Archive for April, 2008

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Wizards shock Cavaliers

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Wizards shock Cavaliers

From correspondents in Cleveland, Ohio
 May 01, 2008

WASHINGTON have defeated Cleveland 88-87 to stay alive in the NBA play-offs, Caron Butler netting the match-winning basket with 3.2 seconds to play.

The Wizards fended off elimination with the nail-biting victory, narrowing the gap in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series to 3-2.

Butler scored 28 points for the Wizards, who played without superstar guard Gilbert Arenas.

Arenas will miss the remainder of the play-offs to rest his surgically repaired left knee.

The Cavaliers, who led by five points with less than two minutes to play, couldn’t close out the game to clinch the series.

Cavs star LeBron James collected 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but the team shot just 36 percent from the field.

Agence France-Presse

Source: foxsports.com.au

Posted in Basketball | No Comments »

Alleged ref attack earns year ban

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Alleged ref attack earns year ban


May 01, 2008

SOCCER’S embarrassment at the decision to allow banned goalkeeper Danny Vukovic to play in the Olympics has deepened after it was revealed a local footballer who allegedly threatened to punch a referee has been banned for a year and faces criminal charges.

On the day Football Australia pledged a review of the game’s disciplinary processes, striker Shane Eastham, also from the Central Coast, was banned for 12 months and put on a five-year good-behaviour bond by the Central Coast Football for allegedly grabbing an 18-year-old referee by the shirt and raising his fist.

He has also been charged with common assault and will appear in court next month.

Vukovic, who grabbed the arm of the referee in the A-League grand final, had his penalty reduced to five months, split around the Olympics by an independent appeal panel.

The decision has sparked dismay among many in the game, including at senior FFA levels.

And Football Federation chief executive Ben Buckley revealed that every letter of the laws would be reviewed, with the possibility that a split sentence such as Vukovic’s could be explicitly banned.

Kanwal striker Eastham was charged over his alleged reaction when Klein sent him off in a game against Wyoming in the Central Coast Premier League’s reserve grade on 6 April.

Eastham was restrained by teammates but, under the competition rules, Klein abandoned the game.

Yet even as Buckley was outlining the changes he hopes to see as a result of the laws review, Central Coast Football was refusing to make public the outcome of its hearing, insisting its rules prevented any public statement.

Buckley said the eight-week review would test the FFA’s regulations against those of FIFA and the AFC, and would look at alternative models across the world.

It will include examination of whether FIFA’s rules could permit action to be taken in serious cases even when a yellow card has been shown at the time - the technicality that allowed Joel Griffiths to ecape punishment after he manhandled a linesman.

Buckley said that while resources would be invested in improving refereeing standards, clubs had to show "leadership" in understanding there is a line that cannot be crossed.

"I think there’s an education process that we need to go through with players, coaches and administrators about the impact that overt dissent has on the attraction of referees into the game," he said.

Pressed on his personal view of the Vukovic sanction, Buckley said: "The disciplinary committee is an independent body and we have to respect their decision within our regulations. But if those regulations need to change from time to time, then that will be the outcome of the review.

"One of the things we have to look at is whether penalties can be served in an interrupted fashion."

 

Source: foxsports.com.au

Posted in Soccer | No Comments »

Harrison baffled by Khan axe

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Harrison baffled by Khan axe
by Ciaran Baynes, 30 April 2008

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Amir Khan’s recently ousted trainer Oliver Harrison has spoken about his disappointment at being sacked by the Olympic Silver medallist.

Harrison has guided the Bolton fighter since shortly after his run to the final in Athens, including his rematch victory over three-time gold medallist Mario Kindelan prior to him turning professional.

Since then Khan has beaten 21 opponents, without being in any real danger - despite his flash knockdown against Willie Limond - and after his victory against Martin Kristjansen, is the mandatory challenger for Nate Campbell’s WBO lightweight title.

Harrison is baffled that in this stage of Khan’s career they would change his trainer.

“We were just around the corner from a world title, which we would have won,” Harrison told the Bolton Evening News.

“I thought we got on so well on a personal basis as well as professional, but I haven’t heard anything from Amir since the Bolton fight. I have just read what has happened in the papers.

“It just doesn’t add up. I don’t understand why he has gone to an American trainer.

“I trained him for all 17 of his fights, which he won with 13 knockdowns. He improved with every fight.”

Khan is expected to announce Buddy McGirt as his new trainer at a press conference on Thursday.

Source: sports.setanta.com

Posted in Boxing | No Comments »

Flyers dump Halak, Canadiens in Game 4

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Flyers dump Halak, Canadiens in Game 4

Daniel Briere scored the decisive goal with 3:38 remaining as the Philadelphia Flyers dumped the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal on Wednesday night.

R.J. Umberger scored twice, Scott Hartnell had the other goal, and Martin Biron made 36 saves as the sixth-seeded Flyers took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, putting them within one win of going to the conference final for the first time in four years.

Tomas Plekanec and Saku Koivu scored 37 seconds apart and Jaroslav Halak faced 26 shots in a rare start with the top-ranked Canadiens, who will host Game 5 on Saturday (CBC, 7 p.m. ET).

More to come
Source: www.cbc.ca

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Brabham berth for Le Mans

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Brabham berth for Le Mans

By Stuart Innes
 May 01, 2008

DAVID Brabham, the leading Australian driver on the international scene, has been selected for the Aston Martin Racing team to contest next month’s Le Mans 24-hour race.

Brabham was one of the drivers in the Aston Martin that won the GT1 category at Le Mans last year in the traditional British racing dark green colour.

But for 2008, Aston Martin changes to the blue and orange livery, also an iconic one at Le Mans over the decades, due to Gulf Oil sponsorship.

Aston Martin Racing will run two DBR9 Coupes in the 24-hour race in France, on June 14-15.

Car 007 - spy James Bond drives an Aston in his film exploits - will be driven by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, of Germany, Andrea Piccini, of Italy, and Austria’s Karl Wendlinger.

The 009 car will be raced by Brabham, Antonio Garcia, from Spain, and Britain’s Darren Turner. Turner and Brabham were in the GT1 winning car last year, also with the 009 number.

Brabham, Frentzen and Wendlinger bring experience to the team - all raced Formula One at the Adelaide Grand Prix street races.

However, Brabham is the senior member. At age 42, this will be his 15th Le Mans 24-hour event. He has finished first, third and fourth in the past three years in GT1 and second outright for Bentley in 2003.

"It’s going to be an even bigger challenge now as I’m sure the competition will have moved on," he said.

"I feel we’re well-prepared. But anything can happen at Le Mans, which is precisely what makes it such a fascinating place."

 

Source: foxsports.com.au

Posted in Motor Sports | No Comments »

Vukovic saga sparks law review

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Vukovic saga sparks law review

By Peter Kogoy
 May 01, 2008

THE A-League’s disciplinary regulations will be reviewed before the start of next season in the wake of the Danny Vukovic saga.

Vukovic, the Olyroos and Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper successfully appealed against the severity of his suspension after being found guilty of striking referee Mark Shield in last season’s grand final.

The young keeper was initially banned for 15 months, six months of which was suspended, but had a window in the ban opened on his second appeal which would allow him to take part at the Beijing Games, if selected.

Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley said the review would ensure the code’s disciplinary provisions were consistent with the sport internationally and also with what he termed "community expectations".

The review will include analysis from the Asian Football Confederation, AFL, NRL, referees and past and present players.

Buckley also unveiled a blueprint for the establishment of a national women’s league, and a national "Joeys" under-14 team.

On the subject of expansion Buckley said: "In no particular order of priority, the FFA has ear-marked western Sydney and a second club in Melbourne, as well as clubs on the Gold Coast and Townsville."

Meanwhile, Adelaide United’s Asian Champions League campaign has been dealt a blow with Brazilian left-back Cassio sustaining a knee injury that could rule him out for the rest of the group stage.

The Reds lead group E, with two matches left in the stage, against South Korea’s Pohang Steelers and China’s Changchun Yatai this month.

 

Source: foxsports.com.au

Posted in Soccer | No Comments »

Roque and Sparky target Ram raid

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Roque and Sparky target Ram raid
by Joseph Caron Dawe, 01 May 2008

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Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz has warned his team-mates not to take Derby lightly ahead of the visit of The Rams, as Rovers continue their quest for European football.

The already-relegated Derby make the trip to Ewood Park on Saturday and Santa Cruz knows it would be foolish to consider it three points in the bag already.

“It will still be a very hard game for us, especially because everybody is expecting us to win,” he told the club’s official website.

“We need to go out with the right mentality and just try to win the game, not thinking that we need to look good.

“We need to play our physical game and play the way we’ve been in the last few games, passing well and creating chances.

“But it is a game we have to win, whatever it takes.”

Rovers boss Mark Hughes subscribes to that mentality too as he insists upon a battle to the bitter end for a European spot.

“We’ve got to keep going. Derby at home, Birmingham away - two difficult games, but two games we can win,” he said.

“So we’ll take our chances and if we can get to 60 points we’ll have had a remarkable season.

“If we miss out on Europe then we miss out, but it won’t be for the want of trying.”

Source: sports.setanta.com

Posted in Euro Football | No Comments »

Erlandsson takes control in Seville

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Erlandsson takes control in Seville
by Gareth Maher, 01 May 2008

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Sweden’s Martin Erlandsson is in command at the Spanish Open in Seville after jumping into the lead on Thursday.

After registering a couple of good early shots, he started to climb up the leaderboard before heading into the clubhouse with an impressive round of 65.

England’s Gary Clark, who has enjoyed moderate success so far in his career, hit four birdies in a row to confirm his place in the chasing pack along with Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, Denmark’s Soren Hansen, and Spain’s Carlos Rodiles, who are on four under.

Alfredo Garcia-Heredia led for the majoirty of the round and the Spanaird eventually finished up on three under after he slipped off his perch on the final three holes of the round.

Colin Montgomerie struggled to get going on his return to action following a five week absence and the back-to-back bogeys did not help him settle down.

The Scot looked uncomfortable as he hit one ball into the sand and was too forceful with a chip when he needed to just take it easy, but did recover to finish on a respectable two under.

One of the most notable things from the early exchanges was that not many players actually made a significant move due to a lot of big names, including Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Jose Manuel Lara, and Johan Edfors, all teeing off late.

Source: sports.setanta.com

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Bates prepared for Leeds decision

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Bates prepared for Leeds decision
by Joseph Caron Dawe, 01 May 2008

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Leeds chairman Ken Bates has told Setanta Sports News that he feels the Yorkshire club have had a fair hearing in the independent tribunal to decide if the 15 points docked from them at the start of the season will be reinstated.

The League One side are awaiting the results of the independent hearing which are due at 5pm on Thursday, and there has been talk that the other teams in the division will apply for an injunction if the club’s points are restored.

However, Bates dismissed such speculation and called the rest of the teams in the league ‘prejudiced’ after they failed to object to the docking in the first place.

“It’s hot air,” bates told Setanta Sports News when asked about the reported plans for an injunction should Leeds be successful.

“Of course they are [bound to be upset].  But on the other hand they’re only upset if we get our points back because of the dirty tricks they played in the first place. 

“They’re all prejudiced.  They all had a vested interest in us losing those 15 points, how can that be justice?”

Bates also said he placed the blame at the door of The FA and the Football League for the length of time it has taken to deal with the matter.

“Yes, and the Football Association because we wanted an independent review and The FA took four months to say no,” he said.  “The Football League said ‘let’s have an independent tribunal’, and they could have said that in September. 

“If you go to The Premier League, if there’s a dispute between them and a club they immediately put it [to an] independent [tribunal], and an example of that is West Ham. 

“We are proposing rule changes so no other club has to go through this again.”

And when asked if he felt the hearing had been fair, Bates was short and sweet with answer.

“Oh yes,” he replied.  “Their questions to both sides were very piercing and to the point.”

Source: sports.setanta.com

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Mariners cut outfielder Wilkerson

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Mariners cut outfielder Wilkerson

Seattle recalls Balentien, catching prospect Clement from triple-A

Right-fielder Brad Wilkerson and pinch-hitter Greg Norton were cut Wednesday by the Seattle Mariners.

They promoted catching prospect Jeff Clement and power-hitting outfielder Wladimir Balentien from triple-A Tacoma to replace them.

Wilkerson signed a one-year contract worth $4 million US before spring training.

In 19 games, he was batting .232, with five runs batted in.

The team has 10 days to trade Wilkerson and Norton, release them or assign them outright to the minor leagues.
Source: www.cbc.ca

Posted in Baseball | No Comments »

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