Thursday, August 22, 2013

Foster to miss Monday practice

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster will not be at practice on Monday because of lower back soreness, coach Gary Kubiak said.The running back situation is a little worrisome for the Texans as Foster, who rushed for 1,424 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, is still being hampered by lower back soreness.Spill pallet suppliers''The team met with the doctors that have been treating Arian's back before Saturday's game, and it was determined they want to give it a few more days before they put him back out on the field because he is still experiencing some soreness,China Forklift Snow PloughChina Forklift Glass handler Type CNB25G-B1'' Kubiak said.''He's had some injections to try to alleviate some of the soreness and stuff,'' Kubiak said. ''The way I understand it right now is we are trying to get through the injection process. It is causing him some discomfort and something that will take him a little time to get through.''Kubiak said he was not concerned yet about Foster not playing Week 1 because he has seen him work. But he is concerned about the lack of repetitions Foster has gotten, adding that he knows Foster could make up the lost time quickly.''That's just me as a coach,China Scale Hydraulic Hand Pallet Truck'' Kubiak said. ''It doesn't mean I'm right. I just think the guys need to get their practice reps, need to get the reps to get ready to play, but we have to do what we have to do.Buy Cheap Ralph Lauren HandbagsKubiak also expects starting quarterback Matt Schaub to play the majority of next Sunday's preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.Backup QBs Case Keenum and T.J. Yates could play all of the final preseason game against Dallas.Schaub is 13 of 16 for 126 yards and a touchdown in the first two preseason games. Keenum has thrown for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Yates has passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason games.Kubiak said Keenum and Yates have made it hard on him because they are both doing a good job and playing well. Kubiak did not rule out the possibility of keeping three quarterbacks.''Both of them played very good (Saturday) night,'' Kubiak said. ''I thought Matt played very good. Our quarterbacks have played very good through the preseason.''Houston only has two other running backs on the roster who have played an NFL snap in Ben Tate, who started the two preseason games and has rushed for 12 yards on four carries, as well as Deji Karim, who has rushed for 92 yards on 15 carries.Houston's other running backs on the roster are Cierre Wood, Dennis Johnson and Ray Graham, who are all rookies.''I don't think anybody has separated themselves,'' Kubiak said about the rookie running backs. ''Something about Deji that is very trusting. He's played a little bit of football in the NFL. He does everything right. He is a little ahead of the guys, probably just experience.''''We are trying to do the smart thing. We have one back on our team with NFL experience other than Deji getting a little time in (Indianapolis) last year. When you look at that big picture, the running back picture is a little concerning to you, just getting him healthy.''Rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who left Saturday's game with a concussion, is doing better and will start the concussion protocol Monday, Kubiak said. Hopkins, the Texans' first-round selection, has six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.

When Athletic Shoes Cause Injury

Sometimes innovative science requires innovative machinery, like a moveable, four-legged robotic sled that can wear shoes, a contraption recently developed and deployed by researchers at the University of Calgary to test whether grippy athletic shoes affect injury risk.It’s well known, of course, that shoe traction influences athletic performance, especially in sports that involve sprinting or cutting, meaning abrupt rapid shifts in direction. In broad terms,Buy Cheap Abercrombie Men's Polos more traction leads to better results.Wholesale Men Fleece cheap Men FleeceIn a 2009 study of soccer players and their footwear, for instance, researchers tested the players’ forward sprinting and sideways cutting speed while the players wore their normal soccer shoes, and again after the shoes' cleats had been shaved down in length by 50 percent and then by 100 percent, meaning they were flat against the outsole. While wearing the shortened cleats, the players had less traction on the field and were significantly slower moving forward or sideways.But these and similar studies did not establish whether more shoe traction is always desirable or if there is such a thing as too much stickiness in a shoe.Athletic shoes have two primary types of traction.Buy Cheap Abercrombie Cap One keeps you sticking to the ground as you move forward. The other, called rotational traction, kicks in when you move sideways or shift direction. The amounts of each type of traction depend on a shoe’s outsole material and on whether it has cleats and, if so, how many, their size and shape, and how they are positioned.For some time, most researchers have believed that forward-related traction does not have much effect on injury risk, while rotational traction does.But that idea had been difficult to test in real-world situations. For one thing, researchers can’t ethically shave down cleats or otherwise alter shoe traction and ask players to don them and helpfully go out and hurt themselves.And logistically, it’s easier to measure shoe traction in a lab than on a playing field.But researchers at the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary wanted to see whether different degrees of traction would affect whether players got hurt in real playing conditions. So they created their shoe-wearing robotic tester. Mounted on rails, it can move either forward or sideways on a field at whatever speed the researchers choose, while its “feet” stay in contact with the ground and various sensors determine forward and rotational traction.With this robot tester at the ready, the researchers recruited hundreds of local high school football players and borrowed their shoes. They fitted each shoe onto the robot tester and determined its unique forward and sideways traction.The various shoes varied widely in terms of traction, says John W. Wannop, the University of Calgary kinesiologist who led the study.The scientists then returned the shoes to the players and asked each team’s trainer to track all non-contact leg injuries throughout the season. This experiment was repeated for two more years, during which time the playing fields were switched from grass surfaces to artificial turf. At the end of the three seasons, the scientists compared traction levels and injury reports.Many of the players had experienced ankle, knee and ligament injuries that didn’t involve contact. This was, after all, football. But the incidence was highest and the severity of the injuries greatest among those players whose shoes provided the most rotational traction. At the same time, the players whose shoes had provided the most forward traction developed fewest injuries.This finding was unexpected, Dr. Wannop says, because it had been thought that any shoe with high forward-motion traction would also automatically have high rotational traction, and so would increase injury risk. But this was not the case; some shoes gripped as players ran forward but didn’t stick when they cut sideways.Playing surface, meanwhile, had almost no effect on injury risk. Injury rates were similar on grass and artificial turf, whatever shoes the players wore.What these findings mean in practical terms, Dr. Wannop says, is that for the ideal mix of athletic performance and reduced injury risk in sports, a shoe should have “high translational traction values and relatively low rotational traction values.”Good luck, however, finding precisely that shoe. Companies don’t advertise shoes’ traction values and probably can’t, Dr. Wannop says, since they will vary, depending on your body size and movement patterns and on such ephemera as the muddiness or dryness of a field or trail on any given day.Still, there are some broad guidelines to consider when purchasing athletic shoes, especially for team sports like football, soccer or basketball, Dr. Wannop says. Avoid models with multiple large, toothy cleats or rubbery nodules along the outside of the sole,Wholesale Womens T-Shirts cheap Womens T-Shirts he advises, since they can create too much rotational traction. Look instead for groupings of shorter cleats in the forefoot, which can provide reliable forward-oriented traction.Most important, try the shoes before buying,Buy Cheap Juicy Couture Kids if at all possible. Ask the salesperson if you can go outside while wearing them. Find some grass and sprint, halt, pivot and cut. If your foot slips when you move forward or noticeably sticks when you pivot, Dr. Wannop says, try another pair. You might want to stick to your exercise regimen, but you don’t want to be stuck to the ground.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Ethiopia's Aman steps into Rudisha's shoes

Mohammed Aman was outmuscled and jostled, but belied his diminutive size to produce a devastating sprint and claim a first-ever medal of any colour for Ethiopia in the world 800m by winning gold on Tuesday.The two-lap event had sadly been shorn of the sublime talents of the injured David Rudisha, the Kenyan who broke the world record in winning the Olympic title last year.But, in his absence, Aman, the 19-year-old world indoor champion who has twice got the better of Rudisha, stepped into the void with some style.“I’m the first Ethiopian to win a 800m gold medal!” Aman said. “This gold medal is a big thing for me and my country.“It was not easy, a world championships final is such a hard race.canada goose jacket women All the athletes in the race were very strong and it’s a double pleasure to be first in such company.”Aman added: “I was confident because I have speed on the last 100 metres and also nervous because it is the worlds and one has to be careful and smart.“I didn’t want to be boxed in like the semi-final so I just stayed patient when Symmonds and Solomon kicked off.”The race was bunched for all but the final 200 metres, fancied American Duane Solomon bossing his way into the front as Frenchman Pierre-Ambroise Bosse almost sideswiped Aman coming out of the first corner run in lanes.At the bell, American Nick Symmonds came racing through, Aman again muscled out of the way and then boxed in behind the leading American duo.The field spread with 200m to go in the run-in to the home strait. Symmonds went wide around Solomon, but Aman worked to go wider and outsprinted the American to the line for victory in 1min 43.31sec. 

Symmonds held on for silver in 1:43.Hydraulic attachment suppliers55, with a fast-advancing Ayanleh Souleiman claiming bronze in 1:43.76,Isuzu Auto Parts a first medal for Djibouti since Ahmed Salah won silver in the marathon in the 1991 Tokyo worlds.“I’m happy with my performance,” said Symmonds. “I had a chance for gold and I hope some day I’ll win it.http://www.cnbattachment.com/“The competition without Rudisha was like a gift on a silver plate and nobody wanted to waste the chance.”Souleiman said that “tonight all of Djibouti will celebrate because there hasn’t been any medal since 25 years”.“I’m still in the 1500m on Wednesday and God willing I will Nike Air Maxwin.”Solomon, who finished fourth in the London Olympic final in a time that in all previous finals would have seen him win a medal, faded to sixth behind Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski and fifth-place Briton Andrew Osagie.

Turnovers Doom Dallas Cowboys Early Against Arizona Cardinals

The Dallas Cowboys did some great things on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. So great, in fact, that this game should've been over by halftime. Not one, two, three, or even four ... but five first-half turnovers by the Cowboys' offense made that claim irrelevant. Instead, Jay Feely outscored the entire Dallas team 12-7 as the Cowboys dropped to 1-2 in preseason.The turnover shenanigans began with Dwayne Harris, who averaged almost 20 yards per punt return last year, fumbling a punt in the first quarter that led to the first of Feely's four field goals.Dallas' first-team offense once again played very well. Tony Romo went 7-of-10 for 142 yards in a quarter and a half. Those numbers would've been more impressive if he hit Terrance Williams down the sideline for a would-be touchdown in the first quarter. But, nevertheless,canada goose jacket women Romo is batting 1.000 this preseason. Romo was involved in two offensive mistakes, but neither of them were his fault. Lance Dunbar caught a five-yard pass and turned it into a 43-yard gain before Yeremiah Bell tripped him up inside the 10-yard line. Dunbar couldn't hold onto the ball going down to the ground and Arizona recovered.Next drive, Romo hit Dez Bryant for a 27-yard gain, but Jerraud Powers stripped the ball from Bryant before he hit the ground, resulting in the third turnover for a Cowboys offense that left a possible 21 points off the board. That was the only hiccup on Bryant's day, who finished with four catches for 74 yards.Side note: That Romo-to-Bryant connection is looking awesome, isn't it?The first-team offense's day ended after that last fumble, which meant it was time for Kyle Orton to come in. The sooner Orton came in, the sooner Orton left.He played three series in the second quarter. The first one resulted in an interception, second was a three-and-out and the third was his second pick of the half.Despite the high number of turnovers, Monte Kiffin's defense bent, but didn't break. Whenever the Cardinals drove the field, the Cowboys' defense made crucial stops on third down to hold Arizona to field goal attempts.There's a bright spot if you're looking for it.Isuzu Auto Parts This defense has some promise.The offense didn't see the endzone until late in the fourth quarter when third-string quarterback Alex Tanney hit rookie tight end Gavin Escobar for a five-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 9-7. Tanney finished 14-of-19 for 136 yards and a touchdown. And he threw an interception for the sixth Dallas turnover. No biggie. But he's making a good case for that backup quarterback spot, slowly but surely. If you were looking for a game to analyze how the running game looks so far, this wasn't it. The three Dallas quarterbacks combined for 36 attempts to only 16 carries between four running backs, totaling 44 yards.It was an ugly game, nonetheless.Other notes:1) Devonte Holloman continues to look like a late-round gem for the Cowboys.Holloman made a nice diving interception off of Drew Stanton late in the first half to keep Arizona out of the endzone. That's Holloman's second interception this preseason. The first came during the Hall of Fame Game on a 75-yard pick returned for a touchdown.He almost forced a fumble in the second quarter on Stanton,Lululemon Women's Pants but the play was overturned thanks to the infamous tuck rule.Nike Air MaxHolloman keeps making plays. If he keeps doing that, he'll find a spot on the roster in some capacity.2) The offensive line did well again.The questionable group up front played relatively well, giving up only two sacks and three hits to the quarterback. For the most part, the quarterback's jersey has been clean this preseason.There's a lot of pressure for someone to perform upfront, now that news has come out that the talks between the Cowboys and Brian Waters are "dead." So whichever guard is ready to take on the challenge, it's their spot to have.3) Miles Austin may be mad that his job is on the line. Just ask Cardinals safety Curtis Taylor.The toughness and aggression the Cowboys' defense showed all afternoon carried over to Austin early in the second quarter. Dallas' No. 2 receiver caught a drag route and had a lot of field in front of him. As Taylor went for the http://www.kadifashion.com/tackle, Austin lowered his shoulder and took out Taylor for a 16-yard gain.Mad Miles is a good Miles. It may need to be kept that way.What were your thoughts on the Cowboys' loss today? Did you see anything positive? Or is this team going downhill after three preseason games?The Cowboys play their first preseason home game on Aug. 24 when the Cincinnati Bengals come to Arlington.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Gibson:'Cheaters' like Braun rob other players

Kirk Gibson would like to have a private conversation with disgraced slugger Ryan Braun.The Arizona Diamondbacks manager said Sunday that ''cheaters'' like Braun rob other players of opportunities for moments such as his pinch-hit home run during the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the Dodgers.nike shox shoesBraun accepted a 65-game suspension last month. The Milwaukee Brewers star apologized for ''mistakes'' but has yet to publicly admit to using performance-enhancing drugs.''If I get a chance to see Braun, I've got a question for him right to his face, you know?'' Gibson said Sunday before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. ''Is he about rehearsed (enough) by now, you think? About ready to come out? He's probably practicing at the theater school somewhere. Just you look at how things like that can influence people's opportunities and an opportunity to do something like that.''Gibson had been asked about his famous homer off the Oakland Athletics' Dennis Eckersley 25 years ago when, unprompted, he referenced Braun.Wholesale Lingerie Sexy Lingerie Gibson wouldn't reveal his exact questions for Braun, but he implied it would concern the 2011 NL division series.Braun hit .500 during a five-game victory by the Brewers over Gibson's Diamondbacks. He went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored during a 3-2, 10-inning Milwaukee victory in the deciding Game 5. That month, Braun would test positive under Major League Baseball's drug program.''I mean, all things considered, we should have won a game,'' Gibson said of Game 5 in 2011. ''All things considered, the last game, we tied them up and had a chance to win it. But there were other times in my career where I did overcome cheaters with my teammates. We had our chance.''Braun successfully appealed the suspension he was given for the 2011 positive test. He was suspended last month in connection with the Biogenesis clinic, an investigation that has also ensnared New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and 12 other players.Braun strongly denied any wrongdoing after his first positive test.''It will be interesting to see what he has to say,'' Gibson said of Braun publicly addressing his transgressions.Forklift forks ''I said this a long time ago, but I think that people should have an opportunity to ask him some questions and have him answer them unrehearsed. But something tells me he's getting really prepared for just about anything they can throw at him.''Gibson said his wife is upset about Braun possibly costing Arizona a chance at a World Series in 2011. Gibson initially defended Braun after his first positive test, implying he should have been given the benefit of the doubt.''I'd been listening to his line of (expletive),'' Gibson said Sunday. ''So you take it at face value.''Gibson, who has been kadifashionArizona's manager since July 2010, won the 1988 NL MVP award along with playing for world championship teams that year and in 1984 as a member of the Detroit Tigers.Gibson also played for the Kansas City Royals and Pirates during a 17-season career in which he hit 255 home runs.The 29-year-old Braun has 211 career home runs. A five-time All Star,Sexy Lingerie Factory Braun won the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year and the 2011 NL MVP awards.''I'm not surprised that he hasn't addressed people,'' Gibson said. ''He probably doesn't give a (expletive) about me. But you know, he's got it really good, and I was one of the guys who went through many things - work stoppages, etc. - so he could do that. So I would hope he respects me and everyone who stood up for him that came before he played the game.''If he thinks he's giving back to the game, he has a different idea of how to give back than I do.''

My focus is not to get injured: Bolt

World record holder Usain bolt said Saturday his current focus was not only winning medals but also to avoid injuries in preparations for the 2016 Olympics.The Jamaican sprinter completed his 200m world title hat-trick as he took an easy win with a world leading of 19.Wholesale Lingerie Sexy Lingerie66 seconds at the 2013 IAAF World Championships here.The lead was so overwhelming for the Jamaican that he even did not need to dash to his fastest in the last 10 meters.Asked by a reporter in the press conference following the race why he slowed down in the last few meters, Bolt admitted he "wasn't too stressful" in the last 50 meters as he checked his left, and found "there no one there."Though always trying to run as fast as possible, Bolt said he got tired easily after years of running. Thus, it is a challenge to balance between medals and muscles, he noted.When runs fast for titles, the worst thing could happen to a sprinter is to get injured; when slows down,Forklift forks others will catch him up, the 26-year-old noted, adding he eyes for the 2016 Olympics and the focus of his next season is "not to get injured."For the same reason, he scrapped the long jump plan after careful consultations with his coach. "I've talked about long jump with my coach. I was planning that I would try it either this season or next season but we decided that I'm not going to do long jump," he said. 

"I don' t want to get knee problems or any injury because one of my biggest goals is to go to the Olympics in Rio (de Janeiro in 2016) and dominate and try to regain my titles, so I have to be focused and I can't mess around and get injured by doing long jump.Sexy Lingerie Factory"After winning Olympic double-triple of 100m,kadifashion 200m and 4x100m relay gold in Beijing and London,nike shox shoes Bolt made it clear he didn't want to be merely a flash of lightning but a long-lasting shinning star.On his way to the 2016 summer games, Bolt vowed to be "continuing to pile on the gold medals as much as I can, trying to stay undefeated in the championships."Bolt bettered his own world leading time of 19.73 set in Paris early last month, although his winning time of 19.66 was well shy of his 19.19s world record set at the Berlin World Championships four years ago.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Cameron White maintains Northants' renaissance in demolition of Durham

Few counties have a worse record in the T20 competition than Northamptonshire,Wholesale Outerwear&Sweater cheap Outerwear&Sweater but this may be the Steelbacks' year.Wholesale Outerwears cheap OuterwearsWholesale Polos cheap Polos Coming into the season with a record of having won only three of their previous 26 matches in the format, they had already confounded expectations by topping their group, and the manner in which they swept aside Durham in Tuesday's quarter-final entitles them genuinely to fancy their chances of bringing the trophy back to Wantage Road for the first time.From the moment the captain, Alex Wakely, won the toss and chose to bat, there was a sense of purpose to everything Northants did. While the visitors may have been pleased to restrict the openers Kyle Coetzer, playing against his former county,Buy Cheap Ankh Royalty Tracksuit-AR0007 and David Willey to 40 runs in the six-over power play, it was the sort of wicket on which batsmen needed to establish themselves before scoring quickly.Well, most batsmen. Having got in, Willey and Coetzer ensured they did not waste any opportunities afforded by width, and it was the 12th over before they were separated, the off-spinner Gareth Breese holding a delivery back and bowling Willey. 

Coetzer quickly followed, run out by their new recruit Cameron White, but the Australian, who has played 38 T20 internationals, more than made up for his over-ambitious call. The 16th over saw him smash Breese for three leg-side sixes, and it was hard to understand Paul Collingwood's thinking when the Durham captain decided to replace the off-spinner with Scott Borthwick. The young leg-spinner was also hit out of the ground as White went to his 50 off 27 balls.Durham were reduced to 73 for three when Phil Mustard swept James Middlebrook into the hands of long-leg on the edge of the circle in the 12th over, so far behind the run rate that the game already seemed far beyond them.Where there is Ben Stokes, however, there is usually hope, and the powerful young all-roundBuy Cheap Abercrombie Women's Fleeceer briefly raised the visitors' hopes by hitting three sixes and four fours in a 25-ball half-century. Wickets were falling at the other end, though, and outstanding bowling by Lee Daggett, who conceded only 13 runs from his four overs, meant the task was always well beyond even Stokes's capabilities."It's a big thing for a club like us to get to finals day but we've got a much better feel in the camp this year, we're playing some good cricket and everybody's contributing," said Daggett.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson says heptathlon medal at worlds is 'huge ask'

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Britain's exciting young heptathlete, insists she feels under no extra pressure to succeed at the world championships following Jessica Ennis-Hill's withdrawal, but she has cautioned people not to expect too much too soon.The 20-year-old from Liverpool, who won gold in the heptathlon at the European Under-23 Championships and the long jump at the world junior championships last month,Wholesale Jeans cheap Jeans said it would be "a huge ask" to get a medal in Moscow, despite the absence of Ennis-Hill and the 2011 world champion Tatyana Chernova. She believes a top-eight finish is more realistic."I don't think there is any pressure on me," she said. "I've heard people say I'm a medal prospect but I'm still ranked 12th going into Moscow so it will be a huge ask to suddenly go for a medal. Obviously I'd love to do it, but we will have to wait and see. I'm still only 20 and there is plenty more time to get medals.Buy Cheap Abercrombie Men's Jeans I just want to improve on last year, when I was 15th at the Olympics, and will be happy with a top eight in Moscow."There may be reason for greater optimism. Only three athletes competing in Moscow have season's bests of 6,400-plus points – the American Sharon Day,Wholesale Purses cheap Purses Germany's Julia M?chtig and Ukraine's Hanna Melnychenko – and Johnson-Thompson, whose personal best is 6,267, believes more is possible if she improves in the shot put and javelin. "I've been trying to fix the throws all winter," she said. "If I get the throws I could add 300 points which takes me up to 6,400-6,500, which is definitely a big chunk of an improvement." 

Johnson-Thompson spent five weeks being unable to train properly after tearing ankle ligaments in May, but victory in the long jump at the Anniversary Games showed she has completely recovered. That day she beat Ennis-Hill and admits she feels for her injured team-mate."It must be devastating for her," said Johnson-Thompson. "I hope she gets better soon and comes back as good. It's always great to have a team-mate competing alongside you and Jess is an inspiration of mine. She will be back, I'm sure."I didn't really start watching athletics until Beijing 2008 and Jess wasn't there because she was injured," she added. "But I do remember [Sweden's] Carolina Kluft before that and she was an inspiration, too. I even watched Jess compete in the field events at London 2012 – I thought maybe one day I could do the same as her."It was during the Olympics that Johnson-Thompson introduced herself to the wider public – and after competing in front of 80,000 people at her home Games, Moscow holds few fears. "That definitely helped me prepare for anything in my life now,Buy Cheap Abercrombie Men's Polos" she said. "It was the biggest thing I will probably ever do but I didn't realise it at the time."I was in the athletes' village and had not been to the Olympic Stadium until the day of the heptathlon itself. They took us down the tunnel and as we came through for the hurdles I got a glimpse of all the people and could Buy Cheap Chloe dress-CLE0022hear all the noise, all the people shouting for us."I saw Usain Bolt and David Rudisha on the warm-up track. Then as I walked into the stadium I sort of realised how big it was – 80,000 people. Just a blanket of people. I just had to try and focus on my race and I think that has helped me ever since."While Johnson-Thompson aims to emulate Ennis-Hill by winning Olympic gold, she believes she may have to wait until 2020 before she peaks. "I'll still only be 23 in Rio, which is young for a heptathlete, but as long as I just keep improving … then there will be medals. Jess was 26 when she won gold at London 2012 and that's the age I will be around the 2020 Games."

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Serena William defeats Francesca Schiavone in 2nd round of Rogers Cup

It was an intense match that sent four balls flying out of the courts in its two sets. Williams was off to a slow start but gradually picked up her pace to show her formidable serves and powerful groundstrokes -- two of her most biggest weapons -- towards the end of the first set."I felt good, I felt solid, and obviously I made a few errors, but it's just my first match and my first match back on hard court in a really long time, I also played a really good player, so it was a good match," Williams told reporters after the match.Williams, who received a bye into the second round, is a two-time champion at Rogers Cup. With a 19-2 win-loss record at the WTA Premier 5 event, the 31-year-old is now vying for her 54th career title, and eighth title this season.She crushed Schiavone in the second set. But she fought back valiantly, sending Williams flailing to return her shots.A determined Schiavone put up a spirited fight against her strong opponent,Buy Cheap BCBG women's dress-BCBG0049 earning a thunderous applause from the audience near the end of the game, as she dove and sprinted around the court to successfully return Williams' consecutive speedy shots.Schiavone came close to winning several games in the second set, mixing up the way she played, but failed to carry through each time."It was good she played like that," said Williams, who's leading 5-2 in matches against Schiavone. "Now I feel completely adjusted, I feel good going into the next round."For her third round,Buy Cheap Hollister Men's T-shirts-HO3318 Williams is set to face off against Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, who defeated her sister Venus 6-0, 4-6,Wholesale Shorts cheap Shorts 2-6 Tuesday. 

China's only Grand Slam singles champion Li Na, who played Wednesday,Wholesale Mens T-Shirts cheap Mens T-Shirts dominated her match against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in two straight sets of 6-1, 6-4.The fourth seeded Li started off strong, and despite a two-hour delay which disrupted the first set moments after it began, she jumped right back into the match without skipping a beat.Besides her strong powerful forehand and backhand groundstrokes, Li also surprised Pavlyuchenkova, ranked No. 31st in the WTA charts, with a change of pace in the second set.The strong baseline player moved close to the net as often as she could, sending short swift volleys to Pavlyuchenkova's court, breaking up her rhythm as she tried attempted to catch up to Li in the second set.Li is now the only representative from China still in the running for this year's Rogers Cup title, as Zheng Jie -- ousted from the singles match Monday against Germany's Mona Barthel -- also lost her second round doubles with partner Sania Mirza of India against Georgia's Oksana Kalashnikova and Polish player Alicja Rosolska Wednesday by 6-3,1-6, 6-10.Li is now set to play against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the third round, after she defeated Italy's Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-4 in a nail-biting match that lasted one hour and 56 minutes.Ivanovic, who started off leading the match, found Pennetta edging up in points by the middle of the first set. The pair went toe-to-toe, delivering aggressive groundstrokes. Pennetta matched Ivanovic point-by-point,Wholesale Pink cheap Pink driving the pair into deuces.Ivanovic's forceful serves and agility on the court won her points, and eventually led to a win in the match.Earlier in the day, Zheng and her partner Sania Mirza of India lost in three sets of 6-3, 1-6, 6-10 in a match that lasted just over an hour and nine minutes.France's Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli kept her momentum going and defeated qualifier Lauren Davis of the U.S. in the second round by 6-0, 6-3.

What next for Alex Rodriguez?

Alex Rodriguez waited all year to put on a New York Yankees jersey, walk up to the plate and swing away. His controversial season debut, and a second inning at-bat, was the climax of an eventful Monday around Major League Baseball, one in which 13 players were suspended for their connection to Biogenesis of America, the defunct anti-aging clinic which allegedly supplied performance-enhancing drugs to MLB players. Rodriguez was the only player amongst the group to not accept their suspension, the others electing to swallow a 50-game ban while A-Rod was hit with a 211-game sentence, one that doesn't begin until Thursday.And so there was A-Rod,Buy Cheap Hollister Men's Polos-HO4015 wearing his number 13, greeted to the expected chorus of boos from the Chicago crowd, facing the White Sox left-handed pitcher, Jose Quinatna. Rodriguez responded with a hit. It was downhill from there. The Yankees were already losing 3-0 to the last place White Sox when A-Rod stepped in, and by the time he returned for another turn at-bat, New York were down 7-0. The Yanks lost 8-1.Rodriguez' worked his way back from a second major hip surgery which led to a lengthy and intensive rehabilitation program, a good deal of which took place under the shadows of an investigation into his dealings with Biogenesis. His appearance with the Yankees marks the end of the beginning for Rodriguez, who had been fighting to protect his due process as Major League Baseball and its commissioner, Bud Selig,Buy Cheap Franklin Marshall Women's Dress-FM4004 bid to punish him for his alleged wrongdoings. 

Not much chance of that. So, what's next for A-Rod now that, "phase two" as he called it, is set to begin? Well at the very least, it seems that he will have most likely bought himself the rest of this season, should he file an appeal against the suspension as expected. So "phase two" for Rodriguez includes seeing a lot of pitches from opponents, and hearing a lot of boos, both on the road (he's used to it) and quite possibly at home (he's used to it).Then there is the appeal, which is no simple process according to Fordham University Professor Mark Conrad, who teaches Sports Law and Ethics,Buy Cheap Louis Vuitton Bags-LV0212 and spoke to the The Guardian:This is a mini-trial, this is not an informal thing where a couple of guys are getting in a small room with a table and saying, let's settle this. This is going to be high powered lawyers, from both sides, with a fair amount of evidence that has been determined by baseball based on reports we have seen.Rodriguez was asked several times in various ways before his season debut if he took performance-enhancing drugs, and did not admit to using, instead, focusing on his due process - that sort of deflection led to Professor Conrad to draw conclusions on A-Rod's goals.So the goal of Rodriguez and his lawyers will be at the very least to shrink the suspension games down to something closer to what first time offenders such as Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta got, 50 games, and what Ryan Braun received, 65 games. Meanwhile, MLB will be trying to argue that Rodriguez' alleged recruiting of other players and his alleged tampering into the investigation is worthy of an additional suspension. New baseball arbitrator Fredric Horowitz will make that call, which will have an enormous impact on A-Rod's career - at age 38, with Rodriguez' skills eroded due to age and injury, every game counts, and so that is where the bulk of the fight lies. 

How much of that fight remains private remains to be seen. We never learned exactly what MLB had on Ryan Braun and the situation with A-Rod could be similar,Buy Cheap Christian Audigier Bikini-CA4029 although, having said that, both sides were pretty loose, with leaks flowing regularly to the press in the run up to the suspensions.What's the timetable? Well, we had heard earlier on Monday that there would be a hearing in 20 days and a ruling in 25 days, but that doesn't seem to be anywhere near the case, rather, it could last until November. That's according to MLB Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner, who indicated that a more drawn out schedule would be likely, hence A-Rod's ability to finish what could be an eventful remainder of the season in the Bronx.Wholesale Sweaters cheap Sweaters

Monday, August 12, 2013

Kenya team buoyant ahead of World Athletic Championships

The 44-strong Kenya team left here Monday for World Athletic Championships in Moscow in a buoyant mood in spite of missing some of its star names.There will be no David Rudisha, Vivian Cheruiyot or any big name in its marathon squad as the country seek to improve on its medal haul beyond the Daegu, South Korea mark of 17 - seven gold, six silver and four bronze - the best for the country in the competition history.Lanky coach Sammy Rono, a former Kenya Defence Forces officer, understands better what lies ahead as he emerges from his armoury with his soldiers ready to battle at the 14 edition of the World Championships, which starts on Aug 10 and ends on Aug.18."After weeks of preparation, I have the confidence to say, the team will be ready from Saturday. We have done our part here, the coordination has been good, the team work aspect has been instilled and I believe we have what it takes to strike gold in Moscow," said Rono.Of course with no direct flights to Moscow from Nairobi, the team will take the longer route to Dubai, for a night over, before making the remainder of the journey and are expected in the Russian Capital later on Tuesday."The absence of some of the key runners from the team should not be viewed as a weakness. Everyone in the Kenya team is a champion in his own right. They deserve to be in the team, they have earned it and the world better be prepared for a shocker."His sentiments resonate as far as the first event. Many are finding it hard how, the team will weather the storm in the middle and long distance events, the pillar of the country dominance in the sport.Wholesale Lingerie Sexy LingerieBut many a fan, have not spent time with the runners, their criticism based mainly on past records and times set this season.Statistics never lie, but the ultimate test will be on the track. It is a dream team captain Julius Yego will be holding on to dearly as he debuts at the Worlds. The London Olympics javelin finalist is optimistic the Kenya will triumph. 

"I have no experience about the World Championships. It is my first engagement, and I do not want to disappoint. It gives me a chance to showcase my talent,cheap men's tshirt wholesale but above all the role it brings along as the team captain of Kenya puts me under pressure to excel. As the first man from the field events to captain the national team, I do pray that we perform well to leave a legacy,kadifashion" said Yego.The World Championships in Moscow will run from Aug. 10-18 and is set to be the biggest ever. With the deadline for the final entries now closed, no fewer than 206 IAAF Member federations have confirmed their participation.The previous highest number of nations present at an IAAF World Championships was 200 at both Seville 1999 and Berlin 2009.With a total of 1974 athletes having been entered (1106 men and 868 women), the record of participants is also on course to be broken as the previously most attended championships in terms of athletes was Berlin 2009 with 1895.Wholesale Coat cheap CoatKenya men's marathon team of Bernard Koech, Peter Some, Bernard Kipyego, Michael Kipyego and Nicholas Kemboi have been left behind to continue with their training in Iten. They will join their teammates on Tuesday.Already, Athletics Kenya President Isaiah Kiplagat and vice president David Okeyo, who holds various positions with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), are in Moscow to prepare for the team and attend other commitments with the global track and field body.The United States and Russia edged out Kenya in Daegu two years ago. But the 17 medal haul - seven gold, six silver, four bronze stands as the best collection for the country to date.In Osaka back in 2007, Kenya had five gold, three silver and five bronze while four years ago in Berlin, the country had 11 medals - four gold, five silver and two bronze. But questions keep on lingering on whether the 49-member squad will keep Kenyan fans' dream alive.Ethiopia's Olympic champions Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar have confirmed they will double in 5,000m and 10,000m and Rono says this might in the end play to the Kenya team advantage."It is not good for them to double. The pressure will be too much and they will crack. Even Cheruiyot felt it though she pulled it off in Daegu. Will they be able to repeat that feat? I don't know, but it will be a huge task," said Rono. 

Former head coach Julius Kirwa however said critics should hold their horses at least until the first race is done in Moscow."We always have a team that is good enough to win at the World Championships. It will always be difficult irrespective on who is the coach or the athletes in question," he said."All they need is to remain focused to the course and be determined. The teams has many athletes yet to make a mark globally plus a few experienced one, they will surprise many."With no Rudisha, Kenya will parade Olympian Anthony Chemut, Ferguson Rotich and former World Youth 400m hurdles silver medalist Jeremiah Mutai.nike shox shoesIn 5,000m, Cheruiyot absence will give grounds to Mercy Cherono to blossom and so will Gladys Cherono and Emily Chebet.In marathon, Edna Kiplagat will be eyeing to pull of a second gold after Daegu. But she has a young team to cushion her from the aggressors, a challenge she is keen to take in her strides, literally.Billy Konchella, the former world 800m champion, said it a 50-50 chance for Kenya to do well."Kenya will do well in 800 meters. It will be challenging and tricky but I expect that we will win at least two medals," said Konchella.