David Pratt, an English minor league player has set a record for the fastest-red card in senior soccer when he was sent off for a dangerous tackle three seconds after kickoff.
The 21-year-old Chippenham striker was dismissed for a wild tackle on Chris Knowles, 22, who then helped Bashley to a 2-1 win in the British Gas Southern Premier League game.
Pratt believes he did not deserve to be sent off. He told BBC: “I felt hard done-to by the ref’s decision but he thinks it was a red card so I have to take it.”
“The world record is not a big deal for me; it’s not something that I’m proud of.”
The previous fastest sending-off is generally accepted to be 10 seconds for Bologna’s Giuseppe Lorenzo after he struck an opponent in a 1990 Italian league game.
Kobe Bryant scored 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 107-96 on Monday to finish their Western Conference quarterfinal series in five games.
Lamar Odom added 26 points and 15 rebounds, while Spanish center Pau Gasol registered 17 points and 11 boards for the top-seeded Lakers, who earned several days of rest before meeting the winner of the Houston-Portland series.
The Rockets hold a 3-1 lead in that opening-round set and can complete their first playoff series win since 1997 by capturing Game 5 Tuesday night.
Paul Millsap, who sparked a late Utah run, notched 16 points after coming off the bench, while Andrei Kirilenko and Deron Williams each contributed 14.
Cheyenne Woods – the 18-year-old niece of Tiger Woods – has inherited some of her family’s golf genes and is already leaving her mark on the golfing world.
Cheyenne, who bears a strong physical resemblance to her famous uncle, is a freshman at Wake Forest University and is already ranked among the top 100 women in college golf.
After nine grueling rounds, Puerto Rican sensation Juan Manuel Lopez retained his WBO junior featherweight title, stopping Filipino veteran boxer Gerry Peñalosa in their title fight at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Trainer Freddie Roach decided to stop the fight between rounds nine and ten, thereby handing a technical knockout victory to Lopez. Peñalosa failed in his bid to win a third world title.
The 36-year-old boxer fought courageously on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) but was outpunched by the younger Puerto Rican champion.
Lopez, 25, threw an astounding 1,020 total punches and landed 444 to the body and head of the veteran, according to Compubox stats.
With his latest victory, Lopez improved his record to 25 wins and maintained his unblemished record (25-0-0, 23 KOs).
EA Sportsreveals The Madden 10 cover stars. For the first time ever, two athletes will be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 10.
Two Athletes Grace the Cover for the First Time in Madden NFL Franchise History!
Leaders on their respective sides of the field, Fitzgerald and Polamalu epitomize the offensive and defensive battles that take place on every play in the NFL…the Fight for Every Yard.
Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu are exemplary examples of the epic battle between offense and defense in the NFL. Madden NFL 10 showcases the Fight For Every Yard, and nobody fights harder than Troy and Larry, making them the perfect athletes to grace the cover.
Madden NFL 10 Cover Reveal: Larry Fitzgerald in Times Square
Madden 10 cover athletes Troy Polamalu | S | Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Polamalu is a 2-time Super Bowl Champion and one of the most recognizable players in the NFL today. Anchoring the Steelers’ vaunted defense, Polamalu frustrates opposing offenses with his All-Pro speed, agility and high-impact tackles. Known for his quick reactions on the field and unrivaled preparation off the field, Polamalu is one of the few defensive players in the NFL who can rush the quarterback, shutdown a receiver in man-to-man, or drop back into zone coverage; making it necessary for the offense to account for him on every single play. Sharing the NFL record for most sacks (3) in a single game by a safety, Polamalu also recorded seven interceptions and 73 total tackles during the Steelers Super Bowl XLIII championship season.
Larry Fitzgerald | WR | Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald will be the second athlete to have been featured on both the Madden NFL cover (Madden NFL 10) and NCAA Football cover (NCAA Football 2005) the first being Shaun Alexander. The three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2009 Pro Bowl MVP reached career highs in reception yards (1,431) and touchdowns (12) in 2008, and set NFL post season records for yards (546), receptions (30), and TDs (7), as he led the Arizona Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII. Fitzgerald’s athleticism and unyielding focus often result in acrobatic catches that change the course of a game.
EA Sport’s Madden 10 will go on sale starting August 14 but you can pre-order now!
The Atlanta Falcons acquired tight end Tony Gonzalez from the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday in exchange for their second-round pick in 2010.
“Tony brings a new dynamic to the Falcons offense and we are very pleased that we were able to make the trade with Kansas City,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said on the team’s website.
“His career numbers and records are top notch and he will no doubt be an integral part of our offense.”
Gonzalez, a first-round pick and the 13th overall selection in the 1997 draft, had spent his entire 12-year career in a Chiefs uniform. He leaves Kansas City as the NFL’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (916), touchdowns (76) and receiving yards (10,940).
A 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, the 33-year-old tight end caught 96 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Gonzales will give 2008 rookie of the year Matt Ryan a viable option in the passing game next season.
Today, the 2009 National Football League schedule was released to the public. For fans of the two Ohio NFL teams, there are some stark differences in the schedules.
For the Cincinnati Bengals, they draw the toughest schedule in the AFC North, according to NFL.com. The team opens on September 13, 2009 vs. the Denver Broncos. The next two games are at Green Bay, vs. Pittsburgh, and then a road trip to see the Cleveland Browns for the first time in the season.
It certainly appears off hand that the Cincinnati Bengals got a raw deal for the upcoming season. The first part of the schedule appears brutal with games vs. Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, and vs. Chicago.
The Cleveland Browns are a different story. They have the 8th softest schedule in the league, which should help them to improve significantly this year. They will play one Monday Night Football game this year vs. Baltimore in Week 10.
With the exception of games against San Diego and Pittsburgh, the Browns appear like they could cruise right on through. If they can improve their defense, this team could take a big stride this year.
Rich Rodriguez, the head football coach for the Michigan Wolverines, is looking a different direction to add much needed quarterback depth for his roster.
Greg Paulus, a former Duke PG, apparently met with Rich Rod to discuss the possibility of playing quarterback for the Wolverines this season.
This is a fairly surprising move, as Paulus has played four years of college basketball at one of the best basketball schools that this country has to offer. For him to jump right back into football seems a bit far-fetched, at least initally. Paulus was a top recruit coming out of high school, but chose to play basketball for Coach K. And who could deny that kind of opportunity?
If this story is indeed true, and Paulus is truly thinking about going to Ann Arbor to lead the maize and blue, then this is a huge story from a recruiting standpoint.
Will Rich Rod start Paulus over top recruits Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson?
Will it end up being a Steven Threet-Nick Sheridan type platoon like last year (we all know how that ended up)?
All in all, this is surprising news to many around the nation this morning. Hopefully someone can clarify just how serious Paulus is about taking on the QB job.
The Atlanta Falcons acquired tight end Tony Gonzalez from the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday in exchange for their second-round pick in 2010.
“Tony brings a new dynamic to the Falcons offense and we are very pleased that we were able to make the trade with Kansas City,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said on the team’s website.
“His career numbers and records are top notch and he will no doubt be an integral part of our offense.”
Gonzalez, a first-round pick and the 13th overall selection in the 1997 draft, had spent his entire 12-year career in a Chiefs uniform. He leaves Kansas City as the NFL’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (916), touchdowns (76) and receiving yards (10,940).
A 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, the 33-year-old tight end caught 96 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Gonzales will give 2008 rookie of the year Matt Ryan a viable option in the passing game next season.
A Tampa-area high school pitcher threw his way into the state record books, pitching a fourth straight no-hitter Monday, reports CBS affiliate WTSP.
Patrick Schuster, a senior at Mitchell high school in New Port Richey, Fla., struck out 17 Pasco batters Monday in the 5-0 victory. He broke a 24-year-old state record held by Ben Webb, who threw three straight no-hitters for Gonzales Tate High School in 1985.
Kenya’s Salina Kosgei beat defending champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia in a dramatic stretch duel, to win the women’s division of the 113th Boston Marathon, Monday.
The two traded leads toward the very end of the competition, although Kara Goucher led with one mile remaining. The American finished nine seconds behind.
In the men’s race, Deriba Merga of Ethiopia crossed the line in a time of two hours eight minutes 42 seconds to pocket the $150,000 first prize ahead of Kenya’s Daniel Rono. American Ryan Hall was third.
Merga, who finished fourth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, pulled away before ‘Heartbreak Hill’ and was able to maintain his lead, finishing almost a minute ahead of Rono.
Tim Duncan was ejected for laughing! It happened at the Dallas Arena last April 15, Joe Crawford called 2 technical fouls on Duncan for laughing his ass off after 2 offensive fouls called by the referee.
Apparently, Referee Joe Crawford was not in the mood for some comedy and threw Duncan out of the game.
In the post game press conference, Duncan claimed that Joe Crawford challenged him to a fight:
“He looked at me and said, ‘Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?”‘ Duncan said. “If he wants to fight, we can fight. I don’t have any problem with him, but we can do it if he wants to. I have no reason why in the middle of a game he would yell at me, ‘Do you want to fight?”
Crawford’s statement:
“And then he went over to the bench and he was over there doing the same stuff behind our back,” Crawford said. “I hit him with one (technical) and he kept going over there, and I look over there and he’s still complaining. So I threw him out.” “That’s his opinion. He said nothing when he was walking off the court and he called me a piece of (expletive). Is that nothing?”
Here’s the video:
Just a reminder to the NBA players, don’t laugh at referees’ calls especially when Joe Crawford is the one officiating! LOL!
The National Basketball Association suspended referee Joe Crawford at least through the playoffs after his ejection of San Antonio’s Tim Duncan in a game against Dallas two days ago. It was an indefinite suspension.
Nonito “Junjun” Donaire Jr. successfully defended his IBF flyweight title on Sunday against Raul Martinez at the Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines.
Dubbed the “Filipino Flash,” the 26-year-old champ beat the Mexican-American via technical knockout in the fourth round.
Donaire dominated the fight, scoring two knockdowns in the first round and one in the second round. In the fourth, Martinez was finally stopped following a big left uppercut from the Filipino boxer.
“I felt mean because I had to look good. Viloria did his job,” Donaire said in a post-fight interview on Top Rank’s pay-per-view telecast. He was referring to fellow countryman Brian Viloria’s impressive win over Mexico’s Ulises Solis.
Viloria knocked out Solis in the 11th round to become the new IBF light flyweight champion.
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. defends his IBF/IBO flyweight titles against unbeaten Raul “Cobrita” Martinez today at the Araneta Coliseum.
“He’s undefeated. He’s strong. He’s young. He’s a great fighter. He’s heavy-handed. He’s no joke,” Donaire told the Philippine Star, who almost ran out of words to describe his opponent
The 26-year-old champion credits new trainers Gerry, Dodie Boy and Jonathan Peñalosa for keeping him in tip-top shape for the fight.
Meanwhile, former WBC champion Brian Viloria tries to wrest the IBF light flyweight crown from Ulises Solis of Mexico in the other half of the double world title fight card dubbed “The Flash and the Furious.”
The match between two of Romania’s top rugby teams - Dinamo Bucaresti (red) and Farul Constata (white) has turned into chaos after a foul is committed.
Some players could be seen landing successful conversions while others were taking full bloodied blows between the posts.
When the fighting eventually stopped, the referee showed two players a red card.
Local media reported that 9 players were taken to the hospital after last week’s group fight which broke out just six minutes into the game.
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya announced his retirement from the sport on Tuesday, admitting he could no longer fight at the highest level.
“Boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do,” an emotional De La Hoya told a news conference in downtown Los Angeles.
“And when I can’t do it any more, when I can’t compete at the highest level, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to the fans. I’ve come to the conclusion that’s over, it’s over inside the ring for me.”
Nicknamed the “Golden Boy,” he won the lightweight boxing gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and won the first of his 10 world titles at super-featherweight before eventually moving up to middleweight.
The 36-year-old Mexican-American last fought on Dec. 6 when Filipino Manny Pacquiao stopped him in the eighth round.
Longtime Philadelphia Phillies sportscaster Harry Kalasdied on Monday at age 73.
“We lost Harry today,” team president David Montgomery said. “We lost our voice.”
The veteran broadcaster collapsed in a press box at Nationals Park prior to Monday’s game against Washington. Emergency medical personnel took him to George Washington University hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:20 p.m. The cause of death was not announced.
“He was a living sports legend and through his voice has fallen silent, we’ll always hear him, when an opponent swings and misses, when a Phillie hits a homerun and when the team wins its next World Series,” Mayor Nutter said.
Kalas had been the Phillies’ play-by-play announcer since 1971. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Former NBA star Marvin Webster was found dead in a hotel in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 56.
According to Tulsa police spokesman Jason Willingham, the 7-foot-1 center was discovered Monday morning in a bathtub inside his room at the Ambassador Hotel.
The cause of his death is unknown pending autopsy results, said Cherokee Ballard, a spokesman for the medical examiner’s office.
Willingham said he does not believe foul play was involved.
Known as the “Human Eraser” for his shot-blocking ability, Webster helped the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals in 1978 and then spent six seasons with the New York Knicks.
He averaged 7.1 points and 7.0 rebounds during his nine-year NBA career.
British freediver Sarah Campbell blacked out while trying to set a new world record by diving to a depth of 100 meters and back in a single breath.
The 37-year-old yoga instructor reached her target and grabbed the tag but lost consciousness as she made it back to the surface of the Atlantic, off Long Island in the Bahamas on Tuesday.
“I’m fine, feel good and after a few days rest will be ready to give it another go - and hold it together on the surface next time,” the breath-holding expert told the Telegraph.
Campbell will try again on Friday, April 10, because there are still several days of competition left.
Last week she broke the record in Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island, holding her breath for three minutes and 36 seconds, diving 96 meters and safely returning to the surface.
Dubbed as ‘Mighty Mouse’ because of her petite five foot frame, Campbell has been studied by doctors to try to understand her amazing physiology. Her lungs are 25 percent bigger than an average person of her size and weight, allowing her to pack more air into her system before she descends.
