Showing posts with label Donald Trump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donald Trump. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 April 2016

Wambach Admits Cocaine and Marijuana

wambach
Abby Wambach
World Cup winner and two-time Olympic champion Abby Wambach has admitted taking cocaine and smoking marijuana.

American Wambach, the world's all-time leading international goalscorer, was arrested on Saturday for drink-driving.

Court documents connected to the 35-year-old's arrest said that "the defendant tried cocaine at age 25".

Mini USA, one of Wambach's sponsors, said it was withdrawing adverts for the car featuring the former footballer, who retired in December.

In a statement, it said: "This behaviour is against the values we promote as an organisation and the safety of everyone on the road is a priority here at Mini."

Wambach, who scored 184 goals in 255 games and helped the USA to 2015 World Cup glory, was arraigned on Tuesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland.

She was not present, but her lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf. Court documents said Wambach has no prior arrest record.

In court documents, officers wrote that she first used marijuana at age 24 and her last use was at 25. A Portland police spokesman said it is standard procedure for officers to ask defendants about prior drug use.

Honours and awards
2015 World Cup winner
2004 and 2012 Olympic gold medallist
2012 Fifa world player of the year
2011 Associated Press female athlete of the year
Six-time US soccer athlete of the year (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013)


Saturday, 2 April 2016

Sarah Young - RIP

BBC Sport 
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, founder of the Clipper Round the World yacht race, has pledged a full investigation into the death of a British crew member.

Sarah Young, 40, was washed overboard in the Pacific Ocean and is the second person to die in this year's event.

Sir Robin said everyone involved in the race was in "shock" over the death.

The investigation will focus on why she was not tethered to the yacht, Sir Robin said, adding safety was a vital part of the sailors' training.

Fellow Briton Andrew Ashman, a crew member on the same boat, died after being knocked unconscious. in September.

Despite being amateurs, both Miss Young and Mr Ashman were experienced sailors.

Miss Young was tidying the cockpit of the IchorCoal yacht after reefing the mainsail when she was knocked from her position by a wave. She fell back towards the guard wire and was swept under it by another wave.

Rescue attempts were hampered by winds of up to 40 knots and her body was recovered more by her crewmates than an hour later.

Attempts were made to resuscitate Miss Young but she did not regain consciousness. She died at about 13:44 BST on Friday.

The cause of her death is yet to be confirmed but is suspected to be drowning or exposure, organisers said.

Sir Robin, who in 1969 became the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, told the BBC: "We've only had two fatalities in something like 4,000 people, in 10 races around the world.

"It's a shock to all of us and we want to find out exactly why it happened. Why wasn't she hooked on? This is what I've got to establish."

It was an "appalling coincidence" that two crew members from the same yacht had died, he added.

Sir Robin described Miss Young as experienced as a "very popular member of the crew, a very easy person to like".

The IchorCoal yacht, pictured, set off on the latest leg of the race on 21 March

He went on: "One of the things we really focus on in Clipper with the four weeks' training is safety.

"That is the primary consideration, the one thing we drum into all crew."

Miss Young, who was from London, was one of the sailors taking part in the entire round-the-world challenge.

The incident happened during the ninth race of the 14-stage event which started in August and covers more than 40,000 nautical miles.

Sarah Young
Sarah Young was taking part in the year-long race on the IchorCoal boat

Miss Young had already sailed more than half way round the globe, covering 20,000 nautical miles before setting off from the latest leg of the race on 21 March.

She had pulled out of part of the challenge after the death of her mother, organisers said.

Miss Young was the owner of a personal lifestyle company and prior to the Clipper Race had taken part in other expeditions, including mountaineering in Nepal. She had also run a marathon and was a qualified diving group leader.

Fellow IchorCoal crew member Eliotte Ashcroft wrote on Facebook that Miss Young was a "witty, ballsy, caring lady".

The boats are currently racing in the north Pacific, which is where Young was swept overboard

This latest stage of the race takes crews from Qingdao in China to Seattle in the United States and has 3,242 miles still to go.

The crew will now continue on their journey to Seattle.

Sir Robin said: "I should think they are in shock and will want to take it easy for a bit and I have to say I think if I was in their position I would do the same."

More than 700 crew members are participating in the 2015-16 race, which will end in London on 30 July.


Sunday, 17 January 2016

All Wilder and Fury at Barclays


Deontay Wilder retained his WBC heavyweight championship with a devastating knockout of Artur Szpilka in the ninth round on Saturday night at the Barclays Center.

But perhaps the most dramatic point of the evening came after the fight when Wilder’s fellow heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, crashed the ring to confront his American rival.

“Anytime, any place, anywhere,” Fury cried while getting within inches of Wilder’s face. Wilder replied: “You can run around like a preacher, but I will baptise you!”

Wilder then suggested he was willing to fight fury in Britain. “We all know Fury is just a phony,” he said. “This is just an act. I’m not scared of anybody. We’ll come to your backyard. This is just an act – you’re not a real fighter. I don’t play. This isn’t wrestling. This isn’t the WWE. When you do step in that ring with me I promise you I will baptise you.

“I would love to fight him next, unfortunately. I have other mandatories due. Make the date Tyson, I promise you.”

Earlier, Wilder (36-0) knocked Szpilka out cold and flat on his back with a powerful right hand to the head. Szpilka (20-2) was out for several minutes as medics were called to the ring. He eventually slumped against the turnbuckles as doctors tended to him.

With former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis sitting ringside, Wilder recorded his 35th KO and silenced a Polish-flavoured crowd that went wild for Szpilka.

The heavyweights fought a fantastic eight rounds and were closing in on a ninth until Wilder caught the Pole flush with 36 seconds left in the round.

Charles Martin won the vacant IBF world heavyweight championship in an underwhelming bout against injured Vyacheslav Glazkov in the co-main event.


Thursday, 14 January 2016

Lack of Egos in New England - Kraft


New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has told Sky Sports a "lack of egos" is one of the main reasons for the team's success going into this weekend's NFL play-offs.

The Patriots are looking to win their fifth Super Bowl under Kraft' s ownership. The billionaire invited Sky Sports' Jim White to go behind the scenes at the franchise for a documentary to be shown before Saturday's clash against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Everyone checks their ego at the door and does whatever they've got to do to allow us to win," says Kraft.

"We're fortunate to have pretty special people and we're all together as a unit."

The Patriots' success has been built on a long-term relationship between Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

"We've had a great thing going," Brady tells the documentary. "He [Kraft] has been a kind of father to me.

"We've got such a close relationship and I rely on him for a lot of very important decisions in my life."

And Kraft hasn't ruled out bringing his ownership philosophy to England and the Premier League

He says he "came close" to buying Liverpool before John W Henry's Fenway Sports Group took over and may look at English football again, but only if the right opportunity came up.

"I would never be involved in a sports franchise unless I thought we had an ability to win and compete at the highest level," said Kraft.

"We're flirting with a couple of things so you never know in the future."

Monday, 11 January 2016

NFL Has Gone Soft - Donald Trump


Donald Trump believes he has found the perfect encapsulation of the decline of America: the NFL’s efforts to stop head-on collisions in football.

Speaking at a rally in Reno, Nevada, he lamented a game that has “gone soft”, while appearing to reference the penalties that cost the Cincinnati Bengals their playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“So I’m watching a game yesterday,” said Trump. “What used to be considered a great tackle, a violent head-on [tackle], a violent – if that was done by Dick Butkus, they’d say he’s the greatest player. If that were done by Lawrence Taylor – it was done by Lawrence Taylor and Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, right? Ray Nitschke — you used to see these tackles and it was incredible to watch, right?

“Now they tackle. ‘Oh, head-on-head collision, 15 yards.’ The whole game is all screwed up ... Football has become soft. Football has become soft. Now, I’ll be criticized for that. They’ll say, ‘Oh, isn’t that terrible.’ But football has become soft like our country has become soft.

Despite wide acknowledgement that the league needs to cut down on head injuries and concussions, Trump said that more protection for players will harm the NFL. “It’s become weak and you know what? It’s going to affect the NFL,” said Trump. “I don’t even watch it as much anymore. It’s going to affect the NFL. I don’t watch it. The referees, they want to all throw flags so their wives see them at home. ‘Oh, there’s my husband.’ It’s true. ‘He just broke up - he just gave a 15-yard penalty on one of the most beautiful tackles made this year.’ Right?”

Trump was quick to give his approval for one figure in the NFL though: his friend the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady

“It’s boring - although I love Tom Brady,” said Trump. “I gotta tell you. I do love Tom. He’s a great guy. But it’s different. But it’s become soft and our country has become soft.”



Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Cardinals Overcome Ravens


Chris Johnson rolled to victory. His Arizona Cardinals had to hold on to win.

Johnson rushed for 122 yards, 62 on a play where he rolled over the belly of a big defender and kept on running to set up a field goal, and the Cardinals held on to beat the luckless Baltimore Ravens 26-18 on Monday night.

Baltimore (1-6) drove to the 4 in the final seconds before Tony Jefferson’s interception deep in the end zone clinched the victory for NFC West-leading Arizona (5-2).

“A lot of things happened during the game,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. “Good, bad and one ugly one, but we finished and made a great play at the end.”

Arizona led 26-10 before Asa Jackson’s blocked a punt to set up Joe Flacco’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Juszczyk. The 2-point conversion pass to Nick Boyle made it an eight-point game with 4:26 to play.

Baltimore got the ball back and Flacco quickly moved the team downfield before the final ill-fated throw.

“The punt block and all of a sudden you let them in,” Arizona’s Carson Palmer said, “but that’s what you want on ‘Monday Night Football.’ We made it a game at the end.”

Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens had trouble with the communications system throughout the game, particularly in the final drive.

“The phones were going out so he couldn’t hear (offensive coordinator) Marc (Trestman),” Harbaugh said. “I don’t know why the phones were going out on that drive but they went out on that drive. Mark had to yell, we couldn’t get the personnel groups, all those things are really challenging when the phones are out.”

Baltimore moved the ball just fine despite those issues, just not enough. The eight-point loss was the most one-sided of the season for the Ravens.

“Any time you lose it hits you in the gut,” Baltimore’s Justin Forsett said. “But we’ve been fighting. We just have to keep fighting.”

Johnson also ran 26 yards for a touchdown. The 30-year-old running back, signed late in training camp after recovering from a gunshot wound during the offseason, topped 100 yards for the third time this season and didn’t even play in the fourth quarter. The last Arizona player to do that was Edgerrin James in 2007.

Palmer completed 20 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Flacco was 26 for 40 for 252 yards, with a touchdown and that one interception. Forsett had a 14-yard touchdown run, but finished with only 36 yards in 12 carries.

A 26-10 lead seemed comfortable before Bryant burst up the middle to block Drew Butler’s punt to set up the final Ravens touchdown.

The play of the night came in the third quarter, when Johnson hit the line and was pulled down, but he came to rest on the belly of 6ft 1in, 335lb Brandon Williams. Johnson’s knee or elbow didn’t touch, so he alertly got up and kept running to the 4. Johnson said he’d never been part of a play like that.

“Basically, you just keep playing until the whistle,” Johnson said. “That is something Arians teaches us, we always have to play to the whistle and have to finish. That is something you learn coming up from little league: Keep playing until the whistle blows.”

The play set up Chandler Catanzaro’s second 21-yard field goal, making it a two-possession game at 20-10.

After Arizona scored again, Catanzaro’s try for the conversion bounced off the right upright and was no good, setting the stage for the tight finish.

The only turnover of night, before Jefferson’s interception, led to a touchdown that put the Cardinals up 14-10 at the half and Arizona never trailed again.

Justin Bethel, a Pro Bowl player on special teams the last two years, stripped the ball from punt returner Jeremy Ross’ hands and recovered at the Ravens 25. Penalties gave Arizona a series of chances inside the 5 and, finally, Palmer threw 3 yards to Michael Floyd for the score to put Arizona up 10-7 with 1:01 left in the half.