Monday 29 October 2012

Men’s shortlists for FIFA Ballon d’Or 2012 revealed

Four days after announcing the names of the candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football for 2012 awards, FIFA and France Football have today revealed the names for the men’s awards.

The candidates for the FIFA Ballon d’Or and for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football awards have been unveiled (see below). The final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of the men’s national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football.

The winners of all of the awards will be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 7 January 2013, during which the FIFA FIFPro World XI, the FIFA Puskás Award – for the most beautiful goal of the year – the FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented.

The list of 23 male candidates has been drawn up by football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and by a group of experts from France Football. The list of ten coaches has been drawn up by the Committee for Women’s Football and FIFA Women’s World Cup and by the FIFA Football Committee, as well as by a group of experts from France Football.

On 29 November 2012, FIFA and France Football will announce at a press conference in São Paulo (Brazil) the names of the three men and three women, as well as the three coaches for women’s football and three coaches for men’s football, who have received the most votes (without unveiling the winners). The three nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award and the FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist for the best forwards will also be announced (the shortlists for best goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders will be unveiled on 19, 22 and 26 November, respectively).

Men’s shortlists for the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala 2012
The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2012:

Sergio Agüero (Argentina), Xabi Alonso (Spain),Mario Balotelli (Italy), Karim Benzema (France), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Sergio Busquets (Spain), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Manuel Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Özil (Germany), Gerard Piqué (Spain), Andrea Pirlo (Italy),
Sergio Ramos (Spain), Wayne Rooney (England), Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire), Robin van Persie (Netherlands), Xavi (Spain).

The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order, first nationality and then team) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football 2012:

Vicente del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team), Roberto Di Matteo (Italy/Chelsea FC), Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United FC), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona former coach),
Jupp Heynckes (Germany/FC Bayern München), Jürgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), Joachim Löw (Germany/Germany national team), Roberto Mancini (Italy/Manchester City FC), José Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid CF), Cesare Prandelli (Italy/Italy national team)

 
Courtesy:fifa.com
 

Wednesday 24 October 2012

AFCON 2013: Eagles draw Zambia in group C

Now that the Super Eagles have escaped being drawn against Africa power-houses in the forth-coming African Cup of Nation in South Africa, the expectation is high and many Nigerians will like to see a rejuvenated side in the competition.  
Although the Eagles will play the defending champions Zambia, but for the records, Nigeria has never lost against them.

 
It is quite obvious that group D is the ‘’real deal’’ comprising of African power houses.

 
Meanwhile, the 16 teams will play in five host cites throughout South Africa from January 19 to February 10, 2013, to determine the African champion who will represent the continent at the 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup.


Group A: South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Angola.
Group B:
Ghana, DR Congo, Niger, Mali.
Group C:
Zambia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria.
Group D:
Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, Togo

Monday 22 October 2012

UCI strips Amstrong of Tour titles, banned for Life

Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life after the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Monday it had ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) sanctions.
The decision was announced at a UCI news conference.
According to Reuters, "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," UCI President Pat McQuaid said as he confirmed the ratification.
On October 10, USADA published a report into Armstrong which alleged the now retired American rider had been involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program sport has ever seen".
Armstrong, 41, had previously elected not to contest USADA charges, prompting USADA to propose his punishment pending confirmation from cycling's world governing body.
Former Armstrong team mates at his U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel outfits, where he won his seven straight Tour titles from 1999 to 2005, testified against him and were given reduced bans by the American authorities.
Armstrong, once widely accepted as one of the greatest cyclists of all time given he fought back from cancer to dominate the sport, has always denied doping and says he has never failed a doping test.
He said he had stopped contesting the charges after years of probes and rumors because "there comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough'".
McQuaid, whose organization has long battled a major doping problem throughout the sport, added: "This is not the first time cycling has reached a crossroads and has had to start anew."
He said he would not be resigning.
 

Friday 19 October 2012

Doping: Time for Lance Amstrong to live strong

Lance Amstrong
This man has been through triumph, tragedy, transformation, and transcendance.  Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner of the Tour de France between 1999-2005, fought against cancer and established a charity foundation which he calls LIVESTRONG.

He’s been accused of doping and the U.S Anti Doping Agency (USADA) banned Armstrong for life and said he should be stripped of his tour titles because of his involvement in ''the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.''

The USADA report has already cost Armstrong key sponsors, including Nike and Anheuser-Busch. Armstrong also stepped down on as chairman of the Livestrong, an organization he established "to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career," according to a statement posted to the group's website. Although Nike disowned the owner but the kit company has decided maintain the multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with Livestrong.

It should be noted for a fact that he was never found positive by the anti-doping laboratories and has consistently denied participating in any banned practices.

His Lawyer Tim Herman feels Amstrong is being witch-hunted and has labelled the report by USADA as one-sided.

One can not imagne how much he’s going to lose in terms of titles and money, if he’s eventually found guilty of the allegation. But if not, what would become USADA and those who testified against him?

Meanwhile the International Cycling Union received USADA's report last week and has until the end of the month to decide whether to accept the American agency's decision to strip Armstrong of his Tour titles or appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Time shall tell.

Sunday 14 October 2012

Djokovic beats Murray in the Shanghai Masters Final

 World No2 Novak Djokovic defeated Briton Andy Murray 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 to win the Shanghai Master infront of a packed crowd at the Qi Zhong Stadium.
Nova Djokovic kisses his trpohy PHOTO: Reuters
 Djokovic's victory prevented Murray from completing a hat-trick of winning the Shanghai Masters titles, as the Briton has previously won the tournament in 2010 as well as 2011. The match itself was also the first meeting between the two players after the US Open final, in which Murray was the one who won. Call it revenge, you are absolutely right.
 
 

Sunday 7 October 2012

El Clasico: The world stops when they play

 Obviously this match is the most noised tie in recent times. When they play the world stops. No one wants to miss the encounter. Always a classic and delightful to wtach.

What makes this encounter thick?

Real Madrid are in need of a result, they trail the Blaugrana by eight points in the league, and injuries have hurt the Barcelona defense. The outcome of this match might have bearing on who gets crowned this season.

Right now Messi has 10 goals in 10 games and Cristiano boasts 12 in 10

Dont miss it, be a part of history.

Saturday 6 October 2012

CAF Champions League: Sunshine host Al Ahly


Sunshine stars will today host six-time winners Al Ahly of Egypt in south-western town Ijebu Ode on Saturday for the first leg of their tie of the CAF Champions League.
 
The match is billed to kick off 3pm, Saturday 6th October 2012.
 
Sunshine and Ahly will be facing each other for the first time in the clubs' histories. Both sides go into the tie with concerns about rustiness with the Nigerian league finishing early last month and domestic football banned in Egypt since the Port Said tragedy Port Said in February.
 
Referee for the game is Daniel Bennett from the Republic of South Africa.
 
Let the sun shine!!!

GLO-CAF award 2012: who rules Africa?

The Confederation of African Football announces the beginning of the process to select the continent’s top footballer of 2012, with the publication of a list of 34 players nominated for the crown currently held by Ivorian Yaya Toure. In addition a list of 32 names has been drawn from which the African Player of the year (Based in Africa) will be selected.
 
According to cafonline.com The GLO-CAF Awards Gala 2012 will be held in Accra, Ghana at the Banquet Hall, State House on December 20th.
 
This year has seen three players make it on both lists. Zambia duo of Rainford Kalaba and Stoppila Sunzu from club side TP Mazembe join Tunisian, Youssef Msakni from club side Esperance on the African Footballer of the Year list which is largely dominated by African players playing club football outside the continent.
 
The selection was based on performances for club and country. CAF will announce the top ten nominees for the African Footballer of the Year and the top five African footballer of the Year (based in Africa) by late October after the voting by CAF relevant Standing Committees, namely the Media, Technical and Football committees.
 
The names of the respective ten and five finalists will be sent to National Association head coaches and secretary generals to select the top three.
The other categories for which winners will be announced on Awards Gala are as following:
1. National Team of the Year

2. Women’s Footballer of the Year

3. Women’s National Team of the Year

4. Club of the Year

5. Most Promising Talent of the Year

6. Coach of the Year

7. Referee of the Year

8. Legend Award

9. Fair Play Award

10. Platinum Award

11. Africa Finest XI

 

Wednesday 22 August 2012

OLYMPIC FALL OUT: A tale of an amazing 7year old Swimming Kid

Written by Amos Joseph
Despite the fact that swimming is a fun and healthy activity for everyone, it was never my game but occasionally, I go out to enjoy myself at a popular swimming pool around my neighbourhood, owing to the fact that it is one of the most visited relaxation and fun site around. Although it was fun, but i later realized that i go to the pool just for the rave of the moment.

Every time i called at the swimming pool, i noticed a particular kid who’s not even a teenager. Her swimming skill is amazing and quite fascinating. I’m not a good swimmer but i appreciate those with the talent and skills.
Of course, the Hotel provided a  small-sized (children) section but this kid goes back and Forth on different strokes reaching the Length and the breadth of the standard (adult) swimming pool. One need not to be told that she has undergone some swimming lessons. Little wonder whenever she’s in the water someone is always on the touchlines to dish out instructions to her on her movement.

After all i only come to the swimming pool for fun, watching her exhibiting her skills was never a waste of time.
Although for some time, i haven't been to the spot since there was no festival to propel my movement.

Meanwhile, the feat attained by China and the United States of America in swimming at the recently concluded London 2012 Olympic games has further proven that age has little or nothing to do with capabilities.
Watching the swimming event in the Olympics brought back the memory of the wonder kid as the world saw 15 and 16year old teenagers win Gold medals. It was surprising at the same time inspiring. Anyone in his right thinking would acknowledge that these countries have done something special to have had such a confidence to present teenagers to be paired against adults.
Favour @age Two

Back home, we have kids like Favour Naomi Oke who’s only seven years old and has such a talent that can mesmerize the world and win medals.  She started swimming when she was two years old, participated in the Lagos State Under-age Swimming competition and DR E.I.P Ebozie swimming competition both in 2010 against older teenagers.
From her performance at both competitions, she attracted various authorities (State and Individuals) with promises ranging from scholarship and training aid, all yet to be fulfilled. Over time, She has been under the tutelage of her biological father who manages the swimming pool section of the hotel. Favour and her father are hopeful of her career.

Although Nigeria did not participate in swimming event at the London Olympic games, the nation could not win a single medal in all event and according to records, it was the worst experience since the inception of the games.
Whenever the country fails in any major exhibition, the usual phrase ‘drawing board’ becomes the song. It is often said that anyone who fails to plan, plans to fail. We cannot continue to neglect grassroots development and expect medals to roll in.

Imagine the teenagers that won medals, lets imagine when they started preparing. If only our nation provides the right environment like state of the art training facilities, proper funding and administration of our sports may be talents won’t rust away unharnessed.
There will be many other kids like Favour Naomi Oke around Nigeria waiting to become potential athletes and medal winners at the world stage. Are we still going to fold our hands and watch?  


Sunday 19 August 2012

2012/2013 Season: Who's Battle and Title ready

Writer: Amos Joseph

It’s no news that the new 2012/2013 major European League season has started. For the English Premier League and the La Liga, the match Day 1 over the weekend saw some intriguing and shocking results.

For many, it’s not surprising when average teams wallop or be a bone in the neck to potential title contenders who must have had major changes in their squads for the new season and hoping to have a blend as the league progresses.

Wide goal margins, impressive new signings, new EPL arrivals proving their mettle, disgruntled fans, obvious absence of key players that made a switch, same of the same like last season, Champions showing why they are champions, spectaculars goals as usual all characterized the match day one except for the Manchester United vs Everton match which is a potential spectacle also.

In the La Liga, it’s about record, rivalry, and then Cat & Mouse chase in the games.

Fisayo Dairo, a Sports Analyst cum Presenter concludes “it is Difficult to say...We still go with the bookmakers' choice... Man Utd and City are the obvious contenders. Chelsea today had NO BENCH so, it will maybe take 2 more signings”.
On the La Liga he said “Errr, Everly Real Madrid drew today...bad signs. You cant afford to give Barcelona the chance to have their noses in front".

Also, Mark Balogun, a football enthusiast and fan, “The Chelsea game was good, Hazard and Oscar proved their worth, they’ll be players to watch out for this season. For Manchester City, ruthless as ever when attacking but shaky defense. Good start for Southampton if they can maintain the momentum”

It is obvious that the last season champions are still the contenders in the EPL while in the La Liga the Horse race will be determined by consistency.

Friday 17 August 2012

Manchester United adds RVP to it's Arsenal

English Premier League heavy weight, Manchester United have completed the signing of Robin Van Persie from Arsenal on a four year deal contract worth £24 Million (£200,000 per week)

The addition of the Dutch man to United strike force is no doubt a boost for the club owing to the qualities he possesses. He scored 30 goals for Arsenal last season and am sure he needs no further introduction as to his capabilities.

ESPN Soccernet.com reports that, Van Persie, 29, ends an eight-year association with the Gunners after growing frustrated with the club's direction, having won only the Community Shield and the FA Cup during his time in North London.

Obviously, the young man wants to win trophies and this is the right time for him to make such a move. The major reason he refused to sign a new contract with Arsenal. For some frustrated fans who might not have wnated RVP to go, it is greed, for realist; ambition.

Business-wise, Arsenal FC have pocketed a fortune from this deal just like every other top class player that has left for greener pasture.

For fans and supporters of Manchester United, hurray! Let the fun begin and hope it continues, that is, if the player stays fit and replicate his last season form. For Arsenal faithfuls, it's time to move on as usual.

Saturday 11 August 2012

How much are Olympic Medals actually worth?


Sure you want to know why every country and athletes are “medal-hungry”. According to CBS News The medals handed out at the London 2012 Summer Olympics are largest ever in both size and weight. They are more than twice the size of the medals that were awarded in Beijing in 2008 and are the biggest ever designed. But how much are they actually worth?

To the athletes, the medals are priceless, but some of the medals are worth less than $5, CBS Detroit station WOMC- reports.
By their worth, that's strictly their raw material cost, not the fact that these are Olympic medals.

The gold medal consists of just over 1 percent actual gold. The rest is made up of 92.5 percent silver and 6.16 percent copper - and is only worth about $644.

The silver medal is a modification of the gold medal. The gold is replaced with more copper, making the medal worth around $330.

The bronze medal is made of 97 percent copper, 2.5 percent zinc and 0.5 percent tin - and is only worth about $4.70.
For the winners good news but for those who failed to win a medal like Nigeria….sorry.


Sunday 29 July 2012

Nigeria edge Tunisia in Olympic Basketball Opener


Image: Associated Press

In the opening game of Olympic men's basketball competition, Nigeria edged African rival Tunisia 60-56 on Sunday. Both African teams were making their debuts in Olympic men's basketball. It looked like Nigeria, faster, stronger and quicker to the ball, was headed for an easy victory over Tunisia.
Meanwhile in preliminary round action Tuesday, Nigeria will play Lithuania and Tunisia will take on the gold-medal favorite United States.

According to Voice of America, a crowd of almost 7,000 attended the Nigeria-Tunisia game at the Olympic Park Basketball Arena, one of the largest temporary venues ever built for an Olympics. The 12-team Olympic men's basketball tournament will culminate August 12th with the gold medal game.

Go Tigers!

How 205 national anthems were recorded for London Olympics’ medal ceremonies

Getty Images

Isn't this amazing? It's an indelible part of the Olympics: Hearing the national anthem of the gold medal-winning athlete or team played as the flags are raised above the champions.
According to Olympic guidelines, the anthems have to be between 60 and 90 seconds long, so they fit snugly into the flag-raising time frame. So where do the London Olympic organizers get their hands on 205 recordings of anthems that are perfectly times and aren't just cut off at the end?
The London Philharmonic Orchestra, that's where. The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall.

Monday 16 July 2012

Manchester United is Most Valuable Sports Team


Despite losing the Premier League title to City rivals last season, Manchester United still lay claims of another title, though the world’s most valuable sports team. Forbes estimates Manchester United is now worth $2.23 billion, 19% more than No. 2 Real Madrid, worth $1.88 billion.
Below are the ratings of sports teams that occupy the top ten spot as released by Forbes.

#1 Manchester United
Value: $2.23 billion
Owner: Glazer family
The Red Devils are the world's most valuable sports team and have a long tradition of great play on the pitch. Manchester United has captured a record 19 English Premiership titles and claims to have 659 million fans worldwide. Next up for the Red Devils: an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange to reduce debt from Malcolm Glazer's purchase of the club in 2005.

#2 Real Madrid
Value: $1.88 billion
Owner: Club members
Real Madrid had the highest revenues of any soccer team during the 2010-11 season and was the most profitable team in all of sports during 2011, with operating income of $214 million. Club members have owned and operated the team since it was founded in 1902. Real won its record 32nd La Liga title in 2012, led by its star winger Cristiano Ronaldo (above, center).

#3 New York Yankees
Value: $1.85 billion
Owner: Steinbrenner family
The Yankees are just part of a money making machine that also includes the YES Network and Legends Hospitality. YES, the team's 34%-owned regional sports channel, is the most profitable RSN in the country with operating income of more than $200 million. Legends, the stadium management and concessions company owned by the Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Goldman Sachs, signed a deal last year to sell season tickets at the San Francisco's 49ers new stadium. The enterprise value for the Yankees, YES and Legends is estimated to be $5.5 billion.

#4 Dallas Cowboys
Value: $1.85 billion
Owner: Jerry Jones
Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones is a master salesman and has attracted the NBA All-Star game, the Super Bowl, a Manny Pacquiao fight, soccer matches, concerts and more to Cowboys Stadium since the $1.2 billion venue opened in 2009. It will host the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four as well. The stadium can hold 110,000 people, including standing room. One thing Jones has not been able to sell is naming rights to the building, which could fetch $15 million annually.

#5 Washington Redskins
Value: $1.56 billion
Owner: Daniel Snyder
The Redskins have made the playoffs only three times since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999. That hasn't stopped fans from flocking to FedEx Field and making the Redskins the NFL's most profitable team in recent years. The 'Skins paid a king's ransom in April of three first round draft picks and a second round choice in a trade with the St. Louis Rams for the right to select Robert Griffin III (#10 above) with the second overall pick. Griffin won the 2011 Heisman Trophy while at Baylor.

#6 Los Angeles Dodgers
Value: $1.4 billion
Owner: Guggenheim Baseball
Frank McCourt sold the Dodgers in April through a bankruptcy court-led auction to Guggenheim Baseball for $2 billion. The deal included an additional $150 million to create a joint venture with McCourt on the parking lots and land around Dodger Stadium. The new ownership group includes Los Angeles Lakers' great Magic Johnson, former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals Stan Kasten and film producer Peter Guber. Chicago financial services firm Guggenheim Partners financed most of the deal. The new group paid a record price for the franchise based on an impending new local TV deal that is expected to be worth more than $3.5 billion in cash and equity.

#7 New England Patriots
Value: $1.4 billion
Owner: Robert Kraft
The Patriots are one of the NFL's best-run teams on and off the field. The Patriots have sold out every game at Gillette Stadium since it opened in 2002 and made the playoffs eight of the past nine years. Quarterback Tom Brady (above) is just the second quarterback, after John Elway, to lead his team to the Super Bowl five times. Brady's last trip to the Super Bowl ended in disappointment when the Pats lost to the New York Giants for the second time in five seasons in the big game.

#8  FC Barcelona
Value: $1.31 billion
Owner: Club members
Barcelona has won two UEFA Champions League titles over the past four seasons, riding the golden feet of Lionel Messi (above). Barca's home stadium, Camp Nou, has the biggest seating capacity of top European teams at 99,400. The team's broadcasting revenue of $266 million was tops among all soccer teams in 2011.

#9 New York Giants
Value: $1.3 billion
Owners: John Mara, Steven Tisch
The Giants celebrated their second Super Bowl title in five seasons in February, led by MVP Eli Manning (above). MetLife acquired naming rights to the New Meadowlands Stadium last year, filling a glaring hole in the stadium's financial picture from when it opened in 2010. MetLife was paying $7 million annually as a cornerstone partner, but the naming-rights deal is expected to cost more than $400 million over 25 years. It would represent the biggest naming-rights deal for a current NFL stadium (Farmers Insurance has pledged $23 million per year if a new stadium is built in Los Angeles). The stadium, home to both the Giants and Jets, is scheduled to host the 2014 Super Bowl.

#10 Arsenal FC
Value: $1.29 billion
Owner: Stan Kroenke
Arsenal has won the second-most FA Cups (10), just one fewer than Manchester United. Match day revenue of $150 million in 2011 was fourth highest among soccer teams.The Gunners' commercial revenue was $74 million in 2011, but got a boost last season due to new sponsorship agreements with brewer Carlsberg and Betsson, the gaming company.

REPORT ACCORDING TO FORBES
Meanwhile, Manchester United fans will once again get a chance to own a piece of the iconic club as the Glazer family filed plans this month for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The Glazers took the club private in 2005 in a leveraged buyout worth $1.47 billion. (The team traded on the London Stock Exchange before then.)
Don’t expect to be picking the next manager if you buy shares. The Glazers intend to keep control of the club through a dual-class share structure, where the Glazers’ shares will be worth 10 votes apiece, while the public gets one vote for each share. Dual-class shares are unusual, but a number of high-profile companies, including Facebook, LinkedIn and The New York Times, use them to retain control at the top while they sell ownership stakes to the public. With the offering, the team can reduce its hefty debt load, which stood at $663 million as of March.
Manchester United has a host of lucrative sponsorships in place. Insurer Aon pays $31 million a year to put its name on the team’s jerseys in a deal that runs through 2014. Last year, DHL Express inked a four-year deal with the club worth a reported $62 million to sponsor Manchester United’s practice jerseys. It is the first case of a practice jersey sponsorship deal for soccer in the U.K. Nike manages the team’s merchandise sales and the agreement is worth a minimum of $39 million annually for Manchester United based on overall sales in a deal through 2015.
Soccer clubs hold the top two spots among the world’s most valuable franchises, but it is American football teams that dominate the rest of the top 50. All 32 NFL teams made the cut, led by the Dallas Cowboys, worth $1.85 billion, tied with the New York Yankees for third overall. The Cowboys are the kings of the NFL thanks to their $1.2 billion stadium, which generates more than $100 million annually from premium seating and nearly $60 million from sponsors like AT&T, Bank of America, Ford Motor and PepsiCo.
The future looks even brighter for NFL teams thanks to a new labor agreement, as well as a new round of TV contracts. The league and its players endured a four-month lockout last year, but no regular season games were lost. The new collective bargaining agreement ensures labor peace for 10 years and gives owners a bigger piece of the pie, as players settled for a salary cap based on 48% of total revenues versus roughly 54% in previous years.
The NFL inked extensions to its TV deals with CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC last year. The nine-year deals (ESPN is for eight years) start with the 2014 season and are worth $5 billion a year collectively, a 62% bump on the prior contracts. The average NFL team is worth $1.04 billion.
Major League Baseball landed seven teams on the list (same as soccer), led by the Yankees. As Forbes pointed out in a cover story earlier this year, baseball is flush with TV money thanks to a boom among regional sports networks hungry for content. The Yankees’ YES Network, which is 34% owned by the team, is the most profitable RSN in the U.S. generating more than $200 million in operating income last year. The team is also a cash cow with $330 million in ticket revenue in 2011, including luxury suites. The Red Sox had the next highest gate at $190 million.
Basketball and Formula 1 both placed two teams among the 50 most valuable franchises. The Los Angeles Lakers jumped 13 spots and are now ranked No. 35 with a value of $900 million, up 40% from last year. As with baseball, revenue growth is tied to TV. The Lakers struck a deal with Time Warner Cable beginning with the 2012-13 season valued at an average of $200 million a year, compared to $35 million under their old agreement. Time Warner will show games on two regional sports channels, one in English and one in Spanish. The Lakers have by far the biggest audience on TV, averaging 258,000 households on Fox Sports West last year.

F1 powerhouse, Ferrari, ranks No. 15 with a value of $1.1 billion, up 3% from last year. Ferrari extended its $52 million-a-year sponsorship deal this year with Spanish bank Santander. This follows Ferrari’s blockbuster extension last year with sponsor Marlboro worth as much as $500 million over three years. McLaren’s value fell 2% this year to $800 million as main backer Vodafone is reviewing its sports sponsorship commitments. McLaren would be hard pressed to replace Vodafone at comparable levels. McLaren also faces the free agency of Lewis Hamilton, who is one of the most marketable drivers in the sport. Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of 2012.

Sunday 15 July 2012

BOXING: How Khan and Chisora kissed the canvas

Courtesy: Guardian.co.uk (Amir Khan on the canvas after being knocked down by Danny Garcia.)
Devastating knockdown for Amir Khan sees Danny Garcia take his title
Referee had to end the Las Vegas fight in fourth round, sending British boxer away defeated from a fight he should have won.


The referee stepped in to stop the fight in the fourth round after WBC champion Garcia launched a series of blistering attacks on Khan which saw the Briton felled three times.

"I always knew I had it in me. I feel like the great fighters bring the best out of me and Khan is a great fighter," Garcia said after the fight.

Khan, who has now lost three times in 26 professional bouts, posted an message on his official Facebook page saying: "Can I apologize to my family friends and everyone. I got caught with a shot and I know millions of u are upset but that's boxing for u."

The 25-year-old lost his World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) belts to Lamont Peterson in December 2011, but was reinstated as the WBA champion earlier this month after the American failed a drugs test prior to their scheduled rematch in May.

The IBF are still to decide on what course of action they will take regarding the original fight.



David Haye and Derek Chisora Fight


It was Haye's power allied to some trademark nimble glove work which finally prevailed as the 10-round fight sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation neared the halfway stage. come to blows after fight

Towards the end of the fifth round, the 31-year old unleashed a devastating left-hook before a follow-up right hand floored Chisora.pes of boxing with Amir Khan
The Zimbabwe-born fighter made referee Luis Pabon's count comfortably but crashed to the canvas again seconds later following a barrage of punches from Haye.

He staggered to his feet a second time but Pabon stopped the fight leaving Haye to milk the cheers from a boisterous 30,000-strong crowd.
Sworn enemies before Saturday's fight, Haye and Chisora finished the night exhanging pats, smiles and handshakes in front of photographers, before both publicly declared a truce to their bitter war of words.

"Whatever beef I had with Dereck before the fight is over now from my side and I hope it's vice versa," Haye told Sky Sports.

"After sharing a ring with Dereck I have a new found respect for the man. I had respect for his boxing ability but I never believed he could be as good as he was tonight. He raised his game," Haye added.
Chisora agreed. The two men had made up and could now "eat in the same restaurants and go to the same clubs," the 28-year-old said.

"It was a great fight and everything is done."

#Reports according to CNN#