Usain Bolt Wants To Play For Manchester United
Double Trouble
Usain Bolt took time out of demolishing world records to pay a visit to his favorite professional soccer club, Manchester United. There he discussed his future plans, besides the 4 years 40 million dollar contract he re-upped with shoemaker Puma, of taking his speed to the pitch. In his autobiography he says
“Ideally, if I was to play football, I’d sign for my favorite team, Manchester United. People say it’s not realistic but nobody has seen me play so you never know. If Alex Ferguson saw me in one of those charity matches he might think I could replace Ryan Giggs.”
According to United Kingdom Simon Hattenstone of the Guradian, he serious when he speaks of these dreams and isn’t using the talk to sell more books
“I ask about his ambitions. Ultimately, he says, he’d love to make a go of playing football professionally. He’s being deadly serious. One of the perks of being Usain Bolt is that sporting stars love to meet him, so whenever he’s traveling and there’s time, he tries to train with a top football team. Last year it was Manchester United, a few days ago it was Bayern Munich. He’s still carrying a copy of the French sporting newspaper L’Equipe, which features a spread on his football skills and praise from Bayern manager Louis van Gaal. He shows me a photo of himself with his arm wrapped round the dwarfed 6ft German forward Miroslav Klose. “If I keep myself in shape, I can definitely play football at a high level.”
I know it would be interesting to see what kind of celebration Bolt has in store after scoring a goal.
Adidas Ups MLS Sponsorship With $200 Milli Deal
Est. 1993
The biggest sponsorship agreement in MLS history just got bigger, despite having four years left on a 10-year, $150 million agreement with MLS, Adidas opened the contract and agreed to new terms that will see it remain the official athletic sponsor and licensed product supplier to MLS through 2018.
The deal is at more than $200 million, making it one of the sporting apparel company’s largest investments in the sport worldwide. The deal, which is worth $25 million annually, represents a 66 percent increase per year from Adidas 10-year, $150 million agreement signed in 2004.
In addition to maintaining its position as the official supplier to all MLS clubs and youth academies, Adidas will continue to provide the league’s official ball and remain the only athletic brand with advertising rights for all MLS games.
WTF: Thierry Henry
Come & Rock 'n Roll All Night
FC Dallas is offering up a special one of a kind promotion for you the soccer rock ‘n roll fan to see both Gene Simmons and KISS plus Thierry Henry and his New York Red Bulls for just $40. Here’s your chance to see Henry Thursday September 16 and coming back for seconds to get down with KISS, Pat Green and American Idol contest Daughtry that following Saturday, September 18.
Could you picture Henry all decked out in the face paint signing the lyrics to I Was Made for Lovin You?
Women’s College Soccer Fight
Elizabeth Lambert is an inspiration to the women of the University of Oregon and Oklahoma State University soccer team. Oregon’s Mercedes Walters and Oklahoma State’s Kyndall Treadwell started to fight in the 63rd minute. Walters pushed Treadwell to the ground and the referee immediately gave both of them red cards. The Cowgirls eventually won the game 1-0.
Cleveland Cavaliers Celebrations Enters Soccer Part Tres
Halldor Orri Bjornsson of Iceland’s Stjarnan is back with another wacky goal celebration. Bjornsson who became an Internet sensation back on July 27, has come out guns blazing in his attempts to out do his last performance of pretending to be a human toliet.
USA Soccer Focusing In On Jurgen Klinsmann
South Korea Hasn't Forgotten This GOAL
This site has only been up since July 4, 2009 but the Sports Grind Entertainment has been on air since September 13, 2004 and I can vividly remember in our first year on our old radio station we had a caller call in and discuss United States chances of going after Jurgen Klinsmann. Six years later and the possibility maybe increasing to become actual reality as U.S. Soccer officials have met with former German national team and Bayern Munich head coach Klinsmann while current coach Bob Bradley’s future remains unclear.
The news of Klinsmann’s talks with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati comes on the heels of Gulati’s Thursday meeting with Bradley in Los Angeles. Bradley who guided the U.S. to the knockout stage at this summer’s World Cup has drawn interest for the head coaching job at Fulham FC, which went to Mark Hughes, and more recently as a candidate for Aston Villa. Bradley admitted his interest in the Aston Villa job earlier this week in an interview with the BBC. Bradley has compiled a 38-21-8 record during his tenure, highlighted by the team’s historic run to the final of the 2009 Confederations Cup and Round of 16 finish in South Africa.
Klinsmann basically has the job if he wants it like in 2006 when Bruce Arena was fired. The legendary German striker has ties to the U.S. as a longtime Southern California resident and former technical adviser with the LA Galaxy.
TV Reporter Gets Nailed By Soccer Ball
Jessica Kastrop, a reporter for Sky Sports, was covering the Mainz vs. Stuttgart soccer match of the German Bundesliga and it proved to be a bad idea that doing a live telecast from that spot on the pitch was a bad idea.
WTF: Didier Drogba
To Easy
Didier Drogba is a bad man and one of the best soccer players on the planet. It’s a shame the world didn’t get to see him at his peak in this years World Cup without the setback of his fractured ulna in his right arm. However it seems that Drogba has recovered nicely from it and enjoying Chelsea’s start to the new season.
New Mexico Lobo Elizabeth Lambert Reinstated
I like my women to have some hood in them and that’s why we are revisiting the story of University of New Mexico Lobos soccer player Elizabeth Lambert because she has just that. Lambert was served a two-game suspension for her gritty style against BYU and now has been reinstated and is eligible to play as a senior this season.
That’s a girl bad and me have always liked. A lot!
FIFA Considers World Cup Changes
The World's Game
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer’s governing body will consider eliminating ties in all World Cup games. Blatter said that the dramatic change would make the tournament more interesting. He says the change could involve going to a shootout after 90 minutes of regulation or adding sudden-death overtime.
Sudden-death overtime was used in the knockout rounds of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. FIFA then reverted to its previous rule of having teams play a full 30 minutes of overtime if tied at the end of regulation in the knockout rounds. First-round games always have ended in draws if tied at the end of regulation.
Cleveland Cavaliers Celebrations Enters Soccer Part Deux
Halldor Orri Bjornsson of Iceland’s Stjarnan is back with another wacky goal celebration. Bjornsson who became an Internet sensation back on July 27, has come out guns blazing in his attempts to out do his last performance of pretending they were going fishing.
Which did you like better?
Cleveland Cavaliers Celebrations Enters Soccer
The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James sideline celebrations maybe a thing of the past but not in Iceland. Besides adopting the American Slim Shaddy culture of bleaching the hair blond, celebrations have gone the way of being choreographed too.
Stjarnan’s Halldor Orri Bjornsson scored on a penalty kick in extra time to take a 2-1 lead, he and his teammates began pretending they were going fishing.
Entire France World Cup Team Suspended
TALENT
France’s brand new coach, Laurent Blanc, will drop all 23 World Cup players for his first match next month as collective punishment for the team’s embarrassing fiasco in South Africa. The French federation said in a statement it had granted Blanc permission to suspend the players at the coach’s request.
France was eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup, failing to win a game. The players also refused to train as a protest after striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home following an expletive laced tirade at then coach Raymond Domenech. The events caused an outcry in France with politicians harshly criticizing the players attitude, legislators in parliament questioning the coach and even President Nicolas Sarkozy weighing in on the mess.
France plays a friendly against Norway on Aug. 11 in Oslo, and Blanc is set to announce his squad Aug. 5.
WTF: Rudy Gay & Wayne Rooney
Must Be This Tall To Ride
Can someone tell Wayne Rooney to smile and possibly a phone book or stilts to stand on. Memphis Grizzles Rudy Gay probably has never felt this tall in his live before.
Soccer Player Chokes Referee
Apparently this is a no no? Watch as Chilean Rangers defender Jose Pedrozo snaps on referee Marcelo Miranda in a match against Deportes Concepcion.
I did enjoy more though as Pedrozo is being escorted off the pitch a small but still vibrate ole!, ole! ole! chant breaks out.
50 Cent & Ronaldinho On Stage Together
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho was a surprise guest of 50 Cent’s during his show in Rio de Janeiro last night. Ronaldinho though will be in Italy on Tuesday preparing for AC Milan’s preseason and it’s there he’ll decide if he wants to continue to play the worlds game at a top professional level.
Uruguay’s & Golden Ball Winner Diego Forlan Goes Anime
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week and 2010 World Cup Golden Boot winner Diego Forlan has achieved the ultimate recognition and recreated in anime form. Atletico Madrid has placed a $50 million price tag over Forlan for any potential suitors since the end of the World Cup.
MLS Wont Let Landon Donovan Entertain Europe
American Hero
Major League Soccer has no plans of letting American soccer superstar and World Cup hero Landon Donovan of acceptting transfer offers.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, who scored three goals for the U.S. team in the World Cup to become the American career leader with five, agreed in December to a four-year contract with MLS that pays him a base salary this year of $2.05 million.
“He’s become a real soccer hero,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. “MLS needs soccer heroes, and we have a great American soccer hero playing for us in L.A., holding the torch for the sport in our country, and that’s very important.”
Brazilian President Trashes World Cup
Delusional?
Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says that this should have been an easy World Cup for Brazil, calling it a field with “fragile teams” and the weakest he’s ever seen.
Lula da Silva suggests that a new generation of players is needed and former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari might have the edge to succeed Dunga as coach. He thinks fate may have conspired against Brazil so they could win it all in 2014 when it is the host nation.
A Celebration For Third Place Goes Wrong
Check this fan out in Germany celebrating his countries third place finish at this year World Cup and hollering from his best friends ride.
French Striker Says Team Backed Him After World Cup Dismissal
U-N-I-T-Y
Nicolas Anelka says all his teammates decided to go on strike at the World Cup after he was sent home from South Africa for verbally abusing France coach Raymond Domenech and refusing to apologize. The Chelsea striker told France Soir that “everybody stuck together” when the players decided to boycott a training session shortly before their World Cup ended in the group stage.
Former France defender Lilian Thuram has called for some players, such as former captain Patrice Evra, never to play for the national team again because of their decision to strike.
French Soccer Star Thierry Henry Comes To The MLS
Titi
Thierry Henry, the French striker who last played for the Spanish league champions F.C. Barcelona, has made it offical and signed a contract to join the Red Bulls as a designated player. Henry will make his Red Bull debut on July 22 against the English club Tottenham Hotspur.
One of the best to ever hit the pitch, at least in my opinion
2010 World Cup Sets Records For ESPN/ABC
2010 World Cup Champions: Spain
The 64-match World Cup averaged a 2.1 U.S. rating and 3.261 million viewers on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, up 31% in ratings and 41% in viewership from 2006 (1.6, 2.316 mil), and the most-viewed World Cup ever on English-language TV. The World Cup concluded with an 8.1 national rating and 15.545 million viewers for Sunday’s Spain/Netherlands final.
Overall, ESPN/ABC World Cup coverage topped 10.0 million viewers on three separate occasions. USA/England on June 12 (13.130 mil), Ghana/USA on June 26 (15.193 mil) and Sunday’s match. The 3.261 million viewers for ESPN/ABC does not factor in Univision.
To put the ESPN/ABC numbers in perspective, ESPN averaged 4.596 million viewers for the 2010 NBA Playoffs (ABC averaged 10.970 million for its 16-game coverage), and 4.311 million for its coverage of 2009-10 college football bowl games (ABC averaged 22.179 million for its three games).
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale was the top market for World Cup coverage, with a 3.9 rating, followed by New York (3.6), Washington, D.C. (3.6), San Diego (3.5), and San Francisco (3.5).
World Cup Final Sets Record With 15.5 Milli Viewers
2010 World Cup Champions: Spain
The 2010 FIFA World Cup concluded with the largest audience ever for a Men’s World Cup match on a single network.
Spain’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands drew an 8.1 rating and 15.545 million viewers on ABC Sunday afternoon making the match the most-viewed Men’s World Cup telecast ever on one network. The previous record was held by Ghana/USA on June 26 15.193 mil.
Sunday’s match also ranks as the fourth-highest rated World Cup telecast on one network, trailing Brazil/Italy in 1994 (9.5), Brazil/USA in 1994 (9.3) and Ghana/USA this year (8.5).
The most-viewed World Cup match (regardless of gender) on a single network remains the 1999 USA/China Women’s World Cup final (11.4, 17.975 mil).
Including the Univision telecast, which drew 8.821 million viewers, the Spain/Netherlands final drew a combined audience of approximately 24.3 million viewers, the largest audience ever for a World Cup match in the United States.
San Francisco led all markets for Sunday’s ABC telecast, with a 14.7 rating. San Diego (13.6), New York (13.1), Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (12.0) and Washington, D.C. (11.9) rounded out the top five.
