Saturday, June 19, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Lakers Budget Over $1.5 Million For Celebration In Downtown L.A.

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 11:54 AM PDT

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly allotted $2 million for a sumptuous championship parade in downtown L.A Monday.

Team spokesman John Black said the Lakers will finance the entire cost of the parade, covering transportation and safety workers.

David Beltran, a spokesman for L.A Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, stated the Lakers budgeted over $1.5 million for their championship rally beginning Monday at 11 a.m.

Sources close to the team reported a parade will start at Staples Center on Figueroa Street and trek 2-mile route south toward USC campus.

Moreover, street closure will be implemented around Sunday midnight, which will force commuters to search for alternative road into downtown L.A.

The entire Lakers roster – led by NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant – will stand on top of a float as Lakers play-by-play announcer Spero Dedes interviews them on a loud-speaker.

The Lakers were once again crowned as NBA Finals champions after defeating their archrival the Boston Celtics 83-79 in seven games.

It was the 16th NBA finals title in the Lakers' storied history, moving them closer to the Celtics with NBA-best 17 championship rings.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Defenseman Bouillon Signs Two-Year, $2.7M Pact With Predators

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 11:53 AM PDT

Nashville, TN, United States (AHN) – Defenseman Francis Bouillon re-signed with the Nashville Predators on a two-year, $2.7 million deal Saturday.

The 34-year old Bouillon will receive $1.2 million in salary for 2010-11 and $1.5 million for 2011-12.

Bouillon ranked second on the Predators in hits (162) and tied for third in penalty minutes (50) in a career-high 81 games last season.

The 5-foot-8, 198-pound Bouillon also recorded 11 points with three goals and eight assists for the Predators.

Known as a reliable defenseman, NHL analysts believe Bouillon would solidify a decent defensive cast in the Predators lineup.

In 10 solid NHL seasons, Bouillon has registered 24 goals, 89 assists, and 421 penalty minutes in 566 games with the Predators and the Montreal Canadiens.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Phil Mickelson Heads Great Cast For U.S. Open Battle

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 11:51 AM PDT

Pebble Beach, CA, United States (AHN) – The stage is set and the backdrop is fabulous.

Pebble Beach is ready for the final 36 holes of the U.S. Open and the title is within reach for a lot of contenders.

Second round leader Graeme McDowell heads the list going into “moving day.” But he has an array of worthy contenders staring directly at him and the U.S. Open Trophy.

Here are some the players who might hoist the huge silver trophy on Sunday afternoon:

Graeme McDowell: Yes, he’s a top 40 guy in the world rankings but has never won a major. Will a first-time major winner emerge on Sunday? What he does in the third round will determine how many players are in the hunt on Sunday. If he goes low, that will eliminate many. He sits at three-under par, 139.

Phil Mickelson: After his 66 on Friday, Lefty clearly has his eyes on the prize. He knows he’s in a good spot. He even brought up the old Bobby Jones adage that in the U.S. Open, “Par is your friend.” Mickelson’s right. Even par could well win the title come Sunday. As he said after his round Friday, the course will only get harder for the final two rounds.

Ernie Els: The Big Easy is in the forefront with Mickelson. He’s won two U.S. Opens so somewhere deep in his memory banks, he knows what it takes. He found his stride Friday with a 68 and has to be one of the favorites.

Ryo Ishikawa: Japan’s “Shy Prince” is perhaps the most compelling story of the weekend. He’s been incredibly steady with rounds of 70-71 and he’s only 18! It’s hard to imagine a player having the mental maturity to compete in this pressure-cooker of a golf tournament. Yes, he’s only 18 but he has a very mature game.

Dustin Johnson: Johnny Miller declared the 6-4, long-hitter, “The man to beat.” And he just might be. But he’s going to have to overcome the fact that he’s never been in contention down the stretch in any major. Johnson has the game and the knowledge of the course. He’s won the last two AT&T regular tour events at Pebble but those were on a course with far different conditions than this.

After those players, it gets a bit iffy.

The guys sitting are even par, Alex Cejka, Paul Casey, Brendon de Jonge and Jerry Kelly, lack the resume with perhaps the exception of Casey. Casey’s won world-wide but hasn’t won a major.

Then there’s the Tiger over in the corner.

Flying under the radar is Tiger Woods. After rounds of 74-72, he’s only four shots shy of the even par mark. But he’ll need a really good round on Saturday. He’s never come from behind in the final round to win any major.

Lee Westwood sits one better than Woods. After a 71 on Friday, he might be ready to climb back in the hunt.

Paddy Harrington, who played the first two rounds with Mickelson, is at four-over with Woods. He’s capable of a good round that could pull him into contention for the final 18.

It’s moving day at the Open and the final cast is assembled and ready.

Seventy three players are left from the starting field of 156.

Only five go into the third round under par. Four more are at even and only three more are one-over par.

That’s only a dozen at one-over or better.

The door is wide open and the world is waiting to see who’s going to step through it Sunday.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Goodell Visits Queens Football Teens; Addresses NFL Topics

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 11:49 AM PDT

Queens, NY, United States (AHN) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took on a number of issues during a Thursday night open forum at a youth football camp in Queens, including what he sees as league’s need to raise the number of football games to 18.

Goodell, in his fourth year as NFL commissioner, is reportedly spearheading a serious attempt to increase regular season games to 18 from 16.

Goodell said increasing the number of games will make the football season more interesting and increase ticket sale revenues.

“Can we do things differently? I think we have to,” Goodell told ESPN New York Thursday.

The NFL commissioner thinks an expanded season will lead to changes in roster size, offseason training program and injured reserve restrictions.

“I think we’re going to have some guidelines and restrictions on what can be done and what can’t be done in the offseason,” Goodell added Thursday.

NFL players are not in favor of the long season, however, considering the greater risk of more injuries.

“The risk that we take as far as playing regular-season games is considerable,” said Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka.

Goodell said the proposal will not be viewed positively by the players, but insisted an 18-game regular-season format will boost the league's popularity.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

World Cup: Netherlands Knocks Off Japan; Ghana-Australia Tie

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 11:47 AM PDT

South Africa (AHN) – The Netherlands blanked Japan 1-0, while Ghana-Australia forged a 1-1 tie Saturday as World Cup play continued.

Wesley Sneijder scored for Netherlands off a feed from Robin Van Persie for the lone goal of that match.

Netherlands held a slim 10-9 advantage in shots, but got five on goal to just two for Japan.

Netherlands controlled the ball, taking possession 66 percent of the 90 minutes.

Australia forward Brett Holman pounced on a rebound and knocked it into the back of the net for his team’s goal.

Asamoah Gyan scored for Ghana off a penalty kick after Harry Kewell was handed a red card for blocking a shot off his upper arm.

Ghana piled up 24 shots in the match, but just five went on goal.

Australia collected just nine shots, with four going on goal.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Makarova Shocks Azarenka To Capture First Career Title At Eastbourne

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 11:40 AM PDT

Eastbourne, United Kingdom (AHN) – Russian Ekaterina Makarova made a suitable conclusion to her surprising run Saturday, stunning Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 to capture her first career title at WTA AEGON International.

No. 100 ranked Marakova shocked the tennis world this week, after ousting the likes of Sam Stosur, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, and Azarenka on her way to her first career title.

The 22-year old Marakova demonstrated poise and solid shot-making ability to beat 15th-ranked Azarenka in 1 hour, 51 minutes.

Marakova relied on her powerful forehands and nifty drop shots to become the first unseeded champion since Chanda Rubin of the United States in 2002.

“I cannot understand yet that I won,” an elated Makarova told reporters after the match. “I’m a bit in shock, especially that I didn’t lose a set.

With the title, Marakova will climb in the top-70 just before the Wimbledon Open Championship starts Monday.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

President Obama Knows, Loves Sports; Nats Game Latest Venture

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 05:43 AM PDT

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – President Barrack Obama has once again demonstrated his love for sports Friday night, as he witnessed Washington Nationals sensation Stephen Strasburg broke an MLB record for most strikeouts in his first three starts.

President Obama attended a crowded Nationals Park Friday to watch Strasburg play his third major league starts against his hometown team, the Chicago White Sox.

In the match, Strasburg made another dazzling performance with 10 strikeouts and no walks in seven innings, but settled a no decision in a White Sox's 2-1 win in Washington.

Strasburg, named the National League Player of the Week plum from June 7-11, set an MLB record with 32 strikeouts in only three starts.

President Obama's appearance at National Park Friday ended a hectic two weeks after the Gulf crisis leaked out in worldwide attention.

With BPO pledging a $20 million support, the president might have decided to take a break and show his sports junkie persona.

Last month, Obama made a rather soft endorsement for the Chicago Bulls, saying the team is likely the perfect pit for LeBron James.

You know, like I said, I don’t want to meddle,” Obama told TNT Marv Albert. “I will say this: [Derrick] Rose, Joakim Noah it’s a pretty good core. You know, you could see LeBron fitting in pretty well there.”

President Obama also made in NCAA Tournament predictions in the last two years, hitting the target with North Carolina in 2009 and missing badly this year with Kentucky.

The President quoted the Boston-Los Angeles seven-game finals matchup "a great series worthy of the rivalry."

A White House spokesman said President Obama is looking forward to congratulate the Los Angeles Lakers at the Whitehouse for their back-to-back NBA titles.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Group D to witness Australia-Ghana clash

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 03:26 AM PDT

FiFa 2010

FiFa 2010

Australia encounters Ghana in their group D match at the FIFA 2010 World Cup on 19th June in South Africa. Australia had gone down to Germany heavily, while Ghana had defeated Serbia 1-0, in their respective opening matches.

Ghana remains the favorites though the capacity of Australia to bounce back cannot be neglected. Therefore, the game shall possess all the ingredients of a thrilling experience. Ghana would like to expand its chances of getting into the final sixteen, whereas the Australians shall look forward to their first victory.

The African nation is credited to be one of the strongest in the continent and is expected to show it off at the world cup. Though the injury Michael Essien has dampened their spirits a bit, the team still gathers its confidence with the presence of players such as Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah.

Coach Milovan Rajevac hopes that playing at the home front would also provide them an added advantage. Led by international stars like Tim Cahill and Brett Emerton, Australia too is keen on improving their position within the group as well as in the world soccer map. The team boasts of a huge fan base across the globe and shall try to compensate the 2006 world cup defeat at the hands of Italy.

Japan vs Holland: Japan and Netherlands clash for group supremacy

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 03:11 AM PDT

FiFa 2010

FiFa 2010

Japan shall meet the mighty Netherlands in a group E clash on 19th June at the Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Both the teams are riding high on the confidence gained from their win in the first match. The Dutch had thrashed Denmark 2-0, while Japan defeated Cameroon 1-0.

The last time the two teams met was at a friendly game in 2009 in which the Netherlands claimed victory. This is their first encounter together at a World Cup.

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk sounded severely cautious in discussing the upcoming encounter. “I have said 100,000 times that sometimes we are arrogant and sometimes that might backfire on us, and I have told my players from day one and we must not fall into that trap”, he said. Dirk Kuyt shall be the team's major attraction due to his multi faceted talents that helped him score the second goal against Denmark.

Japanese coach however admits that the match is not going to be an easy one. He hinted that it would test their patience for a long time. The team is banking on players like Keisuke Honda who is famous for his dangerous speed and moves. A win for either team will ensure them a place in the final sixteen. A draw too may not dim their chances into the pre-quarters as both top the group currently.

Kasey Kahne shines at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Posted: 19 Jun 2010 12:16 AM PDT

NASCAR Sprint Cup

NASCAR Sprint Cup

Kasey Kahne has claimed the pole at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Sunday at Infineon Raceway beating four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson. Kahne achieved this feat using his Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, the same car that took him to victory a year ago.

An elated Kahne exclaimed, “It was a fast lap for our Budweiser Ford. The team has done a really nice job. The car has been fast since we started and it's real similar to last year, so it's nice to drive it. I feel like I used up most of the race track and really got all I could there". Kurt Busch qualified third and followed by Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Marcos Ambrose. “We've had a terrible year and are trying to bounce back. We just want to get through this weekend, hopefully with a top-five, challenge for a win and hopefully get our season really going", Ambrose remarked.

Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr claimed seventh to tenth places, while Mark Martin emerged eleventh followed by Denny Hamlin. A winner of overall five races, Hamlin expressed the hope that they will be able to close the gap through a better start on the next day.
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