Valery Federenko 55 Jerks 60kg Kettlebell

Valery Federenko 55 Jerks 60kg Kettlebell

Crazy Strength endurance with the 60kg kettlebell by Valery Federenko

55 reps one switch, mental




Take Your Fitness To Another Level with the Gymboss Interval Timer

How did Brett Favre look?

Tonight we got our first real extended look at Brett Favre since he joined the Minnesota Vikings, as he played the first half plus one series against the Houston Texans. A week ago, he played in 2 series and completed 1 of 4 passes against the Kansas City Chiefs. From all accounts, the offense was very rusty with Favre last week, as he had only been with the team for a couple days.

Things looked much more comfortable for Favre and the Vikings against the Texans, as Favre completed 13 of 18 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. He was making good decisions, and making throws putting the Vikings many playmakers in position to make plays.

With guys like Adrian Peterson (who had a 75 yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage), Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin, the Vikings have lots of guys that can make plays. Defenses have a lot of guys they will have to focus on, and that could lead to some big plays if Favre can get the ball in their hands, which he looked much more comfortable doing tonight. That trend should continue as they get more reps together and the QB and WRs can get a better sense of what the others are going to do.

The biggest thing was touched on by Adam Schefter at halftime... Favre didn't make mistakes. He is the NFL's all-time leader in interceptions, and has a tendency to try and force plays when nothing is there. He can't do that this year if the Vikings are just going to be successful, as he needs to just let the defense and running game lead the team, and take whatever the opposing defense is going to give him. He was able to do that here.

The Vikings didn't have a lot of success down the field... Favre aired it out one time to Jaymar Johnson, but nothing came of it. Again, that is stuff that tends to happen when they have more practice time together, so we will just have to see how that develops.

All in all, a successful showing from Favre and the Vikings. He looked a lot more comfortable this week, and should look even better with a couple more weeks of practice left before the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

REAL MADRID: FRANCK RIBERY STAYS AT BAYERN MUNICH

It did not happen. The clock passed 00.00hrs & the transfer windowshut to see FRANCK RIBERY stay at BAYERN MUNICH. However,all reports indicate that the Frenchmen will be the next star to signfor REAL MADRID next season, there seems to be a "pre-contract"(type Ronaldo) already signed & a "tacit" Club agreement as part of the Arjen Robben transfer operation.Until then Ribery will scare Bundesliga

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2009-2010 - ROUND 1 FC BARCELONA 3 - SPORTING GIJÓN 0

The last remaining game of Round 1 of "La Liga" was playedtonight with FC BARCELONA doing the job on REAL SPORTINGDE GIJÓN 3-0, with goals from young BOJAN, KEITA &IBRAHIMOVIC.Barça was expected to win but didn´t do the demolition operation asexpected, naturally as its the start of the season & they are still gettinginto gear. Plus Sporting put in a good show! Here are the videos of thegoals:

U.S. v. Comprehensive Drug Testing and The List of 97

Last week, I had a column on SI.com on United States v. Comprehensive Drug Testing, where the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the federal government's seizure of computer files which implicated 104 major league players as steroids users violated those players' Forth Amendment rights (Howard discussed this case as well). The names of 97 of those players remain unknown, while through leaks, we now know that Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz, Manny Ramriez and a few others are on it.

Here is an excerpt from my column.

* * *

MLBPA could eventually seek a court order that would enable it to divulge the remaining names. The MLBPA could reason that while disclosure might harm the interests of 97 players, it would serve the best interests of the far more numerous number of other MLB players, who would be cleared from suspicion. MLBPA, however, would pursue such a strategy under the peril of being sued by the 97 named players for breach of fiduciary duties. As a labor union, the MLBPA and its officials owe duties of trust and competence to each of the players. Releasing the names would undoubtedly harm the reputations of the named players and possibly jeopardize their player contracts and endorsement deals. Named players could also file a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board.

Unlike the MLBPA, Major League Baseball is not a party to the litigation. If MLB has the list, it could theoretically release it, but doing so would likely trigger a legal action commenced by the MLPBA. As part of the 2003 testing, MLB agreed to an arrangement whereby the players' names would be kept confidential and any records containing their names would be destroyed. MLB's willingness to partake in such an arrangement is significant because the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA imposes duties of confidentially. Although commissioner Bud Selig has not expressed a desire to release the list, the MLBPA would, in all likelihood, immediately file a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board should he do so. It may also argue that the court sealing of the names should effectively extend to MLB, since it co-coordinated the survey testing.

Commissioner Selig could nonetheless argue that the "best interests of the game" authority, as vaguely contained in MLB's constitution (a document originally drafted in 1921 and not one collectively bargained with the MLBPA), accords him sufficient authority to release the remaining names. In Selig's defense, the list has embarrassed baseball and prompted unwanted speculation as to who might be on it. Even worse for Selig, the list returns to the public spotlight every time a name or two is leaked. Selig might understandably feel that the only way the game can move on from the Steroid Era in Baseball would be to release the entire list, a move recently endorsed by Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.

In releasing the names, Selig would encounter a problem: the collectively-bargained CBA likely trumps baseball's constitution in this context. Expect the NLRB or possibly a court to dimly view any use of the best interests of the game clause to justify releasing the names, particularly since the list remains otherwise sealed and also because, according to the Ninth Circuit, the list should never have been obtained by federal agents.

The remaining 97 names may nonetheless become known through leaks. It appears that attorneys familiar with the list, or former law clerks or staff of those attorneys, are selectively divulging names to the media. By doing so, they violate both a court order and their professional and ethical duties. If caught, the leakers would be subject criminal charges for contempt of a court order and the loss of their license to practice law (or, if they are law clerks, the likely loss of the chance of being certified to practice law in any state). While the 104 players who purportedly tested positive damaged the game of baseball, attorneys and law clerks who leak names inflict the same, if not more, damage upon the practice of law and our system of justice.

* * *

To read the rest, click here. For additional commentary, see Garey Reiss' piece in the Wall Street's Journal's Daily Fix.

CRISTIANO RONALDO TOGETHER WITH USAIN BOLT

CRISTIANO RONALDO met "Human Lighting Bolt" USAIN BOLT & did anexclusive interview together for Spanish Sports daily "Marca". Here isthe video of the occasion:

LA LIGA: FC BARCELONA BEGINS 2009-2010 WITH HUMOUR ( OR REALISM)

Some humour from "Mundo Deportivo" humour section "KAP":Coach Guardiola to his team:"Chaps, now comes the hard part. We need to get back down to earth& start from zero again with the same desire..."Read this way it has more realism than humour!Surf into SFS tonight for the result of Barça 1º game of the new seasonof "La Liga" against Sporting de Gijón.

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2009-2010 - ROUND 1 RESULTS

The Spanish "Liga" kick off for 2009-2010 with surprises, goals & thelast match to be played tonight between FC Barcelona - Sporting deGijón. While we await that result here is a summary of the other 9 games played this weekend.On Saturday Real Madrid (Raul, Cristiano Ronaldo (pen) & Lass)began its campaign with a victory 3-2 over Deportivo (Riki &Valeron). Here is a video of the Lass Diarra

No Deterrence? NCAA Rules and the Men's Basketball and Football Players who Don't Follow them

San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan has a piece on star NCAA athletes who accept gifts from would-be agents (e.g., Reggie Bush; O.J. Mayo) or who otherwise break other NCAA rules (e.g., Derrick Rose/SAT exam) and how, practically, little can be done to stop that from happening. He interviews me for the column, which is excerpted below..

* * *

[Derrick] Rose has adopted the Reggie Bush defense, which is to take the money and run from accountability. Having made his fortune with the Chicago Bulls, Rose has A) declined to cooperate with NCAA investigators and B) failed to account for the discrepancies that caused his SAT test to be invalidated.

* * *

This is the same evasive and suspicious strategy [Reggie] Bush employed — and continues to employ — when confronted with questions about his cash flow and his parents' living arrangements during his last year at USC.

“I would love to talk about it, but now is not the time,” Bush said on April 27, 2006, two days before the NFL Draft. “There's a time and a place for everything and this isn't one of them.”

Bush said that day he had done nothing wrong and promised to address the allegations, but 40 months later that time and place have yet to be identified. Though the inability to question Bush directly has frustrated the NCAA, more recent allegations involving one-and-done basketball star O.J. Mayo have broadened the scope of the investigation and increased the likelihood that the Trojans will ultimately be sanctioned for a “lack of institutional control.”

* * *

Likewise, any penalties USC may receive as a result of Bush's and Mayo's alleged improprieties will be administered long after they have left campus. Unless the Internal Revenue Service decides to start auditing the tax returns of professional athletes in search of undeclared undergraduate income, there's every reason to believe that crime does pay on campus.

* * *

Michael McCann, an associate professor at Vermont Law School, says the age limits enacted by the NBA and the NFL “create incentives” for short-term students without providing an adequate disincentive to rules-breaking.

“By the time allegations come to the surface,” McCann says, “the player will have already left and there's no way of holding him accountable.”

* * *

“If the allegations against him are true, I think O.J. Mayo took the money because maybe he thought he should have been in the NBA,” McCann says. “Had he pursued any profession other than basketball or football, he would have been able to be a professional.”

* * *

To read the rest, click here. For a related post, see Alan Milstein's "Reggie Bush Sweepstakes" in which Alan argued that the NFL's college draft is a monopsony (the NFL controls the buying of talent not the selling: they are the only source to which eligible players may sell their services).

Heavy Clean and Push Press Kettlebell

60kg Bell 14 reps 7/7 Clean and Push Press


Worked up with 32kg snatches and jerks to 48kg then big set with 132lb bell for 14 ugly reps. 20 by next wednesday!!

Commonwealth of Kentucky v. David Jason Stinson: Should Coaches be held Criminally Liable for Athletes' Deaths?

I have a column on SI.com concerning the first case in which a high school coach has been criminally charged with a player's death. The trial will begin on Monday. Here's an excerpt of the column:

* * *

Former Pleasure Ridge High School (Louisville, Ky.) football coach Jason Stinson faces charges for reckless homicide and wanton endangerment, felonies which each carry maximum five-year prison sentences, for the August 2008 death of sophomore offensive lineman Max Gilpin. Gilpin collapsed at the end of a series of wind sprints held in allegedly 94-degree temperatures. When taken to the emergency room, Gilpin's body temperature was reportedly 107 degrees. Gilpin died three days later.

Other facts remain in dispute and will be contested during Stinson's trial, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. According to prosecutors, Stinson, despite having been trained on the dangers of heat-related illnesses, subjected Gilpin to "barbaric conditioning" in the form of the sprints, which Stinson allegedly used to punish and motivate underperforming players. There are also conflicting reports as to whether, and to what extent, Stinson allowed players to drink water during certain moments of practice.

* * *

. . . [I]f Stinson is convicted or pleads guilty to a lesser offense that carries a prison sentence, his case could produce major changes in high school football and high school sports in general. It could, for instance, compel high school coaches and school districts to treat players with much more care, and to provide them with added safeguards, such as ensuring that trainers are on-hand at all times, that coaches have undergone extensive sensitivity training, and that purportedly harsh practice conditions (e.g., denying a player water at any time; ordering sprints in hot and humid conditions) be eliminated. Practices could thus become more safe though also more regulated and potentially more costly, including for the taxpayers who fund local sports.

Stinson's case may also force coaches and school districts to condition the playing of sports on players' passage of rigorous, possibly invasive health tests. While players are already subject to physicals, the prospect of criminal sanction and prison time accompanying the death of a player may spur coaches to demand greater certainty of players' physical health. In that same vein, the profession of high school football coaching may take a hit. If a player's death on the practice field can lead to a coach facing criminal prosecution, the profession suddenly becomes a much less attractive one. The added possibility of tort liability under a wrongful death civil claim only amplifies that point.

* * *

To read the rest, click here.

John Brookfield Grip Tips

John Brookfield Grip Tips

John Brookfield is a super strength grip master whom I look upto very much

Check out this list of awesome grip tips direct from Ironmind.

You can learn so much from John and his amazing innovative ideas for strength training. Not only is John a grip guru but he has some brilliant ideas for kettlebell training too.

Enjoy

Gripper on a String
Stool Lift with Weight
Wrist Curls with Plate
Brick Bent Over Rows
Front Hammer Lever
Finger Walking with Weight Plate
Sledgehammer Clean and Press

Sledgehammer Toss
Brick Lift Grip Challenge
Wringing Out the Towel
Behind-the-Back Wrist Curls
The Rotation
Finger Walking With Boards
Sandbag Lifting
Finger Rolling
Crushing Nails

Pliers Lever Lift
Hammer Rotation
Padding the Issue
Vertical Rope Pull-ups
Plate Toss with Partner
Weight Crawl: Try It, You'll Love It
Thick Bar Rotation
Pinch-Grip Board Curls
Doubled-Rope Deadlift

Swing and Catch
Plate Curling for Men
The Big Squeeze
Plate Rotation
Hammer Curls with Thick Towels
Using the Long Bar
Sandbag Swing and Catch

One Grip at a Time

Behind-the-Back Pass
Hand Towel Roll and Squeeze
1 + 1 = 2
Medicine Ball Lifting
The Weight Drop
Kettlebell Hold: Something New
Roll and Drag<
Macary Sticks
A New Twist

Back Pressure Breakthrough
Plate Seesaw
Rope Hand-Over-Hand
The Bucket Drill
Plate Turning
Sandbag Wrist Curls
Pinch Grip Drag
Pinch Grip Pick-up
Brookfield Sandbag Snatch Test

Towel Training for Power
Up the Down Staircase
Swing to Success
Squatter's Rights<
Power Walking 101
Three the Hard Way
Hammer Time

Kettlebell Workouts

Hardcore Lifting Garage Workout

Jedd Johnson Fire Walk With Me


Check out Jedd Johnson ripping out an awesome garage workout, hitting some good bench numbers along with some insanme pinch gripping and hammer levering.

Dont forget to leave a comment on dieselcrew.com, as Jedd is going to let us see the next part of this video once there are 20 comments.





Watch out for my Garage Workout video this weekend



Viking Warrior Conditioning Workout Timer

REAL MADRID DEFENDER MIGUEL TORRES SAYS OK TO ATLETICO DE MADRID MOVE

According to news in from Spanish Sports daily “Marca”, REALMADRID 23 year old defender MIGUEL TORRES has given his OKto move to ATLETICO DE MADRID, as he is one of the fewplayers still left in the Real Madrid squad that the Club wish tofind him an alternative.(photo: Miguel Torres/marca.com)Atletico has been having defensive problems for sometime that needan urgent solution, especially on the

EUROPA LEAGUE 2009-2010: ATHLETIC DE BILBAO THROUGH

The 1ºleg result at home 3-2 against Norweign Team TROMSOE wasvital. This afternoon ATHLETIC DE BILBAO played the 2ºleg incircumstances that took suffering to the maximum levels, but managedthe prime objective of qualifying for this seasons EUROPA LEAGUE(ex-UEFA) with a 1-1 drawJAVI MARTINEZ was the hereo after scoring in the 56th min, butTromsoe managed to draw via RUSHFELDT in the 61st min & it

NFC North Predictions

The NFC North was a division that experienced a lot of change in the offseason. In 2008, it was considered a pretty weak division when the Minnesota Vikings won it, but in 2009 it appears to be much stronger, with 3 teams battling for supremacy. It should be one of the most intriguing division races in the NFL.

The cellar will again be occupied by the Detroit Lions, but they should be much improved. Of course, it is impossible not to improve on their 0-16 season, but that's beside the point. The biggest change is at the top, with Jim Schwartz as the new head coach. After coming over from the Tennessee Titans, he is attempting to instill a new attitude in the franchise. A big part of that will be Matthew Stafford, the number 1 pick in the NFL Draft, a QB with a ton of physical tools, who will undoubtedly see the field at some point this season.

The Green Bay Packers should be much improved, as they were one of the youngest teams in the NFL last season. Aaron Rodgers should be more comfortable in the passing game, and that should make the passing game very potent. The biggest key for the Packers success will be how well they can transition to the 3-4 defense. Dom Capers is trying to make the change this season, and Green Bay will be in the hunt for the division crown if they can make the transition seamless.

There is a lot of excitement around the Chicago Bears, mostly due to the addition of quarterback Jay Cutler. He was acquired in a trade from the Denver Broncos, and gives the Bears an elite quarterback that they have not had for a long-time. While their receiving options are inexperienced, Cutler will make everyone on the offense better. If the defense can recapture its form from the Super Bowl team, then the Bears will be strong contenders for the NFC North title.

Last, there is the Minnesota Vikings, who will be looking to repeat and make it back to the playoffs. The biggest change, of course, is the late addition of Brett Favre. After numerous struggles at the quarterback position over the past few season, Brad Childress is hoping that the 40 year-old Favre can bring stability to the most important position in football. He will have plenty of options, with Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, and Percy Harvin to gather the attention of opposing defenses. This offense, in addition to one of the best defenses in football, should be enough to repeat in the division, in my mind.

So the NFC North will be one of the most interesting and competitive divisions in football, with the Vikings, Bears, and Packers all looking like legitimate contenders. I think the Minnesota Vikings will repeat as division champions, but opinions are varied. It will be fun to see how things turn out.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2009-2010 DRAW - EXTRAORDINARY MATCHES FOR SPANIARDS

The UEFA Champions League Group draw has just been held inMonaco & it has put together some extraordinary clashes where theonly winner is the Football Fan.In what concerns Spanish Teams, there are some great Club &individual clashes that may have a certain taste of revenge: FCBarcelona vs Inter Milan (Ibrahimovic vs Eto´o) & Real Madridvs AC Milan ( Kaká vs Ronaldinho).However, one can say that

WORLD CUP 2010: SPAIN CALLS SENNA FOR UPCOMING GROUP CLASHES

SPAIN has two important upcoming WORLD CUP 2010 Group matches;BELGIUM on the 5th of September at home (A Coruña) & ESTONIA onthe 9th of September also at home (Merida). With this task at handSpanish National Team Coach & Selector Vicente del Bosque hashanded in his list of Spanish players to make up the Team, with thenovelty being the return of Villareal midfielder MARCOS SENNA. Alsocalled up is

REAL MADRID: ARJEN ROBBEN GOES TO BAYERN MUNICH

The “Dutch spring cleaning” continues at REAL MADRID, as the lastpiece of news to hit the headlines is that REAL MADRID has agreedto transfer its Dutch winger ARJEN ROBBEN to BAYERN MUNICHfor 25M€. This is surprising as the player was announced as a valuablepiece in the upcoming future side. However, the continuous injuriesthat have sidelined the player & the “tag” of being an individualiston the

FC BARCELONA: DMYTRO CHYGRNSKIY DEAL SHUT

Spanish media has published that FC BARCELONA has securedthe transfer of SHAKHTAR DONETSK 22 year old Central defenderDMYTRO CHYGRNSKIY for 25M€ although it will not beannounced as official until this Saturday as the final details willbe shut at Monaco today & tomorrow as both teams meet Fridayin the European SuperCup. Although the player cannot play theChampions League this season, Barça

WHAT FINALLY HAPPENED WILL FRANCK RIBERY & REAL MADRID?

Remember BAYERN MUNICH French International FRANCK RIBERY?Yes, of course you do, & you maybe wondering how has it all endedwith REAL MADRID.The news is that it is almost certain (99%) thatRibery will stay another year at the German Club, and then nextyear make the move to the Spanish Club.Spanish daily “AS” publishes comments from a German mediainterview were Ribery says that if to leave Germany

Ninth Circuit strikes down seizure of BALCO names

The en banc Ninth Circuit today held that government investigators violated the Fourth Amendment when, during a raid on BALCO, they seized the names of 104 MLB players who tested positive for steroids, while acting on a warrant targeted at only ten players. (H/T: Jon Pessah).

The opinion is 63 pages long (I have not had a chance to read it yet); the majority is by Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, one of the sharpest judicial minds on the federal bench and someone on the libertarian/conservative side. There are two partial concurrences/dissents and one full dissent. I would predict Supreme Court review, just because of the high-profile nature of the case.

Update:

Orin Kerr has a series of posts on the case at the Volokh Conspiracy. Orin knows the Fourth Amendment better than most people, so it is worth a read.

REAL MADRID: WESLEY SNEIJDER SAYS YES TO INTER MILAN

According to Italian Sports media “La Gazzetta dello Sport” &announced as official here in Spain by Spanish daily “Marca”,REAL MADRID midfielder WESLEY SNEIJDER has understoodthat REAL MADRID will not count with him for this season,or any other, & has finally accepted to be transferred toINTER MILAN.The deal is said to be 15M€ plus 3M€ in accordance with negotiated“variables &/or objectives”;

NFC South Predictions

Every year there seems to be a new face atop the NFC South. In a League that is full of change and unpredictably, no division in the NFL exemplifies that more than the NFC South. Over the past 5-10 years, each team in the division has had their degrees of success and division titles, which is not always the case in other divisions. Once again, entering the 2009 season the division race looks wide open.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will probably occupy the cellar of the division, as they are in the midst of a lot of change. They will have a new head coach, new quarterback, and a lot of new pieces on defense. They made it clear that they were looking to rebuild, as they did not spend a lot of their free cap space, and drafted QB Josh Freeman in round 1. They have some nice young pieces, but they won't be contending for a division title this season.

The New Orleans Saints look like they will be the 3rd place team in this division. They have a very explosive offense (led by Drew Brees), but the defense will once again be very suspect. Expect them to air it out often like last year, with Brees getting lots and lots of passing yards. He is one of the best QBs in the League, and perfectly suited for Sean Payton's offense. However, they will need a more consistent running attack from guys like Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush if they are going to have any chance to contend in the division.

I believe the Carolina Panthers will be in second place in the division, just one year after winning it and getting a first round bye. If their running back committee of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart can stay healthy, they will again have one of the best running attacks in the NFL. However, I am still not sold on Jake Delhomme. At this point in his career, he seems like a guy just good enough to get by in the regular season, but not good enough to take a team places in the postseason.

That leaves the Atlanta Falcons, who I think will be the best team in the division. They are led by 2nd year QB Matt Ryan, who is one of the best young quarterbacks in the game. He adds another weapon to his disposal with TE Tony Gonzalez, one of the best tight ends of all-time. With Michael Turner back and an improving defense, the Falcons should continue to get better under coach Mike Smith. They should win the division and could be one of the best teams in the NFC.

So the NFC South should be a wide open division once again. The division race seems to be between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, but the New Orleans Saints have the firepower to sneak in there and make some noise. I like the Falcons to eventually prevail, but it will be an interesting and entertaining division race to watch this season.

What is your prediction?

Kettlebells and Sandbags Supersets

Kettlebells and Sandbags Supersets

Finished of last night's session with 3 supersets 60kg clean and push press and 60kg sandbag over a high bar (on my squat rack - in the style of Phil PFister) total of 6 reps per exercise



Previous to this was

24kg kettlebell snatch 1x100 reps,
3x10 double kb jerks (32kg)
30 reps kettlebell snatch 32kg
48kg BUP 1 x 3reps (right hand)
53kg Inch dumbbell clean and press 3 reps left and right
60kg kettlebell snatch 5 reps left and right

SFS FLASHBACKS: DUKIC "LIGA TITLE" PENALTY 1993-1994

The Situation: The Great DEPORTIVO DE A CORUÑA defenderMIROSLAV DUKIC decides to take the penalty awarded to his teamat the last match of the season & at the last minute of the game.A goal would give Deportivo the 1993-1994 “Liga” title, ifmissed FC BARCELONA would proclaim the prized title.This is what happened:Dukic has never forgotten this moment since then. Football can bepassionate yet very

Instant Replay and Appellate Review

Chad Oldfather (Marquette) and Matthew Fernholz (J.D. Candidate at Marquette) have posted Comparative Procedure on a Sunday Afternoon: Instant Replay in the NFL as a Process of Appellate Review to SSRN. The paper considers analogies and distinctions between replay review (for which I have expressed my distaste) and judicial appeals. Here is the abstract:

During his confirmation hearings, Chief Justice John Roberts famously likened the judicial role to that of a baseball umpire. The increased prevalence of video evidence makes it likely that judges will find another sporting analogue for their role – that of the instant replay official in the NFL. (Indeed, many have already done so.) This Essay explores the analogy. In so doing it seeks not only to consider its appropriateness in a narrow sense (much as many commentators considered the appropriateness of the Chief Justice’s analogy), but also to conduct something of a comparative analysis and thereby to use it as a vehicle for illustrating some general characteristics of a process of decisional review.

PRELIMINARY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2009: ATLETICO DE MADRID 2 - PANATHINAIKOS 0 (5-2 AGG) : VIDEO GOALS

Good news Atletico people!ATLETICO DE MADRID defeated PANATHINAIKOS 2-0 (5-2 agg) toensure itself a place in this seasons CHAMPIONS LEAGUE which wasthe main objective. This way they assure themselves a chance to showcase themselves & their stars in Europe & gain a well needed financial boost. This is a definate shot in the arm for the Club as theygo into the new season with confidence, form & now

Dryer v. NFL: Retired NFL Players Sue for Use of Identities

As detailed by Nooman Merchant of the Associated Press, a group of retired NFL players are suing the NFL under the Lanham Act over the NFL's use (and particularly NFL Film's use) of their identities. Merchant interviewed me for the story. Here is an excerpt and my comments:

* * *

NFL Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea [#65 above, a defensive lineman who played for the Houston Oilers and recorded a lot of sacks while doing so] and five other players sued the league for using their names and images for profit without their permission.

The players filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday in federal court in Minneapolis. The lawsuit accuses the NFL of exploiting retired players' identities in films, highlight reels and memorabilia to market the league's "glory days" without compensating the players.

"It's really turned into a big property," said Bob Stein, a lawyer for the players.

* * *

Michael McCann, a sports law expert and professor at Vermont Law School, said the lawsuit was similar to a complaint filed last month by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon against the NCAA. O'Bannon is seeking unspecified damages for the use of former players' likenesses in video games and other material. [O'Bannon v. NCAA]

In this case, McCann said, the NFL would likely refer to its collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA. The player contract in that agreement gives publicity rights to the league.

"Whether there's sufficient language in there affecting retired players remains to be seen," McCann said.

In June, a group of more than 2,000 retirees won a $26.25 million settlement with the NFLPA over the use of their likenesses in video games, trading cards and other sports products. The retirees sued in 2007, accusing the union of failing to actively pursue marketing deals for such products.

* * *

To read the complaint for Dryer v. NFL, click here.

INTER MILAN: SNEIJDER BACKS DOWN AT LAST MOMENT

The Italian media were partially correct today when they announcedthat REAL MADRID midfielder WESLEY SNEIJDER was to grab a plane& fly off to Milan to shut the transfer deal with INTER MILAN.However, in the very last moment the Dutchmen went back on hisintentions deciding to stay in Madrid alleging “personal reasons”It´s no secret that Real Madrid & INTER MILAN are in total agreementwith the

More Commercialization of the Student-Athlete

Sports Business Daily, citing timteblog.com, reports that the Fort Myers Miracle minor-league baseball team is holding a "What Would Tim Tebow Do?" promotion on Wednesday night during its game against the St. Lucie Mets (See Tebow: The Minor-League Baseball Gimmick). According to timteblog.com, the park is going to use Tim Tebow's name and/or indentity in the following events:

• Free promise rings for everyone entering the stadium.
• First pitch will be a "jump pass."
• Team manager and gameday staff will deal with problems by asking themselves "What Would Tebow Do?"
• Guy named "Tim Tebow" (not THAT Tim Tebow) will try to walk on some water.
• Faith healer on premises (bonus: if a Miracle fielder makes an error during the game all fans in attendance get a ticket to the regular-season finale next weekend -- really?)
• Plenty of jumbotron replaying of "The Promise."
• If you're wearing college gear at the game -- presumably Florida stuff -- you could win tickets to the Florida-Arkansas game.

REAL MADRID 2009-2010:TEAM PHOTO

SFS has uploaded the REAL MADRID 2009- 2010 Team photo takenyesterday at the "Santiago Bernabeu Trophy", following the same lineas yesterday uploading the latest Fc Barcelona Team photo (seebelow).Hopefully this should make happy the many Real fans who aresearching & who collect such images. As you can see the team ispretty much complete with Pepe, Sergio Ramos & Higuaín (Robben)only missing.(

John Wild Snatches 70kg Kettlebell

70kg Kettlebell Snatch

Awesome display of power by John Wild Buckley, with a 70kg kettlebell SNATCHED




Take Your Fitness To Another Level with the Gymboss Interval Timer

SANTIAGO BERNABEU TROPHY 2009: REAL MADRID 4 - ROSENBERG 0 (VIDEO GOALS)

REAL MADRID used its traditional new season showcase, the "SantiagoBernabeu Trophy" match, in front of its home crowd & fans topresent some of their new signings (Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, Garay &Granedo), farewell 10 year veteran defender MICHEL SALGADO (seebelow video) & defeat Norwegian team ROSENBERG 4-0.Salgado Farewell TributeReal Madrid put onto the field their best team at this moment

3rd Circuit Rejects Delaware Sports Lottery Proposal

Gabe has previously discussed the lawsuit filed by the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA seeking to prevent Delaware from effectively implementing legalized sports gambling as part of the state's lottery program. Earlier this month, the federal district court denied the leagues' and the NCAA's request for a preliminary injunction which would have prevented Delaware from offering single-game betting beginning next month. Today the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held an oral argument in the leagues' and NCAA's appeal from the district court's decision, and ruled that Delaware's proposal, as currently envisioned, violates the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. A written opinion is expected at a later date.

On first impression, this appears to be a big win for the professional sports leagues and the NCAA, and a substantial set-back for the State of Delaware. Indeed, rather than limiting itself to the injunction issue that was before it, the appeals court went ahead and issued a ruling on the ultimate merits of the dispute. Delaware must now decide whether to seek an en banc rehearing before the entire Third Circuit, or possibly petition the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari. In the meantime, however, despite today's ruling, Delaware may nevertheless proceed next month with a lottery game offering parlay bets on NFL contests, which the leagues conceded would be legal under Delaware's prior, limited exemption to the PASPA.

FC BARCELONA: 2009 SPANISH SUPERCUP CHAMPIONS - TEAM PHOTO

SFS thought that the many Barça fans may wish to see this photo.One knows that many collect these images.(photo credit:FRANCESC ADELANTADO / MARCA)

SPANISH SUPERCUP RESULT: FC BARCELONA WINS 3-0 (5-1 AGG) AT BILBAO

Now it´s FOUR titles, as FC BARCELONA continues where they leftoff last season as they won tonight the SPANISH SUPERCUP 2009defeating 3-0 ( 5-1 on aggregate) ATHLETIC DE BILBAO.Barça are playing the Best Football of the continent (possibly theWorld) & it’s a spectacle to watch them play & see how the newincorporations of Ibrahimovic & Maxwell have settled in nicelyinto the scheme of things.The

KAKÁ & CRISTIANO RONALDO TV INTERVIEW

REAL MADRID stars CRISTIANO RONALDO & KAKÁ have given anexclusive interview together to Real Madrid TV that has beentransmitted locally (eg. TVE) & it is very interesting. Both playerstalk about their past, the present & the future, a future full ofoptimism & goals to take their carreers further & give their newClub more fame & titles.Here is the VIDEO. SFS apologies as it is in Spanish/Portugues

FC BARCELONA: CHYGRYNSKIY & MATA NOT FORGOTTEN

FC BARCELONA Coach Guardiola has let known to his superiors thatalthough he has the “Best Team in the World” he desires a coupleof new signings to guarantee two positions: the central defence & aleft midfielder/winger. According to “Sport” the chosen names areDMYTRO CHYGRYNSKIY of SHAKHTAR DONETSK as defender &JUAN MATA of VALENCIA CF as the midfielder/winger.FC Barcelona has made a 25M€ offer

ALVARO NEGREDO FINALLY GOES TO SEVILLA FC

REAL MADRID forward ALVARO NEGREDO has finally chosen SEVILLAFC over Real Zaragoza, Hull City & Zenit of St.Petersburg to play inthe next years. Sevilla FC entered into the signing race when it alllooked as if Negredo would go to Real Zaragoza, but a 15M€ transferprice & a 5 year deal ( with Real Madrid having an option of a buyback in the first two years) has convinced the forward.Negredo was

Alan Dershowitz: MLB Needs Much Tougher Penalties on Beanballs

Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz (of many sources of fame, including being a member of O.J. Simpson's successful legal team in People of California v. Simpson and successfully representing Claus von Bulow in his murder trial), has an interesting op-ed in the Boston Globe on what he considers to be inadequate penalties for big league pitchers who throw at and hit batters, as well as the managers of those pitchers. Dershowitz proposes dramatic increases in punishment.

Here's an excerpt:

* * *

It has become routine in baseball to throw at a batter. Being beaned is part of the risk of playing baseball . . .

Such was the case with Kevin Youkilis, back in the Red Sox lineup last night after a five-day suspension. The throw that prompted Youkilis to rush the mound was, according the Major League Baseball, deliberate. He was hit on the back.

Youkilis and pitcher Rick Porcello were both suspended for five days even though the decision to throw at Youkilis was premeditated and deliberate whereas Youkilis’s response was unpremeditated and provoked. Death, serious injury, and the end to careers can result from being struck by a ball, particularly in the head; it is rare for anybody to be seriously hurt when a batter charges the mound with his bare hands. Accordingly, an equal penalty for these two very different offenses was outrageous.

Moreover, the penalties were anything but equal in impact. Youkilis, one of the most consistent hitters and fielders in Major League Baseball, and one of its most difficult outs, missed approximately 25 at bats and numerous fielding chances. During his five game suspension, the Red Sox lost 4 games and won only 1. The five day suspension of Porcello, on the other hand, barely affected his team. Normally a starting pitcher gets to the mound only once in five days, so Porcello didn’t even miss one full rotation . . .

The message conveyed by Major League Baseball, even if unintended, is that it pays for a pitcher to throw at a superstar. Since human nature will often cause a batter to respond impulsively to being struck, a pitcher can trade a meaningless suspension for a meaningful one against the opposing team.

Moreover, had Youkilis not charged the mound, it is extremely unlikely that Porcello would have been suspended at all. But even if he were to have received a slap on the wrist, managers will now have an incentive to continue to encourage pitchers to throw at valuable batters, since their team can derive a benefit.

* * *
The minimum penalty for a manager must be suspension for an entire season, perhaps even for life. For the pitcher, suspension for the season should be mitigated only if the pitcher turned in the manager. There should also be penalties for any baseball player who hears the manager or coach order the beaning of a player without reporting it.

* * *

To read the rest, click here.

Freedom of Information Act & UConn's Self Reported Violations

Dave Altimari of the Hartford Courant recently made a Freedom of Information Request to discover UConn's self-reported violations for its big three sports teams: men's basketball, women's basketball, and football. Interestingly, despite the various scandals of the school -- most notably the scandal involving recruit basketball recruit Nate Miles and UConn student-manager-turned agent Josh Nochimson -- UConn only reported 17 minor infractions involving those teams over the last five years.

Altimari interviewed me for the story and here is an excerpt with my comments:

* * *

The self-reported cases, known as secondary violations, normally don't end up putting schools on probation or costing athletes eligibility. But the 61 pages of documents obtained by The Courant through a Freedom of Information request provide a window into how a big-time athletic department polices itself.

At UConn, the women's basketball program has had the most self-reported violations in the past five years with seven. The men's basketball program has six violations and football three, records show. There was one violation involving overpayment of meal money to both football and women's basketball players.

"That strikes me as not a high number of cases," Vermont Law School professor and sports law analyst Michael McCann said. "On one level it makes UConn look good because it shows they are handling and recording everything, including things that a typical person wouldn't think are a big deal."

* * *
UConn has been conducting an internal investigation into allegations that some of the contacts were illegal and that UConn coaches knew that Nochimson was representing Miles when they contacted him. Miles never played for UConn.

McCann said the fact that the school reported nothing about interactions with Nochimson is puzzling.

"How could they report all this other stuff and not report anything involving Nochimson and Miles? It's almost like they are ignoring the elephant in the room," McCann said.

* * *

To read the rest, click here. For a terrific Sports Law Blog post on the Freedom of Information Act from 2007 by Rick Karcher and terrific comments by Howard Wasserman, Jimmy H, and Rick, click here.

Burress Pleads Guilty

For those following the Plaxico Burress saga, Burress pleaded guilty this morning to one count of criminal possession of a weapon. Under his plea agreement, Burress will receive a two-year prison sentence, along with two years of post-release supervision. With good behavior, however, he will be eligible for parole after approximately 20 months in jail. Had Burress not reached a plea agreement, he was potentially facing up to 15 years in prison.

The plea agreement is still pending the approval of a state court judge, with sentencing set for September 22.

Compex Cefar EMS Article

Compex Cefar EMS Article - What can an EMS machine do for you?

EMS devices originated in around 1971 (In Russia) and took the world by storm.
However, today they are less prominent than they were.

Many great sprint champs have/still use these devices - under the tutelage of Charlie Francis (Ben Johnson etc) and also Christian Thibaudeau is an advocator of this method to aid explosiveness training and physical strength enhancement.

I personally have also done many treatments with this apparatus (hence me owning one, but no longer have time to put to good use) my CEFAR is for sale on EBAY

What is an EMS Training Session?


Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is the practice of using a special unit to send electrical signals to your muscle in order to make it contract. The motor unit (MU) is the functional unit of muscle contraction, with each motor unit containing a single alpha motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it “enervates” (contracts). The fibers contained in a motor unit grouping are all of the same type and the larger, more powerful muscle fibers (a.k.a. “fast-twitch fibers”) are typically located closer to the skin surface than the “endurance fibers” (a.k.a. “slow-twitch fibers”). Electrode pads are placed over the skin of the muscle with the intent to isolate a specific muscle or sequence of muscles. It’s impossible to isolate a single motor unit because any portion of the muscle where you place the pads will potentially activate fibers belonging to 20-50 motor units.

Read more here

In summary - several EMS session (15-20) can significanly increase your strength levels when used in conjuction with resistance training

Kettlebell training to follow soon


Take Your Fitness To Another Dimension with the Gymboss Interval Timer

SFS FLASHBACKS: LUIS SUAREZ

Luis Suarez Miramontes (1935 - ), a Spanish Football legend thatplayed for FC BARCELONA & later become the first Spaniard signedby an Italian team, the famous INTER MILAN of the 60s. It wasprecisely with Inter where he won in 1960 the “Golden Ball”as Europe’s Best Football Player, making him the ONLY Spaniard todate to have done so.He remains associated with Inter Milan at the highest level.Here

SIMPLY PEP GUARDIOLA, COACH OF FC BARCELONA

No he is not an Italian, nor is he a Conductor of Orchestra. It is justFC BARCELONA Coach PEP GUARDIOLA externalizing his passion …Thanks to “Messi10Ibrahimovic9” who uploaded on “YouTube”

REAL MADRID: ALVARO NEGREDO TO REAL ZARAGOZA

He is one of the most demanded forwards in Spanish Football withsucculent offers also from English Premier League Club HULL CITY &Russian team ZENIT ST PETERSBURG, but the 24 year old REALMADRID player ALVARO NEGREDO is reported to have chosen tostay in Spain & play in REAL ZARAGOZA. The player currently hasn’ta secure place in a Real Madrid team full of stars, & has chosen tolook elsewhere to

FC BARCELONA DOMINATE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AWARD NOMINATIONS

UEFA has nominated its candidates for the Champions League2008-2009 Awards, a prize given to the Best player in eachgiven position according to the Coaches who’s team reachedthe last 16 teams of the competition. The winners will beknown on the 27th of August coinciding with the ChampionsLeague 2009-2010 Groups draw in Monaco.(photo: sport.es)FC BARCELONA dominate the list with 6 players,

Maple Bats and Antitrust Law

Professor Christopher Robinette of Widener University School of Law and TortsProf Blog passes along a provocative student note written by Steve Matzura, who will be graduating from Widener Law next May. Matzura's note, which is being published by the Widener Law Journal, is titled, "Will Maple Bats Splinter Baseball's Antitrust Exemptions?: The Rule of Reason Steps to the Plate."

Here's an excerpt:

* * *

Maple baseball bats have become extremely popular among players throughout Major League Baseball (MLB). But maple bats continue to be a safety hazard because they break, injuring players, fans, and umpires. This comment explains the antitrust implications of an MLB rule that may restrict or qualify the use of maple bats to address the recent safety concerns. Any such restriction of the popular sports equipment may cause bat manufacturers, and perhaps players, to initiate an antitrust suit against MLB for an unfair restraint of trade. The comment’s analysis contemplates two judicially-created antitrust exemptions – the baseball exemption and the nonstatutory labor exemption – that almost entirely absolve MLB of liability for instituting a league rule even if the rule affects economic competition. The comment proposes that courts can interpret the exemptions narrowly to render them inapplicable, thereby reaching the merits to conduct a "rule of reason" analysis. The comment concludes that, even if a court finds the two antitrust exemptions inapplicable, the rule of reason and judicial deference to sports leagues will allow MLB to freely promulgate an equipment restriction instituted primarily for safety reasons–regardless of the effect on economic competition.

* * *

To download the note from SSRN, click here.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis and The $500,000 Diet

Sports contracts include all sorts of bonuses in order to incentivize behavior, but this one caught my attention:

The Boston Celtics are bringing back Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who agreed to a two-year deal that could pay $6 million . . . Davis will receive $5 million in base salary and can earn an additional 500,000 per season for meeting certain weight clauses, a source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

Davis, of course, has a history of weight problems, which may partly explain why he fell out of the first round in the 2007 NBA Draft and also why he struggled to attract much interest as a free agent this off-season (another reason is his height relative to position -- 6'6 power forwards usually aren't coveted).

The incentives in his contract suggest that Davis believes his weight woes are his own fault, or at least primarily his fault, rather than the fault of unusual metabolism or something else that would be beyond his control. After-all, if he thought his weight problems were beyond his control, then he presumably wouldn't ascribe much value to the incentive.

With obesity rates soaring in the U.S., it will be interesting to see if more athletes encounter weight woes and if, correspondingly, teams turn to $$ as a way of discouraging players from putting on the pounds.

Special Kettlebell Exercises

Special Kettlebell Exercises

A nice and refreshing change to grunting, sweaty kettlebell lifting.

Kettlebell Special Exercises by Katerina Pisetsky

I used to be able to do this :)

Honest;)



Check out more about Rhythymic Gymnast Katerina Pisetsky here

Ex REAL MADRID DEFENDER SALGADO GOES TO BLACKBURN ROVERS

Ex REAL MADRID defender MICHEL SALGADO has taken up thechallenge & will agree to play in the English Premier League withBLACKBURN ROVERS. He will sign for the next two years & nodoubt with add experience to his new team.Salgado has rejected offers from Dubai & from Spanish Club REALZARAGOZA to make the jump into the Premier League & thus beable to finish his career playing in two of the World’s

ATHLETICS: MARTA DOMINGUEZ GIVES SPAIN GOLD IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009

She is possibly one of Spain’s all time best track & field athlete.MARTA DOMINGUEZ “surprised” most experts to take the WORLDCHAMPIONS title in the Female 3, 000 m Steeplechase race heldthis evening at the Athletic World Championships in Berlin(Germany).The 33 year old has been unlucky with injuries at crucial moments& with bad luck in her long 16 year career, Marta came back into formthis year &

Alito on the Baseball Antitrust "Exemption"

In 2008, Justice Alito gave a speech to the Supreme Court Historical Society on Major League Baseball's antitrust status, as Howard and Ed Edmonds discussed here and here. Justice Alito's remarks have now been published in the Journal of Supreme Court History, and are available on-line.

INTER MILAN GOES AFTER WESLEY SNEIJDER

Could this be the last goal that WESLEY SNEIJDER scores for REALMADRID?The news is hot from Italy & its doing the rounds here as well. ItalianClub INTER MILAN is apparently sending Sports Director Marco Brancato Madrid to negotiate with Real the transfer of Wesley Sneijder.The offer is around 20M€ & the Club will offer the Dutchman 4M€/yearsalary & a 4 year contract. The loss of Inter midfielder

What if Rick Pitino Had Been a Woman?

Professor Joseph Kohm, who teaches sports law at Regent University School of Law and is a certified MLB agent (and former member of the Syracuse men's basketball team), checks in with an interesting question:

* * *

My wife [Professor Lynne Marie Kohn] teaches Family Law and Gender in the Law at Regent University and she asked me a very interesting question today. She wondered what would be the reaction if Rick Pitino was a woman. What if she was a prominent Division 1 head women’s basketball coach and it came to light that she had engaged in sexual intercourse on a table with a man (not her husband) she just met that evening in a restaurant? Some news reports in the Pitino matter say that one of his assistants was called to the restaurant and that the assistant was able to hear what was going on inside. Not to mention the abortion issue.

I looked at Coach Pitino’s employment contract and he can be dismissed for conduct that, “could objectively be anticipated to bring Employee into public disrepute or scandal” or his actions tend, “to greatly offend the public.” Similarly, he can be terminated if his actions sink to a level of “moral depravity.” Maybe it’s just me but I sense kind of a boys-will-be-boys attitude by the Athletic Director, whereas if a Coach who was a woman engaged in this type of behavior, she would have to wear The Scarlet Letter.

* * *

Has Pitino's gender helped him?

LIVERPOOL FC EYES AT BILBAO DEFENDER AMOREBIETA?

News from “Marca”, which has been picked up from the Englishpaper “The Sun”, comment that various members of LIVERPOOL FCtravelled to Bilbao last night to witness the Spanish SuperCup gamebetween Athletic & FC Barcelona.The reason? The ATHLETIC DE BILBAO defender FERNANDOAMOREBIETA who has caught the attention of Manager-CoachRafael Benitez who wishes to reinforce his teams defence. Itis

Alan Milstein on Clarett v. NFL and Prospect of Similar Challenge to NBA Eligibility Restriction

Alan Milstein, who litigated on behalf of Maurice Clarett in Clarett v. NFL (I was also part of Clarett's legal team), was interviewed over on Hoop Teens about the prospect of a player challenging the NBA's eligibility rule, which requires that U.S. players be at least 19-years-old by December 31 of the year of the draft and that they be one year removed from high school (In contrast, international players, defined as those who maintain a permanent residence outside of the United States for at least three years preceding the draft, need only be 19-years-old by December 31 of the year of the draft.).

Here are some excerpts from Alan's interview:

* * *

“He was precluded from playing at Ohio State because of supposed NCAA violations,” says Alan Milstein, Clarett’s lawyer in the case. “He had no other place to go. He was ready to play football. They were ready to hire him. And he just needed to get into the draft.”

* * *

“The 2nd circuit was wrong in the way that they ruled on the case,” says Milstein with conviction. “We won at the district court level, lost at the 2nd circuit. We shouldn’t have lost, we should have won.”

Milstein disagrees with skeptics that say football is a different beast than the other pro sports. Surely the physicality of the sport gives the NFL legitimacy in requiring players to be at least three years removed from high school. Right?

“The best hockey player in the world [Sidney Crosby] came out of high school,” says Milstein. “I think the NFL is a kid’s game compared to the NHL as far as the level of violence. If the players are ready to play, they will get drafted. If they’re not ready to play, they won’t make the team.”

Milstein is a staunch proponent of no age limits in professional sports and thinks the policies that professional leagues set run deeper than just meeting their own interests. “I think it’s an outrageous policy [setting age limits], perpetuated by an agreement by the … pro teams to help the NCAA,” says Milstein.

Asked if he would have any interest in challenging the NBA’s policy if he was approached by a client, Milstein replies, “Absolutely.” Spencer Haywood did challenge the NBA — and won — but that was back in 1971. Since the NBA’s new age policy took effect with the 2006 draft, nobody has bothered to contest it in court. Just last year, Brandon Jennings chose to play in Italy for one season instead of trying his luck in the judicial system.

* * *

I discuss the prospect of a legal challenge to the NBA's eligibility restriction in my forthcoming law review article Judge Sonia Sotomayor and the Relationship Between Leagues and Players, which Henry Abbot recently discussed on ESPN.com and Darren Heitner discussed on Sports Agent Blog. Yes, the article title will soon change to "Justice Sonia Sotomayor . . ."

SPANISH SUPERCUP 2009 - 1º LEG: AT BILBAO 1 - FC BARCELONA 2 (VIDEO GOALS)

The Spanish Football season 2009-2010 kicked off tonight with the1ºst leg of the SPANISH SUPERCUP game between ATHLETIC DE BILBAO & FC BARCELONA. The latter continued were it left off lastseason with good play & a 1-2 win which gives them a hugeadvantage for the 2ºleg next Sunday at the "Camp Nou".At Bilbao had it´s best moments in the latter part of the 1ºst half whenthey took the ball possesion

Who will be the newcomers in the NFL Playoffs in 2009?

It seems like every year in the NFL there is plenty of turnover in who makes the playoffs and who misses out. In a League with ultimate parity, a team can rise from nowhere to make the playoffs, much like the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons did a season ago. 2009 will be no different, as there will almost certainly be multiple teams that will make the playoffs in 2009 that missed out in 2008.

First and foremost, the New England Patriots. With the return of Tom Brady, they could be the most dangerous team in the NFL, and have to be considered the favorite to win the AFC East and get back to the playoffs. They will have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, with Brady pitching throws to Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Joey Galloway. Look for them to lead the NFL in scoring and make it back to the playoffs after a one year hiatus.

The Houston Texans have a longer playoff drought than anyone else in the NFL, but they should be a very dangerous team in 2009. With offensive weapons like Matt Schaub, Steve Slaton, and Andre Johnson, they have the potential to be one of the most explosive offenses in the League if they can all remain healthy. The defense, led by Mario Williams, needs to get better. If it does, the Texans could get to the playoff for the first time in the history of their franchise.

The Dallas Cowboys were widely regarded as one of the favorites in the NFC last season, but they collapsed in the 2nd half, causing them to miss the playoffs all together. However, they certainly have all of the pieces in place to be a very dangerous team. Led by Tony Romo and a vaunted rushing attack featuring Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice, the offense will be potent under OC Jason Garrett. The defense is led by DeMarcus Ware, who might be the best defensive player in the NFL. If they can put it all together and be disciplined, they will be in the thick of things in the NFC.

Next there is the Seattle Seahawks, who just got hit with a bevy of injuries last season which doomed things before the start. Matt Hasselbeck is back and looking very good so far. The addition of WR TJ Houshmanzadeh will help the offense be more explosive, and rookie LB Aaron Curry will be a nice boost for the defense. If they can remain healthy, they will be a dangerous team under first year coach Jim Mora Jr.

It seems like every year we experience a lot of turnover in the NFL playoffs, and there is no reason to think that 2009 will be any different. Look for teams like the Patriots, Texans, Cowboys, and Seahawks to be very dangerous and threaten for playoff spots in 2009.

Article can also be found here.

MOTO GP: CZECH REP - GOOD DAY FOR SPANIARDS EXCEPT FOR LORENZO

Spanish GP rider JORGE LORENZO ( below) may have "kissed" his chances of the World title after feeling the pressure & falling of hisbike when in front & with Valentino Rossi about to manouver toovertake. The fall gives the Italian & 8 times World Champion a 50point gap lead in the current Championship standing after winningtodays GP race.The good news is that two other Spanish riders gotthe

Terence Mitchell 150kg Kettlebell Swings

Terence Mitchell 150kg Kettlebell Swings

Incredible strength and power by Terence Mitchell from South Africa.

Here Mitch swings 2 x 75kg kettlebells, nice!

Terence Mitchell Blog

FRIENDLY GAME: SAN SEBASTIAN 0 - REAL MADRID 2

REAL MADRID travelled to play SAN SEBASTIAN in their 100th anniversary & won 0-2 with goals from BENZEMA & SNEIJDER,but that was deceiving as Real didn’t show their potential againsta 2º division side. In SFS opinion, there is a lot of work to do &worrying at that!See video of goals:

SFS FLASHBACKS: REAL MADRID 7 - E.FRANKFURT 3

It was 1960 & the European Cup Final was played at Glasgow(Hampden Park).REAL MADRID dominated World Football with 4European Cup titles in a row & were playing German side EINTRACHTFRANKFURKT for their 5th title.End result: Real Madrid 7 – E.Frankfurt 3. Real Madrid legendaryforwards Puskas & Di Stefano destroy the Germans

Rick Pitino

I defer to Jeff Pearlman of SI.com for my thoughts, as he says it best:

If you are a parent, and your son is considering an offer to play basketball at the University of Louisville, you need to reconsider.

Really, you do.

I know ... I know. Rick Pitino rebuilds programs, wins championships and turns out pros. That, there's no denying. But Rick Pitino also cheated on his wife and five children in a restaurant with a woman (who in a strange twist of fate later became his co-worker's wife), and gave said woman $3,000 -- which depending on whose side you believe, to have an abortion (her claim) or buy health insurance (his).

Oh, then he "mans up" (the most meaningless phrase in the history of sports vernacular) and admits to his transgressions ... six years later after she allegedly attempts to extort $10 million from him.

EDIT: Also, the founder of the group Cardinals for Life:

Meanwhile a student group at the University of Louisville called for the school to fire Pitino due to a morality clause in his contract that states the coach can be terminated for "acts of moral depravity."

Abortion should count as a morally depraved act, said Matt Foushee, who founded the group Louisville Cardinals for Life.

"The real root of this issue is that we have someone who would've been a six-year-old boy or girl right now, who is dead," Foushee said. "And the tragedy is that it is not being seen as a problem. (Pitino is) being seen as the victim."

Amen.

Kettlebell Tower of Power

Beast Kettlebell Tower of Power 48kg

From yesterdays training session



60kg BU Snatch



had a very tough session flipping the beast kettlebell for a total of 100 reps including 5 sets of Tower of Terror before moving on to the 60kg

My aim was to do a tower of terror with the 60 but only have failed so far. Much strength is required at the top with this movement to be able to hold and then flip the bell over. However I'm sure I'll get this one soon.

Watch my video of the first time i did the Tower of Terror

ATLETICO DE MADRID: SERGIO AGUERO IS DESTINED TO LEAVE - SOONER OR LATER

ATLETICO DE MADRID Argentine International forward SERGIOAGÜERO seems destined to leave the Spanish Club sooner or later.Earlier in the year it was Inter Milan that was tempting the player,Chelsea FC was reported to have made a > 40M€ offer, Italian ClubJuventus has asked this week & MANCHESTER UNITED sent a scoutlast Tuesday to “spy” on Aguero in Moscow when he played forArgentina against Russia

REAL MADRID: IS FRANCK RIBERY STILL A POSSIBILITY?

Mr. Franck Ribery has opened the “Box of Pandora” again playingwith his French National side yesterday against the Faroe Islandswhen in theory he was injured. In fact the BAYERN MUNICH playerhasn’t participated in any play with his Club citing a knee injury.This has been interpreted as a last ditched sign that theFrenchmen wishes to leave his Club & he wishes Bayern Munich toopen up & listening

Andy Cairney Stone Lifting

Andy Cairney Totally Destroying the Inver Stone

Andy Cairney totally blows my mind with this lift of the Inver Stone, done a few weeks ago.

How to make a 265lb stone look like a bag of paper. Wow!





195 Kg Atlas Stone to Shoulder

More insane strength



Check out my Inver Stone lift

FRIENDLY GAME: MACEDONIA 2 -SPAIN 3 (VIDEO GOALS)

SPAIN defeated MACEDONIA 2-3 away after a second half comeback.The first half was lack lustre for the Spaniards with Macedonia takingadvantage of two clinical counter-attacks with two goals by PANDEV.The second half saw Spain make changes in midfield with Riera,Busquets & Cesc bringing in new ideas that saw 3 goals in 10 minutes– TORRES, PIQUE & RIERA – to make the comeback & take the

New Sports Law Scholarship

Recently published scholarship includes:

Lindsey M. Baldwin, Note, When a goon’s goal is a green card: NHL players and the alien of extraordinary ability immigrant visa category, 22 GEORGETOWN IMMIGRATION LAW JOURNAL 715 (2008)

Erin DeNatale, Comment, FORE: the problem with the LPGA’s proposed language policy, 30 WHITTIER LAW REVIEW 623 (2009)
Marc Edelman, The house that taxpayers built: exploring the rise in publicly funded baseball stadiums from 1953 through the present, 16 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 257 (2009)

Matthew Epps, Comment, Full court press: how collective bargaining weakened the NBA’s competitive edge in a globalized sport, 16 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 343 (2009)

Victor Matheson and Brad R. Humphreys, PILOTs and public policy: steering through the economic ramifications, 16 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 273 (2009)

Stephen J. Matzura, Comment, Will maple bats splinter baseball’s antitrust exemptions?: the rule of reason steps to the plate, 18 WIDENER LAW JOURNAL 975 (2009)

Michael L. Meyer, Note, If nobody picks up the ball is it really a fumble, or is it a forfeit? The NFL Players Association request for legislative changes to the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947, 43 VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW 1375 (2009)

Brianna J. Schroeder, Note, Power imbalances in college athletics and an exploited standard: is Title IX dead?, 43 VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW 1483 (2009)

Jeffrey Standen, The monopoly myth: a comment on the public funding of sports stadiums, 16 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 267 (2009)

Bryan Steinkohl, Comment, Now taking the field, the state government: landmark status of baseball stadiums as regulatory takings, 29 LOYOLA L.A. ENTERTAINMENT LAW REVIEW 233 (2009)

Jeffrey S. Storms, El montículo (“the mound”): the disparate treatment of Latin American baseball players in Major League Baseball, 11 UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS JOURNAL OF LAW & PUBLIC POLICY 81 (2009)

Stephen Taylor, Comment, “Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?” U.S. taxation of foreign athletes and entertainers, 16 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 375 (2009)

PREVIEW FRIENDLY GAME: MACEDONIA - SPAIN

Nice to be back after a few days away on relax. However the newsdoes not stop for a moment & the biggest & saddest was the suddendeath of 26 year old Espanyol Captain Dani Jarque after an unexplainedheart attack. There have been too many examples in such a shorttime that leads to too many suspicious questions & calls for tightermedical examinations. SFS wishes to send a warm message to allthe

Using Social Psychology to Evaluate Race and Law in Sports

I have posted on SSRN a draft of a forthcoming chapter I've written for "Reversing Field: Examining Commercialization, Labor, Gender and Race in 21st Century Sports Law" (andré douglas pond cummings and Anne Marie Lofaso eds, forthcoming).

Here is the abstract:

This chapter will examine the connection between social psychology and the larger topic of race, sports, and the law. It will begin by discussing human attitudes and cognitive biases and then turn to what could be the most clearly detectable, or at least the most controversial, connection between social psychology, race, and sports law: the alleged nexus between implicit attitudes and patterns of referees and umpires when officiating games. In particular, the chapter will discuss recent research on the supposed propensity of National Basketball Association referees to call fouls on African-American players with greater frequency than objective data would predict. The chapter will also consider new research on Major League Baseball umpires and a possible relationship between pitchers’ race and umpires’ called balls and strikes. It will then raise the possibility that the Wonderlic Personal Test for the National Football League Draft and similar tests may corroborate findings on stereotype threat. The chapter will conclude by noting the importance of law and collective-bargaining in rectifying related concerns.

To download the chapter, click here.

Taxi Cab Convictions?

Early Sunday morning, Chicago Blackhawks star winger, Patrick Kane, was arrested (along with his cousin) in Buffalo for allegedly beating a cab driver (Jan Radecki) and taking back the fare that they paid ($15). The charges against the Kane's are for Second Degree Robbery (per the NY Penal Code, punishment must be at least 3.5 years and not to exceed 15 years in jail, and a fine of up to $5,000), and Class A misdemeanor counts for Criminal Mischief and Theft of Services (punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine). The police report (a Felony Complaint and a Misdemeanor/Violation Information Sheet) states that the Kane's paid the $13.80 meter with $15, for which $1 in change was given. When the driver did not produce the additional 20 cents in change, the Kane's took the $15 back and repeatedly punched the driver.

Since the police report was drafted, a few more facts have come to light: (1) the driver admits in an interview that he kept the doors of his minivan cab locked upon arrival at the Kane's destination, and (2) the driver may not have held a valid license. Why do we care? If you are an attorney for the Kane's, you want to paint this picture: the cab driver unlawfully restrained us in his cab by keeping the doors locked, a reasonable person would fear for his safety at 4am being restrained in a cab, and add to that the fact that my client is a star athlete who has an even greater reason to fear being put in danger. Would this defense fly? It likely will not matter. Patrick Kane is a hometown hero in Buffalo who days earlier appeared with Buffalo's mayor for a ceremony related to a financial commitment from Kane to an ice hockey rink for the City. The taxi driver does not paint the picture of an entirely innocent victim as initially reported. Attorneys for the driver and Kane have since played down this incident as well. A preliminary hearing is set for Monday, but Kane's attorney (Paul J. Cambria Jr.) has stated he is seeking to have said hearing rescheduled for later next week (Kane is due back in the Chicago suburbs on Monday for a 34-man tryout/mini-camp for the US Hockey Team's trip to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver). Look for an agreement to be reached with the prosecution for a fine and some community service, and the driver receiving some cash.

A concern for Kane could be his appearing on the cover of EA Sports' NHL 2010 for Sony and Nintendo. The game is set to hit stores on September 15, 2009. While at this stage, changing the cover is likely too late if EA Sports wished to do so, but there is precedent for a change. NHL 2004 was to feature Joe Thornton on the cover, but Thornton was dropped after an assault charge. Thornton's replacement, Dany Heatley was also removed after his involvement in a motor vehicle accident that killed his teammate, Dan Snyder. While the first shipments of NHL 2004 were released with Heatley on the cover, subsequent covers featured Joe Sakic.

I was interviewed on Fox this morning regarding this matter. Go to the link for "What's Next for Kane, Blackhawks?"