T-Bob comes to the Mount.

It’s not another teen movie. It’s one of the featured matchups in Saturday’s LSU-Alabama showdown.

T-Bob Hebert (pronounced A-bear) is LSU’s sophomore center. The Mount, of course, is Terrence “Mount” Cody, Alabama’s 6-foot-5, 355-pound senior nose guard.

The All-American is coming off one of his most prolific performances. He blocked two fourth-quarter field goals two weeks ago against Tennessee. The SEC recognized him as its Defensive Lineman of the Week.

Cody has LSU coach Les Miles’ attention. Miles said he’ll provide Hebert some help moving the mountain.

“We put two guys over the nose tackle and that nose tackle area,” Miles said. “He’s just a good player and a very good competitor. Our guys will certainly look forward to that challenge.

“I think it’s like any opponent that challenges you to bring out your best, and T-Bob will be inspired to play well.”

Alabama senior left guard Mike Johnson knows what he’s up against.

Asked if he faces Cody in practice, Johnson nodded and said, “Too many times.”

“It happens every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” Johnson said. “We do an inside-run drill and I’ve had to go against him pretty often.”

Not that Hebert needs pointers, but Johnson offered some advice.

“It would probably be to get on him before he gets on you,” Johnson suggested. “Once he gets 350 pounds of momentum going, it’s pretty hard to stop the guy in his tracks. He is strong and he is agile and he is a freak for his size.”

The showdown against LSU features offenses that like to run the football and defenses designed to stop the run first.

Alabama is fourth in the SEC, averaging more than 217 yards per game on the ground. The Crimson Tide is first in the league in rushing defense, giving up just 64.6 yards per game on the ground.

Johnson said working against Cody and the defense throughout the week helped Alabama’s offense. But his respect for his teammates on the other side of the ball is evident.

“Just talking about Terrence, he is the prototypical nose guard that can take up double teams and two-gap center and does a great job at what he does,” Johnson said. “Some of the other guys up front like Brandon Deaderick, Lorenzo Washington and Marcell Dareus and linebackers like Rolando (McClain) and Cory Reamer, those guys are great at what they do.

“They are not just a great defense on Saturday, they are a great defense throughout the week because they work hard. Part of that comes against us as an offense. We’re lucky to have a defense to go up against like that on a weekly basis. It just makes us better in the long run. They are going to continue to get better at what they do and we’re going to continue to get batter at what we do.”
Sourced via oanow.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

British Basketball has signed a five-year deal with Standard Life, the Edinburgh-based FTSE 100 asset managing business, as their title sponsor.

Basketball’s partnership with Standard Life is akin to rowing’s partnership with Siemens and swimming’s recently agreed partnership with British Gas.

In the case of basketball, Standard Life has recognised the potential in working with the third largest team sport in the country – in terms of participation, only football and cricket have a larger playing base.

And with top NBA stars now committing to play for Britain it is clear that there is a realistic chance of medal glory as the London Olympics approach.

The deal will see Standard Life support all four of British Basketball’s world-class teams; senior men, senior women, men’s U-20’s and women’s U-20’s.

While the partnership will run from 2009 to 2013 its impact has been felt immediately with the necessary funding now being available for television coverage of Game On At The O2 this weekend.

Highlights of the four-nation tournament, which is a symbol of the sport’s progression over the last three years, since British Basketball’s inception, will be aired on Sky Sports 3 on Monday 17 August.

Simon Tuckey, Commercial Director of British Basketball, said: ‘We have worked hard over the past three years to attract a partner who would not only benefit the sport but more importantly believe in the goals we have set, and we feel that Standard Life more than fits those criteria.

‘We are delighted that they have come on board as we prepare to host Game On At The O2 and look forward to a long and successful relationship between British Basketball and Standard Life.

‘The senior men’s and women’s programmes have made impressive strides since 2007, indeed the men will play at the European Championships this September, and Standard Life’s involvement shows that people are taking note of our results and our desire to be a force to be reckoned with in three years time.’
Sourced via dailymail.co.uk

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Florida Gators' Riley Cooper comes up with a second quarter pass reception against Alabama on Dec. 6, 2008 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. AL DIAZ / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

GAINESVILLE University of Florida wide receiver Riley Cooper is returning for his senior season of college football.

For the past month, Cooper had been torn between returning to UF for the fall semester or quitting school to pursue a career in professional baseball. In June, Cooper was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Cooper played in a collegiate baseball league in Texas this summer but is now back in Gainesville.

“It was a tough decision — one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” Cooper said in a statement released by the University of Florida. “We have something special going on in Gainesville and I want to be a part of that.”

On Tuesday, Cooper’s father, Larry Cooper, told The Miami Herald that his son has agreed “in principle” to a contract with the Texas Rangers, allowing his son to play college football in 2009. A spokesman for the Rangers said Tuesday in an e-mail that Cooper has not signed with the Rangers and that “there is nothing to report.”

Players drafted by a major-league team must sign by midnight on Aug. 17.

“We aren’t sure when he’s going to sign and we’ll just leave it at that,” Larry Cooper said. “We’re just ecstatic that Riley is returning for his senior season of football with the Florida Gators.”

Cooper played football and baseball for Florida last year, but if he signs with the Rangers, he will no longer be able to play collegiate baseball, according to the NCAA’s rules on amateurism. Cooper still can play college football if he signs with the Rangers.

As a baseball player, Cooper batted .247 for the Gators last season with two home runs. He started 25 games but did not finish the season with the team. This summer, he batted .182 in 13 games for the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League.

Cooper is much more accomplished as a college football player. He is the Gators’ most experienced wide receiver and an excellent downfield blocker in the Gators’ spread-option offense. Last season, Cooper made key plays in both the Southeastern Conference championship and the BCS National Championship.

The football team begins fall practice Thursday and Cooper is expected to participate, although he missed the Gators’ entire summer conditioning program and did not participate in spring practice. Cooper is the Gators’ only returning receiver who started in the BCS National Championship. UF defeated Oklahoma 24-14.

“We are excited to have Riley back as part of our 2009 team,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said in a statement. “He will be counted on heavily to be one of our go-to receivers. I’ve said numerous times during the offseason that we need someone to step up with the departure of [receivers] Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy.

“We haven’t had someone step up yet and Riley can certainly be someone that does.”

EARLY ENROLLMENT

Stephen Alli, a high school receiver who was originally expected to sign with the Gators in 2010, has graduated high school a year early and has been accepted by the University of Florida’s admissions office, a football team spokesman told The Miami Herald on Tuesday.

Alli, a 6-5 receiver who played for Andover (N.H) Proctor Academy last season, is scheduled to arrive in Florida on Wednesday. A native of Toronto, Alli could begin practicing with the Gators this week after his high school transcripts pass through the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Sourced via The Miami Herald

Popularity: 7% [?]

Soccer pundits say SA has let slip chance to develop young talent

POOLS of water gather on the tarmac of a run-down basketball court where a group of boys play with a worn football in the drizzle, trying to hone skills that might never be spotted.

“There’s a lot of talent here,” says Ben Londzi, co-ordinator of a community group trying to lure youth away from other temptations in Nyanga, just outside Cape Town.

“Here in Nyanga there has never been a scout from any big team,” says Xolani Sicamba, who coaches them.

When it’s raining they play on the uneven basketball court.

Passionate about football, Londzi and Sicamba organise street soccer and try to groom the boys in the hope that they are discovered.

Nyanga is reported to be one of South Africa’s most violent township, and this section of it, KTC, is often referred to by locals as Killer’s Club.

Like so many townships, it has few facilities for football training.

Some of those children get snapped up by regional clubs after trying to perfect their skills on patches of land with only a brick or orange traffic cones for goalposts.

Barely a year before the Soccer World Cup comes to South Africa, there are hopes the country would produce a world-class team, as the national team Bafana Bafana struggles.

And experts decry the lack of youth development. Romanian football development expert Ted Dumitru, who acts as director for local team Mamelodi Sundowns, says South Africa ’s football development is in dire straits.

“It is quite shocking that even at this stage – as hosts of the Confederations Cup – we don’t have a well-defined concept on the youth,” he says.

Dumitru, nicknamed “Mr Magic” in SA, where he has turned several teams into local champions, said though some big teams have development programmes, this was not properly coordinated at national level.

“Every coach from other parts of the world tells us we have exceptional talent. But from that to the point of realisation – it’s a huge gap.”

He says sports more popular among whites, such as rugby, have good funding and the teams excel internationally. But the funding discrepancies are shocking.

“Players who do make it professionally only come into contact with fundamental skills too late ,” Dumitru says.

“We have a huge crisis in the country.

“Our players cannot score goals.”

Danny Jordaan, head of Fifa’s local organising committee, says the nation has missed the opportunity of the World Cup to build its football team.

Jordaan says the first priority should be providing basic training within reach of township children.

When asked about the Confederations Cup this weekend, he says: “We have to do whatever we can with the players we have, but in the long term there will be an integrated sustainable approach to development.

“I think we will produce a world-class team.”

While the group of boys in KTC do what they can with the little they have, Jordaan expresses hope that they, and others like them who dream of being football stars, can one day “turn that hope into a reality”.
Sourced via sowetan.co.za

Popularity: 3% [?]

The Trojans were a dead program walking well before coach Tim Floyd quit Tuesday. The big question is whether football, which pays the bills, will have to pay a price too.

Tim Floyd submitted his resignation Tuesday and Athletic Director Mike Garrett accepted it so fast he probably got a paper cut snapping it out of the fax machine.

The good news, of course, is that it’s only the fall of USC basketball, leaving the all-important work of preserving, defending and protecting the constitution of USC football.

What happened to Floyd was inevitable and the appointed hour of his departure was inconsequential. The fact Floyd handed a resignation news cookie to a paper in his home state, Mississippi, only proves he was loyal to people other than the players he coached until Tuesday at 12:59 p.m.

Yesterday, today, next week, next month . . . who cares?

Before the NCAA report comes out on possible infractions . . . after the report . . . what did it matter?

Anyone who could follow a bouncing ball understood USC basketball has been over for several weeks now, and it’s going to be over for several years.

More than two decades ago, Southern Methodist football received the “death penalty” for crimes committed against the NCAA.

USC and Floyd succumbed to a death “watch” penalty.

How fast it unraveled was certainly fascinating, and piecing the time line together is more fun that Sudoku.

One March minute Daniel Hackett had stolen the ball and was heading for the game-tying basket against Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Then the ball slipped out of Hackett’s hand, Michigan State won and advanced all the way to the championship game, and USC hoops became the last scene in “Thelma and Louise.”

March 31, the Tuesday before the Final Four, at USC’s season-ending banquet, Floyd implored his prime-time fence sitters to return and make the Trojans a national title contender — it wasn’t that much of a stretch.

Hours later, Floyd jumped on a plane to interview for the Arizona job.

Days later, DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Hackett announced their intentions to turn pro — so much for the national title.

The NCAA, meanwhile, was combining the basketball and football investigations, leading some to believe a conclusion was forthcoming and the words “lack of institutional control” might lead to banishment from the NCAA tournament.

For recruits looking for exactly one shining moment before trotting off to the NBA, this uneasiness added up to a collective “See ya.”

USC took a pass on already iffy Renardo Sidney, who opted out to Mississippi State, while other prospects checked their watches and noticed it was time to get out.

Floyd joined football Coach Pete Carroll on the rubber-chicken circuit, visiting USC boosters around the state, with Carroll handling all the NCAA-related questions as Floyd watched, in between green beans and dessert, his team disappear.

Noel Johnson was let out of his commitment. Marcus Johnson opted to go pro even though he was granted a sixth year of eligibility, prompting Floyd’s already famous “our guys get an offer from Islamabad and they’re gone” line.

Floyd finally said: check please?
The sad part is Floyd is a decent guy and good tactician and, in a very short time, became arguably the most successful basketball coach in school history — leading the Trojans to an unprecedented (for them) three straight NCAA tournaments.

And here comes the almost comical question: Who wants to coach USC basketball?

The new hire will inherit the specter of NCAA sanctions that could kick USC to the closet for years.

Even if the NCAA exonerates USC’s basketball program, the next guy inherits . . . what?

As far as landing a big-name coach, well, June is never a good time. Arizona was pilloried for waiting until March to hire a successor to Lute Olson and was lucky to get Sean Miller from Xavier — for Miller’s price.

Pittsburgh Coach Jamie Dixon?

Last time anyone checked, he was smart — and nobody could want to get back to his home state this badly.

So that leaves an up-and-comer from the mid-majors Garrett must identify, or someone like give-me-a-chance Michael Cooper, already on campus as coach of the women’s team, or maybe some Lakers assistant.

What it means for the foreseeable USC basketball future: Turn out the lights at Galen Center, a beautiful arena the Trojans couldn’t fill to capacity even in these, the good times.

Remember, like we said, in the end, it’s only Tim Floyd who’s leaving and it’s only USC basketball being asked to take a long walk in a dark alley.
Sourced via latimes.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Ex-Florida Gator Reche Caldwell runs through passing drills at the United Football League ‘combine’ Saturday at Florida Citrus Bowl. (STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL) (June 9, 2009)

When the subject of the United Football League surfaces, the only thing most everyone wants to know is if this thing is going to fly.

But if you listen to anyone involved with the UFL, they are quick to erase any doubtful thinking and litter the conversation with optimism ala a Barack Obama campaign speech. UFL officials not only plan to kick this league off in October, but to also do things the right way.

“It’s not going to be some kind of slappy league to the point where we’re just throwing something out here,” said former NFL quarterback Quinn Gray, a former Jacksonville Jaguars backup to Byron Leftwich and most recently David Garrard.

“The commissioner is going to put out the best talent. You’ve got a bunch of former NFL players, a bunch of former NFL coaches, and so it’s going to be a competitive league,”

Gray, 30, a former star at Florida A&M, was on hand Saturday as 52 free agents showed up at the Florida Citrus Bowl for a combine-type workout.

Orlando is one of four franchises in the inaugural season, along with San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York. And unless Michael Vick remains suspended from the NFL and ends up in the UFL, Gray could be the leading candidate as Orlando’s quarterback.

Regionality will play a big part in the league’s placement of players and Gray relishes the idea that he may wind up back in the Citrus Bowl where he took part in some great Florida Classic battles with Bethune-Cookman.

“The city of Orlando, they’ve been yearning for a team for years, regardless of what it is,” Gray said. “They had the Arena team and they’ve got the bowl games and of course the Florida Classic, so Orlando is going to be a great place for this team.

“The more guys from Florida A&M, Florida State, Florida — guys from this area … who are on this Orlando team is just going to bring more fans.”

Former Florida Gator and recent NFL castoff Reche Caldwell was another player working out Saturday.

“I played college here … I played here [Florida] my whole life until I got to the NFL,” said Caldwell, 30, a Tampa native, “so it will definitely be a great opportunity for everybody to come see me play if I get a chance to play here.”
Sourced via orlandosentinel.com

Popularity: 6% [?]

I’m thinking of three guys. One guy has two NFL MVP’s, a Super Bowl ring, and MVP, and is very close to assuring himself in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Another guy helped turn a franchise from a laughing stock to a Super Bowl team, and recently signed a five year extension worth $42.5 million.

Finally, a guy who has played in five Super Bowls, winning his most recent four, and is known as one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history.

Know who I am talking about? Many NFL fans will know the first guy is Kurt Warner, second is Jake Delhomme, and the third is Adam Vinatieri. All of these guys have at one point been near, or at, the top of the NFL in their respective position, and have had tremendous success in the NFL.

What some people may not know, is that these three guys have the NFL Europe league to thank for getting an opportunity to play in the NFL.

Kurt Warner was undrafted out of college, and after three years in the AFL, was given a chance to play in the NFL Europe league. Jake Delhomme actually backed up Kurt Warner when the two played for the Amsterdam Admirals, and was later sent to another team where he would split time with another quarterback (Pat Barnes).

Vinatieri also played for the Admirals (when the league was named the World League of American Football) in 1995, where he was able to hone his place kicking. After a year, the New England Patriots decided to take him on as their kicker.

If not for the NFL Europe, these three guys would have more than likely never received a real chance at playing in the National Football League. The league may not be remembered for developing all-star talent, but it no doubt was better than nothing. Unfortunately, NFL Europe shut down in 2007 after fan support continued to slip year after year.

But there is a sign that Europeans want to see American football. In 2007, tickets to the Saints and Giants game played in London sold out quickly, and there is serious talk about playing a Super Bowl in London in the near future.

So if the fans enjoy football, why was there little fan support for NFL Europe?

The quality of the league was questionable, the marketing was terrible (especially in the U.S.), and many fans say they had much rather see the “real deal,” than fourth and fifth string players from NFL teams. If the NFL were to get serious about offering a quality football league in Europe though, there would be a much better chance of success.

Whatever the case, a developmental league is needed for football. We do have several leagues coming up, such as the UFL and AAFL, but neither of those are associated with the NFL. NFL Europe is directly related to the NFL, which would be much more efficient for teams looking to develop young players.

Since American Football is more popular than ever worldwide, and the Europeans are showing interest in it, it would make sense for the NFL to give NFL Europe one last shot. If that doesn’t succeed, than there would probably be more than enough cities in the U.S.A. willing to accept an NFL Developmental team.

Because without developmental leagues, we could be missing out on the next NFL superstar.
Sourced via bleacherreport.com

Popularity: 7% [?]

Nemanja Vidic has warned Barcelona that Manchester United will not be intimidated by the attacking strengths of Pep Guardiola’s squad in the Champions League final next Wednesday.

United travel to Rome on Monday aiming to become the first club to retain the Champions League title in its current form. They will also emulate the feat achieved by Ajax, in 1973, by becoming the first club since the Dutch giants to defend both their domestic and European crowns if they beat Barcelona.

The Spanish champions, who are chasing a Treble in Rome, have perhaps the most fearsome attacking options in world football with the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi supported by midfield creators Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

But United defender Vidic insists that Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have enough strengths of their own to cancel out any fears over the threat posed by Barca.

Vidic said: “Barcelona have some good players, especially up front, so it won’t be easy. They have played some good football and scored a lot of goals this season and we have great respect for them.

“But we must concentrate on ourselves and what we’re going to do. We’re not just going to go there and defend; we want to attack them as well.

“We have players that can cause defenders problems and score goals. When we’ve needed goals this season we’ve scored them.

“In some games we’ve been one or two goals down, but have still come back to win. That shows that when we need to score our attackers have produced.”

Having lifted the European Cup in Moscow last season, United arguably go into next week’s game under less pressure than Barcelona, whose failure to win more than two European Cups leaves them trailing great rivals Real Madrid by seven continental crowns.

Vidic insists, however, that United will still go into the game with expectancy weighing heavy on their shoulders.

He said: “There’s always pressure on you when you play in a final. Of course, you want to enjoy the experience and play your game but you’re very aware of what is at stake in a game like this.

“You just have to try and deal with the pressure. We won it last season and have picked up great experience from doing that.

“Getting to a Champions League final is not something that happens every year so we want to make the most of our chance and win the trophy.”
Sourced via telegraph.co.uk

Popularity: 1% [?]

A suspension is keeping the AmaTuks’ captain out of the cup final, but he is confident that his team-mates can do the business…

Moyo will be watching the final from the stands together with his team-mate Andile Jali who has also been suspended due to the accumulation of yellow cards. However, despite his absence, Moyo remains confident that AmaTuks will roast the Dube Birds at the weekend.

“I am very disappointed about missing such a big game, however this is part of football and I have to accept it.

“I have been training with the guys all along and will be there at the Rand Stadium to give them moral support. The spirit is very high and the guys are fired up for victory.

“We have done well since the start of the Nedbank Cup and cannot afford to let ourselves down in the last game. After losing the chance of making the promotion play-offs, we want to redeem ourselves by taking home the Cup and I am confident that will happen,” he tells KickOff.com.

AmaTuks’ Swazi international striker Phinda Dlamini has also expressed his desire of winning his first medal since moving to South Africa in January this year.

“It was always my dream to play in a top league like PSL but I never thought I would get a chance to play in a big Cup Final so soon.

“I am very happy with the ways things have turned out since I started playing in South Africa. Winning the final on Saturday will be something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.” AmaZulu-bound defender Warren Bishop is set to lead University of Pretoria against Moroka Swallows in the absence of suspended Moyo.
Sourced via goal.com

Popularity: 1% [?]

Chelsea supporters – a vocal minority at least – made clear to Roman Abramovich that they didn’t want Carlo Ancelotti as the club’s next manager.

“You can stick your Ancelotti up your…” they sang, in rather a surreal piece of advice to the Russian billionaire about the man he has lined up to succeed Guus Hiddink when he steps down in two weeks time.

But then it was quite a surreal afternoon. Hiddink was afforded a guard of honour by the Chelsea players and proceeded to cha-cha down it with 85-year-old Roy Bentley in tow and also did a theatrical bow to the crowd after they chanted “we want you to stay” to him while they also urged Abramovich to “sign him up”.

But then Abramovich already has and it is to that job, as Russia’s coach, that Hiddink must return. He will do so with some regret, and he is becoming more and more open about that, after a spell in charge of Chelsea that has re-energised the club and brought in a feel-good factor that goes beyond just winning. “He brought us something we lacked,” said man of the match Nicolas Anelka.

“I have many second thoughts, sometimes third thoughts,” Hiddink said when asked whether he had thought again. “You cannot avoid them. You don’t have a button to turn of your feelings, but that’s how it is.” So the message is: I wish I could stay but I can’t. And Abramovich knows that also. “I have given my commitment (to Russia) and I have to fulfil that. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not difficult to leave this atmosphere,” Hiddink said.

It sounded like the end of some memorable if inevitably doomed temporary love affair even if Hiddink added, with customary wickedness, that this time last year he didn’t imagine being Chelsea manager – so who knows what might be around the corner?

His parting advice will be simple. This Chelsea squad is good but, beyond a first-choice of 13 and 14 players there is a lack of strength in depth. Investment is neededbut, for now, and maybe forever, it will not be Hiddink’s direct responsibility. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, in programme notes, said the club hoped to announce a successor “sooner rather than later”.

Ancelotti remains first choice and his post-match comments, after Milan’s defeat to Udinese on Saturday, revealed for the first time a chink in his blanket defence of insisting he intended to stay at the San Siro. Next weekend, he said, his future would be determined.

Inevitably it meant this match was all a bit of a sideshow – although it developed into an entertaining one with Paul Robinson denying Chelsea a far greater margin of victory even if he was beaten, early on, by Florent Malouda with a powerful header after the winger took advantage of Keith Andrews’s obvious lack of comfort at right-back. Robinson was beaten again, in the second-half, by Anelka with a low shot after he was teed up by Didier Drogba. But Robinson pulled off a series of stops – denying Anelka on several occasions, Malouda and Ashley Cole while Frank Lampard’s side-footed shot struck the angle of post and cross-bar.

Not that, for a while, Blackburn didn’t threaten. Ryan Nelsen and Christopher Samba both fluffed headers while the latter showed what he was – a makeshift striker – when volleying woefully wide from Tugay’s clever chip. Blackburn also lost both central defenders to injury and the end of the contest couldn’t come quickly enough for them, safe from relegation, or their manager Sam Allardyce who dashed through his post-match press conference with the air of man heading on holiday and thankful that he’s now at Ewood Park rather than St James’s.
Soured via telegraph.co.uk

Popularity: 1% [?]