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Italy wins

LUCERNE, Switzerland - World Cup champion Italy, France and the Netherlands got the 2008 European Championship draw none of them wanted.

Each other.

The three former European champions were drawn Sunday in Group C with Romania for next year’s tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

It could’ve been even worse - they could have also drawn three-time champion Germany instead of Romania. But the three coaches looked grim as they came out of the Culture and Convention Center.

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• EURO 2008 Draw

"We didn’t have an easy qualification and now we have a very difficult group," said Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, whose team also played France in qualifying. "We were unfortunate in the draw, but I had a gut feeling this morning that it would turn out like this."

 

The tournament opens June 7 when Switzerland plays the Czech Republic in Basel. The final is at the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna on June 29.

Italy beat France on penalty kicks in last year’s World Cup final in Berlin. In Euro 2008 qualifying, the French beat Italy 3-1 at Stade de France and drew 0-0 in Milan. They will meet again in Zurich in their final Group C match June 17.

"I think there are coaches who are happier today than the four here," said France coach Raymond Domenech, whose team also plays Romania in 2010 World Cup qualifying. "I would have preferred to avoid all of the other three teams in the group, but that’s what we got and we have to live with it."

Netherlands coach Marco van Basten, whose team finished behind Romania in qualifying and is struggling to regain its form, said it was not the draw he wanted.

"A very tough group. Two World Cup finalists," he said of Italy and France. "These are great teams, great players, teams with a lot of experience.

"It’s going to be very difficult for us, we have to play Italy first, then France."

Italy and the Netherlands met in the Euro 2000 semifinals, with the Italians winning a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. The French rallied to beat Italy 2-1 in overtime in the final.

The Dutch will play both of its big rivals in Bern. They face Italy on June 9 and France four days later.

Defending European champion Greece was drawn in Group D with Russia, Spain and Sweden. It will start its defence against Sweden in Salzburg on June 10 before playing Russia and Spain in the same Austrian city.

At Euro 2004 in Portugal, the Greeks drew 1-1 with Spain and lost 2-1 to Russia in group play, but beat all its other opponents on the way to a surprise title triumph under coach Otto Rehhagel.

"It is certainly not an easy group," Rehhagel said. "We must be careful against Sweden, which has one of the world’s best forwards in Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"There’s always lots of talk before games. I am a man of action. The most important thing is to have all players in good condition. As defending champions, we have an obligation to do well in the tournament."

Switzerland, which plays all its group games in Basel, is in Group A with Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic. The Portuguese and the Czechs will be strongly favoured to advance to the quarter-finals.

Austria, whose home games are in Vienna, is making its Euro debut and is in Group B with Germany, Poland and Croatia. There has been fan violence at previous matches between Germany and Poland, and the Union of European Football Associations has warned Croatia it could be kicked out if there were any repeats of racist chanting and misbehaviour by its fans.

"I wouldn’t necessarily say that we had a lucky draw," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "Austria will be playing with the entire country behind it, that shouldn’t be underestimated.

"Croatia eliminated England and how tough is to play against Poland we found out at the World Cup."

Source: EURO 2008 draw: France, Italy in tough

At a scruffy, uninviting little ground in the shadow of the Himalayas yesterday the battle lines were drawn for a sport’s future. There, in the Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula, the Indian Cricket League – rebel, unauthorised, anti-establishment, anything but official – began its life.

The combatants in the inaugural match rejoiced under the names of the Chandigarh Lions and the Delhi Jets.

A little more than 1,000 miles to the east in Calcutta, India were playing Pakistan in the Second Test. There is hardly a more resonant contest in cricket. Down in Sri Lanka, final preparations were in hand for the start of the Test series against England, with the world bowling record at Muttiah Muralitharan’s mercy. Across a continent, in Port Elizabeth, New Zealand were wondering what they could do to stop South Africa’s charge in the one-day series, top place in the world rankings firmly in view.

Important games all, in their way, but none with the potentially cataclysmic effect of the ICL, an all-singing, all-dancing Twenty20 competition, made as purely for television as a soap opera. So dramatic already has been the fallout that it is possible to fear for all other forms of professional cricket as viable propositions.

The International Cricket Council and many of the travelling parade around the game dismiss such prognostications, but cannot so easily banish the feeling that they are fiddling while the empire is burning. People in their thousands watch Twenty20 and want more of it; fewer are watching Tests and may actually want less of it.

The recent series between South Africa and New Zealand – every day of it – was watched by a man and his dog and the dog went home early. There were hardly more – two men, two dogs – to watch Australia thump Sri Lanka in Brisbane and Hobart.

Of course, Test cricket is a beautiful game and Eden Gardens attracted a large audience yesterday for the first day of India’s match against Pakistan. But that too was by no means full. It is a large stadium holding (at least) 90,000, but Calcutta is a city of 14 million people in the most cricket-crazy country in the world. And this was a key match – win it, win the series – against their most significant opponent.

Lalit Modi, the senior vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its marketing powerhouse, said yesterday that he was unworried. “We actually sold all the tickets. But it is our duty to protect the integrity of Test cricket and we are doing so and will continue to do so. The various forms of the game must co-exist but I have no worries about the state of Test cricket in the short and medium term. We are deliberately restricting the number of international Twenty20 matches we play.”

But Modi is also the shrewd cookie who has formed the Indian Premier League, a tournament lasting 44 days next spring, which has already signed 39 of the world’s top players. Yes, that’s right, it’s Twenty20. That will be followed next October by the first T20 Champions League, featuring champion teams from four countries with a £1m first prize.

The stakes are high and the odds are shifting quickly towards Twenty20. If it was not so obviously popular and populist there would not be rebel leagues forking out oodles of cash. Strutting on to the Indian Cricket League’s stage and playing for some of the biggest bucks in cricket in the next fortnight will be a rum mixture of players from some of the greats of the modern game – Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq – to the rump, minor Indian domestic players. Nobody outside of their own clubs has ever heard of Bipul Sharma or Abu Nechim.

In between are a clutch of disaffected former Test players like Dinesh Mongia, foreign veterans and journeymen like Ian Harvey and Dale Benkenstein. Four Englishmen are there: Chris Read, Vikram Solanki, Paul Nixon and Darren Maddy, all of whom have played for England this year. They may be participating not so much for the groundbreaking nature of the cricket but because they are earning around £60,000 for a fortnight’s work, plus prize money of £2m.

“I think we needed a little bit more time but everybody decided we would have to start,” said Kapil Dev, the former captain of India who is the chief executive and front man of the ICL. “Another month would have meant more preparation but we had to start one day. We are determined. This is like a new baby waiting to come out. I’m scared and worried but happy.”

The ICL is up against it. It has had official opprobrium heaped on it and the fact it is being played in the uppermost reaches is appropriate: it has a mountain to climb. Sniffy has been the most common reaction. Giles Clarke, chairman of the ECB, said: “We regard this is as a serious issue. Selectors will be instructed to take into account the fact these players are appearing in an unauthorised competition.”

You could hear lawyers expert in restraint of trade sharpening their briefs. It might also be borne in mind that the selectors have not exactly treated any member of the English ICL quartet with much dignity, unauthorised or not.

The competition was invented, no less, by the Essel Group, one of India’s largest business groups and owner, among many other things, of Zee TV. It was simply expedient: Zee needed some cricket to put on its channels because to be a cable TV station in India and not to have cricket is of serious commercial concern.

Zee was also probably miffed that although its bid was the largest in the most recent round of TV rights for Indian cricket last year, it lost out. Since the winning bid was more than £300m for four years the size of the business is obvious. Each one-dayer is worth £4m in broadcasting revenue to the BCCI in India and next time it will want much more. TV moguls are falling over themselves to have cricket on air.

No sooner had Zee announced its glittering plans than blocks were put in its path. Indian domestic players were warned that they would be banned if they took part while it was impossible to hire grounds that anybody had ever heard of on which a decent standard of cricket was played.

Zee was treading where Kerry Packer’s Channel 9 of Australia had forged a path 30 years ago. Denied the rights to international cricket in Australia despite bidding huge amounts, Packer set up his own competition, World Series Cricket, known disparagingly to the cognoscenti as Packer’s Circus.

All the world’s top players signed up and Packer won all round. He won in court when the cricket authorities tried to prevent players signing for him and, after two years of WSC, he won on the field when those authorities caved in. The effect of Packer is still being felt now. Cricket was changed for ever. Not only did it enter the late 20th century as a public entertainment as well as a sport but the players were no longer treated as chattels.

So Zee, finding itself in Packer’s boat, decided to act. The company found willing accomplices in the Indian domestic players who have long been used as ill-rewarded cannon fodder. The big names of Indian cricket are treated as gods; those in the provincial teams, boys and men making up sides, are barely accorded the time of day. They could not wait to sign up.

The repercussions were swift and the only ground in the entire country which would host the matches was in the little Chandigarh suburb. This, too, is fitting for the enterprise. Devi Lal, after whom the ground was named, was an Indian freedom fighter alongside Gandhi who became a champion of farmers throughout the country and was twice deputy Prime Minister. He spent his life fighting for the small man.

The small stadium, part of a municipal multi-sports complex has been given a makeover to make Trinny and Susannah proud in the past month, but it too is cosmetic and the outfield is still scratchy. Zee will need big live crowds and substantially larger television audiences for it to work.

The BCCI responded immediately with the formation of the Indian Premier League to be played next April and May. Some $1.5m (£730,000) in prize-money is available in the first year of the competition, plus large five-figure salaries for those taking part over 44 days.

Top players – barring anybody from England, because it is their domestic season – were willingly and swiftly enlisted. It is fair to say that they beat a path to the BCCI’s door. Later next year the first Twenty20 Champions League will take place, also in India when the top two teams from four countries – India, England, Australia and South Africa – will compete for a huge £1m first prize. That will burgeon quickly.

It is straightforward to see where this might be heading, to a Twenty20 paradise. Or hell on earth, depending on your viewpoint. “The profile of the people who watch Twenty20 and Tests are much different,” said Lalit Modi. “The older man watches Tests, Twenty20 is appealing to younger people, children and, for the first time, women. It is also the first time in India that we are getting spectators in for domestic cricket. But you’d be wrong to think that Tests are under threat, though I agree crowds in some places are disappointing. We have to market the games as well as stage them.”

The officially backed IPL, which, will consist of eight teams, has already attracted huge commercial interest. More than 100 companies or mega-rich individuals have bid for a slice of the action. The minimum they can expect to pay the BCCI, according to Modi, is £25m, probably much more because there will be a bidding process.

And then there are the television rights, to be sold separately. “There are different reasons people want a franchise, commercial or ego, but they want them,” Modi said.

He sounded utterly unconcerned about Kapil Dev’s competition and said that the domestic players had jumped too soon. “They are looking to the past, when they were not rewarded very well, instead of the future. Some 26 per cent of all our revenues now goes to players. That has just kicked in and was bound filter down.”

It might be tempting to feel sorry for Kapil Dev’s ICL except that it has huge financial backing as well. Zee has virtually bottomless resources and if the cricket is exciting the audiences may be guaranteed. But Zee will need to keep on signing big names. “Let’s be honest, I’m worried,” Kapil said. “I have taken a step that no other sports person has done against all the politicians, the authorities who think they can run the game and some sports people so it’s a challenge. If I have enough ability it will work.”

For Vikram Solanki and his like it represents a substantial payday. They would have been fools to their families not to take it, whatever the ECB chairman has to say. Modi could afford to be dismissive, but he will have known that cricket changed yesterday and not because of anything that happened in Eden Gardens.

The Indian Cricket League

Weekend fixtures: Yesterday: Chandigarh Lions bt Delhi Jets by 9 runs. Today: Chennai Superstars v Kolkata Tigers; Mumbai Champs v Hyderabad Heroes.

All matches take place at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula

Leading players: Chandigarh – Chris Cairns (New Zealand, 37); Imran Farhat (Pakistan, 25); Hamish Marshall (New Zealand, 28). Delhi – Marvin Atapattu (Sri Lanka 37), Paul Nixon (England, 37), Taufeeq Umar (Pakistan, 26). Chennai – Stuart Law (Australia 39), Chris Read (England, 29) Ian Harvey (Australia,35) Shabbir Ahmed (Pakistan, 31). Kolkata – Craig McMillan (New Zealand, 31) Darren Maddy (England, 33) Lance Klusener (South Africa, 36). Mumbai – Brian Lara (West Indies, 38) Mervyn Dillon (West Indies, 33) Nathan Astle (New Zealand, 36) Vikram Solanki (England, 31). Hyderabad – Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan, 37) Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan, 27) Nicky Boje (South Africa, 34) Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan,32).

Stephen Brenkley’s cricket column from Sri Lanka is at: www.independent.co.uk/thetest

Interesting? Click here to explore further

Source: Twenty questions: cricket at the crossroads

It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t impressive in the classic sense of the term, but the Hawaii Warriors defeated the Washington Huskies to complete the only perfect season in the Football Bowl Subdivision for 2007. June Jones and Colt Brennan won’t reach the BCS title game, but they definitely deserve a BCS bowl after doing what their 119 competitors couldn’t.

Yes, only one team in major college football avoided a single defeat from Labor Day weekend through the first Saturday of December. That ballclub resides on the island, as the heroes of Honolulu became the Western Athletic Conference’s likely successor to Boise State in a prime-time January throwdown. Saturday night’s heartstopper against the Huskies represented the latest in a long line of white-knuckle victories for Hawaii, as this talented team once again showed that its considerable athleticism is actually exceeded by its uncommon mental toughness. On a night when the Warriors stared down a 21-point deficit and faced the prospect of a somewhat ruined season, a team with so much at stake found the focus needed to avoid a descent into panic. On a night when West Virginia cracked under tremendous pressure, the Warriors pulled another close win out of the fire. It was truly just another day in paradise for a team that has earned every blessing that has come its way.

In the immediate aftermath of Hawaii’s narrow win over Washington, credit and attention will unavoidably and–to some extent–deservedly flow to Brennan, the star quarterback who likely punched a ticket to New York for next Saturday’s Heisman Trophy award ceremony. With evidently abundant amounts of poise and pocket presence, Brennan displayed the leadership and the skills needed to bring his team back from a 28-7 first-half hole. The customary combination of laser-like throws and unerring instincts enabled the sensational signal caller to calmly pick apart the Huskies’ young secondary, especially in the final ten minutes when the Warriors stormed to victory. This contest did absolutely nothing to diminish the deservedly glowing reputation of an all-time great in the world of college football.

With that having been said, however, the biggest reason the Warriors completed their perfect regular season was a defense that simply didn’t quit. After being eviscerated by the Huskies in the game’s first 23 minutes, coordinator Greg McMackin’s defense shut out Louis Rankin, Jake Locker, and the rest of a purple-shirted offense that overwhelmed the home folks coming out of the gate. Washington started the proceedings by staggering the Warriors with equal doses of power and speed. The hulking heavies from the Pac-10 leaned on their WAC counterparts, and before anyone’s seat was warm in Aloha Stadium, Ty Willingham’s boys had attained a lightning-quick 21-0 advantage. It looked as though a pancake-flat Hawaii defense was going to get lit up for more than 40 points at the very least.

How impressive it was, then, that McMackin’s players rallied ’round the flag to keep Washington off the scoreboard for the game’s remaining 37 minutes. With renewed energy in the trenches and sustained focus in the secondary, Hawaii forced Locker to be more of a thrower and less of a runner. The Warriors created third and long situations and were able to get off the field much more quickly as a result. As the possessions and punts piled up, momentum steadily shifted sidelines, and at the end, Hawaii had a tidal wave of confidence in tow. Even when the Huskies marched down to the Hawaii 4 in the game’s final seconds, the Warriors’ defense didn’t miss a beat. An interception of Locker in the end zone with three seconds left preserved the win for college football’s one remaining unbeaten team. While Washington once again lost a game it had been dominating (the Huskies fell victim to a number of similar setbacks in 2007), Hawaii demonstrated its ability to continuously prevail when other weaker teams would have flinched and faltered. If a college ever offered a course on “learning how to win football games,” only one school would earn an A-plus after 12 regular-season games: yes, it’s the University of Hawaii. Now, the prize student of this just-completed regular season will likely have the chance to pass a challenging final exam: in the Sugar Bowl against a very formidable SEC opponent that will be named in roughly 16 hours.

Hawaii might not be overwhelming or consistent, and the Warriors–if subjected to a season of slugfests in a major conference–might not fare that well. However, you can’t say that anyone in the United States does a better job of winning than this team. The Warriors deserve a BCS bowl bid more than any other at-large candidate. The college football community should relish the prospect of a BCS bowl with Colt Brennan in it. The young man deserves such a reward after lifting his team to the winner’s circle in a season finale that was much closer than much of America expected.

Source: Instant Analysis: Washington-Hawaii

Harrogate Railway

2-3

Mansfield Town

Davidson 60, 83

Jelleyman 37, Boulding 50, 76

The FA Cup, sponsored by E.ON
Second Round Proper
1.10pm, Sunday 2 December 2007
Station View, Harrogate
Winning clubs receive £24,000
Click here for Second Round fixtures
Live on BBC1

Harrogate Railway’s FA Cup dream came off the rails at Station View after League Two Mansfield recorded a 3-2 victory in their second round clash.

Danny Davidson’s impressive brace had given the hosts real hope of forcing a replay after falling behind their higher ranked opponents.

But Railway were unable to build up a head of steam in the final stages as their Cup dream was left to crash and burn in full view of the television cameras.

Gareth Jelleyman’s fortuitous strike gave the visitors the lead, before former Aston Villa man Michael Boulding doubled their advantage six minutes after the break.

And despite Davidson’s powerful thumping header reigniting the hope of a famous Cup upset, Boulding’s second of the game looked to have put pay to any hopes the Northern Premier Division side may have had of making it into the Third Round.

However, Davidson’s 84th minute strike gave Harrogate another sniff of glory and the striker came close to grabbing a dramatic equaliser late on, only for Carl Muggleton to save his curling effort.

Railway started off like an express train and could have taken the lead within the first three minutes after Scott Byrne’s free-kick smashed against the crossbar.

And the home side continued full steam ahead as Mansfield struggled to adapt to the boggy conditions and the constant downpour.

However, despite failing to produce some of their more fluent football, it was Mansfield that went into the break ahead thanks to a rather fortunate strike from Jelleyman, who diverted a clearance past goalkeeper John Mclaughlin.

Mansfield improved after the break and Michael Boulding wasted little time in adding a second as Billy Dearden’s side took an iron grip on proceedings.

Boulding ran onto a flicked header by brother Rory, before sidestepping a challenge and slotting the ball past Mclaughlin from close range.

With Railway running out of steam, Vince Brockie threw on substitute Danny Davidson and within 60 seconds it appeared an inspired piece of management.

Davidson was fouled by Lee Bell and from the resulting free-kick, the substitute rose highest to power home Byron Littlefair’s cross and give his side a lifeline.

That goal woke the home fans from their slumber, but no sooner had they begun to dream of securing a replay at Field Mill, Michael Boulding touched home a Simon Brown cross to restore Mansfield’s lead.

That goal appeared to have finally broken Railway’s resistance, but inspired by substitute Davidson, Railway roused themselves for one final push.

And with the clock ticking down, Davidson, a banker by trade, smashed home from close-range with six minutes of normal time remaining to set up a nerve jangling finale.

Harrogate huffed and puffed in the final few minutes in an effort to find what would have been a deserved equaliser - but Mansfield somehow managed to hang on to book themselves a place in the Third Round of the competition.

Source: Mansfield end Railway dream

Regardless of where you stand on the future of the BCS and/or playoffs, I’m looking for your insight on the current plight of the Georgia Bulldogs.

After last week’s BCS standings, Georgia sits at #4 in the rankings. But after last night’s games, where should the Bulldogs be ranked? Let’s examine….

#1 Missouri lost to # Oklahoma, dropping them out of the BCS Championship Game. Meanwhile, #2 West Virginia lost to Pitt, dropping them out of the title game.

By virtue of luck, fate and happen-stance, it’s widely accepted that the champions of the Big 10 — the Ohio State Buckeyes — will move up from BCS #3 to BCS #1. By every simulation that I’ve seen over the past three days, OSU will play for the national championship.

But where does Georgia belong? Does #4 deserve to move up to #2 and play for the title by virtue of the losses ahead of them?

The Bulldogs — who may very well be playing the best football in the country today — have a 10-2 record, with losses to South Carolina (by 4 points in week 2) and to Tennessee (where they got wood-shedded). UGA holds key wins over Florida (42-30), Auburn (45-20), and Kentucky (24-13).
they didn’t even win the SEC East.

So, do you feel a team that didn’t win its conference (and didn’t even win its division) deserves to play for the National Championship?

I don’t think Georgia should play for the National Championship. I can’t justify a team finishing no better than third in their conference jumping their division champion and their conference champion to play for the BCS title. It might be another matter if Georgia had beaten the teams ahead of them (Tenn & LSU) yet fallen to a non-con, but… the conference hierarchy just throws me off on this one.

And I rather suspect that some of the voters feel that way to and will jump Georgia on their ballots. (I know the next question… who? I’ll get to that.) With as much animous as the writers have felt in recent years — see also the split USC/LSU championship — I really don’t expect that the Bulldogs will even sniff the title game.

So who should play for the BCS Title?

I’m OK with Ohio State getting their shot. The Buckeyes took care of business, won their conference’s championship (despite it’s crazy formula) and have shown that they are a top team. I don’t know if they are the top team, but sometimes the top team gets knocked out of the race, right playoff fans?

The other side of that pairing should be the next highest ranked champion.

While I personally believe that Oklahoma is absolutely the best team in the country, I don’t think the Huskers will get their chance. Yes, they beat the #1 team…. twice… but I think there is too much ground for the Sooners to make up. OU lost on the road to Colorado (27-24) on a last second field goal and got beat by seven by Texas Tech in a game where their starting QB went down with a concussion. (And I think if he hadn’t gotten KO’d, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation because the Sooners would be the concensus #2 in the country.)

In this instance, I suspect it will be LSU. Despite the two-losses, the Tigers are a dominant team. The two three-overtimes losses aren’t excused by any means, but LSU showed they can rally by knocking off top-15 Tennessee to win the SEC.

I think you can make a perfectly good case for the ACC Champion, too. Virginia Tech is right there in the BCS standings, but I think some of the voters are going to have a hard time putting them ahead of LSU. Not only did the Hokies lose to the Tigers, but VaTech’s road to the BCS was not as difficult as LSU’s. So… given that consideration, I think the Hokies end up at #3 or #4.

And what about Hawaii — they’re undefeated (after pulling off a come from behind win over dog UDub)… don’t they deserve a shot? In a word, NO. The best team that UH beat all year was Washington, who has played like they don’t deserve to be in the Pac 10. Sorry, Hawaii, but your schedule sucks and you have struggled against several mid-to-low level non-BCS opponents. You may get a BCS game, but you don’t deserve the title game.

For what it’s worth (and it’s worth a lot because he’s never far off), BCSGuru says it’s Ohio State - LSU for the BCS Championship.

Source: Does Georgia deserve a shot at the BCS title?

MIAMI — A fourth man charged in the shooting death of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor appeared in court Sunday and, like his co-defendants, was denied bond.

Jason Mitchell, 19, appeared briefly via videoconference in a Fort Myers courtroom, about 100 miles from here. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, he responded quietly when asked if he understood the charges.

“He looks like he’s in shock,” said Sawyer Smith, one of his attorneys.

Mitchell

Wardlow

Three others — Eric Rivera, 17; Charles Wardlow, 18; and Venjah Hunte, 20 — made their first court appearance Saturday.

All four have been charged with unpremeditated murder, armed burglary and home invasion with a firearm or another deadly weapon.

Probable cause affidavits for Mitchell and Rivera obtained by the Associated Press said the two confessed to participating in armed burglary. According to the reports, Mitchell and Rivera admitted entering the home and said someone had a gun and shot Taylor, but they didn’t identify who.

Police and attorneys also have said some of the young men confessed, though they wouldn’t elaborate.

The four suspects will be transported to Miami, perhaps as early as Sunday, when thousands are expected to gather to mourn the 24-year-old Pro Bowl safety.

Rivera

Hunte

A public viewing was scheduled Sunday evening; a massive funeral was set for Monday at a Florida International University arena.

Taylor died Tuesday, one day after being shot at his home in an affluent Miami suburb. Police said the suspects were looking for a simple burglary, but it turned bloody when they were startled to find Taylor home.

The suspects all have prior arrests, according to Lee County Sheriff’s Office records.

Wardlow was arrested twice for selling marijuana and once for grand theft of a vehicle, and Hunte was arrested previously this year on drug and trespassing charges.

Mitchell has been arrested twice, most recently in October on charges of driving with a suspended license and violation of probation. Rivera was arrested in October for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, and he previously was behind bars for altering the identification number on a firearm.

Those who know the young suspects attempted to defend them.

Cordaveous Brown, 16, who said he was a close friend of Rivera, described the suspect as calm and quiet. “He’s not the type of guy to do something like this,” he said. A woman who identified herself as Wardlow’s grandmother called him “a sweet young man,” and Jose Ortiz, a 36-year-old neighbor of Hunte, said he’d never heard of any problems or trouble surrounding the accused.

Smith, who represents Mitchell and Rivera, simply said the suspects were terrified.

Police remain tightlipped about how the suspects wound up at Taylor’s home. The Miami Herald reported Mitchell cut the player’s lawn and did other chores at the house and that Taylor’s sister Sasha dates Wardlow’s cousin. The Naples Daily News quoted a woman who identified herself as Jason Mitchell’s mother as saying her son was at a birthday party at Taylor’s home within the past two months.

Taylor’s former attorney Richard Sharpstein said Taylor’s sister had a 21st birthday party at her brother’s home on Thanksgiving weekend. Bennie Williams, a neighbor to Wardlow’s cousin, said he had seen Taylor’s sister Sasha in the area recently. “She was here all last week for the holidays,” he said.

Miami-Dade police wouldn’t confirm any of the possible links.

Police have said the four suspects were intent on stealing, not killing.

“Murder or shooting someone was not their initial motive,” Miami-Dade County police Director Robert Parker said.

Early Monday, Taylor and his longtime girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, were awakened by loud noises at his home. He grabbed a machete for protection, but within moments, someone broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one hitting Taylor in the upper leg.

Neither the couple’s 18-month-old daughter, also named Jackie, nor Garcia were injured.

The bullet damaged the femoral artery in Taylor’s leg, causing significant blood loss. He never regained consciousness and died early Tuesday.

Authorities haven’t said whether they’ve linked the suspects to a break-in at Taylor’s home eight days before the shooting. In that incident, someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.

Sharpstein said he had spoken with Taylor’s father since the arrests. Though the family was appreciative police had worked so effectively, Sharpstein said the news provided little relief.

“The arrest of Sean’s killer provides no comfort or solace to Sean’s family,” Sharpstein said. “They are grieving and haven’t buried their son, boyfriend and father yet.”

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Source: Bail denied for fourth suspect in Taylor shooting

The Bucknell men’s track and field team started the 2007-08 indoor season at home on Saturday, with the Bison Opener. On the men’s side, the Bison posted five IC4A-qualifying marks, picked up six individual wins and posted a new school record in the 60-meter hurdles.

In the 60-meter hurdles, junior Kevin Macleod (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) ran a time of 8.34 in the prelim, to record the No. 1 time for the event in Bucknell history. He broke his own record of 8.36, set last season. Sophomore Andrew Yehl (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) led the Bison in the final for the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.54 for eighth place and the third-fastest time in the Bucknell record books. Macleod took 16th with a time of 8.91.

Sophomore Kyle Anthony (Barryville, N.Y./Eldred Central) won the long jump with an IC4A-qualifying mark of 23-2 ¾, while senior Michael Contino (Broomall, Pa./Episcopal Acad.) rounded out the top-10 in the event, posting a mark of 21-6 ¼. Anthony also won the triple jump, posting an IC4A-qualifying distance of 48-3/4. Freshman Kevin McGuire (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) finished eighth (42-9 ¾) and freshman Daniel Kubinski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Preparatory School) took 10th (42-5 ¼).

Sophomore Ryan White (Elkins Park, Pa./Father Judge) won the heptathlon, posting an IC4A-qualifying point total of 4,828, recording the top mark in four of the six events.

In the pole vault, senior David Mante (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) recorded an IC4A-qualifying height of 15-9 to win the event and place him second all-time in the Bucknell record books.

Sophomore Timothy Medlock (Evan Mills, N.Y./Indian River) threw an IC4A-qualifying distance of 52-2 in the shot put to place fourth and to post the second-best mark in the Bucknell record books. He was followed by senior James Meyer (Pac. Palisades, Calif./Pacific Palisades) in ninth (47-2 ½) and freshman Zachary Shapiro (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) in 10th (46-2 ¾).

In the 3,000-meter run, sophomore Conor McNamara (Baldwin, N.Y./Chaminade) took first in 8:50.98 and senior Wallace Campbell (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Acad.) won the 5000-meter run, clocking a time of 14:54.66. Junior Clinton Orloski (Butler, Pa./Slippery Rock) followed in second with a time of 15:02.37.

In the prelim for the 60-meter dash, junior Kerry Boyle (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) ran a time of 7.17 for the third-fastest time in Bucknell history while, MacLeod set the fourth-fastest all-time mark at 7.19.

Yehl placed third in the 300-meter dash with a time of 36.49, to place himself seventh on Bucknell’s all-time top-10 list for the event, while sophomore Kyle Ramer (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) led Bucknell in the mile, running a 4:26.41 for third place.

In the 400-meter run, freshman Guy Castranova (Trenton, N.J./Notre Dame) led the Bison with a time of 50.39 for fifth place and was followed by sophomore Gregory Baxter (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) in sixth (50.85). Castranova also led the Bison in the 200-meter dash, placing seventh in 23.01.

Sophomore Clement Gyan (Yonlers, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) recorded a third-place finish in the 500-meter dash, running a time of 1:06.12.

Senior Brian Mooney (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili) led Bucknell in the 800-meter run, posting a second-place finish with a time of 1:57.01. Freshman Evan Novakowski (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) followed in seventh, clocking a time of 1:59.83.

Bucknell’s 4×400 relay team of Boyle, Gyan, Baxter and Castranova clocked a 3:22.97 for third place.

Freshman Nicholas Hruch (Sykesville, Md./Liberty) and junior Ryan Robinson (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) tied for fourth in the high jump, each posting a mark of 6-5.

In the weight throw, Meyer went on to record the top finish for the Bison in sixth with a mark of 52-9 ¼. He was followed by Medlock in seventh (50-9 ¼) and sophomore Jonathan Lockhart (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) in 10th (48-2 ¾).

The Bison are now set to prepare for the Gulden Relays at home on January 12.

Source: Bucknell Men’s Track and Field Starts Season With Solid Showing At Bison Opener

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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Devin Sweetney scored 15 points to lead Saint Francis (Pa.) to its first victory over the season, a wild 57-54 decision over Bucknell Saturday night at Sojka Pavilion. Freshman center Todd O’Brien had 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in his first career start for the Bison, but a lengthy second-half drought led to their fourth straight setback after a 2-0 start.

In a roller-coaster second half, Bucknell led by nine early, then fell behind by 16 after the Red Flash (1-6) hit them with a staggering 32-10 run. But down 56-40 with 2:00 to play, the Bison scored 14 points in 53 seconds without allowing Saint Francis to cross midcourt, and miraculously they had two shots to tie in the final 20 seconds but could not get one to drop.

Cale Nelson scored 14 points, including three consecutive 3-pointers midway through the second half, and Bassirou Dieng had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Saint Francis, now 1-6. The Red Flash controlled the glass, parlaying 19 offensive rebounds into a 44-32 advantage. Chris Berry had 11 boards, six on the offensive glass.

O’Brien, who along with fellow freshman Darryl Shazier was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time, made 6 of 11 shots from the field and blew away his career highs in points, rebounds and blocks. Justin Castleberry scored 11 points and Stephen Tyree and Patrick Behan had eight each for the Bison.

Bucknell scored on each of its first two possessions of the second half, stretching a six-point halftime lead to nine on a put-back and 1 of 2 free throws by O’Brien. But Bucknell’s next field goal game with 8:55 left in the game, and in the meantime Saint Francis rattled off 16 straight points.

The Red Flash made only 5 of 23 3-point attempts in the game, but four of them came in succession during that run. Steve Profeta hit one at the 14:59 mark to bring Saint Francis within 33-31, the Nelson canned three in a row, the latter giving the visitors a 40-33 lead with 9:31 left.

O’Brien’s layup ended the dry spell for Bucknell, but Sweetney converted a 3-point play on the next possession then finished on a fastbreak to make it a 10-point game at 45-35. Sorena Orandi’s layup extended the run to 26-5 and made it a 50-36 game with 4:53 to play. By the time Berry scored twice on offensive rebounds and Sweetney banked in a 10-foot jumper with 2:08 left, it appeared the Red Flash had the game well in hand with a 56-40 lead. That was hardly the case, however.

John Griffin hit a 3-pointer with 1:57 left, and after a timeout Bucknell went to a full-court trap that stunningly produced five consecutive steals. Castleberry swiped the ensuing inbounds pass under the basket, scored and was fouled. His free throw made it a 10-point game at 56-46.

Next it was Shazier stealing Ford’s pass, and G.W. Boon tipped in O’Brien’s miss moments later. Boon then stole the inbounds pass, missed a point-blank layup, and O’Brien was fouled on a follow attempt. O’Brien made 1 of 2 from the line to make it 56-49, and Boon came up with another steal near the top of the key. Two passes later, Castleberry canned a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 56-52 with 1:19 to play.

The Bison still weren’t done, as Castleberry stole the next inbounds try and was fouled going in for a reverse layup. He made both free throws with 1:04 left, and with the crowd in a frenzy it was a 56-54 game.

Saint Francis still could not get the ball inbounds and had to use its final timeout, then finally the Red Flash crossed midcourt and tried to drain the clock. With the shot clock winding down Ford tripped over Shazier at the top of the key and drew a foul call. He made the front end of the 1-and-1 and missed the second, but Kurt Hoffman snagged the team’s 19th offensive rebound of the night.

Bucknell quickly fouled Berry, who missed the front end, giving the Bison hope. With about 15 seconds left Griffin got a great look at a 3-pointer curling off the right wing, but the shot rimmed in and out. Ford rebounded and was fouled, but again he missed the front end of the 1-and-1.

This time Griffin’s 3-point try from deep on the left wing was too strong, and Sweetney was fouled on the rebound with only five-tenths of a second left. He missed both, leaving the Red Flash 6-for-17 from the foul line on the night, but Bucknell had no time to get off a shot.

After struggling out of the gate in each of its two previous games, the Bison played well early in this one. They made eight of their first 12 shots and led 11-2 after Griffin’s 3-pointer 6:40 into the game. Saint Francis pulled within two at 22-20 on Dieng’s breakaway dunk, but Bucknell ended the half on an 8-4 run and led 30-24 at the break.

After shooting 50.0 percent from the field in the first half, the Bison shot 27.6 percent in the second and 38.2 percent overall. They finished 4 of 18 from 3-point range. Saint Francis shot 39.7 percent from the field, 21.7 percent from the arc.

Bucknell had not lost back-to-back home games since falling to Holy Cross and Colgate at the end of the 2002-03 season, the team’s first year playing in Sojka Pavilion.

The Bison will try to avoid their first-ever three-game losing streak in Sojka Pavilion on Monday night, when they host La Salle in the final game before a 13-day break for final exams.

Source: Bucknell Men’s Basketball Drops Wild 57-54 Decision to Saint Francis (Pa.)

The Euro 2008 Final Draw took place on Sunday December 2 at 12:00pm local time, in Lucerne, Switzerland. Soccerlens has covered the event LIVE, and now gives you the list of the 4 groups of Euro 2008.

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Group A
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Group B
. Switzerland Austria Czech Republic Croatia Portugal Germany Turkey Poland

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Group C
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Group D
. Netherlands Greece Italy Sweden Romania Spain France Russia

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13:00: This concludes our presentation on Soccerlens. Full list of the groups after the jump.

12:58: Group D: Greece, Russia, Spain, and Sweden. All the groups have been drawn.

12:57: Group C: Netherlands, France, Romania… and ITALY!! The “Group of Death” is here boys…

12:56: Group B: Austria, Poland, Germany, and Croatia.

12:55: Group A: Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal, and Czech Republic.

12:53: Italy, Czech Republic, Sweden, Croatia are now left.

12:53: Group D: Greece, Russia… and Spain .

12:52: Group C: Netherlands, France…. and Romania.

12:51: Group B: Austria, Poland… and Germany.

12:50: Group A: Switzerland, Turkey… and Portugal.

12:45: So far: Group A: Switzerland, Turkey, Group B: Austria, Poland, Group C: Netherlands, France, Group D: Greece, Russia

12:43: After the drawing procedure has been explained, the draw can now begin!

12:40: Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for: THE DRAW!

12:38: Presidents of the football federations of Switzerland and Austria are now appearing.

12:34: Now representatives of past Euro championships are set to be presented. Among others, Michel Platini, Dino Zoff, Marco Van Basten…

12:31: The official Adidas matchball is presented. It is called “Eurofast”.

12:28: Some more musical performances.

12:25: Now tennis champions Roger Federer presenting his home country Switzerland (the country, not the team). Austria will be presented right after (by ski champion Hermann Maier if I understood correctly).

12:19: A presentation of the 16 participating teams of Euro 2008.

12:15: World tenor José Carreras now to perform.

12:13: Greece’s path to Euro 2004 glory is now being presented.

12:08: A brief look at history, with a video of past Euro tournaments.

12:00pm: The ceremony has begun. First a musical introduction by the Vienna boys’ choir, the draw of the groups will take place a little later. You can watch the whole thing unfold on the uefa.com site too by the way (audio & video).

As a reminder, the 16 qualified teams have been separated into 4 different pots, which will be utilized to determine the 4 groups of the tournament by drawing one team from each pot.

With the two co-host nations (Austria/Switzerland) already occupying positions A1 and B1 in the draw, Pot 1 will be formed by European champions Greece, and the team with the highest UEFA coefficient from the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 qualifying, in this case the Netherlands. The remaining pots have been filled in order of coefficient. The teams in Pot 2 will be Croatia, world champions Italy, the Czech Republic and Sweden, while Romania, Germany, Portugal and Spain will occupy Pot 3. Finally, Pot 4 contains Euro championship newcomers Poland, as well as France, Turkey and Russia.
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Pot Team Coefficient Switzerland (hosts) 1.800 Austria (hosts) 1.500 1 Greece (holders) 2.167 1 Netherlands 2.417 2 Croatia 2.409 2 Italy 2.364 2 Czech Republic 2.333 2 Sweden 2.273 3 Romania 2.250 3 Germany 2.250 3 Portugal 2.192 3 Spain 2.182 4 Poland 2.167 4 France 2.091 4 Turkey 1.958 4 Russia 1.958

UEFA’s seedings give rise to interesting scenarios. Namely a “group of death” could potentially contain Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and France, while a “relatively easy” group could include Austria, Croatia, Romania, and Poland.

For more information on the methods used to determine the seedings, see our “Euro 2008 - Group Stage Draw Seedings” post.

Marco Pantanella writes for the mCalcio blog

Source: Euro 2008 Finals Draw