‘Easier to beat Blatter with one candidate’

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Dutch FA President Michael van Praag believes he and Luis Figo have no chance of unseating Sepp Blatter.


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Amsterdam - Dutch Football Association President Michael van Praag believes he and former Portugal international Luis Figo have no chance of unseating Sepp Blatter in the Fifa leadership elections if they both stand against the Swiss.


“That's what I think and (UEFA president) Michel Platini too,” Van Praag was quoted as saying by Dutch newspaper 'De Telegraaf' on Saturday.


“What Figo thinks about that I don't know but it would be much better for Europe if we presented one candidate.”


Predictably, Van Praag said he was the better option.


“Figo is more photogenic. All the South American member association presidents wanted to take their photo with him. But they didn't want to say if they would vote for him,” the Dutchman said on his return from the CONMEBOL Congress in Paraguay this week.


Both were lobbying for support for the election at the end of May, where they are up against Blatter and Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, another ally of Platini.


Van Praag and former Barcelona and Real Madrid winger Figo share similar ideas on how to reform the world governing body but they do differ slightly on how to allocate the annual grant to the 209 member associations, the Dutchman said.


“I want to hand over one million Euros ($1.08 million) (annually) but Figo wants to double that. That would bankrupt Fifa. A million is the most that can be disbursed without putting Fifa in danger.”


Van Praag kept up his criticism of the spendthrift ways of Blatter, who travelled by helicopter for lunch with Paraguay President Horacio Cartes after the congress in Asuncion.


“Why did Sepp Blatter have to travel to South America in a private jet when there are good air connections between Europe and South America?


“There is far too much spent on travel, salaries and tournament costs. It is our money. The money of the national associations. That's what I've been telling everybody.”


Van Praag said two of the 10 South American associations had promised him support in the May 29 election.


However, a source told Reuters on Tuesday the confederation would back the 78-year-old Blatter, who has held power since 1998, for another four year term.


Van Praag said he would travel to other continental confederation congresses in coming weeks to present his ideas.


Reuters






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Chiefs vs Pirates - its about revenge

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Back in December, Eric Tinkler was thrust into the proverbial baptism of fire as Pirates coach, now he wants revenge.


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Johannesburg - The pain of that defeat clearly still lingers and Eric Tinkler would love nothing more than to get even.


“Of course it’s payback time. My first game in charge, we lost 2-0, so I’d like some revenge for that.”


Back in December, Tinkler was thrust into the proverbial baptism of fire as Orlando Pirates caretaker coach when his maiden game in the hot seat was the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs.


Amakhosi sauntered to a 2-0 win as Tinkler struggled to get the best out of a Buccaneers outfit not only reeling from the resignation of coach Vladimir Vermezovic but one also struggling to come to terms with the murder of goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa.


Three months down the line, the former Bafana Bafana midfield hardman feels he has imposed himself on a team that have finally gotten used to life without Senzo.


And he is champing at the bit to exact some revenge on the arch-enemy.


More importantly though, Tinkler takes Pirates into today’s Absa Premiership clash at the FNB Stadium intent on ensuring the league title race remains a contest until the end.


“Nobody would like to see Chiefs win the league with four or five matches still to go. So I’d like to get that revenge so that it makes the title race more interesting. I’ve had more time with the team now than when I first took over at a very difficult time for the club. The motivation is there, the players’ workrate is very high and there is an attitude of professionalism all around.


“We are going into this match with a very positive mindset because we’re better than we were in the first round derby. We would like to see this league (race) go to the wire.”


And, while they trail Chiefs by a massive 14 points with just nine matches to go before the season ends, Tinkler still fancies Pirates’ chances at the title.


“There are still 27 points to play for and we want to collect as many as we can and see how high we finish.”


To do that, though, Pira-tes will have to succeed where only SuperSport United have this season by beating an Amakhosi side that will be in high spiritafter their midweek win over Ajax Cape Town.


When they could only get a single point from their first two league matches of the year – a draw at Bloemfontein Celtic and defeat by SuperSport - there was suddenly concern the runaway lead that had appeared seemingly unassailable could be destroyed like it happened last season.


But on Wednesday night Stuart Baxter’s men dished out a disciplined performance to eke out a result against Ajax to set themselves up nicely for this afternoon’s clash.


Not that Baxter was ever perturbed; not even when they lost and talk of Mamelodi Sundowns catching them took momentum. Bidvest Wits’ win over Pitso Mosimane’s Brazillians to cut Chiefs’ lead down to just seven points did not have Baxter tossing and turning in his sleep.


“To be getting excited because we dropped a point will be a waste of energy. So all I do is just be aloof of the talk (about the championship race) so I don’t get caught up in it all,” said Baxter.


“We don’t need to be looking at other results, we can just totally focus on our job and it is a nice situation to be in.”


Tinkler is, however, intent on making Amakhosi’s situation atop the Premiership table a little less “nice” by leading the Buccaneers to victory this afternoon.


It will take some doing, though.


Saturday Star






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Rooney’s massive Monday

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Wayne Rooney says United's FA Cup clash with Arsenal is "massive" as he attempts to win the cup for the first time.


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London - Wayne Rooney says Manchester United’s FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal is ‘massive’ as he attempts to win the competition for the first time.


The England captain, 29, has twice been on the losing side in the final and is desperate to put that right this season. United, last lifted the trophy in 2004, and Rooney said: ‘We have an FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal on Monday and that is massive for us. We haven’t been to a final for a few years, so we want to try to win that game and we are looking forward to that. Of course, it is a massive trophy.


‘It is a trophy that, growing up, I used to love watching and I was fortunate enough to see Everton lift the FA Cup in 1995 when I was nine. It is something which I would love to do and hopefully it can be this year.’


Chelsea and Manchester City are out of the competition, meaning Monday’s winners will fancy their chances.


United manager Louis van Gaal said: ‘It is a game on a high level. Arsenal and Manchester United are placed third and fourth. It is nearly a final.’


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Evans denies FA spitting charge

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Man U defender Jonny Evans has denied a FA charge of spitting at Newcastle’s Papiss Cisse, the governing body said.


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London - Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has denied a Football Association (FA) charge of spitting at Newcastle United forward Papiss Cisse, the governing body said on Twitter on Friday.


The incident occurred when the 27-year-old Northern Ireland international tangled with Cisse in the 38th minute of United's 1-0 Premier League victory at St James' Park on Wednesday.


“Manchester United's Jonny Evans denies FA charge in relation to incident involving Papiss Cisse,” the FA said on Twitter.


“Independent Regulatory Commission hearing tonight (Friday), decision expected tomorrow (Saturday).”


Senegalese international Cisse, 29, faces a heavy punishment, according to media reports, after he accepted the FA's charge on Thursday.


Reuters






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Celtic snatch a win at Wits

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Wits' title chase suffered a blow after losing 1-0 to Bloemfontein Celtic at the Wits Stadium.


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Johannesburg - Wits' title chase suffered a blow after losing 1-0 to Bloemfontein Celtic at the Wits Stadium on Friday evening.


Lerato Lamola's 82nd minute penalty clinched the tie late in the game after Celtic had contained the free-flowing Wits attack away from home.


Five minutes into the game Siyabonga Nhlapo was given his marching orders after he got two quick yellow cards. The second resulted in a penalty after a foul on Lamola.


The striker confidently stepped up and converted the spot kick to snatch the maximum points.


Wits were dominant for much of the encounter, but it was Celtic that pounced to hand the league contenders their first loss of the year.


Despite failing to open the scoring in the first-half, Wits were in the driver's seat. The Students were rooted in the Celtic's penalty box where main striker Henrico Botes used his aerial prowess to force into Patrick Tignyemb some reflex saves.


Botes, supported by attacking maestro Sibusiso Vilakazi, kept the Celtic defence busy doing all they could to thwart every threat.


Celtic defender Bevan Fransman came to the rescue for his side when he pulled-off a superb tackle in the 16th minute after Jabulani Shongwe had sight on goal.


Siwelele looked threatening when Lamola was involved in the build-up play. The nifty striker combined with Musa Nyatama on the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful shot that sailed over the crossbar in the 26th minute.


Wits midfield ace Faty Papy made a dashing run on the right-flank and whipped a curling cross into the box that found Sameehg Doutie on the volley Ä but his shot was miscued high into the stands.


Doutie looked to become the livewire for Celtic just after the half-hour mark when he whizzed past two tackles to drill a shot that flew inches wide of the upright.


In the 83rd minute Morena had a brilliant chance to score the second goal when he beat an offside trap, but his shot was blocked with the legs by goalkeeper Moneeb Josephs.


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News sport : Chicago building pays tribute to Minnie Minoso

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With loss comes a time to celebrate life and to honor all the dearly departed contributed to his or her community. On Friday evening, the City of Chicago did just that by lighting up the downtown Blue Cross Blue Shield building in tribute to White Sox legend Minnie Minoso, who died on March 1 at the reported age of 90.



To honor Minoso completely for his contributions to baseball, the Chicago community, and the world in general, is an impossible task. In his six historic decades in the game, Minoso helped open the doors for black Cubans to live their dreams. In his 64 years representing Chicago as a player, ambassador, and above all, a beloved resident, he brought people together through his skills on the field and his compassion and charisma off it.


He was a pioneer, an ambassador, an extraordinary talent, with a one-of-a-kind personality, whose impact couldn't possibly be measured.


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With that said, this tribute from a still mourning city speaks volumes of the appreciation that's felt, and the respect he earned for a life honorably lived. It's the same way Chicago felt about "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks, who rightfully he received the same honor when died in January.



If there's a message to be taken from these remarkable tributes, it's that the lights of Chicago will continue to shine brightly, but the soul of the city will never be the same without Minnie Minoso and Ernie Banks.


BLS H/N: Cut 4


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News sport : Jeff Gordon wins Las Vegas pole

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Jeff Gordon will start first in what could be his final race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.


Gordon turned a lap of 194.68 MPH to win his second pole in the first three races of the 2015 season. When you count his pole run at Homestead in the final race of the 2014 season, it's three of the last four.


Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano, the driver who won the pole at Atlanta last week, will start second. All four Hendrick Motorsports cars made the 12-driver final round of qualifying.


After massive inspection issues during Atlanta's qualifying session when 13 cars failed to take a lap, Friday's session at Las Vegas wasn't without a bit of drama either. Brad Keselowski's car had to go through tech again after it was lined up on the grid after NASCAR apparently saw a crew member tugging on the fenders of the car. Manipulation of the fenders isn't allowed in 2015.


Kasey Kahne starts third and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is fourth. The slowpoke in the Hendrick group is Jimmie Johnson, who qualified ninth. In between Junior and Johnson are Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. Jamie McMurray qualified 10th.


48 cars attempted the race, so the drivers missing were Mike Wallace, Reed Sorenson, Mike Bliss, Matt DiBenedetto and Travis Kvapil, whose car was reported stolen before Atlanta last week.


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News sport : Sabres' Anders Lindback makes great diving stick save on Matt Puempel (Video)

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Anders Lindback hasn’t had the best of seasons, but he’ll make the highlight reels this weekend after a tremendous stick save during Buffalo's 3-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators Friday night.


Late in the first period, with the Sabres up 1-0, Senators forward Matt Puempel dove for a loose puck and backhanded an attempt toward goal. Lindback, who was on the other side of the crease, reached across and managed to bat the fluttering puck out of the air. Johan Larsson gave his netminder an assist by knocking the airborne puck away from danger.


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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


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News sport : Coroner: Kosta Karageorge did not have CTE

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FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2013, file photo provided by Ohio State university shows college football player Kosta Karageorge in Columbus, Ohio. A coroner says Karageorge, an Ohio State athlete who committed suicide suffered previous concussions but didn't show evidence of brain disease. (AP Photo/Ohio State University, Jay LaPrete, File) A pathologist who examined the brain of former Ohio State football player and wrestler Kosta Karageorge determined that he did not have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE.


CTE is a disease that is sometimes found in athletes with multiple head injuries. Though CTE was not found, the pathologist, Ohio State physician Dr. Norman Lehman, did find “evidence of prior concussive injury,” according to the Columbus Dispatch.


Karageorge died in November of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found in a dumpster with a gun near his hand. The death was ruled a suicide in January.


Karageorge, who walked on to the OSU football team as a defensive lineman, had a history of concussions from his time with the Buckeyes’ wrestling team and his time on the scout team defense.


Michael Bennett, Karageorge’s teammate, said he and other teammates knew Karageorge “had a lot of concussions,” but “never knew he was depressed.”


Bennett also said that Karageorge “never reported” his concussions to medical staff.


"Kosta, I’ve said it before, I think he was the toughest guy I ever met,” Bennett said in December. “He must have been dealing with a lot of stuff internally. He was so appreciative of everything and so hard-working, when he got one (a concussion) during practice or something like that, he wouldn’t tell anybody. We would tell him to take it easy, if you want to sit out nobody is going to judge you, anything like that, because those are serious. But his mentality was always never quit, never back down from a challenge.”


Prior to his death, the 22-year-old Karageorge sent a text message to his mother.


“I am sorry if I am an embarrassment but these concussions have my head all f---ed up,” the text said.


The Ohio State football team honored Karageorge by wearing helmet stickers with his No. 53. Additionally, Bennett wore Karageorge’s number throughout the postseason.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


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News sport : Mets invite families of slain NYPD officers to spring training

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Justin and Jaden Ramos lost their father in December when he was ambushed and killed while sitting inside his NYPD patrol car. The killings of Rafael Ramos and his partner Wenjian Liu made national headlines at the time, a tragic story that had the country talking about how much police officers' lives matter.


Three months later, and neither the New York Mets nor their captain David Wright have forgotten about the Ramos boys or the other family members affected. Justin, 19, and Jaden, 13, visited Mets training camp Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., as special guests of Wright. The brothers had lockers and uniforms waiting for them, plus jobs for the weekend — they'll be Mets ball boys.


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Wright, himself the son of a police chief, called the Ramos sons around Christmas time, offering his condolences. But he didn't stop there, he invited them to Florida for a weekend of baseball. The New York Yankees' Silver Shield Foundation will pay for the brothers' education in the future, another fantastic gesture, but the Ramos boys fancy themselves Mets fans, so this will be a different type of cool.


As you can see, Jaden soaked up the first day.







The Mets also invited Liu's family to Florida. He didn't have children, but his widow and some of her family members visited the team's camp Friday too. Wright told ESPN's Adam Rubin why this was important to him:



"The fact that they took the offer to come down and hang out means a lot to us, because obviously with my situation with my father, we've got a very close relationship with the police department," Wright said. "To have part of that [extended police] family down here means a lot.




"Even if they weren't Mets fans, I grew up with a police officer as a father. The phone call was more about that and not baseball or the Mets."




Honoring police officers is important to Wright, whose father, Rhon, retired Jan. 1, 2014, in their native Virginia. David Wright's charity foundation regularly honored police officers last season at Citi Field.



The Mets get a ton of flack, especially on the Internet, but this is one case where we should all be able to agree. Great job, Mets.


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News sport : Charlie Strong says he didn't kick any players off the team last offseason

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Texas head football coach Charlie Strong talks to the media about his 2015 recruiting class on national signing day, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Texas had quite the roster turnover following the hire of Charlie Strong from Louisville last January. It seemed like we couldn’t go a week without hearing another story about a player leaving the program or getting kicked off the team.


Strong, however, said in an interview with CBS Sports Radio’s Tiki and Tierney that he didn’t kick any players off the team. He had another way of looking at it.



“I didn’t kick them off,” Strong said. “So much was said about, ‘He walks in here and he just starts getting rid of guys.’ I always look at it like this: With our coaching staff, we’ve provided you a chance to just get it right and do what we ask you to do, and that’s what it came down to. Anytime you take over a program, sometimes you’re going to be challenged. I’m one of those coaches where I make it about the players. I want them to always understand that I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they’re successful. Now, some people don’t want to hear the message. And then when they decide that they want to run their own program, then I tell them, ‘You know what? This may not be the place for you. There’s other schools that would love to have you, so I just think that’s probably where you need to go.’”



Strong sought out to put his own stamp on the program. Year one with a new coach in charge is crucial to this, and Strong didn’t mess around. Still, no matter how Strong wants to phrase it, he made sure some players would not return for the 2014 season.


The Longhorns went 6-7 in Strong’s first season, culminating with a 31-7 loss to Arkansas in the Texas Bowl. Though he thinks the team was better than the 6-7 record indicates, Strong knows the team can do a whole lot better moving forward.



“We were probably better than what our record showed,” Strong said. “I tell our coaching staff that all the time. I just didn’t think we did a (good enough) job with what he had. A lot of times it goes back to where you have to fit your personnel to the system. We came in here and I think a lot of times coaches expect more because this is the University of Texas and you’re thinking, ‘Hey, we got all this.’ But still, at the end of the day, we had to come in and coach them, and we have to do a better job of coaching.”



Strong and his staff signed the 12th-best recruiting class in the country according to Rivals for the 2015 class, so things are looking up in Austin.


Spring practice is set to begin for the Longhorns on March 25 with the team’s spring game following on April 18.


For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com.


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News sport : Brian Vickers back in the Sprint Cup Series at Las Vegas

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Brian Vickers will make his 2015 Sprint Cup debut at Las Vegas on Sunday.


Vickers missed the first two races of the season after offseason heart surgery to address a complication from a patch that was inserted in his heart in 2010. And he said Friday that doctors originally weren't committal about his ability to return to driving in 2015.


"Going into the surgery, it was certainly a question I asked several times throughout the process, right?" Vickers said. "'Am I going to be able to race again,' and early on it was like – I think they were trying to set expectations and they were like, 'It's not looking good.' They didn't want to say no, but they were a far cry from yes"


"They needed to really kind of get in there and get into my heart basically – which kind of sounds weird to say – and kind of figure out what's going on before they could really give me an answer, but they were kind of setting the bar pretty low. I kind of dealt with that and then as they learned more, as they came out they were like, 'Okay, we definitely know what happened and why and we fixed it and we're not worried about it moving forward, so we think you're good to go, but let's do a checkup in a month and we'll see,' and, you know, kind of see how it goes. But of course I was asking them, 'Can I go racing?'"


However, as he continued, Vickers said he had learned over the recent years that racing didn't define him. He missed time in 2010 with blood clots and after Red Bull Racing shut down following the 2011 season, he was without a ride. He drove part-time for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012 and 2013, winning at New Hampshire in his second part-time season, and it led to a full-time deal in 2014 with the team.


"It's something I love. It's something over the last 10 years and my life and particularly the last five years dealing with everything, I've learned that my love for racing has only increased – my love for what I do and how much I appreciate it – but I've also learned that it's not who I am," Vickers said. "It's something I do and it's part of who I am. It's a very special part of who I am and it's something that means the world to me, but it's not who I am. If I can't race, that's okay – life is going to go on. I think from that perspective, yes, I asked the doctors, 'Can I go race and I want to go race,' but if they say no, I'm not going to fight them."


Last week, Brett Moffitt drove the No. 55 to an eighth-place finish. He's in the No. 34 for Front Row Motorsports for the next three weeks while Vickers is back and has been praised for his one-race performance while subbing for Vickers.


"I'd love to see him get more experience and seat time," Vickers said of Moffitt. "I think he's been a valuable asset to MWR. I think he could be unquestionably a contender in any series, but if he could get a ride in the XFINITY Series, Truck Series and get some experience and then get in the Cup – I mean listen, he's done well in the Cup Series, but I think that thinking back to my own personal experiences, you just need seat time, right? That's what he needs and I'd love to see him get that shot and maybe it's in a Cup car. He's got an opportunity the next few weeks in a Cup car and I think he'll do well."


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News sport : Beast Mode is back: Marshawn Lynch puts off retirement again

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Presumably, Marshawn Lynch is returning to the NFL because he's hoping to participate in another Super Bowl media day.


Lynch will be back for another season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he will return to the Seattle Seahawks, and with a new contract as well. That's fantastic news for the back-to-back NFC champions.


He isn't reaching Brett Favre levels, but you can probably expect there to be some question about Lynch possibly retiring every offseason until he actually does it. There's good reason. Lynch is as violent a runner as the NFL has ever seen, he'll turn 29 before next season and he's already dealing with a bad back. But the type of money that Lynch will make in 2015 is a powerful force. Yahoo's Rand Getlin said it could be between $11 and $12 million in the first year, and running backs just don't get those types of deals anymore.


Lynch is one of the NFL's best and the Seahawks have built their offensive identity around his hard running. He has at least 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in his past four seasons. He had 1,306 and 13 touchdowns last season.


And if the Seahawks make it back to another Super Bowl, you can be sure they'll give the ball to Lynch at the goal line, especially given the money he'll be making.


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News sport : H.S. lacrosse player suffers broken neck on field

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Courtesy Twitter/Nikki Bailey It looks like it will be a long road to recovery for Jack Enright, a high school lacrosse player who broke a bone in his neck in a lacrosse game Wednesday night.


A teammate told local FOX affiliate WACH that the bone broke when the ball hit Enright directly in the neck.


The junior was taken off the field on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery around 11:30p.m.


His mother, Ann, also released a statement. She did not explain his prognosis, but it sounds like the devasting injury will require a long recovery.


“Thank you all for the prayers and support … It’s been heartbreaking, and still feels so unreal at the same time. But if you know Jack, he is a fighter and has one of the biggest hearts and best attitudes I could ever be blessed with as a mother…" she said, according to WLTX.


"He is struggling to accept this and we have cried all we can… I’m with him now… he’s sleeping and comfortable… We are so blessed with the outpouring of support, love, prayers and encouragement from the entire community…"


His friends and teammates have been tweeting their support with the hashtag #PrayforJack. This morning, Jack added a message of his own.




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News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring Craig Sager's long road back

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A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.


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C: Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Richard Deitsch and Lars Anderson on the road Craig Sager traveled to get back to work on Thursday night.


PF: D.C. Sports Bog. Dan Steinberg went back through a load of Randy Wittman interviews to confirm that the coach has been saying for a month that the Washington Wizards just aren't playing hard enough. A) Is that really the Wizards' problem? B) If it is, what does it say about Wittman's work that a full month of harping on it hasn't seemed to help at all?


SF: Pro Hoops History. A look at the sheer distance between teams in the West and East that showcases just how vast the travel disparity between the two conferences: "If there’s going to be a chance at long, uncomfortable travel, everyone deserves an equal shot at bearing the pain."


SG: The Hook. Tom Ziller on James Harden not getting the call against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night and why his offensive approach, effective as it is during the regular season, could come back to haunt the Houston Rockets in the playoffs: "Referees are encouraged by our outrage-happy sports society to be mostly invisible and let the stars determine who wins and who loses. Blowing the whistle in a crucial moment is filled with peril."


PG: Northeast Ohio Media Group. Credit the eagle-eyed Chris Haynes for catching this: LeBron James is experimenting with some tweaks to his free-throw shooting form after recent struggles, headlined by his 3-for-11 performance at the stripe in Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets.


6th: Sports Illustrated. Greg Hanlon chronicles the sad descent of Mookie Blaylock, whose alcoholism cost him his wife and children, and ultimately cost Monica Murphy her life.


7th: Heat.com. Couper Moorhead: "Certainty might freak us out at times, but the longer we wait and see with [Hassan] Whiteside, the more reason to believe he has offered."


8th: Bleacher Report. Ethan Skolnick doesn't much care for the strain of thought that the Atlanta Hawks are more likely to scuffle come the postseason than a squad like the Cleveland Cavaliers because they don't have a "go-to guy," because while he might not see a superstar when he looks at the Hawks, he does see a club that's been nails in the clutch.


9th: Sports Illustrated. Rob Mahoney takes a closer look at the Indiana Pacers, one of my picks for the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, who have quietly become one of the league's hottest teams over the past month thanks to George Hill's steady hand, Rodney Stuckey's surprising shooting, and Frank Vogel's relentless coaching.


10th: ESPN Insider ($). Jeff Goodman talks to pros who watched, played with and against likely 2015 lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay during his sojourn to China to get a feel for the state of his game, what he's got to work on and some comparable talents. (The names Penny Hardaway and Kyrie Irving make appearances.)


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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!



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