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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

A Pint of NFL: King of Beers and King of Jeers

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

I took the sell-out route last time when I used Coors Light in my comparison to Terrell Owens (see: here).  It’s not really my style; I’m more of a craft beer kinda guy.  But when the beer is cold and someone is good enough to offer up one of his own brews, who am I to turn my nose?  That would be sinful, no?  Not to mention it would go against any and all social norms.

So while I sat in my neighbour’s garage on my fold-out lawn chair awaiting the start of the Cowboys-Giants opener, I was handed said beer, which happened to be King Bud.  Honestly, it has been ages since I’ve had a Budweiser.  Sure, I have seen about a thousand commercials, most of which I happily recite because frankly they are quite good, but not one drop has reached my mouth in well past forever.  Before I even opened my mouth to sample the beer, I looked at the label and was reminded of those commercials.  Would the beer disappoint, or does it really warrant the attention it gets, and the price it demands?

While I was set to watch the Giants, my Budweiser can best be compared with a New York based football player, but not for the Giants.  Tim Tebow is the Budweiser of the NFL.  Simply put, he is a below average beer that has been hyped to death to the point that some people actually think he is a legitimate beer, err, player.

What is it that makes so many people buy into Tebow?  The most common explanation is “He wins”.  Jesus, really?  Talk about looking at the glass half full.  Look from the other side of the table and you might notice that perhaps his team would have won more but for his ineptitude.  Yes, he plays very hard, I won’t take that away from him.  As a long-time Florida Gators fan I have followed his career for ages now it seems.  But I think his proponents are very eager to believe he was responsible for the wins, but fail to realize many of his loses might not have been loses with an average NFL quarterback.  His record in Denver wasn’t horrible in that he had a nice win:loss ratio, but the wins simply cannot be attributed to Tebow.

I finally cracked open my Bud, flung my cap haphazardly at the plastic bag my host had hanging for garbage, and swigged.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but on the positive side, at least it was cold.  The best way to describe my overall thoughts of Budweiser is that it’s like the most boring cereal… you know, those corn-type flakes.  It’s just uninspiring, with a bland taste and no finish.  It’s not horrible, even though it seems as though that’s the decision it seems that I’m going to eventually arrive at.  It just has no “wow factor”.  So why is it the most popular beer on the planet?  Well, it might be one the most hyped products anywhere, in any industry.  Well, apparently Tebow’s PR person spends his or her time off in the Hamptons with the Marketing guys from Budweiser.

Tim Tebow is a household name, and there is no denying that.  In fact, it would be interesting to compare his popularity with very good quarterbacks amongst non-football fans and I bet he beats many.  I’ll give you Peyton, Ben, Tom, and Eli, (and Vick, for not-so-good reasons), but do you think Rogers, Brees, Stafford, and Rivers are more recognizable than Tebow?  I’m not so sure.  My point?  Sometimes it’s all in the packaging.  The bigger the package the better – most women will agree.

As I finished my Budweiser, well into the Cowboys-Giants game, it came to me; “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.  What I see in Budweiser is the label – the corporate sigil branded on my beer, and in my face almost every time I watch football.  It’s not the beer I dislike, it’s the marketing.  Why?  Well, because I said at the outset, I really enjoy sampling beers produced by small-time brewers, not the gigantic brewmasters.  The problem is that before I even tasted my beer, I already had preconceived notions.  I made up my mind that I wouldn’t like it. Similarly, people have that notion of Tebow.

I’m certainly not going to defend any of his horrendous statistics, because after all, I’m like most of you are in my bewilderment of how people can think he is “good”.  That said, I bet many people who have determined that they dislike Tebow (due to his play…some dislike him because of religious beliefs, which I have purposely avoided discussing) arrived at that decision well before seeing him play a great deal.  It’s not wrong, it’s just our nature.

So the next time you see a Bud commercial, or watch someone “Tebowing”, take a minute to decide for yourself why it is you have chosen to either like or dislike.  It seems that in both Tebow and Bud’s case there is no middle ground – you are either a fan, or not.

Check out other editions of “A Pint of NFL”, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter – @APintOfNFL

Hammer Radio: Jon "Bones" Jones vs Twitter

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Its Wednesday Night, so the Hammer Radio show is back, and available in Hamilton on 93.3 CMFU FM, and archived on the internet at http://thehammar.libsyn.com

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with another new episode and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio 109.

“The cancellation of UFC 151 has taken another victim, playing havoc with this week’s episode of Hammer Radio.  We’re not live in studio this week, and instead bring you a shorter episode where we recap all of the week’s news.

Topics include Jon “Bones” Jones vs. Twitter, Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo vs. A Car, One FC from The Phillipines, recently signed Strikeforce matches, some recent injury statistics and more.”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.

NL Wild Card Race: After "The Trade" Dust has Settled

Posted on by Harold Douglas

Well, here we are…. September. If you’re reading this, you obviously like baseball, and if you like baseball, you should be excited. If you’re not excited, get excited, because there are plenty of reasons to be.  On the morning of August 24th, I took a look inside the NL Wild Card Race, later that day, the landscape in the National League changed with news first being reported of a blockbuster trade.

Now assuming you haven’t spent the last week or so locked up in solitary confinement, I’m sure you’ve heard that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti took it upon himself to take advantage of a dysfunctional family environment in Red Sox nation. By acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto from the Sox in exchange for James Loney, a handful of talented minor league prospects and a large wad of cash, Colletti has provided the Dodgers with the ammunition needed to come from behind and make the playoffs.

As far as trades go, not too many involve one team receiving so many important components. A proven middle of the order bat, a front line starting pitcher, a speedy outfielder who can hit and a quality utility guy.

Now a couple of these guys have had “off” years but there are many factors. First of all, Boston has had in-house problems since last September (at least). A change will give them all a refreshing reset. However, this isn’t just any change. There is something to be said about going from the American League East to the National League West. For a pitcher like Beckett, relocating from AL to NL means facing less fearsome line-ups just by the nature of the rules. In the AL, pitchers have to address a full line up consisting of nine big league hitters. Not so much in the NL. Take away the DH (a hitting specialist) and replace it with a pitcher who now has to hit (or bunt more likely) for himself. Now because the pitcher is hitting, quite often this means that one can avoid surrendering good pitches to the hitter who happens to be up before the pitcher in the line up. That’s two less hitters in a nine hitter lineup who have to be taken seriously in a National League lineup. This phenomenon will give Beckett a chance to have a strong finish. Let’s face it, Beckett may be struggling, but he has high quality stuff. This makes things easier for him and we should look for him to have a strong finish to the season. He struggled in his first start but consider how difficult it must be for a pitcher to throw in Colorado for the first time – terribly frustrating!  He was light’s out in his second start against Arizona.

As for Gonzalez who is already a proven hitter there are several reasons that tip us off that he will perform well down the stretch-run. Gonzalez has already had success in the NL West during his time with the San Diego Padres. This is familiar territory for him. Second, with Shane Victorino, Hanely Ramirez, and Matt Kemp all hitting around him, he will have plenty of protection and RBI opportunities. For most of the starting pitchers he will be facing, this month will be the first and only time they will face him this year. Advantage Gonzalez – not much reference material for opposing pitchers, catchers and coaches to put together a game plan. Adrian has already gotten off to a quick start homering in his first game and a walk-off knock September 2nd against the D’backs.

Nick Punto will provide the Dodgers with some more quality depth. In the NL where player substitutions are much more frequent, it will be nice for Manager Don Mattingly to be able to look down to the bench and call on players like him, Juan Uribe, Adam Kennedy or Juan Rivera. A deep bench will provide an advantage in these late season, must-win National League games.

Crawford will not factor at all in this year’s race, but it’s still a good pick up for the future once he recovers from Tommy John surgery. A high-end athlete with a great bat, and lets face it, he didn’t have a great arm to begin with so arm surgery isn’t really anything to worry about with him.

Down the stretch there are a few key series to look forward to that I think will really help to determine the playoff picture:

Sept. 6th – Sept. 9th
Dodgers @ Giants

The Giants currently sit 4.5 games up on the Dodgers in the NL west. LA could significantly close the gap here. They’ll have to cross enemy lines to do so.

Sept. 13th – Sept. 16th
Cardinals @ Dodgers

The Cardinals are currently sitting in a wild card spot but only a game and a half up on the Dodgers. A four game series in LA could be one of the most exciting regular season series of the year!

As stated earlier, If you are a baseball fan (and we know you are), this is going to be a great September. Get your popcorn ready.

Handicapping the MLB MVP Races

Posted on by Mark Modeski

Last week we posted some predictions as to who we thought would be the top pitcher at the end of the year.  Well now is the time for us to make our MVP predictions. With nothing being certain with the MLB season coming to an end, there are definitely some players who have been brilliant, more so than the rest.

Here are our predictions for the MVP brass within each respective league:

American League:

Mike Trout: I like Trout for the MVP and Rookie-of-the-Year honours. Trout has been solid all season, and has maintained the top batting average in the AL at .333 and a solid 25 HRs – not a bad stat for a guy in his first year. While the Angels have some of the top talent in the league, Trout has been a key ingredient to team success.

Josh Hamilton: I still like Hamilton for the top AL honour at the end of the season. While batting under .300 (closer to .290), he leads the AL in RBIs at 113 and is one of the top home run hitters in the league with 37. Given that the Rangers look playoff bound this season I think it is hard to deny that Hamilton was a key ingredient in their team’s recipe.

Miguel Cabrera:  Cabrera has been consistent all season, and sits just behind Trout for the top average in the AL at .331. Cabrera has also batted the ball out of the park 33 times this season, while also maintaining impressive RBI tally at 111. While Miguel doesn’t lead the league in any respective category, he is in the top five in many, making him a very well-rounded hitter.

National League:

Andrew McCutchen: McCutchen is having a record season this year. He maintains what I consider to be the top average in the National League right now at .344 (I don’t count Melky Cabrera). McCutchen has also posted a solid 168 hits, 80 RBIs and 24 homeruns. Similar to Miguel Cabrera, he leads few categories, but is in the top five across many.

Ryan Braun: Braun has been overlooked by many on these types of lists, but I realistically think he should be considered a top selection for the NL MVP. Batting a solid .310 this season, he also boasts 37 HRs and 95 RBIs (both of which are tops in the NL). He has really been an integral component to the Milwuakee club this season and warrants consideration.

Buster Posey: Posey is my underdog pick on this list, but I think he has real shot at MVP honours at the end of the season. With a .329 batting average he is one of the top hitters in the NL right now. Add to that solid batting average 19 homeruns and 83 RBIs, and I think you have a solid candidate on your hands. He’s been even hotter as of late, hitting .348 in the last week, meaning he could make a late season run, and with Cabrera out of the line-up he has really stepped up.

* Please note: I left Melky Cabrera off this list given his recent suspension.

It has been an exciting year for hitters this year. I am going to enjoy watching out the rest of this season. While this list is by no means exhaustive, I do think these are the top players right now. There is a good chance that we could also see other late season contenders emerge from the dust.

… and that is the last word.

Manchester United Monthly

Posted on by Jack Stone

The first month of Manchester United’s 2012-2013 season has come to a dramatic finish, which can almost be entirely summed up with just the letters – R.V.P.!  Certainly the biggest news of the month was on August 16th when the Red Devils completed the signing of Arsenal skipper and current EPL goal-scoring champion, Robin Van Persie.

Four days later Manchester United were all over the newsstands again as they opened their season on August 4th at Everton, losing the match 1-0.  However, as most of Europe and beyond attacked the Devils for their poor performance, one must consider that Everton are far from pushovers.  It was never supposed to be an easy assignment  going into Goodison Park where Everton finished 7th last year in EPL standings, accumulating a 10W 3D 6L record at home.  What’s more, they may just look to improve and crack the top six this season.  LastWordOnSports columnist, Frank Giuliano (Serie A, Champions League), even turned a nice profit in Las Vegas after making a wager in favour of Everton.

Added to the difficult task ahead of them, the Red Devils were in agony on defense missing Ferdinand, Evans, Jones, and Smalling, all to injuries.  Due to the unhealthy roster Ferguson put CM Michael Carrick back to CB, which he is clearly uncomfortable playing (it was like searching for Waldo at times watching him on the pitch) along with having Vidic playing in his first premier match in a decade (okay, not even a year, but still, he was not in game shape).

And consider that it was opening day, where in most leagues an upset is bound to happen, as it did in both Spain and Italy.

Most fans with football sense would recognize that a poor performance given these circumstances is no reason to panic.

Match Day two was mostly about Wayne Rooney.  Not because of his performance, but because he failed to even crack the line up!  Boss Sir Alex wanted Van Persie to have his debut at Old Trafford  vs Fulham and felt playmaker Kagawa would be the best candidate to play behind him.  Again going into this match the Devils were still hurting in their back line and it showed just three minutes in with the Cottagers up a goal.  At that point fans were already screaming for Rooney to come save us.  But much to Ferguson’s delight, the stars aligned and it was RVP that equalised and then Kagawa that took the lead 2-1 by halftime.  Rafael put the Devils up 3-1 but another massive slip up in the backfield occurred as goalkeeper  David De Gea mis-cued a punching clearance, which caught Vidic off guard and while falling to the ground, putting the ball in his own goal. Fulham had life again, down 3-2.  They never got their equalizer, but the big news was Wayne Rooney coming on the pitch late in the match and sustaining a large gash on his leg during an accidental collision with Hugo Rodallega of Fulham that has the United striker sidelined for a month or longer.

Match day 3 was the RVP show, as Van Persie scored the game tying goal in the 87th and 5 minutes later he claimed his first hat trick as a Devil scoring the match winner in the 92nd minute to lift United to a 2-3 win in Southampton.  During the match Van Persie was also awarded a penalty shot as he was tackled from behind in the box, which he missed by attempting a chip shot that failed badly.

The fact that United only scraped by Southampton is somewhat worrying, and though we’re only three games in, there is some cause for concern, particularly in keeping the ball out their own net.  The ailing defence again slipped up, literally and figuratively, and Ferguson is going to have to come up with something.  Changing goalkeepers didn’t seem to solve anything, so expect Sir Al to go back to De Gea.  Going into the match the Devils knew Southampton’s only attack is to constantly cross the ball into the goal crease hoping for a header, yet knowing this they still conceded two goals off that very same play.  On one occasion, defender Patrice Evra fell down untouched leaving the goal wide open.  After the Match it was so bad that captain and defender Nemanja Vidic critisized himself and defensive partners.  Even Arsenal called offering some advice on how to defend a set-piece (kidding, of course, but at least they have three clean sheets).

Vidic was quoted as saying, “We’ve been told before the game what Southampton’s strengths are, what their game is and what they’re trying to achieve. In the end, they did it so it’s disappointing” as well as ” There has been a lack of concentration but you have to say we’ve had  a lot of turbulence in defence with so many changes and people going in and out.”

Lastly, the Champions league Draw.  For the 2nd consecutive year Manchester U have an easy draw, but we all remember how early they were packing their bags last time ’round! This year they have drawn Romanian champions CFR Cluj who should not pose a threat in any way, Galatasaray who have history in the competition, are not very strong, but do know how to succeed.  And rounding out the group is Braga, another Portuguese team.  United has struggled with Portuguese teams in the past and have been criticized for taking them too lightly in recent years.  One can only hope Sir Alex has learned his lesson from last year’s failure and put the Devils through to the round of 16 as a top-seed, which is highly possible!

Parting Thoughts:

My thoughts are mostly obvious; RVP is amazing, and the defence is atrocious! United are very lucky the international break has come, and they should begin praying for recovery.  If United can get healthy quickly and find a way to connect Rooney with RVP I feel they can be champions this year as they wont have too much trouble scoring goals.  Keeping them out is a different animal altogether.  Don’t worry about the Everton loss too much because the league is pretty stacked this year and I think there will be a lot of draws and upsets along the way for every team.  Look for this year’s champion to finish with 80-83 points.  There are definitely three teams that can take the crown this year,  with a couple of others that can threaten.

See you back at the end of September and we’ll reconvene and discuss what’s going on at Old Trafford over a pint.  First one’s on me.

Euro Football Weekend Rundown

Posted on by Luciano Giuliano

Welcome back to the Euro Football Weekend Rundown, edition three. Over the weekend, PSG broke its duck with a victory, RvP is beginning to lead the way for Man United, Chelsea was smashed by the Colchoneros in the Euro Super Cup final, and controversy strikes the Serie A again.

 5)         Ibra’s double helps break streak

We knew it would happen eventually and it did. French star-club Paris Saint-Germain finally broke a three-consecutive tie streak and brought home three crucial points over Lille at the Lille Metropole stadium with a brace from club leading goal scorer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. With the very first touch of the game in the first minute, Ibra latched onto a precise through ball by Maxwell which the giant Swede slid home for the 1-0 lead. Eleven minutes later, the home team equalized with a goal from a corner with Aurelien Chedjou. But at the 21st minute mark, it was again Ibra to slot home the winner, 2-1. PSG has netted four times so far this season, and the Swede sensation scored all of them! Very impressive. PSG moves up into ninth position with six points, behind Marseille in first with 12.

4)         Robin van Persie nets hat-trick while Liverpool loses again

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils put in a valiant effort Sunday against Southampton at St. Mary’s stadium leaving it late with a scoreline of 3-2. Man of the Match, in my opinion, goes to new Dutch signing Robin Van Persie. The ex-Arsenal forward bagged three goals to lead his new team to victory. RVP first levelled the affair with a fine strike. Down 2-1 after the restart, Man United missed the opportunity to take the lead when the Dutchman had his cheeky pk attempt saved from the Southampton ‘keeper. But don’t leave just yet as RvP has more goals to add to his tally. Leaving it late, the Netherland’s international popped home a Rio Ferdinand rebound off the post to tie it all up at 2-2. Finally, in stoppages, the ex-Gunner head home the game winner from a Nani cross saving himself from a scolding from his superior. Excellent performance! RvP leads the Premiership with four goals.

On the other hand, Liverpool are off to a terrible start into the new campaign with two consecutive draws, one of which was a 2-2 final against Man City, and more recently a 2-0 loss to Arsenal. The Reds are in the red, the relegation zone that is, after only three rounds and need a miracle to get out of this slump. Liverpool has only scored three goals and conceded five thus far. Principal owner, John W. Henry declared that he fully committed to helping the side in any way possible despite the failure to bring in a replacement for out-on-loan striker Andy Carroll. Good luck! You’re going to need it.

3)         Chelsea smashed 4-1 in European Super Cup final

Heavy favourites, Chelsea, were demolished in the Euro Super Cup final. Colombian international, Radamel Falcao, scored three sensational goals to guide Atletico Madrid to victory. The Blues seriously do not know what hit them, although central defence captain John Terry was absent. The encounter wasn’t ever close as the red-and-white striped shirts took the lead on 20 minutes and continued, leading 4-0 at one point. Falcao looks set to become a La Liga star. His performance was so great that Chelsea are ready to offer Atletico £50 million in the January transfer window for his services. We’ll wait and see what materializes.

2)         Gianpaolo Pazzini dive opens door to AC Milan revival

In last week’s edition of Euro Football Weekend Rundown, Fernando Torres’ dive was reviewed and was declared a gold medal winner in a 3m dive Olympic event. Well, Torres is now stripped of that gold medal as he slides down to second place as Gianpaolo Pazzini of AC Milan is now awarded the gold medal. Replays show that the new Rossonero attacker engaged in a tussle with Bologna’s Nicolò Cherubin until the latter fell to the ground, following which il Pazzo takes two further steps and falls to the ground as if sniped from the rafters causing the referee to point to the spot. It was incredible, so much so that Sky Sports created this comedic image of the incident which surely captures the moment perfectly. Pazzini got back up to convert the penalty and secured the Diavolo victory with a hat-trick to his name. Milan defeated Bologna 3-1.

1)         Clobbered Giovinco leads to excessive red card for Udinese ‘keeper Brkic

Although Pazzini blatantly dove, the controversial moment of the weekend occurred during the Udinese-Juventus encounter at the Stadio Friuli. At the 12th minute mark, Andrea Pirlo launched a fantastic lob over the defence for Sebastian Giovinco who first gets a head to the ball. He was then deliberately pushed onto the rushing goal keeper, Zeljko Brkic, who jumped with arms fully stretched into the air, while missing the ball completely, knees up and was the last man. The Juve forward then collides with Brkic and falls in the penalty area. The referee, Valeri, issued a straight red card for the foul on the basis that he was the last man. Upon review of the replays, contact was definitely made and is therefore an undeniable penalty. However, the controversy pertains to the expulsion. Did Brkic deserve the red card? No, he did not seeing that Giovinco was pushed from behind from Brazilian defender Danilo. Therefore, Danilo is the one who should have been sanctioned with a yellow card plus the penalty awarded. Brkic’s expulsion was excessive and totally impacted the match-up which Juve went onto dominate 4-1 with an Arturo Vidal-converted penalty kick, a  Mirko Vucinic curler from the edge of the area, and a brace from the impressive Sebastian Giovinco. It was an astonishing display nonetheless.

In the defense of referee Valeri (just playing devil’s advocate here), without the benefit of instant video replay and swift-paced action, it comes down to haste decisions to be made. Valeri looked to be positioned behind the players involved in the incident where it may have looked like a deliberate foul on behalf of the goalkeeper.

However, like I said it was excessive. These incidents should be reviewed by the Serie A’s disciplinary committee. Should the call made be deemed as an obvious error on behalf of the ref, then the ref should be fined and/or suspended. Controversial calls are becoming the norm in Serie A of late and it is completely intolerable.

…and that’s the last word.

 

 

 

 

 

UFC 151: The Results Are In!

Posted on by Mark Modeski

It was the event that made history without even a single punch, kick or takedown occurring. UFC 151 was set to be an event that would mark the return for a number of vintage fighters: Dan Henderson, Jay Heiron and Dennis Hallman were all set to make the mark at the event. Unfortunately, UFC 151 would go down not as a return for many – but, as the first card in the history of the promotion to be cancelled.

While the even was not necessarily the most stacked card of the year, the main event between lightheavyweight champion Jon Jones and Dan Henderson was set to be one of the last real tests for Jones at 205lbs. With the fight now re-scheduled for UFC 152, there are still a lot of unanswered questions left open about the event that never happened.

I thought I would take it upon myself to report the results of the event as I think I would have seen them play-out:

Main Event: Jones vs. Henderson

Round 1: Henderson and Jones spend the first minute of the fight circling each other – feeling out each others range. Henderson is kept at bay by the long-range of Jones, but isn’t afraid to duck inside as he tries stick in with a short jab. He misses, but it was meant to feel out the champ’s chin, more than put him on the ground. In a surprise move, the champ goes for a takedown – Henderson stuffs it, and rebuffs the champ with an arrogant smile. After a few brief exchanges, amounting to little damage, the round ends with fairly little drama

Round 2: Henderson looks like he’s ready to put this one away. Henderson starts circling around the ring, right hand cocked, ready to unleash his patented H-Bomb. Henderson leaps in with the booming right hand and stumbles, the champ takes advantage and puts him on the ground. Jones doesn’t appear to be doing much, but it is clear that he is trying to slowly move into a submission position. Henderson defends effectively against the champ, but it is clear that he is gassed when he gets to his feet. Jones wastes no time going for another takedown; but, with only a few minutes left on the clock the takedown is in vain.

Round 3: Between rounds we see Henderson breathing heavily; it’s clear when he enters the ring that he has exhausted much of his cardio reserves. Jones dances around Henderson landing soft, but effective jabs. Recounting his success in the second round with takedown, Jones grabs both of Henderson legs and puts him on the ground. Henderson mounts a paltry gaurd against the champion, and Jones quickly moves to Henderson’s back. Henderson spins, trying to sweep Jones – but, instead Bones ends up in a top-mount position. After about :20 of reigning down bombs on Henderson, referee Herb Dean stops the fight.

Jones retains his title. Henderson annoucnces post-fight that he’ll be back, but most speculate that this will be his last fight in the octagon.

Other Results:

Jake Ellenberger v. Jay Heiron: Ellenberger decisions Heiron. People continue to wonder why Heiron keeps getting second chances in the UFC.

Dennis Siver v. Eddie Yagin: Yagin decisions the once promising Siver. Yagin is quickly moving up the ranks, and seems poised for a title shot.

Thiago Tavares v. Dennis Hallman: Hallman submits Tavares, in the second round with a rear-naked choke. It’s a surprising win for the aging Hallman.

Yasuhiro Urushitani v. John Lineker: Who cares?
It may sound campy, but all of the fighters were losers at UFC 151 – especially those two not in the main event. Those who spent months and thousands of dollars training. Those who were banking on bonuses and paychecks that were never to come.
While it is unfortunate that UFC 151 was cancelled, there is still the hope that we will see Henderson and Jones tangle in the near future. The positive that came out of the cancelled event was that a lethargic UFC 152 in Toronto now has a fantastic line-up behind it.
… and that is the last word.

Breakdown of the Premier League Transfer Deadline

Posted on by Mitchell Tierney

While the first couple of weeks of the Premier League season are by no means pointless they usually maintain a table that is very different from the one at the conclusion. Part of this is because good teams not only win but win consistently, and by Christmas or earlier, the table is more settled. Furthermore, not all of the teams have their rosters finalized. August the 31st serves as the deadline for clubs to pursue last-minute talent to bolster, and to some extent rejuvenate, their roster for the upcoming season. While the summer transfer window is expansive the allure of the final day usually produces a couple of headline player acquisitions while also rapidly changing to dynamic of a league. While the 2012 edition of the deadline didn’t include any massive movements it certainly had some important transfers that may shift the power rankings in the league ever so slightly. Here are the biggest and smartest last minute transfers of the 2012 summer transfer window:

Julio Cesar- Inter Milan to Queen’s Park Rangers

Queen’s Park Rangers were the most active team in the Premier League summer transfer window and continued to stockpile talent up until the end. Brazil’s International goalkeeper joined the side as one of the final transfers the London side made. It may also turn out to be one of their best. While Cesar may no longer be considered the best goalkeeper in the world he is still certainly a quality keeper who will provide QPR with plenty of security between the sticks. This move essentially ensures that Rangers will not have to endure any more 5-0 losses at home or on the road which supporters should be happy about. Furthermore it will give the QPR defense more flexibility as Cesar is certainly an improvement from 2010 England keeper Robert Green. Cesar will not be the best keeper in the EPL but his inclusion makes it highly improbable that QPR will be relegated as some have speculated.

Moussa Dembele- Fulham to Spurs

At only 25 Dembele has plenty of time to fully realize his potential. That potential, as Spurs fans fully experienced this weekend against Norwich, could make this transfer a blockbuster. Usually known as a midfielder who is more likely to create a goal then score one himself Dembele took matters into his own hands during his debut at White Hart Lane scoring a goal that demonstrated plenty of talent. Dembele was the first of two key Fulham midfielders to join Tottenham and while Clint Dempsey will most likely have the more immediate impact at Spurs it will be Dembele who proves the long-term spark in the midfield providing he stays with the club. While Dembele is no replacement for Modric, who provided the midfield opening for himself and Dempsey, Tottenham have done a solid piece of business in acquiring the Belgian international.

Andy Caroll- Liverpool to West Ham (Loan)

Caroll was never going to live up to his price tag after being acquired by Liverpool for 35 million pounds from a Newcastle club who were very intent on keeping the striker who had scored them 11 goals in 20 matches the year before. Not only did Caroll have a huge price tag hanging over his head but there was also the fact that he would be expected to fill to boots of one of the Premier League’s more prolific goalscorers, Fernando Torres. Needless to say it did not work out for Caroll with the Reds but that is exactly why heading to Capital may bring out his best. In his debut against Fulham he created two of the three West Ham goals and looked right at home with a club expected to have their fair share of problems staying afloat this campaign. With less of a spotlight on Caroll he may regain his form. If all plays out correctly this could be a transfer beneficial to both clubs as Caroll could return to Anfield full of confidence he did not have when he left.

Joey Barton- Queen’s Park Rangers to Marseille

QPR supporters should be relieved that the Barton era at Loftus Road has come to a conclusion. The former Rangers captain was never deserving of the arm band as he tweeted and twated his way out of the door. His antics against Manchester City in a late season fixture last year were childish at best as he was red carded in a game that was very important for the side for which he was supposedly skipper. Truth be told after this it was the sooner QPR could package Barton out the door the better and it finally became reality at the transfer deadline as the controversial midfielder joined Ligue 1 side Marseille. For Marseille this transfer really is confusing unless they can be the catalyst for change in Barton, which at his age doesn’t seem very probable. For Queen’s Park Rangers they will move on to bigger and most likely better things.

Dimitar Berbatov- Manchester United to Fulham

Fulham was certainly one of the biggest losers at the transfer deadline but they did manage to save themselves slightly by adding a proven Premier League striker. Berbatov joins Fulham after becoming surplus to Manchester United’s requirements as United have plenty of exceptional assets in their attack. However, Berbatov could turn surplus into success with Fulham as he has proven on many different occasions that when given a chance he can score consistently. Berbatov will help to make the Fulham attack far more threatening and will provide a small band-aid for the gapping wound left by the departure of Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele. At 31 Berbatov will not have much left in the tank come the next couple of years but if Fulham can find a way to get him the ball in the right areas 10-15 Premier League goals would clearly not be out of the question.

Nigel De Jong- Manchester City to AC Milan

One narrative that it seemed would not play out at the deadline would include Manchester City, the club with enough money to buy essentially any player they desire, losing a quality player. Yet with the departure of Dutch international Nigel De Jong that very narrative has been realized. It will not be a huge loss for City who had plenty of other interest on the day. Yet it will be a loss that they will feel in the future. De Jong brings a physical presence (some would say dirty play) to the midfield that few other players on the market offer. He is the kind of depth midfielder that would have been a great tool for a Manchester City team who are hoping to succeed both domestically and in continental competition this campaign. De Jong may have seen himself as a starting player and therefore forced the move to Milan, which is likely the case, but in the process City will lose a player with a fairly unique set of skills. For Milan De Jong may have issues adjusting to the Italian style of play but once he does he will become a very effective midfielder.

Clint Dempsey- Fulham to Spurs

Dempsey turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the 2011-12 Premier League season when he lit up the league for a Fuham side who essentially needed as much. Dempsey transformed into one of the most dangerous midfield generals in the Premier League and it seemed almost inevitable that he would leave London to upgrade to a bigger club. While Dempsey would never leave London he would change clubs joining Fulham teammate Moussa Dembele as part of the Tottenham midfield reconstruction which was demolished when Luka Modric left the club for Real Madrid. Dempsey, like Dembele is not Modric but between the two they should turn into an adequate replacement for the Croatian. With an improvement of quality around him Dempsey could turn out to be a bargain transfer for AVB and Tottenham.

Micheal Essien- Chelsea to Real Madrid (Loan)

For Micheal Essien a change of scenery may be a wise decision. Arguably no scenery is better for a change then that of the Spanish capital. Real Madrid are by far a better side then Chelsea, despite the fact that it was Chelsea who claimed the Champions League title rather then Madrid. Essien will undoubtedly be a depth player on a roster that includes some of the best names in club and international football but that shouldn’t bother him in the slightest. It may in fact be crucial for his longevity as Essien’s decreased playing time should decrease the chance of creating the type of injury that has continually plagued him in the past. Essien should get to play some European football here and there while also being an excellent piece for Madrid to use in the Copa Del Rey. It seems quite surprising that this move was not finalized and made permanent by both sides as it is doubtful Essien will ever make a large impact for Chelsea again.

Hugo Lloris- Lyon to Spurs

The third big Spurs signing was once again every bit as crucial as the two made previously. While the addition of Hugo Lloris would not help fill the midfield gap left by the departure of Modric it will improve the overall quality of the side. Lloris is currently one the best goalkeepers in the world and will not be hesitant to demonstrate his ability in the best league in the world. The Premier League goaltending quality has decreased in recent years and therefore the fact that Spurs has one of the best if not thee best keeper in the league gives them a distinct advantage in almost all of the matches they will play in this season. Like Cesar for QPR Lloris will bring a calm presence to the Tottenham backline that will enable them to relax and take more risks with potential rewards. At only 11 million pounds Lloris could turn out to be one of the best transfers made not only during the deadline but during the entire window.

Maicon- Inter Milan to Manchester City

The move in the biggest spotlight on deadline day in the Premier League came, to no ones surprise, from Manchester City or more specifically their filthy rich ownership group. This spotlight was shone on Brazillian international and former Inter Milan full back Maicon who made his way from the blue side of the most famous rivalry in Italian football to the blue side of the biggest rivalry currently in the Premier League. Maicon comes with plenty of talent and flash as will become quickly obvious upon a simple search of his highlights, including what could have been the best goal from the 2010 World Cup. Maicon will certainly have been brought to Manchester more for his offensive exploits then what he can perform when the opposition is attacking. He could prove to be a nice addition to the Manchester City backline but they may have to evolve slightly to find a spot for him in the system.

Scott Sinclair- Swansea to Manchester City

It was only a matter of time before the young Swansea winger made a move to a bigger team. Even after scoring for the side in the second week of the Premier League season it was clear that Sinclair’s days with the club were numbered. That is why few batted an eye when Sinclair joined Manchester City on the final day of the transfer window, a move that for many was a long time coming. Sinclair had 8 goals last season for Swansea and scored in his only appearance this season. For Manchester City this is a move the fully revolves around depth. Sinclair is a player who will prove very useful as a replacement if City want to rest some of their starters for a European match. However, while this move makes since for Manchester City is does not really make all that much sense for the player they acquired. Sinclair is only 23 and therefore getting as much playing time as possible at the Premier League level is very important for his development. He would have been the go to player for Swansea or any other mid table Premier League side. Instead he chose to join the best side in the league and his career may suffer because of it.

There you have it, the most important moves from Deadline Day.  Which player do you think will have the greatest impact on his new team?  Feel free to leave comments below.

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Why Earvin Johnson is Still 'Magic'

Posted on by Kaine Elmy

The news hit like an earthquake, and almost immediately the shockwaves radiated worldwide.  The news was so shocking it was difficult to absorb.  I’m sure you remember where you were when you heard…

It was November 7, 1991, and staring into a sea of reporters and flashing cameras, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson announced his retirement after testing positive for HIV. The NBA was about to lose one of its biggest stars. But this is not an article about Johnson’s incredible feats on the basketball court; the man’s five championships, three MVP trophies, three finals MVP trophies and twelve All Star appearances speak for themselves. It’s Earvin’s life after basketball that deserves recognition. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. Advocate. Broadcaster. Motivational Speaker. Johnson’s been it all, and while some of you know about his life after basketball, for me “some” is not enough.

His organization, Magic Johnson Enterprises, has a net worth of an incredible $700 million. With major affiliates such as Magic Johnson Productions, Magic Johnson Cinemas and a movie studio, Magic Johnson Entertainment, the organization has an enormous influence in the entertainment industry. The Beverly Hills based company has invested in the Los Angeles Lakers (Johnson had a minority ownership of five percent before selling in 2010) and several restaurant chains including Sodexo and Burger King.  In 2001, Johnson formed an alliance with an organization, Canyon Capital, to invest into real estate in urban neighbourhoods. The association generated nearly two billion dollars of capital to invest into real estate within urban communities in America, making them the country’s premier private real estate opportunity in their area of expertise. In January 2012, Johnson joined two other individuals to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Following Johnson’s announcement of contracting HIV, he created the Magic Johnson Foundation, an organization to combat and raise awareness of the deadly disease. While in later years the association branched out into other aspects of charitable benefit, namely scholarships for the ethnically diverse, urban communities and community empowerment centres.  Johnson’s main focus was to address the fact the risk of HIV infection was not limited to drug addicts and homosexuals. With an organization that helped to educate people about the disease and fight against HIV discrimination, Johnson had established himself as one of the most influential and inspiring HIV advocates in the world.

In 1999, Johnson gave a keynote address at the United Nations World AIDS Day Conference, even though his disease had not yet progressed to AIDS yet. To prevent the progression from HIV to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs. Earvin also worked with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in Africa. Magic once said, “The only time I think about having HIV is when I take my medicine, twice a day”. Not only did he not let the disease ruin his life, but the Magic Man saved many more with his positive outlook and advocacy for HIV.

There is one girl who changed indeed changed Johnson’s life forever. Her name is Hydeia Broadbent. He was the worlds’ greatest basketball player, and she a seven year-old girl. But they were living with the same struggles; they were both afflicted with HIV. At the Nickelodeon Youth AIDS Conference in 1992, Johnson comforted the young girl whilst she cried and told her that “It’s okay to have HIV because we are just normal people.”  The two met twenty years later at this year’s premiere of the ESPN documentary, ‘The Announcement”, in Los Angeles.

Since their first meeting in 1992, Hydeia has become one of the world’s most recognized HIV advocates and has lived as long as Johnson without the disease progressing to AIDS. She continues to pass on the message that Magic told her, which in turn inspired generations of HIV sufferers.

I can’t imagine going through what he has, and I admire the way he has made it his mission to help others rather than letting the disease beat him.  He is a lesson in perseverance and dedication. Johnson continues to inspire people around the world, be it HIV victims, African-Americans, basketball fans or the average Joe who hears his message.

That is why he is ‘Magic’.