Could F1 2011 be even better?

The final grand prix of the season in Abu Dhabi summed up why the 2010 season will go down in Formula 1 history as a classic year.

There were super-fast Red Bulls, world champion drivers in the thick of the action, strategic errors, raw emotion and a final twist in an epic tale as Sebastian Vettel won his first world title.

Before the race was run, the sun-soaked paddock was buzzing with talk of "the greatest season ever" and debate about the highlight of the season swelled.

In fact, as the dust settles on Abu Dhabi, the teams' attentions are already turning to 2011 - all the teams and most of the race drivers get their first run on next year's new Pirelli tyres at the Yas Marina track at the weekend.

With just 118 days to go until the cars and drivers return to the desert in Bahrain to rejoin battle, expectations are already building that 2011 could be another classic year, matching events this season.

As BBC pundit Eddie Jordan exclaimed on Sunday: "We have five world champions competing next year, what are we in for?!"

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Jordan is right to be excited.

The men who defined this season remain in situ - Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at McLaren, Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, and Vettel and Mark Webber at Red Bull.

All of them know they have things to improve in 2010 - particularly the number of errors they have made. And the long winter will give each of the 24 drivers on the grid time to analyse and agonise over crucial mistakes and frittered points that ultimately defined their seasons.

"Every one of us made too many errors and that is why we found ourselves in a position with five guys fighting it out," reflected Button, who saw his title defence end in Brazil.

Though he was the first to bow out, Button had the cleanest season of all the five contenders but found himself let down by a lack of pace - particularly in qualifying - as he got to grips with a McLaren in his first season with the team.

Alonso will rue his uncharacteristic errors in Australia and China, his crash in Monaco and, most of all, the fatal call from Ferrari to bring him in early for fresh tyres in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton will reflect on his ill-judged passing moves in Monza and Singapore, which effectively ended his hopes, while Webber will relive his frightening somersault in Valencia and his costly crash in Korea.

Vettel, too, made more than his fair share of errors. He must take the blame for crashes with his team-mate Webber in Turkey and an unwitting Button in Spa, while his attempt to go around the outside of Webber at the start in Silverstone earned him a puncture.

For Red Bull, though, one of the biggest areas of focus will be the poor early-season reliability, from spark plugs to wheel nuts, that prevented Vettel bursting into an early lead.

When Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko was asked on Sunday what his next goal was after his team captured both championships, he said they intended to cut out the errors so they could win the titles sooner.

All the top teams will be adding grease to their usually slick operations over the winter at the same time as building their cars to a set of regulations that have been tweaked again.

Gone will be the double-diffusers which caused so much controversy at the start of 2009, as well as the F-duct that McLaren pioneered at the start of 2010, forcing everyone else to follow suit.

Blown diffusers - 2010's other defining technical tweak - will stay to an extent, though.

In come those Pirelli tyres, while Kers energy storage and power-boost systems return after a year away. There will also be a new technical trick in the form of moveable rear wings, an attempt to solve F1's perennial problem even in a season as great as this - the difficulty of overtaking.

The success of the teams' research into the effects of these changes will shape next year's title chase - and it is by no means a given that this year's big three will be the ones who get it most right.

There have been concerned whispers that the efforts of waging a season-long campaign have diverted attention away from 2011 development programmes at Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.

The strain of winning the 2009 championships certainly drained Brawn Grand Prix, which had a debilitating effect on them this season in their new guise as Mercedes.

However, with no championship to fight for, teams such as Mercedes and Renault, who stopped developing their 2010 car in September so they concentrate on next season, could make it a five-way battle for honours next year.

"It has been a special year," mused McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh. "Can there be more?

"We have to keep the focus on brave, fantastic drivers in great machinery; an even-handed regulator, stability and clear rules that are administered properly.

"We can't guarantee it but there is no reason the championship next year can't be as good - or even better."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2010/11/could_f1_2011_be_even_better.html

Sandor Kocsis Christian Vieri Juan Alberto Schiaffino Dixie Dean

Top 5 Posts of 2010 on The Heli-Ski Blog

A quick year in review from The Heli-Ski Blog!  Our 5 most-read posts of 2010:

1) 5 Best Ski Movies

Mark Piquette summarizes his top 5 ski movies of all time.  Not Warren Miller/ Matchstick Productions ski movies, but Hollywood blockbusters featuring sick skiing.

2) Avalanche Perspective from a Heli-Ski Guru

Topher Donahue asked Colani Bezzola, the Mountain Safety Manager for CMH and a 36-year veteran heli-ski guide, to share some insights into the system CMH uses to keep us safe while heliskiing out there.

3) Soft Shell vs. Hard Shell for skiing in the backcountry

Topher and Lilla Molnar, one of CMH Heli-Skiing's fully certified mountain guides, discuss the merits of hard shell and soft shell in varying backcountry conditions.

4) Gothics Film Shoot: Pillow Lines, Back Flips and Corked 540's

We had the unique pleasure of hosting the Warren Miller Entertainment crew at the Gothics Lodge for the filming of their 61st film Wintervention.  While on scene, Mark Piquette posted this quick video blog that we love.

5) Rocker Ski Technology: Changing the Heli-Ski Experience

Aaron Ambuske, VP Global Product Development for K2 Skis, gave CMH the skinny on how adding rocker to skis has pushed skiing forward.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading from all of us at CMH!

 

 

Source: http://blog.canadianmountainholidays.com/heli-ski-blog/bid/57343/Top-5-Posts-of-2010-on-The-Heli-Ski-Blog

Roger Milla Michael Laudrup Andriy Shevchenko Socrates

Adirondack Daily Enterprise: "Burke, Bailey, Cook begin tours"

November 26, 2010 - By PETER CROWLEY, Enterprise Managing Editor

SARANAC LAKE - Three local biathletes will start a competitive international winter tour next week, but instead of Haley Johnson joining fellow Olympians Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey, it'll be Annelise Cook.

Bailey was picked last weekend as the fifth and final member of the U.S. biathlon World Cup team, joining Burke in Ostersund, Sweden for the World Cup season kick-off Thursday.

Bailey, 29, has called Lake Placid home since he was 10. Burke, 28, grew up 20 miles away in Paul Smiths, where his parents still live, but he bought a house in Lake Placid earlier this year. Both were Winter Olympians in 2006 and 2010, and Burke made history last season by becoming, for a time, the first American ever to wear the yellow bib as overall World Cup points leader. He, fellow Olympian Jeremy Teela and young prospect Leif Nordgren pre-qualified for this season's World Cup team based on last season's results.

On the women's side, Cook, 26, of Saranac Lake, was chosen for the IBU Cup tour, a step down from the World Cup. She was a discretionary pick by the International Competition Committee after some strong results in a three-race trial series last week in Canmore, Alberta.

"The ICC, in selecting Annelise Cook, noted that she showed great improvement over the previous season and had the next highest performance in the trials and was well ahead of the next rank competitor," the U.S. Biathlon Association wrote in a Nov. 19 press release announcing the team picks.

"I'm pretty psyched," Cook said Wednesday, back in her hometown.

Cook had dropped biathlon after missing the cut for the 2006 Winter Olympics, switching to nordic ski racing for the University of Utah. She returned to biathlon last winter, but "things didn't go that well," she said.

"I didn't ski that fast, and I ended up getting cut from the national team in the spring," she said. "But I wanted to give it one more shot."

Over the summer, biathletes and coaches in Lake Placid "were very gracious" in sometimes letting her join team training when she wouldn't be in the way. As a result, she said, her skiing speed has greatly improved, which was her favorite part of the recent trials.

"It made racing really fun, instead of last year when it really stunk," she said. "Last year, I had to rely on my shooting. ... This year, I would say they're more even. I'm a decent shot; I'm pretty consistent, which is a good thing." But being a better skier "takes some of the stress away" when she approaches the firing line.

"I'm super-grateful that people were very inclusive of me over the summer because otherwise there's no chance I would have made it - no chance," Cook said.

Johnson has not yet qualified for either the World Cup or IBU Cup circuit. The 28-year-old from Lake Placid wrote on her blog Saturday, the day after the teams were announced, that she had skied well but shot poorly in last week's trials. But she will have more chances before the final World Championship team is picked in January.

"I'll continue as planned and be ready to race later again in December at a NorAm in Mt. Itasca, MN for the IBU Cup Team Trials," Johnson wrote. "However, in this next month I'll be able to take a closer look at my shooting. I have some ideas of how to fine tune my competition shooting and with the help of my staff, we will re-evaluate the mechanics of my rifle (its a bit like a well-loved old car - 13+ years old? - and could use some new parts)."

Bailey was a discretionary World Cup pick.

"The ICC in selecting Lowell Bailey noted that he had very strong results over the summer/fall and had been sick before the trials so was not at his best for the races," the USBA wrote. "They also noted that he has played a very important role in World Cup Relays and that his experience there will be helpful to the team."

Bailey is back home this week after the trials in Canmore. Burke has been in Ostersund since Nov. 15. Johnson was in Lake Placid earlier this month and visited with fourth- and fifth-grade classes at Lake Placid Elementary School on Nov. 5, talking about how exercise is harder at high elevations. Johnson regularly keeps in touch, visits and skis with LPES students.

Bailey, Burke and Johnson grew up skiing and competing together in the Adirondacks. Cook did, too, albeit a couple of years behind.

World Cup biathlon races start Wednesday for women and Thursday for men in Ostersund. Cook's first IBU Cup race will be Dec. 11 in Martell, Italy.

Contact Peter Crowley at 891-2600 ext. 22 orpcrowley@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.

Source: http://comeskiwithme.blogspot.com/2010/11/adirondack-daily-enterprise-burke.html

Michael Owen Just Fontaine Duncan Edwards Dino Zoff

Rapt In Awe

by David Barry, CEO, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures

“He who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, his eyes are closed”   - Albert Einstein

After five weeks in the field Einstein’s quote seems to perfectly capture the natural beauty of the Columbia Mountain ranges and the CMH experience. In my many conversations with guests a common theme has come to light. As the first decade of the 21^st century concludes, curiosity abounds about the future of skiing.

What will the next decade bring?

To quote Steve Martin…we live in “a wild and crazy” time. Everyday we become more and more capable of doing just about anything we want. And the more our options and capabilities increase, the more difficult it becomes to decide what is worth doing. Bigger skis, faster lifts, top-to-bottom terrain parks, clothes that breathe, gloves that heat, HD helmet cams, more comfortable boots, smart phones that follow you around the mountain – all of these are possible today. Seems to me the world of skiing will continue to evolve dramatically in the next ten years. Which of these inventions will make or break the future of skiing? Or is it something else altogether?

Skiing is, always has been, and always will be, an adventure in lifestyle. The experiences we have, the people we have them with and the memories we create - on the glaciers, in the trees, in the lodges, gathered around a bonfire at night, standing at the landing “rapt in awe” at the top of the world – these are the suns around which the universe of skiing revolves. And, as we head into the next decade, we are reminded once again that the more things change the more they stay the same.

They tell me that the universe is expanding. But to me it seems like it gets smaller everyday. The Hubble telescope beams back pictures from hundreds of million of light years away. Planes carry us swiftly to destinations it took our ancestors months to reach. E-mail arrives in Banff eight hours before it was sent from Paris. And, my friends and I play host to guests from around the world, all of whom we come to know better and better every day. Our “customers” stopped being customers long ago – they are guests, our guests. And, as with any guest, our opportunity to treat them to the experience they want is contingent on our knowledge of, and relationship with them. Authentic; honest, complete with warts and blemishes, rolled up with a passion for skiing and the mountains we love.

New technology and hard and soft goods improvements will all serve to enhance the skiing experience. We will all benefit from these developments.

More importantly though, at CMH we believe our success is tied to:

• Knowing and communicating with our guests on a personal level.
• Treating our guests to a personal, “backstage pass”, mountain experience.
• Creating and maintaining a familial, caring, “be there” staff.
• Operating soundly as a business while projecting, living and sharing a lifestyle.
• Understanding that our product is the experience and the memories it creates.

The future is staring us squarely in the eyes. Hopefully we will be willing to stand “rapt in awe”, to keep our eyes open, to keep our ears open, to listen to, learn from and communicate with our guests.

Skiing is a magical feeling; floating, weightless, blessed with speed and the benefit of gravity, we are flying with only a surface of untracked snow ahead of us, surrounded by beauty.

Skiing is not recreation, it is re-creation.

Photo: Bugaboo Spires by Andrew Wexler

Source: http://blog.canadianmountainholidays.com/heli-ski-blog/bid/57551/Rapt-In-Awe

Bebeto Football Baseball Basketball

Olazabal is the perfect choice

Jose Maria Olazabal was the obvious choice to succeed Colin Montgomerie as Ryder Cup captain after the Scot stood down following the victory over the United States at Celtic Manor in October.

The 44-year-old Spaniard, who will be 46 when the Ryder Cup is next staged at Medinah Country Club in Chicago in 2012, was next in line and by far the most deserving of contenders, receiving the backing of Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington in the immediate aftermath of the win in Wales.

Olazabal, known as "Ollie", played in seven Ryder Cups between 1987 and 2006. He was also assistant captain to Nick Faldo at Valhalla in 2008 and was poached from a corporate role to help Montgomerie's campaign during Ryder Cup week, having earlier given indications he was not keen to be a vice-captain again.

Olazabal will be forever remembered in Ryder Cup annals as one half of the "Spanish Armada". He teamed up with the great Severiano Ballesteros to win a record 11 matches in their 15 Ryder Cup games together between 1987 and 1993. Olazabal's overall Ryder Cup record is 18 wins, five halves and eight losses.

As an individual player, he won 23 times on the European Tour and achieved six wins in America, most notably the Masters at Augusta in 1994 and 1999.

As part of Europe's "big six" in the 1980s and 1990s - along with fellow major winners Ballesteros, Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle - Olazabal and Scotland's Lyle were the only two not to have been given the role as Ryder Cup captain.

Lyle's age - 52 - now seemingly counts against him, while Olazabal was pencilled in to captain Europe at Celtic Manor but was reluctant to commit because of a yearning to keep playing and a recurrence of the rheumatoid arthritis that has dogged his career.

Montgomerie was drafted in instead - four years earlier than his assumed captaincy stint at the 2014 event at Gleneagles - and orchestrated a famous 14�-13� victory.

But Olazabal has given the Tour's Ryder Cup committee assurances over his health, and has been rewarded for his services to European golf over the course of an illustrious career.

"He's the complete captain, if ever there was such a thing," said BBC golf commentator Ken Brown, a former Ryder Cup team-mate and one-time vice-captain of Olazabal.

"He brings the best of every captain, the best bits of Langer, Sam Torrance, Tony Jacklin and so on. He really is a class act, a unique character, respected by everyone, admired by everyone. He played the game in the most sporting fashion imaginable and brings total respect from his peers around the world for the way he's handled himself, coming back from his injuries and winning the Masters. He's a remarkable man and does it all in a quiet, non-ebullient way."

Olazabal was born in Fuenterrabia on the Bay of Biscay in north-west Spain and first played the game at Real Golf Club de San Sebastian, where his dad was a greenkeeper.

He won the British amateur championship at the age of 18, when he beat the young Montgomerie in the final at Formby in 1984.

In his rookie season as a professional in 1986, Olazabal finished second in the European Order of Merit after winning two events.

He made his first Ryder Cup team in 1987, with captain Jacklin pairing the young rookie with his idol Ballesteros for the contest in Ohio. The move paid dividends. The pair won three of their four matches together, leaving Brown, playing in his last Ryder Cup, in no doubt that Olazabal was destined for great success.

"We shared houses in those days - I was with Ollie and Tony Jacklin," Brown told me. "It was one of the turning points in his career. He was 21, a bit nervous and playing with his good friend Seve, the man he so admired.

"It was a tremendous responsibility - we all know how much Seve liked to win. But Ollie holed one putt that week, after Seve had knocked it seven feet past when they needed to get down in two, and you thought, 'this chap is young but he's got heart and nerve and is a tigerish competitor'."

Europe backed up their historic 1985 win, the first for 28 years, with success in Ohio for their first victory on American soil. Olazabal's victory flamenco on the green is a defining image of the match.

Olazabal and Ballesteros reprised their successful partnership in the 14-14 draw at the Belfry in 1989, the American win at Kiawah Island in 1991 and the US victory back at the Belfry in 1993.

On his own, Olazabal's career continued to blossom, finishing second behind Woosnam in the 1991 Masters, when a win would have taken him to number one in the world.

The Spaniard got his revenge at Augusta in 1994, winning his first Green Jacket to emulate Ballesteros, who had become the first European to win the year's first major when he triumphed in 1980. Ballesteros also won the event in 1983 to herald a golden age of European golf.

The following year, Olazabal was struck down by rheumatoid arthritis, which caused intense pain in his feet and forced him to miss the 1995 Ryder Cup and the whole of the 1996 season.

But he was back in the competition in 1997, a late replacement for the injured Miguel Angel Martin, under Ballesteros's victorious captaincy at Valderrama in their native Spain. He broke down in the post-match news conference when asked to sum up his feelings. "A year ago I could not walk..." was all he could manage before tailing off as his team-mates broke out into a minute-long ovation.

The courageous Spaniard went onto seal a miraculous return from what he feared could be a career-threatening illness when he captured a second Masters title five years after his first in 1999.

Later that year, Olazabal was again inextricably linked with the Ryder Cup at the infamous "Battle of Brookline".
He was drawn against Justin Leonard in the singles on an acrimonious final day and was tied with his opponent on the 17th. When Leonard holed from 45ft, the most controversial celebration in the competition's history followed as the American team invaded the green, with Olazabal still to putt.

After the furore died down, Olazabal missed but he showed grit to win the last for a half, although the US regained the Cup after two straight defeats.

Olazabal's conduct in the news conference afterwards suggested to Brown, vice-captain to Mark James that year, that he was captaincy material.

"The media were baying for a headline but he said all the right things," recalls Brown. "He spoke for about 10 minutes, putting his side over. It was presidential. First of all, English is his second language but he said what he had to so well. He was classy enough to say what he thought without being scolding of anyone and talked with clarity as if he was the spokesman for the team. I thought that was remarkable and should have been the last word on the subject."

Olazabal missed out on making the side in the 2002 and 2004 matches but was back on form in 2006, partnering fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia to two fourball wins, as well as a singles victory over Phil Mickelson, in the record victory at the K Club in Ireland.

That was his last appearance as a player but he performed the role as Faldo's only vice-captain in the US in 2008. Olazabal's speech to the European team on the Saturday night before the singles matches has gone down in folklore on Tour.

"The only time we heard an emotional speech at Valhalla was when Ollie spoke on the Saturday night," said US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

Brown told me he has heard the tales and says that several players were in tears after Olazabal spoke.

In the last few years, Olazabal has been troubled by a recurrence of the rheumatism - this time in his shoulders, back and arms - and restricted to playing only twice in 2010.

But Olazabal's time has come to take the Ryder Cup reins - and Europe would appear to be in very good hands for the trip to Medinah.

"I think you need to take a big personality over there, somebody who has won two Masters, somebody who the Americans know. That all helps to give our team status," said Bernard Gallacher, Europe's captain in 1991, 1993 and 1995.

Brown adds: "There isn't anyone in world golf that wouldn't want Ollie to be captain - and I include the Americans in that."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/robhodgetts/2011/01/olazabal_the_blueprint_for_ryd.html

Romario Jairzinho Zinedine Zidane Ruud Gullit

Grube

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tqsO/~3/LcyAiyt9vwo/grube.html

George Best Marco van Basten Eusebio Lev Yashin

Kaymer and McDowell set for Dubai duel

Every year at the beginning of December a group of golf journalists are invited to lunch by the European Tour and we are expected to sing for our sustenance by deciding the Tour's Golfer of the Year.

It is always a convivial gathering, spiced by lively debate stirring memories of the fine golf we have witnessed over the previous 11 months, but more often than not the decision-making process is completed somewhere between the starter and the main course.

The swift selection process is not a dereliction of duty, it is simply that one outstanding candidate invariably emerges from the discussion. Indeed, there is often no need for any chat at all as it is immediately obvious to whom the accolade should go and we can raise a glass to the winner with a clear conscience.

It didn't take too long to nominate Lee Westwood last year and Padraig Harrington was the obvious choice in 2008 and 2007. But this time? Well, let's just hope the cheeseboard is well stocked because we may be arguing for quite some time.

There is very little to choose between the two outstanding candidates, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer.

Kaymer and McDowell both want to end the year as Europe's number one - photo: Getty

Both have won majors in the United States, while Kaymer has won three other titles compared to McDowell's two. That would seem to give the edge to the German, who leads the Race to Dubai heading into this week's final event, the Dubai World Championship.

But that doesn't take account of the extraordinary role McDowell played in the final match of the Ryder Cup, holding his nerve against Hunter Mahan to win the trophy for Europe.

For my money those achievements are enough to mark out McDowell as the outstanding UK sports personality of 2010 - OK, I admit I am biased - but are they enough to make the US Open champion Europe's Golfer of the Year?

It is an extraordinarily tough call but one that might become a little easier if either of the two finishes the season in style in Dubai.

Kaymer won his first major with victory at the USPGA Championship in August but has called this the biggest week of his career as winning the Race to Dubai was his stated ambition at the start of the year.

Only McDowell can deny him the title. The Northern Ireland man is 290, 911 Euros behind heading into this big-money event and needs a top-three finish to have any chance of pipping his rival.

For that to happen, McDowell will need to sustain and improve on the form that gave him a third-placed finish in Singapore and fifth in Hong Kong in the last two weeks.

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Graeme McDowell seals dramatic Europe Ryder Cup win

Kaymer, on the other hand, took last week off and said he has never slept as well given the exhausting nature of his stellar season. He's raring to go and keen to finish the job over the coming days.

It was another massive boost for the European Tour when Kaymer confirmed he will not be taking up PGA Tour membership next season. The implication is that his chosen tour is every bit as strong as its American counterpart.

Already the PGA Tour has felt the need to slightly alter its eligibility rules for players leaving them, which means Westwood will be able to play the US events that he wants to compete in next year.

The world number one will be allowed to accept three tournament invitations on top of the four majors, three World Golf Championships and the Players' Championship. Until this tweak Westwood was facing a choice between having to miss either the Players or defending the title he won in Memphis this year.

The change in rules shows how the PGA Tour is having to bend to the current power shift in the world game and benefits Rory McIlroy, who is not renewing his membership Stateside.

There are no such restrictions on Kaymer because he has never been a PGA Tour member, so isn't liable to the rules put in place to deter players from turning their backs on membership as McIlroy is doing next year.

All of which is fine news for the European Tour as it readies itself to unveil its 2011 calendar. There are plenty of issues to be resolved with sponsorship of the Irish Open again high on the agenda. There's also the likelihood of the Scottish Open heading north to Castle Stuart and a later end to the season with the Dubai World Championship switching to a December date.

That, though, is for next year. There's still plenty to be decided in 2010, which should provide for a fascinating finale before what is sure to be a lengthy lunch to decide the Europe's player of the year.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/iaincarter/2010/11/mcdowell_v_kaymer_provides_fit.html

Gunter Netzer Alessandro Del Piero Carlos Valderrama Ricardo Zamora

Australian Open 2011 Day 10 Open Thread

Getty

Fans of Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic cheer during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men's quarter-final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 25, 2011.

::

Order Of Play For Wednesday, 26 January 2011

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 AM Start Time

1. Women's Singles - Quarterfinals
Petra Kvitova (CZE)[25] v. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[2]

Not Before:12:30 PM

2. Women's Singles - Quarterfinals
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[12] v. Kim Clijsters (BEL)[3]
3. Men's Singles - Quarterfinals
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) v. Andy Murray (GBR)[5]

Rod Laver Arena 7:30 PM Start Time

1. Men's Singles - Quarterfinals
Rafael Nadal (ESP)[1] v. David Ferrer (ESP)[7]

Source: http://craighickmanontennis.blogspot.com/2011/01/australian-open-2001-day-10-open-thread.html

Franz Beckenbauer Michel Platini Alfredo di Stefano Ferenc Puskas

Mike Heika Chat

Got a question for Dallas News Stars Insider Mike Heika? Mike will be having his weekly chat this afternoon at 1:30 PM which will get underway in about a half-hour. As always, his chats go on for about an hour so get in line to ask him anything related to the Stars.

Mike Heika Weekly Fan Chat

Source: http://texasicehockeyexpert.blogspot.com/2010/11/mike-heika-chat.html

John Charles Lothar Matthäus Gordon Banks Jurgen Klinsmann

News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Tuesday...

• Some news on Cornell's incoming recruits. Deion Giddens (Willow Canyon HS) Carefree, AZ, 6-9, C, scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and tallied 6 blocks on January 21 in a 69-55 defeat to Dear Valley. Devin Cherry (Meridian HS) Meridian, MS, 6-3, G, gets mention in the Clarion Ledger's ranking of the top 10 teams in Mississippi. Meridian is ranked No. 1. SportsInk.com gives its midseason awards and honors to some of Ohio's conferences and notes, "LAKE [CONFERENCE] MVP: Ned Tomic (North Royalton C). The senior center is a Cornell recruit, both for his center skills and his Ivy League smarts. The 6-7 pivot towers over his foes, but also outworks and outfoxes them. He is averaging 22.7 points and 13.6 rebounds on the year, including 21.6 points and 12.5 boards in Lake contests, where teams put multiple bodies on him at all times."

• Devilicious.com previews Thursday's Duke-Boston College game and notes, "Boston College?s new coach, Steve Donahue, made great use of the three-pointer at Cornell. The Big Red shocked everyone last season by reaching the Sweet 16 and a big reason was their 43% accuracy from long distance."

• The Ivy Gate blog writes, "I?m not really sure what else could have possibly been going on in Ithaca last Saturday afternoon, but the Big Red student section never showed for the Ivy home opener versus Columbia, and the Lions took full advantage of the tame atmosphere to finish off an impressive sweep of the defending champs 70-66. Point guard Brian Barbour led the Lions (11-5, 2-0) for the second straight week with 23 points, but this time he carried the offense alone, getting little help from Noruwa Agho, who struggled against a constant double team and was just 1-12 from the field. Cornell (4-12, 0-2) led for the first 28 minutes and controlled the tempo for most of the game, but could not muster the late magic to finish off the upstart Lions. Now being hyped as one of the three best teams in the league, Columbia will have the opportunity to prove it in a huge match-up at Harvard this Friday."

• Cornell RPI Watch: The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. It does not consider the margin of victory, but only whether or not a team won and where the game was played (home/away/neutral court). The formula is 25% team winning percentage (WP), 50% opponents' average winning percentage (OWP), and 25% opponents' opponents' average winning percentage (OOWP). (See: CollegeRPI.com for a further explanation of the formula.) The RPI may be the most influential factor in NCAA Tournament seeding. Cornell's RPI rank as of January 25 is No. 245 out of 347 total Division I teams. While neither the Ken Pomeroy or Jeff Sagarin rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the KenPom.com site ranks Cornell No. 205 in the nation, while the USA Today Sagarin rankings have Cornell at No. 230 Both sites are predominantly used by fans and the media.

• Game Recaps-Below are links to our game recaps from each of Cornell's games this season. Associated press recaps courtesy of Rivals.com/YahooSports.com are always available by clicking on Cornell's schedule/results on the right column of this blog.

1. at Albany W 65-61 (video recaps)
   
2. at Seton Hall L 68-92
3. vs. Delaware W 75-61 (video recap)
4. vs. St. Bonaventure L 54-56
5. at Lehigh L 57-60
6. at Boston University L 61-66
7. at Syracuse L 58-78
8. at Minnesota L 66-71 (video recap)
9. at Binghamton L 68-69
10. vs. Bucknell L 64-75
11. vs. New Hampshire (@ VCU) L 66-68
12. vs. Wofford (@VCU) W 86-80
13. vs. Buffalo L 66-78
14. vs. Stony Brook W 60-52
15. at Columbia L 75-79
16. Columbia L 66-70
    

• Here is a look at Ivy League results and upcoming games. A full Ivy composite schedule may viewed by clicking here.

IVY LEAGUE COMPOSITE SCHEDULE

Friday, November 12
Columbia 71 La Salle 82 Box Score - Recap
Rutgers 73 Princeton 78 OT Box Score - Recap
Cornell 65 Albany 61 Box Score - Recap
Brown 69 Fordham 65 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 13
Harvard 53 George Mason 66 Box Score - Recap
Davidson 64 Penn 69 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 52 Providence 87 Box Score - Recap
Yale 75 Quinnipiac 84 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 14
Cornell 68 Seton Hall 92 Noon [SNY/ESPN3/ESPN Full Court] Box Score - Recap
Princeton 60 Duke 97 [ESPNU] Box Score - Recap

Monday, November 15
Maryland-Eastern Shore 74 Columbia 108 Box Score - Recap
Yale 55 Providence 58 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, November 16
Brown 67 Rhode Island 92 Box Score - Recap
New Hampshire 55 Dartmouth 53 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, November 17
Delaware 61 Cornell 75 Box Score - Recap
Holy Cross 49 Harvard 72 Box Score - Recap
Penn 54 Manhattan 59 Box Score - Recap
Columbia 66 St. John?s 79 Box Score - Recap

Thursday, November 18
Yale 75 Boston College 67 Box Score - Recap

Friday, November 19
St. Bonaventure 56 Cornell 54 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 71 Hartford 57 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 20
Harvard 75 Mercer 69 Box Score - Recap
Sacred Heart 67 Brown 81 Box Score - Recap
Columbia 76 Longwood 95 Box Score - Recap
Drexel 77 Penn 56 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 21
Dartmouth 59 Loyola (Md.) 73 Box Score - Recap

Monday, November 22
Cornell 57 Lehigh 60 Box Score - Recap
Princeton 64 James Madison 65 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, November 23
Bucknell 55 Princeton 66 [at JMU] Box Score - Recap
Colgate 63 Columbia 76 Box Score - Recap
Quinnipiac 69 Dartmouth 52 Box Score - Recap
Lafayette 65 Penn 74 Box Score - Recap
Yale 47 Illinois 73 [ESPNU] Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, November 24
St. Francis (N.Y.) 63 Brown 67 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 69 Bryant 66 Box Score - Recap
Presbyterian 69 Princeton 67 [at JMU] Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 27
Brown 66 New Hampshire 70 Box Score - Recap
Army 79 Yale 87 Box Score - Recap
Colgate 63 Dartmouth 80 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 61 Boston University 66 Box Score - Recap
Penn 58 Pittsburgh 82 [ESPN3.com] Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 28
Colorado 66 Harvard 82 Box Score - Recap
Columbia 64 American 62 Box Score - Recap
Siena 77 Princeton 86 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, November 30
Cornell 58 Syracuse 78 [ESPN3.com/Big East Sports Network] Box Score - Recap
Maryland-Baltimore County 59 Penn 71 Box Score - Recap
Princeton 82 Lafayette 64 [Lafayette Sports Network] Box Score - Recap
Hartford 76 Yale 81 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, December 1
Columbia 68 Bucknell 73 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 53 Vermont 80 Box Score - Recap
Fordham 57 Harvard 80 Box Score - Recap

Thursday, December 2
Brown 46 Hartford 58 [Connecticut Sports Network] Box Score - Recap

Saturday, December 4
Army 52 vs. Penn, 68 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 62 Michigan 65 [Big Ten Network] Box Score - Recap
Yale 78 Vermont 82 Box Score - Recap
Brown 62 Maine 54 Box Score - Recap
Stony Brook 72 Columbia 73 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 66 Minnesota 71 [Big Ten Network] Box Score - Recap

Sunday, December 5
Saint Joseph?s 65 Princeton 74 Box Score - Recap

Monday, December 6
Brown 64 Providence 91 Box Score - Recap
Albany 53 Yale 74 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, December 7
WPI 54 Harvard 69 Box Score - Recap
Wagner 71 Columbia 77 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, December 8
Princeton 64 Monmouth 61 Box Score - Recap
Yale 75 Bryant 53 Box Score - Recap
Villanova 65 Penn 53 [The Comcast Network] Box Score - Recap

Saturday, December 11
Boston University 71 Harvard 87 Box Score - Recap
Bryant 72 Columbia 76 Box Score - Recap
Army 68 Dartmouth 71 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, December 12
Princeton 82 Tulsa 78 (2 OT) Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, December 14
Dartmouth 61 St. Francis (N.Y.) 69 Box Score - Recap

Friday, December 17
Princeton 69 Wagner 57 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, December 18
Cornell 68 Binghamton 69 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, December 19
Dartmouth 42 Iowa State 71 Box Score - Recap
Sacred Heart 71 Yale 62 Box Score - Recap

Monday, December 20
Bucknell 75 Cornell 64 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, December 21
Army 88 Brown 86 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 67 Drake 59 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, December 22
Princeton 75 Towson 65 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 52 Connecticut 81 [SNY] Box Score - Recap
Penn 78 Delaware 68 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, December 28
Yale 44 Stanford 60 [Comcast SportsNet Bay Area] Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, December 29
New Hampshire 68 Cornell 66 [at VCU] Box Score - Recap
Monmouth 69 Harvard 74 Box Score - Recap
Brown 51 Central Connecticut State 67 Box Score - Recap
Penn 57 Marist 66 Box Score - Recap
Princeton 65 Northeastern 63 [at UCF] Box Score - Recap

Thursday, December 30
Cornell 86 Wofford 80 [at VCU] Box Score - Recap
Princeton vs. Furman/Central Florida, 5/7:30 pm [at UCF]
Columbia 74 Maine 71 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 57 Bucknell 74 Box Score - Recap

Friday, December 31
Bryant 71 Brown 84 Box Score - Recap
Lehigh 62 Yale 57 Box Score - Recap
MIT 58 Harvard 84 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, January 2
Elon 70 Columbia 69 Box Score - Recap

Monday, January 3
Buffalo 78 Cornell 66 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 47 Army 67 Box Score - Recap
Penn 62 Kentucky 86 [ESPNU] Box Score - Recap
Brown 67 American 77 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, January 5
Columbia 76 Lafayette 73 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 78 Boston College 69 Box Score - Recap
Marist 57 Princeton 68 Box Score - Recap
Yale 77 Holy Cross 76 OT Box Score - Recap

Saturday, January 8
Stony Brook 52 Cornell 60 Box Score - Recap
Baruch 57 Yale 85 Box Score - Recap
*Harvard 68 Dartmouth 53 Box Score - Recap
Lyndon State 55 Brown 88 Box Score - Recap
Union (N.Y.) 59 Columbia 64 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, January 12
Penn 83 La Salle 89 OT [The Comcast Network] Box Score - Recap

Saturday, January 15
*Yale 69 Brown 64 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 67 George Washington 62 Box Score - Recap
*Cornell 75 Columbia 79 Box Score - Recap

Monday, January 17
Quinnipiac 78 Brown 87 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 64 Colgate 67 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, January 19
Penn 56 Temple 73 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, January 22
*Brown 51 Yale 59 Box Score - Recap
*Dartmouth 50 Harvard 59 Box Score - Recap
*Columbia 70 Cornell 66 [Time Warner] Box Score - Recap
Saint Joseph?s 61 Penn 73 [The Comcast Network] Box Score - Recap

Sunday, January 23
College of New Jersey 40 Princeton 73 Box Score - Recap

Friday, January 28
*Brown at Princeton, 7 pm [Verizon FiOS 1]
*Cornell at Dartmouth, 7 pm
*Columbia at Harvard, 7 pm
*Yale at Penn, 7 pm [The Comcast Network] [SIRIUS]

Saturday, January 29
*Cornell at Harvard, 6 pm
*Yale at Princeton, 6 pm
*Brown at Penn, 7 pm
*Columbia at Dartmouth, 7 pm [SIRIUS]

Source: http://cornellbasketball.blogspot.com/2011/01/news-and-notes-tuesday-edition_25.html

Michael Laudrup Andriy Shevchenko

Ithaca Journal Previews Dartmouth/Weekend Action

Wroblewski, Cornell men's basketball team seek turnaround

Point guard playing with injured hip

By Brian Delaney
Ithaca Journal
January 28, 2011

Friday?s game
Cornell (4-12, 0-2 Ivy League) at Dartmouth (4-12, 0-2), 7
Radio: WVBR (93.5)

It's been a season of frustration for the Cornell men's basketball team, but for talented point guard Chris Wroblewski, nagging injuries have compounded the previously unfamiliar pain of losing.

The Big Red (4-12, 0-2) embarks on a four-game Ivy League road trip beginning with Friday's stop at Dartmouth (4-12, 0-2) and Saturday's visit to Harvard. Two wins, especially considering one would come against a Crimson team (13-3, 2-0) that's been nothing short of outstanding so far, could revitalize the season. Two losses would all but bury the three-time defending champions. A split would feel like status quo.

Regardless, Wroblewski is adjusting on the fly. A lingering pain in his hip -- beginning in late December -- was recently revealed to be a partially torn hip flexor. He was hesitant at first to discuss the injury after Wednesday's practice.

"I don't know how much I should actually be divulging," he said. "I don't want to be making any excuses. I don't want to seem like it's a copout."

Wroblewski's preseason included a broken nose after an inadvertent elbow, followed by a sprained ankle that cost him the first two games of the season. It took long after that for his ankle to feel 100 percent again.

In Cornell's two losses to Columbia, Wroblewski struggled at times with both foul trouble and his shooting stroke. His foul trouble in last Saturday's game had little to do with his mobility -- Wroblewski acknowledged he felt he just didn't play well.

This weekend will be the first time he's been asked to play games on back-to-back days. How his body responds on Saturday will play a factor in the Big Red's approach to playing the athletically gifted Crimson. Wroblewski leads the team in minutes played per game (32.6).

"I think the true test is seeing how it does back-to-back," he said. "Because only playing the one night (against Columbia), I could rest the next day. It gets sore. Last time was the first game I got a shot to numb it. That helped, although the first time I'm playing with a shot I get in foul trouble and I'm on the bench."

Surgery after the season could be an option, but Wroblewski is hoping rest will serve as a cure. It's a stress-related injury that he'll just have to play through.

He and his teammates, meanwhile, continue to grind through practices with the belief that a breakthrough is coming. A pair of four-point losses to the Lions did nothing to boost the confidence of a group trying to learn how to win close games.

"I think we're all still pretty positive," junior guard Drew Ferry said. "We know there's a lot of basketball to be played."

Friday's quartet of games mark the first of six straight Friday-Saturday weekends that will inevitably decide the league champion. Princeton and Penn will be playing their Ivy openers, hosting Brown and Yale, respectively. The other six teams already have two league games in the books.

Dartmouth was swept by Harvard, but gave the Crimson a scare last weekend in Cambridge. Under first-year coach Paul Cormier, now in his second stint at Dartmouth, the Big Green remains a team that prefers a methodical, grinder pace.

"They play a certain style of basketball," Cornell coach Bill Courtney said. "They keep the score very low; they're a very good defensive team ... so we're really going to have to disrupt what they want to do offensively and try and get that game going a little bit faster."

Harvard is the opposite. Coach Tommy Amaker has filled his roster with explosive talent, and 6-8 junior forward Keith Wright is having a player of the year-type season. Harvard's three losses have come against George Mason, Michigan and Connecticut, with wins over Boston College, Colorado, Boston University and George Washington.

"Very talented," Courtney said. "You watch them against BC, you look at that and go, 'Holy smokes.' They looked like a top-25 team in that game. I think they're beatable, but they are a very, very talented team. Tommy's done a great job of getting those guys to play together this year."

Despite a difficult start, Wroblewski said Cornell isn't conceding anything yet.

"We go in with the approach and mentality that our goals are the same, still to win the Ivy League," he said. "It's probably because the last couple years, we instilled that kind of winning mentality and come with the approach every day that we want to work hard.

"We know what it takes to win. We've been competitive every game; we just have to learn to close out some games."

Scouting Dartmouth

Matchup: Cornell (4-12, 0-2 Ivy League) at Dartmouth (4-12, 0-2), 7 p.m. Friday

Radio: WVBR (93.5).

Coach: Paul Cormier (1st season, 4-12)

Last time out: Dartmouth led by as many as 12 in the second half, but Harvard rallied with a 23-2 run to beat the Big Green, 59-50, in an Ivy League game last Saturday. Harvard swept the season series. R.J. Griffin scored 20 points in the loss.

Probable starters: David Rufful (6-4, 210, Jr., F), Clive Weeden (6-9, 220, Sr., C), Jabari Trotter (6-1, 195, Jr., G), R.J. Griffin (6-4, 185, Soph., G), Kirk Crecco (6-3, 195, Jr., G).

Key reserves: Tyler Melville (6-2, 180, Fr., G), Gediminas Bertasius (6-5, 210, Fr., F), Mbiyimoh Ghogomu (6-6, 205, Soph., F), Matt LaBove (6-9, 235, Soph., C).

Injury update: Ronnie Dixon, a 6-1 senior guard, has missed more than a month with a hand injury. His status for this weekend is unknown.

Statistically: By average, Dartmouth's leading scorers are Trotter (9.1), Griffin (9.1), Rufful (9.0), Dixon (7.0) and Crecco (6.3). ... Trotter is shooting 44 percent from the three-point arc. ... Dartmouth is being outrebounded by a margin of 7.5 boards per game. ... Currently on a five-game losing streak. Last win was 67-59 over Drake on Dec. 21.

Outlook: This is a matchup of the Ivy League's two most offensively challenged teams. Both have cumulative shooting percentages under 40 percent. Cornell shoots the 3 better. Dartmouth shoots free throws better. Neither team gets above 65 points in a game with regularity.

Is it too simple to say whoever has the better offensive night wins? Regardless, it's a sign of how hard and far Cornell has fallen this year that there's no reason to think this game won't be close. The Big Red has won the last 10 in this series, but the Big Green, with no expectations, has proven dangerous on occasion. At home, ever more so. With the Big Red looking vulnerable, this isn't an easy spot for Bill Courtney's bunch.

Still, it's one they have to have, and they know it.

Source: http://cornellbasketball.blogspot.com/2011/01/ithaca-journal-previews.html

Claudio Caniggia Tostao Frank Rijkaard Jose Luis Chilavert

Will football take its chance to change?

Now that the storm surrounding 'Linogate' has died down, there is an opportunity to perhaps reflect on what the whole episode tells us about football's attitudes towards women in 2011.

The comments and behaviour of the sacked Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who has also left his role with Sky Sports, have been rightly condemned by fans, equality groups, the football authorities and the media.

And it is interesting to note once again the sport's power to shine a light on issues which go far beyond the confines of the pitch.

But do they simply reflect the outdated views of a boys club which exist away from prying eyes, behind the closed doors of dressing rooms and boardrooms and off air in television and radio studios?

A new report on equality in European football commissioned for Uefa by Dr Steven Bradbury of Loughborough University certainly suggests that is the case. Dr Bradbury found that there is "overt and casual sexism" embedded in the game and that women's abilities are "devalued and invalidated".

That Sian Massey is an assistant referee in the Premier League at all is clear evidence of progress but while there are now 853 female referees registered with the Football Associatio (compared to 26,000 men) few apart from pioneer Wendy Toms and Massey have broken through to the top level.

And while there are more junior and middle ranking officials and administrators working at clubs, only five women have made it through to board level in the last five years - Brenda Spencer at Wigan, Delia Smith at Norwich, Heather Rabatts at Millwall, Karren Brady at Birmingham and now West Ham and Lorraine Rogers at Tranmere. Today only the last two are still involved.

Massey has reached Premier League level as an assistant referee this season

Similarly there are only two women on the 102 strong FA council - football's parliament - but there are none at full board level, something that may change if new chairman David Bernstein delivers on his pledge to bring much needed reform.

Uncovering attitudes inside the dressing room is virtually impossible but Robbie Savage said in an interview earlier this week players did not judge women officials on their gender but on whether they were any good or not.

Having said that a dressing room full of young men is unlikely to be the best place to find enlightened comment on the opposite sex.

But is that exclusive to football? Anyone who has been in a rugby or cricket dressing room at any level would probably find evidence of sexism on differing scales. In that sense is football all that different?

Research by the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation suggests the picture might be improving. It found that in 2010 there were 11 female chief executives of national sport governing bodies, or 23%. This equates to an increase of 8% from 2009.

Similarly there was an increase in the number of key executives on boards and committees across sport - up to 25% from 21%.

Compare those statistics to the number of women who hold top board jobs in Britain's leading companies.

The trend might be going up but research by the Cranfield School of Management found only 12.5% of directors in FTSE 100 companies were occupied by women (135 female directors out of 1,076). In pay terms too, women lag way behind men - by 23% according to the 2010 management national salary survey.

But how realistic is it for women to ever attain true equality in a sport like football when it is divided on gender lines at the very highest level of competition?

In April a new Women's Premier league will be launched but no-one expects it will ever come to compete commercially with the highest levels of the men's game.

And nor do they want it to. The women's game is different and that should be celebrated in its own right.

But is there simply a ceiling to female ambitions which will never be broken through? Equality campaigners I have spoken to concede this but argue football has not even started to scale the heights.

Of course, they admit, there are natural limits where the physical differences are so great and the level of experience so contrasting. But why can't there by more women referees, administrators, broadcasters and journalists in the game?

And perhaps the true measure of equality will only come when a woman is the manager of a Premier League club or the England team.

Can a woman who has not played the men's game at the very top level really tell a team of men how to play or is that irrelevant as long as she is a master of tactics and has all her coaching badges?

Perhaps the Football Association should seize the moment and add the highly regarded Hope Powell, manager of the England women's team, to Fabio Capello's coaching staff. That really would send a message that football has moved on from the sorts of attitudes displayed by Keys and Gray.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2011/01/footballs_chance_to_change.html

Johan Neeskens Mario Kempes Luigi Riva Jose Nasazzi