Friday, September 3, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Lauren Jackson Storm`s To WNBA MVP Honor; Agler Coach Of Year

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 06:59 AM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

NY, NY, United States (AHN) – Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm was named MVP of the WNBA Thursday for the third time.

Jackson averaged 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds a game this season for the 28-6 Storm, guided by Coach of the Year Brian Agler.

“The award itself, I never would have got it if we hadn’t achieved what we had,” Jackson, who won the award in 2003 and 2007, told the Seattle Times. “And I know for a fact that if Sue [Bird] wasn’t my point guard, I would have never got the award. Everybody played such a huge part and I’m really fortunate I got to play with these guys this year and that everyone is so focused on winning.”

Agler, who has led the team to 68 regular season wins in three-year term, credited his team’s depth and chemisty for its amazing 17-0 record at home, and his award.

“It’s the one individual award that’s impacted by multiple people [and not] just the person who receives it,” Agler told the Times. “What are we going to do without Lauren? What are we going to do without Swin Cash? But when all of this shakes out, the one person that has impacted this all the most, especially Coach of the Year, is Sue Bird. Sue makes your team operate at an extremely high level.”

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Rangers Pitcher Lee Suffering With Back Woes

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 05:00 AM PDT

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John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

Kansas City, MO, United States (AHN) – Cliff Lee was expected to carry the Texas Rangers’ starting pitching staff down the stretch, but that might be more difficult than anyone in the organization imagined.

Lee went back to Texas on Tuesday to have his sore lower back examined by Dr. Keith Meister.

Lee spoke to team officials about the problem following Tuesday’s 10-9 loss to the Royals.

Meister diagnosed the issue as muscular pain and inflammation and gave Lee an injection. Lee will rejoin the Rangers on Friday in Minnesota.

“Meister did not seem to think it was too serious,” Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine said. “He thinks the injection will give him a lot of relief.”

Lee is scheduled to pitch Tuesday against the Blue Jay and the Rangers expect him to make his start. Lee is scheduled to throw a side session in the bullpen on Saturday, and the issue will be a lot clearer after that.

Acquired from Seattle to anchor the pitching staff of the AL West leaders, Lee was more dead weight in August.

He was 1-4 with a 6.35 ERA in seven starts last month and may have been affected by the back ailment.

“That would be speculative on our part, but he did intimate he has been feeling it for longer than one start,” Levine said.

“We’ll see how it goes,” manager Ron Washington said. “He didn’t have a good August but if he drops three or four wins on us in September, we’ll forget about August.”

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Team USA Romps To Win Over Tunisia; Locks In Group B Top Spot

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 05:00 AM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

Istanbul, Turkey (AHN) – Team USA secured the first spot in Group B Thursday after breezing to a 92-57 victory over Tunisia at the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.

Shooting guard Eric Gordon led all scorers with 22 points, while Oklahoma Thunder teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook posted 14 apiece for the Americans.

Turnovers and woeful shooting plagued team USA in the first half of the game, allowing the lowly Tunisians to stay in striking distance, 38-33, after the first 20 minutes of action.

The Americans started to knock down their shots in the third quarter before ripping the game apart in the fourth.

In the end, team USA shot 51.5 percent from the field and committed only 11 turnovers in the match. Tunisia meanwhile shot 28.2 percent from the field and lost the ball 14 times.

Marouan Kechrid and Macram Ben Romdhane combined for 26 points for Tunisia, which joined Canada and perhaps Jordan as the winless teams in the championship.

Team USA, which finished its five-game preliminary round play with a 5-0 slate, will next play Angola in their sudden-death, second-round game Monday.

Angola placed fourth in Group A after finishing with a 2-3 record, behind Australia (3-2), Serbia (3-1), and Argentina (4-0).

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WAC Stacked With Top-Flight Quarterbacks

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 04:47 AM PDT

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AHN Sports Staff

Greenwood Village, CO, United States (AHN) – The Western Athletic Conference is looking forward to a terrific 2010-2011 season, as it features an outstanding group of quarterbacks, including Boise State’s Kellen Moore.

With the impending departure of Fresno State and Nevada next year, many believed the WAC could be on his way to an inevitable implosion.

However, the WAC is optimistic that a surplus of talent at the quarterback position will spur the level of competition and excitement in the conference this coming season.

Moore, 21, is once again expected to repeat his performance last year, when he led Boise State to 14-0 title and eventually another WAC title.

Moore received a First-team All-America honor and improved his rating as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

In two seasons as a starter for the Broncos, Moore has thrown for 7,022 yards and 64 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions. He has a career completion rate of 66.7 percent (558-of-836) and a QB rating of 159.46.

But Moore won’t be the only quarterback lighting up scoreboards and defenses in thw WAC this season and football followers should also watch Nathan Enderle of Idaho, Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, and Diondre Borel of Utah State.

Football scouts described Kaepernick and Borel as more of do-it-all quarterbacks, while Enderle is lauded for his efficient passing.

Kaepernick can impact a game with his arm and legs as he has thrown for 6,899 yards and 60 TDs with 15 interceptions and rushed for 2,883 yards and 39 scores. He has topped 1,100 yards rushing in each of the oast two seasons.

Borel has played in 32 games including 21 starts. He started all 12 games a year ago and has thrown for 4,590 yards and 28 TDs and rushed for 1,100 and another 11 TDs so far in his career.

Enderle is not a threat to run but has grown as a passer in his first three seasons at Idaho. He has passed for 5,770 yards and 52 TDs with 44 interceptions. That is not a great ratio but consider he threw for 22 TDs and only nine intercetions a year ago.

For the WAC, this coming season will be the most crucial part of its existence, perhaps it will determine the fate of the conference in the future.

Nevertheless, with the quarterback depth it has, the WAC could turn the tables around and survive even with only 9 teams on the fold.

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Azarenka Reports Feeling Better After Collapse At U.S. Open

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 04:47 AM PDT

John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

NY, NY, United States (AHN) – After a scary on-court episode and an early end to her U.S. Open run, Victoria Azarenka is feeling much better.

On Wednesday, the 10th seed from Belarus collapsed while serving on the Grandstand court at the U.S. Open during her second-round match against Gisela Dulko and retired from the tournament.

At the time of her collapse, Azarenka was treated as if the episode was heat related and wheeled off the court and taken to a local hospital. She was suffering the affects of a mild concussion she suffered while warming up prior to her match.

“I want to thank everyone for your well wishes after my retirement . I wanted to let you all know that I am doing well and feeling much better,” Azarenka said on her website. “I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko when I accidentally fell and hit my head. I tried my very best to play and finish the match however it just was not possible. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and I’m back at my hotel feeling better now.”

While obviously disappointed over what happened, Azarenka was appreciative of the treatment she received and the reaction of her opponent and fans.

“I would like to wish Gisela best of luck with the rest of the tournament and thank her for her concern,” Azarenka said. “I would also like to think the US Open staff and doctors who have done a wonderful job. While I am very disappointed, I really appreciate all of your support and look forward to getting back on the court very soon.”

Azarenka fell behind 1-5 in the first set against Dulko and was serving at 15-30 when she collapsed. Temperatures were in the 90s but tournament officials did not decide to use the extreme weather policy, which was in place on Tuesday.

The policy allows to players to request a 10-minute break between the second and third sets if the temperature is above a certain level when the match starts.

“I was checked by the medical team before I went on court, and they were courtside for monitoring,” Azarenka said. “I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy. I also started having trouble seeing and felt weak before I fell. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and have been diagnosed with a mild concussion.”

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Ohio State, Michigan Separated By Divisions In Big 10, But Rivalry Continues

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 04:47 AM PDT

John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

Park Ridge, IL, United States (AHN) – Fans of Michigan and Ohio State football are breathing a bit easier Thursday.

The Big Ten Conference announced football division alignments on Wednesday that put the two perennial powers in seperate divisions but maintained their annual season-ending clash.

The divisions will be in place beginning with the 2011 season when Nebraska will officially join the conference, giving the Big Ten 12 football programs for the first time in its history.

The Big Ten football division alignments include a division featuring Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin,

Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern make up the other division.

The winner of each Big Ten division will meet in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game, to be played Dec. 3, 2011, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The championship game will determine the Big Ten Champion and the conference’s participant in the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.

Each school will play the other five schools within its division and will also face three teams from the other division, including one cross-division matchup guaranteed on an annual basis.

Much of the buzz leading up to the divisional announcement surrounded whether the conference would maintain the annual matchup between the Buckeyes and Wolverines that has become a college football tradition and many times decided the conference championship.

Tradition survives, at least for now.

The other guaranteed cross-division matchups are Illinois-Northwestern, Indiana-Michigan State, Penn State-Nebraska, Purdue-Iowa and Wisconsin-Minnesota.

Names for each Big Ten football division will be announced at a later date.

“Over the past several months, Big Ten staff and directors of athletics have met on several occasions to discuss and finalize division alignments,” Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said”We focused on competitive equality, traditional rivalries and geography. We considered multiple models and countless permutations in an effort to achieve the most competitively balanced divisions while at the same time respecting our traditions, preserving existing rivalries, and creating opportunities for the establishment and growth of new rivalries.”

The 115th season of Big Ten football kicks off Thursday as Indiana hosts Towson, Minnesota plays at Middle Tennessee State, and Ohio State welcomes Marshall.

The conference’s other eight teams open action Saturday.

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Goalie Niemi Reportedly To Land With Sharks

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 04:47 AM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

San Jose, CA, United States (AHN) – Finnish netminder Antti Niemi found a new team Wednesday after agreeing to a one-year, $2 million pact with the San Jose Sharks.

Niemi, 27, had a breakout performance last season, posting seven shutouts, a 2.25 goal-against-average and .912 save percentage in 39 regular-season games with the defending Stanley Cup titlists Chicago Blackhawks .

Niemi also played a vital role for the Blackhawks in the postseason, recording a 2.63 goal-against-average, and .910 save percentage in 22 playoff games.

He also had a superb performance in the Western Conference finals, as he helped the Blackhawks sweepthe top-seeded Sharks.

Nevertheless, the cap space-saving Blackhawks allowed Niemi to test the free agency market after the two camps failed to reach a deal in the offseason.

Niemi won $2.7 million salary arbitration, beating the Blackhawks’ offer worth $1.5 million.

Knowing their salary-cap situation would prevent them from keeping Niemi, the Blackhawks signed ex- Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco.

After spending most of his career in Europe, the Finnish goaltender will play for his second NHL team in three seasons.

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Pak Match Fixing Scandal: Butt, Aamer and Asif of Pakistan Suspended By ICC

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 04:07 AM PDT

Pakistan Fixing

Pakistan Fixing

Pakistani trio, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer pleaded their innocence in vain as the world governing body in cricket; ICC suspended them provisionally on Thursday. They are allegedly involved in betting scams which are unworthy of the widely acclaimed gentleman's game of cricket.

ICC or the International Cricket Council announced its decision to bar Pakistan's Test captain, Salman Butt and two bowlers, Asif and Aamer from all cricketing fixtures for their country with immediate effect although there is a still the case where the accused might take up an appeal against unfair decisions.

Pakistan's ambassador to Britain made an impassioned defence for the cricketers of his country who he informed had chosen to withdraw from the team's matches against England because of the wave of negative publicity that might generate. He also said in no uncertain terms that he was convinced of Butt's, Aamer's and Asif's repeated claims of innocence.

The ICC has notified that Pakistan cricket's brightest stars had been booked under anti-corruption offenses and their suspension was strictly provisional in view of the scandal that has erupted and the opposing team's concerns. The decision is pending and further course of action would only be determined after the hearing.

“We will not tolerate corruption in cricket – simple as that,” informed ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

“We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban.

“The ICC will do everything possible to keep such conduct out of the game and we will stop at nothing to protect the sport’s integrity. While we believe the problem is not widespread, we must always be vigilant.

“It is important, however, that we do not pre-judge the guilt of these three players. That is for the independent tribunal alone to decide.”

Pakistan's ambassador Wajid Shamsul Hasan along with PCB chairperson, Ijaz Butt had earlier been in a meeting with the three tainted heroes of Pakistan cricket earlier and Hasan vehemently protested their innocence and believed a proper decision is forthcoming. Hasan later said that, “The three players have said that they are extremely disturbed by what has happened in the past week, especially in regard of their alleged involvement in the crime.

“They mentioned that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such.

“They maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches.”

Aamer and Asif were both named in a report earlier for deliberately bowling No-balls against England for money but Hasan pointed out that since the video which is being sighted as proof is neither timed nor dated, it would be difficult to ascertain whether it had been shot in the course of the match or at any different time. He was harnessing the belief that the players are innocent and are being framed.

It seems to have escaped his attention that most of the leading figures in cricket are demanding a life ban for those who are involved in demeaning fair play. The players have been through gruelling rounds of interrogation by the police though and for the time being their mobiles have been confiscated. Australian legend Shane Warne also expressed concern over this shocking revelation and demanded their immediate expulsion which was also endorsed by Duncan Fletcher, the former cricket coach of England.

“If it is true and they have been found (guilty of) match-fixing and throwing games and spot-betting with the no-balls and stuff, if that’s the case they should be thrown out,” Warne told reporters. “It’s as simple as that.”

Former England Coach, Duncan Fletcher also wrote in The Guardian newspaper that life bans were the only way to send a clear message to players who compromised the integrity of the sport.

“We must be ruthless and put the fear of God into people. Even the smallest transgression must mean that a career is over,” he said

Report: Steelers` Roethlisberger Seeks To Halve Six-Game Ban

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 02:02 AM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

Pittsburgh, PA, United States (AHN) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will seek to halve his six-game suspension when his representatives and team president Arthur J. Rooney II meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday.

The NFL commissioner slapped a six-game ban on Roethlisberger early this summer for breaching with the league’s personal conduct guidelines.

Roethlisberger, 28, was allegedly involved in a sexual assault incidence against a 20-year-old college student in Milledgeville, but Georgia prosecutors did not charge him due to lack of evidence.

ESPN has reported that Roethlisberger’s representatives, headed by his lawyer, David Cornwell, are pushing to reduce the player’s six-game suspension to three.

Roethlisberger previously pleaded to shorten his suspension to four games, but his camp believed the quarterback was not due to sit out for six games because he was not even charged or convicted of a crime.

Nevertheless, Goodell insisted the personal conduct policy should be applied with or without the conviction of a crime.

Rooney was also expected to meet Goodell in New York, but his role in the meeting was still unclear.

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Report: Struggling Cards Quarterback Leinart Could Be Dealt

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 02:02 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Phoenix, AZ, United States (AHN) – Embattled quarterback Matt Leinart, who became the center of controversy in Arizona after lashing out at the Cardinals Monday, could be dealt, according to reports.

On Monday, the 27-year-old Leinart, competing with Derek Anderson for the starting job vacated by Kurt Warner, criticized the Cardinals, indicating he had “outplayed the competition” in pursuit of Arizona’s starting quarterback job this year.

Warner retired last winter.

Leinart was benched in favor of Anderson in last week’s exhibition tilt, but the Cardinals have yet to name a starter for the regular season.

The New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills are reportedly discussing with Arizona about trading for the disgruntled Leinart, who indicated that he does not want to be a backup in the NFL.

Leinart, who arrived in Arizona as a first-round pick in 2006, started in 11 contests in his rookie campaign, but has just started six games since then.

The Raiders, in a statement Wednesday, denied interest in Leinart and dispelled reported discussions of acquiring him.

After trading for Jason Campbell in April, the Raiders named him as their starting quarterback. Campbell, however, is recovering from a preseason injury sustained last week.

The Giants are also dealing with the issue of injury following the loss of veteran backup Jim Sorgi. New York is left with second-year Rhett Bomar as top backup behind Eli Manning.

As for the Bills, the team is reportedly not in the right financial position to bring in a quarterback’s contract.

Leinart and Cards coach Ken Whisehunt met Monday after the outburst and initially tackled the former’s concerns, according to reports.

In four NFL seasons, the former Southern Cal standout and Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 3,983 yards with 14 TDs and 20 interceptions.

Leinart saw limited action last year behind Warner, throwing for just 435 yards with no TDs and three interceptions.

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