Boxer Pacquiao’s deals ‘safe’, despite gay row

Personally, I couldn’t care less about Manny Pacquiao one way or another. What he says or believes has no bearing on anything; it’s just an opinion. However, he has a right to think what he thinks, and if in his opinion he doesn’t believe in gay marriage, then that’s that; no one needs to be offended. 

This is one of the problems I have with minority groups; they believe that if a public figure, or anyone else for that matter, doesn’t support their cause or think as they think that the individual must apologize for his or her opposing views. Nothing could be further from the truth!

The following commentary is an example of this twisted thinking: “It doesn’t change the fact that Manny is not supportive of the equal rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community,” Fontanas told AFP.

Lady, or whatever you are, nobody has to support your cause, just as you don’t support those who oppose your cause! You’re an idiot. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

AFP

A row sparked by boxer Manny Pacquiao’s comments on gay marriage has damaged the world champion, but has not so far affected any of his mega-buck endorsement deals, his spokeswoman said Friday.

Pacquiao told a US website this week he was opposed to same-sex unions, in an article that erroneously suggested the Philippine superstar had quoted a biblical passage calling for gays to be put to death.

Despite Pacquiao denying he had quoted the verses from Leviticus — and the interviewer admitting he had inserted the line himself — there were calls for sports manufacturers to drop the eight-division champion.

“The misquote had a huge effect. A lot of people spoke out against it,” Pacquiao’s spokeswoman Rose Tamayo told AFP.

“There was even one group that came out to campaign for Nike to drop him,” she said, referring to the US sports goods giant.

“So far not one (endorsement deal) had been cancelled,” she added.

Following the controversy over the blog, which came after US President Barack Obama came out in favour of gay marriage, Pacquiao was banned from an upmarket Los Angeles shopping mall where he was due to give a TV interview.

Nevertheless, Tamayo said Pacquiao, who was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 2010, took a big hit.

“If I had hurt anyone I offer my apologies,” Pacquiao, a 33-year-old father of four, said in an interview aired by Manila television station GMA on Friday.

“I was asked about my stand, whether I was in favour of gay marriage or not. I said I am against gay marriage and I believe in God. That was all I said.”

Naomi Fontanas, head of the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines, said the Pacquiao apology was not enough.

“It doesn’t change the fact that Manny is not supportive of the equal rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community,” Fontanas told AFP.

Tamayo said that the flap had not affected Pacquiao’s training ahead of the defence of his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title against American Tim Bradley on June 9.

Pacquiao, formerly known for enjoying late-night parties, womanising and gambling, has become a devout Catholic and now reads the Bible every day, she said.

“The congressman is a patient person, even if people say bad things about him. He resorts to prayer.”

Forbes.com magazine on Wednesday put Pacquiao at number-33 on its Top 100 list of the world’s “most powerful celebrities”, putting his total earnings at $67 million.

“Pacquiao has become a pay-per-view stud with five fights each generating at least one million PPV (pay per view) buys during the past four years,” it said.

“Pacman has expanded his endorsement reach by signing deals with Monster Energy and Hennessy. Other partners include Nike and Hewlett-Packard.”

Pacers pound Heat 94-75 in Game 3

The Heat look to be in disarray; they’re just not playing as a team. If they don’t win a title this year, the Wade, James, Bosh (BIG 3) experiment will have turned out to be a BIG flop, one of the biggest “much to do about nothing” in NBA history! TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

By TOM WITHERS | Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James grabbed a seat on Miami’s bench, lowered his head and stared down at the floor.

Way down.

The Heat are in a hole.

Roy Hibbert had 19 points and 18 rebounds, George Hill scored 20 and Danny Granger 17 as the Pacers, showing more balance, toughness and togetherness than favored Miami, throttled the malfunctioning Heat 94-75 on Thursday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Overlooked during the regular season and given little chance to upset the reigning East champions, the Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday at raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

James scored 22 — 16 in the first half before wearing down — and Mario Chalmers added 25 for Miami. However, Dwyane Wade, banged up and possibly slowed by a more serious injury, scored only 5 on 2-of-13 shooting for the Heat, already missing forward Chris Bosh because of a strained abdominal muscle and not expected to return for this series.

“It’s obvious he wasn’t himself.” James said of Wade. “Does he want to play better? Of course. He’s one of the best players in the world.”

Wade didn’t play like one and he also had an angry exchange during a timeout in the third quarter with coach Erik Spoelstra, who dismissed it as a heat-of-battle incident.

“That happens,” Spoelstra said. “Anybody that has been part of a team or has been a coach or been a player, you have no idea how often things like that happen. That was during a very emotional part of the game. We were getting our butt kicked. Those exchanges happen all the time during the course of an NBA season.

“There’s going to be a lot of times where guys say something, you don’t like it. You get over it and you move on. We’re all connected. Dwyane and I have been together for a long time, a long time. We’ve been through basically everything. A lot of different roles, a lot of different teams. That really is nothing. That is the least of our concern. That type of fire, shoot, that’s good. That’s the least of our concerns. Our concern is getting for Sunday.”

Wade wouldn’t discuss his dispute with Spoelstra.

Indiana outscored Miami 51-32 in the second half, when the Pacers could do no wrong.

They made big shots, challenged everything the Heat tossed in the air and didn’t back down from a Miami team that appeared poised to make an easy run to the NBA finals after top-seeded Chicago lost Derrick Rose and was eliminated in the first round.

The Pacers, though, have other plans.

In the second half, Indiana forward David West flung James to the floor in the lane, and Granger later got in the superstar’s face after a foul on a breakaway. After winning Game 2 in South Florida by three points, the Pacers wanted to show that win was no fluke and that they’re for real.

Believe it.

They’re two wins from tilting the balance of power in the East.

“We’re certainly happy with the win,” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Vogel’s pregame message to his team: “Keep your edge, and enhance your edge.”

Enhance, they did.

Hibbert controlled the glass, roaming the lane on both ends and finishing with five blocks.

“My primary focus is defense, defense, defense,” he said. “I embrace that role and let the offense come to me. Them being one and done, that’s what we talked about in the huddle,” he said. “One shot and they’re done.”

Two more losses and the Heat are done.

With his team down 20 in the closing minutes, Spoelstra waved the white flag and pulled out first Wade, then James, who quickly removed his headband as he got to the bench and then pulled out the mouthpiece inscripted with XVI — the Roman numeral for 16 — or the number of wins it takes to get a championship.

When the final horn sounded, the three-time MVP quickly exited the floor.

“When you lose a game like that, all you try to take it away and move on to the next one,” James said. “They’re playing some good basketball. We’re playing pretty good defense on them. We’re not scoring the ball.”

Indiana busted open a grind-it-out game with a 17-3 run in the third quarter, doing it with an inside-outside attack that had the Heat wondering what was coming next.

Pushed by a rocking home crowd wearing “Gold Swagger” T-shirts and chanting “Beat The Heat” every chance they could, the Pacers pushed their lead to 69-55 after three and then held off one brief run by the Heat in the fourth quarter.

Behind Miami’s bench, owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley looked on in disbelief.

Despite playing almost 21 minutes and exerting himself on defense, James had enough energy to throw down a vicious left-handed dunk in the final minute of the first half, pulling the Heat even at 43-all. He looked back at the Miami bench as if to say, “How about a little help out here?”

He was doing it all.

Wade, on the other hand, was lost.

He missed all five field-goal attempts, made two turnovers and ran around like a first-time rookie and not a superstar playing in his 95th career postseason game.

Wade finally made his first field goal with 10:22 left in the third to put Miami up 47-45, but the Pacers went on a 10-1 run with Granger dropping a 3-pointer in front of the Heat bench to make it 55-48 and then playfully skipping down the sideline as Miami called a timeout.

With Bosh out, rehabbing in Florida and doubtful to be back at any point in this series, Spoelstra said “everything is out on the table. Everyone has to be ready.”

He wasn’t kidding.

Spoelstra made a dramatic change to his starting lineup, putting Shane Battier at power forward and using bench-riding center Dexter Pittman in place of Udonis Haslem and Ronny Turiaf in the first five along with James, Wade and Chalmers — a group he played together for just nine minutes during the regular season.

The moves smelled of desperation and maybe Spoelstra sensed his team was in more trouble than he wanted to admit.

And when the Pacers jumped to an 11-2 lead, amping up an already frenzied Indiana crowd, it appeared Miami was indeed in danger of dropping a second straight game.

However, with James leading the charge, the Heat responded by closing the first quarter on a 24-6 tear.

James and Wade were relaxed following the Heat’s morning shootaround. There wasn’t a hint of panic in either of their voices and they exuded been-here-done-that attitudes.

James downplayed the idea that he and his teammates would need to maintain some kind of “edge” to be best prepared for a pivotal Game 3 many felt would tilt the series.

“It’s the postseason,” said James, playing in his 100th postseason game. “There’s no secrets about an edge or not having an edge. It’s the postseason. You have to be ready and approach every possession as if it’s the last. I’m always going to have an edge, so that’s not going to change.”

Well, things have changed.

Notes: The Heat are 5 for 42 on 3-pointers in the series. … Miami’s 75 points matched a low in these playoffs. … Indiana outrebounded Miami 52-36. … The Heat managed just 12 points in the third quarter. … Former Pacers center Rik Smits attended the game and got a huge cheer when he was shown on the scoreboard.

Heat look vulnerable, Spurs still sharp

Indiana took it to the Heat last night and made them look bad on their home court. This is going to be a tougher series than anticipated. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Reuters

Reuters

MIAMI (Reuters) – Without Chris Bosh, championship favorites Miami suddenly looked vulnerable as they suffered an upset defeat to the Indiana Pacers, while the West’s top seeds San Antonio look to have hit peak form with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in their second-round opener on Tuesday.

In Miami, the Heat’s 78-75 loss left their Eastern Conference semi-final series tied at 1-1.

Bosh has been ruled him out “indefinitely” after picking up an abdominal strain in Game One on Sunday and questions are being asked about how effective the Heat can be without one of their key components.

With the Heat holding a 38-33 lead at halftime, however, there was little indication of the turnaround that was to put last year’s runners-up in trouble.

Indiana dominated the third quarter, outscoring Miami 28-14 and grabbing a nine-point advantage heading into the fourth.

With Bosh on the sidelines it was left to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to carry the Heat. The duo came up with 21 of Miami’s 23 fourth-quarter points but James missed two free throws and Wade came up short with Miami three down and less than 10 seconds on the clock.

Miami failed to score in the final two minutes and 41 seconds of the game and their last chance to tie the score ended with Mario Chalmers’ three-point effort hit the rim.

NOTHING TO CELEBRATE

James led Miami with 28 points and nine rebounds and Wade put up 24 points and made six rebounds.

David West top scored for the Pacers with 16 points but was quick to put the victory in context.

“We have nothing to celebrate yet, we have just won one game in the series,” he told TNT television.

“I thought we were more aggressive defensively and we were able to maintain our composure, early on we were able to stop them doing a couple of things they like to do and that carried over through the game,” said West.

The series moves to Indianapolis for Game Three on Thursday.

In San Antonio, the Spurs ended their week-long break with a 108-92 rout of the Clippers.

Tim Duncan looked fresh, the 36-year-old recording 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs took advantage of a weary Los Angeles team who just concluded a physical seven-game series against Memphis.

“We just attacked the basket as much as possible and tried to take some of their aggressiveness away,” said Duncan, who helped his team win their 15th consecutive game going back to the regular season action.

“It’s the playoffs, it’s going to be physical. Especially with the series they just got out of.”

The Clippers, playing in the second round for the first time since 2006, were still in the picture until a 14-3 run in the third quarter put San Antonio up by 19.

Blake Griffin had 15 points and nine rebounds and looked to have shaken off the effects of a knee injury suffered in the first round. Chris Paul made just three of 13 shots for the Clippers and had six points and 10 assists.

Manu Ginobili added 22 for the Spurs.

(Reporting by Simon Evans and Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

James leads Heat past Pacers in opener

LeBron James is a beast, but he has yet to win a title. Let’s see if this is the year he gets it done… TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

AFP

LeBron James, who earned his third league MVP award Saturday, finished with a game-high 32 points as star-studded Miami defeated Indiana 95-86 to take the opening game of their second round playoff series.

James, the game’s best player, has won the MVP award three out of the last four years and is chasing his first ever NBA championship.

“Defensively, we stepped up,” James said. “We know we had to get stops and that would give us a better chance to win.”

James also had 15 rebounds and five assists and guard Dwyane Wade had 29 points and four assists, while Chris Bosh added 13 points for the Heat, who also won three of four regular season games over the Pacers.

Forward David West and centre Roy Hibbert scored 17 points each for the much-improved Pacers, who finished off Orlando in five games Tuesday to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Heat forward Bosh suffered a lower abdominal strain shortly before halftime at AmericanAirlines Arena and did not return.

Bosh dunked over the Indiana Pacers’ Hibbert and drew the foul with 1:06 remaining in the second quarter, but landed awkwardly on the floor. He made the free throws and left soon after for the dressing room.

“It is unfortunate Chris went down,” Wade said. “For me, I just had to turn it on and be more aggressive.”

The score was even after three quarters, but Miami opened the final quarter with an 8-2 run and never lost the lead after that.

Game two of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in Miami.

James powers Miami Heat into NBA second round

If the Miami Heat play up to their potential they’re going to be tough to beat. But then again, they may lay another egg as they did last year against the Dallas Mavericks when they basically threw away the NBA title.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks… TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

AFP

LeBron James scored 29 points and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had 19 each as the Miami Heat eliminated the under-manned New York Knicks with a 106-94 win in game five of their Eastern Conference series.

“We came out with a lot of intensity,” James said after Wednesday’s win. “We tried to get as many stops as possible and we were able to do that.”

James went 13-of-15 from the free throw line and had eight rebounds and seven assists for the second-seeded Heat, which booked a second round berth against the Indiana Pacers that ousted Orlando in five games on Tuesday.

“They are very well coached,” James said of the Pacers. “They play inside out. They control the paint and have some great perimeter players.

“We will savor this win tonight and get ready to go back to work tomorrow.”

Mario Chalmers chipped in 10 points for the Heat, who are trying to reach the NBA finals for the second consecutive year.

Carmelo Anthony had 35 points, but J.R. Smith shot just three-of-15 from the field for seventh seeded New York. Star forward Amare Stoudemire ended with 14 points, but he became frustrated near the end of the game and fouled out.

Stoudemire was playing with an injured left hand. He cut it badly punching a fire extinguisher after a game two loss.

“It’s really a shame the injuries they went through,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Nobody wants to see it. We want to play teams at their best. We were able to persevere.”

The Knicks were without veteran guard Baron Davis and rising star Jeremy Lin. Davis, who was starting in place of Lin, dislocated his patella in his right knee on a drive to the basket in a game four victory.

Lin has been sidelined for just over a month after undergoing late-season knee surgery.

“They made plays coming back the other way,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “That’s what great teams do.”

The Heat led 81-67 at the end of the third quarter and then never let the Knicks get within single digits in the fourth.

Former NFL Chargers star Seau found shot dead

This is a shocker! TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

AFP

Former NFL star Junior Seau was found dead Wednesday of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home north of San Diego, authorities said.

Frank McCoy, chief of police in suburban Oceanside, said the 43-year-old Seau was found with a gunshot wound to the chest at his beachfront home north of San Diego by “a young lady who indicated that she was Junior Seau’s girlfriend”.

“She indicated that she returned to the residence to find Mr. Seau unconscious, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest,” McCoy said, adding that police and fire department personnel responded to her call but found Seau dead.

“This case at this point is being investigated as a suicide, a handgun was found near the body,” McCoy said.

The San Diego Chargers, his former team, voiced shock at “the passing of Junior Seau.”

“Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now. We ask everyone to stop what they’re doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family,” the team said in a brief statement.

Seau, who is survived by a daughter and two sons, spent 13 seasons with the Chargers, helping the team reach the Super Bowl after the 1994 season.

He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in November.

Seau’s mother, Luisa Mauga Seau, spoke emotionally to reporters gathered outside her son’s home.

“I appreciate you show your love to my son,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do… Take me. Take me. Leave my son alone.”

Seau’s sister, Annette, asked the media to respect the family’s privacy.

“My brother was a loving brother, a caring citizen, so I would appreciate it if you would just honor his last day and give us some kind of peace and privacy,” she said.

Seau is the eighth member of San Diego’s Super Bowl team to pass away, joining linebackers Lew Bush, Dave Griggs and Doug Miller, running back Rodney Culver, defensive linemen Shawn Lee and Chris Mims and center Curtis Whitley.

The former linebacker — who was selected for the Pro Bowl 12 times — was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in October 2010 after an incident with his girlfriend, but was never charged.

A few hours after he posted bail his SUV plunged down an ocean side cliff but Seau escaped serious injury.

Seau also played three NFL seasons for Miami and four for New England before retiring in 2009.

“We all lost a friend today,” said Chargers president Dean Spanos. “Junior was an icon in our community. He transcended the game. He wasn’t just a football player. He was so much more. He was loved by everyone in our family, our organization and throughout the NFL. It’s heartbreaking.”

Chargers head coach Norv Turner said he had “no words to describe the passing of Junior Seau”.

“I can tell you no one had more character and true leadership ability than Junior,” Turner said. “He brought passion to the game of football that was unmatched. His commitment to charitable causes in the community was inspiring. It was an honor to know him.”

Oldest former major leaguer turns 101 in Cuba

Had the Cuban slime, Fidel Castro, not destroyed the country with his hypocritical “revolution,” which was nothing but yet another farce by a criminal to steal from the people, major league baseball would have been treated with many great Cuban ball players during the past five decades. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

By PAUL HAVEN | Associated Press – Thu, Apr 26, 2012

HAVANA (AP) — Conrado Marrero can still remember the crisp feeling of slipping on his Washington Senators uniform, and the surge of adrenaline he got staring down Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and other major league batters. But the diminutive right-hander’s glory days are a world — and a revolution — away.

The Cuban pitcher who last year became the oldest living former big leaguer turned 101 on Wednesday, surrounded by family and a couple of old friends in his modest Havana apartment, the faded walls in need of paint, the spartan furniture tattered and frayed.

Marrero is hardly in better shape.

He has been confined to a wheelchair since fracturing his hip last year, is hard of hearing and can no longer see. But the man once known as “The Peasant of Laberinto,” after the central Cuban farm where he grew up, still indulges in cigars, and listens avidly to Cuban baseball on the radio.

Not bad for a man who is a year older than Boston’s iconic Fenway Park, which celebrated its centenary earlier this month.

Marrero, who was known in his major league days as Connie, speaks with pride about the five years he spent with the Senators, and he raises his voice in excitement when he recalls going against pitchers like Allie Reynolds of the Yankees or Early Wynn, who in those days played for mighty Cleveland.

Beating the Yankees, he says, was the sweetest feeling in the world.

“They were strong,” he said. “They were the best. Each batter was a struggle.”

Marrero had less good things to say about his own team, the lowly Senators, who he called “lazy” and error prone. Still, he said it was a thrill to suit up every day.

“Putting on that uniform always made me feel bigger, more powerful,” said Marrero, who in his playing days was listed as 5 feet 5 inches tall and 158 pounds. His memory often fails him, and his voice sometimes trails off in mid-thought, but Marrero grows animated when the subject turns to his sport, and he wraps his long wrinkled fingers around a baseball to demonstrate his grip.

He recalls meeting the retired Babe Ruth once in Miami, befriending Connie Mack, and sharing an elevator with Dwight Eisenhower in Washington.

As for the great hitters of his day, Marrero insists he was afraid of no one, although he admits that Williams usually got the better of him.

“One day Williams got two home runs off me, and afterward he came up to me and said ‘Sorry, it was my day today,” Marrero recalled. “I responded, ‘Ted, every day is your day.’”

Marrero doesn’t complain about money, but his circumstances are exceedingly modest compared with today’s multimillion-dollar players. The stairwell up to his second floor apartment has no lighting, and his living room is empty save for two sagging sofas and a rocking chair.

Marrero is eligible to receive a $20,000 payout granted him under a 2011 agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association to extend financial help to big leaguers who played between 1947 and 1979, and did not otherwise qualify for a pension. But the money has been held up for months due to the 50-year U.S. economic embargo, which makes financial transactions between the United States and Cuba extremely complicated.

Steve Rogers, a former Expos pitcher who is now an official at the Major League Baseball Players Association, told The Associated Press the payment to Marrero has been approved by the U.S. Treasury Department, which regulates trade to sanctioned countries like Cuba, but logistical problems have slowed up actually turning it over.

“They are working diligently to try to get the money to him … but it is just a question of logistics, of physically getting the money there,” he said. “We have all taken this project very personally because he is the oldest living ballplayer, and because of that he is very special. With his 101st birthday, that puts an exclamation mark on the urgency.”

Rogers said he did not have details of what was holding up the payment, but added that he was confident a solution is near. “It’s imminent,” he said.

Marrero’s grandson, Rogelio Marrero, says the problem is that direct bank transfers to Cuba are impossible, and the players’ association does not allow the money to go through an intermediary. But he, too, expresses hope the issue will be resolved soon.

Marrero, who was born in the small town of Sagua la Grande in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara, was already old when he made it to the big leagues as a 39-year-old rookie in 1950 following a standout career in Cuba. And he wasn’t your typical big leaguer either. Because of his size, he relied on control, guile and a bag full of junk pitches — curves, sliders, knuckleballs and other off-speed stuff.

He compiled a 39-40 record and a 3.67 ERA before being cut ahead of the 1955 season. Marrero was named to the 1951 All-Star team but didn’t see action. As a Senator, he played alongside Mickey Vernon and Eddie Yost, yet his teams only once finished with a winning record.

After his big league days were over, Marrero returned to the Cuban minor leagues, ending his career with the Havana Sugar Kings in 1957. Two years later, Fidel Castro’s rebels swept into power. Unlike many former big leaguers in Cuba, Marrero chose to stay, becoming a coach and roving instructor, working to develop and coach Cuban players well into his 80s.

Marrero says he doesn’t follow the majors much anymore, although he did know that 49-year-old Jamie Moyer recently became the oldest pitcher to win a game. His grandson occasionally shares with him the exploits of A’s slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who defected from Cuba last year, joining a long list of Cuban standouts that include Kendrys Morales of the Angels and Aroldis Chapman of the Reds.

Marrero listens to nearly every broadcast of Cuba’s playoffs on the radio, and he excitedly talks up youngsters he thinks have potential. “Be careful with Sancti Spiritus,” he said, saying they have a great team.

Rogers said it was somehow appropriate that the world’s oldest ballplayer was a Cuban, given the island’s contribution to America’s national pastime.

“If ever you could pinpoint a common denominator, it’s baseball. You could take all of the other issues out there that separate Cuba and the United States, but baseball is the common denominator, and having the oldest ballplayer being a Cuban and someone living in Cuba is fitting,”

Marrero, who lost his wife about 20 years ago, has four children and many more grandchildren and great grandchildren split between Cuba and the United States. He says he’s not sure how he lived so long, but he did offer one secret.

“I never had hatred for anyone,” he says. “I treated everyone equally.”

___

Associated Press writer Anne Marie Garcia contributed to this report.

___

Paul Haven on Twitter: www.twitter.com/paulhaven

First-round picks at NFL Draft

Being a Dallas Cowboys’ fan, I really think they made an excellent decision by moving up to number 6 and drafting a real speedster and shutdown corner (similar to Deion Sanders). Let’s see how the rest of the draft works out for them…

And as expected, Bill Belichick works his magic yet again and picks up two players in the first round. TGO

Refer to information below. Source: Reuters

Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Following is the order of selections made at Thursday night’s first round of the National Football League Draft at Radio City Music Hall (tabulate under order of pick, NFL team, player, position, college):

1 Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, quarterback, Stanford

2 Washington Redskins (from Rams) – Robert Griffin III, quarterback, Baylor

3 Cleveland Browns (from Vikings) – Trent Richardson, running back, Alabama

4 Minnesota Vikings (from Browns) – Matt Kalil, offensive tackle, Southern California

5 Jacksonville Jaguars (from Buccaneers) – Justin Blackmon, wide receiver, Oklahoma State

6 Dallas Cowboys (from Redskins via Rams) – Morris Claiborne, defensive back, Louisiana State

7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jaguars)

8 Miami Dolphins

9 Carolina Panthers

10 Buffalo Bills

11 Kansas City Chiefs

12 Seattle Seahawks

13 Arizona Cardinals

14 St. Louis Rams (from Cowboys)

15 Philadelphia Eagles

16 New York Jets

17 Cincinnati Bengals

18 San Diego Chargers

19 Chicago Bears

20 Tennessee Titans

21 Cincinnati Bengals

22 Cleveland Browns

23 Detroit Lions

24 Pittsburgh Steelers

25 Denver Broncos

26 Houston Texans

27 New England Patriots

28 Green Bay Packers

29 Baltimore Ravens

30 San Francisco 49ers

31 New England Patriots

32 New York Giants

(Reporting By Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Steve Ginsburg)

Boxing hero Pacquiao mixes religion and training

Some people, many people in fact, are extremists. They go from one end of the spectrum to the other, abandoning everything in between.

Here’s a guy who went from heavy gambling and drinking to Bible-reading sessions after his workouts. He couldn’t just gamble and drink moderately, or sparingly, or not at all; no. He, like many others, needs religion to get him “in line.”

There sure are a great many weak-minded people in this world. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

AFP

Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has combined his new-found religious fervour with his training for an upcoming fight, holding bible-reading sessions after daily workouts.

The 33-year-old Pacquiao, who faces unbeaten American Timothy Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas, said he would also follow up his fight with a “preaching session” at one of the country’s biggest coliseums.

“It is open to all religions,” he told reporters late Saturday in the mountainous resort city where he began altitude training last week.

Pacquiao, formerly known for enjoying late-night parties and gambling, now ends almost every training day with a bible session in an auditorium in the hotel which serves as his training camp.

These sessions, which can go for over two hours, have attracted scores of people who come to see the boxing hero ask religious questions and quote from the bible.

American boxing promoter Bob Arum who handles Pacquiao’s fights, said he preferred this more devout fighter to the one who used to drink and gamble long into the night.

“It is much better than the things he did in the past,” said Arum in a telephone interview on Sunday.

Earlier this year, Pacquiao, regarded by many in the sport as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, announced he had undergone a religious conversion and was giving up all of his vices.

As well as holding bible-reading sessions with the country’s top broadcasting officials, Pacquiao has also carried out his duties as an elected legislator and host of a popular television gameshow.

However he has insisted that his faith has not affected his fighting skills which have made him an eight-time world champion with a record of 54-3 with two draws.

Reports: Parcells unlikely Saints’ next coach

If ever there was an individual who “milked” success for all it was worth, and then some, it is Bill Parcells. Here’s a guy who won two Super Bowl titles, back in 1986 and 1990; the last of which was 22 years ago, yet people still think of him as a great coach.

Bill Parcells is similar to John Madden, who only won one Super Bowl title, in 1976, yet is revered as a football legend.

Goes to show you, the illusion of greatness means more to people than greatness itself. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

By BRETT MARTEL | Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bill Parcells is unlikely to become the New Orleans Saints’ interim coach, according to multiple reports.

Parcells prefers to remain retired and not replace his protege and friend, Sean Payton, who will serve a season-long suspension for his role in New Orleans’ bounty system, the reports said.

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel declined Tuesday to confirm Parcells has been ruled out as a possible Payton replacement, saying the team “has nothing to report” concerning the search for an interim coach.

Parcells’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, also declined comment.

If the Saints decide to select a replacement from their existing staff, the leading candidates are: assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who will serve a six-game suspension; offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.; offensive line coach Aaron Kromer; new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Last season, Vitt and Carmichael took on significant additional responsibilities when Payton was rehabilitating for weeks from a broken leg.

Vitt, who also oversees linebackers, took on many of the broader responsibilities, including handling the head coach’s media availability. Carmichael began calling plays, something Payton had done before his injury. Payton allowed Carmichael to continue calling plays through the final 10 regular season games of 2011 as the Saints went 9-1 and broke numerous NFL offensive records.

If Vitt were to step back in as interim coach, he would be able to oversee the preseason, but then would have to step aside for the first six games of the regular season before returning for the last 10, plus whatever playoff run the Saints may make.

The Saints would have more continuity if they went with either Carmichael, Kromer or Spagnuolo as interim coach. Spagnuolo has head coaching experience after spending the last three seasons in that role with St. Louis, but has only been with the Saints for about three months.

Carmichael arrived in New Orleans with Payton in 2006 and Kromer joined the staff in 2008, but both have increasingly been mentioned as up-and-coming head coaching candidates around the league.

Marlins’ Ozzie Guillen apologizes over Castro flap

In my opinion, which admittedly counts for nothing, the best thing that could have been done by the Cuban community in Miami was to not send one, not even one reporter to Ozzie Guillen’s press conference. This, to me, would have sent a message to the Marlins organization that some lame apology or five-game suspension for the statements Ozzie Guillen had previously made meant nothing – nothing at all to the Cuban people .

As stated earlier on this Blog, had this been someone saying he admired Adolph Hitler, the ramifications would have been significantly different. The thing is nobody really and truly cares about the plight of Cubans who had everything taken away from them by the maggot that is Fidel Castro. Unless one’s parents didn’t rot in Cuban prisons, in sub-human conditions for 25 years; unless one’s parents didn’t face a firing squad; unless one’s parents didn’t lose their homes, their businesses, their way of life, etc, one is clueless as to the emotions being expressed by Cubans.

In my opinion, again, for whatever it’s worth, is that Ozzie Guillen should have been fired by the Marlins. He carries enough baggage with him from the past that it could have been easily justified. Had they done this they would have won over the very community that they depend on to show up to games, and to make them money.

At the end of the day Ozzie Guillen is just another stupid individual who just happened to be good at sports (baseball) and became a coach and manager. He was then put up on a pedestal for being brash and controversial. He is nothing more, nothing less; as meaningless as tits on a boar (or bull) – it makes no difference; neither one produces milk.

I know this is not the American way; not anymore. We’ve become a nation of political correctness and hypocrisy. Yet if all the “values” we continue preaching were to mean anything at all, Ozzie Guillen would be coaching Little League for the Havana Comunistas instead of the Miami Marlins. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

By STEVEN WINE | Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A contrite Ozzie Guillen sat in the heart of Little Havana seeking forgiveness for what the Miami Marlins manager called the biggest mistake of his life — saying he admired Fidel Castro.

This wasn’t some offhanded insult about a sports writer, the type of thing that got the outspoken Guillen in trouble in Chicago. This was personal to the fan base that the Marlins rely on so much that they built their new stadium in the middle of the city’s Cuban-American neighborhood.

Castro is the sworn enemy of those fans.

So after being suspended for five games Tuesday, the Marlins manager tried to quell the tempest.

“I’m here on my knees to apologize,” Guillen said.

“I’m very sorry about the problem, what happened. I will do everything in my power to make it better. … When you make a mistake like this, you can’t sleep.”

A chastened Guillen, who has a history of polarizing comments about gays and immigrants, among others, spoke without a script and made no disclaimers. He said he’ll do whatever he can to repair relations with Cuban-Americans angered by his praise of the Cuban dictator, remarks he said he didn’t mean.

Guillen, who is Venezuelan, told Time magazine he loves Castro and respects the retired Cuban leader for staying in power so long. In response, at least two Miami politicians said Guillen should lose his job. Callers on Spanish-language radio in Miami agreed and 100 demonstrators picketed Marlins Park toting signs like “NO APOLOGIES FIRE HIM NOW.”

“He is full with hypocrisy,” said Luis Martinez, who has lived in Miami since the late 1950s. “I don’t accept any kind of pardon from him. They should get him out.”

The team didn’t consider firing Guillen or asking him to resign five games into his tenure, Marlins president David Samson said.

Guillen was hired to help usher in a new baseball era for the Marlins, saddled in recent years with mediocre teams and worse attendance. The team was to rely on South Florida’s large Cuban-American population to help rebuild its fan base with the $634 million ballpark that opened last week.

At the hourlong news conference Tuesday morning, there was little evidence of Guillen’s roguish charm or quick wit, which have made him a favorite with fans and reporters since he became a major league manager in 2004. Speaking somberly, he took full responsibility for his comments, but said they were misinterpreted by Time’s reporter.

“It was a personal mistake of the thing I had in my mind and what I said,” Guillen said in Spanish. “What I wanted to say in Spanish, I said in English in a wrong way.”

Guillen said he doesn’t love or admire Castro.

“I was saying I cannot believe somebody who hurt so many people over the years is still alive,” he said.

Time said Tuesday it stands by its story.

Guillen said the uproar he created has left him sad, embarrassed and feeling stupid. He said he accepted the team’s punishment.

“When you’re a sportsman, you shouldn’t be involved with politics,” he said.

“I’m going to be a Miami guy for the rest of my life. I want to walk in the street with my head up and feel not this bad, the way I feel now.”

Cuban-born Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, a former manager of the Marlins, said he watched some of the news conference and could tell it was difficult for Guillen.

“He came out and faced the music,” Gonzalez said. “It’s going to take awhile, but hopefully he can win those people back somehow.”

Guillen has gotten in trouble before on issues ranging from sexual orientation to illegal immigration. Just last week, he boasted about getting drunk after games.

Those episodes quickly faded. But on South Florida’s scale of political incorrectness, praise for Castro is a home run, and it was unclear how long it would take for anger toward Guillen to subside.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said the remarks “have no place in our game” and were “offensive to an important part of the Miami community and others throughout the world.”

“As I have often said, baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities,” Selig added in a statement. “All of our 30 clubs play significant roles within their local communities, and I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game’s many cultures deserve.”

Marlins officials said Guillen still had the support of the organization.

“We believe in him,” said Samson, the team president. “We believe in his apology. We believe everybody deserves a second chance.” He said he expected no further punishment from MLB.

Guillen apologized over the weekend after his remarks were published in Time, then left his team in Philadelphia, where the Marlins were playing the Phillies, and flew to Miami.

The teams resume their three-game series Wednesday in Philadelphia. Guillen said he’ll be there to apologize to his players, but he won’t be in the dugout. Bench coach Joey Cora will be the interim manager.

“The Marlins acknowledge the seriousness of the comments attributed to Guillen,” read a statement from the team. “The pain and suffering caused by Fidel Castro cannot be minimized, especially in a community filled with victims of the dictatorship.”

The suspension, which takes effect immediately, recalled the punishment given to Marge Schott, the late owner of the Cincinnati Reds. Schott so embarrassed baseball in the 1990s with her inflammatory racial remarks and fond recollections of Adolf Hitler that she was suspended from ownership duties for a season.

“After spending years of my life with Ozzie Guillen, I can honestly say he has never been this apologetic,” tweeted former slugger Frank Thomas, who played for Guillen with the Chicago White Sox. “I know he is really hurting inside for what he said. If you really know him this was not his intentions at all.”

In Cuba, a column posted on multiple state-run and pro-government websites said the backlash against Guillen showed Miami has become “a banana republic” that censors unpopular opinions.

“The sensationalist and cowed Miami press, the politicians, have used these declaration of his to raise a scandal and in passing try to win visibility and votes for the upcoming elections,” wrote Edmundo Garcia. “Some want to prohibit thoughts and opinions that differ from theirs.”

About 100 reporters, photographers and cameramen attended Guillen’s news conference, a turnout to rival some late-season Marlins crowds in years gone by.

Guillen sat alone at the podium and began in Spanish, speaking without notes for several minutes before taking questions. Shortly after he started, his voice wavered mid-sentence. He paused to take a sip of water and clear his throat.

“This is the biggest mistake I’ve made so far in my life,” Guillen said.

Guillen spoke in Spanish for about 80 percent of the news conference. Guillen said he was suspended without pay, but Samson later said the manager will be paid and will donate the money to Miami human-rights causes.

___

Associated Press writers Janie McCauley in San Francisco, Peter Orsi in Havana, Kristie Rieken in Houston and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.

Guillen to return to Florida for Castro apology

It didn’t take him long, did it? It didn’t take long at all for this loose-lipped, apparently ultra leftist, maybe even socialist/communist moron to open his mouth and make ill-advised comments. I’ve got to believe that he does this on purpose, I mean, he can’t be THAT stupid can he?

Talk about putting his foot in his mouth! Castro is viewed by Cubans in the same manner that Hitler is viewed by Jews, and whether the comparison is accurate or not is not the issue. The issue is that Castro had innocent people murdered and imprisoned, just as Hitler did; he stole the country from the people and then proceeded to destroy it.

Anyway, now the Marlins organization has a great deal of damage-control to think about. I’ll bet they regret ever hiring this idiot. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

By STEVEN WINE | Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Five games into his tenure with the Marlins, motor mouth manager Ozzie Guillen is returning to Miami to explain himself as a backlash builds regarding favorable comments he made about Fidel Castro.

At least two local officials said Guillen should lose his job, and the chairman of the Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus called Monday for “punitive measures” against him.

Hoping to quell the political tumult, Guillen planned to leave his team briefly in Philadelphia and fly to Miami to apologize Tuesday at Marlins Park. The Marlins and Phillies resume their series Wednesday after a day off Tuesday.

Guillen, a Venezuelan, told Time magazine he loves Castro and respects the Cuban dictator for staying in power so long.

Before Monday’s game, Guillen said he has had sleepless nights because of his comments and wants to make amends.

“I’m going to make everything clear what’s going on,” he said. “People can see me and talk. I’ve already talked to people. But I think it’s the proper thing to see my eyes. They can see me and ask whatever question they want. I think sooner is better. Better for the ballclub, better for me.”

He apologized over the weekend after the story broke, but some Cuban Americans remained upset. One group planned a demonstration Tuesday at the ballpark that was organized before Guillen said he would fly to Miami.

Guillen’s talkative style often makes headlines, but the timing of his comments about Castro couldn’t be worse for the Marlins. They opened a new ballpark last week in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami and are trying to rebuild their fan base with the help of South Florida’s large Cuban American population.

Francis Suarez, chairman of the Miami city commission, said Guillen should be fired.

“Mr. Guillen’s admiration for a dictator who has destroyed the lives of so many and who has violated the basic human rights of millions is shameful,” Suarez said in a statement. “On behalf of many angry residents, I’m calling for real action to be taken and for the removal of Mr. Guillen.”

Joe Martinez, chairman of the Miami-Dade County board of commissioners, issued a statement calling for Guillen to resign.

“This unfortunate comment is an insult to the citizens of Miami-Dade who have been victims of a tyrant in power for over 50 years,” Martinez said.

State Sen. Rene Garcia, chairman of the Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus, described Guillen’s comments as appalling and insulting. In a letter to Marlins president David Samson, Garcia said he expects the Marlins to punish Guillen.

“If the Miami Marlins are to be respected in this community, your organization must stand with the Cuban-American exiled community and execute expedient punitive measures against Mr. Guillen which will rectify the situation,” Garcia wrote.

Samson and the Marlins organization had no comment Monday. The team released a statement last weekend saying there was nothing to respect about Castro, but Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the statement didn’t go far enough.

“For too long, the Marlins organization has been the source of controversies in our community,” Gimenez said, “and I now challenge them to take decisive steps to bring this community back together.”

Guillen said his news conference would be open to “anybody that wants to be there.”

“I know I hurt a lot of people,” Guillen said. “I want to get the thing over with.”

It’s not the first time Guillen has stirred a political tempest. He twice appeared on a radio show hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in October 2005, when Guillen led the Chicago White Sox to the World Series title. At the time, Guillen said: “Not too many people like the president. I do.”

Chavez is unpopular with many Venezuelans, especially those living in the United States. Guillen became a U.S. citizen in 2006 and has been more critical of Chavez in recent years.

Boonen ‘best ever’ after Roubaix cycling triumph

The greatest, best conditioned athletes in the world race to win one of the most grueling one-day races on the professional  circuit, and one of the more coveted “classics” of all-time – Paris-Roubaix…

This year, Tom Boonen won it for the fourth time; and he did it with style. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

By Andy Scott | AFP

om Boonen believes that he will go down as the best rider in the history of the cobbled classics after storming to a record-equalling triumph at the Paris-Roubaix.

Tom Boonen believes that he will go down as the best rider in the history of the cobbled classics after storming to a record-equalling triumph at the Paris-Roubaix.

Having already won the Ghent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders on home turf in Belgium this year, Boonen was in unstoppable form in the 110th Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, breaking away 55km from the finish and winning by a margin of 1min 39sec from unheralded Frenchman Sebastien Turgot and Italian rival Alessandro Ballan.

In doing so, Boonen, 31, matched Roger de Vlaeminck’s record of four victories in the Queen of the Classics just a week after equalling the record of three wins in Flanders.

He also has nine wins to his name this year, including four in less than three weeks.

“A fourth Paris-Roubaix in this era is unique, and if you have the chance to win a fourth time here then this was the perfect way to achieve it,” he said.

“I have not really been thinking about the records, I have just been working hard to reach my top level,” the Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider added.

“Today I was just taking it by cobblestone by cobblestone.

“I think if you start thinking about how many kilometres you have to go then you only make it harder for yourself, but it turned out ok.”

“I am happy not to have had any big crashes yet this season, and if I look back at the last three weeks its amazing. Now I realise that I will probably be remembered as the best ever on the cobblestones.”

Despite that, he says he still has an awful lot left to achieve before thinking about calling it a day.

“My career is not over yet. We will see where it ends,” he added.

“I just love it. I never have problems training. It has not been easy. There are always ups and downs. This is my 11th season, but in the last few years my love for the bike has grown.

“And it’s getting easier as I get older.”

Boonen is already a sporting great in his native Belgium and he was given a hero’s welcome as he entered the Roubaix velodrome all alone on Sunday.

He admitted that the unique finish to the race makes it stand out from the other classics.

“It’s the only finish line where you can do two laps, and do the final kilometre with all the people there watching.

“There is only one race like this in the world, and so it needs a special finish.

“The Paris-Roubaix is almost more about here in the velodrome than it is about being out on the cobblestones.”

His season may already have reached its peak, but the former world champion’s attentions now turn towards the Ardennes classics, including next Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands.

However, he was quick to play down his chances in what will be his first-ever appearance in the race, which has been won in each of the last two years by his compatriot Philippe Gilbert.

“I dont know that race at all,” he admitted.

“I have won a few races on the same climbs and I think it’s a race that will suit me but its so difficult.

“There will be different riders involved and these days there are specialists for each different race.”

“We’ll see. It’s a new thing for me and we will see where it ends.”

Rory can rule for years, says Tiger

Rory McIlroy will never equal Tiger Woods’ accomplishments. In fact, it’s doubtful anyone will; and Tiger isn’t done yet… TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Reuters

By Simon Evans | Reuters

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – If there is to be a series of head-to-head battles between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in the years ahead it does not sound like there will be much in the way of trash talk to stimulate the hype.

In fact, Woods is talking up McIlroy in the build-up to this week’s Masters, arguing that his young rival can have an extended reign of glory in the game.

McIlroy returns to Augusta this week, a year on from his disastrous final round where he let a four-stroke lead vanish in the final round as he collapsed to an eight-over par 80.

The Northern Irishman’s response to that ordeal was to storm to victory two months later at the U.S. Open by eight strokes and his rise up to world number two has impressed many, including Woods.

“The way he plays, and I think the way he handles himself out there on the golf course, how competitive he is, he’s very feisty. It’s what you have to be out here,” Woods told reporters on Tuesday.

“He has all of the makings of being a great champion for a long period of time. We have seen obviously what he did last year at the Masters and how he came back at the Open. He led, what, seven out of eight rounds in major championships? Which is pretty impressive,” added the former world number one.

“So he just needs to get more experienced. That’s just from playing. He’s put himself there. Seems like every single tournament he plays in, he’s in the top 10 and that’s great to see,” he added.

Woods’s best ever final round score of 62 was made as he chased McIlroy this March at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach and while the Northern Irishman held on for a win that briefly sent him to the top of the world rankings, the contest excited those who hope for a ‘Rory-Tiger’ rivalry.

When Woods, 36, ended his 30-month winless streak on the PGA Tour with a victory at Bay Hill last month, the excited talk ahead of the Masters grew louder.

McIlroy, 22, says everyone in the game benefits from the return of Tiger.

“I think it is great for the tournament and great for the game of golf that Tiger is back playing well.

“He creates excitement that no one else in the game can. A lot of people want to see him make history and it looks like he is back on track to maybe going and doing that,” McIlroy said, referring to Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major wins.

“I’m just looking forward to hopefully getting myself in contention and giving myself a chance and maybe coming up against the best player, maybe the best player ever. Definitely the best player of the last 20 years.”