>Carlo Ancelotti newest Chelsea manager, already seeing transfer strain of EPL financial woes

Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti left AC Milan to become the most recent manager at Stamford Bridge. This is Chelsea’s fifth manager since hiring Jose Mourinho away from FC Porto in 2004.

While Mourinho brought the club two Premier League titles and many other trophies, none after him were able to do the same until this past FA Cup victory. Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s owner, has longed for the manager that can handle the throng of superstars since Mourinho’s departure. His hasty hiring and firing practices has led him now to Ancelotti.

Ancelotti has already felt the financial strain of the Premier League. He wishes to sign a major player to help change the identity of the Blues, but realizes that might not be possible without a sale of his own. Surprisingly, Much has been said about captain John Terry’s possible sale.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe

Some even suggests that the sale of Terry may be the financial gain they need to change the identity of the team to Ancoletti’s liking. Crazy to think of Terry in anything other than Chelsea blue. If Terry or Chelsea actually go through with such a move, one has to question the loyalty in sports today as Terry seems to be of the character of said trait.

Speaking of John Terry…

> Manchester City pulling its best Real Madrid impression, sign Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor

While other clubs have felt the strain of worldwide economic woes, big spending Real Madrid and Manchester City have thrown any financial caution to the wind and have spent. The team making the most headlines this summer in Manchester is not the one you would think.

Manchester City has signed Carlos Tevez away from neighboring Manchester United as well as Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor. City has plenty of fire power and have to be considered a huge threat for the top four positions and Champions League and possibly even the Premier League title.

It’s looking more and more like they won’t get their English star in Terry, as Chelsea have already rejected two offers in the realm of 30 million pounds. Regardless, City have added expensive players like Robinho, Tevez, and now Adebayor. The battle for Manchester may augment itself and become the battle for the Premier League.

>Seattle Sounders drawing consistent crowds, currently sit second in MLS standings in first year

How many people attend an MLS game? I can’t tell you the average across the league, but I bet Seattle’s franchise can debunk your prejudices concerning MLS attendance. For their home games in 2009, they currently average 29,983. Yes, I typed that correctly. In fact, they exceeded 31,000 on three occasions, two of which have been their last two home games. I have plenty of questions.

Should I be surprised? Something tells me that their attendance will drop dramatically after this inaugural season. I have mentioned before that I am a big fan of the Philadelphia franchise building its stadium in Chester, PA. There will be much more of a demand there. But I don’t know if interest in the MLS can be sustained like it is in Seattle.

It might also help that the Sounders, who formerly played in the USL divisions, are one of the league’s best teams. They only trail Houston in terms of standings, attaining 28 points with a 7-3-7 record. Their goal differential is also tops in the leagues along with Houston at +10.

They aren’t without their noticeable players either. Former U.S. national team goalkeeper and Fulham goalkeeper Kasey Keller plays in the net. The Washington state native has recorded five clean sheets so far.

Forward Fredy Montero leads the team with 9 goals and 6 assists. The twenty-one year old Colombian, who celebrates his twenty-second birthday this coming Sunday, is fun to watch. He has skills to become a great player and not just in the MLS. He was very popular in playing in his native country and has four caps for the Colombian national team.

But here is the key for the MLS: can they hang on to a young star like Montero? They’ve lost Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, and many others to European transfers. As far as Seattle, it seems to be a beakon of hope as far as soccer interest. European clubs have made many a summer trips to the city because they know there is a demand there. Chelsea returned for a friendly against the Sounders this past Saturday and I think Real Madrid was there a couple of years ago.

You can see Montero’s ability to settle the ball and find the back of the net here. His debut in the MLS where he scored 2 goals and had an assist against New York below. An amazing player.

Got any soccer news or comments? Take a seat on the bench and let your ‘pickins’ be heard.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Football fans, January and February probably seems like heaven. The BCS bowls and National Championship followed by the pinnacle of the pigskin: The Super Bowl.

Maybe you’re a baseball fan. The best times of year are certainly book ends for you. Many try to suppress elation when pitchers and catchers report, but most find their pastime bliss in October and early November.

Basketball and hockey fans seem to have an eternity of a season. Ask most and you’ll certainly here about June.

For me, none qualify as the best time in sports. As the title states, the best time of year is the end of May. Not because the English Premier League will be crowning a champion, but due rather to the battle at the other end of the table: the fight against relegation.

For those unfamiliar with relegation in soccer, allow me for a moment, soccer connoisseurs, to explain to those novices like me reading.

Take all levels of professional baseball for example: A, AA, AAA, and the Major League. Eliminate the whole farm system affiliations and make each team its own business entity that can hire and fire as it pleases.

The EPL replicates this idea with the Premier League (Majors), League Championship (AAA), League 1 (AA)and League 2 (A). The only difference is the top three teams get promoted at season’s end, and the bottom three teams get relegated.

So based on last season, The Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres would be competing this season in AAA. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, Louisville Bats, and Pawtucket Red Sox, all of the International League, would be playing Major League baseball in 2009.

Think of how that might change professional sports in America.

Even though I’m a basketball guy, the last few weeks of May present to us something quite unique in sports.

The majority of sports fans are average Joes, but more times than not, professional sports is a tale of nobility. The biggest, strongest, richest, and athletically gifted win the championships. Players who could not be further from who we are or the roles we have in society prevail while the ordinary begin reciting the infamous sports maxim, “there’s always next year.”

Sure we want our favorite teams to win, but since that is rarely the case, we often look for an underdog. Why? Because the underdog represents us.

Why do you think the best story come March is a Cinderella team? It’s a reflection of who we are.

Every season, The bottom the EPL becomes a perfect microcosm of middle-class America. The CEOs, like Manchester United, continually challenge for the top spot while the average employee, such as Sunderland, just wants to survive another day with the company.

The rich prosper and bask in the glory of championships and trophies. Meanwhile, the peons like me struggle to make ends meet month-to-month and are left only with delusions of grandeur.

American sports are unrealistic. If a team fails miserably, there’s no consequences. In fact, fail bad enough, and teams get rewarded with picking the new hot shot player for next season.

Not in the EPL. Finish in the bottom three and it’s a punishment. Moreover, teams won’t be bidding on top players; they’ll struggle to keep those who are good enough to be loaned to Premier league team. That’s more representative of life.

Time and again we see smaller clubs fighting for their Premiership lives by the end of May. Big clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea may feel dejected if they don’t win a championship, but smaller clubs, like Fulham last season, feel uninhibited respite when they narrowly avoid being relegated.

The joy of fans’ faces as the referee blows the final whistle exudes a feeling not often seen in sports: the feeling of accepted mediocrity only relative to those bidding adieu to the topflight football.

West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough, Hull City, Newcastle United, Sunderland, and Portsmouth will all be playing for the Premiership lives in the final two weeks of the 2008-2009 season.

Their respective matches are sure to be entertaining and hard fought. Fans will either sob for their club’s demise, or, for those lucky clubs who narrowly avoid the bottom three, revel in the fact that for another season, even if by only an inch, they can say that they’re competing with the best.

I’m a little guy. I love my teams, but they aren’t me; they suffer no consequences if they tank a season.

So you can have your NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, and game sevens. Take your Super Bowl Sunday and Mr. Octobers. Every year, I can’t wait for the end of May to watch the purest form of sport on display in any professional league.

Where teams are playing at their highest level until the very end. Where fans are more than proud to finish seventeenth. Where the common man takes center stage and plays with more heart and grit than a jaded, inflated payroll ever could.

…the NBA who will hand out fines next year for ‘flopping’. I love soccer, but flopping is easily the worst part of the game. I don’t need to see it on the hard courts.

…the Monroe Community College baseball team which won a school record 41 games this year. The Tribunes finished third in the NJCAA II World Series.

…the good people of Pittsburgh and their ‘sea of white’ at Mellon Arena.

…Hull, Stoke, and West Brom who qualified for play in the Premiership next season.

Also living up to its reputation is college hoops. With March around the corner and teams vying for an invite to the dance, college basketball is its usual maddening self.

UNC needed two overtimes, a chair, and a whip to fend off the Tigers of Clemson. The Huskies of Washington disposed of #4 UCLA. Louisville impounded the #6 Hoyas of Georgetown. Purdue trapped the #8 Badgers of Wisconsin.

Meanwhile other top teams barely survived. #2 Duke shrugged off its Tar Heel hangover to overcome Boston College. #20 Vandy outlasted SEC foe, South Carolina. #21 Notre Dame brought down #16 Marquette, and #7 Tennessee squeaked by LSU.
All of this past weekend’s thrilling action was foreshadowed earlier. Both #25 Pittsburgh and #14 Xavier needed last second shots to win on Thursday night.

Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green led the Tar Heels back from a fifteen-point second-half deficit to continue their home dominance of Clemson. The last time the Tigers won in Chapel Hill, Dwight Eisenhower was President. Clemson has taken the Heels to overtime twice this season.

Anyone needing to understand the value of a point guard needs to look no further than North Carolina. With Ty Lawson sitting on the bench for the second game in a row, the Heels barely avoided back-to-back home losses. Wednesday night Duke pulled away from Carolina, 89-78. Without Lawson the Heels which average over twenty points per game running transition, managed only four points against the Blue Devils from running the floor. To make things worse the Blue Devil half-court defense, not having to worry about Lawson’s dribble penetration, was able to step up and deny entry passes.

The Heels weren’t the only top-five team to fall to a conference rival. Three days after being booed off their home court, the Washington Huskies rebounded and knocked off the number four Bruins 71-61. Junior Jon Brockman grabbed seventeen boards and scored twelve while Justin Dentmon chipped in twenty off the bench. Check out Husky Tim Morris using Alfred Aboya’s face to avoid a five-second violation.[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=7ZXPAl4-8f8]

Saturday night Rick Pitino overcame a half-time wardrobe malfunction, and the Louisville Cardinals upset #6 Georgetown 59-51. With his Cardinals trailing by eight in the first half, Pitino’s all-white suit started to show signs of perspiration. Pitino looked like a cross between Mark Twain and John Travolta. When the teams returned for the second half, Pitino had changed into his traditional black suit, and the Cardinals outscored the Hoyas by sixteen.

Freshman Robbie Hummel scored twenty-one as the Boilermakers jumped out to a ten-point half-time lead and held on to beat Wisconsin 72-67.

Duke shrugged off a one-point deficit at half to beat BC, 90-80. Vandy needed a last second fade-away jumper by Jermaine Beal to down South Carolina, 66-65. Notre Dame and Marquette were like two champion fighters trading punches with the Irish getting in the last and winning 86-83. The Volunteers may have been looking ahead to a date with #1 Memphis as they barely got by LSU, 47-45.

Also #11 Butler and #12 Texas trailed at half before coming back to win – Butler knocking off Wisconsin-Green Bay, 62-57, and Texas beat Iowa State, 71-65.

The weekend’s madness started Thursday when Derrick Brown’s put-back led Xavier over St. Louis, 70-68. The Billikens had overcome a thirteen-point deficit in the game. Also Ronald Ramon nailed a three-pointer as time expired to lead the Pitt Panthers over West Virginia, 55-54. The Mountaineers have to feel a little snake-bitten. Earlier this season West Virginia was denied a victory over Georgetown when a last-second shot block appeared to be goaltending.

Rebounds & Put-backs:

Who is more valuable: Tony Parker or Kevin Garnett? With the two stars sidelined by injuries, the Celts topped the Spurs, 98-90. Whose absence was more missed?

Pundits have suggested that point guard play will doom the Celtics’ playoff chances. Rajon Rondo is taking these criticisms to heart. The second-year player dished out twelve assists and grabbed ten rebounds in the Boston victory.

Can Shaq make a difference in Phoenix? The one thing standing in the Suns’ way of making it to the finals seems to be defense and in particular slowing down Tim Duncan. I don’t see the acquisition of Shaq working to that end.

Charlie Weis has relinquished his play-calling responsibilities. How will this impact the Irish?

Scary incident in Buffalo last night: Richard Zednik took a skate to the neck. Thank God he is resting comfortably in a Buffalo hospital.

The Sabres went on to win the game. Buffalo is undefeated in their last eight.

I would be remiss if I avoided the weekend’s top story: Brian McNamee and Mrs. Clemens. Is there anyone out there, who upon hearing this story and recovering from its silliness, didn’t at least envision McNamee injecting the wife. Was she wearing her bikini?

Anyone ever heard of Dior Lowhorn? He has the distinction of being the only college hoopster to play for two coaches that have won 800 games. After transferring from Texas Tech where he was coached by Bobby Knight, Diow now plays for Eddie Sutton at the University of San Francisco.

First time ever I cheered for Chelsea, and the Blues played Liverpool to a stalemate. Everton is that much closer to controlling their destiny for qualification in the Champions League.

The Sox signed Kevin Youkilis to a one-year contract. Yipppeeee!!!!

Where will Randy Moss play next year?

I just saw a replay of Tyree’s helmet catch.

“What day is it?” Well, it’s SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!”

Yes, on this celebrated day I know everyone is waiting with baited breath on Casey’s predictions for the game. I’ll leave that ‘til
later. We have some other topics to consider.

Something to keep in mind: the New York Giants two previous Super Bowl victories have created a ripple effect that exists years later. Super Bowl XXI saw the first occurrence of the post-victory Gatorade bath while Super Bowl XXV included Whitney Houston’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that we have now heard ad nauseam, and too many people have tried to create their own version of Whitney’s passionate piece. Could today mark another Super Bowl victory for the Giants that will be remembered for years to come? Will it be the day perfection died? (Oooh a new Don Mclean song?)

Today’s contest comes down to the impact of Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants have established the little jumping bean as a second half compliment to Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs has been wearing down defenses in the first half, and Bradshaw reaps the benefit late in the game of rushing against a tired defense. If the Giants are to win today, Bradshaw’s presence will need to be felt.

Anyone for a little spy gate? Nah, we’ll leave that alone – far too early to make conclusions.

Who do you think Bill Parcells is cheering for today? Actually, who do you think Parcells received more phone calls from over the last week or so? Coughlin? Or Belichik?

Great article in today’s D&C about Coach C.

Looks cold in Arizona. Keyshawn has some funky scarf action working.

Congratulations to Art Monk. At long last the former Redskin great will get a bust in Canton. As a Giant fan Monk was one of those opponents I always had to respect. Nowadays we have receivers who spend more time preparing their end zone dances. Monk just did his job – to the tune of 820 career receptions – including at least one reception in 164 games.

NBA Chatter: What should we make of the recent victories by the East over the West? Sure it is February (actually games happened in January), but the Celtics passed one of their first tough tests by beating the Dallas Mavericks – and without Kevin Garnett. Also the Detroit Pistons knocked off the Los Angeles. Of course then the Lakers went out and acquired Pau Gasol. Does this make the Lakers into contenders?

Speaking of contenders the Memphis Tigers are the last unbeaten standing in NCAA Men’s hoops. Can the Tigers bring some validity to Conference-USA? Or will their regular season schedule hurt them come tournament time? A February 23rd date with the Tennessee Volunteers should serve as an ample gauge.

EPL Yakety-Yak: Brother Reynell was on the mark with his caveats about the Everton Toffees. Minus Yakubu and Andy Johnson still less than 100% the Mersysiders have back-to-back scoreless ties.

Are the Mets any more of a contender now that they have acquired Santana?

Casey’s Super Bowl Predictions: Double dipping will occur in 77% of the houses watching today’s game. Before the game is over 100 people will ask: Is that Peyton Manning’s brother? Tom Petty will play the following songs: ‘I Won’t Back Down,’ ‘Free Fallin,’ ‘American Girl,’ ‘I Need To Know,’ ‘A Mind With A Heart of Its Own.’

You didn’t think Casey would actually make a prediction on the game did ya?

Make sure you take your B-12…orally.

Three of the top nine and eight of the top twenty-five fell to conference opponents on Saturday.

Gary Williams and his Terrapins proved to be giant killers once again, USC found Love in Pauley, and K-State showed the Big 12 is no place for the faint of heart.

Maryland went into Chapel Hill and sent home a message: You’ll take your medicine, and you’ll like it! James Gist dropped 22, grabbed 13 boards, and the Terrapin defense, toughest in the ACC, limited the Heels to 38% from the field as the Terps won 82-80. Over the years, Maryland squads have dropped number ones on five occasions.

The upsets didn’t stop there. Frosh Kevin Love had eighteen points and twelve boards, but it wasn’t enough for UCLA. SC’s Davon Jefferson led the Trojans to a 72-63 over the Bruins. Jefferson scored 25 and grabbed nine rebounds.

Freshman Michael Beasely scored twenty-one as Kansas State trounced Texas A&M by a 75-54 count.

#2 Memphis, #3 Kansas, and #5 Duke escaped unscathed.

This Tiger team differs from John Calipari’s recent Memphis lineups. Derrick Rose is the only freshman starter, and the experienced squad should make a run in March. It is yet to be seen if Conference USA will provide enough of a test to prepare Memphis for the post-season.

The Jayhawks are 18 and 0. Just give ‘em time; they’ll ‘Self-destruct’.

Announcers called yesterday’s Duke victory over Clemson a ‘statement game’. Statement game? Beating Clemson at Cameron is a statement game? I guess the Blue Devils picked up the defensive intensity late in the game. But I’m sorry was it defensive intensity, or did the Tigers defecate between the sheets. I could have stolen some of the passes thrown by Clemson.

Watching the Blue Devils is like being back in high school and having the hottest girl in class look at me and smile. I would have to turn and look over both shoulders to see who that glance was intended for because there is no way it was reality. Same thing pertains to Duke. They jump out to these huge leads, and then reality sets in, and they find themselves looking over both shoulders while clinging to the lead.

Interesting to note that while Duke was making their second half run, Greg Paulus was catching some pine.

Pitt continued their struggles while Ole Miss, Miami, and Arizona State also dropped games.

Looks like Butler and AJ Graves might move into the Top Ten.

How do you think Billy Gillespie feels now about his move to Kentucky? His Wildcats lost last night, and their record is 7 and 9. That can’t be going over too well in Lexington.

Keeping with hoops theme – Friday night’s matchup between Portland and Miami was case of two teams going in opposite directions. The Trail Blazers are 24-16 and second in the Northwest Division. Brandon Roy is leading the way with nineteen points a game. Can only imagine how Greg Oden might help the young Blazers.

The Heat on the other hand have lost their last ten and have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. It pains me to watch Dwayne Wade. If I had to pick a player I enjoy watching the most, it would be D-Wade. With this Heat lineup he looks simultaneously overwhelmed and underwhelmed. So much of the Heat’s scoring responsibility falls on his shoulders that he at times looks like he can’t take the situation seriously.

Move over Hack-A-Shaq it’s time for Bash-A-Ben. Hack-A-Shaq originator, Don Nelson, employed a similar tactic Friday night. With his Golden State Warriors looking to stem the Bulls’ momentum, Nellie sent Kelenna Azubuike on the court to send lifetime 42% free-throw shooter, Ben Wallace to the line. Nellie’s plan backfired, but the Warriors won. After some early-season woes the entertaining Warriors are climbing in the standings.

Cheers to the Bulls’ players who earlier in the week voted to bench rookie Joakim Noah for a series actions deemed to be counter-productive. The young Bulls responded with a 97-81 beating of the Pistons Saturday night.

The Suns proved Thursday that they are still the class of the Pacific division. The Lakers came in winners of nine of ten, but Steve Nash dished out 20 assists, ‘Kindergarten’ Marion grabbed 16 boards, and Leandro Barbosa cashed in 22 points to lead the Suns to a 106-98 triumph at the Staples center.

Looking forward to the NFL’s Conference Chan’ship games. If this week’s games are anything like last week, they’ll be worth watching. Which destiny will manifest itself? The Pats and perfection? The Bolts and their undefeated run? Brett Favre and the fountain of youth? Or the G-Men and their success on the road?

No predictions from Casey, but a couple of thoughts. If anyone can take perfection and make it imperfect, Norv Turner is the guy. Think the media doesn’t affect the outcome of the games? Consider that a January game in Green Bay has a 6p.m. start time. How painful will Atari Bigby’s hits be in tonight’s chilly temps?

File under: the more things change, the more things stay the same. Once was a time when the NHL’s Atlantic Division was known as the Patrick. Have no idea why the league went away from those great division names. The Patrick was always closely-contested with few points separating first from last. The NY Rangers sit in last place just seven points behind first-place Pittsburgh. Give it a week or two and the two could flip flop.

Sad to see Sid ‘The Kid’ go down with an ankle injury. Crosby is a special talent.

The Sabres ended a ten-game skid with a resounding 10-1 victory over Nashville. Any hopes for building momentum were dashed Buffalo lost to Toronto 4-2 – can’t believe that Chris Drury and Daniel Briere made that much of a difference. I knew there would be a drop off – but this much?

Don’t look now Everton is in the top four of the EPL. With their 2-1 besting of Wigan the Toffees sit in fourth. Can anyone say Champions League! Yeah, I know Liverpool has two matches in hand. One is tomorrow with Aston Villa.

The Sox have cooled on the pursuit of Santana. Fine with me. Read a great article about the subject posted by our friends over at Sox and Dawgs.

The value of 8,222 – glad my local minor league baseball team is community – owned. This week the Atlanta Braves announced they are taking their AAA affiliate out of Richmond and moving the team to a nearby suburb in Georgia, thus possibly leaving the city in Virginia without a club after this season.

Fifty-two years ago Morrie Silver had the foresight to get 8,222 shareholders to buy the Rochester Red Wings. Thankfully what happened to the fine city of Richmond can’t happen in Rochester.

Enjoy the games. Buckle up. Use two hands. And always, always take your B-12…orally.

Casey

http://ccww.wordpress.com

With linemen Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, and Rich Seubert opening gaping holes, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for a combined 291 yards and three touchdowns. Not since 1959, when Big Blue ran for 351 against the ‘Skins, have the G-Men gained as much on the ground.

Begs the question: Is it the backs? Line? Scheme? Or a combination of all? Whatever it certainly could diminish the accomplishments of a recent Giant back who embarked on a melodramatic farewell tour, only to use the platform as a means of throwing various teammates and coaches under the bus, then backing up the bus, only to reenact the previous throwing under the bus, and thus earning the dishonor of having his name forever stricken from the text of the Clipboard.

Then there’s Eli. Don’t know if it was the weather or the continuing influence of Kevin Gilbride, but Eli seems incapable of removing the ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ visage that continues plagues his career and cause every God-fearing Giant fan to lose any last vestige of hope that he can fulfill his draft choice ranking and/or pedigree.Thankfully the Giant defense picked off three Trent Edwards’s passes. Kawika Mitchell and Corey Webster both returned interceptions for touchdowns.

Hats off to a spirited Bills’ team. For the second week in a row they earned the dubious distinction of playing in the game most-affected-by-the-weather. Last weekend’s battle in Cleveland marked the first occasion that a televised broadcast needed a yardage marker graphic. As snow off Lake Erie blanketed the field, CBS added sideline numbers on the screen to help announcers find the yard markings. This week wind gusts of 40 mph and all the possible forms of precipitation had robust, sideline reporter, Tony Siragusa, doing his finest Bob Dylan and ‘seeking shelter from the storm’ in the broadcast booth(yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it’s gimme shelter from the storm. Gimme a little license wouldja?)

Many questioned the Bills when they drafted Marshawn Lynch and Trent Edwards. Dissenters expressed concern thatthe two California natives would not be able to handle December games in western New York. The two rookies give reason for hope to legions of Bills’ fans.

Great to see Kevin Everett make his return to Buffalo.Continued prayers go out as he continues to recover from a spinal cord injury.

The Giants’ victory creates a little irony. At one time people questioned if the New England Patriots would go for 16 and 0, or if they would rest their starters for the final game. Now it’s the Giants who will probably rest some players for the playoffs, and the Pats with an impending first-round bye will probably use the game as a tune-up. If yesterday’s first half vs. the Fish is any indication, the Pats have plenty of motivation to finish undefeated.

On that note: what makes for a greater team? Undefeated season but not winning the Super Bowl? Or one loss but winning it all?

EPL Yakety-Yak: Christiano Ronaldo continues to build his resume as the finest player in the world. The Man U wing tallied twice yesterday as the Reds halted Everton’s thirteen game unbeaten streak. Love ya Thrilla XOXOXO!

Recent NY Times article questions Joe Torre’s involvement in the steroid allegations brought out in the Mitchell Report. With the high number of players mentioned in the report, the writer suggested Torre’s hall-of-fame status needs review. Regular readers of the Clipboard know that I have nothing but respect for Torre and his accomplishments. I would hate to think he had knowledge of such activity. If any coach’s status requires examination, Tony LaRussa would have to top the list. He was at the helm when the ‘Bash Brothers’ were peaked and in St. Louis when McGwire basked in the nation’s hoodwinked glow.

All in all the recent allegations bring to light a clubhouse culture of baseball that many of us either didn’t know about or didn’t want to know about. Brian McNamee’s stories about players and body parts used for injection, offers newmeaning to idea of flying by the seatof one’s pants.

Casey’s Christmas day schedule will include the 5pm matchup between the Suns and Lakers. Lovin’ the resurgence of Grant Hill. The guy has endured his share of injuries and is still playing. His acceptance of a barely-above-league-minimum $1.8 mill per year contract shows his love for the game. Now if the Suns could only find someone to defend Tim Duncan in the playoffs.

Giving some context to Kobe’s 20,000 points. Yeah, he’s the youngest to ever do it, but can we please keep in mind he entered the out of high school and played for a Laker team that needed him to shoot thirty times a night. MJ played three years of college ball and was often injured early in his NBA career. Not to mention that Bulls’ GM Jerry Krause plotted to limit his playing time early in his career. Yeah you read that right. The GM tried to limit his star’s playing time.

Sad to see Scott Skiles getting fired. He’s a lunch pail guy who is worthy of respect. Not sure if he is to blame for the Bulls’ struggles, but he is definitely the fall guy.

Get well soon – in a letter to his fans Dick Vitale explained that he will be off the air for a couple of months. I for one will miss Dickie V.’s commentary. While there is no arguing he can be over the top, Vitale’s analysis is usually on the mark.

Merry Christmas!

Instead of those athletes involving themselves with covert activities in hopes to elevate their status in the eye of the public, this list focuses on the athletes who have competed for the pure enjoyment of sport despite a lack of attention from the public.

First there is Marcus ‘KB’ Nidiffer. His role is small, but as Shakespeare once: “there are no small roles.” ‘KB’ was the University of Kentucky catcher who backstopped a certain 7-time Cy Young award when that professional athlete visited a Wildcat practice last Spring. Thanks to last week’s media scrutiny viewers were repeatedly treated to clips of ‘KB’ clad in mask and chest protector behind the plate. Marcus spent last summer playing in the NYCBL with the Webster Yankees.

One of ‘KB’s’ Webster teammates, Joe McIntyre, has earned a spot on the Wallace Watch. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation’s top player. Semi-finalists for the award are announced in May. Last summer all McIntyre did was lead the wood-bat league with 65 hits (42 game schedule) and a batting average of .409. Good luck to Joe and his teammates at North Carolina A&T.

Xavier Omon of Northwest Missouri State finished his college football career yesterday in the D2 championship game. All Omon has done for four years is run to daylight. Xavier has gained at least 1,500 yards in each of the last four seasons – 1,575 as a freshman, 1,643 as a sophomore, 1,518 his junior year, and he entered yesterday’s D2 title game with 2,337 yards. He finished his career averaging more than 100 yards per game.

Omon and his Bearcat teammates came up short as Valdosta State scored in the game’s waning moments to win 25-20. The loss was no fault of Kendall Wright who sacrificed his body for the good of the cause. With a punt taking a Valdosta State bounce and appearing to head inside the ten yard line Wright dove and smothered the bouncing ball on the twelve yard line. For his efforts he received a crushing hit. Able to start beyond the shadow of the goal posts Northwest Missouri State drove the length of the field for touchdown.

Then there is Justin Beaver of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Beaver rushed for 249 yards to lead the Warhawks to victory in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Wisconsin-Whitewater’s victory ended Mount Union’s run as D3 national champ. The Purple Raiders had won the last three titles.

Mami Yamaguchi and Lauren Switzer led the Florida State Seminoles to the school’s first appearance in the Women’s College Cup final. They play like such girls. [youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=BwWR_MECVj0]

Don’t try that at home.

Ayegbeni Yakubu is making noise across the pond. The Nigerian has netted seven goals in five matches to lead the Everton Toffees as they make a charge through the Premier League Table.

Ben Cronin isn’t exactly a household name…unless you live in Syracuse. The seven-footer leads Coach Eric Saroney’s Henninger High Black Knights. Cronin will play his college ball at Michigan.

Nicki Jones and her Nazareth Laser teammates are off to an impressive 5-0 start. The Lasers travelled east to take on Liverpool of Section III. Jones dropped 25 and grabbed eight boards to lead the teeny tiny all girls school to a five-point victory. Class AA Liverpool’s ’08 graduating class of over 300 is more than the entire student body at Nazareth.

Like the more prominent report last week Casey knows this list is incomplete; there are athletes all over who are competing without getting their due.

Many thanks to our friends at Sox and Dawgs and Boston Sports Rants.