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Greg Oden vs. Kevin Durant: Tale of the Tape 2007-07-20 11:55:00 You've probably heard and read enough about Greg Oden and Kevin
Durant to the point where the draft can't come soon enough. We agree. So we won't waste your time here with things like points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots, but we'd like to try to enlighten you on why those numbers are just a small part of what these young men, expected to go 1-2 in Thursday night's NBA draft, are about and why they are so special.The Courant checked in with Texas coach Rick Barnes and Ohio State associate head Coach John Groce last week to tell us something we may not know about Oden and Durant and what the NBA can expect. Something that impressed them - or not - around the time their college careers began. The coaches obliged, and it was confirmed: Oden and Durant are special. There are no two ways about it.The NBA will love them, commissioner David Stern in particular, because they are high-character guys. They lived up to the hype that has been following them since high school, and now the
Bojan Krkić 2007-07-20 11:40:00 Bojan Krkić (born August 28, 1990 in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain), is a 16-year-old Serbian-Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in Spain.He is widely considered to be one of the most promising young talents of his time. His father, who holds the same name, was a well known footballer in Serbia, where he played for Red Star Belgrade, and a scout for FC Barcelona since 1997. His mother is of Catalan descent. He speaks fluent Catalan and is very proud of his Catalan descent.Bojan joined the Barcelona FC's cantera in 1999, and scored 889 goals in seven years. A quick striker, with quite notable dribbling skills, Bojan shot to prominence at the UEFA European Under 17 Championships in Luxembourg in May 2006 when he was joint top-scorer. He achieved this despite being a year younger than most of the other players in the tournament and only playing 45 minutes in four out of five of Spain Under-17s matches. He scored a hat-trick against Luxembourg before inspiring his side to a 3-0 vic
Randy de Puniet 2007-07-20 11:20:00 Randy de Puniet (b. 14 February 1981) is a French motorcycle road racer. 2006 was his first season in MotoGP, for the Kawasaki factory team, where he remains for 2007. At Barcelona he took his first front-row start, and finished a career-best fifth. Up to Donington, he has started all but one other race on the third row.De Puniet was French 125cc champion in 1998, moving up to the world championship a year later. In 2001 he moved up to the 250cc World Championship. He earned two podium finishes in 2002 to earn a factory Aprilia ride for 2003. He took his first win at Catalunya, coming 4th overall with 3 wins. In 2004 he was third with a single win, spending 2005 with an Aprilia ran by Jorge Martinez Aspar. Read more:Randy
Ana Ivanovic 2007-07-20 11:08:00 Having started the year at No 14, Serbian beauty Ana Ivanovic
has since strung together remarkable performances at the French Open and Wimbledon to lie perched at No 5, just four places away from her ultimate goal, of becoming the No 1 player in the world.She knows she is almost there, but isn’t willing to count her chickens yet.I was very intimidated by the Centre Court the first time I played on it against [Nicole] Vaidisova, but then after a set or so I could relax a little bit.Talking to XPRESS after her semi-final journey at Wimble-don, the 19-year-old said: "I just want to enjoy the season. I’m very happy with my game at the moment, but I still need to improve in all areas."My goal is to be No 1 and obviously this is another step towards that. I’m still very young, so I don’t put a time on when I want to achieve this goal, but I feel I am moving in the right direction."It’s important that I get more experience. Being in these situations helps for the next time. I was ve
Aaron Fike 2007-07-20 01:56:00 Aaron
Fike (born November 24, 1982) is a NASCAR driver from Galesburg, Illinois. He is the driver of the #1 Toyota Tundra Craftsman Truck Series truck and the younger brother of former NASCAR driver A. J. Fike.Fike began racing in 2001 in the USAC Silver Crown Series. He became the youngest driver to win a Silver Crown race (breaking Jeff Gordon's record), and finished tenth in points, earning him the Rookie of the Year award. The next season, he won seven midget feature races in addition to winning the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association championship. He also won a race in the IRL Infiniti Pro Series.In 2003, Fike won the World Championship Midget Feature in Auckland, New Zealand, and the USAC Night Before the 500 race. He made his stock car debut in an ARCA RE/MAX Series race at South Boston Speedway. He finished 9th. He began racing part-time in the Busch Series in 2004 in the #43 Curb Agajanian Performance Group car, and for GIC-Mixon Motorsports. His best finish that year cam
Nani (Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha) 2007-07-20 01:43:00 Luís Carlos
Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde), better known as Nani, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger. He currently plays for Manchester United. Nani is often compared with fellow international and Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo notably for his dribbling skills and his speed.Nani was born in Cape Verde, but migrated with his family to Portugal at an early age. He grew up in the Amadora district of Lisbon and started his career in junior football at Real de Massamá before joining the youth setup at Sporting. Manuel Fernandes has been a friend of Nani's since childhood and the pair used to kick a ball about together on the streets of Lisbon.Personal informationFull name : Luís Carlos Almeida da CunhaDate of birth : November 17, 1986 (1986-11-17) (age 20)Place of birth : Praia, Cape VerdeHeight : 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)Position : Winger
Vince Young 2007-07-20 01:34:00 Vince
nt Paul Young, Jr. (born May 18, 1983[1] in Houston, Texas), commonly Vince Young, or "VY", is an American football player. He is a dual-threat quarterback, and the current starting quarterback for the National Football League Tennessee Titans. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the #3 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft on April 29, 2006. He was awarded honors in his rookie season: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a roster spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team. EA games announced on April 17, 2007 that Vince Young will be on the cover of the Madden football video game for 2008.Young played college football for the University of Texas Longhorns before turning professional. As a college junior, he was one of three finalists for the 2005 Heisman Trophy, finishing second to Reggie Bush and ahead of Matt Leinart in the final vote. Young was named the best college football player of 2005 by College Football News, based upon their statistical analysis.[2] Following the Heisman vot
Gregory Wayne Oden Jr. 2007-07-20 01:08:00 Born January 22, 1988, in Buffalo, New York is an American NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers and a member of the United States men's national basketball team. Oden was named the PARADE's High School Player of the Year and the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year two years in a row, in 2005 and 2006. In 2006-07, Oden played basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes for only one season, during which the team were the Big Ten Champions and the tournament runner-up in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. On June 28, 2007, Oden was selected first overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. NBA analyst Steve Kerr has described him as a "once-in-a-decade player.Oden lived in Buffalo, New York until he was nine years old and then moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, attending Fuqua Elementary School and playing basketball in the seventh grade at Sarah Scott Junior High School. He then moved to Indianapolis in the eighth grade. In the 2005-06 sea Read more:Gregory
, Wayne
Alexandre "The Duck" Pato 2007-07-24 08:00:00 Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva (born September 2, 1989, in Pato Branco, Paraná), better known as Alexandre Pato, is a Brazilian striker who has been playing for Internacional since 2002. His nickname, The Duck, comes from the city where he was born, Pato Branco (which translates as White Duck).Alexandre started playing indoor football (futsal) in his hometown at the age of 3. Soon his ability became known all around the south Brazilian state of Paraná and after being praised by many of his managers, the teenager went to Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, to try out for Sport Club Internacional. In 2002, at the age of 13, he moved there and started sharing housing with 83 other teenagers that, much like him, wanted to make a name for themselves in the Inter first team. Alexandre Pato Video Read more:Alexandre
Mauro Zárate 2007-07-24 07:49:00 Mauro Matías Zárate (born March 18, 1987 in Haedo, Morón Partido, Buenos Aires Province) is an Argentine professional football player, currently playing for Al-Sadd in the Qatar National First Division.Mauro is the brother of UANL Tigres player Rolando Zárate.Playing careerZárate made his full debut on April 21, 2004 against Arsenal de Sarandí.Zárate shared the top-scorer award for the Apertura 2006 with Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors) with 12 goals each.On June 18, 2007, Zárate signed a 2-year deal with Al-Sadd in the Qatari League in a deal thought to be worth around $20M.In 2007 Zarate helped the Argentina Under-20 team to win the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he scored the winning goal in the final against the Czech Republic.Mauro Zarate Video Read more:Mauro
Martin Fenin 2007-07-24 07:42:00 Martin Fenin is a Czech football striker currently playing for the proffesional club FK Teplice. Fenin has also played for youth national teams, primarily the under-19 Czech Republic team. Fenin struck first gol for the Czechs in Canada 2007's FIFA U20 world cup Final on Sunday 22 July in Toronto, but it wasn't enough against a new-look Argentina, who won out 2-1.Martin Fenin Video Read more:Martin
Frederick’s moment to shine 2007-07-22 09:51:00 Charles Frederick
(born February 2, 1982)One of he more perplexing careers of a Washington Husky football player was that of WR Charles Frederick. He was blessed with tons of physical ability, but he never really realized his full-potential because of homesickness and injuries. Earlier this past week, Frederick was named Co-Rookie of the Year for the AFL after helping to lead the Kansas City Brigade to the playoffs.Frederick, who shared the award with Tamp Bay Storm QB Brett Dietz, led all first-year players in receptions (115), yards from scrimmage (1,518), first downs (100), all-purpose yards (2,129), rushing attempts (50), rushing yards (133), rushing touchdowns (14), and scoring (246 points on 41 TD). He was also named to the 2007 All-Rookie team and set a single-game franchise record for rushing yards (59 on March 4 vs. Chicago), tied the single-game franchise and rookie record for TD receptions (5 on May 20 at New York), and tied the single-game franchise record and set the singl
"The New Kevin Campbell" come to Anfield 2007-07-26 11:13:00 Ryan Guno Babel (born December 19, 1986 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch professional football player who currently plays for Liverpool. He is right footed and plays as a striker or a left winger. He has been a member of the Netherlands national football team since 2005.Scouted by Ajax at the age of 11, he has obviously benefited by his time at the club since then. He became Holland's youngest scorer for 68 years with a goal on his full international debut, against Romania in 2005, and scored twice on the way to the last eight of the Under-20 World Cup the same year. This is a player born to play in the modern game, with all the physical attributes needed at the highest level.Babel is big, strong, forceful player in the mould of a young KevinCampbell
- yet he just loves to come short for the ball.Babel has a very good awareness of what is around him when he does receive the ball, which is important because you need almost peripheral vision in this area of the pitch. Ryan Babel Video
Who's behind Johnson 2007-07-25 15:07:00 Probably the 2nd most talented WR in the draft behind
Calvin Johnson
is Robert Meachem(born September 28, 1984 in Tulsa, Oklahoma). This guy was extremely raw, and had a huge junior season for Tennessee last year. At 6’ 3” and 220 pounds he is the prototypical NLF wideout. He also gets the luxury of playing in one of the most productive offenses in the NFL. Mark this guy down as a definite sleeper pick in any draft, and don’t hesitate to select him over veteran receivers in the late rounds. Colston and Meachem could prove to be a formidable 1-2 punch in the NFL for years to come, and with Brees chucking it around, and McAllister and Bush in the backfield, this could prove to be something very special. Combine his size with 4.4 speed and watch for this guy to possibly make a big impact in 2007.
Johnson, Quinn and Thomas is amazing combination 2007-07-25 14:48:00 Detroit Lions general manager Matt Millen did something that he hasn't done, well...in like two years. He drafted a wide receiver in the first round with Calvin Johnson
. Yes, we all know Johnson is the best player in the draft. Eh. Yes, we know Johnson has everything you need (6’ 5” and 235 pounds with the speed to run a 4.35 40 yard dash, and a vertical leap of 42 ½ inches) to be the best wide receiver in the NFL for the next ten years. Eh. We also know this is the Lions. No offensive line. No quarterback. The Lions took the best player available, exactly did what they are supposed to be doing, but when there are two glaring needs starting them right in the face (quarterback and offensive line), you need to take one of them. Joe Thomas
and Brady Quinn
were right there to make them a better team next year. Guess what? Lions aren't moving up until they get a QB and a better offensive line.
NFL Draft Offers Gems for Fantasy Football Players 2007-07-24 12:30:00 Fantasy football players rarely pay much attention to National Football
League rookies, during their fantasy football drafts. Rookies, you see, are not usually worth much to fantasy teams. It takes most rookies a year or two or in many cases even three or four to get fully acclimated to the NFL. Consequently, competitive fantasy football people usually steer clear of them.This year may be different. More NFL rookies will likely appear on fantasy rosters than in the past decade, because this draft is rich with impact players. Thats right, rookies that can actually play this year and contribute to fantasy football rosters some even as starters. I see at least seven players taken in the first round of the NFLs draft that can start on fantasy teams, depending on how many teams are in your league. Obviously, smaller leagues (8 and 10 team leagues) will be too rich with veteran talent to have rookies as starters. Following is an assessment of these players and others to keep an eye on as you Read more:Draft
, Offers
, Players
, NFL Draft
Calvin Johnson; to tackle a global sanitation 2007-07-24 12:05:00 Perhaps better known for his skills as a wide receiver, third-year Management major CalvinJohnson
has nevertheless proven himself to be much more than just a star football player.Johnson dedicated his time to service as he worked to solve sanitation problems that are currently present in Bolivia.During the 2006 summer, Georgia Tech Research Institute was given the option of working on either constructing environmentally friendly luxury condos, or a project building solar latrines to improve sanitation in Bolivia. Johnson chose the latter, as he wanted to help the less fortunate. He also traveled to Bolivia in January 2007 as part of the project."I just get the satisfaction of being able to help somebody," Johnson said. Read more:tackle
Joe Thomas: the Potent Blocker 2007-07-24 11:37:00 Joe Thomas
(born on December 4, 1984 in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is an offensive tackle taken by the Cleveland Browns on April 28, 2007 during the NFL Draft. He played collegiately for the Wisconsin Badgers.The Cleveland Browns drafted Thomas in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft (3rd overall) to fill a dire need on the team's offensive line. The Thomas pick ended much speculation that the Browns would choose other players including former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn with the 3rd overall pick in the draft, whom they traded to get later at spot 22. Instead of attending the 2007 draft festivities in New York, Thomas chose to continue a family tradition and go fishing on Lake Michigan with his father. He found out he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns by cell phone. Read more:Potent
Martin Lee Truex, Jr. 2007-07-24 11:24:00 Martin Lee Truex, Jr. (born June 29, 1980 in Mayetta, New Jersey) is a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver. He currently drives the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.. Truex won the Busch Series Championship in 2004 and 2005.Truex's father, Martin Sr., was a former champion in the Busch North Series and a successful modified driver. The younger Truex began racing in the Busch North series in 2000, and won 3 races in 3 years with a family owned team.Truex rented a home from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in Mooresville, North Carolina, before he purchased his own home. His cousin, Curtis Truex, Jr., races modifieds at Wall Township Speedway and currently drives late-model stock cars in the southeatern U.S. for JR Motorsports, which is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr..Truex made his Busch Series start in 2001 at Dover International Speedway in his father's #56 XST Paintable Silicon Chevy. He started 19th but finished 38th after an early wreck. In 2002, Truex drove one race for Ph Read more:Martin
Kari Lehtonen 2007-07-24 11:12:00 Kari Lehtonen (born November 16, 1983 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender. He was drafted 2nd overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. In 2001, as the youngest goalie in the SM-liiga, he earned the league's playoff MVP award, while he was playing for Jokerit.During the 2003-2004 NHL season he played four games for the Thrashers, winning all four of them and posting one shutout. On opening night of the 2005-2006 season, Lehtonen suffered a serious groin injury when Florida Panthers center Nathan Horton collided with Lehtonen. The injury sidelined him for 35 games. Lehtonen was once again injured on April 6, 2006 when Tampa Bay Lightning forward Chris Dingman collided with him. Lehtonen tried to get to his feet but sprained his ankle in the process.Shortly into the 2006-2007 NHL Season Kari Lehtonen broke the Atlanta Thrashers shutout streak record previously held by Michael Garnett. He also set his career highs in every category.Ai
Jimmy Clausen 2007-07-24 10:59:00 James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen (born September 21, 1987, in Thousand Oaks, California) is an American football player. He is a quarterback at the University of Notre Dame. and is one of the candidates to replace Brady Quinn as Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting quarterback.Clausen, who graduated high school one semester early, enrolled at Notre Dame on January 16, 2007. He will compete for the starting quarterback job with then-junior Evan Sharpley and then-sophomores Demetrius Jones and Zach Frazer when spring practice starts.
Josmer (Jozy) Altidore; 'phenomenal soccer player' 2007-07-27 08:37:00 Josmer (Jozy) Altidore (born November 6, 1989 in Livingston, New Jersey) is an American soccer striker, who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer.Altidore was taken 17th overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, with the MetroStars trading up to receive the selection. Altidore spent the majority of the 2006 season away from the team while working towards his high school diploma in Florida. Altidore made his professional debut 23 August 2006 as a substitute in a 3-1 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup loss to D.C. United. He scored his first professional goal at the age of 16, blasting an 83rd minute, 28-yard shot to beat Columbus 1-0 September 16, 2006. Scoring three times in seven appearances, including a crucial goal against the Chicago Fire on September 30 2006, Altidore became a fan favorite. He scored the Red Bulls' only goal of their 2-1 aggregate loss to D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Series when he headed in a cross in the second leg. With that goa Read more:player
Paul Millsap 'The Paperboy' 2007-07-27 08:06:00 Paul Millsap (#24 Utah Jazz Forward) made same scoreas Rudy Gay.Paul Millsap was impressive during the 2007 All-Star Rookie VersusSophomores Game. The rookie forward with the Utah Jazz recorded 22points, eight rebounds, an assist and two steals in just over 27minutes played.Millsap was selected by the Jazz in the second round (47th overall)of the 2006 NBA Draft.He is the only player in NCAA basketballhistory to lead the nation in rebounding for three consecutive years.
Batum; The Smooth Swingman 2007-07-30 04:48:00 A silky-smooth swingman who does just about everything well with a natural feel for the game. Has a high basketball IQ and can play several positions on the floor. Excellent defender with quick hands and feet, long arms and good athletic ability. Has a diverse offensive game with the ability to pull up off the dribble, hit from outside, and penetrate to the rim. Shows a good stroke from the outside and has excellent confidence to shoot through cold spells. Needs to add weight which will allow him to go inside and finish as well as make him a stronger defender.Batum (born December 14, 1988 in Lisieux) is a French basketball player. He is considered one of the most talented young players in Europe and a possible NBA draft lottery pick. He was voted the most valuable player in the U18 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim 2006. The 6 ft 8 in (2.03 meter) Batum primarily plays the small forward position, although he is capable of shifting to either of the guard positions as well. He del
Jeffrey Earnhardt 2007-07-29 23:59:00 Jeffrey Earnhardt
(born June 22, 1989 in Mooresville, North Carolina) is the next to oldest grandson of the late seven time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt. He is the son of former NASCAR driver Kerry Earnhardt. Jeffrey was signed in 2007 to drive for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) in the Busch East Racing Series.Earnhardt's first race came in the Hornet Division at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia. He scored 3 feature wins and finished in the top 5 in division points, winning Rookie of the Year. The following year he moved up to the Sportsman division at the Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, finishing the season in the top 10 of the division standings. He also competed in the late model season finale at the track as a teammate to RCR developmental driver Allison Duncan.In 2006, General Motors created a driver developmental search program wherein they looked for who they believed to be the stars of the future and invited them to test a late model and a Bu Read more:Jeffrey
John Tavares; the NHL's next superstar 2007-08-02 17:42:00 John Tavares is a Canadian junior ice hockey player. born September 20, 1990, in Oakville, Ontario. He is currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals. Tavares is the youngest player to be drafted in the OHL at the age of 14.Tavares was erased Wayne'The Great One'Gretzky's name from the record books, either. When Tavares scored his 71st goal on march 2007 for the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals.In a league desperate for an infusion of marketable talent, the thought of another marquee superstar coming so close on the heels of Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin is tantalizing. Problem is, Tavares is not coming soon enough. The 6-foot, 183-pound center isn't eligible to start saving some struggling NHL franchise until the 2009 draft. Tavares in action
Anthony Gonzalez 2007-08-03 23:30:00 Anthony Gonzalez
was born in Avon Lake, Ohio. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, in the 2007 NFL Draft.Gonzalez is a receiver who teamed with Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn, Jr. in 2005 to give the Buckeyes three big-play receivers on what was one of the most explosive offenses in the country. His acrobatic 26-yard catch at Michigan in the 2005 regular season finale set up the game-winning score with 37 seconds to play. His role in 2006 increased with the departure of Holmes to the NFL via the 2006 NFL Draft. Gonzalez was selected with the 32nd pick of the first round by the Indianapolis Colts. Read more:Anthony
Unstopable Vaidisova 2007-08-03 22:12:00 Nicole Vaidisova is a star in women's tennis, born April 23, 1989 in Nürnberg. Vaidisova debuted on ITF Circuit Plzen-CZE 2003. As of June 25, 2007, Vaidisova is ranked #10 in the WTA rankings. She is becoming the 12th-youngest player in Tour history to crack the Top 10, at 17 years, 3 months, and 2 weeks of age on August 9, 2006. The highest ranking she achieved is #7 on May 2007. Many well known commentators have referred to her as the "other ova" (The principal "ova" being Maria Sharapova). She bears strong similarities to Sharapova in terms of physique and on-court concentration. They both have powerful groundstrokes, strong serves, are blond and tall (Vaidisova is 1.83 m, Sharapova is 1.88 m), and have slender figures. They are also both ethnic Europeans who trained in the USA from a young age.
Morgan Pressel; Youngest Major Champion in LPGA 2007-08-14 13:45:00 Morgan Pressel born May 23, 1988 is one of the most successful young golfers in the history of women's golf, and appears well on her way to a great LPGA Tour career.Pressel is the youngest-ever major champion on the LPGA Tour, winning the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship when she was not yet 19, and has reached number 4 in the Women's World Golf Rankings.Pressel began playing when she was eight years old, at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. She lived there with her parents, and her grandparents close by. An uncle, Aaron Krickstein, was a famous tennis player who turned pro at age 16. Read more:Morgan
, Major
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