Monday, September 13, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Match Fixing: Cricket Australia Denies The Involvement of Australian Players During The IPL-2

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 11:01 PM PDT

Pakistan

Pakistan

Ever since this ugly phantom of match fixing has raised its head it has created problem not only for Pakistan but for rest of the cricket playing nations also, Earlier Three Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer have been found guilty in the recent match fixing scandal then Sri Lanka's Dilshan and Dilhara Fernando also got caught by the ICC.

Now a British newspaper "The Times" has reported that ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit was keeping eye on at least 29 players during the second edition of IPL.  This edition was held in South Africa. The Times has also reported that 2 Australian players were also the part of this list.

This statement of British newspaper "The Times" has left Cricket Australia in a fix. In this regard Cricket Australia has released a statement claiming that CA Does not have any information in this regard.  Moreover, CA made it clear that no Australian player was the part of the list prepared by ICC"S Anti Corruption and Security Unit under any kind of circumstances. In addition to it CA also stated that No Australian Player was involved in Match Fixing scandal during the IPL-2 in South Africa.

CA Chief Spokesperson Peter Young told to Australian Newspaper "Sydney Morning Herald" in the interview that during the IPL-1 at least 19 Australian players participated. He also said that the event was totally corruption free in terms of everything. Peter young did not forget to say that even ICC does not have any information about the involvement of any Australian player during the IPL-2 in South Africa.

In this regard when our sources approached Rajasthan Royals Coach as well as Captain Shane Warne says that he too participated in the first edition of IPL but he was never approached by any bookie. So nobody has any rights of spoiling the image of Cricket at any cost, said Shane Warne.

Fehr Awaits Approval To Take Over NHL Players` Post

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Share
AHN Sports Staff

NY, NY, United States (AHN) – Former baseball labor head Donald Fehr moved closer to becoming the next chief of the NHL Players Association after he received a unanimous vote from the union’s executive committee, multiple source reported Saturday.

Fehr, the former executive director of MLB Players association, will only wait for the players’ approval to formalize his appointment as hockey’s labor chief.

Fehr, who joined the NHLPA last year as a consultant, said he never intended to work for another labor union after he left the MLBPA last year.

However, several sources reported Fehr’s formal appointment will not happen immediately due to sternness of the hiring process.

Fehr is scheduled to conduct meetings with NHL teams starting in the final week of September to October. He added the players on each tea, will take a vote right after every meeting.

The NHLPA has been without a permanent chief executive since the firing of Paul Kelley on August 31, 2009.

Known for his no non-sense negotiating approach, Fehr was instrumental in increasing baseball players’ salary by 600 percent.

Fehr’s tenure as MLB labor chief was also marred by numerous arbitration and legal battles and the 1994-1995 MLB work stoppage, which led to the cancellation of 1994 World Series.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Bird Clutch As Storm Escape Dream In WNBA Finals Opener

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Seattle, WA, United States (AHN) – Sue Bird hit a jumper from the foul line with 2.6 seconds left, shattering the deadlock and helping the Seattle Storm to a thrilling 79-77 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Sunday’s opener of the WNBA finals at Key Arena.

The 29-year-old WNBA All-Star guard, who also drained a key shot in the Western Conference finals in the clinching game against Phoenix, finished with 14 points, eight assists and five boards for Seattle.

League MVP Lauren Jackson netted a game-best 26 points to go along with eight rebounds, while Camille Little had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the victors.

The Dream were paced by Angel McCoughtry and Iziane Castro Marques, who had 19 points apiece in the loss.

McCoughtry, who won a scoring duel against Liberty’s Cappie Pondexter in the Eastern Conference final clincher by netting a WNBA playoff record 42 points, launched a last-second stab from the 3-point arc, but it bounced off the rim.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Tseng Edges Wie By A Shot For P&G Title

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Share
Tom Edrington – AHN Sports Reporter

Rogers, AR, United States (AHN) – Yani Tseng and Michelle Wie waged a head-to-head battle over the final nine holes Sunday for the P&G NW Arkansas championship at the Pinnacle Country Club.

They were tied for the lead at 11-under par with three holes to play but Wie suffered a costly three-putt bogey at the 16th hole that gave Tseng a two-shot lead when she made birdie.

It proved to be the edge Tseng needed to win her third tournament of the LPGA season.

Tseng was 12-under with two to play, Wie had fallen back to 10-under. Wie fought back with a sensational five-iron shot at the 206-yard par three 17th, She sank the six-foot birdie putt and was one back with the par five 18th in front of her.

Wie hit the fairway, Tseng drove in the left rough but hit a perfect approach with a utility club that left her less than 20 feet from the hole and a two-putt for birdie would win it.

Wie’s second shot was pulled and her chip went five feet past. She holed her birdie but Tseng easily two-putted for victory.

Tseng came from behind with a closing 65 after starting the day three shots in back of Wie. Tseng’s six-under par round gave her a 13-under par total of 200, one better than Wie, who sought her second victory in a row.

Tseng, who already won two majors this season, made a statement for Player of the Year honors.

Mika Miyazato had the day’s low round, a seven-under par 64 that gave her solo third at 203, 10-under par.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Dustin Johnson`s Birdie At 17th Delivers BMW Title

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Tom Edrington – AHN Sports Reporter

Lemont, IL, United States (AHN) – Justice was served Sunday on the PGA Tour.

Dustin Johnson, who has been heart-broken by rules and controversy this season, hit two magnificent shots at the 17th hole at Cog Hill that won him the BMW Chamionship.

Johnson, who started the day a shot behind third-round leader Ryan Moore, found himself tied with England’s Paul Casey with three holes to play. Moore took himself out of contention earlier at the 11th hole when he hit his drive out-of-bounds on the par five and took a double-bogey seven.

Casey was in the clubhouse at eight-under, 276 and Johnson stood on the 17th tee and crushed a tee shot that left him just 96 yards to the hole. He then hit a perfect wedge that stopped inside of three feet.

He holed the putt, got to nine-under and hit another perfect drive at the difficult 18th. His approach left him 30-feet from the hole and he two-putted for victory.

There would be no rules violation, no controversy, just the title for Johnson who finished nine-under, 275 and he took over second place in the FedEx Cup standings going into the Tour Championship in Atlanta in two weeks.

“It feels good,” said Johnson after his fourth victory on the tour. “I’ve had a lot of unfortunate situations on Sundays. I hit the ball good all day and it paid off. I drove it well and hit good iron shots.”

He birdied the first hole of the day, bogeyed the fifth but added a second birdie at the par four eighth to get to eight-under for the tournament. He stayed at that number.

He ran off seven straight pars until he made the clutch birdie at 17 and the sweet par at the 18th.

Casey stood near the 18th green and waited. He probably thought of what might have been. He started the day two shots back of the lead but his 32 on the front nine got him to nine-under for the tournament and in the lead.

He added birdies at the 11th and 12th and found himself at 11-under and three shots clear of the field.

Then it all went wrong for Casey, who was snubbed by recent selections for the European Ryder Cup team. A bad drive left him with a difficult approach at 13 and he ended up short of the green and failed to get up and down.

He hit his approach at the 14th hole over the green in a steep bunker and could get no closer than 15-feet and he missed that par putt.

The final blow to Casey’s hopes came when he hooked his drive into the woods at the par five 15th. He would go on to make bogey there.

Casey finished alone in second at 276 after a fourth straight 69.

Matt Kuchar, who was ill all week, started a shot back of Moore and managed a closing 72 that put him at six-under, 278 and tied with Kevin Na and K.J. Choi.

Kuchar will go into the Tour Championship at the top seed, the FedEx Cup points leader.

Tiger Woods failed in his attempt to make the top 30 and qualify for Atlanta. Woods was paired with Phil Mickelson for the final 18 and shot 70 to finish at one-under par, 283.

Mickelson bested Woods by three shots for the day with a 67 and finished four-under at 280 and will be in the Tour Championship.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Lee, Three-Run Seventh Lift Rangers To Series Sweep Of Yanks

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Kareem Shaker – AHN Sports Reporter

Arlington, TX, United States (AHN) – Cliff Lee gave up just one run on two hits in eight innings and Julio Borbon knocked in the go-ahead run during a three-run seventh inning, as the Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees with a 4-1 win Sunday afternoon.

Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and David Murphy, batting 1-3, had an RBI each from the top of the order. Nelson Feliz dealt a perfect ninth, striking out the side to record his 36th save.

New York took the lead when Derek Jeter knocked in a run in the sixth, but Murphy tied the game in the bottom of the inning and Borbon follow with the go-ahead RBI.

Yanks starter Dustin Moseley gave up four runs in 6 2-3 for New York (87-56), which has seen a 2.5-game lead shrink to just half a game ahead of Tampa in the AL East after losing six of 10.

The Rangers (80-63) have all but locked up the AL West, now eight games ahead of second-place Oakland with just 19 to play.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Rained Out: Nadal-Djokovic US Open Final Clash Reset For Monday

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Flushing Meadows, NY, United States (AHN) – After about two hours of waiting beyond the scheduled start time of the men’s championship match Sunday, the much-anticipated clash between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was pushed to Monday due to rain.

Tournament officials decided to call off the match scheduled to commence at 4:30 p.m. (ET) due to steady rains in the area.

The postponement will momentarily delay the top-ranked Nadal’s quest for a career Grand Slam, while giving Djokovic the much needed rest following a grueling five-set conquest of Swiss master Roger Federer in the semis.

Nadal, 24, is vying to become the seventh player to complete a career Grand Slam in his first U.S. Open final. If he triumphs Monday, the Spanish left-hander will become the second-youngest to accomplish the feat.

Jim Courier was 22 when he registered the feat.

He will also become the first player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the same year since 1969 when Rod Laver won three Grand Slam events that year.

Meanwhile, Djokovic is targeting his second major.

In order to do that, the third-seeded Serb will have to replicate what Juan Martin del Potro accomplished a year ago when he captured the 2009 U.S. Open by defeating both Nadal and Federer in the same major tournament.

Also affected by the rain Sunday is the women’s doubles finals which will be completed Monday.

The second-seeded team of Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova were leading the tandem of Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova, seeded sixth, 6-2, 4-6, 5-4, when play was halted.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Baseball Hit King Rose Honored In Cincy

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

AHN Sports Staff

Cincinnati, OH, United States (AHN) – The Cincinnati Reds honored baseball hit king Pete Rose Saturday, commemorating the 25th year after the legendary slugger broke Ty Cobb’s record for the most hits in baseball’s history.

Clad in Reds home jersey, the 69-year-old Rose arrived at Great American Ball Park to celebrate the silver anniversary of his record-breaking hit on September 11, 1985.

Rose recorded hit No. 4,192 after batting a single off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show.

Rose’s appearances Saturday marked the first time he participated in a Reds on-field ceremony since MLB banned him from the game in 1989.

As thousands of Reds fans awaited for his arrival, Rose expressed his appreciation to his followers in a prepared 10-minute video clip before he entered the field riding a golf cart.

He then made a symbolic stomp on first base, indicating the return of the “Hit King” in Cincinnati.

Rose was warmly welcomed by some of his former teammates and protégé such as Tommy Helms, Tony Perez and Cesar Geronimo, Tom Browning and Eric Davis.

After relishing the moment with his family, Reds CEO Bob Castellini gave Rose a commemorative glass trophy with No. 4,192 carved on it.

The Cincinnati Enquirer indicated Rose delivered an apology to some of his former teammates for being involved in gambling scandals, which led to his lifetime suspension from baseball in 1989.

Reds legends Ken Griffey Sr and George Foster spoke at an event held at a local Casino in Cincinnati.

The newspaper reported around 500 people witnessed Rose’s emotional speech, as he expressed regret for his actions.

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips admitted he admires Rose’s accomplishment and his effort to rebuild a tarnished reputation.

Phillips added Saturday’s event could serve as a “baby step” for the baseball legend to finally enter the Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

In 26 seasons, Rose played with the Reds, Phillies, Expos before he returned to Cincinnati and assumed the player-manager role in 1984.

He finished his baseball career, averaging .303 with 160 homers, 1,314 RBIs and 4,256 hits.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Brady Throws Three Touchdown Passes, Pats Rout Bengals

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Foxboro, MA, United States (AHN) – Tom Brady threw for three touchdown passes as the New England Patriots downed the Cincinnati Bengals 38-24 Sunday in the season-opener for both clubs at Gillette Stadium.

Brady, who completed 25-of-35 for 258 yards, threw two of his three TDs in the first-half to Wes Welker, who returned from a serious knee injury.

Welker, returning from a surgery for season-ending torn ACL, had eight catches for 64 yards.

The triumph came just days after Brady survived a car accident, then agreed to a contract making the Patriots star quarterback the highest paid player in the NFL.

Randy Moss had five receptions for 59 yards and Fred Taylor gained 71 yards on 14 carries for the Patriots (1-0), who are coming off a 10-6 season and a first-round playoff loss in 2009.

Carson Palmer tossed for 345 yards on a 34-for-50 passing for the Bengals.

Chad Ochocinco led all receivers by logging 12 catches for 159 yards and a score. Terrell Owens, in his Cincinnati regular-season debut, added seven grabs for 53 yards in the loss.

New England raced to a 31-3 lead at halftime, before the Bengals clawed back to cut it to 31-17 after Palmer’s scoring pass of 28 yards to Ochocinco with 22 seconds remaining in the third frame.

The Patriots held on the rest of the way to win their last four encounters and seven of the last eight overall against Cincinnati.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Now At Florida Atlantic, Schnellenberger Still Well-Respected Coach

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 05:24 PM PDT

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Howard Schnellenberger can still coach. Boy can he ever.

That’s the view of one of Schnellenberger’s key players for the Florida Atlantic Owls, linebacker Michael Lockley, whose team lost to Michigan State 30-17 at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday.

Schnellenberger has been in the coaching ranks for 50 years and the 2007 Sun Belt Conference coach of the year is trying to work the same magic at Florida Atlantic that has worked in such places at Miami, where he won a national title in 1983.

He was also a part of Alabama’s national titles in 1961, 1964 and 1965, when he was an assistant under Paul Bear Bryant.

Lockley was complimentary of Schnellenberger and his value to the Florida Atlantic team.

“He’s a great coach, we love coach Schnellenberger,” Lockley said. “We stick by every decision he makes. He led us on the field today but we couldn’t back him up.”

Schnellenberger is 76 but Lockley considers him to be like another Joe Paterno.

“Football is something he’ll never forget,” Lockley said. “He’ll probably take that to the grave. He knows the game’s insides and outs. Once he came into the defensive room and showed that he knows a lot about the game.”

As an assistant coach in the NFL, he was a part of seven NFL playoff teams and the Miami Dolphins Super Bowl squad, which went 17-0 in 1972.

Schnellenberger was asked by Florida Athletic officials to start a football program from scratch and the team had its first practice in 2000. FAU rose to Division I-A status in 2006 and had two bowl wins in the three seasons they were involved with the Bowl Subdivision.

The team came into the 2008 season as the Sun Belt Conference favorite despite being in its eighth season of football. The team wound up winning the Motor City Bowl that year.

Bringing FAU to Detroit’s Ford Field as the host team on Saturday against Michigan State was meant as a step to build up the program to see how it would fare against a Big Ten school.

“There was a point in the course of the game I thought our football team made progress,” Schnellenberger said. “If you’re going to build a very good program, you have to beat these kinds of teams.”

Schnellenberger drew curious looks from the media for a decision he made late in the game against Michigan State and also for his explanation. The Owls were trailing 30-14 with less than three minutes left on the clock.

They had first and goal at the 2-yard-line but then had a fourth and goal at the MSU six following a five-yard false start penalty.

But rather than try for a touchdown and then the two points, which would have made it an eight-point deficit, Schnellenberger opted to kick the field goal to make it a 13-point game.

On the kickoff, his placekicker booted it 50 yards rather than going for the onsides kick.

“I didn’t know if my defense could stop anyone,” Schnellenberger replied, adding that he also wanted to give his reserve quarterback some work. “I did what I thought was best for the team.”

Two years ago, Florida Atlantic lost to Michigan State in East Lansing 17-0.

“I think they have more potential than they had two years ago and they have more experience,” Schnellenberger said.

FAU officials were hoping for a big pay day by hosting the game at Ford Field, just a 90-minute drive from East Lansing.

But the attendance of 36,124 was less than half of what MSU normally draws at Spartan Stadium home games. MSU was actually the visiting team in this case.

“There wasn’t a whole lot we can do about it,” Schnellenberger said. “I was pleased with the way the Michigan State staff handled it.”

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)