Sports

New York Knicks Gets Mike D�Antoni As Coach

New York Knicks has a new coach in the person of Mike D�Antoni. D�Antoni previously coached the Phoenix Suns up until the team was cast out from the NBA playoffs. D�Antoni signed the deal with the New York Knicks just last Tuesday. The deal involves $24 million for a four-year contract. After the Suns, it is going to be one challenging task for him to take on the Knicks since this team has suffered seven seasons of losses. This team hasn�t won a single playoff round since 2000. It is really going to be such a task to turn things around for the New York team. Among the candidates for the job, Mike D�Antoni is the perfect one according to New York Knicks President Donnie Walsh.

]]> D�Antoni is known in the industry for his �Seven Seconds or Less� offense strategy, as what he used when he was with the Suns. Whether that will still be the policy in his new team is still not clear. Walsh�s request though was for the team to focus more on building a strong defense. All he is promising is this, �we're going to play hard and we're going to be exciting�.

D�Antoni and Walsh have had time to take a look at the roster; however, they�re not voicing out their thoughts on the subject. But the players who seem to fit D�Antoni�s style are Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Nate Robinson. There�s no official word about this topic yet.

Well, good luck coach!

Maria Sharapova is Not Happy with WTA!

Maria Sharapova is putting her foot down against what WTA (Women�s Tennis Association) is making her do. WTA is threatening to fine her if she does not participate in a photo shoot for the WTA Tour. Sharapova said that she is willing to support the promotional campaign for the Tour, but what she is not happy about is the schedule of the said photo shoot which will be right before the Italian Open in Rome on May 12.

]]> For Sharapova, doing photo shoots is mentally taxing and she only wants to concentrate on tennis. Just imagine doing a 4 hour commercial shoot after spending 12 hours on the plane to Rome?! Those alone can zap anyone�s energy, so what will be left for the game? It is unreasonable for the WTA to require their players to participate in the shoot in a date so near the tournament.

Sharapova couldn�t stand it that is why she expressed her resentment about the issue, and the fact that WTA will fine her $300,000 if she does not participate in the shoot.

Kobe Bryant is NBA�s Most Valuable Player

If you are a fan of Kobe Bryant and you feel that it is high time for him to receive an MVP award, well, your wish has been granted. As announced two days ago, Kobe Bryant is 2007-2008 Most Valuable Player. He is the fourth player from the Lakers team to receive this coveted award. Several candidates vied for the said award, but Kobe�s achievements in the game outshone them all. He came on top of Chris Paul from the New Orleans team and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics.

]]> Based on his records, there�s no doubt that Kobe deserves to be this year�s MVP. In the overall NBA round-up he finished second with 28.3 ppg (points percentage goal), 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists. This stat helped Lakers achieve the best record in the Western Union Conference. In his 11-year career, Kobe has accumulated a total of 1,105 points.

The 82 votes he garnered from a panel of 126 sports writers and broadcasters throughout United States and Canada made him NBA�s Most Valuable Player for 2007-2008.

Dennis Rodman Arrested for Domestic Violence

If you are a fan of Dennis Rodman and would like to know what he�s up to lately then read on. Dennis is known for his controversial behavior even before he retired from basketball, so I guess this new scrape he�s in won�t come as a surprise to you. Last Wednesday this guy was arrested because of domestic violence. He was arrested by the authorities at 11 P.M. last Wednesday at the Century City hotel, and after 2 hours sitting in jail he was released on a $50,000 bail.

]]> So, what really happened? Investigators say that Rodman and his girlfriend had an altercation. He allegedly hit her and grabbed her arm where he left a bruise. It also did not help that both them were under the influence of alcohol. Rodman had been heavy on the alcohol for several weeks now because of his recent divorce and the fact that he hasn�t seen his children for over two months now.

Natalie Gulbis: The Golfer

Golf is a sport that is dominated by men. There only a handful of women who are known in this sport. And it is even sad to say that some of these women are not known for their ability in the sport, they are recognized just because they have sex appeal. One of these women in the golfing world is Natalie Gulbis. Well, if you haven�t heard of her name associated with golf, then you probably heard of her as being a model for various calendars, including FHM. She also has her own Reality Show.

]]> Going back to her life as a golfer, Natalie Gulbis started doing professional golf back in 2001. Though she was not able to win any tournament during the first five years of her career as a pro golfer, she still pursued the sport. It was not until 2005 that she won, coming 6th and winning over $1 million. After that, she won her first professional game at the Evian Masters in 2007. She won $3 million by defeating golf contender Jeong Jang.

Well, Natalie Gulbis is not the best female golfer. But she is determined to win, especially in this year�s LPGA Tour.

I just hope that her prowess as a golfer doesn�t become overshadowed by the fact that she is now being considered as the golf world�s sex symbol.

Danica Patrick Dominates the Indy Japan 300

We all know that car racing is a world that is dominated by men. So, a woman involved in this sport will surely stand out, like Danica Patrick. After three years with no wins, Danica Patrick finally tops this male-dominated world. Last Sunday she took home the cup for her victory in the Indy Japan 300! Last Sunday was this 26-year-old�s 50th race, and finally she was able to prove that she can do it, being the first woman to win in open-wheel racing.

Danica Patrick is not merely a woman who should be recognized for her beauty. Her win was achieved due to excellent strategy. She started from the third row and slowly advanced on the track coming close to Helio Castrovenes and Ed Carpenter on the 148th lap. Finally, she was able to get ahead the 2nd place winner Helio Castrovenes on the 198th lap in the 200 lap race. Third place was Scott Dixon, fourth place was Dan Wheldon, and Tony Kanaan fifth.

]]> In 2005 Patrick also competed in the Indy 500 finishing 4th in the race. The time which she finished during that race was the best ever made by a woman. Her team hopes that last Sunday�s win at the Japan 300 will be the first of the many, including next month�s Indianapolis 500.

Big Names for the Basketball Hall of Fame

What�s it like to be included in the basketball Hall of Fame for class 2008? Seven basketball personalities will know that. Let�s take a look at some of these people as well as their achievements in their respective careers. One is Pat Riley who is a three-time coach of the year awardee, won five NBA championships - 4 with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with Miami Heat. He also appeared in the NBA Finals nine times. All these constitute his success as a coach.

]]> Another basketball personality is Hakeem Olajuwon who led the University of Houston to three straight four appearances. He is also the NBA�s all time leading shot blocker, a former league MVP who took the Houston Rockets on a back-to-back NBA championships in1 994-1995. He is one of the dominant centers in his games. Now, Patrick Ewing is another one to make the Hall of Fame. He led Georgetown University to three trips to the Final four. He was also named as the most outstanding player in 1984, became a member of two U.S. Olympic gold medal squads, and was a member of an all star team eleven times throughout his 15-year NBA career. His qualifications are too many to mention. Aside from these three, they are also joined by Adrian Dantley, Bil Davidson, Dick Vitale of ESPN, and Women�s basketball pioneer coach Cathy Rush.

The inductees never thought that they�ll be among the honored persons in the NBA. But, you guys deserve it. Congratulations!

Beckham Leads the Galaxy to its First Victory

David Beckham is once again living up to his name as one of the greatest soccer players. Just this week he was named as the Major League Soccer player. The goal he scored on last Friday�s game against San Jose Earthquakes is his first for the MLS regular-season goal. Aside from Beckham, team mate Landon Donovan also made a goal. The two of them assisted each other with the ball to make the goal. The Los Angeles Galaxy won over the San Jose Earthquakes on a 2-0 score. With the team�s win, Beckham is not only happy that he was able to score a goal, but also that the whole team played well.

]]> This latest win and being proclaimed as the Major League Soccer player of the week is a good start for Beckham. Everyone�s eyes in on him to see if this season will be much-improved compared to last year when he wasn�t on his best shape for the game. You can probably recall that he had repeated knee injuries last year. But now, Beckham is optimistic that this season is going to be a great one.

Dubai Will Bid for the Olympics

Holding a big event such as the Olympics is certainly a privilege for any country. For this year that privilege goes to Beijing, China. But, what about the next Olympic Games? There is a possibility that the next venue can be Dubai. Dubai�s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made known his intention to make a bid for to host the Olympics. He is still studying on how to go about it, so no year has been quoted just yet.

]]> Dubai could be another great place to hold the Olympics. Hosting world tournaments is not new to them since they already host International games like tennis, golf and even rugby. If Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid succeeds in his intention to host the Olympics, they have Dubai Sports City to hold the event in. Well, this complex is still under conduction. However, when it is finished it will have a cricket stadium that can hold 25,000 people, an outdoor arena that can seat 60,000 people and a multi-purpose indoor arena that can accommodate 10,000 people. This kind of sports complex I think is ample enough for such a major event.

Source: ArabianBusiness.com

Pelosi Appeals for U.S. to Boycott Olympics Opening Ceremony

The official start of the 2008 Olympics is only a few months away. But even as preparations for the said world event are being done, controversies and tensions are also surfacing. In the light of the reports of China�s human rights abuse in Tibet, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that President Bush should think about boycotting the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics. This was what she said in the interview she had with Good Morning America yesterday. She said that since the opening ceremony just gives respect to the Chinese government, it�s better for U.S. to just boycott it.

]]> Pelosi also said that the boycott would only be done in the opening ceremonies and not in all the games as this would be unfair to all the players who have spent months and even years in preparation for this event. However, even as she said that, the White House has already made its stand � President will not boycott the 208 Olympics in Beijing since this event is all about sports and not politics.

Sharapova Wins Qatar Open: Bows Out Dubai Tennis Championship

Maria Sharapova once again proves her prowess in the court as she wins at the Qatar open. Victory is as sweet for this Russian tennis player as she garners her 18th career title by defeating opponent Vera Zvonavera with a score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-0. Aside from the new title, Maria Sharapova also enjoys victory with her price money US$414,000.

Sharapova broke her opponent two times in the first set of the game. Zvonavera gave two breaks in the 2nd set as well. But Sharapova was in great form, taking the lead once again in the 3rd set. She wrapped up the deciding set in merely 20 minutes.

]]> After the Qatar win she heads for Dubai for the Dubai Tennis Championships. But there�s bad news however. She is unable to push through with the match this week because of a virus. She�s quite disappointed she won�t be able to compete this week, but she intends to come back next year for the tournament.

African Cup Returns to Cairo

Egypt accomplished a one goal victory against Cameroon to take home the African Cup of Nations 2008. Their title means they are the first African team to have won twice consecutively, having won in 2006 on home soil. Tunisia are the champions of 2004 which means the cup will remain in North Africa for a total of 6 years�and with continued determination perhaps longer�

The only goal was scored by Abou Treika, fed to him by Zidane who was a sub for most of the match. The goal was scored in the second half making it a game of ninety minutes and not a repeat of the 2006 penalty shootout final against Cameroon.

]]> The Egyptian team received criticism during the early stages of the tournament; players and other familiar faces from the European leagues did not predict Egypt to progress far. Questions and opinions about the Egyptian team�s performance in sub-Saharan Africa were strong. However, Egypt although a local team, demonstrated that they were a real team and not a group of individual players.

The final was the second time for Egypt and Cameroon to face one another, opening fixtures combined them in the same group initially and Cameroon got beaten 4-2. However Cameroon were still expected to win in the final and most felt the Egyptian team would be intimidated by the Cameroonian player�s physical presence. Many of the Cameroonian players are high profile names in European Leagues. And Egypt was the only team with a non-European coach.

Egypt now has a record of 6 nation wins, and Sunday�s glorious defeat means the team have proved for a second time that they are capable of winning in all African climates. Cameroon has a total of 4 wins.

The tournament took place in Ghana of West Africa and was thoroughly praised as the best African tournament so far, with great entertainment and organization. It was a fine example of professionalism and a contrast to European footballs big names, female companions, obscene wealth and fading team effort.

Well done Africa, well done Ghana, and bravo Egypt!

By Guest writer Sam

Maria Sharapova Wins 3rd Grand Slam Title

Maria Sharapova once again proves her dexterity by winning in this year�s Australian Open in Melbourne. The 2008 Australian Open, her third Grand Slam title is certainly another sweet victory for this 20 year old Russian. Last Saturday she defeated Ana Ivanovic at 7-5, 6-3, just dropping 10 services points during the game. Sharapova was at her best form during the match, never losing her focus in the game that made her win in the 7 matches. This is a great success for her especially after the setbacks she had suffered in her previous matches, particularly last year when she suffered a shoulder injury. Her win has gladdened a lot of people especially the Russian press. One newspaper gave her encouraging words and another daily newspaper called her the pride of the Russian nation.

]]> With three Grand Slam titles under her cap, she now sets her aim to the French Open, the cup that she has not won yet. She said �It's one of the biggest challenges to win it, but that's what drives me. I'm getting better and feeling stronger. I'm holding my ground on the clay, my body is developing and I think I have a great chance."

Heat Up with Africa Cup of Nations 2008

Africa is on high spirits at the moment because of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations being held in Ghana. This is the first time for Ghana to host this tournament after 30 years. This year is the 26th edition of this tournament. Of course the countries of Africa have their own bets as to who will win the Cup. But maybe you want to know who the participating teams are so that you can also make your bet. There are 4 groups where the teams belong. Group A include Ghana, Morocco, Guinea and Namibia. In Group B you have Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mali and Benin. For Group C are Egypt, Cameroon, Zambia and Sudan. Finally for the D Group are Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa and Angola. Each one of these teams has their own star players who have the potential to take them to the Championship and to win the coveted Africa Cup of Nations.

Here are some of the results of the game:

]]> January 20
Ghana � Guinea: 2-1

January 21
Mali � Benin: 1-0
Namibia � Morocco: 1-5
Nigeria � Ivory Coast: 0-1

January 22
Egypt � Cameroon: 4-2
Sudan � Zambia: 0-3

Maria Sharapova is Sony Ericsson�s Global Brand Ambassador

Guess who is the new face of Sony Ericsson? It is no other than your favorite tennis star Maria Sharapova. This ranked-5 tennis player will be gracing worldwide ads and promotion for various Sony Ericsson products. Her contract as ambassador for this well-known brand will last for four years. However, no details of the four-year contract have been revealed. This is noteworthy action because Maria Sharapova is the first to be become the brand�s ambassador. Sony Ericsson�s design team will be working closely with her in order to produce new products and accessories.

]]> By having Sharapova, Sony Ericsson hopes to bring their brand closer to more people. Their combined reputation and expertise �aims to provide something new and something different to the customers all over their world� quoted from a statement made by Dee Dutta Sony Ericsson�s corporate vice president and head marketing.

From this standpoint, I think it is going to be a great partnership for both parties, don�t you think so?