Former UFC fighter Lee Murray, who was convicted of masterminding the biggest non-wartime cash heist in history, has had his prison sentence increased from 10 years to 25, according to BBC News.
On February 22, 2006, Murray and a group of others broke into a Securitas cash depot in Tonbridge, Kent and escaped with the U.S. equivalent of $92.5 million in cash. A series of arrests soon followed and the British-born Murray was named as the mastermind of the crime.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Rangers Interested in Andy Pettitte?
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, The Follow List
It may be a backup plan in case Cliff Lee signs with another team, or maybe the Texas Rangers want to add another veteran left-handed pitcher to their rotation. Whatever their reasoning, the New York Daily News, citing a source, reported on Monday that the Rangers are trying to recruit Andy Pettitte.According to the report, Rangers president Nolan Ryan spoke with Pettitte about the possibility of returning to his home state to pitch for the Rangers.
This makes a lot of sense for Pettitte, who has made multiple statements about how difficult it is to play so far away from his family in Houston.
But what about Pettitte's declaration that he would only return to pitch for the Yankees? Or the fact that he hasn't completely decided to return to baseball for the 2011 season at all?
This is the time of year that Pettitte usually flirts with retirement, but he never actually heads home to sit on the porch in a rocking chair. Pettitte is a competitor; even at age 38, he's able to contribute to a starting rotation.
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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/rangers-interested-in-andy-pettitte/
As MLS Expansion Draft Nears, FanHouse Unveils the Unprotected Best XI
Filed under: MLS, Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will look to find that diamond in the rough (like 2010 Best XI honoree Sébastien Le Toux, selected by the Philadelphia Union one year ago) when the MLS expansion draft kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.The league's existing sixteen teams each were required to submit a roster of eleven protected players on Monday -- names that the Whitecaps and Timbers can't touch. While the top talent is off limits, there still are a number of high-quality players left available for the two expansion clubs.
With that in mind, FanHouse presents its Expansion Draft Best XI:
Colorado Rapids Claim First MLS Cup Title With Overtime Defeat of FC Dallas
Filed under: MLS, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas
TORONTO -- A hard-fought, disjointed, rough-and-tumble MLS Cup final was decided in overtime in the most appropriate fashion -- by a fortunate bounce.
Colorado Rapids forward Macoumba Kandji, who was acquired midseason from the New York Red Bulls and entered Sunday's game eight minutes into overtime, had a spring in his step that FC Dallas' defense was lacking as a physical game neared its conclusion.
In possession of the ball deep on the right wing in the 107th minute, Kandji paused and froze FCD center back Jair Benitez before dribbling through his legs. A quick, rising ball sent goalkeeper Kevin Hartman moving toward the far post, while defender George John stepped forward to make the play. He did -- the ball bounced off John's upper body and into the net, for perhaps the ugliest championship winner you'll ever see.
It was scored as an own goal, and it lifted Colorado to a 2-1 victory and its first major trophy after 15 years of a mostly mediocre, almost irrelevant existence. The Rapids were the only MLS team that competed every year from 2000 through 2010 without appearing in either the MLS Cup or U.S. Open Cup final. Now they are the champions of American soccer.
The own goal was also a fitting way to end the Rapids' run through the postseason. After finishing seventh overall with a 12-8-10 record, Colorado was shifted over to the much easier Eastern Conference bracket thanks to the league's convoluted playoff format -- one that the MLS promised will change in 2011.
But the Rapids hardly made easy work of the lighter half of the draw. They needed penalty kicks to get past the Columbus Crew in the first round, then used a seeing-eye, long-range bouncer from defender Kosuke Kimura to oust San Jose in the semifinal, 1-0. On Sunday night in Toronto, an own goal was the difference between agony and history.
Tiger Woods Becoming Marketable Again
Tiger Woods used to be one of the most highly-sought after pitchmen. That is, until the sex scandal that enveloped his personal, public and private life; after which Woods became persona non-grata to all those who used to line up to sign him to endorsement deals.But with the one-year anniversary of the car crash that started that whole drama approaching, Woods is slowly completing his PR makeover, and marketers are starting to buy it.
According to agent Mark Steinberg, Woods has engaged in "several constructive conversations," and that a survey to gauge Woods' public image has yielded very positive results.
"We are a society of second chances. That's been proven over the years," Steinberg said. "He's not going to be in any deal until he looks the company in the eye and has a serious conversation with them. 'How are you going to live your life? We want to be part of the redemption, rehabilitation. Are you serious about that?' And he knows that. He's comfortable with it. And he's going to do that."
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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/tiger-woods-becoming-marketable-again/
Feliciano Lopez Fernando Torres Fernando Verdasco Filippo Inzaghi Florent Malouda
Sky's Cricket Commentators Show Their Football Counterparts How It Should Be Done
Filed under: Cricket, England Cricket, Tests, Australia Cricket
Midway through the last day of the first Ashes Test, after 13 sessions of wildly fluctuating thrust and parry, it was finally time to kick back and relax. Much of importance was still to occur: as Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott flayed Australia's miserable attack hither and yon, batting records would tumble, and God alone knows what knocks their innings have given to Australia's, and especially Mitchell Johnson's, confidence. But in simple stark terms of the result, the Test was over. It was going to be a draw.There's nothing quite like the final sessions of a Test when everyone knows there won't be a result. The batsmen play a few strokes, trying to up their averages when the pressure's off. The bowlers keep it just tight enough without expending too much energy. The crowd drink far too much, and concentrate not so much on the game but mainly on mocking people who aren't there. ("Long to reign over yooooouuuuu," went the Barmy Army gleeful take on the national anthem, God Save Your Queen, to republican hosts who weren't there, home support being thin on the ground for the final day, after Cook and Andrew Strauss had slapped their side all over the shop on day four.) Meanwhile in the commentary box, the men with the microphones take the opportunity to dry-run some of their stand-up material. This Test would be no different.
Sky get plenty of stick for their sometimes ludicrously overblown - yet paradoxically lightweight - football coverage. But their cricket coverage is second to none. When the game's in the balance, the Sky team keep it serious. Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and Michael Holding explain the technicalities without ever patronising the viewer. Sir Ian Botham is the iconoclast, rarely offering opinions up for the sake of it (as he occasionally did in his early years as a broadcaster). David Gower plays to type as the ice-cool arch gent. Shane Warne explores the poker mindset of the top-class bowler. And while David Lloyd plays up to his Bumble persona for Chris Kamara-esque laughs, he does it while mining a deep seam of knowledge, a duality the wacky zany bonkers football pundit would do well to consider.
But midway through the final day, when it had become apparent the teams would be taking turns to bat out time, the commentary team kicked off their shoes. Esoteric freestyle jazz riffs became the order of the day. Bumble considered which Monopoly playing piece Cook would be. "What do you reckon?" he wondered aloud. "The fast car? The dog? The boat? He'd be the top hat." He then spent a good couple of minutes attempting to remember all three of the red streets on the board. "What is it? Trafalgar Square, The Strand... er..." Cook crashed another ball to the rope. "Fleet Street! And he's hit that one all the way back to Fleet Street."
Bumble wasn't finished. "Mrs Lloyd asked me for one of those i-things," began his bon mot. "An iPad or an iPod. I bought her an i-ron. Also gave her a large pile of shirts." The director cut to the box, where Hussain was caught quietly crying with laughter at Lloyd's leftfield ramblings, rubbing his eyes, his head banging on the desk.
Warne admitted to being practically speechless when England's score ticked past 500 for the loss of only one wicket. (And no wonder! Five hundred! One wicket!) Botham took the opportunity to rib the Aussie legend over the empty ground, the home fans having long given up on their team. "We have days in England when the crowd come in fancy dress. I see your lot have come as plastic chairs." This was the aural equivalent of prodding someone repeatedly in the chest, just to see what they'd do when they finally snap. Warne emitted nothing more than a good-natured sigh. The match was heading for a draw, but it felt like a victory for England, who had been on the ropes but came out landing haymakers, and Botham wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to rib his friend. Admittedly by now they were veering dangerously close to banter, but the lack of aggression, so often an undercurrent of football's coverage, was missing, ensuring the whole enterprise didn't veer off into tiresome laddishness.
In another dying rubber earlier in the week, Real Madrid deliberately got two players sent off for timewasting in order to wipe their disciplinary records in time for the knockout phase. In the Sky commentary box, pundit Garry Birtles went ballistic, creating a two-minute atonal soundscape centred around the word "disgrace", before melodramatically declaring that he "doesn't want Real Madrid to win the Champions League any more".
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/11/29/sky-cricket-ashes-david-lloyd-shane-warne/
Mets Reportedly Nearing Deal With Pitcher Chris Young
Filed under: Mets, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency
The Mets are nearing a deal with former Padres pitcher Chris Young, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Young is coming off of a shoulder injury that cost him almost all of 2010. He made just four starts and threw only 20 innings for the Padres, with none coming between April 6 and Sept. 18. He did pitch fairly well in a few starts down the stretch (none longer than five innings), though, and obviously the Mets are hoping that's indicative of better health for the tall righty in 2011.
As Olney points out, Citi Field would be a good fit for Young. He blossomed at Petco Park with a 3.60 ERA over five years with the Padres after being traded from the Rangers. He never strikes out many hitters and he's a flyball pitcher, which means that pitching in a small park could be disastrous for him.
I'm sure that David Wright and Jason Bay would be more than happy to attest that Citi Field is anything but small, though, and so if Young is looking to sign a short deal to prove to the league he's healthy, going to the Mets makes plenty of sense.
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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/mets-reportedly-nearing-deal-with-pitcher-chris-young/
Ronaldinho Ronaldo Rory McIlroy Ruud van Nistelrooy Ryan Giggs
Juan Manuel Marquez to Manny Pacquiao: 'Take the Third Fight'
Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. On Saturday night on HBO, WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) champion Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 knockouts) rose from a third-round knockdown to score a ninth-round stoppage over WBO interim king Michael Katsidis (27-3, 22 KOs).
It was trademark Marquez, who was floored four times over the course of two bouts with eight-division king, Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs). Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first round of a May, 2004 draw, and, once, in the second round of a March, 2008, disputed, split-decision victory over Marquez.
Marquez, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, wants to make a third bout with Pacquiao, who is promoted by Top Rank Promotions and is the current holder of the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) and WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) crowns.
FanHouse spoke to Marquez following his win over Katsidis.
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Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/juan-manuel-marquez-to-manny-pacquiao-take-the-third-fight/
Stanislas Wawrinka Steve Stricker Steven Gerrard Thierry Henry Thomaz Bellucci
Golden Boy's Amir Khan Supports Top Rank's Julio Cesar Chavez
Filed under: WBA, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. Top Rank Promotions has announced that junior middleweight (154 pounds) contender Pawel Wolak (27-1, 17 knockouts) of New Jersey will replace injured Alfonso Gomez as the Dec. 4 opponent against junior middleweight and middleweight (160 pounds) prospect Julio Cesar Chavez (40-0-1, 30 KOs) of Mexico at The Pond in Anaheim, Calif..
A week later on Dec. 11, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer will promote an HBO televised bout featuring WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) and WBA interim titlist Marcos Rene Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs).
Khan spoke to FanHouse about Chavez during this interview.
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Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/11/28/golden-boys-amir-khan-supports-top-ranks-julio-cesar-chavez/
Iker Casillas Ivan Ljubicic Jamie Carragher Jason Day Javier Mascherano
ATP Agrees to Shorten Length of Schedule, Extends Offseason Starting 2012
Filed under: ATP
The ATP board of directors announced on Sunday that they will be extending the offseason in men's tennis from five to seven weeks starting in 2012. The change comes after many outspoken players - including Roger Federer at this month's Paris Masters - argued for a longer offseason, noting the current schedule was too demanding. ''Because four weeks is just not an offseason, really,'' Federer said earlier this month. ''Six weeks I think is much better. Already at least you can take two weeks off, practice for four weeks, which is a lot for us in our world.
The ATP countered and shortened the schedule.
"Our 2012 and 2013 calendars each provide for the seven-week offseason, meaning that our players will have an additional two weeks to spend away from the rigors of life on tour before taking up the cause again in the following year," ATP President Adam Helfant said.
"I'm happy to say that these new calendars and the expanded offseason reflect the broad consensus among our members that the players, and really the sport as a whole, needed a longer break. It didn't take long to find that consensus."
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Source: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2010/11/21/atp-agrees-to-shorten-length-of-schedule-extends-offseason/
Gabriel Milito Gael Monfils Gary Neville Gennaro Gattuso Geoff Ogilvy
General Motors to Reportedly Return to Golf Sponsorship
General Motors will begin sponsoring golf tournaments again, according to a report.
The automaker plans to announce that Cadillac will sponsor the World Golf Championship, and is trying to bring a PGA Tour event back to Michigan after cutting ties with the Buick Open, which took place in Flint, Mich. GM has already confirmed that they will return to the Super Bowl in 2011 after halting advertisement in recent years.
GM was a prominent sponsor in the sports world but had to scale back in the wake of the company's bankruptcy. It once had been the longest-standing corporate sponsor on the PGA Tour, with its name on four tournaments.
In November, GM captured a $23.1 billion initial public stock offering that allowed the U.S. government to lessen its stake in the company. The company made $4.2 billion through the first three quarters of this year, returning to profitability after reducing to just four brands.
The automaker plans to announce that Cadillac will sponsor the World Golf Championship, and is trying to bring a PGA Tour event back to Michigan after cutting ties with the Buick Open, which took place in Flint, Mich. GM has already confirmed that they will return to the Super Bowl in 2011 after halting advertisement in recent years.
GM was a prominent sponsor in the sports world but had to scale back in the wake of the company's bankruptcy. It once had been the longest-standing corporate sponsor on the PGA Tour, with its name on four tournaments.
In November, GM captured a $23.1 billion initial public stock offering that allowed the U.S. government to lessen its stake in the company. The company made $4.2 billion through the first three quarters of this year, returning to profitability after reducing to just four brands.
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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/general-motors-to-reportedly-return-to-golf-sponsorship/
Troubled Canuck Takes Leave of Absence
Filed under: Canucks, NHL Fights, NHL Discipline
The Vancouver Canucks granted troubled centre Rick Rypien an indefinite leave of absence Thursday.The Canucks announced that the leave was "for personal matters" but declined to divulge details.
"(Rypien) is a valued member of the organization and the club will continue to support Rick in every way possible," said a team news release. "No further comment will be made by the club on this matter."
The leave comes after Rypien, 26, returned from a six-game suspension Nov. 6 for tussling with a fan in Minnesota.
"It's a real eye-opener for me, so I think I'm going to come back real strong and better than ever," said Rypien a few days after the suspension was handed down. "I think I'm going to be more focused and more determined to play the game that I love the most."
Following his return, he played sparingly in six consecutive games, recording one assist for his lone point of the season. He was scratched from Vancouver's past two contests.
He has played nine games this season while racking up 31 minutes in penalties and sporting a minus-five mark. The most ice time he received in a game was 7:58 on Oct. 15 against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Coleman, Alta., native is known for fighting bigger and heavier opponents - and often winning. The leave continues a difficult stretch in which he has battled injuries and personal matters the past two seasons. He was limited to 69 games in 2009-10 and just 12 in 2008-09.
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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/25/troubled-canuck-takes-leave-of-absence/
Ronaldinho Ronaldo Rory McIlroy Ruud van Nistelrooy Ryan Giggs
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sergio Martinez Wants Miguel Cotto or Floyd Mayweather
Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. WBC middleweight (160 pounds) king Sergio Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) was on hand for Saturday night's HBO televised Golden Boy Promotions clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where WBO interim lightweight (135 pounds) king Michael Katsidis (27-3, 22 KOs) lost by ninth-round knockout to WBO and WBA champion Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs).
Martinez (pictured at right), who called Marquez-Katsidis 'The Fight of the Year,' is coming off of a Nov. 20, second-round knockout of Paul Williams (39-2, 27 KOs) that avenged a December, majority decision loss during which both fighters were down in the first round.
Williams was rated No. 3 in most pound-for-pound lists behind six-time titlist Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) and eight-division champ Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), who is the current WBO welterweight (147 pounds) and WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion.
Martinez told FanHouse that he would like to face either Mayweather or WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs), who, like Pacquiao, is promoted by Top Rank Promotions.
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Source: http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/sergio-martinez-wants-miguel-cotto-or-floyd-mayweather/
Feliciano Lopez Fernando Torres Fernando Verdasco Filippo Inzaghi Florent Malouda
Juan Uribe, Dodgers Reportedly Agree to 3-Year Deal
Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency
Being a World Series hero is about to pay off for Juan Uribe. The infielder who provided a number of key hits for the Giants on their way to a title this season is closing in on a three-year deal with the rival Dodgers, according to ESPN.com.Uribe will make $21 million over the course of the contract, according to a subsequent report by FOXSports.com.
Uribe hit .248 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI in 2010, but perhaps is biggest strength is his flexibility. He played 103 games at shortstop during the regular season, but also spent 26 games at third base and 24 at second as the Giants dealt with injuries and poor performance from the likes of Edgar Renteria, Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval.
He's likely to fill a similar role with the Dodgers. Both shortstop Rafael Furcal and third baseman Casey Blake are veterans who may be better suited for platoon roles at this point, and Ryan Theriot and Jamey Carroll are the top options at second base.
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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/juan-uribe-dodgers-reportedly-agree-to-3-year-deal/
Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Monaco Juan Roman Riquelme Juninho Pernambucano Jurgen Melzer
Clint Dempsey Scores Another Crucial Goal for Fulham
Filed under: English Premier League, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team
A 53rd-minute goal from Clint Dempsey lifted Fulham to a 1-1 draw with visiting Birmingham City on Saturday and a precious point in the English Premier League standings.The Cottagers (2-4-9) climbed to 17th place in the 20-team circuit, one spot above the relegation zone.
It's fair to say that Fulham would be mired in the bottom three without Dempsey, who now has five league goals this season. All have been meaningful -- he scored both in a 2-0 win over relegation rival Wigan last month and the tying goal in draws at West Ham and Blackburn.
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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/27/clint-dempsey-scores-crucial-goal-for-fulham/
TCU Brings Texas-Sized Concerns to Reshaped Big East
"Hot dang!" That was how TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte opened the school's press conference announcing its agreement to join the Big East Conference starting in 2012. It was a very Texas thing to say, and symbolic of the shifting nature of both the Big East and collegiate athletics.Culturally, TCU is an odd fit for the still very eastern Big East. Sure, South Florida is a member, but adding TCU makes for just two warm-weather schools out of a 17-school collaboration. The obvious reason for TCU's inclusion, hardly avoided at the press conference, was TCU's presence in the No. 5 Dallas/Ft. Worth television market. "In years past it (conference association) used to be for geography. Now it is for TV markets," admitted Del Conte.
Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins put a slightly different spin on the topic, saying that where conferences tended to be shaped by geography, they now "transcend geographical boundaries" and historical contingencies, whatever that means. Regardless, the big picture he tried to paint was of a unique athletic and academic partnership that can stand tall in the increasingly condensed world of intercollegiate athletics. Added Big East commissioner John Marinatto, "We are the largest family in intercollegiate athletics."
This summer's near-colossal roulette game of conference shakeups arguably threatened the Big East's legitimacy as a football conference. If the Pac-10 had been able to scoop up Texas and move to a 16-school alignment, the Big Ten might have followed, potentially snagging Rutgers and Notre Dame from the Big East with the SEC likely following course with its own expansion grabs.
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/tcu-brings-texas-sized-concerns-to-reshaped-big-east/
Javier Mascherano Javier Zanetti Jeff Overton Jim Furyk Joe Cole
Tottenham's Penalty Problems Could Prove Costly For Harry Redknapp's Side
Filed under: Tottenham, Premier League, Football
It is the simplest job in football, apparently, one that every striker wants - yet it causes so many problems, especially in England.Why do some players wilt when they have a free shot at goal from 12 yards with only the goalkeeper in front of them?
Penalties have been the downfall of England at five major tournaments, when the national team has exited following yet another shootout failure. And this season, the challenge of mastering both nerve and technique from the spot is proving to be beyond too many Tottenham players.
Jermain Defoe's miss in Spurs' victory over Lievrpool triggered a jovial response from manager Harry Redknapp, who has seen Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale and Roman Pavlyuchenko miss from the spot already this season.
"I was hoping he'd score and I was happy with him taking it," Redknapp told The Sun newspaper: "Where do you find a penalty taker? It might be an idea for the ref just to give a goal-kick. You could do with someone just smashing it down the middle, putting their boot behind it."
Redknapp may appear light-hearted about the issue, but his side's penalty difficulties could have proved costly last year when another Defoe miss cost them victory at Everton.
Had another couple of results not gone Tottenham's way, that penalty could have been the difference between the Champions League or Europa League. Or, as things have turned out, the opportunity for Bale to run Inter Milan ragged in the San Siro compared to a unglamorous trip some somewhere far more mundane.
This isn't simply a recent trend. Tom Huddlestone and Robbie Keane also missed last season, before this season's four failures.
Fortunately, the misses this season have come in matches Spurs have ended up winning, so Redknapp can afford to make a joke about it. If they had cost his team points, it would be a very different matter.
There's no doubt redknapp's side are likely to practise penalties this week. It was revealed last season that they rarely took them in training but that changed after Huddlestone's miss against Bolton.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Daniel Alves Daniele De Rossi David Albelda David Beckham
Source: Jon Gruden to Miami Reports 'Ridiculous'
Filed under: University of Miami, Coaching, Rumors
TAMPA, Fla. -- A close friend of Jon Gruden said Sunday night that Gruden has not accepted the job at the University of Miami and "doesn't believe it would be the right fit."The source said he expects Gruden to remain at ESPN or eventually take an NFL head coaching job.
Gruden, an ESPN Monday Night Football color commentator who lives in Tampa with his family, is in Arizona preparing for Monday night's Cardinals-49ers game.
Lake Lewis, of the Sports Journey Broadcast Network and a former ESPN radio talk show host, reported Sunday from a "credible source that the next coach at University of Miami is John (sic) Gruden. About 3 Million a year!"
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Daniele De Rossi David Albelda David Beckham David Ferrer David Silva
Herschel Walker Off Strikeforce Card Due to Injury
Filed under: Strikeforce, News
NFL star turned mixed martial arts fighter Herschel Walker has been forced to withdraw from his second pro MMA bout due to a cut suffered in training.Walker (1-0) was scheduled to face Scott Carson (4-1) at next weekend's Strikeforce event in St. Louis, however after recently suffering a cut under his eye, the organization decided to pull him off the card.
MMA Weekly first reported the news, and MMA Fighting confirmed it with Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz.
"I feel terrible about this,'' Walker stated in a press release. "I know things like this happen in all sports, but I had trained very hard and was excited to be returning to the cage again. I hope to fight again as soon as the cut heals.''
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/24/herschel-walker-off-strikeforce-card-due-to-injury/
Oklahoma Shows Oklahoma State Who Is Boss in Bedlam Series
Filed under: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Big 12
STILLWATER, Okla. -- For what seems like forever, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have been a pretty good program with one major hole in their resumé.They just haven't been able to overcome the much more prominent football program in their state, a.k.a. the Oklahoma Sooners. And in what may have been their best chance in years and in years to come, the 10th-ranked Cowboys faltered again Saturday with the stakes at their highest as the 14th-ranked Sooners survived a wild fourth quarter to win the Bedlam Series rivalry game 47-41 to send most of the crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium home extremely disappointed.
All the Cowboys had to do was win to earn their first trip to the Big 12 Championship Game next week. Instead, they end up on the short end of a three-way tie for first place in the Big 12 South as perennial power Oklahoma continued its domination over its in-state rival and the division with what some consider a major upset.
But try convincing the Sooners, who own an 82-16-7 all-time lead in the series, this was anything but setting things right after they defeated OSU for the eight straight time. The Sooners are all but set to make their eighth appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game.
"We don't really listen to all the hoopla that's surrounding the game," said OU linebacker Travis Lewis, who noted the Cowboys high-octane offense was stuck in neutral most of Saturday night. "We know they were the greatest offense in the world and last year they were the greatest offense in the world. They are always going to put up big-time numbers. You just can't get caught up into records, yards per game and all those statistics. You've got to go out there and man up and play."
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Fernando Torres Fernando Verdasco Filippo Inzaghi Florent Malouda Francesco Totti
Rafael Nadal Rallies Past Andy Roddick at ATP World Tour Finals
Filed under: ATP
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal rallied to defeat eighth-seeded Andy Roddick on Monday 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, during the opening day of round-robin play in Group A at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. Roddick gave a valiant effort and pushed Nadal, but the American was unable to capitalize on two golden opportunities during the match.
The first chance for Roddick came when he was up a set and a break at 2-1 in the second set. Nadal, however, countered and broke Roddick during his next service game. Roddick had another promising opportunity when he was up a mini-break at 3-2 -- with two first-serve opportunities -- in the second-set tiebreak, but proceeded to lose five of the last seven points.
Roddick served well throughout the match, but the American's return game and groundstrokes withered during long rallies. Roddick continuously inched over throughout the match during Nadal's service games. He was favoring his forehand and seemingly running around his backhand that was giving him trouble. Roddick finished with 18 aces and a first-serve winning percentage of 86, but was broken during two decisive parts of the match. Nadal won 75 percent of his first-serve points and finished with a much better second-serve percentage at 59 percent, compared to Roddick's 46.
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Geoff Ogilvy Gianluca Zambrotta Gianluigi Buffon Guillermo Garcia-Lopez Heath Slocum
Carmelo Anthony Shakes Off Illness to Hit Buzzer-Beater against Bulls
DENVER -- When Carmelo Anthony walked out of the Pepsi Center late Friday night, it was surprising one of Denver's ball boys wasn't called upon to help him with all the medicine he was carrying.The Nuggets star forward began to feel sick last Monday in Golden State, a game in which he sure didn't look to be hurting en route to scoring a season-high 39 points. But when Anthony showed up for shootaround Friday morning, his teammates knew something wasn't right.
"You could tell he was feeling bad because nobody was talking to him, interacting,'' said Denver guard Ty Lawson. "He had his hood on. The look on his face said he was real tired.''
Nevertheless, later in the day, with the Nuggets trailing 97-96 to Chicago at the Pepsi Center, there was no doubts who Lawson was looking for to hit the winning shot. With 4 seconds remaining, Lawson inbounded to Anthony, who drilled a 23-footer at the buzzer for a 98-97 win.
Anthony then wearily made his way to the locker room. The shot certainly made him feel better, but not by a lot.
"Terrible. One,'' said Anthony, when asked after the game how he felt on a scale of one to 10.
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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/27/carmelo-anthony-shakes-off-illness-to-hit-buzzer-beater-against/
Alexandre Pato Andrea Pirlo Andres Iniesta Andriy Shevchenko Andy Murray
Antonio Margarito Eyes March Return From Loss to Manny Pacquiao
Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions
Antonio Margarito, who underwent 75 minutes of surgery on Nov. 16 to repair a fractured right orbital bone, could return to the ring as early as March, and be up for a potential June clash opposite WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) king Miguel Cotto, according to his manager, Sergio Diaz, and his promoter, Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum.Margarito (38-7, 27 knockouts) suffered the damage during his HBO pay per view televised, Nov. 13, unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), whose 13th straight victory with eight knockouts during that run added the WBC's vacant junior middleweight crown to his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt for Pacquiao's eighth championship in as many different weight classes.
After the fight, Margarito was rushed by ambulance to the hospital, where the massive cut and swelling beneath his right eye socket was examined, said Diaz.
"Tony mentioned that he would like to fight in March. He has been anxious to train again, but he is aware that he needs to rest," Diaz said of Margarito, whose ring nickname is, "The Tornado."
"The doctor has given him clearance to run, but no gym work for another two weeks, and no contact for another month and a half," said Diaz. "Believe me when I say this, and that is that Antonio is counting each day that passes desperately waiting to get back into the gym."
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Nery Castillo Nick Watney Nicolas Almagro Nikolay Davydenko Novak Djokovic
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki II Not Happening at Dynamite!! 2010
Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, News, Japan
The long-rumored rematch between Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki will not be taking place at Fighting and Entertainment Group's Dec. 31 Dynamite!! 2010 show in Japan.MMA Fighting confirmed the news with FEG USA's Mike Kogan and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.
Melendez defeated Aoki via unanimous decision in April at Strikeforce: Nashville. Strikeforce was expected to return the favor by sending their 155-pound champion to Japan to fight Aoki on the annual New Year's Eve show.
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/24/gilbert-melendez-vs-shinya-aoki-ii-not-happening-at-dynamite/
Andres Iniesta Andriy Shevchenko Andy Murray Andy Roddick Anthony Kim
Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle Combine For Oilers Game-Winning Goal
Filed under: Avalanche, Oilers, Western, NHL Videos
Despite a slow start, hopes are still high in Edmonton. The young Oilers have taken their lumps this season, falling victim to more than their fair share of blowouts to this point in the season.Within those blowout losses, though, we've seen a few real signs of hope for this Edmonton team. Coach Tom Renney is optimistic about his talented young players, and two of them gave the first-year Oiler coach a bit of a reward for his optimism Thursday night.
With the game against Colorado tied 2-2 late in the third, rookies Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall combined for a pretty goal that gave the Oilers a 3-2 home win over their division rivals.
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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/26/taylor-hall-jordan-eberle-combine-for-oilers-game-winning-goal/
Matt Kuchar Maxi Rodríguez Michael Ballack Michael Essien Michael Owen
Bolton 2 Blackpool 2: Mark Davies Secures Dramatic Wanderers Comeback
Filed under: Blackpool, Bolton, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Mark Davies snatched a dramatic late equaliser for Bolton to deny Blackpool what looked like being a memorable victory.Goals from Ian Evatt and Luke Varney had put them in control and looked like taking them into the top half of the table.
Known for their expansive style, both goals came from corners. Martin Petrov pulled one back for the hosts with 15 minutes left and the hosts' pressure finally told when Davies touched in in the 88th minute.
Bolton have had a fine start to the season and dominated the opening quarter of the match with Matt Taylor going close on a couple of occasions.
But all that changed when Evatt got in front of Gary Cahill to glance in a header from Elliot Grandin's corner. Gary Taylor-Fletcher should have added a second after he was picked out by Adam after a wonderful break.
Kevin Davies had a header saved by Richard Kingson after the interval but Blackpool doubled their advantage shortly before the hour. This time it was Varney that got on the end of Grandin's corner to beat Chung-Yong Lee on the line.
Owen Coyle could not have been more positive with his substitutions, playing the final quarter of the match with four strikers, but Blackpool continued to look the more dangerous side, with DJ Campbell failing to take two good chances to make it three.
Petrov drilled in from just outside the area with 15 minutes remaining to set up a tense finish, with Davies going close and Stephen Crainey hacking off the line from Petrov.
But Mark Davies finally made the breakthrough with just over a minute left, touching in from close range after he was picked out by Ivan Klasnic.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/11/27/bolton-2-blackpool-2-mark-davies-secures-dramatic-comeback-for/
Sam Querrey Samir Nasri Samuel Eto’o Sergio Agüero Sergio Ramos
Erik Spoelstra: Heat Need 'Passion' to Improve Offense
Filed under: Heat
MIAMI -- Scoring plenty of easy buckets should be a given for a team that boasts Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh but the Heat nevertheless are struggling to run an efficient offensive gameplan. On the sidelines, coach Erik Spoelstra continues to encourage his players to pick up the pace and energy while sustaining it throughout the game, yet their plodding halfcourt offense more often than not ends with low-percentage jump shot attempts far from the rim.The Heat may have ended up eventually beating the lowly Philadelphia 76ers 99-90 Friday night playing this way, but bigger challenges await. For a team that has played together for just one month, many are already questioning why the team hasn't been consistent on both ends of the court with their effort. After all, getting plenty of easy baskets can also occur in transition when the defense creates turnovers and doesn't yield offensive rebounds.
"The one thing with our identity that we talked about is let's win this game defensively," said Spoelstra after their three-game losing streak was snapped Friday night. "Let's make some possession-saving plays, get out on the open court, have some fun and passion of playing that style of basketball. That's what we want to do but we want to make an impact (on defense) especially when it counts."
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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/27/erik-spoelstra-heat-need-passion-to-improve-offense/
Javier Vazquez, Marlins Reportedly Agree to 1-Year Deal
Filed under: Marlins, Yankees, MLB Free Agency
Javier Vazquez is headed back to the National League. The Marlins have agreed to a one-year deal with the right-hander, pending a physical, MLB.com reported Sunday. The pitcher will be hoping for a fresh start at age 34 after enduring a dreadful 2010 season with the Yankees that saw him post his worst numbers since he was a rookie in 1998.
The deal with be worth $6 million to $7 million according to FoxSports.com -- quite a pay cut from the $11.5 million Vazquez pulled in from New York this year. It was a bad investment for the Yankees, who saw the pitcher go 10-10 with a 5.32 ERA in 31 appearances, including 26 starts, as he plummeted from the heights he had reached in Atlanta (15-10, 2.87 ERA) the previous season.
Perhaps the starkest indicator of how far Vazquez fell from 2009 to 2010 was his strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2009 it was a career-best 5.41 (238 strikeouts to 44 walks), while in 2010 it was a career-worst 1.86 (121 strikeouts to 65 walks).
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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/11/28/javier-vazquez-marlins-reportedly-agree-to-1-year-deal/
Ernie Els Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Quagliarella Feliciano Lopez Fernando Torres
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