| Steelers, NFL should be ashamed of conditions
There is no excuse — none — for the conditions the Pittsburgh Steelers provided for their game Monday Night against the Miami Dolphins. It was a travesty of football and an insult to the NFL, the players, the fans, and anyone who turned on a television in the hopes of enjoying Monday Night Football. It was a disgrace. The announcers kept talking about old-school football and summoning the names of the Chicago Staleys and Canton Bulldogs from the earliest days of the league, but that was an insult to those teams and those times. I've seen old-school football in old Cleveland Stadium in the days before modern drainage and turf science. Those games were played in mud. This one was played in a bog. .
Basketball season!
As Webster County�s Bev Hart enters his third year as head coach of the Trojans, he�s looking for two things from his troops ... aggressive play and a nasty attitude in rebounding. The Trojans begin the 2007-08 campaign without the services of last year�s talented seniors, Jordan Coomes, Logan Dennison and James Tapp. The trio took with them a ton of points, rebounds and more importantly that hard-nosed play that the WCHS coaching staff is looking for. �Early this summer we were pretty rough around the edges. But our play got better the last two weeks of the summer and won 10-of-12 games,� Hart explained. �We really got into a rhythm and played very well. �But right now, I don�t think we�ve gotten back to that level. We�re still a little slow in decision-making and our biggest concern is defense and rebounding.
Cardinals' La Russa pleads guilty to drunken driving
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. � St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence today, eight months after police found him asleep inside his running sport utility vehicle at a stop light and smelling of alcohol. La Russa said he had decided to plead guilty to the misdemeanor because it was in the best interest of all concerned. ``I accept full responsibility for my conduct, and assure everyone that I have learned a very valuable lesson and that this will never occur again,'' La Russa said in a statement released by his attorney, David Roth. La Russa did not appear in court to plead guilty. As part of his plea agreement, La Russa will serve at least six months' probation, pay a $678.50 fine, complete DUI school and any recommended treatment and complete 50 hours of community service, according to state prosecutors.
Hockey Fix: The week in the NHL
There are scoring streaks, and then there's what Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier (right) did the last few weeks. Lecavalier had an eight-game streak during which he scored multiple points in every game. That run came to an end in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday. During the streak, Lecavalier scored seven goals and 14 assists, including a five-point night against division-rival Carolina, while the Lightning went 5-2-1. He also vaulted into the league lead in points. Lecavalier had more points in those eight games than players like Markus Naslund, Jason Spezza and Marian Hossa have tallied this season. After being kept off the score sheet on Wednesday, Lecavalier tallied two points Friday at Carolina. .
FYI: Advance planning urged for Cowboys fans Thursday
Q: Where around Lufkin can I go to watch the Cowboys-Packers game on Thursday night? I'm asking what places with TVs might have the proper hookup or feed to carry the game. And short of that, is there any radio station around here that I can pick up at night that will be carrying the game? Help! A: We feel your pain, along with hundreds of other Cowboys fans who don't have the NFL Package from DirecTV so they can access the NFL Network, this year's new innovation of the National Football League that brings new meaning to the phrase "pay per view." We polled about 20 restaurants around town that have televisions in their customer service areas. Of those, the ones that responded in the affirmative to having access to the NFL Network package with the likelihood of having it tuned to the Cowboys-Packers game included Applebee's, Chili's and Logan's.
England's McClaren given boot
England has the wealthiest soccer league in the world, with matches screened across the globe and business tycoons from the United States, Russia and Asia lining up to own the clubs. So why can't England put 11 Englishmen on the field to succeed on the international level? Steve McClaren became the latest coach to pay the price Thursday, getting fired after England's 3-2 loss Wednesday at home to Croatia meant the team failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championship. While the likes of World Cup champion Italy, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal will be out to try to take the title away from Greece, England's stars — including David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen — will have to watch the games on TV. The Football Association now has plenty of time to search for a coach who can lift the nation credited with establishing the modern game to the same level.
BG's Ayoub shows guarded optimism
As a freshman, Buffalo Grove's Ellen Ayoub was smooth as silk. Today, she's solid as gold. That slick-shooting freshman guard is now a senior for Buffalo Grove's highly-regarded girls basketball team, which returns four starters from a Class AA Elite Eight qualifier. The 5-foot-10 Ayoub makes no secret about how she would like to finish her career. "It's crazy but we're not satisfied yet," said Ayoub, referring to her team's back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. "I literally think about that loss to Bolingbrook (in overtime two years ago when the Bison lost it in the final seconds on a steal). I definitely want this to be our year." If it is, Ayoub will have to be a major factor. Earlier this week, she made a verbal commitment to play for Loyola University.
Canadian Olympic athletes to be paid for medal wins
Canadian athletes that reach the podium at any future Olympic Games will be financially compensated up to $20,000 per medal, officials said Monday. The new Athlete Excellence Fund was announced in Ottawa by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). Canadian athletes will receive $20,000 per gold medal won at any Olympic Games, said the COC. Silver winners will be compensated $15,000 per medal and bronze winners will earn $10,000. "We've had a program of subsidizing athletes in the past but we've never recognized the medal wins with specific dollars," COC president Michael Chambers told CTV Newsnet on Monday. He said countries like the U.S., Australia, England, France and Spain already give their athletes money if they win at the Olympics.
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