Thursday, April 29, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Tigers’ Ordonez Records 2,000th Hit In Twins Shut Out

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:44 PM PDT

Kareem Shaker – AHN Sports Reporter

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Detroit Tigers right fielder Magglio Ordonez recorded his 2,000th hit Thursday in a 3-0 shut out of the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

Ordonez, 36, smacked a liner to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning and finished the game 2-for-4 with a double to up his average to .310.

The milestone brings full circle a lengthy career that ran into a bump last season.

Ordonez struggled behind the plate, batting .310 with just nine homers and 50 RBI, his lowest totals since 2005, when he played just 82 games.

While the Tigers contemplated releasing Ordonez in order to avoid paying him an $18 million plate appearance incentive, his wife began sufferring from health problems.

In addition, Ordonez was booed during the World Baseball Classic by fans from his native Venezuela for backing a constitutional amendment to impose term limits for President Hugo Chavez.

The slugger absorbed the impact and returned for his 14th major league season. Through Thursday, Ordonez already has four homers, 17 RBI and a .408 on-base percentage.

Ordonez is just the sixth player from Venezuela to manage the feat, joining Omar Vizquel, Luis Aparicio, Andres Galarraga, Dave Concepcion and Bobby Abreu.

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Spurs Finish Off Mavs, Move Into Conference Semis

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:44 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

San Antonio, TX, United States (AHN) – Manu Ginobili tallied a team-high 26 points to go along with five assists and two boards, as the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs finished off the Dallas Mavericks 97-87 Thursday in Game 6 of their Western Conference quarterfinals at AT&T Center.

It marked the first time since the NBA adapted the best-of-seven first round format in 2003 that a No. 7 seed defeated a second seed.

The victory was also a sweet revenge for the last year’s first-round exit courtesy of the same Mavericks team.

In the semifinals, the Spurs will face the winner of the Suns-Trail Blazers series.

Portland holds a 3-2 advantage and has a chance to advance to the next round of playoffs with a victory Thursday night.

George Hill added 21 and six rebounds, while Tim Duncan logged 17 points and a game-best 10 boards for the victors.

Dirk Nowitzki poured in 25 of his 33 points in the second half, but it was not enough to help Mavericks, who were aiming to become the ninth team in NBA history to bounce back from a 3-1 series deficit.

The Mavs staved off elimination Tuesday when Caron Butler posted a playoff career-best 35 points in a 103-81 Game 5 triumph over the Spurs.

On Thursday, Butler had 25 and three boards, while Rodrigue Beaubois chipped in 16 points off the bench in the loss.

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Middleweight Favorites Make Statement At Bellator 16

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent

Kansas City, Missouri, United States (AHN) – The Bellator middleweight favorites all made a statement in the first round of the season two tournament at Bellator 16 Thursday night in Kansas City.

Season one finalist Jack Hess won by submission. Russian Alexander Shlemenko, signed earlier in the week, put on a striking exhibition in winning a unanimous decision.

Eric Schambari won by first-round tapout and called out fellow middleweight Bryan Baker. In response, Baker matched the first-round stoppage and accepted Schambari’s challenge.

Schambari, a WEC veteran, defeated former Ultimate Fighter contestant Luke Zachrich by arm triangle choke at 3:34 of the first round.

Schambari took Zachrich down twice early in the round. The second time, he was able to catch Zachrich in the arm triangle and get the tapout. Schambari moved to 12-1 with his eighth submission, while Zachrich fell to 10-2.

After the bout, Schambari declared, “I want Bryan Baker,” who was scheduled to fight later in the night.

In December, 2007, Baker defeated Schambari by split decision at WEC 31. Two judges had that bout 29-28 in Baker’s favor, while the other had the same score for Schambari.

Schambari dominated the striking in that first match-up, but Baker kept him constantly defending against submission attempts, getting a slight edge from the judges with his grappling superiority.

Baker answered Schambari’s challenge by posting an even faster first-round victory by TKO. Fighting against Sean Loeffler, Baker landed an early right hand, then took Loeffler down.

Standing in Loeffler’s guard, Baker landed a solid left hand to the body of his prone opponent. The shot froze Loeffler, and Baker fell on him and landed hammer fists until the referee stepped in to stop it.

“I saw his belly open,” Baker said. “He didn’t want to get hit in the face, so I had to take that shot–a straight left to that gut that took his will.”

The end came at 2:43 of the first. Baker moved to 12-1 with his sixth knockout. Loeffler fell to 18-5, snapping a six-fight win streak.

After the fight, Baker responded to Schambari.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Baker said. “Let’s see what he’s learned.”

In a third miiddleweight match-up, Alexander Shlemenko made his Bellator debut. The big Russian was signed earlier this week and won a unanimous decision over Matt Major.

Shlemenko put on a show, bloodying Major early with spinning kicks and backfists in the first round. He also landed several solid blows to the body of Major.

Shlemenko continued to spin and land in the final two rounds while also doing great work to the body of Major. All three judges had it as a shutout-30-27 in favor of Shlemenko.

Shlemenko moved to 28-4. Major fell to 6-2, losing for the first time since late 2007.

In the final middleweight quarterfinal, season one finalist Jared Hess began his road back to a rematch with middleweight champion Hector Lombard with an impressive second-round victory.

Hess dominated former Iowa Hawkeye wrestler Ryan McGivern from the top before putting him away with a guillotine choke at 1:54 of the second round.

Hess lifted and slammed McGivern to get a takedown early in the first round. He was able to pass guard and get side control four times, never letting McGivern get back to his feet.

In the second round, Hess put McGivern on his back again, getting a takedown 49 seconds into the round. McGivern attempted to fight his way back to his feet, but Hess was able to catch him in the guillotine.

“It felt right, and I just cinched it up,” said Hess.

“I’m back here, just like last year,” Hess continued. “It’s the same thing. I’m taking it one match at a time.”

Hess moved to 10-1-1 with his seventh submission. McGivern fell to 13-7.

In a non-tournament bout, Eric Marriott submitted Demi Deeds with a second-round triangle choke. Marriott was fighting his second bout in Bellator season two, after being eliminated from the Featherweight tournament on April 8 by Joe Warren.

The bout was at a catch weight of 162 pounds, 17 pounds heavier than he fought three weeks ago.

Marriott survived a first round onslaught from Deeds. He suffered a bloody nose from a huge Deeds kick midway through the round. Marriott also had to fight out of two guillotine chokes and a knee bar in the first.

In the second, Marriott managed to get back control on Deeds, but he couldn’t get a clear shot at a rear naked choke. A short time later, however, Marriott was able to catch Deeds in a triangle choke. Deeds escaped briefly, but Marriott’s second attempt finished the show at 3:02 of the second round.

Drew Dober defeated Nick Nolte in a Lightweight bout, getting a submission via arm triangle choke at 4:45 of the first round. Dober evened his record at 2-2, while Nolte fell to 2-2 with the loss.

Danny Tims won a split decision over Brian Davidson. Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.

Brent Weedman closed out the night with a TKO over Rudy Bears at 4:19 of the first round.

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Kings Guard Evans Takes NBA Rookie Of The Year Award

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Kings point guard Tyreke Evans capped a sterling rookie year at Sacramento by winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award, the league announced Thursday.

Evans, the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft out of Memphis, bested Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings for the award.

The 20-year-old Evans garnered 67 first-place votes and 491 total points.

Curry came in at second with 43 first-place votes and 391 points, while Jennings, who helped lead the Bucks to the playoffs, got 12 first-place votes and 204 points.

Tyreke averaged a team-leading 20.1 points, which is also the best among rookies, 5.3 rebounds and a team-high 5.8 assists in starting each of the 72 tilts in which he appeared.

The 6-foot-6 guard became the fourth rookie ever to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James on the exclusive list.

He spent only one season at Memphis, leading the Tigers in scoring with 17.1 points per game, and set a school mark for freshmen with 77 steals.

As a collegiate freshman, he was the consensus National Freshman of the Year.

He was also a finalist for both the Wooden Award and the Oscar Robertson Trophy.

The Kings concluded their campaign with a 25-57 record, second from last in the Western Conference.

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Ruff To Return Behind Sabres Bench In 2010-11; Buffalo Picks Up Coach’s Option

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Buffalo, NY, United States (AHN) – Coach Lindy Ruff will be back behind the Sabres bench for the 2010-11 campaign after Buffalo picked up the one-year option on Ruff’s contract, the club announced Thursday.

The move came three days after the Sabres, seeded third in the Eastern Conference, were ousted in the first-round of playoffs by the Boston Bruins in six games.

Ruff, 50, the Sabres’ winningest coach, completed his 12th season as head coach by guiding Buffalo to a 45-27-10 record and a Northern Division crown this season.

The Sabres are 483-389-122 under Ruff, who became the 15th head coach of the team in July 1997.

He is currently the longest-tenured coach in the NHL.

After helping the Sabres capture the Northeast Division and make the playoffs for the first time in three years, Ruff is seeking adjustments that could lead to a successful run to the Stanley Cup next season.

Among the focus areas will be the struggling offense highlighted in the series with the Bruins, as the Sabres power play went 0-for-20.

Ruff, who also played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenseman, steered the club to the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals in his second season as coach.

Buffalo succumbed to the Dallas Stars in six games in the championship series.

In his debut year behind the bench at Buffalo, he guided the Sabres to the 1997-98 Eastern Conference Finals.

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Eagles Give Quarterback Kolb One-Year Contract Extension Worth $12.26M

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Kareem Shaker – AHN Sports Reporter

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) – The Philadelphia Eagles announced Thursday the signing of quarterback Kevin Kolb to a one-year contract extension worth a $12.26 million, all guaranteed, over the next two seasons.

“I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong, I’m trying to prove this organization right for making this move,” Kolb said in a news conference following the announcement. “I know there are a lot of expectations. When you get an extension and you get the starting quarterback position, regardless of where you’re at, there’s a lot of pressure and responsibility.”

Kolb spent three seasons warming the bench behind Donovan McNabb, whose trade earlier in the offseason likely spurred the Eagles to extend Colb’s contract.

The 2007 second-round draft choice filled in for an injured McNabb last season and became the first-ever quarterback to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts.

Kolb managed four touchdowns and three picks, going 62-for-96 for 741 yards and an 88.9 QB rating in five games.

The two sides were limited by the expiring collective bargaining agreement, restricted by a rule that limits annual raises in base salary to 30 percent.

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Despite Strained Elbow And Bone Bruise, Cavs’ LeBron Not Expected To Miss Action

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Independence, OH, United States (AHN) – A troublesome right elbow is not expected to force Cavaliers superstar LeBron James to miss any action as No. 1 seed Cleveland prepares to collide with the veteran-laden Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday.

In Tuesday’s Game 5 clincher against the Chicago Bulls, the reigning NBA MVP had to fight through the said elbow problem, utilizing his left hand in shooting the ball down the stretch.

After a re-examination by team doctors Wednesday, it was found that James had a strain in the elbow and a bone bruise of his olecranon, the bone on the bottom of the joint.

James’ shooting was affected following a blow to the said elbow in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 96-94 win.

He finished that contest with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, leading Cleveland to the franchise’s first ever postseason series win over the Bulls.

The six-time NBA All-Star and 2008 scoring champion had been dealing with soreness in his triceps, in addition to the discomfort in the elbow and numbness in his arm at times.

With additional treatment and enough rest, James is expected to lead the Cavs Saturday when they host the Celtics in Game 1 of the semifinals in a rematch from two years ago when Boston prevailed en route to the NBA championship.

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Redskins Agree To Pacts With Wideouts Wade, Galloway

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Ashburn, VA, United States (AHN) – The Washington Redskins, in an effort to shore up their receiving corps, signed free agent veteran wide receivers Joey Galloway and Bobby Wade Thursday. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

The Redskins are hoping that Galloway, 38, and entering his 16th NFL season, could provide a deep threat for the team, which is set to gather for its next minicamp in two weeks.

In 188 career games with Seattle, Dallas, Tampa Bay and New England., Galloway has compiled 689 receptions (31st in NFL history) for 10,777 yards which ranks 26th all-time in the league and 77 TDs (23rd in NFL history).

After registering seven catches for 67 yards in three contests for the Patriots last season, Galloway signed with Pittsburgh but did not appear in any games.

Meanwhile, Wade, 29, will be playing for his fifth team since entering the league in 2003 and could be considered as a possible punt returner for Washington.

Wade, 5-10, and 186 pounds, registered consecutive seasons with more than 50 receptions in 2007 and 2008 with the Vikings.

He also becomes a candidate to be a slot receiver in Mike Shanahan’s offense.

Wade, entering his eighth NFL season, has appeared in 102 games for Chicago, Tennessee, Minnesota and Kansas City.

He has compiled 244 career receptions for 2,858 yards and nine TD and also added 22 rushing attempts for 93 yards.

Wade, a fifth-round selection in the 2003 Draft out of Arizona, also registered 1,194 yards on 50 career kickoff returns.

Also Thursday, the Redskins announced the signings of two more undrafted rookie free agents: UCLA tight end Logan Paulsen and LSU running back Keiland Williams.

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Report: Indians, Red Sox Hated More Than Yankees Among MLB Fans

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

United States (AHN) – The New York Yankees might have easily booked into the list of notoriously hated teams in the MLB, but at least they did not top it.

The Nielsen Company released Wednesday the list of the league’s most despised franchises, putting the Cleveland Indians at the No.1 spot from polling it conducted.

In spite of numerous World Series titles, an unfairly large payroll to some observers, and among the cockiest fans in sports, the Yankees are surprisingly not at the top of the list, based on Nielsen’s “Sentiment Ranking” formula.

Nielsen explained the formula measured the fans various reactions – ranging from 5 to minus -5 – to the team’s messages posted online.

From MLB’s 30 teams, none received a zero or negative score, however, six still performed poorly with ratings lower than 2.

The Indians, whose last World Series title dates back in 1948, failed to woo their fans mainly because of their reputation as one of MLB’s perennial doormats.

The Boston Red Sox, known for their storied rivalry with the Yankees, also didn’t fare well as they landed at No.2 on the list.

Rounding up the top-six with below 2 rating were: the Cincinnati Reds at No.3, Houston Astros at No.4, the Yankees at No.5, and the Washington Nationals at No.6.

The Chicago White Sox at No.7, Baltimore Orioles at No.8, New York Mets at No.9, and the Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 10 also made it into the top-10 with poor fan ratings for various reasons.

On the contrary, the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics had the most positive reactions from baseball fans.

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Tiger Struggles In Round One At Quail Hollow, Nine Shots Behind Van Pelt

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 09:38 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Charlotte, NC, United States (AHN) – Tiger Woods, who has played well at Quail Hollow in the past, struggled with his shot direction all day and finished the opening round with a two-over 74 at the Quail Hollow Country Club.

It was the first over-par score in the brief season so far for Woods, making his second post-scandal start after tying for fourth place at the Masters.

At one stage of his bogey-filled opening round, the current world No. 1, was four-over par before regrouping two shots on his back nine.

Woods is nine shots back behind early leader Bo Van Pelt, who shot a seven-under-par round of 65.

Three shots at four-under 68 behind Van Pelt were Geoff Ogilvy, Paul Goydos and Billy Mayfair.

Ricky Barnes, Cameron Percy and Brian Stuard each carded three-under 69s.

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