Sports: USA Major Football, new Cricket coverage : Baseball's disgrace Baltimore Orioles, Hockey's 'Killer Bertuzzi' of Canucks

B A S E B A L L

FLASH: Detroit dumps Toronto in 12-inning game Ouch! That hurts, another overtime longplay game, and TO misses out again. Also, I thawt the game was tonite (yes, I sometimes get ahead or behind myself on the calendar), so you can imagine how, when I'm thinking the game is about to begin, that I get a write-up in my email how it's all over, and with not a pleasant result for all that! (Click up headline link for the Canadian Press write-up in the Fort Francis Times Online, August 9, 2005).- Owlie Scowlie

Preview of Yesterday's Game: Tigers (53-58) vs. Jays (56-55),. STANDINGS: Blue Jays - 3rd place, 8 GB, American League East. Tigers - 4th place, 19 GB, American League Central.

Baltimore Orioles, an organization that's falling apart, stars drugs

Orioles' star pitcher Palmeiro suspended for using steroids, by Eric Fisher, Washington Times, August 2, 2005.

F O O T B A L L

NFL training camps a turn-on for fans who get to meet their idols, and hang out, 5,000 fans turn-out to watch the Carolina Panthers prepare for the new football season, by Erik Spanberg, Christian Science Monitor, August 8, 2005.

Real American idols perform at Patriots training camp, Foxboro, Mass, by Julie Fallon, CSM, August 8, 2005.

Philadelphia

Philly.com Eagles webpage

S O C C E R

How a football club came to symbolise Cyprus, by Elias Hazou, found today, no date on article, 2005. Hat Tip to David Koyzis!

H O C K E Y

Vancouver Canucks
Bertuzzi Reinstated to NHL After Suspension, NHL Suspends Bertuzzi for Breaking Player's Neck, FoxNews, August 08, 2005.

NEW YORK — Vancouver Canuck forward Todd Bertuzzi, whose blindside punch left Colorado's Steve Moore with a broken neck, was reinstated by the NHL on Monday.

Bertuzzi was suspended for the final 13 regular-season games of the 2003-04 season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. His banishment continued throughout last season's NHL lockout, which kept Bertuzzi from playing in the World Cup of Hockey last September and the past two world championships.

He also was barred from playing in any European league last season.

Bertuzzi and Moore met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for Bertuzzi's reinstatement hearing on April 26. The Vancouver right wing needed the commissioner's approval before being allowed back into the league.

"I find that the appropriate discipline to be imposed for Mr. Bertuzzi's conduct on March 8, 2004 is the suspension that has been served to date," Bettman said in a statement.

The suspension cost Bertuzzi $501,926.39 in salary. He is due to earn $5,269,333 from the Canucks in the upcoming season.

Sports opinion by Owlie Scowlie: Bertuzzi should be in jail. His suspension occurred while the NHL wasn't functioning, due to the lockout by management, and the players attitudes. 'Killer Bertuzzi' should never by allowed to play again. Crime is crime, even when it occurs in a hockey game. The hi officials of the Vancouver Canucks are also culpable, judging by remarks made by one of their hi potentates, triviliazing the evil Bertuzzi did to Steve Moore. A damn shame! And a deep indelible stain on the Canucks for coddling a guy who's proved his potential for doing drastic harm to another player. - Owlie Scowlie

C R I C K E T

England have the edge over Aussies - Fletcher. BBC Sports August 8, 2005.

Coach Duncan Fletcher insists England will take a psychological advantage into the third Ashes Test on Thursday.
Fletcher believes England's two-run win at Edgbaston could haunt Australia.

"I think if they had got beaten by 60 or 70 runs they could have walked away from it and said, 'Right, lets get on with it,'" Fletcher told BBC Five Live.

"But having got so close, it must have some sort of psychological effect. It was mind-sapping and hopefully it will be an advantage for us."

Australia had looked set for an improbable victory at Edgbaston after edging to within three runs of England's target of 282.

But they fell just short as last man Michael Kasprowicz gloved Steve Harmison to wicket-keeper Geraint Jones.

Flintoff has proved he's a really top-class international all-rounder England coach Duncan Fletcher. The two sides now go to Old Trafford with the five-Test series level at 1-1, and Fletcher has urged England not to get carried away.

India pip Windies to final spot

Tri-series one-day international, Colombo: India 262-4 beat West Indies 255-7 by seven runs,BBC Sports, August 7, 2005.


Singh celebrates his century - India weathered a brave fight back by West Indies to win by seven runs and qualify for the tri-series final.

They set West Indies 263 to win after a blistering century by Yuvraj Singh and an unbeaten 83 from Mohammad Kaif.

Anil Kumble (3-38) reduced West Indies to 112-6 but Runako Morton hit 84 and keeper Denesh Ramdin an unbeaten 74.

However, with 12 runs required for a major upset, left-armer Ashish Nehra held his nerve to bowl a fine last over, conceding just four.

India now face Sri Lanka in the final on Tuesday in Colombo.

England set sights on famous winSecond Test, Edgbaston (day three, stumps)
England 407 & 182 v Australia 308 & 175-8, BBC Sports, August 6, 2005.

Andrew Flintoff played a starring role as England closed in on victory over Australia in the second Test.

Despite an injured shoulder, Flintoff hit a heroic 73, with four sixes, and was the pick of the bowlers with 3-34.

Michael Clarke fell to the final ball of day three at Edgbaston to leave Australia 175-8, needing 107 more.

Shane Warne had taken 6-46 - 10 wickets for the match - and Brett Lee 4-82 as England posted 182, Flintoff and Simon Jones adding 51 for the last wicket.

On a day in which 17 wickets fell, 332 runs were scored and the evening session lasted three-and-a-half hours, the momentum swung regularly this way and that.

England slumped to 31-4 early on, Lee taking three wickets for four runs in 11 balls.

NCAA

Florida State U furious over NCAA ban on Indian mascots after Feb 1, 2006 , by ESPN.com, August 5, 2005.

Quaid of the Thinklings has deep reservations about the whole attitude of the NCAA as well. Who's that holding your cigars?, August 5, 2005.Quite politically incorrect, to be sure. - Owlie Scowlie

FLASH DEVELOPMENT Heard on the grapevine that NCAA has back down, and will impose rule only at its own tournaments, at the end of the season, or so it seems. Will check further. - OS

WORLD ATHLETICS, HELSINKI
World Athletics: day two round-up, BBC Sports, August 7, 2005,

Justin Gatlin beat Michael Frater into silver
Olympic champion Justin Gatlin grabbed the world 100m title with a brilliant run of 9.88 seconds in Helsinki.
Gatlin had a poor start but came through at 60m to beat Michael Frater and reigning champion Kim Collins.

Jamaica's Trecia Smith nailed a huge 15.11 metres to take a surprise gold in the women's triple jump.

Carolina Kluft retained her world heptathlon title by a fraction after out-sprinting Eunice Barber on the home straight of the final 800m event.

World Athletics day one round-up, BBC Sports, August 6, 2005.

Radcliffe is hunting her first global track title
Paula Radcliffe finished in ninth place as Ethiopia took a 10,000m clean sweep on a cold night in Helsinki.
Tirunesh Dibaba out-kicked Berhane Adere and her sister Ejegayehu Dibaba to win her first World title.

Jason Gardener and Marlon Devonish both qualified for the semis of the 100m, but Mark Lewis-Francis crashed out.

Kelly Sotherton ran an excellent 200m into a strong headwind to move into third in the heptathlon, behind Eunice Barber and Carolina Kluft.