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Hoyaheel

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We got off topic in a gossip thread so, after searching and not finding an existing general sports thread, I thought I would start one. We were lured off-topic by discussions of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Go Red Wings :4biggrin:

 

I personally don't care for "the big three" in American culture - baseball, basketball or football--but will watch virtually anything played in the Olympics. Even, thanks to my husband, curling :shocked:

 

I also like to watch tennis and was thrilled to watch Roger Federer win the French Open this week. What a great tennis player (and it was really fun to see Anna Wintour actually animated when he won, too :jawdrop: )

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I was very happy to see Federer finally win Roland Garros, equaling Sampras' Grand Slam wins record(which he hopefully will beat at Wimbledon). I think he's the greatest tennis player of all time and it's a delight to see him play.

 

I don't care too much for the major sports here in the US, I can watch football(it took me forever to learn the rules) and baseball(go Cubbies!!) but basketball and hockey leave me cold.

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For once, I would have been happy if either player had won the tennis. Soderling seems very much in the Federer mould personality-wise. I am glad that Fed finally got the French after so many disappointments, however.

 

Although I was in the netball and rounders teams at school I can't get interested in basketball or baseball. On the other hand, I used to really hate playing field hockey. Yet since I moved to Canada, hockey (of the ice variety) is the love of my life as far as sports go. (Only watching, unfortunately; I look like a new born giraffe if I venture onto a skating rink!!)

 

Oh, and, despite being in the minority, go Pens. Posted Image

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My husband stopped shaving last week in honor of the playoffs. About halfway through the Saturday game (I think when the Pens were down 3-0 still) he went into the bathroom and shaved it off, since clearly his attempt to grow a beard wasn't helping them any.....At that point, nor did his shaving :rolleyes:

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We had MASSIVE thunderstorms starting about 9:30 eastern....Knocked out our satellite in the middle of the 2nd period :angry3: So I had to listen to the recap on the satellite radio hockey channel this morning.....Too bad for the Wings. Friday's game is going to be INTENSE. All the better, as far as I'm concerned--I really do like watching good, well-matched teams play a great game of hockey....Even when my boys lose :bawl:

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Actually, I really was expecting the Wings to finish things off last night. I'm glad it's going to game 7 though. Should be a great game.

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So now Roger is truly the best tennis player ever. It was great to see Sampras, Laver and Borg there as well. I just love how many previous winners show up every year at Wimbledon. Sampras looks great, hadn't seen him for a few years.

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How awesome was that match? I never thought it was going to end! They both played such great tennis! I couldn't make up my mind who I wanted more to win - so I was cheering for both of them!

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Andy Roddick has no reason to hang his head...he played the match of a lifetime...against the greatest.

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I was very surprised at how well he played to beat Murray but he raised his game to another level today. I felt so sorry for him at the end. But I agree with Hoya - I would've been happy whichever one of them won.

 

It's so unusual these days to watch any kind of sport where there's no fighting, swearing, diving, nasty tackles, etc. Fantastic game.

 

Posted Image

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Andy Roddick has no reason to hang his head...he played the match of a lifetime...against the greatest.

Indeed not. But it was not just the quality of his game, it was also how he reacts afterwards. He comes across as a very classy, down to earth guy. He's always been gracious in defeat, able to congratulate the winner and has a sense of humour in what must have been a tremendously disappointing time for him. I remember him talking about throwing the sink at Federer and Federer throwing back the rest of the bathroom (or something like that) when he lost the first Wimbledon final he played in and he was able to make a joke by apologising to Sampras yesterday. He comes away with a great deal of credit for how he conducted himself.

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So cute!

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/...e-champion.html

 

Posted Image

 

Published: Today

 

TENNIS hero Roger Federer plays doubles as he lovingly poses with his new twin daughters.

 

The Swiss player, 27, and wife Mirka, 31, cradled two-week-old tots Charlene Riva and Myla Rose in a photo he posted on Facebook.

 

It comes after Federer clinched his sixth Wimbledon singles title last month.

 

The girls, born in Zurich, are already tipped to become tennis champs, with bookies quoting them at 100/1 to win Wimbledon.

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Source.

 

 

Oct 2, 2009 10:27 am US/Central

O NO!! CHICAGO LOSES 2016 OLYMPICS

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CBS) ―

 

Despite four years, millions of dollars in planning and a last-ditch pitch from President Obama, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid ultimately fell short.

 

The City of Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting, before any host city was selected.

 

An expert called it the "biggest shock in IOC history."

 

A disappointed USOC President Larry Probst left the venue and refused to comment, saying the Chicago delegation would respond later.

 

Supporters gathered in Chicago were equally shocked. Many left the rally in Daley Plaza tears.

 

Tokyo was also eliminated in the first round.

 

Even the president's star billing wasn't enough to put Chicago over the top in what some experts said was the tightest race for the Games in its history.

 

"The President did everything he could to bring the Olympics to our country and we're obviously disappointed that we didn't win them," said White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton.

 

The contest lasted four years and endured several stumbling blocks. But many believed that when President Barack Obama elected to go to Copenhagen to deliver the closing remarks of Chicago's final presentation, the move would seal the deal to send the games to Chicago.

 

But the president's pitch, along with the star power of First Lady Michelle Obama and TV queen Oprah Winfrey, couldn't sway enough votes.

 

In the short term, CBS 2 Mike Flannery reports that the Chicago defeated leaves Obama politically wounded by taking on a fight that he really didn't have to take.

 

The vote is also a stinging defeat for Mayor Daley, who has been used to getting what he wants. Although opponents now no longer have the Olympics, and the potential for cost overruns and mismanagement, as a campaign issue.

 

CBS 2 Olympics expert Mike Conklin said the defeat points to the United States' lack of standing within the International Olympic Committee, dating all the way back to the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics.

 

City officials first announced in July 2005 that Chicago would be making a bid for the 2016 games. Mayor Richard M. Daley had originally said the millions required to make a serious pitch would not be worth it, but local business leaders came forward and said they would foot the bill.

 

Retired Aon executive chairman Patrick Ryan came on as the chairman of the 2016 Olympic bid committee.

 

By 2006, Mayor Daley was meeting with the International Olympic Committee and traveling to compare notes with other cities. He proposed the construction of a temporary stadium in Washington Park, which would house the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as track and field events and open-air festivals.

 

Plans for an athletes' village soon followed. Eventually, the campus of Michael Reese Hospital on the city's Near South Side was chosen as the site.

 

The U.S. officially decided to enter a bid for the 2016 Games in January 2007, and picked Chicago over Los Angeles for the bid in April of that year.

 

The city began courting major sporting events to show its preparedness for the Olympics, including the World Boxing Championships, which were held in the city in October 2007. The city had also hosted the Gay Games in the summer of 2006.

 

In June 2008, Chicago cleared yet another hurdle, when the city was named one of four finalists for the 2016 Games. Three others were eliminated from the race – Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic, and Baku, Azerbaijan.

 

Chicago's Olympic bid got a monumental boost when Barack Obama was elected president.

 

At a rally in Daley Plaza five months before the election, Obama drummed up enthusiasm for the bid. He said: "In 2016, I'll be wrapping up my second term as president, so I can't think of a better way than to be marching into Washington Park alongside Mayor Daley, alongside Rahm Emanuel, alongside Dick Durbin, alongside Valerie Jarrett as President of the United States, and announcing to the world, 'Let the games begin!'"

 

But as the bid pushed ahead, questions began to arise about the city's bid. Analysts began to cast doubt because of the city's plan to finance the bid completely with private funding, while the other cities all had public guarantees.

 

Protests against the Olympics began to erupt in Chicago, on fears that there would be cost overruns and taxpayers would get stuck with the bill.

 

Still, the Chicago 2016 team pressed on, recruiting President Obama, Michael Jordan, and other dignitaries and celebrities to appear in promotional videos. In April 2009, the city wined and dined a group of IOC members, showing off proposed Olympic venues and other plans, and treating the dignitaries to a gala attended by Oprah Winfrey.

 

But the week the bid team picked to host the dignitaries was unseasonably cold, and attention on the IOC visit was disrupted by a protest by Chicago Police officers who were angry over their lack of a new contract.

 

Still, the IOC seemed to come away impressed.

 

When asked what stands out as a highlight of the Chicago bid after the visit, El Moutawakel said, "We felt, honestly, that the concept and vision and the love of the sports were there …We felt that the whole community was behind the bid, backing the bid."

 

But the question of funding still remained, and eventually mushroomed into its own controversy. Following a June 2009 visit to Lausanne, Switzerland, for a final pitch to the IOC, Mayor Daley appeared to change course and said "yes" when asked if he would sign a contract guaranteeing that the city would assume "the financial responsibility for the planning, organization and staging of the Games."

 

In total, the Olympics had an estimated price tag of $4.8 billion.

 

Daley later said the city would be on the hook for "no more than the $500 million already approved by City Council."

 

Some Chicago aldermen grew skeptical, including Manny Flores (1st), Sandi Jackson (7th) and Joe Moore (49th), who called for an independent auditing team for the Olympic bid.

 

But in late August 2009, a report by the Civic Federation concluded that as long as the city stuck to its plan, taxpayers would be protected from the costs of the Olympics.

 

Controversy also erupted when the city began demolition of the Michael Reese Hospital campus. Critics said the city had engaged in risky real estate speculation in purchasing the campus, and lamented the demolition of some buildings designed by renowned architect Walter Gropius.

 

On Sept. 2, an IOC commission put out a report that criticized the bid for its failure to provide a full public guarantee to cover an economic shortfall, the city's limitations of transportation system, and the costs of the Olympic Village and new venues.

 

But the report also called the city's budget "ambitious, but achievable," and criticized other cities too. Overall, Rio de Janeiro came off the best in the report.

 

On Sept. 4, a Chicago Tribune poll indicated that only 47 percent of Chicagoans supported the Olympic bid, and 45 percent were against it. The survey was criticized for its sample size of only 300 people, but other cities used the poll in an effort to sell themselves over Chicago.

 

Meanwhile, President Obama was on-again, off-again for weeks about whether he would go to Copenhagen for a final pitch before the vote on the host city.

 

On Sept. 16,Obama said his efforts to finalize a health care reform plan had to take precedence. He said First Lady Michelle Obama would go to Copenhagen instead, along with White Hosue adviser Valerie Jarrett, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Oprah Winfrey also headed to Copenhagen for the final vote.

 

But on Sept. 28, Obama changed his mind, and the White House announced that he would be going after all.

 

The chief executives of Japan, Spain and Brazil were all in Copenhagen, and when it appeared that Obama was not going, IOC officials warned that his absence would be "noticed."

 

But Chicago's bid fell short even with Obama's presence.

 

Now, like the failed plans decades ago for a 1992 World's Fair, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid will only exist in the world of what might have been.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NBA great Abdul-Jabbar has rare form of leukemia

 

The NBA's all-time leading scorer was diagnosed last December with chronic myeloid leukemia, he told The Associated Press on Monday.

 

The 62-year-old Abdul-Jabbar said his doctor didn't give any guarantees, but informed him: "You have a very good chance to live your life out and not have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle."

 

Abdul-Jabbar is taking an oral medication for the disease. He is a paid spokesman for the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, which makes a drug that treats the illness.

 

Citing the way Los Angeles Lakers teammate Magic Johnson brought awareness to HIV, Abdul-Jabbar said he wants to do the same for his form of blood cancer, which can be fatal if left untreated.

 

"I've never been a person to share my private life. But I can help save lives," he said at a midtown Manhattan conference room. "It's incumbent on someone like me to talk about this."

 

Abdul-Jabbar became concerned last year after feeling odd sensations. He went for tests at UCLA, where he dominated college basketball in the late 1960s, winning three straight NCAA championships from 1967-69.

 

"I was getting hot flashes and sweats on a regular basis," he said. "That's not normal, even for my age."

 

An exam showed his white blood cell count was "sky high" and a doctor quickly diagnosed his condition. At first, all Abdul-Jabbar heard was the word "leukemia."

 

"I was scared," he said. "I thought it was all the same. I thought it could mean I have a month to live."

 

"That was my first question," he said. "Was I going to make it?"

 

A longtime student in martial arts, Abdul-Jabbar said he took the approach of a samurai, to face death without fear.

 

"I had my face on," he said.

 

Instead, doctors told him CML was treatable with proper medication and monitoring.

 

Abdul-Jabbar is a special assistant with the Lakers and said he hasn't had to cut back his level of activity of coaching, change his regimen or adjust his diet. "I'm able to sneak out for Thai food," he said.

 

"There is hope. This condition can be treated. You can still live a productive, full life," he said. "I'm living proof I can make it."

 

Abdul-Jabbar recently returned from an academic conference in Abu Dhabi and has several speaking engagements planned. Among the people he regularly talks to about his condition is his son, a third-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco.

 

The six-time NBA MVP intends to post updates to his Facebook and Twitter accounts and stay connected through www.CMLearth.com, a Web site for those afflicted by the disease.

 

About 5,000 cases of CML are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society said. More than 22,000 people are living in the US with the disease.

 

The disease tends to initially be diagnosed by people in their mid-to-late 60s, and usually affects men more than women.

 

"I want to spread the word," Abdul-Jabbar said.

 

 

source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...L#ixzz0WTWWnhD9

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Is anyone else a huge Olympics fan? I will watch any sport. I swear - last winter Olympics, I even watched curling! But ice hockey is my favorite - so far I've watched 2 full women's games and 2 halves (the ones in primetime I switch between hockey and whatever is on the primetime channel - but the weekend daytime games I watched fully) So far, I think I'm ok with NBC coverage - they haven't been going overboard with the background "heart warming" crap. I do wish they'd show more of the people - they show Americans, and then maybe #1 and #2 but not the rest of the field, which could be really awesome.

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But ice hockey is my favorite

I'm so excited about the Canada vs Norway game tomorrow. Not only are they playing in my place of worship (GM Place), but my man Bobby Lu (a rarity amongst hockey players in that he is hunky AND has all his teeth!) is the starting goalie.

 

The city's been crazy for days but it's gonna get crazier tomorrow.

Posted Image

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I'm going to miss quite a few of the games - unless I start watching online at work ;-) US men's game is at 3pm my time today. I'll probably catch a little of the women's game because it doesn't start until 5:30 and I should be home by 7pm (it's a gym night for me) The NBC Olympics website is much better this time than it was in Beijing - I can usually find decent video pretty easily. I've also been able to find some CTV clips on YouTube....

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I'm hoping to go downtown to watch one of the games in amongst the millions. The Canada/USA game on Sunday might be a good choice.

 

I should make a "Hello Hoya" banner!! :D

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I'm hoping to go downtown to watch one of the games in amongst the millions. The Canada/USA game on Sunday might be a good choice.

 

I should make a "Hello Hoya" banner!! :D

Well, you could put it in the corner of your maple leaf banner :4biggrin:

 

I'm so jealous! In 2002, my dad was living in Park City (I left Utah in 1998) and most of my siblings went back for the Olympics, but I HAD TO WORK and couldn't make the trip. I don't think I'll ever get over that. Olympic Hockey in person is on my life list.....

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The guy I get my Canucks tickets off is in town for the Olympics and he e-mailed today to ask if I wanted to go to a game tomorrow (freebie!) but I have to work. But I've told my supervisor (who luckily is also my friend) that if there's any chance of getting in to see a Canada game live I'm outta here! and she's OK with that. :D (I wouldn't mind catching a Sweden game either as my twins are playing.)

 

You wouldn't believe the prices some people with gold medal tickets are selling them for. A guy in my building has four and wants 30 grand! He was even interviewed on one of the local news bulletins about it.

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You wouldn't believe the prices some people with gold medal tickets are selling them for. A guy in my building has four and wants 30 grand! He was even interviewed on one of the local news bulletins about it.

I WOULD believe it! Hubby and I were googling tickets for various events over the weekend. Crazy! Hope you get to see a hockey game!!!! If so, I wanna hear all the details - where's that green with envy graemlin? :P

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I can understand why basketball is such a popular game... very big in US

not so big in UK .

 

I cant help thinking though that it would be a better spectacle and skill if the net

was a lot higher than it currently is. To see guys jump up and smash the ball down into the net

just does nt seem right.

 

If the net was set as say.. 15 feet.... you would always need skill to get the ball in the net

and physical height would nt advantage others as much .

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