The Ashes 2010: England must get rid of 'Wacky Professor' John Buchanan

Now Kevin Pietersen has joined in with his own withering judgement: "He's a nobody. He had the best team to coach in the history of cricket. Anyone could have coached that team."

But there is a difference. Warne was expressing his frustrations after spending eight years under Buchanan in the Australia team; Pietersen, on the other hand, was reacting to some very personal criticism from a man employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board as a consultant.

Buchanan had recently said in a magazine interview: "Pietersen is a quality player and he could be an incredible strength for them [England] but, if he's not scoring runs, he could become a major problem for the batting line-up and the entire team. Andy Flower has been trying to work on that.

"Two of the things that will be tested in Australia are strength and unity and clearly he [Pietersen] hasn't understood his role within the team yet. He has the potential to be an individualist and fragmentary. It needs to be managed by [Andrew] Strauss and Flower."

You'd think Buchanan has intimate knowledge of the England set-up. He hasn't. He has never spent time with the full England team. As team director Flower said last week: "Very clearly, he's not in our inner circle." Flower could have been much more damning because, privately, he is thought to be furious with Buchanan's comments. And rightly so.

The situation is further complicated, I understand, by the fact that Buchanan has outstanding commitments remaining on the informal consultancy contract agreed last summer, when he met with Flower and other ECB coaches to discuss planning for the Ashes.

The plan would have been to pick his brains again ahead of the first Test late next month. I can't see Flower meeting him now. And I can't see the ECB employing him again after this, as is Buchanan's deluded desire apparently.

I suppose it calls into question whether the ECB should have used Buchanan at all. I think they should. Small margins matter at international level: attention to detail is king. Amid his wacky 'mad professor' ideas there will have been some gems lurking in Buchanan's memory bank.

Coaches in general matter too. It was Ian Chappell who first declared that they were best used to transport the team to the ground and back; a viewpoint then hijacked by Warne in relation to Buchanan. But times have changed. Science and professionalism have seen to that. Players need help in their preparation.

And coaches are mobile. They follow the jobs and the money. National loyalty does not concern them: it is the same in all sports. An Italian coaches England at football: a New Zealander coaches Wales at rugby. Oh yes, and a Zimbabwean (the second useful acquisition from there) coaches England at cricket.

Recently there was a bit of a brouhaha about Dene Hills, an Australian coach employed by the ECB, defecting back home to become Australia's performance analyst. There was a bit of confusion, though, because Hills is based at the National Academy in Loughborough and has spent only a couple of days with the Test team in two years.

But the ECB has cleverly decreed that he serve his notice, meaning he cannot walk into the Australian dressing room until the Ashes is well under way. And apparently Hills, once Australia's assistant coach, gave a superb presentation to the England players before last year's Ashes.

England should forget Buchanan now. They have the knowledge. It is time to put it all into practice.

Read more: Sport

Bolton captain Kevin Davies has developed into the consummate professional

He felt the pain of not being able to talk with his deaf father, of being belittled as a one-dimensional player, even derided as a thug. Yet the Bolton Wanderers captain will never complain.

He knows what it's like to sit in the dressing-room after games so battered and bruised he can hardly move. Davies's calves bear the marks of his daily trade, yet he never winces. He just gives his all.

"Kevin trains every day as if it's his last,'' remarks his manager Owen Coyle.

Davies knows what it is like to be an expensive flop (£7.25 million from Southampton to Roy Hodgson's Blackburn Rovers in 1998).

He's been swapped, loaned and freed yet his twilight years have acquired a golden glow.

At 33, he's just made his England debut, a tribute to his persistence and the appreciation of Bolton's more considered style under Coyle.

Against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, Davies aims to show Hodgson why he spent so much of Jack Walker's steel money 12 years ago, a failed investment that played a part in Hodgson losing his Ewood post.

Davies is up against Sotirios Kyrgiakos, probably not a duel for the footballing purists.

Opposing centre-halves might flinch at the thought of the robust forward giving something back but Davies is doing just that.

On a chilly October morning Davies can be found up on Bolton Old Links Golf Club, overseeing his KiDs of Bolton charity golf day, raising much-needed funds to provide sport for underprivileged local children.

Davies himself was raised on the Lansdowne Estate near Bramall Lane.

"We played football every night after school, on a little pitch with my older brother and his friends and we'd play on for all hours. The lights went out and we carried on.

"I played for a team [Brunsmeer] and the manager [Dave Barker] gave me boots but to repay him I worked on his butcher's stand in the market in Sheffield.

"From a young age, I was always having to earn it and I've taken that on into later life.

"I was one of six and had to work hard. Mum did part-time jobs but we never went without. It was difficult for my parents to support me in my football interest but they always encouraged me.

"My dad [Cyril, who passed away in 2005] played for the deaf and dumb side in the Olympics and had trials at Sheffield Wednesday with Derek Dooley one of his coaches.

"My dad never felt he had a disability. But because he was deaf it made it difficult to have a professional career. We lip-read and got on fine.

"But it was difficult. You couldn't pick up the phone and talk. He would have been incredibly proud about England.''

Long before Davies's substitute appearance against Montenegro, Coyle had been promoting his captain's credentials.

"He has been pushing to get myself and the likes of Gary [Cahill] into the England squad. Jack Wilshere got in there through playing with us. Fab Muamba is coming through.

"The manager has been getting the message across that I'm not just a one-dimensional player.''

The "thug'' accusation levelled at Davies brings a sharp response from his manager. "It's a word I don't like, a word that should be so far removed from Kevin Davies,'' says Coyle, talking in the clubhouse at Bolton Old Links.

"He's a physical player. There's not a bad bone in his body.

The amount of times he's sinned against but he always gets up with a smile. Every game, Kevin will be marked black and blue. He accepts that.

"He's a throwback to the good old days when it was just an honest battle between a tough centre-half and a big physical centre-forward.''

Davies is adroit at shielding the ball. "There was nobody better at backing in than Kenny Dalglish,'' observes Coyle.

"Kevin's using his physical attributes, he's strong upper top, so it's near impossible for the centre-half to get the ball unless he fouls him.''

Davies's international call still surprised many. "I'm very proud England chose me even if people say it was because of injuries to others,'' he adds.

"But I went down there, worked really hard, tried to make an impression and I hope I've done that. My whole family came down to watch. It was a bit emotional. England was something I've always wanted to achieve.

"All the England players were very welcoming. It was a good camp. The players do have that pride.

"There are so many forums out there, so many opinions with people saying 'players are getting paid too much money' or 'they don't care about playing for England'. I can't understand that.

"Having been with the England players, I know how much it means to them to be there. When they are not selected, they're disappointed like Gary Cahill was at being left out.''

Coyle was at Wembley and took "tremendous pride'' from the crowd's positive reaction to such a whole-hearted player.

"The England fans recognised that here was a player who should have been in the squad numerous times before but kept persevering, who turned down advances from home international teams because he wanted to play for England.

"I'd have loved to seen him get longer. He would have helped to win the game. Kevin has that football intelligence. He mentioned management is something he's thinking about.

"He loves the game. He's got good people skills and he's very humble. There's a perception of the Barclays Premier League that players are aloof but Kevin shows that's not the case.

"I'd put Davies in that bracket of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. He's a consummate professional.''

Davies smiles at his manager's praise. It won't change him.

"When I came back to Bolton from England, the players weren't expecting me to be doing tricks and showboating in training!'' Not Davies's style.

Read more: Sport

Knicks are OK, but Nets are better: Barkley

Like most of the NBA, Charles Barkley doesn't have a problem beating up on the Knicks.

They have been an easy target for nine straight years, having last posted a winning record in 2001. And let's not forget the bad contracts, the ugly losses and the off-the-court controversies.

"That's the New York Knicks, all right," Barkley says.

And although the Knicks have improved with the addition of five-time All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire, Barkley doesn't think they will be a playoff team this season. In fact, Barkley says that Mike D'Antoni's team "won't be better than New Jersey.

"I just don't know how good they can be," Barkley said on the eve of TNT's season-opening broadcast between Boston and Miami. "Can they make the playoffs? I just don't see it."

Barkley, who recently lost 40 pounds and says his goal is to drop another 40, added that Mike D'Antoni has his best team in three years and that one of the keys to its success will be Raymond Felton.

"Mike plays a point guard-driven system," he said. "And he had a great one in Phoenix in Steve Nash. They'll be better but again, I still think New Jersey will be better."

Both the Nets and Knicks cleared cap space with an eye on signing LeBron James, who instead landed in Miami. And while New Jersey failed to land an impact free agent, the Knicks signed Stoudemire to a five-year, $100 million contract.

Former Suns GM Steve Kerr, who resigned over the summer to return to the TNT broadcast booth, confirmed that Phoenix was reluctant to give Stoudemire a fully guaranteed contract because of his medical history. The Suns' offer was $71 million over five years with incentives.

"He's about six years post micro-fracture (knee) surgery now and generally speaking about eight years after the surgery is when guys start to fade," Kerr said. "We did a lot of research on it. Jermaine O'Neal is a good example of that.

"You have to remember that every franchise is in a different circumstance when free agency comes up. The Knicks needed Amar'e for credibility. We were very concerned about years three, four and five and how it could have hamstrung us cap-wise. Ultimately, we weren't willing to take that risk."

Bad knees aside, Stoudemire is the only sure thing the Knicks have as they prepare to open the 2010-11 season tomorrow in Toronto.

"I think the Knicks will be a lot better," Kerr says. "There is hope now and excitement around the team. (But) they need to do more and they know that. "

Read more: Sport

Sex can still sell more in NASCAR than the racing

When Danica Patrick announced her foray into NASCAR, there was some criticism from a few in the sport; after all here was young woman who seemed as comfortable laying on the hood of a car in a bikini or appearing of the cover of Sports Illustrated as she was in the cockpit of a racecar. But at least Patrick had a racing resume that included a win in the IndyCar Series.  And over time she has proven that her talent is nearly equal to her looks.

Friday the appearance of two platinum blondes, twins, strolling down the pit lane at Martinsville turned heads and set the internet a buzz; Hottie Alert! Twin Bombshells Poised To Make NASCAR History! Those were a couple of the headlines.

Read more: Sport

TNA finally explains the plan behind 'They' and the takeover of TNA

 PPVs can mark the end or the beginning of storylines. For TNA, Bound For Glory is their biggest PPV of the year. It's their WrestleMania, where most storylines conclude and a new cycle of feuds and angles begin. At this year's Bound For Glory, TNA revealed that Hogan, Bischoff, Jarrett, Abyss, and Jeff Hardy were "They". After months of "build-up", TNA delivered their payoff.

Now, I wasn't a fan of this grouping of personalities. And, I still think they dropped the ball on the "They" storyline. However, TNA finally gave some logical explanation as to how this all evolved. On tonight's (10/21) episode of TNA Reaction, TNA spent the entire 1 hour episode explaining how and why "They" originated and their partnership with Ric Flair's "Fourtune". And, for the record, I found it satisfying. I only wish they would have done this on the PPV and/or TNA Impact. These shows are designed for this explanation. It shouldn't take a secondary show to cover these details.

In short, Hogan, Abyss, Bischoff, Jarrett, and Fourtune all had one common enemy and that was Dixie Carter. This hatred for her became the bond that brought these wrestlers together. Jeff Hardy more or less joined because of Dixie Carter and EV2 in addition to his frustrations with the fans and RVD.

I give credit to TNA for tying in everything that has happened since Hogan's arrival. It's what alot of us critics complain about with the WWE. They seem to frequently, and conveniently, forget their history when it suits them. TNA broke it down step by step as to how everything evolved.

Despite not liking the grouping of "They", and their lack of creativity with the "swerve" or "takeover", I give TNA an A+ on finally giving a semi-logical reason behind all of this. I only hope that this storyline can take TNA to a higher level. But I won't hold my breath on it.

Read more: Sport

InterMat Platinum: The five top assistant coaches in college wrestling

"The job of an assistant wrestling coach is nearly indefinable. Like the head coach, the assistant coach works as part-time nutritionist, second-string doctor, team psychologist, occasional travel agent, data input manager, and, if there's time, wrestling technician."

Oh, and they need to play nice with the head coach.

So says Tim Foley, in his analysis of what's important in an assistant coach at a college wrestling program, posted as an InterMat Platinum feature at the amateur wrestling website InterMat. (Note: Platinum features require a paid subscription, which may be purchased for a modest cost online.)

As Foley says, a great assistant makes his boss look good... which ultimately opens doors for him to someday be the head coach of his own college wrestling program.

In his analysis, Foley names five current assistants who are "leading the pack" in terms of making a significant, positive impact with their program and its wrestlers. Some names you'll instantly recognize; at least one may have you doing a Google search. It's fun to see who Foley singles out, and his rationale. As with any Tim Foley story, you may disagree with his choices... but it's hard to disagree with his presentation.

Want to stay on top of the latest news in college wrestling? If so, subscribe to College Wrestling Examiner!  You'll be automatically notified every time a new story is posted here. To sign up for your FREE subscription, click on the "subscribe" button at the top of this page.

Resources

InterMat Platinum: Assistant coaches

TheMat.com: College wrestling on TV (2010-11 season schedule)

College Wrestling 101: Links to College Wrestling Examiner articles answering basic questions about wrestling, including rules, scoring, uniforms, more

Follow College Wrestling Examiner Mark Palmer on Twitter

Read more: Sport

Real Madrid 2 AC Milan 0: match report

Cristiano Ronaldo scored and set up another goal for Mesut Özil less than a minute later as Real Madrid beat AC Milan 2-0 to seize control of Champions League Group G on Tuesday.

Jose Mourinho's young Real side, playing with energy and pace, dominated an ageing Milan team and the La Liga giants cemented their place at the top of the group with three wins in three matches.

After a fast-paced opening 10 minutes with few clear chances, Ronaldo struck in the 13th minute with a fierce freekick that flew through the Milan wall.

Within the visitors reeling, he then sprinted in from the left wing to feed Özil on the edge of the penalty area and the German international's first-time shot ballooned up off the back of central defender Daniele Bonera and into the net.

Real, who went top of La Liga at the weekend, are flying in their bid for a 10th title in Europe's elite club competition and are yet to concede a goal in this year's edition.

Andrea Pirlo was the first Milan player to threaten the home goal in the 29th minute with his side already two goals down.

Iker Casillas had to be alert to keep out the midfielder's fierce freekick before former Real player Clarence Seedorf blazed over from a good position wide on the left.

In the second half, Real's forwards created a string of chances with Gonzalo Higuaín, Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria all going close to a third.

A toothless Milan, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexandre Pato labouring up front, rarely threatened and former Real player Robinho, who replaced the ineffective Ronaldinho with around 20 minutes remaining, was roundly whistled every time he touched the ball.

Read more: Sport

World Series Game Two goes to the Giants

Game Two of the 2010 World Series was a quality game -- except for the disastrous seven-run bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. As for the Texas offense tonight -- no Pedro Guerrero, no Bengie Molina -- no offense taken.

Starting pitcher Matt Cain and CJ Wilson provided solid pitching performances tonight during the San Francisco Giants' 9-0 victory over the Texas Rangers. A fifth inning solo home run by Edgar Renteria and a seventh inning RBI bloop single by Juan Uribe had produced the only two runs of this game for the Giants until that fateful eighth inning that put the game far out of reach. Wilson pitched six inni8ngs, allowing two runs (one scored after he departed the game) and three hits, while striking out four and walking two. He was able to throw his off-speed pitches on fastball counts and keep the Giants in check all night, except for that chin high fastball to Renteria.

Matt Cain had only two innings in which he faced danger. Ian Kinsler came within inches of a leadoff home run in the 5th inning but was stranded in scoring position. In the sixth inning, consecutive singles by Michael Young and Josh Hamilton and a wild pitch put Cain in a predicament. He was able to get Nelson Cruz and Kinsler to pop out to end the Rangers only threat of the night. Cain threw 7 2/3 innings, giving up no runs on four hits. He stuck out two and walked two. In this post-season, Cain has yet to allow an earned run in 21 2/3 innings.

So the Giants came back and won Game One in a manner to which they are not accustomed and win Game Two with solid pitching and controlled the game in their usual manner. Which Giant team will we see on Saturday night at Arlington? Which Texas team  will show up to face Jonathan Sanchez?

Random Points to Ponder ...

Nolan Ryan looked in pain when the Rangers pitchers lost their control in the eighth inning and gave up four consecutive walks. But, somewhere deep inside he remembers that while he holds the career record for strikeouts (5714, 839 more than Randy Johnson) he also holds the career record for walks (2795, 967 more than Steve Carlton).

The Giants left mid-season acquisition Jose Guillen off of the post-season roster, and one reason may have been that according to Michael Schmidt of the New York Times, “federal authorities informed Major League Baseball that he was tied to an investigation into shipments of performance-enhancing drugs”.

ESPN commentator and current Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter had a great segment on the pre-game show tonight, showing that Giants catcher Buster Posey did not back up first base on two separate occasions at the end of Game One. It turned out not to be important -- at least at that moment -- but Buck used it as an example of how you have to teach and instruct players even after a win.

Perhaps to counter Giants reliever Brian Wilson and the “Fear the Beard” syndrome, the Texas Rangers should have ZZ Top sing the National Anthem before Game Four?

Read more: Sport

UFC merges with WEC

MMA  -  Like a big crocodile with a wide open mouth, leading MMA promoter Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) absorbed its World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) promotion on Thursday.  The merger adds two championship belts and close to 70 fighters.

UFC president Dana White is in a dominant position in the MMA industry and appears to be doing a consolidation play around the world.  White is specifically targeting Asia as providing added growth to the fast growing combat sport.  UFC is the fastest growing sports brand in the United States.

WEC fighters now fight under a single banner.  The merger will happen gradually in 2011.  The UFC's non-pay-per-view shows air on Spike TV.

Read more: Sport

LeBron's new Nike Air Max 8 South Beach sneakers: Nice or Miami Vice?

Cue the Jan Hammer soundtrack to Miami Vice. NBA superstar LeBron James's latest sneaker has dropped and it's got pastel Florida style that the Golden Girls would envy.

The Nike Air Max LeBron 8 South Beach Edition is bright turquoise and with hot pink accents. Think flamingos, Art Deco and tropical drinks.

LeBron unveiled the new sneaker over the weekend at the House of Hoops in the Dadeland Mall in Miami and a handful of other locations in South Beach.  For those who can't wait to rock it like 'Sonny' Crockett, the shoes will be available later this month, according to ESPN.

Other color schemes, including ones featuring the Heat's red and black will also be for sale.

The Heat is on: Chris Bosh (from l.), LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

James said he and Nike have tried to bring "a little bit more hip, a little bit more spice" to his shoes.

"I'm 100 percent, I'm hands-on, from the start of the whole creation," James told ESPN. "What type of airbag, the mid-sole, the out-sole, the colors, all the way to the performance when I put it on before the game. Everything."

Not everyone is a fan of the $160 blue sneakers. 

Dan Fogarty of the sports blog Sports Grid described the color scheme as "80's coke lord had a baby with the Miami Dolphin."

"I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how this shoe is going to sell — even among sneaker fanatics," Justin Fenner of Styleite told Fogarty. "It's very 80s and very colorful, but being de rigueur and being downright unattractive aren't mutually exclusive."

The All-Star forward, whose move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat spurred more controversy than congratulations. His home town cried foul when he announced his decision to move to Miami on ESPN.  New Yorkers, hoping the superstar would come and rescue the sagging Knicks, were bitterly disappointed to see the 25-year-old player to fly south.

"To move to a whole new state is not fun — trying to figure out your family situation, figure out where you'll be living, figuring out new routes to your work. That's not fun," James told USA Today. "The experience and gratification of it all, it becomes fun."

Maybe he's hoping his new kicks will brighten up his tough transition.

Read more: Sport

Everton v Liverpool: live

Email nick.pearce@telegraph.co.uk with your banter and musings or tweet him @nickpearcey

13.16: Just 15 minutes to go. Predictions? Hyperbole to be man of the match.

From Opta Joe on Twitter: "12 - Only once before have Liverpool and Everton had fewer than 12 points between them after 7 games in the top flight (11 in 1926/27). Slow"

13.11: From Chris via email (See 12.59): "It’s like the possibility of being de-bagged in front of everyone and hoping that your new underpants don’t let you down too?"

13.06: So both the owners are at Goodison after claiming their first appearance would be at Anfield!! Liars!

Tom Werner: "It's a stunning day in Liverpool. We're football fans and we're here to just root on the team. Our team has been having a bit of a bad patch but we're here to support Roy [Hodgson] and support the team. The future all starts tomorrow."

13.04: Sky going with a Johnny Cash version of Bridge Over Troubled Water to soundtrack their pre-game montage. It works quite well. What works even better is having Scouse legend Robbie Fowler in the studio. Great work.

12.59: I'm trying to find a real-life parallel to the context of this match. How about this?

It's like getting a new boss who promises to pay off your overdraft then two days later he comes along to watch you try and execute an everday workplace task to a better standard than your worst enemy. Does that work? (No - Ed)

12.50: Teams are in! Phil Jagielka is fit to start after missing the England match midweek, while Maroune Fellaini is out injured, with Jonny Heitinga replacing him. For Liverpool Fernando Torres starts up front, while Paul Konchesky, Maxi Rodriguez and Lucas come in for Glen Johnson (hamstring), Christian Poulsen (absent) and Dirk Kuyt (ankle).

Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Heitinga, Arteta, Osman, Cahill, Yakubu.
Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Bilyaletdinov, Beckford, Gueye, Mustafi, Baxter.

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Gerrard, Lucas, Meireles, Cole, Maxi, Torres.
Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Jovanovic, Babel, Ngog, Spearing, Kelly.

12.47: Tom Werner was interviewed on BBC 5 Live earlier today. You can go here to read the best bits. Still worried about American owners? You needn't be according to Werner. "We've been voted the last two years the best owners in baseball. We're thoughtful and our track record speaks for itself," he said.

12.40: Before we're in full flow can I just establish an impartiality policy. The other week while on a road trip across the UK I spent an afternoon in Liverpool. While I was there I walked past a cafe that had both the Everton and Liverpool flags flying high outside. And that's what we're going to do here too, both clubs equal and jacket potatoes sold for £2.95.

12.35: Here's what was said in Friday's press conferences:

David Moyes: "Parts of derbies are the challenges, sometimes not so good challenges. That is the way it always has been. It is always a feisty occasion.

''We don't want the bad tackles but this is why people talk about the derby and are excited about it. What they expect from managers and players is a bit of commitment."

Roy Hodgson: "It's a sad day if after a bad start of six or seven games people think the solution is to find someone else with a magic wand – we all know the magic wand solution doesn't exist.

"I know that I can turn the situation around but I have to be given support and I have to be given the patience and the time to do it."

12.30: From Henry Winter at Goodison Park: "John W Henry arriving. Arsenal legend Alan Smith, doing Sky piece, just ambushed by Goodison sprinklers - and after all he did for Everton spirits at Anfield in 1989"

12.25: It's arrived. Finally. The biggest party Liverpool Football Club has had since 2005 is almost upon us. The venue? Oh, just the home of their biggest rivals. The dress code? Red (cards-a-plenty). The theme? America. I'm not strictly invited but I'm going to crash anyway. Would you like to join me? Of course you would. Let's go!

---

Actual football preview stuff

Everton v Liverpool team news

Everton Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Heitinga, Arteta, Osman, Cahill, Yakubu.
Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Bilyaletdinov, Beckford, Gueye, Mustafi, Baxter.

Liverpool Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Gerrard, Lucas, Meireles, Cole, Maxi, Torres.
Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Jovanovic, Babel, Ngog, Spearing, Kelly.

Referee: Howard Webb. Matches: 4. R 0 Y 16.

Last season: Everton 0 Liverpool 2, Liverpool 1 Everton 0

Bet of the game: A draw looks best at 7-4.

Fact: There have been 19 red cards in games between these two rivals, the most in the Premier League.

Read more: Sport

Ahman Green loving his time back in Nebraska with UFL's Omaha Nighthawks

Ahman Green is the Green Bay Packers all-time leading rusher. These days, he carries the ball for the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks in the state where he starred in both high school and college. He couldn’t be happier about playing in Nebraska again.

“My family and friends get to see me play, that didn’t get to see me in Seattle or Green Bay,” said the Seahawks 1998 third-round draft pick. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Green and Nighthawks quarterback Jeff Garcia have to wonder why they aren’t in the NFL, but the running back said it’s not something they’ve discussed.

“We haven’t had that conversation,” stated the former Nebraska Cornhusker. “NFL teams passed me over and we don’t look at that. We just focus on what we’re doing.”

What they’re doing is leading the expansion Nighthawks to a potential berth in the league’s championship game. At 3-1, Omaha is a half of a game out of first place and can take a major step toward the title game when it hosts the 4-1 Las Vegas Locos on Thursday evening.

Green and his teammates can expect a boisterous crowd as the team’s first two home games were sellouts of more than 23,000 fans at famed Rosenblatt Stadium. Thanks to the fan support, the venue has been chosen to host the 2010 UFL Championship Game.

Read more: Sport

MLS playoffs and US Soccer on TV: My Game of the Week, Rivalry of the Week

Six Western Conference teams and only two Eastern Conference teams compete in 2010 MLS Cup playoffs, which kick off Thursday night. The contenders are: La Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders, Colorado Rapids, and San Jose Earthquakes. Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy are favored for the finals, but upsets can't be ruled out. The first round consists of a home and away leg with rival. Click here for the whole playoff schedule.

My Game of the Week is FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake this Saturday at 5 PM on Fox Soccer Channel. These teams face each other twice in the opening round and it's a shame one of them will be knocked out. I'm betting that's Dallas, but on the other hand, they've surprised all season.

My Rivalry of the Week is San Jose Earthquakes vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday at 10 PM on Telefutura. Can MLS Golden Boot Winner Chris Wondolowski and the Quakes outscore fancy Red Bulls and their three designated players? Actually two DPs, because Thierry Henry is out with an injury. I think it's possible.

The USA competes in CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament in Cancn, Mexico from Oct. 28-Nov. 8. The USA take Haiti, Guatemala, and Costa Rica and all the matches are streamed live on CONCACAF.COM. Click here for USWNT roster and tournament information.

MLS and US Soccer on TV (all times Eastern, first team hosts)

Thursday, October 28
7:30 - CONCACAF: USWNT-HAITI: streamed on CONCACAF.COM
9:00 - COLORADO RAPIDS-COLUMBUS CREW: ESPN2, ESPN3.COM, FSC ESPANOL

Saturday, October 30
5:00 -  FC DALLAS-REAL SALT LAKE: FSC, FSC EN ESPANOL
7:30 - CONCACAF: USWNT-GUATEMALA: streamed on CONCACAF.COM
10:00 - SJ EARTHQUAKES-NY RED BULLS: TELEFUTURA

Sunday, October 31
8:00 - SEATTLE SOUNDERS-LA GALAXY: ESPN 2, ESPN3.COM, ESPN DEPORTES

Monday, November 1
7:30 - CONCACAF: USWNT-COSTA RICA: streamed on CONCACAF.COM

FOLLOW US SOCCER EXAMINER AND LE EISENMENGER ON TWITTER AND SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL ALERTS.

Read more: Sport

Avery's squad Nyets first win

Mikhail Prokhorov flew in from Russia just a couple hours before tipoff, admittedly cautious about the young and inexperienced Nets team that was much different than the one he envisioned.

The billionaire Russian amended his goals before his team's 101-98 season-opening victory over the Pistons, going from playoff-bound to work in progress.

"We just need time," he said.

But the Nets didn't need that Wednesday night. They needed only the final 1:40 to overcome a seven-point deficit, demonstrating fight and resiliency under coach Avery Johnson for an uplifting victory. After trailing for most of the game, the rebranded, rebuilt Nets completed their comeback with a big three-pointer from newly acquired Anthony Morrow, who buried an open look with 26 seconds remaining to give New Jersey a 97-95 advantage.

It was their first lead since early in the third quarter.

Detroit missed two potential game-tying threes in the final seconds, giving the crowd of 15,178 something to feel good about after the first regular-season game in Newark.

"In a perfect night we wouldn't have malfunctioned on some of our errors early in the game. But, then again, nothing's perfect," Johnson said. "But this was a beautiful ending. If this was a movie for a team coming out of the situation we came out of and a new team - it's a beautiful ending."

Two of those in attendance were Prokhorov and minority owner Jay-Z, who, at one point, shared an executive suite, standing side-by-side just as they did in the "Blueprint for Greatness" billboard. They witnessed an uneven performance until the final two minutes, when Devin Harris, Jordan Farmar and Morrow ignited the game-winning run.

"There was a period of time in the game when we looked like we were finished and our guys kept playing," Johnson said. "It just really showed the personality of our team that we're never going to quit. And we're going to win our share of some of these games."

The Nets also had encouraging performances from Brook Lopez (25 points, nine rebounds) and rookie Derrick Favors (eight points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes). Harris added 22 points and nine assists, including nine points in the fourth quarter.

The biggest disappointment was their most expensive free agent acquisition - starting small forward Travis Outlaw, who scored five points in 21 minutes, after getting a five-year, $35 million deal from the Nets.

BATTLE OF THE BILLBOARDS
It wasn't long before Prokhorov took a shot at the Knicks.

After toasting to his team and its quest for respectability, he resumed the billionaire brashness that has defined his brief tenure. Asked about the Knicks' billboard in the construction area of the Nets' future home in Brooklyn - which shows forward Amar'e Stoudemire posing above the words "Brooklyn Represent" - Prokhorov said, "I saw the picture but, Amar'e, he looks very sad. He looks like he wants to play in Brooklyn in a couple of years."

 

Read more: Sport

Avery Johnson leads Nets with a passion

The orders are painted on the walls of the Nets' training facility, as directed by "The Little General," Avery Johnson.

"Defensive FG%=44%," it reads above the locker room entrance, unavoidable to players going through their daily practice routines.

"Details. Discipline. Decisions. Determination," are the words on the other side of the gym.

"Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance" reads another order.

Adjacent to that, "Get Better."

Simple. Easy to understand. Johnson uses similar acronyms and catch phrases in his other profession as a motivational speaker, whether he's addressing elementary school students, Fortune 500 executives, professional athletes or the co-author of his book, "Aspire Higher." It's a "special skill set," Johnson says, beneficial to coaching. His success rate is excellent.

Using his distinguishable, cartoon-like voice, Johnson, 45, who was raised in New Orleans, spoke to the Saints before last season. His message was a simple, "Be Special," and the Saints rewarded him with his own Super Bowl ring. In his first full season as a head coach with the Dallas Mavericks, he advanced to the NBA Finals and was named Coach of the Year. In his next season, he guided the Mavericks to the league's best record. After four seasons, he left Dallas with the best winning percentage in league history.

"How I'd describe him is he's a natural born leader. He gets people to follow him," says Nets guard Devin Harris, who played four seasons under Johnson in Dallas. "That's where the nickname 'The Little General' comes from.

"He runs a tight ship but he's very successful."

Success didn't come easy for Johnson as an NBA player. He was short, under-skilled and was twice cut by NBA teams. He found the right fit with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, who transformed the 5-11 overachiever into the starting point guard on a championship squad - highlighting his rise from the New Orleans projects.

But Johnson understands that New Jersey is different. There's no ready-made lineup, no Dirk Nowitzki or Tim Duncan. The Nets are a lump of clay, fresh off a 12-70 disaster. Inexperience saturates the roster. From the moment LeBron James uttered "South Beach" and left his suitors digging for free-agent scraps, Johnson has talked down the possibility of the playoffs and has pushed rebuilding, trumpeting the talents of Brook Lopez, Terrence Williams and Derrick Favors, the cornerstones of a bright future way beyond 2010-11.

It's partly a tactic to take pressure off players and himself, but mostly a harsh reality. Barring a trade for Carmelo Anthony - which has been in the negotiation phase since the summer - the Nets aren't ready to compete in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

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Marlborough: horse racing tips

1.55 Doncaster: Judge 'N Jury is at his best at this time of year and his stable has recently hit form. He has slipped to an attractive mark and is 10lb lower than when winning this race in 2008.

2.05 Newbury: Dux Scholar produced a fine burst of speed to pass rivals at Ascot last time, but the soft ground and stiff finish found him out. This furlong shorter trip should suit.

BET OF THE DAY: Music Maestro (3.30 Doncaster) has struck up a successul partnership with his young rider and come here in peak form.

Ayr
2.10 Mille Chief

2.45 Safari Adventure

3.25 Monet's Garden

4.00 Court Red Handed

4.35 Laskari

5.10 Medermit

5.40 Ballybriggan

Chepstow

2.00 Carlicue

2.30 Lord Generous

3.05 Intac

3.35 Frascati Park

4.10 Pistolet Noir

4.45 Baily Storm

5.20 Gerrard

Doncaster

1.55 Judge 'N Jury

2.25 Galtymore Lad

2.55 Casamento

3.30 Music Maestro (nap)

4.05 Ashram

4.40 Alazan

5.15 Unex El Greco

Kempton

5.45 Morning Chief

6.15 Spade

6.45 Arowana

7.15 Robby Bobby

7.45 Piano

8.15 L'Hirondelle

8.45 Primaeval

9.15 Alis Aquilae

Newbury

1.30 Orange Ace

2.05 Dux Scholar (nb)

2.40 Whispering Gallery

3.10 Sard

3.40 Zoowraa

4.15 Carlton House

4.50 Oriental Cat

5.25 Boucheron

Stratford

2.20 On Borrowed Wings

2.50 Hibiki

3.20 Cantabilly

3.50 Gaelic Flight

4.25 Paint The Clouds

5.00 Mam Ratagan

5.30 Leulahleulahlay

Read more: Sport

Danilo's growth a key for D'Antoni, Knicks

Danilo Gallinari is supposed to be good enough to either get the Knicks to the playoffs or get them Carmelo Anthony.

The club has lofty goals for the third-year forward, but Gallinari's maddening inconsistency in the preseason is a growing concern for a Knicks team that desperately needs him to have a breakout year. In five exhibition games, Gallinari has made just 18 of 53 shots (34%) and he went 0-for-7 in Sunday's win over the Washington Wizards. Gallinari's struggles reached the point where Mike D'Antoni benched the small forward midway through the third quarter.

"It's been up and down for many reasons," Gallinari said following Monday's practice in Greenburgh. "For sure, I cannot be like that. It's preseason, but I can't be like that during the season."

Gallinari denied an Internet report that he is bothered by having his name mentioned in trade scenarios involving Anthony. Those stories began over the summer and will continue as long as Anthony remains with the Denver Nuggets.

If Anthony becomes a free agent next July, it is believed that his top choice would be the Knicks. Of course, the same was said about LeBron James but after the Knicks sacrificed two seasons to make a run at the top free agent, James elected to sign with Miami.

The question is whether the Knicks can afford to wait until July to make a major move. As Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni enter their third year together, the pressure is on to make the playoffs, especially with Isiah Thomas looming in the background. Moreover, the Knicks' mediocre play in the preseason only underscores the need for the team to make a significant upgrade.

Denver has made it clear it has little interest in what the Knicks are offering. That could change if the Knicks are able to acquire a first-round pick from another team. (The Knicks already have traded their 2011 first-round pick to the Houston Rockets.) According to a Knicks source, the club would include Gallinari in a potential deal for Anthony, a perennial All-Star.

"I've never been upset or worried about the trade," Gallinari said. "I have been saying this from the beginning. I never receive call from my agent or my team. I'm not worried at all about the trades."

With the Knicks set to open the regular season a week from Wednesday in Toronto, D'Antoni says he is "cautiously optimistic with a lot of concern."

"There are some question marks where we have to get better," he added. "There are some good parts. I like the part that we have a guy (in Amar'e Stoudemire) we can throw the ball to and get on his back."

D'Antoni admitted that he'll need several young players to "come through for us. Anthony Randolph has made strides the last week and I'm optimistic about him. Gallo's got to make a jump this year."

LOOK WHO'S HERE
There was a surprise guest on the Knicks bench on Sunday: Eddy Curry. The injured center usually watches home games from the locker room, but the word is the team insisted that Curry sit on the bench.

Read more: Sport

World Cup 2018: Fifa's Zurich glasshouse was designed to create transparency

Unveiled in 2007 at a cost of some £99 million, the first thing that strikes any visitor to the vast complex is the fact that most of the outside is made of glass; something which, according to Fifa president Sepp Blatter, would "allow light to shine through the building and create the transparency we all stand for".

Yet Fifa's base also includes five underground levels, a fitness centre, a meditation room, geographically themed parks and a full-sized international football pitch. "It is more than just a building to be shown," said Blatter, "it is like a home where people can meet, talk, rest and retreat in silence and contemplation."

It is also a home that acts as a symbol for an organisation that clearly takes the generation of money very seriously.

The importance of delivering a profitable World Cup was certainly underlined in the England 2018 bid book, which predicted a record surplus of some £160 million based on ticket revenue less the operating costs for the tournament.

Since 1975, Fifa has grown from a small core of just 11 full-time staff to a vast organisation of around 300.

The 24-man Fifa executive committee, whose votes will decide the destination of the 2018 World Cup, are perceived as some of the most pampered sports administrators in the world. They are understood to be paid $150,000 (£94,000) a year and receive a reported daily allowance of some £300. The salary of Blatter is not disclosed but, before bonuses, is estimated at £830,000.

Fifa enjoys tax-free status in Switzerland, although it stresses that its profits go back into developing football around the world.

Read more: Sport

Gallo: Who will wear the horns in Series?

Baseball fans, I invite you to pick the Hero and Goat of this year's World Series. All you need do is cut out the above cartoon and each day jot down your Hero and Goat. At the end of the Series, check my picks and see if we agree. No cheating, put down your picks at the end of each game. No prizes, just let's see how good you are at making a chump out of me. And, maybe you will get your name in the paper.

For the sake of history, in 1958, the Hero-Goat World Series feature was installed for the first time in this sports section, despite some disgruntled voices from baseball's ivory tower.

That first year, one of the brass in the National League condemned it and sent me and then-managing editor Bob Shand this message: "It's not dignified to be putting horns on baseball stars."

The editors and myself saw it as a fun thing, and since they and our readers seemed to enjoy it, the feature took flight and has flourished for 52 years. It became so popular that, after every series, The Sporting News in St. Louis ran an entire page reprinting each drawing with explanations on why I chose each Hero and Goat.

That first year, the Yankees vied with the Milwaukee Braves in the Fall Classic. The Braves won the first game, 4-3, and Warren Spahn was the Hero and there was no Goat recorded for this beautifully played, 10-inning game.

In Game 3, Hank Bauer, who delivered three timely hits in the 4-0 Yankee win, was the Hero while Red Schoendienst, always a steady Eddie, came out the Goat because of his overly cautious base-running, which killed what might have been a big inning for the Braves.

The Series went seven games, the Yankees taking the title with Bob Turley on the mound, wearing the Hero's laurels. Frank Torre, Joe's brother, got the horns when he was charged with two errors. He balked at being the Goat, because on both occasions he threw the balls for what should have been outs to Lew Burdette, who dropped them. There was never an explanation as to why the scorer gave Torre the errors.

The business of picking a Hero-Goat is not always that definite. This is why your eyes have to be peeled on every pitch.

Some years ago, I discovered that during a World Series the players went to the Hero-Goat before the box score.

Mickey Mantle once expressed concern about Hero-Goat. He had written in his book that he feared, "Gallo putting horns on my head." He never wore them, but one time, after his playing days were over, I was sitting with him in his restaurant, "Mantle's," when he confessed to me that he was indeed worried about those horns.

"You came close a couple of times," I told him. Mickey gave a big chuckle at the thought and put up fingers on the sides of his head.

In all the years I've done this feature, at least a half-dozen players told me directly that they were furious to see the horns put on them. One guy said that he felt like I slapped him on the back of the head and called him "dopey."

He's no longer with us so there's no sense telling who he is because his wife, a lovely lady, might be offended.

So, all you "Geezers" (65 and over) and you "Wheezers" (13 to 55), have yourselves a little fun and write down (or if you like to draw, go ahead) your picks in the squares.

Have fun at being a reporter of each game. That's the idea.

One last thing: Who was the Hero for the first game in last year's World Series?

Why it was none other than the guy who's starting for the Texas Rangers in Wednesday night's opener. He was with the Phillies then.

At right is last year's Game 1 Hero-Goat:

Read more: Sport

Paper View: football news, transfers, gossip

– Read more news, rumours and gossip on the Football Transfers page.

Today's football stories ...

It seems there is growing unrest at Manchester City after striker Roque Santa Cruz revealed his desperation to play his football in Spain while claiming that Carlos Tevez is incredibly homesick and will do anything to return to his family in Argentina. The comments come jus days after Joleon Lescott suggested there was unrest after he was dropped from the side to play Arsenal. (Mirror)

Arsene Wenger says the desperation for silverware at the club has forced him to change his views on the importance of the Carling Cup. Now five years without a trophy, Frenchman Wenger has admitted the club can no longer depend on the league and the Europe. (Mirror)

Sir Alex Ferguson continues to tie down his best players. In a week that has seen new contract handed to Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, John O'Shea looks set to be the next player commit his future to Old Trafford. (Sun)

Ferguson may be kicking himself this morning for handing such a big wage packet to Rooney after Mexican striker Javier Hernandez once again came up with the goods in United's 3-2 win over Wolves in the Carling Cup last night. (Sun)

Just over a year on from his training ground bust up with Martin O'Neill, Nigel Reo Coker is set to wear the Aston Villa armband in the absence of Stilian Petrov. (Guardian)

Having been subjected to 'Judas' taunts by fans of his former club Swansea, Roberto Martinez will no doubt be smiling this morning after new club Wigan secured their spot in the next round of the Carling Cup thanks to a 2-0 win. (Express)

Organisers of England's 2018 World Cup campaign are demanding an apology from Russian Alexei Sorokin for diparaging comments made in a Russian newspaper. The two nations are engulfed in a war of the words as Fifa board members work to agree on voting system for the decision set to be made on December 2. (Times)

Manchester United are set to make a January bid for Standard Liege's Steven Defour after the midfielder issued a come get me plea. (Mail)

Read more: Sport

Neck surgery could end Nylander's career

MIAMI — With the game up for grabs, Ben Roethlisberger found himself part of an end-zone scrum so frantic the officials were unable to determine who had the ball.

That gave the game to the Steelers.

A video review determined Roethlisberger’s late touchdown was instead a fumble, but because it was unclear who recovered, Pittsburgh kept the ball and kicked the game-winning field goal on the next play to beat the Miami Dolphins 23-22.

“Just a bizarre kind of play. You hate to win it that way, but you’ll take a win,” Roethlisberger said.

Said Miami linebacker Channing Crowder: “The refs called a wonderful game — for the Steelers.”

With Pittsburgh trailing 22-20 and facing third-and-goal at the 2, Roethlisberger fumbled as he dived across the goal line on a quarterback draw. The play was ruled a touchdown as both teams scrambled for the ball.

After a review, referee Gene Steratore announced Roethlisberger fumbled before scoring. But Steratore said replays were inconclusive regarding which team recovered, and the Steelers were awarded possession at the half-yard line, allowing Jeff Reed to kick an 18-yard field goal with 2:26 left.

“I have to have clear video evidence of the team recovering the fumble,” Steratore said after the game. “It is a pile of bodies in there, and you don’t have a clear recovery.”

Several Dolphins argued Miami linebacker Ikaika Alama-Francis recovered. Did the Steelers steal one?

“We will take it and exit stage left,” coach Mike Tomlin said.

AFC North leader Pittsburgh improved to 5-1 and remained unbeaten on the road. The Steelers won despite losing three starters with injuries: linebacker LaMarr Woodley (hamstring), defensive end Aaron Smith (left arm) and tackle Flozell Adams (left ankle).

Miami fell to 3-3, with all the defeats at home and all the wins on the road.

Roethlisberger, playing his second game since returning from his suspension, finished 19 for 27 for 302 yards and two scores. But the Dolphins’ point total was the highest against stingy Pittsburgh this year.

The game was the first for the league’s top-scoring defence since the NFL crackdown on illegal hits, a move precipitated in part by a helmet hit by Pittsburgh’s James Harrison, who drew a $75,000 fine.

Maybe that robbed the Steelers of some zeal. Harrison said he held back once when tackling Ronnie Brown.

“I didn’t want to get a helmet-to-helmet,” Harrison said.

With the Steelers at less than their best defensively, the Dolphins’ Chad Henne threw for 257 yards. Miami took the 22-20 lead when Dan Carpenter kicked his fifth field goal with 5:17 left.

Emmanuel Sanders returned the kickoff 48 yards against the Dolphins’ shaky kick-coverage unit, and when Mewelde Moore turned a short pass into a 29-yard gain, the Steelers appeared on the verge of victory.

On third-and-goal, Roethlisberger took two steps back, then ran up the middle and lunged for the end zone. Chris Clemons hit him to jar the ball loose.

“I thought he broke my arm, he hit me so hard,” Roethlisberger said. “My arm kind of went numb.”

The debate about what happened next continued long after the game.

“I saw the ball sitting right in front of me,” Roethlisberger said. “One of their guys jumped on it, and it squirted between them, so I was able to grab it under the pile.”

Roethlisberger said he cradled the ball in his right arm, but he conceded a Dolphins player - Francis - also had a piece of it.

“I’m not denying he wasn’t holding onto it,” Roethlisberger said. “How do you tell who recovered the ball?”

Francis said he stood up with the ball.

“I just don’t understand the ruling,” he said. “I had possession.”

The crowd booed as Reed trotted onto the field to kick the winner. The Dolphins had a chance to make the ruling moot with a last-minute comeback, but they lost the ball on downs, gaining only 4 yards in four plays.

The Dolphins recovered fumbles at the Pittsburgh 22 and 13 in the first 2 minutes but settled for a field goal each time. Their failure to take control early proved costly.

“We shouldn’t have put it in the refs’ hands,” Crowder said. “As we see, they can make some bad calls sometimes.”

Read more: Sport

Alfredsson hits 1,000-point mark in Senators win

MONTREAL — With the departure of franchise player Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani is the heir apparent for the Toronto Raptors and is expected to lead a young yet game and athletic team to the promises land known as the NBA playoffs.

Bargnani, with a career-best season immediately behind him and expectations to contribute more this season, welcomes the challenge.

“Every year there’s more pressure,” the 7-foot forward said before he and the rest of the Raptors concluded an eight-game pre-season schedule with an entertaining 108-103 win Friday night over the New York Knicks before a record-setting crowd of 22,114 at the Bell Centre.

“I think it’s good have more pressure on you because it means you’re doing the right things. When you’re not doing it, nobody is going to expect nothing from you. When you’re doing it, it’s good. And you just have to keep working.”

Bosh bolted from the Raptors during the off-season to sign with the Miami Heat and be part of a dream trio with Heat MVP Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bosh spent seven seasons with the Raptors, where he emerged as the face of the franchise and fan favourite in the wake of Vince Carter’s exit after the 2004-05 season.

He left the club as its all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, double-doubles and free throws.

Many expect Bargnani will have to fill the void left by Bosh, or at least try. The Raptors took Bargnani No. 1 overall in the 2006 NBA draft and the native of Rome, Italy, who turns 25 on Tuesday, definitely appears to be entering his prime after having set career highs last season, averaging 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.39 blocks per game.

“Personally I think you have to keep getting better,” said Bargnani. “Better at everything. Better in every (statistical) number. And just keep going that way.

“I know what’s expected of me. I definitely have to go inside more and that’s an independent thing from Chris being gone,” he continued. “(Going inside) is part of the game I have to keep developing. Keep getting better at.”

Raptors head coach Jay Triano, into his second season as head coach of Canada’s only NBA franchise, though no doubt appreciative of Bargnani’s approach to the new season, has made it clear that no one player will be responsible for the team’s success, which this season is geared to making the playoffs after being on the outside looking in the past two seasons.

“They’re going to have to be a team. Have to play together,” Triano said in response to how the team could succeed in the absence of Bosh. “It’s going to have to be points by contributions by everybody. We’re going to have to have guys who maybe make a little bit of a sacrifice to get more involved in the offence.

“Some of our guys are going to have to score more points than they have in the past,” said Triano. “At the same time they’re going to have to try to do that without being selfish, otherwise you disrupt the team. We don’t have the one focal guy to go to.”

Triano said Bargnani was among those who needs to step up his game and expects he will.

“He’s one, but we’re not putting the pressure on him to score 24 points a game like Chris Bosh did,” said Triano. “He will find a way to score points.”

Friday night’s record-setting crowd, nearly a 1,000 more than seating capacity for Canadiens’ games — and maybe the only time a Montreal sports fans have ever cheered, done the wave and sang Ole, Ole, for a Toronto team — got a good idea how the Raptors will take on the new season when it begins against the same Knicks next Wednesday at home.

They play uptempo, quick and athletic, and there’s no quit, at least there wasn’t any hint of it Friday night as they rolled to a 62-45 lead at halftime and then, after letting a 15-point advantage get trimmed to four in the final minute, they held firm to even their pre-season record a 4-4, the .500 mark for the first time since 2008.

Bargnani’s 15 points in 23:31 time on the floor was tops among seven Raptors in double figures. Toronto got 12 from starters forward Linas Kleiza guard DeMar DeRozan and David Anderson, Leandro Barbosa, Jose Calderon and Sonny Weems, combined for 46 points off the bench.

“I’m happy with the way we move the basketball and the way we’ve been able to play with intensity,” said Triano. “The players are playing as a team and sticking up for each other which is a good sign, too.”

Everyone will be watching to see if it continues when the games are played for real.

Read more: Sport

ESPNU HBCU Thursday: UAPB Rallies to Down Alcorn State

Chris Ewald kicked two 40-plus yard field goals and Stephen Jones added a touchdown run, all in the fourth quarter, as Arkansas-Pine Bluff rallied past SWAC foe Alcorn State, 39-35, at Jack Spinks Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi Thurday night.

Ewald booted a 49-yard field goal and added a 42-yarder to force the Braves to go for the touchdown instead of three points as time ran out.

Jones scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Golden Lions (4-3, 3-2) from 10 yards out, after Ewald's first field goal, to make the score 36-35.

Alcorn State (3-4, 2-3) almost declawed the Golden Lions when quarterback Brandon Bridge led the Braves all the way to the UAPB 3-yard line for first & goal. But Bridge, who rushed for 55 yards on the drive, couldn't break UAPB's goal-line stand and turned the ball over on downs.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff seemed to have the game in hand, coming out of the halftime break with a 27-14 lead.

Bridge, however, connected with Edward Johnson with scoring passes of seven and 31 yards. Bridge then ran in the second of his two touchdowns, from a yard out to put ASU up 35-27.

UAPB went up 27-14 on three touchdown runs from Adrian Moore and an 84-yard interception return from James Harrell.

Bridge finished the game with almost all of ASU's 472 yards of total offense. He completed 17 of 39 passes for 271 yards and two scores, but was picked off three times. He also carried 18 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Johnson had six receptions for 138 yards and two scores.

Moore paced UAPB with 88 rushing yards on 15 carries.

UAPB host Grambling State Oct. 30 at 3:30 p.m.

Alcorn State will take on Southern at Jack Spinks Stadium Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.

Read more: Sport

Raissman: Violent hits still a big draw on TV

Shannon Sharpe ain't no hypocrite.

While his NFL TV analyst brethren were laying the self-righteous sanctimony on thick in support of Roger Goodell's head-hunting crackdown, Sharpe, on CBS' "The NFL Today," was consistent.

"When you got guys who don't play football, or have never played football, making these decisions, this is what you get," Sharpe said Sunday. "You're overreacting."

This is the same Sharpe who in 2005 was a most enthusiastic participant in a weekly CBS pregame feature called "The Pounder Index." A fast-food chain paid CBS large cash to air video of the spectacularly brutal "hits" of the week. Sharpe took great pleasure in assigning a numerical rating to each collision. The more violent, the higher the "mark." Sharpe also provided his own unique sound effects to caption the mayhem.

For Sharpe, five years later, to come out all circumspect and sincere about players being protected from random helmet-to-helmet violence would've been the act of a phony. Nonetheless, this isn't about Sharpe. Nor is it about whether one agrees with the NFL's "new" policy.

See, that "Pounder Index" feature is just a small example how television, most notably the NFL's TV partners, has glamorized and sold the NFL's violent culture. Goodell can fine players, but he won't dare interfere with his bag men at ESPN, Fox, CBS and NBC who pay the league a combined almost $28 billion, in the current contract, for the right to televise NFL football.

Goodell isn't telling his TV bobos to "cool it" on gratuitous replays of violent hits. Why would he? He has the best of both worlds. The commissioner looks tough cracking down on "dirty" play, but has his TV partners still selling - and glorifying - high-impact collisions. This is the video gold that helps the NFL generate monster TV ratings.

When it comes to marketing violence, the NFL's TV partners have always been the league's most efficient tool. Even Sunday, the pregame offerings couldn't help themselves. Along with the passionate speeches about players safety, cautionary tales delivered in somber tones, came multiple replays of those vicious hits in question.

One would have sufficed.

Yes, on Sunday, the pregame shows attempted to offer serious examinations concerning the ramifications of Goodell's edict, but they never turned on an inner spotlight. No one defined, or even mentioned in passing, television's role in getting to a point where an NFL commissioner felt it necessary to rein in the violence.

Any discussion would have once again defined the networks as the primary, and most effective, promoters of the NFL's violent culture. This can be traced back to 1960 when CBS, on its "The Twentieth Century" series, presented "The Violent World of Sam Huff," narrated by Walter Cronkite.

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Retirement rubbish, Pacquiao won't leave 50-100 million on table

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES--If you're buying this “last chance to see Manny Pacquiao” pitch as to the Nov. 13 bout against Antonio Margarito then you're the greater fool that the pitchmen are targeting.

 

They will do anything, by necessity, to get you to pay your way into Jerry Jones humungous tent in Arlington, Texas, or to click your clicker to buy the PPV telecast.

 

Common sense, a phrase Pacman seems to use often now, tells us that no athlete who is about to turn age 32 quits his sport for good when he is at the top of the heap, artistically and financially.

 

Not when he's guaranteed about $12 million per fight even against a pedestrian opponent such as the morally challenged Margarito.

 

Not when he has not reached his boxing zenith.

 

And now when he would have to leave $50 million or so on the table for one night's work if he does not fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. next May.

 

I know I've called this one wrong three times already but Pacquiao, after beating Magarito by a convincing if not awe inspiring decision at Cowboys Stadium, is not going to retire from the ring, not even temporarily.

 

Sure, his children's children's children, not yet born, are financially set but what makes Pacquaio unusual is how fights for national glory far beyond his personal enrichment and gratification.

 

The way I see it now there are about six Pacquiao bouts left in his career or five after he disposes of the Mexican.

 

Mayweather-Pacman will happen in 2011 and they'll make so much money there will be a rematch.

 

Win, lose or draw after those May and November titanics, Pacquiao will fight onward as long as those huge guarantees are in his face and on his plate and he's not taken a beating from anyone.

 

So look for two bouts in 2012 and then the curtain closer, the fistic finale, happening in 2013.

Somewhere along the way, maybe even before a first Mayweatgher fight, he will take on Sugar Shane Mosley also.

 

And, by then, with Pacquiao a ripe, old 34 and looking at the ancient age of 35, he will hang up the gloves.

 

The only other qutting early scenario I can see is if Pacquiao feels he got cheated of a decision against Mayweather or anyone else and leaves the game bitterly like Marvelous Marvin Hagler did in the wake of losing on points to Sugra Ray Leonard.

 

What's the word in Pacland?

 

Will Pacquiao keep multitasking or will he drop the gloves without grabbing that record payday(s) against Mayweather?

 

I say Money Pacquiao keeps chugging along.

 

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

 

 

 

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Mens first roller derby coalition won by New York Shock Exchange

The  historical bout was played tough defense, fast and hard ending with a final score New York Shock Exchange 159 and Pioneer Valleys Dirty Dozen tagging behind with 95.

Shock Exchanges top jammers- Jonathan R 53 points, Ladies Knight 43 points, Abe Drink,' 5 points, Rinkworm 55 points.

Dirty Dozen high scoring jammers-Dr. Spankenstein 9 points, Jurasskick Park 32 points, Mars Travolta 25 points, Davy Jones 13 points.

NYSE finishes their season 6-0; PVRD closes their season at 4-2

Harm City Homicide, Connecticut Death Quads

Hosting the Championship bouts, Harm City Homicide killed the Connecticut Death Squads 231-57.

Harm City's top jammers MVP Abe Froman 75 points, Carnage Asadah 15 points, Justice Feelgood Marshall 56 points, Quad Almighty 30 points and Sin Diesel 12 points.

The Death Quads top jammers Zakk Sabbath 23 points, Cirkle Jerk 15 points, Kenny Kamikaze 15 points, Ben Jammin' 4 points, Hit Happens 1 point.

The Death Quads end their season 0-7; Homicide closes  with 3-4.

Stay tuned to the latest updates from Roller Derby Examiner by 'clicking' the subscribe button above, they will be delivered straight to your email.
 

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Manchester City would have lost with 15 players City, says Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal's first victory in 10 matches against Chelsea, Manchester United or City came after Dedryck Boyata was dismissed after just four minutes before goals from Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner secured the win.

But such was Arsenal's poise, Fabregas, who also had penalty saved by Joe Hart before half time, was adamant that City would not have been able to live with Arsenal no matter how many players they had.

"Even if they were 15 and we were 11 we would still go and win," he said. "We always want to go forward and create chances but the way we played, we were very difficult to stop. I think we were fantastic.

"I think we played some outstanding football and it's difficult to stop a side when they play at that tempo."

Without a trophy since 2005, Arsène Wenger feels his side showed they are finally coming of age, particularly as they did not have any players sent off in some brutal exchanges in the opening period. Arsenal had four players cautioned in the opening period but did not add to that total after half time.

"I'm very pleased because they looked like they have matured," Wenger said. "We've matured in the sense of negotiating the difficulties of the game in an intelligent way.

"That means not getting a red card, keeping the ball well, being patient when it was needed. Collectively, we completely dominated the game.

"It was a good performance maybe a little bit under special circumstances. It was important to get a win in a big place, to strengthen the belief of the squad and continue our march forward. We were calm and showed intelligence and put in the performance we needed to put in against 10 men."

With seven goals in seven matches as well as setting up Bendtner's goal, Wenger feels that Nasri, 23, has taken his game to another level and added: "He is becoming more efficient and I think he's become stronger physically and you judge a player on his numbers.

"He got a goal and an assist and that's what you want from a player with a lot of talent like he has. He's a complete player because he can run with the ball, he's quick and he's a clinical finisher now. At 23, your career starts at the top level."

Although he was adamant he was not angry, Roberto Mancini, the City manager, maintained that Mark Clattenburg should not have sent Boyata off because Chamakh's touch would have run through to Hart and also insisted that he has never been more confident of his team's prospects.

"They showed that they are one of the best teams in the Premier League," Mancini said. "I'm very proud of my players because they played very well. If it was 11 against 11 we would have won this game.

"Against Newcastle we had a clear chance to score because Carlos [Tevez] was in the box with a clear chance to score and it was a yellow card.

"Today the striker touched the ball but it was probably going to the goalkeeper and the referee sent him off. I don't agree with the referee."

City may face censure from the Football Association after a bottle was thrown at Nasri just weeks after a similar incident involving Blackburn's El-Hadji Diouf at Eastlands.

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Tigers become the hunted in BCS rankings

Just when it looked like the SEC reign of terror in the BCS might be over and Oregon and Boise State would be ranked No. 1 and No. 2., the computers rushed to the rescue. Auburn (8-0) may have been ranked third by the Coaches and Harris Interactive polls, but the Tigers, who defeated LSU, 24-17, at home Saturday to remain the only undefeated team in the SEC, benefited greatly from the six computers involved in the three-part formula, which ranked them No. 1 overall.

The Tigers finished with a .9371 score. Oregon (7-0), which was ranked No. 1 by both human polls, was second at .9065, but the Ducks were burned by the computers, which only had them eighth. Boise State (6-0), a consensus No. 2 in the human polls, was third with a .8846, but the Broncos were in danger of being surpassed by TCU (8-0), which had an .8843 score.

The rest of the Top 10: Michigan State, Missouri, one-loss Alabama, Utah, one-loss Oklahoma and one-loss Wisconsin.

When the season began, Alabama figured to be the top team in the state. But after South Carolina stunned the Tide, 35-21, in Columbia three weeks ago, and Ohio State and Oklahoma both lost on consecutive weekends, the Tigers became a major player because of their strength of schedule.

Auburn's remaining schedule includes winnable games at Ole Miss and against Chattanooga, all leading up to the showdown against Alabama on Nov. 26 in Tuscaloosa.

If Auburn is sitting at 11-0 and Alabama is 11-1, the game could not only decide who wins the SEC West, but also who stays in the hunt for a possible spot in the BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz.

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Quick hits: 2010 World Championships event finals, men's vault

Men's vault:

Wammes gets a huge ovation from the crowd, as does the Frenchman, Thomas Bouhail. Really everyone is warmly greeted. There's a Romanian flag waving in the crowd, as well as several Dutch flags. There's also a long white banner with "We <3 Epke" painted in orange letters.

Jeffrey Wammes, Netherlands: Big pressure to be up first in this packed house, with so many expectations...Roundoff, half on, front layout double full with a largish step to the side. He also went a bit off to the right and stepped over the line. Not a great amount of height, but still a clean vault. 16.0. Second vault: Tsuk triple. Did he make the triple all the way arond? I say no, but it was well cheated all the same. They may not give him credit for it...15.5/6.6/8.9 for second vault. 15.75 average.

Anton Golotsutskov, Russia: Tsuk double pike, so well done, just a small adjustment on the landing. You must get so lost doing this vault, but he really does it well. 16.433/7.0/9.433. Second vault: WOW! Dragulescu, again so close to being stuck! He does the half twist after the first flip, which makes it much more interesting to look at. Can anybody top that? I don't know...score:16.3/7./0/9.3. Nice! 16.366 average.

Thomas Bouhail, France: Another really good Tsuk double pike, took a slightly bigger hop than Golotsutskov did, but still a terrific vault with a great landing. 16.366/7.0/9.366. He's the Olympic silver medalist on this event...wonderful Dragulescu with a very tiny hop! Does the "gunslinger" thing at the crowd while still on the podium. Amazingly landed vaults thusfar! 16.533/7.0/9.533. Average 16.449 moves him ahead of Golotsutskov!

Flavius Koczi, Romania: Tsuk triple, but with a large step back. Still amazing how fast this guy can twist. Handspring 2.5 with a hop forward. Messier legs in the air than on his first vault. 16.183 on the seocnd vault, 16.208 average.

Andriy Isayev, Ukraine: Lovely handspring double front with small hop forward. 15.866/6.6/9.266. Second vault: Best Tsuk double pike so far, IMO, because he really made it look easy. Soft landing, small hop back. Terrific stuff. 16.233 for second vault, 16.049 average puts him fourth so far.

Yang Hak Seon, South Korea: Beautiful handspring layout 2.5 with a step back. Gorgeous form in the air. 16.4! Tsuk triple, made it all the way around. Again a big step back, but wow! As a twister, this guy rivals Koczi! 16.133/7.0/9.133. 16.266 moves him into third.

Dmitri Kaspiarovich, Belarus: Another AWESOME Dragulescu. I think he just moved one foot, and just a little bit. Amazing! 16.233/7.0/9.233. A basically stuck Tsuk double pike! Wow! Again, I think he moved one foot, just a tiny bit. But I think he wins for basically sticking his two vaults, on the whole. 16.4/7.0/9.4. That moves him into third behind Bouhail and Golotsutskov.

Luis Rivera, Puerto Rico: Beautiful Tsuk 2.5, perfect looking in the air, tiny hop forward on landing. 15.975. Handspring front layout double full, again an excellent landing, small hop. 15.916, 15.945 average.

So two years after winning silver on vault in Beijing, Thomas Bouhail wins the World title on vault! The French love it! Anton Golotsutskov takes silver, Belarus's Dmitri Kaspiarovich the bronze.

Follow Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GymExaminer or click the "Subscribe" button above to receive the latest gymnastics news and results via e-mail.

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Headshot rules must go farther, Fraser says

A lack of trust, and not a lack of talent, is at the heart of the Toronto Argonauts' offensive struggles this season, according to head coach Jim Barker.

"We have three weeks to get to a point where we develop trust," Barker said, "because without it in a passing game you have no chance to be successful, and that's where we are right now.

After Toronto lost 30-3 last week to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Barker, who served as an offensive co-ordinator with the Montreal Alouettes and Argos earlier in his career, decided to take a more hands-on approach to his team's offence. He has been more vocal during practices and in offensive team meetings.

Barker said he had no choice but to get more involved. Through 15 games this year the Argos have scored the fewest touchdowns (21) and generated the fewest passing yards (3,263) in the league.

Despite the poor on-field performance, Barker gave rookie offensive co-ordinator Jaime Elizondo a vote of confidence yesterday. He said the former Syracuse University receivers coach has created a quality offensive game plan. The problem lies with the execution.

"Jaime's done a good job, but sometimes you try to ... I don't want to say over-coach, but you want everything perfect ... and for players that sometimes confines them. It's about finding that happy medium where we're still getting guys in the right spots, but they're able to go out and play and be more natural."

The strong play of running back Cory Boyd, who leads the Canadian Football League in rushing yards, has helped the Argos move the ball at times. But teams have been designing defensive strategies to shut down Boyd and put more pressure on quarterback Cleo Lemon and a group of largely unproven receivers.

Lemon has been unable to rise to the challenge thus far. His quarterback rating (76.3) ranks last among the eight starters in the league. But Elizondo said part of the blame for the club's anemic offence needs to be directed at the receivers.

"The players have to learn the little nuances and details, and that's what we're lacking right now -- the details of how to run a specific route and how to win that individual battle," said Elizondo, who calls Toronto's plays during games.

The Argos have been unable to establish a deep threat this season, completing only 15 passes of 30 yards or more, the lowest total in the CFL. Veteran Jeremaine Copeland leads the Argos with 545 receiving yards. Every other team in the CFL has at least two receivers with more yards than Copeland.

Barker said Lemon and his receivers must be more creative.

"I want to see us playing the game the way it's supposed to be played and not just running plays," Barker said.

"You want to be disciplined, you want to do things correctly, but you got to understand the game is not played on paper. Just because a post route is run at 10 yards or 12 yards, well maybe it's not on this one, maybe I got to do this differently, because the bottom line is I got to get open ... I think we try to be too perfect."

While the receivers need to do a better job eluding defenders, the onus is also on Lemon to deliver the ball quicker.

"I think the anticipation of different route combinations and things of that nature has caused us to be off, maybe a second, half a second, but in football that's huge," Lemon said. "So to make up that timing is going to be critical for us.

"[Barker] wants to get everyone on the same page. That's the key. He's just tightening some things up to make sure we don't have any miscommunication on the field."

mmasters@nationalpost.com

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Brodziak scores two against former team as Wild beat Oilers

MONTREAL — There’s nothing like a visit to Montreal to snap New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur out of a slump.

The Montreal native continued his mastery over the Canadiens on Thursday night to lead the Devils to a 3-0 win.

“He’s not finished yet,” Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said of the 38-year-old Brodeur.

Brodeur, who arrived in Montreal with a 1-4-1 record to start the season, made 29 saves for the 112th shutout of his career. Nine of those shutouts have been against the Canadiens and the win boosted his career record against Montreal to 39-16-5 with a goals-against average of and a goals-against average of 1.78.

“We had lots of shots, but we need to get more second and third chances,” said Canadiens captain Brian Gionta, who led the team with eight shots on goal.

“We made it easy for them tonight.”

Brodeur had little work after the first 11 minutes of the game. The Canadiens built a 10-3 edge in shots, but neither team had a shot on goal in the final nine minutes of the first period. The Canadiens had a shot drought of 13:38 between Alexandre Picard’s shot at 10:59 of the first period and Gionta’s shot at 4:37 of the second period.

Price didn’t face as many shots as Brodeur — he stopped 17 of 20 shots — but he faced tougher shots and made the more spectacular saves.

The Devils took a 1-0 lead at 4:20 of the first period when Zach Parise found an opening on the short side.

New Jersey was handed a great opportunity later in the period when Canadiens defenceman Jaroslav Spacek passed the puck to Devils sniper Ilya Kovalchuk at the Montreal blue-line. The $100-million man skated in alone but Price dodged a bullet when Kovalchuk fired wide of the net.

Price made a glove save on Kovalchuk during a power play early in the second period. He used his glove to stop winger Dainius Zubrus midway through the period and his best save came moments later when Zubrus set up Devils centre Travis Zajac on a 2-on-1 break but Price challenged the shooter and made the save.

The Canadiens managed to kill a penalty toward the end of the period, but centre Tomas Plekanec was still skating from the penalty box when Devils centre Jason Arnott made the score 2-0 at 14:59 of the second period. Zubrus set him up in the high slot and his shot was deflected by Canadiens winger Dustin Boyd.

The Devils’ Matt Taormina scored at 3:39 of the third period with a shot from the point. The puck was bouncing when Taormina shot and the result was a knuckleball which beat Price high on the glove side.

After that, it seemed the only question after that was whether Brodeur would hang on for the shutout.

“They have an experienced team and they know what to when they get the lead,” Canadiens coach Jacques Martin. “They know how to shut it down and they have a great goaltender.”

Brodeur made his best saves in the third period, stopping a deflected Andrei Kostitsyn shot from the point early in the frame and then stopping Gionta from close range on a power-play late in the period.

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Christopher Daniels signs with ROH

Christopher Daniels has signed a contract with Ring of Honor.

Daniels has been back with the company since April 3 of this year when he had made a surprise return at The Big Bang iPPV.  He had been released by TNA Wrestling just days earlier. 

“The Fallen Angel” is considered one of the “founding fathers” of Ring of Honor.   He competed in the main event of ROH’s first show, The Era of Honor Begins, in a triple threat match against Low-Ki and “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson.  Since then he competed for the company until 2004 and then again off/on from 2005 until 2007. 

He will challenge ROH World Heavyweight Champion Roderick Strong for the Title on November 13 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

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Galea can come to U.S., or face extradition

Anthony Galea, come on down!

The Toronto sports medicine guru, charged Thursday with five felonies related to his treatment of more than 20 pro athletes, can either come to the United States to voluntarily appear in court or else face extradition from his native Canada.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Campana, who oversaw a grand jury investigation into Galea's activities, told the Daily News Friday that it was "premature" to talk about what steps his office would take to bring Galea to federal court in Buffalo if Galea doesn't willingly appear (no arraignment date has yet been scheduled).

The 51-year-old Galea, who treated Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez, is accused of billing patients more than $500,000 for treatments he conducted in the U.S. during more than 70 trips he made across the border between 2007 and 2009. Galea made the trips despite not having a work visa or a medical license in the U.S., according to the 29-page indictment, and he injected at least some of his patients with human growth hormone and Actovegin, a calf-blood derivative not approved for use in the U.S.

Galea's attorney in Toronto, Brian Greenspan, was not available for comment.

The government's star witness is thought to be Galea's former assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, who pleaded guilty in the summer to lying to federal agents during a border stop on Sept. 14, 2009, when drugs and medical equipment were found in her car. Catalano has been cooperating with law enforcement officials investigating Galea on both sides of the border.

"We allege that their agreement was to tell inspectors they were attending medical conferences," says Campana, who oversaw the investigation that involved four federal agencies.

Toronto attorney Calvin Barry, who represents Catalano, said he expects that if Galea appears for his arraignment and pleads not guilty, Catalano's sentencing, which has already been postponed to Jan. 19 of next year, will be pushed back until after the conclusion of Galea's trial.

"She's in limbo," Barry said.

According to the indictment, Galea injected mixtures of substances including HGH into his patients' knees to repair cartilage - a practice that confounds medical experts, since HGH doesn't act locally but rather initiates a body-wide hormonal chain reaction that may or may not repair tissue.

The indictment also says Galea dispensed erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra and Cialis without writing prescriptions, sometimes instructing Catalano to take the drugs "out of their original packages and to put them in nondescript pill bottles so as to make detection of them less likely during border inspections when entering the United States."

Besides Woods and A-Rod, Galea is known to have treated a wide array of Olympic and professional athletes. None of them is named in the indictment, but the document says Galea conducted his treatments in Hawaii, Cleveland, New York City, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Washington, Boston, Atlanta, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver and Phoenix.

The indictment says Galea generally charged $1,500 or $3,500 for his "consultations," and instructed Catalano to be cryptic in how she described the visits on invoices.

Barry pointed out that the indictment against Galea was more evolved than a criminal complaint the feds filed in May, formally announcing that there was an ongoing investigation into Galea. Barry suggested the complaint had given the government a head start on the potentially tricky process of getting Galea - who is still practicing in Toronto - to the U.S. to face charges.

"Extradition can be a two- or three-year process, and I bet they wanted to get a jump on it," Barry said. The complaint "was a way for them to say, 'This is serious, you will be expected to show up for court in Buffalo.' "

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F1 Korean Grand Prix: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will not win in Korea, says Karun Chandhok

Hispania Racing's Karun Chandhok drove a Red Bull in a demonstration run at the circuit last month.

And he believes the controversial track in Yeongam, which was only signed off this week at the 11th hour by the sport's governing body, is going to favour Red Bull over McLaren and Ferrari.

"It will be closer than last weekend in Suzuka as it is not quite so aero-dependent, but I still fancy Red Bull to win," Chandhok told Telegraph Sport.

"I think Korea is another Red Bull circuit. They proved by the end of Japan that they were a good half a second clear of the McLarens and Ferraris.

"In two weeks that is impossible to catch up, regardless of how many new parts you throw on a car."

Hamilton trails Red Bull's championship leader Mark Webber by 28 points going in to Korea, with Button a further three points adrift.

And while both Britons have talked up their chances this week, predicting that the circuit's characteristics should suit their car, Chandhok is not convinced.

"It does have three long straights, which will help McLaren, but from turn four it's basically just left-handers all the way home and gets a bit more fiddly - slow-speed, second-gear stuff, camber changes - which will play more into Red Bull's hands," he said.

"Fernando [Alonso] could hustle it up and get closer to them and actually I fancy [Renault's Robert] Kubica to do well again in Korea. He is a real street fighter and this kind of track will suit him.

"What could be interesting, though, is the start. Red Bull may well lock out the front row and still not be leading by the time we reach T4 because of the straights in that first sector.

"That would make it very interesting. I know it is something that Mark is thinking about because he told me when he asked me what the circuit was like."

There has been speculation that the Korean International Circuit, which is built on marshland about 300 miles south of Seoul, could prove hazardous.

The final layer of asphalt was laid only last week, even though FIA regulations stipulate that F1 tracks "should" be signed off at least 90 days in advance of grands prix, in order to allow a bedding-in period and some minor racing before the F1 circus arrives.

Chandhok, though, poured cold water on those fears as well as suggestions that the whole event will prove chaotic.

"Let's not kid ourselves, there will be teething problems, as there are in any new facility," said the Indian, who has been replaced by Sakon Yamamoto at Hispania Racing Team for financial reasons but remains confident of finding a race seat for 2011.

He added: "However, I don't think for one second that it will be disastrous. When I was there we went to the media centre and the internet was up and running. A lot of the rumours have been inaccurate.

"Nor do I think it will be dangerous. The grip levels will be lower perhaps than they might be in six weeks' time as it takes time for all the oil to come to the surface.

"If it is slippery then that will probably favour Red Bull, as downforce then becomes king. But we won't know for sure until [practice on] Friday."

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Rangers v Valencia: live

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Panathinaikos v Rubin Kazan: live

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Andy delivers but receives no support

Sitting in the clubhouse, watching the bullpen turn his solid start into a non-factor, even Andy Pettitte had to push out of his mind the growing concern that this American League Championship Series was slipping away from the Yankees. As he walked off the mound Monday night, the fans at the Stadium applauded a little longer and louder for him, wondering if it could be the last time they see him pitching in pinstripes.

On a one-year deal with the Yankees and not sure about his future, the 38-year-old lefty admitted those thoughts crossed his mind too.

"I would say, you know, when I (was) out of the game, sitting in the clubhouse, you kind of think about that," Pettitte said. "But then there's a lot of baseball to be played. And I feel real good about our team and about the club that we have."

Despite a vintage Pettitte start, the Yankees struggled against Cliff Lee, and then the bullpen wasted the veteran's work by giving up six runs in the top of the ninth. The Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with the 8-0 win.

At least Pettitte, who pitched seven solid innings to beat the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS, can feel good about his night.

He gave up a line-drive single to Michael Young and then Josh Hamilton popped a two-run homer to right field in the first.

"Literally, it hurts," Pettitte said of giving up the home run. "You wish he would have fouled it off or something because I threw probably a couple, two or three other pitches the whole game where I didn't want to, and it ended up costing a ballgame. When you have a guy over there throwing like Cliff is, that's what costs you ballgames right there."

But, that was all Pettitte would give up Monday night. He shut down the Rangers for the next six innings. He gave up five hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter.

"We knew these guys were good," Pettitte said. "They are tough. They can pitch. And when they can pitch, it makes for a hard series. They are an all around good team. Hopefully we'll have a few more starts besides this one."

Said Texas' Young: "Andy made it tough on us today."

The Yankees lost for just the 16th time in his record 42 postseason starts.

Pettitte said is ready for another start in Game 7 of this series or even sooner if they need him to go on short rest.

"I can do whatever they want me to do," Pettitte said. "I got tired out there tonight, I mean, but I haven't thrown more than 88 pitches I don't think, 87 pitches, in probably a month and a half or so. I was running on fumes but I was able to give us a decent chance, it felt like. But outside of that, whatever this organization wants me to do, I'll do, and I'll do the best I can."

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Knicks small lineup can't hang with Boston

HARTFORD - Mike D'Antoni threw his youthful Knicks experiment to the veteran wolves of Boston Saturday night, and it quickly needed revising.

Rookie Timofey Mozgov got his first piece of Shaquille O'Neal and lasted about six minutes against the biggest body in the NBA. Wilson Chandler moved from shooting guard to the post, where he battled Kevin Garnett in the opening two minutes, and was subbed out after picking up two fouls and giving up two easy buckets.

With Amar'e Stoudemire watching in street clothes on his day off, D'Antoni shuffled the lineup to make it smaller and faster - starting both Raymond Felton and Toney Douglas in the backcourt - while hoping to find a combination he could use throughout the season.

What D'Antoni got was a boost from familiar starters in familiar positions - Danilo Gallinari and Felton, who combined for 36 points - and a third-quarter defensive meltdown that led to a preseason 97-84 defeat in front of 15,318 at the XL Center.

"What we have to find out is that when Amar'e's not in there that we have other solutions. said D'Antoni, who'll have four more preseason games to tinker before the opener against the Raptors on Oct. 27. "Tonight we found some. Obviously we have to get better but some encouraging signs.

While Mozgov's progression has been a big talking point of the preseason - as well as his first matchup with O'Neal, who last week said he had never heard of the Russian center - D'Antoni indicated Chandler was the key to utilizing the kind of run-and-gun offense he had in Phoenix.

By moving Chandler to power forward, D'Antoni said he could play Stoudemire at center, where he's "unguardable." He said Chandler was at his best at power forward, and it created "a domino effect that's really good for the team."

But the disadvantage was more apparent Saturday night. Garnett drew two fouls on Randolph while finishing a dunk and an and-one lay-in, prompting D'Antoni to sub in the taller Anthony Randolph.

Chandler started the second half at shooting guard and fared much better, finishing with 17 points in 22 minutes.

"He'll be playing as a two-guard most of the time," D'Antoni said after the game.

Mozgov scored four points against O'Neal - who was limited to 14 minutes - but struggled in the second half and fouled out after 20 minutes. The 24-year-old finished with seven points and two rebounds.

"(Mozgov) will have to learn to not pick up fouls, but they're honest fouls, they're not ticky tacky," D'Antoni said. "He's trying to block it and knock somebody down at the rim and I think he''ll learn how to avoid those."

The Knicks started the second half with a 15-4 run, but the Celtics responded by winning the rest of the third quarter, 28-13.

"That's why they're in the Finals," D'Antoni said. "They're the Boston Celtics. That's what happened. They got into us, they upped their defense and we didn't have Amar'e to throw the ball to."

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