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Bulls blow away Pacers in second half (Yahoo! Sports)

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Bulls blow away Pacers in second half (Yahoo! Sports)
CHICAGO (AP)—A dynamite third quarter by Derrick Rose and the Bulls denied Indiana any chance of a second straight win in Chicago. Luol Deng scored 20 points, teaming with Rose in a decisive rally that sent Chicago to its seventh straight victory, 92-72 over the Pacers on Monday night. “We had a lot more energy in the second half than we did in the first half,” Deng said. Rose added 13 points and nine assists, hitting three 3-pointers while Deng had two in the third as the Bulls blew open a close game. “We fought our way back into the game,” Rose said. “Our energy was kind of low and shots weren’t falling. But we rebounded the ball and finished the game pretty good.” Joakim Noah had 17 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a dominating 60-32 edge on the boards. Chicago outscored the Pacers 20-4 on second-chance points. John Lucas III scored 13 points, one of three Chicago reserves in double figures. “We struggled offensively in the first half,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “In the third quarter, we had great energy and imposed our will. The rebounding is what got us over the hump.” Paul George scored 21 points for Indiana, which had a six-game winning streak snapped. George Hill scored 17 points off the bench. “Give credit to the Bulls,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “They had all the hustle stats. Won all the loose balls and obviously kicked our butts on the glass. “ The Bulls improved their league-best record to 32-8. Chicago stretched its lead to 2 1/2 games over Miami atop the Eastern Conference and to seven games over Indiana in the Central Division. The Pacers were trying to win a seventh straight game for the first time in eight years. “They really picked it up defensively,” George said. “We deferred to them. Everybody on their side stepped up when we somewhat had Derrick Rose contained. Everybody else stepped up.” Chicago avenged a 95-90 loss to the Pacers on Jan. 25, one of just two home losses this season. Rose was irked after that game because of what he perceived to be Indiana’s excessive celebration on the court after the game ended, saying “I can’t wait till we play them again.” “You don’t want to lose to a team twice in a row,” Deng said. “Especially a team that we might face in the playoffs.” After the game, Rose sounded was more conciliatory. “They’re a good team,” Rose said. “The last time we played them, they beat us here. Now we just have to deal with them. They put up a fight every time we play them. We’re used to. I think it makes us better as a team.” Bulls guard Richard Hamilton left the game after just 1:23 had elapsed with a right shoulder injury. He did not return. Ronnie Brewer came on for Hamilton and had 12 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes. Fellow reserve Taj Gibson added 10 points and nine boards. “Thibs always tells us to be ready because you never know when you’re time is going to come,” Brewer said. “Whenever we come in, we have to try to bring energy and change the game one way or another.” Indiana led by three two minutes into the second half when the Bulls went on a 20-4 spree that featured a pair of nine-point runs. After starting the game by missing nine of his first 10 shots, Rose capped the first run with a 3-pointer to put Chicago up 53-47. “We definitely got stagnant,” said Pacers forward Danny Granger, who was held to 11 points. “We didn’t get a lot of movement. They picked up their intensity and we had some bad turnovers that led to layups on the other end.” Indiana closed within four before Chicago hit three consecutive 3-pointers, one by Rose and the last two by Deng. His long one from straight on as the shot clock expired put Chicago up by 13. The Bulls extended the lead to 19 by the time their third-quarter burst ended. Chicago outscored the Pacers 33-13 in the period, held Indiana to 6-of-22 shooting and outrebounded the Pacers 18-7. Rose had 11 points and five assists to lead the charge. Rose rested for the entire fourth quarter as Indiana could get no closer than 13 points. When the Pacers looked like they might make one last run, Rose began to stretch but ultimately settled back onto his seat and watched from the sideline. “I’m not worried about the shots that I miss,” Rose said. “Amnesia. I know that when I get things going, it’s pretty hard to stop.” The Pacers are looking forward to their next test against their division foe. “We still have games to play (against the Bulls) in Indiana and it will be a different story,” Granger said. NOTES: Bulls backup point guard C.J. Watson did not play because of a sprained left ankle. Watson was injured during Chicago’s win over Philadelphia on Sunday, but was able to finish the game. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Watson had experienced swelling around the injury on Monday and did not know a timetable for his return. . The Bulls, who improved to 15-2 at home this season, play 16 of their last 26 regular-season games at the United Center. . Thibodeau said Hamilton will be examined on Tuesday, but wasn’t sure of the exact nature of his injury.

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Steroids Era to consume Hall voters (AP)

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Steroids Era to consume Hall voters (AP)
NEW YORK (AP)—Barry Larkin plans to play golf in Florida on Monday morning. Then he’ll return to his home in the Orlando area and await the most prized telephone call in baseball. He is the leading candidate to gain election to the Hall of Fame when voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America is announced. “It’s a shot of immortality. The best of the game in the history—in the history of the game,” he said Thursday. “To be emblazoned into that history of the game is a tremendous honor.” A player needs at least 75 percent to gain election. A 12-time All-Star and the 1995 NL MVP, Larkin received 51.6 percent of the votes when he appeared on the ballot for the first time in 2010. His percentage increased to 62.1 percent last year, when he fell 75 votes short as Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were elected, and his chances figure to be helped by the lack of top newcomers. “I certainly have some anxiety about it, but not really nervous. I have a great perspective on it,” Larkin said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “I had a chance to speak to Jim Rice, who got inducted on his 15th time, and he really put me at comfort and ease and said, `You know, it’s really out of our hands, and there’s nothing we can really do about it. We don’t campaign for it, and it is what it is.”’ Spending his entire major league career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1986-04, Larkin hit .295 with 198 home runs, 960 RBIs, 2,340 hits and 379 stolen bases. He won three Gold Gloves and the 1990 World Series. He had hoped to return for a 20th season in 2005 at age 40, but retired after the Reds told him they didn’t want him back. “In 2005, I wasn’t really sure if I was completely done playing. I still had that question,” he said. “I don’t have that anymore. I know it’s the right move. It was the right decision. It was time to move on.” And because he retired then, he can join one of baseball’s most select groups. Of the 206 former big leaguers selected for the Hall, just 47 spent their entire careers with a single major league team and only two with the Reds: Johnny Bench and Bid McPhee. Larkin misses the camaraderie of spending 7 1/2 months a year with teammates but remains around ballparks. He broadcast for the MLB Network from 2009-10, then moved to ESPN last year. He’s a spring training instructor for the Reds, and has gone to South Korea and Brazil as an envoy for Major League Baseball and the State Department. “So I’m always on the field or talking about it,” he said. “I still get an opportunity to go out there and take a ground ball off my chin every once in a while.” A day after the announcement, the Hall of Fame holds a news conference in New York for anyone voted in. Even if he failed to get the necessary percentage, Larkin will be in Manhattan, to help his 16-year-old daughter CymcoLe put together a music video. She’s performs what he says is a combination of R&B, hip-hop and pop, and they shot footage last week in a Florida aircraft hangar. They plan to get footage at Times Square and the Empire State Building. That’s taken precedence over focusing on his Hall chances. “Everybody is so involved in launching my daughter’s career and no one is sitting around and really thinking about it,” he said. If he is elected, he would be inducted on July 22 at Cooperstown, N.Y., along with the late Ron Santo, elected last month by the Veterans Committee. Also among the holdovers are Jack Morris, Lee Smith and Jeff Bagwell. A relatively weak group of newcomers includes former AL batting champions Bernie Williams and Bill Mueller. Morris, the winningest pitcher of the 1980s but burdened by a 3.90 career ERA, received 53.5 percent on his 12th try last year, up from 52.3 in 2010 and 22.2 percent in his initial appearance. Players are eligible to appear on the writers’ ballot for up to 15 years, and his chances might decrease in future years because the ballot will get crowded with high-profile stars. The 2013 ballot figures to be the most controversial, with seven-time MVP Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens eligible for the first time along with Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa. Bonds, Clemens and Sosa have been implicated in the use of performance-enhancing drugs, allegations they have denied. Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list with 583, received 19.8 percent of the vote last year in his fifth try on the ballot, down from 23.7 in 2010—a vote before he admitted using steroids and human growth hormone. Rafael Palmeiro, among just four players with 500 homers and 3,000 hits along with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray, was on just 11 percent of the ballots last year in his first appearance. He received a 10-day suspension in 2005 for a positive test, claiming it was due to a vitamin vial given to him by teammate Miguel Tejada. Juan Gonzalez, a two-time AL MVP implicated by Jose Canseco in steroids use, received 30 votes last year, just above the 5 percent threshold for remaining on the ballot. Then in 2014, the focus will turn to elite pitchers when Greg Maddux (355 wins) and Tom Glavine (305) become eligible. Among pitchers eligible for the Hall, all 20 of the 300-game winners are in. But first, the class of 2012. “I certainly would like to be a part of it, and I really do want it to happen,” Larkin said. “But as far as analyzing it and seeing how it’s gone down in the past, I’ve never been that way, so it’s no different now.”

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ESPN’s James weighing US Senate run (AP)

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ESPN’s James weighing US Senate run (AP)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—College football analyst Craig James has been granted time away from ESPN while he considers running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, ESPN said Friday. James requested that he not work his scheduled bowl game on Tuesday so he can concentrate on his decision, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz told The Associated Press. The news fuels speculation that he is close to entering the Republican primary already crowded with candidates who have spent months raising money and gathering endorsements. James would be running for the 2012 Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. A message left with James was not immediately returned. The deadline to file as a candidate is Monday. James, who appears on weekly game broadcasts for ESPN, was a star tailback at Southern Methodist University from 1979-1982 and later played for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He was recently embroiled in Texas Tech University’s decision to fire popular football coach Mike Leach in 2009 over allegations the coach mistreated James’ son, a Red Raiders player, after he sustained a concussion. James, 50, has been flirting with entering politics for more than a year. He has been a board member of the influential Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in Austin, and recently founded Texans for a Better America to promote conservative policies Other candidates include Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert and former Texas solicitor general Ted Cruz. James, who lives in Celina north of Dallas, would likely be banking on name recognition from his work for ESPN and his ties to big-time college football in Texas to overcome his late start. That name recognition could also prove to be a disadvantage for James. Texas Tech fired Leach, the winningest coach in school history, after James complained to school administrators that Leach mistreated Adam James by twice ordering him to stand for hours confined in a dark place during practice after he got a concussion. Leach denies mistreating the younger James and has said Craig James had called coaches trying to get his son more playing time. Leach also said he suspects an $800,000 bonus he was due on Dec. 31, 2009, was the reason he was fired. Leach sued the university and named Craig James as a defendant. The case is pending before the Texas Supreme Court. At SMU, James was a major part of the record-setting “Pony Express” backfield with Eric Dickerson. The Mustangs won Southwest Conference championships in 1981 and 1982 but also were embroiled in several NCAA investigations. In 1987, the NCAA hit SMU with the so-called “death penalty,” shutting down the program for a year after finding SMU had continued to pay players after promising in 1985 it would stop. SMU also chose not to play football in 1988. James was never directly implicated in the NCAA transgressions and he has consistently denied any involvement. After college, James was drafted by the Washington Federals in the USFL and signed with the Patriots before the 1985 season. He retired from football in 1989. As a businessman, James has been involved in ventures providing video content for the Internet as well as real estate holdings and development, according to the Texans for a Better America website.

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Martin Gould targets upsets

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Martin Gould targets upsets
You are here: Betting Guide » Snooker » Martin Gould targets upsets There is no keeping the Potter from Pinner down and he should be rated as a more than useful bet to cause a few shocks at the UK Championship. Martin Gould is on fire at the moment with a new top-16 ranking spot fuelling his already large tank of snooker skills. Preparation for York could not have gone better after blowing away reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Power Snooker. Those who bet on snooker should remember this. This year has been a monumental one for the part-time poker player and croupier. Judd Trump and Mark Selby were all brushed aside by Gould on his way to the 2011 Players Tour Grand Finals before facing an on-song Shaun Murphy. But a runner-up spot in an increasingly-competitive event is no mean feat. A quarter-final spot at the World Open and qualifying for the World Championships and wasting chances to beat eventual finalist Judd Trump were also very healthy signs. A first-round defeat to Stephen Hendry in round one of the Australian Open and a second-round loss to Matthew Stevens in Shanghai will be considered mere blips by this laid-back 30-year-old. People following the Snooker Masters betting odds need to bear this in mind. In October his performance in the sixth PTC in Warsaw was not electric but with Mark Davis unable to capitalise, his place in the top 16 was assured, meaning he could put his slippers on to watch others go through the pain of battling for UK qualification. After conquering O’Sullivan in the Power Snooker final and winning his first professional title, Gould said: “I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s a different game but at least I know I’m cueing well, which bodes well for the next few tournaments.” You have been warned Peter Lines, the man Gould faces in the first round in the UK Championship next month. On current form, no player will fancy facing Pinner’s finest. Related Articles:Today’s Snooker Betting Preview Stevens sneaks into World Championship World Snooker Championship qualifying complete Snooker World Championship 2008 Betting Written by Bet123 · Filed Under Snooker  Comments

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Blackhawks spoil return of Blues’ Perron (AP)

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Blackhawks spoil return of Blues’ Perron (AP)
ST. LOUIS (AP)—The Chicago Blackhawks’ stars pushed aside the St. Louis Blues and streaking goalie Brian Elliott(notes). Marian Hossa(notes) scored twice, and Patrick Sharp(notes) and Jonathan Toews(notes) added goals in Chicago’s 5-2 victory Saturday night, the Blackhawks’ fourth win in five games. “We got contributions across the board,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “We had some timely goals from the right guys. A big win for us.” Hossa scored on a power play and short-handed for his first multigoal game of the season. Michael Frolik(notes) also scored for the Blackhawks, coming off a 5-4 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Friday night in Chicago. “We knew we were going to have to weather the storm in the beginning,” said Toews, Chicago’ leader with 16 goals. “I felt we did that really well.” David Perron(notes), returning after missing 97 games because of a concussion, and Chris Stewart(notes) scored for St. Louis. The Blues lost for the second time in two nights. Elliott fell to 10-2 and had a six-game winning streak snapped. He hadn’t allowed more than two goals in his 11 starts, had stopped 239 of his previous 249 shots and came into the game leading the NHL in goals- against average (1.31) and save percentage (.951). Elliott said he was screened on three of the goals. “Sometimes they hit you and stay out, sometimes they go in,” Elliott said. “I don’t think we played the kind of hockey that we wanted to. We just have to learn from tonight. It’s not the end of the world.” Chicago goalie Ray Emery(notes) outplayed Elliott, making 23 saves. Emery improved to 4-1-1 with his third career win over St. Louis in three starts. The Blackhawks scored three straight goals to erase a 2-1 deficit. Sharp broke a 2-2 tie with a power-play goal late in the second period. He has 13 goals, including eight in the last nine games. Hossa, who has 11 goals, tied it at 2 with the Blackhawks’ fourth short-handed goal of the season. “I was thinking pass first, but the defenseman took the pass away,” Hossa said. “I had an open window to shoot at. I was getting a lot of shots tonight and it felt good.” He added a power-play goal 1:17 into the final period. Patrick Kane(notes) and Duncan Keith(notes) had two assists each, and Frolik scored an empty-net goal. Perron scored 6:51 into the game on his third shift. He was sidelined by concussion-like symptoms after a high hit by San Jose’s Joe Thornton(notes) on Nov. 4, 2010. “It’s a good feeling to score a goal anytime in the NHL,” Perron said. “And much more so when you miss that amount of time.” St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock was impressed with Perron. “He’s really going to help us out,” Hitchcock said. “About four more just like him and we’ll be fine.” Perron took 25 shifts and played 19:05. St. Louis fell to 8-2-3 under Hitchcock. NOTES: The game was the second of six meetings between the teams this season. … St. Louis has at least one point in 11 of its last 13 games. … The Blues beat Chicago 3-0 on Nov. 8 in Hitchcock’s first game in St. Louis. The Blues have 19 of a possible 26 points under Hitchcock. … Chicago improved to 8-6-1 on the road.

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Chiefs claim QB Orton off waivers (AP)

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Chiefs claim QB Orton off waivers (AP)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Kyle Orton(notes) has a new home in the AFC West. Orton was claimed off waivers Wednesday by the Kansas City Chiefs, who were searching for a veteran quarterback after losing Matt Cassel(notes) to a season-ending injury, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move. Orton was released by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, six weeks after he was benched following a 1-4 start. The former Chicago Bears starter, who passed for 3,000 yards each of his first two seasons in Denver, became expendable when the Broncos opted to go with Tim Tebow(notes) as their starter. The Chiefs will be responsible for approximately $2.5 million remaining on Orton’s nearly $8.9 million salary this season, but they had plenty of space under the salary cap to make the move. Orton can become a free agent after this season. Several other teams were reportedly interested in Orton, including the Bears, but the Chiefs were No. 9 in the order of waiver priority and were able to land him. It’s unclear when he will report to the Chiefs, though he almost certainly won’t be available for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. That means Kansas City will again start journeyman Tyler Palko(notes), who was serviceable in his first NFL start Monday night at New England. He finished 24 of 37 for 230 yards, but his three interceptions contributed to what turned into a 34-3 rout. “He never had a look that disturbed me before, after, during the game,” Haley said. “I know playing that position, there’s no greater test, and getting thrown in to the fire on Monday night and, oh, by the way, six days later playing Pittsburgh, it doesn’t get any harder.” Now it appears that Palko will have to fend off Orton to keep the starting job. Orton, a former Purdue star, was a fourth-round draft pick and appeared on the way to stardom when he assumed the Bears’ starting job for 15 games as a rookie, winning 10 of them. Often saddled with a reputation for being moody, Orton was demoted his second season in favor of veteran Brian Griese(notes). He earned the starting job back late in 2007 and started 15 games for the Bears in 2008, passing for 2,972 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His stock never higher, Orton was traded along with a package of draft picks to Denver for Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler(notes). In a curious twist of fate, it was an injury to Cutler that sparked Chicago’s interest in claiming its former starter off waivers. Orton excelled his first two seasons in Denver in an offense run by Josh McDaniels, throwing for 7,455 yards and 41 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. McDaniels was fired late last season, though, and while Orton remained the starter when John Fox took over, this season got off to a bumpy start. Denver lost four of its first five games, and Fox eventually went with Tebow as his starter, effectively demoting Orton to the third string. Orton’s career numbers bear a striking resemblance to those of Cassel, who was hurt near the end of the Chiefs’ 17-10 loss to Denver two weeks ago. Orton’s completed about 58 percent of his passes while making 66 career starts, with 79 touchdowns and 55 interceptions. Cassel has started 54 games, completing 59 percent of his throws with 76 TDs and 46 picks. The Chiefs, who are in the midst of a three-game skid that has threatened to eliminate them from contention in the AFC West, will try to get Orton up to speed quickly. After facing the Steelers on Sunday night, they visit Chicago and the New York Jets, before returning home to face the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay. A division game against Oakland follows before wrapping up the season at Denver, a game that suddenly has a few more story lines. “Good for him. Congratulations to him. That will be fun to play him the last game of the year,” Tebow said after learning that Orton had been claimed by Kansas City. “Obviously he knows (Denver’s offense) pretty well, so he could probably give away a few things, but I think we’ll be OK.” AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colo., contributed to this report.

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George Wilson wants Toronto fans to be more like Buffalo fans

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George Wilson wants Toronto fans to be more like Buffalo fans
The schedule shows a home game for the Buffalo Bills this weekend, and when, at the end of the season, people speak of Buffalo’s home record, it will still total eight games. This, despite the fact that before one of those games, they didn’t sleep in their own beds, get dressed at their own lockers, or play on a familiar surface. They will be in another country. The morning of the game, they may very well hear someone call ham “bacon.” Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson(notes) doesn’t mind any of this, necessarily. But he’d rather you didn’t call it a home game for the Bills, either, because it’s not the same. “The fan support in Toronto is a night-and-day difference from what we have in Buffalo. For the most part, it’s a show. You see just as many jerseys for the opposing teams as you do the Bills. They cheer for any big play regardless of whichever team makes it. “It’s definitely not the same hostile environment that teams have to deal with coming into the Ralph out here,” he said. “This is no knock on the citizens of Toronto. We know a large percentage of our fan base comes from Canada, and we’re appreciative of their support. But at the same time, the environment is just not the same. That’s just facts.” Those are facts. More facts about Toronto? The name is derived from the Iroquois word “tkaronto,” meaning “the place where trees stand in the water.” It is illegal to drag a dead horse down Yonge Street on a Sunday. Yonge Street is the longest street in the world. The drinking age in Toronto is 19. You are not legally allowed to release more than nine helium balloons within 24 hours. Norm Macdonald, Drake, Will Arnett, Malcolm Gladwell, Keanu Reeves, Samantha Bee, Joey Votto and Neil Young all hail from Toronto. None of that has anything to do with football, I just thought that as long as we were sharing facts about Toronto, I’d add to the conversation. Wilson doesn’t really make a secret of his dislike of the game in Toronto, and it’s hard to blame him. A team only gets eight regular-season home games a year. This year in the NFL, home teams are 62-41 (which makes road teams 41-62). The winning percentage for home teams is 60.2 percent. For road teams, it’s 39.8 percent. A team like Buffalo that’s likely to be involved in a logjam for a wild-card spot needs those home games. Playing in Toronto isn’t as bad as playing a true road game in Washington, but at the very least, it strips away Buffalo’s home-field advantage. It’s as much a road game for the Bills as it is for the Redskins. Related: George Wilson, Buffalo Bills

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Report: Francona affected by medication? (AP)

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Report: Francona affected by medication? (AP)
BOSTON (AP)—As the Boston Red Sox disintegrated in what would become the worst September collapse in baseball history, some at Fenway Park grew concerned that the pain medication Terry Francona was taking after a half-dozen procedures on his knee was affecting his ability to manage, according to a report in the Boston Globe. In a 2,500-word, front-page article headlined, “Inside the Collapse,” the newspaper spread the blame on all sides: apathetic players eating fried chicken in the clubhouse during games; a general manager who squandered a $161 million budget on underperformers; ownership that thought players could be bought off with $300 headphones and a party on John Henry’s 164-foot yacht, “Iroquois.” Terry Francona(AP) But the most salacious revelations involved Francona, who left the team after the season when his contract options were not picked up. Since then, reports have surfaced about the dysfunction in a Red Sox clubhouse that produced a 7-20 record in September to turn what had been a once comfortable lead in the playoff race into an early offseason. According to the Globe, team sources “expressed concern that Francona’s performance may have been affected by the use of pain medication.” The sources were not identified, the article said, saying those interviewed feared for their jobs or their relationships inside the organization. The article also said Francona was worried about his son and son-in-law, who are Marine officers serving in Iraq. At the same time, Francona was living in a hotel, separated from his wife of more than 30 years. Responding to the allegations that he was “distracted,” Francona noted that he was dealing with the same problems during the four-month period when the team was going 80-41. Francona’s ill health was no secret—he was taken to the hospital with chest pains from Yankee Stadium in 2005—and he said he was taking the medication after multiple knee operations and at least five procedures to drain blood from his knee. “It makes me angry that people say these things because I’ve busted my (butt) to be the best manager I can be,” Francona told the paper. “I wasn’t terribly successful this year, but I worked harder and spent more time at the ballpark this year than I ever did.” Francona and second baseman Dustin Pedroia(notes), who declined to assign blame for the collapse, were the only individuals who were willing to discuss the team’s clubhouse culture on the record. (Designated hitter David Ortiz(notes) also commented, but said, “I don’t feel like talking about it anymore.”) Francona told the paper that he confirmed with team Dr. Larry Ronan that he did not have a problem with drug abuse. “I went and saw the proper people and it was not an issue,” Francona said. “It never became an issue, and anybody who knew what was going on knows that.” If Francona was distracted, he was not alone. A hastily scheduled day-night doubleheader to avoid Hurricane Irene angered players, who complained that management cared more about the money from ticket sales than winning. Sensing the “lingering resentment,” the article said, ownership threw a players-only party on Henry’s yacht and gave each player a pair of expensive headphones. Pitchers Josh Beckett(notes), Clay Buchholz(notes), John Lackey(notes) and Wakefield also appeared—in their uniforms, in front of the Green Monster—in a music video for a country song, “Hell yeah, I like beer.” Henry did not know about the appearance, he has said, and it is more troublesome when coupled with reports that Beckett, Lackey and Jon Lester(notes) were among those who would eat fried chicken, drink beer and play video games in the clubhouse during games, instead of being in the dugout with their teammates. “The guys that weren’t down on the bench, I wanted them down on the bench,” Francona said recently. “I wanted them to support their teammates.”

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By the Numbers: Drivers need to break through at Richmond (NASCAR.com)

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By the Numbers: Drivers need to break through at Richmond (NASCAR.com)
Richmond International Raceway is a .75-mile, D-shaped oval with 14 degrees banking in the turns. The frontstretch is 1,290 feet with 8 degrees banking; the backstretch is 860 feet with 2 degrees banking. NATIONWIDE SERIES | Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (7:30 p.m. ET Friday). 4—Drivers who combined have won 11 of the past 13 races at Richmond: Kevin Harvick (4); Carl Edwards (3); Kyle Busch (2); Denny Hamlin (2). The only exceptions during that span were Clint Bowyer (2007) and Brad Keselowski (2010). Side note: The past 14 races have been won by Cup regulars; the last time a Nationwide-only regular won at Richmond was in May 2004: Kyle Busch was in his first full season. 6 — Times in the past eight races the final green-flag stretch was less than 10 laps, including this year’s April’s race, which ended in the sixth green-white-checkered finish in track history. Side note: The April race also featured a 124-lap green stretch, the longest ever at RIR since individual caution lap details became available in the 1997 season. The previous long was 103 laps set last September. The new car was used in both races. Before that, the longest green stretch had been 98 laps in March 1997. 21 — Place of finish for points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in this year’s April race at Richmond, one of just four finishes of 20th or worse the season. Stenhouse has finished 20th or worse in two of this three RIR starts; the other resulted in a fourth-place finish, last September. Side note: Second-place Elliott Sadler, who trails Stenhouse by 13 points, finished fourth in April. Sadler has made 16 Nationwide starts at RIR, with a best finish of second in 2005; his average finish is 17.6. He has one top-10 in 24 Cup starts there. 108.415 — Average race speed, in mph, in this year’s April race at Richmond (won by Denny Hamlin), setting a track record for the fastest race at the track. Side note: Track records also were set for the fewest number of cautions laps at 12, and matched for the fewest number of cautions at three (for the third time). Very Interesting 5 — Wins at Richmond for Kevin Harvick, tying him with Mark Martin for the most. His five wins have come with four different crew chiefs. Side note: Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards each have three wins at Richmond with a different crew chief each time. * Spotlight: RIR tough on Nationwide-only regulars SPRINT CUP SERIES | Wonderful Pistachios 400 (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday) 3 — Drivers who combined have won eight of the past nine races at Richmond: Kyle Busch (3); Jimmie Johnson (3); Denny Hamlin (2). The only exception during that span was Clint Bowyer (2008). 3—Cautions in last September’s race at Richmond, the fewest in the past 27 races there. There were eight in this year’s April race. 4—Top-10 starts in as many races at Richmond for Brad Keselowski, the longest current streak. However, he is still looking for his first top-10 finish (best of 14th in May 2010). 8 — Different pole winners in the past eight races at Richmond that had time trials. Only three of the past 38 races were won from the pole: Kasey Kahne (May 2005); Jimmie Johnson (September 2007); Kyle Busch (May 2010). Before that, you have to go back to March 1992 to find the next pole/race winner (Bill Elliott). Side note: Although only five of the past 17 races have been won from starting positions outside the top 10, four the past seven races at RIR have been won from starting positions of 14th or worse. Very Interesting 11—Races at Richmond since a Ford last won, which just happened to be the most recent race run on Sept. 10 (date of this year’s race): Kurt Busch in 2005. Chevrolet won the next six races; Toyota the past five. Side note: Dodge’s most recent victory at RIR came in May 2005: Kasey Kahne. In September 2004, Jeremy Mayfield raced his Dodge into the first Chase by winning at RIR. * Fantasy Preview: Team chemistry paramount to success RICHMOND MISC. | Order tickets 4—Season sweeps at Richmond in the Nationwide Series, most recently by Kevin Harvick (2006). Spring winner Denny Hamlin is not entered in this week’s race. Side note: Butch Lindley won the final two of three races at RIR in 1982, the only year the track hosted three races. 8—Combined Nationwide/Cup wins at Richmond for Joe Gibbs Racing since 2009. The combination of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin have won the past five Cup races; three of the past five Nationwide races. 9—Season sweeps at Richmond in the Cup Series, most recently by Jimmie Johnson (2007). Spring winner Kyle Busch has never won in the fall; he finished second last September. 12 — Combined Nationwide and Cup wins at Richmond for Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, each with six. Busch has three each in both series; Harvick has five in Nationwide, one in Cup. Side note 1: Since 2003, either Busch or Harvick has celebrated at least once in Victory Lane at RIR every year except 2008. Side note 2: Busch and Harvick are the most recent drivers to win at RIR from the pole in either series (both last year): Busch in Cup (May); Harvick in Nationwide (September), the only time both have won a race at RIR in the same year. Very Interesting 5—Combined Nationwide and Cup wins at Richmond for Harry Gant, who owns the track marks for oldest winner in both series: Gant was 51 years, 7 months, 28 days on Sept. 7, 1991 when he won the Cup race (he had won the Nationwide race that weekend, too); he was 52 years, 1 month, 26 days when he won the Nationwide race on March 7, 1992. Side note: Gant, who won four times at RIR in the Nationwide Series, also is the oldest pole winner in series history at the track: 48 years, 8 months, 0 days on Sept. 10, 1988. * NASCAR Unites for 9/11 tribute at Richmond RICHMOND SCENARIOS | Race to the Chase 2 — Consecutive fall wins at Richmond for Denny Hamlin, who currently holds the last wild-card spot. (A second win in 2011 would seal his Chase berth). Side note: Hamlin has led 1,188 laps at Richmond in just 11 races, already third-most of all time (on the three-quarters-mile layout), and has six top-fives. 9 — Place of finish for Tony Stewart in this year’s April race at Richmond, his only top-10 in the past nine short-track races. His best two short-track (Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond) finishes during that span have come at RIR (he finished 16th last September). His other finishes have been 19th or worse (Stewart clinches a Chase berth with a finish of 18th or better). Side note: Stewart has finished 18th or better in all but five of his 25 starts at Richmond. 19 — Place of finish for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in this year’s April race at Richmond, his first top-20 finish in the past five races there (Junior clinches a Chase berth with a finish of 20th or better). Side note: Earnhardt has finished 20th or better in 18 of his 24 races at Richmond. 38 — Starting position for Clint Bowyer in May 2008, the worst of any winner at Richmond. Bowyer has a 9.5 average finish at RIR, but that’s not enough—he needs to win to have a shot. Side note: A.J. Allmendinger, one spot ahead of Bowyer in points, also needs to win. He has posted top-10s in his past two races at RIR, but needs more. Very Interesting 37—Place of finish in this year’s April race for Paul Menard, his worst in nine races at RIR. (Menard would seal a wild-berth with a win). Menard’s best finish at Richmond is 16th in his first start there in 2007; he hasn’t finished better than 26th in any of the races since. Side note 1: Marcos Ambrose needs to win and squeeze into the top 20 in points (he’s currently 21st). Ambrose was fifth last September, one of three top-11 finishes, but finished 23rd in April. Side note 2: David Ragan also needs to win and manage his way into the top 20 (currently 23rd). He finished fourth in April, one of two top-fives in nine starts. Richmond: Chase clinch scenarios Three spots remain • The top eight drivers—Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, JeffGordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman—have each clinched a top-10 spot. Brad Keselowski, with three wins, has locked up at least a wild card berth. •Dale Earnhardt Jr.: A finish of 20th or better clinches a spot. Even if Keselowski does knock Earnhardt out of the top 10, he could still earn a Chase berth if there is only one winner from spots 11th to 02th. •Tony Stewart: A finish of 18th or better clinches a spot. Like Earnhardt, even if Keselowski does knock Stewart out of the top 10, Stewart could still earn a Chase berth if there is only one winner from spots 11th to 20th. •Denny Hamlin: A win, and he’s in. Hamlin doesn’t have to win, though. If he stays ahead of all one-win drivers, and there are no other two-win drivers inside the top 20, he’s in. Also, if Keselowski does vault into the top 10, Hamlin could still make the Chase if there is a two-win driver from 11th to 20th as long as he’s higher in points than any other one-win driver. •A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger is where the wild card drama starts to ratchet up. A win is the onlything that matters and he’ll need a win and movement up the points to nab the tie-breaker. He finished seventh at RIR in April. •Clint Bowyer: Of the winless drivers, Bowyer might be the best bet. Bowyer won here in 2008, and has an average finish of 9.5. He needs a win, and some help. •Greg Biffle: One of six winless drivers who won in 2010, Biffle’s best Richmond finish was third in 2005. He needs a win, and some help. •Martin Truex Jr.: Two of his past four finishes have been in the top five. His best finish at RIR is fifth in 2008. He needs a win, and some help. •Kasey Kahne: Kahne, who needs a win and some help, won at Richmond in 2005, his first career victory. •Joey Logano: Needs a win and help. His best finish at RIR was fourth in 2010. •Mark Martin: Needs a win and help; he won at Richmond in 1990. •Paul Menard: Win, and he’s in. His best finish at RIR is 16th in 2007. •Marcos Ambrose: If he wins, and gets into the top 20, he’s in. Two of his past three Richmond finishes were in the top 10. •Juan Montoya: Needs a win and help. His best finish was sixth in May of last year. •David Ragan: If he wins, and gets into the top 20, he’s in. He finished fourth in April, and third in 2007. * Track Smack: Richmond surprise or driver demise RICHMOND HISTORY | Hall of Fame 7 — Consecutive races at Richmond won by Richard Petty (September 1970 to September 1973). Side note: Darrell Waltrip (Class of 2012) is the only other driver to win seven in a row in the Cup Series (Bristol). 8 — Poles at Richmond for Richard Petty (Class of 2010), tied with Bobby Allison (Class of 2011) for most of all time. Side note: Petty scored six wins at RIR from the pole. 13 — Wins at Richmond for Richard Petty, most in track history and all on the half-mile layout. Side note: Petty was the track’s youngest race winner (23 years, 9 months, 21 days on April 23, 1961). 34 — Top-fives at Richmond for Richard Petty, most of all time. Side note: Petty also holds track marks for top-10s (41) and starts (63). All but eight of his starts came on the half-mile layout. His best finish on the three-quarters-mile layout was 11th. Very Interesting 488—Laps led by Richard Petty in September 1970, most of any winner. His son Kyle holds the record for fewest laps led by a winner at RIR: four in February 1986. Side note: Petty led 5,128 laps at RIR, most of any driver. 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Can England make it through the warm ups unbeaten?

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Can England make it through the warm ups unbeaten?
You are here: Betting Guide » Rugby » Can England make it through the warm ups unbeaten? With the World Cup looming large on the horizon, England could be forgiven for taking one eye off the ball and disregarding their series of warm up games against their major European rivals. That is something that head coach Martin Johnson was unlikely to let happen as he runs the rule over his squad of 40 as he looks to narrow that figure down to 30 by the August 22nd deadline. Although Johnson only fielded four of the players that started against Wales in the 6 Nations earlier this year, there is no doubt that that he will be desperate to gain momentum going into the major tournament next month. One of either Australia, South Africa, or most likely new Zealand have been handed a golden opportunity disguised as a hindrance; what better way is there to prepare for the biggest prize in world rugby than by getting more than one over on your main rivals in the Tri Nations that got underway last month? So while the All Blacks are firing on all cylinders in the Tri Nations, inflicting psychological damage on their rivals and stamping their authority on the game, England will surely be keen to do something similar in the northern hemisphere. They already have one scrappy win under their belts at Twickenham; while they started brightly with Jonny Wilkinson at the helm England faded badly and almost let Wales back into the game. With a return leg still to play and a game against Ireland in Dublin later this month, what chance to England have of remaining unbeaten ahead of their first World Cup game against Argentina on 10th September? England’s emphatic victory at the Millennium Stadium in the 6 Nations earlier this year will stand them in good stead for their visit this weekend, and they have a good record in Cardiff: winning four and losing three since 2001. However this is certainly a Welsh team on the rise after almost hitting rock bottom. Their run of form that saw Warren Gatland’s pick up just two wins in ten games, including a demoralising draw with Fiji, was bought to an end with a win against Ireland, who would go on to halt England’s Grand Slam ambitions, and while they tasted defeat at the hands of the Barbarians in their last international outing before the England game, there should be plenty more to come from Wales thus autumn. Some of Gatland’s players alluded to the fact that England were hanging on by the end and questioned their fitness levels, a theory that will be tested on Saturday. After the Wales challenge comes Ireland, off the back of a 10-6 defeat at the hands of Scotland. There will be plenty of scar tissue after the green of Ireland doused England’s hopes of winning their first Grand Slam since 2003, and perhaps there is a shot at redemption for Johnson’s men before the serious action gets underway. Beat the team that dashed their dreams before heading off to the World Cup buoyant and motivated for success. If only it was as simple as that. By Pete South – a contributor to rugbyfancast.com – the best site for rugby videos, news and blogs. Related Articles:Byrne focused for warm-up games Bet on England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland Football tonight England v Estonia Free £25 bet for England v Russia England v Papua New Guinea Betting Andorra v England Betting Written by Bet123 · Filed Under Rugby  Comments

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