The Beauty That Is Seoul Korea

This South Korean capital Seoul, and this beautiful city attracts many visitors. This is the largest city in South Korea and rich in culture and to remind residents. The warranty that is in this great city a big reason why many attracted to travel here. When tourists to travel to other cities, are often victims of theft and violence, and they often cause travelers to resist visiting cities. In Seoul, this type of crime is almost non-existent. is required if you have a loss of nfl jersey
U.S. passport to visit a website specializing in passport information for the replacement passport will get international travel.
Internet sites specializing in the acquisition of passports have simplified the process of passport and it is very convenient, because the passport renewal service quick access. If it is as close as your computer and a trusted site completely secure. Gyeongbokgung, or, as we know, the Palace of Shining Happiness is one of the most visited attractions in this beautiful city. The beauty and uniqueness of this place is memorable for the stunning views of the mountains of books, the people charged with lily gardens. The Secret Garden, Biwon the natives, has been a Korean garden at its best and has created for royalty free use. In all large cities have museums and religious institutions to better understand the population of the region, ancient and modern, and Seoul is no exception. Natural Museum of Korea has more than 150,000 objects Korean. The Seoul Museum of Buffalo Bills jersey
Art and the Museum of Art ILmin attract many art lovers.
Jongmyo is the view of the most revered shrines of Confucius in the world, but also other Buddhist temples here and Hwagvesa Bongeunsa away.
If you are looking for relaxation and reflection on their holidays, many parks in Seoul will provide a picnic or other activity, passive and relaxed. The long days of exploring a new city can be reached and the ability to relax a happy event. Namsan Park, where wild animals enjoy the forest of pines and Yangjae citizens in the city limits and offer great opportunities for a picnic. Another beautiful place is Boramae Park, a large lake of willows and benches for the opportunity to reflect on this day of sightseeing, surrounded contains.
From a young age to learn about people in South Korea, the art and the Sejong Center for Performing Arts offer visitors the opportunity to know the gifts that people appreciate discover. The presentation of non-verbal performance is unique and the traveler should not miss the opportunity to experience a performance. The Seoul Arts Center and the LG Arts Center a few other places where you can enjoy art.
This was only a brief summary of activities are available when you visit Seoul, but the journey is only possible if you have a passport. Put together your trip and see what you've always wanted to see in this beautiful city. They are part of Steelers jersey
many travelers, the world in Seoul, South Korea were to be drawn.
A lost passport from the United States simply by you are on a website and passport services accelerated last port it can also be replaced. The efficacy and safety are paramount on these pages and the comfort is unbelievable.

Is Cutler ready for his close-up on MNF?

Any time you can come out of a National Football League game victorious, it’s reason to celebrate.
And although it can be argued that the Chicago Bears should be sitting at 1-1 instead of football jersey
2-0 — see Calvin Johnson(notes) getting jobbed — the fact is that the Bears enter Monday night’s showdown with Green Bay atop the NFC North with the Packers.
One of the main reasons for the team’s fast start? Quarterback Jay Cutler(notes), who is 44 of 64 passing for 649 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
The most important statistic, however? The former Bronco has tossed just one interception.
Last season, fair or not, the struggles of the entire team were defined by Cutler’s propensity to throw to the other team. After expectations were sky-high for the Bears following his acquisition before last year’s draft, Cutler struggled in Ron Turner’s offense and often looked indecisive in the pocket.
He led the league in interceptions with 26, and the Bears finished 23rd in total offense while producing only 20.4 points a game.
The overwhelming sentiment heading into this season, however, was that Cutler’s woes in his first season in Chicago had more to do with Turner’s play-calling rather than Cutler himself.
The signal caller even made that argument to head coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo behind closed doors.
So the Bears brought in Mike Martz to play the role of miracle worker. The former St. Louis Rams head coach and veteran coordinator praised J-Cut all throughout the offseason, freely likening him to future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner(notes) and expressing confidence in the Bears’ young receivers.
All the interceptions were forgotten.
And after two weeks of play, with wins over Detroit and Dallas, the Bears enter Monday night 2-0 and seemingly on the verge of contenders. And as a resident of Chicago I can tell you that the expectations are very high for the showdown against longtime rival Green Bay.
However, not to stop Bears fans from making their Super Bowl reservations already, can we really believe that Turner, who helped the Bears earn a berth in the league’s showcase game in 2006, was really the main problem last season? While the defense was the driving force behind that ’06 Bears team, Turner still helped Rex Steelers jersey
Grossman(notes) have a breakout season under center.
Well, make that a breakout three-quarters of a season. Bears fans certainly remember "Sexy Rexy's" disastrous December.
But if Grossman could look good under Turner — albeit for just that one year — wasn’t Cutler good enough to make his supporting cast better last year (including the man calling the plays) like a real superstar is able to do in sports? Do we really believe that Turner handicapped the Bears that much and that Cutler will be a new quarterback under Martz?
That easily could be the case, as the two systems are vastly different. And it’s quite possible that the Bears could rebound from their recent subpar seasons following their Super Bowl loss to the Colts. After all, Martz has the reputation for developing quarterbacks, as he helped transform Warner and Marc Bulger(notes) into Pro Bowlers, and he was a big reason why Jon Kitna(notes) put up back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons in Detroit.
He gets production out of this passers, and there’s always something to learn from Martz.
But, while Monday night is only one game, the Bears can’t be considered serious contenders under Cutler unless he can exorcise some past demons in primetime showdowns.
Fair or not, we all remember the Thursday night disaster last season in San Francisco.
He can’t do anything about not having any playoff appearances under his belt — his 2010 story cannot be fully written up to this point. However, we’ll find out tonight on a national stage if the Bears have any chance of succeeding in a make-or-break term for Smith and Angelo.
Soldier Field will be rocking, and we may even have a Kristin Cavallari Vikings jersey
appearance — much like when Paris Hilton showed up to watch Brian Urlacher(notes) on Monday night a few years back.
I’ll refrain from the Tony Romo(notes)-Jessica Simpson comparisons and just let Mr. Cutler know that all eyes will be on him and the miracle worker.

Washington’s returns lead Seahawks, 27-20

SEATTLE (AP)—Leon Washington(notes) made sure to thank everyone else before taking a moment to think a little selfishly.
How close was Seattle’s dynamic running back from returning three kickoffs back for touchdowns on Sunday?
“A slip away,” Washington said.
Two touchdown returns were good enough for the Seahawks.
Washington made up for a Seattle slew of cheap nfl jerseys
mistakes and missed chances, returning second-half kickoffs 101 and 99 yards for touchdowns to tie an NFL record, and the Seahawks held off Philip Rivers(notes) and the San Diego Chargers 27-20 on Sunday.
Pete Carroll’s crew is a surprising 2-1 and tied at the top of the mediocre NFC West. And Washington looks like a colossal steal after Seattle grabbed the versatile back from the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick during April’s draft.
With a metal rod in his right leg, Washington was deemed expendable in New York. Sunday, he was invaluable for the Seahawks.
“I really truly appreciate the Jets for letting him go, for sending him here for pretty much nothing,” Seattle receiver Deion Branch(notes) said.
When Washington was traded, Seattle brought in a bit of an unknown. Washington had 3 1/2 productive seasons with the Jets, but his entire career was jeopardized by the gruesome compound leg fracture last season.
Thirteen seconds at the start of the second half should put those questions about Washington to rest.
Washington caught the second-half kickoff 1-yard deep in the end zone, and other than a couple of flailing hands grasping at his shoes, went untouched for the longest kickoff return in Seahawks history. Seattle’s time-management meltdown at the end of the first half that cost them points suddenly didn’t look so bad.
His dash midway through the fourth quarter was the clincher. Rivers had just pulled San Diego (1-2) even with a 12-yard pass to Antonio Gates(notes) and 2-point conversion to Legedu Naanee(notes) with 6:39 left.
Fifteen seconds later, Seattle was back in front. Washington got lost in a pile, squirted free and raced 99 yards to give Seattle its final advantage. He is the 10th player to return two kickoffs in for a TD in a game.
He might have gotten a third, but Washington slipped trying to make cut during a 33-yard return at the end of the third quarter.
“My thing is not to get satisfied, don’t get complacent and always give glory to God and work hard,” Washington said. “I’m a talented enough football player to play football, I was born to play football. I just go out every week and work hard and know eventually good things are going to happen.”
Rivers finished with a career-best and franchise record 455 yards passing and a pair of Vikings jersey
touchdowns. He picked apart Seattle’s maligned secondary for much of the second half, only to get turned away twice in the final 3 minutes deep in Seattle’s end.
Rivers led San Diego to the Seattle 14 before a pair of false starts backed up the offense. On fourth-and-15 at the Seattle 19, his pass for Gates at the goal line was knocked away by Roy Lewis(notes).
Rivers got one more chance after San Diego’s defense held. Starting at his 45, Rivers completed passes of 16 yards to Buster Davis and 25 yards to Malcom Floyd(notes). His final chance was intercepted by rookie safety Earl Thomas(notes) with 6 seconds left.
Finally, the normally exuberant Carroll could smile and get a bear hug from defensive line coach Dan Quinn.

Rivers completed 29 of 53 passes and had two touchdowns and two interceptions. Gates finished with seven catches for 109 yards and a score, one of nine players to catch passes.
“To make it as simple as you can: five turnovers … two special teams touchdowns, that’s a recipe for a loss,” Rivers said.
San Diego played without rookie running back Ryan Mathews(notes) (injured ankle). The Chargers also lost star linebacker Shawne Merriman(notes) to a calf injury in the first quarter and starting right guard Louis Vasquez(notes) to a knee injury. Along with the injuries, San Diego turned over the ball five times and Rivers was sacked another four times.
Receiver Patrick Crayton(notes) indicated the special teams problems were the result of players not taking their responsibilities seriously.
“Right now, (special teams) coach (Steve) Crosby is (ticked) off. I don’t blame him. The guys who are sitting in the meetings are not taking him seriously when he tells you to do a certain thing on a kickoff,” a frustrated Crayton said. “He’s been in this league I don’t know how many years. He’s been around a while for a reason, obviously. You have to take this stuff seriously.”
Seattle will feel fortunate to slip away with the victory considering all its errors. Matt Hasselbeck(notes) threw a 9-yard touchdown to John Carlson(notes) in the first half, but also threw an interception at the goal line.
Deion Branch appeared to score on 42-yard TD in the second quarter, but had the touchdown reversed on replay as Chargers safety Paul Oliver(notes) punched the ball loose from behind for a touchback.
And there was the end of the half when Seattle failed to get any points after having first down at the San Diego 11 with 29 seconds left.
“We’re not going to win like that all the time,” Carroll said. “It took something out of Colts jersey
the ordinary.”
NOTES: Dan Fouts held the San Diego franchise record for yards passing with 444, accomplished twice. Rivers’ total was the most allowed by the Seahawks. … Thomas became just the second rookie in Seahawks history to have two interceptions in the same game. Kenny Easley was the first. … Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillian raised “12th Man” flag before the game.

26 sep 10 Tomlin: Batch in pole position

Dennis Dixon’s injured left knee is “meniscus-related,” according to Coach Mike Tomlin, who revealed the quarterback who started the team’s first two games of this regular season will have an arthroscopic procedure done on Wednesday morning. Tomlin also said that he doesn’t “anticipate” Byron Leftist ’s knee to be an issue during the week of football jersey
preparation, but he acknowledged Charlie Batch “is in the pole position” to be the Steelers starter for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tomlin typically begins his weekly news conferences with either a final look at the previous game or an overview of the upcoming opponent, but he broke precedent today and got right to the team’s injury situation “since that seems appropriate.”
Dixon’s prognosis will be determined by what doctors find while performing the arthroscopic procedure, but he won’t be in the mix this week for sure.
“It’s really going to be determined by what we see after they go in and perform the surgery,” said Tomlin about Dixon. “With injuries of that sort, you can acknowledge and identify damage. You usually don’t know the extent of the damage until you go in, so we’re tentatively scheduled to go there tomorrow morning around nine o’clock, and we’ll have other information as we proceed from there.”
So, who’s it going to be at quarterback this week for the Steelers? At various times over the course of the previous several months, the competition appeared to be between Byron Leftist and Dennis Dixon, and then between Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch. This round will be between Batch and Leftist, because Tomlin said the team won’t look to add another quarterback to the roster at this time.
“He’s been able to comfortably get through some workouts,” said Tomlin when asked about Leftist’s health. “Workouts of course are different than practices and games, particularly the unanticipated movement that comes with playing football. But we feel comfortable with where he is.
“We’re going to go through the week and proceed through the week to see how this thing sorts out. (Batch and Leftist) are the two candidates. You’ve got to say that Charlie is in pole position because he’s got a clean bill of health at this point. We don’t anticipate Byron’s health being an issue, but you at least at this point of the week have to acknowledge that could be a factor in terms of how the reps get sorted out and who ultimately plays.”
Leftist seemed to have the starting job for the opener against Atlanta won, but then he sprained the MCL in his knee during the preseason finale against Carolina. Leftist returned to practice on Wednesday, Sept. 15, and by the end of the week he was a full participant and on the Friday before the game in Tennessee he was listed as probable.
But needing an additional defensive lineman because of Chicago Bears jersey
an injury to Casey Hampton, the Steelers released Leftist the day before the game against the Titans and moved Steve McClendon up from the practice squad. Leftist was re-signed on Monday and will join the two-man competition when it begins in earnest tomorrow.
If Tomlin is leaning toward picking one candidate over the other, it wasn’t immediately clear from his news conference. But later on, while answering questions about the performance of the offense against the Titans, Tomlin did point out that there were instances when Batch made the right read and executed properly only to have the receiver not make the play at the other end.

“I thought Charlie made some plays in the second half. We had an opportunity to make some plays for him that we didn’t make,” said Tomlin. “They were competitive catches, no question. There really wasn’t one guy, it was when you looked at all of our guys, I thought, very reliable people. Heath Miller had the opportunity to deliver a play or two for Charlie. Mike Wallace had an opportunity to deliver a significant play that would have put us in scoring position in the third down situation. I thought Hines (Ward) was capable of maybe catching that touchdown on that little short fade. Those are the kinds of plays that need to be made. Competitive plays, yes. Combative plays, yes. But those are the plays you have to make for a quarterback, particularly one who hadn’t played a bunch or is in the backup situation.”
INJURY UPDATE: Besides the quarterbacks, Tomlin gave this assessment of New Orleans Saints jersey
the team’s injury situation. “Casey Hampton (hamstring) has been in the building the last several days and has looked really good in terms of getting himself ready to go this week. The same could be said for Emmanuel Sanders (thigh); he’s doing well. Max Starks (ankle) should be a full participant as should Jason Worlds (shoulder). Some of the things that were injury-related for us leading up to last week appear to no longer be an issue. But we do have new issues with Dennis Dixon and Tray Essex. Tray Essex has an ankle sprain. We’ll see what he can do and kind of make our judgments from there based on what he’s able to do here throughout the week. From a health standpoint, we’ll take it.”

'Model' UFL team Nighthawks post dramatic win

A dramatic fourth-quarter comeback led by a couple old NFL hands overshadowed Maurice Claret’s return to football.
The Omaha Nighthawks played their first game before a UFL-record crowd of 23,067 at Rosenblatt Stadium, with Jeff Garcia's 12-yard touchdown pass to Robert Ferguson with 6 seconds left producing a 27-26 win over the Hartford Colonials and a fantastic finish on the fledgling league's biggest night.
''This market has had something special about it from the day we announced it,'' UFL football jersey
Commissioner Michael Hughie said in the Nighthawks' locker room after the game. ''They've really been a model franchise at every level. And then to have a game that played out the way it did, you couldn't have scripted it any better.
''If this is foreshadowing of what this league can be about, then we're really onto something special.''
The five-team UFL is in its second season as a place for aging veterans and borderline NFL players looking for another chance in the big time.
Omaha already is the signature franchise. The game was declared a sellout Tuesday, and the attendance obliterated the league record by about 10,000.
What a show the fans saw. The Nighthawks trailed 23-10 after three quarters. Garcia, who was 23 of 39 for 226 yards, threw the second of his three TD passes from 2 yards to Dear Darling to make it 23-20.
After Ferguson caught the pass that tied it 26-all, and before Jeff Wilbert kicked the winning extra point, the former Green Bay receiver leapt into the end zone seats, a la the Flambeau Leap.
''If he didn't do it, I was going to do it,'' said Ashman Green, who was Ferguson's teammate in Green Bay.
Hartford's Josh McCown, an eight-year NFL veteran who most recently played with the Carolina Panthers, was 22 of 25 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.
Claret ran back one kickoff for 13 yards and nearly blocked a punt, but he got no playing time at running back in his first game since leading Ohio State to the 2002 national championship.
He willingly played the role of cheerleader. He said Coach Jeff Jagodzinski had told him that he wouldn't be getting any carries as the backup to Green and Shad Williams.
''We got a group of good guys, a lot of veterans, so I'm taking this thing one game at a time,'' Claret said. ''I contributed on special teams and we got a victory. You don't have to make plays all the time to contribute to the game.''
Claret was a bust with the Denver Broncos and spent 3 1/2 years in prison for having a hidden gun and holding up two people outside a Columbus, Ohio, bar, in 2006. He signed with the Nighthawks on Aug. 30 after receiving permission from a judge to leave Ohio.
He also had to get the OK to play from Hughie, who made a bee line to Claret’s locker after the game to offer him congratulations.
''I think that's what this league is about,'' Hughie said. ''It's about giving guys a Chicago Bears jersey
chance. He paid his debt. He's back here doing something he loves. You can see his heart is in it. I'm just praying that everything works out for him.''
Hughie said Claret approached him on the field before the game to thank him for the opportunity.
''He came up to me and said, 'Eight months ago I was sitting in a prison cell, and if you asked me if I was going to have this opportunity to turn my life around and play this level of football, I would have told you it's never going to happen.' It's a lot more than about the game sometimes.''
The game was an excuse for Omaha to party.
Tailgating was going strong by mid-afternoon. Fans decked out in black-and-white Nighthawks gear mixed in the parking lots as rock music blared over the stadium loudspeakers. Many wore jerseys bearing the name and numbers of Green and Garcia.
There is no Claret Nighthawks jersey available yet, but one woman showed up wearing a replica of Claret’s Ohio State jersey.

Green is the face of the franchise. He played high school football in Omaha before going to Nebraska, and then became the Packers' career rushing leader. Not surprisingly, the loudest cheer of prename introductions was for Green.
''Why do this? It's my hometown, and I love playing football. That's really it in a nutshell. It's really a no-brainer,'' Green said.
The Nighthawks seem a good fit in Omaha, which is in a football-mad state whose appetite, has long been satiated by the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Omaha’s love their pro football, too. The Kansas City Chiefs are the nearest NFL franchise, but Omaha’s root just as hard for the Vikings, Bears and Packers along with the Denver Broncos.
The Nighthawks fill a niche.
''There's no team here other than the university, and a lot of people can't get tickets,'' said Omaha Todd Gosh, 39, who was wearing one of those Ashman Green jerseys. ''We're talking about players on our team who has Super Bowl rings. No one can call this 'minor league' when you have players like that.''
Connie Wilson of Lincoln said she bought season tickets because she loves football and couldn't get Huskers tickets.
''People are really into football, so Omaha is the perfect city for expansion,'' Wilson said. ''They'll probably sell out the rest of their games. And the more Nebraska players they get the better.''
It's too early to know whether the Nighthawks will turn out to be a fad or an enduring piece of the Omaha sports landscape.
Right now, though, they're all the rage in this metropolitan area of more than 800,000.
Pat Lawler, owner of the city's only licensed New Orleans Saints jersey
Nighthawks gear supplier, said for every one piece of Huskers gear his store has sold the past week it has sold 20 pieces of Nighthawks gear.
''In this economy,'' Lawler said, ''the Omaha Nighthawks are a godsend.''

24 sep 10 Bills players back NFLPA in decertification vote

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)—Buffalo Bills players became the seventh NFL team to vote in favor of giving the NFL Players Association the right to decertify in the event of a lockout next year.
Bills union representative safety George Wilson(notes) said the nfl jerseys
vote was unanimous and held after players met with NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith at the team’s facility after practice Wednesday.
Wilson said the Bills became the seventh team to vote for decertification. Indianapolis, Dallas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Washington and the New York Giants also voted to decertify.
Smith spent more than an hour with Bills players in outlining the union’s position and updating players on labor talks. He is visiting with each team prior to their vote, and met with New York Giants players on Monday.
The vote to decertify is considered necessary if owners lock out the players next season. Antitrust laws exempt NFL owners from being sued by unions that are negotiating collective bargaining agreements, so decertification would in essence eliminate the union and allow players to sue the league in the event of Saints jersey
a lockout—giving them potential leverage in their dispute with the owners.
The Bills have an active union base, and were one of numerous teams to show their solidarity during their season-opener. That’s when most Bills players, holding their index fingers in the air, stepped on to the field prior to the opening kickoff in a show of support.

Earlier in the day, in an interview on Buffalo’s WGR radio, Smith reiterated he is “100 percent” certain a lockout will take place in March.
Wilson agrees with Smith and noted the union boss informed Bills players the same thing.
“Beyond a shadow of a doubt. He believes that and I believe that,” Wilson said. “We don’t want to be locked out, but we have to prepare like we’re going to be lock out. We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
As a result, Wilson is informing Bills players minimize their debt and save as much money as possible in the event of a lockout.
One major concern, Wilson said, is how players will have to purchase Bills jersey
health insurance for themselves and their families.
“There’s a lot of guys around this league whose wives are expecting kids over the next six to eight months and that’s something you have to take into consideration,” Wilson said. “This affects more than us. We have families that we have to take care of.”

Report: Infamous South Korea-Italy World Cup 2002 Referee Byron Moreno Arrested For Heroin Possession

Controversial former referee Byron Moreno, who was at the center of the 2002 World Cup refereeing scandal, has been arrested at John F. Kennedy airport, New York, for allegedly being in possession of six kilograms of heroin.
Moreno had the drug concealed in his underwear as he passed through security, according to Cre.com.ec and Rainews.
The Ecuadorian is best remembered for refereeing the cheap nfl jerseys
infamous second round game at the 2002 World Cup between co-hosts South Korea and Italy.
The 2002 competition has gone down in infamy due to the huge number of refereeing mistakes that helped eliminate a string of top nations, and also ensured that Korea made it all the way to the semi-finals.
During their final two group games against Croatia and Mexico, Italy had four perfectly good goals disallowed, but somehow managed to scrape through to the second round where they met South Korea. Against Guus Hiddink’s men, Moreno chalked off another valid Italy goal, a golden goal from Damiano Tommasi which Indianapolis Colts jersey
would have taken them to the next round. Francesco Totti was sent off for diving when replays suggested he had lost his footing, while the Koreans - who repeatedly went unpunished for apparent foul play - were awarded a controversial penalty for a Christian Panucci tugging offense. Italy eventually lost after Ahn Jung-Hwan’s golden winner, but the match and Moreno represent a black mark in Italian sport.
Moreno would later that year receive a 20 match ban after he played an extra 13 minutes of stoppage time during an Ecuadorean league match between Deportiva Universita de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club. During this time Deportiva scored twice to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory. After retuning from his suspension, Moreno was suspended again after controversially sending off three players in one match. He retired from officiating shortly after.
LONDON (AP)—Arsenal fears defender Kieran Gibbs has broken his left foot during a League Cup match at Tottenham
Gibbs, who will be assessed by medics on Wednesday, fractured a metatarsal in the same foot in November 2009 and didn’t play again last season.
Manager Arsene Wenger says “it is a metatarsal again, it is the one next to the one he had broken, the second one.”
Wenger says he hopes “we have good news tomorrow morning, because that Dallas Cowboys jersey
would be a massive blow to us.”
The 20-year-old Gibbs hobbled off in the 102nd minute of the match, which Arsenal won 4-1 in extra time at White Hart Lane.

Fish & Chip Shots: Breaking Berba

Marching to his own tune for so long, the silky smooth Bulgarian is finally acting like a refined thoroughbred in his third year at Old Trafford.
I am of course referencing the terrific season that the Berb has put in for Manchester United so far this year, notching an impressive six goals in his team’s first five league matches, including a herculean hat-trick against bitter rivals Liverpool on football jersey
Sunday.
So what do we owe this presumed changed in form from a guy who for the most part lolly-gagged around the pitch contributing the odd back heel or fall on his extra-long-sleeved hands?
Patience. Beautiful priceless patience.
I’ll start my little rant on the now savior of the Stretford End by saying I have always thought Berbatov was a tremendous player and of all the £30 million signings floating around these days, he was the best. I have not once criticized his play or contributions to the Red Devils because I simply haven’t seen reason to.
He does the little things so well. Those little unnoticed efforts that really pay off for his club. The goals may not always be there (well, to me, 21 goals in 53 matches isn’t awful), but his presence on the field has been huge for United and I never questioned Sir Alex’s decision to field him.
So let us pretend I’m someone who did give him a hard time and now I’m recanting on all my allegations because of yada yada yada. Here is that yada yada yada.
As I said earlier, a big part of it is the patience that Sir Alex has bestowed in Berbatov—Keeping him in there and hoping good things will happen. I think he’s also greatly enjoyed playing in a lone striker type role, with Wayne Rooney working off of him and not the other way around. Funny how that happens.
Who knows if some switch flicked on his mind over the summer that is goading him to play the way he has to start the year, but you can bet the rest of the team would have liked to have seen this sooner.
We all knew he had it in him and his emphatic treble against Liverpool has really helped him turn the corner into one of the top strikers in the game today. With Wazza-pants struggling to find his identity, not to mention his dignity, having Berba step up has been a must for United in their quest for the elusive 19th title. Distinguishing himself as a force in the middle, whether it’s with his head (two of his three on Sunday were off the old noodle, if you didn’t see) or from his refined boot, the 29-year-old is quite the asset.
Oh, and for the record, if we really want to get into all this goal-scoring talk, he’s netted 27 goals in 69 league matches for United, while at Spurs, when he was much-ballyhooed and all that, scored a whopping 27 goals in 70 matches. Well then. De-freakin’-bunked.
This is the last I’ll say about him: Good player off to a great start. Let’s see what happens.
Pickled Onions
Another split week rounds up my spotty start to the season. In the first match, I had Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
United topping the Reds of Merseyside by one goal. That happened as predicted because I’m awesome.
Following that I thought Arsenal would have taken a result from Sunderland and they really should have. Up 1-0 with a penalty chance to seal it, the most overrated player in the Premier League, Thomas Rosicky, did his best John Carew impression and roofed the PK into the fabled row Z. Then Darren Bent scores in the 175th minute to tie the match, effectively blowing a perfectly good win for your boy. Nice.
Finally, Everton were beaten by the newly-promoted Newcastle at Goodison Park. Yikes. What on earth is going on with the Toffees this season? I seem to remember all the millions of Evertonians on twitter bashing my pre-season prediction for their beloved team. I…hate…to…say…I…told…you…so. Ok the season isn’t anywhere near over, but these struggles shouldn’t be a surprise.
Overall: 3-3-1
Still split down ze middle. More tough matches lie ahead, as they do each and every weekend, so getting this thing going may be tough. Do like Dimi.
Mushy Peas
I guess the main bit of news floating around lately is how those talented, eloquent and wonderfully-conditioned referees are being treated by the men in the tactical area on the sidelines.
First David Moyes went ballistic Martin Atkinson for blowing the whistle a bit prematurely and then Arsene ‘Le Prof’ Wenger lost it because Phil Dowd blew it a bit late and allowed Darren Bent to score.
My two cents, you ask? Honestly, it’s a hard one to fight. Referees have the power to add as much time after much as they please and then have the power to kill the game when they see fit. Arguing about it and screaming in their face solves absolutely zero.
You’re just going to get yourself fined and banned from the touchline for acting like a little baby. I guess it all stems from my hate for people who constantly complain. I mean, half the time it’s your fault you’re in that situation to begin. Moyes should be happy with the massive point against United. Wenger’s side failed to capitalize on a number of chances against Sunderland. Deal with it, fellas. Life goes on.
The Fixins’
The Oh Snap They’re Getting A New Stadium? of Minnesota Vikings jersey
the Week
It is becoming more and more likely that Tottenham Hotspur will have a new stadium in North London to call their happy home. Plans for a new White Hart Lane were apparently approved and the club can now move forward in their quest to have the second nicest stadium in the area. The Emirates is tops, as all know. What it means? Well, England’s hopes of hosting the 2018 World Cup are boosted, among other things. Plus, Spurs are going to need a bigger trophy cabinet to help house their ever-growing amount of hardware.

Bees sting Everton in League Cup shock

LONDON (AFP) - Third tier Brentford knocked Premier League Everton out of the English Football League Cup on penalties in the shock result of the third round on Tuesday.
The Bees, 19th in League One, came from a goal behind against the Merseysiders, 19th in the top flight, to come back to 1-1 at full-time.
Extra-time could not separate the sides and nfl jerseys
come the penalty shoot-out Brentford held their nerve, with the west London team on target with all four of their kicks and Everton missing twice to spark a joyous pitch invasion at Griffin Park.
Brentford keeper Richard Lee saved Jermaine Beckford's spot-kick with the scores at 3-3 before Charlie MacDonald, who had earlier missed a penalty in normal time, scored to put the pressure on Phil Jagielka, who fired his shot at the post.
Full-back Seamus Coleman had earlier given Everton a sixth-minute lead but Gary Alexander headed Brentford level four minutes before half-time.
"We just couldn't score," said Everton manager David Moyes, whose side have now gone four games without a win.
"We should have got it out of sight."
He added: "We abused the opportunities we had to score and knew that they would keep coming and in football you have to take those chances when they come."
Delighted Brentford boss Andy Scott said: "It's the biggest win as a game for me as a manager.
"They have played their first team and brought on (Stephen) Pienaar, (Mikael) Arteta and Beckford so we have come up against a very strong side and have beaten them."
Penalties also played their part across the capital as Samir Nasri scored twice from the spot in extra-time as Arsenal beat North London rivals Tottenham 4-1.
Henri Lansbury had given the Gunners, who had manager Arsene Wenger serving a touchline ban, a first-half lead at White Hart Lane, Robbie Keane equalised just after the interval.
Nasri struck twice after he had been brought down by Sebastian Bassong and Marouane Chamakh pulled back by Steven Caulker.
Andrey Arshavin added a fourth goal.
The only concern for Wenger was an injury to Kieran Gibbs.
"We have to check, that is the only disappointment of Colts jersey
the night, because Gibbs had a very good game," he said.
"It is a metatarsal again, it is the one next to the one he had broken, the second one, so we hope we have good news tomorrow morning, because that would be a massive blow to us."
Burnley, now in the Championship, made it an unwelcome return to Turf Moor for former manager Owen Coyle as they beat his Premier League Bolton side 1-0 thanks to Wade Elliott's 45th minute volley, ruled a goal after the linesman informed referee Mark Clattenburg the ball had crossed the line.
Stoke beat Fulham 2-0 after goals from Danny Higginbotham and Kenwyne Jones while another all Premier League clash saw West Ham win 2-1 away to Stoke City.
Nigeria international Victor Obinna gave West Ham their first victory over Premier League opposition this season with a 2-1 win at Sunderland.
The 23-year-old struck 14 minutes after the break after Sunderland's record signing Asamoah Gyan had earlier cancelled out Frederic Piquionne's opener for the visitors.
Wolves suffered a fright before winning 4-2 in extra-time against Notts County.
Birmingham City scored three goals in four first-half minutes as they beat MK Dons 3-1 at St Andrews while Ipswich beat fellow Championship side Millwall 2-1.
Former Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick as Championship Swansea beat League One Peterborough.
Elsewhere first-half goals from Michael Morrison and Lloyd Dyer saw Cowboys jersey
Leicester beat 10-man Portsmouth 2-1.
Championship strugglers Pompey had Richard Hughes sent-off before Liam Lawrence pulled a goal back at Fratton Park.
Holders Manchester United begin the defence of their title away to Scunthorpe on Wednesday when Chelsea play Newcastle.

Jose Mourinho Refutes Claims That He Is Angry With Real Madrid Over Portuguese National Job Snub

Jose Mourinho has responded to suggestions that he is unhappy with Real Madrid regarding their refusal to speak to the FPF (Portuguese Football Federation) over releasing him on a temporary basis to manage the national team, and believes his comments have been "misunderstood".
It had been reported that, after los Blancos’ battling 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, Mourinho spoke to a Portuguese TV journalist and had bemoaned the fact that the club would not enter into discussions with the FPF over a caretaker role for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers.
However, a in press conference held early this nfl jerseys
morning, the former Inter boss claimed that his words had been taken out of context, and that his source of discontent was the actions of the FPF, not Real Madrid.
He said: “The Portuguese journalist told me that there had been no meeting between Real Madrid and Portugal, and I have said that I do not understand why there has not been a meeting.
"[Madrid general director Jorge] Valdano also told me that Portugal had not requested any meeting, and what I meant was that if the FPF were in Madrid, then why not ask for one. The question was badly done, and there is no story. I do not understand why there has been no meeting.
“I am honest and admit that I’m sad about not being able to lead Portugal, but have no right to ask of anything from Madrid. It is a difficult situation.”
It appears that the FPF have turned their attention elsewhere, with reports suggesting that Paulo Bento is the front runner to be appointed on a permanent basis.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway insists that he has no interest in taking over the reins to England from current boss Fabio Capello.
The Italian recently revealed that he will call time on his career as the Three Lions boss following Euro 2012.
This prompted many names to be thrown up including Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp, Blackburn Rovers' Sam Allardyce and Sunderland's Steve Bruce among others.
The former Plymouth Argyle manager was also thought to be Bills jersey
in the race to succeed Capello, owing to the results he has achieved at Bloomfield Road.
But with links cropping up with regard to the England job, Holloway has insisted that he has no interest in managing the national team.
"I’m not even interested in the England job," he said, according to The Mirror.
"I like working with people every day. If Harry ¬Redknapp wants it, give it to him.
"I’m appreciative of the job here and the trust given me. I’m ¬trying to improve and will with every game."
VIENNA, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Big-spending Salzburg continued their nightmare start to the season on Sunday when they were knocked out of the Austrian Cup by third division Blau Weiss Linz.
The defeat was the latest blow to the Austrian champions whose dreams of playing in the Champions League have been shattered once again and who began their Europa League campaign with a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City last week.
Danilo Duvjak put Linz ahead following a corner in the 26th minute and Harun Sulimani doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime following a mistake by Uganda defender Ibrahim Sekagya.
Boris Arapovic put the team from the Regional Middle League — one of three leagues which comprise the third division—3-0 ahead in the 65th minute before Austria striker Roman Wallner scored a stoppage time consolation for Salzburg.
Wallner also had a 94th-minute penalty saved by David Wimleitner.
Previously known as Austria Salzburg, the club was bought and rebranded by the Red Bull soft drinks company in 2005 amid protests by their fans but with ambitions of becoming a force in European football.
Salzburg have won three Austrian titles since but, despite spending around 200 million euros, have failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Salzburg have been knocked out in the Champions League qualifiers four 49ers jersey
times in the last five seasons and this year were eliminated by Hapoel Tel Aviv.
They have also made a poor start in the league, taking five points from their first five games.

Shock Estudiantes defeat hands lead to San Lorenzo

BUENOS AIRES, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Promoted All Boys, back in the Argentine first division for the first time in 30 years, upset title favourites Estudiantes 2-1 on Sunday to leave San Lorenzo as sole leaders in the Apertura championship.
Midfielder Sebastian Grazzini chipped a brilliant 50th-minute winner seconds after All Boys goalkeeper Nicolas Cambiasso had saved with his face to deny Rodrigo Brana a second goal that would have handed the lead to Estudiantes.
San Lorenzo beat another promoted side, Olimpo, 3-1 at home on Saturday to lead the cheap nfl jerseys
standings with 15 points after seven matches. They are a point ahead of Velez Sarsfield and two in front of Estudiantes, Arsenal and River Plate.
All Boys went ahead close to the half hour when central defender Eduardo Dominguez tapped in from close range after a poor Estudiantes clearance at a corner.
Holding midfielder Brana equalised on the stroke of halftime, ghosting through the middle unmarked to head home a cross from the right at the end of a flowing Estudiantes attack prompted by captain Juan Sebastian Veron.
Cambiasso, brother of Inter Milan midfielder Esteban, charged out to narrow down the angle when Brana shaped to shoot from the left in the 49th minute and the ball hit him full in the face. He was treated for a bleeding nose but played on.
River, who could have gone top if they had won, were beaten 1-0 away by Newell’s Old Boys at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium in Rosario. Newell’s, who scored early through striker Ivan Borghello, have 12 points.
Racing Club, one of Argentina’s so-called Big Five with River, Boca Juniors, Independiente and San Lorenzo, ended a run of four defeats with a 4-0 win on Friday over nine-man Lanus, who had two players sent off between the 45th and 65th minutes.
Gimnasia, Estudiantes’ arch-rivals in the provincial capital of La Plata, scored their first goals and notched their first win in six matches when they beat Huracan 3-0 at home on Friday.
LONDON (AP)—Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will have a scan on his injured hamstring on Monday.
Fabregas was forced off with the injury in the 29th minute of the 1-1 draw against Sunderland on Saturday.
The midfielder announced on his Twitter page on Sunday that he will know more about the extent of the injury after the scan. The Spaniard says it’s a “shame about the injury.”
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) —Middlesbrough Ladies soccer Chargers jersey
team has lost the first match of its groundbreaking visit to North Korea.
The Korean Central News Agency said the English team lost 6-2 Sunday to local side April 25 in Pyongyang.
Middlesbrough Ladies is on a four-day visit, continuing the town’s connection to North Korea that dates to the 1966 World Cup.
North Korea’s squad stayed in Middlesbrough during that World Cup and the local community adopted North Korea as its second team.
Middlesbrough Ladies is the first British soccer team to visit North Korea. It will have another match and hold coaching sessions for children.
KASHIMA, Japan (AP)—Brazilian Marquinhos scored a hat trick as three-time defending champion Kashima Antlers defeated Omiya Ardija 3-0 to narrow the gap on leaders Nagoya Grampus in the J-League on the weekend.
Marquinhos scored two goals in the first half and added another after the break as Kashima pulled to within five points of Nagoya, which was held to a 1-1 draw at home with Yokohama F Marinos and has 48 points from 23 matches.
Kashima won back-to-back games for the first time since July to move into second place on 45 points.
Marquinhos put the hosts on the board in the 11th minute, redirecting a Koji Nakata blast from 30 meters past Omiya goalkeeper Takayuki Kitano.
Marquinhos headed home from close range 15 minutes later to double the lead and added a third in the 58th minute, scoring off the left post to give Kashima a 3-0 cushion.
In other matches, Gamba Osaka defeated Cerezo Osaka 3-2 while Shimizu S-Pulse played to a 1-1 draw with Urawa Reds. Gamba, Cerezo and Shimizu all have 40 points but Cerezo is third on goal difference, ahead of Gamba and Shimizu.
Kawasaki Frontale kept its title hopes alive and is in sixth place on 38 points after a 6-1 thrashing of last-place Shonan Bellmare. Juninho scored a hat-trick for Frontale.
Jubilo Iwata beat FC Tokyo 2-1 at home while Vissel Kobe salvaged Bears jersey
a 1-1 draw with Sanfrecce Hiroshima to improve to 22 points.
North Korea international Ryang Yong-gi scored twice to lead Vegalta Sendai to a 2-0 win over Montedio Yamagata. The win allowed Vegalta to move three points clear of the relegation zone. Eighth-place Albirex Niigata drew 1-1 with Kyoto Sanga.

NKorea’s April 25 beats Middlesbrough Ladies 6-2

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)—Middlesbrough Ladies football team lost its first match to a local side Sunday in a groundbreaking visit to North Korea.
The first British soccer team to play in the communist country was beaten 6-2 by April 25 despite scoring the first goal, TV news agency APTN said in Pyongyang.
Middlesbrough Ladies are on a four-day football jersey
visit, strengthening the town’s long-standing relations with North Korea which date back to the 1966 World Cup.
“They were really, really good. They were unbelievable,” Middlesbrough Ladies goalkeeper Ami Bullen told APTN. “The crowd were brilliant, it was amazing.”
Bullen and her team had landed in Pyongyang a day earlier on a trip to mark the 10th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Britain and North Korea.
The team’s home town, Middlesbrough, has a special connection with North Korea, having hosted the men’s team when they competed in the World Cup for the first time in 1966. Locals adopted the players as their second team and North Korea staged one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history by defeating Italy 1-0 and advancing to the quarterfinals, where they lost to Portugal.
After a 44-year absence, the North Korean men made it to the 2010 World Cup, but lost all three first-round matches.
Soccer is hugely popular in North Korea, and some 5,000 locals and 100 foreigners gathered at Pyongyang’s April 25 Stadium despite the rain, cheering as they watched the friendly match from under umbrellas, APTN footage showed.
“I’m glad we had this friendly match with the British team today,” April 25 player Kwon Bom Hyang told APTN. “I sincerely hope that the football match between our two countries today will promote the development of football in future.”
Later, the Middlesbrough players greeted the April 25 players and shook hands with the North Korean spectators.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency also reported the result of the match.
The British team is scheduled to play one more friendly match against a North Korean team, and will hold training sessions with schoolchildren during their four-night stay in the capital.
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP)—Celtic came from behind to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 and Indianapolis Colts jersey
maintain its perfect start to the Scottish Premier League season on Sunday.
Conor Sammon put Kilmarnock ahead after just seven minutes, but Daryl Murphy equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime after Anthony Stokes was brought down by Frazer Wright.
Stokes, who had replaced the injured Paddy McCourt, then met Emilio Izaguirre’s cross with a close-range volley to score the winner in the 52nd.
The victory ensured Celtic matched Glasgow rival Rangers by winning a fifth match.
Champion Rangers routed Dundee United 4-0 on Saturday.
Ajaxtemporarily climbed to the top of Eredivisie's table after they disposed of Feyenoord on a fine day in Rotterdam. Siem de Jong opened the scoring with five minutes to half-time and Mounir El Hamdaoui made it two after the break. Andre Bahia clawed one back for the hosts in the 80th minute, but it was too little, too late as Ajax got their win.
The hosts started the game on the front foot going close through Mounir El Hamdaoui and Luiz Suarez, who both had excellent chances to open the scoring in the first 30 minutes.
However, it was Siem de Jong, who managed to break the deadlock five minutes before half-time. Miralem Sulejmani took a free-kick on the right and crossed for the strikers in the goal area, Stefan de Vrij, however, got a touch on the ball and it defected to De Jong near the far post and the midfielder scored with a simple headed finish.
There was more trouble for Feyernoord, who were forced to replace Ron Vlaar with Karim El Ahmadi just before half-time after the defender clashed in the air with Stekelenburg.
The visitors started the second half in a stunning fashion twice hitting the post through El Hamdaoui and Suarez, before finally doubling their advantage in the 56th minute through Mounir El Hamdaoui after some good play between him and Suarez.
The game lacked any goal scoring chance for the next twenty-five minutes, but was certainly filled up with emotions as Georgino Wijnaldum and Gregory Van Der Viel had to be torn apart by the referee, following a tussle near the touchline.
Feyenoord managed to pick themselves up and scored a goal through Andre Bahia. The defender was lurking in the goal area, and made use of the fact that Stekelenburg was blocked by a crowd and managed to score with a header at the right post after a corner on the left.
Ajax managed to hold onto their lead, despite a late siege on Dallas Cowboys jersey
their goal by the hosts. There were ugly scenes again as Bahia clashed with Sulejmani near the touch line in the closing minutes of the game.
This win sends the visitors to the top of Eredivisie, albeit temporarily, while the hosts continue to lurk in the mid-table obscurity. Feyernoord travel to Nec in a week's time, while Ajax visit Twente for a top of the table clash on the same day.

There’s no question, we want to win the division

The New York Yankees have endured a tough road trip against two likely playoff teams. Facing the last-place Baltimore Orioles on the final stop won’t necessarily make this trek any easier.
That’s because the Yankees already have had one tough series against football jerseys
Buck Showalter’s surging Orioles this month heading into Friday night’s opener at Camden Yards.
New York (88-58) has lost five of six on this trip against division leaders Texas and Tampa Bay, with four of the defeats coming by one run. The Yankees dropped two of three to the Rays after a 4-3 loss Wednesday.
“We could have very easily won five of these games,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Sometimes you get the big hits, sometimes you don’t.”
The loss dropped New York one-half game behind Tampa Bay for the AL East lead. The World Series champions lead Boston by six games for the wild card but would like to win the East to gain home-field advantage for one or possibly two rounds of the playoffs - they were 7-1 at home in the 2009 postseason.
“There’s no question, we want to win the division,” third baseman Alex Rodriguez(notes) said. “I don’t want to downplay that at all. We know what home-field advantage means. We saw what it did for us last year.”
New York has won 11 of 15 against the Orioles (58-88) this year, but the first 12 meetings were before Showalter came aboard.
Baltimore has won nine of 11 and captured four straight series. The Orioles are 26-15 under Showalter, including 9-6 against the AL East.
“To this team’s credit, we could have just rolled over and cashed in the season, played mediocre,” first Bills jersey
baseman Luke Scott(notes) told the Orioles’ official website. “But I’m proud of my teammates, how our work ethic has been. We come to the ballpark prepared and ready to play every day.”
The Yankees have seen first-hand the improvement by the Orioles. Baltimore came close to a three-game sweep in the Bronx from Sept. 6-8 before Nick Swisher’s(notes) two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave New York a 3-2 victory in the finale.
Second baseman Robinson Cano(notes) is one RBI away from becoming the fourth second baseman in team history to record at least 100. Cano is 15 for 24 at Camden Yards this year and a .370 career hitter there.
He’s 11 for 25 in his career against scheduled Baltimore starter Kevin Millwood(notes) (3-15, 5.30 ERA), who is 0-4 with a 4.78 ERA in five home starts since the All-Star break. Millwood has pitched fairly well over his last seven overall outings, posting a 3.28 ERA but going 1-4.
The veteran right-hander gave up three runs over six innings last Friday and did not get a decision in a 6-3 victory at Detroit.
Millwood is 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA in three starts against New York this year, getting chased in the sixth inning each time. Five different Yankees homered against him in those games.
His counterpart on the mound also has had a poor season. A.J. Burnett(notes) (10-13, 5.13) has set a career high in losses with his worst ERA, including 1-5 with a 6.70 ERA over his last eight outings.
Burnett is 11-4 with a 4.51 ERA in 17 career starts against the 49ers jersey
Orioles, but he’s 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA in his last two.
The right-hander gave up two runs over four innings in Saturday’s 7-6 loss at Texas in an outing shortened by a rain delay.

Ex-NL MVP Mitchell to stand trial in assault case

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (AP)—A judge has ordered former National League MVP Kevin Mitchell to stand trial on charges of punching a man several times in the head in July at a golf club in Southern California.
The ex-San Francisco Giant and New York Mets slugger faces nfl jerseys
four years in prison if convicted of battery and assault. A judge on Wednesday scheduled his trial for Nov. 3 in San Diego County.
The 48-year-old Mitchell has pleaded not guilty and is free on $25,000 bail.
Mitchell, who won a World Series ring with the Mets in 1986 and the MVP award three years later as a Giant, is charged with giving another golfer a concussion during an attack at the Bonita Golf Club course.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the alleged altercation happened because Mitchell was upset the golfer had spoken disparagingly about him.
Mitchell’s attorney, George Siddell, has said there was an exchange of Chargers jersey
words and “whether anyone was actually hit has to be sorted out.”
Mitchell’s previous legal run-ins include rape charges in 1991 that were dropped, and an arrest in 1999 for allegedly beating up his father. A year later, while managing the minor-league Sonoma County Crushers, he was suspended nine games after punching the opposing team’s owner during a brawl.
In 2002, he was suspended seven games for punching the same team’s third-base coach, who Mitchell accused of stealing signs from the catcher.
Mitchell hit 47 homers for the Giants in 1989 to win the NL MVP. Bears jersey
The two-time All-Star third baseman and outfielder batted .284 with 234 homers and 760 RBIs during his 13-year career. He also played for San Diego, Seattle, Cincinnati, Boston, Cleveland and Oakland.

After winning all three games in Washington last weekend

Getting swept by a division rival seemingly finished off the Florida Marlins’ faint postseason hopes, but they still have a chance at a third consecutive winning season.
Marlins rookie Alex Sanabia(notes) looks to build on a strong cheap nfl jerseys
outing as he faces a Chicago Cubs team trying to avoid clinching its first losing season in four years Friday night.
After winning all three games in Washington last weekend, the Marlins (73-72) were outscored 23-10 during three straight losses to Philadelphia. They allowed nine runs over the first five innings of Wednesday’s 10-5 defeat, which dropped them nine games back in the wild-card race and 12 behind in the NL East.
Florida has a 5.13 ERA over its last 18 games, but will send a pitcher to the mound that is coming off an outstanding effort.
Sanabia (4-2, 3.95 ERA) yielded three hits over 6 2-3 scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over the Nationals last Friday. That start came just before he served a five-game suspension for his role in a bench-clearing brawl between the Marlins and Nationals on Sept. 1.
Sanabia has ended up with two extra days between starts. Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez felt that could benefit the right-hander, who turned 22 on Sept. 8.
“I think that might help him because he’s still a kid,” he told the team’s website. Indianapolis Colts jersey
“I think it will help him to take that break, regroup and watch the game from a distance. I’m pretty sure that is going to help him, not only physically, but mentally.”
Sanabia bounced back from two sub-par outings, during which he gave up nine runs in 10 2-3 innings.
In his first matchup with the Cubs, Sanabia will be opposed by Ryan Dempster(notes) (13-10, 3.62), who is also coming off one of his best performances of the season.
The right-hander gave up three hits over seven innings, struck out eight and walked two for his 100th win in a 1-0 victory at Milwaukee on Saturday.
Dempster, 100-100 in his career, has gone 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts against Florida.
The Cubs (65-81) come into this three-game set 5-1 on their nine-game road trip after sweeping St. Louis. Tyler Colvin(notes) put his team ahead for good in Wednesday’s 7-3 victory with a three-run homer, becoming the fourth Cubs rookie with 20 home runs in a season.
“It was a great series and I’m proud of these guys,” interim manager Mike Quade told the team’s website. “I hope we don’t have a hangover when we get to Miami.”
Colvin is five homers shy of matching Hall of Famer Billy Williams’ club record for rookies, set in 1961. Colvin is tied with Florida’s Mike Stanton(notes) for rookie lead this season.
Colvin breaking Williams’ record or winning the rookie home run race, however, won’t help Chicago avoid its first losing season since it went 66-96 in 2006.
The Cubs have staved off their 82nd defeat by going Dallas Cowboys jersey
14-7 and 9-3 on the road since Quade took over Aug. 23.
Chicago dropped two of three at home to Florida from May 10-12. It has split its last six games at Sun Life Stadium.

Non-AQ predictions: Week 3

My picks in Week 2 were … slightly better than awful. With a 12-10 overall record, I need somebody to give me a pep talk. Is Frank Beamer available? Oh wait. He is probably busy giving his team one of those.
On to the picks!
Virginia Tech 35, East Carolina 27. No way Virginia Tech loses a third straight, right? Well, the Hokies have a recent history of nfl jerseys
losing to the Pirates -- dropping the opener in 2008. Dominique Davis has played lights out for the Pirates, but the defense -- not so much. The Hokies are going to be fighting mad, and should be able to slow down the East Carolina offensive attack just enough to escape.
Oklahoma 24, Air Force 20. The Falcons present a unique offense to defend, and Oklahoma has looked helter-skelter in its first two games. Air Force did a fantastic job slowing down the BYU offense, limiting the Cougars to 88 yards through the air. Oklahoma struggled against Diondre Borel. But give the Sooners the win here based on the play in the trenches.
Florida State 30, BYU 20. Don’t think the BYU quarterback problems are going to be solved against the Seminoles, who dismantled a far better Cougars team last year on the road. Unfortunately for BYU, the passing game is not in tip-top shape right now and that is where the Sooners did most of their damage last week.
TCU 24, Baylor 20. The Bears are one of three teams that have yet to allow their opponent into the end zone this season, but they haven’t played anybody as good as TCU. Don’t think that streak will continue against veteran Andy Dalton and an experienced offense.
Houston 35, UCLA 17. Are the Bruins that bad? I am calling this game for Houston, regardless of Steelers jersey
who starts at quarterback. Case Keenum (concussion) might be day to day, but his backup has proven capable and so has the running game through two games this season. UCLA, meanwhile, has been able to muster nothing on offense or defense.
Southern Miss 20, Kansas 17. The Golden Eagles dropped a close one to the Jayhawks last season, and though they looked pretty unspectacular against South Carolina in the opener, Austin Davis and DeAndre Brown could be in line for big games. This is a huge test for a defense that has played inconsistently. But, hey, so has Kansas.
California 28, Nevada 17. The Wolf Pack haven’t had much success against AQ opponents, losing eight straight games. Though the defense has looked much better, and defensive coordinator Andy Buh spent the last three seasons as a Stanford assistant, California simply has too much talent on offense. The Bears will find a way to slow down Colin Kaepernick enough to win.
Hawaii 37, Colorado 30. Going with the upset in this one. I know Hawaii has been away from home for a really long time, increasing its chances of losing this game, but Bryant Moniz and the offense have looked good in the first two games. The Buffaloes? Not so good, especially last week.
SMU 44, Washington State 10. The Cougars nearly lost to FCS Montana State last week, so that should tell you how the rebuilding effort is going in Pullman. SMU has had some injuries to deal with, but as long as Kyle Padron is behind center, the Mustangs should easily win this one.
Missouri 33, San Diego State 27. The Aztecs are vastly improved, thanks to a better run game and more experience from Ryan Lindley. But Blaine Gabbert is playing well for the Tigers, with a completion percentage over 70 percent. The Tigers defense also has six interceptions on the year and makes the difference in this one.
Miami (Ohio) 30, Colorado State 10. The Rams have scored a total of nine points in two games, and true freshman quarterback Pete Thomas has been sacked eight times. The defense hasn’t played much better, either. The RedHawks haven’t exactly torn up the field but have shown much more improvement this season than the Rams.
Army 24, North Texas 17. Things went from bad to worse for Vikings jersey
the Mean Green this week when they found out starting quarterback Nathan Tune would be out for the season with a dislocated hip. Five starters have gone down with season-ending injuries now, and coach Todd Dodge is trying to cope. It’s going to be tough against a much-improved Army team

Big Ten predictions: Week 3

South Dakota ended my quest for perfection (or was it Minnesota?). Either way, I'll try to start a new streak this week.
Michigan 43, Massachusetts 14: Denard Robinson does his thing for two and a half quarters before the real drama begins. Does football jersey
Devin Gardner get the first call after Shoelace, or will it be Tate Forcier? Both reserve quarterbacks end up playing well as Michigan improves to 3-0.
Ohio State 41, Ohio 6: The Buckeyes receive an efficient performance from Terrelle Pryor, and receiver DeVier Posey beats his big brother Julian for two touchdowns. No special teams meltdowns this week, and the defense keeps the Bobcats out of the end zone.
Penn State 35, Kent State 10: After two quiet weeks, Evan Royster arrives in a big way against Kent State. The senior running back goes for 140 yards and three touchdowns against a good run defense, and quarterback Rob Bolden bounces back nicely from the Alabama loss.
Illinois 26, Northern Illinois 14: I'm buying into Illinois' defensive improvement under Vic Koenning, and the Illini receive another solid performance from Ian Thomas, Tavon Wilson and crew. Northern Illinois seems to be struggling to put it all together, and the Illini need this game more.
Purdue 34, Ball State 17: Receivers Justin Siller and Antavian Edison emerge as Purdue begins life without star wideout Keith Smith. The Boilers start slowly for the second consecutive week but get it going in the second quarter, as Dan Dierking eclipses 100 rushing yards for the second Chicago Bears jersey
consecutive week.
USC 35, Minnesota 23: I've got a strange feeling about this one. Minnesota isn't as bad as it looked against South Dakota, and USC seems to be just skating by on its talent right now. I can't pick the Gophers to win, not with their issues on defense, but they'll come out energized after the Dakota Debacle. Minnesota takes an early lead, but Matt Barkley and his receivers prove to be too much in the second half.
Wisconsin 30, Arizona State 20: This is my Pick of the Week. Check the blog later as I'll have a video explaining my prediction in greater detail.
Indiana 45, Western Kentucky 21: The Hoosiers' offense shows no rust from the 16-day layoff, as Ben Chappell, Darius Willis and Tandon Doss all have big days against a woeful Western Kentucky defense. Indiana's defense struggles against Bobby Rainey, raising some concerns as Big Ten play beckons.
Northwestern 27, Rice 21: Another tricky road game for Pat Fitzgerald's crew against a Rice team that did some good things against Texas in the opener. The Owls jump ahead early and former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie reaches the end zone, but the Wildcats control play in the second half behind quarterback Dan Persa and receiver Jeremy Ebert.
Michigan State 33, Notre Dame 31: A very tough call here. Expect an entertaining shootout in East Lansing, as both offenses find their groove. I'm not sold on the Spartans' defense, and Notre Dame takes advantage as Michael Floyd has a big night. But Michigan State's balanced attack also steps up as Kirk Cousins rallies the team in the fourth quarter and Dan Conroy kicks a 42-yard field goal as time expires.
Iowa 26, Arizona 21: Arizona feeds off an electric atmosphere New Orleans Saints jersey
and jumps ahead behind Nic Grigsby, but Iowa duplicates what it did all last year and rallies on the road behind quarterback Ricky Stanzi. The senior signal caller overcomes an early interception and leads the game-winning touchdown drive, hitting Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for the decisive touchdown.

ACC predictions: Week 3

It was a rough week. Not just for the ACC, but for my predictions. After a 10-2 start in Week 1, I went 6-4, bringing my season total to 16-6. But c’mon, who woulda picked James Madison and Kansas? Here’s hoping for a better record in Week 3:
Auburn 24, Clemson 21: When in cheap nfl jerseys
doubt, stick with the home team. The Tigers have yet to be tested, and Clemson’s defense will have a tough time wrapping up 250-pound quarterback Cam Newton. Auburn is holding opponents to just 80 rushing yards per game, and the defensive line will get pressure on Kyle Parker.
Florida State 38, BYU 17: BYU lost to Air Force and looked bad in the process. If the Seminoles lose this one at home, their problems are bigger than they thought. FSU leads this series 3-0 and BYU is averaging only 18 points per game.
West Virginia 28, Maryland 24: The Mountaineers will be looking for San Francisco 49ers jersey
a more complete performance after allowing Marshall to hang around until overtime. The Terps have been burned by Noel Devine before, and it’s likely to happen again.
NC State 28, Cincinnati 24: The Bearcats have a new coach in Butch Jones, but a lot of the same team speed. NC State’s defense has taken a step forward, though, and the Carter-Finley crowd will help keep the momentum in the Pack’s favor. NC State is 5-5 at home on ESPN Thursday night games.
Stanford 28, Wake Forest 17: It will be too much to ask of freshman quarterback Tanner Price to defeat a ranked team on the West Coast in his first start – especially when he doesn’t have a dependable defense to back him up yet.
Alabama 38, Duke 21: Alabama’s defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown -- yet. Duke coach David Cutcliffe will have the Blue Devils playing inspired and prepared. Duke can move the ball against anyone in country, it just can’t stop anybody.
Georgia Tech 17, North Carolina 14: It’s a statement game for both programs, which are looking to rebound from losses, but with young backups playing defense, the Tar Heels will struggle to stop the spread option offense.
Virginia Tech 31, East Carolina 28: The Buffalo Bills jersey
Pirates’ win over Tulsa was impressive, but I've got too much respect for Virginia Tech’s staff to think they’ll lose three straight. ECU can score, though, so the Hokies will have to make plays in the kicking game and on defense.

A new beginning in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tough and gruff Todd Haley took his young playmaker into his arms and put his mouth to his helmet. With the renovated New Arrowhead Stadium crowd going berserk, Haley screamed into Dexter McCluster’s ear hole.
“He said, ‘Keep making plays,’" McCluster said after making the signature play in a stunning 21-14 Kansas City upset win over four-time defending AFC football jersey
West champion San Diego in one of the most exciting nights in recent Chiefs history. “It’s great for a coach and a player to celebrate together. It was a special moment.” After dropping the tiny McCluster to the turf following the rookie's team-record 94-yard punt return in a driving rain storm, giving the Chiefs a 21-7 lead, Haley pumped his fists in ecstasy.
“This is how I envisioned Arrowhead,” Haley said. “Usually the team that plays the best wins in the end and we played the best.”
It was a night of celebration in Kansas City as the Chiefs made big plays, watched their rookies come up big and witnessed their young defense make a huge defensive stand in the final seconds to deny the roaring Chargers.
The Chiefs, who long ago requested to open the season on Monday night, unveiled the New Arrowhead Stadium in style. Perhaps the grand old house inspired this young 2010 version of the Chiefs to play like some of the great teams of Kansas City’s past.
This game was clearly the highlight of the 20-month-old Scott Pioli-Haley era. The Chiefs had won a total of 10 games in the previous three seasons.
As a reward for their first opening-weekend win in five years, Kansas City is now in sole possession of first place in the AFC West for the first time since Week 7 of the 2007 season, according to ESPN’s Stats and Information.
Heading into the regular season, it seemed like it would be San Diego and everyone else in the AFC West. If one week is any indication, the Chiefs must be accounted for. Not only were the Chiefs the only team in the division to win, but they were the only team to show significant improvement in Week 1.
Oakland, which has high hopes for resurgence, was blasted by 25 points in Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Tennessee, and Denver looks like a work in progress after a loss to Jacksonville. The Chargers had their moments and their chances Monday night.
San Diego was clearly affected the rain and wind, which dominated the second and third quarters before subsiding in the fourth quarter. The Chargers, who had one first down in a 30-minute, 14-second span, tried to come back late, but the Chiefs would not be denied on this special night
“Monday Night Football and a big win,” No. 5 overall pick Eric Berry said. “It was great.” Berry was part of the Chiefs’ last stand. Clearly relieved by the end of the rain, the Chargers came hard at Kansas City and were poised to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The magical night was in peril when San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers completed a 12-yard pass to receiver Legedu Naanee to the 4-yard line with 1:14 remaining. It came on fourth-and-3. Yet, Kansas City’s defense did not crumble. Rivers threw two incompletions and running back Darren Sproles was stopped for a 2-yard loss. On fourth down-and-goal from the 6 with 39 seconds to go, Rivers couldn’t connect with receiver Malcom Floyd in the back of the end zone.
The water-logged Arrowhead crowd, which was boisterous all night, erupted as it saw K.C.'s defense come of age.
“They played every play,” Haley said. “That is one of our little mottos: 'Play every play.' And they did.”
If Kansas City’s defense plays this well on a consistent basis, the Chiefs will be candidates for a winning season. The defense often abandoned Kansas City last year. Other than new coordinator Romeo Crennel and Berry, there are few new additions.
But players such as defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey (who may have played his best NFL game after being the No. 5 overall pick in 2008), revived linebacker Derrick Johnson and third-year cornerback Brandon Carr all led the charge. Dorsey harassed Rivers on the final play.
Kansas City, led by a wicked 56-yard touchdown run by dynamic running back Jamaal Charles and big special-teams plays by McCluster and fellow second-round pick Javier Arenas, will score its share of points. If the defense is this stout, Haley will end up Indianapolis Colts jersey
doing a lot more celebrating with his players.
“It’s a good start,” a smiling Haley said. That’s what Monday night was all about in Kansas City -- a new beginning.

Flynn appointed as Wales caretaker boss

CARDIFF (AFP) - Brian Flynn has been appointed as Wales caretaker manager for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Flynn, who had been working as coach of nfl jersey
the Wales youth teams, takes charge after previous boss John Toshack departed by mutual consent last week.
"The Football Association of Wales is pleased to announce that Mr Brian Flynn will act as caretaker manager to the Wales Senior Team for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers in October 2010," a statement on the Welsh FA's website confirmed on Monday.
Toshack left following Wales' 1-0 defeat in Montenegro in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier and former Wrexham manager Flynn is keen to land the job on a permanent basis.
Millwall manager Kenny Jackett and Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs had been the early favourites for the post, but both have now been ruled out, leaving Flynn and former Fulham and Coventry boss Chris Coleman as the front runners.
Flynn said: "Naturally, as a very proud Welshman, this Dallas Cowboys jersey
is a job that I have always wanted to do.
"I realise that initially it is only for two games, but I shall give it my all to try and achieve results and stake a claim for the job on a permanent basis."
Flynn will be helped by youth team assistants Alan Curtis and David Williams for the two qualifiers.
The 54-year-old has played a role in the development of talented Welsh players like Tottenham's Gareth Bale and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey in recent years.
He won 66 caps for Wales between 1975 and 1984 and was a player when Wales reached the 1976 European Championship quarter-finals, losing over two legs to Yugoslavia.
Wales host Bulgaria at the Cardiff City Stadium on Indianapolis Colts jersey
October 8 and travel to Basel to play Switzerland on October 12.
Flynn's team need to take at least four points from the matches to have any chance of making the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

2 Monaco fans arrested over crowd disturbance

MARSEILLE, France (AP)—Two Monaco fans have been arrested after two Marseille supporters were hit by projectiles and injured during the teams’ 2-2 draw in the French league.
Police said they were forced to intervene nfl jerseys
when Monaco fans threw Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
bjects at Marseille supporters before and during Sunday’s match at Stade Velodrome.
The two people injured were in stable Minnesota Vikings jersey
condition Monday at Marseille’s La Conception hospital.

McClaren feeling the pressure after another loss

Wolfsburg coach Steve McClaren admitted that the "pressure is mounting'' after his third straight defeat in charge of the Bundesliga club.
The 2-0 defeat in Dortmund completed the Wolves' worst football jersey
ever start to a Bundesliga season and McClaren knows that he must turn things around quickly.
"I knew that it was going to be hard to start with, but it is harder than I thought,'' he admitted. "The pressure is mounting.''
The club's general manager Dieter Hoeness, who has overseen a spending spree of Minnesota Vikings jersey
almost €40 million this summer, has made it clear that he cannot tolerate such performances for long.
"The players are playing below their actual ability,'' he said. "It is hard to explain, and I don't only mean Diego. Simon Kjaer is usually far more assured than he is and I know that Cicero is a lot better than this. We are in a critical situation.''
The Wolves are not the only top club Dallas Cowboys jersey
struggling as fellow pre-season title candidates Schalke and Stuttgart have also lost their first three games of the season.

English Comment: No Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie Or Nicklas Bendtner - Now Marouane Chamakh Must Step Forward For Arsenal

When Arsene Wenger saw Theo Walcott being carried off on a stretcher in Basel on Tuesday, a few more lines would have appeared etched into the 60-year-old's brow.

By the time it was confirmed the winger would be out for nfl jersey
six weeks with an ankle injury, he was probably resembling an 80-year-old.

For some managers, the loss of one attacker, albeit one as important to Arsenal as Walcott, would be an inconvenience. For Wenger it represents the brink of disaster. After all, the Gunners’ boss was still reeling from the news that Robin van Persie would be out for six weeks after an injury in the Premier League match against Blackburn.

These two recent casualties join Nicklas Bendtner and Samir Nasri, who both have long-term injuries. Bendtner has been out since the World Cup and is not likely to return to first team action until November. The picture is slightly rosier for Nasri, who might return for this weekend’s fixture. But this is not definite, and would Wenger even risk starting a player who hasn’t played since the opening day of the season?

This situation leaves Marouane Chamakh to carry the load. The 26-year-old will have to score the goals Walcott has been and Van Persie is expected to. A lot of responsibility for the man who only came to the Emirates in the summer.

The Moroccan has already scored for Arsenal this season - in the rout of Blackpool - but he only scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 last season for Bordeaux in 38 appearances, and with only Andrey Arshavin as the other attacking outlet, he will surely have to up his scoring rate.

Arsenal fans will be aware of Indianapolis Colts jersey
the precarious position they’re in with regards to injuries, but Chamakh does have the ability to step up to the plate. He has all the skills you would expect from an Arsenal attacker – pace, silky footwork, an excellent touch, good movement and a bullet shot, but he has another dimension to his repertoire; his heading ability.

For a slight player, with not much bulk despite his height, he has immense strength, gets himself across central defenders, some much bigger than himself, and scores plenty of headed chances. His goal against Blackpool is a prime example of this, and it is a feature of an Arsenal centre forward fans will not have been too familiar with in recent years.

His ability to leap earlier than defenders and hang above them was beautifully demonstrated with a crashing header in the Champions League tie with Lyon last season. If he resembles any other Premier League striker for this trait, it is Fernando Torres. That said, his record of a goal every four and a bit games in the league for Bordeaux (56 in 230 appearances) is a concern and it again raises the question of Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy. After Bendtner’s injury it would have been wise to invest in another striker. Wenger will point to Chamakh in response, but with Van Persie’s fitness frailty in recent seasons and Eduardo’s transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk, Wenger was gambling and already he may have lost.

It is common knowledge that Wenger puts faith in his youth. He said recently: "We are short on the striker front when you have two strikers out but [Carlos] Vela is in good shape and we have Jay Emmanuel Thomas who has made some big improvements.

"We have Benik Afobe, a young player who can play striker and Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
has shown big quality, so we still have some reserves."

Wenger is not one for doubting himself, but if Chamakh fails to fire, plenty of others will do.

Houllier unsure when he’ll take charge of Villa

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP)—Gerard Houllier is unsure when he will officially take charge of Aston Villa as he is still waiting for the French Football Federation to release him.
Despite signing a three-year contract to replace Martin O’Neill, France’s nfl jerseys
technical director still has commitments to the FFF.
“They could make me stay for three months but I am negotiating to leave far earlier,” Houllier said Friday. “I have a good relationship with the FFF but I need to go back and sort the final things out.”
The 63-year-old Houllier won’t be in charge for Monday’s Premier League match against Stoke and doubts whether he will be at the helm for Villa’s game the following Saturday against Bolton.
“I hope to be here to watch the Bolton game and will start for the Blackburn game (on Sept. 22 in the League Cup) if all goes well,” Houllier said.
Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald will remain in charge until then before returning to his role as reserve team coach.
Houllier is returning to England six years after his six-year stint as Liverpool manager ended.
“Everybody knows my passion for English football and the Minnesota Vikings jersey
Premier League, the best in the world, and that has not diminished since my time at Liverpool,” Houllier said. “I had other offers. The offer from Villa came very late but it proved irresistible because it is a club with a fine history and a very good squad. They have a real pedigree and that played a part in my decision.”
Fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, believes that Houllier was missing being in charge of a team.
“When he went to be the technical director of the French Federation, it was to get out into maybe a little bit less of a pressurized job,” Wenger said. “But when you are out of it, you feel you miss it, and you come in again. I believe that is what happened to him more than the feeling that he has an unfinished job.”
Houllier won six trophies with Liverpool, but cautioned that it will take time to produce American-owned Villa’s first title since the 1996 League Cup.
“There is a vision for gradual improvement,” Houllier said. Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
“We won’t achieve things overnight but we want silverware. Everyone wants Champions League football or Europe and we are saying one step at a time.
“The owner (Randy Lerner) has set no targets but in three years if we can get into the top four it will be excellent.”