| Tar Heels down 12 players against Georgia Tech By 2010-09-18T15:32:26ZCHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina is short-handed again due to the ongoing NCAA investigation into its football program. The Tar Heels will be without 12 players for Saturday's home opener against Georgia Tech.... hosted.ap.org |
NFL Talkboard: Have your say on week three Have your say on all the week's big stories in the NFL, plus take part in our Pick Six predictions gameWelcome back to the NFL Talkboard. Most of you will know the drill by now, but for those that don't, this is a dedicated space where people can talk solely about American football. Every week I will post the games for our Pick Six predictions competition and if there's time one or two talking points as well. The blog will then stay open over the weekend, allowing everyone – myself included – to keep chatting about the games as they happen and afterwards on Sunday and Monday.Nobody picked all six games correctly last week, but superbarnsley – the only person to make five correct predictions – still deserves a hefty pat on the back. I shall post the overall standings below the line as last week (in a few weeks' time I'll start posting the top 10 above the line but right now everyone's still a bit too closely packed together). But before we get started with the Pick Six – here's a little something you may have missed during the week: the Philadelphia Daily News having some fun with the story that Michael Vick is the Eagles' new starter.Right then, away we go:Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville JaguarsYou can call it kneejerk, or you can try to justify it, but the bottom line is that Vick is now the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. On one level it looks like a no-brainer – Vick has completed 63.8% of his passes so far for 459 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions – but don't assume he will always be this good. The Detroit Lions' pass defence is poor and in week one the Green Bay Packers had spent all week preparing to face Kevin Kolb. Back when Vick was at the Falcons the good teams worked out how to scheme against him and they will do so again. Just maybe not quite yet.Eagles to winPittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay BuccaneersWhat to make of Tampa and their 2-0 start? This was supposed to be the one "gimme" in the Steelers' early-season schedule, the one game that they would definitely win despite Ben Roethlisberger's suspension, but instead it has become a match-up between two unbeaten teams. The Buccaneers are better than advertised, while Pittsburgh's offence has rarely looked fluid without Big Ben. But with Cadillac Williams averaging just 2.6 yards a carry, Tampa Bay's own offence already risks becoming one-dimensional. The Steelers have shut down better passers than Josh Freeman.Steelers to winSan Francisco 49ers @ Kansas City ChiefsIf there is any one division in which an 0-3 start might not preclude a play-off appearance it is the NFC West, but from a morale standpoint the 49ers desperately need a win after starting the season with such high expectations. The Chiefs are no world-beaters but their new co-ordinators Charlie Weis on offence and Romeo Crennel are getting the best out of what they have and running backs Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles are more than capable of exploiting the holes in a defence deprived of the injured middle linebacker Takeo Spikes. By beating the San Diego Chargers in week one, the Chiefs have already shown they can beat better teams than San Francisco, especially when the latter are on a short week.Chiefs to winDallas Cowboys @ Houston TexansThe Cowboys need a win even more than than the 49ers, but the "other" Texas team are better than both the teams who have beaten them already. Houston would like us to believe they have turned a corner after digging themselves out of a pretty deep hole in Washington last week, but the only way to prove it is to keep winning. They have had plenty of false dawns before and this is another big test, especially if their star receiver Andre Johnson is playing with an ankle injury. I think they will come through it.Texans to win New York Jets @ Miami DolphinsDarrelle Revis is out but that may not be such a big concern for New York against a Miami team whose passing offence is ranked 28th in the league. The Jets' own passing offence is ranked 29th and if this one goes according to script it could be one for the purists. Both teams run the ball well, both play great defence. Neither is geared towards the big play, though the Jets looked willing to take at least the odd chance last week against New England. This is the sort of game that could be decided by one big turnover, and with the margins as thin as they am I'm minded to side with the home team.Dolphins to winGreen Bay Packers @ Chicago BearsChicago have started better than I expected and winning in Dallas last week was impressive. But I said before the season that Green Bay were my pick to win the NFC and I have seen nothing to alter my belief that they are the best in their division.Packers to winNFLUS sportPaolo Bandiniguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Italy doping boss rebuked by cycling federation By ANDREW DAMPF 2010-10-06T18:22:11ZROME (AP) -- Italy's anti-doping prosecutor received a sharp rebuke from the country's cycling federation Wednesday after he suggested in an interview with The Associated Press that doping is so widespread it should possibly be legalized if not for the health risks.... hosted.ap.org |
Commonwealth Games 2010: Boxer Simon Vallily gets redemption with gold • Heavyweight wins five years after being sentenced to prison• England's Saunders, Ogogo, and Smith lose their finalsSimon Vallily took less than two minutes to complete his journey from a cell in a young offenders' institution to the top of a Commonwealth Games podium today, and said he hoped his triumph would inspire similar feats of sporting redemption.Five years ago the 25-year-old, from Middlesbrough, was facing up to a life and promising sporting career in ruins when he was sentenced to four years in prison for a vicious, unprovoked knife attack on the streets of his home town.But Vallily was today proudly wearing a gold medal around his neck having outclassed Northern Ireland's Steven Ward in their heavyweight final at the Talkatora Stadium, knocking Ward to the canvas in the first round.Such have been the speed and power of Vallily's performances in Delhi that his coach Rob McCracken insisted: "He's frighteningly good. We've got two years to work with him and there's a real possibility he could win the Olympics."Vallily, a former Middlesbrough trainee, appeared intent on making up for some of the time he lost during his near six-year break from the sport, when he was lured down the wrong track and his talent seemed destined to go astray.Vallily jolted Ward's head back with the first punch he threw – a straight left – and quickly burst into a 6-1 lead before another left badly wobbled Ward and the following right toppled him heavily to the canvas.Vallily's win ended England's night on a good note but could not hide the disappointment of defeats for Bradley Saunders, Anthony Ogogo and Callum Smith. Earlier, Tom Stalker won England's other boxing gold medal."It feels brilliant," Vallily said. "I have proved a lot of people wrong. I have got a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and a lot of people back home wouldn't have thought I would get to where I am now."Boxing has kept me on the straight and narrow. I have kept my head down. Where I come from I can show the younger lads the right way and if you are good at something to stick at it and in the end it will pay off."Stalker was quick to turn his attentions towards London 2012 after winning the lightweight title in style with a convincing 11-3 triumph over Scottish teenager Josh Taylor."I'm over the moon. It was just a case of me pulling away and getting in the groove," he said. "It's a long way to 2012 and a lot can happen but I've just got to keep working and keep focused and keep my feet on the ground. If I can do that I think I can qualify and represent Great Britain at the Olympics."There was disappointment elsewhere as the light-welterweight favourite Saunders, middleweight Ogogo and welterweight Smith were all forced to settle for silver medals after out-of-sorts defeats.Saunders suffered an 11-2 defeat to Indian favourite Manoj Kumar and was disappointed by the margin of defeat rather than the result, insisting: "I'm not saying I won but I was in the fight and I hit the lad more than twice."I'm devastated. I didn't expect to get beaten. I didn't perform to the best of my ability but I did better than score two points. As soon as I heard I was four down I thought 'here we go'. It disheartens you, to be honest."Ogogo also fell flat after his semi-final heroics against the Indian superstar Vijender Singh, failing to find a way out of first gear and falling to a heavily one-sided 16-4 defeat to the Northern Ireland veteran Eamonn O'Kane.Ogogo admitted: "The last 10 days have really taken it out of me. I tried my best but no disrespect to O'Kane, I've beaten better guys. I got in the ring confident but I felt it in the first clinch. I didn't feel myself and it's all down to fatigue."Smith had to settle for silver after he was beaten 11-6 by Ireland's Paddy Gallagher, falling short of emulating his brother Stephen who won gold at featherweight four years ago.But McCracken deflected the disappointment of three final defeats for his team, asserting his conviction that tiredness had not played a significant factor in the trio's relatively lifeless performances. He said: "I don't think fitness is an issue with GB boxers. I think they all boxed well and they looked fit. I think in their finals they looked tired but then everyone looked tired after so many fights."They're a young inexperienced team. Some of the boys have really stepped up and performed out here. And Tom Stalker has been outstanding – for me he was the best boxer of the tournament."Commonwealth Games 2010Boxingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
With husband accused, Deanna Favre relies on faith By 2010-10-21T12:37:27ZNEW YORK (AP) -- Deanna Favre says her religious faith and an outward focus are helping her overcome the allegations of improper behavior that have been leveled against her husband, Brett.... hosted.ap.org |