|
Phoenix Open offers free tickets for military
Members of the military and first responders and a guest can get in free at the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
feeds.bizjournals.com 2010-02-09
Scots rely on a wing and a prayer for Euan Murray's Six Nations return | Eddie Butler
France's demolition job of Andy Robinson's side at Murrayfield will live longer in the memory than Trip-gateWith their Sunday fixture behind them, Scotland can offer a little prayer of thanks that Euan Murray, having said his big ones, is back at tighthead prop against Wales. If they continue to be shoved around as they were by the French then this is going to be one long, horrid Six Nations for them.France looked very organised in their demolition of the Scottish scrum, with all their members of the front row – Nicolas Mas, Luc Ducalcon and Thomas Domingo the three props used, and William Servat and Dimitri Szarzewski the two hookers – doing their bit. And they say that Fabien Barcella, when fit, is the best scrummager of the lot.There was nothing wrong with the French lineout either. In fact, they did pretty well at the breakdown as well. France don't always launch themselves as the most organised of teams in the Six Nations, but with everybody else taking their time to re-acquaint themselves with the intensity of the action, they have stolen a march.For all that, no team made more clean breaks than Scotland. Nobody made more yards than two individuals, John Beattie and Sean Lamont. It's rare to see a team going backwards so fast at the set piece and forwards with such a rush through the No8 and a wing. There was nothing complicated about their progress – they just ran, swerved and handed off tacklers.To see so much individual skill unrewarded is going to be as frustrating for the Scots as being so minced at the scrum. Murray should sort out the scrum, but until Scotland can flood the ball-carrier with supporters they are going to be low scorers. And their defence will not always be able to keep their opponents (such as Australia) in single figures.This is an excerpt from The Breakdown, guardian.co.uk's twice-weekly free email on the Six Nations. Sign up now!Six Nations rugbyScotland rugby union teamFrance rugby union teamRugby unionEddie Butlerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Tom Boonen sprints to victory in stage three of Tour of Qatar
• Quick Step rider keeps up his blistering form in race• Team Sky riders lay low and avoid further injuriesBelgium's Tom Boonen prevailed in a sprint finish to win stage three of the Tour of Qatar as the riders of Britain's Team Sky came home safely in the pack following a difficult stage yesterday.The Quick Step rider, who has won the event three times in the last four years, held off the challenge of Heinrich Haussler and Baden Cooke to take the 136.5km stage from Dukhan to Mesaieed. Wouter Mol retained his overall lead of nine seconds over Geert Steurs as the peloton finished together.But the finish was marred by a pile-up 200 metres from the line, with Germany's Gerald Ciolek suffering a broken collarbone in the incident.Team Sky's senior sports director, Scott Sunderland, was relieved to see his riders avoid injury having lost the Norwegian Kurt-Asle Arvesen to a broken collarbone yesterday.Sunderland said: "It was a super-fast last few kilometres and then in the closing stages five or six riders came down. We'd had a team meeting beforehand and said we're here to do well but don't want to be taking any unnecessary risks at this stage of the season, if it's not merited."It was a tough day yesterday but a little bit better today, even though we had another four punctures on account of some rough road surfaces."The main thing now is for the riders to get to know each other out on the road, and get used to communicating and working with each other on the bike in different race situations."Team SkyCyclingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
England's Steve Borthwick misses training with illness
• England captain expected to be well for Italy on Sunday• Riki Flutey and Shontayne Hape back in contentionThe England rugby union captain, Steve Borthwick, missed training today due to illness but is not expected to be in doubt for Sunday's Six Nations match with Italy in Rome.England's New Zealand-born centres, Riki Flutey and Shontayne Hape, are both in contention for selection after missing England's 30-17 victory over Wales at the weekend.Flutey pulled out of the side that played at Twickenham at the weekend with a dead leg suffered in training while Hape was withdrawn on the morning of the match after contracting a bug.The England manager, Martin Johnson, will announce his team to face Italy at midday tomorrow.Steve BorthwickEngland rugby union teamSix Nations rugbyRugby unionguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Ronan O'Gara keeps Ireland place and No6 left open for Stephen Ferris
• Blindside flanker vacant in hope Ferris will be fit for France• Leo Cullen stays in second row for trip to ParisRonan O'Gara will continue as Ireland's fly-half for the crucial Six Nations match with France and could be joined in the side by Stephen Ferris.O'Gara starts with Jonathan Sexton, his younger rival for the No10 jersey, included among the substitutes after recovering from the dead leg that ruled him out against Italy.With Saturday's game in Paris likely to have a major impact on the eventual winners of the Six Nations, the Ireland head coach, Declan Kidney, is hoping to fast-track Ferris back into the team.The powerful Ulster forward will be given a fitness test later this week on the knee injury that prevented him from participating in the 29-11 victory over Italy.The blindside flanker position has been left vacant with last weekend's debutant Kevin McLaughlin on standby to deputise once more should Ferris fail to pull through.Ireland's injury problems continue with the ongoing absence of Donncha O'Callaghan, who was ruled out this afternoon as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee problem.Leo Cullen, who proved to be a worthy deputy for O'Callaghan last Saturday, continues alongside Paul O'Connell.Munster's Keith Earls starts on the left wing with Andrew Trimble troubled by a hamstring strain, though the Ulsterman features among a nine-strong list of replacements that will be finalised later in the week.There are three survivors – O'Gara, John Hayes and Brian O'Driscoll – from Ireland's last successful visit to Paris, a 27-25 victory in 2000.Hayes will move on to 99 caps at the Stade de France and is set to become the first player to reach a century of Test appearances for Ireland when they meet England two weeks later.Ireland team to play France in RBS 6 Nations championship at Stade de France on Saturday, 13 February (4:30pm):Ireland R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); R O'Gara (Munster), T O'Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster); L Cullen (Leinster), P O'Connell (Munster), AN Other, D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).Replacements from R Best (Ulster), T Court (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), K McLaughlin (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), P Wallace (Ulster), A Trimble (Ulster).Ireland rugby union teamSix Nations rugbyRugby unionguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
St Helens hit by double injury blow
• Gardner ruled out for six weeks with rib damage• Ankle injury means Soliola may be missing for a monthSt Helens' hopes of ending a barren attacking run against Bradford on Sunday have been hit by the loss of two key players through injury. Mick Potter's side have not scored more than 15 points in their last 10 matches, dating back to last season, and they must now face the Bulls without their first choice three-quarters, Ade Gardner and Sia Soliola.The pair were both helped from the field during the first half of Saturday night's 32–12 loss to Hull FC. The England wing Gardner has been ruled out for at least six weeks with multiple rib cartilage damage, while the New Zealand centre Soliola, who was making his debut, has damaged an ankle and may be missing for up to a month.Potter was forced to field the hooker James Roby as cover on the wing for much of the Hull defeat, but will at least be boosted by the return of Francis Meli against the Bulls, after he briefly returned to New Zealand on compassionate leave. Soliola's place is expected to be taken by the young centre Chris Dean, who will return from Widnes Vikings, where he played last week under the new dual registration rules.There was also positive news for Potter on the prop James Graham, whose sternum injury will not keep him out against the Bulls. But the Australian is less optimistic about the injury to Gardner, which is worse than was first thought. "It's normally two to three weeks if there's damage to a single rib but there's three or four apparently, so it's not good for him," Potter said.St HelensSuper LeagueBradford BullsRugby leagueGareth Walkerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Injured Ennis to miss world trials
• Heptathlon champion has slight ligament strain• 'I am truly devastated to be missing the trials'Jessica Ennis, the world heptathlon champion, will not compete at the World Trials in Sheffield this weekend after straining a ligament in her right foot. Having had an impressive start to her indoor season this year – setting eight new personal bests in a month – the 24-year-old's withdrawal is being viewed as a precautionary measure, to ensure optimum fitness at the World Indoor Championships in Doha next month."After competing in Glasgow last week and a pretty intense training week, I felt a slight niggle in my foot – like a muscle knot," said Ennis. "An MRI scan on Monday night has shown a slight ligament strain, and as a precautionary measure under the advice of the UKA doctor, Paul Dijkstra, I am going to have to rest it in the short term to ensure the quickest recovery. This means me missing the trials this weekend in front of my home crowd – I am truly devastated."After a stunning performance at the Glasgow Grand Prix 10 days ago, where she beat the world indoor champion, Lolo Jones, over 60m hurdles and set a new British record in the event, her coach, Toni Minichiello, had warned of taking precautions against injury at this stage of the season. It was this time of year in 2008 when damage was done to her right ankle that pre-empted the career threatening injury that ruled her out of competing at the Beijing Olympic Games."After the disappointment of 2008 I am always going to err on the side of caution and am going to stick to low-impact training for a couple of weeks," said Ennis. "My coach, believes I am in the shape of my life, and that reducing high impact training now will not affect my preparations for Doha."Minichiello added: "We are being cautious, this is a slight strain of a ligament in her foot and we will be watching it closely over the next couple of weeks, but at this stage Jessica has every intention of taking part in the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham as part of her preparation for the World Indoors in Doha."Jessica EnnisAthleticsAnna Kesselguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Safina out of Dubai Championships
• Russian still troubled by long-standing strain• Serena Williams also a doubt due to leg injuryWorld No2 Dinara Safina has withdrawn from next week's Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships as she continues her recovery from the back injury that forced her out of the Australian Open.The Russian retired from her fourth-round match against Maria Kirilenko in Melbourne and has been out of action since."Unfortunately, I will not be able to play the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships this year because of the back injury that's been bothering me since the end of last season," Safina told her website, www.dinarasafina.com. "I wish the tournament the best of success on its 10th anniversary and hope to be back next year, as it's one of my favourite events."The tournament had been set to feature all of the top 11 women in the world, although there are also doubts about world No1 Serena Williams' involvement after she withdrew from this week's event in Paris with a leg injury.Dinara SafinaTennisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Denman faces simple task in tune-up
• Only nine declared for race and few likely to run• Nacarat only entered in case meeting is offDenman, the second-favourite for next month's Gold Cup, was one of nine horses declared for the Aon Chase at Newbury on Saturday, but serious opposition to Paul Nicholls' chaser could evaporate by the weekend as trainers pursue other options.Two of the entries for Saturday's race, Oniz Tiptoes and Wee Robbie, are respectively 82lb and 62lb inferior to Denman on official ratings while Nacarat, who is within a stone of Denman, according to the handicapper, is in the unusual situation of only having been entered in case the meeting is cancelled."We definitely won't run if the race is at Newbury," Tom George, Nacarat's trainer, said, "but I entered in case it is like last year, when the meeting was lost to the weather and then the race was re-staged at Kempton. If that happened again we could run him at Kempton [where Nacarat took the Racing Post Chase last year], but otherwise we will be going to the Racing Post again. With the weather forecast as it is, it was worth speculating."Air Force One, unraced since being pulled up in a Grade One event at Punchestown last April, is being considered for the Aon, but Charlie Mann will wait until later in the week before taking a final decision."I want to get a race into him and I'd think that he'd run as long as the ground is OK," Mann said. "He's not run for a long time so he needs to start somewhere, and he's run well at Newbury before. He was second [to Madison Du Berlais] in the Hennessy there."On his best form he might be second or third, but I can't see him beating Denman though. He might go to Cheltenham if all is well, but he's more likely to run in one of the Nationals. We'll just have to see what happens at the weekend."Niche Market, third behind Denman when getting nearly two stone in the Hennessy during November, is another "possible" runner, according to Robert Buckler, his trainer."He's in a graduation chase at Exeter the same day," Buckler said. "I wouldn't think that we're going to beat Denman, but I want to give him a run somewhere without messing up his handicap mark for the National."Denman seems sure to start at long odds-on on Saturday as he attempts to extend his unbeaten record at Newbury to six races, and with the multiple champion jockey Tony McCoy in the saddle for the first time. "I'm going to speak to Paul [Nicholls] and see if he wants me to sit on him before Saturday," McCoy said at Market Rasen."[Denman] is going to Newbury, and I'll look forward to [the Gold Cup at] Cheltenham after that. If any horse can beat Kauto Star, hopefully it will be him."DenmanHorse racingKauto StarGreg Woodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
McIlroy fitness boost for Match Play
• Player working with physio to manage discomfort• He just needs rest for a day, says spokesmanRory McIlroy's back problem is just a slight nerve impingement and will not prevent him taking part in next week's Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, Arizona.His agent, Chubby Chandler, said the 20-year-old world no7 had a back scan on Monday that revealed nothing more than stretched ligaments. Chandler says it came from 10 days of practice last month to get ready for the season, then playing two tournaments in three weeks.The 20-year-old saw the specialist after his return from Dubai, where he finished sixth on Sunday in defence of the Desert Classic title. Chandler says McIlroy goes through a back scan every year as a precaution. McIlroy will now rest this week and have therapy on his lower back before going to Arizona.The Northern Irishman has been working with the South African physio Cornel Driesson to try to manage the discomfort he feels occasionally and has been told the problem could be linked to the hip movement in his swing."They go backwards and then forwards and that puts a little strain on the lower back," he said. "I do all the exercises I can to make everything stronger around the joints and it is a matter of resting and managing my schedule so that I am not playing too many weeks in a row."McIlroy has taken up US Tour membership this season and next week is the first of five events there before The Masters in April.Rory McIlroyGolfThe Mastersguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Saints provide glory after the storm
Winning the Super Bowl has given the city wrecked by Hurricane Katrina reason to smile againStanding on the podium at Miami's Sun Life Stadium and clutching American football's greatest prize, the New Orleans Saints owner, Tom Benson, found the appropriate words. "We're back," he yelled towards the black-and-gold clad horde that had descended from all over the stadium to squeeze into the front few rows. "We're back! We're back!"Benson was speaking not just for his team but for the whole city of New Orleans. Five years on from Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still working to undo some of the damage caused by flooding that touched more than 80% of the city, but the people who live there are now back on their feet. For them, a 31‑17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV was symbolic of that fact and deeply cathartic."It means everything," said the Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, after collecting the game's Most Valuable Player award. "We're here because of [the people of New Orleans's] strength and everything they fought through over the last few years. They've given us so much support, and so we owe it all to our fans."When Brees joined the team in 2006, the Saints were a homeless team having spent 2005 in San Antonio while the Louisiana Superdome, itself heavily damaged by the hurricane, was used as shelter for people whose houses had been destroyed. There was talk of the team relocating permanently to another state, but the decision was taken to return, and to try to offer something positive for the community to rally around.The team's first game back in New Orleans at the beginning of the 2006 season drew a capacity crowd of more than 70,000, and ESPN's best-ever TV audience, but few could have envisaged that a victory like Sunday's would be possible in the proceeding few years. The Saints had finished their season in San Antonio with the NFL's second-worst record, winning just three of 16 games.In fact, the Saints, formed in 1967, had never even gone to a Super Bowl before this season. Once there, few outside of New Orleans gave them much chance of success against a Colts team whose only previous defeats had come in the last two games of the regular season, when key starters were rested in order to avoid sustaining any injuries. The game was billed as a shoot-out between Brees and the Colts' quarterback, Peyton Manning, and few expected the Saints' signal caller to prevail. Though Brees had posted the league's best passer rating in the regular season, Manning already had one Super Bowl victory to his name and this year claimed the league's Most Valuable Player award for a record fourth time.It was Brees, however, who wound up equalling a Super Bowl record with 32 completions and, crucially, throwing for two touchdowns. He had looked anxious early on, missing open receivers more than once, but finished with 10 successive completions. Manning, whose lone touchdown came in the first quarter, effectively sealed his team's fate by throwing the game's only interception – returned 74 yards for a score by Tracy Porter – to leave his team down 14 points with less than three and a half minutes remaining."We've had plenty of games this year when we've gone down at some point in the game – early, fourth quarter, whatever it might be," said Brees, reflecting on his team's recovery from an initial 10-0 deficit. "We just continued to believe in ourselves and, sure enough, we trusted in one another and our offence got it going."The defence had done their part too, keeping the Saints to just one second-half touchdown and scoring one back through Porter's interception. While that defence had ranked 25th in the league for yards surrendered during the regular season, they played a critical role in the Saints becoming the only team ever to beat three Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks during one postseason. Before Manning was Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings, and before him the Arizona Cardinals' Kurt Warner.But the greatest accolade should perhaps go to the head coach, Sean Payton, whose bold decision to attempt an onside kick at the beginning of the second half was the game's defining moment. The kick was recovered by the Saints, who moved swiftly down the field for a touchdown that gave them their first lead of the game. "I think I could kiss him," said Benson afterwards. The rest of New Orleans feels the same.Super BowlUS sportPaolo Bandiniguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Richard Williams: Sport should be about the cast
Venerating Howard Hawks at the expense of Humphrey Bogart makes a kind of sense, but it translates badly to sportEvery now and then we need to be reminded that sport is about the people who play it, not those who design the way it is played. This may not be the most appropriate thought in the immediate aftermath of the Super Bowl, the pinnacle of a sport that introduced us to coaches with earpieces absorbing information from spotters seated high up in the stands, but it was reassuring to hear that a degree of player power was apparently exercised in the run-up to England's victory over Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.It may have been not much more than a healthy and perfectly natural exchange of opinions, slightly exaggerated in the retelling. But it was interesting that, in the days leading up to the match, several England players put their heads above the parapet to observe that something had to change about the way Martin Johnson's team were performing. And although the team's aura of stolidity was not dispelled overnight, at least there was a bit more of a sense that the players were being allowed to express themselves.Whatever it was that took place, it seems to work for England. Back in 2003, after a series of turgid victories had taken Clive Woodward's side to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup, the senior players – Johnson among them – quietly exerted a greater degree of control as they faced the closing stages of the tournament. Not surprisingly, perhaps, "player power" appears nowhere in the index to the book Woodward subsequently wrote to explain his techniques for getting players to do as they are told.Four years later the squad sent to France with the task of defending the trophy reacted to an early drubbing by South Africa by holding a meeting with Brian Ashton at which the squad's entire tactical approach was, shall we say, reassessed. On that occasion Lawrence Dallaglio and Mike Catt were among the senior players who spoke up, and the team made it to the final.Even more famous, because it happened in football rather than rugby, was the outburst of English player power that occurred during Italia 90, when Bobby Robson's senior players, including Gary Lineker, responded to an opening 1‑1 draw with the Republic of Ireland by demanding a switch in the defensive formation to incorporate a sweeper for the next match, against the Holland of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten. A reluctant Robson went along with the plan and stuck with the new five-man defence all the way to elimination in the semi-final.Because managers are the only ones trusted to talk freely to the media, their importance has become distorted. Every story about Liverpool, for instance, turns out to be about Rafa Benítez. Maybe the idea came from the cinema, where the French invented the theory of the auteur. Venerating Howard Hawks at the expense of Humphrey Bogart makes a kind of sense, but it translates badly to sport.Watching Arsène Wenger trying to micro-manage his players from the technical areas at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the thought occurred that the game would be much healthier if he and other managers were kept at a safe distance and allowed to communicate with their players only during the half‑time interval. The same is true of tennis coaches, the recipients of all those beseeching glances from their players between points, and of Formula One team directors, whose exchanges with their drivers should be limited to old-fashioned pit boards.The Tour de France made a start last year when a stage was run without the radios that enable team directors to tell their riders exactly what they have to do to close down the riders in the breakaway up ahead. Naturally, there was a chorus of dissent from the team directors. But always remember that the job of the manager or coach is to remove the element of unpredictability from their sport – the very thing, of course, that drew us to it in the first place.Sir Stan's boots kicked into touch by the Special OneSometimes the discrepancy between football's past and its present values comes sharply into focus. On the very day last week that the National Archive released documents revealing that in 1945 the Blackpool and England team‑mates Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen sold coffee and soap on the black market while visiting Belgium with an FA Services team, DaMarcus Beasley was also in the news. The United States striker, now on Rangers' books, had a bit of bad luck when his car was set on fire outside his home in Glasgow's west end. The car was a £60,000 BMW. Beasley, we were informed, recently launched his own "personalised diamond jewellery range".Matthews was, of course, English football's first superstar. Later this month the boots that he wore in the 1953 FA Cup final – the one in which Blackpool beat Bolton 4‑3, and that came to bear his name – will be auctioned by Bonhams in a sale whose offerings also include with the second of the two Premier League winners' medals that José Mourinho tossed to the Stamford Bridge crowd on the day in 2006 that Chelsea beat Manchester United to clinch their second title in a row. The estimate for Sir Stan's boots, apparently the very ones that had Bolton's defenders tripping over their own feet and that crossed the ball for Bill Perry's last-minute winner? £6,000‑£8,000. And for José's bauble? £12,000-£15,000.Steep cost of being a Brit As predicted, the British Ski and Snowboard Federation went into administration last week, owing money all over the place and most notably to athletes who had paid their own expenses in the innocent belief that they would be reimbursed by the governing body. Think about that as Chemmy Alcott zips down the piste in pursuit of a medal. As her Austrian and Swiss rivals hurl themselves down ice walls at 80mph, they are almost certainly not preoccupied by the small matter of £20,000 missing from their personal bank accounts.Button's seat of learning It was only the first day of testing for the new grand prix season, but you would have to say that spending a morning in the pits adjusting the seat of his McLaren was not the most auspicious of ways for Jenson Button to begin the defence of his world championship.England rugby union teamSix Nations rugbyRugby unionRichard Williamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Lawrence Donegan: Will Tiger return to golf in March?
Tiger Woods will not be making his comeback at the Accenture World Match Play in Tucson next week. Then again, he might be. It depends on how inclined you are to believe speculation that started last week with an un-attributed, un-sourced story in the Herald-Sun of Melbourne. The blog chooses not to believe that story, although this is not a reflection on the Herald-Sun, which has an unblemished record when it comes to scooping the rest of the world on all matters relating to Aussie rules football. But Tiger at the Accenture?That would mean several things would have to happen, and several people would have to be proved wrong, including the unnamed source "close to Woods" who allegedly told Foxnews.com "as far as I know [Woods's return] will not be at the Match Play". Strangely enough, an official connected to the running of the Tucson event used almost the same form of words yesterday in response to a query from the blog: "Is he playing here? Off the record? Not as far as we know."The key question here is – how far does anyone know? The answer, it seems, is not very far at all; not unless you happen to be Tiger Woods or his wife Elin Nordegren. As for "sources close to Woods" – they may indeed once have been "close to Woods" but, given the upheaval in his life, given his past propensity towards secrecy and given suggestions that several of those closely associated to him in the past haven't been in contact with him since the crash (and not just the former NBA player Charles Barkley), it could be that they know less than they are inclined to admit. Notwithstanding the creditable efforts of TMZ and Radaronline (both of whom appear to be getting whatever information they have from people who have, one way or another, come into contact with the Woods circus over the last 10 weeks rather than from people inside the Woods camp) this has been the most un-crackable story in sport since – well, the secret life of Tiger Woods prior to November's car crash. The absence of credible, verifiable information out there is staggering. Who says Tiger has lost control of his life? Of all the remarkable things about this story, perhaps the most remarkable is that Woods – to the detriment of his image and his financial well-being – has been able to keep the public in the dark. Obviously, he failed in this when it came to the so-called revelations about his alleged mistresses but, beyond that, what do we really know about what happened on the night of the car crash outside his home and what has happened since? The answer, truly, is not much. I mention all of the above as a preamble to address the question of what happens next, as well as preparing you for the sad but true answer: I don't know. Clearly, this is a journalistic failure but what else can I do – I've made the calls. I have asked the questions. I have neither the inclination nor the funds to solicit for "insider" gossip, and even if I did I wouldn't know whom to pay. After all, there are no "insiders" when it comes to this story. There are only rumours. And echo chambers, where the rumours you heard last week bounce around for a few days and then come back to you. However, for what it's worth, it is possible to make some educated guesses. Firstly, Tiger probably won't play at the Match Play for reasons stated above and also because Accenture, which sponsors the tournament, was the first of Woods's corporate sponsors to dump him in the wake of the scandal. If past behaviour is any indication of future conduct, Woods, who is unlikely to have shed his long memory through all of this, will not reward Accenture for this act by giving them the greatest gift of free publicity since John, Luke, Mark et al sat down and wrote the New Testament. Nick Faldo has said he expects Woods to return at the Masters and that this would be "a great place to start". For whom? For someone with an unhealthy self-obsession perhaps; someone who might be under the mistaken impression that this – meaning golf, life, the first major championship of the year, whatever – is all about him. It's not, of course – which is why Woods will surely have enough sense and common courtesy to dismiss out of hand the silly advice of Faldo. The Masters should be about the golf and about every competitor in the field, not about the world No1 and his desire to return to public life at a tournament where TMZ.com is least likely to be granted accreditation. Another possibility is that Woods could decide to miss the Masters and, indeed, the rest of the 2010 season. Alan Shipnuck of Sport's Illustrated made a every believable case for such a scenario in his most recent Golf.com mailbag:I don't think he would go to sex addiction rehab if he wasn't trying to save his marriage. There's obviously some very heavy lifting to do on that front, and it doesn't conform neatly to the PGA Tour schedule. If Elin stays you have to assume a lot of Tiger's other intimates have to go, so he could be looking at a sweeping shakeup in his business and personal life. Then he has to find the will to get his game back into fighting shape. The last thing Tiger wants to do is show up and struggle, further puncturing his aura. At this point I'd be stunned if he plays the Masters. If he's not back for the US Open I could easily see him shutting it down until 2011.It is hard to argue with that. However, it is even harder to argue with the logic of the betting markets, and as of the last few days the flow of money has been towards Woods making a return before the Masters. Jim Furyk, who might be assumed to know Woods a little better than most of the PGA Tour, given that they have been paired together in several team competitions through the years, had this to say the other day:"If I had to bet, I'd bet we'd see him at Augusta. Tiger hasn't come out and made any real public statements, so it's hard to figure out. Everyone is guessing it will be Augusta. Whether he comes out earlier, or there, I have no idea."Assuming the Match Play and the Masters are out, that leaves the PGA Tour stops at Phoenix, Palm Beach Gardens (the Honda Classic), Doral (the CA Championship), Innsbrook (the Transitions Championship), the Bay Hill Invitational, the Shell Houston Open and the Tavistock Cup, a two-day exhibition event to be staged at Isleworth, where Woods has his family home (or at least did until November). Of those we can dismiss Phoenix, Palm Beach Gardens and Innsbrook – Phoenix because it is a zoo and the other two because Woods has no recent history of supporting those events. There have been reports that he is planning to come back at the Tavistock Cup, mainly because it is an "invitation only" event held at a private country club, with restricted access for the public and the press.Again, TMZ published this story, citing as its source "someone who works for the Woods family". No offence but would someone who works for the Woods family really be discussing his affairs with TMZ? However, a comeback at Isleworth does make a certain sense – Woods does owe them something after all the unwanted attention he has heaped on the place – but if he is serious about competing at the Masters is a two-day hit-and-giggle tournament with his mates really the best preparation? Probably not. That leaves either the CA Championship at Doral, or the Bay Hill Invitational – tournaments, and venues, where Woods has won numerous times in the past. He might play both, or he might play just one. If it is just one then it will be Bay Hill and for the following reasons:It takes place at the end of March, which will give him more time to get ready to play – especially if, as I was told the other (not by someone who works for the Woods family, I should add) he hasn't swung a golf since last March.Bay Hill is in Orlando, close to home; in other words, close to complete privacy after the day is over. Bay Hill is smaller and more intimate than Doral; the galleries are more "golf" orientated there, as opposed to those at Doral, which are more "event" orientated. There will be more casual fans at Doral, by which I mean more fans who are likely to get tanked up on beer on a Saturday afternoon and shout epithets at the top of Tiger's backswing.Bay Hill is Arnold Palmer's tournament. God only knows the world was wrong about many things when it came to Woods's lifestyle and attitudes. But he has always given the impression that he liked and respected Palmer. Was he faking that too? I don't think so. Everyone likes Arnie, right? And finally, I think he will come back at Bay Hill because it is run by Woods's management company IMG, who will be able to control who gets in to cover what will be one of the biggest sporting occasions of the year. Speaking of which, I applied for my accreditation weeks ago and haven't heard anything since. Is there something someone isn't telling me?Tiger WoodsGolfLawrence Doneganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
BCCI wary over Royals' franchise plan
• Royals want to establish first global sport alliance • 'Rajasthan have not sought permission on this' – BCCI chiefThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reacted wearily to the plans announced by the Rajasthan Royals to create the first global sport alliance.Rajasthan revealed yesterday that they had tied up with Hampshire, Cape Cobras, Trinidad and Tobago and an Australian domestic team to form a worldwide Twenty20 brand, but, according to Cricinfo, the Indian board's chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said they had "not sought permission" to take such a step."Rajasthan Royals have not written to us and have not sought permission on this," Shetty reportedly told Times of India. "In case the Indian cricketers, who are contracted with the board, have to participate, they'll have to seek our permission. We have not heard anything from anyone as yet and the players can't take part unless we give them the permission."Rajasthan, however, said the IPL was in the know and they were confident there would be no conflict of interest with the league. "The IPL has been aware of our plans and have been nothing but supportive," a spokesman for the franchise said. "We know exactly where we stand and there has never been an intention to create any sort of conflict with the BCCI."IPLTwenty20CricketSachin Nakraniguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
The franchise that could change cricket
The Royals' plan to establish a global franchise shows that cricket's permanent revolution is not yet at an endThe times they are a-changin'. If you hadn't noticed yet, the latest clue came at Lord's yesterday. There, over the course of five long hours of PowerPoint presentations and other PR shenanigans, the Rajasthan Royals launched their new global franchise, Royals2020.There are at least nine words in that last sentence that will be so soul-wearying to many cricket fans that they may well have stopped reading already. I sympathise. The state of the sport has been in perpetual revolution for too long now. Phrases like 'PowerPoint' and 'PR shenanigans' should not be getting space among the cricket column inches. But this is not the time to be burying your head in the sand. How did the man Dylan put it? "He that gets hurt will be he who has stalled."Just ask the county chairmen, an array of whom have, according to sources, been wintering in India, negotiating deals like the one announced by Hampshire's Rod Bransgrove. Anyone who does not appreciate the full significance of yesterday's developments should look a little closer and think a little harder, even if the conclusions leave you in a state of mild despair about the future.To briefly recap, Rajasthan have expanded their franchise, entering into partnership with Hampshire, the Cape Cobras and Trinidad & Tobago. The Victoria Bushrangers are still in negotiations. Those teams will now all play in identical kit under the name 'Royals', and share revenues, players and expertise.They will also play in a series of festivals against each other, across the world and throughout the calendar. The first is due, supposedly, to take place in England this July. This is an especially mischievous move. There is a temptation, eloquently expressed by Andrew Miller on Cricinfo, to see this as the cricketing equivalent of town-twinning, enabling little more than the erection of a signpost on the city limits and a series of pupil – or in this case player – exchange schemes.It is far more important than that. This is not sports administration, this is big business, being played for multi-million dollar stakes. The people who run things now wear sharp suits, not blazers, and they are in it for the money, not because they have nothing better to do in retirement. Rajasthan did not even notify the ECB that they were about to plop a three-day Twenty20 tournament down in the middle of the English season. They would have known that by doing so, they were setting the cat among the pigeons.They are laying stake to a chunk of the English cricket market in the high season – days before the start of the first Test against Pakistan, and at the very same time as the domestic Twenty20 quarter-finals. Savvy operators as they are, I would wager Rajasthan deliberately used the description 'festival' to soften the blow. Their chairman Manoj Badale, co-founder of the investment group Blenheim Chalcott, is a shrewd man, and was quick to make conciliatory noises, saying the biggest obstacle the project faced was "ensuring our interfaces with the cricket boards are what they should be". Giving them five months' notice of a new Twenty20 tournament in their own backyard – Rajasthan were "90% confident" that Lord's would be available as a venue – seems a strange way to do that.Middlesex and Leicestershire were also believed to have been in negotiations to join the Royals. While in India, Delhi and Kolkata are reportedly looking for partners in England who can offer Test-sized grounds and large local British-Asian populations. If the Royals festival goes ahead, every franchise will be demanding an equivalent slot. Those three days will mushroom into a much larger slice of the season, squeezing out the ECB's domestic competition.The MCC – which must approve any match played at Lord's – was far from confident about the prospect of hosting the festival. Even Bransgrove hedged his words slightly about using the Rose Bowl as a venue, saying there were "a couple of hurdles to be overcome." In fact, there is hardly even a window at the end of July at all. The Rose Bowl is due to host a four-day match between India A and New Zealand A from the 23 to the 27, and Hampshire are playing on 25 and 29 July The quarter-finals of the ECB's redesigned Twenty20 Cup are on 25 and 26 July. If the ECB refuses Rajasthan permission for the festival – as seems inevitable – then, at the very least, the IPL franchises will have won a bargaining chip to crack open space elsewhere in the calendar. This is part of a battle for control of cricket's calendar.The Board's position will also be weakened by the fact that, if the franchise gambit pays off, the counties which are involved will potentially be financially independent of the ECB. Never mind control over the course of the global game, the ECB may find itself in a struggle for authority over what's happening inside its own borders. No wonder Badale was being so diplomatic about what, in another light, could be seen as an explicitly aggressive move on the English market.As well as creating more product for Indian TV, the other great advantage of the new franchise system is in extending the marketing reach of the teams. In the future IPL sides will be negotiating sponsorship rights not only in India, but in five major markets across the world.The deal raises the prospect of five teams – all named the Royals – reaching the Champions League. If you need an idea of just how important that fledgling competition is to the financial futures of the English counties, just take a look at some of the overseas signings made this winter: Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Cameron White. If all five Royals sides reached the competition, and Badale says it is "when not if", then they would split any players who are being shared between them on an ad hoc basis ("based on common sense" said captain-coach Shane Warne). They would also be putting all the winnings into a central pool and dividing them five ways.The pioneer years of Twenty20 are over. For the counties it is time to start swimming or sink like a stone. The IPL teams' revenues are hindered by one obvious problem – they only play for a tiny fraction of the year. All of the franchises will, naturally, be looking to expand to become year-round operations. That is the natural course of remorseless profit-logic, and the biggest single force for change in cricket at the moment.If you are one of those people who still don't get it ...And The Spin could even include himself in that, here is Shane Warne on what it was like to play in the first IPL:"That first year [of the IPL] in 2008 was probably the best thing I've done in 20 years of cricket. Probably the most enjoyable cricket I have ever played. The day of the final, when we walked out of the Taj there were 20,000 people outside our hotel. There was a line all the way to the ground, 15km away, and they were all in blue shirts with RR on either cheek, banging on the bus shouting 'go Royals'. There was 70, 80,000 at the final.""What?", asked a disbelieving reporter, "it was better than the Ashes?""It was a different emotion. When you play for Australia there's 11 of you walking out on the field and you sort of just do your part and do the best you can. With this it was something different, Test cricket has been going on for over 100 years. But this was the first ever time this happened, it was a different feeling and that's why it was so unique. It was up there with every Ashes win I have been involved in. This is very close to the best thing I have ever done."That is what the rest of cricket is competing with. That, and the million-dollar salaries.This is an extract from the Spin, our free cricket email. To subscribe, click hereCricketIPLAndy Bullguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Jones retains Wales place for Scots visit
• Lock to feature despite costly dismissal against England• Halfpenny back on wing following recovery from calf strainAlun Wyn Jones will play for Wales against Scotland on Saturday despite his costly dismissal in the 30-17 defeat to England.Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, heavily criticised the lock in the wake of the weekend loss at Twickenham but has decided to retain him as Wales look to secure their first victory of this year's Six Nations championship.There are only two changes to the side that lost to England, with Leigh Halfpenny replacing Tom James on the right wing following his recovering from a calf strain and Jonathan Thomas coming in for Luke Charteris in the second row."Jonathan Thomas brings more than 50 caps of experience to the tight five and offers us some extra mobility around the field," said Gatland. "Leigh Halfpenny is a recognised right wing who offers us an extra kicking option, and his return to full fitness after limited training in the run-up to the England game allows his selection.Despite the England defeat, Wales could still make an assault on the Six Nations title, especially as three of their remaining four games – starting against Scotland – are in Cardiff.Andy Robinson's side have not triumphed in the Welsh capital since 2002, while they can only claim three Six Nations wins from 25 starts on the road."We were all disappointed with the result last weekend," added Gatland. "But the good news for these players is that they have an opportunity now, seven days after losing a game we all feel we could have won, to bounce back against Scotland."The championship is by no means over. We are back at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday looking to kick-start our campaign. This is a must-win game for us."Gethin Jenkins is among the replacements for Wales following his recovery from a calf injury. He is be joined by Tom Shanklin, Tom James and Sam Warburton.Wales team to play Scotland on Saturday L Byrne (Ospreys); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets), G Cooper (Cardiff Blues); P James (Ospreys), G Williams (Cardiff Blues), A Jones (Ospreys), J Thomas (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), A Powell (Cardiff Blues), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt).Replacements: H Bennett (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), A Bishop (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues).Wales rugby union teamSix Nations rugbyRugby unionPaul ReesSachin Nakraniguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
guardian.co.uk 2010-02-09
Practice makes perfect: Porter's pick clinches Saints' victory
The skinny was that the New Orleans Saints needed to force turnovers to have any shot at all against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Mardi Gras comes early for Saints' faithful in New Orleans
Fireworks erupted on Royal Street. Jazz bands led crowds of screaming revelers through the French Quarter. Bourbon Street formed into a withering ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Colts' Dwight Freeney tries to put best foot forward
Dwight Freeney looked like his typical all-pro self ... for a half anyway, but the torn ligament in the Indianapolis Colts defensive end's right ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Florida State officially vacating 12 wins from Bowden tenure
Florida State says it will vacate a 2007 bowl victory and 11 regular season football wins, along with dozens more across 10 men's and women's ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Betty White, Snickers top Ad Meter; view and rate all the ads
Three years after getting hammered by gay activists for what many felt was an anti-gay Super Bowl commercial, the Mars candy walked off with ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Weekly net post: Missing stars give others chance to shine
The one good thing about the absence of the some of the game's top stars in Fed Cup ties is that others get a chance to shine.
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Top 25: Kansas retains No. 1 spot, Villanova falls to fifth
Kansas retained its position atop the USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 men's basketball coaches' poll after receiving 29 of 31 first-place votes. Following ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Danica Patrick confirms NASCAR debut set for Daytona
Danica Patrick announced Monday that she will make her NASCAR debut this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Monday eye-opener: Was it a Payton win or a Peyton loss?
Good morning.
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
Sean Payton's onside gamble pays off for Saints
Coach Sean Payton parlayed a winning game plan and a winning gamble on an onside kick into the New Orleans Saints' first Super Bowl title ever. ...
rssfeeds.usatoday.com 2010-02-08
John Terry still at the heart of Fabio Capello’s England
Fabio Capello confirmed yesterday that John Terry remains an integral part of his plans for this summer’s World Cup despite sacking him as captain.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
| |
Hungry James Haskell ensures that Wales have an expensive trip
In the 100 years that England have been playing Wales at Twickenham, there has seldom been so much generosity on offer. The Celtic nations simply do not come to London bearing gifts, but Wales offered their bitter rivals the chance to begin the RBS Six Nations Championship with a morale-boosting win on Saturday and England bit their hand off.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Didier Drogba scores twice as Chelsea knock Arsenal out of title race
Defeated in his attempt to keep the England captaincy, John Terry returned to the comfort of club duties yesterday and led Chelsea to a convincing victory over Arsenal that all but knocked Arsène Wenger’s side out of the title race.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Sir Keith Mills seeks to build bridge over troubled waters
It is thinking the unthinkable, but after two years of wrangling and almost £9 million worth of legal bills, peace may be about to break out in the world’s oldest international sporting competition, helped by the diplomatic skills of a quiet Englishman.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Brilliance of Mathieu Bastareaud helps France underline title ambitions
After spending the summer making headlines for all the wrong reasons, Mathieu Bastareaud showed yesterday why his rugby mentors had been so desperate to get him back into the national side.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
England indebted to Delon Armitage moment of magic
The period when England nearly threw away their season may be the one that saves them. In the wake of their 30-17 victory over Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, ambitious Englishmen are thus entitled to ponder the value of a single intercepted pass.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Wayne Rooney rises above Manchester United fans’ discontent
A Manchester United supporter in the front row of the South Stand at Old Trafford was rebuked by a steward for daring to raise a green-and-gold scarf during a minute’s silence to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Portsmouth face D-day in struggle for survival
Portsmouth will begin the frantic struggle today to avoid becoming the first Premier League club to go out of business.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Red-letter day for Rafael Benitez as ten-man Liverpool see off Everton
If there is a fixture that reduces the pre-match fair-play handshake to an act of such pointlessness that it becomes the most empty of gestures then surely it is the Merseyside derby.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Britain battling cash meltdown, warm weather and the cold shoulder at Winter Olympics
If anything sums up the troubled build-up to the Winter Olympics, it is that there is a lack of snow in Canada. High temperatures in Vancouver and low farce in Britain have threatened to jeopardise the Games, which start on Friday.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
John Terry fails to learn his lesson over antics that cost him England captaincy
It was a reasonable question that Brian Swanson, of Sky Sports News, put to Fabio Capello once a rudimentary reaction to the European Championship qualifying draw had been elicited — “What do you expect Rio Ferdinand to bring to the captaincy?” — and it produced an unreasonable answer: “No questions about John Terry.”
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
New Orleans Saints claim their first Super Bowl by beating Colts
Romantics everywhere – with the possible exception of Indiana – got the result they wanted in Super Bowl XLIV as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Gary Cahill's World Cup dream shattered by blood clot
Gary Cahill, the Bolton Wanderers defender, is expected to miss the remainder of the season because of a mystery blood clot in his arm, ending his outside hopes of making England's World Cup squad.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Drew Brees dedicates Super Bowl victory to people of New Orleans
“This championship is for you, New Orleans,” Drew Brees shouted after steering the Saints to victory in their first appearance in a Super Bowl. Brees, the New Orleans quarterback, was named Most Valuable Player for completing 32 passes and throwing two touchdowns as the Saints beat the more-fancied Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Miami.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Five Catalans Dragons players arrested after 'brawl' in Leeds
Five players from French Super League club Catalans Dragons have been arrested and prevented from leaving the country after an alleged brawl in Leeds city centre last night.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Stoke City's Ricardo Fuller to face Wigan despite nightclub arrest
Ricardo Fuller, the Stoke City striker, will retain his place in the squad tomorrow night's Barclays Premier League fixture against Wigan Athletic despite being arrested on suspicion of assault.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Portsmouth pray for stay of execution from winding-up order
Peter Storrie admits Portsmouth are clinging to the hope they will be granted a stay of execution when they go to court to face a winding-up order on Wednesday.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Arsenal are easy to beat and Arsene Wenger should stop moaning, says Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack has taunted Arsenal in the wake of Chelsea's 2-0 victory yesterday by claiming Arsene Wenger's side are easy to beat and their manager moans too much.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Shane Warne attacks Andrew Strauss for skipping tour
Shane Warne has accused Andrew Strauss of showing a "lack of respect for Test cricket" with his decision to skip England's tour of Bangladesh next month.
feeds.timesonline.co.uk 2010-02-08
Who Dat Nation: Super Saints become America's Team
MIAMI (AP) -- Marshall Faulk ran as far as he could from the dead-end Desire Projects. He bolted the New Orleans streets to play college ball in San Diego, then blossomed into an NFL star with the Indianapolis Colts....
hosted.ap.org 2010-02-08
Patrick to make NASCAR debut at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR debut this weekend at Daytona International Speedway....
hosted.ap.org 2010-02-08
Manning throws away bid for one final comeback
MIAMI (AP) -- Blocked onto his butt, Peyton Manning could only watch his last, best chance to win the Super Bowl go running right past him....
hosted.ap.org 2010-02-08
Too bad Payton can't be MVP of Super Bowl
MIAMI (AP) -- Sean Payton strolled through the New Orleans Saints locker room at halftime, pausing at Thomas Morstead's locker with a simple message....
hosted.ap.org 2010-02-08
Brees answers 'Who dat?' with MVP performance
MIAMI (AP) -- Drew Brees grew up in Texas and started playing for pay in faraway San Diego. But he made New Orleans his home and its cause uniquely his own....
hosted.ap.org 2010-02-08
|