FIGHT NIGHT CLUB: THE FACTS
Open” workouts for the boxing media rarely include sparring sessions these days, but an interested observer can still learn a thing or two by closely watching the fighters who take part in the events.
That was the case last week when Charles Huerta, Luis Ramos, Carlos Molina and Ronny Rios -- the featured prospects of Thursday’s second installment of "Fight Night Club" -- shook out for the writers and photographers at the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles.
Before attending the open workout, I knew the young up-and-comers had a lot in common.
They all recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions, the company that came up with "Fight Night Club", and they will likely become staples of the new monthly series from downtown L.A.’s Club Nokia.
They’re all former amateur standouts from various parts of Southern California, and they’re also clean cut, well spoken and friendly.
However, they aren’t clones. The young men have various levels of talent and different ring personalities that will eventually be revealed to fight fans who tune into "FNC" and follow their progression.
They also have different styles, which was evident during last Thursday’s workout.
You can learn a fair amount about a fighter’s style and foundation just by watching him shadowbox and hit the mitts. Obviously you won’t be able to tell how well he takes a punch or how good his endurance is under fight conditions, but if you know what to look for, you can gain a good sense of his fundamentals: his foot placement, balance, defensive and offensive technique, and to a lesser extent his rhythm and hand speed.
Years ago when I first watched Edwin Valero train I was instantly impressed with the Venezuelan southpaw even though it would be weeks before I saw him spar. Sure, his many gym wars with Urbano Antillon and Jose Armando Santa Cruz sold me on his potential, but I could tell that he was special by watching him go through his floor exercises.
Sometimes you can get a glimpse of a fighter’s personality and temperament during open workouts.
I remember watching David Reid train in front of the media at Joe Goossen’s gym in Van Nuys, Calif., before one of his title defenses. The 1996 Olympic gold medalist immediately froze up when video cameras were trained on him. The camcorders made the Philadelphian so uncomfortable he literally shook while shadow boxing in the ring.
Reid tried to hide from them as he worked the heavybag, but as he stepped around the big 150-pound bag, he was followed by the videographers until he abruptly stopped what he was doing and loudly demanded that everyone put the video cameras away.
Around the same time, the late 1990s, at the now-defunct L. A. Boxing Club, I recall Erik Morales directing one of his cronies to switch off a boom box that was blasting Hip-Hop and replace the rap music with a CD of Banda and Norteño music.
Ramos, Huerta, Rios and Molina didn’t have a problem with video cameras -- in fact, they all appeared to enjoy being interviewed by RingTV.com’s Jaime Cervantes and Daniel Morales -- and they didn’t seem to mind the Hip-Hop that was blasting inside the Westside Boxing Club, either. Aside from 50 Cent’s first CD, it was mostly old-school rap like EPMD and Public Enemy that played during their workouts.
It was during Rob Base & E-Z Rock’s “It Takes Two” that I realized the music the young four were training to came out before most of them were born.
Rios was born in 1990. I’ve got T-shirts that are older than he is!
THE FUTURE FOUR
But I digress, here are my observations of Golden Boy’s “Future Four”:
Ramos (11-0, 6 knockouts)
The 21-year-old resident of Santa Ana, Calif., was the first to arrive and get his workout started in the ring. I’ve seen Ramos’ last two fights -- a four-round decision over Anthony Martinez in March and a fifth-round KO of Baudel Cardenas on last month’s "Fight Night Club" premiere -- and he’s best described as an aggressive southpaw boxer with heavy hands.
I’m fairly certain that he’s the most versatile of the four young guns.
The key to this versatility is good footwork. Just because he can punch doesn’t mean he’s a plodder. Ramos has the ability to get up on the balls of his feet and step in and out as he jabs, which helps him set up his power shots.
I don’t think he’s going to develop into a stick-and-move specialist. He’s no ballerina, but there’s a nice fluidity and rhythm to his movements that will serve him well in avoiding any head-on clash in which he doesn’t wish to engage.
And when it comes to offense, Ramos has the goods. He has a strong jab, a very quick straight left (which he often shoots to the chest or stomach of his opponents) and hard body shots. His punch delivery is very tight. His left is straight as an arrow, he turns his right hook over when he drops it and he bends his knees and gets his back and shoulders into every body shot.
If you missed Ramos’ impressive performance against Cardenas last month, you should check it out in RingTV’s "Fight Night Club" archive:
http://www.ringtv.com/video/ramos_vs_cardenas_fight_night_club/
This Thursday, Ramos takes on veteran journeyman Sandro Marcos (27-19-2, 23 KOs) in a six-round lightweight bout.
Rios (5-0, 2 KOs)
The next member of the Future Four to get into the ring was the “kid” of the bunch. I’ve never seen Rios fight but I’ve been told that the 19-year-old Santa Ana, Calif., resident is “a natural fighter.” He started boxing less than five years ago but he won a national Golden Gloves title and two U.S. amateur championships before he turned pro last October.
The first thing I noticed while Rios shadow boxed was that he doesn’t get on his toes as much as Ramos does, but he has good balance. His foot placement kind of reminds me of that bow-legged stance that Fernando Vargas had and that Victor Ortiz has to a lesser extent.
I could tell by his body language that Rios is very relaxed in the ring. His trainer Hector Lopez, who also trains Ramos, told me that Rios can box effectively from a distance but he often elects to fight on the inside. Lopez acknowledged that he’ll have to reign Rios in a little bit over the next year or so until the teen develops his “man muscle”.
Rios has good height and reach for a featherweight, but he likes to drop compact hooks and crosses. He worked a lot of block-and-counter moves while shadow boxing and while on the mitts with Lopez, so I expect him to do most of his damage in close.
This Thursday, Rios takes on Rodrigo Aranda (8-9, 2 KOs) in a four-round featherweight bout.
Huerta (11-0, 6 KOs)
I’m familiar with the 22-year-old Paramount, Calif., native. I’ve seen at least four of his pro fights, a few of his amateur bouts and I’ve practically watched him grow up at the Maywood Boxing Club.
Huerta always had a professional style. He’s an accurate-punching stalker who walks his opponents down behind a high guard and stiff jab until he can zero in with a debilitating body shot or power punch to the noggin. His style is refreshingly uncomplicated and a joy to watch.
Even while shadow boxing, it’s clear that every punch Huerta throws is hard and accurate. He usually looks to set up his hook (to the body or head), a punch he was known for in the amateurs, but he’s been developing his right cross since turning pro. He has very good offensive technique but his feet are a little bit flat and heavy; he can be offset by a mobile boxer with quick hands.
However, in his last bout, the co-feature on the first "FNC" card, Huerta counter punched well and effectively cut the ring off on Noe Lopez Jr., a former amateur standout from Mexico with a jab-and-move style.
If you missed Huerta’s impressive third-round KO of the undefeated southpaw, you can catch it at RingTV’s "Fight Night Club" archive:
http://www.ringtv.com/video/huerta_vs_lopez_fight_night_club/
On Thursday, Huerta will headline the show against another unbeaten amateur standout, Derrick Wilson (4-0-1, 1 KO), in a six-round featherweight bout.
Molina (7-0, 3 KOs)
I’ve never seen Molina fight live, but I know that like his brother, 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina, the 23-year-old Commerce, Calif., resident had an extensive amateur career. However, unlike his brother, it appears that Molina is not a pure boxer.
I could tell right off from the manner in which he shadow boxed and worked the mitts with his trainer Clemente Medina that Molina likes to engage. He didn’t jab much during his shadow boxing warm up, but that changed when Medina instructed him on the mitts.
When Molina worked his jab, his style reminded me of Huerta’s, only he was a little bit quicker and had a higher punch output. Medina had Molina operating from a distance and getting maximum leverage on his power shots.
Molina has a good right hand, which is delivered straight and fast, but his hooker-cut (left hook-uppercut hybrid punch) is pure evil. I expect him to knock out a lot of guys with this shot.
On Thursday, Molina will face Colombian journeyman Eber Luis Perez (9-12, 7 KOs) in a four-round lightweight bout.
MAYWOOD BOXING CLUB
One of the many things shadow boxing and mitt work won’t tell you about a fighter is how well he adjusts to an opponent’s style. So when Lopez told me that Ramos would be sparring Molina at the Maywood Boxing Club on Friday I made it a point to be there to witness it.
I was curious to see how Molina would adjust to Ramos’ mobility and how the southpaw would deal with the orthodox fighter’s aggression.
One word described the climate inside the busy gym in the heart of Maywood, Calif. that Friday morning: Sweltering.
I noticed Ramos and Molina “warming up” for their sparring session on heavy bags as soon as I stepped inside the gym. Their tee-shirts were already soaked with sweat. Junior middleweight prospect Alfredo Angulo was pouring sweat as he got his hands wrapped.
I joked that someone forgot to turn on the air conditioner.
“This isn’t the Wild Card gym,” Angulo said in English. “Here are boxers, not stars.”
His trainer, Medina, added: “The best sparring is here, the best fighters are here.”
The sparring at the Maywood gym is definitely on par with what I’ve seen at the Wild Card Boxing Club, and despite its oven-like conditions in the summer, it’s more comfortable to observe fighters training because it’s a bigger space. However, I can’t agree with Medina’s statement that the MBC has better fighters than the Wild Card, which pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao calls home.
But who knows? Maybe the Maywood gym will one day host world champions and elite fighters. I saw four unbeaten prospects under the age of 23 as I scanned the room that Friday morning: Ramos, Molina, Huerta and 20-year-old bantamweight Leo Santa Cruz, the younger brother of former lightweight contender Jose Armando (who was there). Let’s see how far they go in two or three years.
Santa Cruz (9-0-1, 2 KOs) looked good outpointing Jonathan Velardez over six rounds in his last bout, which took place in Reno, Nev., on July 10. What I liked about Santa Cruz’s performance, aside from the fact that he was fighting a little bit under the weather, was that he showed versatility. He used his height and reach and boxed in the early rounds and then pressed the action over the second half of the bout in typical Santa Cruz swarming fashion.
Ramos and Molina also showed me versatility during their six-round sparring session, which speaks well of their futures in the ring.
Lopez told me that Ramos and Molina fought in the amateurs (Ramos won a closely contested bout) and have sparred many times in the past. Their familiarity was evident in the first round, as they took their time and gave each other respect.
However, there was still an intensity to the round as both fighters were clearly looking for that one opening to prompt a power shot. Molina was looking to land a hook over Ramos’ right jab, but the southpaw’s speed and timing allowed him to land that punch anyway. By the end of the round Molina found that he was able to land lead right hands to the chest of Ramos, backing the southpaw up.
I don’t think Ramos liked being backed up. He started the second round fast and aggressive, signaling the end of the “feeling out” process, which suited Molina just fine. They went tit for tat, exchanging fast and crisp combinations in close for the entire round.
In the third round I saw something from Molina that I would never observe during shadow boxing and mitt work -- strategy. Molina stopped loading up with power shots and began to shoot a well-timed jab while stepping back. He wanted to lure Ramos into a counter punch. Medina liked what he saw but implored Molina to move his head while doing it. Molina listened and added a nice shoulder feint to his upper-body movement.
Guess what? The strategy and defensive movement worked. Molina landed a pair of lead right hands, which ignited an attack from Ramos that pushed him back into a corner where the two let their hands go for the final 20 seconds of the round.
Ramos stayed aggressive in the fourth round, forcing Molina to back up. However, Molina seemed to relish the contact and willingly traded body-head power shots with Ramos for the rest of the round. Ramos changed tactics in the fifth by getting on his toes and keeping Molina at the end of his educated jab. He had to be tricky with it knowing that Molina knows how to counter a southpaw jab. Ramos used a step feint to keep Molina guessing.
In the sixth and final round the two friends and stablemates -- they’re not only Golden Boy fighters, they have the same manager in Frank Espinoza -- elected to let it all hang out and go mano a mano in the center of the ring. There were no jabs and very little distance between the two lightweights, who were practically head to head.
Ramos got in shots from different angles, teeing off with his right hook to Molina’s body and head. Molina answered by tying Ramos up and walking him into a corner, where he blasted the southpaw with uppercut-right cross combinations.
It got downright wild during the final 30 seconds of the session. Molina appeared to hit harder but Ramos held his form better.
If the fights this Thursday are half as good as this sparring session, fans are in for a treat.
“We had to finish strong,” an out-of-breath Ramos said after the session. “This is the end of training camp and we still have almost a week until we fight. I want to know I’m ready for a hard fight if that’s what comes on Thursday.”
Sri Lanka struggle to 232-9 against Pakistan in 1st ODI
DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Hosts Sri Lanka struggled to 232 for nine from their 50 overs after being put into bat in the first one-day international against Pakistan on Thursday.
Allrounder Angelo Mathews top-scored with 43 from 50 balls as the hosts struggled on a difficult pitch. Captain Kumar Sangakkara scored 36 and Mahela Jayawardene made 33 before being run out.
Sri Lanka slumped to 131 for six at one stage before Mathews led a recovery, adding 42 with Nuwan Kulasekara (16) for the seventh wicket.
Muttiah Muralitharan celebrated his return to international cricket after a knee injury with an entertaining 32 from 15 balls, an innings that included four fours and a six.
Left-arm pace bowler Mohammad Aamer returned three for 45 from 10 overs.
Allrounder Angelo Mathews top-scored with 43 from 50 balls as the hosts struggled on a difficult pitch. Captain Kumar Sangakkara scored 36 and Mahela Jayawardene made 33 before being run out.
Sri Lanka slumped to 131 for six at one stage before Mathews led a recovery, adding 42 with Nuwan Kulasekara (16) for the seventh wicket.
Muttiah Muralitharan celebrated his return to international cricket after a knee injury with an entertaining 32 from 15 balls, an innings that included four fours and a six.
Left-arm pace bowler Mohammad Aamer returned three for 45 from 10 overs.
Cobras to meet Challengers in Champions League opener
CHENNAI (Reuters) - South Africa's Cape Cobras will take on Indian Premier League (IPL) runners-up Bangalore Royal Challengers in the opening Twenty20 Champions League game at the Indian side's home ground on Oct. 8.
The inaugural edition of the event was postponed after last year's militant attacks in Mumbai and the 16-day event, to be played at three Indian venues, will feature 12 sides from seven countries after organisers increased the field by four.
"The Champions League... is the perfect tournament to crown the best-of-the-best in domestic Twenty20 cricket worldwide and will capture the imagination of the sporting public around the world," IPL chairman Lalit Modi said in a statement
The inaugural edition of the event was postponed after last year's militant attacks in Mumbai and the 16-day event, to be played at three Indian venues, will feature 12 sides from seven countries after organisers increased the field by four.
"The Champions League... is the perfect tournament to crown the best-of-the-best in domestic Twenty20 cricket worldwide and will capture the imagination of the sporting public around the world," IPL chairman Lalit Modi said in a statement
Hameed eager to make IPL appearance
Lahore, July 30 (ANI): Pakistan top order batsman Yasir Hameed is eagerly waiting to participate in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) next season.
Hameed said he is looking forward to play in IPL's third season next year as couple of franchises had approached him during the last auction.
"I am looking at what happens with the IPL with great interest as there were a couple of franchises who were thinking about signing me at the last auction. But sadly, with Pakistan players not being allowed to take part, that fell through. I hope that Pakistan players like me are given the opportunity to play in future competitions like the IPL," Hameed said.
Disappointment at being not considered for the 30-man ICC Champions Trophy provisional squad, Hameed said he has been working hard to regain his form and fitness.
"I've been working really hard this season in domestic cricket and was hoping that the selectors would give me a chance by naming me in the squad for the Champions Trophy," The Daily Times quoted Hameed, as saying.
Hameed, who last played for Pakistan in 2007, scored two centuries on his Test debut against Bangladesh, becoming only the second player to do so.
He scored 170 and 105 in first and second innings respectively on his debut in Karachi in 2003.Hameed's knock of 170 in the first innings against Bangladesh is still the highest score by a Pakistani on his debut. (ANI)
Hameed said he is looking forward to play in IPL's third season next year as couple of franchises had approached him during the last auction.
"I am looking at what happens with the IPL with great interest as there were a couple of franchises who were thinking about signing me at the last auction. But sadly, with Pakistan players not being allowed to take part, that fell through. I hope that Pakistan players like me are given the opportunity to play in future competitions like the IPL," Hameed said.
Disappointment at being not considered for the 30-man ICC Champions Trophy provisional squad, Hameed said he has been working hard to regain his form and fitness.
"I've been working really hard this season in domestic cricket and was hoping that the selectors would give me a chance by naming me in the squad for the Champions Trophy," The Daily Times quoted Hameed, as saying.
Hameed, who last played for Pakistan in 2007, scored two centuries on his Test debut against Bangladesh, becoming only the second player to do so.
He scored 170 and 105 in first and second innings respectively on his debut in Karachi in 2003.Hameed's knock of 170 in the first innings against Bangladesh is still the highest score by a Pakistani on his debut. (ANI)
The State of the Big 12: When will the North rise again?
It seems the Big 12 South's season-long reign as "America's Division" survived the postseason flops after all -- even after Texas Tech and Oklahoma State were dispatched in eye-openeing second routs, Oklahoma dropped its fifth straight BCS game and Texas needed a last-minute comeback to stave off an upset at the hands of Ohio State (Todd Boeckman-led Ohio State!), the pollsters still love the South. Every poll -- literally every poll thus far published to any notable audience -- has Texas and Oklahoma in its top five, and the vast majority raise Oklahoma State in the top-10 or 12, possibly the highest expectations in Cowboy history, despite their being physically whipped by Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. Texas Tech, even in the wake of serious personnel turnover and a lackluster finish to the best season in school history, has won nine games three of the last four years, will still put up ridiculous offensive numbers and remains hovering at the fringes of most top-25 ballots going in.
This respect makes sense in light of one of the most celebrated records of 208: In the regular season, including the Big 12 Championship game, the top four teams in the South were 43-0 against the rest of college football. Some of that can be chalked up to exactly which parts of college football they were encountering outside the conference -- between Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech, the only non-conference games against teams from another "Big Six" league was OSU's blowout over hapless Washington State and the Longhorns' easy win over Arkansas.
Just as importantly, though, is the ongoing futility of the North, which hit a stunning backslide last year after seemingly pulling itself onto equal footing with the South in 2007:
Those results speak for themselves. Since Kansas State's out-of-nowhere beatdown of Oklahoma in the 2003 championship game, the entire North division has managed to beat the Sooners once and Texas twice in 35 tries -- and all three wins were colossal upsets, at the hands of Kansas State (which won a turnover-marred game against Texas in '06 and shocked the Horns in Austin in '07) and Colorado (which secured Dan Hawkins' only notable win in Boulder by taking out Oklahoma in '07). The North has not come close to winning a conference championship game since KSU's triumph, and in fact hasn't been favored to win one since Nebraska beat Texas in 1999. Even Missouri, ranked No. 1 in both major polls in 2007, was a slight underdog to Oklahoma, and were trounced by three touchdowns.
This is a stark reversal from the early days of the conference, when Nebraska and Kansas State wielded the most power in the immediate aftermath of the conference's formation in 1996. When Texas and Texas A&M won titles in 1996 and 1998, respectively, it was in huge championship game upsets over the Huskers and Wildcats, both of which would have played for a national championship with a win. It's hard not to associate the shift in power with the arrival of Mack Brown (1998), Bob Stoops (1999) and Mike Leach (2000) on the other side, just as Nebraska entered a period of malaise under Frank Solich, Kansas State began to revert to its historical mean at the end of the (first) Bill Snyder era and the division banner was carried four times in five years by Gary Barnett's mostly underwhelming charges at Colorado, which were responsible for being outscored by 108 points in back-to-back championship game losses in 2004-05. Before Missouri the last two years, it had been three years since the North champion had finished in the AP's final top-25.
If the question is how to turn that ship around, the only answer may be "invade Texas." Brown and Stoops' total dominance recruiting the Lone Star State has cut off the pipeline to the distant hamlets of Lincoln, Boulder and Columbia, to the extent that the only worthwhile Texans who make it that far are undersized guys like Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing, who OU and UT passed over.
The gap is so wide that the North championship may again hinge on which team contenders are able to avoid on the inter-division schedule. When Kansas started 11-0 and earned its first BCS bid in 2007, the Jayhawks missed Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech and feasted on the bottom half of the South instead, beating Baylor, Texas A&M and then-mediocre Oklahoma State; KU didn't win a game that year against a team that finished above .500 in Big 12 games, and when the Jayhawks got a taste of Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech last year, they went 0-3 and were quickly excised from championship discussion despite another 4-1 mark against the rest of the North. The last two years, Missouri is 12-6 in conference games en route to back-to-back North titles, and five of the six losses are at the hands of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas. The Tigers made the championship game despite losing to Kansas last year in part because they were fortunate enough to draw Baylor instead of Oklahoma or Texas Tech in the inter-division exchange -- and only barely beat the Bears.
With Mizzou transition into rebuilding mode and Nebraska still making its way slowly back up the hill, the South looks like its going to have free reign again, leaving Oklahoma State's game with Georgia in the opener as the only real litmus test for assessing any of the South contenders outside of the self-devouring circle of division showdowns -- at least until the bowl games come around to pass judgment again
The State of the Big 12: When will the North rise again?
It seems the Big 12 South's season-long reign as "America's Division" survived the postseason flops after all -- even after Texas Tech and Oklahoma State were dispatched in eye-openeing second routs, Oklahoma dropped its fifth straight BCS game and Texas needed a last-minute comeback to stave off an upset at the hands of Ohio State (Todd Boeckman-led Ohio State!), the pollsters still love the South. Every poll -- literally every poll thus far published to any notable audience -- has Texas and Oklahoma in its top five, and the vast majority raise Oklahoma State in the top-10 or 12, possibly the highest expectations in Cowboy history, despite their being physically whipped by Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. Texas Tech, even in the wake of serious personnel turnover and a lackluster finish to the best season in school history, has won nine games three of the last four years, will still put up ridiculous offensive numbers and remains hovering at the fringes of most top-25 ballots going in.
This respect makes sense in light of one of the most celebrated records of 208: In the regular season, including the Big 12 Championship game, the top four teams in the South were 43-0 against the rest of college football. Some of that can be chalked up to exactly which parts of college football they were encountering outside the conference -- between Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech, the only non-conference games against teams from another "Big Six" league was OSU's blowout over hapless Washington State and the Longhorns' easy win over Arkansas.
Just as importantly, though, is the ongoing futility of the North, which hit a stunning backslide last year after seemingly pulling itself onto equal footing with the South in 2007:
Those results speak for themselves. Since Kansas State's out-of-nowhere beatdown of Oklahoma in the 2003 championship game, the entire North division has managed to beat the Sooners once and Texas twice in 35 tries -- and all three wins were colossal upsets, at the hands of Kansas State (which won a turnover-marred game against Texas in '06 and shocked the Horns in Austin in '07) and Colorado (which secured Dan Hawkins' only notable win in Boulder by taking out Oklahoma in '07). The North has not come close to winning a conference championship game since KSU's triumph, and in fact hasn't been favored to win one since Nebraska beat Texas in 1999. Even Missouri, ranked No. 1 in both major polls in 2007, was a slight underdog to Oklahoma, and were trounced by three touchdowns.
This is a stark reversal from the early days of the conference, when Nebraska and Kansas State wielded the most power in the immediate aftermath of the conference's formation in 1996. When Texas and Texas A&M won titles in 1996 and 1998, respectively, it was in huge championship game upsets over the Huskers and Wildcats, both of which would have played for a national championship with a win. It's hard not to associate the shift in power with the arrival of Mack Brown (1998), Bob Stoops (1999) and Mike Leach (2000) on the other side, just as Nebraska entered a period of malaise under Frank Solich, Kansas State began to revert to its historical mean at the end of the (first) Bill Snyder era and the division banner was carried four times in five years by Gary Barnett's mostly underwhelming charges at Colorado, which were responsible for being outscored by 108 points in back-to-back championship game losses in 2004-05. Before Missouri the last two years, it had been three years since the North champion had finished in the AP's final top-25.
If the question is how to turn that ship around, the only answer may be "invade Texas." Brown and Stoops' total dominance recruiting the Lone Star State has cut off the pipeline to the distant hamlets of Lincoln, Boulder and Columbia, to the extent that the only worthwhile Texans who make it that far are undersized guys like Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing, who OU and UT passed over.
The gap is so wide that the North championship may again hinge on which team contenders are able to avoid on the inter-division schedule. When Kansas started 11-0 and earned its first BCS bid in 2007, the Jayhawks missed Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech and feasted on the bottom half of the South instead, beating Baylor, Texas A&M and then-mediocre Oklahoma State; KU didn't win a game that year against a team that finished above .500 in Big 12 games, and when the Jayhawks got a taste of Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech last year, they went 0-3 and were quickly excised from championship discussion despite another 4-1 mark against the rest of the North. The last two years, Missouri is 12-6 in conference games en route to back-to-back North titles, and five of the six losses are at the hands of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas. The Tigers made the championship game despite losing to Kansas last year in part because they were fortunate enough to draw Baylor instead of Oklahoma or Texas Tech in the inter-division exchange -- and only barely beat the Bears.
With Mizzou transition into rebuilding mode and Nebraska still making its way slowly back up the hill, the South looks like its going to have free reign again, leaving Oklahoma State's game with Georgia in the opener as the only real litmus test for assessing any of the South contenders outside of the self-devouring circle of division showdowns -- at least until the bowl games come around to pass judgment again
You Got Two, You Got None: But Colorado QBs may be broken into many pieces
The Scheme. Although it's a "multiple" scheme that employs a little of everything, Colorado joins Kansas State as the only schools in the Big 12 that still use a fullback and two-tight end sets as part of their basic, every-down offense; in this spread-saturated conference, that counts as paleolithic defiance. And it shouldn't change much despite the late-breaking departure of offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich's to Oregon when Chip Kelly ascended to the boss's chair in April, since Helfrich's replacement is Eric Kiesau, receivers coach and "passing game coordinator" since 2006, and the main set of fingerprints on the Buffs' offense still belong to Dan Hawkins.
At any rate, personnel should matter more than philosophy: Hawkins has always been heavy on play-action and setting up the pass with the run, and with the conference's lowest-rated passing game two of his three years at the helm, the emphasis will still be heavily on the run, where Rodney Stewart got off to a great start as a true freshman and ludicrously hyped Darrell Scott is rumored to be in much better shape physically and mentally after a disappointing debut. From the quarterbacks' perspective, their role is to hand off, carry out their fakes and hope they don't find themselves in too many must-throw situations.
The Incumbent. Bless Cody Hawkins, who's fought courageously for two years against the notion that he's too short, too slow and doesn't have the arm to keep pace with the other prolific quarterbacks in the Big 12, but he's yet to prove any of the critics wrong: In the most high-flying league in college history, he's finished as the least accurate regular starter in the conference two years in a row and last year was the least efficient, as well. In October, he went four straight games with an efficiency rating below 100 (remember, we're using the college formula, not the NFL's; for some context, the national median for pass efficiency was around 125, and in the Big 12 it was about 150), games in which CU scored 14, 14, 14 and zero points. At least Li'l Hawk has disproved the notion that he only has the job because his dad's the coach: He either started or finished on the bench in six straight games at midseason.
When will we know if Nebraska is 'back'?
This time last year, Nebraska wasn't making a dent in the various preseason forecasts, and not surprisingly, Bo Pelini didn't take the Big 12 media's forecast that Nebraska would win the North division Monday as a sign of his program's imminent resurrection to the steamrolling juggernauts of yore:
"Whether they pick us first or last, it doesn’t really make a difference. ... I know one thing: Our players don’t feel like Nebraska is back because our expectations are very high for what we want to be and where we’re headed," Pelini said. "I tell them all the time it’s my job to keep them grounded. I think they start to feel the momentum from last year. That’s a good thing. … But they also know there’s a lot of work in front of us to get where we want to be."
It's not like the Huskers have turned into Washington or Syracuse over the last seven years: They're still selling out every game. They won 10 in 2003 (yet still fired Frank Solich) and nine games with Cotton and Gator bowl bids in 2006 and 2008, so clearly returning to Jan. 1 bowls isn't filling the void. They were in the Big 12 Championship game in '06, tied Missouri for the division title last year and have pretty easily the best record in the North division in the years since their last conference championship, but the way things have been going lately, even resuming control of the division doesn't carry much cachet in itself.
No, in tangible terms, it's going to take much more impressive booty -- conference championships, BCS games, top-10 finishes -- to put the malaise of the last seven years to bed, and it may even take a couple years of that kind of success before Nebraska is really back on the perch it took for granted for 30 years; see Notre Dame, for example, which was briefly "back" with BCS seasons in 2005 and 2006 but quickly collapsed because it lacked a foundation to sustain. Even after an undefeated regular season, Alabama won't really be "back" until it redefines last year's success as the norm and not another aberration -- hey, Mike DuBose and Mike Shula won 10 games in a season, too! -- in a decade-long struggle against mediocrity. Nebraska, which hasn't had two straight seasons it can be really satisfied with since 2000-01, is in the same boat, still needing to prove it's not just another 7-5 team that played a little over its head last year.
There's really only one way to do that, and it's not measured in division titles (at least not in this division) or bowl games as much as it is in simple big wins, and the uneasy feeling in Lincoln must steam largely from the fact that the Huskers haven't really had one of those since Eric Crouch had his Heisman moment against then-No. 2 Oklahoma back in 2001:
Penn State considered benching Anthony Morelli for Daryll Clark? Now they tell us ...
Before last year's renaissance, quarterbacks coach and famous son Jay Paterno took a lot of heat for Penn State's usually paleolithic offense, much of it directly due to the consistent failure of Anthony Morelli to fulfill his five-star, all-world recruiting hype in 2006 and 2007. A scout summed it up before Morelli entered the '08 draft: "He has all the tools you look for in a QB; an athletic body, very strong throwing arm and far better movement then I had expected, but is acutely under coached and unprepared for the job of being a professional QB." Ouch.
But maybe, Papa Paterno suggested Monday, that was because Jay wasn't all that enamored with Morelli himself:
As a sophomore in 2007, [Daryll] Clark was the backup to senior Anthony Morelli. As the Nittany Lions trudged through an 8-4 regular season, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno wanted to get Clark some snaps in live action, but head coach Joe Paterno refused.
"I thought it would discourage the kid that we were using," Paterno said of Morelli. ... "I thought the kid we were using had the potential to be a good quarterback. I blew that one."
Nostalgia: Colorado takes five at Missouri
Many readers will not remember 1990, and even those that do should be warned: 1990 has not aged as well as you may think. Or, at the very least, you haven’t aged well, which you will realize when confronted with the wonderful 1990-ish elements of your youth: The box cut. The Big 8. Midriff-bearing Eric Bieniemy and his teammates slipping all over skin-shredding Astroturf. The patron saint of Colorado football, Bill McCartney, coaching alongside a young Gary Barnett, still more than a decade from being accused of allowing the Buff locker room to turn into Studio 54. The option from the power I. The option from under center. A defense in what appears to be a 5-2 front. Jankety-looking passing by kids who were recruited to read the end and had never heard of a 7-on-7 camp.
And, at least in one critical instance, historically incompetent officiating, culminating in Colorado’s infamous "Fifth Down" to beat Missouri en route to a share of the 1990 mythical national championship. The controversial sequence began with Colorado trailing 31-27 with 31 seconds to play, and CU quarterback Charles Johnson spiking the ball on first down at the Missouri four-yard line. Count 'em down from there along with bitter Missouri fans:
There was actually another down: As Johnson later explained, the victorious Buffaloes, having escaped the throng with a dubious triumph, were brought out of the locker room to attempt the PAT, which Missouri theoretically could have returned for a conversion to tie the game; a kneeldown ended it at 33-31, and a ruling from the Big 8 upheld it. CU went on to another controversial Orange Bowl win over Notre Dame to take No. 1 in the AP poll, still its only national championship to date; Missouri finished 4-7, the seventh of 13 straight losing seasons. The officiating crew was suspended indefinitely.
Missouri also had the uniquely torturous distinction of being robbed of victory over another top-ranked team in the very same end zone just seven years later, under perfectly legal but no less incredible circumstances against Nebraska. I wonder if anyone who rushed the field after Matt Davison's shoestring catch in 1997 had been in the crowd that poured into the end zone against CU, only to be shooed off again in stunned confusion and eventual misery, and if they began to look at that goalpost as a kind of white whale, haunting them at night, refusing to come down.
And, at least in one critical instance, historically incompetent officiating, culminating in Colorado’s infamous "Fifth Down" to beat Missouri en route to a share of the 1990 mythical national championship. The controversial sequence began with Colorado trailing 31-27 with 31 seconds to play, and CU quarterback Charles Johnson spiking the ball on first down at the Missouri four-yard line. Count 'em down from there along with bitter Missouri fans:
There was actually another down: As Johnson later explained, the victorious Buffaloes, having escaped the throng with a dubious triumph, were brought out of the locker room to attempt the PAT, which Missouri theoretically could have returned for a conversion to tie the game; a kneeldown ended it at 33-31, and a ruling from the Big 8 upheld it. CU went on to another controversial Orange Bowl win over Notre Dame to take No. 1 in the AP poll, still its only national championship to date; Missouri finished 4-7, the seventh of 13 straight losing seasons. The officiating crew was suspended indefinitely.
Missouri also had the uniquely torturous distinction of being robbed of victory over another top-ranked team in the very same end zone just seven years later, under perfectly legal but no less incredible circumstances against Nebraska. I wonder if anyone who rushed the field after Matt Davison's shoestring catch in 1997 had been in the crowd that poured into the end zone against CU, only to be shooed off again in stunned confusion and eventual misery, and if they began to look at that goalpost as a kind of white whale, haunting them at night, refusing to come down.
Lions (and Gophers and Badgers and Buckeyes) in winter? Monday's theme at the Big Ten media festival was a call from coaches to their bosses in the ivory tower: However you have to do it, extend the conference season into December. Exclamatory Minnesota coach Tim Brewster led the charge:
"I think playing into the month of December would help us," Brewster said. "I look forward to the day when we add a team and we split the divisions and we play for a [conference] championship on national TV on a Saturday night in December!
"I mean, how good would that be for this conference, for the exposure of this conference?" Brewster continued. "I think we're missing a little something there by not having that."
Brewster's characteristic enthusiasm notwithstanding, the 'championship game' meme is futile: Short of an unforeseen financial catastrophe at Notre Dame, Big Ten expansion has been a dead horse for more than a decade. Even Joe Paterno has no pull on expansion, much less a whippersnapper like Tim Brewster.
But many Big Ten teams have already begun to add non-conference dates in late November and early December, after the end of the conference season; Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin have made season-ending trips to Hawaii in the last five years, Wisconsin closed with I-AA Cal Poly at home last year and Illinois has two tough non-conference games this year, with Cincinnati and Fresno State, after it ends the Big Ten season with Northwestern on Nov. 14. Wisconsin has another season-ending date in Hawaii. Everyone else ends on Nov. 21, a week before most of the rest of the country and two weeks before the ACC, Big 12 and SEC championship games. Most Pac-10 teams, including USC, Cal, Oregon and Oregon State, are finishing up the first week in December. When the reality is that many league members are already going out of their way to extend the season, even Jim Delany can see the writing on the wall:
While Delany reiterated his stance on expansion -- not happening any time soon -- he seemed more open to teams playing regular-season games later.
One possibility is the addition of a second open week during the season, which would push games into the first weekend of December.
"On the issue of the schedule and the bye dates and playing games that late, it's probably worth a discussion," Delany said. "We've never had that before. There's not a rule about that. People have gone to Hawaii. We've never really questioned that. There's some coaches and athletic directors who feel more strongly than others about the need to play games late in the year to stay sharp. It is a trend."
If it helps reverse the Big Ten's 5-17 bowl record over the last three years -- especially the 0-6 mark in BCS games -- then yes, it is worth a discussion.
• On the Wolverine outbox. From Michigan's perspective, the question of the day dealt with a growing list of defections from the program under Rich Rodriguez, helpfully examined in extreme detail by the Ann Arbor News. Rodriguez, per the usual line, is only worried about players who play for him.
There's only one reason the recent attrition may have passed from "typical turbulence under a new administration" to "minor concern": Among the players leaving is receiver/quarterback Justin Feagin, the first (and so far only) departure of a player who was actually recruited primarily by Rodriguez and his staff. But to classify losing one kid as a "concern," eh, it's still a stretch. This idea that Rodriguez is somehow "on the hot seat" after one year -- and as luminous a mind as Phil Steele's actually regards Rodriguez's seat as hotter than Charlie Weis' -- remains over the top.
• Briscoe on the borderline? Kansas receiver Dezmon Briscoe -- wait, you remember Dezmin Briscoe, right?
Anyway, that spectacular grab was only one of a staggering 92 balls Briscoe hauled in last year, on top of setting the school record with 22 touchdown catches in just two seasons, making him a darkhorse All-America candidate in the Jayhwaks' bid to return to the top of the Big 12 North. So it's no small matter that Dezmon's status at KU is listed as "day-to-day":
Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe is still a part of the KU program, but isn't a lock to play for the Jayhawks in the fall.
Speaking at the Jayhawk Summer Tour stop Sunday at the Kansas Museum of History, Kansas coach Mark Mangino explained Briscoe's situation.
"He's on the team and he's day to day," Mangino said. "He's got work to do and he's got to take care of it. It's up to him."
The assumption is that said "work" is of the academic variety, which is presumably what kept Briscoe out of the spring game, as well, although he'd been reinstated to the team in April. Not that KU is desperate for targets -- converted quarterback Kerry Meier was a possession receiver par excellence with 97 catches, and Jonathan Wilson hauled in 43 -- but Briscoe's absence would leave Todd Reesing without his best target and his only consistent threat downfield.
• Catch him while you can. In other departure news, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien said All-ACC quarterback and undisputed team MVP Russell Wilson isn't guaranteed to return after this season, despite two more years of eligibility: Wilson, entering his third year as a redshirt sophomore, will graduate early next spring and likely have an opportunity to enter the baseball draft, which may make more financial sense (just as Wilson wasn't a drooled-over recruit, he doesn't fit the mold of an NFL prospect) after his father suffered a stroke last year.
The immediate upshot for the Wolfpack: Redshirt freshman Mike Glennon, highly sought-after prospect and younger brother of ex-Hokie Sean Glennon, will play a series a game this year in anticipation of taking over full-time if Wilson leaves in 2010.
Quickly ... After 15 sellouts in 16 years, the SEC Championship game will remain in the Georgia Dome through 2015. ... Outgoing Colorado receiver/kick returner Josh Smith, initially limited to transferring to Southern Cal, seems to be leaning hard toward enrolling in UCLA, if he can overcome some academic hurdles. ... Donald Bowens, who led N.C. State in receiving in 2007 but missed all of last year with back and knee injuries, will miss almost all of 2009 due to ongoing rehab. And Texas A&M receiver Roger Holland, who also missed all of 2008, will miss 2009 due to a lingering concussion. ... Cornerback A.J. Wallace and defensive lineman Abe Koroma likely will not return to Penn State, per Joe Paterno, who said Wallace had cut some classes and Koroma has "some personal problems ... he really has got some problems." ... Talks are continuing in the push to get the Northwestern-Illinois game in Wrigley Field. ... Mike Sherman sets the tone for Texas A&M's turnaround by keeping in shape himself. ... Even coach Bret Bielema thinks 235 pounds is an unrealistic goal for massive tailback John Clay, who weighed in at 250 in the spring. And attention pundits: Bielema knows what you're saying about him and his team. ... Oregon went all out in drills despite an "excessive heat warning" in Eugene, which on Monday felt more like Texas. ... Alabama running back Jermaine Preyear is looking to transfer to a smaller school, possibly Jacksonville (Ala.) State or South Alabama. ... And sad but true: Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian are no more.
The Consensus: Aggies hit rock bottom
The Proposition. Off a losing season and its first last place finish in almost 40 years in Mike Sherman's first season, Texas A&M will finish in the Big 12 South cellar for the second year in a row.
The Chorus. Every major publication to date -- Phil Steele, Lindy's, Athlon, the Sporting News, USA Today -- has relegated the Aggies to the bottom of the division. Athlon says A&M is "still at least a year away -- and maybe more -- from being relevant in the Big 12 South" and quotes an opposing coach who admits, "I'm not sure it's going to get much better ... Texas A&M just doesn't have the talent it used to have, especially in the trenches."
The Dissent. Football Outsiders, alone among notable prognosticators, picks the Aggies fifth out of six teams in the division, ahead of perennial doormat Baylor -- which, blowout of A&M and near universal optimism aside, was also 2-6 in Big 12 games, the Bears' eleventh last-place finish (including ties) in 12 years.
For the Believers. The Aggies were legitimately as bad last year as any team in the conference: Among major stat categories, they finished last or next to lest in the Big 12 in total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense, total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, turnover margin, sacks and sacks allowed. The once-proud "Wrecking Crew" allowed 40-plus points in seven different games, all losses, and A&M was outscored 156-58 by Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas in the last three games; by every statistical measure, it was one of the worst dozen defenses in the country. As a team, the Aggies lost to Arkansas State and didn't come closer than 18 points to any team that finished with a winning record.
It's hard to see how the defense will improve with eight new starters, but it's even harder to see how it could be worse -- and still, the improvement will have to be dramatic, on the order of cutting points allowed by nearly two touchdowns, if there's any hope of being competitive.
For the Skeptics. There is some hope in the offense, which returns a big, physically imposing quarterback in Jerrod Johnson and two receivers, Ryan Tannehill and Jeff Fuller, who combined for more than 100 catches and 14 touchdowns as freshmen. They may all be overshadowed by incoming running Christine Michael, one of the top freshman prospects in the country, whose recruiting hype suggests he'll quickly emerge as the most feared playmaker on the Aggie offense in years.
The buzz in the spring was that defensive end/linebacker Von Miller, a talented recruit who spurned offers from Florida and Oklahoma in 2007, is finally rounding into that sort of form as a pass rusher.
If Not Texas A&M, Who? Baylor has been the default No. 6 pick in the South every year since the formation of the Big 12, which makes the Aggies' demotion all the more humiliating -- although not nearly humiliating as the 41-7 hole the Bears had A&M in last November before a pair of late, meaningless touchdowns made the final 41-21, only their second loss to Baylor since 1985. Texas A&M has no one on the level of Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin, one of the best young, dynamic playmakers in the country, but despite the "progress" narrative in Waco, A&M is still more talented than the Bears overall and gets them in November in College Station, where BU hasn't won since 1984. That should be the rubber match for the cellar, and possibly for a bowl game, because neither one will be favored to even challenge any of the four division rivals -- Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech -- projected in front of them.
Sages or Suckers? A&M ties for last place last year and was blown out of the water by the team with whom it shared that tie; the prognostoscenti doesn't have many options. This team showed zero positives in Sherman's first year with the occasional exception of the passing game, and even that collapsed in the three-game losing streak, when Johnson threw six interceptions and eventually yielded to the equally ineffective (and now departed) Stephen McGee. There's still enough talent on hand to do more damage against other bad defenses, of which there are a lot in this conference, including Baylor. Avenging last year's disaster against the Bears may get A&M out of rock-bottom, but if that's the highlight of the year, it might not be worth making the distinction.
Meme Watch: At long last, Steve Spurrier accidentally kills the coach's poll
The breathless coverage of the Tebowgate voting saga last week was a mildly funny, frivolous story of very little consequence except to poke fun at the media's over-the-top Tebow obsession in general. Or at least, that's what I thought it was. But over the weekend, pundits all over the country -- from the New York Times to Dennis Dodd to a newspaper in North Carolina to Steve Spurrier's accidental All-SEC snub, drawing a straight line from the Ball Coach's apparent indifference toward his all-conference ballot to the utter futility of all varieties of coaches' polls, especially that wretched anachronism they use in the BCS:
Frankly, who cares who is the preseason All-SEC quarterback? But there is a vote that does count: the coaches poll, which provides one-third of the components to determine the national-title game participants.
[...]
Enough of this nonsense. Time to tell college football coaches their voices have lost all credibility. Time to tell college football coaches no one cares what they think. Time to toss the coaches poll into the Caspian Sea.
Sportswriters have been having a field day with the coaches' poll all offseason, mainly for having the gall to return to secret ballots, per tradition, after four years of making the final vote of the regular season public; the fact that the poll won't be secret this year, after all, is a victory for negative press.
But if, as Dodd suggests, "the coaches poll just died Friday morning," it's spent many, many years on its deathbed. Coaches have notoriously handed off ballots to underlings and sports information directors for years; they're the most self-interested parties in the process, and their voting patterns are demonstrably biased in favor of their own teams and other teams on their schedule. It allows its final vote to be hijacked by its partnership with the BCS, regardless of what the coaches may actually think, such a foul state of affairs that even the hacks in the AP poll felt compelled to pull out of the system five years ago. Spurrier himself famously undermined the integrity of the poll by casting a ludicrous vote for Duke every year, and said last week, "I don't know why we vote ... I really believe most coaches do not know a whole lot about the other teams," which is what many observers (i.e. yours truly) have maintained for years. If only now the poll has been robbed of its precious "credibility" by Spurrier's carelessness on a completely unrelated ballot, it was a mercy killing.
Naturally, we can all expect Dodd, Forde and the rest of the undertakers escorting the coaches' poll to its grave to ignore its weekly proclamations and its role in determining the candidates for the mythical championship game this fall. Dead polls cast no votes, right?
Mirror mirror, on the wall: Comparing the greatest Longhorns of them all
A couple weeks back, I got in touch with the Austin American-Statesman's sports department to inquire about a strange thing had popped up as a "related story" in the sidebar of a story on the oncoming hype for Colt McCoy:That's an the aftermath of Tebowgate, I guess the Big Ten decided it needed its own all-conference quarterback controversy:
The Big Ten Conference announced today that Ohio State has been selected as the preseason favorite for the 2009 football season by media members attending the conference’s football media day. Penn State was tabbed to finish second, and Michigan State was third. In addition, the media panel also named Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
For the record, selecting Jones over Michigan's Brandon Graham, Penn State's Navorro Bowman and Northwestern's Corey Wootton may be a controversial decision in itself, albeit one that probably won't make steam shoot out of rivals' ears. But consider that Pryor, obviously talented as he was as a freshman, didn't even attempt enough passes to qualify for the NCAA's pass efficiency standings and was 10-for-27 passing in his last two games, at the same time Daryll Clark was busy earning first team all-conference honors while playing a larger role on the eventual conference champion and Juice Williams was running away from everyone in terms of total offense. Conference coaches also voted Minnesota's Adam Weber second team on their All-Big Ten ballots last year, ahead of Pryor and Juice. And when you get away from the candidates at quarterback, there's still, you know, Arrelious Benn.
Not that I necessarily disagree with the media's thinking here, since I too think Pryor is in perfect position to go Godzilla on the rest of the league as a sophomore. Such "official" deference for a largely unproven player over heretofore more accomplished upperclassmen is just a little ... surprising.
Update, 4:48 ET: Apparently I wasn't the only one caught a little off guard by the Pryor love.
Golf News
RBC Canadian Open
Founded in 1904, the Canadian Open is the second oldest non-major tournament in the world. The Canadian Open provides a great place for American golfers to seek a countries championship.
Tiger Woods, in 2000, became one of few U.S. players to accomplish the feat of three National Open victories, winning the U.S., then the British, followed by the Canadian. There will be 19 Canadians in the field this year with Mike Weir being the favorite.
So watch out for all the top quality action on Ten Sports.
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GolfBug TV
GolfBug TV www.golfbug.tv is an online TV channel with excerpts from The European Tour, Asian Tour and Royal & Ancient archive. Programmes cover; golf news, equipment reviews, competition highlights, golf lessons, and golfing destinations. It’s totally free to watch and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Programmes also feature tips and interviews with professional and celebrity golfers including Gary Player, Denis Pugh, Simon Holmes, Zane Scotland.
Cricket News
West Ind v Bangladesh – ODIs
After a total domination in the two-match Test series against hosts West Indies, Bangladesh will look to repeat the feat in the three match ODI series set to start on the 26th of July in Windsor Park, Dominica.
The visitors have been on a roll having won their first ever Test series abroad by two nil. Their match winners like Mahmudullah and Shakil Al Hasan will be called into action once more propel the nation to its first ODI series win overseas. 26th July, 28th July and 31st July are the dates of the three match series. So look out for all the action on Ten Sports.
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Sri Lanka v Pakistan 3rd Test
Sri Lanka drubbed Pakistan in the 2nd Test to register their first Test series win against the visitors at home. Debutant Fawad Alam’s 168-run effort in the 2nd innings was in vain as Pakistan’s batting order collapsed on day-3. Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara proved to be their nemesis!
Younus Khan’s men face an uphill task against the lions in their quest to salvage some pride. The third Mobitel Test commences from 20th July at SSC, Colombo
Pakistan Team Bio
The Pakistan National Cricket Team is an international cricket team representing Pakistan. It is administrated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Pakistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international status. Cricket in Pakistan has been played well before the first team was granted Test playing status. Their first match took place in Delhi against India in October 1952. Their first international tour was to England during 1954. Down the years, Pakistan has emerged as a formidable opposition winning the Cricket World Cup in 1992 and being runners-up in the 1999 edition of the same. The country has a history of producing several top-notch bowlers such as Fazal Mahmood, Sarfaraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Abdul Qadir, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. The likes of Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad have stamped their authority with the willow for Pakistan as well. The 2007 Cricket World Cup was one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when Pakistan was knocked out of the competition in a shock defeat to Ireland, who were playing in a World Cup for the first time. The next day, a greater tragedy befell the team when coach Bob Woolmer died was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica. The then skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq resigned from his duties and from one-day internationals subsequently. With a younger side, Pakistan began picking up the pieces and made positive strides in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in September 2007. The team, however, had to contend with second place losing to India in the nail-biting final. Shoaib Malik is the captain of the current squad.
Win percentage against other teams
Team Played Won Lost Tie No Result Win Percentage
India 59 12 9 0 38 20
Australia 52 11 24 0 17 21
Zimbabwe 14 8 2 0 4 57
South Africa 16 3 8 0 5 19
England 67 12 19 0 36 18
West Indies 44 15 14 0 15 34
New Zealand 44 20 6 0 18 45
Bangladesh 6 6 0 0 0 100
Sri Lanka 35 15 8 0 12 43
Win percentage against other teams
Team Played Won Lost Tie No Result Win Percentage
India 59 12 9 0 38 20
Australia 52 11 24 0 17 21
Zimbabwe 14 8 2 0 4 57
South Africa 16 3 8 0 5 19
England 67 12 19 0 36 18
West Indies 44 15 14 0 15 34
New Zealand 44 20 6 0 18 45
Bangladesh 6 6 0 0 0 100
Sri Lanka 35 15 8 0 12 43
Ricky Ponting at second slip dropped Bopara on 11 from the bowling of Siddle with the score on 88. In the final over before tea Bopara was given not out when Hauritz dived forward at mid-on to claim a catch off Johnson. The appeal was rejected after the television umpire had consulted several replays.
Strauss batted with appropriate urgency after his first innings of 161 but the game started to drift in the afternoon session.
The ease with which Siddle, who reached his highest test score of 35, and Hauritz (24) batted against the England pace bowlers might have helped persuade Strauss to bat for a second time. He would also be aware that Sri Lanka and South Africa have saved test matches in recent years at Lord's after being made to follow on.
Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle found some swing and successfully contained the England batsmen. Mitchell Johnson, though, was again wayward, switching from over to around the wicket without finding his direction.
Australia, who started the day on 156 for eight in reply to England's 425, were dismissed in the morning session for 215.
England struggled to impose themselves on the Australian bowlers during the third day of the second Ashes test at Lord's on Saturday after opting to bat again rather than enforce the follow-on.
Australia, who started the day on 156 for eight in reply to England's 425, were dismissed in the morning session for 215.
At tea England were 130 for two, an overall lead of 340, following a slow post-lunch period during which both Ravi Bopara (19 not out) and Kevin Pietersen (28 not out) were restricted by thoughtful pace bowling
Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz dismissed Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss for identical scores of 32 in eight balls after the England openers had put on 61 from 56 balls.
Edgbaston
Situated in the country suburb of Birmingham, it was established in 1882. It was the youngest of England’s six regular test grounds, until Chester-le-street was inaugurated in 2003. Edgbaston made its debut in 1902, when England and Australia played a test from May 29-31 and an ODI between the same teams on August 28, 1972. With a crowd capacity of 21000, it was voted ideal for ODI’s as well. It hosted just four Tests in its first 27 years, but upon re-entering the circuit in 1957, it was considered to be the most state-of-the-art ground in the country, with the Thwaite Memorial Scoreboard, constructed in 1950, among the most notable features. A new phase of renovation got underway at the end of the 1990s, which, partially funded by lottery money, resulted in the Edgbaston Cricket Centre and the £2million Eric Hollies stand. The ground was the scene of Brian Lara’s world-record 501 not out, against Durham in 1994, and in 1999, played host to perhaps the single greatest one-day match in history - the tied World Cup semi-final between Australia and South Africa in 1999.
Test cricket not dying: Ganguly
LONDON: Refusing to paint a gloomy picture of Test cricket, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said the five-day game poses no serious threat from other formats and for a player it will always be the ultimate form of cricket.
With the ever-growing popularity of T20 cricket, there is growing fear that the traditional format of the game is in danger of dying a silent death, but Ganguly would beg to differ.
"Test cricket will survive and other cricket will also survive because Test cricket has to survive," Ganguly told reporters on Thursday at Oxford, where he is attending the ICC's History Conference.
"Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket and I know for sure players will be remembered with what they do in Test matches," he added.
Ganguly praised current Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni and said the side has what it takes to be at the top of world cricket.
"India is a fantastic team at present. If they keep performing as they have in the last two or probably three, four, five years, in future they will definitely be the number one in the world," said India's most successful skipper.
Ganguly had some special word of praise for Gautam Gambhir, who recently rose to the number one spot in ICC Test batsmen rankings.
"Gambhir and Dhoni are fantastic players. I am particularly very happy to see Gambhir getting there, being the number one Test batsmen because that's what complete batting is all about," Ganguly said.
"I have seen him young, he is a left-hander and it is great to see him do good for India," he added.
With the ever-growing popularity of T20 cricket, there is growing fear that the traditional format of the game is in danger of dying a silent death, but Ganguly would beg to differ.
"Test cricket will survive and other cricket will also survive because Test cricket has to survive," Ganguly told reporters on Thursday at Oxford, where he is attending the ICC's History Conference.
"Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket and I know for sure players will be remembered with what they do in Test matches," he added.
Ganguly praised current Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni and said the side has what it takes to be at the top of world cricket.
"India is a fantastic team at present. If they keep performing as they have in the last two or probably three, four, five years, in future they will definitely be the number one in the world," said India's most successful skipper.
Ganguly had some special word of praise for Gautam Gambhir, who recently rose to the number one spot in ICC Test batsmen rankings.
"Gambhir and Dhoni are fantastic players. I am particularly very happy to see Gambhir getting there, being the number one Test batsmen because that's what complete batting is all about," Ganguly said.
"I have seen him young, he is a left-hander and it is great to see him do good for India," he added.
Pakistan reaches 289-7 at close against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka hit back to take three wickets for two runs Monday as Pakistan reached 289-7 at stumps on the first day of the third and final cricket test.
Khurram Manzoor and Mohammad Yousuf built a 167-run partnership for the third wicket to push Pakistan on from 36-2 after Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat on a seaming Sinhalese Sports Club pitch.
Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara dealt two quick blows in the morning session when opener Fawad Alam was caught behind by Tillakaratne Dilshan for 16 runs with the total on 34. Two runs later Pakistan captain Younis Khan dragged a ball on to his stumps for two.
Manzoor and Yousuf dominated the Sri Lanka attack for most of the first session and the entire middle session before Manzoor was out for 93, caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene off seam bowler Chaminda Vaas.
He faced 197 balls and hit 10 fours before falling short of his maiden test hundred.
Yousuf did not last long without Manzoor and was run out for 90 though not before scoring his 7,000th test run in his 82nd test.
His bad call for a second run off an overthrow deprived him of his 25th test hundred. His runs came off 146 balls and included seven fours and a six.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik held the innings together with a 75-run partnership before Thushara returned to trap Malik lbw for 45 with the total on 285.
His dismissal triggered a collapse as Misbah (27) and Umar Gul were out in quick succession to leave the visitors on 287-7.
Thushara returned figures of 3-77 while seamer Nuwan Kulasekera recorded 2-43.
"We have performed very well at the end of the day. Tomorrow we will have to get the ... (remaining) wickets as quickly as possible. The ball is still new and the batsmen are not all that good," Thushara said.
Sri Lanka, already leading the three-match series 2-0, is aiming to complete a clean sweep while Pakistan battles to salvage pride.
The match is a farewell test for Vaas, who was included in the Sri Lanka XI in place of out-of-form spinner Ajantha Mendis.
Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria, meanwhile, plays in his first match of the series in place of seamer Abdur Rauf.
Khurram Manzoor and Mohammad Yousuf built a 167-run partnership for the third wicket to push Pakistan on from 36-2 after Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat on a seaming Sinhalese Sports Club pitch.
Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara dealt two quick blows in the morning session when opener Fawad Alam was caught behind by Tillakaratne Dilshan for 16 runs with the total on 34. Two runs later Pakistan captain Younis Khan dragged a ball on to his stumps for two.
Manzoor and Yousuf dominated the Sri Lanka attack for most of the first session and the entire middle session before Manzoor was out for 93, caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene off seam bowler Chaminda Vaas.
He faced 197 balls and hit 10 fours before falling short of his maiden test hundred.
Yousuf did not last long without Manzoor and was run out for 90 though not before scoring his 7,000th test run in his 82nd test.
His bad call for a second run off an overthrow deprived him of his 25th test hundred. His runs came off 146 balls and included seven fours and a six.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik held the innings together with a 75-run partnership before Thushara returned to trap Malik lbw for 45 with the total on 285.
His dismissal triggered a collapse as Misbah (27) and Umar Gul were out in quick succession to leave the visitors on 287-7.
Thushara returned figures of 3-77 while seamer Nuwan Kulasekera recorded 2-43.
"We have performed very well at the end of the day. Tomorrow we will have to get the ... (remaining) wickets as quickly as possible. The ball is still new and the batsmen are not all that good," Thushara said.
Sri Lanka, already leading the three-match series 2-0, is aiming to complete a clean sweep while Pakistan battles to salvage pride.
The match is a farewell test for Vaas, who was included in the Sri Lanka XI in place of out-of-form spinner Ajantha Mendis.
Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria, meanwhile, plays in his first match of the series in place of seamer Abdur Rauf.
Former Pakistan selector calls for Warne comeback
Former Pakistan chief selector Abdul Qadir says Australia must bring Shane Warne out of retirement it wants to beat England in ongoing Ashes series.
"Age is not a factor, if Warne can play in IPL (Indian Premier League) I don't see any reason why can't he play in test matches," Qadir told the Associated Press in a telephone interview from Lahore.
Several commentators and former players publicly mooted Warne's recall to the test team in the lead up to the Ashes, including former England opener Geoffrey Boycott's call for him to be installed as captain. Both Cricket Australia and Warne rejected the possibility of a return to the test team.
The 39-year-old Warne played his last cricket test against England at Sydney in 2007. He retired from international cricket having taken 708 wickets in 145 tests.
"I think Australia will be strengthened with the return of Warne and he can still make a huge difference," said Qadir, a former test leg-spinner for Pakistan.
Australia trails 1-0 in the five-match series against England after drawing the first test and losing the second by 115 runs _ England's first victory at Lord's against Australia in 75 years.
"I saw that test match on television and had (Michael) Clarke not scored a century in the second innings the margin of defeat could have been over 250 runs," Qadir said.
"I still feel the England batsmen struggle against good spinners and with the likes of Warne, Australia has a good chance not only to level the series but even win the Ashes."
Qadir said Cricket Australia should talk to Warne and convince him to return to test cricket.
"For countries people do make comebacks and Australia needs Warne's expertise against England," Qadir said.
Warne led Rajhastan Royals to win the inaugural IPL title last year, but his team struggled in this year's tournament in South Africa and did not reach for the semifinals.
Qadir took 236 wickets in 67 test matches from 1977 to 1990. He stepped down as Pakistan chief selector last month blaming cricket board officials for meddling in the selection process.
"Age is not a factor, if Warne can play in IPL (Indian Premier League) I don't see any reason why can't he play in test matches," Qadir told the Associated Press in a telephone interview from Lahore.
Several commentators and former players publicly mooted Warne's recall to the test team in the lead up to the Ashes, including former England opener Geoffrey Boycott's call for him to be installed as captain. Both Cricket Australia and Warne rejected the possibility of a return to the test team.
The 39-year-old Warne played his last cricket test against England at Sydney in 2007. He retired from international cricket having taken 708 wickets in 145 tests.
"I think Australia will be strengthened with the return of Warne and he can still make a huge difference," said Qadir, a former test leg-spinner for Pakistan.
Australia trails 1-0 in the five-match series against England after drawing the first test and losing the second by 115 runs _ England's first victory at Lord's against Australia in 75 years.
"I saw that test match on television and had (Michael) Clarke not scored a century in the second innings the margin of defeat could have been over 250 runs," Qadir said.
"I still feel the England batsmen struggle against good spinners and with the likes of Warne, Australia has a good chance not only to level the series but even win the Ashes."
Qadir said Cricket Australia should talk to Warne and convince him to return to test cricket.
"For countries people do make comebacks and Australia needs Warne's expertise against England," Qadir said.
Warne led Rajhastan Royals to win the inaugural IPL title last year, but his team struggled in this year's tournament in South Africa and did not reach for the semifinals.
Qadir took 236 wickets in 67 test matches from 1977 to 1990. He stepped down as Pakistan chief selector last month blaming cricket board officials for meddling in the selection process.
Report: PCB to drop action against ICC
taking away the country's share of 2011 World Cup matches, local media reported Saturday.
"(Lawyer) Mark Gay advised the board to take back the case as it was not strong enough," daily newspaper Dawn quoted unnamed PCB sources to say.
The PCB had taken legal action questioning the authority of the ICC to make the decision, but the newspaper said PCB chairman Ijaz Butt will formally withdraw the action when he meets ICC chairman David Morgan in Dubai next week.
Pakistan was ruled out as World Cup venue after gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's team bus and security detail during a March test, killing six police officials and a van driver. Several Sri Lanka players and officials also suffered injuries.
The ICC had already reallocated Pakistan's share of 14 World Cup matches among three other co-hosts _ India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The three World Cup co-hosts have rejected a PCB proposal to hold Pakistan's share of matches at a neutral venue, but the ICC has promised to give Pakistan $10.5 million as co-host.
"(Lawyer) Mark Gay advised the board to take back the case as it was not strong enough," daily newspaper Dawn quoted unnamed PCB sources to say.
The PCB had taken legal action questioning the authority of the ICC to make the decision, but the newspaper said PCB chairman Ijaz Butt will formally withdraw the action when he meets ICC chairman David Morgan in Dubai next week.
Pakistan was ruled out as World Cup venue after gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's team bus and security detail during a March test, killing six police officials and a van driver. Several Sri Lanka players and officials also suffered injuries.
The ICC had already reallocated Pakistan's share of 14 World Cup matches among three other co-hosts _ India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The three World Cup co-hosts have rejected a PCB proposal to hold Pakistan's share of matches at a neutral venue, but the ICC has promised to give Pakistan $10.5 million as co-host.
Trump chumped: Somebody swiped The Donald's golf cart
So, any openings for a golf-course employee who was gainfully employed at Trump National Golf Club-Bedminster in New Jersey until yesterday?
On the very first day of the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls' Junior competitions at the course that bears his name, Donald Trump was surveying the scene in his trademark No. 13 golf cart. He parked the cart, wandered around a bit, only to find that his cart was ...
... gone. Gone! Someone had made off with The Donald's cart! And with his cell phone -- perhaps the single most important piece of electronic hardware this side of the President's nuclear football -- still inside! Heads will roll for this!
"Mr. Trump was not happy," one volunteer told the New Jersey Star-Ledger, in what must qualify as the understatement of 2009.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, for the story's sake), the cart wasn't swiped by some marauding gang of golf-cart thieves; it appears to be a simple case of someone grabbing the wrong -- very, very wrong -- ride.
After a brief search, the cart was located and returned to Trump, cell phone apparently still intact. We haven't yet heard from the offending party ... and perhaps we never will.*
Only four hours into his first USGA event, Donald Trump gets his golf cart stolen [New Jersey Star-Ledger]
How to get Donald Trump all fired up [Deadspin]
*-Any and all statements about Mr. Trump's management style are purely in jest. We are certain that the offending employee was simply given a verbal reprimand and asked to pay a bit more attention next time. Certain.
Devil Ball's Great 18: No. 5, Kapalua Plantation's 18th hole
Over 18 days, we're bringing you the best holes on the best courses in the world. Today, an absolute behemoth from Hawaii.
The hole: The 18th, "Home," at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course, Hawaii
The stats: Par 5, 663 yards. Yes, you read that correctly.
The story: You've got to go more than a third of a mile on this hole, the famous finishing hole on Kapalua, and when you're done, you'll be crying for home -- hence the hole's name.
Designed by Ben Crenshaw, this is actually a relatively straight hole; you can see the green from the tee, oh so far away. But there are plenty of hazards between the two, starting with the forest that lines both sides of the fairway. Put your ball into one of these dense thickets of Hawaiian jungle, and you can start planning for a drop.
Landing in the fairway isn't a slam-dunk, either; the fairway slopes so sharply from right to left and toward the Pacific Ocean and the island of Molokai there in the distance. You've also got to carry a canyon that runs in front of the green. Even so, the pros can run up good scores here, with birdies possible and eagles not uncommon.
Kapalua is the site of the season-beginning Mercedes-Benz Championship, which brings the winners of the past year's tournaments to Hawaii. And when they get done with the 18th, they're ready to head back stateside.
Tomorrow: All it needs is a windmill!
Revisiting Tiger & The 49ers: No. 7, Camilo Villegas
Before the 2009 season began, we ranked every golfer in the world in our massive Tiger & The 49ers list. All this week, we'll be revisiting those rankings, seeing how well we did and whether we ranked them correctly. Next up: one of late 2008's brightest lights.No. 7: Camilo Villegas
His 2009: Three top 10 finishes, topped by a T3 at the Buick Invitational. FedEx Cup rank: 32.
The story: After his 2008 ended with two first-place finishes in the last two FedEx events, Villegas came into 2009 with sky-high expectations. He and Anthony Kim were supposed to be the first heroes of the post-Tiger generation, but it hasn't quite worked out that way. He hasn't had quite the success that everyone had predicted, but he hasn't flamed out horribly, either. He'll be fine, and should be one of the game's stars going forward, but the first half of 2009 is a reminder that a good finish one year is no guarantee of a good start the next.
Up or down? Down a bit based on how well he closed out 2008. Everybody thought he would be challenging for nearly every tournament in which he played. But while he's fared better than Kim, he still hasn't hit the high points of last fall.
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