PenneyKoslan
13.01.2012., petak
Oklahoma State's Weeden among three QBs on South squad
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The South squad for that Senior Bowl is placed to feature three record-setting quarterbacks, as Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden, Arizona’s Nick Foles and North Park State’s Ryan Lindley all formally recognized invites to experience in the overall game, it had been introduced Thursday. Weeden, another-team All-Large 12 selection, brought no. 3 Cowboys to some 12-1 record and Fiesta Bowl victory over Stanford. He finished 2011 one of the top 5 in each and every major passing category, including second in passing yards (4,727), second in passing yards per game (363.6) and 4th in touchdown passes (37). He set the Oklahoma Condition single-season records for passing yards, attempts (564), completions (408), and touchdown passes. Foles was a respectable mention All-Pac 12 selection after tossing for any single-season school record 4,334 yards and 28 touchdowns for that Wildcats. In 3 years because the starter, Foles broke the Arizona record for attempts (560) and completions (387) this year and handle the entire year having a 69.1 completion percentage. Foles finished his career at Arizona because the school's all-time leading passer with 10,011 yards and tied for that lead with 67 career touchdown passes. Lindley passed for 3,153 yards and 23 touchdowns this year, capping off his season with 413 passing yards and three touchdowns versus. Louisiana-Lafayette within the New Orleans Bowl. Lindley leaves North Park Condition because the Aztecs' all-time leader in passing yards (12,690) and touchdowns (90), and it is the Mountain West Conference's career passing leader. |
Patriots' Love states polarizing Tebow could be an excessive amount of
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Many National football league fans, as well as individuals nationwide that do not qualify for your category, can sympathise with Gambling defensive tackle Kyle Love. Like Love is quite fed up with listening to possibly the league's most polarizing player in Colorado Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.billiga balklänningar "I can not speak for everyone, I'm able to just speak personally, I'm able to state that it will (become older) for me personally,Inch Love stated, based on the Republican. "It will get to the stage in which you get fed up with hearing it. You just need to keep the TV off if you do not.Inch Tebow, just in case you have not heard, has scores of fans, began a phenomenon known as Tebowing and assisted lead the Broncos towards the 2010 nfl playoffs with several come-from-behind wins after overtaking because the starter in Week 7. Love, possibly recognizing he'd unleashed a less-than-diplomatic response, transformed course with the addition of that Tebowmania can serve as motivation for that Patriots. "I really like hearing it really," Love stated. "It simply makes me wish to play hard." Love and also the Patriots will are able to prevent everybody from speaking much more about Tebow once they face the Broncos an AFC divisional playoff game on Saturday.http://www.balklanningaronline.com |
05.01.2012., četvrtak
Paul, Griffin Help Clippers Rout Rockets 117-89
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Blake Griffin had 22 points and nine assists before sitting out the majority of the 4th quarter, Chris Paul added 20 points and 10 assists, and also the La Clippers cruised to some 117-89 victory within the Houston Rockets on Wednesday evening. Paul shot 9 for 14 coupled with three steals, stretching his streak to 14 consecutive games with a minumum of one. Reserve guard Randy Foye locked up by scoring 14 of his 16 points within the 4th quarter. And center DeAndre Jordan had eight rebounds and 7 points in 28 minutes, while neglecting to block an opponents' shot the very first time in the last 19 games. Chauncey Billups came back towards the selection, playing his first home game using the Clippers after sitting out two games due to an aching groin. He obtained 13 points in 22 minutes. 5-time All-Star, stated in the New You are able to Knicks inside a waiver auction 12 ,. 12, averaged 16 points in the first couple of games using the club. Kyle Lowry had 17 points and five assists for that Rockets, who won 25 of the previous 31 games from the Clippers and held them under 100 points in 14 from the previous 15 conferences. Houston's two best defensive efforts last season - when it comes to cheapest area goal percentage by a rival - were from the Clippers. La shot 36.4 % inside a 96-83 loss, and 34.7 percent inside a 99-78 defeat. The Rockets performed without reserve swingman Courtney Lee, who hurt his right calf Tuesday evening on the non-contact participate in the 4th quarter of the 108-99 loss towards the Opposing team. Paul, who averaged 20.6 points and 10. assists in the previous 16 games against Houston while playing for that New Orleans Hornets, had 11 points and six assists within the first quarter to assist the Clippers develop a 67-55 halftime lead. La ended the half shooting 67.five percent while carrying out four of their seven turnovers. Reserve guard Ryan Gomes beat the very first-quarter buzzer having a 17-footer in the left baseline for any 41-26 margin. The Rockets simplified the space to 47-40 on Lowry's 3-pointer with 7:38 left within the second quarter, but got no closer the relaxation of the overall game because the Clippers drawn away within the third. Griffin, who visited the bench permanently with 10:17 remaining, carried out with 16 points within the fresh paint - together with a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Paul to cap an 18-7 run and provide La a 85-62 cushion with 5:47 left within the third. Houston coach Kevin McHale then purged his bench throughout the ensuing timeout, and also the Rockets obtained the following four points. Moments later, Griffin and reserve center Samuel Dalembert nearly experienced it underneath the Clippers' basket before these were separated by Jordan. The 4th quarter grew to become a showcase for Foye, who obtained 10 points within the first 3:42 to assist the Clippers increase a 15-point result in 102-76. He added a layup to really make it a 30-point advantage with 5:07 to experience. |
Zambrano completes Marlins' circus act
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Much as I enjoy covering all 30 teams as the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com, the time has come for a change. I am writing to ask that you allow me to cover the Miami Marlins full time next season. For the good of the company, of course. I’ll take the Fish. Morosi can take the 29 other teams, including the pathetic Yankees and Red Sox, who suddenly are too cheap to sign utility infielders, much less starting pitchers who might actually help them beat the low-rent Rays. Trust me, Rick, this has nothing to do with any desire of mine to live in Miami, party on South Beach and work at a new ballpark — I’m not that selfish. You know me, Rick, it’s all about the story. And the Fish are about to make the old Bronx Zoo look like a petting zoo, turn Little Havana into their very own baseball asylum. It all hit me Wednesday when the Marlins reached an agreement to send righty Chris Volstad to the Cubs for right-hander Carlos Zambrano and a psychiatrist to be named later. Actually, one shrink won’t be nearly enough. You remember the old line about the Red Sox, 25 cabs for 25 players? The Marlins need 25 couches for 25 players, plus more for manager Ozzie Guillen, the front office and owner Jeffrey Loria, who surely is about to guarantee 130 wins. Rick, this is a team that will require daily “analysis,” not just from professional “counselors,” but also baseball-writing hacks like myself. I am ready to serve. Bill Reiter covered the Miami Heat full time for FOXSports.com last season, did he not? King James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh weren’t one-tenth as entertaining as Ozzie, Big Z and Hanley Ramirez will be. Not to mention Logan Morrison, the beloved @LoMoMarlins on Twitter, who engaged in this glorious exchange with Ozzie on Tuesday night. (Please ignore the typos. These two work without filters, much less editors.) @LoMoMarlins: “I really hope Ozzies on-field instructions r easier 2 understand than his tweets. I literally have no idea what this dude is talking about.” @OzzieGuillen: “If you need instructions you are in big troble with me. Good players don’t need that lol. Happy new years.” Rick, need I remind you that it is only early January. Wait until spring training, the regular season and — one can only hope — the postseason. In fact, I already can promise you the following exclusives: • Ozzie ripping LeBron. • Hanley ripping Jose Reyes. • Big Z “retiring.” • Morrison ripping team management. The latter two stories, of course, will be encore presentations, reprises from last season. But don’t worry, I’ll make ‘em sing. You may recall, I have histories with Guillen and Zambrano — histories that I am ready to exploit for one scoop after another. Guillen is at or near the top of my “Managers on the Hot Seat” column every spring. Last season I dropped him to No. 2, just behind the Athletics’ Bob Geren, just ahead of the Marlins’ Edwin Rodriguez. Pretty fortuitous, if I do say so myself, but Ozzie immediately began squawking on Twitter, saying he would take my job, etc. ... To quote LoMo, I literally had no idea what the dude was talking about. I reminded Ozzie on Twitter that when he worked for FOX during the 2010 postseason, he pledged to wear a bow tie in a heartwarming display of network solidarity — and never did anything of the sort. Ozzie responded that he would wear a bow tie the following postseason, at which point I reminded him that his goal should be to manage in the postseason, not broadcast in it. And you wonder why Oz no longer is managing the White Sox. With Big Z, I must admit, the situation was a little more tense. I mean, it isn’t often that a player screams at a field reporter in the middle of a nationally televised game, right? Well, it happened last June. And it might have been the only incident involving Big Z over the last several years for which he received an apology. From yours truly, of course. Big Z had told me he was willing to waive his no-trade clause. I reported that on FOXSports.com and on the MLB on FOX broadcast. Big Z also had told me that he loved Chicago, loved Cubs fans and wanted to stay with the team. I included that in my FOXSports.com report, but failed to mention it on TV. Evidently, Big Z was listening. He yelled at me from the end of the dugout — yelled because it was loud and difficult to hear, not because he was in his usual assault-the-water-cooler state. For once, he actually had a point. I said so during the broadcast, and later on FOXSports.com. Accountable guy that he is, I’m sure that Big Z remembers how accountable I was to him. I’ll probably end up writing his biography, don’t you think? Rick, I beg you: Turn me loose. Let others cover baseball as usual. I’ll take Miami.balklänning |
01.12.2011., četvrtak
Red Sox hire Bobby Valentine
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The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday night that Bobby Valentine will be introduced as manager Thursday. The team will host a news conference at 5:30 p.m. at Fenway Park to announce Valentine's hire. Valentine, reached at his Connecticut home before Wednesday's announcement, called the Red Sox "a storied franchise."balklänningar "Having a great baseball team with a chance of winning the ultimate title is what people dream about, and I'm one of those who dream about those things," Valentine told ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor from by phone. The hiring comes a little over two months since the Red Sox announced on Sept. 30 that they were not exercising the two-year contract option they held on Terry Francona, who in his eight seasons as manager guided the Red Sox to two World Series titles, the one in 2004 ending an 86-year championship drought. But Francona also presided over the collapse of the Red Sox in a 7-20 September in which they fell out of playoff contention on the final day of the regular season. No team had ever held a lead as large as the Red Sox had for a playoff spot so deep into a season -- the Sox held a nine-game advantage in the wild card on Sept. 3 -- and failed to qualify for the playoffs.bröllopsklänning Francona said at the time he parted from the Red Sox that he felt it was "time for a new voice," but also said that he was never asked to return. Whether the players are open to the new voice is up for debate after a clubhouse source told ESPNBoston.com last week that a team official told at least one player at the beginning of the managerial search that they "weren't going to hire Bobby Valentine or someone like that." The conversation sests that Valentine, known as a no-nonsense manager in stints with the Mets and Rangers during 15 years, was perceived by some as a darkhorse candidate who would not be popular with some players. "They're going to have a mess on their hands," the source said when asked what would happen if Valentine, who at that time was just one of several candidates, was hired. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney had heard similar rumblings, citing sources Wednesday saying that "some Red Sox players have been upset" that Valentine had emerged as a candidate and have been "grumbling to each other, through texts and phone calls."http://www.balklanningaronline.com Valentine declined to address reports that some Red Sox players are upset that he emerged as a leading candidate for the job. Asked if he was surprised it took this long for him to get this close to a big league job after his firing from the Mets in 2002, Valentine told ESPNNewYork.com, "I enjoy every day of my life, so when I wake up in the morning I do the best I can. I think that's always kept me from worrying or being consumed with what I'm not doing. When I had a job, I wasn't thinking about having another job." Valentine, who has been working as a baseball analyst for ESPN, had been kept under wraps as a candidate after new general manager Ben Cherington publicly announced his plans to choose a manager from a list of five publicly announced suitors for the job. The Red Sox arranged for one of those candidates, Dale Sveum, to fly to Milwaukee two weeks ago to meet with members of the team's ownership group who were in town for the major league owners' meetings, and appeared to be Cherington's No. 1 choice for the job. But Sveum was not offered the job after meeting with the owners, and instead was hired by former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein to manage the Chicago Cubs. |
Leach to coach at Washington State
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Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the new head coach at Washington State. The school said Wednesday that Leach had agreed in principle to a five-year contract. He will be introduced next Tuesday at a news conference in Pullman. Terms of the contract were not immediately available. Leach, 50, posted an 84-43 record at Texas Tech, leading the Red Raiders to 10 bowl appearances in 10 seasons. He was fired in 2009 amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion. He replaces Paul Wulff, who was fired after four losing seasons. ''I have always admired the tradition of Washington State,'' Leach said in a statement. ''It's a university on the move that is experiencing growth. I'm excited about what they are doing with the facilities and it's a team that has battled through some hard times and shows great promise in the future. ''I'm proud to be a part of this team,'' Leach said. He was hired by athletic director Bill Moos. ''I have spoken about the need to re-energize our fan base and take Cougar football to the next level,'' Moos said in a statement. ''I believe the hiring of Mike Leach accomplishes both of those goals.'' Leach was at the top of Moos' list of candidates, in part because Moos wants a high-powered offense at WSU. While at Texas Tech, Leach's Air Raid offense routinely led the nation in passing and set numerous records. Leach was offensive coordinator at Kentucky and Oklahoma before becoming the Red Raiders head coach in 2000. In 2009, Texas Tech fired Leach two days after suspending him after it was alleged he mistreated receiver Adam James, who had a concussion. Leach denied the allegations and later sued for wrongful termination. Leach has said he suspects an $800,000 bonus he was due the next day was the reason he was fired. In a separate case, Leach has also sued ESPN Inc. and a Dallas public relations firm, accusing them of libel and slander after he was fired. James is the son of ESPN analyst Craig James. Leach has been out of coaching the past two seasons. During that time he has put out two books, worked in television and hosted a satellite radio show. Wulff was fired after posting a 9-40 record in four years during which he was charged with rebuilding a downtrodden football program. The Cougars finished 4-8 this season, the best record of his tenure. Moos said Tuesday he was looking for a coach who would lead a high-powered offense that would win games, fill the stands at Martin Stadium and prompt donors to open their checkbooks. Leach would seem to fill all those criteria. Construction has already started on an $80 million project to add premium seating, luxury boxes and a new press box. Also on the drawing board is a $60 million football operations building. ''I asked athletic director Bill Moos to select the best head football coach in the country and I am convinced that he has done exactly that,'' WSU President Elson S. Floyd said in a statement. Leach was born in Susanville, Calif., and raised in Cody, Wyo. At Texas Tech, his offense led the nation in passing six times and three times accumulated the most total yards. In 2009, the Red Raiders were second in passing offense and fourth in total offense, with both marks tops among BCS conference schools. Defensively, Texas Tech held opponents without an offensive touchdown a dozen times under Leach, including seven shutouts. Leach spent one season as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma (1999), as the Sooners set six Big 12 Conference records. He spent two seasons in a similar capacity at Kentucky (1997-98), the only two seasons in school history in which it passed for more than 4,000 yards. |
Wazzu hires Leach as new coach
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Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the new head coach at Washington State. The school said Wednesday that Leach had agreed in principle to a five-year contract. He will be introduced next Tuesday at a news conference in Pullman. Terms of the contract were not immediately available. Leach, 50, posted an 84-43 record at Texas Tech, leading the Red Raiders to 10 bowl appearances in 10 seasons. He was fired in 2009 amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion. He replaces Paul Wulff, who was fired after four losing seasons. "I have always admired the tradition of Washington State," Leach said in a statement. "It's a university on the move that is experiencing growth. I'm excited about what they are doing with the facilities and it's a team that has battled through some hard times and shows great promise in the future. "I'm proud to be a part of this team," Leach said.bröllopsklänning He was hired by athletic director Bill Moos. "I have spoken about the need to re-energize our fan base and take Cougar football to the next level," Moos said in a statement. "I believe the hiring of Mike Leach accomplishes both of those goals." Leach was at the top of Moos' list of candidates, in part because Moos wants a high-powered offense at WSU. While at Texas Tech, Leach's Air Raid offense routinely led the nation in passing and set numerous records. Leach was offensive coordinator at Kentucky and Oklahoma before becoming the Red Raiders head coach in 2000. In 2009, Texas Tech fired Leach two days after suspending him after it was alleged he mistreated receiver Adam James, who had a concussion. Leach denied the allegations and later sued for wrongful termination. Leach has said he suspects an $800,000 bonus he was due the next day was the reason he was fired. In a separate case, Leach has also sued ESPN Inc. and a Dallas public relations firm, accusing them of libel and slander after he was fired. James is the son of ESPN analyst Craig James. Leach has been out of coaching the past two seasons. During that time he has put out two books, worked in television and hosted a satellite radio show. Wulff was fired after posting a 9-40 record in four years during which he was charged with rebuilding a downtrodden football program. The Cougars finished 4-8 this season, the best record of his tenure. Moos said Tuesday he was looking for a coach who would lead a high-powered offense that would win games, fill the stands at Martin Stadium and prompt donors to open their checkbooks. Leach would seem to fill all those criteria. Construction has already started on an $80 million project to add premium seating, luxury boxes and a new press box. Also on the drawing board is a $60 million football operations building. "I asked athletic director Bill Moos to select the best head football coach in the country and I am convinced that he has done exactly that," WSU President Elson S. Floyd said in a statement. Leach was born in Susanville, Calif., and raised in Cody, Wyo. At Texas Tech, his offense led the nation in passing six times and three times accumulated the most total yards. In 2009, the Red Raiders were second in passing offense and fourth in total offense, with both marks tops among BCS conference schools. Defensively, Texas Tech held opponents without an offensive touchdown a dozen times under Leach, including seven shutouts. Leach spent one season as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma (1999), as the Sooners set six Big 12 Conference records. He spent two seasons in a similar capacity at Kentucky (1997-98), the only two seasons in school history in which it passed for more than 4,000 yards. |
02.08.2011., utorak
Mets Begin Key Stretch With a Step Back
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The Mets play 32 of their remaining 53 games at home. For most teams on the fringes of a playoff chase, that would be a blessing. For the Mets, it seems more like a curse. Their .550 winning percentage on the road entering their game against the Florida Marlins on Monday night was the fifth best in the majors. Their .458 mark at home was fifth worst.balklänningar online Settling in at Citi Field after rough weekend in Washington, the Mets played down to that trend. The Mets’ offense slumbered against Marlins starter Javier Vazquez for most of the game, until Lucas Duda, the rookie tasked with replacing the departed superstar Carlos Beltran, hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth to tie the score. But in the top of the 10th, Jason Isringhausen, who replaced the traded Francisco Rodriguez as closer, allowed three straight one-out singles. Then, with the bases loaded, Mike Stanton ripped a home run into the left field seats to give the Marlins a 7-3 victory. The loss was the Mets’ third straight, and the second in a row in which they tied the score with a ninth-inning home run only to lose it in their opponents’ next time at bat. “Very unfortunately, we’ve been here before,” Manager Terry Collins said. “And we’ve bounced back from before and we’ll bounce back again.” Stanton’s grand slam could have been avoided had first baseman Daniel Murphy made a headier play when Dewayne Wise, who advanced runners to second and third with a single, overran first base. Murphy cut off the throw from Duda, but instead of throwing it to Justin Turner covering first, he tried chasing Wise back to the bag. He made a belated flip to Turner, but it was too late.  “I was trying to make sure the run didn’t score, and I got caught in no man’s land,” Murphy said. “It changed the whole inning. It was a bad play on my part.” Getting Wise would have left Isringhausen with two outs and first base open, and after the game Collins said he probably would have walked Stanton, one of the more dangerous power hitters in baseball this season. “He makes mistakes,” Collins said of Murphy. “But I bet you that never happens again.” Hours earlier, the first day of August had offered a symbolic demarcation of sorts, a chance for the Mets to step back and consider the state of their affairs as they enter the final two months of the season. To be sure, they are long shots to make the playoffs. They are seven and a half games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card race, but with the Braves visiting New York for a three-game series this weekend, along with another set later this month, the Mets on Monday could not help portraying their current 10-game homestand as vital. The actions, or lack thereof, of the Mets’ front office last weekend as well seemed to underscore the team’s hopeful outlook. General Manager Sandy Alderson disclosed some of his thought processes from the past week. The Mets’ two big trades, which sent away Rodriguez and Beltran, were interpreted by some as a clear signal of surrender. But Alderson said he refrained from dealing other players to give his team a chance to win this year. “We could have done something with one or two other players,” Alderson said. “But we decided on balance that we were better off keeping those players and giving the remaining group as good of an opportunity as possible to see how far they could go.” He said that as the nonwaiver trade deadline approached on Sunday, the Mets looked for a middle reliever to bolster their floundering bullpen. Alderson said it was not uncommon for teams to morph from sellers to buyers in the trade market in a matter of weeks. The Mets still have time to make that switch, he said. But on Monday, they showed that their needs may extend beyond the bullpen. The Marlins nagged Mike Pelfrey from the start, piecing together a three-run lead through the first three and a half innings. Pelfrey left the game after six innings, having given up only three runs. But he battled hard to get there, throwing 119 pitches. The Mets got a run back in the fourth, when Jason Bay smashed a 1-2 fastball that drifted up in the strike zone into the bullpen in right-center field, making the score 3-1. Duda’s blast in the ninth — 425 feet into the center-field seats — sent the fans into frenzy. The Mets players urged Duda, a soft-spoken 25-year-old, out of the dugout for a curtain call. “It was really loud,” Duda said of the crowd of 28,862. “I went out there, and gave them a little fist pump, and that was it. It was pretty cool.” But they were booing soon enough, after Stanton’s homer settled into the seats in left. INSIDE PITCH Sandy Alderson said that Johan Santana’s next rehabilitation start, originally scheduled for Wednesday, would be pushed back at least one day after Santana told coaches Monday morning that his left arm was not feeling strong. Alderson said that Santana, who is returning from surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder, did not report any pain. |
30.03.2011., srijeda
Fiesta Bowl boss fired after investigation
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The Fiesta Bowl will be asked to justify its inclusion in the BCS after organizers for the Arizona game fired president and CEO John Junker for "an apparent scheme" to reimburse employees for political contributions and "an apparent conspiracy" to cover it up. The Fiesta Bowl released a scathing internal report Tuesday. The reimbursements, listed as at least $46,539 US, are an apparent violation of state campaign finance laws and the charter that allows the Fiesta Bowl its non-profit status. The Arizona attorney general's office is conducting a probe of the matter. The BCS reacted swiftly, saying it would undertake an investigation of its own to "consider whether the Fiesta Bowl should remain a BCS bowl game or other appropriate sanctions."  The Fiesta board of directors voted unanimously to fire Junker "for his improper and inappropriate activities documented" in the report. "The entire Fiesta Bowl family is angered and disappointed by what we've seen in the report and by the actions of Mr. Junker," Fiesta Bowl board chairman Duane Woods told reporters at the event's headquarters in downtown Scottsdale. "The Fiesta Bowl is greater than a few individuals, and the lesson here really is that we placed too much trust in a single individual." Woods did not take questions. Junker, in his ubiquitous bright yellow Fiesta Bowl sports jacket, had been the face of the event for three decades, leading it from an upstart event to one of the BCS giants. With an annual salary of about $600,000, he had been on paid administrative lead since Feb. 4 after, the board said, he failed to comply with two written directives to co-operate with the investigation. The phone at Junker's home was busy and there was no immediate response to emails sent to the two lawyers representing him. The board said the probe also uncovered "excessive compensation, nonbusiness and inappropriate expenditures and inappropriate gifts." Junker's lawyer, Steve Dichter, said via email that his client did not have access to the report before it was made public. He said the document was being studied before it was determined whether Junker would have a comment on it. The 276-page report of an investigation that conducted by Fiesta Bowl board members and a retired Arizona state Supreme Court justice, was published on the bowl's Web site fiestabowl.org. The investigators said it found the "apparent scheme" to reimburse at least $46,539 for employees' political contributions. The probe also found "an apparent conspiracy to conceal the reimbursement scheme from the bowl's Board of Directors and state officials," according to the news release accompanying the report. The BCS issued a statement from executive director Bill Hancock and Penn State University President Graham Spanier, chair of the presidential oversight committee. 'Deeply disappointed' "We are deeply disappointed and troubled to learn of these findings related to the Fiesta Bowl," the statement said. "Unprofessional, unethical or improper behaviour is unacceptable. There is no place for such activities in higher education or in collegiate sports. It is expected that all parties contracted with the BCS will live up to the highest standards. We do not wish to be associated with entities that believe otherwise. " BCS leaders said they will appoint a task force to evaluate the bowl's findings and its recommendations. They have also "asked the bowl to demonstrate why it should remain a BCS bowl game. The task force will evaluate the bowl's response, along with the full slate of reforms instituted by the bowl." And if the bowl remains a part of the BCS, its handling of this matter will be closely monitored going forward. Bowl officials said the initial, brief investigation of the reimbursements allegations was "flawed." That probe found no evidence of any such wrongdoing. Woods, head of Waste Management Inc. for the Western Region, played a major role in saving the PGA's Phoenix Open. Now he's got a far bigger cleanup effort. He said the actions of Junker "unfortunately, have tainted the stellar reputation that the Fiesta Bowl has worked so hard to maintain for more than 40 years. The Fiesta Bowl, however, is greater than a few individuals; it is the product of thousands of dedicated volunteers and exemplary employees who work tirelessly and care so deeply about the Fiesta Bowl and all it does for the state of Arizona." 'Flawed' report Woods outlined the time line that began with a report in The Arizona Republic in December, 2009, that five former or current Fiesta Bowl employees had been reimbursed for political donations they were encouraged to make. A brief investigation by former Arizona attorney general Grant Woods, no relation to the board chairman, led the board to conclude there was no credible evidence to support the allegations. Now, the board says that report was "flawed." Duane Woods said that last September, an employee — identified in the report as Junker's executive assistant Kelly Keough -- came to his office and told him that indeed the reimbursements had been made. That led to the lengthy probe that resulted in Tuesday's report. Retired state Supreme Court justice Ruth McGregor, one of the three-member investigative panel, said the trio was given full access to everything related to the probe without any resistance from the board. "We are confident that our report is thorough and accurate," she said. "Although the findings are deeply disturbing, I am gratified that the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors is moving forward with affirmative and concrete steps to address its problems." The reimbursements go back to at least 2002, the report concluded. The political donations, mostly to Republican candidates and causes, were not required but strongly sested, several employees told the investigators. According to the report, when the initial investigation was made following The Republic's story, lobbyist Gary Husk helped guide Woods away from those who had actually been given reimbursements and groomed others who were interviewed on what to say. The Husk Brothers lobbying firm was paid $286,000 by the Fiesta Bowl in 2009, according reports filed by the IRS.balklänning The board announced a series of steps to reform its operations and operate transparently to prevent any repeat of such problems. That includes hiring a chief financial officer and a general counsel/compliance officer. The bowl has three years left on its four-year contract BCS contract. That could give it enough time to clean up its problems in the face of a possible challenge from the Cotton Bowl, which long has coveted a return to elite bowl status and now has a big, new stadium to bolster its case.bröllopsklänning Cotton Bowl President Rick Baker declined comment through a bowl spokesman. Among the many expenditures questioned by the report was the 50th birthday celebration for Junker paid for by the Fiesta Bowl at a cost of $33,0000 at Pebble Beach, Calif.;, his car allowance and paid membership in four elite private golf clubs. There also was a $1,200 trip for Junker and two others to a Phoenix strip club. The Fiesta, which also operates the Insight Bowl and many other smaller events, staged the highly anticipated matchup between Auburn and Oregon for the national championship this year. The seven-member BCS task force investigating the matter will be headed by Spanier and includes Northern Illinois president John Peters, Big East commissioner John Marinatto, Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters, and athletic directors Jeremy Foley of Florida, Bob Bowlsby of Stanford and Richard Giannani of Southern Mississippi. |
23.03.2011., srijeda
Frazier focusing on mental aptitude of QBs
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NEW ORLEANS -- As Minnesota Vikings officials arrived Sunday to the NFL owners meeting, they found themselves at about the midway point of their offseason project to draft a franchise quarterback. Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman sested the team will devote multiple visits to at least six quarterbacks, and coach Leslie Frazier said he is starting to get "a feel" for how the team will stack its draft board. balklänningar online Through various reports, five of those quarterbacks have been revealed: Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Auburn's Cam Newton, TCU's Andy Dalton, Washington's Jake Locker and Arkansas' Ryan Mallett.  "I'm trying to be open minded until we finish some of these private workouts," Frazier said. "But it's hard not to [get enamored midway through the process] when you watch a certain tape and go, 'Oh man, this is the guy.' Then you put on another tape and go, 'Wait a minute. This guy...' So you have to be careful and just go through the process. But each one of them, they all have good qualities of some kind. I do have to catch myself sometimes not getting biased before we finish this process." The Vikings are using the private workouts mostly to make social observations and to give Frazier and other coaches a chance for more personal conversation that can reveal character and leadership insights. To understand how important that facet of the scouting process is, look no further than the Vikings' experience over the past four years with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson -- an excellent athlete with a rocket arm who was more comfortable in a secondary locker-room role than as a leader. "For me," Frazier said, "the communication and getting to know them -- sometimes in their environment, sometimes if it's at the combine or if we're going to bring them to our facility -- that to me is as important as the mechanics and so on. I think we've got good people that are going to help them [in] their fundamentals and get them from a technique standpoint. But I've got to feel good that they've got the leadership qualities and can mesh with some of my thoughts on the quarterback position. My one-on-one time with them, and just being around them is as important to me as what they can do from a pro day or workouts. "Sometimes you have to be careful about being too enamored with a pro day or that combine workout. ... So I have to have a good feel for that person. The quarterback position is unlike any other person on the team. That guy, his mental is as important as his athletic ability. More important, in a lot of ways. Good athletes at quarterback don't always become franchise quarterbacks. For us, we're looking and hoping to find a franchise quarterback. For us, that's what we're looking to find. So my time with him is as important or more important than what we see on tape." I'm not sure if there is much to read into Frazier's comments, although it might help explain why neither he nor Spielman attended Newton's pro day. There aren't many questions about Newton's ability to throw or run; it's his football savvy and leadership abilities that the Vikings no doubt want to investigate further. My thoughts on this situation haven't changed much since last week, when I sested the Vikings aren't likely to have either Newton or Gabbert available to them at No. 12 overall. They'll have to decide whether they want to pay a steep price to trade up for one of them, or if they feel comfortable taking Locker at No. 12 or if they will target another quarterback lower in the draft. I asked Frazier if he was far enough in the process to feel confident the Vikings will be able to draft one of the quarterbacks they like in this draft. billiga balklänningar "I have a feel for it," he said. "You're guessing a little bit on what people ahead of you are going to do so you think you have a feel. But ... you know [things] can change in a hurry. All of a sudden somebody you think wasn't looking at quarterbacks jumps up to a spot and you go like, 'Uh, oh.'" The Vikings' goal over the next five weeks? Ensuring that "uh-oh" never gets uttered in their draft room. |
