The Celebrity UFC Fighter: Randy Couture

Every fighter in sports and all gamer of online casino come out from a dream to be on what they want to become, they start for being a nobody till they became somebody. Like in a sports, one most take their full effort when pursuing a career but every career requires time to be professional in the field of sports. A normal sports made us fit and much able and stronger also give you confident in many things, such us facing difficulties, work and relationship this has a character which teach a man to be patient and be more perseverance to what their doing and when you master you surely building a wiser and nicer you.

In a sports like UFC, fighter on this game took many years to establish themselves before entering into the world of entertainment. Dedicated man like Randy Couture did a lot of strategical effort. He is an American mixed martial artist, and part of a team Xtreme Couture and actively been on the sport since 1997 and continuously growing and being known till present. Couture has competed in a record 15 title fights. At 23 couture already known to be called as one of the first members of the UFC Hall of Fame and many consider him to be the most popular fighter in MMA history.

Randy Couture known in using the style of Greco-Roman Wrestling, Boxing, Catch Wrestling. Couture put on a display that began to earn him the reputation of a master strategist in the sport. Couture appear in UFC after retiring from the professional fighting circuit. Couture has the ambiance of good vibes and as a relaxed as can be and smiling in the cage as he enter. Now that he reach his fame and become a celebrity through hardship and proper training see he made it to the top.

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Tim Clark: First PGA Tour Victory

Are you a golf game fans?, or you just like golfing and belong to the those wealthy people who can afford the sports. Well to tell you the truth golfing gives ease from stress, this even let you play with strategy and move you through a definite and limited movement that runs your plan. As many said this kind of game requires a lot of patient and focus. People that dwell or have this kind of lifestyle are been said that they were the people who has the ability its been viewed as the level of riches.

If you are a avid fan of golf then you might know Tim Clark he is a South African professional golfer. From his good career of golfing when he is college he continue his agenda on making himself much greater player. Clark turned professional later in 1998, and starting or initially played on the second tier U.S. professional tour, which is also known as the Nike Tour, where in that moment he gain membership to the main PGA Tour for 2001 for the accomplishment of the 2000 two tournaments. From their on he even struggle for such injuries but later on he pursue his ultimate career.

Like in any gaming hobby similar to online casino, this sports or hobby is own way out from heavy stress and greater depression having such time for yourself and focusing to other related things makes your mind and body stay fit and healthy as well. Like to what Clark said there is a chance of winning from any events or tour but what he just experience is that some of his tour doesn't make him winner specially when his competing in his own land rather than elsewhere he wins more than he thought. In this statement it seems that failing or winning it is still about your endurance and patience the real attitude of champion is showing positive though towards your game.

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Tashard Choice

American Football is a game that played on a grass field, this is known and famous in the United States. The objective of the game is to score and it requires protective gears, training and travel. Their strong body and through advancing the ball into the opposing team. Do you know Who's Tashard J. Choice and what is hes contribution on the American Football Team and all hes achievements on the game. Well he is an American football Player from the Dallas Cowboys and he started hes career and building himself in a good community while hes still studying.

Tashard is a former football player in his high school career played for Lovejoy High and he recorded 40 career all for touch-down and continue his college to Georgia Tech where he took up his major course of History, Technology, and Society and gained All-Big 12 Academic Honor Roll in 2004 with his All-ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2005-2006. He performed well in his academic performance and he even played more and enhance his skills for his football career.

He started his professional career as a football player for the Dallas Cowboys and was selected in the fourth round and as a position of running back. Continue his year still in a Dallas Cowboys and at 2009 he had his a 3 weeks injury received in the Carolina Panthers. That year he even give his 18 carries for 82 yards and one touch-down in a Dallas wins. He even has a million contract worth $2.44 million signed July 23, 2008 carried for 4years it also include $439,000 signing bonus and continuing for the coming year. Like in an online casino it has an entertaing value that people really look forward for each and every game. With all his achievements on the game he already reach his choice as good as he is right now playing and performing the best of his game.

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Rafael Nadal

If you are an avid tennis sports fanatic then you surely knew Rafael “Rafa” Nadal from Manacor, Mallarca, Spain, he's now at the age of 23, having a handsome look, with a good body structure, build through his tennis sports. Through discipline and hard work he already reach this far of fame, with the help of his good coach Toni Nadal, he became much greater and known in tennis field. Rafa plays in left-handed position, at the year of 2001 and he turned professional, with a total tittles of 47 winning tittles he receiving 6 from Doubles and 41 from single competition. Through the years he received the best titles and currently ranked no 1 in the world.

This year he became more active and advocate in tennis sports. He is even a legendary pride of Spain playing his best game always on his game. People do appreciate his talent and his contribute honor to his countries honor, he already travel from different countries and fight almost to all the best player around the globe, with or without doubt he is really amazingly good in playing tennis. He is not even an ordinary guy but rather his a player who has a deep heart and connection to all this games. Getting hook with gaming or sports is something for a person or people could do help him see discovered his own talent. We are all sure that being famous has a lot of responsibility accompanied to it. A man or a person could practice gaming or sports and be part of himself, and be normally dwell for them.

Knowing that people also gamble for money in terms of betting for their favorite player same with online casino gaming. In as much as we all know tennis is a game that require a lot of stamina and thinking and strategy able to win the game. The game tennis has been around for many years. Tennis is played in some schools, and in order to play this active game, you need to follow the instruction and standard rules of the game. Need to know the basic facts about tennis and its equipment, materials to play the game like knowing the courts width or dimension which is about seventy-eight feet long and is twenty-seven feet wide for single play, or thirty-six feet wide for double play.

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Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie

Ultimate fighting Championship, has a need of greater strength ability and consciousness. It is a fight of now or never, a game of real man, and the discovery of new strategic sport. UFC is a mixed martial arts with now a president name Dana Whites, In here only men allowed to compete. Currently the US based mixed martial arts are the largest of all. Now we commonly called UFC as Ultimate Fighting Champion. Now do you know Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie of UFC if you know them then you are surely inclined and a fun of the sports. Then still would surely take your intense attention to the both player who's been known in this field.

Are you familiar to Matt Hughes vs Royce Gracie? If then so good, because now they were the greatest player of UFC who can give a good sports fight for the game. Well Matt Hughes has been training for about a decade and about a legendary, while Royce Gracie kn-owned for his Gracie Jiu Jitsu, this means for him a style of fighting. This men of the ring has been trained and work hard for their title and for the reputation they've already been giving to the people and to the sports they love. Then it happened that people are all now interested of they gaming life and the controversy of their game. As a young professional or even a legendary, it just depend how you fight for the best,

For you who is your bet though we already know we wins the game. If you were really for Matt or for Royce. Then if so lets look for something common for them I guess its their will, power and endurance that both of them found themselves stronger. Its not really about winnings its also about how they've created a good selves and enhance everything they've know just to reach the spot light they were in. Though new generation now are moving the goal and the oldest getting out of the box. Young and fresh UFC players should always look still to those who has already been pioneered to them, its like looking back for the best. Like in a saying never compare so you wouldn't until they the fight the best for each other. Lastly the fight might now been a talked of the town but moving forward we should accept the fact that sooner another great battle would happen in the UFC field, the game for real men.

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Javier Vazquez Makes Yankees Win Over Orioles

New York Yankee righthander baseball player Javier Vazquez was public enemy Number 1 in his own house. He was treated better while walking the streets of New York than he was at Yankee Stadium. Javier Vazquez said fans told him they supported him and his resume spoke for itself.

On Tuesday night, the embattled veteran was finally shown the love at Yankee Stadium as he had his fastball blazing (he was in the low 90s) and his offspeed pitches dancing in a gem of a performance that sent a sigh of relief throughout the Yankees organization.

In his first start at home since a May 1 implosion against the White Sox, Javier Vazquez (4-5) was brilliant, allowing four hits while striking out a season-high tying seven and walking just one over seven innings in a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He also pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning.

“I don't even remember the last time I started here It feels like a while. Obviously, I want to pitch good here. Everybody knows that. I'm working on that. I think it was important to throw a good game here, I feel better. I feel like my mechanics are there. I'm throwing much better pitches than I was early in the year. I have better command. My location was much better. It doesn't matter how hard I throw it. That (location) is the key for me.'' said Javier Vazquez.

Javier Vazquez rebounded from a shaky start last week in Minnesota by striking out seven, allowing four hits and one run, and pitching out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh. In the bottom half, the Yankees scored two unearned runs to make him the pitcher of record, and Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera ensured his win by pitching two spotless innings.

“Obviously, I want to pitch good here,” Javier Vazquez said. “That’s something that everybody knows. I’m working on that.”

In his last outing, Javier Vazquez took a giant step backwards when he was rocked by the Twins, giving up eight hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He needed a strong outing on Tuesday night to solidify his place in the rotation, and he delivered.

New York Yankees all-star baseball player Javier Vazquez was rolling along until he gave up a a solo homer to Corey Patterson (he struck him out the first two times at bat) in the sixth inning to tie the score, 1-1. Then, he ran into trouble in the seventh. The Orioles loaded the bases with one out on two hits and an intentional walk.

But Javier Vazquez struck out Adam Jones swinging and got Julio Lugo to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Yankees scored two unearned runs on a throwing error by third baseman Miguel Tejada with two outs on a ground ball by Alex Rodriquez to take the lead for good.

“I wanted to stay (in the game) and I'm glad Joe let me finish that inning.'' said Javier Vazquez. “That was huge. ... I think (the strikeout of Jones) was the key pitch there. He's a dangerous hitter and I threw a pretty good pitch (an 87-mph fastball).''

Yankees manager Joe Girardi insists he saw this type of performance coming. After a rough start to the season -- losing four of his first five decisions, Javier Vazquez held the Tigers to two runs over seven innings on May 12, earned a victory against the Red Sox in relief on May 17 and shut out the Mets over six innings on May 21 before his meltdown against the Twins.

“He was great (Tuesday night), Four hits, he attacked the zone all night, I thought he used his fastball very effectively. This is kind of what we thought we were going to get from him. Everybody is going to run into bumps in the road. But we've been really encouraged by the way he has been throwing the baseball. He has strikeout stuff. He has groundball stuff. There's a lot of things that Javier can do. He has three different off-speed pitches, he can sink it. He can four-seam it. I thought he used everything effectively, but he was really good with his fastball.'' said New York Yankee Manager Joe Girardi

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LA Lakers and Boston Celtics: A Victory For TV Ratings?

With 32 of a possible 63 titles between them, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are the most successful franchises in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. They’re also a boon to television ratings. When the Lakers and Celtics meet for another championship in this year’s NBA Finals starting in two days, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC may emerge a winner.

“This is best matchup ABC could have possibly hoped for,” Brad Adgate, research director at Horizon Media, a New York- based advertising company, said in a telephone interview. “It’s a classic rivalry -- cross-country, major markets and two teams loaded with history.”

Jeff Lindsey, a spokesman for ABC, didn’t immediately return an e-mail last night seeking comment.

The Lakers won their 15th NBA championship last season, while the Celtics won their 17th title two years ago.

Boston’s six-game win over the Lakers after the 2007-08 season yielded the highest television ratings for the NBA Finals in the past five years. It was the most recent championship- round meeting in one of sports’ most celebrated rivalries, which featured Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s.

The 1987 championship series, the third showdown in four years between Johnson’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics, was watched in 16.7 percent of U.S. homes, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was the highest-rated NBA finals that didn’t include Michael Jordan since Nielsen began keeping records in 1974.

“These teams have national followings and leaguewide followings,” said Phil de Picciotto, president of Athletes &; Personalities at the Los Angeles-based marketing and representation firm Octagon. “Anybody who’s a basketball fan appreciates what the Lakers and Celtics stand for.”

Made A Living On Lakers And Boston Celtics

Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson, who used to sit alongside Boston President Red Auerbach during the NBA Finals, said his network “made a living” on the Celtics and Lakers. Pilson expects more ratings success this season.

“There’s every indicator from size of markets, to quality of the matchup, to the athletes themselves, to the history and tradition,” said Pilson, president of Pilson Communications, Inc., in Chappaqua, New York. “This definitely is a great matchup for the NBA and the networks.”

The teams met in the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, featuring Hall of Famers such as Bill Russell and Bob Cousy for Boston and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor for Los Angeles. Wilt Chamberlain played for the Lakers in the 1969 Finals.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Series

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader with 38,387 points, helped lead the Lakers to NBA Finals victories against the Celtics in 1985 and 1987. Los Angeles is the second-largest media market in the U.S. behind New York, and Boston is seventh.

The Lakers are led by former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kobe Bryant, who has averaged 29.4 points in 16 games this postseason. The Celtics are paced by a quartet of All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

“Boston and L.A. -- wake up the echoes,” Pilson said in a telephone interview. “This is classic. The only thing that could spoil this matchup right now are blowout games or a four- game sweep. But it seems unlikely.”

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won three of four regular-season basketball matchups against the Celtics. Los Angeles will host Game 1 of the best-of-seven championship series on June 3 at the Staples Center. Game 2 will also be played in Los Angeles, on June 6, before the series shifts to Boston for the next three games.

Phil Jackson Seeking Revenge

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has 10 NBA titles, said the loss to the Celtics two years ago still stings. During the offseason, after Los Angeles beat the Orlando Magic for the NBA title, Phil Jackson said he ran into Pierce at his daughter’s housing complex in Los Angeles and made it known he wanted a championship rematch.

“I said, ‘Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals,’” Phil Jackson said after beating Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. “So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry.”

Since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960, they’ve faced the Celtics 10 times in the NBA Finals. Nine of those championship series were decided in more than five games, with four going to a seventh game.

“You’ve got great star power and great tradition,” said Horizon Media’s Adgate. “The only other thing that ABC could possibly hope for is that the series goes seven games.”

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Eri Yoshida: The Knuckle Princess From Japan

Since landing on American terrain earlier this year, nothing about baseball has fazed 18-year-old Japanese pitching sensation Eri Yoshida much. It's off the field that has been the real challenge. Eri Yoshida has coped with the language barrier, has by all accounts become "one of the guys" in the clubhouse with her Chico Outlaws teammates, and has held her own against some former big-league hitters.

But judging by the awkward gaze she flashed at the gobs of lasagna on her plate in an instructional league clubhouse earlier this year, American eats might just take some getting used to. The moment the lasagna was served was captured on a YouTube video.

"It's cheap, and quantity is much more than we get in Japan," Eri Yoshida said of American food through a translator after making her U.S. debut on Saturday.

But if she has her way, the 5-foot-1, 115-pound Eri Yoshida will be seeing a lot more lasagna. Heralded as the "Knuckle Princess" by the Japanese media, Yoshida became the first female to pitch professionally in two countries when she debuted for the Outlaws in the independent Golden League against the Tijuana Cimmarones. 

Baseball princess Eri Yoshida made her debut for the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden League on Saturday night, the first appearance by a woman in American professional baseball since Ila Borders in 2000.

Eri Yoshida allowed four runs in three innings against Los Cimarrones de Tijuana, and she was hit hard at times; one 70-mile-per-hour fastball was crushed for a two-run homer. But she retired 7 of the first 10 batters she faced before tiring. And in her one plate appearance, she drove in a run by bouncing a bases-loaded single to right field

Eri Yoshida got off to a much better debut than Borders did in her first game in 1997, when she failed to retire any of the three batters she faced for the Saint Paul Saints of the Northern League. Borders pitched four years in independent leagues, ending her career in 2000.

After former San Francisco Giants infielder Ivan Ochoa led off the game for the Tijuana Cimarrones by bunting for a single, drawing jeers from the crowd, Eri Yoshida settled down and kept Tijuana off-balance with a sidearm knuckleball that usually registers in the 50 mph range.

It is a world away — and halfway around the globe — from where Eri Yoshida grew up, in Kawasaki, an urban city on the outskirts of Tokyo. Spurred by the interest in Eri Yoshida, the Outlaws are streaming all of their home games live on the Internet this season. About 25 media outlets were credentialed for the game.

While this might seem like a gimmick, it appeared to work as the Outlaws drew 4,400 fans to the game. Eri Yoshida learned to throw the knuckleball as a young girl by watching Wakefield. She taught herself the pitch and never had any formal coaching for how to throw the knuckler until meeting her idol during spring training in Florida earlier this year.

Mike Marshall said he has no doubt Eri Yoshida has the makeup to handle this historic challenge. He said the biggest factor in determining how far she will be able to take it will be how much stronger she gets in the next few years.

"There's going to be a draft here in a couple weeks and there's probably only a handful of 18-year-old high school kids who are going to get drafted who could come here and play. Men, Look at the rosters. You have Double-A, Triple-A, big-league guys. This isn't affiliated rookie ball; this isn't affiliated A-ball. This is way up there. These are 25- to 35-year-old men she's playing against." Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall said.

Despite the disparity in age, experience, gender and cultural upbringing, Eri Yoshida is fitting in well with her new team. Manager Garry Templeton, an admitted skeptic when he first saw her pitch this winter, said the players missed her when she didn't make a season-opening road trip to Mexico.

He said Eri Yoshida has been taken to kangaroo court, where she was fined a dollar, like all newcomers to the court. The only special treatment she gets is separate locker room facilities to change in and her own hotel room on the road.

"They're protective of her," Garry Templeton said. "She blends in well. She's just a ballplayer. They see her as a ballplayer, not as a girl."

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Lakers Wins The Game – Thanks To Ron Artest

Basketball fans catch up their breath when the Lakers' small but terrible forward Ron Artest made only one of his eight shots in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, misfiring on a late three-point attempt that drew the ire of Coach Phil Jackson.

But Jackson had a funny feeling Ron Artest was capable of something special in the final minutes of a tight game against the Phoenix Suns, so he sent the struggling player back into the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Good thing for Ron Artest, and a good thing for the Lakers. Ron Artest cut across the lane to grab an errant Kobe Bryant three-point attempt and tossed it into the basket with 0.8 seconds left to give the Lakers an exhilarating 103-101 victory tonight at Staples Center.

"He has an uncanny knack of doing things," Phil Jackson said of Ron Artest, whose shot joins Derek Fisher's 0.4-second heave against San Antonio six years ago in Lakers' playoff lore.

Ron Artest finished with only four points for the Lakers, who have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series that shifts to US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday for Game 6. The home team has won each of the five games in the series.

"I thought Kobe got fouled on the shot, so I figured it was going to be short," Ron Artest said. "You've just got to continue the play."

The Lakers needed those heroics after Phoenix had battled back from a 101-96 deficit with 1:38 remaining on a 20-foot jumper by Steve Nash and a banked-in three-pointer by Jason Richardson with 3.5 seconds left. Steve Nash finished with 29 points on 12-for-20 shooting and he had 11 assists.

Kobe Bryant attempted a three-pointer from the wing while falling out of bounds with two seconds left, but the shot was well short and Ron Artest grabbed the ball and quickly shot it while turning toward the backboard.

"Bottom line, we didn't box Ron out," Phoenix Coach Alvin Gentry said. "We let him walk right in and get the rebound."

Kobe Bryant finished with 30 points and Fisher had 22 for the Lakers, who have won their last nine Game 5s under Phil Jackson, including a pair of triumphs this season. The Lakers are 8-0 at home in the 2010 playoffs. Pau Gasol added 21 points and Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 13 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns won Games 3 and 4 at home by utilizing a zone defense, repeatedly getting to the free-throw line and enjoying several breakthrough performances from its bench. Only one of those factors -- free throws -- worked in the Suns' favor in Game 5.

Phoenix did attempt 29 free throws to the Lakers' 23, but the Suns' bench combined for 31 points after getting 54 in Game 4.

The Lakers also scored 38 points in the paint and 23 points off 15 Phoenix turnovers. Phoenix Suns went with its reserves to start the second and fourth quarters, and the unit failed to reproduce its Game 4 magic. Guard Goran Dragic did little besides shove the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic early in the fourth quarter, resulting in offsetting technical fouls.

The Lakers appeared to have put the game out of reach late in the third quarter when a free throw by Lamar Odom gave them an 18-point lead at 74-56. But the Suns closed the quarter on a 16-4 run that included a four-point play by Jared Dudley, who was fouled by Pau Gasol on a three-point basket and made the ensuing free throw.

"It was a crazy game," Steve Nash said. "Just when you thought everything was OK, we lose."

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Sharks Have To Decide Between Marleau And Nabokov

When the goal is hoisting the NHL Stanley Cup, anything short of that is perceived as failure, so here are the San Jose Sharks once again going thru the annual post-mortem of a season that ended too soon. Only two members of the Sharks have played in both of the team's NHL Western Conference finals appearances.

Will both be back for another run at the Cup? Patrick Marleau, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov are among San Jose's five most notable unrestricted free agents, and it might be tough for the team to keep both.

Three days after being eliminated from the post season, the Sharks packed up their gear, signed some final autographs, and said goodbye. But it still stings that they're not in the Stanley Cup finals.

Each is an elite player and will be pursued by other clubs, and though there are breakdowns that show how teams can get all their current players to fit under the salary cap, several Sharks executives Wednesday emphasized that the figure that San Jose really considers is its own budget.

Maxing out the cap (which is expected to be about $58 million) isn't something the Sharks are looking to do, and forget long-term back-loaded deals that might hog-tie future payrolls. That means the team is unlikely to retain all its unrestricted free agents.

"Systemically, that's not a reality," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said at the team's practice facility. "Every team has to go through tough decisions, that's part of the business. Right now, sitting here, it would be premature to assume anything."

"When you lose, you think the world is going to end and then you kind of have a couple of days to think about it, reflect on the year and I think we had a pretty darn good year. It was a big step we took this year, and we just have to learn from it and build on for next year," says Sharks center Joe Thornton.

The team will now begin putting together next year's roster with three key free agents: Sharks center Patrick Marleau, Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabakov, and Rob Blake.

"People should not get into the point of premature assessments or jump to any conclusions. We will make those decisions going forward. These are people who have done tremendous jobs for this organization," says Sharks general manager Doug Wilson.

Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabakov have the longest tenure in this locker room and both would like to come back and finish what they've started.

"Sometimes when you're part of something for so long, and you get the job done so you want to be here to get the job done," says Evgeni Nabokov.

"To help put that work in and get that feeling of winning a couple of series, it's an experience you've got to build up," says Patrick Marleau.

"This season is a success as long as we do something with the growth next year. If we take a step backwards, we can't look at this as being a successful one," says Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.

Two restricted free agents, forwards Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi, are looking at hefty raises, making it even less likely that both Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabakov - who each made more than $6 million last season - can return.

There are good arguments for keeping each man: Patrick Marleau is coming off a 44-goal season and he was San Jose's best player in the conference finals. Evgeni Nabakov is among the game's top goaltenders, and the Sharks have few other options in net.

Should the team part ways with Nabokov, Wilson would have to look to the free-agent or trade markets; there are some notable restricted free-agents there, including Montreal's Jaroslav Halak and ... Chicago's Antti Niemi.

Patrick Marleau , Nabokov and useful one-year contract additions Scott Nichol and Manny Malhotra all expressed a desire to come back.

"We've put down roots here and love the area," said Marleau, whose wife is from the South Bay. "It's become home."

Evgeni Nabakov raved about the organization and said, "We took a huge step this year. I hope to be a part of it the next couple of years. ... Let's face it: The mission is not accomplished yet. I want to be a part of it but I don't know if it's up to me. We'll see."

Asked if that means it's up to the Sharks, Nabokov said, "I think so. That's how things are. It's not in my court, really. It's a weird situation. I don't know the right answer.

"I don't like to not finish something. I'd like to finish something and say, 'Now I can sleep well.' "

Along with some personnel changes, there will be some tweaks coming in terms of the team's play. Head coach Todd McLellan said that after reassessing the sweep by Chicago, he and his staff will look at potential issues such as the Sharks' drop-off in scoring from the blue line during the NHL season, as well as the lack of secondary scoring in the conference finals.

"Just when you think you have it solved because you're getting it, it goes away," he said.

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San Francisco Giants Win Over Washington Nationals

Baseball player Edgar Renteria's flare to left won't look like much in the box score, but the way the Giants offense had been going, it might as well have been a 550-foot blast into McCovey Cove. The fifth-inning single brought Todd Wellemeyer home, snapping a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings. The Giants had gone 25 at-bats with a runner in scoring position without a hit, but Renteria's knock opened the floodgates.

San Francisco Giants tacked on three more in the inning, and snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

Todd Wellemeyer more than held up his end on the mound. The right-hander had been in danger of losing his spot in the rotation but looked sharp against Washington, allowing two earned on four hits in six innings.

Todd Wellemeyer (3-4) improved to 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA at home this season. He ran into trouble in the seventh and left with a run in and two runners on, but relievers Sergio Romo, Guillermo Mota and Brian Wilson combined for three hitless innings of relief.

When the Giants wasted a leadoff double by Andres Torres and stranded Renteria on third in the fourth inning, there appeared to be no end in sight to a scoreless streak that started in the eighth inning of Friday night's loss to the A's.

But after three games of hitting hard shots in all the wrong spots, the team caught a break in the fifth inning when Wellemeyer's soft fly ball landed just inside the line in right. Torres followed with a single up the middle, setting up Renteria, who is 4 for 10 since returning from the disabled list.

Mired in a five-game losing streak, manager Bruce Bochy has repeatedly stressed that all it would take was one or two guys to get the whole lineup going.

Renteria's single did the trick.

Freddy Sanchez followed with a two-run double to right, and Pablo Sandoval brought him home with a double to deep center.

For the second straight game, Bochy made big changes to the lineup in search of a spark. Torres was moved to the leadoff spot Sunday, and for Tuesday's series opener, three players were on the move in the field. Juan Uribe was back in the starting lineup at third base, which moved Sandoval to first and Aubrey Huff to the outfield for the first time since 2006.

"There's no getting around it, we're having a tough time putting runs on the board, so we're trying different things to see if they can get going," Bruce Bochy said before the game. "It's really the same guys, but we mixed it up to hopefully get the offense going.

"That's our biggest issue and we know it."

The Giants pulled out of their collective slump, and as an added bonus, the new-look defense didn't lead to any problems. Huff told Bochy that he felt comfortable playing left field, and he looked it.

The first ball of the game was hit right at him, and he later made a nice running catch on the warning track. Sandoval was also tested right off the bat, but he had no problems coming up the line and applying an inning-ending swipe tag when Renteria's throw sailed wide in the first.

With San Francisco Giants nursing the lead late, Huff was replaced in left and Sandoval and Uribe returned to third and short, respectively.

The Giants have just one error in their past 11 games, and their 17 errors on the season are the fewest in the National League.

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Soccer News: England Wins Over Mexico

England's soccer ace players left coach Fabio Capello frustrated at their lack of aggression in an unconvincing 3-1 victory over Mexico on Monday. While defenders Ledley King and Glen Johnson scored and Peter Crouch had a contentious goal, problems on defence made it an uncomfortable night for England at Wembley Stadium.

England, which opens its World Cup campaign against the United States on June 12, relied on goalkeeper Robert Green and a tactical change at halftime to beat its fellow World Cup qualifier.

“The manager wanted more aggression from the whole team,” England midfielder Steven Gerrard said. “They had too much possession in the first half, we stood off them and let them play. In the second half we got in their faces and stopped them playing. We need to be more aggressive.”

Returning after a three-year international absence, King headed in England's opener in the 17th minute after Crouch's setup across the net.

And Crouch, King's Tottenham teammate, managed to score a second — with the help of his arm — in the 34th from a rebound after goalkeeper Oscar Perez touched Wayne Rooney's header onto the crossbar.

England, though, was being outplayed, with Green twice denying Mexico's Arsenal forward Carlos Vela, while Carlos Salcido hit the goal post.

Guillermo Franco claimed a goal for the visitors seconds before halftime when left back Leighton Baines cleared Rafael Marquez's header at the far post straight to the forward, who scored from close range.

“Mexico are technically very good — they are faster than us and it was not easy getting the ball back,” Fabio Capello said. “Not all the teams we play against will be like this, but it is very important to press the ball and win it back quickly.”

Fabio Capello made several changes at halftime with Green, captain Rio Ferdinand, who partnered King in central defense, and Crouch replaced by Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe.
 

James Milner, who had been ineffective in central midfield with Michael Carrick, was shifted out to the left, with Gerrard moving into the middle.

“We need to be able to adapt to different formations during a game and also for different opposition,” Steven Gerrard said.

And two minutes into the second half, Johnson restored England's two-goal cushion with a curling shot from 20 yards and the home side looked more comfortable.

“We can play better than we did tonight. There's still time to sharpen up,” Steven Gerrard said.

There was one late scare for Fabio Capello, with striker Rooney indicating he wanted to come off in the closing minutes.

“He said he had a small problem in his neck, but it is not a problem,” Capello said. “Rooney is OK. At this moment he just needs to play and find his form.”

The four Chelsea players — John Terry, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Ashley Cole — and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, who played in last weekend's FA Cup final, were rested. Capello will assess them in Sunday's final friendly against Japan in Austria before the 30-man squad is trimmed to 23 by the June 1 FIFA deadline.

Ledley King will be allowed to rest his knees on Sunday. The Spurs captain, never featured before in Capello's 30-month reign, looks to have ensured his place in the squad after finally making his 20th England appearance.

“It wasn't one of my best games, but it was tough out there,” King said. “The knee is getting better; the more I play the better I get.”

Despite the scoreline and being frustrated at how the goals were conceded, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre saw some encouraging signs before his side faces host South Africa in the World Cup opener June 11.

“We need to keep our style and we want to try the same thing again on the 11th of June,” said Aguirre, who needs to trim just one player from his squad. “We need to convert our chances more and not concede so early and that will take us to our next level.”

Mexico is in soccer action again on Wednesday against the Netherlands and takes on Gambia on Sunday.

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Venus Williams Create A Straight-Set Win At French Open

Tennis superstar Venus Williams beat Patty Schnyder for the second time this month on clay, opening Sunday at the French Open with a 6- 3, 6-3 win, as holder Svetlana Kuznetsova pulled her clay game together to advance. With a lacy, black overlay giving it the illusion of being see-through, and bright red trim on the bodice, Venus Williams' corset-like get-up made her look as if she were ready to perform in a 19th century Parisian cancan chorus line. Her tennis game, a mix of power and niftier-than-usual footwork on this day, was very 21st century, and befitting a star of the show.

Venus Williams explained that her look was "about illusion," which, she noted, is "a lot of my motif this year" when it comes to clothes design. She also said she might not wear that particular dress again on court. Then again, perhaps she will. She's not sure. Either way, Venus Williams comes to a tournament with eight to 10 outfits, just in case the victories keep coming. 

Venus Williams, newly promoted back to second in the world, followed up her defeat of the veteran Swiss early this month in Rome. The American player overcame 21 unforced errors, breaking six times to make the difference. Kuznetsova steadied after losing the first three games to emerge with a face-saving first-round win, defeating Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-1.

The Russian sixth seed came to the court with just one clay victory this season from a sparse four matches. The seed advanced on her second match point against No. 34 Cirstea, a quarter-finalist a year ago. She will next play German Andrea Petkovic, a winner over Russian Elena Vesnina 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

"Definitely I was a little bit nervous in the start, and it was rough start for me, but I'm very happy about it," said the relieved Russian.

"I managed to come back and fight for every single game. It didn't matter if I was down 0-40 or 15-40, whatever was it. I was just playing as many balls back as I could. The first two matches are very important, so the second match is gonna be very hard mentally."

Venus Williams' only real problems came at the very end against Patty Schnyder, who fell to 0-11 against the American but certainly is no slouch, particularly on clay. The 31-year-old lefty from Switzerland has been a Grand Slam semifinalist, has been ranked No. 7, and leads active women in career clay-court victories.

She forced Venus Williams to fend off three break points in the final game, and also made her accumulate four match points before finally ending things with a forehand winner.

"It's just too tough to really play good, and then on top of that, to beat her," Patty Schnyder said. "She has a great answer to my lefty serve, she has the backhand down the line, which hurts me a lot, and she's a great mover."

That last part hasn't always been the case on clay, but the 29-year-old Williams had neither of her sometimes-bothersome knees wrapped Sunday. She covered the court quite well, both side-to-side and moving forward, which helped her win 12 of 14 points at the net.

It's part of a resurgence on the slow surface this season for Venus Williams: She is 13-2 on clay.

"Look at her results," Patty Schnyder said. "She's coming into the tournament playing good clay-court matches, winning clay-court matches."

And she's dressed for success, you might say.

And she plans a lengthy stay in Paris this time around, perhaps capped by a title.

"I always — goes without saying — believe I can win," said Venus Williams, whose biggest hitches Sunday were eight double-faults.

 

Venus Williams lost in the third round at each of the past three French Opens and only once has been beyond the quarterfinals in 13 previous trips: She lost to younger sister Serena in the 2002 final. Still, Venus' hitting partner, David Witt, said after Sunday's victory: "If she goes out there and is smart and plays smart tennis, I think she can win the tournament."

There are others who will have some say in that, of course, including defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who also won in straight sets Sunday, and the top-ranked Serena, whose first-round match is Monday. Venus  Williams is back at No. 2 in the rankings for the first time since May 2003, and was not shy about saying she wants to bump her sister off the top spot.

"It feels good to be moving up the ranks. Obviously, when you get to 2, of course, the next dream is 1," Venus Williams said.

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