Avram Grant

WEST Ham United sacked manager Avram Grant today, less than an hour after being relegated from the Premier League.
"The club can confirm that Avram Grant is no longer the manager of West Ham United," said a statement" released on the club website.
"First-team coach Kevin Keen will take charge of the team for the final home match of the season against Sunderland on May 22."
The east London club's owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, and vice-chairman Karren Brady  acted swiftly after watching West Ham relegated as Grant's team squandered a two-goal lead in their 3-2 defeat at fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic.
With only one league game to play, West Ham - who sit bottom of the table and six points from safety - are condemned to play in English football's second tier for the first time since 2006.
They had led through two goals from Demba Ba, but Charles N'Zogbia led Wigan's fightback and scored twice, including a 90th minute winner after a mistake from Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green.
Gold, Sullivan and Brady were at the DW Stadium and called Grant into a meeting straight after the final whistle to announce the Israeli would be sacked.
Speaking at his post-match press-conference, Grant said: "It is a very sad day for me, I think the most sad day since I started in football almost 40 years ago.
"I came (to the club) with a lot of desire and belief that we could do something here.
"I knew the financial problems and that the team was saved from relegation because the league was weak last year.
"I still thought that we could do better, but maybe this game is the story of our season."
The financial cost of relegation will be huge for West Ham, who already reportedly have the eighth highest wage bill in the Premier League.
Top-flight football is worth around $140 million a season in revenue and the likes of England internationals Green, Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Matthew Upson are all likely to be sold to make up some of the shortfall.
West Ham are also due to move from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium once it is revamped as a combined football and athletics venue after the 2012 London Games.
Brady insisted this week the move would still go ahead regardless of whether West Ham stayed up or not.
Grant's sacking marks the end of another depressing league campaign for the former Chelsea boss, who had taken charge at Upton Park last year after leaving Portsmouth in the aftermath of their relegation from the Premier League.
But Grant, who was handed a four-year contract to replace Gianfranco Zola, endured a miserable season from start to finish and his relationship with his employers quickly became strained as West Ham struggled to climb away from the relegation zone.
Although he led the Hammers to the League Cup semi-finals and the FA Cup quarter-finals, Grant won just seven of his 37 Premier League matches this season.
It was reported that West Ham offered Grant's job to Martin O'Neill in January but the former Aston Villa manager rejected the approach.
Grant's side briefly sparked hopes of avoiding the drop when they won three of five Premier League games from February 2 to March 5, including a memorable 3-1 home victory over Liverpool.
But the loss at Wigan was a sixth in seven league matches and Grant was always likely to pay the price.

QPR manager Neil Warnock could be a potential replacement for Grant, while former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce would be another candidate.

Rome Masters 2011

Novak Djokovic maintained his unbeaten record in 2011 and landed his seventh title in an already astonishing year by defeating Rafael Nadal in the final of the Rome Masters on Sunday evening.

The Serb has now won 39 consecutive matches – 37 this year – and will head to Roland Garros for the French Open in a week's time as overwhelming favourite to add to the Australian Open crown he won in January.
He beat Nadal 6-4, 6-4 in Sunday's final.
Nadal fought valiantly but he has now lost in four finals this year to Djokovic – in Indian Wells, Miami and, last week, on clay in Madrid, as well as Rome.

Maria Sharapova

Women's tennis desperately wants Maria Sharapova to do well – never more so than on the eve of the French Open – and, need it be repeated, not exclusively for reasons to do with the clean swing of her racket.
She played competently enough at the Foro Italico to beat the Australian Sam Stosur for the ninth time in a row and take the Rome Masters title, but it was a grinding performance in a dull match.
At a press conference last week, a journalist remarked that her tumble in a match particularly excited males in the crowd, a remark so crass the player could only play it down with sarcasm. She is well used to it. "I've done many things in my life. I love shoots and I love fashion, to get away from reality," she said. "Then you come home and you're in your pyjamas in front of the TV."
Here in Rome, after two hours' delay for rain, the crowd in the Campo Centrale tried hard to create excitement around the error-littered action, to no avail. The 24-year-old Russian, moving with well‑drilled ease, bobbed and grunted and barely broke sweat in seeing off an opponent who had clearly left her best tennis in the semi-finals, and won 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 23 minutes.
She has obviously recovered from the illness that kept her out of three tournaments in February, and, after reaching the final in Miami and re-entering the top 10 in April, her season is looking up.
It was her first title in four finals since her last trophy, the 22nd of her career, in Strasbourg last year. Among active players, only Venus Williams (43), Kim Clijsters (41) and Serena Williams (37) have won more.

Stosur, the first Australian to reach this final since Lesley Hunt in 1976, will have to rediscover her A game before Roland Garros, where she lost in the final to the vibrant Italian Francesca Schiavone. She has concentrated on her clay tennis to the point where it is now her favourite surface. Stosur beat Schiavone here in three sets on Thursday in the quarter-finals, and looked even better defeating China's Li Na, 7-6, 6-0 to reach the final.
Yet, but for some resistance in the second set, she did not much trouble the world No8 when it mattered. Sharapova had to do little remarkable to go 4-0 in the first set and an Italian optimist inspired mocking laughter when he shouted before Stosur's next serve, "Come on Samantha, you can do it."
She did get back to 4-1, and Sharapova double-faulted for 4-2 – but these were illusions of parity.
Fluffed ground strokes and grit were the stuff of the second set. There was much better tennis in the women's championship than this, memorably Schiavone's rousing comeback to beat the Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova in the third round. And Stosur, too, showed glimpses of her undoubted class. It was a pity such form was not seen in the final. Nonetheless, the sponsors will be ecstatic. Sharapova is rehabilitated and ready for her close-up.

Jorge Posada

David Ortiz [stats] knows something about being a franchise icon, and he believes the New York Yankees are disrespecting one of theirs.
When the Yankees dropped longtime catcher Jorge Posada to the bottom of the lineup before last night’s game, Posada told manager Joe Girardi he didn’t want to play. General manager Brian Cashman met the media during the game and said Posada isn’t injured. Posada, meanwhile, insisted his back was bothering him, prompting a team-said, player-said Bronx controversy.
But Ortiz criticized the Yankees for turning Posada into a full-time designated hitter this season and attempting last night to drop him to the No. 9 spot for the first time since 1999.
“You want me to tell you what I think? They’re doing that guy wrong,” Ortiz said. “They’re doing him wrong. Because that guy, he’s legendary right there in the organization.”
Posada has spent his entire 17-year career with the Yankees, winning five World Series.
Ortiz discussed the challenges of being a designated hitter, especially for someone who is used to playing a position for so many years. Posada, batting only .165, said not playing defense has affected him at the plate.
“DHing sucks,” said Ortiz, who didn’t condone Posada’s decision to take himself out of the lineup. “From what I heard, they told him from the very beginning he’s not even going to catch bullpens. That, straight up, starts messing with your head. You’re going tell me Posada can’t catch a game out there? Come on, man. I guarantee you, they throw him out there once in a while, mentally, it’s going to help him out.
“Because he’s just not thinking about hitting. When you just think about hitting and you’re not hitting, it sucks. He’s a guy that, he’s a good hitter. I don’t care what anybody says. He’s going through what he’s going through right now, but he’s a good hitter.”
Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek [stats] has played nearly as long as Posada. And while he said he “respects what the man has done behind the plate for many, many years,” he didn’t want to comment on the situation.
In 2009, Varitek accepted a backup role after the Red Sox [team stats] traded forVictor Martinez. This year, he’s splitting time with Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
“I believe that we have a chance to win ballgames,” Varitek said. “You can moan or you can provide what you can to aid a team in winning, and we want to win here.”
Jenks getting close
Right-hander Bobby Jenks, sidelined with a right biceps strain, indicated he has felt better for the past few days. But the Red Sox won’t clear the reliever to throw until he’s symptom-free, and according to a strength test administered Thursday, that is not yet the case.
“I’m very close,” Jenks said. “It is probably about a 3 right now on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst. The only problem is they want it down to zero before I pick up a baseball.
“Right now, I feel I can go out there and throw and do my job. But on the smart side of things, it’s like a pulled hamstring. You don’t want to go out and start running on it too soon and make it worse.”
Jenks, eligible to be activated before Tuesday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, doubts he will need a minor league rehab assignment before he returns. In 11 appearances, he has posted a 9.35 ERA, but he believes he has made mechanical adjustments to improve his command.
Reliever Dan Wheeler (left calf strain) allowed one hit and struck out three in 12⁄3 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket last night.
Lack on track
After throwing a bullpen session yesterday, struggling John Lackey remained on track to start Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Lackey has surrendered 17 earned runs in his last 102⁄3 innings, leaving his ERA at 8.01. After Wednesday night’s game in Toronto, he said “everything in my life sucks right now,” but declined to elaborate. Lackey’s wife reportedly is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but he hasn’t discussed her condition.
Per team policy, manager Terry Francona won’t talk about Lackey’s personal life. Asked about the right-hander’s state of mind, Francona indicated pitching is a welcome distraction.
“That’s actually one of the things he looks forward to a lot,” Francona said.
Youkilis sore

Third baseman Kevin Youkilis [stats], who made a stellar diving stop in the sixth inning to rob Russell Martin of a hit, was lifted in the ninth in order to rest his left hip, which has been sore over the past few weeks.
“As the game progressed, he got a little tight,” Francona said. “I don’t think it’s anything that’ll keep him out (tonight).” . . .
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia [stats] went 3-for-4 to raise his average against the Yankees to .650 (13-for-20). Pedroia is batting .190 (24-for-126) against every other team.

Manchester City

Manchester City

As Saturday afternoon beckoned, both Manchester Unitedand Manchester City were on the verge of glory as thePremier League and the FA Cup came to a head.

United needed just a point at Blackburn Rovers to seal their 19th league title at lunchtime, whilst City went up against Stoke shortly after the United game ended at Wembley Stadium.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side looked like making hard work of it at Ewood Park when they fell behind to Brett Emerton's strike in the first half. United were frustrated by strong performances from Chris Samba and Phil Jones, before controversy struck as Javier Hernandez went over Paul Robinson.

Referee Phil Dowd consulted his assistant before awarding a penalty to the visitors, which Wayne Rooney swept home. United held on to claim their 19th title and Sir Alex Ferguson was proud of his side.

"It was a fantastic performance by the lads and the supporters and for everybody connected with the club it's a great day today," he told Sky Sports."The players worked their socks off to get the result we needed. It wasn't an easy game, we went 1-0 down having given them a bad goal but we kept on and we don't give in.
"It was a big challenge. In the 80s, it was Liverpool's time. But when I came down, I never thought we could achieve what we've achieved, but getting that first one opened the doors.
"It looked like it was not going to be our day, we've always had it difficult here."
Just 25 minutes after United celebrated, Manchester City kicked-off at Wembley looking for their first trophy in 35 years.

Stoke City proved to be resilient opposition but a Yaya Toure strike a little more than 15 minutes from extra-time put the seal on the FA Cup for the Blues as another trophy began its journey towards Manchester.

Manager Mancini revelled in City's success and praised both his players and the fans, tellingITV Sports: "They deserve this celebration after many years. I can say congratulations to my players because this afternoon they played a fantastic game.

"We deserved to score in the first half but were perhaps unlucky. We always had the game under control but in football everything can change in one moment."

WAC

Utah State senior distance runner Eric Larson won the 1500m with a time of 3:49.95 on Friday, the final day of the 2011 WAC Outdoor Championships in Honolulu.
The scores remain tight with a little over a handful of events for each the men and women to claim the 2011 WAC Outdoor Championship title. With 13 events scored for the women and 14 for the men, Nevada leads the women with 91 points followed closely by USU at 87 and Louisiana Tech at 83 while Boise State sits at No. 1 with 113 and the Aggies at 105 in a clear two team race.
Larson remained undefeated in the 1500m throughout the outdoor season as well as earning his second first-team all-WAC honor after finishing second at last year's championships. He also earned second-team all-WAC honors in 2008 when he finished fifth in the 1500m.
Events that finished after 10 p.m. on Thursday have been included in this release.
Due to the four-hour time difference, Utah State Athletics has only included the events that finished before 10 p.m. (MT) Friday, in order to accommodate media outlets deadlines. All events that took place after 10 p.m. will be included in a release on Saturday.
USU placed athletes in the top three, earning first-team all-WAC honors, in eight events including seniors Ashlee Cannonin the 100m hurdles (13.96, second) and Shannon Prince in the discus with a toss of 47.94m (157-03, third) along with junior Kim Quinnin the 10,000m (37-02.58, third).
Senior Hunter Nelson finished third in the 1500m (3:51.78) as freshman Kyle McKenna and his older brother Brian McKenna, a junior, finished second and third in the 10,000m with times of 30:26.13 and 30:46.65, respectively. The men's 4x100m relay team finished second (41.05) as the team consisted of sophomore Silas Pimentel, senior Armahd Lewis and freshman Mikey Payne andTanner Hunt. Pimentel also placed third in the 100m (10.59).
For Nelson, this is his second first-team all-WAC honor and third overall all-WAC honor as he is a two-time second-team all-WAC honoree. For the McKenna brothers, this is Kyle's first all-WAC honor and the fifth for Brian, all of which have been first-team accolades.The Aggies also had athletes earn 17 second-team all-WAC honors for finishing fourth through sixth.

The USU men are the two-time defending WAC Outdoor Champions, while the Aggie women have placed fourth each of the last three years. The Utah State women look to avenge their one-point loss to Louisiana Tech earlier this year in the indoor season.
Live results can be found at www.utahstateaggies.com or on www.wacsports.com.
Fans can follow Utah State Athletics, including USU track and field, at http://twitter.com/USUAthletics.com or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.

Stoke

Almost three years after Sheik Mansour's takeover transformed City into one of the richest clubs in the world, his £300million investment has now produced Champions League qualification and an FA Cup triumph in the space of a week.
It was somehow fitting that semi-final hero Yaya Toure - reportedly the highest paid player in the Barclays Premier League on £185,000 a week - was the match-winner again today against Stoke, whose 148-year wait for FA Cup glory goes on.
City had not won the cup themselves since 1969 but the Potters had not even been to a final and were the only surviving founder members of the Football League never to lift the trophy.
The 1-0 defeat was also a double-whammy for manager Tony Pulis, whose last Wembley final saw his Gillingham side lose the 1999 Second Division play-offs to City.
The build-up to cup final day had been dominated by talk of the competition being further devalued by the scheduling of today's game.
Manchester United clinching the Barclays Premier League title minutes before kick-off did not help matters, and neither therefore did a rather unfortunate pre-match rendition of 'We are the Champions'.
But try telling that to the tens of thousands of City and Stoke fans crammed into Wembley this afternoon for what was the first cup final for both clubs for more than a generation.
And try telling it to the managers, who each gambled on the fitness of key players as Carlos Tevez, Matthew Etheringtonand Robert Huth all started.
City captain Tevez soon set about proving manager Roberto Mancini right, forcing a fine parry from Thomas Sorensenfrom 25 yards.
It was a sign of things to come as Mancini's men belied their reputation for caution in a utterly dominant first-half display.
Ryan Shawcross almost put into his own net and Toure drilled just wide from long range.
And City would have been ahead midway through the half but for a world-class save from Sorensen, who somehow clawed behind Mario Balotelli's top-corner-bound curler.
It was looking like Sorensen's lucky day after he kept his place as Stoke's FA Cup goalkeeper ahead of Asmir Begovic.
He survived being beaten to a long ball by Tevez and got away with spilling Vincent Kompany's tame long-ranger.
His luck continued when Tevez brilliantly played in Balotelli and Sorensen beat the ball down straight to David Silva, who rifled a shot into the ground and over the crossbar.
Stoke had gone some way to shattering their own reputation in their free-flowing semi-final demolition of Bolton.
But when Huth's forearm connected with Balotelli's jaw, it was an early indication they had reverted to type.
Long throws and set-pieces were once again the order of the day, although they did fashion a chance in open play when Vincent Kompany threw his body at Kenwyne Jones' close-range shot.
Emerging from what can only have been harsh words at half-time, Stoke tore into City early in the second half, Jermaine Pennant playing through the pain of a first-half ankle injury to lead the charge.
But they were unable to produce the finishing touch and were almost caught on the break when Tevez squared for Silva, who hesitated just long enough for Shawcross to nick the ball away.
Joe Hart had been a spectator all afternoon but he came to City's rescue just past the hour mark when Jones beat Joleon Lescott to a long ball before poking his finish too close to the keeper.
Etherington, who had looked less than fully fit, was immediately withdrawn for Dean Whitehead.

Mancini responded to City's second-half slump by throwing on Adam Johnson for Gareth Barry and it immediately paid off.
City won the ball on the edge of the area and Balotelli exchanged passes via Huth, with the Italian's shot blocked by Marc Wilson straight to Toure to blast home.
Desperate defending and a fine save twice prevented Silva wrapping up victory, with Stoke throwing on John Carew in a bid to keep their dream alive.
Mancini finally went defensive when he withdrew Tevez for Pablo Zabaleta but despite late Stoke pressure, City deservedly hung on.

Maria Sharapova

Caroline Wozniacki was dumped out of the Rome Masters by Maria Sharapova after a bruising semi-final encounter.
The seventh-seeded Sharapova edged an enthralling first set but looked to be fading as the world number one Dane hit back to lead 3-1 in the second set.
With both struggling to hold serve, it was the Russian, 24, who produced a brutal and relentless response.
Five games in a row stunned Wozniacki and the 7-5 6-3 win set up Sunday's final with Sam Stosur, who beat Li Na.
Stosur's 7-6 (8-6) 6-0 triumph was the Australian's third straight sets win to maintain her unbeaten record against China's world number four.
After breaking in the first game and then building up a 5-3 lead, it was a surprise to see Stosur looking so rattled as she tried to wrap up the first set.
Having been taken to a tie-break after wasting set points, the Australian kept her cool to finally decimate her Chinese opponent in a one-sided second set.
On the prospect of playing for the Italian title nearly a year after being runner-up in the French Open, Stosur said: "I'm looking forward to it. I haven't played a final for a year now, it will be a very exciting day."
The second semi-final between Wozniacki and Sharapova was the contest of the day though.
Despite the service breaks by both players, it was an intriguing and pulsating encounter that lasted 1 hour 50 minutes with the Russian overcoming an opponent she hadn't beaten since the Australian Open in 2008.
Sharapova broke the Dane's serve in the second game of the first set and seized the initiative to take it with a service hold at 7-5 after four breaks in a row.
Wozniacki, winner of three titles this year, battled back with a stunning combination of defence and the occasional forehand firework, to lead 2-0 in the second set.
The tide seemed to be turning at the end of that second game as Sharapova lay face down in the Italian clay after a crushing return from the Dane recovered a seemingly lost cause with the Russian at the net.

But despite trailing 3-1, the three-time grand slam champion simply increased her power as she reeled off five successive games to shock the 20-year-old.

FA Cup Final

Joe Hart 7
Limited in his involvement as Manchester City dominated possession, but was still alert to smother a second-half shot when Kenwyne Jones got behind the defence.
Micah Richards 6
Missed an early headed chance and, with Matthew Etherington offering only a very limited threat down the left, was able to frequently push forward in support of David Silva.
Vincent Kompany 7
Made an important first-half block to deny Jones and, such was City’s initial dominance, he also offered an attacking threat. Weakly side-footed one good chance into Thomas Sorensen's arms.
Joleon Lescott 6
Initially a spectator but looked defensively suspect when Stoke did impart some pressure. Was easily shaken off the ball as Jones muscled his way into a goalscoring position during the second-half.
Aleksandar Kolarov 6
Pushing forward at every opportunity and produced one first-half cross which was almost deflected in by Ryan Shawcross. Got into good positions, but often wasteful with his delivery.
Nigel de Jong 7
Helped Manchester City generally control the midfield and also produced several defence-splitting passes. Only occasionally got forward and skewed one good chance wide.
Gareth Barry 6
Quietly kept possession and rarely wasted a pass, although unable to inject any pace or incision into City’s play. Substituted mid-way through the second-half.
David Silva 6
Wasted one especially inviting chance when he volleyed into the ground and over with the goal at his mercy, but played an important part in the winning goal.
Yaya Toure 7
Almost scored one of the great FA Cup final goals with 30-yard shot that fizzed inches wide and was then clinical in blasting the winner past Sorensen.
Mario Balotelli 8
Excellent in both his link-up play and final ball. Forced an outstanding save from Sorensen with curling first-half shot and began the move for Manchester City’s winning goal.
Carlos Tevez 7
Quickly eased any doubts about his fitness by cutting inside and forcing an early Sorensen save. Frequently dropped deep and was the catalyst for much of City’s best attacking play.
SUBSTITUTES
Adam Johnson provided a far more direct threat when he replaced Garry Barry, while Pablo Zabaleta and Patrick Vieira were also introduced as City showed poise and experience in effectively protecting their lead.
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STOKE CITY
Thomas Sorensen 7
Made an exceptional first-half save to deny Mario Balotelli and was also alert to deny both Carlos Tevez and Aleksandar Kolarov. Could do little to prevent Yaya Toure’s powerful finish.
Andy Wilkinson 5
Had an especially difficult afternoon against the movement and quality down City’s left, although did briefly lift Stoke with a full-blooded tackle on Kolorav.
Robert Huth 6
Extremely fortunate not to attract more severe punishment for a stray first-half elbow on Balotelli. Was later deservedly cautioned for a challenge on Micah Richards.
Ryan Shawcross 7
Almost sliced one attempted first-half clearance into his own goal but held the Stoke defence together admirably for long periods of sustained Manchester City pressure.

Marc Wilson 6
Largely got the better of Silva down Manchester City’s right, but was partially culpable for the decisive goal after missing a half-chance to clear the danger.
Jermaine Pennant 7
The only Stoke player who offered a genuine first-half threat. Took several knocks to his foot and ankle but lasted the full 90 minutes and offered continual threat.
Rory Delap 5
Stoke were initially camped inside their own half, leaving little opportunity for Rory Delap to unleash the trademark long-throw. Was eventually sacrificed as Tony Pulis searched in vain for an equaliser.
Glenn Whelan 6
Stoke were completely overrun in midfield throughout the first-half, although Glenn Whelan’s resistance and impact did increase as the match wore on.
Matthew Etherington 4
Pulis gambled on Etherington's selection to offer some added creativity down the left but he was clearly not match fit following a hamstring injury and his impact was minimal.
Kenwyne Jones 6
With Pennant, he was the only Stoke player who really threatened the City goal. Forced crucial blocks either side of half-time from Vincent Kompany and then Joe Hart.
Jonathan Walters 5
Worked hard, but saw precious little of the ball as City out-manoeuvred Stoke in midfield. Created a half-chance for Jones but was otherwise anonymous.
SUBSTITUTES
Dean Whitehead came on for Etherington and John Carew replaced Delap, but Stoke lacked sufficient creative quality from the bench to alter the pattern of the match and knock Manchester City out of their stride.

Brock Lesnar

Yesterday, the UFC announced that Brock Lesnar was once again suffering from diverticulitis, the swelling of abnormal pouches called diverticulum in the intestinal wall. The disease's return has forced Lesnar to withdraw from a showdown with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 in June.Shane Carwin has stepped up on roughly 30 days notice to maintain a solid main event match-up on the card, but it's far from a fight that would create the pay-per-view buys that Lesnar would bring.
Lesnar stated during the conference call yesterday afternoon that he believes this isn't the end of the road for him in the sport. Dana White and the UFC are probably happy to hear the determination by their former champ to continue fighting. Unfortunately, the outlook is grim on whether the UFC will be able to squeeze a few more main events out of the 33-year-old NCAA champion wrestler.
Much of the speculation surrounding the initial bout with diverticulitis revolved around steroids and their connection with gastrointestinal illnesses. Others felt Lesnar's physical gifts, massive size, and enormous diet were a combination that bred life-long problems with health. Nobody knows for sure exactly why Lesnar is suffering, and I'm not willing to pin his illness on steroid use. What we do know is diverticulitis is an ailment that can be life threatening if perforations, bleeding, or blockages occur. Lesnar had a perforation that leaked fecal matter into his abdomen when the illness was first discovered, making this sudden relapse a major concern for his future in the sport and in life.
In various studies, vigorous physical activity was proven to decrease the complications of the disease. But as Lesnar stated yesterday during the conference call, he's not a normal human being. He's a freak of nature who is pushing himself physically in training every day. Whether or not those studies are accounting for the relentless training that Lesnar and many other athletes go through on a daily basis is unknown.
What's the outcome to this saga? Many fans are claiming this is the end of the Lesnar era in mixed martial arts, an era that saw a massive crossover superstar bring huge revenue to the UFC. It's an easy prediction to make considering the evidence. The disease can be life-threatening, and Lesnar, who has already made millions from his professional wrestling career and years in the UFC, doesn't need to press his luck by fighting. Lesnar alluded to the notion that he probably wasn't 100% in both the Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez fight, and he may never be at 100% again. The illness could plague him for the rest of his life.

Diet is one of the major improvements one must make to subside the symptoms of diverticulitis, and I have my doubts as to whether the diet to maintain a hulking 265 lb. mountain of a man runs parallel with a high fiber, soothing diet that will stifle these problems. There is also something to be said for his training regiment. While studies show that all of this vigorous activity should help the situation, it's hard to believe an overexerting workout routine for a heavyweight mixed martial artist with previous problems helps. But I'm not a doctor.
Surgery was an option brought up during the conference call, and in my opinion -- I think Brock may be leaning toward that solution as it will cut out portions of the intestine that are filled with those abnormal pouches. He stated on multiple occasions during the call that he wanted to fix this and get back to business. That seems like a logical choice considering the initial treatment never cured the problem.
How long will surgery sideline the former champion? We don't know. And we don't know if it will cure his illness, nor do we know if he'll continue to be plagued with this potentially life-threatening disease. Perhaps this is the end for Brock Lesnar. In my mind, I think we'll see Lesnar return by next year, but I don't think he'll be in the sport much longer, especially if he will never be able to convince himself that he's 100% when he steps into the cage.

Bryce Harper

On the day Bryce Harper walked into the eye doctor’s office, he was, he would say later, “blind as a bat.” Keith Smithson, the Washington Nationals’ team optometrist, asked Harper to read an eye chart, then looked at him with astonishment and said, according to Harper: “I don’t know how you ever hit before. You have some of the worst eyes I’ve ever seen.”
That was on April 19. The next night, fitted with a new pair of contact lenses, Harper, batting just .231 at the time for the low-Class A Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League, had a double and a single against the visiting Hickory Crawdads. The next night, he homered. And the night after that, he singled, doubled, homered and drove in six runs.
“It was like I was seeing in HD,” Harper said.
Suffice it to say Harper’s hi-def vision is a huge upgrade over standard-def. In 20 games since his visit to the eye doctor, Harper is hitting .480 (36 for 75) with a .547 on-base percentage and an .893 slugging percentage — with 7 homers, 10 doubles and 23 RBI. For the season, he is hitting .395/.473/.702, leading the league in all three “slash-line” categories.
Oh, and lest you forgot, he’s only 18 years old, the youngest player in the “Sally” League. His next closest pursuer in OPS (on-base plus slugging), first baseman Matt Curry of the West Virginia Power, is almost 23. Harper’s classmates at Las Vegas High — the ones he left behind after sophomore year to earn his GED and enroll in a junior college in order to speed up his draft eligibility — are preparing for their senior prom.
Harper’s offensive rampage, which includes a 16-game hitting streak that he continued Thursday night with a third-inning single against visiting Delmarva, raises two important questions:
How did Harper become the top amateur player in the nation in 2010, as well as arguably the greatest hitting prospect in Major League Baseball draft history, when he was “blind as a bat” prior to his being fitted with contacts?
And secondly, what in the world is he still doing here in Hagerstown?
To the first question, Harper merely shrugs and says, “I don’t know” — apparently being too modest to tell the truth, which is: That’s just how good he was.
“I needed [the contacts] in college,” he said. “But I tried them for a while in high school, and they gave me headaches really bad. So I just got by without them. But these are a new kind [of lenses], and they really help. The difference [in vision] is huge.”
The second question — why is Harper still in Hagerstown — is a bit more complicated. A promotion to high-Class A Potomac is almost certainly coming — just not soon enough to satisfy to legions of Nationals fans who want to see him promoted (ideally to Washington) today, if not yesterday.
“We haven’t had any discussions about moving him at all,” said Doug Harris, the Nationals’ farm director. “I know everyone wants to speculate about that. But he’s with a good group [of teammates]. He’s learning. Going through a league a second or third time — that’s a good challenge for a player.”
Pressed about Harper’s offensive numbers — and whether they might suggest he isn’t being challenged by Sally League pitching — Harris said: “I think there’s more to it than just statistics in this instance. He’s making great strides in all phases of the game. Offense is just one component of the game.”
Indeed, when you watch Harper play — as opposed to simply reading box scores or following his at-bats online — it becomes apparent he is still raw and prone to forehead-smacking mistakes on defense and on the base paths.
Over the course of two games earlier this week, Harper made a series of outstanding catches in right field (he is also seeing extensive action in center field), but also airmailed a throw to the plate that sailed into the netting behind the plate, some 15 feet above the ground. He also tried to throw behind a runner making a turn at first base following a single — even though the first baseman was some 20 feet from the bag.
The base paths provide another setting for adventure. On Tuesday, after singling to left field, Harper saw the left fielder bobble the ball momentarily and took off for second — only to be thrown out by 20 feet. It wasn’t the first time this season that Harper has been guilty of playing “Little League” baseball on the base paths — defined as running until someone tags you out.
“The hardest thing [for Harper] is realizing all these other players are better than what he’s played against before,” Hagerstown Manager Brian Daubach said. “And some of the risks he could take on the bases before don’t work here, and are not going to work at [the higher levels]. By no means do we want to take away his aggressiveness. It’s much easier to reel someone in than to try to get a passive player to be that aggressive. He’ll learn.”
As he has pretty much his entire playing career, Harper is also dealing with the scrutiny of opponents who want to show him up and hostile fans who want to get into his head. On one recent road trip, he barreled into an opposing catcher when caught in a rundown, causing the upended catcher — who had held onto the ball — to jump up and get in Harper’s face. Another near-brawl started when Harper exchanged words with a pitcher who had just struck him out.
“I’m not going to back down from anybody,” Harper said. “I’m always going to have my teammates’ backs, no matter what. I’ll be the first one out there swinging, if I have to. I’ve always been that way.”

In West Virginia, Harper also endured the taunts of one particularly obnoxious fan who peppered him all series with, among other things, vulgarities pertaining to his mother and sister — stuff that was described by one person who was there as “the most vile things I’ve ever heard anyone say, on or off a baseball field.”
Asked about that experience, Harper acknowledged having heard all of it. But then he shrugged again and said, “It’s just getting me ready for Philly.”

Azlan Shah Hockey 2011

Azlan Shah Hockey 2011

India squandered a first half lead to suffer an embarrassing 1-3 defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial match of the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Wednesday.

For India Rupinder Pal Singh (20th minute) scored the lone goal, while Umar Butta (49th), Mohammad Imran (55th) and veteran Sohail Abbas (57th) found the net for Pakistan in a high-voltage encounter between to the two traditional rivals.

India started the game on a positive note and created numerous scoring chances in the opening half but could not sustain the tempo.

Rupinder Pal Singh, the find of the tournament, capitalised on one such opportunity and increased his personal tally, handing India the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful dragflick from their second penalty corner.

However, it was a completely different scenario after the change of ends as, trailing by a goal, Pakistan came out all guns blazing and launched continuous raids on the Indian citadel.

Their efforts bore fruit in the 49th minute when Butta capiotalised on Diwakar Ram and Gurbaj Singh's defensive lapse to equalise for Pakistan.

Imran made it 2-1 in the 55th minute converting a penalty corner and two minutes later it was Abbas' turn to slam home the ball from another short corner to literally take the game away from the Indians.

Liverpool vs Fulham 5 2

Liverpool improved its chances of finishing fifth in the Premier League and earning a spot in next season’s Europa League, winning 5-2 at Fulham on Monday night as Maxi Rodriguez scored three goals.
Rodriguez scored 32 seconds in, added another goal in the seventh minute and completed the hat trick with a stunning long-range shot in the 70th. Dirk Kuyt’s 16th-minute goal extended his scoring streak to five games, and Luis Suarez had a goal in the 75th.
Moussa Dembele scored for Fulham in the 57th and Steve Sidwell in the 86th.
Liverpool (17-12-7), whose record of 18 league titles is likely to be surpassed by Manchester United this weekend, trails fourth-place Manchester City (18-9-8) by four points and is two points ahead of sixth-place Tottenham (14-7-14), which plays at Manchester City on Tuesday. After that match, all teams will have two league games left.
Jamie Carragher made his 666th appearance for Liverpool, moving past Ray Clemence and Emlyn Hughes into second place on the club career list behind Ian Callaghan’s 857.

MILAN — Juventus’ chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League pretty much ended when it wasted a two-goal lead and tied visiting Chievo Verona 2-2.

Alessandro Del Piero converted a penalty kick in the 13th minute and Alessandro Matri doubled the lead in the 55th, but 12th-place Chievo rallied on goals by Fernando Uribe in the 68th and Gennaro Sardo a minute later.
Juventus (15-9-15) is seventh with 57 points with two games left, five behind fourth-place Udinese for the final Champions League berth. Roma and Lazio have 60 points apiece.

Andrew Bynum

Andrew Bynum is going to be punished for a cheap, er, flagrant foul on J.J. Barea in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
But just how much of a punishment does he deserve?
The Mavericks were up by 30 at the time of the flagrant and Bynum’s teammate, Lamar Odom, had been ejected previously for throwing a forearm at Dirk Nowitzki with 9 minutes, 6 seconds left. “It's a little embarrassing,” Odom said. “I didn't mean anything by it.”
Bynum did mean something. “For me, it was embarrassing having the smallest guy on the court keep running down the lane and then making shots,” Bynum said. “So I just fouled him.”

What’s a just punishment? How many games should Bynum be suspended (whenever the NBA season starts)?

Rondo

Here’s a sampling of what the C’s point guard, his teammates, and opponents had to say about the return from a gruesome left elbow dislocation during the postgame:
Doc Rivers on Rondo going forward:“Yeah it’s a major concern. You can play a lot with adrenaline, we’ve seen people play with broken feet and stuff like that. Honestly, moving forward, it’s, we’ll have to see, it’s going to be interesting, I’ll put it that way.”
Other injury updates? “Shaq came out of it good. Paul it was just cramps. Delonte is a major concern, shoulder could be worse than what we thought. You know, we’ll see.”
Doc on his reaction to seeing Rondo back: “Well that didn’t – it shocked me because he was out there because they said he wasn’t going to play, but once he walked out, it really didn’t surprise me in that way. We’ve got a bunch of guys like that. I’ve talked about it, it’s just ballers. Guys who like playing basketball, and they just play. They find a way. And that’s what he did.”
Did he inspire the team upon returning? “You know, I don’t know. I thought we were pretty inspired coming out of halftime. And I thought we played great the first eight minutes of the game and then we let them back in. And I thought our guys were really upset at that. And I thought in the second half, two things happened. The first unit came out with that same energy, and then the second unit – I thought Shaq (O’Neal) had a big impact in the second half, just his presence. Jeff Green was phenomenal. Delonte West gave us a lift. So I thought both units clicked. But clearly that got everyone excited. The only thing I’ve got to say – I just said – was when that whole thing happened, was ‘Composure. Don’t change the way you’re playing because we’ve got the lead. And we’re playing the right way. Don’t let any of this stuff distract you.’ And I was the most proud of that. Yeah, you know, it was awesome to see him back out on the floor, but at the end of the day it was great to see our team play.”
Rajon Rondo
On the play that caused his injury: “I thought I was trying to make a play on the ball and D. (Dwayne) Wade and I got tangled up. I tried to brace my fall and that’s when it happened.”
On if he’s concerned about his injury: “I’m not concerned. I’m glad we have a day off. I’ll be able to get a lot of treatment and hopefully I will be ready to play.”
On if he knew right away he had dislocated his shoulder: “I knew right away something was wrong when I went down but thank God for Kevin (Garnett) because I was having trouble breathing. I was worried about my elbow but I was having trouble breathing. I just kept hearing tell me to breathe. Everything else took care of itself.”
On his left arm after coming back in the game: “It was stiff but the main thing tonight is obviously it’s going to be in pain, but what makes it feel better is we got the win. That’s the main thing we got out of this game and that’s what we were focused on. Regardless of what happened, I went down (and) Paul (Pierce) went down, but regardless we got a win. We’ve got to move forward and try to get another game in two days.”
On if he thought he was out for the game and the series following his injury: “No. My adrenaline was too high. I fed off of the crowd’s energy (and) my teammates out there playing well. D. (Delonte) West did a great job. I just wanted to play and be a part of it. Regardless of what happened, I felt obviously my shot wasn’t going. I wasn’t doing much offensively, but I thought I could try to keep the game or change the game’s momentum by getting to the ball defensively. I just need two legs for that.”
On how hard it is to direct offense with injury: “It’s not hard at all especially with the way guys played tonight. I don’t have to do much scoring, just directing. Use your mouth and use my leg as far as defensively to slide. I couldn’t reach as much as I wanted to defensively but other than that I just tried to be an energy boost.”
On what went on in the locker room following injury: “I can’t really say exactly what happened, but it was still numb. It was still painful. They did a great job to get me back out there. I tried to ice it and see how it felt. I just wanted to play.”
On going forward: “Regardless of all the injuries that we have, we’re a no excuse team. If I’m on the court, you may see me hold my arm but I’m not going to use it as an excuse. If D. West is out there, it’s the same way. That’s how we play. That’s our mentality. We show up Monday night and we’re on the court and we’re playing. Don’t ask me how I feel. I’m going to play regardless. I’m not going to use it as an excuse. We’re a no excuse team.”
Kevin Garnett
On his thoughts when Rajon Rondo was taken off the court: “Honestly I was like, ‘Oh. Here we go again.’ It seems like we’ve been hit with the injury bug pretty hard this year. At that point, you just hope that he’s alright. I was right there when it happened. I was just trying to get him to relax. You see one of your brothers go down, the first thing you think because we were all there when Marquis (Daniels) went down. It’s never a good feeling. (It’s) someone’s father. It’s someone’s brother, someone’s son is on the floor hurt. My first thoughts were just his well being. I was just trying to get him to calm down and relax. You could tell he was breathing a little bit irregularly. I knew he was hurt. He’s a real tough dude. I’ve seen him play through some injuries. I saw his face. I knew he was kind of beat up. I was just trying to give him some confidence at that point.”
On how he felt when Rondo came back into the game: “I’ve seen him play through some (injuries). I’m not going to go through the list of injuries that you all are unaware of. I’m not going to put him out there like that but I’ve seen him play through some horrific injuries. All of us sort of look at each other like, ‘What is he doing out here? Is he being smart right now?’ When he came in, it was just typical Rondo. Shorty is a really tough, young individual and I don’t know what he’s going to be like when he’s 35 but right now he’s playing through a lot. He’s showing a lot of heart (and) a lot of grit. We see it. That doesn’t go unspoken or unseen. We see he’s out there giving his full effort. We’re following that lead.”
Miami coach Eric Spoelstra: “I’m sure it gave them a lift.  But they had already established an energy to the game.  They hit us first, they knocked us back, we took a few hits to the chin and we weren’t able to respond in a positive manner.  We’ve handled adversity and been able to bounce back well, and I anticipate we will, and we do.  We have great respect for what they’ve done and it will take our best effort along with very efficient basketball to beat them.”
Dwayne Wade on his collision with Rondo: “It’s a physical game, the game of basketball is a physical game. I’m not a dirty player, it’s physical. Everyone falls to the ground, everyone gets hurt, people get up. It was one of those things that you can’t really look at. Unfortunately you could tell that he dislocated his elbow. I’m not a doctor, but the way that it looked it was one of those things that you don’t want to look at. When guys like that, you move out the way and let the doctors get to it as soon as possible.”
“We play this game as competitors, we never want to see anyone hurt whether it is a friend or not a friend. It’s someone that we have respect for in this game. We have respect for each other. You never want to see no one get hurt, no matter what kind of injury it is. Kudos to him for coming back.

“That’s a tough injury to come back from that fast. It shows a lot as a leader of that team to come back and have the performance that he had with that injury. You never want to see anybody get hurt. We’re just glad that he was able to come back from it. Even though, people think that without Rondo they would be a different team, we want the Boston Celtics. We want them to be whole. Hopefully Monday he is there and he is ready to go.”
LeBron James: “You definitely don’t want to see anyone have, I guess what we call freak injuries. As competitive as we all are, us against Boston we definitely don’t want to see something like that happen. On the injury side, we basically hope the best for him and hopefully it wasn’t as bad as it looked from the floor. He (Wade) had a better angle than I did, but I seen it somewhat. Let’s just hope that it’s not something that can effect him long term.”

Wolves

A 3-1 defeat to FA Cup semi-finalists Stoke ensured Arsenal failed to take three points for the seventh time in nine games as their season continued to peter out to a disappointing end. Having beaten Manchester United in their previous match, they now remain five points ahead of Manchester City in third place with two games remaining after their latest disappointment.
Arsenal were behind when Andrei Arshavin committed a foul near the corner spot, allowing Jermaine Pennant to whip in a free-kick that found Kenwyne Jones unmarked and cushioned off the striker's chest and in. Five minutes before half-time, Pennant, who joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old in 1999, capitalised on another defensive lapse to fire in a shot that deflected off Johan Djourou and over Wojciech Szczesny.
Aaron Ramsey's return to the scene of his horrific leg injury suffered last season lasted only 45 minutes as he was substituted at half-time, while tempers flared in the second half as Alex Song and Robert Huth and Jack Wilshere and Pennant became involved in confrontations.
Robin van Persie scored with nine minutes remaining when his shot crept under Asmir Begovic, his record extending to scoring in eight away games in succession, but Stoke replied within 60 seconds. Both Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou were guilty of failing to clear and Jonathan Walters made it 3-1.
Wolves escaped the relegation zone with just two games remaining of the Premier League season courtesy of a 3-1 win in their derby match against West Bromwich Albion.
Mick McCarthy's side started the day in 19th place but move up to 17th, one point ahead of both Blackpool and Birmingham, thanks to a win inspired by two goals from Scotland international Steven Fletcher, who has now scored four in four games.
Wolves benefitted from some sloppy West Brom defending from set-plays as they opened up a two-goal lead in the first half at Molineux. After 15 minutes, Adlene Guedioura turned a corner into the path of Fletcher, who finished from close range.

The players combined again after 28 minutes, this time Fletcher heading back across goal from a corner and the unmarked Guedioura doubling Wolves' lead. Fletcher continued his fine recent form when claiming a second from Kevin Foley's assist after half-time as he capitalised on an error by Abdoulaye Meite, but Guedioura conceded a penalty after 54 minutes, allowing Peter Odemwingie to score his 15th goal of the season, and fifth in five games.
Jerome Thomas then hit the bar as West Brom threatened to mount a comeback, but the Baggies, already safe from relegation, were defeated by their local rivals in a big result for Wolves.

Manny Pacquiao Fight

The world's greatest boxer is too great for his own good. He can't find anyone who will fight back.
What happens when you're such a good boxer, you can't find anyone else to fight?
Manny Pacquiao, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, is a man who fires punches at angles that many in the sport have never seen. But he is more than a master pugilist--he is a charismatic Congressman in his native Philippines with designs on the presidency. Pacquiao, who grew up in the streets, likes to say that he fights to give people some relief from their suffering. He wore yellow gloves during his bout on Saturday night to symbolize his unity with his country's poor. "He's not a fighter, he's an entertainer," says Freddie Roach, his trainer. But he was frustrated because he hadn't been able to entertain the crowd who were booing the lack of action in his bout with the American Sugar Shane Mosley. Pacquiao won in a unanimous decision and retained the welterweight championship and the mythical pound-for-pound crown, but he had a difficult time getting over the boobirds. "It's not my fault," said Pacquiao, a typically joyful man, as way of explanation. "Of course I am happy that I won the fight but my first concern is the satisfaction of the crowd. I want to give a good performance. I think he felt my power. But what am I going to do if my opponent doesn't want to fight toe-to-toe?"
Mosley, one of America's greatest fighters, had the unfortunate task of facing Pacquiao. They squared off in front of 16,412 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mosley is 39. He has been a professional fighter for eighteen years and he is a future Hall of Famer, but he seemed to forget how to throw punches. Was he past his prime? Yes. But he has always been considered "a warrior," boxing parlance for someone who will risk bodily harm to win and Pacquiao trained harder than for any previous fight with the expectation that Mosley would attack him with everything in his aresenal. The arsenal was empty. His jab was so timid that it looked like a father caressing his child's cheek. He landed 82 paltry punches to Pacquiao's 182. He blamed his performance to Pacquiao's speed and power, which he couldn't handle. Strangely, he also blamed a foot blister, which didn't seem to hamper his frantic backpedaling from the Filipino.
There was a single moment of excitement In Round 3 when Pacquiao hit Mosley with a sobering left and Sugar crashed to the canvas. The crowd buzzed with jittery excitement, as they always do when it experiences a knockdown. Mosley looked like a kid in a supermarket who couldn't find his mother. But before the Pacman, as his fans call him, could finish him, Pacquiao's left calf muscle became so cramped that between rounds he implored his cornermen to massage it. Leg cramps have been an issue throughout his training runs in the Hollywood Hills and it was feared that it might flare up again. It did and Pacquiao couldn't pivot and pursue Mayweather as relentlessly as he wanted to. It was an opening for Mosley but his heart wasn't committed to capitalizing on it.
Blisters, cramps...who knows? But it was certain that millions of dollars were pumped into the event, making it a showcase for the boxing game. ShowTime, which broadcast the bout, had relentlessly promoted the matchup for a couple months through a four-part documentary and by advertising it during the NCAA basketball tournament via its parent company, CBS. The fight was a big deal for boxing, which, anymore, is on par with poker in its popularity as a televised sport. It's a tough economy and ShowTime charged $54.95 for people watching it on television at home. While the pay-per-view buy numbers won't be known for a couple days, they are expected to be over one million, which is considered excellent in the boxing pay-per-view business. Given the CBSinvolvement and the growing popularity of Pacquiao--who has been featured on 60 Minutes, the Jimmy Kimmel, and many other television programs--the fight was touted as one that would bring the mainstream into boxing and help revive it in the United States. (Yes, this seems to be a theme once a year in the boxing promotions game.) Millions watched but will Pacquiao-Mosley keep them interested in the sport? On Pacquiao's press tour he met with President Obama at the White House. The Commander in Chief said he planned on watching the fight because he is a Pacquiao fan. Of course, no one believed Pacquiao would lose, but boxing experts--from writers to matchmakers--believed it would be an exciting bout. The president probably went night-night before the fight was completed.
Mosley, who will earn about $10 million for his efforts, looked like a man who should have retired long ago. Mosley was an 8-1 underdog but he promised a slugfest. He was full of confidence and told me that anyone betting on him "was going to be rich." When I visited Mosley in his training camp in Big Bear, California, he told me how the fight would be "full of fireworks." Roach, the best trainer in the world announced on Saturday morning that he would help the U.S. Olympic boxing team for the 2012 games, and at the press event, publicists gave out Nike t-shirts that said, "Freddie Knows." Well, Freddie definitely knew that Mosley's "legs were gone. I don't think Mosley tried to win the fight. When you get to that point in boxing, it's time to call it a day."
After the contest, as the crowd snaked its way into the Vegas night, it was all black humor among the reporters as they gathered at the post-fight press conference. Boxing has lost its footing in mainstream newspapers, but because of Pacmania, big time reporters were generously represented at the fight. Because of the one-sided nature of the bout and the non-action, some of the sportswriters wondered if they would ever get sent to cover another boxing match.
What can be done?
Pacquiao's opponents are falling as fast as quarters into a slot machine. In two of Pacquiao's last three fights, his opponents were so overwhelmed by his speed and power that they went into a turtle-like shell. In his last fight, he broke his opponent's orbital bone and he has fought three other world class fighters--Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Joshua Clottey--who never returned to the ring. Mosley might be the fourth candidate on that doomed list. Mosley's trainer calls Pacquiao the Rubik's cube of boxing because no one can figure him out. Mosley can take some solace in that he survived, but survival was an empty victory. In recent fights, Pacquiao has a ridiculous--but exciting--habit of getting on the ropes just to test the other man's punching power. It's fun and the crowd loves it. Roach goes ballistic when Pacquiao uses this suicidal technique because he doesn't want his fighter to take unnecessary shots. On Saturday Roach was so underwhelmed by Mosley's abilities that mid-way through the fight he actually told the PacMan to lean against the ropes. He thought it might lure Mosley into some risk-taking behavior, and in turn Pacquiao could bounce off the ropes and return fire and finish him. But Mosley was so confused, intimidated, and dazed that he refused the opportunity. "Sometimes time catches up with you," said Mosley.
In the press conference--and an hour later over martinis--Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter who also managed Muhammad Ali, talked about Pacquiao's greatness and wondered aloud about who he could match with the PacMan. Pacquiao will fight again in November. It will be against Juan Manuel Marquez, Zab Judah, or the up-and-comer Timothy Bradley. "Every fighter he faces looks helpless," said Arum.
So what do you do when you are dominating your sport to the point of making it look ridiculously easy?

Elite fighters, one after one, have not been able to figure out how to beat Pacquiao for...six years. Pacquiao, 32, is a great one. He might be the best of his generation. Many people have started to put him in the top ten of all time. But his dominance has become a curse. The most exciting fighter in the world can't find anyone who will fight back. Of course, there is a fight that people desperately want to see: Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao is the best offensive fighter in the world and Mayweather is the best defensive fighter and a Hall of Fame trash talker. There is so much worldwide interest in the fight that they could probably make $35 million each for facing each other, making it the biggest ever payday in boxing. May weather, who has a perfect record and is worried about losing it, doesn't seem inclined to fight Pacquiao, however. "He would beat the crap out of May weather," says Arum. "I guarantee it. And the person who knows that best is Floyd Mayweather Jr."

NASCAR

After he took the checkered flag to win his first NASCAR race, an emotional Regan Smith, with his voice cracking, radioed his crew to tell them how proud and happy he was for the entire Furniture Row Racing organization.
The victory in Sunday night’s SHOWTIME Southern 500 Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway was not only the first for Smith, but also the maiden win for the Denver-Colo.-based team.
The only other time Smith had a brush with victory was at the 2008 fall race in Talladega, Ala. when his apparent win as a driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc. was nullified by NASCAR for passing Tony Stewart below the out-of-bounds yellow line on the final lap.
But Saturday night at the 62-year-old historic Darlington Raceway, Smith was officially referred to as a NASCAR winner.
“I don’t really know how to put it in words right now—it is so surreal,” said Smith, whose previous best finish was seventh in the season-opening Daytona 500.
As the jubiliant Smith was celebrating the Mother’s Day weekend victory with his teammates, he took time to talk about his mother, Lee Smith, his biggest fan since he started racing as a 4-year-old in the Syracuse, N.Y. area.
“First and foremost to all the Moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day,” stated Smith. “My Mom is not here—she’s in Tuscaloosa, Alabama helping with some of the tornado recovery efforts with animals. ‘Mom, hi, I love you. Sorry you missed this one.’ “
Before the 27-year-old Smith showed his emotional side, he was a steadfast, hard-charging driver who refused to get passed in the final 11 laps even though his No. 78 Chevrolet was running on older tires.
Smith assumed the lead on Lap 360 as a result of not pitting for fresh tires during a caution. The gutsy decision to stay out, while running in the top six, was made by crew chief Pete Rondeau.
“Pete made a great pit call—that won the race for us,” noted Smith.
The soft-spoken Rondeau, who took over the crew chief duties nearly one year ago, said about the pit call, “It’s a split-second decision. Sometimes you make out well with it and sometimes you don’t. I was leaning one way and said, ‘What the heck, we’ll ask Regan where he’s headed. He said we’re both on the same page.’ “
As he was positioned in front of the field, Smith tenaciously held off the challengers on the Lap 363 restart. But two laps later, the yellow flag waved again, sending the scheduled 367-lap race into overtime with a green-white-checkered finish.
For the second time, Smith held his ground in his Furniture Row Chevrolet, powered by an Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR) engine. He took the lead on the final restart and never looked back, crossing the finish line .196 of a second ahead of Carl Edwards.
Regarding the last restart, Smith said, “Carl was on the outside and he had fresh tires or fresher tires than I did. I spun them real bad on the first one (restart, Lap 360) and I just backed it up a notch on the second restart and went with it. It stuck and I held it wide open in (turns) one and two on the first lap and tried to hold it wide open in (turns) three and four also. The car was good when I got in clean air. I can’t be more proud of this team.”
The last lap did present a nail-biting moment for the Furniture Row team when Smith scraped the infamous Darlington wall.
“I hit the wall in turn two on the white-flag lap but the chances of me checking up there were about zero,” explained Smith. “I could have torn the right front off and kept going. I don’t think anybody realizes how much work has gone into getting this program where it is out of Colorado. Joe Garone (general manager), Barney Visser (owner), all of them. Man, we are in the All Star race! We have all kinds of cool stuff going on.”
Yes, by virtue of the win, Smith automatically qualifies for the May 21st Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Smith, who entered the race as the top qualifier with a 7.1 average, started 22nd—his worst qualifying effort of the season.
“The car was good all night, I don’t think we made many big adjustments,” said Smith.
He added, “I won a race at Darlington. The names who have won here…the Pearsons, Yarboroughs and on and on, you name it. I was sitting behind some of those guys today and I was thinking, ‘Man, these guys are pretty awesome. They are legendary.’  I don’t know if my name deserves to be next to them, but after tonight, maybe it does.”
Joe Garone, Furniture Row Racing general manager, talked about what the victory meant for the organization.
“This is not only a big deal for Barney (Visser, team owner), but also for Furniture Row Companies, which consists of Denver Mattress, Sofa Mart, Bedroom Expressions and Oak Express, for standing behind the team. It’s been a long road. It’s been six years building this team and literally from scratch. Tonight just solidifies all that hard work and shows the racing community that you can win races outside of the normal North Carolina area.”
The congratulations were pouring in to Smith, especially from his fellow drivers—Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr to name a few.
When asked about Smith’s victory, Earnhardt said, “Well, Regan is an awesome talent and a really, really good person. It’s good to see a good guy win. And he’s worked really hard to get into this sport and to become a full-time driver in this series. And he deserves what they achieved tonight.”

Smith and the Furniture Row Racing team will take the Darlington momentum to next week’s Cup race (May 15) at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

Manny Pacquiao

Will Manny Pacquiao be the first man to knock Shane Mosley out?
Or will Mosley turn back the clock and shock the world?
The answer will be known Saturday (Sunday in Manila) when they tangle for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here.
Pacquiao, the Fighter of the Decade, has been installed an overwhelming 6-1 favorite to beat Mosley, a former three-division champion, who’s out to prove that he’s no washout and is still an elite fighter at the age of 39.
Mosley owns the longest wingspan (74 inches) among Pacquiao’s opponents thus far, but boxing pundits deemed his 7 1/2-inch reach advantage won’t be enough to overcome the eight-division titlist’s blurring hand speed and nimble footwork.
Five-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach has predicted a knockout for Pacquiao, while Mosley believes he still has the skills and the power to stop his shorter (2 1/2 inches) and lighter (at least 10 pounds) opponent.
Weight difference
Though Pacquiao weighed in at 145 lb Friday, only 2 lb lighter than Mosley’s 147, the weight difference will magnify overnight as the Filipino hasn’t reached 150 lb yet, while Mosley is used to fighting at over 160.
Both Pacquiao, who owns a record of 51 wins, three losses and two draws, and Mosley (46-6-1, and one no-contest), claim they have had their best fight camps ever, with Pacquiao spending most of his preparations at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and Mosley doing high-altitude training in Big Bear, California.
Both can down opponents with either hand, with Mosley enjoying a higher knockout rate of 85 percent on 39 knockouts as against Pacquiao’s 73 percent. This is misleading, though, as Mosley’s first 35 knockouts came in his first 38 bouts.
Slow starter
In contrast, Pacquiao developed his power gradually, stopping only five of his first 11 opponents before kissing the canvas himself against Rustico Torrecampo on Feb. 9, 1996.
After settling for unanimous decision triumphs over Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito in his last two bouts, Pacquiao has been instructed by Roach to go for the knockout and add it to his legacy as the greatest fighter of his generation.
A mere 106 lb when he started fighting at 16, Pacquiao went on to snatch the WBC flyweight (112), IBF super bantam (122), Ring Magazine (126), WBC super featherweight (130), WBC lightweight (135), IBO light welterweight (140), WBO welterweight (147) and WBC super welterweight (154) titles.
Common opponent
The 5-foot-6 1/2 Pacquiao wrested his eighth title by fighting at a catch weight of 150 lb against Margarito, whom Mosley stopped in the ninth round in 2009.
After that Margarito win, Mosley’s career went downhill. He lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by unanimous decision and settled for a draw with Sergio Mora in his last fight last year.
For trainer Naazim Richardson, Mosley, the first African-American Pacquiao will face, stands a good chance of pulling off an upset if he can summon the same reflexes and intensity he displayed against Margarito.
Another common opponent for the protagonists was Oscar De La Hoya, whom Mosley beat twice in 2000 and 2003 and whom Pacquiao stopped in the eighth round and sent him to eventual retirement in 2008.
No Pacman forecast
As usual, Pacquiao refuses to predict a knockout, saying that if it comes, it will be a bonus.
Roach, on the other hand, said Pacquiao will be the first to knock out Mosley, who is noted for his iron chin, within the fifth to the seventh rounds.
Pacquiao, already the Philippine’s richest congressman, is guaranteed a $20-million purse while Mosley gets $5 million.
According to Hall-of-Fame fight promoter Bob Arum, however, Pacquiao can rake in as much as $10 million more with the way pay-per-view and closed-circuit sales have been proceeding. Tickets at the 17,000-seat Arena have been sold out as early as five weeks ago.
That will guarantee his biggest paycheck ever.
Wear yellow
Expect yellow to be the dominant color on fight night as Pacquiao, who’ll be donning yellow gloves, has requested his supporters to wear yellow as a sign of peace and unity in the country’s fight against poverty.
There are reports that at least 70 Filipino congressmen have flown in to this glitzy entertainment and gaming capital to watch their colleague in action.
Also here are Pacquiao’s longtime supporters—Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson and former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.
Referee
International singing sensation Charice Pempengco, the first Asian to crash the US Billboard top 10 with the mega-hit “Pyramid,” will sing the national anthem.

The third man in the ring in Pacquiao’s 20th US fight and 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be Kenny Bayless.
The fight card, to be beamed in 120 countries by Showtime and CBS, will also feature the WBO super bantamweight title fight between Wilfredo Vasquez (20-0-1, 17 knockouts) and veteran Jorge Arce (56-6-2, 43 knockouts) and the super middleweight collision between former world champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 knockouts) and unbeaten Alfonso Lopez (21-0, 16 knockouts).
Another Filipino, former world champion Rodel Mayol (27-5-2, 25 knockouts), will battle with Javier Gallo of Mexico (17-3-1, 9 knockouts) in a nontelevised flyweight bout.
If Pacquiao proves true to form and trounce Mosley, his next fight will be on Nov. 12 to complete a trilogy with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez at the same venue.

Shane Mosley

"Sugar" Shane Mosley, one of America's greatest active pugilists, lounges in his Big Bear, California, chalet and looks across a forest of wind-whipped pine trees "conjuring" how he will defeat Manny Pacquiao on Saturday in Las Vegas. Pacquiao, pound for pound the best fighter wearing gloves, is an 8-1 favorite while Mosley is an afterthought to many sports fans who are frustrated that the Filipino isn't fighting another American, Floyd Mayweather Jr., the best defensive fighter in the world.
(Archrivals Pacquiao and Mayweather have never faced each other in the ring, despite lengthy negotiations. According to Pacquiao's promoter, talks broke down for a third time after Nelson Mandela's daughter tried to arrange the matchup in honor of her father's birthday. Mayweather allegedly demanded $100 million for himself and the negotiations fell apart.)
Mosley, a handsome man with a whispery voice, has had a storied professional career that has spanned 18 years and earned him world titles in three weight divisions, but his matchup against Pacquiao for the welterweight championship is what he himself calls his "biggest moment, the pinnacle." Mosley, 39, insists that he will defy age and do what no boxer has done in six years: defeat the 32-year old Pacquiao. But fight fans, already frustrated that they aren't getting Mayweather in the ring, aren't hot for Mosley, who has looked creaky in his last two battles. The fight will likely be the most watched boxing event of the year because of Pacquiao's rising popularity as an athlete and as a crusader for the poor — will wear yellow gloves on Saturday as a show of unity with his country's impoverished. Mosley, fight fans argue, was chosen as an opponent based on name recognition and because he abandoned Mayweather's promoter, Golden Boy, (a rival to Pacquiao's promoter Top Rank) to get the fight. Mosley's own trainer frets that Pacquiao is the "Rubik's cube of boxing" because he is so difficult to figure out.
Given that Pacquiao has dominated the sweet science for a decade, it would be easy to dismiss Pacquiao-Mosley as a glorified exhibition. But the bout holds dangers for the Pacman, as he is called, whose rags-to-riches story and exciting style have made him the sport's biggest star. Even at his age, Mosley still possesses decent foot speed and has a respectable right hand. Last year, it found the chin of Mayweather the most elusive fighter in the world, and almost knocked him out.
In his mountain chalet, Mosley jumps off his leather couch to demonstrate how he will confuse and frustrate Pacquiao. Both men cite Bruce Lee, the iconic martial artist, as a role model in their ghost-like boxing styles. "I'm an illusion," he says. He moves back and forth, moving his torso and head in different angles, shuffling and stepping in different ways. "I can be there, and not be there. I can be right in front of your face and not be there. I am not really there...Here I am, I am...gone...See, see. Here I am, where am I? You can't find me, you can't punch me. And here comes my punch. Bam. Where did that come from?"(See photos of Mike Tyson.)
On Mosley's iPhone, he has a photograph of himself (5'10") and the Pacquiao (5'6-1/2") staring at each other. He likes to show it to people to prove that his longer reach (nearly eight inches) will play a pivotal role in the fight. "I believe I can knock Pacquiao out," he says. "I hit anyone square on the chin a couple times. He'll go to sleep." Mosley snaps his fingers, his blue eyes twinkling. "Shane Mosley is still strong and moves like he is 29-years-old," says Pacquiao. "He is bigger than me and strong." But the Filipino may just be promoting his fight. He's never had trouble beating taller men.

Belying his bravado, Mosley followed his loss against Mayweather in May 2010 with a bout against Sergio Mora four months later and recorded a lackluster draw. Mora clinched and went backwards throughout the fight and Mosley looked tired. Both men were booed throughout the bout. Mosley says his last two performances were anomalies and Pacquiao's constant offensive flourishes play into his counter-punching abilities. Pacquiao's style is risky and he gives the appearance of being vulnerable because he lunges straight at his opponents. Still, his speed and ability to change direction make him virtually impossible to hit. Like others before him, Mosley says he admires the Filipino's style, but insists "it plays into my power."