Boston Celtics roster: Shaquille O'Neal impressive in Celtics vs Heat match. Heat wilted under Celtics’ consistent pressure and ended up 88-80 down against Celtics in a match that was at best listless. There was nothing exceptional about this match except the fact that the match was won by Celtics.
Though 88-80 defeat against Celtics cannot be called a very big defeat, but it is significant in the sense that the Heat have always been hyped. The same was true about this match as well and so the disappointment that is visible on Heat fans faces.
Heat were under consistent Heat pressure from the word go. The first quarter ended 16-9, while the second round ended Celtics 45, Heat 30. Though they improved tremendously in the third round but still couldn’t match Celtics. The third quarter ended Celtics 63, Heat 57 and the third and the final quarter ended 88-80 in favor of a better organized Celtics.
Source:
http://www.ndchronicle.com/news/Boston_Celtics_roster__Shaquille_ONeal_impressive_in_Celtics_vs_Heat_match_1288151625/
Braves Hire Fredi Gonzalez
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Baseball /Rangers rout Yankees to reach first World Series
Fireworks and confetti filled the Texas sky. A flag proclaiming the Rangers as the AL champions was raised high above the ballpark, whipping in the wind alongside more than three dozen Lone Star state flags.
And to make their first World Series berth even more satisfying, the Rangers earned it by beating the defending champion New York Yankees. The clincher was a 6-1 victory Friday night in Game 6 of the ALCS.
"Coming out of spring training, this team showed such a heart," said Rangers icon Nolan Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher who is the team president and a part-owner. "There were so many things going on, and they were just unbelievable."
The celebration erupted when former Ranger Alex Rodriguez took a called third strike from hard-throwing rookie closer Neftali Feliz.
The World Series begins Wednesday in either San Francisco or Philadelphia, and the first game in Texas will be next Saturday. Game 6 of the NLCS started last night after press time, with the Giants enjoying a 3-2 lead in the series.
Texas, which had never won a postseason series or a home playoff game before this year, dispatched the $200 million-plus Bronx Bombers with little drama - especially after a four-run outburst in the fifth inning snapped a 1-all tie. The Rangers showed the 27-time World Series champions something Ryan has brought them: a culture where pitching rules, and starters expect to go deep into games.
Colby Lewis dominated over eight innings for his second win of the series and Josh Hamilton earned the series MVP award. In a state where most sports fans gear up for fall weekends by watching high school football, the Rangers gave a new meaning to Friday Night Lights. "We are here as a group. This group is here because they don't know how to fail," Hamilton said.
Vladimir Guerrero, heading for baseball's biggest stage for the first time in his 15 major league seasons, drove in three runs before scoring on Nelson Cruz's homer in the fifth.
After Hamilton was given a free pass in the fifth, Guerrero followed with a two-out, two-run double that chased Yankees starter Phil Hughes. Cruz greeted reliever David Robertson with his fifth postseason homer, knocking it to one of the deepest parts of Rangers Ballpark.
Guerrero didn't have an RBI in the series until his grounder in the first drove home Elvis Andrus. The big hits by Guerrero and Cruz made it 5-1 again, but the Rangers wouldn't give up that lead the way they did in Game 1.
Long time coming
Now Ron Washington, their fourth-year manager, is taking Texas to the World Series, with ace left-hander Cliff Lee set to start Game 1 since he wasn't needed for a final game against the Yankees.
"Our fans have waited a long time, this organization has waited a long time," Ryan said. "This team coming out of spring training was on a mission."
Source:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/baseball-rangers-rout-yankees-to-reach-first-world-series-1.320806
Braves Hire Fredi Gonzalez
And to make their first World Series berth even more satisfying, the Rangers earned it by beating the defending champion New York Yankees. The clincher was a 6-1 victory Friday night in Game 6 of the ALCS.
"Coming out of spring training, this team showed such a heart," said Rangers icon Nolan Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher who is the team president and a part-owner. "There were so many things going on, and they were just unbelievable."
The celebration erupted when former Ranger Alex Rodriguez took a called third strike from hard-throwing rookie closer Neftali Feliz.
The World Series begins Wednesday in either San Francisco or Philadelphia, and the first game in Texas will be next Saturday. Game 6 of the NLCS started last night after press time, with the Giants enjoying a 3-2 lead in the series.
Texas, which had never won a postseason series or a home playoff game before this year, dispatched the $200 million-plus Bronx Bombers with little drama - especially after a four-run outburst in the fifth inning snapped a 1-all tie. The Rangers showed the 27-time World Series champions something Ryan has brought them: a culture where pitching rules, and starters expect to go deep into games.
Colby Lewis dominated over eight innings for his second win of the series and Josh Hamilton earned the series MVP award. In a state where most sports fans gear up for fall weekends by watching high school football, the Rangers gave a new meaning to Friday Night Lights. "We are here as a group. This group is here because they don't know how to fail," Hamilton said.
Vladimir Guerrero, heading for baseball's biggest stage for the first time in his 15 major league seasons, drove in three runs before scoring on Nelson Cruz's homer in the fifth.
After Hamilton was given a free pass in the fifth, Guerrero followed with a two-out, two-run double that chased Yankees starter Phil Hughes. Cruz greeted reliever David Robertson with his fifth postseason homer, knocking it to one of the deepest parts of Rangers Ballpark.
Guerrero didn't have an RBI in the series until his grounder in the first drove home Elvis Andrus. The big hits by Guerrero and Cruz made it 5-1 again, but the Rangers wouldn't give up that lead the way they did in Game 1.
Long time coming
Now Ron Washington, their fourth-year manager, is taking Texas to the World Series, with ace left-hander Cliff Lee set to start Game 1 since he wasn't needed for a final game against the Yankees.
"Our fans have waited a long time, this organization has waited a long time," Ryan said. "This team coming out of spring training was on a mission."
Source:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/baseball-rangers-rout-yankees-to-reach-first-world-series-1.320806
Braves Hire Fredi Gonzalez
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Click here to find out more! The Fabulous Forum The who, what, where, when, why — and why not — of L.A. sports « Previous | The Fabulous Forum Home | Next » Randy Couture, Fedor Emelianenko square off for EA Sports MMA game
Fedor Emelianenko shot in with a takedown and finished Randy Couture with brutal punches inside his guard three minutes into the first round.
At least that’s how it went down when the two fighting legends squared off as their pixilated versions in the debuting EA Sports MMA video game at a launch event on the Universal City Walk Tuesday.
The game was released Tuesday in North America, hits stores in Europe on Friday, and drops Nov. 11 in Japan. EA Sports MMA is a second gaming option for the sport’s fans, who snatched up over three million copies of THQ and the UFC’s “Undisputed” game in 2009.
On Tuesday, THQ and the UFC announced that they’d extended their exclusive licensing deal into 2018.
EA’s stab at the multi-disciplined combat sport lacks UFC branding and star power save Couture, a six-time UFC champion in two weight divisions, who left the promotion in 2007 to pursue the real thing with Emelianenko after it became clear the Russian wouldn’t be contracted by the promotion.
However, the bout between legends has yet to come to fruition, and Couture-Emelianenko will likely be remembered as the big fish that got away among promoters and fans alike.
When Couture returned to the UFC a year later with a multi-year contract, he said his signing with EA in his absence was a sticking point for the promotion.
“It’s been delicate for sure,” said Couture of promoting the rival EA title. “I try and be as considerate as I can be of the position that I’m in and the position the UFC’s in. They have their own game. We managed to work around it. We try and be sensitive and not be too in-their-face about our position and where we’re at with this game.”
Couture, who said he came to terms a while ago that he’ll likely never face the 34-year-old Emelianenko, gives the game high marks for authenticity. The UFC hall of famer pointed to the game’s unique “career mode,” which allows players to build their own fighter’s skills from scratch.
“I think the thing that I get excited about is how it captures the ability to go out and train for a specific opponent or in a specific area of your game to make it stronger, which is certainly something we do as athletes in the real world,” said Couture, 47.
Strikeforce, which trails the UFC as the second most recognizable promotion in the U.S., is featured heavily in EA’s game and stands to gain much-needed exposure in a market mostly dominated by the UFC.
“The brands and the promotions will be recognizable (in the game) to those people that weren’t exposed to MMA before, so when they seek out the sport, those are probably the brands they’re going to seek out,” said Couture.
Randy Chase, marketing manager for EA Sports, agreed the game could be a powerful tool to lure in new fans.
“It’s definitely a game where it’s a lot more ‘pick up and play,’” he said. “People can pick this game up, learn about mixed martial arts where it’s not really complicated.”
Chase said the title, which is available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, won two “best sports game” awards of its 10 nominations at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last June in Los Angeles.
And while Chase said EA doesn’t release its sales figures, he did confirm that the game's distribution numbers are on par with the UFC title. Chase said the company has already started to work on an updated installment, and the game leader plans to alternate release years with its “Fight Night” boxing game.
EA’s “Madden NFL” game, which debuted in 1988, remains one of the company’s active titles, so longevity is something the company is very familiar with.
“As we’ve said from the beginning, we’re dedicated to growing the sport of mixed martial arts,” said Chase. “It’s a natural progression for us.”
-- Loretta Hunt
Source:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/10/couture-emelianenko-square-off-for-ea-sports-mma-game-fedor-emelianenko-shot-in-with-a-takedown-and-finished-randy-couture-1.html
Braves Hire Fredi Gonzalez
At least that’s how it went down when the two fighting legends squared off as their pixilated versions in the debuting EA Sports MMA video game at a launch event on the Universal City Walk Tuesday.
The game was released Tuesday in North America, hits stores in Europe on Friday, and drops Nov. 11 in Japan. EA Sports MMA is a second gaming option for the sport’s fans, who snatched up over three million copies of THQ and the UFC’s “Undisputed” game in 2009.
On Tuesday, THQ and the UFC announced that they’d extended their exclusive licensing deal into 2018.
EA’s stab at the multi-disciplined combat sport lacks UFC branding and star power save Couture, a six-time UFC champion in two weight divisions, who left the promotion in 2007 to pursue the real thing with Emelianenko after it became clear the Russian wouldn’t be contracted by the promotion.
However, the bout between legends has yet to come to fruition, and Couture-Emelianenko will likely be remembered as the big fish that got away among promoters and fans alike.
When Couture returned to the UFC a year later with a multi-year contract, he said his signing with EA in his absence was a sticking point for the promotion.
“It’s been delicate for sure,” said Couture of promoting the rival EA title. “I try and be as considerate as I can be of the position that I’m in and the position the UFC’s in. They have their own game. We managed to work around it. We try and be sensitive and not be too in-their-face about our position and where we’re at with this game.”
Couture, who said he came to terms a while ago that he’ll likely never face the 34-year-old Emelianenko, gives the game high marks for authenticity. The UFC hall of famer pointed to the game’s unique “career mode,” which allows players to build their own fighter’s skills from scratch.
“I think the thing that I get excited about is how it captures the ability to go out and train for a specific opponent or in a specific area of your game to make it stronger, which is certainly something we do as athletes in the real world,” said Couture, 47.
Strikeforce, which trails the UFC as the second most recognizable promotion in the U.S., is featured heavily in EA’s game and stands to gain much-needed exposure in a market mostly dominated by the UFC.
“The brands and the promotions will be recognizable (in the game) to those people that weren’t exposed to MMA before, so when they seek out the sport, those are probably the brands they’re going to seek out,” said Couture.
Randy Chase, marketing manager for EA Sports, agreed the game could be a powerful tool to lure in new fans.
“It’s definitely a game where it’s a lot more ‘pick up and play,’” he said. “People can pick this game up, learn about mixed martial arts where it’s not really complicated.”
Chase said the title, which is available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, won two “best sports game” awards of its 10 nominations at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last June in Los Angeles.
And while Chase said EA doesn’t release its sales figures, he did confirm that the game's distribution numbers are on par with the UFC title. Chase said the company has already started to work on an updated installment, and the game leader plans to alternate release years with its “Fight Night” boxing game.
EA’s “Madden NFL” game, which debuted in 1988, remains one of the company’s active titles, so longevity is something the company is very familiar with.
“As we’ve said from the beginning, we’re dedicated to growing the sport of mixed martial arts,” said Chase. “It’s a natural progression for us.”
-- Loretta Hunt
Source:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/10/couture-emelianenko-square-off-for-ea-sports-mma-game-fedor-emelianenko-shot-in-with-a-takedown-and-finished-randy-couture-1.html
Braves Hire Fredi Gonzalez
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Braves hire Fredi Gonzalez
The Atlanta Braves have hired former Florida Marlins skipper Fredi Gonzalez as manager, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.
Longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox retired Monday after the Braves were eliminated from the playoffs by the Giants. Cox will have a press conference at Turner Field on Wednesday and Gonzalez will be introduced on Thursday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Gonzalez was was fired in June after 3½ years as the Marlins manager, having posted a 276-279 record with one of baseball's lower payrolls but apparently running afoul of owner Jeffrey Loria for benching star shortstop Hanley Ramirez for a lack of hustle.
Gonzalez was a minor league manager in the Braves organization and did an apprenticeship as Cox's third-base coach from 2003-06. He still lives in suburban Atlanta, remained tight with Cox and frequently turned up at Turner Field after being dumped by the Marlins.
The Braves were expected to move quickly to make a hire. Cox announced that he planned to retire at season's end a year ago.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5679565&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
Jacob Ellsbury set to be activated
Longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox retired Monday after the Braves were eliminated from the playoffs by the Giants. Cox will have a press conference at Turner Field on Wednesday and Gonzalez will be introduced on Thursday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Gonzalez was was fired in June after 3½ years as the Marlins manager, having posted a 276-279 record with one of baseball's lower payrolls but apparently running afoul of owner Jeffrey Loria for benching star shortstop Hanley Ramirez for a lack of hustle.
Gonzalez was a minor league manager in the Braves organization and did an apprenticeship as Cox's third-base coach from 2003-06. He still lives in suburban Atlanta, remained tight with Cox and frequently turned up at Turner Field after being dumped by the Marlins.
The Braves were expected to move quickly to make a hire. Cox announced that he planned to retire at season's end a year ago.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5679565&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
Jacob Ellsbury set to be activated
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