Chelsea v Bayern Munich prediction, betting preview, live stream

Venue: Allianz Arena München Date: 19 May 2012 Kick-off time: 20:45 11 times in the history of the Champions League/European Cup dating back to 1955 has the final game been played in the home country of one of the two teams. Only 3 times during that span has the final match of the tournament been played at the home stadium of one of the two final teams.
Chelsea Live Stream
 Munich will host the 4th Champions League final to be played at the home stadium of one of the two teams on Saturday May 19th when Chelsea play Bayern Munich for European glory. Müncheners will be hoping for history to be on their side; as 2 out of the 3 previous occurrences of the host stadium being home to one of the clubs have indeed favoured the home side, with the 1 exception being the 1983 final, Liverpool v Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Bayern Munich Live Stream
 That match ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 mins + extra time and it took a shootout for visitors Liverpool to take home glory. Road to the Final - Bayern Munich It’s hard to remember a time when two unlikelier contenders made it all the way to the final game, but that is the case this year. A seemingly inconceivable pair of semi-final match-ups resulted in two underdogs going through for a chance to take home the biggest silverware in Europe and possibly the world. Munich did not automatically qualify for the Champions League from the Bundesliga, therefore they played a play-off series against FC Zurich to enter the group stage (Bayern won both contests 2-0, 0-1). Bayern made it through the group stages of this year’s tournament almost unblemished other than a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea Live Stream
 They came out of Group A to face FC Basel in the Round of 16; Bayern lost the first leg 1-0 in Basel, but came back to win the second leg 7-0 at Allianz Arena. Bayern then won both legs of the quarter-final match-up with Marseille (0-2,2-0); which brought on the semi-final match-up with Real Madrid. Bayern won at home in the first leg 2-1, goals by Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez for Munich and Mesut Ozil for Madrid. Bayern took a significant amount of confidence into the second leg at the Bernabeu, but it was quickly diminished when Madrid took an early commanding 2-0 lead, with both goals by Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Arjen Robben tied it on aggregate with a penalty in the 27th minute and Bayern went on to stun the home side winning 3-1 on penalty kicks; with a cool, confident Bastian Schweinsteiger sending home the final penalty to seal a place in the finals. Road to the Final - Chelsea Chelsea on the other hand, were an automatic-qualifier after finishing 2nd in the Premier League last year.

 The Blues also had only 1 loss coming out of the group stages to Bayern Leverkusen 2-1 at the Bay Arena. Chelsea then played Napoli losing 3-1 in the first leg to the Azzurri in Napoli, before putting on a mammoth performance at Stamford Bridge to win 4-1 (5-4 Agg). They played a dominating series against Benfica (3-1 Agg) before meeting tournament favourites Barcelona in the semi-finals. During the first meeting at Stamford Bridge, Didier Drogba scored the emotional winner to take a 1-0 lead into the second round. At Camp Nou, Barcelona quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first half very much like the Madrid-Bayern match. Chelsea also went down to 10-men after John Terry was sent off for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back. But like the other semi-final, a late-1st half goal changed the tide. Ramires netted for Chelsea in the 45th minute to draw even on aggregate, with Chelsea ahead on away goals.

 An exciting and dramatic second half saw Fernando Torres score a late goal to put it all away for Barcelona. Disqualified Players A factor that is sure to affect the outcome of the Champions League final is that both teams will be without starting players due to accumulated yellow cards from each teams’ respective semi-final series. For Bayern, it will be Luiz Gustavo, David Alaba and Holger Badstuber ineligible to dress for the home side. Chelsea will be without John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles for the final. UEFA has turned down all appeals handed to them by these disqualified players from both clubs. Team News Bayern Munich are without further injury concerns to complicate their squad selection with the already complicated disqualifications. Long term injuries to defenders Breno and Daniel Van-Buyten could stretch the club’s depth unusually thin, Jerome Boateng will start in central defence. However, Van-Buyten has said that he is highly-motivated to return for the final to help the club.

 Chelsea are very concerned about the health of recently signed centre-back Gary Cahill who went off early in the second leg semi-final at Camp Nou with a hamstring injury. This would be a serious blow to the Blues already playing without team captain and consummate defensive force John Terry due to banning and other central option David Luiz (also due to a hamstring issue). There is some optimism that David Luiz will make his return for the final, but if fears are valid and Chelsea are without any central defenders with first-team experience, it will be a significant worry going into the match.

Read more »

Watch Chelsea vs Liverpool Live Streaming FA Cup Semifinal

Two biggest English clubs, Liverpool Live Stream and Chelsea meet each other at Wembley Stadium on May 5th for the 2012 FA Cup final. Liverpool fans will be travelling to Wembley for the third time this season. The Reds have already won a trophy this season i,e Carling cup and they have had beat Chelsea along the way. Meanwhile Liverpool are currently under poor league form as they sit at 8th position in the English premier league table.

Chelsea' performance has had a major upheaval since the sacking of Villas Boas and they are now performing extremely well under the guidance of Roberto Di Matteo. Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur by 5-1 in the semi-final of the FA Cup, and beat Barcelona by 1-0 in the semi-final(first leg) of the champions league but however, they are currently at sixth on the league table.

My prediction: Though Chelsea Live Stream are playing very good at the moment and are hot favourites in this match, but my prediction goes positive towards Liverpool with the scoreline as 2-1.

You will be able to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool live stream online for free here at cornerkicks. I will be broadcasting the whole match live here. And I won't ask you for a single penny, I promise. Just come back on this page at the kick off time i,e Saturday, May 5th , 2012 at 17:15 according to British Summer time.

Read more »

Manchester City V Manchester United Premier League Preview: Will It Be A Blue Monday Or Simply Red? (GALLERY/VIDEO)

Not since 1968 have Man City Live Stream and Manchester United vied for the English league title, and tonight's Premier League clash acts as a nadir in the Mancunian rivalry.

As Lee, Summerbee and Bell edged out the Man Utd Live Stream to the Division One title, Best Law (admittedly injured) and Charlton won the European Cup at Wembley.

Manchester's 60s hegemony has now returned. Both clubs are holders of England's biggest domestic trophies and are unquestionably the best teams in the country. Arsenal, in third place, trail City by 14 points.

It is testament to Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial expertise that he is ahead of Roberto Mancini's Blues. Despite the financial gulf - United are laden with debt, City are flush with Dubai riches - the Scot has steered United to two titles since the Citizens were no longer just "typical City".

So where will the game be won tonight? We chart both clubs' likely starting XIs from back-to-front...
Man Utd vs Man City Live
GOALKEEPERS
Joe Hart was last week chosen as number one for the Premier League Team of the Season. A questionable choice, but what is unquestionable is his superiority over United's David de Gea. The Spaniard has enjoyed fantastic form since his pivotal save from Juan Mata in February's 3-3 draw at Chelsea, but Hart has emerged as one of Europe's finest goalkeepers.

Prior to the opening game of last season it was 50-50 between Hart and Shay Given to start the campaign between the posts for City. Hart, rightly named in the 2009/10 Team of the Year whilst on loan at Birmingham, got the nod and excelled in a 0-0 draw at Tottenham. De Gea remains a raw and exciting prospect, but the Blues have the more assured stopper, and one who has made a fraction of the number of errors the 21-year-old Spain Under-21 international has this campaign.

CITY 2-3 UNITED, COMMUNITY SHIELD (AUGUST)

Read more »

Rajon Rondo Ejected For Bumping Official As Celtics Fall To Hawks In Game 1 (VIDEO)

The Celtics were outplayed by the Hawks en route to a 83-74 loss in Game 1 on Sunday and their chances of flipping the script in Game 2 took a major hit when All-Star star point guard Rajon Rondo was ejected for bumping an official late in the fourth quarter.

With Atlanta holding on to a four-point lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation, Hawks forward Josh Smith battled Celtics frontcourt players Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett for a loose ball. As the shot clock wound down, the referee called a foul on Bass. That's when Rondo lost his cool, earning a technical foul for barking at the official.

Rondo responded to the technical by bumping the official in the back, earning himself an ejection.

The NBA Rulebook states that "any player or coach guilty of intentional physical contact with an official shall automatically be suspended without pay for one game."

Right after Rondo was tossed, several NBA analysts reacted on Twitter and brought up a possible (and seemingly probable) suspension.

Read more »

Manchester City vs Manchester United Live Stream Online 30 April 2012

In the English Premier League's most important game of the Season which could very well decide that which of these two teams are going to win the Premier League title is on Monday night football and it will be a massive game for both the sides as they are looking to go all the way and make it to final hurdle.

Its been a great season where we did not had any clear favourits for the big title throughout the season although it has been a tug of war between two Manchester Clubs but briefly Tottenham did put some resistance, than Manchester City took the 7 points lead, than their poor form allowed United to not only cover the gap but took the 7 points advantage theselves and now there is only 3 points between two clubs and this derby game's all three points could give one team the title.

Manchester United are 3 points clear at the top of the table and they have been in great form since the turn of the year and at one point it looked like they will go onto win the title with ease with few games in hand but things have changes Manchester City are have called back former United player Tevez in the team who helped them get a few points and United stumbled at home to Everton in highscoring draw 4-4 and they lost against Wigan which allowed City to be in a position that if they can get all three poins in this match they will go onto to top the league which just 2 matches to go.
Man Utd vs Man City Live Stream
So like Sir Alex Ferguson says, this is the most important derby game in the league for him since he took charge which shows how important is the game for both the sides and you can tune in here to get the updates throughout the match and we will be placing goals video and the match highlights which will be available after the match is over.

Read more »

Barcelona vs Real madrid Live Stream Online Free La Liga

In the Elclassico match in La Liga we have two of the heavyweights in the Spanish football going head to head in what will be a great game between the two sides who are fierce rivals and cometitors on and off the field and it will surely be one of the most awaited Classicos of the last decade as with the four points difference it might well prove to be the telling point in the title race. Both of the Spanish teams are coming into this match on the back of a narrow defeats they suffered in the last week's Champions League semfinal first legs as Real Madrid were humbled in Allianz Arena in Germany with a 2-1 scoreline while we all know how Chelsea managed a 1-0 win over current Champions League holders Barcelona in the first leg at Stamford bridge. Real Madrid are currently 4 points clear at the top of the table but what is a concern for them is that they are in their longest winless streak against Barcelona in their history as they have not won a game of football in the last 7 league matches and that is a worrying sign for them, if they can win the game at Camp Nou this week they will surely end Barcelona's hope of retaining the title and if they lost this one than they will be in real trouble of keeping their lead at the top of the table as it will shrink down to just 1 point. Barcelona have been playing some stunning football, and although they lost they game against Chelsea in the midweek they created enough chances to win two games from them, so form is not a problem and I can expect a backlash this week in the Elclassico with Messi is the man to watch out for. There will be some surprise changes in the starting lineup as both the teams have their big games in the Champions League in the midweek os we can see some of the big players getting less playing time due to back to back huge matches but that won't take the attention away from this big match and of course Ronaldo vs Messi debate You can tune in here to get the live updates during the match here, we will also be placing info about how to watch the Barcelona vs Real Madrid Live Stream online on your PC While goals video will be updates sharply during the matches and as the goals go in while full match highlights will be available after the match is over.

Read more »

Barcelona vs Chelsea Live Stream Online Free UCL Semi Final

The Champions League semi-finals once again hold the Glorious fixture between the classic rivals of 2009 semifinal; Chelsea vs Barcelona live stream . With Chelsea still having the strong feeling that it was cheated at that time, the club is ready to take revenge this year and the time has finally come to prove their point. After the draw that night, three years later today, Barcelona has become one of the greatest teams of all times. Nevertheless, the team has also been in its prime form lately and the fact that they have won each of the last 11 matches has proved it. You can Click Here To Watch Barcelona vs Chelsea Live Streaming for Free Online

Messi has become the ultimate scoring machine for the Catalans and that is definitely what Chelsea will have to face today. Chelsea on the other hand is becoming less and less powerful. The team seems to be going down fast, day by day. However they will try their best to reach the finals in Munich regardless of the difficult path they had to go through. Team news is that for Chelsea, Ashley Cole will be returning to the lineups after being fit-to-play. With no fresh injuries, the team will be playing with a fully loaded squad. On the other hand, for Barcelona, although injuries have been reduced, they are still something to worry about. Only Pique is a doubt whereas Afellay, Villa and Fontas are the ones who will be totally sitting out on this one.

Considering Barcelona’s game, their unpredictability is what has been staggering the fans and Chelsea too does not know what it will be facing on Wednesday. To see what happens, you can live stream on our site and get all the updates and info you need about your favorite teams.

Read more »

Chelsea vs Barcelona Live Stream Online 2012 April - 1st Leg

In the first leg of the highly anticipated game between Chelsea vs Barcelona Live Stream in the UEFA Champions League Semfinal we will have Chelsea taking on FC Barcelona in what will be a great game and it will be interesting to see how this game goes about. Barcelona were already in London whaat I was writing this letter and a certain player from ARsenal payed a visit to them at Marriot Hotel in Park Lane and that players is non other than ARsenal's skipper Robin Van Persie.

Barcelona and Chelsea played a Semfinal of the Champions League in 2009 where Barca went on to kick out Chelsea after some dramatic circumstances but this year Chelsea will be totaly up to the mark and would love to get the revenge of 2009 exit in the hands of Barcelona. Both the spanish giants are playing some of the best football in the league at the moment and they will be eager to go out there and win the Champions League final which will held in Munich in May.

Chelsea have almost full squad to choose from, who will spearhead the attack is remain to be seen as in the lasat month or so Di Matteo has gone with Torres in the starting lineup but in the FA Cup semfinal he choose to play with Drogba in his own up front and he scored a belter of a goal to knock spurs out of the FA Cup and that might give him a nod in this crunch affair on Wednesday night.

Both the teams are coming into this match on the back of a 5 match unbeaten streak and with this kind of a form we can say that we will have two great games in couple of weeks time and may the best team go through to the final this time around.

Barcelona vs Chelsea Semifinal 1st Leg

CHELSEA TEAM NEWS:
Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole, Mikel, Lampard , Ramires, Mata, Kalou, Drogba

BARCELONA TEAM NEWS:
Valdes, Puyol, Mascherano, Pique, Alves, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Sanchez, Messi, Pedro

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMFINAL 2011-2012:
Chelsea vs Barcelona:
Date: April 18, 2012 - Time: 7:45 PM BST
Stamford Bridge — London

Read more »

Arsenal vs. Wigan Athletic: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Arsenal is out of the title race, but is still very much in a battle for Champions League soccer next season. Wigan, meanwhile, is on Premier League life support, places 16 through 19 in the table are separated by one point.

Both teams have something left to fight for this season. The only difference is that one team has a lot more firepower available for that fight.



Where: Emirates Stadium, London, England

When: Monday, April 16 at 3 p.m. EDT

Live Stream: Foxsoccer.tv



Recent Meetings

On Dec. 3, 2011, Arsenal smashed Wigan 4-0 at The DW Stadium. Mikel Arteta opened the scoring in the 28th minute, followed by Thomas Vermaelen one minute later. Yao Gervinho and Robin van Persie added two more in the second half, making for a symmetrical and totally dominant performance by the Gunners.

The last time the two met at the Emirates was a similar story. On Jan. 22, 2011, van Persie scored a hat trick to lead the Gunners to a 3-0 win over the Latics.

Player to Watch: Robin van Persie

In a game that promises to be high-scoring and one-sided, van Persie should get on the scoresheet at least once. The 28-year-old has 26 goals in league play this season, putting him at the top of the goalscoring charts.

Fans who play fantasy soccer should make van Persie their captain this weekend. He's due for quite a night against a Wigan team that has given up 57 goals this year.



Key Stats

Speaking of how many goals Wigan gives up, that 57 is good for third-worst in the Premier League. Arsenal has scored 63, which is third-best in the league. Wigan has also failed to score in 11 games, and the Gunners have 11 shutouts so far this season.

All statistical indications point to a lopsided but high-scoring game.



What They're Saying

Despite his club's current position in the league table, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez told BBC that he is convinced the Latics will still be in the Premier League next season:
Arsenal vs Wigan Live Stream
If we perform like we did [against West Brom on Saturday], we'll get enough points. I know that we are a group that can cope with the frustration, and we can perform game after game. We haven't had the rewards for good home performances. It's unfair the players haven't had the credit for the good things they have done on the pitch.



Prediction: Arsenal wins, 3-0

This seems like a no-brainer. It's one of the highest-scoring and lowest-conceding teams in the league (Arsenal) against one of the lowest-scoring and highest-conceding (Wigan)—and a striker the caliber of van Persie against a team that has given up seven goals in their last two meetings.

Anything less than a dominant shutout victory for the Gunners would be a surprise. Ladbrokes has Arsenal winning at 1/5 odds (meaning a $2 bet on Arsenal only results in a 40 cent profit). A Wigan win is at 10/1.

Read more »

Kobayashi Eats 13 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches In 1 Minute At SXSW, Sets New World Record (VIDEO)

What kind of festival features Jay-Z and world renowned champion eater Takeru Kobayashi? South By Southwest. Surprise celebrity guests are scattered all around Austin for the media festival (you might even meet the Governor of Texas), but Kobayashi not only showed up, but broke a world record while in town.

On Sunday afternoon, Kobayashi appeared at the GroupMe Grill at SXSW to demolish world record for most grilled cheese sandwiches eaten in one minute. If you've ever seen Kobayashi practice his craft (such as his performances at Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, where he held the world record for gulping down hot dogs for six years), you know what to expect: the Japanese competitive eater blurs the line between masterful artisanship and ritual gorging. He devours 13 in one minute, before inhaling three more just for the hell of it.

We don't know else who will pop up at SXSW (Bill Murray?), but unless they too gobble down grilled cheese, we'll hardly be impressed.

Read more »

Tiger Woods Injury: Golfer Reveals 'Good News,' Hopes To Play Next Week At Bay Hill

JUPITER, Fla. -- Tiger Woods said Monday night his left Achilles tendon is mildly strained and he is hopeful he can still play next week at Bay Hill.

Woods withdrew from the Cadillac Championship at Doral on Sunday after hitting his tee shot on the 12th hole.

"Got good news from doc tonight," he posted on his Twitter account. "Only mild strain of left Achilles. Can resume hitting balls late in week and hopeful for next week."

Woods is scheduled to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, which starts March 22, his final tournament before the Masters. He has played Augusta National every year since 1995.

He said his left Achilles tendon, which caused him to miss two majors last year, felt tight as he warmed up on the practice range before the final round of the Cadillac Championship, and it got worse from there.

It was the second time in 10 months that Woods had to withdraw from a tournament because of his Achilles. He also left after shooting a 42 on the front nine of The Players Championship last May, causing him to sit out three months until it was completely healed. There were some in his camp who did not want him to compete in The Players to give the injury more time.

Woods said in a statement Sunday after withdrawing, "In the past, I may have tried to continue to play, but this time, I decided to do what I thought was necessary."

Read more »

Stephon Marbury Denies Hitting Fan: Ex-NBA Player Disputes Reports In China

BEIJING (AP) — Former NBA star Stephon Marbury has denied hitting a fan after a testy playoff loss in a Chinese Basketball Association game.

The 35-year-old Marbury and his Beijing Ducks teammates were trapped in their team van after their 102-100 road loss on Sunday to the Shanxi Brave Dragons, Marbury's original team when he joined the league in 2010. A newspaper photograph showed fans pounding on the windows of the van.

Marbury was quoted Tuesday by the official China Daily as saying he and the fans had been separated by guards. However, he disputed reports he'd hit a fan.

"I didn't do that," Marbury said. "How could I do that over the security guards?"

Marbury scored 25 points in the game that was interrupted for 10 minutes as Shanxi fans threw water bottles onto the court to protest what they deemed to be a bad call.

Shanxi's win tied the best-of-five series at 2-2, with the final game in Beijing on Wednesday. The winner goes to the CBA finals.

Marbury, a New York City native, was the highest-profile NBA player to join China's professional basketball league and has said he enjoys playing there. He scored 52 and 53 points in Beijing's two wins in the series.

Chinese basketball fans are boisterous and frequently throw things on the court. Play can also be violent. In the summer of 2011, players on the visiting Georgetown University team were attacked by players from the professional Beijing Bayi team during an exhibition game. Fans threw water bottles at the Hoyas as they left the court.

Marbury played 13 seasons in the NBA with Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix, New York and Boston. He averaged 19.3 points in his career.

"We know that for us to win it all we must trust one another because we are at war now," Marbury wrote in a column carried in the China Daily.

Read more »

Randy Moss signs deal with 49ers; Good move?

CBS/AP) Randy Moss is ready to show the world he can still be that dynamic deep threat who once dominated NFL defensive backs.

Even after a year away. Even at age 35. Even with a reputation he says isn't all it's made out to be.

Moss is getting a another chance in the NFL, signing a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday only hours after he worked out for the team and with former NFL quarterback and current coach Jim Harbaugh.
"I'm not a free agent. I'm a guy straight off the couch, straight off the street," Moss said. "One thing I want the sports world to understand is the love and passion I have for football."

Moss will fill a big void for the reigning NFC West champions in Harbaugh's version of the West Coast offense.

While he didn't go as far as to promise not to pout when times are tough, he did say all the right things, and that he plans to be a positive presence in a locker room known for its blue-collar, unselfish approach. Moss has no interest in reflecting on his past, either.

This is a fresh start.

"The thing about me being here is they've done their research on me. When it comes to the worldwide sports media, I've gotten a bad rap," Moss said. "They've done their homework on me or they wouldn't have brought me in here. ... (The questions were) more of me not being a team player and things like that. I don't want to get into that."

Moss comes to the Bay Area with a reputation for quitting. In fact, just last month after Moss announced his plans to return to the NFL, former Vikings teammate publicly called out Moss on ESPN Radio.

"The one thing you have to address with Randy Moss is not a conditioning thing," Carter said. "It's not an age thing. It needs to be addressed. I believe it's the elephant in the room. It's that thing called quit... And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players. So I need to address that. That's what [New England Patriots coach Bill] Belichick did when he brought him over from Oakland. He told him he wasn't going to have it."

Randy Moss rips ex-teammate after "quit" comment

The signing drew mixed reaction from NFL writers.

CBSSports.com's Josh Katzowitz says the move makes sense because the 49ers receiving corps is a weakness.

"After Michael Crabtree as the No. 1 target, you had Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr. And that was pretty much it," Katzowitz notes.

However, CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman says signing the volatile wide receiver is a bad move for the team.

"The 49ers just signed a timebomb," Freeman writes. "Now the clock is ticking on when that bomb goes off."

Moss got a good vibe about the organization from the moment he was picked up at the airport Sunday night, calling it a "no-brainer" to sign. He said the organization quickly decided to "pull the trigger" — and it's a low-risk, high-reward move for San Francisco.

"Harbaugh is a young, enthusiastic coach. I love enthusiasm," Moss said. "A lot of things stood out to me."

It seems Harbaugh's throws were on target, too.

"Jim Harbaugh makes 49ers veteran emergency board: Best coach's workout in NFL history (especially while wearing khakis & a sweatshirt)," Niners CEO Jed York tweeted.

Moss, who worked out last Tuesday with the New Orleans Saints, spent a year out of football and last played for New England, Minnesota and Tennessee during a rocky 2010 season.

He said he enjoyed playing catch with Harbaugh, a 15-year NFL pro in his day.

"Yes, he can still bring it at his old age. I don't know, he's probably sitting there with an ice pack or something on his shoulder right now," Moss said. "He can still wing it."

The 49ers can sure use him. San Francisco's receivers managed just one catch for 3 yards in a 20-17 loss in the NFC championship game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants at Candlestick Park on Jan. 22.

York told reporters earlier Monday at team headquarters his team needed "someone to stretch the field." The athletic, 6-foot-4 Moss fits the bill.

Moss said he initially retired for "personal reasons outside of football" and considered making a comeback late in the 2011 season before ultimately deciding to give his body more time to train. He suffered a shoulder injury during 2010 with New England.

Moss always believed he could still perform.

"It was a decision to get back in the game because I still love the game and think I can play at a high level," he said. "It was obvious they liked what they saw. I don't want to let them down."

The 49ers also are working to re-sign quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005, and have reportedly made him a three-year offer. Smith's representatives haven't returned multiple messages seeking an update on the status of negotiations.

"Alex is trying to figure out what he wants to do," York said. "There have been good conversations back and forth."

If Moss proves himself during workouts this spring and training camp, he could be a viable deep threat that San Francisco hoped it had in Braylon Edwards last season.

The 49ers cut ties with Edwards in December. Joshua Morgan broke a bone in his lower leg Oct. 9 against Tampa Bay and later had surgery to have screws inserted and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Morgan is expected to generate his share of interest in free agency, and receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr. might not return.

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco's 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft, had 72 receptions for 874 yards and four touchdowns in 2011. San Francisco went 13-3 and ended an eight-year drought without a playoff berth or winning record.

Moss' best season came for the Patriots in 2007, when he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and a single-season record 23 touchdowns in helping New England to a 16-0 regular-season record. He has 954 catches for 14,858 yards and 153 TDs in his 13-year career, which included a stint in the Bay Area with the Oakland Raiders in 2005 and `06 where he produced little on the field.

Running back Anthony Dixon watched Moss' workout Monday, and came away giddy.

"Randy Moss done linked up with us. Oh it's about to get scary like the end of October!" Dixon tweeted.

Moss has had more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season 10 times, second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who accomplished the feat 14 times.

Moss hasn't lost his swagger.

"I accept the challenge and I'm ready to bring the fans out of their seats," he said, noting he considers this a chance to give back to the game. "I like what I can do for the NFL. I don't like what the NFL can do for me."

ESPN first reported the move a day before the start of the free agency period.

Read more »

Watson drives out to three-shot lead

Bubba Watson hit one shot over the green and off the tower. Another shot hit a fan in the gallery. As wild as it looked at times, he never lost control of his game and he never lost the lead Saturday in the Cadillac Championship at Doral, Fla.

Watson raced off to an eagle-birdie start, then survived a few errant shots coming home on the Blue Monster for a 5-under-par 67, giving him a three-shot lead and putting him on the verge of his first World Golf Championship title.

“All in all, it was a great day,’’ he said.

His optimism was tempered not by the few guys chasing him as much as a course that for Watson remains an acquired taste.

“The challenge is the Blue Monster,’’ said Watson, who is at 17-under 199.

Watson hit a man with his tee shot on the 12th, but wound up making a 15-foot birdie to regain the lead, and he stretched it from there. His one nervous moment came on the 16th, when he caught too much ball out of the sand and it flew well over the green, heading for a pond Watson didn’t even know was there. The ball hit a tower, and he escaped with bogey.

He will play in the final group Sunday with PGA champion Keegan Bradley, who had a bogey-free 66 and was at 14-under 202. Justin Rose was tied for the lead through 11 holes until Watson found his groove and Rose made too many mistakes. Rose three-putted from long range on the 18th for a 69, leaving him tied with Bradley but no longer in the final group.

“Three back, it’s a lot to Bubba on this golf course,’’ Rose said. “But at least there’s not a lot of guys ahead of you.’’

Indeed, only one other player was within five shots of the lead. Peter Hanson nearly holed a bunker shot on 18 and shot 69, leaving him at 12-under 204.

Matt Kuchar (66) and Zach Johnson (67) were another shot behind. Adam Scott looked as though he might give Watson a run until the Australian started missing short putts, then pulled his tee shot into the water on the 18th and made double bogey.

Rory McIlroy played the last six holes in 2 over and still shot 65, while Tiger Woods failed to do much after his birdie-birdie-birdie start. He twice made bogey on the par 5s and shot 68. They were eight shots behind.

McIlroy hit two fluffy wedges at the start of his round, but he atoned for the second one by chipping in for birdie, and away he went. McIlroy shot 30 on the front nine without making birdie on the two par 5s, then made up for that with a fairway metal into about 18 feet for an eagle on No. 10. That put him 10 under for the tournament, only two off the lead.

He hit a good chip from short of the par-5 12th, with his right foot deep in the sand and his left foot on the hill, and converted that into a birdie that put him into contention. He was 9 under for the day through 12 holes, and he couldn’t help but think of a 59.

“You’re thinking four [birdies] of the last six and here we go,’’ McIlroy said. “But obviously, it didn’t happen like that.’’

Woods, meanwhile, made a bad bogey on the par-5 eighth when he pulled a 2-iron over the green, dumped his third shot in the bunker, and couldn’t get up-and-down. He also took a penalty shot on the par-5 12 and made bogey, and his momentum was gone.

PGA - George McNeill shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Henrik Stenson (65) and Kevin Stadler (66) into the final round of the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande.

McNeill, at 13-under 203, is trying to win for the first time since 2007 when he was a Tour rookie. He eagled the par-5 fifth, dropped strokes with three-putt bogeys on No. 7 and 8, then birdied five of the last 10 holes.

Read more »

NFL Network pulls re-air of Vikings-Saints NFC title game

If you were looking forward to analyzing and scrutinizing the 2009 NFC Championship Game between the Vikings and Saints -- perhaps henceforth known as the Bounty Bowl in light of recent revelations about the New Orleans defense -- well, so were we.

The game had been scheduled to air on NFL Network at 3 p.m. ET Monday, though it had been slotted to run before the news about former Saints DC Gregg Williams and his pay-for-play scheme broke last Friday. But the re-air was pulled yesterday from the league-owned network in favor of the 1992 NFC Championship Game between the Cowboys and 49ers.

Coincidence?

We asked and received the following response from an NFL Network spokesman regarding the programming change:

"Since last Friday, NFL Network has extensively aired video clips of plays related to the Saints bounty investigation on NFL Total Access and during other news reports that are available on NFL.com. At this time, we decided not to air the complete three-hour game and will reschedule the program for a future date."

Hopefully that's soon, with all the game's warts included.

Read more »

Champions League exit will not be financial disaster - but Arsenal must finish in top four to avoid one

Their European dreams will probably be over when Arsenal embark on their own version of Mission Impossible when AC Milan visit the Emirates in a seemingly unassailable position following a 4-0 win in Italy.

There is plenty of pride at stake for the hosts but Arsene Wenger’s players should be forgiven if they do not play as if their lives depend on a place in the quarter-finals because far more significant tests are looming.

Big games have been coming thick and fast for Arsenal of late but next Monday’s visit of Newcastle to the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League is already looking more important that this evening’s prestigious Champions League fixture.

They may have lost pride with their mauling by AC Milan at San Siro and there seems little chance of recovery barring a miracle but from a financial perspective Arsenal are well equipped to overcome the loss of revenue.

Manchester United earned £46 million on their way to the final that they lost to Barcelona last season at Wembley and, according to Uefa statistics, Arsenal will have already netted £22.5m for making it into the group phase.

Their place in the last 16 earned Arsenal £2.8m while quarter-finalists earn a further £2.8m and semi-finalists £3.6m. The Champions League victors receive £7.7m and runners-up £4.8m.

On top of that, each club receives a share of television money – Chelsea earned £23m last season - and as well as the profits from match-day operations there are long-term benefits that come with the global high-profile status of the Champions League, such as selling shirts in Asia.

However, according to football finance experts, it is regular participation in the Champions League that really counts, which is why Arsenal cannot afford to miss out on a top-four place in the Premier League when their turbulent campaign ends in May.

“It is definitely not the end of the world for Arsenal if they do end up getting knocked out by AC Milan,” Tom Cannon, professor of strategic development at the University of Liverpool’s Management School, told Goal.com.

“The big thing for Arsenal will be to try to overhaul Tottenham and get into third place because that guarantees a place in next season’s Champions League while whoever finishes fourth still has to negotiate a qualifying round.

“I would be very surprised if they had budgeted for going any further because you basically budget for what is realistic.

“Getting to the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final is a tougher ask than getting out of the group phase and Arsenal will have taken that into consideration.”

There may be doom and gloom around the Emirates if Milan ensure that club football's top prizes continue to elude their club unless Arsenal can stage the greatest comeback in Champions League history but only a season-ending injury to talismanic skipper Robin van Persie would create a truly catastrophic scenario.

They may have been out of their depth against the Serie A giants but they have now clocked up four wins on the spin in the Premier League and a victory over Newcastle will not only consolidate their grip on fourth spot but also intensify the pressure on third-placed Tottenham.

With the quest for silverware effectively over for another season, finishing in the top four will become the be-all and end-all for Arsenal and if they can ruin the aspirations of arch-rivals Spurs they will have extra cause for celebration.

Arsenal are already rolling in money having last month reported a huge rise in profits to £49.5m, following the sale of key players such as Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas.

Their tight fiscal policy means they have been struggling to hold on to their best players but failure to make it into the Champions League next season will mean that they will struggle to attract new talent as well.

Arsenal have successfully qualified for the Champions League for the last 15 seasons and a campaign without is unthinkable. That is why defeating Newcastle would prove to be far more important than beating AC Milan.

Read more »

Chargers will let Jackson test market, release Castillo

It appears the Chargers and WR Vincent Jackson are finally headed for a divorce.

The team announced Monday that VJ would not get the franchise tag, which would have paid him $13.7 million in 2012. Since Jackson had been tagged in 2011, he was due a 20% raise if given the one-year handcuff again.

"We did not like the franchise number, never did," GM A.J. Smith said in a statement.

"Vincent will enter the market, and we will see what happens. We would like to have him continue on with us, but other teams now will enter the picture."

It's still possible to re-sign players before the market officially opens March 13. However in Jackson's case that seems unlikely given this marks the third consecutive offseason that Smith has opted not to give him a long-term contract. Jackson sat out the first 10 games of the 2010 season amid a contentious holdout.

He was limited to 14 catches and 248 yards in 2010, sitting out the first 10 games amid a contentious holdout with Smith.

Jackson has been the deep threat in San Diego's vertical passing offense. The 6-5, 230-pounder has averaged 17.5 yards per catch in his seven-year career and exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in three of the past four seasons.

The team also released seven-year DE Luis Castillo, who missed most of 2011 with a broken leg, Monday. Smith said the team would be open to re-signing Castillo, a starter since being taken 28th overall in the 2005 draft.

Read more »

NFL: Saints violated 'Bounty Rule'

NEW YORK—Encouraging defensive players to be aggressive, hit hard and not back down is standard procedure in pro football. Paying them to injure the opposition is not.
New Orleans Saints players and at least one assistant coach, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the last three seasons, the NFL said Friday. Payoffs came for inflicting game-ending injuries.
Among the targets were Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, with "knockouts" worth $1,500 and "cart-offs" $1,000. Payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs, and, according to an investigation by NFL security, pool amounts reached their height in 2009—the year the Saints won the Super Bowl.
"It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it," Williams said after the league said between 22 and 27 defensive players were involved in the program he administered, with the knowledge of coach Sean Payton.
"Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role," added Williams, now the defensive coordinator in St. Louis. "I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again."
Williams, the Saints organization and the players involved face hefty fines and possible suspensions. The team could lose draft picks when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hands out punishment.
"It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated," Goodell said. "We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it."
The NFL said its findings were corroborated by multiple, independent sources. Asked about potential criminal charges, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said:
"We believe that any violation of league rules should and will be handled by the commissioner."
All payouts for specific performances in a game, including interceptions or causing fumbles, are against NFL rules. The NFL also warns teams against such practices before each season.
Saints players contributed cash to the pool, at times large amounts, and in some cases the money pledged was directed against a specific person, the NFL said.
"The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for 'performance,' but also for injuring opposing players," Goodell said in a statement. "The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity."
"Cart-offs" are defined by the NFL as a player being carried off the field; "knockouts" as when a player cannot return to the game.
The league absolved Saints owner Tom Benson of any blame, but said the investigation showed Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis knew about the "pay for performance" program.
"Although head coach Sean Payton was not a direct participant in the funding or administration of the program, he was aware of the allegations, did not make any detailed inquiry or otherwise seek to learn the facts, and failed to stop the bounty program. He never instructed his assistant coaches or players that a bounty program was improper and could not continue," the NFL said.
When informed about it earlier this year, the NFL said Benson directed Loomis to "ensure that any bounty program be discontinued immediately." However, the NFL's report said evidence showed Loomis didn't carry out Benson's directions and that in 2010 Loomis denied any knowledge of a bounty program.
"There is no evidence that Mr. Loomis took any effective action to stop these practices," the NFL said.
The NFL found no evidence of similar bounty programs within the league, but several Redskins told The Washington Post that Williams had a similar system as defensive coordinator for the team.
Former defensive end Philip Daniels, now Washington's director of player development, said he believed Williams paid off big hits with fines collected from players for being late to meetings or practices.
"Rather than pocket that money or whatever, he would redistribute it to players who had good games or good practices," said Daniels, who added the most he received was $1,500 for a four-sack game against Dallas in 2005.
"I think it is wrong the way they're trying to paint (Williams)," Daniels told the Post. "He never told us to go out there and break a guy's neck or break a guy's leg. It was all in the context of good, hard football."
Benson responded to the NFL's report saying: "I have been made aware of the NFL's findings relative to the 'Bounty Rule' and how it relates to our club. I have offered, and the NFL has received, our full cooperation in their investigation. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans."
The NFL's most infamous bounty case occurred in 1989 when Eagles coach Buddy Ryan was accused of putting a bounty on Cowboys players.
On Thanksgiving Day, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Ryan of putting a bounty on Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman and placekicker Luis Zendejas before a 27-0 Philadelphia victory. Ryan and his players denied the charges and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The NFL began its Saints investigation in early 2010 after allegations surfaced that quarterbacks Warner of Arizona and Favre of Minnesota had been targeted. After interviewing several Saints who denied the bounty program existed and after the player who originally made the allegations recanted, the league couldn't prove anything.
However, Goodell said the NFL "recently received significant and credible new information and the investigation was re-opened during the latter part of the 2011 season."
Warner, who retired after the 2009 season, responded to a fan's comment on Twitter that even if the Saints had a bounty program a playoff hit on Warner was clean. Warner tweeted, "I would have to agree with you!!!"
"I don't want to say that there was an attempt to injure, but I definitely think there were games where I could tell you that it seemed that they went beyond what was normal in regard to when they were going to hit me or how they were going to hit me," Warner said on the NFL Network. "Again, not with the intention necessarily of hurting me, but knocking me out of my game to get me to think about things differently. If by chance they hit me and knocked me out of the game, maybe that's a benefit for them."
Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said he was unaware of the investigation until Friday. He said the Saints should have been penalized for several hard, late hits during the 2009 NFC championship game and that he believed the contact was not coincidental.
"It was pretty obvious that the intent was to take Brett out of the game, and it happened the week before with Kurt Warner, too," Cook said. "I don't know anything about whether it was by design or whatever, but I think a lot of people shared that same viewpoint that there were some hits that didn't get called."
Cook, however, said Favre never suggested to him he was maliciously targeted.
"That's part of football, getting hit," Cook said. "Brett never complained to me one way or another."
After the news broke Friday, tackle Joe Staley of the San Francisco 49er tweeted: "Just seeing all the reports about the Saints D. I knew there was something fishy about getting punched in the face during our playoff game"
The 49ers beat the Saints 36-32 in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Read more »

Login with Facebook to see what your friends are reading Enable Social Reading i UConn Stuns Villanova 73-70: Shabazz Napier Hits Game-Winner In Overtime (VIDEO)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shabazz Napier swished a 29-footer with 0.6 seconds left in overtime, and Jeremy Lamb scored a career-high 32 points to help Connecticut stun Villanova 73-70 Monday night.

Ty Johnson appeared to send the game to double OT on his tying layup for Villanova off a missed UConn free throw. But Napier, who questioned the heart of his teammates after a loss Saturday at Marquette, hit the pull-up 3 and got all net in the final ticks to keep the defending champion Huskies' NCAA tournament hopes alive.

The Huskies (17-10, 7-8 Big East) rallied from an 18-point deficit to win without coach Jim Calhoun on the bench. UConn remained hopeful he can return from a back injury and be on the sidelines for Saturday's game against No. 2 Syracuse. UConn says Calhoun's status will be re-evaluated this week.

Lamb was 11 of 21 from the floor to rally UConn against the Wildcats (11-16, 4-11), who were led by Dominic Cheek with 23 points.

Andre Drummond had 11 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Huskies. UConn overcame a dreadful start from the floor and a brutal 10 of 21 effort from the free-throw line.

Johnson added 14 points for Villanova, and JayVaughn Pinkston had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Leading scorer Maalik Wayns sat out for Villanova with a sprained MCL in his left knee, and guard James Bell was out with a sprained left ankle.

Each team made clutch plays in the final 2 minutes of regulation only to throw in a few silly ones, as well. Mouphtaou Yarou put Villanova ahead 60-58 with 2:18 left with two free throws. Ryan Boatwright, a 73 percent free-throw shooter for UConn, missed both of his attempts from the line with 1:05 remaining.

The Wildcats might have been able to hang on after their next possession, but Cheek's inbound pass was picked off by Roscoe Smith and Alex Oriakhi converted the tying layup. That made it 60-all with 23 seconds left.

Pinkston airballed the potential winner and Villanova headed to overtime for the second straight game.

Lamb snapped a tie game in OT with a 3-pointer and the Huskies kept the lead until Johnson's layup gave the Wildcats the clutch bucket they needed to tie the game in the final seconds.

It just wasn't enough.

Calhoun missed his ninth game this season, three because of an NCAA suspension for recruiting violations and the last six after taking an indefinite medical leave with spinal stenosis. The school has said Monday would be the last game he would miss. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine, normally associated with aging and sometimes with arthritis.

He surely loved this comeback.

The Wildcats squandered an 18-point lead in a loss to Marquette last month and wasted a 20-point edge in an overtime loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.

Villanova didn't wait until the second half to let the collapse start against UConn.

Behind a pair of early 3s from Cheek, the Wildcats stormed to a 26-8 lead, giving them a chance to either crush the opposition for once or blow the lead again.

The Wildcats blew it.

UConn closed the half on a 22-4 spurt, tying the score at 30-all on Drummond's tip-in right before the half ended. The Huskies missed 10 straight shots — and 15 of their first 20 overall — before closing on an 8-for-15 run. They missed their first seven 3-point attempts, but Boatwright and Napier each hit one during the game-changing run to close the deficit.

The winning buzzer-beater came in front of a lethargic crowd of 13,832 fans.

Six years ago, they played the most memorable game in their rivalry.

The Wildcats were No. 4 in the poll when they beat top-ranked UConn 69-64 on Feb. 13, 2006 in front of 20,859 at the Wells Fargo Center, the largest crowd to watch a college basketball game in Pennsylvania history. Villanova fans stormed the court to celebrate the Wildcats' first win over a No. 1 team since Feb. 18, 1995, when they beat Connecticut.

Times have changed in a game between the defending national champs and Villanova, a program that reached the Final Four in 2009. The Wildcats lost their third straight game and for the sixth time in seven games.

Read more »

Jeremy Lin, Knicks Win Fifth Straight; Linsanity Continues

MINNEAPOLIS — Jeremy Lin did it again.

Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

Steve Novak scored 15 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 36 seconds to play and Lin used his quickness to draw a foul and get to the line in the closing seconds. He finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Lin had just five points on 1-for-13 shooting and four turnovers in the second half.

Kevin Love had 32 points and 21 rebounds for the Wolves, who missed two chances to win the game in the final five seconds.

The Knicks trailed by seven with 6:41 to play and it looked as if a week of Tebow-like hype was finally catching up to Lin. But the Wolves only scored one field goal the rest of the way, and the Knicks hung in there.

Playing yet again without the injured Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, who was mourning the death of his brother, Landry Fields scored 19 on 8-for-10 shooting and Iman Shumpert added 20 points.

Fields hit a short jumper to make the score 94-93 with 2:10 to go and Shumpert added another for a 95-94 lead with 1:22 to go to give them their first lead since early in the second quarter.

But Love, who had 31 points and 31 rebounds in win over the Knicks last year, hit two free throws and Rubio drove to the rim for a left-handed layup for a three-point lead with 39 seconds to play.

Novak's 3-pointer tied it at 98 on the next possession and Lin and Bill Walker each hit free throws to seal it for the Knicks, who scored 29 points on 23 Minnesota turnovers.

The matchup of two of the most dynamic young point guards in the league made this an extremely hot ticket. The Timberwolves had to sell standing-room only tickets to pack in an announced crowd of 20,232, the largest crowd here since 2004.

Lin and Rubio have each energized dormant franchises in their own way.

Rubio is the Spanish spitfire who has passed his way into the hearts of fans and teammates, one no-look assist at a time.

With him on the trigger, the Wolves are talking about the playoffs for the first time since Kevin Garnett led them to the Western Conference finals in 2004.

His unselfish play and flair for the dramatic have made the Wolves cool again, as evidenced by the fifth sellout this season.

His European roots have made the Timberwolves a global commodity, but that's nothing compared to what Lin has done in New York.

The Knicks were lost at 8-15, with rumors of Mike D'Antoni's job security swirling before the coach moved to Lin out of desperation.

All he's done since is re-ignite a basketball-loving city's enthusiasm for the game, help fill the league's void in Asia after Yao Ming's retirement and save the Knicks' season.

He scored 89 points in his first three starts, including an incredible 38 to beat the Lakers in the Garden on Friday night.

In his fourth start, Lin is already drawing the casual fan even in road games. He was cheered heartily in pregame introductions and gave the curious crowd exactly what it was looking for. His quickness gave Rubio fits on defense and he scored in every manner imaginable.

There was the crossover of Luke Ridnour and step-back jumper, a tear-drop drive into the lane and stutter-step blow-by for two, and that was just in a three-minute stretch of the first quarter.

NOTES: The Timberwolves wore Minnesota Muskies uniforms in tribute to the ABA team that spent one season here in 1967. "I'm still trying to figure out what a Muskie is," F Anthony Tolliver said. ... The Wolves in-house DJ played Whitney Houston songs during halftime after news of the singer's death at 48.

Read more »