Sahara Withdrawal Leaves BCCI Red-Faced
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The BCCI will have some thinking on their minds as they look to overcome the mess created by the walking out of Sahara India as their official sponsors. Not only that, Sahara has also decided to give up on the Pune Warriors IPL team, which they had bought at the auction for a sum of $375 million.
Things came to head on the day of the auction on Saturday, February 4, when Sahara made a sudden announcement regarding their withdrawal. This was done only a couple of hours before the teams were getting ready with the player auction.
Sahara chief Subrata Roy explained that the issue stemmed from the fact that the team was neither allowed a replacement for Yuvraj Singh, nor allowed to increase their purse from $2 million in order to purchase a replacement for him at the auction.
Yuvraj Singh, who was the captain of the Pune Warriors side in the previous edition of the IPL, was ruled out of the tournament after being diagnosed of cancer. The IPL franchises could buy players within the purse of $2 million.
Roy also said that there were multiple issues around the decision to give up on both, the franchise and the team sponsorship given BCCI’s arrogant attitude towards them. He went back as far as the 2003 World Cup when Sahara wasn’t allowed to sport a logo despite being a sponsor because it clashed with the tournament’s sponsor.
He also added, “There were so many of these small things. In 2008, when the tenders were open to bids for [IPL] teams we had to submit the paperwork 48 hours before the bid document would be opened. Due to some confusion we got the papers 24 hours before the deadline and our bid was rejected.
Roy said, "We said at least give us our due, return our money," given that Sahara had bid in the team auction for a total of 94 games and the IPL has only 74 matches played in the tournament.
The BCCI has said that they will reach out to Sahara India to understand their point of view.
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UMass Students 'Riot' Following Patriots Super Bowl Loss
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I hesitate to call this a riot, considering some of the violence we've seen after big sporting events in the past. Nevertheless, UMass-Amherst students gathered in the streets following the New England Patriots' loss in Super Bowl XLVI, resulting in a brief altercation with police. And it was, by all accounts, fairly brief.
Police quickly swooped in following the game, issued an order to disperse, and fired tear gas into the crowd a short time later, according to a MassLive report.
Riot squads on hand well before the end of the game, issued a dispersal order at approximately 10 p.m. and used flashbang and smoke grenades to disperse the crowd approximately 10 minutes later. Riot squads and horseback officers marched through the crowd minutes after that.
By the time riot squads intervened firecrackers had been set off, glass bottles smashed, one building scaled by one student, and at least one fight had broken out in the middle of a large mass of rowdy rioters. At least one student was restrained by a group of three officers in riot gear.
Here's video that was supposedly shot at the scene, as well.
Hopefully that's the extent of the riots on Sunday night. Elsewhere, all seems to be quiet, with no significant reports of crowd gatherings or violence.
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Giants Parade: Canyon Of Heroes Route Set For Tuesday Feb. 7
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As has become customary, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that the parade celebrating the New York Giants 21-17 Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots would be held along the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan:
NYC Mayor Bloomberg: Giants victory parade to be held Tuesday at 11am up Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan - via @CharlieKayeCBS
— Matthew K (@ProducerMatthew) February 6, 2012
The section of lower Broadway located in the Financial District, the Canyon of Heroes got its name because it's become the customary location for the city to throw ticker-tape parades honoring everything from the end of World War II to the New York Yankee's latest World Series celebration in 2009.
There are more than 200 granite black strips embedded in the street's sidewalks, one for each of the celebrations that have occurred there.
And with Giants fans undoubtedly celebrating until late Sunday night throughout Manhattan, a Tuesday morning parade date sets up a four-day weekend many will never forget, as long as they can still remember it Wednesday morning.
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Super Bowl Rings: The 'Three D's' That Put Them On The Market
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For every player that put on a New York Giants jersey this season, the Super Bowl ring they just won is the culmination of a life-long dream.
But all dreams come to an end, and if past experience is any guide, a fair number of them will one day be hawking those rings on the open market:
Tim Robins runs championship-rings.net, a California-based website that sells college and pro sports rings. He’s seen business explode in the past decade. Last year alone, he received nearly 1,900 championship rings, 350 of them from the Super Bowl.
According to most re-sellers, the reasoning behind selling a Super Bowl ring comes down to the "Three D's" -- death, divorce and drugs.
And while the idea of a player selling a championship ring usually conjures up the image of a down-on-his-luck addict pawning his most treasured accomplishment for one more hit, the reality is usually far more banal.
NFL players spend the first part of their lives preparing for a career that, on average, lasts 3.5 years. According to an extensive report from Sports Illustrated, 78% of former NFL players are either bankrupt or under severe financial distress two years after they leave the league.
The biggest contributing factor is the eye-popping divorce rate of marriages involving professional athletes, commonly estimated to be somewhere between 60-80%.
It seems that if Giants players lose their wedding rings, their Super Bowl ring might soon follow.
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Brandon Jacobs' Metaphor For Giants' Dominance Of Patriots Is Medieval
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Brandon Jacobs, your thoughts on the Giants beating the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl?
"We decapitated them. They can't wear that crown no more. Can't wear that crown no more, baby."
Kudos to ESPN's Rachel Nichols for getting the regicide-friendly quote in an on-field interview after Super Bowl XLVI.
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Waste Management Phoenix Open 2012 Results: Kyle Stanley Earns Sweet Redemption
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The roles were reversed for Kyle Stanley this week and that was probably for the best. Just one week ago, Stanley blew a three-shot lead on the 72nd hole, carding an eight to drop into a tie for first. He entered into a playoff with Brandt Snedeker, then proceeded to lose a tournament he held a firm grasp on all week.
This time around, it was Stanley reeling in the man in first after three rounds. Heading into the final 18 holes, Spencer Levin held a six-shot lead over the field at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but suffered a fate somewhat similar to Stanley.
As Stanley motored along, finishing at 6-under for the day, Levin faded fast, limping to the finish line at 4-over for the day. Stanley's final round was good for a one-shot win -- a bit of sweet, almost immediate redemption -- while Levin had to settle for a third-place finish. In between the two was Ben Crane, who carded a 5-under 66 in the final round to finish at 14-under for the tournament, one shot off the pace.
The reversal of fortune for Stanley was striking. A week after a back-nine collapse and 18th hole 8, Stanley did not card a bogey in the final round, finishing with six birdies and a clean card. It's always more fun when the guy who falls apart one week bounces right back and engineers a big comeback the next to win.
For complete coverage of the Waste Management Phoenix Open 2012, keep checking this StoryStream. For more golf news, check out Waggle Room.
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Yuvraj Singh Diagnosed With Cancer
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Indian middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh is undergoing treatment for cancer in the USA. He has been admitted to the Cancer Research Institute in Boston.
Yuvraj was earlier diagnosed with a non-malignant form of a tumour in his lung and was ruled out of most of the international cricket since the World Cup. He played in the IPL last year but wasn’t too successful with either the bat or as the captain of his team, the Pune Warriors.
According to Yuvraj’s physiotherapist, Jatin Chaudhary, “He is suffering from cancer and this is the first stage. It's curable and he will be fit to play in May. He will be back on the field very soon.”
There are conflicting reports on when Yuvraj will finish the treatment for his chemotherapy, with the Indian cricket board saying that the absence could last more than predicted. Yuvraj, who left for the USA on January 26, has been undergoing chemotherapy, which will continue for nine weeks.
Chaudhary also said that the treatment was hindered by the wrong diagnosis of the cancer by a hospital. Then, a Russian doctor discovered the cancer and the cricketer left for USA for its treatment.
Yuvraj Singh was the man of the tournament in the World Cup 2011, guiding India to a win with his all-round performance. He is also only one of two cricketers to have hit six sixes in an over of an international match.
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Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Will Ferrell Made An Old Milwaukee Ad
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Will Ferrell apparently made a Super Bowl commercial that most of the United States didn't see. The commercial in question appears to have only aired in Nebraska, which I guess would make some kind or sense ... or not. And it's just about the most Will Ferrell thing imaginable.
The commercial consists of Ferrell walking slowly through a wheat field with a dramatic instrumental playing. He's walking triumphantly, perhaps leading one to believe something big is about to happen. But nope, just more slow motion walking.
As he finally gets up to the camera, Ferrell cracks an Old Milwaukee beer with authority. The Old Milwaukee logo flashes on the screen and Ferell says something that appears to be bleeped. It's almost like an outtake from Talladega Nights.
Sorry about the quality but, you know, Nebraska and all. I'm not sure about you, but I have the sudden urge to meander through the nearest wheat field while sipping on a cool Old Milwaukee. It worked!
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