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Topics - daryn

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1
Cricket Anyone / Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin dies aged 92
« on: February 27, 2022, 07:24:05 PM »
Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin dies aged 92
ESPNcricinfo staff

Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin has died aged 92. Details of his passing are to be confirmed.

A bowler who could make the ball turn both ways, Ramadhin played 43 Tests between 1950 and 1961 for 158 wickets at 28.98. He was instrumental in West Indies' first Test win in England, at Lord's in 1950; West Indies won that game, the second of the series, by 326 runs with Ramadhin bamboozling the batters to take a match haul of 11 for 152.

West Indies would go on to register huge wins in the third and fourth Tests as well, to complete a landmark and wholly unexpected series victory. Ramadhin along with his spin partner Alf Valentine led the wickets charts by a mile. Bowling right-arm offspin and legbreaks with no obvious change in his action, Ramadhin finished the series with three five-wicket hauls and a ten-for, his 26 wickets coming at 23.23.

Ramadhin, "a small neat man whose shirt-sleeves were always buttoned at the wrist" to quote ESPNcricinfo's profile of him, got the call-up for that England tour at 21 after just two first-class games. Both he and Valentine were surprise picks for the series but would go on to bowl a lot - 377.5 and 422.3 (with the next highest being 181) overs respectively. The pair's exploits on that tour sparked the famous Calypso song "Cricket, Lovely Cricket".

"On behalf of CWI, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sonny Ramadhin, one of the great pioneers of West Indies cricket," board president Ricky Skerritt said. "Mr Ramadhin made an impact from the moment he first stepped onto the field of World Cricket. Many stories are told of his tremendous feats on the 1950 tour when he combined with Alf Valentine to form cricket's 'spin twins' as West Indies conquered England away from home for the first time.

"This iconic tour is part of our rich cricket legacy, which was pioneered by Mr. Ramadhin and others of his generation. His English exploit was celebrated in a famous calypso - and is still remembered more than 70 years later. Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket."

original location: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/west-indies-cricket-sonny-ramadhin-dies-aged-92-1302966

2
Cricket Anyone / Cricket data visualisations
« on: January 10, 2021, 08:23:58 AM »
I have been creating some data visualisations of historical cricket data.

Here are the top 10 total run-scorers for the West Indies in Test cricket history.















3
Cricket Anyone / Dean Jones obituary
« on: September 25, 2020, 01:38:05 PM »
Australia batsman whose all-or-nothing attitude won him the devotion of a cricket-mad nation
theguardian.com

Some cricketers made more runs. Some had better averages. But no Australian player of his time created more excitement or won more devotion than Dean Jones, who has died of a heart attack, aged 59. A transformative and captivating batsman, especially in the one-day format where he led the world in his pomp during the late 1980s and early 90s, Jones earned iconic status for his sparkling footwork, effervescent strokeplay, bold running between wickets, and the strip of zinc cream always pasted on his bottom lip.

A generation of Australian children, from his hometown of Melbourne to every corner of the continent, was compelled to watch him. They wanted to be him. Jones served as the gateway into a lifetime love of cricket played aggressively to the last. In the years after his career ended, his influence was clear on the T20 revolution that followed, one he embraced as a coach, broadcaster and columnist.

Born in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg, Jones followed in his father Barney’s steps to the Carlton Cricket Club, where he was a prodigy. He graduated to state ranks in 1982, one year later falling one run short of turning his maiden century for Victoria into a double. From the hard school of the Sheffield Shield, at the age of 22 he was picked for his first Australian tour in 1984 – the toughest assignment in the game at the time, visiting the Caribbean.

It was Jones’s debut innings for his country in Trinidad that he looked back on with most pride – not a day when he raised his bat, but when he made 48 against the fearsome West Indies on their own patch. It would be more than two years before he would get his next chance at Test cricket, but what followed was one of the most celebrated innings ever played. In the intense heat and humidity of Madras (now Chennai), he finished on 210 after more than 500 minutes in the middle, so dehydrated that he struggled to control bodily functions, partially lost his memory of the innings, and ended up in hospital on a drip.

This would go on to become only the second tied Test match. Underpinned by Jones’s bravery, it heralded not only the beginning of his own era but the start of a new one for Australian cricket. A year later, in 1987, back in India and against all expectations, they held aloft the World Cup for the first time, with Jones at No 3 instrumental. In 1989, when Allan Border’s men reclaimed the Ashes in England for the first time since 1934, it was Jones who struck two centuries, earning acclaim as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year. Twin tons against Pakistan the following home summer, along with a torrent of runs in Australia’s fluorescent one-day gold uniform, showed the man at his most prolific.

The pin-up of a cricket-mad nation, Jones dominated the one-day game like no Australian before him. Skipping down the track at fast bowlers and spinners alike, he attacked, come what may. His 145 at the Gabba (Brisbane Cricket Ground) against the touring English in 1990 was an innings before its time – an unbridled and ostentatious joy, blasting balls over the rope before it was routine. By now there was no doubt: Deano (always Deano, never Jones) was the best white-ball batsman on the planet.

“Sometimes I die by the sword,” he would later say of his approach, “but, by gee, I had a few kills along the way.” He sure did, reflected too in his whole-body boundary fielding or his sprints for each run, like an Olympian rather than a cricketer. He was always in a pair of sunglasses, as significant to the Jones portrait as the lump of gum he chewed whenever at the crease with a County or Kookaburra blade, batting bare-headed or with a cap or in his broad-brimmed floppy hat. You couldn’t look away.

This all-or-nothing attitude was on show in early 1993 when Jones made the ill-considered decision to demand Curtly Ambrose remove the sweatbands from his wrists during a limited-overs final. Not for the first or last time, he pulled the wrong rein that night, inspiring a match-winning spell from his adversary. In part, it was an act of defiance at the end of a summer during which he had lost his Test spot despite having clocked an unbeaten ton two matches earlier. He would not add to his 52 caps, with selectors seeing fit to dispense with his 11 centuries and average of 46.6.

Jones never truly got over this, nor did his disciples. In his return to the 50-over team in the following home summer, it was a matter of faith that he had been slighted; the wrong would be righted. But when he fell two runs short of a ton against South Africa, again in the heat of Brisbane – this time with an ice collar around his neck below the signature wide-brimmed hat – it signalled a last hurrah rather than an early-30s rebirth. Within months he was jettisoned again, this time prompting an impetuous retirement from international cricket.

Sure enough, there were twists. “If they keep saying I’m one of the best one-day players in the world, then why am I not there?” Jones declared when piling on runs in his majestic summer of 1994-95 with Victoria, including an unbeaten triple-ton on his beloved Melbourne Cricket Ground. But although he was available for selection before the 1996 World Cup, the call never came.

Bruised by it all, Jones made his point the best way he knew how. When Australia returned home as beaten finalists from that tournament, Melbourne’s favourite son turned out for a World XI playing against his former teammates. He duly saluted, bringing up his century with a six into the Southern Stand. His supporters bellowed his name that day just as they defended his every frustrated public utterance. However long he was out of favour, he never stopped being their guy.

A decade in the canary yellow produced 6,068 runs at an average of 45, including 53 scores beyond 50, as well as signs reading “BRING BACK DEANO” for a decade more. Domestic cricket had to fill an initial gap, first in England, leading Derbyshire to their best finish in six decades in 1996, then for Victoria until 1998 to complete his career with 12,668 runs across formats, at the time the record for that state.

Another chapter began beyond the boundary. While his thoughtful words in print were valued at home, it was in Asia that he was revered as a coach, ultimately leading to success at the helm of Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League in 2016 and 2018. In 2017, when the trailblazing Afghanistan men’s team was in need of a coach at short notice, it was Jones who stepped in to do the job.

It was inevitable that Jones would court controversy as a broadcaster – he was remorseful to the end about a discriminatory remark in 2006 that insulted the South African Muslim batsman Hashim Amla. His years on the airwaves offered endless enterprising theories on the 20-over game, which he coached so well and would have been so suited to playing. He died the night after commentating on an Indian Premier League fixture.

Jones was appointed AM (member of the Order of Australia) in 2006 for services not just to cricket but to cancer fundraising. A year ago he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. But there remained a lingering resentment at feeling insufficiently respected by decision-makers at home, resulting in him revoking his life membership with Cricket Victoria after being overlooked for two T20 coaching jobs.

Antipathy was part of Jones, but it never defined him. Instead, he’ll be remembered as a player first and foremost, for work on the field that lives on with those who saw it. It spoke volumes that he kept putting on the whites for his club well into his 40s in the city where he was adored, in a game that was blessed by his lifetime contribution.

Jones is survived by his wife, Jane, and their two daughters, Isabella and Phoebe.

• Dean Mervyn Jones, cricketer, born 24 March 1961; died 24 September 2020

4
Trinbago, NBA & World Basketball / NBA 2013-2014
« on: October 29, 2013, 07:20:54 AM »
Happy Basketball Day, everybody!

Heat-Bulls and Lakers-Clippers tonight. (Also Orlando v Indy)


6
Trinbago, NBA & World Basketball / NY Knicks 2011-2012 Thread
« on: June 03, 2011, 09:40:10 AM »
Breaking news: Donnie Walsh out as GM according to the NY Times.

Other offseason development: Team chose to pick up the $14m option on Chauncey Billups for next season. The alternative was a $3m buyout.

edit: from the NY Times blog

In a surprising announcement, the Knicks announced late Friday morning that Donnie Walsh would be leaving his post as team president when his contract expires at the end of this month. The team characterized Walsh’s exit as by mutual agreement between him and the team’s principle owner, James L. Dolan.

(Use of "principle" and not "principal" by the Times).


8
Trinbago, NBA & World Basketball / NBA 2010-2011
« on: October 08, 2010, 05:38:51 AM »
well pre-season start.

D Wade had some kinda injury in the Heat first game and the Knicks' Amar'e era got started with a game against the T-wolves in Paris.  Nothing major to report.

Last night, the Lakers lost to Barca in an exhibition.

Just for Capo we could start the thread with a picture of 5-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant.


9
Cricket Anyone / Spot fixing controversy
« on: August 30, 2010, 05:16:37 AM »
Posted by Samir Chopra
The insidious allure of spot-fixing

Another cricketing scandal is upon us.Well, the incorrigibility of Pakistan cricket is not new, so let us stop flogging that particular dead horse (after all, we know the usual round of bans, cover-ups, appeals, and reinstatements awaits us down the line) and move on to thinking about why spot-fixing is even more dangerous than match-fixing in many ways.

Most importantly, spot-fixing promises a wonderful two-fer for the morally wavering cricketer: a chance to get rich while preserving one’s sense of integrity. For in spot-fixing, you don’t throw the game. As Cricinfo’s helpful guide to spot-fixing points out,

Spot fixing is about getting players/officials to act in a specified predefined manner at a particular time or during a particular session of a match, with or without adversely affecting the overall outcome of the game.

full blog post



Mazhar Majeed released on bail
Cricinfo staff
August 30, 2010

Mazhar Majeed, the man at the centre of the Pakistan team's spot-fixing scandal, was released on bail by Scotland Yard on Monday, but will have to appear before the police at a later date. The police force refused to discuss the bail conditions or details of their investigative interviews with Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, whose mobile phones they had confiscated.

Majeed had been arrested on Saturday, following the expose that claimed he was paid £150,000 to arrange a fix with the Pakistan team. He was caught on camera by the News of the World claiming to have bribed Pakistan's bowlers to bowl no-balls at previously agreed moments during the Lord's Test.

full article



Police investigation will focus on currency notes
Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's

Investigators will focus on the currency notes handed over by the News Of The World (NOTW) to Mazhar Majeed as they look for evidence of spot fixing in the Lord's Test involving Pakistani cricketers. Majeed was arrested by Scotland Yard on Saturday night and the investigators will try and determine if the currency notes bear resemblance to those found in the hotel rooms of several Pakistani players.

full article



Fixing allegations could taint Sydney win - Ponting
Cricinfo staff
August 30, 2010

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said the performances of his players in last year's Sydney Test against Pakistan would be tainted if the allegations of match-fixing surrounding that game turn out to be true. Ponting was reacting to murmurs about the Sydney game following the scandal unfolding at Lord's where Pakistan's players were alleged to have indulged in spot-fixing by a News of the World sting operation.

"The way we won was one of the more satisfying moments that I've had on the cricket field," Ponting told ABC Radio. "And now when some of these things come to light is when you start to slightly doubt some of the things that have happened."

full article



Imran wants harsh punishment as deterrent
Cricinfo staff
August 30, 2010

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has said he is concerned about the long-term repercussions the match-fixing crisis could have on the country's cricketing establishment but feels it is a chance for the authorities to act in a manner that would discourage future cricketers from considering such activities.

full article


10
Seven People Have Been Entrusted With The Keys To The Internet



These smart cards are the actual keys to the Internet. There are seven of them and they hold the power to restarting the world wide web "in the event of a catastrophic event."

The basic idea is that in the event of an Internet catastrophe, the DNSSEC (domain name system security) could be damaged or compromised and we'd be left without a way to verify if a URL is pointing to the correct website. That's when the holders of these smart cards would be called into action:

A minimum of five of the seven keyholders – one each from Britain, the U.S., Burkina Faso, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, China, and the Czech Republic – would have to converge at a U.S. base with their keys to restart the system and connect everything once again.

http://gizmodo.com/5597964/seven-people-have-been-entrusted-with-the-keys-to-the-internet

11
Cricket Anyone / Murali gets 800, Sri Lanka win by ten wickets
« on: July 22, 2010, 08:44:54 AM »
Murali gets 800, Sri Lanka win by ten wickets
The Bulletin by Sriram Veera
July 22, 2010

Sri Lanka 520 for 8 dec (Paranavitana 111, Sangakkara 103) and 96 for 0 (Dilshan 68*) beat India 276 (Sehwag 109, Murali 5-63) and 338 (Tendulkar 84, Laxman 69, Malinga, 5-50, Murali 3-128) by ten wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details


Muttiah Muralitharan had to wait but eventually became
 the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets © Cricinfo Ltd


At the start of his final Test, he was eight wickets short of entering territory that no other cricketer had. He began his last day in Test cricket needing two, and took one. His partner threatened to take everything else and he could do nothing but keep on bowling, and wait. The umpire denied him a palpable lbw. VVS Laxman, who kept him at bay for so many hours, ran himself out and there was only one wicket left to take. He waited and perhaps even fretted. He nearly ran out the last pair himself, twice. After 23 wicketless overs, with perhaps growing doubt about whether it would come at all, the moment arrived, and Muttiah Muralitharan was there, where no man had gone before. The long wait for the 800th wicket only exemplified the toil that went into the preceding 799. And by the way, Sri Lanka won his farewell Test too, by ten wickets for the seventh time.

full article

12
Other Sports / Steinbrenner dies at 80
« on: July 13, 2010, 08:09:02 AM »
NEW YORK (AP) -- Legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning at age 80.
Steinbrenner passed away around 6:30 a.m. ET after suffering a massive heart attack, SI.com confirmed.
The Steinbrenner family released a statement confirming the iconic figure's passing.
"He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again," the statement said.
Steinbrenner recently celebrated his 80th birthday on July 4.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/07/13/steinbrenner.heart.attack.ap/index.html?eref=BrkNews#ixzz0tZUHtpm5

13
Trinbago, NBA & World Basketball / Bosh set to join Wade with Heat
« on: July 07, 2010, 08:04:03 AM »
MIAMI (AP) -- Chris Bosh has decided to join the Miami Heat and play alongside Dwyane Wade, two league sources confirmed to SI.com on Wednesday.
The league sources told SI.com's Ian Thomsen that it was unclear whether Bosh would simply sign with Miami or if a sign-and-trade with Toronto would occur. If the Heat sign Bosh outright, he can receive a five-year deal worth a maximum of $96 million. In a sign-and-trade, Bosh would be eligible for a six-year deal worth as much as $125 million.
It was also unknown how Bosh's and Wade's plans would affect LeBron James, who will announce his decision Thursday night on ESPN. Bosh, Wade and James have talked about playing together. If that plan is to be truly hatched, it would have to happen in Miami.
ESPN first reported the story of Miami's two pending signings.
Henry Thomas, the agent for both Bosh and Wade, did not return calls or e-mails early Wednesday from The Associated Press. Calls to Wade and two representatives for the 2006 NBA finals MVP also were not returned.
"I have nothing official from anyone,'' Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said Wednesday morning in a text message to The Associated Press.
The Raptors do have several sign-and-trade options from teams interested in acquiring Bosh.
If Bosh signs, which can't happen until Thursday at the earliest, it would be a huge coup for the Heat. Wade said when free agency began that he would likely only stay in Miami if the Heat lured either Bosh or LeBron James to South Florida.
Bosh averaged career-bests of 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds last season for Toronto.
Miami came into the free-agent period with around $44 million of cap space, not including $16 million or so earmarked for Wade, thanks to years of avoiding just about any deal where money would have been committed for the 2010-11 season.
"We want to build a dynasty,'' Heat president Pat Riley had told fans entering free agency.
Bosh and Wade would be a pretty good start.
They share an agent, were Olympic teammates on the gold-medal team in Beijing, dined together at times during the free-agent interview process last week in Chicago and were part of that star-studded draft class in 2003 - Bosh went fourth, Wade fifth.
The Heat lack the salary-cap space to give Bosh, Wade and James all the maximum amounts they would be entitled to receive in their next contracts, so what would likely happen - again, if the scenario came together - was each player agreeing to take a bit less in base salary for 2010-11. If that happens, then they would probably receive contracts allowing them to become free agents again in three years if they wanted.
Miami does have the room to give Bosh and Wade max deals, although would still have to do some bargain-shopping to fill its roster for the coming year, with only Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers under contract now for 2010-11.
The expectation around the Heat for months -- for years, really -- was that Wade would have a flirtation with free agency, then return to Miami for a six-year contract that could have been worth around $127 million, maybe a bit more or less depending on what the salary cap number for the coming 2010-11 season is.
Wade fed that assumption, saying countless times that he wanted to stay in Miami if the roster was upgraded to a championship-contending level. That rather ambiguous caveat took a more exact shape in recent days, and the Heat were clearly on edge when Wade took two meetings with the Chicago Bulls, his hometown team.
Days later, Wade will be apparently able to say he got what he wanted all along.

14
What about Track & Field / Caster Semenya cleared to compete
« on: July 06, 2010, 01:10:15 PM »
Caster Semenya may return to track this month after IAAF clearance
Anna Kessel
guardian.co.uk,    Tuesday 6 July 2010 19.03 BST



Caster Semenya could return to athletic action this month at the World Junior Championships.
Photograph: Barry Aldworth/Sports Inc/Press Association Images


Caster Semenya could return to competition as early as the World Junior Championships in Canada this month after the sport's global governing body cleared the 19‑year‑old to run with immediate effect.

The South African said she was delighted with the verdict, after a drawn‑out investigation into her gender which put her career on hold for 11 months. "I am thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again, and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me," she said.

full article

15
Other Sports / Tour de France 2010
« on: July 04, 2010, 09:00:52 AM »
Tour start yesterday.

Cancellara win the prologue as per usual.  Armstrong and Contador finished 4th and 6th respectively each less than 30 seconds behind.  Basso and the Schleck brothers all around a minute back.


Today's stage 2, is wrapping up as we speak.  The peloton roping in a breakaway group.  Nothing out of the ordinary.

Tomorrow's stage 3 could feature some separation I think I was reading that it going over some cobblestones.

16
Other Sports / Wimbledon 2010
« on: June 21, 2010, 10:02:00 AM »
#1 seed, and world #2, Roger Federer needed 5 sets to win his first round match today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/sports/tennis/22federer.html?hp

17
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- An associate of former NBA player Manute Bol says Bol has died at a Virginia hospital, where he was being treated for severe kidney trouble and a painful skin condition.
Sudan Sunrise executive director Tom Prichard says in an e-mail that the 7-foot-6 Bol died Saturday morning at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville.
The 47-year-old Bol played 10 seasons in the NBA and later founded Sudan Sunrise, a humanitarian group based in Lenexa, Kan., that promotes reconciliation in Sudan. Bol played professionally with Washington, Golden State, Philadelphia and Miami.
Bol was hospitalized in mid-May during a stopover in Washington after returning to the United States from Sudan. Prichard says Sudan "and the world have lost a hero."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/06/19/bol.obit.ap/index.html?eref=sihp

18
Jokes / Emplastro
« on: June 14, 2010, 07:43:50 AM »
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_w5SlW4_Bs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/o_w5SlW4_Bs</a>

19
Other Sports / Rossi breaks leg in crash during practice in Rome
« on: June 05, 2010, 07:37:06 PM »
Rossi breaks leg in crash during practice in Rome

ROME — Nine-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi broke his right shin during a crash in practice Saturday for the Italian Grand Prix and had surgery.
Dr. Roberto Buzzi operated on Rossi and said it was the worst break he has treated in his career and that he doesn't envision Rossi returning to racing in 2010.
Reports said that Rossi lost control of his Yamaha while changing direction between two curves at turn 13 while going about 111 mph on his second practice run. He flipped in the air and landed hard on his right leg.
"The fracture was repaired without any complications and Valentino is already awake and smiling," Dr. Claudio Costa told Sky Sports Italia. Costa is head of the medical facility at the Mugello track where the rider was first treated.
Rossi was in surgery for nearly two and a half hours and is likely to stay in hospital for a week.
Rossi managed to get up after the accident, gripping his right calf. He waved as he was moved to a stretcher before being taken to the track's medical center. He was flown by helicopter to Florence's Careggi medical center.
"It's an injury more serious than we thought, because it's an exposed fracture with the bone protruding from the skin," Dr. Claudio Macchiagodena, the MotoGP medical director, said on the circuit's website.
Rossi's father said the family doesn't know how long his recovery would take.
"He was in a lot of pain for 20 minutes, but now he will have all the time necessary to recover," Graziano Rossi said. "He needs to recover fully before returning. It could be one month, it could be five, it isn't important. He is in no rush."
Rossi is second in the standings and this will be the first time he has not competed in his home Grand Prix, a race he has won nine times. It also ends his record run of 230 successive MotoGP races since his debut in the 125cc class at the 1996 Malaysian Grand Prix.
French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, who like Rossi is Italian, was asked at her postmatch news conference about his injury. She hadn't heard, and her face went blank when told.
She said she's a big fan of his and said, in Italian: "He showed me how to win trophies. I've followed his career. My best wishes to him."
AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report from Paris.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iUu84bsAMfMNKSfXX_vTsYlBvUDAD9G5AGAG0

20
General Discussion / Boy uses gaming skills to save sister
« on: June 02, 2010, 06:40:53 PM »
from: http://technology.canoe.ca/2010/06/01/14210871.html

Boy uses gaming skills to save sister
By QMI Agency
      
If anyone's ever told Hans Jorgen Olsen that video games are a waste of time, they'll have to eat their words.

Olsen, 12, saved his sister from a moose using the knowledge he gained playing World of Warcraft, reports the Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen.

The pair were walking through the woods in the central Norwegian town of Leksvik when they came face-to-face with an angry moose.

Olsen knew what he had to do, thanks to the countless hours spent playing WOW, a multi-player online role-playing game.

First, he taunted the animal to get it away from his sister. In WOW, players use taunting to get monsters off their less well-armed team members.

Then, when the beast came after him, he played dead.

"When you reach level 30, you learn a trick called the fake death. That's what I did - I pretended I was dead, and then the moose lost interest," he said. "It went really well."

21
2010 World Cup - South Africa / World Cup Calendar
« on: June 02, 2010, 09:20:20 AM »
http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundial/sudafrica-2010/calendario-english.html

<a href="http://estaticos.marca.com/multimedia/graficos/futbol/2010/mundial/calendariomundialingles.swf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://estaticos.marca.com/multimedia/graficos/futbol/2010/mundial/calendariomundialingles.swf</a>

22
General Discussion / 13-Year-Old Is Youngest to Top Everest
« on: May 22, 2010, 07:17:55 AM »
BEIJING (AP) -- A 13-year-old American boy became the youngest climber to reach the top of Mount Everest on Saturday, breaking the former record as part of his quest to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.

A spokesman for Jordan Romero said the boy's team called him by satellite phone from the summit of the world's highest mountain, 29,035 feet above sea level.

''Their dreams have now come true. Everyone sounded unbelievably happy,'' a new statement on Romero's blog said Saturday morning.

The teenager with long curly hair -- who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when he was 10 years old -- has said he was inspired by a painting in his school hallway of the seven continents' highest summits.

''Every step I take is finally toward the biggest goal of my life, to stand on top of the world,'' Romero said in an earlier post on his blog.

The record for the youngest climber to scale Everest had been held by Temba Tsheri of Nepal, who reached the peak at age 16.

''I'm just very proud of him,'' Romero's mother told The Associated Press by telephone just before he reached the peak, as she watched his progress online on a live GPS tracker.

When asked what she would say to him once he reached the summit, she started crying: ''I can't really say that. It's just emotional.''

Romero, from Big Bear, Calif., was climbing Everest with his father, his father's girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. He left for the peak from the base camp on the Chinese side.

Everest was Jordan Romero's first challenge above 26,240 feet.

Unlike neighboring Nepal, the other approach to Everest, China has no age limit for climbers. Romero registered with Chinese officials in April, said Zhang Mingxing, secretary general of China Tibet Mountaineering Association.

No interview with Romero will be possible until he returns to advance base camp, which could take a couple of days, said Rob Bailey, the U.S.-based spokesman for the teenager's climbing team. Climbers stay overnight at three or four camps before the summit, depending on their route and pace.

The team planned to do something special for Romero at the mountaintop but was keeping it a surprise even from him, Bailey said.

location: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/05/22/sports/AP-China-Everest-Boy.html

23
Other Sports / Former IOC president Samaranch dies
« on: April 21, 2010, 08:11:55 PM »
Former IOC president Samaranch dies

The former head of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, has died in a Barcelona hospital.

He was 89 and had been suffering from heart problems.

Mr Samaranch took over as head of the IOC in 1980 when the Olympic movement was short of funds and reeling from the mass boycotts of the Moscow Games.

By the time he stepped down in 2001 he had turned the Olympics into a commercial powerhouse.

He was the second-longest serving head of the IOC.

Original Article @ Radio Australia: http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201004/2879534.htm

24
Defence Force wins championships!

On Sunday night at the Jean Pierre Complex Port of Spain, the stage was set for the grand finale of biggest ever national club championships to be hosted in Trinidad & Tobago.

And what a fitting climax for such an event with the top two teams, Defence Force & Detour Shak Attack, battling each other for a whooping first prize of $100,000 and with the series levelled at 3-3 apiece.

In front of a capacity crowd reminiscent of the glory days of local basketball in the seventies & eighties, Steven Lighter Lewis and Defence Force stole the show.

entire article

25
Other Sports / Real Madrid ready to splash the cash for Ginobili
« on: March 25, 2010, 01:23:46 PM »
MADRID (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Real Madrid are rumoured to be offering Argentina guard Manu Ginobili a contract worth $13.5 million for next season.

Ramon Trecet of Spanish newspaper Marca has reported that Real are very interested in bringing the 32-year-old guard in and would be willing to pay him close to $3 million more than what he is earning this season.

Ginobili is set to become unrestricted free agent this summer after spending all eight of his NBA seasons to date with the San Antonio Spurs and playing a leading role in their three championships.

He is set to make $10.7 million in the final year of a deal he signed with the Texan team in 2004.

Earlier this month, Ginobili told FIBA that he looks forward to playing in the World Championship in Turkey, but that other things must be in order before he can do so.

His wife is due to give birth to twins and the former All-Star would like to spend as much time as possible with his family.

The 2004 Olympic gold medallist also hopes to resolve his free agent status and know where his future lies before he represents his country.

Ginobili has played for the Real Madrid's current head coach, Ettore Messina, while with Italian side Virtus Bologna from 2000 to 2002.

Real Madrid also have expressed interest in Spanish national team guard Rudy Fernandez, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.

original location

26
Football / Hiddink to Coach Ivory Coast
« on: March 10, 2010, 01:44:58 PM »
AMSTERDAM (AP) -- Guus Hiddink has agreed to coach Ivory Coast at this year's World Cup, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported Wednesday.
NOS said the Dutchman will lead Ivory Coast from May 15-July 15 before taking over as Turkey coach in August.
NOS said that before signing with Ivory Coast, Hiddink must confirm that his contract with Russia has been ended.
Dutch daily De Telegraaf quoted Hiddink's agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen as saying that the negotiations with Russia are a barrier to the Ivory Coast deal. Hiddink's contract with Russia expires in June. He took Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European Championship but failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Hiddink coached the Netherlands to the World Cup semifinals in 1998, South Korea to the same stage four years later and led Australia at the World Cup in Germany four years ago.
Van Nieuwenhuizen did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Vahid Halilhodzic was fired as coach last week after Ivory Coast failed to reach the semifinals at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.
The Elephants will play in the same group as Brazil, Portugal and North Korea at the June 11-July 11 World Cup tournament.
In Tokyo, media reported that former Japan coach Philippe Troussier also could take over as Ivory Coast's coach.
The 54-year-old Troussier has also been in charge of Nigeria, Qatar and Morocco and currently serves as general manager of Japan Football League team FC Ryukyu.
On Tuesday, Sven-Goran Eriksson's agent said the former England coach was unlikely to take charge of the Ivory Coast team at the World Cup.


Original location: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/03/10/hiddink.ivory.coast.ap/index.html

27
Cricket Anyone / Tendulkar 200 not out in ODI
« on: February 24, 2010, 12:16:49 PM »
Flawless Tendulkar 200 gives India series
The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran
February 24, 2010

It took nearly 40 years of waiting and it was well worth it. Sachin Tendulkar chose one of the better bowling attacks doing the rounds, to eclipse the record for the highest score, before bringing up the first ever double-hundred in ODI history. The spectators at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium became the envy of Indian cricket fans as they witnessed one of the country's favourite sporting heroes play a breathtaking innings which not only set up a 153-run annihilation but also the series victory. He may have been run-out cheaply in the previous match, but nothing could deny him today - be it bowlers, fielders, mix-ups or cramps. Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni stood by and admired as the master unfurled all the shots in his repertoire.

At 36, Tendulkar hasn't shown signs of ageing, and his sparkling touch in both forms of the game has ruled out all possibilities of him checking out anytime soon. Fatigue, cramps and paucity of time have stood in the way of batsmen going that extra mile to get to the 200-mark. Tendulkar did cramp up after crossing 150, but he didn't opt for a runner. His experience of 20 years at the international level came into play in this historic innings, staying at the crease from the first ball to the last, never once losing focus. There were no chances offered, no dropped catches, making his innings absolutely flawless.

A swirl of emotions must have run through his mind as he approached one record after another but he ensured he was never lost in the moment. His running between the wickets remained just as swift as it had been at the start of the innings. The humidity in Gwalior was bound to test him but he stood above it all and played like he owned the game, toying with the bowling with a mix of nonchalance and brute power.

In the 46th over, with a flick for two past short fine-leg, Tendulkar broke the record for the highest ODI score, going past the 194 made by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar, and to say that he acknowledged his feat modestly would be an understatement. His muted celebration on going past 194, true to style, made his innings all the more endearing. He didn't raise his bat, merely shook hands with Mark Boucher and simply carried on batting amid the din. Coming from a man who is not known to showing too much emotion with the bat in hand, it wasn't surprising. He reserved his celebrations for the magic figure of 200, which he reached in the final over with a squirt off Charl Langeveldt past backward point. He raised his bat, took off his helmet and looked up at the skies and it was only fitting that one-day cricket's highest run-getter reached the landmark.

Tendulkar's innings featured strokes of the highest quality, but his true genius was exemplified by one particular shot which rendered even the best bowler in the world helpless. In the first over of the batting Powerplay - taken in the 35th over - Dale Steyn fired it in the block-hole for three deliveries outside off to keep him quiet. Tendulkar, feeling the need to improvise, walked right across his stumps and nonchalantly flicked him across the line, hopping in his crease on one leg to bisect the gap at midwicket. A helpless Steyn watched the ball speed away and merely shrugged his shoulders. There was no use searching for excuses or venting frustrations at the temerity of that shot. It was just that kind of afternoon for the bowlers.

It wasn't all just about the cheekiness of his shots. His timing and placement were the hallmarks at the start of his innings. On a road of a pitch which offered no margin of error for the bowlers, he squeezed out full deliveries past the covers and off his pads. With no seam movement on offer, Jacques Kallis took the slips off and placed them in catching positions within the 15-yard circle, hoping to induce a mistake. But Tendulkar outplayed all of them, making room to manoeuver it past a number of green shirts. There were a minimum of two runs on offer each time the ball was placed wide of them and the quick outfield did the rest.

Once he got his eye in, the short boundaries and the flat pitch were too inviting. Virender Sehwag's dismissal for 11, caught at third man, was just an aberration as Karthik, Pathan and Dhoni traded cricket bats for golf clubs. Driving and lofting through the line had never been this easy. Tendulkar could have driven them inside out in his sleep.

The two century stands, with Karthik and then with Dhoni, may well get lost in the scorecard but they were vital building blocks. Karthik rotated the strike well in their stand of 194, struck three clean sixes and helped himself to his career-best performance. That partnership sent out ominous signs to the South Africans that they were in for something massive. Add Dhoni's bludgeoning hits and scoops and you had a score in excess of 400.

Tendulkar reached his fifty off 37 balls and his century off 90. Ironically, he struck his first six - over long-on - when on 111. Pathan bashed it around at the other end, clubbing full tosses and short deliveries in his 23-ball 36, as India amassed 63 runs in the batting Powerplay. The South African seamers made the mistake of trying to bowl too fast and as a result, sent down too many full tosses and full deliveries. The unplayable yorkers remained elusive and Tendulkar, who was seeing it like a beach ball, picked the gaps, made room and improvised.

He reached his 150 by making room to Parnell and chipping him over midwicket with a simple bat twirl at the point of contact. The heartbreak of Hyderabad, when his scintillating 175 all but won India the match against Australia last year, must have lingered in his mind as he approached that score again. A towering six over long-on later, he not only eclipsed Kapil Dev's 175 but also looked set to wipe out his own record. He started clutching his thighs, indicating that cramps had set in, but even that could not stop him today.

He equalled his highest score of 186 by pulling a lollipop of a full toss off Kallis and broke his own and India's record with a single to square leg. Fortunately, he didn't have to do much running and played the spectator's role for a change as Dhoni bulldozed his way to a 35-ball 68, muscling four sixes. The Dhoni bottom-hand is the strongest in the business these days and the exhausted spectators had enough energy left in their vocal chords to cheer him on as well.

The record of 200, however, was yet to be attained and the crowd were desperate for Tendulkar to get the strike. Dhoni tore into Steyn for 17 off the 49th over and retained the strike for the 50th. After hammering the first ball of the 50th for six, he shoveled a full toss to deep midwicket where Hashim Amla made a brilliant save. Tendulkar settled for a single and the crowd were on their feet as they watched him make history. It was all the more fitting for another reason because it was on this very day, back in 1988, that he and Vinod Kambli added a mammoth 664 - then a world record - in a school match.

There was to be no repeat of the 434-chase at the Wanderers, when South Africa took guard, perhaps mentally and physically shaken after the assault, and with a partisan crowd to contend with. AB de Villiers' attacking ton got completely lost in the chase as South Africa merely went through the motions. It was all a question of how quickly India could wrap it up.

Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Roelof van der Merwe and Jacques Kallis all got out cheaply within the first 15 overs. de Villiers motored along at more than a run-a-ball, and collected 13 fours and two sixes. South Africa had lost nine men before they could muster 200 - for India one man sufficed.

Tendulkar's knock drew parallels with Brendon McCullum's frenetic 158 in the IPL opener in Bangalore two years ago. The match was all about individual brilliance but not a contest. While such games are good in small doses, for one-day cricket to survive on the whole, it needs more contests between bat and ball.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo



28
Other Sports / Cowboys want to host Mayweather-Pacquiao
« on: December 13, 2009, 05:40:50 AM »
DALLAS -- Dallas Cowboys officials are still interested in bringing the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight to Cowboys Stadium, multiple sources close to the football team and fight officials said Saturday night.

Promoter Bob Arum expects to settle on a site by next week. While Las Vegas is the front-runner, Arum claims it still might be Dallas.

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Jerry Jones offered to pay $25 million as a site fee.

"I'm working really hard to bring the fight down to Dallas," Arum said. "I know Texas people, and I know that a first proposal doesn't mean it's the final proposal. I'm saying that Dallas is a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money."

The Top Rank boss spoke glowingly of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his willingness to outbid Vegas for what might be the richest fight in boxing history. Arum also expressed frustration Saturday night with Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer, who assists Mayweather Promotions, for canceling a trip to Dallas because he doesn't want the fight in Jones' opulent stadium.

The Dallas bid was thought to be nearly dead after Schaefer skipped the trip on Wednesday to scout for Mayweather. But Arum, speaking after Top Rank fighter Lamont Peterson lost his 140-pound title shot against Timothy Bradley, insists Schaefer must consider Jones' offer.

"I think everybody involved has an obligation to see," said Arum, who has turned over the nuts-and-bolts negotiations to Top Rank president Todd duBoef because Arum gets too emotional.

Cowboys officials are prepared to seat 9,000 fans on the football field and lower the video board, which is 90 feet above the ground, to close to 25 feet above the ring. The fight could have a capacity of close to 100,000 fans.

"I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas stadium," Arum said. "My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that's where I want the deal."

Cowboys spokesperson Brett Daniels said Saturday night the organization wouldn't have a comment. However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he's interested in having the fight in Cowboys Stadium.

"I'm willing to help in any way that I can," Cuban said in an e-mail to ESPNDallas.com. "I think it would be great for North Texas and Cowboys Stadium to host the fight. I have a call in to Floyd and have offered my assistance. We will see what happens."

Arum might want this historic fight to happen in decidedly unhistoric Cowboys Stadium, or he might simply be attempting to leverage Jones' bid against the MGM Grand to get a better offer from the best fight site in boxing's capital city.

The MGM Grand likely could craft a bigger offer than $25 million based on closed-circuit tickets and the ancillary benefits of being in the gambling mecca, but the casino likely can't match the possible Dallas gate -- and Arum wants a guarantee.

"I'm guaranteeing my fighter $25 million," Arum said. "I ain't going for pie in the sky on this."

Calvin Watkins, who covers the Dallas Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com, and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

29
What about Track & Field / Marion Jones wants to play in WNBA
« on: November 30, 2009, 11:05:03 PM »
Ex-track star Marion Jones wants to play in WNBA
Associated Press, 11.30.09, 08:47 PM EST 

SAN ANTONIO -- Disgraced track star Marion Jones is training for a comeback - in the WNBA.

San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes confirmed Monday night that Jones has been training with his assistants to possibly play in the WNBA, more than a year after the 34-year-old was released from federal prison for lying about her doping use.

The New York Times first reported that Jones has been working on her skills and conditioning in San Antonio since October. Jones told the newspaper she received a call in May from someone in the NBA asking if she might play in the WNBA.

Jones played college basketball at North Carolina.

30
Cricket Anyone / Woeful West Indies put a new twist on lazy days of summer
« on: November 30, 2009, 08:23:59 AM »
Woeful West Indies put a new twist on lazy days of summer
By Robert Craddock
November 29, 2009
Five years ago, when Australia decided it was time to reduce Test series against West Indies from five matches to three, some stalwarts were offended.

To them, playing only three Tests against the Windies was like inviting Jamie Oliver over to cook dinner and asking him to prepare the entree only. It seemed demeaning. A waste. Almost a tease.

Not any more.

The Gabba massacre shows just how pathetic West Indies are - the key issue now is how on earth can anybody be expected to maintain interest in this dog-eared series for two more Tests. And then five one-dayers.

That is, potentially, 15 days of cricket. Imagine watching Melbourne Storm play Sydney Roosters 15 days in a row. That's what it will be like.

It could actually do more harm than good to Test cricket to play the last two Tests.

If the West Indies don't improve - they have been dreadful for a decade - there is no way Australia should be so gracious towards them in the future. Test cricket is battling for survival. You just cannot afford to clog up a summer with such cringingly bad fare.

Give them two Tests and three one-dayers.

As one blogger said on Saturday, watching them is like watching Titanic, the movie - we all know the plot.

The Gabba was like a ghost town at the start of play on day three, with a crowd of around 4000 people. Later it built to just 10,000.

Crowds at the game have been modest and the build-up and atmosphere has made this the flattest Gabba Test I have covered in two decades.

Hits on newspaper stories have been down. Iconic Caribbean commentators Michael Holding and Tony Cozier didn't even bother coming. And radio stations in the Caribbean haven't picked up the broadcast.

The worst indictment is that this team has some ability, but no one is worse at extracting talent than the Windies.

The comment that keeps ringing in our ears came from rugby league coach and former West Indies fitness coach Steve Folkes, who said: "When you ask an Australian to jump they say 'How high?'. When you ask a West Indian they ask, 'Why?"'

It was a throwaway line but it said a lot. Another former Australian coach tells of the day he tried to get the team into the middle of the oval for exercises but the players sent a message saying they didn't want to leave the shade of the grandstand.

They are lazy players. It was all on show at the Gabba when three of them got out hooking in the second innings, including Dwayne Bravo who fell to a baited hook from Mike Hussey.

Mike Hussey!

Cricketers from other nations can usually be be relied on to train privately when they leave camp. But a lot of the West Indies players don't have the same drive. They sleep a lot but are not big on exercise.

This is why English counties baulk at signing West Indies players. It's a serious setback because most of the the greats of the past - Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Holding, Andy Roberts and Viv Richards - all spent significant periods in county cricket.

It is a long way back to the top of the world. Our tip is that they will never get anywhere near it again.

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