Wenger lauds Giroud

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Arsene Wenger paid tribute to his FA Cup match winner Olivier Giroud, recognising how the Frenchman has improved.


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London - Arsene Wenger paid tribute to his FA Cup match winner Olivier Giroud, recognising how the Frenchman has improved and become a more complete striker in his three years in London.


Giroud again demonstrated the quality which persuaded Cup holders Arsenal to pay around 10 million pounds ($15.42 million) for his services as he scored both goals in a decisive two-minute spell to sink Middlesbrough 2-0 in the fifth round.


The player who has not always convinced at Arsenal, despite that peacock strut about him, is these days properly showing off the feathers, this brace taking his tally for the season to 10 goals, even though he missed nearly three months of the campaign with a broken foot.


It was a year ago that Giroud's future at the club seemed up in the air after he apologised for taking a female companion back to the team hotel.


Yet even with Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck having subsequently taken the spotlight from him, Giroud's huge and growing importance to Arsenal was again underlined by Wenger, who explained why his number 12 actually remained the club's most natural number nine.


“I believe that he is a different player today than the guy who arrived here,” said Wenger of the 28-year-old, who seems tougher and more industrious than when he joined the club.


“He understands what top level football demands, works with a great concentration in training and he has improved tremendously on his mobility, his technical quality. And, of course, his body is very strong. He uses it very well.”


Giroud's first goal came straight out of the Arsenal manual of beautiful team goals, a neat first-time finish to end some bewilderingly fine interplay involving all the players.


The second was the sharpest of instant volleys from Alexis Sanchez's corner. “A consequence of intelligence and technique,” said Wenger.


While Sanchez and Welbeck buzz around, there remains only one job for Giroud.


“I believe Welbeck's doing extremely well. He can play central striker like he did for a long time but the most natural centre forward we have is Giroud,” said Wenger.


“All the strikers we have can play in different positions. The only one who can only play centre forward is Giroud, so when Giroud plays the others have to move out wide.”


It seems simple enough; feed the peacock and he will score. – Reuters






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Welbeck struggling to fit in

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Danny Welbeck moved to Arsenal hoping to get regular starting time in his preferred position as striker having under-achieved at Manchester United.


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A few days before England’s World Cup squad flew out to Brazil last summer, Danny Welbeck made it clear that he expected to be given a run of games up front when he returned to Manchester United.


We are coming up to the anniversary of that conversation —which happened in the swanky resort of Quinta do Lago in Portugal — and nothing has changed, except his club.


Yesterday, wearing the colours of Arsenal in this FA Cup fifth round tie against Middlesbrough, the forward was shoe-horned into this team. Few could displace Olivier Giroud on his current form.


Instead, Welbeck is in familiar territory, forced on to the wing again because Giroud, one of the most under-appreciated players at the highest level of the game, is scoring at will.


In many ways Welbeck is a victim of his own versatility, squeezed out to the wing in this cup tie because Giroud is a first pick for Wenger when he is fit.


Wenger said: ‘If you look at the history of my strikers, most of them have been able to play in different forward positions over the year. The only one who hasn’t and probably has to play up front is Giroud, but the rest have been able to play wide if necessary.’ In the days of Thierry Henry he could pop up wherever he wanted, but Welbeck is playing with more tactical discipline as he works his way into this team.


Against one of the best sides in the Championship Welbeck started on the left and swapped with Alexis Sanchez to play on the right after the break. His afternoon ended when he was replaced by Theo Walcott in the 71st minute. Even though he is on the same pitch as some players with genuine pedigree — Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla operate at a different technical level from the others — this is not what he signed up to.


When he arrived from Manchester United at the end of the summer transfer window, Welbeck wanted to be the star of the show in an Arsenal shirt. Instead, we are waiting for him to really get going.


He touched the ball 38 times at the Emirates yesterday, a long way short of the the 128 touches taken by the imperious Cazorla and his midfield partner Ozil (116).


If it came down to work-rate in the Barclays Premier League, then Welbeck would win a place in this team every week.


He has scored some goals, netting his first for the club in a 3-0 victory at Aston Villa in September and scoring a hat-trick against Galatasaray in a 4-1 win the following month. Suddenly, though, he seems vulnerable.


Next month an England squad will be announced for the games against Lithuania and Italy.


Welbeck is coming under pressure from Harry Kane. He is a favourite of Hodgson’s, but to keep his place in the team for club and country the forward will need to play in his preferred position.


It seems that if Giroud is fit, he will always start ahead of Welbeck. The Frenchman has now scored 11 times in the FA Cup.


In a few weeks, as Arsenal power on for a place in the top four and another appearance in an FA Cup final, the competition will be fierce in this squad.


Heavyweights such as Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be making demands of Wenger as they enter a crucial phase of the season.


When that moment arrives, you begin to wonder where Welbeck will fit in. – Daily Mail






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Bradford rekindling FA Cup romance

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Bradford City were “living the dream” after knocking out another Premier League victim and powering into the FA Cup quarter-finals.


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Bradford City, a venerable third-tier English club with a history touched by tragedy, were “living the dream” on Sunday after knocking out another Premier League victim and powering into the FA Cup quarter-finals.


The Yorkshire club, whose indomitable spirit has never been extinguished in hard times over the 30 years since a fire at their stadium claimed 56 lives, wrote a new, uplifting tale at Valley Parade as they defeated Sunderland 2-0.


On the eve of the game, Bradford manager Phil Parkinson had said his League One side, perpetrators of one of the Cup's greatest upsets by winning 4-2 at Jose Mourinho's impregnable Chelsea fortress in the previous round, had saved the FA Cup by rekindling its romance and unpredictability.


Even though England's TV broadcasters had absurdly chosen not to screen the latest chapter of the fairytale live - a decision which left their fans chanting gleefully “Are you watching BBC?” - all eyes will now be on little Bradford as they are just 90 minutes from a semi-final at Wembley.


“With the form we're in at the moment we'll take anyone at home (in the sixth round),” ecstatic goalkeeper Ben Williams told the BBC as a crowd of 24,021, the biggest at Valley Parade for more than half a century, celebrated uproariously.


“We're just living the dream at the moment.”


With Arsenal and Liverpool already through and Manchester United, who visit Preston North End on Monday, favoured to also make the last eight, none of these aristocrats would savour a visit to a muddy bear trap to tackle a team which again belied its ninth place in League One with some quality football.


Nor will they fancy running into Jon Stead who, keeping up his record of scoring in the each of the previous four rounds of the Cup, scored the decisive second just after the hour, following John O'Shea's third minute own goal.


As against Chelsea, this was no fluke. Bradford can win on carpets or quagmires.


“We have kept that underdog spirit,” said Parkinson. “It was a good, old-fashioned cup tie, a really good advert for the FA Cup.”


Bradford, still collecting big scalps having accounted for Wigan Athletic, Arsenal and Aston Villa in cup competitions over the last three years, keep doing more than anyone to keep alive the traditions of the world's greatest domestic Cup competition. – Reuters






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Rodgers warns Reds of Europa curse

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This is the week the dynamic of Liverpool’s season changes. And just when things are moving in the right direction for Brendan Rodgers.


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Liverpool have kept just three clean sheets in their previous 20 matches in the FA Cup.


This is the week the dynamic of Liverpool’s season changes. And just when things are moving in the right direction for Brendan Rodgers.


Two defeats in 22 games have seen the Anfield side move to within four points of the Champions League places and secure an FA Cup quarter-final slot after Saturday’s win at Selhurst Park.


But how will the Merseysiders deal with the Europa League restarting this week?


It’s that Thursday-Sunday conundrum to which nobody seems to have the answer. Liverpool welcome Besiktas this Thursday before travelling to fellow Barclays Premier League top-four contenders Southampton on Sunday.


Four days later they face the return leg in Turkey, before welcoming champions Manchester City on Sunday.


So, is the Europa League a hindrance for Rodgers? ‘We want to play as many games as we can,’ said the Liverpool manager.


‘It will be tough but when you’re winning games it gives you energy. We had tough games this week but the players have been brilliant and came through it well.


‘Now we’ll recover and look forward to the Europa League because it’s a competition, like the FA Cup, we want to do well in.’ However, Rodgers is under no illusion that the competition will have an impact on the rest of Liverpool’s campaign.


‘There is no doubt that you’re always playing catch-up. It can be tough. But it’s a European competition, so it’s a very prestigious tournament. And a Champions League place for the winner makes it more attractive but there is still a way to go before you can think of that.


‘Certainly we’re very focused on doing well in it. The players are young and hungry and this is a group who can grow over the next couple of years. But we would like to get a trophy to signify that growth so the Europa League is a competition we will take seriously.’


Saturday’s win at Palace brought to an end Liverpool’s recent Selhurst Park hoodoo. When Palace took the lead through Fraizer Campbell, it looked as if Alan Pardew’s side would maintain their hold over Rodgers’ team. However, Liverpool hit back with two goals in nine minutes through Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana. So Pardew’s sole focus now is to ensure Palace retain their Premier League status, with the manager saying the appointments of Chris Ramsey at QPR and Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa will change the dynamic of the relegation battle.


‘A new manager is going to have an impact at some stage,’ said Pardew. ‘Players have got a new challenge, a new start to a degree. Those managers will be using those factors. Of course now it is going to be a really tough race. The prize is getting bigger and bigger each year and the pressure on the managers gets bigger and bigger.’


On the appointmentof Ramsey at Loftus Road, Pardew added: ‘I am very, very pleased that we have a black manager in the Premier League. It has been a long time coming and I am really pleased for him and for the Premier League.’


Palace find out today if they face a second investigation in a week over missiles thrown by their fans after an incident following Sturridge’s equaliser. A coin hit Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini during the draw at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.


CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-1-1): Speroni 7; Kelly 6.5 (Guediora 63min, 6), Dann 7, Hangeland 6.5, Souare 6.5; Bolasie 6 (Zaha 72, 6), Ledley 6.5, Ward 6.5, Gayle 6.5; Chamakh 7 (Puncheon 46, 6); Campbell 6.5. Subs not used: Hennessey, Mariappa, Murray, Delaney. Booked: Chamakh. Scorer: Campbell 15.


LIVERPOOL (3-4-2-1): Mignolet 7; Can 7.5, Skrtel 6.5, Sakho 6.5; Markovic 6 (Balotelli 46, 7), Moreno 6.5, Allen 7, Henderson 8; Coutinho 7.5 (Lovren 79), Lallana 7; Sturridge 7 (Lambert 79). Subs not used: Ward, Johnson, Manquillo, Borini. Booked: Henderson, Can, Mignolet. Scorers: Sturridge 49, Lallana 58.– Daily Mail






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News sport : Russell Westbrook scores 41 to lead West past East in 2015 NBA All-Star Game

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Russell Westbrook celebrates after winning the MVP Trophy in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. (Elsa/Getty Images) NEW YORK — Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 41 points in just 25 1/2 minutes of playing time to lead the Western Conference to a 163-158 victory of the East in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.


The Oklahoma City Thunder star made 16 of his 28 field-goal attempts, including five of nine 3-point tries, to set a new All-Star record for points scored in a half (27, besting the 24 managed by Glen Rice in 1997 and Kyrie Irving in 2014). He fell one point shy of matching the all-time All-Star single-game record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962.


LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers led the East with 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting to go with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes. He has now scored 278 total points over the course of 11 All-Star appearances, sitting just two points shy of the career All-Star scoring record held by Kobe Bryant.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


After a pregame concert headlined by Christina Aguilera and Nas, James got the MSG crowd hyped up right off the opening tip, beginning the evening's scoring with a pair of very loud dunks:



James got off to a white-hot start, scoring 12 points in the first six minutes and returning the favor to Washington Wizards point guard John Wall up for an alley-oop of his own on a fast-break give-and-go:



But despite LeBron putting up 15 points in the opening frame, the West held a 46-35 lead after 12 minutes, thanks in large part to the scoring skill of James Harden and the playmaking wizardry of Stephen Curry, which converged on this beautiful hookup on a lob by the Golden State Warriors triggerman that led to a lefty hammer by the Houston Rockets star:



The West also benefited from Westbrook's near-boundless athleticism, as he linked up with 2013 All-Star Game MVP Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers on this halfcourt reverse finish:



... and later beat the first-quarter buzzer with a signature rim-punishing tomahawk:



Westbrook continued his energetic act in the secon, throwing down dunks and draining deep triples en route to 27 points by halftime on 11 of 15 shooting in just 11 minutes, 21 seconds of floor time.


Even so, the West couldn't pull away, as the East rode a balanced attack — every member of head coach Mike Budenholzer's club scored in the second besides Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap — to draw within one point at the break, 83-82. (The 165 total points tied an All-Star record for total points scored in a half, which was also set last year in New Orleans.)


Perhaps the half's greatest highlight: long-in-the-tooth Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki dunking an alley-oop feed from Curry, which is the sort of rarity that merits massive celebration:



The M.J. tongue, the Vince celebration, Tim Duncan's unbridled joy ... everything about it was just magnificent.


And speaking of rarities, Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry — evidently looking to show that, like fellow point men Wall and Westbrook, he too can muster some bounce — threw down a tip dunk that was his first slam since April 2008:



(Well, that sure shut me right up.)


With the atmosphere in MSG flagging a bit early in the third quarter, Lowry and LeBron provided a shot of adrenaline with a long-distance connection for a double-clutch reverse slam by the King:



Not to be outdone, the newly minted Three-Point Shootout champ took it upon himself to kickstart the Garden's heart by reminding us all that he is, indeed, magic:



The two sides traded blows in the third, finishing the frame knotted at 122 heading into the fourth. Neither side could gain much separation in the first half of the final stanza, but the West began to pull away late in the proceedings, keyed by a pair of 3-pointers from Harden and five Westbrook points in the final 2:22 to seal the victory.


2015 NBA All-Star Game coverage from Yahoo Sports:



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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge to start for West in place of injured Anthony Davis

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LaMarcus Aldridge covers up a smile. (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports) NEW YORK — After considering several high-class options to replace the injured Anthony Davis in the starting lineup for the Western Conference in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has made his choice — Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Saturday that Kerr was leaning toward Aldridge — whom Portland expected to be on the shelf through the All-Star break due to a torn ligament in his left thumb before he decided to just tough it out and play through the injury — after initially considering both Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant and San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan for the slot, which Davis had to vacate due to a right shoulder sprain. And when the lineup sheets were printed up a couple of hours prior to tipoff on Sunday, the eagle-eyed Erik Gundersen of The Columbian caught the starter-denoting asterisk next to Aldridge's name:



It will be the first All-Star start for the 29-year-old in four career All-Star appearances, and it will mark the first time a Blazer has started the All-Star Game in 21 years, dating back to Hall of Fame guard Clyde Drexler lining up alongside Mitch Richmond in the Western backcourt back in 1994.


Aldridge said during his interview session on Friday that he wouldn't campaign for the starting gig, but he got it anyway, offering a bit of validation for a player whose game — built largely on a smooth but subtle low-post game and a sweet stroke from midrange (and, this season, from beyond, too) — doesn't necessarily seem suited to an exhibition geared toward displays of aerial artistry and hellacious handles.


"I don't jump high. I don't windmill," said Aldridge, who recently joked that he's a "boring" All-Star, albeit one well-deserving of an All-Star berth after ranking in the top 10 in scoring (a career-best 23.6 points per game), rebounding (10.3 caroms a night) and Player Efficiency Rating (22.7, well above the league-average of 15) in the first half. "I'm kind of like Dirk [Nowitzki], where I — maybe even less than Dirk. I don't do anything flashy. It's just, like, me being regular."


To some extent, though, "boring" is in the eye of the beholder — ask the Houston Rockets just how ho-hum they think LMA's game is. For what it's worth, Blazers and All-Star teammate Damian Lillard finds Aldridge much more exciting than the man himself does.


“I think there’s excitement to his game,” Lillard said. “I think he’s not the most outspoken person, he doesn’t play the game where he’s trying to dunk on people, stuff like that. But I don’t think he’s boring at all.”


Whether you find his style electric or enervating, Aldridge is now an All-Star starter, joining leading vote-getter Stephen Curry and Splash Brother Klay Thompson, league scoring leader James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol in Kerr's lineup. He might find looks hard to come by as the four-man in the three-guard alignment, but after making just two of his nine tries in 13 minutes last year in New Orleans, he might not mind that too much.


"Last year I put 'em up early," a smiling Aldridge said Saturday, according to Mike Richman of The Oregonian. "It didn't go well."


2015 NBA All-Star Game coverage from Yahoo Sports:



- - - - - - -


Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Jim Furyk managed to make par after driving his ball onto a Pebble Beach cliffside

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Jim Furyk was already off to a lousy start in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Sunday. Then it got worse.


Furyk's drive at the par-5 sixth at Pebble Beach Golf Links went well right, ending up on a steep, rocky cliffside. The bulldog he is, Furyk figured out a stance and hit his ball back to the fairway. He eventually made par on the hole.


Furyk is looking for his first PGA Tour win since the 2010 Tour Championship. Sunday marked the 24th time in Furyk's PGA Tour career that he entered the final round with the lead. However, he has failed to close the deal each of the last eight times he's been in that position.



Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







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News sport : Jeff Gordon wins pole for his final Daytona 500

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jeff Gordon will start first for the final Daytona 500 of his illustrious career.


Gordon posted the fastest lap in the final round of Sunday's qualifying session for the biggest (and first) NASCAR race of the year. He'll start alongside his teammate and six-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson on the front row.


The four-time Sprint Cup Series champion announced in January that 2015 would be his final full-time season in the Cup Series. While Gordon hasn't used the word "retirement" to describe his departure, he has ruled out running restrictor plate races at Daytona and Talladega again past this season.


The first two starting spots were the only two decided in Sunday's qualifying format. The other 41 spots for the race on Feb. 22 will be figured out via the Budweiser Duel qualifying races on Thursday evening.


Gordon and Johnson were two of the last cars out in the final qualifying session. It meant they got a draft off the 10 cars ahead of them and utlized the lack of air to their advantage. It's Gordon's second career Daytona 500 pole. The first time he won the pole, in 1999, he won the race.


Both drivers barely made it to the line to begin their laps. According to NASCAR's group qualifying rules, a car must start a lap before the time remaining in the session expires. Gordon and Johnson crossed the line with just under a couple seconds left as the entire field waited as long as possible to go out and make one lap.


Sunday's session was the first time that the group qualifying format, first introduced in 2014, had been utilized for the front row of the Daytona 500. Previously, all cars attempting the race went out one-by-one and the fastest car (on raw speed sans the draft) won the pole.


It was not well-received. Many drivers criticized the format including Tony Stewart and defending champion Kevin Harvick. The most vocal critic was Clint Bowyer, who was crashed out in the first round of qualifying. Bowyer let rip a huge rant towards NASCAR about the qualifying circumstances.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Clint Bowyer unleashes incredible rant after crash in Daytona 500 qualifying

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- We can count Clint Bowyer as someone who isn't a fan of knockout qualifying at restrictor plate tracks.


Bowyer was taken out in a crash in the first round of pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday. It's the first time NASCAR has tried the knockout qualifying format (introduced in 2014) for the Daytona 500. Instead of cars running one-by-one and the two fastest cars on raw speed earning the top two starting spots for the Daytona 500, cars are bunched into groups and drafting is imperative, just like it is in a race.


Bowyer got into the back of Reed Sorenson's car a lap earlier. The Impact crumpled Sorenson's right rear fender and a lap later, Sorenson spun in front of Bowyer (possibly as a result of a cut tire), collecting the driver of the No. 15, J.J. Yeley and others.



After being released from the infield care center (and animatedly having a word with Sorenson immediately after the crash), Bowyer unleashed his frustrations about what happened and the circumstances surrounding it.


"I wasn't behind [Sorenson]," Bowyer said. "He come flying around, come up on the apron, jumps in front of me then runs over [Justin Allgaier] in line, stacks us all up and I run in to him. It's idiotic to be out here doing this anyway. There's no sense in being able to try to put on some cute show or whatever the hell this is.


"And then you've got a guy out there in desperation doing this crap like this. I mean, it's just, there's no reason to be out here. These guys have spent six months working on these cars, busting their ass on these cars to have some guy out of desperation do that crap.


"But it ain't his fault. It's not. It's NASCAR's fault for putting us out here in the middle of this crap for nothing. We used to come down here and worry about who's going to sit on the front row and the pole for the biggest race of the year. Now all we do is come down here and worry about how a start and park like this out of desperation is going to knock us out of the Daytona 500.


"We've been in meetings for 45 minutes just trying to figure out what in the hell everybody's is going to do just so we could make the race. It's stupid. There's no sense in doing this."


Bowyer was caught up in a crash in Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited, meaning he totaled two cars in less than 24 hours. Sorenson's No. 44 team came without a backup car for Daytona and he said he was unsure of his team's plans after the crash.


While NASCAR has previously said it doesn't like drivers criticizing the on-track product (and drivers have been fined for doing so), Bowyer was hardly the only driver to disapprove of the qualifying format. He just was, understandably, the most vocal. NASCAR would be well-served to listen to drivers' criticisms constructively and not issue any fines for the mess that is a product of the qualifying rules the sanctioning body put in place.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Villa reach FA Cup quarter-final

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Aston Villa shook off their Premier League woes to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.


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London – Aston Villa shook off their Premier League woes to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a 2-1 fifth-round win against Leicester City on Sunday in front of incoming manager Tim Sherwood.


After a woeful first half, the tie came alive when Leandro Bacuna curled in the opening goal for the goal-shy hosts in the 68th minute.


Loan signing Scott Sinclair fired in a second from a tight angle with his shot squirming through Mark Schwarzer’s desperate attempted save.


Leicester’s record-signing Andrej Kramaric pulled a goal back with a powerful header in stoppage time.


Later on Sunday holders Arsenal host Championship-leading Middlesbrough and third tier Bradford City, who toppled Chelsea in the fourth-round, entertain Sunderland. – Reuters






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Arsenal's star performer ‘out of puff’

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Key Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is not himself and could be fatigued, boss Arsene Wenger fears.


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London – Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is “not himself” and could be feeling the effects of fatigue after making an impressive start to life in the Premier League, manager Arsene Wenger said.


The 26-year-old has been Arsenal’s standout performer this season and has scored 18 goals in 32 appearances since signing from Barcelona for 35-million pounds ($53.91 million) in July.


But the Chile international went off with a knee injury in last week’s 2-1 win over Leicester City and Wenger conceded that Sanchez may be showing signs of fatigue.


“He had not the same intensity in his game as he had until now,” said Wenger, whose side are fifth in the Premier League table with 45 points from 25 games.


“I’m not sure he was free in his head to sprint as he used to. I don’t know if it was down to the kick he got on his knee, but he was not himself.


“He has a swollen knee and he cannot move well, but it’s only a kick, nothing else.”


Arsenal host Middlesbrough in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday before travelling to Crystal Palace in the Premier – Reuters






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Neville the man to take Hodgson’s job

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Gary Neville has the aptitude to be a future England boss, according to current incumbent Roy Hodgson.


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London – Gary Neville should prioritise coaching over punditry and has the aptitude and managerial smarts to be a future England boss, according to current incumbent Roy Hodgson.


Since retiring from football in 2011 the former Manchester United and 85-cap England defender has combined work as a Sky Sports pundit alongside work as Hodgson’s assistant manager – roles for which he has been lauded.


Neville, however, acknowledged that he could not commit to both jobs long-term and had a “decision to make in the next 18 months.”


Neville may be tempted to pursue punditry following the Premier League’s staggering TV deal worth 5.2 billion pounds ($7.93 billion) TV deal, of which Sky paid 4.2 billion for 126 live games a season from 2016 to 2019.


Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has also opted for a career in punditry after hanging up his boots in 2013.


“That’s the coaching badges out the window for a few years,” Carragher said on Twitter upon hearing news of the new Sky Sports deal for Premier League coverage.


Arsenal’s all-time record goalscorer Thierry Henry has recently joined Sky’s stable after bringing an end to his playing days, while others like former Liverpool players Jamie Redknapp and Michael Owen are also regulars in the TV studios.


Neville already holds Uefa A and B licences and is completing his coaching Pro-Licence and could be a future England manager Hodgson said.


“If you’re asking me would I like to see Gary Neville in coaching or management then, yes, I would.


“It is up to the FA to decide what his value to England is in the future. He is a very good coach now and he will become an even better coach with experience.


“From a selfish point of view I personally would see him being more valuable to me as a football lover than as a pundit.


“Punditry is not that difficult if you know a bit about football. You don’t win and lose in punditry.”


Hodgson, 67, has two years remaining on his current deal but refused to be drawn on what his future holds after the 2016 European Championships in France.


“We’ll see. At the moment I feel good and I hope that will continue for a few more years,” he said.


“When the day comes I will know what the right time is and I’ll do it but I have an important job to do.” – Reuters






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Valdes must prove himself: Van Gaal

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Victor Valdes will have to earn his spurs in United’s reserve side before he gets a first-team debut.


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London – January signing Victor Valdes must earn his spurs in Manchester United’s reserve side before he can be considered for a full first-team debut, according to manager Louis van Gaal.


The 33-year-old arrived at Old Trafford for a free transfer on an 18-month deal in January having been the bedrock of a Barcelona side that won six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.


Valdes, however, has failed to displace incumbent David de Gea who continues to impress in an inconsistent United side, and Van Gaal had previously stated it would be “very hard” for him to do so.


The 20-cap Spain international, who recovered from a serious knee injury playing for Barcelona in March 2014, played for United’s reserves in a 2-1 win against Liverpool on January 26.


Since then, however, Valdes has been an unused substitute on the first-team bench for seven successive matches.


“When you are out for more than a year, first of all you have to show yourself at a lower level,” Van Gaal told reporters.


“He has to do it in the second team. Like Ashley Young is doing that, like Michael Carrick has to do that. It is always the same. I think it is normal.”


Manchester United, third in the Premier League, will hope to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals when they face League One (third tier) Preston North End on Monday. – Reuters






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Papic unhappy with team’s performance

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While happy with Polokwane’s win, coach Kosta Papic has hit at his charges for not sticking to their regular game.


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Johannesburg – While he admitted he was satisfied to walk away with all three points, Polokwane City coach Kosta Papic was openly critical of his team’s approach in their Premiership clash against Moroka Swallows on Saturday night.


Rendani Ndou struck in second-half injury time to snatch a 2-1 victory for the hosts at Peter Mokaba Stadium.


“We played completely differently to the way we usually play, but I don’t want to blame the players now,” Papic said.


“One day you’re not going to play well, and one day you play fantastically and you don’t win.


“Today we won the match and got the three points, which is very important for us, and I think from these three points everything is going to change for this club.”


Polokwane continued their rise up the league table, climbing to fifth position after losing only one of their last 10 fixtures, but Papic hoped his side would stick to their regular style of play in their next game, a Nedbank Cup fixture against SuperSport United on February 25, after leaving it to the last minute against the Birds.


“The most important thing to anyone playing football is to play the way they want, and today we didn’t do that,” he said.


“I hope the next match will be better.”


Polokwane midfielder Cole Alexander, the Man of the Match, agreed with Papic that the home side had not been their usual selves.


“It was not one of our best games, but eventually we got the three points and that’s all that matters,” Alexander said.


Essau Kanyenda put the hosts in front with a superb diving header in the 10th minute, and Felix Obada equalised for the visitors in the second half, using his pace to beat two defenders and finding the back of the net.


With the match looking set to end in a draw, however, Ndou pounced on a loose ball after a goalmouth scramble and buried the winner.


Swallows coach Fani Madida shrugged off the defeat, as his side remained entrenched in 14th place on the log after going down in their 10th loss in 19 league games this season.


“I’m disappointed with the result but very happy with the performance,” Madida said.


“It was a very close game, we missed a lot of chances, and towards the end they came back, otherwise we were in control. It’s just an unfortunate one.”


Madida believed his team had learned a valuable lesson after giving away the match in the closing stages.


“When the ball is in the air you need to react and organise yourselves as defenders,” he said.


“We didn’t react, which is why they managed to get the ball after the goalkeeper (Greg Etafia) made a save.” – Sapa






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News sport : MLB battling finance website over trademark of the letter 'W'

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If we could proceed with some actual baseball games (spring training works just fine), we'd all be very happy. In the interim, we're left counting down the days until camp opens, speculating a little further about which teams will compete for postseason positions, and analyzing legal disputes over letters in the alphabet.


Yeah, the latter is a real story, because according to Steven Overly of the Washington Post, Major League Baseball is now engaged in a legal battle with the financial advise website WalletHub.com over their logo, which happens to be a W.


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(WalletHub.com) The W on your right, to be more specific.


According to MLB's claims, WalletHub's representation of the letter W may confuse fans of the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals, who own brand-based trademarks of the same letter.


Of course, for the Cubs, a giant flag featuring a blue W flies outside of Wrigley Field following every victory. It's also the source of merchandising revenue (as seen in the picture above) as it appears on several different items sold around the ballpark. As for the Nationals, who currently use the curly W as their primary logo, it's a historic and merchandising trademark dating to the Washington Senators days.


The trademarked Ws in question are obviously well distinguished, but it's still the league's fear fans will incorrectly assume the website is connected to or in some way endorsed by those franchises.



“We have been engaging in conversations with Evolution Finance about how its mark can be used and registered so as to avoid confusion with the MLB marks. We believe we are close to a resolution and are interested in resolving this matter amicably,” said league spokesman Matt Bourne.



Based on the response of S. Lloyd Smith, the attorney representing Evolution Finance and WalletHub, a resolution may not be as close as the league thinks.



"It is common for trademark owners to sometimes overreach in protecting their marks. They're always concerned or cautious that if they don't enforce their marks they might lose their rights. The real question is why does MLB care? They don't own the letter W. There's lots of other Ws out there. They're just plainly overreaching in this case.”



We're not exactly legal experts, but it's difficult to argue with where the WalletHub representation is coming from. While the W is undeniably the centerpiece of their logo, the design and green background should be enough to eliminate confusion. In fact, to this point, Evolution Finance CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou says there's been no confusion in his business dealings.



“This dispute has not held us back from using it whenever we want,” Papadimitriou said. “We have been using it for two years plus and no one calls us and says, ‘Hey, I would like tickets for the Nationals.’”



They haven't taken those calls yet anyway. That will probably change now that this story is making the rounds. But the point is fans, casual fans, non-fans, and really anybody whos come across these logo is far more aware than MLB seems to give them credit for. This seems like time, energy and money better spent elsewhere.


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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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