FIFA's Priorities to be Revealed in 2022 World Cup Vote

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International Soccer, US Soccer

FIFA has used the slogan "For the good of the game," but the oligarchs that run soccer from their private jets, hotel suites and a gleaming headquarters that's located somewhere above the law in Zurich spend far more time worrying about their own.

That's not news to anybody, especially after The Times and BBC's Panorama uncovered a culture of bribery, corruption and favoritism among the 24-man (now 22) executive committee that represents the highest power in the global game.

That committee will determine the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Thursday morning.

(By the way, should England lose out on the 2018 tournament as a result of that reporting, fans there should hold their heads high. They gave football to the world, and may have fired the first real shot in the overdue struggle to wrest it back from FIFA. Progress often is achieved through sacrifice.)

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/01/fifas-priorities-to-be-revealed-in-2022-world-cup-vote/

Nelly Furtado Nichole Robinson

SBI MLS Draft Big Board (Version 2.0)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/b9m9nfdVgUU/sbi-mls-draft-big-board-version-20.html

Carrie Underwood Cat Power Catherine Bell

Rex Ryan Buries Game Ball in Effort to 'Forget About' Loss to Patriots

Filed under: Jets, AFC East

So much for Rex Ryan not being superstitious.

In an effort to get his New York Jets to focus on nothing but Sunday's upcoming home game against the Miami Dolphins, Ryan gathered the team around him on the practice field back at the Florham Park, N.J., facility and made a potent gesture. The outspoken second-year head coach took a game ball from Monday night's 45-3 shellacking at the hands of the New England Patriots and buried it in the ground.

"(Wednesday) morning, (Ryan) made us get out of a team meeting and he buried a football in the ground along the sideline on the field and said, 'Just forget about it, forget about this game.' It was actually a game ball from Monday night,'' Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "Rex said, 'We're burying this game and what happened Monday night, and let's move forward.'

"He told us to go outside, and we were all saying, 'What are we doing? Going on a field trip or something?' The hole was right there, already dug, there with the dirt on the side and he threw the ball in the hole. It was a funeral for a game ball. That might be the best I ever saw, I never seen a coach do that. You usually hear a coach say, 'Let's bury this game.' Rex actually buried it. Everybody was in shock, nobody said anything.''

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/08/rex-ryan-buries-game-ball-embarrassing-loss-to-patriots/

Julianne Hough Julie Benz Julie Berry

Washington Gets Jake Locker Big Finish

Filed under: Nebraska, Washington, Pac 10, Bowl Games

In essence, Washington quarterback Jake Locker returned to Seattle for another year, put his NFL draft stock and his body on the line, for this experience.

Locker and the Huskies are headed to a bowl game.

"It's really cool just to be able to be in there and have them explain this kind of stuff and look up at a schedule that in the past has been 'OK, this is when you guys can go home and this is when the quarter starts and we start winter workouts again,'" Locker said Sunday. "To be able to look at it and go, 'We are going to have practices here, these days are going to be off, you'll get money for this, we are going to visit these places while we are down there,' it just puts a smile on my face."

Washington (6-6) rallied to win three straight games and earn the program's first bowl berth since 2002. The Huskies faced down three straight elimination games and came away each time with a win they had to have.

They ended up with a third-place finish in the Pac-10 with USC, tied at 5-4. Now they are headed for the Holiday Bowl in San Diego and a rematch with Nebraska, which came to Seattle on Sept. 18 and dominated Washington 56-21. Nebraska finished the season 10-3.

But the Huskies are the ones with something truly momentous to celebrate. Two years ago on Monday, Steve Sarkisian met his team for the first time. They were coming off an Apple Cup loss and an 0-12 season, the program's first winless record in 119 years. At 6-6, Washington is not yet a winning football program. It is, in reality, only one win better than Sarkisian's first season last year. But the Huskies have come a long way. Certainly a long way from the 3-6 hole Washington was looking at in mid-November.

 

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/07/washington-gets-jake-locker-big-finish/

Sarah Polley Sarah Shahi Sarah Silverman

D.C. United Set to Name Ben Olsen Youngest MLS Coach

Filed under: MLS, D.C. United, Real Salt Lake

Think Bob Bradley felt like a compromise choice following the revelations concerning U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati's second courtship of Jürgen Klinsmann?

He's got nothing on Ben Olsen, whose own boss had been saying publicly for months that the 33-year-old former midfielder wasn't qualified for the job.

D.C. United chief Kevin Payne never faulted Olsen, who ended his playing career at the conclusion of the 2009 season, but continued to insist that he wasn't ready to be an MLS head coach.

The interim gig he was handed in August when Curt Onalfo was fired was a stopgap designed to keep the locker room as united as possible while giving Payne the time to find a permanent replacement.

 

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Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/d-c-united-set-to-name-ben-olsen-youngest-mls-coach/

Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes Dania Ramirez

FIFA's Priorities to be Revealed in 2022 World Cup Vote

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International Soccer, US Soccer

FIFA has used the slogan "For the good of the game," but the oligarchs that run soccer from their private jets, hotel suites and a gleaming headquarters that's located somewhere above the law in Zurich spend far more time worrying about their own.

That's not news to anybody, especially after The Times and BBC's Panorama uncovered a culture of bribery, corruption and favoritism among the 24-man (now 22) executive committee that represents the highest power in the global game.

That committee will determine the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Thursday morning.

(By the way, should England lose out on the 2018 tournament as a result of that reporting, fans there should hold their heads high. They gave football to the world, and may have fired the first real shot in the overdue struggle to wrest it back from FIFA. Progress often is achieved through sacrifice.)

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/01/fifas-priorities-to-be-revealed-in-2022-world-cup-vote/

Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels Charlize Theron

Ranking 2010-11 Non-AQ Bowl Games

Filed under: Air Force, Army, Boise State, Brigham Young, East Carolina, Florida International, Fresno State, Hawaii, Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee State, Navy, Nevada, Northern Illinois, Ohio, San Diego State, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Toledo, Troy, Tulsa, UCF, Utah, UTEP, BCS, Bowl Games

Did you know that nearly half of the bowls played this season include teams from the non-automatic qualifying conferences? And while not all are winners, there are several intriguing matchups out there that include several teams many have not seen play this year.

So I've provided a guide to the best and worst non-AQ bowls of this season. This way, you can get your viewing money's worth.

1. Rose Bowl: TCU (12-0) vs. Wisconsin (11-1)
TCU hasn't lost a regular season game since November, 2008, but bowl games have been a different story. The Horned Frogs haven't played an AQ opponent in a bowl since 2005 and they haven't faced a staunch rushing attack like they'll see against the Badgers. This is the top game to watch because non-AQs rarely disappoint in BCS games.

2. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Navy (8-3) vs. San Diego State (8-4)
Navy didn't live to up expectations and San Diego State exceeded them. The Midshipmen were considered a threat for a BCS bowl berth when the season began, but losses to Maryland and Air Force forced them to rally and salvage the school's eighth consecutive season with at least eight wins. SDSU has shown great improvement under second-year head coach Brady Hoke and is playing in its first bowl game since 1998. There's actual excitement around this team now and the home field should play to the Aztecs' advantage. These are probably the most evenly matched teams among the non-AQ bowls.

3. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Nevada (12-1) vs. Boston College (7-5)
Nevada at least gets to play an AQ team for its efforts this season. This has been Nevada's best season as a member of the FBS and seniors Colin Kaepernick, Vai Taua and Donte Moch will want to go out on a high note. This game will pit the Wolf Pack's high octane rushing offense against the nation's top rushing defense. This could be a good chess match.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/07/ranking-2010-11-non-aq-bowl-games/

Victoria Silvstedt Vinessa Shaw Virginie Ledoyen