TOP 100 SPORT SITES
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| Clemson wins Music City Bowl, beats Kentucky 21-13 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- C.J. Spiller went out a winner in the final game of his record-setting career at Clemson.... hosted.ap.org |
Bowden goes out a winner in Gator Bowl, 33-21 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Bobby Bowden rode only a few bouncy steps on his players' shoulders, then hopped off.... hosted.ap.org |
Alonso has the beating of Schumacher • Alonso still has beating of German, warns Domenicali• Schumacher's departure has upset Ferrari followersMichael Schumacher could rue his departure from Ferrari because Fernando Alonso is perfectly placed to beat the German to the world title again, the Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said today.The seven-times Formula One world champion Schumacher, 41, will come out of retirement this season to race for the new Mercedes team having left his consultancy role at Ferrari, who have signed the Spaniard and former world champion Alonso.The former Renault driver beat Schumacher to the 2005 and 2006 world titles and Domenicali is confident his new recruit can repeat the trick. "Let's not forget Fernando is the only driver on the track who in his career has beaten Michael [to the world championship],"Domenicali said at Ferrari's winter ski retreat at Madonna di Campiglio. "Fernando has everything to beat him."Ferrari fans around the world were upset by Schumacher's exit, especially after he nearly returned for the Italian team last season as a temporary replacement for the injured Brazilian Felipe Massa. A neck injury prevented the German from making a comeback on that occasion."Of course, it is right not to forget that what has happened has left its mark. Now we have to turn the page. We have to show Michael that this is a strong team. We want to win,"Domenicali added."We thought of Michael last year because he is an extraordinary and strong driver. But Fernando and Felipe are able to beat him even if Michael is still very strong."Schumacher is testing a GP2 car in Jérez this week and has caused controversy in Italy by wearing a red helmet, like the one he sported during his years of triumph at Ferrari. "Obviously to leave a family is difficult. Some feelings clearly remain," Domenicali added with a smile.A relaxed Alonso, who has replaced Kimi Raikkonen, has been enjoying himself at the annual ski retreat, his first official Ferrari engagement, and many fans and observers have commented how natural he looks in the red uniform.But the cars themselves will make the difference and Domenicali acknowledged that fuel consumption, where Mercedes are expected to have an advantage, could be crucial for the coming season which starts in Bahrain on 14 March."I believe this year consumption will be fundamental," he said. "We are working very hard with Shell on this. We have relative expectations but we are going in the right direction. Let's not forget Renault too.".Michael SchumacherFerrariMercedes GPFormula OneMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Northampton 34-0 Perpignan Northampton 34-0 PerpignanNorthampton will visit Munster next weekend knowing victory will send them into the Heineken Cup quarter-finals after they dismantled Perpignan today.This emphatic Pool One five-point victory means Saints need a win in Limerick that also prevents Munster earning a loser's bonus-point.Northampton had to re-adjust their plans hours before today's match when England's new young forward, Courtney Lawes, was forced to drop out with a groin strain. The rugby director, Jim Mallinder, shuffled his back row, moving Phil Dowson to blindside and bringing in Neil Best at openside. Lawes's injury is not, however, expected to affect his participation in the forthcoming Six Nations Championship.The French champions Perpignan, whose 9‑8 defeat by Treviso in round one remains the upset of the tournament so far, never recovered from the setback and were playing only for pride at Franklin's Gardens, but they started the sharper side and were forcing Northampton to defend inside their 22. It took two tackles to prevent Steve Meyer breaking the line, and a fine clearance kick to touch on halfway from Ben Foden to ease the pressure.But just when it seemed inevitable that Perpignan would score, Rolland awarded a penalty against them at a ruck, Foden tried to make a sniping break, Meyer tackled him well adrift of the 10-yard gap requirement and was sent to the sin-bin in the 18th minute.Northampton's first meaningful attack followed, and when the visitors strayed offside, Saints got their first kickable penalty. But Shane Geraghty's effort flew across the face of the goal.It took until the 26th minute for Northampton to produce the type of attack that has characterised their progress this season, a sweeping move involving Bruce Reihana, Foden and Geraghty. Stopping it illegally cost Perpignan the first points of the afternoon as Geraghty drove over a 35-yard penalty.Perpignan should have taken the lead in the 29th minute when Adrien Plante raced clear on to a ball hacked in behind the home defence and had only to get downward pressure for a try. But Geraghty slid in as the wing hesitated and managed to toe-end the ball to safety.That let-off appeared to galvanise Northampton, who stepped up their intensity, forcing the French side to defend in numbers, one of whom handed Geraghty a third shot at goal four minutes from half-time, and the England international doubled the score.Northampton took the initiative from the restart and scored a wonderful try within three minutes involving the England call-ups Foden and Chris Ashton. Foden made a searing break involving three dummies to pass, which bemused the defence, before releasing Ashton up the right. The prolific wing scored his 16th try in 17 games, and Geraghty converted.Saints were now purring in the presence of the England coaches John Wells, Jon Callard and Mike Ford, and it was the Foden-Ashton combination that shredded Perpignan again in the 55th minute. Snappy passing between the two resulted in Ashton hurtling towards the line, but as two defenders lined him up, the former rugby league flyer flipped the ball outside to Dowson to score. Geraghty again converted.And when the scrum-half Lee Dickson burrowed over in the 61st minute, Geraghty converting, the visitors were a spent force.The Northampton captain, Dylan Hartley, kicked possession away in a failed attempt to cross-kick to his wing, when a pass to his left might have led to a fourth try, but Jon Clarke added a dramatic try in the last minute.Heineken CupNorthampton SaintsPerpignanRugby unionguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Shani Davis won't skate 5 events at Olympics U.S. speedskating star Shani Davis won't be competing in all five individual races at the Vancouver Olympics.... hosted.ap.org |