May 3rd, 2008 by admin
Swedish teenager Mikael Backlund, a first-round pick in the 2007 NHL draft, was secured on a contract by the Calgary Flames on Friday.The six-foot, 194-pound (88kg) center, who helped his country clinch the silver medal at last year’s world junior championship, has been playing for Swedish club Vasteras this season.
Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter said in a statement that Backlund was one of the best young centers in the world.
“He demonstrated at the world junior championships that he is in an elite class. I look forward to getting him here for development camp in July and main camp in the fall,” he added.
Center Backlund signs contract with Calgary Flames | Sports | Reuters
April 25th, 2008 by admin
Joe Calzaghe has accused American Bernard Hopkins of being a “sore loser” after their light-heavyweight clash in Las Vegas on Saturday.Unbeaten Welshman Calzaghe, the undisputed super-middleweight world champion, won a split decision after recovering from a first-round knockdown against the 43-year-old.
Hopkins looked stunned after two of the three judges gave the fight to Calzaghe, one of them by a large 116-111 margin, and claimed he won the fight.
“He should get over it,” 36-year-old Calzaghe told the BBC on Friday. “He should watch the tape and accept that he lost.
Calzaghe accuses Hopkins of being a sore loser | Sports | Reuters
April 19th, 2008 by admin
About 8,000 Britons are expected in Las Vegas for Saturday’s light-heavyweight clash between Joe Calzaghe and American Bernard Hopkins.Fans of the Welshman, who is the undisputed world super-middleweight champion, are expected to outnumber Hopkins supporters at the Thomas & Mack Arena.
That prompted Calzaghe’s promoter Frank Warren to taunt his opponent at this week’s final pre-fight news conference.
“On the night, most of the support in the arena is going to be again for the Brits,” he said. “Are the Americans going to come out for their man? Because otherwise he’s going to be drowned out, because they’ll just be cheering Joe Calzaghe.”
Boxing fans descend on Las Vegas for Hopkins showdown | Sports | Reuters
April 17th, 2008 by admin
A Japanese high school pleaded for a regional game to be abandoned after surrendering 66 runs in less than two innings, local media reported on Thursday.
The hapless hurler had already sent down over 250 pitches, allowing 26 runs in the first inning and 40 in the second before Kawamoto asked for mercy.
School team hit for 66 runs in two innings | Oddly Enough | Reuters
April 16th, 2008 by Elsparrow
Well hello all!
I’m back with another update. DHL turned up a short while ago with my package containing my new face cage and skates. Got my face cage fitted and it is alot easier to see now so no excuses for not seeing a puck on Saturday. Furthermore my new skates are absolutly superb, super soft wheels, heavily armoured and awesome comfort, so I’m looking forward to using them in the match. These should really support my ankles better!
Well I am afraid I have to go now as I have a coursework deadline tomorrow, but I will be going for a haircut and the gym over the next 24 hours.
Matt Wylde, #14 UPRHC
April 15th, 2008 by admin
April 15th, 2008 by Elsparrow
Hello to all!
I’m Matt, a current member of UPRHC (www.uprhc.org.uk) playing as a defenseman and under #14, and this blog will be used so you can get a more detailed following on the club and me, and our happenings in UK Roller Hockey. My first few posts will be following myself, and possibly some others in our preperations for a match this Saturday. Thats right, I’m kicking you guys off with what should be an awesome B team match against our arch-rivals, the Southampton Spitfires (note: we actually love the Spitfires but I need to create dramatic effect 
) on 19th April at 12:30pm BST.
So how are preperations going? Well, we had our final training session last night which went ok, but we still have some issues with changing lines on the fly. Also, we are unsure if one of our top forwards will be playing due to him pulling a hamstring Sunday in the London Marathon. Fingers are seriously crossed he’ll be back as last year’s fixture netted him a goal and an assist.
On a personal note, I’ve been partnered up with one of our Freshers, Pete. Personally, I find Pete a great teammate, and what he lacks in technique, skill and experience, he more than makes up for with his determination on the rink. I believe our pairing is solid, Pete holds position well and can shoot well if needed.
A second personal note is that I’ll be playing with some new kit Saturday. Sadly my order got cocked up, so my new skates and face-cage will be used on Saturday and I won’t have a training session to adjust to them. However I’m now receiving £199 skates for the price of £147. Seeing as my total order came to £183, I can’t complain to much.
For those interested in the skates it’s a pair of CCM Vector 6.0’s (image courtesy of www.prolineskates.com)
:
Pretty swish aye?
To finish off, I’ll just add that I’ll hopefully be doing daily updates on preperation, and my feelings leading up to the game.
That’s all for now, I’ll update you guys soon.
Matt Wylde, #14 UPRHC
April 12th, 2008 by admin
Major League Baseball strengthened its drug-testing program on Friday in response to the Mitchell Report on the use of drugs in the sport.Commissioner Bud Selig said 600 additional drugs tests would be performed each year and the number of off-season tests would double on average.
Baseball toughens its drug-testing program | Sports | Reuters
March 27th, 2008 by admin
The San Francisco Giants will not reconsider a decision to part ways with controversial home run king Barry Bonds, the team president said on Wednesday.Last season Bonds passed Hank Aaron to become Major League Baseball’s career home run record holder, packing the stands at the Giants ballpark on the scenic San Francisco Bay.
But the club, who at the end of the season said they would not re-sign the free agent, have now removed prominent tributes in the stadium to the slugger, who has steroid allegations and perjury charges hanging over his head.
The legal case is expected to drag out for many months after a federal judge told prosecutors to restructure the indictments against the seven-time National League Most Valuable Player and single-season home run record holder.
Giants repeat no to Bonds, remove his images | Sports | Reuters
March 19th, 2008 by admin
Controversial home-run king Barry Bonds said he has no intention of retiring and still hopes to sign with a team despite steroid allegations and perjury charges hanging over his head.“I’m not going to retire. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Bonds, 43, said in an interview on MLB.com on Wednesday. “I’m working out, I’m training. If my phone rings, it rings, if it don’t, it don’t.
Despite setting baseball’s all-time home run record last season, pushing his career total to 762, there has been little interest in signing the free agent slugger, who faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from an investigation into the BALCO steroid scandal.
The government case alleges Bonds lied in 2003 when he told a federal grand jury investigating the BALCO lab behind closed doors that he had never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. In December 2007, he pleaded not guilty.
The seven-time National League MVP said he is still hoping to sign with a new team for the 2008 season after the San Francisco Giants, for whom he has played since 1993, did not renew his contract.
Bonds retains desire to continue playing career | Sports | Reuters
March 18th, 2008 by admin
“Most of the tickets for UFC 83 were sold in the first 24 hours of our UFC Fight Club presale, and the rest were gone within one minute of the public on-sale today,” said Dana White, UFC President. “I’m excited to say that this event is a sellout, and the fastest one in UFC history, so it’s safe to say we definitely will be back in Canada after this inaugural event.”
Fighting out of Long Island, NY, Matt Serra (16-4) shocked the world a year ago by defeating St-Pierre by first round knockout for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Ever since then, many have speculated on the outcome of a rematch between the two. Serra was set to take on fellow The Ultimate Fighter® Season 6 coach Matt Hughes in a fight on Dec. 29, but he suffered a herniated disc in his back during training and had to pull out of the fight. Now fully recovered, Serra is ready to head to Canada and defend his crown against the man he took it from at UFC 69.
St-Pierre (15-2), fighting out Montreal, Quebec, Canada, became the UFC welterweight champion at UFC 65 when he stopped Matt Hughes in the second round. After losing his belt to Serra in April of 2007, St-Pierre rebounded in spectacular fashion, defeating Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 by a three round unanimous decision, and submitting Hughes in their rubber match for the 170 pound interim title at UFC 79. Now the former champion looks to regain the welterweight crown in his home province and prove to his fans and his country that he is the best 170 pound fighter in the world.
UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®
March 12th, 2008 by admin
The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays engaged in a benches-clearing brawl in an exhibition game on Wednesday.Trouble had been brewing between the teams since Saturday when the Rays’ Elliot Johnson crashed into Francisco Cervelli at the plate, leaving the Yankees catcher with a broken wrist.
On Wednesday, Yankees pitcher Heath Phillips was ejected in the first inning after grazing highly regarded prospect Evan Longoria with a pitch.
In the second, Shelley Duncan of the Yankees slid with his spikes high into Rays’ Akinori Iwamura, cutting the Japanese player’s knee.
Players from both dugouts and bullpens charged onto the field. Tampa outfielder Jonny Gomes raced from right field and knocked into Duncan from behind.
Brawl mars Yankees-Rays training game | Sports | Reuters
