guncurug

After a very satisfying revenge victory in Friday's 15-10 defeat of North Carolina, the Northwestern Wildcats lacrosse team find themselves in very familiar territory: the NCAA championship game.  Going after their sixth straight championship, the Cats take on a Maryland squad that came into the NCAA tourney ranked number one in the country and has done nothing in the tourney to disabuse anyone...

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None of the major European soccer leagues have salary caps or any restrictions on player payrolls that resemble those in place in any of the North American professional sports leagues.  As a result, player salaries regularly outstrip club income, especially at the big clubs competing for both their league championships and the Champions League title, clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid,...

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I'm a bit late in reporting but there's good news for those of you who like to summer in Saratoga.  On Monday, New York Governor David Patterson signed a bill authorizing a $25 million loan to the New York Racing Association allowing NYRA to operate meets at Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct.  Had it not received the loan, NYRA would have followed through with...

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The liquidation of the Tom Hicks sports empire took another step closer to reality yesterday when the Texas Rangers filed a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in an effort to get approval to sell the club to a group led by attorney Steve Greenberg and Nolan  Ryan.  The group already has the approval of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.  An interesting graphic...

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I've heard plenty of reasons, and no doubt you've thought of few yourself, as to why Russian billionaires have taken to buying professional sports franchises in western sports leagues, i.e. Roman Abramovich's Chelsea and Mikhail Prokhorov's Newark/Brooklyn Nets.  One of the more interesting reasons I've seen is in this post from the Business Insider, in which Henry Blodgett suggests the purchases are basically...

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It's a good weekend to be a Chicago sports fan.  On Saturday, the five-time defending national champion Northwestern Wildcat lacrosse team booked its ticket to next weekend's Final Four defeating Duke 18-8.  On a rain and windswept Lakeside Field which at times more closely resembled a Scottish links course at dawn than a lacrosse field, the Cats scored the first ten goals to...

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If you're interested in the phenomena that is Woldwide Wes, William Wesley, thought by many to be the key to the next location of LeBron James, go read this post. For years, Wes has operated in college and NBA circles as the man with the largest rolodex in basketball, but without any apparent source of income from it.  He has now received his agency...

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With mortgage rates running around 4 1/2 % per annum, for those folks who still have jobs and feel relatively secure in their jobs, this may be a good chance to refinance their mortgage.  With prime rate running at 3 1.2% consumers and businesses who have a relationship with a bank that is actually making loans should be refinancing their debt.  If only...

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Overcoming spirited bidding from Fox, ESPN landed the football and basketball rights contract for the ACC for the next 12 years.  That bidding by Fox drove the price up from an expected $125 million per year to $155 million per, still well south of the SEC's $205 million from its new CBS and ESPN contracts.  The new contracts take effect with the start...

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When Maryland was faced, last year,  with the bankruptcy of Magna Entertainment, the owner of Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes it refused to sit back and await results like so many other state and municipal governments faced with the threat of losing local sports franchises.  The Maryland General Assembly swung into action passing legislation giving the state condemnation authority over all...

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 The NCAA recognizes schools each year for their exceptional work in the classroom as part of the its academic performance program. The Public Recognition Award is  given to each school that performs in the top ten percent in each sport on the APR. A total of 841 teams are being recognized this year.  ARTICLEURL So, what is the little present for the Duke haters?...

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I don't usually do two linkfests in one week, but I have a number of stories that are worth reading or just shaking your head at, and wanted to get them out there:As NBA ownership officially goes internationally, a look at why Bruce Ratner failed so miserably as the owner of the Newark/Brooklyn Nets (WSJ)Who is going to win, and profit from, the...

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A few links to get your week off to a good start, or at least give you something to read while you drink your coffee and delay opening your office email.ARTICLEURL Ex-Trail Blazer Chris Dudley running for Governor of Oregon is one of a number of former athletes competing in Republican primaries around the country (AP)Reflecting the difficulty of athlete endorsers, Nutrisystems drops...

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MLS is considering a second team in New York as a twentieth club.  Discussions had been held with the Wilpon family, who own the Mets.  Those discussions were put on hold ostensibly due to the family's need to focus on the opening of CitiField, but also, perhaps to assess the impact on the family and its business of their investments with Bernie Madoff....

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When Anheuser-Busch was bought by Brazilian-Belgian giant Inbev last year, there was great concern that Anheuser-Busch's sports advertising and promotion might be in jeopardy as the two companies had had a different philosophy towards advertising and promotion.  At the time of the merger, the two companies had made public assurances that nothing would change, but companies do that routinely at merger time, whether...

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Yardbarker Network is sponsoring a short  survey which we are asking all readers to please fill out.  The survey is only 10 questions and everyone who completes a survey is eligible to win a $100 Amex gift card.  Please go here to fill out the survery:SURVEY:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PQXLJ9VThanks for your help.aARTICLEURL aARTICLEURL ...

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The track was slop but it wasn't uniformly so and only someone intimately familiar with the way Churchill Downs drains would know the channels to the finish line that held firmer ground.  The race is a cavalry charge at the beginning and one key to winning is to avoid getting too banged up or boxed during the early going (sorry Luckin At Lucky...

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Famed WWE wrestler and former Georgia Bulldog football star Bill Goldberg headlines a class of seven inductees into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.  Also, headlining this year's inductees are Virginia Tech head basketball coach Seth Greenberg and US National Swim Team, and Beijing Olympic star Jason Lezak, he of the touch-up win in the thrilling 4x100 meter relay that kept Michael...

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UPDATE: 9:45AM   When I posted the picks last night I said that I might be back to supplement them as I gave further thought to the race and got a better feel for the weather and track conditions.  It has been raining hard since about 5:00am and the prediction is for at least another couple of hours before a let-up.  It is...

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Here's what I've been occupying myself with while I get ready for my assault on the Churchill Downs pari-mutuel pools:T ARTICLEURL On the marriage between television and sports (Abnormal Returns)Do the Giants want to buy the Warriors? (SF Chronicle)Ted Leonsis reaches deal to buy remaining interest in Wizards, so will own Capitals, Wizards and Verizon Center (WaPo) Promotion to Premier League worth 90...

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