There is guarded optimism at White Hart Lane that the glory days could soon return. Spurs are seven points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand, playing the most exciting football in the Premier League. Harry Redknapp is the people's choice to succeed Fabio Capello, but realistically he knows England is unlikely to win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At Spurs, if he can keep the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric he has an excellent chance of success at club level.In the 2-0 win at Norwich in midweek, Spurs played some stunning attacking football coupled with a tactical adaptability that Redknapp is not always credited for. When right winger Aaron Lennon is fit, Spurs use a 4-4-1-1 formation, their midfield quartet of Lennon, Scott Parker, Modric and Bale a mixture of pace, power and precise passing. In front of them, Rafael van der Vaart plays just behind Emmanuel Adebayor, the pair scoring a combined 15 league goals.Lennon's injury has seen Bale and van der Vaart supporting Adebayor with Redknapp giving the pair free roles. Modric remains Spurs' most consistent player, but when Bale reaches a peak like he did at Carrow Road when he scored twice, he is unstoppable.Redknapp says the Wales international "has everything" and could only be replaced by "Messi or Ronaldo." Bale ran half the length of the field to score his second goal and was clocked at 27 kph; to put this into context Usain Bolt averages 37 kph in the 100 meters, but without a ball at his feet.After joining Spurs from Southampton four years ago Bale went 64 matches without scoring. This season he has seven goals and five assists; the 22-year-old is quiet and unassuming, happy to play on a team that showcases his immense talent. His loyalty is likely to be tested because it would be surprising if Barcelona and Real Madrid do not come knocking next summer, but in the meantime Bale and Spurs have a realistic chance of catching the Manchester powerhouses. Or, as someone said, a 2?-horse race.Michael Dawson, who has missed the first half of the season with an Achilles injury, will soon be fit to return to a defense in which Ledley King's damaged knees have still seen him play in two-thirds of the games. Eyebrows were raised, including mine, when Redknapp took Adebayor on loan from Manchester City. Ex-Arsenal players are as popular as toothaches in Tottenham, but the Togo international's nine goals in 15 matches have ensured little criticism if not glowing praise.Like City and United, Spurs have plenty in reserve with William Gallas, Vedran Corluka, Tom Huddlestone, Niko Kranjcar, Sandro, Steven Pienaar and Roman Pavlyuchenko experienced stand-ins.Redknapp has put together a side that has all the Tottenham traditions and his attempts at playing down his team's title chances grow more unconvincing with each victory.* * *IT HAS not been a good month for Luis Suarez. He was initially handed an eight-game ban plus a ?40,000 fine by the Football Association, pending any appeal, after being found guilty of making a remark to Manchester United's Patrice Evra that referred to the Frenchman's color.On Wednesday, Suarez admitted a charge of improper conduct during Liverpool's game at Fulham and was banned for one match and fined ?20,000. Suarez gave a one-finger gesture — the middle finger of his left hand — to home fans as he left the pitch.As things stand the Uruguay international will be banned for nine games, effectively almost a quarter of the Premier League season.* * *NEVER GO back they say but maybe, just maybe, Thierry Henry will pull on an Arsenal shirt again in 2012. Henry, now with the New York Red Bulls, has been training with the Gunners during Major League Soccer's close season. Word is the 34-year-old has looked in great shape.Arsenal will lose strikers Gervinho and Marouane Chamahk to the African Cup of Nations soon and Arsene Wenger is considering a short-term loan deal for Henry.No, he won't have the blistering pace that made him Arsenal's record goalscorer. No, he won't start every game but if Wenger thinks Henry can be an effective impact substitute and the player has the confidence he won't embarrass himself we should trust his judgment.One thing's for certain, Henry would get the mother of all receptions at the Emirates if he plays for his beloved Arsenal again.Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Spurs in position to live up to stature
LONDON — Bill Shankly, the former Liverpool manager, once remarked that Tottenham is not a club which wins trophies, it loses them. Harsh but fair. Since their last title 50 years ago, Spurs have won the F.A. Cup five times, the League Cup four times, two UEFA Cups and one European Cup Winners' Cup, a poor return for a club of its stature.There is guarded optimism at White Hart Lane that the glory days could soon return. Spurs are seven points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand, playing the most exciting football in the Premier League. Harry Redknapp is the people's choice to succeed Fabio Capello, but realistically he knows England is unlikely to win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At Spurs, if he can keep the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric he has an excellent chance of success at club level.In the 2-0 win at Norwich in midweek, Spurs played some stunning attacking football coupled with a tactical adaptability that Redknapp is not always credited for. When right winger Aaron Lennon is fit, Spurs use a 4-4-1-1 formation, their midfield quartet of Lennon, Scott Parker, Modric and Bale a mixture of pace, power and precise passing. In front of them, Rafael van der Vaart plays just behind Emmanuel Adebayor, the pair scoring a combined 15 league goals.Lennon's injury has seen Bale and van der Vaart supporting Adebayor with Redknapp giving the pair free roles. Modric remains Spurs' most consistent player, but when Bale reaches a peak like he did at Carrow Road when he scored twice, he is unstoppable.Redknapp says the Wales international "has everything" and could only be replaced by "Messi or Ronaldo." Bale ran half the length of the field to score his second goal and was clocked at 27 kph; to put this into context Usain Bolt averages 37 kph in the 100 meters, but without a ball at his feet.After joining Spurs from Southampton four years ago Bale went 64 matches without scoring. This season he has seven goals and five assists; the 22-year-old is quiet and unassuming, happy to play on a team that showcases his immense talent. His loyalty is likely to be tested because it would be surprising if Barcelona and Real Madrid do not come knocking next summer, but in the meantime Bale and Spurs have a realistic chance of catching the Manchester powerhouses. Or, as someone said, a 2?-horse race.Michael Dawson, who has missed the first half of the season with an Achilles injury, will soon be fit to return to a defense in which Ledley King's damaged knees have still seen him play in two-thirds of the games. Eyebrows were raised, including mine, when Redknapp took Adebayor on loan from Manchester City. Ex-Arsenal players are as popular as toothaches in Tottenham, but the Togo international's nine goals in 15 matches have ensured little criticism if not glowing praise.Like City and United, Spurs have plenty in reserve with William Gallas, Vedran Corluka, Tom Huddlestone, Niko Kranjcar, Sandro, Steven Pienaar and Roman Pavlyuchenko experienced stand-ins.Redknapp has put together a side that has all the Tottenham traditions and his attempts at playing down his team's title chances grow more unconvincing with each victory.* * *IT HAS not been a good month for Luis Suarez. He was initially handed an eight-game ban plus a ?40,000 fine by the Football Association, pending any appeal, after being found guilty of making a remark to Manchester United's Patrice Evra that referred to the Frenchman's color.On Wednesday, Suarez admitted a charge of improper conduct during Liverpool's game at Fulham and was banned for one match and fined ?20,000. Suarez gave a one-finger gesture — the middle finger of his left hand — to home fans as he left the pitch.As things stand the Uruguay international will be banned for nine games, effectively almost a quarter of the Premier League season.* * *NEVER GO back they say but maybe, just maybe, Thierry Henry will pull on an Arsenal shirt again in 2012. Henry, now with the New York Red Bulls, has been training with the Gunners during Major League Soccer's close season. Word is the 34-year-old has looked in great shape.Arsenal will lose strikers Gervinho and Marouane Chamahk to the African Cup of Nations soon and Arsene Wenger is considering a short-term loan deal for Henry.No, he won't have the blistering pace that made him Arsenal's record goalscorer. No, he won't start every game but if Wenger thinks Henry can be an effective impact substitute and the player has the confidence he won't embarrass himself we should trust his judgment.One thing's for certain, Henry would get the mother of all receptions at the Emirates if he plays for his beloved Arsenal again.Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.
There is guarded optimism at White Hart Lane that the glory days could soon return. Spurs are seven points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand, playing the most exciting football in the Premier League. Harry Redknapp is the people's choice to succeed Fabio Capello, but realistically he knows England is unlikely to win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At Spurs, if he can keep the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric he has an excellent chance of success at club level.In the 2-0 win at Norwich in midweek, Spurs played some stunning attacking football coupled with a tactical adaptability that Redknapp is not always credited for. When right winger Aaron Lennon is fit, Spurs use a 4-4-1-1 formation, their midfield quartet of Lennon, Scott Parker, Modric and Bale a mixture of pace, power and precise passing. In front of them, Rafael van der Vaart plays just behind Emmanuel Adebayor, the pair scoring a combined 15 league goals.Lennon's injury has seen Bale and van der Vaart supporting Adebayor with Redknapp giving the pair free roles. Modric remains Spurs' most consistent player, but when Bale reaches a peak like he did at Carrow Road when he scored twice, he is unstoppable.Redknapp says the Wales international "has everything" and could only be replaced by "Messi or Ronaldo." Bale ran half the length of the field to score his second goal and was clocked at 27 kph; to put this into context Usain Bolt averages 37 kph in the 100 meters, but without a ball at his feet.After joining Spurs from Southampton four years ago Bale went 64 matches without scoring. This season he has seven goals and five assists; the 22-year-old is quiet and unassuming, happy to play on a team that showcases his immense talent. His loyalty is likely to be tested because it would be surprising if Barcelona and Real Madrid do not come knocking next summer, but in the meantime Bale and Spurs have a realistic chance of catching the Manchester powerhouses. Or, as someone said, a 2?-horse race.Michael Dawson, who has missed the first half of the season with an Achilles injury, will soon be fit to return to a defense in which Ledley King's damaged knees have still seen him play in two-thirds of the games. Eyebrows were raised, including mine, when Redknapp took Adebayor on loan from Manchester City. Ex-Arsenal players are as popular as toothaches in Tottenham, but the Togo international's nine goals in 15 matches have ensured little criticism if not glowing praise.Like City and United, Spurs have plenty in reserve with William Gallas, Vedran Corluka, Tom Huddlestone, Niko Kranjcar, Sandro, Steven Pienaar and Roman Pavlyuchenko experienced stand-ins.Redknapp has put together a side that has all the Tottenham traditions and his attempts at playing down his team's title chances grow more unconvincing with each victory.* * *IT HAS not been a good month for Luis Suarez. He was initially handed an eight-game ban plus a ?40,000 fine by the Football Association, pending any appeal, after being found guilty of making a remark to Manchester United's Patrice Evra that referred to the Frenchman's color.On Wednesday, Suarez admitted a charge of improper conduct during Liverpool's game at Fulham and was banned for one match and fined ?20,000. Suarez gave a one-finger gesture — the middle finger of his left hand — to home fans as he left the pitch.As things stand the Uruguay international will be banned for nine games, effectively almost a quarter of the Premier League season.* * *NEVER GO back they say but maybe, just maybe, Thierry Henry will pull on an Arsenal shirt again in 2012. Henry, now with the New York Red Bulls, has been training with the Gunners during Major League Soccer's close season. Word is the 34-year-old has looked in great shape.Arsenal will lose strikers Gervinho and Marouane Chamahk to the African Cup of Nations soon and Arsene Wenger is considering a short-term loan deal for Henry.No, he won't have the blistering pace that made him Arsenal's record goalscorer. No, he won't start every game but if Wenger thinks Henry can be an effective impact substitute and the player has the confidence he won't embarrass himself we should trust his judgment.One thing's for certain, Henry would get the mother of all receptions at the Emirates if he plays for his beloved Arsenal again.Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.
Palmer, Boyette nab league honors
David Palmer, long recognized as one of the bj-league's premier perimeter marksmen, is the Lawson/Ponta Player of the Week, it was announced on Friday.The Ryukyu Golden Kings sharpshooter scored 32 points and made 3 of 4 3-point shots in a series-opening win over the Oita HeatDevils on Christmas Eve. A day later, Palmer canned three 3s and scored 17 points as Ryukyu earned a sweep and improved to 17-5, the league's best record.Kyoto Hannaryz guard Jermaine Boyette, a Weber State product, was named the league's December MVP.Boyette averaged 15.8 points in six December games, all Kyoto wins. He is the team's leading scorer (14.9 ppg).The Hannaryz (15-5) are riding a 12-game winning streak into the new year.
Former Penguins Jagr, Talbot power Flyers to win
PITTSBURGH — Jaromir Jagr spent the days leading up to his return to Pittsburgh insisting it wasn't personal. He stressed that he didn't mean to cause hard feelings when he signed with the hated Philadelphia Flyers over the summer instead of with the Penguins, with whom he became a star two decades ago.Seeming to revel in the chance to play the villain, Jagr punctuated his homecoming with his 12th goal of the season in a 4-2 Flyers victory on Thursday night."I felt pretty good but I had so many chances that if I would have scored five goals, nobody would be surprised," Jagr said.Jagr missed an open net in the first period, then atoned late in the second. He took a pass from Claude Giroux in the high left slot, fended off Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik while skating through the zone, and flipped a backhander past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Flyers a lead they didn't relinquish.The second-leading scorer in Penguins history briefly raised his arms in triumph, then skated along the boards, offering a stone-faced salute as the Consol Energy Center crowd booed lustily."I think it was important for not just him but the whole team to get that goal because he got it pretty tough from the fans," Giroux said. "But I think he kind of liked it a little bit."Jagr wasn't the only former Penguins player to return in triumph. Max Talbot, who helped Pittsburgh to the 2009 Stanley Cup title, added an empty-net goal in the final seconds as the Flyers remained perfect in Pittsburgh's new building since it opened a year ago.Islanders 3, Flames 1In Uniondale, New York, John Tavares scored a goal and added an assist, and Evgeni Nabokov made 29 saves to lead the Islanders over Calgary.Hurricanes 4, Leafs 3 (OT)In Raleigh, North Carolina, Eric Staal scored a power-play goal 3:09 into overtime to lift the Hurricanes to a comeback win.Lightning, 4 Canadiens 3In Tampa, Vincent Lecavalier scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period.Wild 4, Oilers 3In St. Paul, Minnesota, Dany Heatley scored his third goal in four games to help the Wild snap an eight-game losing streak.Blue Jackets 4, Stars 1In Dallas, Rick Nash scored twice, Steve Mason made 36 saves, and Columbus earned its first regulation road win of the season.Jets 1, Kings 0 (OT)In Winnipeg, Evander Kane scored the only goal of the game 69 seconds into overtime, and Chris Mason made 31 saves.Avalanche 3, Coyotes 2In Denver, Semyon Varlamov made 25 saves and Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and an assist.Canucks 5, Ducks 2In Anaheim, Daniel Sedin scored twice and twin brother Henrik had a goal and two assists.
Paceman Harris named to squad for second test
MELBOURNE, Australia — Oft-injured paceman Ryan Harris, added Friday to Australia's 12-man squad for the second test against India, doesn't fancy his chances of cracking the starting 11 that beat the visitors by 122 runs in the first test.Harris, who is working his way back from a hip injury, will give Australia the option of a four-man pace attack. He replaces left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who was the 12th man in Melbourne, in the only change to the side.Although the Sydney Cricket Ground has traditionally been a spin-friendly wicket, it may be prepared to suit paceman this time to negate India's strength against spin bowling. If so, Harris could join a four-man pace attack while offspinner Nathan Lyon is demoted to 12th man.Harris was regarded as Australia's No. 1 fast bowler before his injury absence, but the performances of James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus in the first-test victory have cast doubts on whether Harris can force his way onto the team.Harris boasts a record of 35 wickets at 21.37 in eight tests, but says he's concerned that his next injury blow could spell the end of his career."I'm down the pecking order," Harris said Friday. "It's my fault that I got injured and all I'm trying to do is just get fit and let it take care of itself."Allrounder Shane Watson has not recovered from a calf injury and will miss the test which starts on Tuesday.Watson's continued absence ensures the six batsmen from the Melbourne test will be retained, although the strong performances of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey had already ensured their spots. Wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin is also safe, despite his continued poor form.Chairman of selectors John Inverarity said the team would take great confidence and momentum into the second test and he welcomed Harris' return to the squad."Ryan has had carefully monitored preparation, which has gone to plan," Inverarity said. "Mitchell Starc and Daniel Christian, who were both in the squad for the first test, have been omitted but remain very much in our thinking."Sachin Tendulkar will again be seeking to notch his record 100th international century when he plays at the SCG. He hasn't scored 100 in a test or one-day match since March, but looked in top form in his first-innings 73 at the MCG before being out for 32 in India's second innings.
Durant nails winner; Thunder still perfect
OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant thought he might have just given away a victory and let the Dallas Mavericks steal another one in heartbreaking fashion.
Rolling Thunder: Kevin Durant attempts to drive past Mavericks guard Vince Carter on Thursday in Oklahoma City. Durant hit a 3-pointer as time expired to give the unbeaten Thunder a 104-102 triumph. APThen he found a way to take it right back.Durant scored 30 points and hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 win against Dallas on Thursday night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals."As a kid, of course you dream about hitting a game-winning shot in the NBA," said Durant, who has hit two other game-winners at the buzzer in his five seasons."It's a dream come true."The Thunder let Dallas wipe away a five-point deficit in the final 46 seconds to go ahead on Vince Carter's 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining. That was just enough time for Thabo Sefolosha to get the ball to Durant, who drilled a 3 from the right wing that improved his team to 4-0."It was crazy, a crazy course of events," Durant said. "When two tough teams always go at it, it always comes down to the last play."Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, whose title defense is off to a 0-3 start. Dallas had been blown out in its first two losses against Miami and Denver before letting a close one slip away."I think the more we go out and just play the game itself more, good things happen on the court," Mavs forward Shawn Marion said."We've got to just go out there and stop worrying about other things and just go out there and just play the game and just play hard."Rockets 105, Spurs 85In Houston, Kevin Martin scored 25 points, Luis Scola added 18 and Kyle Lowry had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Rockets.Houston took advantage of San Antonio's poor shooting at the start to build a big lead. First-year Rockets coach Kevin McHale was able to rest his starters in the fourth quarter, with his team playing the first of three games on consecutive nights.Magic 94, Nets 78In Orlando, Ryan Anderson scored 22 points, Dwight Howard had 16 points and 24 rebounds and the Magic had little trouble handling New Jersey.Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, including 15 in the first half, and J.J. Redick scored 15 points.Lakers 99, Knicks 82In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 28 points in yet another dynamic performance against the Knicks, and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter for their ninth straight victory over New York.Pau Gasol had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles, which has won two straight after a 0-2 start to the compressed season.Trail Blazers 111, Nuggets 102In Portland, Wesley Matthews had 25 points, including five 3-pointers in the second half, and the Blazers defeated Denver.Bulls 108, Kings 98In Sacramento, Derrick Rose had 19 points and eight assists and Chicago earned a victory over the Kings.The Bulls ran off 15 straight points early in the game and never trailed again in defeating Sacramento, the NBA's youngest team.
Rolling Thunder: Kevin Durant attempts to drive past Mavericks guard Vince Carter on Thursday in Oklahoma City. Durant hit a 3-pointer as time expired to give the unbeaten Thunder a 104-102 triumph. APThen he found a way to take it right back.Durant scored 30 points and hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 win against Dallas on Thursday night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals."As a kid, of course you dream about hitting a game-winning shot in the NBA," said Durant, who has hit two other game-winners at the buzzer in his five seasons."It's a dream come true."The Thunder let Dallas wipe away a five-point deficit in the final 46 seconds to go ahead on Vince Carter's 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining. That was just enough time for Thabo Sefolosha to get the ball to Durant, who drilled a 3 from the right wing that improved his team to 4-0."It was crazy, a crazy course of events," Durant said. "When two tough teams always go at it, it always comes down to the last play."Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, whose title defense is off to a 0-3 start. Dallas had been blown out in its first two losses against Miami and Denver before letting a close one slip away."I think the more we go out and just play the game itself more, good things happen on the court," Mavs forward Shawn Marion said."We've got to just go out there and stop worrying about other things and just go out there and just play the game and just play hard."Rockets 105, Spurs 85In Houston, Kevin Martin scored 25 points, Luis Scola added 18 and Kyle Lowry had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Rockets.Houston took advantage of San Antonio's poor shooting at the start to build a big lead. First-year Rockets coach Kevin McHale was able to rest his starters in the fourth quarter, with his team playing the first of three games on consecutive nights.Magic 94, Nets 78In Orlando, Ryan Anderson scored 22 points, Dwight Howard had 16 points and 24 rebounds and the Magic had little trouble handling New Jersey.Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, including 15 in the first half, and J.J. Redick scored 15 points.Lakers 99, Knicks 82In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 28 points in yet another dynamic performance against the Knicks, and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter for their ninth straight victory over New York.Pau Gasol had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles, which has won two straight after a 0-2 start to the compressed season.Trail Blazers 111, Nuggets 102In Portland, Wesley Matthews had 25 points, including five 3-pointers in the second half, and the Blazers defeated Denver.Bulls 108, Kings 98In Sacramento, Derrick Rose had 19 points and eight assists and Chicago earned a victory over the Kings.The Bulls ran off 15 straight points early in the game and never trailed again in defeating Sacramento, the NBA's youngest team.Miller taking lead into 2012
BORMIO, Italy — Ted Ligety owns a solid lead in the giant slalom standings and Bode Miller just earned the red bib in downhill.With both Americans in the mix for the overall World Cup title, U.S. men's coach Sasha Rearick is satisfied heading into the circuit's short New Year's holiday."We've got two guys in red bibs and two guys in there for the overall, so that's pretty good," Rearick said Thursday after Miller finished fifth behind Swiss winner Didier Defago on the demanding Stelvio course.Ligety has won two of the four giant slalom races so far, while Miller took a downhill victory in Beaver Creek, Colorado. He's been putting up top results in the speed events this season.In the downhill standings, Miller holds a nine-point lead over Klaus Kroell of Austria, with Swiss standout Didier Cuche 13 points back and previous leader Beat Feuz of Switzerland trailing by 14 points."There are four or five guys who can win," Miller said.While Lindsey Vonn has won the season-long downhill title the last four seasons, no American man has ever won it.Miller came close in 2008, losing to Cuche by five points when the final race of the season — in Bormio — was canceled."I think it's something he would like to accomplish," Rearick said. "But he and I don't spend a lot of time talking about those things."The victory by Defago, the Olympic downhill champion, showed that he has fully recovered from a knee injury that kept him out all of last season.Defago had a nearly flawless run and clocked 2 minutes, 1.81 seconds, with fellow Swiss racer Patrick Kueng 0.29 seconds behind and Kroell third, 0.42 back.Miller nearly touched the snow with his left hip midway down as he tried to correct his line on a traverse."I take a lot of risks with my skiing and when I made that mistake on the traverse, there was nowhere else to make up time," Miller said. "I basically had to ski uphill to make the next gate."It was the fourth World Cup win of Defago's career and his third in downhill, having won the classic races in Wengen and Kitzbuehel back-to-back three years ago.Defago appeared set for greatness after earning one of the most prized gold medals at last year's Vancouver Olympics. But in September 2010, he ruptured knee ligaments in preseason training and spent seven months off the slopes."I'm just happy to be racing again. Everything is positive now," Defago said. "I've been waiting for this race since the start of the season. I like this course and it suits my style. I knew I could do well."Defago has picked a good time to regain his form, with the next downhills in Wengen and Kitzbuehel."I had some difficult times and I suffered but the support from my family and the doctors was a big help," Defago said. "That's why I travel with my family — it was great to have my wife and two kids here to celebrate with them."Defago and Kueng also had loud support from a large group of red-clad Swiss fans, with the Swiss border only a short drive away."(Defago) is one of the guys who is super fit," Miller said. "He's probably one of the strongest guys we've ever seen on World Cup."
Yokohama fires manager Kimura
Yokohama — Yokohama F. Marinos said Friday they have fired manager Kazushi Kimura following the club's loss in the Emperor's Cup semifinals to second-division team Kyoto Sanga.Kimura, 53, will be replaced by 50-year-old coach Yasuhiro Higuchi.Kimura, who greeted players at the clubhouse Friday morning after Marinos' 4-2 extra-time defeat to Sanga the previous day, was given notice of his termination by team president Akira Kaetsu after the match."I wanted to win this title for the players," Kimura said. "I am sorry that I wasn't able to provide the leadership to achieve that result."
Trio banned in rugby doping scandal
London — A prominent British rugby player and two club officials received bans totaling seven years on Thursday for their part in a landmark doping case.Martin Gleeson, a former captain of England's national rugby league team, tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine after a club match in May and was originally given a two-year ban.The 31-year-old Gleeson later admitted lying about the circumstances leading to his positive test, implicating the chief executive and conditioning coach of his Hull club at the time in a coverup.
Former official claims FIFA traded television rights for support
PORT-OF-SPAIN — Jack Warner, a former FIFA vice president, said Thursday he was awarded World Cup television rights for as little as $1 in return for helping Sepp Blatter win elections for the presidency of world soccer's ruling body.Warner, who resigned from FIFA in June amid bribery allegations, said in a statement that the organization awarded him the 1998 World Cup rights in his native Trinidad and Tobago for $1 after he helped Blatter win a "brutal" campaign to become FIFA president.A former president of regional body CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union, Warner also said he was sold the rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups after helping Blatter get re-elected in 2002, and later bought the 2010 and 2014 rights.The accusations are the latest twist to the corruption accusations and infighting that have dogged FIFA throughout 2011.FIFA said in a statement that "we are currently looking into the matter."Once a Blatter ally, Warner switched his allegiance to Qatar's Mohammed bin Hammam during FIFA's presidential election this year. After being suspended by FIFA in May, Warner had threatened to unleash a "tsunami" of corruption allegations against the organization.On Thursday, Warner said in his statement that he and bin Hammam, a former Asian Football Confederation president, had helped Blatter in 2002 by playing "extremely critical roles in his re-election as well as in preventing several members of the then-Executive Committee from instituting criminal charges against him." Warner did not give details of the possible charges.TV rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups were "again sold to me personally however using the CFU as the vehicle," Warner said, adding that they were subsequently resold.He said the profits, as with previous rights earnings, were used to fund soccer activities in the Caribbean.Warner's decision to quit FIFA meant that he avoided an investigation of his alleged role in arranging payments for Caribbean voters during bin Hammam's presidential campaign — a bribery scandal that subsequently led to the Qatari challenger's lifetime ban from soccer. Bin Hammam withdrew his bid after the scandal emerged in May.In his statement Thursday, Warner claimed FIFA had vainly made him other lucrative offers if he would support Blatter, rather than bin Hammam."In 2011, in exchange for my support (and by extension the support of the CFU and the CONCACAF) in the FIFA presidential election, the FIFA again offered me the sale of the World Cup Rights for 2018 and 2022 as a 'gift' at a nominal fee," Warner said.FIFA also agreed to give CONCACAF a combined total of $1 million for two soccer development projects, Warner claimed."Notwithstanding the inducements offered, I . . . refused to endorse Sepp Blatter for the 2011 FIFA Presidential election . . .," the statement added.According to Warner, a 28-year veteran of FIFA's executive committee, there are more revelations to come.He said that he would make further disclosures next week, including "why I could not support Sepp Blatter's re-election," and "why Caribbean football will never be for sale."The bribery scandal involving Warner and bin Hammam was sparked when whistle-blowers from four Caribbean countries reported that cash was offered during bin Hammam's May 10 visit to Trinidad ahead of the FIFA vote for the presidency.A video of Warner urging Caribbean soccer leaders to accept their cash gifts was leaked and published on the website of Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper.Bin Hammam is appealing his FIFA ban and is awaiting a date for a hearing from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Soccer hooligan sentenced to prison
Amsterdam — A Dutch court sentenced the hooligan who attacked AZ Alkmaar's goalkeeper during a cup match against Ajax to a six-month prison term Thursday, media reported.The man, identified under Dutch privacy laws only as Wesley van W., ran onto the Amsterdam Arena pitch on Dec. 21 and tried to kick goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado from behind. The Costa Rican keeper spun around and parried the attack before twice kicking the hooligan as he lay on the turf.Prosecutors had sought a 10-month prison term at Thursday's trial.
Sumo looks to rebound after scandal-tainted campaign
A: "Let's hit hard at the face-off and please just go with the flow after that."B: "Gotcha! I'll put up a bit of a struggle but go with the flow."Wink, wink.This stranger than fiction text message exchange, just one of many which uncovered a veritable "Cheaters' Guide to Sumo," embodied the depths to which the ancient sport had fallen in 2011 — once again caught with its collective pants down, its sullied loincloth flapping in the wind.To say the least, the match-fixing scandal that came to light on Feb. 2, 2011, would become the core issue.It could not be glossed over by more dominant performances by Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho, the retirement of ozeki Kaio, or the promotion of Japanese wrestlers Kotoshogiku and Kisenosato near year's end to fill Kaio's void at the second-highest rank.In what resembled months upon months of kabuki theater, officials of the Japan Sumo Association centering on chairman Hanaregoma cried foul play and even canceled the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in the wake of the scandal, as a show of good faith amid a public outcry.Of course, they had no knowledge that so many wrestlers and coaches were involved in a widespread match-fixing racket, rumors of which had circulated inside and outside sumo for years and had been reported in newspapers as far back as the Meiji period (1868-1911).Perhaps the JSA had felt vindicated after the Supreme Court upheld two high court rulings in a lawsuit against weekly Shukan Gendai, which had accused wrestlers including former yokozuna Asashoryu of bout rigging.But after police, who were conducting a separate investigation into an illegal sumo gambling ring, found text messages initially incriminating at least 13 wrestlers and coaches of buying and selling wins for several hundred thousand yen per bout, there was no room left for denials."I feel great indignation and sorrow. I want to apologize to fans from the bottom of my heart," Hanaregoma had said at the time.Funny, but hadn't we heard similar refrains before?Oh right, that would have been when the JSA said it regretted a pro baseball gambling racket from a year earlier, or maybe it was for the marijuana smoking by wrestlers who were kicked out in 2009, or perhaps it was when a 17-year-old junior wrestler died from a group hazing in 2007.The JSA, in fact, set up its own internal investigation to get to the bottom of the bout rigging and eventually handed out pink slips to 25 wrestlers and coaches on April 25.Cellphones were prohibited in dressing rooms to prevent a recurrence of bout rigging and the JSA went to even further lengths by holding an unofficial "Technical Examination Grand Tournament" that was free to the public in May, instead of the normally held Summer Basho.The 26-year-old Hakuho won four of the five basho held and Mongolian ozeki Harumafuji was the only other wrestler to cart home a trophy, after winning top honors at the Nagoya Basho.Although Japanese wrestlers once again were denied a title victory, there was at least some bright news in a year overshadowed by darkness in the sport and the tragedy of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.Kaio drew the curtain on an illustrious, injury-plagued career by rewriting former yokozuna Chiyonofuji's all-time career wins record, notching 1,047 career victories before his retirement.Kotoshogiku, came up short in his ozeki bid in Nagoya before securing promotion at the autumn meet in September to become the first Japanese to achieve ozeki status in four years. Kisenosato soon followed suit.Throughout all the turmoil, the JSA is still uncertain of its future status as a government-affiliated entity with tax benefits, as this will soon be up for renewal."I think the New Year meet is going to be exciting. Wrestlers like (sekiwake) Toyonoshima and the lower-ranking guys are really aiming high," said stable elder Tamanoi, who was the last Japanese to win a title as ozeki Tochiazuma at the 2006 New Year Basho.
NBA legend Jordan engaged to model
Charlotte North Carolina — Michael Jordan is engaged to longtime girlfriend Yvette Prieto, a Cuban-American model he's been dating for three years.Publicist Estee Portnoy confirmed the news, first reported by WCNC in Charlotte, on Thursday.The Bobcats owner got engaged over the Christmas weekend. No wedding date has been set.This will be Jordan's second marriage. He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they divorced in 2006. They have two sons, Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and a daughter, Jasmine.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Nobeoka Gakuen captures third title of 2011
Mission accomplished. And Nobeoka Gakuen achieved that feat in dominant fashion.Senegalese center Bamba Diouf scored 25 points and cleared 23 rebounds, and Reo Bendorame had 22 points as the Kyushu school earned its first Winter Cup title with an 88-55 win over Jinsei Gakuen in the boys final of the 42nd All-Japan High School Tournament.With the national championship title, Nobeoka Gakuen, which won the National Athletic Meet and Inter-High School Athletic Meet, completed the "triple crown" in the same year."While we couldn't win in the Winter Cup previously, our players were really serious to finally grab one, and I think it paid off," said Junichiro Hongo, head of the Miyazaki Prefecture delegation after the game at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Thursday.Nobeoka Gakuen's merciless game on both sides of the ball started from the beginning. While Bendorame helped the team get off to a strong start with his scoring, the team's zone defense gave Jinsei Gakuen a hard time to even get near the basket.Nobeoka Gakuen led 20-8 at the end of the first quarter, and was ahead 54-28 at halftime.Despite the large lead, Nobeoka Gakuen didn't get loose in the second half, and continued to make life difficult for Jinsei.Jinsei's tall second-year player Yuta Watanabe showed some resistance by scoring seven points in the final period, but it was too late for a dramatic comeback for the Kagawa Prefecture school."I think we played our own basketball today," said senior Bendorame, who was born to a Brazilian father and a Japanese mother. "That pleased us the most."Nobeoka Gakuen forced 21 Jinsei Gakuen turnovers — 15 of which came from steals — limited its own to 10 and out-rebounded its opponent 57-42.Nobeoka Gakuen had 22 offensive boards. It was one of the deciding factors in the game."We hardly played our ball," Watanabe said of his school, which had never previously made the Winter Cup final eight. "From the beginning to the end, we didn't play our game."Nobeoka Gakuen had three 100-point games, with at least a 23-point lead at the end of each of its five games in the tournament. But its dominance, according to Hongo and his players, started from past failures in the yearend tourney.Last year, Nobeoka Gakuen exited the tournament after a 95-64 loss to Shiga Prefecture's Kosen High School."We've played mainly with second-year players since last year," Bendorame said. "We lost (in the All-Japan Tournament) but we really grew from that and it brought us all the way here."Captain Hiroki Iwata said: "Every year, Nobeoka Gakuen would end the year in the Winter Cup (failing to win the championship). But we've finally done it and I'm extremely excited about winning it with all the members of the team."In the third-place game, Shizuoka Prefecture's Numazu Chuo defeated Fukuoka Ohori 90-56.After the game, Diouf, Bendorame, Watanabe, Senegalese Cherif Sow of Numazu Chuo and Fukuoka Ohori's Naoto Fukumoto were named to the all-tournament team.
A-Rod fine after special treatment
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees said star third baseman Alex Rodriguez is totally fine after having special treatment on his right knee and left shoulder in Germany earlier this month.The 36-year-old Rodriguez had plasma-rich platelet injections following a recommendation from Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that the team gave its permission after vetting the process.Rodriguez's treatment was first reported by the New York Post.Cashman says the therapy is in "complete compliance" with WADA and Major League Baseball regulations. He also said the treatment is performed in the United States. The Yankees say Rodriguez went to the doctor in Germany because he's at the top of this field.
Kyoto, FC Tokyo reach Emperor's Cup final
J. League second-division minnows Kyoto Sanga set up a historic Emperor's Cup final with J2 champion FC Tokyo after scalping Yokohama F. Marinos 4-2 in extra time on Thursday.No J2 team had ever reached the final on New Year's Day.Substitutes Yuya Kubo and Yoshiaki Komai scored in the second half of extra time from 2-2 for Kyoto, which previously lifted the cup in 2002 with Gert Engels in charge.Kohei Kudo and Dutra also struck during the second half of normal time for Takeshi Oki's side, which had knocked out holders Kashima Antlers in the round of 16.Kazuma Watanabe netted the opener for Marinos in the first half, and substitute Masashi Oguro invited the extra 30 minutes deep into injury time.The Emperor's Cup winners will qualify for next year's Asian Champions League alongside the top three finishers of the J. League — Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka."I don't want to say congratulations to my team just yet. Not until we win one more," said Oki, an assistant to Takeshi Okada on Japan's 2010 World Cup team.At Osaka Nagai Stadium, Tatsuya Yazawa scored the 77th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Cerezo Osaka, who played their last game under Levir Culpi.Marinos may have had the lead at the break, but it was Kyoto which brought all the excitement in the first half at the National Stadium.Sanga's go-go style was full on as they took the game right to the J1 giants, who had squeezed past Nagoya on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarterfinals.Kyoto came within inches of scoring not just once but three times in the 38th minute.First, forward Takumi Miyayoshi had a header cleared off the line. Defender Michitaka Akimoto then pounced on the rebound, hitting the underside of the bar, before Koken Kato smashed the deflection off the left-hand post.A minute later, Dutra had a header kept out by goalkeeper Hiroki Iikura as Sanga continued to pour on the attack.Yet it was Marinos who would break the deadlock against the run of play in the 42nd minute, when Shunsuke Nakamura pierced the Kyoto defense with a through ball for Watanabe.
Marshall says officials favor Revis
FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey — Brandon Marshall thinks Darrelle Revis has something in common with Michael Jordan.No, not jaw-dropping dunking ability. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver told New York reporters on a conference call Wednesday that the Jets' Pro Bowl cornerback receives preferential treatment from officials.Revis was defending Marshall on Oct. 17 when he intercepted a pass from Matt Moore and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown in the Jets' 24-6 win. Marshall, who'll face Revis again Sunday at Miami, implied that Revis committed a defensive pass interference penalty on the play."My technique could've been better, but at the same time, I think they gave him 'the Jordan Rule,' " Marshall said. "You get a little close to Michael Jordan, they're going to call a foul. It works that way in football. Some guys you know they are scared to throw the flag on, and he may be getting that rule."
Celtic beats Rangers to move top
Celtic supplanted Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Wednesday, defeating its Glasgow rival 1-0 to complete a dramatic turnaround in fortunes in the battle for the title.Wales midfielder Joe Ledley grabbed the winner at Celtic Park, meeting a corner with an emphatic header at the far post in the 52nd minute to secure Celtic's ninth straight league victory.Less than two months ago, Neil Lennon's side was in third place in the standings and 15 points adrift of Rangers, who at that stage were unbeaten and looking unstoppable in their bid to retain the title.However, Celtic now has not only a two-point lead but also precious momentum as well following a deserved victory in the eighth match between the fierce rivals in 2011."It's a great feeling," Ledley said. "I thought we played well from the off and dominated the game."We didn't have the best start to the season but we have moved on from there. We have played some great football at times, as we did today."
Northern Ireland hires O'Neill
LONDON — Michael O'Neill will attempt to guide Northern Ireland to a first major tournament since 1986 after being hired as the country's new manager on a two-year deal Wednesday.The former Newcastle midfielder will take charge on Feb. 1 after being chosen ahead of two other former Northern Ireland internationals, Jim Magilton and Iain Dowie, as the replacement for Nigel Worthington.The 42-year-old O'Neill came to prominence this season by leading Shamrock Rovers into the group stages of the Europa League — an unprecedented achievement for a club from Ireland. He quit as manager this month, fueling speculation he would be taken on by Northern Ireland."To be entrusted with the role early in my managerial career is quite humbling but I am confident that we can make progress," he said."Northern Ireland has a strong football tradition but one that needs to be refreshed with some contemporary success."
Humphrey, Broncos rout Big Bulls
The Saitama Broncos snapped a six-game losing streak on Thursday, trouncing the host Iwate Big Bulls 98-75 in the bj-league.John "Helicopter" Humphrey scored a game-high 37 points. It was Humphrey's highest-scoring game since a 52-point outburst on Dec. 10. He was 13-for-18 from the field and made three steals. Saitama improved to 7-15.Jayme Miller added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Broncos and Nashid Beard and Kenny Satterfield each scored nine points. Satterfield led the team with seven assists. Beard blocked three shots.For Iwate (7-17), Gordon Klaiber had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Thomas Kennedy added 19 points and eight boards. Yoshiaki Yamamoto and Shawn Malloy each had 10 points.Also Wednesday, Masashi Joho scored a game-high 21 points in the Toyama Grouses' 85-61 victory over the Yokohama B-Corsairs.Toyama (10-10) has won four of its last five games, including a series sweep at Yokohama International Swimming Pool.Joho had 18 points by halftime, and Toyama led 33-29.Haakim Johnson and Brian Harper each scored 12 points apiece and Takeshi Mito and Devin Searcy both had 10 as coach Kazuaki Shimoji's club solidified its fifth-place spot in the Eastern Conference standings.Justin Burrell paced the B-Corsairs (9-13) with 13 points and 13 rebounds, Marcus Simmons scored 10 points, Masayuki Kabaya had nine and Kenji Yamada had eight. Yokohama had 23 turnovers.
Australia bowlers come up big against India on fourth day
MELBOURNE, Australia — After two years of experimentation, disappointment and unfulfilled promise, Australia may finally have found a bowling lineup it can stick with.Pace bowlers James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus stamped their authority over one of cricket's most experienced batting lineups when Australia beat India by 122 runs on the fourth day of the first test Thursday.Hilfenhaus, discarded after a dismal Ashes series, returned figures of 5-75 and 2-39 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.James Pattinson, in just his third test, had 2-55 and 4-53, along with some handy batting in a man of the match performance, while Peter Siddle showed new found consistency to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar in each innings and return 3-63 and 3-42."I've got to give full credit to our bowlers," Australia captain Michael Clarke said. "We all know how dangerous India's batting lineup is and for our bowlers to be able to restrict them in both innings, full credit to them."With test regular's Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson injured, along with new sensation Pat Cummins, many viewed the bowling selection for Melbourne as a stop gap measure.But the Australia pacemen showed little respect for veteran Indian batsmen like Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, dismissing India for 282 and just 169."We have to be at our best to beat India," Clarke said. "It has a lot of class players and it's batting order is as strong as any batting order in the world, so for our bowlers to have success, I think they deserve a lot of credit."Australia was never going to find a ready replacement for spin great Shane Warne, but after almost three years Nathan Lyon has at least the economy to press for continued selection after figures of 0-66 and 1-25."I'm confident in Lyono. He's a wonderful talent," Clarke said. "He can hold up an end even if he's not taking wickets."With Ryan nearing match fitness, Clarke and the selectors will have some serious deliberations ahead of the second test starting next week in Sydney."I've seen Ryano bowl in the nets the last few days and he looks pretty good," Clarke said. "I guess that's probably one of our bonuses at the moment. Our attack's bowling really well, and when you have guys like Ryano not too far away from being fully fit, I think it's a good problem to have."And if the Sydney Cricket Ground pitch has something to offer spin bowlers, matters could be further complicated."We need to see the conditions and have the options if it is going to spin, we can talk about two spinners, we can talk about an allrounder, but if it has got grass on it like it did last year, we could play four fast bowlers.DURBAN, South Africa — Sri Lanka removed South Africa skipper Graeme Smith to have the hosts 86-1 in their second innings at lunch on day four of the second test and still trailing by a hefty 363 runs.Dilhara Fernando had Smith caught by Mahela Jayawardene in the slips for 26 Thursday to give the Sri Lankans an important breakthrough in their push for a series-leveling victory and first win in 16 tests.Smith has a strong record in fourth-innings run chases for South Africa but survived less than 10 overs before Fernando (1-12) struck for his first wicket of the match.Hashim Amla was not out on 37 with five fours and Jacques Rudolph unbeaten on 20 as the Proteas faced a world-record chase at a ground where they have lost their last three tests.
Athletics trade All-Star closer Bailey, Sweeney to Red Sox
BOSTON — For Andrew Bailey, coming in from the bullpen at Fenway Park is a special feeling.
New gun in town: All-Star closer Andrew Bailey is leaving the Oakland A's for the Boston Red Sox. AP PHOTOHe'll experience that a lot more next season.New manager Bobby Valentine found his new man for the back end of the Boston bullpen on Wednesday when the Red Sox obtained the All-Star closer and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Josh Reddick, infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.In the deal, first reported by ESPN, Bailey gives the Red Sox a reliable ninth-inning guy to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a $50 million, four-year contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.The 27-year-old Bailey has three saves in four appearances at Fenway Park in his three major-league seasons."The one that sticks out the most was my first save opportunity this year was against the Red Sox," Bailey said in a conference call. "I actually blew that save. From what I remember, there's nothing like the atmosphere of running into the game from the bullpen at Fenway Park."A New Jersey native and offseason resident of Connecticut, Bailey is excited about coming back east.He already knows Valentine, who lives in Stamford, Connecticut, and hosted several events for the pediatric cancer foundation of Bailey and former teammate Craig Breslow."Bobby and I are good friends," Bailey said. "It just kind of helps knowing someone going in."Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year, who made the All-Star team that season and again in 2010 — had been the subject of trade talk this offseason.The right-hander went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41? innings and 42 appearances this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm."I'm feeling good," he said. "This is my first healthy offseason I've had since I've been in the big leagues."In his career, he is 7-10 with a 2.07 ERA and 75 saves in 84 opportunities.Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A's, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday."That organization is heading down a different road where they're trying to get younger and build for a future in San Jose," Bailey said.Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark some 65 km south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County.Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.The A's (74-88) haven't posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL Championship Series by Detroit.The Red Sox missed the playoffs the past two years, but won the World Series in 2004 and 2007."I think every kid playing T-ball out there strives to pitch in the postseason and meaningful games in September and, ultimately, the World Series," Bailey said. "So I'm going to welcome that with open arms."NEW YORK — Former Boston Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima has agreed to terms with the rival New York Yankees, an article on the Yankees' website said Wednesday.The 36-year-old left-hander will sign a minor league contract which includes an invitation to spring training, according to the report.Okajima spent the majority of the 2011 season pitching in the minors, making just seven big league appearances and going 1-0 with an ERA of 4.32.Following 12 seasons in Japan, Okajima signed with Boston as an international free agent in late 2006. As a rookie, he posted a 2.22 ERA over 66 appearances and helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series.In five seasons as a major league reliever, all with Boston, Okajima is 17-8 with six saves in 261 games and a 3.11 ERA.
New gun in town: All-Star closer Andrew Bailey is leaving the Oakland A's for the Boston Red Sox. AP PHOTOHe'll experience that a lot more next season.New manager Bobby Valentine found his new man for the back end of the Boston bullpen on Wednesday when the Red Sox obtained the All-Star closer and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Josh Reddick, infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.In the deal, first reported by ESPN, Bailey gives the Red Sox a reliable ninth-inning guy to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a $50 million, four-year contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.The 27-year-old Bailey has three saves in four appearances at Fenway Park in his three major-league seasons."The one that sticks out the most was my first save opportunity this year was against the Red Sox," Bailey said in a conference call. "I actually blew that save. From what I remember, there's nothing like the atmosphere of running into the game from the bullpen at Fenway Park."A New Jersey native and offseason resident of Connecticut, Bailey is excited about coming back east.He already knows Valentine, who lives in Stamford, Connecticut, and hosted several events for the pediatric cancer foundation of Bailey and former teammate Craig Breslow."Bobby and I are good friends," Bailey said. "It just kind of helps knowing someone going in."Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year, who made the All-Star team that season and again in 2010 — had been the subject of trade talk this offseason.The right-hander went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41? innings and 42 appearances this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm."I'm feeling good," he said. "This is my first healthy offseason I've had since I've been in the big leagues."In his career, he is 7-10 with a 2.07 ERA and 75 saves in 84 opportunities.Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A's, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday."That organization is heading down a different road where they're trying to get younger and build for a future in San Jose," Bailey said.Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark some 65 km south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County.Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.The A's (74-88) haven't posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL Championship Series by Detroit.The Red Sox missed the playoffs the past two years, but won the World Series in 2004 and 2007."I think every kid playing T-ball out there strives to pitch in the postseason and meaningful games in September and, ultimately, the World Series," Bailey said. "So I'm going to welcome that with open arms."NEW YORK — Former Boston Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima has agreed to terms with the rival New York Yankees, an article on the Yankees' website said Wednesday.The 36-year-old left-hander will sign a minor league contract which includes an invitation to spring training, according to the report.Okajima spent the majority of the 2011 season pitching in the minors, making just seven big league appearances and going 1-0 with an ERA of 4.32.Following 12 seasons in Japan, Okajima signed with Boston as an international free agent in late 2006. As a rookie, he posted a 2.22 ERA over 66 appearances and helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series.In five seasons as a major league reliever, all with Boston, Okajima is 17-8 with six saves in 261 games and a 3.11 ERA.Miyazaki improves roster with addition of Mims
It's the time of the season for teams to add reinforcements as they begin jockeying for playoff positions.Exhibit A: The Miyazaki Shining Suns signed high-scoring forward O'Neal "Trey" Mims earlier this week. The 208-cm veteran averaged a team-high 19.3 points in 20 games for the Sendai 89ers before he was released last week due to undisclosed reasons.Mims gives Miyazaki (10-12) a potent scoring weapon as the club fights to stay in the thick of things in the playoff race. He's a capable defender and a solid all-around player.Look for other teams to make similar moves in the coming weeks.Former Oita and Sendai forward Mike Bell is reportedly looking to join a bj-league club, probably Osaka, in the coming days, a source told The Japan Times.Mims, meanwhile, welcomes the change of scenery."I feel blessed to be part of the team," the Angelo State product said in a statement posted on Miyazaki's website, "and I'm very excited to contribute to the team in any way I can. Please continue to support us and I will do anything necessary to take this team to the playoffs."After leading scorer Reggie Okosa's departure from the team last week, the Ryukyu Golden Kings are expected to add another player to fill his roster spot."Okosa's replacement? He is a returnee," a source said, fueling speculation about several talented imports who've suited up for bj-league teams in recent years."You know I am a little bitter. (Center) Chris Ayer is the perfect role player for the Kings. Besides Jeff's performance in the Western finals (in 2009, a 50-point game against Osaka), Chris was the X-factor in winning the championship and they didn't bring him back," he added, referring to Jeff Newton's iconic game, the single greatest individual accomplishment in league history."Obviously, coach Dai (Oketani) liked him or he wouldn't have brought him from Oita," he continued, citing that Oketani, the former Oita bench boss, and Ayer worked together for the HeatDevils."(Ryukyu president/general manager Tatsuro) Kimura didn't like him and that's why they didn't resign him. Not only did they not sign him, Kimura put bad info about him through the league so nobody else would sign him. The guy is working his ass off in the D-League (NBA Development League) and he reminds me of the Kyoto players, quiet and blue collar."Ayer has played 11 games for the D-League's Reno Bighorns this season. He's averaging 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks through Wednesday.Tyler update: NBA rookie forward/center Jeremy Tyler is driving a Ferrari, the San Francisco Chronicle has reported. And photos of Tyler's new luxurious ride are circulating on the Internet.The former Tokyo Apache player made history on Christmas Day by stepping on the floor against the Los Angeles Clippers. He is the first former bj-league player to be drafted by an NBA club. The Charlotte Bobcats made him the 39th overall selection and traded him to the Golden State Warriors for $2 million on draft day in June.Through three games, Tyler has seen limited playing time logging a minute per game in two games (he didn't play in the other contest), but he's in the world's best league and this is where he's always dreams of playing, he's said on numerous occasions.Quotable: "We knew it was going to be a dogfight, and unfortunately we won in the first half and lost in the second." — Yokohama coach Reggie Geary, reflecting on his team's performance on Wednesday after an 80-79 defeat to Toyama.Upcoming schedule: In an abbreviated slate during the New Year's holidays, Miyazaki plays host to Oita on Monday and Tuesday, while Ryukyu takes on visiting Fukuoka. Niigata renews its rivalry with Hamamatsu on Tuesday and Wednesday. There's a full slate of games on tap next weekend.Closing commentary: The Saitama Broncos have never been talked about as one of the league's up-and-coming teams, as a championship contender or as a well-run organization. Entering the 2012 portion of their schedule, the Broncos will have this distinction: the worst record among this season's non-expansion Eastern Conference teams.The first-season Chiba Jets are 10-12, followed by a pair of expansion teams, Yokohama B-Corsairs and Shinshu Brave Warriors (both at 9-13). The Broncos are 7-15, and the Iwate Big Bulls, who also entered the circuit this fall, are 7-17."What does it mean when the bottom five teams in the East are the four expansion teams plus Saitama?" one hoop observer wondered.It points to a shaky foundation in the Saitama front office, it says here, and lousy leadership. And it's a reminder that teams with a knack for winning get the proper support from the front office, investing in stability and making roster upgrades year after year.The Broncos, now 100-188 since the bj-league began in 2005, do not have those chief traits.Do you have a story idea about the bj-league? Send an email to edward.odeven@japantimes.co.jp
Capitals snap Rangers' run
WASHINGTON — The Capitals finished checks, dived to block shots and clamped down defensively when they got the lead. Against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals improved their play and erased lingering murmurs that they were underachievers.Alexander Semin scored twice, Troy Brouwer tallied the tiebreaking goal midway through the second period, and Washington halted the New York Rangers' five-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday night."All through the lineup, guys were just playing tough," Brouwer said. "Not letting guys get free passes, even in front of our net, playing hard on the cycle, stuff like that. When you play tough, when you play hard, it makes it tough for the other team to create anything."That was the script that the Capitals the lead for good, when Brouwer atoned for misfiring at an empty net late in the first period on a man advantage.With the game tied 1-1, Brouwer got tangled with Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in front of the New York net. Brouwer not only screened goalie Martin Biron but redirected John Carlson's drive from the left point for his 10th goal of the season at 10:24."I'm put out on the power play to score goals, do a good job in front of the net," Brouwer said of his earlier miss. "For me, that's an unacceptable play. It's got to be in the back of the net."Marcus Johansson also scored for the Capitals, who snapped a two-game skid. Alex Ovechkin had two assists.Brandon Dubinsky scored for the Rangers, 7-3 in their last 10 games. Marian Gaborik, tied for the NHL lead with 22 goals, had his run of five straight games with a goal stopped.New York dropped one point behind Boston in the Eastern Conference race."Turnovers, not against their third or fourth lines, but against their top line — it killed us," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "That's what's frustrating. I thought we beat ourselves a little bit there in those situations. They're an opportunistic team (and) we didn't defend."Turnovers led to Semin's two goals, which turned a one-goal Washington lead into a comfortable margin."He's a sniper and he can score, but he played the right way," Capitals coach Dale Hunter said. "He was back-checking and he created opportunities because of defense. That whole line, that's what we needed from them."Tomas Vokoun, making his first start in six games, made 31 saves for the victory. Fifteen of those stops came in the third period, and Washington killed five New York power plays."We played with a lot of emotion, and guys battled hard, especially on penalty kill and all around," Vokoun said.Bruins 2, Coyotes 1 (OT)In Glendale, Arizona, defenseman Dennis Seidenberg scored 58 seconds into overtime to lift Boston over Phoenix.Devils 3, Sabres 1In Newark, New Jersey, Petr Sykora scored two goals to lead the Devils over Buffalo.Predators 2, Wild 1 (SO)In Nashville, Colin Wilson scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Predators sent Minnesota to its eighth straight loss.Jonathon Blum scored for the Predators, with an assist from Wilson, to give Nashville a 1-0 lead 7 minutes into the third period. Dany Heatley tied it for the Wild with 3:59 remaining in regulation.Kings 2, Blackhawks 0In Chicago, Jonathan Quick made 38 saves to earn his NHL-leading fifth shutout, and Trent Hunter and Jarret Stoll scored to lead Los Angeles past the Blackhawks.Canucks 3, Sharks 2 (OT)In San Jose, Andrew Ebbett redirected Kevin Bieksa's shot into the net at 3:23 of overtime to give Vancouver a victory over the Sharks.Roberto Luongo made 33 saves and improved to 9-1-1 in his last 11 games.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Spurs maintain pace
LONDON — Tottenham established itself as the likeliest challenger to the dominance of the Manchester clubs in the Premier League this season, beating Norwich 2-0 on Tuesday to tighten its grip on third place.A classy second-half double by winger Gareth Bale lifted Spurs to within seven points of City and United, with the London club still holding a game in hand — at home to Everton next month.With fifth-place Arsenal drawing 1-1 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers to join fading title hopefuls Chelsea and Liverpool in dropping points in the latest round of league fixtures, it looks increasingly like a three-horse race for the title.However, Bale and Spurs aren't getting ahead of themselves."We said at the start of the season that our main objective was to get back in the Champions League and that's still the case," said the 22-year-old Bale. "We are just going to take it one game at a time."Heading into the game at Carrow Road, Tottenham knew Manchester United — which is level on points with City — was the only team in the top six to have won in the latest round of fixtures.The pressure was on Harry Redknapp's team to take advantage and it did just that, with Bale capping an impressive individual display by scoring goals in the 55th and 67th minutes.His first was a side-footed finish from close range, while his second demonstrated his pace and power, bursting through the middle before supplying a deft finish over Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy.Bale could have had more goals. Out of Spurs' 15 shots, he had seven."He's an amazing player isn't he?" Redknapp said of Bale, who emerged as a potential superstar in a breakthrough 2010-11 season in which he wowed fans worldwide with his performances in the Champions League."When he picks the ball up, turns and runs at you, he is unplayable."Arsenal has never finished behind fierce north London rival Tottenham since the Premier League's inception in 1992 but this could be the season.Arsene Wenger's team missed a great chance to climb above Chelsea into fourth place by only drawing against Wolves, who played the last 17 minutes with 10 men following the harsh straight red card handed to Serbia midfielder Nenad Milijas for a studs-first tackle.Cote d'Ivoire forward Gervinho opened the scoring for Arsenal in the eighth minute but the hosts failed to make the most of a series of chances, the majority of which fell to leading scorer Robin van Persie, and Wolves equalized through Steven Fletcher in the 38th.Visiting goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey foiled the Gunners time and again in the second half, leaving them fifth in the table."It was the kind of game that if you played 20 times, you win 19 of them. Unfortunately this was the one time we didn't win," Wenger said. "Their keeper played the game of his life."Queens Park Rangers ended its three-match losing run by drawing 1-1 at Swansea in Tuesday's other game, moving three points clear of the relegation zone.
Grouses escape Yokohama with slim victory
YOKOHAMA — The Justin Burrell Show didn't have a happy ending for the Yokohama B-Corsairs on Wednesday afternoon.
Hard earned win: Grouses coach Kazuaki Shimoji speaks at a news conference after his team's 80-79 win over the B-Corsairs on Wednesday in Yokohama. ED ODEVENDespite the rookie forward's career- and franchise-best 40-point performance, the Toyama Grouses emerged victorious, 80-79, after Larry Turner's free throw with no time remaining gave the visitors the win.Toyama held the B-Corsairs (9-12) to 33 second-half points after yielding 28 in the opening quarter at Yokohama International Swimming Pool in the first regular-season meeting between the bj-league clubs. And veteran guard Masashi Joho, a key player on Osaka Evessa, Tokyo Apache and Shiga Lakestars playoff teams in years past, served notice that he's still one of the league's best game-changing forces, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter."Obviously, you never want a game decided by the referee's call, but we are smart enough to realize that the game didn't come down to that play," B-Corsairs coach Reggie Geary told reporters moments later.At the end of a high-energy game, Toyama got the ball back with 20.3 seconds remaining. Pape Mour Faye was whistled for a foul on Turner, who had the ball for a final shot, as time expired. The B-Corsairs looked stunned by the call; the Grouses were excited and then jumping for joy after Turner sank his game-winning shot.The B-Corsairs, who shot 1-for-10 from 3-point range, had six fourth-quarter turnovers and 20 overall, a statistic that was a key factor in ending the team's two-game winning streak.Burrell, who was 14-for-16 at the foul line, and had 10 rebounds and eight turnovers, admitted as much after the game."As a person that's supposed to finish games and be one of the leaders on our team, unfortunately I turned the ball over way too much," said Burrell. "I made a lot of unforced turnovers. . . . I made a lot of passes that if I would've just made one pass and the team made another pass, it would've been a simpler play."Burrell leads the B-Corsairs in scoring (19.0 points per game) and his performance against Toyama (9-10) was a reminder that the first-year franchise expects big things from the 207-cm performer."Obviously, one of the disappointing things is we wasted his 40-point effort today," Geary said. "There's no question and there's no secret on our team that JB and some others are the focal point of the offense. We know how capable he is, and we are very happy with how he is maturing and developing. We just feel with this additional responsibility, as you can see by this press conference today, he is taking it upon himself to take care of the basketball and things of that nature. We are very happy with how he's progressing along."Grouses coach Kazuaki Shimoji, whose team has climbed into fifth place in the 10-team Eastern Conference, said strong third-quarter defense "fueled the team's offense."At halftime, Shimoji said, the Toyama players were reminded they needed to "play more physical" in the second half. He also pointed to his team's improved defense in the second half, which led to 11 Yokohama turnovers.The Grouses faced a 54-40 deficit after Burrell's jam with just over 7 minutes left in the third quarter. But Toyama mounted a comeback to pull within 57-53 late in the quarter.The visitors' game-changing 13-3 run included a big catch-and-shoot 3-pointer by Joho, who was 0-for-7 from the field in the opening half, and a Devin Searcy layup on a give-and-go from Joho that prompted Geary to call a timeout. Then Searcy, who had 11 points and six rebounds, scored again inside to make it 57-53 less than a minute after the break in the action. Only a Faye free throw was added to the scoring total during the remainder of the quarter. That made it 58-53, Yokohama.In an exciting, back-and-forth fourth quarter, Joho was the most effective player on the floor. He was 4-for-6 from the field and 5-for-5 at the foul line. Teammates got him the ball and he made his shots, weaving through traffic with bursts of speed and getting the ref's attention along the way."We know he's one of the better players in the league," Geary said of Joho. "He's dangerous because he's dangerous from the 3-(point range), from mid-range (and) he can get all the way to the rim, and on top of that he's very aggressive."When the team gets into the bonus very early in a quarter, now he's even more dangerous because now he's really in attack mode. Every time you foul him, he goes to the line. So he just ups his game and that's a nod to him."The teams exchanged leads several times in the fourth quarter, with Burrell carrying the B-Corsairs and scoring 11 points in that span, including 7-for-8 at the line.Toyama led 77-74 after Searcy's basket with 1:48 to play. Burrell cut it to a single point by hitting two free throws, and former Tokyo guard Minoru Kimura put the hosts ahead 78-77 on a nifty reverse layup with 1:03 to play. Toyama's Takeshi Mito, who had 17 points, sank two free throws as the Grouses retook the lead, 79-78, with 37 seconds remaining.Burrell made the first of two shots with 21.4 seconds left. That made it 79-79. Then Toyama called a timeout to draw up its final possession. Joho inbounded the ball and the offense worked its plan slowly and methodically before the last-second foul was called.Center Chas McFarland finished with 13 points for Yokohama. Ira Brown had 12 points and seven boards for the Grouses, who had five double-digit scorers."In the second half we got a little down," Geary said. "Our energy level dropped for whatever reason and we started hanging our heads. But in terms of confidence, we were confident enough to get a nice lead in the first half."In the first quarter, Toyama led 4-2 after a Brian Harper (13 points) baseline jump shot. But Yokohama stormed back, using a 12-2 spurt to pull ahead 14-6.The B-Corsairs played an excellent first quarter, getting good looks on offense and repeated trips to the free-throw line (10-for-12 overall). They also relentlessly pursued each rebound, setting the tone for the team's performance in other facets of the game; by quarter's end they held a 16-5 edge in rebounds, with Simmons (14 points and three steals before fouling out) collecting five rebounds to lead the effort.In particular, Burrell, a first-year pro out of St. John's University in New York City, picked his spots wisely and attacked the basket. He had 18 first-quarter points on 7-for-9 shooting, including vicious driving slam dunk (he finished with four dunks), layups and spot-up jumpers. He outscored the entire Grouses squad by one point in the period.Defensively, Geary's charges were aggressive and tenacious, and the Grouses trailed 28-17 entering the second quarter. Joho, Toyama's leading scorer, was 0-for-5 from the field in the first stanza.Yokohama led 46-32 at the break, getting 24 first-half points from Burrell to carry the offense.Elsewhere Wednesday, the host Iwate Big Bulls defeated the Saitama Broncos 85-81.Thomas Kennedy paced the expansion Big Bulls (7-16) with 28 points, Shawn Malloy had 23 points and 11 rebounds and ex-Saitama player Gordon Klaiber had 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Yoshiaki Yamamoto added eight points and six assists.The Broncos (6-15) dropped their sixth straight game and fell into last place.Kenny Satterfield led Saitama with 24 points and John "Helicopter" Humphrey had 23.
Hard earned win: Grouses coach Kazuaki Shimoji speaks at a news conference after his team's 80-79 win over the B-Corsairs on Wednesday in Yokohama. ED ODEVENDespite the rookie forward's career- and franchise-best 40-point performance, the Toyama Grouses emerged victorious, 80-79, after Larry Turner's free throw with no time remaining gave the visitors the win.Toyama held the B-Corsairs (9-12) to 33 second-half points after yielding 28 in the opening quarter at Yokohama International Swimming Pool in the first regular-season meeting between the bj-league clubs. And veteran guard Masashi Joho, a key player on Osaka Evessa, Tokyo Apache and Shiga Lakestars playoff teams in years past, served notice that he's still one of the league's best game-changing forces, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter."Obviously, you never want a game decided by the referee's call, but we are smart enough to realize that the game didn't come down to that play," B-Corsairs coach Reggie Geary told reporters moments later.At the end of a high-energy game, Toyama got the ball back with 20.3 seconds remaining. Pape Mour Faye was whistled for a foul on Turner, who had the ball for a final shot, as time expired. The B-Corsairs looked stunned by the call; the Grouses were excited and then jumping for joy after Turner sank his game-winning shot.The B-Corsairs, who shot 1-for-10 from 3-point range, had six fourth-quarter turnovers and 20 overall, a statistic that was a key factor in ending the team's two-game winning streak.Burrell, who was 14-for-16 at the foul line, and had 10 rebounds and eight turnovers, admitted as much after the game."As a person that's supposed to finish games and be one of the leaders on our team, unfortunately I turned the ball over way too much," said Burrell. "I made a lot of unforced turnovers. . . . I made a lot of passes that if I would've just made one pass and the team made another pass, it would've been a simpler play."Burrell leads the B-Corsairs in scoring (19.0 points per game) and his performance against Toyama (9-10) was a reminder that the first-year franchise expects big things from the 207-cm performer."Obviously, one of the disappointing things is we wasted his 40-point effort today," Geary said. "There's no question and there's no secret on our team that JB and some others are the focal point of the offense. We know how capable he is, and we are very happy with how he is maturing and developing. We just feel with this additional responsibility, as you can see by this press conference today, he is taking it upon himself to take care of the basketball and things of that nature. We are very happy with how he's progressing along."Grouses coach Kazuaki Shimoji, whose team has climbed into fifth place in the 10-team Eastern Conference, said strong third-quarter defense "fueled the team's offense."At halftime, Shimoji said, the Toyama players were reminded they needed to "play more physical" in the second half. He also pointed to his team's improved defense in the second half, which led to 11 Yokohama turnovers.The Grouses faced a 54-40 deficit after Burrell's jam with just over 7 minutes left in the third quarter. But Toyama mounted a comeback to pull within 57-53 late in the quarter.The visitors' game-changing 13-3 run included a big catch-and-shoot 3-pointer by Joho, who was 0-for-7 from the field in the opening half, and a Devin Searcy layup on a give-and-go from Joho that prompted Geary to call a timeout. Then Searcy, who had 11 points and six rebounds, scored again inside to make it 57-53 less than a minute after the break in the action. Only a Faye free throw was added to the scoring total during the remainder of the quarter. That made it 58-53, Yokohama.In an exciting, back-and-forth fourth quarter, Joho was the most effective player on the floor. He was 4-for-6 from the field and 5-for-5 at the foul line. Teammates got him the ball and he made his shots, weaving through traffic with bursts of speed and getting the ref's attention along the way."We know he's one of the better players in the league," Geary said of Joho. "He's dangerous because he's dangerous from the 3-(point range), from mid-range (and) he can get all the way to the rim, and on top of that he's very aggressive."When the team gets into the bonus very early in a quarter, now he's even more dangerous because now he's really in attack mode. Every time you foul him, he goes to the line. So he just ups his game and that's a nod to him."The teams exchanged leads several times in the fourth quarter, with Burrell carrying the B-Corsairs and scoring 11 points in that span, including 7-for-8 at the line.Toyama led 77-74 after Searcy's basket with 1:48 to play. Burrell cut it to a single point by hitting two free throws, and former Tokyo guard Minoru Kimura put the hosts ahead 78-77 on a nifty reverse layup with 1:03 to play. Toyama's Takeshi Mito, who had 17 points, sank two free throws as the Grouses retook the lead, 79-78, with 37 seconds remaining.Burrell made the first of two shots with 21.4 seconds left. That made it 79-79. Then Toyama called a timeout to draw up its final possession. Joho inbounded the ball and the offense worked its plan slowly and methodically before the last-second foul was called.Center Chas McFarland finished with 13 points for Yokohama. Ira Brown had 12 points and seven boards for the Grouses, who had five double-digit scorers."In the second half we got a little down," Geary said. "Our energy level dropped for whatever reason and we started hanging our heads. But in terms of confidence, we were confident enough to get a nice lead in the first half."In the first quarter, Toyama led 4-2 after a Brian Harper (13 points) baseline jump shot. But Yokohama stormed back, using a 12-2 spurt to pull ahead 14-6.The B-Corsairs played an excellent first quarter, getting good looks on offense and repeated trips to the free-throw line (10-for-12 overall). They also relentlessly pursued each rebound, setting the tone for the team's performance in other facets of the game; by quarter's end they held a 16-5 edge in rebounds, with Simmons (14 points and three steals before fouling out) collecting five rebounds to lead the effort.In particular, Burrell, a first-year pro out of St. John's University in New York City, picked his spots wisely and attacked the basket. He had 18 first-quarter points on 7-for-9 shooting, including vicious driving slam dunk (he finished with four dunks), layups and spot-up jumpers. He outscored the entire Grouses squad by one point in the period.Defensively, Geary's charges were aggressive and tenacious, and the Grouses trailed 28-17 entering the second quarter. Joho, Toyama's leading scorer, was 0-for-5 from the field in the first stanza.Yokohama led 46-32 at the break, getting 24 first-half points from Burrell to carry the offense.Elsewhere Wednesday, the host Iwate Big Bulls defeated the Saitama Broncos 85-81.Thomas Kennedy paced the expansion Big Bulls (7-16) with 28 points, Shawn Malloy had 23 points and 11 rebounds and ex-Saitama player Gordon Klaiber had 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Yoshiaki Yamamoto added eight points and six assists.The Broncos (6-15) dropped their sixth straight game and fell into last place.Kenny Satterfield led Saitama with 24 points and John "Helicopter" Humphrey had 23.Legendary golfer Sugihara dies at 74
Osaka — Legendary golfer Teruo Sugihara died of prostate cancer on Wednesday. He was 74.Sugihara won 63 times, including once overseas — the 1969 Hong Kong Open — and six times on the senior tour in a career of more than 50 years.The Osaka native turned pro in 1957 and captured his first career title in 1962 at the Japan Open.In 1998, Sugihara announced he had prostate cancer, but he continued to play while battling it.He became the oldest player ever to make the cut in an event on the top-tier Japanese tour at the 2006 Tsuruya Open at the age of 68.Earlier this year, Sugihara had his record streak of 51 consecutive appearances at The Crowns tournament snapped and had been in and out of the hospital.
Kato, Kodaira earn national titles
OBIHIRO, Hokkaido — Joji Kato claimed his first title since 2007 and Nao Kodaira won the women's event for the second year in a row at the national sprint championships Wednesday.Vancouver Olympic 500-meter bronze medalist Kato placed second in the 500 in 35.35 seconds and won the 1,000 in 1:11.86 on the final day for a four-race total of 142.225 points.Kodaira had a meet-record total of 154.285 points after taking second in the 500 in 38.64 and winning the 1,000 in 1:17.31.
Brady, Rodgers named starting QBs on Pro Bowl rosters
NEW YORK — Tom Brady is one of eight Patriots and Patrick Willis one of eight 49ers to make the Pro Bowl, the most on each roster.
Man for the big occasion: Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has been named starting quarterback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. APDefending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu, the NFL announced Tuesday.Brady is one of seven starters from New England (12-3). The others are receiver Wes Welker, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Andre Carter, and guards Brian Waters and Logan Mankins all are starters for the AFC from the Patriots.Special teamer Matthew Slater is the other New England representative.Linebacker Willis, DE Justin Smith, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley will start for the NFC from the 49ers (12-3), who had only Smith and Willis make the Pro Bowl last year.Green Bay's Rodgers is the starting NFC quarterback, backed by record-setting Drew Brees of New Orleans (12-3)."It does have special significance, because when I was voted in in 2009, I was the third guy and I was very thankful to be voted in, and got the opportunity to start because of some injuries and guys not going," Rodgers said. "It's great to be voted in as a starter, that means a lot to me and it's a special honor."Four of the NFL's biggest headline makers this season did not get voted in by players, coaches and fans: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, Steelers LB James Harrison, Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton, and Denver QB Tim Tebow.Suh might have lost support after drawing a two-game suspension for stomping an opponent, and Harrison's one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy might have reduced his support.Fifteen first-time Pro Bowlers made the NFC squad, including Rogers, Staley and safety Dashon Goldson of the 49ers. Thirteen AFC players were first-time selections, including Gronkowski, Carter and Slater of New England. Carter is on injured reserve (left quadriceps) and won't play."If you look around the NFC, you see a ton of amazing and talented players at tight end," said the Saints' Jimmy Graham, the starter at the position and a first-time Pro Bowler. "And to be thought of in that company by my peers, the head coaches and the fans who follow the NFL is something I take seriously."Fourteen teams from each conference were represented, with St. Louis (2-13) and Washington (5-10) drawing blanks in the NFC, Buffalo (6-9) and Tennessee (8-7) shut out in the AFC.Pittsburgh (11-4), New Orleans and Chicago (7-8) each had five representatives.Three rookies were chosen: Denver linebacker Von Miller, Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green, and Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, selected as a kick return specialist. He has tied an NFL record with four punt runbacks for TDs this season.All the kickers are from Bay Area teams.NFC special teamers included two 49ers: record-setting placekicker David Akers, and punter Andy Lee; Peterson; and Corey Graham of Chicago.For the AFC, the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski is the placekicker, Shane Lechler the punter. The kick return specialist is Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown, and the special-teams player is Slater.METAIRIE, LOUISIANA — Although Sean Payton helped Drew Brees become the NFL's all-time single-season passer, the coach isn't divulging whether he'll enable his star quarterback to maintain that distinction.With 5,087 yards passing after Monday night's victory over Atlanta, Brees enters the final week of the season 190 yards ahead of New England's Tom Brady. Yet the Saints' regular-season finale might not matter in terms of playoff seeding, meaning the more prudent choice for Payton could be to rest Brees for much of Sunday's game against Carolina.The Patriots, by contrast, must beat Buffalo to ensure they'll have the top seed in the AFC.Payton says he must consider what puts the Saints in the best position to make a Super Bowl run, and that such decisions are not always popular.
Man for the big occasion: Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has been named starting quarterback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. APDefending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu, the NFL announced Tuesday.Brady is one of seven starters from New England (12-3). The others are receiver Wes Welker, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Andre Carter, and guards Brian Waters and Logan Mankins all are starters for the AFC from the Patriots.Special teamer Matthew Slater is the other New England representative.Linebacker Willis, DE Justin Smith, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley will start for the NFC from the 49ers (12-3), who had only Smith and Willis make the Pro Bowl last year.Green Bay's Rodgers is the starting NFC quarterback, backed by record-setting Drew Brees of New Orleans (12-3)."It does have special significance, because when I was voted in in 2009, I was the third guy and I was very thankful to be voted in, and got the opportunity to start because of some injuries and guys not going," Rodgers said. "It's great to be voted in as a starter, that means a lot to me and it's a special honor."Four of the NFL's biggest headline makers this season did not get voted in by players, coaches and fans: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, Steelers LB James Harrison, Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton, and Denver QB Tim Tebow.Suh might have lost support after drawing a two-game suspension for stomping an opponent, and Harrison's one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy might have reduced his support.Fifteen first-time Pro Bowlers made the NFC squad, including Rogers, Staley and safety Dashon Goldson of the 49ers. Thirteen AFC players were first-time selections, including Gronkowski, Carter and Slater of New England. Carter is on injured reserve (left quadriceps) and won't play."If you look around the NFC, you see a ton of amazing and talented players at tight end," said the Saints' Jimmy Graham, the starter at the position and a first-time Pro Bowler. "And to be thought of in that company by my peers, the head coaches and the fans who follow the NFL is something I take seriously."Fourteen teams from each conference were represented, with St. Louis (2-13) and Washington (5-10) drawing blanks in the NFC, Buffalo (6-9) and Tennessee (8-7) shut out in the AFC.Pittsburgh (11-4), New Orleans and Chicago (7-8) each had five representatives.Three rookies were chosen: Denver linebacker Von Miller, Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green, and Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, selected as a kick return specialist. He has tied an NFL record with four punt runbacks for TDs this season.All the kickers are from Bay Area teams.NFC special teamers included two 49ers: record-setting placekicker David Akers, and punter Andy Lee; Peterson; and Corey Graham of Chicago.For the AFC, the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski is the placekicker, Shane Lechler the punter. The kick return specialist is Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown, and the special-teams player is Slater.METAIRIE, LOUISIANA — Although Sean Payton helped Drew Brees become the NFL's all-time single-season passer, the coach isn't divulging whether he'll enable his star quarterback to maintain that distinction.With 5,087 yards passing after Monday night's victory over Atlanta, Brees enters the final week of the season 190 yards ahead of New England's Tom Brady. Yet the Saints' regular-season finale might not matter in terms of playoff seeding, meaning the more prudent choice for Payton could be to rest Brees for much of Sunday's game against Carolina.The Patriots, by contrast, must beat Buffalo to ensure they'll have the top seed in the AFC.Payton says he must consider what puts the Saints in the best position to make a Super Bowl run, and that such decisions are not always popular.Cole's late hot streak lifts Heat over Celtics
MIAMI — Norris Cole stepped to the foul line with 9.3 seconds left, set to clinch the game as cries of "M-V-P" rained down upon him from the sold-out stands.
Break on through: New Jersey's Kris Humphries tries to drive past Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia during the Hawks' 106-70 win on Tuesday. APNo, this wasn't a scene from his days at Cleveland State.Taking over in just his second NBA game — and with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all on the floor, no less — Cole scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including three huge jumpers down the stretch to save the Heat in a 115-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night."You grow up and live for moments like that," Cole said.James scored 26 points, Wade had 24 points, eight assists and four blocks, and Bosh scored 18 for the Heat, which led by 20 points midway through the third quarter before having its lead twice sliced to three points in the final minutes. And both times, Cole took passes from James and knocked down jumpers, keeping short-handed Boston at bay."He's got savvy," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Great pickup."Ray Allen scored 28 points on 8-for-12 shooting for the Celtics, while Rajon Rondo finished with 22 points and 12 assists and Keyon Dooling scored 18 off the Boston bench.Through two games, Miami (2-0) has trailed only once — by two points, for all of 14 seconds. Boston turned the ball over 24 times, and Miami turned those into 33 points."Any team you turn the ball over that much they're going to score on you," Allen said. "We just have to settle in on both ends of the floor. Whether you score or not, they're going to run down your throats."Lakers 96, Jazz 71In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers avoided just the fourth 0-3 start in franchise history with a victory over Utah.Metta World Peace scored 14 points for the Lakers, who had much more life than the Jazz despite playing their third game in three nights to open the season.Los Angeles ran away with a dominant third quarter, making a 27-8 surge out of halftime in the club's first win for new coach Mike Brown.Hawks 106, Nets 70In Newark, New Jersey, Marvin Williams had 14 points and nine rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks opened a double-digit lead early and cruised to a victory over the sluggish Nets in their final home opener in New Jersey.Jeff Teague added 13 points, Joe Johnson had 11 and the Hawks got big games off the bench from Zaza Pachulia (13 points and 11 rebounds) and Vladimir Radmanovic (17 points) in finally opening the lockout-delayed season by embarrassing the Nets in a game in which the crowd was booing the Brooklyn-bound team by halftime.Bucks 98, Timberwolves 95In Milwaukee, rookie Jon Leuer converted a three-point play with 1:17 left, helping the Bucks hold off Minnesota in their home opener.Brandon Jennings scored 24 points and Stephen Jackson added 16 for the Bucks, who were playing without forward Drew Gooden because of a suspension and several other key players because of injuries.Blazers 101, Kings 79,In Portland, Gerald Wallace had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists, leading the Blazers to a victory over Sacramento.LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers (2-0). Nicolas Batum added 15 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Break on through: New Jersey's Kris Humphries tries to drive past Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia during the Hawks' 106-70 win on Tuesday. APNo, this wasn't a scene from his days at Cleveland State.Taking over in just his second NBA game — and with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all on the floor, no less — Cole scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including three huge jumpers down the stretch to save the Heat in a 115-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night."You grow up and live for moments like that," Cole said.James scored 26 points, Wade had 24 points, eight assists and four blocks, and Bosh scored 18 for the Heat, which led by 20 points midway through the third quarter before having its lead twice sliced to three points in the final minutes. And both times, Cole took passes from James and knocked down jumpers, keeping short-handed Boston at bay."He's got savvy," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Great pickup."Ray Allen scored 28 points on 8-for-12 shooting for the Celtics, while Rajon Rondo finished with 22 points and 12 assists and Keyon Dooling scored 18 off the Boston bench.Through two games, Miami (2-0) has trailed only once — by two points, for all of 14 seconds. Boston turned the ball over 24 times, and Miami turned those into 33 points."Any team you turn the ball over that much they're going to score on you," Allen said. "We just have to settle in on both ends of the floor. Whether you score or not, they're going to run down your throats."Lakers 96, Jazz 71In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers avoided just the fourth 0-3 start in franchise history with a victory over Utah.Metta World Peace scored 14 points for the Lakers, who had much more life than the Jazz despite playing their third game in three nights to open the season.Los Angeles ran away with a dominant third quarter, making a 27-8 surge out of halftime in the club's first win for new coach Mike Brown.Hawks 106, Nets 70In Newark, New Jersey, Marvin Williams had 14 points and nine rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks opened a double-digit lead early and cruised to a victory over the sluggish Nets in their final home opener in New Jersey.Jeff Teague added 13 points, Joe Johnson had 11 and the Hawks got big games off the bench from Zaza Pachulia (13 points and 11 rebounds) and Vladimir Radmanovic (17 points) in finally opening the lockout-delayed season by embarrassing the Nets in a game in which the crowd was booing the Brooklyn-bound team by halftime.Bucks 98, Timberwolves 95In Milwaukee, rookie Jon Leuer converted a three-point play with 1:17 left, helping the Bucks hold off Minnesota in their home opener.Brandon Jennings scored 24 points and Stephen Jackson added 16 for the Bucks, who were playing without forward Drew Gooden because of a suspension and several other key players because of injuries.Blazers 101, Kings 79,In Portland, Gerald Wallace had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists, leading the Blazers to a victory over Sacramento.LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers (2-0). Nicolas Batum added 15 points and five rebounds off the bench.Marines reach deal with Whitesell
Chiba — The Chiba Lotte Marines signed former Yakult Swallows infielder Josh Whitesell to a one-year contract worth $300,000 on Wednesday.The Marines hit just 46 home runs this year — the worst total among the 12 teams in Japanese baseball."We're expecting him to hit 30 home runs for us," Lotte team president Iekuni Nakamura said. "We hope he can spark our offense."
Hussey, Ponting stand tall on third day of test
MELBOURNE, Australia — Bowlers dictated the fortunes of the first test between Australia and India on Wednesday as 15 wickets fell for 274 runs on the third day, leaving the match evenly poised.
Easy does it: Australia's Ricky Ponting hits a four on the third day of the first test match against India. APRicky Ponting and Mike Hussey defied age and their critics to score half centuries in a 115-run partnership after a top-order collapse as Australia struggled to 179-8 at stumps with a 230-run lead.India paceman Umesh Yadav (4-49) had taken three quick wickets in the afternoon session to leave Australia reeling at 27-4 before the experienced pair came together to halt the slide.Australia's batting struggle mirrored that of India in the morning session as recalled Australia paceman Ben Hilfenhaus (5-75) completed his first test five-wicket to help dismiss the tourists for 282. India lost their last eight wickets for 68 runs.Hussey will resume the fourth day on 79 with James Pattinson on 3."Tomorrow morning's going to be really crucial for us now," Ponting said. "We know James Pattinson's got some really solid promise with the bat. He's going to have to show that for us tomorrow morning and we need Mike Hussey to go on and get a big score and continue to keep pushing the game forward."We're 230 ahead now, which is a reasonable total for India to have to chase, but ideally we'd like to make a few more than that."The 36-year-old Hussey smashed seven boundaries in a defiant, career-saving knock. He and 37-year-old Ponting have been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent weeks with calls for their retirement.
Easy does it: Australia's Ricky Ponting hits a four on the third day of the first test match against India. APRicky Ponting and Mike Hussey defied age and their critics to score half centuries in a 115-run partnership after a top-order collapse as Australia struggled to 179-8 at stumps with a 230-run lead.India paceman Umesh Yadav (4-49) had taken three quick wickets in the afternoon session to leave Australia reeling at 27-4 before the experienced pair came together to halt the slide.Australia's batting struggle mirrored that of India in the morning session as recalled Australia paceman Ben Hilfenhaus (5-75) completed his first test five-wicket to help dismiss the tourists for 282. India lost their last eight wickets for 68 runs.Hussey will resume the fourth day on 79 with James Pattinson on 3."Tomorrow morning's going to be really crucial for us now," Ponting said. "We know James Pattinson's got some really solid promise with the bat. He's going to have to show that for us tomorrow morning and we need Mike Hussey to go on and get a big score and continue to keep pushing the game forward."We're 230 ahead now, which is a reasonable total for India to have to chase, but ideally we'd like to make a few more than that."The 36-year-old Hussey smashed seven boundaries in a defiant, career-saving knock. He and 37-year-old Ponting have been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent weeks with calls for their retirement.Sapporo Yamanote captures another title
Sapporo Yamanote head coach Masamitsu Kamishima said he had an open ticket for a flight back to Hokkaido, so his team could go back to the northern island at anytime.
Twice as nice: Sapporo Yamanote standout Moeko Nagaoka takes a shot during the final of the Winter Cup on Wednesday in Tokyo. KYODOWell, he ended up keeping it in his pocket until the last day they would possibly stay in Tokyo.Center and Japan national team player Moeko Nagaoka had game highs of 39 points and 17 boards as Sapporo Yamanote completed their run to back-to-back titles with an 80-73 victory over Yamagata Commercial in the girls final of the 42nd All-Japan High School Tournament at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Wednesday."I didn't even dream of coming here," Kamishima said of the run by Sapporo Yamanote, which had lost a few core players from last year's championship team. "We lacked guards who could carry the ball (into the front court), and I didn't doubt for a second that we would struggle. And indeed, we were forced to play tough games from our first game."I still don't know how we got here. But our players have played so patiently. I'll give the credit to them."Yamagata Commercial, which made its first appearance in the Winter Cup final, was aggressive defensively and held the momentum for most of the first half. Yamagata led by as many as 13 at one point.But Sapporo Yamanote eventuallty warmed up and regained its original form, successfully going ahead behind ace Nagaoka in the second half."We didn't do what we were supposed to do early in the game and gave up the lead to the opponent," said Nagaoka, who scored 26 points in the latter half. "But we kept our patience throughout the game."Nagaoka, a 180-cm senior, added that this year's championship had a different feel compared to last year's."We were certainly happy about last year's victory," said Nagaoka, who is scheduled to join WJBL's Fujitsu Red Wave after her graduation next spring. "But it's special we were able to win another with this team."Kyoka Shinbori helped Sapporo Yamanote take the lead early in the second half. The guard sank three of the four 3s she made in the second half and finished with 16 points.For Yamagata Commercial, Mikoto Onuma scored 28 points and Rin Kato followed with 22 points.Nagaoka scored at least 30 points in each game of the tournament. She tied the all-time single-game record of 51 points against Tokyo Seitoku in the quarterfinals.Kamishima, however, kept his strict attitude toward Nagaoka, which is evidence of his high expectations for her going forward."Nagaoka has an outstanding ability to score for a high school player," Kamishima said. "She's an all-around player that can shoot 3-pointers, penetrate in the lane and play in the low post."I thought that she'd become a great player in the future if she became more of a complete player, and I've molded her that way since she enrolled in high school."Kamishima said that Nagaoka lacks physical strength and though she's played her final game in high school, he would keep training her until her graduation.In the third-place match, Aichi Prefecture's Oka Gakuen beat Gifu Girl's 81-93.Sapporo Yamanote's Nagaoka and Rena Sato, Yamagata Commercial's Onuma, Rie Nohara of Gifu Girl's, and Naho Miyoshi of Oka Gakuen were selected for the all-tournament team.In the boys semifinals, meanwhile, three players had more than 20 points as Miyazaki Prefecture's Nobeoka Gakuen crushed Fukuoka Ohori 102-53, and Kagawa Prefecture's Jinsei Gakuen came back from an 18-point deficit to defeat Numazu Chuo 63-58.
Twice as nice: Sapporo Yamanote standout Moeko Nagaoka takes a shot during the final of the Winter Cup on Wednesday in Tokyo. KYODOWell, he ended up keeping it in his pocket until the last day they would possibly stay in Tokyo.Center and Japan national team player Moeko Nagaoka had game highs of 39 points and 17 boards as Sapporo Yamanote completed their run to back-to-back titles with an 80-73 victory over Yamagata Commercial in the girls final of the 42nd All-Japan High School Tournament at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Wednesday."I didn't even dream of coming here," Kamishima said of the run by Sapporo Yamanote, which had lost a few core players from last year's championship team. "We lacked guards who could carry the ball (into the front court), and I didn't doubt for a second that we would struggle. And indeed, we were forced to play tough games from our first game."I still don't know how we got here. But our players have played so patiently. I'll give the credit to them."Yamagata Commercial, which made its first appearance in the Winter Cup final, was aggressive defensively and held the momentum for most of the first half. Yamagata led by as many as 13 at one point.But Sapporo Yamanote eventuallty warmed up and regained its original form, successfully going ahead behind ace Nagaoka in the second half."We didn't do what we were supposed to do early in the game and gave up the lead to the opponent," said Nagaoka, who scored 26 points in the latter half. "But we kept our patience throughout the game."Nagaoka, a 180-cm senior, added that this year's championship had a different feel compared to last year's."We were certainly happy about last year's victory," said Nagaoka, who is scheduled to join WJBL's Fujitsu Red Wave after her graduation next spring. "But it's special we were able to win another with this team."Kyoka Shinbori helped Sapporo Yamanote take the lead early in the second half. The guard sank three of the four 3s she made in the second half and finished with 16 points.For Yamagata Commercial, Mikoto Onuma scored 28 points and Rin Kato followed with 22 points.Nagaoka scored at least 30 points in each game of the tournament. She tied the all-time single-game record of 51 points against Tokyo Seitoku in the quarterfinals.Kamishima, however, kept his strict attitude toward Nagaoka, which is evidence of his high expectations for her going forward."Nagaoka has an outstanding ability to score for a high school player," Kamishima said. "She's an all-around player that can shoot 3-pointers, penetrate in the lane and play in the low post."I thought that she'd become a great player in the future if she became more of a complete player, and I've molded her that way since she enrolled in high school."Kamishima said that Nagaoka lacks physical strength and though she's played her final game in high school, he would keep training her until her graduation.In the third-place match, Aichi Prefecture's Oka Gakuen beat Gifu Girl's 81-93.Sapporo Yamanote's Nagaoka and Rena Sato, Yamagata Commercial's Onuma, Rie Nohara of Gifu Girl's, and Naho Miyoshi of Oka Gakuen were selected for the all-tournament team.In the boys semifinals, meanwhile, three players had more than 20 points as Miyazaki Prefecture's Nobeoka Gakuen crushed Fukuoka Ohori 102-53, and Kagawa Prefecture's Jinsei Gakuen came back from an 18-point deficit to defeat Numazu Chuo 63-58.Red Wings too much for Blues in come-from-behind victory
DETROIT — When the Detroit Red Wings raised their game in the third period, the St. Louis Blues couldn't match it.Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall scored 56 seconds apart in the final frame to give the Red Wings a 3-2 comeback win over the Blues on Tuesday night."We showed good determination in the third period," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "We were down 2-0 to a good team that doesn't give up a lot of shots, a lot of opportunity. We worked our way back, had good goaltending."Datsyuk added an assist, and Nicklas Lidstrom also scored for the Red Wings, who won their 11th consecutive home game. Ian White had two assists, and Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots."We threw everything we had at them," Kronwall said. "We were fortunate to get a couple of those through at the end."Detroit lost the first two meetings with the Blues this season in St. Louis.Matt D'Agostini and Alexander Steen scored for the Blues, and Jason Arnott and Kevin Shattenkirk both had two assists. Brian Elliott made 29 saves."They dialed it up in the third and forced us into making mistakes," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said.Datsyuk tied the game at 2 with 8:41 left, deflecting White's shot out of the air off the rush for his 12th goal."A shot pass," Datsyuk said. "I just tried to put my stick on it."Kronwall netted his eighth with a wrist shot from the left point with 7:45 remaining."Fil (Valtteri Filppula) made a great play, making their forwards come down on him so I could get some more room," Kronwall said. "Huds (Jiri Hudler) is doing a great job in front of the net and their goalie didn't see anything whatsoever, that's why the puck went in."Kronwall was impressed by the way the Red Wings took the game to the Blues and gave the home fans something to celebrate."Tonight really was a sweet one. Just the fact that we came back, we knew we had a lot of momentum with the crowd in here," he said. "We did a good job in the third coming after them wave after wave. At the same time they sat back a little bit. We really took advantage of that."Lightning 5, Flyers 1In Tampa, Steven Stamkos had two goals, Mathieu Garon made 31 saves, and the Lightning beat Philadelphia.The Lightning went ahead 2-1 on Stamkos' rebound backhand at 7:25 of the second.After Steve Downie scored at 11:41, Stamkos tied for the NHL lead with his 22nd goal, making it 4-1 with 1:15 remaining in the second.Penguins 4, Hurricanes 2In Pittsburgh, James Neal had a goal and an assist, and the Penguins fired a barrage of shots at Carolina goalie Justin Peters before finally breaking him in a victory over the Hurricanes that stretched Pittsburgh's winning streak to four games.Flames 2, Blue Jackets 1 (SO)In Columbus, Jarome Iginla netted Calgary's only goal in regulation and then had the only score in the shootout to extend the Blue Jackets' losing streak to six games.Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 3In Sunrise, Florida, Kris Versteeg and Jason Garrison scored power-play goals to help the Panthers beat Toronto.Erik Gundbranson, Bill Thomas, and Tomas Fleischmann also scored for Florida, and Brian Campbell had three assists.Canadiens 6, Senators 2In Ottawa, Michael Cammalleri, Tomas Plekanec, Louis Leblanc, P.K. Subban and Erik Cole each had a goal and an assist, and Montreal ended a five-game losing streak with a win over the Senators.Jets 4, Avalanche 1In Denver, Evander Kane scored two goals, Ondrej Pavelec made 32 saves, and Winnipeg handed Colorado its first home loss in a month.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Western Conference up for grabs in compact 66-game season
LOS ANGELES — Before we see what's cookin' in the Spaghetti Western Conference (eight projected playoff teams, in no particular order), it has come to my attention Kim Jong Un isn't quite the NBA freak as publicized. On the other hand, a North Korean source (David Petraeus wishes he had my contacts) reveals he was a big fan of the lockout.Lakers: "We almost have to be perfect this season," Kobe Bryant said Wednesday night at dinner. "There's little margin for error." His damaged right wrist that supposedly can't get worse with game use/abuse the team medical staff maintains (famous last words), cut that margin. This could get unsightly and unfriendly real fast.Lamar Odom was donated to the defending champs without receiving so much as a squeaky working part in exchange. There's a conspicuous nonexistence of a bouncy, brainy orchestrator, like, say Chris Paul or Chauncey Billups, to stage-manage Mike Brown's revamped offense (as opposed to clear-it-out-and-let-LeBron-go-one-on-one) and stay in front of dribbling machines.Andrew Bynum is suspended for the first four games and operates on 25-year-old, four-time surgically repaired knees. Pau Gasol is in a flamin' funk in the wake of nearly being extradited to Houston after contributing decidedly to two titles and three Finals forays in four seasons. And World Peace is finding it Mettaphysically impossible even to shoot as well as Ron Artest did.It sure looks like management is more interested in decreasing luxury tax debt — saving $17.8 million this season in Odom's case — than winning it all this season, Kobe lamented."Hopefully, management knows what it's doing and will provide us with our missing pieces. Hey, I'm just a player. I have no input concerning anything that happens here. In fact, I learned we'd hired our coach from reading it online. . ."I've never known what's going on. That's why I went public (May 2007) and demanded a trade. When it became obvious to me that management wasn't trying to compete for a championship I felt my only recourse was to embarrass (owner Jerry Buss) into doing it;" hence the hijacking of Gasol from Memphis.So, how do you think your team is going to do? I asked."No, we're going to be perfect," Bryant said. "I have a good feeling about how things are going to turn out."Clippers: Life has become practically mediocre since I've begun shamelessly selling Personal Seat Licenses on my Paper Clip bandwagon. What's not to swoon over? Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Billups, Caron Butler and a troupe of well-trained supporting actors. Sources say Vinny Del Negro had better get off to a good start; Donald Sterling is poised to bring back Mike Dunleavy . . . and actually pay him this time."I'm not concerned about them," Bryant said. "They're tiny."Mavericks: Most disrespected team coming off a championship ever. Making perfunctory effort (one-year offers) to re-sign Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson and (non-contributor-due-to-injury) Butler has a lot to do with it. Owner Mark Cuban recovered splendidly by shoplifting Odom and enlisting Vince Carter and Delonte West. But it's hard to imagine Dirk Nowitzki coming out of this more than a one-Heat wonder with purely a downcast of scorers.Thunder: Everyone's chic selection to lift Larry O'Brien's hardware. Have made requisite steps deeper into postseason. Being younger, deeper, together longer and more athletic than just about any other outpost is not a detriment in Uncle David's Mad Dash.Popular opinion advocates Celtics made unspeakable deal giving up Kendrick Perkins. An insider claims a hard-core center isn't all that popular with the coaching staff. Toughness and a block or two doesn't compensate for inferior rebounding and inability to finish a layup.Russell Westbrook needs to become more of a point, learn to balance the floor and not force his shot. It also wouldn't be a bad idea if he learned how to play off the ball when James Harden is dockside. A freak athlete, Westbrook would be a force in the occupied area. If Serge Ibaka keeps improving, OKC will be tough to beat four times in a seven-game series.Spurs: I'm guessing matching last season's 61 wins is a crack-pipe dream — even with those AARP discounts. How do they replace George Hill and Antonio McDyess?Aging star Tim Duncan spent the off-season in San Antonio working out twice a day. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili represented France and Argentina and led their national teams to qualifying berths in the 2012 Olympics.Grizzlies: Rudy Gay may be the team's superior sharpshooter, but they established a nasty defensive attitude after he got hurt, in large part traced to Shane Battier, Darrell Arthur, Sam Young and Tony Allen. Duplicating those 46 wins and advancing to the second round is not an encore I envision.The Heat-seeking Battier is gone. Arthur's ruptured right Achilles deactivated him for the season. And a Memphis source divulges the self-absorbed Allen has become unbearable to coach and be around.Nuggets: As we get further removed from the Carmelo Caper and George Karl's health issues, they become a tougher out. Nene and Aaron Afflalo re-upped. Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson are next in line to get overpaid. And then there's the matter of the Chinese takeout once free agents Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler return to the United States.Timberwolves: Positioned to take a giant step for (David) ManKahn. The GM added Derrick Williams, Barea, Ricky Rubio, Brad Miller and coach Rick Adelman."Rubio is going to benefit playing and learning from Luke Ridnour. Just ask Brandon Jennings how that worked," column contributor Ricky St. Jean accentuates.Peter Vecsey covers the NBA for the New York Post.
Kauto Star wins King George VI, sets record
KEMPTON, England — Kauto Star won the King George VI Chase for an unprecedented fifth time on Monday, dethroning the younger defending champion Long Run on Monday.Ruby Walsh's mount beat the 11-8 favorite Long Run by a length and a quarter at Kempton Park to surpass Desert Orchid's record of four victories."This is a fairytale," Walsh said. "He's beaten a 6-year-old and he's 12 next week. To keep a horse going as long as that is amazing. You can say what you want about the best steeplechasers of all time, but he's outlasted them all."Last season Kauto Star had been left trailing 19 lengths in third behind Long Run, which then went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup to leave his older rival's career on the line.But Kauto Star firmly re-established himself as Britain's leading steeplechaser over 3 miles (4.8 km) on Monday with a 16th Grade One victory and 23rd overall from 40 starts."He's just awesome," trainer Paul Nicholls said. "I don't know why he wasn't quite right last year . . . he's just the best. If he gets to Cheltenham in that form, he'll be the one to beat (in the Gold Cup)."Sent out at 3-1, the French-bred gelding was in front with a circuit to go and as the pace quickened heading down the back straight, produced some sensational leaps.Long Run stayed on tenaciously in the home straight, but with Sam Waley-Cohen on board failed to match Kauto Star's impressive speed and jumping."This was the biggest day of my racing life — 24 years or so," owner Clive Smith said. "It's unbelievable and I'm so proud. He's such a magnificent animal. He's got such a heart. He wants to go on. He's a lion."Walsh had to settle for second earlier in the day as Binocular, with Tony McCoy on board, defended his Christmas Hurdle title, beating Rock On Ruby by a neck.
Brees sets new mark
NEW ORLEANS — Quite a night for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints — a record and a rout.Brees set the NFL record for yards passing in a season, breaking a mark that Dan Marino had held for nearly three decades, and New Orleans clinched the NFC South title with a 45-16 victory over the Falcons.Brees threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, the last a 9-yard strike to Darren Sproles that set the record with 2:51 to go."Honestly, I was really trying not to think about the record or anything," Brees said. "I knew we were close. A couple guys mentioned stuff to me on the sideline. I didn't want to hear it. It's like a pitcher with a no-hitter, I guess."It was Brees' final pass of the game and it gave him 5,087 yards passing — with one game still to play. Marino finished with 5,084 yards for the Miami Dolphins in 1984.Minutes after Brees broke the record, Marino offered congratulations on his Twitter account."Great job by such a special player," Marino wrote.As Sproles spiked the ball, Brees thrust his fist triumphantly in the air and started walking toward midfield while the Superdome crowd went wild and his teammates chased him down. Offensive lineman Carl Nicks was the first one to get there and tried to lift Brees onto his shoulder, but couldn't do it as teammates swarmed around."If I could have put him on my shoulders and paraded him around the whole stadium I would have done that. He deserves it," Nicks said. "It's like a movie, man. Just a movie ending. It's beautiful. . . . You could tell by everyone's reaction after he did it how much people care about that guy. We all love him."Brees' four touchdown passes gave him 276 for his career, moving him ahead of Joe Montana (273) and Vinny Testaverde (275) for ninth all-time. He is the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 5,000 yards twice — he had 5,069 in 2008.Brees' first scoring pass went for 8 yards to Marques Colston and the second for 9 yards to Jimmy Graham. Graham's TD catch was his 10th of the season, a new franchise high for a tight end. In the third quarter, Brees hit Robert Meachem for a score from 24 yards, which made it 28-10."I love the fact that everybody could be part of this on Monday Night Football," Brees said. "There's so many people that are a part of this. It's not about me. It's about this team, it's about this city, it's about these fans. So many people contributed to this, and I'm happy for them."The Saints also had 463 total yards, giving them more than 6,857 offensive yards for the season, breaking the 2008 club record of 6,571. New Orleans continues to close in on the NFL record of 7,075 offensive yards in a season set by the 2000 St. Louis Rams.Brees might have broken the record in the third quarter if not for Sproles' 92-yard kickoff return, which set up John Kasay's 29-yard field goal. Brees also was intercepted twice, once in the Falcons end zone, but the Saints were still dominant enough to take a three-score lead.
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