink in your back yard. Ah, the memories that brings back!

Why is there very little interest in hockey? Hockey is a great spectator sport (my first date with my husband was, you guessed it, a hockey game!) And the sport of hockey involves speed, agility, brute strength, hand eye coordination, and a very fast paced game (with few stoppages like basketball for instance.) Well just about everything that you would think about when you thought about a great team sport. It is pretty much the only sport, however, where most games involves a fight of some sort or another. You would think that with excitement such as this, that hockey would be the popular game for everyone, not just the few diehard fans that follow the game. I wonder that as time goes by, since hockey does not seem to be the popular game of choice, that when the current group of fans loose their interest in hockey due to age or what have you, that there will be no fans to follow in the footsteps and the game of hockey as we know it, will be a thing of the past. By the way, the teams of the original six in the National Hockey League are Toronto, Chicago, Montreal, Detroit, New York Rangers, Boston.

By Tovash Hatcher

Did you have fun watching the NFL this weekend? With temperatures dropping across the country and the winter approaching, the cold weather has always been a factor in the game of football, and the players feel it.

It was "cold" the way the New Orleans Saints went marching into Texas Stadium to take on the red "hot" Dallas Cowboys. Due to the flex scheduling, the NFL reserves the right to be able to change the times of any game. As a result, the game which was initially scheduled for noon on Sunday was moved to Sunday night and became a nationally televised game. Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and the Saints' head coach Sean Payton put on an excellent display of football as the Saints pummeled the Cowboys in their own back yard.

How did they do it? New Orleans first packed the stands of Texas Stadium with their own fans. I was on hand for this one as it seemed that New Orleans Saints fans outnumbered Cowboys fans. Black and gold umbrellas, Saints costumes and that good ole favorite chant "Who dat?" filled the rafters of Texas Stadium.

The game plan coming into the game for the Saints was genius. It introduced a fullback into the offense, something that Dallas was not ready for. One New Orleans player told the media that Payton told his team that the Cowboys could not cover well in the flat. Third-year fullback from Arizona State Mike Karney caught and ran amuck over the Dallas defense to the tune of 3 TDs. "Who dat?" is absolutely the correct question to ask because Karney is a guy that had his first, second, and third career touchdowns on Sunday for the Saints. Drew Brees also had a hand in that by shredding up the Dallas secondary for 5 touchdown passes. He made a very good defense look bad and exploited the secondary for what they really are; an overrated group. Brees finished the night with 386 yards.

Tony Romo, the NFL's player of the month in November had his second consecutive below average game. Romo struggled to hit his receivers with regularity by throwing 2 interceptions and only completing 16 passes including 8 to Terry Glenn. Romo threw for only 249 yards. In this game the Saints totally dominated the game by hitting the Cowboys in every vulnerable area. The Saints roll over the Cowboys by the score of 42-18.

Remember last January? If not, let me take you back in time for a brief second. The Texas Longhorns had a quarterback by the name of Vince Young who overcame just about every sort of criticism and led his team to its first national championship in over 30 years. Young ripped thru the USC defense on his way to winning the MVP of the championship game back in 2005. In the draft, Young a Houston native, wanted desperately to be a Texan but the Texans passed on him and the dynamic Reggie Bush. On Sunday Young and his Tennessee Titans went to Houston to take on the Texans. This game was a barn-burner that went down to the wire and beyond. The Titans dominated the game by putting up over 200-yards on the ground. This was the traditional stick-it-to-the-team-that-didn't-want-you type game. Young had the last laugh by dashing to the end zone in OT on a 39-yard run to paydirt. On the play Young was untouched as the Texans blitzed their safety from the outside. Young recognized that he could run and didn't miss his opportunity. "I told one of the guys that it felt like my mom was chasing me with a belt", said a joking Young to the media after the game. His mom must have been really fast as the Titans sprint past the Texans 26-20.

A record breaking day in San Diego had the Chargers faithful cheering because the NFL's best team has a running back that goes by two initials LT scored his 29th touchdown of the season. The Chargers took advantage of a Denver Broncos team that has been in shambles lately. LaDainian Tomlinson ran over the Broncos by picking up 103 yards on 28 carries and 3 TDs. Tomlinson broke an NFL record set by last season's MVP Shaun Alexander who reached the end zone 28 times. Tomlinson still has 3 more games to add to his new record. The Chargers spank the Broncos by the final of 48-20.

And finally, the Bears got back to their dominant style of football on Monday night by smashing the Rams in St. Louis. Similar to the Saints/Cowboys game the Bears contingent took a road trip to St. Louis to support their team. They transformed the Edward Jones Dome to Soldier Field by making their voices heard on just about every play. Rex Grossman found his game for the time being by tossing 2 TD passes and not turning the ball over. Devin Hester, the Bears kick-returner from the University of Miami ran back two kick off returns against the Rams setting an NFL record with 6 total returns including punts, kick-offs and on missed field goals. The Bears beat the Rams 42-27 and move with one game of locking up home field advantage in the playoffs.

Week 14 included a bunch of blowouts and rookie players making plays. With the playoffs approaching, scenarios and playoff seedings and situations will be fun to get into. Week 15 starts in a few days!!

I'm Tovash Hatcher

Sunday 10 Dec 2006

Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
It was what you would expect from these two clubs. Two opposing philosophies of how the game should be played clashed spectacularly in 90 rain soaked minutes. Arsene Wenger must be credited to stick to his idealistic beliefs to play the beautiful game, and his young guns today showed that even though they are still some way short of the Invincibles of 2002/2003 side, they are no pushovers when it comes to big matches. Chelsea were the overwhelming favorites before the match, and it was Jose Mourinho's managerial talents (and of course, the unlimited supply of money from their billionaire owner) that transformed the Blues to an underachieving team to two times reigning Premier League champs. Before Mourinho, Chelsea were the whipping boys of Arsenal. Now, they have not lost a home game in over two years. The last team to beat them at Stamford Bridge? Arsenal, of course.

Without Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, and Tomas Rosicky, Wenger once again had to rely on youth. The back four of Emmanuel Eboue, Phillipe Senderos, Johan Djourou, and Gael Clichy have an average age of only 21. It was almost like boys against men when compare them to the Chelsea back four or the two strikers they have to contain. Luckily for Arsenal, stand in captain Gilberto Silva had an outstanding game protecting the back four. He did not put a foot wrong and was largely the reason Chelsea were so subdued in the first half. Given the history of being out muscled by Didier Drogba, Senderos had to confront his biggest fear again. He did reasonably well, apart from a few mistakes. At least Drogba did not score this time. Even when Drogba is playing so well at the moment, he just cannot shake his terrible habit of play acting. That is why he is such an unpopular figure outside of Stamford Bridge. His tussle with Jens Lehmann was almost comical. Mad Jens was angry that Drogba dived to try to get a penalty, and the slightest of touch from the goalkeeper, and the 13 stones Drogba was flat on the ground. He then retaliated and a slight bump from him sent the 6 foot 4 keeper to the ground as well. Even the referee thought it was so pathetic that he only gave them both yellow cards.
Ashley Cole naturally received the most verbal abuse from the visiting fans. It was sad to see an Arsenal boy completely turned his back to the club that gave him his start. Is there no loyalty in football anymore?

When Flamini scored the goal, Chelsea responded like champions. When Mourinho introduced Arjen Robben and Shaun Wright-Phillips, two out and out wingers, they not only equalized, they almost snatched a winner in stoppage time, twice. The Blues have been criticized of playing without any width and it showed why the criticisms were merited. When Andriy Shevchenko, who had been quiet the whole match, was taken off, and Chelsea reverted to the 4-3-3 formation, Robben's pace of the left caused so much trouble for the Arsenal defence that one wonders why he was on the bench in the first place. Mourinho accused Arsenal of playing too defensive, but it was he who started the match too defensively. The last ten minutes were what the Premiership is all about. Just thrilling football. It also shows that if Chelsea choose to play attractive football, they have the ability to do so, which makes fans of other teams hate them even more because they always choose to win ugly.

At the end, Man U fans were probably the happiest. Now 8 points behind the league leaders, Chelsea are in a position they are not familiar with. On Wednesday, they host Newcastle, who have not lost in eight matches. It will tell whether this Chelsea team has what it takes to challenge for the title again.

Wenger was frustrated that his side did not win the match. He said: "We could have won it in the end and I feel a bit frustrated because before the goal they scored it looked to be a foul on Alexander Hleb. We were in control, there was not much time left and we could have scored a second on the counter attack. The quality of our performance and our team spirit was absolutely tremendous."

He added: "We had a very young defence and I wanted to give them protection, to not be too open too much. It worked well overall. When you look at their age, what they did today was sensational. We came to try to win the game and we nearly did that. Don't forget Chelsea didn't play last weekend so we had a little physical disadvantage."

But Mourinho said: "Ferguson must be happy now because we can say we dropped two points but if he thinks it's over he's in trouble because it's not. We are here for the fight and I enjoy the fight. It is better to be in front but let's chase them - we can do it."

"On Wednesday, no disrespect to Newcastle, I think I will be here saying the point difference is five," said Mourinho. "It is a difference but that is not much of a difference in a long Premiership. The first step is the five-point difference and after that we will enjoy it. We showed we are not afraid of them and we can beat them at Stamford Bridge."

Mourinho being Mourinho had to have a dig at Arsenal. "Because of the way they controlled the game in the first half, I am happy to settle for a draw," said Mourinho. In the first half, they controlled possession and played with more quality and confidence but I don't remember a single shot. It was a bit of a surprise for a team behind the leaders not to come here to win but just to go for the draw. In the last period we had big chances to win but we didn't." He was quite wide of the mark as Arsenal surely did play to win.

Chelsea
Henrique Hilario, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Ndjitap Geremi (Shaun Wright-Phillips), Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele, Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko (Arjen Robben)
Subs Not Used: Hedman, Boulahrouz, Mikel
Booked: Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba
Goals: Michael Essien 84

Arsenal
Jens Lehmann, Gael Clichy, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue, Philippe Senderos, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Aleksandr Hleb, Gilberto Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie (Fredrik Ljungberg)
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Julio Baptista, Hoyte, Walcott
Booked: Mathieu Flamini, Jens Lehmann
Goals: Mathieu Flamini 78

Referee: Wiley, A
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,917

Analyze creative works of literature or film, whether they be focused on sports, politics, police, or war figures, and you'll find a common thread among the male heros. Arthur Fonzarelli had it; Captain Kirk had it; even John Wayne had it (take your pick on the movie).

Simply put, when the chips were down; when they were needed the most, these men came through.

Such is the stuff of American heros. It is what we as men all aspire to accomplish. We want to be that guy.

Let's face it; sports are a microcosm of all of this. The guys we admire- Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady- they all are men that come/ came through in the clutch. With everything hanging in the balance, when the chips are down, these athletes tend to play their best.

And right now it seems that we have a new young man ready to take on legendary status with these pressure players. In fact, at age 22, some might view him as very young.

His name is Troy Smith. You might know him as the Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback. Or perhaps you know him as the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner; but here's the thing, Smith isn't about awards like the Heisman, nor stats. He's about coming through when needed.

Still, the stats certainly aren't poor. Smith's quarterback rating this season is a whopping 167.9. He's thrown for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns. Even so, that's not where Smith's story lies.

His story lies in the biggest of all games. Don't believe it?

Then keep reading and you will.

In 2004 against the hated Michigan Wolverines, Smith led the Buckeyes to a 37-21 victory. On that day he completed 13-of-23 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns (a 121.8 passer rating).

In 2005, Smith led the team to 25-21 win against those same men from Michigan. Along the way, he completed 27-of-37 passes for 300 yards and one touchdown (a 105.7 passer rating). Then for an encore in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, Smith once again led his team to victory, this time by a score of 34-20. His 133.3 passer rating was compelled by completing 19-of-28 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Then of course, there's this season.

At Texas, the Buckeyes pulled off a 24-7 win where his passer rating totaled, 177.68.

That's right- 177.68; it's not a misprint. He also so happened to complete 17-of-26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns during that contest.

And then there was the game of the century on November 18^th. Undefeated Michigan versus undefeated Ohio State, taking place the day after legendary Michigan Head Coach, Bo Schembechler, passed away. How would Smith fare under such intense scrutiny?

As if you didn't already know.

How does a 42-39 victory with 316 yards passing and four touchdowns sound (a 162.79 passer rating)? Believe it or not, even though Smith did complete 70.7% of his passes against the Wolverines, he actually threw an interception.

The moon must have been aligned with Venus or something.

Here's the thing; Troy Smith is that guy we all hope to emulate. Yes, he's made mistakes in the past (like taking money from a booster three years ago) but he's an improved man because of them. Forget the Heisman Trophy everyone is talking about; after all, the Sporting News's Matt Hayes recently said it best on that front before Smith even won the award.

"Voters who still think this Heisman race is open should void their ballots and return them to the Downtown Athletic Club as soon as possible."

In other words, if you didn't vote for Smith to win the Heisman, you don't know college football (as the record 87% of voters who did put their ballot in for him would seem to confirm).

Troy Smith is already an Ohio State great; nothing that happens in the BCS Championship game will change that. But, his legend is growing. When the players look at him in the huddle- even from the television screen- you can feel it.

They believe in him; they know that he will lead them to the promised land. He's so good in big games that he can cry in front of teammates and tell them that he loves them with it all still sounding cool.

It will take an amazing effort to take that BCS Championship Trophy from him.

Smith simply has that 'it' factor we always hear about. Due to this, let me be the first to offer a media- driven nickname that should stick.

How about "The Iceman?"

No professional football team has played better than the New England Patriots over the last five years. However, the Miami Dolphins are one of the few football teams that have given Tom Brady and the gang fits.

How would it all turn out this time?

Read on.

Interesting quote- "Joey Harrington as we mentioned, finding renewed confidence (he said) and a new spirt here in Miami," Dick Enberg.

Question of the day.- Even with his renewed vigor, Harrington came into the game with 11 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions (59.2% completion rate).

So would Harrington still be feeling renewed after a game against the division leading Patriots?

Let's find out.

First quarter

General flow of the game during this quarter- Both teams showed the ability to move the ball, but neither was able to punch it in. Further, Miami benefitted from some calls and a turnover going their way.

Notable plays in favor of the New England Patriots this quarter.

1^st and 10 at 9:52 of the quarter.- Ty Warren sacks Joey Harrington.

After starting at their own three after a great Miami punt.- The Patriots get a first down (a second down pass and third down run ice it for them).

3^rd and five at 3:47 of the quarter.- Brady hits Kevin Faulk perfectly for a first down. After this play, Cross and Enberg speak of how uncanny Brady's accuracy is.

Notable plays in favor of the Miami Dolphins this quarter.

2^nd and 16 at 9:16 of the quarter.- Harrington hits Sammy Morris over the middle and he takes it for 28 yards and a first down.

4^th and 3 at 7:23 of the quarter.- Punter Donnie Jones boots a nice one, and Derek Hagan fair catches the ball at the three yard line. Bad place to start for the Pats.

2^nd and eight at 6:36 of the quarter.- A balloon flies by, stopping play (strange enough that I thought it should be added).

2^nd and five at 2:44 of the quarter.- The Patriots try one of their tricky screens to tight end, Daniel Graham. Unfortunately for them, he fumbles the ball and the Dolphins' Will Allen recovers. Huge play after Channing Crowder forced it loose.

The next play after the fumble.- Joey Harrington eludes the rush and then gets hit in the face by Richard Seymour after he lets an incomplete pass fly. Due to the high hit, they call a roughing the passer penalty on the Patriots, putting the Dolphins even further into Pats territory (inside their 25).

2^nd and seven at 1:50 of the quarter.- Miami's Randy McMichael gets called for holding, negating their stellar field position. However, the very next play after McMichael hurts the Dolphins with a penalty, Chad Scott of the Patriots gets called for pass interference (sending the Dolphins to the Pats 18). Who wins the penalty trade?

The Dolphins.

4^th and eight with 32 seconds left in the quarter.- Olinda Mare connects on a 35 yard field goal for the first score of the game.

Score at the end of the first quarter.

Miami Dolphins- 3

New England Patriots- 0

Second Quarter

General flow of the quarter.- Tom Brady was under a lot of pressure this quarter, especially from Jason Taylor (boy is that guy good). Further, the Dolphins moved the ball pretty well. Still, Miami was only able to put up a field goal. Usually, you have to take advantage of your chances when the Patriots come to town.

Notable plays in favor of the Miami Dolphins during the quarter.

3^rd and 12 at 14:53 of the quarter.- Almost a notable play, anyway. Brady drops back and Zach Thomas steps in front of his pass to Ben Watson. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Thomas drops the ball (wasn't the easiest of catches, though). The stop was in favor of Miami, not the drop (obviously).

On the very next play after the drop by Thomas, Wes Walker returns a punt. Though it wasn't really a noteworthy play from a yardage standpoint, Walker does take a tough lick and keep on coming.

"He's a one man field position machine for the Dolphins," Randy Cross says after the play.

2^nd and 8 at 4:02 of the quarter.- Harrington drops back and hits McMichael over the middle for a first down all the way to the New England forty (around 18 yards).

Donnie Jones punt on Miami's first possession of the quarter.- Though Miami does squat after driving into Pats territory, Jones once again forces New England to start from inside their own five yard line.

2^nd and 10 at 8:40 of the quarter.- Brady drops back and is sacked by Vonnie Holliday and Matt Roth.

Two plays after the sack.- The Patriots punt the ball inside the Miami five yard line. Problem is that the Patriots get called for illegal formation. Thus, New England loses out. The next punt is fair caught at around the 18 or so.

3^rd and seven at 2:06 of the quarter.- T