Howard’s HR rallies Phils past Cardinals (AP)
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Ryan Howard(notes) took a mighty cut, dropped his bat and admired the shot. The big slugger didn’t go down looking in a clutch spot this time, and Roy Halladay(notes) overcame a shaky start to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Saturday night in the opener of their NL division series. Howard shook off his season-ending strikeout last October to hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in a five-run sixth inning, sending Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy. Halladay retired his last 21 batters, and the NL East champions began their all-or-nothing postseason run with a comeback win. Halladay allowed three runs and three hits, striking out eight in eight innings. He didn’t allow a runner after Skip Schumaker(notes) led off the second with a single. Game 2 is Sunday night, with Cliff Lee(notes) pitching for Philadelphia against Chris Carpenter, who is starting on three days’ rest. Raul Ibanez(notes) hit a two-run shot off Kyle Lohse(notes) to cap the Phillies’ burst in the sixth, and Shane Victorino(notes) had three hits and two RBIs. Last year, in his first career playoff start, Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history in Philadelphia’s 4-0 victory over Cincinnati. His bid for an encore didn’t last one batter, and Lance Berkman(notes) hit the first three-run homer off Halladay in three years to put the wild-card Cardinals up 3-0 in the first. But the offense bailed out Doc. Lohse retired the first 10 batters before Chase Utley(notes) hit a double off the right-field fence in the fourth. The righty, who was 14-8 this season, ran out of gas in the sixth. Down 3-1, Jimmy Rollins(notes) singled to start the inning. After Utley struck out, Hunter Pence(notes) grounded a single up the middle. That brought up Howard, who heard a lot of criticism last year for taking a called third strike with the tying run on second base to end the Phillies’ season against San Francisco in the NL championship series. Howard worked a full count before launching a towering drive into the second deck in right-center to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. The towel-waving crowd went wild, and Howard came out for a curtain call. Victorino followed with a single. Ibanez then lined a two-run homer to right to end Lohse’s night. Lohse allowed six runs—five earned—and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. The Cardinals scored three times in the ninth off relievers Michael Stutes(notes) and Ryan Madson(notes), highlighted by Schumaker’s two-run double. The two teams took different roads to get here. The Phillies cruised to their fifth straight division title, winning a franchise-record and major league-best 102 games. Anything less than a second World Series title in four years will be considered a failure by players, management and fans. The Cardinals needed an incredible collapse by Atlanta and help from Philadelphia to earn the wild card. St. Louis trailed the Braves by 10 1/2 games on Aug. 25, but went 23-8 the rest of the way and got in after Game 162 when the Phillies completed a three-game sweep in Atlanta. For a while, it seemed the Phillies might regret helping the Cardinals reach the playoffs. A day after borrowing a line from William Shakespeare, saying he “came here to bury Caesar, not praise him,” Halladay didn’t back up his words right away. Rafael Furcal(notes) led off the game with a single and stole second. One out later, Halladay walked Albert Pujols(notes) on four pitches. Berkman drove the next pitch off the mini-scoreboard hanging on the facing off the second deck in right field. The switch-hitting Berkman hit all 31 of his homers in the regular season from the left side. No. 32 was the first three-run homer Halladay allowed since Aug. 21, 2008, when Hideki Matsui(notes) connected for the Yankees in a 14-3 loss to Toronto. The Phillies will turn Berkman around the next two games with lefties Lee and Cole Hamels(notes) on the mound. Howard hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Victorino and Ibanez each had RBI singles in the inning to pad Philadelphia’s lead. An unearned run got Philadelphia within 3-1 in the fourth. After Utley’s one-out double, Pence struck out and Howard walked. Victorino hit a foul pop down the left-field line that should’ve ended the inning. But third baseman David Freese(notes) tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch and the ball fell out of his glove for an error. Victorino hit an opposite-field single to left to score Utley. Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who won it last year in his first season in the NL, was 19-6 with a career-best 2.35 ERA and eight complete games this season. He made certain the relievers stayed in the bullpen until this game was out of reach. A crowd of 46,480 was the 218th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park, including postseason play. The stadium resembled an apple orchard with all the red-clad fans. NOTES: Cardinals RHP Kyle McClellan(notes) was disappointed that he was left off the roster because of a tired arm. “McClellan is a real weapon,” manager Tony La Russa said. “That was a very tough call, and I know he’s very upset with it, and he should be. Made totally on his best interest.”… Only the New York Yankees (27) have won more World Series titles than the Cardinals (10). … The Cardinals were 6-3 vs. the Phillies in the regular season. … The Phillies are 15-7 in Game 1s, while the Cardinals fell to 16-19. … The Cardinals didn’t have five-time All-Star, LF Matt Holliday(notes) because of a hand injury. … Howard is 9 for 18 with three homers off Lohse. … The Phillies, who acquired Pence from Houston on July 29, are now 8-0 with all of their regulars in the lineup. … Pence was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs in his first postseason game.
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AFC Conference Betting – Vikings at Saints
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts Betting Odds – Game Pick Banner -Online Sports Bettingat Bodog Sportsbook NFL Football Game Picks Steelers at Texans ATS Pick Packers at Bears ATS Pick Atlanta at Tampa Bay Odds Houston at New Orleans ATS Pick NY Jets at Oakland Raiders ATS Pick Philadelphia at Atlanta ATS Pick San Diego at New England Odds Chicago at New Orleans Betting Dallas at NY Jets Betting Pittsburgh at Baltimore Betting New Orleans at Green Bay Betting Bettors Toolbox 2011 NFL Betting Trends 2011 Strength Of Schedule Free Office Football Picks NFL Handicapper’s Database Weather Forecasts NFL Future Odds AFC East Odds AFC West Odds AFC South Odds AFC North Odds NFC West Odds NFC East Odds NFC South Odds NFC North Odds Super Bowl Odds Rookie of the Year Odds Top Defensive Rookie Most Passing Yards Most Rushing Yards Most Receiving Yards NFL Handicapping Halftime Betting Tips Strategy for Wagering NFL Totals Sandwhich Game Handicapping Theory 8 Myths about Betting on Football NFL Key Numbers Halftime Betting Preseason Betting Football Gambling – How to Win Overlooked Handicapping Tools NFL Betting Basics
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Taekwondo tests new scoring system before Olympics (AP)
LONDON (AP)—Taekwondo may be known mostly for its flashy kicks and acrobatic jumping, but it was the sport’s disputed scoring system that gained the spotlight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To avoid getting thrown out of the Olympics, the sport’s governing body completely overhauled its antiquated system of scoring punches and kicks. At this weekend’s British Open, an international taekwondo competition in Manchester, officials will be fine-tuning the new electronic scoring and video replay systems. The event is one of the key warm-up events ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, where the new technology will be used at the games for the first time. In addition to revamping how attacks are scored, taekwondo officials have also changed the rules to make fights more entertaining for fans: Players now score more points for fancy kicks to the head. “That encourages fighters to do the high kicks and spinning kicks that make spectators say ‘wow,”’ said Tony Grisman, the defending British Open champion in the men’s 68-kilogram division. “It’s definitely changed my strategy because if you’re thinking tactically of how to get the most points, you have to kick high.” That’s something Grisman hopes to try on his opponents at the Manchester tournament, which has attracted more then 400 top fighters from about 50 countries, including Olympic medalists and world champions. One of the British Open’s biggest tests will be how well the new scoring system works. “We’re trying to mimic the Olympic Games as closely as we can,” said Ian Leafe, who heads the group that organized the British Open. “The human eye is only so quick, so we needed a system that was more objective.” In Beijing, several countries complained about scoring discrepancies. A British protest even led officials to overturn the original results of a women’s heavyweight bout. In 2008, scoring was done manually by four corner judges and points were only awarded if three of the four judges registered a blow simultaneously. Critics said that left too much room for error, and taekwondo officials worried the Korean martial art might be replaced in the Olympics by karate or Chinese wu-shu. The World Taekwondo Federation, the sport’s governing body, decided to go electronic. Taekwondo fighters now wear an electronic body protector that registers kicks and punches only if the athlete strikes his or her opponent with sufficient force. Kicks to the head are still scored manually by corner judges, but coaches now have the right to at least one video replay per match, much like the Hawkeye system in tennis. Leafe said the new system should eliminate the potential for scoring disputes. “It’s now much more transparent and calls can be challenged instantly in the middle of a fight,” he said. In the case of a challenge, the fight immediately stops and the referee confers with the judges or consults a video replay. Since its origins as Korea’s oldest martial art—which was once only taught to elite warriors—taekwondo has transformed itself into the world’s most popular martial art. According to the World Taekwondo Federation, there are more than 70 million practitioners in 191 countries. Korean soldiers still study the martial art to develop their combat skills; taekwondo translates as “the art of the foot and fist.” But for Olympic purposes, taekwondo fighters focus on their feet. That’s because punches are only allowed to the body and are worth only one point—and only if the punch is strong enough to push the opponent off balance. However, kicks can score up to four points if they’re aimed at the head and if they involve a turning or spinning technique. Taekwondo officials also decreased the size of the competition area and introduced an inactivity penalty for any fighter who goes without trying to kick or punch for longer than 10 seconds. Such changes have taken the sport further from its martial arts origins, but that may be precisely what it needs to attract more fans. “Taekwondo as an Olympic sport is like a game,” said Grisman, the defending champion. “It’s not about who can do the best kick. It’s about who’s the most clever and can adapt to different situations and score the most points. That makes it more exciting to watch than a traditional martial art.” Online: www.gbtaekwondo.co.uk www.wtf.org
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Waldrom arrives ‘home’ to play ‘away’
You are here: Betting Guide » Rugby » Waldrom arrives ‘home’ to play ‘away’ With continued concerns over Nick Easter’s back injury, England have called up Leicester back-row forward Thomas Waldrom to the New Zealand as back up to the squad. The 28-year old is yet to be announced as injured prop Andrew Sheridan’s replacement, but with both number-eight Easter and flanker Lewis Moody struggling with fitness then Martin Johnson could well announce Waldrom as the man who comes in to provide cover. Johnson was quick to point out Waldrom was, at the moment at least, temporary cover, although the strength in numbers of front-rowers as opposed to the loose-forwards it would surely seem sensible to include the 28-year-old in the squad proper now Sheridan has returned home. “Nick Easter is still suffering from a sore back so we will be bringing Thomas out as temporary cover,” he said. The New Zealand-born back-row had a stunning debut season in the Premiership with Leicester, finishing the season with the league’s Players’ Player of the Season. Those following the Rugby Union betting odds will know how good he has been. Waldrom qualifies for England through his grandmother, but did represent the country of his birth for the Under-21 side, as well as the New Zealand Maoris. The powerful forward will now be looking to get into the England squad and play a part in them claiming triumph on New Zealand soil. The former Hurricanes and Crusaders number-eight certainly caught the eye last season with the Tigers, and his pace and power could come in use later in this tournament. While the coaching staff have been making positive noises regarding skipper Moody’s fitness, the question marks are still very much there, under the surface at least. Anyone looking at the Rugby union world cup betting needs to bear this in mind. For now though, and the squad will prepare for the Romania game this weekend as it is, without Waldrom, who isn’t allowed to take part in any training sessions with the squad until officially named as Sheridan’s replacement. By the time England finish their group campaign they will be hoping to have a clear indication as to who will be fit to play in the latter stages of this tournament. Related Articles:In-Play Betting – New Article Play Bingo and Win £92million Betfred Bingo – Free £5 Play Byrne focused for warm-up games Written by Bet123 · Filed Under Rugby Comments
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Lysacek: ‘I’ve set my sights on Sochi’ (AP)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)—Olympic champion figure skater Evan Lysacek says he’s gearing up for a comeback for the 2014 Olympics. “I’ve set my sights on Sochi,” Lysacek said Friday night at the U.S. Olympic Committee annual assembly, while receiving the award as the federation’s male athlete of the year for 2010. Lysacek skipped last season because of a heavy schedule of non-skating events, but he didn’t rule out a return to competition. Back in training with coach Frank Carroll since May, Lysacek got back on the Grand Prix schedule this year, drawing Skate America and Trophee Bompard on his list of assignments. He has not competed since Vancouver, where he became the first American man to win the Olympic gold medal since Brian Boitano in 1988. “I wanted to make sure that going back into it, I was positive that’s what I wanted to do,” he said in explaining the long layoff. “I gave myself the option every morning when I got up. I said, `If I don’t want to go to the rink today, I don’t have to go.’ But I didn’t miss a day. I thought that was a good sign.” Lysacek’s comeback could set up a rematch with Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko, the 2006 Olympic champion who criticized Lysacek after the American defeated him in Vancouver. Lysacek did not do a quadruple jump on the way to his Olympic title, drawing the ire of Plushenko—and all of Russia. “I was positive that I won. But I suppose Evan needs a medal more than I do,” Plushenko said that night. Lysacek said he never held any ill will toward Plushenko and his comeback had nothing to do with setting up a rematch in Plushenko’s home country. “All is forgiven,” Lysacek said. “I wish him the best. Like I said there, sometimes things are said in the heat of the moment, especially by young people under pressure. You say things under pressure and I don’t blame him for that.”
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