Sunday, July 31, 2011
Verificarea identitatii BetClic
Verificarea identitatii la Betclic se face in felul urmator:dupa ce ati pariat la aceasta casa de pariuri, ati castigat sau ati pierdut si primiti banii inapoi la primul pariu pana la suma de 80 ron si ati facut o retragere o sa primiti un email care arata cam asa:
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Pentru a face prima retragere trebuie să confirmăm identitatea dvs pentru a ne asigura astfel că contul dvs este sigur. Trebuie să ne asigurăm că doar persoanele care pariază pe BetClic îşi pot retrage banii! Astfel, vă rugăm să ne furnizaţi o copie a unui act de identitate valid al dvs (paşaport, carnet de conducere, buletin sau carte de identitate), precum şi o copie faţă-verso a cardului utilizat de dvs la BetClic, dacă este cazul. Pentru a ne pune aceste documente la dispoziţie, tot ce trebuie să faceţi este să accesaţi secţiunea Contul meu si apoi fila Documentele mele, unde veţi putea încărca documentele solicitate, în limita a 1024kb per document.
Sau mi le puteţi trimite direct mie - menţionând numele dvs de utilizator.
Email :
support@BetClic.com
De îndată ce primesc documentele, vă voi transfera imediat câştigurile.
Această verificare de securitate are loc doar la prima retragere. Pe viitor, câştigurile dvs pot fi transferate în siguranţă în mod automat."
Tot ce trebuie sa faceti pentru a vi se verifica identitatea(in general cer copii dupa acte ca sa le confirmati ca aveti peste 18 ani) scanati copia de buletin si cardul fata si verso si le trimiteti la support@BetClic.com.
In 24 de ore o sa primiti raspuns la mail si in aproximativ 48 de ore o sa aveti banii pe card.
Cam asta e tot in legatura cu verificarea identitatii la Betclic.
Daca aveti intrebari nu ezitati sa ma contactati.Bafta la pariuri!
Sigi Schmid on the Klinsmann hire
Joshua Mayers is the Seattle Sounders FC writer for The Seattle Times, and wrote on his blog about Seattle Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid's thoughts on USSF's hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann (as provided by Sounders FC media relations). Klinsmann and Schmid have a longstanding relationship.* * *
(On Juergen Kilnsmann being named U.S. Men's National Team head coach...) "I think it's good for US Soccer. I know that Juergen is a guy that they've been talking to off and on over the number of years right after Bruce Arena left and Juergen left Germany. I knew it was a possibility then. Obviously in the interim time, they've been able to work out whatever issues or differences there were. Now we all have to support the new national team coach and see that our program continues to move forward."
(On Juergen Klinsmann, continued...) "I think what's important about it is that they hired someone who's been in America for a while. Juergen has been living in America now for close to ten years. His son is involved in the US club structure in youth soccer so he knows what that's all about. Part of his coaching license he did by working with the Galaxy for three months when I was there. He's been around the Galaxy and the pro game in MLS and the national team. Even though he is a highly known international soccer person, he's also a person who has been around the block in the US and he has an idea about what US Soccer is all about. I don't think other guys would have that idea."
Tough Job Ahead for Klinsmann
George Vecsey of the New York Times writes of the challenges facing Jurgen Klinsmann as the new head coach of the US National team.
Klinsmann has the aura of the international soccer celebrity — “sexy,” one soccer insider said, meaning attractive, in the public relations sense. But it would have been instructive, in a purely laboratory experiment, to give Bruce Arena or Bradley the German squad of 2006 and see if they could achieve third place. Either one just might have done it.
Now it is the time for the mysterious gentleman caller from the world where coaches really understand the sport, or so the theory goes. The opposite theory (to which I have adhered) is that the national team has needed a home-grown coach who understands the mentality of the American player.
What does that mean? American athletes ask questions — these days, maybe even in that most authoritarian, brute sport known as American football. They ask: Why, Coach? Coaches like Arena and Bradley understood the quirkiness of Landon Donovan and the independence of Clint Dempsey. I’m not sure a Fabio Capello or a Marcello Lippi — my way or the autostrada — would work in the United States. Then again, top European coaches often have room for a resident madman on the field, a Gennaro Gattuso in Italy or a Wayne Rooney in England, and the United States has lacked a lunatic since Frankie Hejduk wore his body down during the last qualifying round.
Klinsmann has the aura of the international soccer celebrity — “sexy,” one soccer insider said, meaning attractive, in the public relations sense. But it would have been instructive, in a purely laboratory experiment, to give Bruce Arena or Bradley the German squad of 2006 and see if they could achieve third place. Either one just might have done it.
Now it is the time for the mysterious gentleman caller from the world where coaches really understand the sport, or so the theory goes. The opposite theory (to which I have adhered) is that the national team has needed a home-grown coach who understands the mentality of the American player.
What does that mean? American athletes ask questions — these days, maybe even in that most authoritarian, brute sport known as American football. They ask: Why, Coach? Coaches like Arena and Bradley understood the quirkiness of Landon Donovan and the independence of Clint Dempsey. I’m not sure a Fabio Capello or a Marcello Lippi — my way or the autostrada — would work in the United States. Then again, top European coaches often have room for a resident madman on the field, a Gennaro Gattuso in Italy or a Wayne Rooney in England, and the United States has lacked a lunatic since Frankie Hejduk wore his body down during the last qualifying round.
Donovan praises Bradley, and excited about Klinsmann
US international Landon Donovan says he's excited about playing for Juergen Klinsmann, saying that the German legend's “positive energy” could make a difference for the U.S. national team.
Landon Donovan also praised Bob Bradley, who was dismissed Thursday as the U.S. coach, in an interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com following the Galaxy's 4-0 rout Saturday at Vancouver.
Donovan, the all-time leading U.S. goal scorer (with 47 in 141 international appearances, said he and his teammates are “all excited” about the prospect of playing for Klinsmann, who succeeded Bradley on Friday and will be formally introduced at an event Monday in New York.
“I have the benefit of having played under Juergen a little bit [while on loan in early 2009] at Bayern Munich, and I think one of his biggest attributes is just his positive energy, and I think he brings real excitement and good energy, and I think that's going to be really helpful for our guys,” Donovan said.
Klinsmann, who scored 11 goals in three World Cups and starred for clubs in Germany, Italy, England and France, spent nine months in charge at Bayern after guiding Germany to a surprise third-place finish at home in the 2006 World Cup.
Bradley, who succeeded Bruce Arena as national team head coach following the 2006 tournament, led the U.S. to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup title, to an upset of Spain and into the final at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and to the second stage of last year's World Cup in South Africa.
“When you spend five years with a coach,” Donovan said, “when you see him leave, it's sad, because you develop a relationship and you go through a lot of great times, a lot of really hard times together. So it's sad to see Bob go. And I think we all have a lot of respect for what he's done.
“Now is the time to move forward, and the end goal is the same. But the bigger goal for all of us is to qualify [for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil]. What players come and go, what coaches come and go, we've got to make sure that we keep qualifying.”
Donovan praised Bradley's tenure and said his legacy was that “we achieved things we never achieved before” under his leadership.
“I think he really brought a new professionalism to our team,” Donovan said. “Since I've been on the national team, we've never been respected the way we have when we were coached by Bob. And everywhere we went, teams respected us, and he took us to a new level. So he did a lot for this team.”
Arena, the Galaxy's head coach, said some of the criticism Bradley endured was unfair.
“Bob did a good job. He did a good job,” said Arena, who guided the U.S. national team from 1998 through 2006 -- taking the Yanks to two World Cups, with a quarterfinal run in 2002. “I think expectations from the [U.S. Soccer] administration to the fan base is very unreasonable at times and never makes it easy. Domestic coaches will always be a scapegoat. That's the way it is.
“For some reason, everyone thinks that foreign means better all the time. And in the case of Juergen, I'm hopeful he does a good job.”
Klinsmann looks to mirror 2006 World Cup success with US
A new era of US Soccer will start tomorrow, when Jurgen Klinsmann is formally introduced to the media as the new national team coach.Rob Hughes of the NY Times writes of the potential influence that Klinsmann will have on his adopted nation.
When Jürgen Klinsmann took over as the German national team trainer before the 2006 World Cup, he opened the eyes of his birth nation.
He persuaded Germans to change the stereotype that had won them World Cups.
He engaged a fresh, young, multiethnic group of players. He instilled an attacking philosophy. He introduced American ideas on fitness and locker-room psychology.
Now, in a sense, Klinsmann must do the reverse. His appointment as head coach to the U.S. Soccer Federation starts officially in New York on Monday morning. And he will try to open American eyes.
He brings European know-how to a land where he settled after his playing prime. He has believed, from the moment he landed in California 13 years ago, that the United States is a melting pot of humanity that ought to be a major player in the global game.
MIKE JACOBS COLUMN: Time to stress being humble as an athlete
From the Evansville Courier Press, July 31, 2011
With preseason for so many high school and collegiate soccer teams — as well as all fall sports — right around the corner, this is a great time for coaching staffs to really stress what facets will become important parts of the culture of their team.
A friend of mine once described the idea of culture as "that's how we do things around here." I loved that description, because it really makes it clear to a coach's players about the ideals and standards that a team should possess.
One of the first things on a priority list for a group that wants to have a successful culture is humility. Wikipedia defines humility as humility (adjectival form: humble), the quality of being modest and respectful. It also uses the term "egolessness" in its definition.
In the new book, "Don't Waste Your Sports," author C.J. Mahaney profiles what a humble athlete looks like. Here are some of Mahaney's keys to help your athletes, children or co-workers develop humility:
— A humble athlete recognizes his limitations, as it is our limitations that are meant to humble us.
I asked a group of campers this summer if any of them went through the whole training session without giving a pass away or having a shot they had taken go off target. The reality is that everyone makes mistakes, and it is the humble athletes who don't get too caught up in magnifying a teammate's mistake (or their own).
— The humble athlete welcomes criticism and correction from coaches and teammates. If a player is truly humble, he or she will not only realize their weaknesses, but also be open to correction.
I've found over the years that the players who really are professional in their demeanor seek out correction or instruction rather than hide from it. Most of the players I've worked with who have moved on to the professional ranks have really bought into the idea of video editing — studying their own performance — as well as using support staff such as strength coaches, sports psychologists, athletic training staff and extra work with the coaching staff.
The special athletes want to use any resources available to help improve themselves and turn weaknesses into strengths. If we are truly humble we know we need to improve, so we want others to show us where and how.
— The humble athlete acknowledges the contribution of others.
No athlete accomplishes anything alone. The truly humble athletes are the ones who heap praise on their teammates and support them when they are interviewed rather than talk about themselves.
— The humble athlete is gracious in defeat and modest in victory.
When the humble athlete loses, he recognizes that his opponents played better. When the humble athlete wins, there are no excessive celebrations, no inappropriate victory dances. He or she acts like they have been there before
The humble athlete also realizes that victory is a gift. When a truly humble athlete tastes defeat, rather than put blame on someone or something else, he or she accepts defeat on that day and then works toward improving the following day.
The margin between victory and defeat is very slim, and the humble athlete appreciates how hard he or she has to work to achieve victory.
— The humble athlete honors his coach.
He or she doesn't rip the coach in private, doesn't slouch when on the bench and expresses gratitude and accepts the role the coach chooses for him.
— The humble athlete respects the officials.
He or she doesn't protest a call, even if they felt it was inaccurate.
I try to stress to our players that an official has never scored a goal against us or cleared one off the line of the opposing team. Even if a referee is perceived to have made a call that has affected the outcome of the match, the reality is that the ball has to go past 11 of your own players before it can go in the goal.
Humility is a trait that everyone should possess, yet very few athletes have a grip on how to develop it. The truly special athletes are the ones who are humble, and the best teams are the ones that have humility at the core of their program's culture.
With preseason for so many high school and collegiate soccer teams — as well as all fall sports — right around the corner, this is a great time for coaching staffs to really stress what facets will become important parts of the culture of their team.
A friend of mine once described the idea of culture as "that's how we do things around here." I loved that description, because it really makes it clear to a coach's players about the ideals and standards that a team should possess.
One of the first things on a priority list for a group that wants to have a successful culture is humility. Wikipedia defines humility as humility (adjectival form: humble), the quality of being modest and respectful. It also uses the term "egolessness" in its definition.
In the new book, "Don't Waste Your Sports," author C.J. Mahaney profiles what a humble athlete looks like. Here are some of Mahaney's keys to help your athletes, children or co-workers develop humility:
— A humble athlete recognizes his limitations, as it is our limitations that are meant to humble us.
I asked a group of campers this summer if any of them went through the whole training session without giving a pass away or having a shot they had taken go off target. The reality is that everyone makes mistakes, and it is the humble athletes who don't get too caught up in magnifying a teammate's mistake (or their own).
— The humble athlete welcomes criticism and correction from coaches and teammates. If a player is truly humble, he or she will not only realize their weaknesses, but also be open to correction.
I've found over the years that the players who really are professional in their demeanor seek out correction or instruction rather than hide from it. Most of the players I've worked with who have moved on to the professional ranks have really bought into the idea of video editing — studying their own performance — as well as using support staff such as strength coaches, sports psychologists, athletic training staff and extra work with the coaching staff.
The special athletes want to use any resources available to help improve themselves and turn weaknesses into strengths. If we are truly humble we know we need to improve, so we want others to show us where and how.
— The humble athlete acknowledges the contribution of others.
No athlete accomplishes anything alone. The truly humble athletes are the ones who heap praise on their teammates and support them when they are interviewed rather than talk about themselves.
— The humble athlete is gracious in defeat and modest in victory.
When the humble athlete loses, he recognizes that his opponents played better. When the humble athlete wins, there are no excessive celebrations, no inappropriate victory dances. He or she acts like they have been there before
The humble athlete also realizes that victory is a gift. When a truly humble athlete tastes defeat, rather than put blame on someone or something else, he or she accepts defeat on that day and then works toward improving the following day.
The margin between victory and defeat is very slim, and the humble athlete appreciates how hard he or she has to work to achieve victory.
— The humble athlete honors his coach.
He or she doesn't rip the coach in private, doesn't slouch when on the bench and expresses gratitude and accepts the role the coach chooses for him.
— The humble athlete respects the officials.
He or she doesn't protest a call, even if they felt it was inaccurate.
I try to stress to our players that an official has never scored a goal against us or cleared one off the line of the opposing team. Even if a referee is perceived to have made a call that has affected the outcome of the match, the reality is that the ball has to go past 11 of your own players before it can go in the goal.
Humility is a trait that everyone should possess, yet very few athletes have a grip on how to develop it. The truly special athletes are the ones who are humble, and the best teams are the ones that have humility at the core of their program's culture.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Intrebare
De cateva zile o familie de gugustiuci si-au facut cuib pe balconul meu,intr-un ghiveci de flori.Au depus 2 oua si cred indeplinesc indatoririle de parinti pe rand .Sunt foarte haiosi si prietenosi. Am incercat sa pun mana pe unul dar, au o oarecare sfiala si fug cand vrei sa ii atingi cu mana.
Am citit pe net ca in 2 saptamani ies si puii .Astept cu nerabdare.
Dar dupa vreo 4 saptamani puii vor creste mari si vor pleca din cuib. Pana atunci ma bucura de prezenta acestor doi prieteni inaripati.
Intrebarea mea pentru cei care au avut porumbei sau au cunostinte in domeniu:Ce mananca gugustiucii?
Am citit pe net ca in 2 saptamani ies si puii .Astept cu nerabdare.
Dar dupa vreo 4 saptamani puii vor creste mari si vor pleca din cuib. Pana atunci ma bucura de prezenta acestor doi prieteni inaripati.
Intrebarea mea pentru cei care au avut porumbei sau au cunostinte in domeniu:Ce mananca gugustiucii?
Friday, July 29, 2011
Five Regrets before Dying
Great email from Milton Maragh:
Five Regrets before Dying By Bronnie Wareby
The Wellness Clinic on Thursday, February 3, 2011
For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal.
Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way.
From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying. It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, and choose honestly. Choose happiness.
Keep smiling & have a wonderful life.
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel
Klinsmann Named Head Coach of U.S. Men's National Team
CHICAGO (July 29, 2011) — U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati named Jürgen Klinsmann as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team today, making him the 35th coach in the history of the program.“We are excited to have Jürgen as the head coach of our Men’s National Team,” said Gulati. “He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program. Jürgen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field.”
U.S. Soccer will hold a press conference in New York on Monday, Aug. 1, to formally introduce Klinsmann. Further details regarding the press conference will be released later today.
Klinsmann’s first match in charge of the U.S. National Team will be against Mexico on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia. Tickets are still available for the match and can be purchased at ussoccer.com. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and Univision. In addition, Univision will air a live pre-game show beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.
•Tickets: U.S. Men vs. Mexico, Aug. 10
“I am proud and honored to be named the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team,” said Klinsmann. “I would like to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for the opportunity, and I’m excited about the challenge ahead. I am looking forward to bringing the team together for our upcoming match against Mexico and starting on the road toward qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.”
Klinsmann has been involved in soccer almost his entire life as a player, coach, television analyst and consultant. As a player, Klinsmann was one of the game’s premier forwards and enjoyed a 17-year career that included stints in four major European leagues for a number of clubs, including VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich. One of the most well-known international players of all-time, he earned 108 appearances for Germany and scored 47 goals while helping the team win the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy and the 1996 European Championship.
After retiring from professional soccer following the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Klinsmann moved into different areas of the sport. He also moved to the United States with his wife, Debbie, and they currently reside in California with their two children, Jonathan and Laila.
In July of 2004, Klinsmann was named manager of the German National Team. He guided Germany to a 20-8-6 record and a third place finish in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, earning him Coach of the Year honors in Germany. Despite stepping aside as Germany’s manager after the World Cup, he left a foundation for ongoing success, including the core of the German National Team coaching staff and players.
Two years later, Klinsmann took over the head coaching position at Bayern Munich. Under his guidance, Bayern reached the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League, losing to eventual champion Barcelona. Overall, his record with Bayern from 2008-09 in all competitions was 25-9-9.
After the match against Mexico, the U.S. will play a pair of friendlies in September, hosting Costa Rica on Sept. 2 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., before traveling to face Belgium on Sept. 6 in Brussels. Kickoff on Sept. 2 at the National Training Center is set for 8 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and Galavision. Four days later, coverage from King Badouin Stadium begins at 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET) on ESPN Classic and ESPN3.com. Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.
Senior Citizens Sports Day Winner
AMAZING YVONNE! Jean Lowrie Chin (left) Founder-CEO, Caribbean Community of Retired Persons, (CCRP), takes time out to celebrate with Yvonne Williams, CCRP member, on her victory at the National Senior Citizen Council Sports Day held at the G.C. Foster College track on Thursday July 28. Williams was awarded the gold medal for the 200-metre dash representing the 65-70 age group.
When Is the Right Time To Make a Coaching Change?
It is not uncommon to make a coaching change following a World Cup - in looking at the past 2010 FIFA World Cup, the only two managers who had also managed in the previous 2006 FIFA World Cup were that tournament's two finalists - Marcello Lippi (Italy) and Raymond Domenech (France).
Both Lippi and Domenech saw their teams slump badly in the following tournament, not being able to move on from the group stages.
My problem is at the timing of this decision by USSF President Sunil Gulati - why renew Bob Bradley's contract following the 2010 World Cup if he didn't intend to retain him through the next cycle towards the 2014 World Cup?
I don't know if there is ever 'a good time' to make a change, but clearly Gulati doesn't know when that time is, either.
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America writes about the process of moving the US National team coach.
The decision to jettison Bob Bradley as national team head coach comes at a critical juncture for U.S. Soccer. The dilemma of whether to fire a head coach came up in November, 1997, when I stepped into the lobby of a Providence, R.I. hotel that was housing the U.S. national team.
Two veteran players who shall not be named motioned me over and with lowered voices said, “Do you think Steve [Sampson] should be fired?”
This enquiry came with the Americans already qualified and the final Hexagonal game against El Salvador pending. A rift between Coach Sampson and captain John Harkes would occur months later, and just two weeks prior the U.S. had carved out an historic 0-0 tie against Mexico at Azteca Stadium despite playing with 10 men for most of the match.
Yet the players felt enough concern to raise the ultimate question, to which I responded, more rhetorically than pragmatically, “I’d say yes in a heartbeat if you can tell me who can make things better.”
Whereupon they looked at each other and one of them said, “We were thinking the same thing. Making a change this late might upset the camp.”
National teams have changed head coaches much closer to the World Cup than the seven-month period of this situation, to varying results. As subsequent events showed, there remained plenty of time for the U.S. team to self-destruct, and we’ll never know if a change would have rectified the problems, or magnified them.
We do know that U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has chosen this as the right time for a change by dismissing Coach Bob Bradley after a meeting Thursday at Home Depot Center. The decision ends a 4 1/2-year tenure that produced some unprecedented successes for the national team along with disappointments. It also comes with the federation mired in a rut of bad outcomes.
“I think there’s a sense that a malaise has set in, not necessarily just with the national team, but with the federation in general,” said former national team defender and ESPN commentator Alexi Lalas. “If you look back over the last year or so, you see a lot of opportunities missed: not getting past Ghana last summer, the failure to get the [2022] World Cup, the flame-outs of the U-17s and U-20s, even the Women’s World Cup.
“Obviously, most of those things are not Bob Bradley’s fault. But Sunil is a very smart guy, and I think he sees this is the right time for a change, and not because we’ve heard a lot of about change these past few years or change for change’s sake, but he does see the need to change direction. I also don’t think he’d do this if he didn’t have somebody lined up.”
In the U.S. Soccer press release that announced the decision, there was a mention that the federation would be releasing more information Friday. Not clear is whether that means a new head coach will be named, an especially pressing concern since the U.S. has scheduled a match against Mexico in Philadelphia Aug. 10.
The two names mentioned most often are former German international and national team coach Juergen Klinsmann and former Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez. Klinsmann, a resident of Southern California, discussed the job with Gulati after the 2006 World Cup and again last year; a close ally of Benitez, Paco de Miguel, helped youth technical director Claudio Reyna present the new U.S. Soccer coaching curriculum in April. Benitez has also been unemployed since being fired by Inter Milan last December.
No matter if a foreign coach is chosen, or one of several domestic possibilities, the federation is at a most critical juncture.
TIMING. The decision to dismiss Bradley probably came shortly after the Gold Cup, in which the U.S. lost a group game for the first time – to Panama, which it later defeated in the semifinals – and in the final took a 2-0 lead against Mexico before collapsing, 4-2. Michael Bradley’s wedding, the Women’s World Cup, and MLS All-Star Game may have caused the delay, and/or Gulati may have needed that time to nail down a replacement.
The U.S. looked embarrassingly short on skill against Mexico, which in the wake of its Gold Cup triumph hosted and won the U-17 world championships. Last spring, as the U.S. U-20 team faltered, Mexico qualified for the U-20 World Cup that starts this week. Bypassing the U.S. at each level spread panic amongst the soccer community.
Though the U.S. has a rematch with Mexico looming, and friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium in early September, there won’t be any World Cup qualifiers until next year. A replacement will have plenty of time to get familiar with the vast scope and quirky cubbyholes of U.S. Soccer and the American game in general, and begin the process of change, whatever that entails.
The disappointing performance of the U-17s and the U-20 team's failure to qualify for the world championships has renewed cries for an overhaul of player development, which the federation has already started with its Development Academy, among other programs. Reyna has stated his intent to devise a style of play that all U.S. national teams at all levels will utilize, but not everyone believes that is feasible.
In recent seasons, along with expansion, MLS has decreed that its teams must field academy programs at youth levels, and this year has also revived its Reserve Division. Only recently has MLS generated the revenues and resources -- and devised workable procedures -- to put any real muscle into player development.
In most nations, national team coaches do not develop players, per se: they pick them from the clubs, and meld them – hopefully – into a successful team. The U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton, Fla., at which U-17 players are housed year-round, is an exception, not the rule, though similar programs have been implemented in a few countries.
“I’m not one of those people who insist on a style from the U-17s to the U-20s all the way up to the senior team,” says Garth Lagerwey, general manger of Real Salt Lake, which has an ambitious and well-funded academy program. “What there has to be, however, is a commonality of what you want those players to look like and the kind of players to pick from.
“It’s a lot easier to develop a style if you have a lot of good players, and I think that’s the starting point we have to strive for.”
It is not for me to determine who should assume all of the responsibilities of the success, or perceived lack of success, by the US National team, but when you see poor performances from our Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 National teams, it looks like our president should assume some of the responsibility, too.
Both Lippi and Domenech saw their teams slump badly in the following tournament, not being able to move on from the group stages.
My problem is at the timing of this decision by USSF President Sunil Gulati - why renew Bob Bradley's contract following the 2010 World Cup if he didn't intend to retain him through the next cycle towards the 2014 World Cup?
I don't know if there is ever 'a good time' to make a change, but clearly Gulati doesn't know when that time is, either.
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America writes about the process of moving the US National team coach.
The decision to jettison Bob Bradley as national team head coach comes at a critical juncture for U.S. Soccer. The dilemma of whether to fire a head coach came up in November, 1997, when I stepped into the lobby of a Providence, R.I. hotel that was housing the U.S. national team.
Two veteran players who shall not be named motioned me over and with lowered voices said, “Do you think Steve [Sampson] should be fired?”
This enquiry came with the Americans already qualified and the final Hexagonal game against El Salvador pending. A rift between Coach Sampson and captain John Harkes would occur months later, and just two weeks prior the U.S. had carved out an historic 0-0 tie against Mexico at Azteca Stadium despite playing with 10 men for most of the match.
Yet the players felt enough concern to raise the ultimate question, to which I responded, more rhetorically than pragmatically, “I’d say yes in a heartbeat if you can tell me who can make things better.”
Whereupon they looked at each other and one of them said, “We were thinking the same thing. Making a change this late might upset the camp.”
National teams have changed head coaches much closer to the World Cup than the seven-month period of this situation, to varying results. As subsequent events showed, there remained plenty of time for the U.S. team to self-destruct, and we’ll never know if a change would have rectified the problems, or magnified them.
We do know that U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has chosen this as the right time for a change by dismissing Coach Bob Bradley after a meeting Thursday at Home Depot Center. The decision ends a 4 1/2-year tenure that produced some unprecedented successes for the national team along with disappointments. It also comes with the federation mired in a rut of bad outcomes.
“I think there’s a sense that a malaise has set in, not necessarily just with the national team, but with the federation in general,” said former national team defender and ESPN commentator Alexi Lalas. “If you look back over the last year or so, you see a lot of opportunities missed: not getting past Ghana last summer, the failure to get the [2022] World Cup, the flame-outs of the U-17s and U-20s, even the Women’s World Cup.
“Obviously, most of those things are not Bob Bradley’s fault. But Sunil is a very smart guy, and I think he sees this is the right time for a change, and not because we’ve heard a lot of about change these past few years or change for change’s sake, but he does see the need to change direction. I also don’t think he’d do this if he didn’t have somebody lined up.”
In the U.S. Soccer press release that announced the decision, there was a mention that the federation would be releasing more information Friday. Not clear is whether that means a new head coach will be named, an especially pressing concern since the U.S. has scheduled a match against Mexico in Philadelphia Aug. 10.
The two names mentioned most often are former German international and national team coach Juergen Klinsmann and former Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez. Klinsmann, a resident of Southern California, discussed the job with Gulati after the 2006 World Cup and again last year; a close ally of Benitez, Paco de Miguel, helped youth technical director Claudio Reyna present the new U.S. Soccer coaching curriculum in April. Benitez has also been unemployed since being fired by Inter Milan last December.
No matter if a foreign coach is chosen, or one of several domestic possibilities, the federation is at a most critical juncture.
TIMING. The decision to dismiss Bradley probably came shortly after the Gold Cup, in which the U.S. lost a group game for the first time – to Panama, which it later defeated in the semifinals – and in the final took a 2-0 lead against Mexico before collapsing, 4-2. Michael Bradley’s wedding, the Women’s World Cup, and MLS All-Star Game may have caused the delay, and/or Gulati may have needed that time to nail down a replacement.
The U.S. looked embarrassingly short on skill against Mexico, which in the wake of its Gold Cup triumph hosted and won the U-17 world championships. Last spring, as the U.S. U-20 team faltered, Mexico qualified for the U-20 World Cup that starts this week. Bypassing the U.S. at each level spread panic amongst the soccer community.
Though the U.S. has a rematch with Mexico looming, and friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium in early September, there won’t be any World Cup qualifiers until next year. A replacement will have plenty of time to get familiar with the vast scope and quirky cubbyholes of U.S. Soccer and the American game in general, and begin the process of change, whatever that entails.
The disappointing performance of the U-17s and the U-20 team's failure to qualify for the world championships has renewed cries for an overhaul of player development, which the federation has already started with its Development Academy, among other programs. Reyna has stated his intent to devise a style of play that all U.S. national teams at all levels will utilize, but not everyone believes that is feasible.
In recent seasons, along with expansion, MLS has decreed that its teams must field academy programs at youth levels, and this year has also revived its Reserve Division. Only recently has MLS generated the revenues and resources -- and devised workable procedures -- to put any real muscle into player development.
In most nations, national team coaches do not develop players, per se: they pick them from the clubs, and meld them – hopefully – into a successful team. The U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton, Fla., at which U-17 players are housed year-round, is an exception, not the rule, though similar programs have been implemented in a few countries.
“I’m not one of those people who insist on a style from the U-17s to the U-20s all the way up to the senior team,” says Garth Lagerwey, general manger of Real Salt Lake, which has an ambitious and well-funded academy program. “What there has to be, however, is a commonality of what you want those players to look like and the kind of players to pick from.
“It’s a lot easier to develop a style if you have a lot of good players, and I think that’s the starting point we have to strive for.”
It is not for me to determine who should assume all of the responsibilities of the success, or perceived lack of success, by the US National team, but when you see poor performances from our Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 National teams, it looks like our president should assume some of the responsibility, too.
US soccer culture - not Bob Bradley - is to blame
Poor Bob Bradley. He always was U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati’s Plan B.
Twice, Gulati failed to land his prized national team coaching candidate, Jürgen Klinsmann, and twice he settled on the stoic but hard-working Bradley.
To his credit, the no-nonsense New Jersey native never indicated he suffered from wounded pride. Bradley went about his business with diligence and dignity, and he had a keen appreciation for what it meant to represent his country.
"It has been an incredible honor to serve as head coach. I am proud of everything we've accomplished,” Bradley said in a statement Thursday night, hours after being fired.
There is plenty to be proud of. During his five years at the helm, Bradley shepherded the U.S. to the final of four of the six tournaments it entered, winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and falling just short vs. Brazil in the 2009 Confederations Cup following a semifinal upset of Spain. The U.S. also finished atop a World Cup group for the first time in 80 years.
But it wasn’t enough. It never was going to be enough. And that’s because for all his qualities, Bradley represented only where the U.S. has been as a soccer country, not where it hopes to be. He was a product of the college system so many now deride, and he built his coaching bona fides during the early days of a mostly mediocre MLS. Few with World Cup dreams will be moved by that resume.
The U.S. national team has been led by an American coach since 1995. It now appears Gulati is ready to end that streak because the only coaches who’ve been where the U.S. Soccer Federation wants to go carry foreign passports.
Klinsmann is the heavy favorite to take the job. His coaching accomplishments don’t match Bradley’s, but he’s a powerful symbol nevertheless. He won a World Cup as a player and directed a young, stylish and exciting German team to the bronze medal at the 2006 World Cup (with home-field advantage and a top assistant, current Germany coach Joachim Löw, who has proven to be a quite capable international manager in his own right).
Klinsmann lives in Southern California and appears accessible, yet he possesses genuine international pedigree. The fact he was fired from his last coaching job (at Bayern Munich) after only nine months and hasn’t held steady employment in more than two years somehow hasn’t removed any luster from the “golden bomber.”
That’s because to all those American fans who worship at the altar of the English Premier League and La Liga, and to those who believe the U.S. should be contending for a World Cup despite the fact soccer has been taken seriously in this country for a mere quarter century, Klinsmann and coaches like him represent a quick fix. He’s charismatic and has yet to make a single scandalous substitution decision.
He’s the anti-Bradley. He’s the future.
However, there is little Klinsmann can do to change the real reasons the U.S. fell short vs. Brazil, Ghana and Mexico. Those are issues of soccer culture, player development and priorities.
Some have argued the U.S. punched above its weight under Bradley, considering the second-tier clubs for which the vast majority of the team plays. Klinsmann cannot inject more money and expertise into MLS’ nascent academy structure, can’t fire the youth club directors who stress winning over learning and can’t alter an American ethos that steers talented teenagers to college rather than to pro soccer careers.
The players who Klinsmann, or whomever is given the job, will select for national team duty are the finished product. Subtle changes in philosophy, lineups and tactics won’t make a significant difference.
Still, that doesn’t mean that Klinsmann, or a similarly sexy foreign coach, can’t have a positive impact. If Bradley failed, it was as a communicator, not a tactician. He never really got the hang of explaining himself, his decisions or his philosophy to fans and media, and reportedly wasn’t much of a motivator. His knowledge of the game was lost in translation.
The new coach won’t be tied inextricably to American soccer’s failed development system. He’ll have that European aura, cache and instant respect. With that bully pulpit, Klinsmann (an excellent communicator) or whoever gets the job could exert significant influence on U.S. soccer culture.
Klinsmann, for one, might have unorthodox methods (he forced Bayern players to take yoga classes), but he certainly understands how top players are produced. He understands club culture and the importance of a unified, modern developmental system like those found in countries that win World Cups.
The U.S. must follow suit, and the best thing the new national team coach can do is push and prod the vast and often competing interests in American soccer in that direction.
Bradley’s successor won’t win a World Cup. But he just might help convince those who want one what it takes.
Twice, Gulati failed to land his prized national team coaching candidate, Jürgen Klinsmann, and twice he settled on the stoic but hard-working Bradley.
To his credit, the no-nonsense New Jersey native never indicated he suffered from wounded pride. Bradley went about his business with diligence and dignity, and he had a keen appreciation for what it meant to represent his country.
"It has been an incredible honor to serve as head coach. I am proud of everything we've accomplished,” Bradley said in a statement Thursday night, hours after being fired.
There is plenty to be proud of. During his five years at the helm, Bradley shepherded the U.S. to the final of four of the six tournaments it entered, winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and falling just short vs. Brazil in the 2009 Confederations Cup following a semifinal upset of Spain. The U.S. also finished atop a World Cup group for the first time in 80 years.
But it wasn’t enough. It never was going to be enough. And that’s because for all his qualities, Bradley represented only where the U.S. has been as a soccer country, not where it hopes to be. He was a product of the college system so many now deride, and he built his coaching bona fides during the early days of a mostly mediocre MLS. Few with World Cup dreams will be moved by that resume.
The U.S. national team has been led by an American coach since 1995. It now appears Gulati is ready to end that streak because the only coaches who’ve been where the U.S. Soccer Federation wants to go carry foreign passports.
Klinsmann is the heavy favorite to take the job. His coaching accomplishments don’t match Bradley’s, but he’s a powerful symbol nevertheless. He won a World Cup as a player and directed a young, stylish and exciting German team to the bronze medal at the 2006 World Cup (with home-field advantage and a top assistant, current Germany coach Joachim Löw, who has proven to be a quite capable international manager in his own right).
Klinsmann lives in Southern California and appears accessible, yet he possesses genuine international pedigree. The fact he was fired from his last coaching job (at Bayern Munich) after only nine months and hasn’t held steady employment in more than two years somehow hasn’t removed any luster from the “golden bomber.”
That’s because to all those American fans who worship at the altar of the English Premier League and La Liga, and to those who believe the U.S. should be contending for a World Cup despite the fact soccer has been taken seriously in this country for a mere quarter century, Klinsmann and coaches like him represent a quick fix. He’s charismatic and has yet to make a single scandalous substitution decision.
He’s the anti-Bradley. He’s the future.
However, there is little Klinsmann can do to change the real reasons the U.S. fell short vs. Brazil, Ghana and Mexico. Those are issues of soccer culture, player development and priorities.
Some have argued the U.S. punched above its weight under Bradley, considering the second-tier clubs for which the vast majority of the team plays. Klinsmann cannot inject more money and expertise into MLS’ nascent academy structure, can’t fire the youth club directors who stress winning over learning and can’t alter an American ethos that steers talented teenagers to college rather than to pro soccer careers.
The players who Klinsmann, or whomever is given the job, will select for national team duty are the finished product. Subtle changes in philosophy, lineups and tactics won’t make a significant difference.
Still, that doesn’t mean that Klinsmann, or a similarly sexy foreign coach, can’t have a positive impact. If Bradley failed, it was as a communicator, not a tactician. He never really got the hang of explaining himself, his decisions or his philosophy to fans and media, and reportedly wasn’t much of a motivator. His knowledge of the game was lost in translation.
The new coach won’t be tied inextricably to American soccer’s failed development system. He’ll have that European aura, cache and instant respect. With that bully pulpit, Klinsmann (an excellent communicator) or whoever gets the job could exert significant influence on U.S. soccer culture.
Klinsmann, for one, might have unorthodox methods (he forced Bayern players to take yoga classes), but he certainly understands how top players are produced. He understands club culture and the importance of a unified, modern developmental system like those found in countries that win World Cups.
The U.S. must follow suit, and the best thing the new national team coach can do is push and prod the vast and often competing interests in American soccer in that direction.
Bradley’s successor won’t win a World Cup. But he just might help convince those who want one what it takes.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, actor and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former four-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and recognized by the promotion as a 14-time World Champion (as they also include his amateur accolades). He is also known for his time in World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (WWF/E).
Angle was involved in amateur wrestling during both high school and college. In college at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, he won numerous accolades, including being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I champion. After graduating, he won the 1995 World Championship tournament. Angle then competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he won a gold medal in heavyweight freestyle wrestling. Kurt Angle is also one of only four people in the world to complete the Grand Slam in amateur wrestling which is the junior nationals, the NCAAs, the World Championships and the Olympics. He is also one of only four Americans to win the Krasnoyarsk. He was named the greatest shoot wrestler and one of the top 15 college wrestlers of all time by USA Wrestling.
Initially turning down an offer to join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Angle signed a multi-year contract with the company in 1998. His first big push in the company was in February 2000, when he held both the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship at the same time. Not long after, Angle began pursuing the WWF Championship. He continued to be a part of main event matches until August 2006, when Angle was granted a release from his contract. Throughout his tenure in the company, he was a six-time world champion (four-time WWF/E Champion, World Heavyweight Champion and WCW Champion), he also held the United States Championship, Intercontinental Championship, European Championship, Hardcore Championship and WWE Tag Team Champion once each. In addition, he was the winner of the King of the Ring tournament in 2000, the tenth Triple Crown Champion, and the fifth Grand Slam Champion. In addition, he is one of two wrestlers (Edge being the other) to have held every currently active male championship in the WWE.
After leaving WWE, Angle joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he became the second wrestler in TNA to win TNA's Triple Crown and the first man to hold all three TNA championships simultaneously. While in TNA, his real-life wife Karen began accompanying him to the ring and playing a part in his on-screen storylines. Angle has also made appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling as well as Inoki Genome Federation, where he held their version of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In addition, he is a three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, the second Triple Crown winner in TNA history—being the only one to hold all the required titles at once (while also holding the IWGP Title, making him a quadruple champion for a brief time).
Angle is the only wrestler in history to be a Triple Crown winner in both WWE and TNA. He is the first man to have held the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, the WCW Championship, and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in his career. Angle is also a two time King of the Mountain winner, winning at the 2007 and 2009 Slammiversary PPV event, making him the only wrestler to have been both King of the Ring (WWE) and King of the Mountain (TNA). Between WWE and TNA, Angle has won 17 total championships. In 2010 the Wrestling Observer Newsletter named Angle the Wrestler of the Decade of the 2000s.
Angle started amateur wrestling at the age of six. He attended Mt. Lebanon High School,where he won varsity letters in football and wrestling and was an All-State linebacker. He went undefeated on the freshman wrestling team at Mt. Lebanon High and qualified for the state wrestling tournament his sophomore year. Angle also placed third in the state wrestling tournament as a junior and was the 1987 Pennsylvania State Wrestling Champion as a senior.Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, (born February 16, 1979 in Urbino), is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – a record seven of which are in the premier class.
Following his father, Graziano Rossi, Rossi started racing in Grand Prix in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category and won his first World Championship the following year. From there, he moved up to the 250cc category with Aprilia and won the 250cc World Championship in 1999. He won the 500cc World Championship with Honda in 2001, the MotoGP World Championships (also with Honda) in 2002 and 2003, and continued his streak of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha, before regaining the title in 2008 and retaining it in 2009. He left Yamaha to join Ducati for the 2011 season.
Rossi is first in all time 500 cc/MotoGP race wins standings, with 79 victories, and second in all time overall wins standings with 105 race wins (behind Giacomo Agostini with 122).
Valentino Rossi was born in Urbino, and he was still a child when the family moved to Tavullia. Son of Graziano Rossi, a former motorcycle racer, he first began riding at a very young age.Rossi's first racing love was karting. Fuelled by his mother, Stefania's, concern for her son's safety, Graziano purchased a kart as substitute for the bike. However, the Rossi family trait of perpetually wanting to go faster prompted a redesign; Graziano replaced the 60cc motor with a 100cc national kart motor for his then 5-year-old son.
Rossi won the regional kart championship in 1990. After this he took up minimoto and before the end of 1991 had won numerous regional races.Rossi continued to race karts and finished fifth at the national kart championships in Parma. Both Valentino and Graziano had started looking at moving into the Italian 100cc series, as well as the corresponding European series, which most likely would have pushed him into the direction of Formula One. However, the high cost of racing karts led to the decision to race minimoto exclusively. Through 1992 and 1993, Valentino continued to learn the ins and outs of minimoto racing.
In 1993, with help from his father, Virginio Ferrari, Claudio Castiglioni and Claudio Lusuardi (who ran the official Cagiva Sport Production team), he rode a Cagiva Mito 125cc motorcycle, which he damaged in a first-corner crash no more than a hundred metres from the pit lane.He finished ninth that race weekend.Although his first season in the Italian Sport Production Championship was varied, he achieved a pole position in the season's final race at Misano, where he would ultimately finish on the podium. By the second year, Rossi had been provided with a factory Mito by Lusuardi and won the Italian title.
In 1994, Aprilia by way of Sandroni, used Rossi to improve its RS125R and in turn allowed him to learn how to handle the fast new pace of 125cc racing. At first he found himself on a Sandroni in the 1994 Italian championship and continued to ride it through the 1995 European and Italian championships.Rossi had some success in the 1996 World Championship season, failing to finish five of the season's races and crashing several times. Despite this, in August he won his first World Championship Grand Prix at Brno in the Czech Republic on an AGV Aprilia RS125R. He finished the season in ninth position and proceeded to dominate the 125cc World Championship in the following 1997 season, winning 11 of the 15 races.
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former World Undisputed Champion in both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal". After winning the bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics, he debuted as a professional at the age of 21. Holyfield moved to the cruiserweight division in 1985 and won his first title the following year, when he defeated Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA World Cruiserweight belt. He would then go on to defeat Ricky Parkey and Carlos De Leon to win the IBF and WBC titles, becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion. He is the only boxer to have defeated Mike Tyson twice.
Holyfield moved up to heavyweight in 1988, winning his first six fights, all by stoppage. On October 25, 1990, Holyfield knocked out heavyweight champion James "Buster" Douglas, to claim the WBC, WBA and the IBF heavyweight belts (World Undisputed heavyweight Championship). He retained the Heavyweight crown three times, which included victories over former champions George Foreman and Larry Holmes, before suffering his first professional loss to Riddick Bowe on November 13, 1992. Holyfield regained the title in a rematch one year later, beating Bowe by majority decision for the WBA and IBF titles. Holyfield later lost the titles to Michael Moorer on April 22, 1994, by Majority Decision.
Holyfield was forced to retired in 1994, only to return a year later. On November 9, 1996, he went on to defeat Mike Tyson by eleventh round technical knockout to win the WBA title, in what was named fight of the year and upset of the year for 1996 by The Ring magazine. Evander Holyfield became the first Heavyweight since Muhammad Ali to win the World title three times. Seven months later, Holyfield won the 1997 rematch against Tyson, when the latter was disqualified in round three for biting off part of Holyfield's ear. During his reign as champion, he also avenged his loss to Michael Moorer, when he stopped him in eight rounds to win the IBF belt.
In 1999, he faced Lennox Lewis in a split draw, but was defeated in a rematch eight months later. The following year, he won a unanimous decision over John Ruiz for the vacant WBA heavyweight championship, becoming the first boxer to win a version of the heavyweight title four times.Holyfield would lose a rematch with Ruiz seven months later and would face him for the third time in a draw.In 2010 Holyfield defeated Francois Botha by TKO to capture the "lightly regarded" WBF Heavyweight title.
Holyfield is still an active Boxer as of 2011 and has a professional record of 44 wins, 10 losses, 1 draw and 1 no contest. He is ranked #77 on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.Evander Holyfield is ranked as the Greatest Cruiserweight of all time by The Boxing Scene. and is concidered one of the Greatest Heavyweights of all time by many.
Evander Holyfield was born on October 19, 1962, in the mill town of Atmore, Alabama. The youngest of nine children, Holyfield and his family moved to Atlanta in the summer of 1964, at the age of two. He began boxing at age 12 and won the Boys Club boxing tournament. At 13, he qualified to compete in his first Junior Olympics. By age 15, Holyfield became the Southeastern Regional Champion, winning this tournament and the Best Boxer Award. By 1984 he had a record of 160 wins and 14 losses, with 76 KO.
When he was 20 years old, Holyfield represented the U.S. in the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela, where he won a silver medal after losing to Cuban world champion Pablo Romero.The following year, he was the National Golden Gloves Champion, and won a bronze medal in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California after a controversial disqualification in the second round of the semi-final against New Zealand's Kevin Barry
MikeTyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old. Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, with twelve of them occurring in the first round. He won the WBC title in 1986 after defeating Trevor Berbick by a TKO in the second round. In 1987, Tyson added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold and only Heavyweight to individually unify the WBA, WBC and IBF titles.
In 1988, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in the first 91 seconds of the fight. Tyson successfully defended the world heavyweight championship nine times, including victories over Larry Holmes and Frank Bruno. Tyson lost his titles to 42-to-1 underdog James "Buster" Douglas on February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, by a knockout in round 10. Tyson continued in his quest to regain the titles, defeating Donovan Ruddock twice in 1991. Tyson was then scheduled to take on the undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield but pulled out due to injury.
In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving three years. After being released from prison in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights. In 1996, Tyson won the WBC and WBA titles after defeating Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon by knockout. After being stripped of the WBC title, Tyson lost his WBA crown to Evander Holyfield in November, 1996 by an 11th round TKO. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting off part of Holyfield's ear.
In 2002, he fought for the world heavyweight title at the age of 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis. Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006 after he was knocked out in consecutive matches against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite receiving over US$30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career.
Throughout his career, Tyson became well known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior both inside and outside the ring. Tyson is considered to have been one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time. He is ranked No. 16 on The Ring's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He has a brother, Rodney, who is five years older than he. His sister, Denise, died of a heart attack at age 25 in 1991. Tyson's father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick, abandoned his family when Tyson was 2, leaving his mother, Lorna Smith Tyson, to care for them on her own. The family lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant until their financial burdens necessitated a move to Brownsville when Tyson was 10 years old. Tyson's mother died six years later, leaving 16-year-old Tyson in the care of boxing manager and trainer Cus D'Amato, who would become his legal guardian. Tyson has been quoted saying, "I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally."
Bradley's Tenure as Head Coach of U.S. Men's National Team Ends
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced today that Bob Bradley has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.CHICAGO (July 28, 2011) — U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced today that Bob Bradley has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years,” said Gulati. “During his time as the head coach of our Men’s National Team he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now was the right time for us to make a change. It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
This announcement comes after a meeting at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., between Gulati, Bradley and U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn.
Bradley was named the head coach of the U.S. MNT in January of 2007 and during his five-year tenure compiled a 43-25-12 record. He led the team to a number of accomplishments, including winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, finishing second in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, winning their World Cup qualifying group and advancing to the Round of 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
U.S. Soccer will have a further announcement on Friday.
Bonus 80 ron la Betclic fara niciun risc
Dati click pe reclama de mai sus pentru a deschide un cont la Betclic.Agentia de pariuri Betclic ofera acum si pentru jucatori romani care deschid un cont de parior un Bonus gratuit de pana la 80 RON, care reprezinta miza primului pariu, daca acesta este pierdut. Acest bonus nu necesita nici o rulare si poate fi folosit cum doriti, chiar poate fi si retras!
Un pariu gratuit de 80 RON: singura ofertă de bun venit fără niciun risc de pe internet!
Oferta noastră este cât se poate de clară: deschideţi un cont, plasaţi primul pariu în limita a 80 RON, iar dacă pierdeţi, noi vă rambursăm miza şi vă puteţi retrage banii. Aveţi şansa de a câştiga bani fără să vă coste nimic.
Un pariu sportiv absolut GRATUIT, fără trucuri ascunse, fără restricţii.
De exemplu:
ţi să pariaţi 80 RON că Manchester United o va învinge pe Chelsea. Urmaţi aceşti paşi:
1. Înregistraţi-vă pe BetClic
Completaţi formularul de înregistrare şi validaţi înregistarea prin intermediul mailului de confirmare pe care vi-l trimitem.
2. Deschideţi un cont
Depozitaţi 80 RON în contul dvs. Nu puteţi pierde, deoarece vom plăti noi primul pariu pentru dvs, dacă este necâştigător.
3. Plasaţi un pariu sigur
Dacă cotele ca Manchester United să bată Chelsea sunt 5.00 şi pariul este câştigător, veţi primi:
80 RON X 5 = 400 RON
Dacă pierdeţi, miza dvs de 80 RON va fi rambursată în contul dvs BetClic! Nu aţi pierdut nimic şi v-aţi bucurat de experienţa de a face un pariu adevărat. Nu rataţi!
4. Oferta este valabilă doar pentru noii utilizatori BetClic şi se aplică la toate pariurile sportive cu excepţia pariurilor de tip Sistem (nu multiple, dar sisteme precum 2/3, yankee ş.a.m.d.) şi a grilelor BetClic14.
5. Doar primul dvs pariu va fi rambursat. Pentru a profita la maximum de această ofertă, pariaţi dintr-o dată suma de 80 RON.
6. Orice bonus oferit de noi este limitat la unul pentru un cont, acest lucru reprezentând nu mai mult de un bonus per adresă de IP.
United players assess Major League Soccer
After Manchester United's 4-0 victory over the MLS All-Stars last night at Red Bull Arena, Alex Labidou of Goal.com was able to speak with Anders Lindegaard and Ji-Sung Park about what's needed for MLS, and specifically American soccer, to continue to grow.Year after year, Manchester United continues to show that there is a huge disparity between the world’s best and Major League Soccer. Yet, the same questions remain after another drubbing by the Red Devils.
What can be done to change the league? What are players in America missing?
Manchester United’s goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard believes that in order for American soccer to improve, the way coaches organize their players needs to be better.
“Overall, it’s not on the same level as we are, with all due respect,” said Lindegaard. “I think the organization of the teams overall has to be better.”
Lindegaard started almost every one of United’s games during the club's United States tour this month and has seen the Red Devils beat MLS clubs by average of nearly four goals a game.
The Danish goalkeeper, who has been compared to United’s recently retired legendary keeper Edwin van der Sar, says that he doesn’t believe that players in MLS lack talent but they are missing out on the small tactical details that are stressed in Europe.
However, Lindegaard doesn't see a quick fix to the dilemma as Europeans have been perfecting their craft and coaching techniques for decades. The 27-year-old says that if Americans put more focus into the coaching side of the game, there is no reason why the development of players can’t catch up to the levels of Europe sooner than later.
“You guys have athletic players who can surprisingly play more technically then I expected,” said Lindegaard to the American press. “I was actually really surprised to see how many teams tried to play technically against us. It wasn’t like they were just trying to long ball it throughout the game.“
He added, “You have great facilities and beautiful stadiums; all it takes is organizing the game better out here.”
Ji-Sung Park, whose wonder goal secured him All-Star MVP, said that he thinks MLS is improving but also agrees that the one thing missing in its clubs is consistent and constant communication on the field. He also added more talented players wouldn’t hurt either.
“They need to improve a lot of things, it’s not just one thing, it’s everything” said Park. “More [talented] players need to come play but I think it will change over the next few years."
MLS All-Star defender Tim Ream acknowledges Lindegaard and Park's assessment. When asked what attribute from the Red Devils he would like to add to his own club, the Red Bulls' 23-year-old player said that he would improve the level of communication.
“I think their cohesiveness, how they played with each other and no matter if they are having a good day or a bad one,” answered Ream to Goal.com. “If we had that in New York, we’d be unstoppable.”
Still, both Lindegaard and Park were amazed by the progress made by MLS clubs.
“I was shocked because I heard soccer is your smallest sport out here,” said Lindegaard. “If that’s the case, then your other sports must be massive.”
Park revealed that if he was offered an opportunity to play in Major League Soccer, he would seriously consider it.
“The American league will be big,” said Park. “Yea, if I had an opportunity [I’d consider it] but for now, I’d like to focus on European football.”
What can be done to change the league? What are players in America missing?
Manchester United’s goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard believes that in order for American soccer to improve, the way coaches organize their players needs to be better.
“Overall, it’s not on the same level as we are, with all due respect,” said Lindegaard. “I think the organization of the teams overall has to be better.”
Lindegaard started almost every one of United’s games during the club's United States tour this month and has seen the Red Devils beat MLS clubs by average of nearly four goals a game.
The Danish goalkeeper, who has been compared to United’s recently retired legendary keeper Edwin van der Sar, says that he doesn’t believe that players in MLS lack talent but they are missing out on the small tactical details that are stressed in Europe.
However, Lindegaard doesn't see a quick fix to the dilemma as Europeans have been perfecting their craft and coaching techniques for decades. The 27-year-old says that if Americans put more focus into the coaching side of the game, there is no reason why the development of players can’t catch up to the levels of Europe sooner than later.
“You guys have athletic players who can surprisingly play more technically then I expected,” said Lindegaard to the American press. “I was actually really surprised to see how many teams tried to play technically against us. It wasn’t like they were just trying to long ball it throughout the game.“
He added, “You have great facilities and beautiful stadiums; all it takes is organizing the game better out here.”
Ji-Sung Park, whose wonder goal secured him All-Star MVP, said that he thinks MLS is improving but also agrees that the one thing missing in its clubs is consistent and constant communication on the field. He also added more talented players wouldn’t hurt either.
“They need to improve a lot of things, it’s not just one thing, it’s everything” said Park. “More [talented] players need to come play but I think it will change over the next few years."
MLS All-Star defender Tim Ream acknowledges Lindegaard and Park's assessment. When asked what attribute from the Red Devils he would like to add to his own club, the Red Bulls' 23-year-old player said that he would improve the level of communication.
“I think their cohesiveness, how they played with each other and no matter if they are having a good day or a bad one,” answered Ream to Goal.com. “If we had that in New York, we’d be unstoppable.”
Still, both Lindegaard and Park were amazed by the progress made by MLS clubs.
“I was shocked because I heard soccer is your smallest sport out here,” said Lindegaard. “If that’s the case, then your other sports must be massive.”
Park revealed that if he was offered an opportunity to play in Major League Soccer, he would seriously consider it.
“The American league will be big,” said Park. “Yea, if I had an opportunity [I’d consider it] but for now, I’d like to focus on European football.”
At midseason, MLS attendance up from 2010
Mike Woitalla of Soccer America reports on the rising attendance figures in Major League Soccer.MLS crowds before the All-Star break were up from last season's average at the midseason point. For MLS attendance rankings ...
* At the All-Star break, MLS's attendance average of 17,417 is more than a 6 percent increase from its 2010 midseason mark. Last season ended with a 16,037 league-wide attendance average.
* MLS's highest attendance came in its inaugural season of 1996 -- 17,406.
* Week 19's 11 games included five midweek clashes and averaged 15,669. The biggest crowd was the 24,709 at the Home Depot Center for Los Ange les' 1-0 win over Columbus last Wednesday. On the other end, San Jose drew 8,122 for a 2-2 tie with Vancouver, also on a Wednesday.
* Defending champion Colorado hosted two games in Week 19, drawing 15,227 on a Wednesday and 12,273 on Saturday.
* At the All-Star break, MLS's attendance average of 17,417 is more than a 6 percent increase from its 2010 midseason mark. Last season ended with a 16,037 league-wide attendance average.
* MLS's highest attendance came in its inaugural season of 1996 -- 17,406.
* Week 19's 11 games included five midweek clashes and averaged 15,669. The biggest crowd was the 24,709 at the Home Depot Center for Los Ange les' 1-0 win over Columbus last Wednesday. On the other end, San Jose drew 8,122 for a 2-2 tie with Vancouver, also on a Wednesday.
* Defending champion Colorado hosted two games in Week 19, drawing 15,227 on a Wednesday and 12,273 on Saturday.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
MLS Attendance Continues to Rise
Through this season's 177 games, the MLS's average crowd increased by 6.3 percent from its 2010 midseason mark, to 17,526. Fred Dreier points out the increase is thanks to sellout crowds in the Pacific Northwest combined with a new stadium and rebranding effort in Kansas City.The expansion Portland Timbers have sold out all 10 home games at Jeld-Wen Field, which after a $31 million renovation seats 18,627. Fellow newcomer Vancouver has sold 95.3 percent of its capacity and averaged 20,008 fans a game at its temporary home, Empire Field, while its permanent home, BC Place Stadium, undergoes construction. The Northwest’s third team, the Seattle Sounders, which has topped MLS in attendance since it entered the league in 2009, has also posted its best midseason mark, 37,189.
Outside the Pacific Northwest region, the New York Red Bulls, FC Dallas, San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City have all posted double-digit percentage increases in attendance, with Sporting Kansas City growing the most at 81 percent and San Jose following at 36.7 percent. The team formerly known as the Wizards rebranded itself Sporting Kansas City in November 2010 in the lead-up to the completion of its $200 million soccer-specific facility, Livestrong Sporting Park, which opened June 9.
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