| Empty seats embarrassment for NFL The New York Giants failed to sell out their new stadium's opening game, leading to a local TV blackoutCaptivating the US press: American Football's early-season attendance crisis. Last week several franchises failed to sell out their stadiums – triggering an NFL ruling meaning some local TV viewers were unable to watch their teams.The NFL's rule, designed to protect attendances, means that any team who do not sell out 72 hours before the start of a game are unable to screen their match on television within 75 miles of the stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a TV blackout enforced on them for failing to sell 14,000 seats – a 12-year low – while the New York Giants were the most high-profile casualty of falling crowd numbers, unable to sell out the first game in their newly opened $1.5bn New Meadowlands Stadium.Several thousand empty seats were visible and they avoided a TV blackout only due to rules excluding unsold premium "club" seats, the New York Times reported. The 77,245 turnout was a huge embarrassment for a team who sold out every game at the old Giants Stadium between its opening in 1976 and its closure in January – with the running back Brandon Jacobs describing the scores of empty seats as "heartbreaking".The unsold seats were blamed on the prohibitive price of $12,500 for the Premium Seat License, and the $500 cost for a ticket on top of that. However, there have also been some complaints from fans about the facilities surrounding New Meadowlands.NorthJersey.com reported the lack of access to offsite carparks from the $1.5bn stadium, which forced hundreds of fans to scale fences and cross Route 120 to reach their vehicles after the game. Climbing one of the perimeter walls, one fan asked reporters: "What is this – Berlin?"The San Diego Chargers are the latest team to be affected, with 7,000 unsold seats for today's home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. As a result, the NFL's blackout has been imposed and local fans will be unable to tune in and watch – leaving the president Dean Spanos to defend the franchise's efforts in the North County Times."We haven't raised ticket prices in over three years," he said. "We did a lot going into this game: we had ads on local radio and television. We were out there pushing the game."Spanos's attempts were not enough: it will be their first blackout since November 2004. He expects more of the same to follow as the season goes on."At this point I would only say that one game is truly safe, and even that's not officially a sellout."The Chargers have blamed the slump on a lack of A-list teams travelling to San Diego this season – but the wider pattern suggests the NFL clubs' failure to adjust ticket prices to take account of the recession has badly backfired.Colombia: Starving players forced on to the picket lineColombian football is facing a spate of strike action by unpaid players. Officials from the country's top division accused the players' union of "ruining the game" but, in an interview with Semana, the union chairman, Carlos González Puche, angrily rejected the claim. "It cannot be right that there are players who die of hunger. The only demand which the players' association makes is that salaries and social security contributions must be paid."In recent weeks, players from América de Cali and Once Caldas have led the threats of industrial action. Strikes were only called off at the last minute when a portion of the money was paid. The América coach Jorge Bermúdez was fired for supporting his players, while Deportivo Pereira players have warned of strike action, with the former Portsmouth midfielder Jhon Viafara saying: "They always tell us they'll pay us the next week, and it never happens. They've had us like that for some time."Puche said: "Although the clubs are making income from selling players, the money does not seem to be reinvested. You can't really call our football clubs professional sports clubs."The head of the league, Ramon Jesusún Franco, is meeting government officials to work out a solution, but Puche does not hold out much hope. "It is clear that the government and the national football association are no longer capable of controlling football."USA: 'Bootylicious' reporter in locker room stormMore outrage in the US over female journalists going into male locker rooms after the TV Azteca reporter and former Miss Universe contender Ines Sainz was subjected to sexual harassment by New York Jets coaches and players. While Sainz waited to interview players by the side of the pitch, coaches decided to aim balls towards her so players could move closer, and afterwards in the locker room "lewd" comments were aimed her way.The Jets owner Woody Johnson was quick to apologise, but could not prevent a media storm. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann nominated Sainz as one of his "Worst People in the World", declaring that she "undermines every female sports reporter who knows the game" by being "dressed unprofessionally to cover a sporting event". Sainz took to Twitter posting a picture to defend her outfit, declaring "jeans and a button down white shirt, and boots is not inappropriate!" Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh chimed in to say he fully supported Sainz using her "ass-set" – and that she was "bootylicious".The NFL sent a memo reminding clubs of their duties to provide equal opportunity access to the press. However, it didn't reach Washington Redskins running-back Clinton Portis, who announced that any woman in his locker room would inevitably be distracted. "What kind of woman wouldn't react, given the chance to go and look at 53 men's packages?" Redskins apologised on his behalf.Ukraine: Peta beg for 2012 straysAnd finally, a big week for Peta. GlobalPost reported that animal rights activists have been stalking the Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, on a trip to Germany to convince him to halt the planned slaughter of stray animals before Euro 2012. And, not content with saving the stray dogs of Kiev, they have been busy pressuring the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) to ban their fishing team. In a letter to the chancellor, Peta's executive vice-president Tracy Reiman wrote: "Sanctioning the maiming and killing of fish for sport sends the message that violence towards others is acceptable." UTC are yet to respond.NFLUS sportToby Mosesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
No. 19 Miami strikes early, tramples Pittsburgh The decades may change, the conferences may change but everything stays the same when Miami plays Pitt. The games are as one-sided as the ri ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Jonny Wilkinson set to end his career at Toulon • New deal is worth nearly £700,000 a year• Owner determined to keep England fly-halfJonny Wilkinson is set to finish his career with Toulon after being offered a new contract worth nearly £700,000 a year. The England fly-half, who has scored 135 league points this season and was this week named in the Top 14 All-Star team for 2009-10, is being urged by his club to agree the deal this month.The Toulon owner, Mourad Boudjellal, said he is willing to pay whatever it costs to keep Wilkinson at the club and has offered the 31-year-old a 15% pay increase to stay on the Mediterranean for another two years."I am very happy in Toulon," Wilkinson said. "There is a passion for rugby and a great atmosphere. I have never experienced anything like it. I have no desire or reason to change teams. When you feel good, you can do your best. Having such a top team around me benefits my game. I still want to play but it depends on my body: at the moment it is very good."It was an honour to be voted into the Top 14 team of the season. It is maybe the best competition there is. It is a pleasure to play in the league but also a big challenge. We play against top teams and in big stadiums. It helps bring out the best in me."Boudjellal said he is determined to keep Wilkinson. "He is one of the best fly-halves the game has ever seen. The way he is playing now reminds me of the Jonny Wilkinson of 2003 when England won the World Cup. He is, in my eyes, much stronger than last season and he is absolutely 100% committed to the club."Wilkinson arrived in Toulon in the summer of 2009 after suffering six injury-plagued years but he has hardly missed a match since moving from Newcastle.The Sale captain, James Gaskell, will miss the next two months after suffering an ankle injury during training this week. The 20-year old, the youngest captain in Premiership history, will be out of action until December, missing the start of the Sharks' Challenge Cup campaign.It remains to be seen whether the Scarlets second-row Gavin Quinnell will play again after it was confirmed that surgery had failed to save the sight in the 26-year-old's left eye, which was damaged after an incident during Llanelli's Welsh Premiership match at Cross Keys last Saturday."It is not good news, we know that," Quinnell's mother, Medora, said. "He has lost his sight." Llanelli cited an unnamed Cross Keys player and are waiting for the Welsh Rugby Union to decide whether to take disciplinary action. The club asked Gwent police to investigate the circumstances of the injury and whether Quinnell was assaulted.Northampton, the only English club to qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals last season, start their European campaign tomorrow night against Castres at Franklin's Gardens. The Saints' director of rugby, Jim Mallinder, believes the Premiership will mount a stronger challenge this year."There was disappointment about how the English clubs did in Europe last season but most of the clubs involved are doing well in the Premiership. We want to repeat our last Heineken Cup campaign in making the quarter-finals but also go a stage further. We have to step up and Castres will be tricky."The Sale and England prop Andrew Sheridan has released an album on iTunes of 16 songs he has written. "I recorded it at a studio in Manchester and when I played it to friends, they persuaded me to make it available," Sheridan said. Its title could be a reference to the England side he hopes to return to next month after missing last season through injury: Where We Go From Here.Jonny WilkinsonToulonRugby unionPaul Reesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
NFL has hometown dominance over MLB playoffs in TV ratings When it comes to the hometown fans, MLB playoff action isn't much of a match for the NFL's regular-season. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Browns' Joshua Cribbs back at practice By TOM WITHERS 2010-10-22T16:27:04ZBEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs is practicing after a concussion last week from a helmet-to-helmet hit by Steelers linebacker James Harrison.... hosted.ap.org |