Sports Dispatch

Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer
Profile of the Whirlpool Duet Sport Front Load Washer WFW8300S and a look at this Energy Star qualified fabric care system.

Atlanta Starts Fast, Holds Off Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. — Joe Johnson scored 25 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, to help the Atlanta Hawks hold off a late Orlando rally for a 99-85 win Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Magic ride Howard dominance past Bulls
ORLANDO, Fla. — Dwight Howard had 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic past the Chicago Bulls, 96-93 on Monday night.

English vs Western Riding
Learn the differences between Western and English Riding styles. Discover the types of equipment, horses, and clothing used in English and Western riding. Learn about the different sports available to English and Western riders.

Don Haskins, Barrier-Breaking Coach, Is Dead at 78
Mr. Haskins was the first man to start five black players in an N.C.A.A. championship.

Buckler Jeans Spring '06
In addition to seeing the big name designers during New York Fashion Week, I try to seek out new and not so well known designers. I had a pleasant surprise when I saw Buckler’s spring collection which had a progressive approach to menswear. Many men’s collections are combining formal elements with denim and sportswear but not always as successfully as seen in this collection. I loved the mix of retro, underground and tailored looks. Check out this picture gallery of the collection.

Olympic Science 101: Physics & Physiology Behind the Games
Why is Michael Phelps the ultimate athlete? How does Nastia Liukin pull off those incredible uneven-bar dismounts? We examine the physics and physiology behind the games.

Boxing and MMA Documentaries
Organizers of the inaugural U.S. Sports Film Festival today announced that a special part of the Saturday, October 25 schedule of events will include a track dedicated to boxing and MMA documentaries, with a panel discussion to follow each of the films. The complete four-day event is taking place in Philadelphia from October 23-26. […]

Lamborghini turns 45 - To Celebrate, Will They Unveil a Murcilelago SV?

This coming Thursday, 30th October 2008, commemorates 45 years since the first Lamborghini sports car. Does Lamborghini have a Limited Edition planned?

Buffalo guard Robinson given 3-game suspension
Leading scorer Andy Robinson was suspended for three games by Buffalo on Friday for posting an advertisement on the Internet last spring to pay someone to write a course paper.

Bobcats beat Heat 100-87 to give Brown first win
CHARLOTTE, N.C — Gerald Wallace scored 34 points and hot-shooting Charlotte beat the Miami Heat 100-87 on Saturday night, giving Bobcats coach Larry Brown his first victory in his ninth NBA head coaching job.

Knee injury shelves Giants DE Umenyiora for season
Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora has ligament damage in his left knee and will miss the season.

Clemson Tries to Straighten Its Line
With a patchwork offensive line that starts three freshman for the first time since World War II, Clemson is struggling to fulfill its immense preseason promise.

Giants shift Kiwanuka back to DE to fill Osi gap
Less than 48 hours after losing Osi Umenyiora to a season-ending knee injury in a preseason game against the Jets, the Giants shuffled their defense Monday and moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to end from his strongside linebacker spot.

Yao, Artest Lead Rockets Past Mavericks
Yao Ming and Ron Artest power a 16-2 run late in the fourth quarter, carrying Houston to a 112-102 victory over Dallas on Thursday night.

Fast Civic

Ohlund Shootout Goal Gives Canucks 7-6 Win
Mattias Ohlund scored in the 13th round of the shootout, and the Canucks beat the Ducks 7-6 Friday after blowing a three-goal lead.

Oden Out 2 to 4 Weeks With Foot Sprain
PORTLAND, Ore. — After missing all of last season because of knee surgery, Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden injured his foot in his first regular-season NBA game and will be sidelined two to four weeks.

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP LAUNCHES IN ROMANIA ON TELESPORT
Las Vegas, NV (USA) — Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) brand, and TELESPORT, one of the largest dedicated sports networks in Romania, today announced the successful launch of UFC live events on Telesport. The first broadcast partner of the UFC in Romania, TELESPORT aired the recent UFC 88: BREAKTHROUGH event, featuring Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans, and received a 4.5 percent market share for the premiere and a 3.5 percent market share for its replay later that evening.

EliteXC on CBS II: Lawler vs. Smith Preview & Predictions
EliteXC will be looking to continue to massive amount of mixed martial arts action we've seen this month with their second event on CBS. Although Kimbo Slice won't on the card, Robbie Lawler will be taking on Scott Smith in a rematch of their previous CBS bout that saw Smith being stopped by the doctor due to an accidental eye gouge. The ensuing uproar by fans and the awesome battle that had happened during the bout should ensure this fight to be another war.

Also on the card, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva will take on former UFC fighter Justin Eilers while Jake Shields will be tested by veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson. Nick Diaz will take on Thomas Denny, notably known for crushing Malapeit in ShoXC and then being spectacularly KO'd by illegal elbows to the head. In a marquee women's matchup, Shayna Baszler will hope to continue her dominance against a very tough Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith

Once again, we'll see two hard-hitting strikers in both Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith square off in a war of attrition. While both men have the knockout power to end this fight instantly, look for this matchup to go into the late rounds once again.

The most significant difference between my previous analysis of their first fight and this fight is Smith's chin. During their first battle, Smith displayed a rock solid iron chin that Lawler was tagging consistently. If not for that chin, Smith would have easily been out by the second round. Can Smith's determination win him this fight?

I'm still leaning toward Robbie Lawler in this fight. He has the reach, size, and a new found patience to wait opponents out before moving in for the kill. Smith still found it tough to move close to Lawler to land the big blows during their previous matchup. I don't believe Lawler will end it early, but I think he'll be able to stand with Smith for most of the fight and wear him down.

Leland's Prediction: Robbie Lawler via TKO, Round 4

Antonio Silva vs. Justin Eilers

This isn't much of a challenge for "Bigfoot" Silva. Silva will not only be bigger and stronger, but he'll likely have a huge advantage on the ground. Eilers isn't a slouch by any means, but his striking will likely be ineffective against Silva's size and reach. I don't see Eilers knocking out Silva or challenging him on the ground in any facet of jiu-jitsu or wrestling. Look for Silva to end this quickly in either the first or second round.

Leland's Prediction: Antonio Silva via TKO, Round 1

Jake Shields vs. Nick Thompson

This could very well be a fight of the night candidate. While Thompson is likely being underdog'd in this fight, he does stand a decent shot at defeating Shields potentially on his feet. Thompson's all-around game is venerable, but his ground game will be the area where Shields will try to win.

Shields, training out of Cesar Gracie Academy, has high jiu-jitsu credentials and trains with MMA veterans Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez on a consistent day to day basis. His grappling will likely be superior to Thompson's jiu-jitsu, but the question is how far of a gap will there be?

Shields is weak in the standup, but he's still scrappy enough to avoid the big shots. If this hits the floor, look for Shields to pull away for the win in the later rounds.

Leland's Prediction: Jake Shields via submission, Round 3

Nick Diaz vs. Thomas Denny

Nick Diaz needs to stop trying to pepper opponents with shots from his boxing training and begin to try to end fights as quickly as possible. Not only will it help him extend his career and protect his face from being cut up significantly, but it'll actually help the fans understand that he does have some potential to be one of the best in the sport. Unfortunately, Diaz seems to be content with showing how tough he is rather than finishing a fight in the first round.

Denny is a finisher on the ground, but Diaz is a much better jiu-jitsu practitioner. Look for this fight to hit the floor after Denny gets peppered with shots early. Hopefully, Diaz will submit Denny inside two rounds so we won't need to sit through another boring decision.

Leland's Prediction: Nick Diaz via submission, Round 2

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Shayna Baszler

I would normally go with Shayna Baszler's killer instinct to finish her opponents quickly and her superior grappling abilities against most women in the division, but the buzz surrounding Santos is significant to give her a look here.

Santos is a power striking beast in the cage, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see a similar win by Santos over Baszler as we did when Larosa TKO'd Baszler in their past fights. While I think Baszler could potentially submit the Brazilian, it's likely that Santos has very good defense on the ground due to her Brazilian training. From what I've seen from her, she'll be a tough competitor for Baszler to steamroll.

Leland's Prediction: Cristiane Santos via TKO, Round 1

Quick picks
Anthony "El Toro" Ruiz vs. Jeremy Freitag: Ruiz has beaten Freitag twice in the past, and I don't see why this fight should go any different. Freitag's chin will be exposed, and Ruiz should take advantage. Ruiz via TKO, Round 2.

Wilson Reis vs. Brian Caraway: Reis is a nightmare, and his name will be known throughout the world before we know it. While Caraway has an impressive streak going for himself, he's primarily a submission fighter. Reis won't be susceptible to the submission, especially with his superior training on the ground. Reis is also a ball of steel in the cage. Look for his power, speed, and abilities to overwhelm Caraway quickly. Reis via submission, Round 1

Travis Galbraith vs. Rafael Feijao: Feijao should put the leather on Galbraith early in this one. Galbraith will be looking to hit the floor, but Feijao will have some decent takedown defense and likely defend against the submission well on the ground if it gets there. Look for Feijao to find the stunning knockout in this prelim. Feijao via TKO, Round 2