Saturday, September 11, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Cowboys Wideout Miles Austin Receives New Deal

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 03:24 AM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

Dallas, TX, United States (AHN) – Pro Bowl wide receiver Miles Austin reaped the fruits of his labor Thursday, inking a six-year, $54 million contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fulfilled his side of the bargain after he rewarded Austin’s breakout performance last season with a long-term, multimillion deal.

Undrafted in 2006, Austin slowly developed into a reliable backup receiver behind Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, and Roy Williams.

With Williams nursing an injury last October, Austin turned heads in his first professional start, posting 10 catches for a team-record 250 yards in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs

Austin followed it up with another big game the following week, recording six receptions for 171 yards against the Atlanta Falcons.

In only two weeks as a starter for the Cowboys, Austin became the ninth most productive wideout in the NFL.

Austin finished the season with 81 catches for 1,320 yards, earning him his first Pro Bowl appearance.

“It feels great to be wanted by this team because I want to be here. I wanted to be here all along,” Austin said. “My career started here. You guys gave me a shot and obviously I put my all out here every day, and I’m going to continue to do that and hopefully for a long time.”

The 26-year-old Austin previously signed a one-year, $3.168 million deal in June before the Cowboys decided to lock him up long term.

“He’s never missed a step. We wanted to do more, we all did relative to his contract. But we hadn’t done it until today,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We were working on it. But there’s not one difference in how he will run a route or how he will compete from the day he walked out there at training camp this year. That tells you a tremendous amount in this day and time. He’s what we want to build our franchise around.”

Austin’s deal includes $18 million in guaranteed money.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Raven Mad: Linebacker Ray Lewis Takes Verbal Shots At Jets

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 03:24 AM PDT

Share
AHN Sports Staff

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis sacked Rex Ryan’s overhyped prediction Thursday, saying Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are the ones to beat this season.

Lewis, 35, grilled his former defensive coordinator about his Super Bowl-winning prediction, claiming the Jets have no bragging rights to call themselves title-favorites.

A two-time NFL defensive player of the year, Lewis added Ryan is putting immense pressure on his team with his bravado.

The Pro Bowl linebacker believes the Jets are yapping too much, without realizing the Saints, the defending Super Bowl champion, are the true No.1 contender this season.

“We’re talking about the Jets like we’re talking about the Saints,” Lewis told reporters Thursday. “Those are the only people that can be dethroned: Drew Brees and the Saints, not Mark Sanchez and the Jets.”

Since the start of the training camp, Ryan asserted his Jets are destined to win the Super Bowl championship for the first time in 42 years.

Oozing with confidence, he even signed the ESPN Bus with “soon-to-be-champs” moniker, catching the ire of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, football legend Terry Bradshaw, and former Colts coach Tony Dungy.

Ryan, 47, said he respects Lewis’ opinion, but he nevertheless warned the Pro Bowl linebacker of a devastating loss in their season opener.

The Jets are scheduled to host the Ravens Monday at the New Meadowlands stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Serie A Strike By Players Possible For Late September

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 03:24 AM PDT

Andrew Lawn – AHN Sports Correspondent

Milan, Italy (AHN) – A dispute over players’ transfer rights is threatening to cause a lockout in Italy’s premier soccer league, Serie A.

The players had a collective agreement through the Italian Players’ Association (AIC) and the league, which allows the players to refuse transfers to different clubs, but this expired during the summer.

Talks on a new deal have failed in recent days and the breakdown has led to the strike calls, which would see the players refuse to play over the weekend of September 25-26.

AC Milan skipper, Massimo Oddo announced the strike, reading from a document signed by all 20 top-flight captains and their union representatives.

Similar strikes have been called for in the past, but have never previously materialized.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

NBA Opens New Office In Moscow

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 03:24 AM PDT

Share
John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

Moscow, Russian Federation (AHN) – The National Basketball Association announced it has opened a new office in Moscow on Thursday.

The office will aid the NBA’s effort to bring the league closer to a growing fanbase in Russia and Eastern Europe.

The announcement was made in Moscow by NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Adam Silver.

Egor Borisov has joined the NBA as Vice President of Development, Russia and Eastern Europe, and will lead the league’s business and basketball development efforts. Borisov will report to Senior Vice President, NBA Europe Sophie Goldschmidt.

“This is a great time for the NBA to expand its presence in Russia, especially given Mikhail Prokhorov’s commitment to further grow the sport in the country,” Silver said. “We are excited to open our first office and we welcome Egor Borisov, whose wealth of experience and tremendous enthusiasm for the game will help spur the continued growth of basketball in the region.”

Mikhail Prokhorov, principal owner of the New Jersey Nets, was happy to see the league expand its reach and is hopeful he can work with the league to grow the game of basketball in his home country.

“We are very supportive of the NBA’s decision to open an office in Moscow,” Prokhorov said. “I look forward to working together with the NBA to create more opportunities for boys and girls and students throughout Russia to become active basketball participants.”

Borisov comes to the NBA from NBC Universal, where he was managing director for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. He has more than 15 years business management experience, including roles as a senior sales and operations executive at Sun Interbrew Russia and Unilever Russia.

He will be based in Moscow and will work closely with the NBA’s regional European offices based in London, Madrid, Milan, and Paris.

“Basketball and the NBA are extremely popular throughout Russia and Eastern Europe,” said Borisov. “I am excited to join the NBA and look forward to representing such an iconic brand as we grow the game both on and off the court.”

The NBA’s presence in Russia dates back to 1988, when the Atlanta Hawks toured the Soviet Union, which included a stop in Moscow. Moscow also played host to the Los Angeles Clippers during 2006 NBA Europe Live, which featured games between the Clippers and Russian Euroleague teams BC Khimki and CSKA Moscow.

This year, CSKA Moscow will travel to the United States to play preseason games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.

A total of seven Russians have played in the NBA, including NBA All-Star and current Utah Jazz forward, Andrei Kirilenko.

Prokorhov’s recent purchase of the New Jersey Nets further solidified Russia’s connection to the NBA when he became the first majority owner of an NBA team from outside North America.

The NBA has offices in 16 markets worldwide, including seven in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region: the headquarters in London, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, and Paris.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Elite Prep Tight End Nick O`Leary Suspended; Grandson Of Jack Nicklaus

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 03:24 AM PDT

John Nestor – AHN Sports Correspondent

Palm Beach, FL, United States (AHN) – Dwyer High School tight end Nick O’Leary was suspended for two games by the Florida High School Athletic Association Thursday.

The grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus and one of the top recruits in the country, O’Leary was suspended after being caught on an ESPN camera displaying an obscene hand gesture following a controversial 26-22 loss to Glenville (Ohio) at the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic in Ohio.

An FHSAA Incident Report stated that though O’Leary was not disqualified from the game, he was suspended per FHSAA Policy 30 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

The Level Two suspension has a maximum penalty of six-week suspension.

“We think (the suspension is) a bunch of crap,” Dwyer coach Jack Daniels told the Palm Beach Post. “There are no repercussions for the adults who made the calls on the field, but there is for an 18-year-old kid who reacted in the heat of the moment … We handled it internally. Nick knew he was wrong.”

O’Leary is being offered scholarships from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The school is asking the FHSAA to reduce the suspension to one game and O’Leary will not play in Dwyer’s game Saturday against Palm Beach Gardens.

He could be back for the Sept. 17 game against Pahokee if the appeal is granted. The school said it will file its appeal Friday morning, and expects the FHSAA to announce its decision next week.

Dwyer’s season-opening game against Glenville, televised by ESPN, received national attention because of two disputed calls in the final moments that appeared to cost Dwyer a winning touchdown.

In a video clip replayed on ESPN and on the Internet, O’Leary was caught on camera making the obscene gesture in response to what Dwyer officials said was taunting from several Glenville players.

Dwyer had considered forfeiting the two games that O’Leary would be suspended for but ultimately decided against it.

“We decided, why not just forfeit the two games,” Daniels told the Post. “I felt our kids have been through so much that we needed to take that stand.”

But after Dwyer found out that forfeiting the games would prevent the team from making the playoffs, the move “wasn’t an option,” Daniels said.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Warriors vs Wayamba CLT20: Confident Wayamba face the rising Warriors today

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 01:33 AM PDT

Match Trivia11 September, SaturdayCLT20 2010, Warriors v Wayamba, Port ElizabethFrom 1330 (11.30 GMT)

The Champions League, this year, for some inexplicable reason has all the winning teams in one group and runners-up in the other. The strong sides of India, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand constitute Group A and on the other hand, Group B can only boast of Guyana as the only champion team.

It is expected that sparks would fly in the competitions of Group A. Eastern Cape Warriors and Wayamba Elevens face each other today to give an interesting start to this competition.

The two sides have clearly different degrees of talent. Wayamba is no doubt the principal T20 team of Sri Lanka with superb performers in the face of Mahala Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maroof and Chanaka Welegedara.

After dominating SLC Inter-provincial Twenty20 in the leagues, Wayamba defeated Ruhana by a massive 95 runs in the final. Jayawardene scored 91 runs that was just 22 runs short of the challengers' total.

Warriors, in contrast, were the last in South Africa among six franchisees to boast of a trophy, in spite of the infrequent presence of big names such as Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini and Rusty Theron. But when they got through the last one, there was no looking back.

They won the domestic T20 trophy in less than two months of their sealing their 40-over crown. And now, six months afterwards, they are eyeing the international title.

Star PerformersMark Boucher is expected to continue his impeccable form on this venue where he scored a gigantic 27 runs in mere 8 balls at the domestic final versus the Lions. But, he has not been stolen by the Royal Challengers Bangalore unlike Kallis for this League.

Ajantha Mendis is still dreaded by the opponents who have not yet faced him and are wary of spin attack.

Players' inputs"We have seen a lot of footage of them. But then again it’s Twent20 cricket. It’s about individuals turning up on the day and performing."
Mahela Jayawardene says Wayamba are pepared to face the Warriors

"We are one of the few teams that has played CLT20 before, and that experience will be to our benefit."

Jehan Mubarak believes their enriching experience will take them ahead in the Champions League.

CSK vs Central Districts CL T20: Central Districts have a huge task ahead today

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 12:53 AM PDT

Match Trivia11 September, SaturdayCL T20, Central Districts v Chennai, DurbanFrom 17:30 (15:30 GMT)

The second Champions League Twenty20 is already getting rave reviews and is proving to be a tough competition for IPL because they come out in the grounds for just two months in a year. It is the strong teams like Warriors or South Australia that are looking to steal away their glory.

Stephen Fleming, coach of Chennai Super Kings', is also slightly apprehensive about this face-off as he says, "It’s a big challenge for the IPL teams. They [teams like Central Districts] hold the advantage. They play a lot of cricket together. We just come together for two months in a year. We have used this week [of preparation] to get up to the speed. The best catalyst for that will be a win tomorrow. If things don’t go well we have to work very hard to get back into the competition. Tomorrow is a very important day."

Today is really important for Chennai as they could not manage a good start in he previous two editions of IPL. Fleming is anxious to get rid of this bad habit. In addition, in a concise tournament like this, and specially facing a comparatively feeble opponent, they are expected to deliver a big launch pad.

But this is not their only concern. Some of the players are yet to be exposed to competitive cricket. "Some players like Matthew Hayden are coming out of the cold," said Fleming. "So you work harder with them but they are experienced. If you push too hard you are making too much of an issue of it. On one hand we are trying to be relaxed about what we need to do but as a coaching group you are bit nervous as you want to do a bit more."

It is not as if Central Districts are fully confident of today's face-off. They could not get enough practice because of severe weather conditions in their home country. They could only squeeze out a week of intense practice, as told by their coach Alan Hunt. Besides, injured Jacob Oram and Graham Napier and Ross Taylor changing sides to Bangalore Royal Challengers can really hamper their progress in this tournament.

Their main asset is their freshness. Even Fleming, despite being from New Zealand, is not really acquainted with many youngsters. But Hunt is not confident about his young team. He is just treating this competition as an opportunity for the youngsters to play at such a level and get exposed to competition at international level. "If we can do that, I would be happy."

Weather Conditions It has been raining slightly in the evenings in the past couple of days though it seems to be a bright, sunny day today. 150 is expected to be a good score under such conditions.

Star PerformersMichael Hussey is expected to hold the team of Chennai together where the ball has swung and seamed around a lot in the past.

Adam Milne, the medium-fast bowler, showed us his superb skills last season when he snatched away 4 wickets at just 18 years of age. But he still has not played any T20 game before. He has only played 3 first-class games.

Players' inputs"They [Central Districts] have some youngsters even I don’t know about. They ware bit of unknown quantity but they have a great attitude and fight for everything. It will be a tricky start for us to the competition."
Stephen Fleming does not seem really confident.

"We are used to not having Jacob Oram around. We might not have the big stars but we have couple of young guys people don’t know much. Some might call us underdogs; I expect the crowds to get behind us"

Jamie How Central Districts’ captain is a complete contrast to Fleming

Brees, Saints March Past Favre, Vikings In Season Opener

Posted: 10 Sep 2010 10:37 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

New Orleans, LA, United States (AHN) – Drew Brees threw for 237 yards and a score on 23-of-36 passing, as the New Orleans Saints opened their Super Bowl title defense with a 14-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings Thursday in the season opener at the Louisiana Superdome.

Pierre Thomas ran for the decisive touchdown in the third frame, as the Saints tallied seven points in the quarter to edge Brett Favre and the Vikings in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game.

The legendary 40-year-old Favre, who was checked by the stingy Saints defense, passed for 171 yards and a touchdown, and was intercepted once.

Favre, appearing in his 20th season in the NFL, and second as the Vikings’ starter, is coming off one his best statistical seasons, in which he threw for 4,202 yards with 33 TD and just seven interceptions.

Minnesota went on to post a 12-4 en route to capturing the NFC North last year.

Vikings Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 87 yards on 19 carries in the setback.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Auburn Holds Off Mississippi State In SEC Tilt

Posted: 10 Sep 2010 10:37 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Starkville, MS, United States (AHN) – Cameron Newton, threw a pair of TDs in his debut as the team’s starting quarterback, as the top-25 ranked Auburn Tigers topped the Mississippi State Bulldogs 17-14 Thursday at Davis Wade Stadium.

The former Florida backup Newton, who spent last season at a junior college, completed 11-of-19 passes for 136 yards and a pick for the Tigers (2-0, 1-0 SEC).

Newton also led Auburn by rushing for 70 yards on 18 carries. He outgained the Bulldogs 146-125 by himself in the first half.

Tigers’ Onterio McCalebb had 12 carries for 69 yards, while Emory Blake and Darvin Adams each caught a TD pass in the win.

Auburn, which opened its season last weekend with a 52-26 victory over Arkansas State, raced to a 17-7 at halftime and managed to hold off a late Bulldogs surge.

Chris Relf, who had one score and one pick in Mississippi State’s 49-7 win in the opener against Memphis, completed 12-of-26 passes for 110 yards in the loss.

He also ran the ball 14 times for just 25 yards.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Real Salt Lake Battles Seattle To Draw; Ties For Most Points In MLS

Posted: 10 Sep 2010 10:37 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Seattle, WA, United States (AHN) – RSL keeper Kyle Reynish and Seattle goalie Kasey Keller combined for just five saves in the game that ended in a 0-0 Thursday night in Major League Soccer action at Qwest Field.

The defending MLS champions Real Salt Lake (12-4-8), who entered the match one point back of both the Columbus Crew and the L.A. Galaxy for the most points in MLS, is tied atop the league’s overall table.

RSL has accumulated 44 points.

Meanwhile, Seattle (9-9-6), which was in sixth place in the Western Conference prior to Thursday’s tilt, fortified its hold in the middle of the West table following the draw.

The Sounders aim to barge back into the win column when it plays Columbus on Sept. 18.

RSL will also see action as it welcomes Chicago in its next MLS fixture.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)