Manchester United And Other BBC Sport News

So the UEFA Champions League final game happens tomorrow with Manchester United vs. Barcelona. I found an interesting headline on the BBC Sport website that reads, "Vidic ready to win at all costs". Great headline but it isn't quite as sinister as it would suggest:

Nemanja Vidic is sure Manchester United will beat Barcelona in the Champions League final - and does not care about the style in which they do it. Wednesday's match in Rome pits holders United against the team regarded as the most attractive in Europe this season. But United defender Vidic, 27, told BBC Sport: "All that matters is the result, you'll quickly forget about the style. Football is not about the style - it's about the winning and we have the confidence and belief to do it."

Yeah, so he doesn't care how stylish they look in order to win as long as they win? Isn't that always the case in any sport? Don't forget that you can catch this on ESPN 360. That means a lot of soccer fans will not be getting much work done tomorrow during this time!

A more philanthropic story behind a headline on the BBC that my pal Katherine in the U.K. brought to my attention was this:

Netball aims to change Indian lives:

Sport attracts more than its fair share of bad headlines, as does the world of business, but in India the two are coming together to help change the lives of poverty-afflicted youngsters. Netball has teamed up with global bank Standard Chartered, to use sport to promote self-confidence, communication skills, health and hygiene, and financial literacy. It is targeted at girls in Mumbai and Delhi, aged between 14 and 19, and from families earning less than $2 a day. The "Goal" programme also has an economic empowerment component - with a loan scheme fund to help girls achieve their professional ambitions.


Two dollars a day!? Wow, we don't really think about low wages like that around here. With two dollars around here you can get a cup of coffee or a fast food item or two.

Unfortunately though, there are those bad apples across the pond as well as she also pointed out to me:

Test cricketer's fall from grace:

When Chris Lewis chalked up a half-century and six wickets for England in 1991 against the then-mighty West Indies, he was hailed by many as one of cricket's brightest hopes. The imposing 6ft 2in all-rounder's fast, loose-limbed bowling style and combative batting technique even led some to tip him as the next Ian Botham. But almost two decades later, the former England star, who critics say never truly fulfilled his potential, has faced a very public fall from grace. Lewis, now 41, and basketball player Chad Kirnon, 27, were found at Gatwick Airport last year to be smuggling £140,000 of pure cocaine into the UK in fruit and vegetable juice tins. A week-and-a-half long trial at Croydon Crown Court heard how the two friends plotted together to bring the "valuable consignment" of Class A drugs in liquid form from St Lucia. Jurors were told how the sportsmen, both from north London, travelled to the Caribbean island in November, only to return a week later with the brown cocaine liquid hidden in eight large tins stashed in each of their bags.

Apparently the two are blaming each other. Way to go. The two were each given thirteen years for their act. What possesses a person to smuggle anything trough an airport these days is just beyond me. Seriously, and a prominent sport figure?

Wild World of Wednesday - May 13, 2009

Dropped Like A Hot Potato: I just caught the news that the British Masters is being dropped from the European Tour. Apparently the main sponsor's contract is up and a replacement has not been found. The English Open has also fallen off of the Tour Schedule.

Nice Calendar: By the way, Sky Sports has an excellent soccer schedule on the web. I believe it has almost every European league's games. Very nice.

Speaking of Euro Soccer: Have you seen the schedule for the UEFA Women's Euro? The final group starts in August.

And One More: Don't forget that the Champions League final is on the 27th of this month. Barcelona faces Manchester United.

Today In Sports History

1992 - Frank Stallone beats Geraldo Rivera in boxing on the Howard Stern Show (yes, I know this is a stretch to call it boxing)

Happy Birthday to Barry Zito - there, that should make up for the horrible chants I took part in the last time I saw him at Chavez Ravine.

Wild World of Wednesday - May 6, 2009

Slow News Day? I woke up to the most ridiculous story about records and correlations on ESPN this morning. Apparently, last night's Marlins vs. Reds game was quite historic. You see, it was the first time that two pitchers that had last names starting with the letters V-O-L faced each other. In fact, there was even a batter's name that started with V-O-T, making the first V-O-L/V-O-T combo in history. Okay, not to be totally disrespectful but even the people in Florida don't care much about the Marlins and I don't hear too much chatter about the Reds either. I wish I was the one getting paid to make dull teams sound significant with meaningless "historic" accomplishments. I've got an advanced degree in math/sciences so I've been trained to see patterns...hit me up ESPN or even NFL Network. I'd love to sit around all day and look for this sort of stuff.

Speaking of baseball the Dodgers have a 12-0 record at home so far. That is an actual stat worth following for Dodgers fans.

Man U Dominates: Manchester United beat Arsenal yesterday by a score of 3-1. Barcelona and Chelsea will fight it out to see who will face Man U in the final match. If you're stuck in the office or don't have access to broadcasts of these matches check ESPN360.

Say It Isn't So: I'm almost embarrassed to even mention Brett Favre. He'll be talking to the Vikings about a possible return. I can't even muster up the sarcasm to comment further.

Today In Sports History

1982 - Seattle Mariner Gaylord Perry becomes 15th pitcher to win 300 games

1986 - Real Madrid wins 15th UEFA Cup in Berlin