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Showing posts with label SPORTS News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPORTS News. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Lindsey Vonn
Maze currently superior World Cup leader, claims to have heard how they Vonn after her triumph insulted the Super G on Saturday ill will ("Fuck you, Maze"). Vonn denied that. A protest against Vonn for unsportsmanlike conduct of Mazes team was rejected by the race organizers. Race Director Atle Skaardal instead rebuked the Slovenes for their actions. On Sunday Maze finally apologized at Vonn.
Vonn admitted to have overreacted after crossing the finish line. However, their response was the only one to have been her last after such a difficult period of her bowel disease. "It was pure mental strength that got me through the last few days. As I drove to the finish, I screamed! 'That's fucking right,' "she said. Vonn exclamation in German means something like, "Damn it, how it works," she meant to express, "Here I am, I've made it," Vonn said after her 57th World Cup victory.
On Sunday, the two acknowledged their differences out after the first run of the giant slalom. A brief discussion at the finish followed by a handshake. "Tina has apologized to me, that is the end of it for me," said Vonn. Maze added: "There was no dispute with Lindsey, it was just a question. Now everything is clear. She did not say what I have heard. I have respect for Lindsey and me, that's important. "
The boulevard in the ski nations Austria and Switzerland had previously written of the "fuck you" affair, the word "cat fight" made the rounds. "She runs strong. But it's not so nice when someone goes to the finish and bad things about you, "says Maze had said after the race. Vonn had initially talking to Maze and their coach and friend Andrea Massi tried unsuccessfully to settle the matter.
"They thought I had said something very bad about it. That is absolutely not true, "said Vonn," I have great respect for her, as Tina goes, is great for the sport. I hope she looks at it again on video and realizes she has made a mistake. "The Maze did apparently.
Maze on Friday won the super combined in St. Moritz. Previously, she had said, trying to win all three races there. Vonn was the turn "funny" - and promptly grabbed the Slovenian away victory in the super-G. Maze was second.
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Monday, 19 November 2012
David Beckham
So on a British Airways flight, it was the cabin crew, the superstar indulged little rest.
Only the flight attendants stood in the corridor snake for autographs, it was in the "First Class" to a head.
Beckham had made it, according to a report from the British tabloid "The Sun" comfortable for a nap when he was awakened by a flash.
A young stewardess had the wrong moment shot a souvenir photo of 37-year-olds.
That was too much for an insider to Beckham, who complained and threatened never to fly again with the airline.
A spokeswoman for British Airways confirmed the incident, the head of BA apologized formally stauchte along with Beckham and their cabin crew.
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Sunday, 18 November 2012
Formula 1
As the Swiss newspaper reported "view" on its website, it being understood that this means the "late effects" of the GP of India three weeks ago.
It has also caught three journalists from Portugal, Denmark and England, which have the breaks to be treated in hospital.
To which members of the Red Bull team it could be, was not previously known.
Sebastian Vettel showed at least, in his first appearance in Austin launched at the new circuit best.
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Thursday, 15 November 2012
Alex Alves Is Dead
He was temperamental diva Berlin, came in white fur coat for Christmas and Hertha made an incredible "Goal of the Year": Alex Alves died on Wednesday at the age of only 37 years from the effects of leukemia, he remains as eccentric attacker Fans in Germany unforgettable.
Recently, it was quiet at Alves, because after the end of his three years in Berlin (2000 to 2003) of highly talented attacker disappeared more and more athletic in the sinking. In the past four years he had to fight against cancer, friends and fans had hoped to the last.
Until 7 October was Alves surgery in the cancer clinic Amaral Carvalho in the Brazilian town Jaú (State of São Paulo). Join him bone marrow transplanted. Donor was one of his brothers. Financial problems of the former pros had allowed no previous engagement. Recently helped friends and acquaintances.
Alves had to wait eight months to have surgery, because the operation is largely funded through the public health system SUS. During this time, got the former kicker chemotherapy, although not struck correctly. Confirmed Wednesday the hospital Alves' death.
"Goal of the Year" crowns career
The boulevard had to Alves to his time in the capital overjoyed. The flamboyant professional stringed escapade to escapade. He was missing for athlete's foot and testicular discomfort or because a car park barrier is not opened on time. He holds with 130,000 euros still Hertha penalty record. He lost his license several times, his performance at the Christmas party in 2002 in a white fur coat is legendary, as was his "goal of the year" in 2000.
After a goal in the match against 1 FC Cologne in September Alves shot straight out of the center circle into the goal from 52 meters for temporary 1:2, 4:2 Hertha won yet.
Alves later said, "The goal of the center line against Cologne was the best in my life I am happy that I scored this goal for Hertha.." In total he scored in 81 games for the Berlin 25 goals.
The attacker, for Hertha in year 2000 the record fee of the equivalent of 7.5 million euros to Belo Horizonte had, after his time in Berlin not much luck as a professional. In his home he often changed the club without having to build on previous successes. Hertha had also launched a relief operation for Alves.
Under the motto "Shenanigans Alex help" should the original Medal of the German sports show for his "goal of the month", which later became "Goal of the Year" will be auctioned. Alves had left the medal in Berlin. The action was not until 22 Last November. Whether the action after Alves' death continues, is still unclear.
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Wednesday, 14 November 2012
TOYOTA
The heavily tarnished Toyota's image is symbolic of the decline of Japan's superstars and the precarious economic situation of the third largest economy in the world.
"We can not exclude the possibility that the Japanese economy has entered a recession," Economy Minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday. For the first time someone spoke of what economists predict for quite some time ...
The numbers: The gross domestic product of Japan declined in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter by 0.9 percent. Extrapolating the loss on an annualized, this corresponds to a fall of 3.5 percent.
It is the sharpest drop in economic performance of Japan since the tsunami of March 2011.
"The GDP data confirm that the economy has slipped into recession," said analyst Tatsushi Shikano of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, adding that in the final quarter, gross domestic product decline (GDP).
Reason for the decline of the precarious imbalance is at the super-companies - fall heels, forecasts are cut and the image suffers.
Toyota:
The Japanese car maker is a guarantee of success, but for the huge growth of the global corporation pays a high price.
On the one hand the company tripled its profit (July through September) to the equivalent of 2.5 billion euros. At the same time the recall campaign was launched, which angered many customers. A total of 14 million cars Toyota had to recall in the past years!
Affected by the current recall campaign include the models Prius, Corolla, Wish, which were produced from 2000 to 2011 in Japan, and between 2000 and 2009 in other countries.
Top managers at Toyota acknowledge that the increasing recalls were due in part to the growth objectives of the Group.
Sony:
Electronics giant Sony succeeds despite a tough recovery plan (10,000 points are dropped) is not out of the red.
Actual loss (Q2): 149.5 million euros. Especially the slump in the TV business, the strong domestic currency, the yen and competition make Sony create.
Sharp:
It's even worse than the Sony electronics company Sharp. There one is due to the expected record losses of 4.3 billion euros this year, the question of whether one has any chance of survival.
Honda:
The current numbers are good, but the view more than hazy.
Sun Honda increased its net profit in the second quarter, while 36.1 per cent compared to last year, but is expected in Tokyo with a slump in the market. This is because the high rate of increase was intrinsic especially since the numbers had slipped after the tsunami disaster of 2011 in the basement. Honda also suffering from the exchange rate fluctuations.
Panasonic:
€ 7.4 billion loss. This amount is currently in the balance sheets of the company from Osaka.
The problem: the strong competition from Samsung and Apple. Investors lose confidence in the former flagship company. The stock has been on a downward slide for weeks.
Canon:
The global economic crisis, Europe's debt crisis, the strong yen and the anti-Japanese attitude in China put the camera manufacturer.
In addition, more and more people take pictures with their cell phones, cameras need less. Currently Canon lowered its outlook for the full year.
Nissan:
The carmaker has because of the boycott by Chinese customers its profit forecast for the year 2012 die t.
Instead of the targeted 5.35 million cars Nissan will sell this year, only 5.08 million cars.
Background is the political dispute over a group of islands between Japan and the People's Republic. Nissan already sells one in four cars in China.
Conclusion: Japan remains a problem child in international development.
The building momentum after the tsunami were not as strong and lasting as hoped. Still the country is marked by deflationary pressures.
The level of wages and domestic demand are therefore extremely low, the yen is too high. To contribute to the political and military disputes with China to further stress the economic situation. In addition, Japan's automakers also suffer under the sales crisis in Europe.
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Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Bobby Petrino
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| Bobby Petrino |
Bobby Petrino’s fate as head football coach at Arkansas remains up in the air one week after he crashed his motorcycle and attempted to cover-up a “inappropriate relationship” with a 25-year-old female employee.
Now Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long faces the unenviable decision of whether to retain Petrino and risk ridicule for appearing to condone his conduct, or terminate him and risk revolt from the Razorbacks fanbase.
It seems clear what many of the school’s fans want — as evidenced by the more than 21,000 members of a new Facebook group called “Team Save Coach Petrino.” But at an on-campus rally on Monday, only about 200 people showed up to support the embattled coach.
A non-scientific poll conducted on the Early Lead on Monday (included below), shows readers at a near 50-50 split on the question of whether Petrino should be fired.
“We’re not condoning it. I wouldn’t ask him for marriage counseling,” rally organizer Matt Couch told ArkansasSports360.com on Monday. “But at the same time we’re supportive of him and want him to do well.”
Petrino, 51, crashed his motorcycle on the night of Sunday, April 1 in Madison County, Ark. But only days later, after police reports were made public, did he acknowledge 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell was with him on the bike. On Thursday, Petrino — who is married with four children — was placed on paid administrative leave by the school and admitted a “previous inappropriate relationship” with Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player and recent hire by the athletic department.
On Friday, more details of the accident emerged. According to state police reports, Petrino and Dorrell told a passer-by not to call 911, and instead caught a ride back to Fayetteville. There, Dorrell was dropped off at her own car and Petrino was driven to a hospital by Capt. Lance King, a police officer who serves as Petrino’s personal security guard during the season, where he was treated for broken ribs and a cracked vertebra. Petrino was subsequently placed on administrative leave by the school.
Petrino has led the Razorbacks to a 21-5 record over the last two seasons including a 11-2 mark in 2011. A second rally is planned for Friday at 6:30 p.m., according to the group’s Facebook page.
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Ozzie Guillen
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| Ozzie Guillen |
Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended for five games Tuesday because of his comments about Fidel Castro, and he again apologized and said he'll do whatever he can to repair relations with Cuban-Americans angered by the remarks.
The suspension by the team takes effect immediately. It was announced shortly before Guillen held a news conference to explain what he said.
The 48-year-old Venezuelan told Time magazine he loves Castro and respects the retired Cuban leader for staying in power so long. In response, at least two local officials said Guillen should lose his job.
At the news conference, Guillen said his comments were misinterpreted by the reporter, and he doesn't love or admire the dictator.
"I was saying I cannot believe somebody who hurt so many people over the years is still alive," Guillen told the news conference.
But Guillen took responsibility for the uproar, and said it left him sad and embarrassed. He also said he accepted the team's punishment.
"I'm very sorry about the problem, what happened," said Guillen, who is only five games into his tenure with the Marlins. "I will do everything in my power to make it better. ... I know it's going to be a very bumpy ride."
Outside an entrance to the Marlins' new ballpark, about 100 demonstrators wanting Guillen's ouster shouted and chanted during the news conference. The team didn't consider firing Guillen or asking him to resign, Marlins President David Samson said.
"We believe in him," Samson said. "We believe in his apology. We believe everybody deserves a second chance."
With reaction to Guillen's praise of Castro escalating in South Florida, he left his team in Philadelphia and flew to Miami in an attempt at damage control. The Marlins and Phillies had the day off and resume their series in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Guillen said he'll be there to apologize to his players -- but he won't be in the dugout. Bench coach Joey Cora will be the interim manager.
"The Marlins acknowledge the seriousness of the comments attributed to Guillen," read a statement from the team. "The pain and suffering caused by Fidel Castro cannot be minimized, especially in a community filled with victims of the dictatorship."
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said he supported the decision to suspend Guillen. He called Guillen's remarks "offensive to an important part of the Miami community and others throughout the world" and "have no place in our game."
"As I have often said, baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities," Selig added in a statement. "All of our 30 clubs play significant roles within their local communities, and I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game's many cultures deserve."
Samson said he expected no further punishment by Major League Baseball.
The suspension recalled the punishment given to Marge Schott, the late owner of the Cincinnati Reds. Schott so embarrassed baseball in the 1990s with her inflammatory racial remarks and fond recollections of Adolf Hitler that she was suspended from ownership duties for a season.
About 100 reporters, photographers and cameramen attended the news conference. Guillen sat alone at the podium and began in Spanish, speaking without notes for several minutes before taking questions. Shortly after he started, his voice wavered in the middle of a sentence, and he paused to take a sip of water and clear his throat.
"This is the biggest mistake I've made so far in my life," Guillen said. "When you make a mistake like this, you can't sleep. ... When you're a sportsman, you shouldn't be involved with politics."
The news conference lasted nearly an hour, with about 80 percent of it in Spanish. Guillen said he was suspended without pay, but Samson later said the manager will be paid and will donate the money to Miami human-rights causes.
The firestorm came shortly after the Marlins opened their ballpark last week in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. The team is trying to rebuild its fan base with the help of South Florida's large Cuban-American population.
Guillen apologized over the weekend after the story broke, but some Cuban-Americans remained upset. One group planned a demonstration Tuesday before Guillen said he would fly to Miami.
Francis Suarez, chairman of the Miami city commission, said Guillen should be fired. Joe Martinez, chairman of the Miami-Dade County board of commissioners, said Guillen should resign.
Polarizing comments are nothing new for Guillen, who once used a gay slur referring to a reporter, defended illegal immigrants and just last week he said he drinks to excess after road games and has done so for years.
Guillen twice appeared on a radio show hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in October 2005, when Guillen led the Chicago White Sox to the World Series title. At the time, Guillen said: "Not too many people like the president. I do."
Chavez is unpopular with many Venezuelans, especially those living in the United States.
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Monday, 9 April 2012
IPL 2012
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| IPL 2012 |
Dhawan scored a swashbuckling 41 off 24 balls to lift Chargers after early blows by Munaf Patel before falling to Malinga.
Deccan Chargers got off to a dismal start as Mumbai pacer Munaf Patel sent back Parthiv Patel and Bharat Chipli early after the hosts elected to bat.
Munaf first got Patel caught by Rahul Sharma in his first over and then dismissed Chjipli on the first delivery of the fourth over to reduce the hosts to 9/2.
Former Mumbai skipper Sachin Tendulkar has taken rest from the clash due to finger injury that he sustained during the inaugural clash against Chennai Super Kings.
Disappointed on losing the toss, Mumbai skipper Harbhajan Singh said, "We would have batted too had we won the toss. We'll try to restrict them to 150 and Suman comes in for Suryakumar Yadav"
Deccan Chargers have dropped Daniel Harris and replaced Manpreet Gony with Anand Rajan. Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkarasaid, "We are looking to play our best cricket. Daniel Harris sits out and Anand Rajan replaces Manpreet Gony"
It has been a topsy-turvy ride for both teams so far. Mumbai, who began on a rousing note in their opener against Chennai, were brought down to the earth by Pune in their next game at home. It was an eye-opener for Harbhajan and Co that one couldn't take any team for granted in this format.
Team Hyderabad too didn't have the kind of start that they were praying for as they were thrashed by a resurgent Chennai on Saturday night. The 74-run loss on Saturday was not what the home team had expected though they knew that Chennai are a tough team.
Teams:
Deccan Chargers: Kumar Sangakkara, Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, B Chipli, Cameron White, Daniel Christian, DB Ravi Teja, Amit Mishra, Ankit Sharma, DW Steyn, Anand Rajan
Mumbai Indians: TL Suman, Richard Levi, Ambati Rayudu, Rahul Sharma, James Franklin, Dinesh Karthik, Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel
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Friday, 6 April 2012
Masters
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| Masters |
With his words and then his play, Lee Westwood shot down the notion Thursday that this Masters was a two-horse race.
On a busy opening day at Augusta National that featured mud, a little rain and a snowman on the final hole for Henrik Stenson, Westwood provided a steady hand Thursday with seven birdies for a 5-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead.
It was the first time Westwood has led after the opening round of a major, though that was little comfort. Louis Oosthuizen made four birdies over the last five holes for a 68, while Peter Hanson of Sweden made six birdies for his 68. Bubba Watson, blasting tee shots with his pink driver, was among six players at 69.
Westwood had said it would be naive for anyone to think this major was only about Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Those two horses were happy to still be in the running.
Woods took two penalty shots, hit three tee shots that rattled the pines and was thrilled to make bogey on his last hole for a 72, the first time since 2008 that he failed to break par in the opening round of the Masters.
“I had some of the worst golf swings I’ve ever hit today,” Woods said.
McIlroy opened with a double bogey, though his big moment was on the 10th hole. A year ago, that’s where his Sunday collapse began with a hooked tee shot into the cabins for a triple bogey. This time, he pushed a 3-wood into the trees on the other side and managed a par.
“That was a bit of an improvement from the last time I played it,” McIlroy said.
Better yet was a birdie-birdie finish, including a 15-foot putt from the fringe on the 18th that gave him a 71, making him one of 28 players who broke par and were within four shots of the lead.
“It was huge,” McIlroy said. “I didn’t feel like I had my best out there. To finish under par for the day, I’m very pleased.”
Along with Woods smiling after a 72, three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson was delighted with a 74. He sprayed tee shots all over the course, including one so far left on the 10th into bushes he didn’t know existed that he never found his ball. Mickelson made a triple bogey there, then spent the rest of the back nine scrambling for his life.
He recounted all the bad shots, the missed opportunities, the triple bogey, and decided the glass was half full, almost spilling over.
“This is good news,” Mickelson said. “Because if I can get hot tomorrow, I’m playing good enough to shoot 6 or 7 under, and I’ll be right in it for the weekend. Fortunately, I didn’t shoot myself out of it.”
Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world, had a few nervous moments, and that was after he signed for a 75. When his card was sent to the scoring room to be entered into the computer, an official accidentally punched in a birdie 3 for the fifth hole, even though Donald three-putted for a 5. The leaderboard showed him with a 73.
It took about two hours to clear up the confusion.
“This place, if you are a little bit off, it can eat you up,” Donald said.
Donald and Westwood are the only two players to be No. 1 without ever having won a major. Westwood is atop the list of the best who have never won a Grand Slam event - 36 wins around the world, formerly No. 1 in the world and a half-dozen close calls in the majors, including a runner-up finish at the Masters two years ago.
“I’ve come close,” Westwood said. “I’ve won all there is to win other than a major championship. That’s my primary focus and it’s been a long time coming around since the PGA last year.”
Westwood made his move on the front nine when he ran off four straight birdies, all of them inside 10 feet, including a difficult pitch from short of the par-5 eighth green that settled within tap-in range.
Despite the soft conditions from storms earlier in the week, the scoring wasn’t as low as some thought. Westwood’s caddie, Billy Foster, walked the course earlier in the day and sent back a scouting report.
“Billy had sent me a text saying that the pins were tough,” Westwood said. “He used slightly more flowering language than that, but we’ll stick to tough. So I knew it was a day for patience.”
Stenson celebrated his 36th birthday with a 31 on the front nine, including eagles on both par 5s, and he was the only player to reach 6-under par during the round. It just didn’t last.
He hooked his drive into the trees on the 18th, took two shots to get back to the fairway, sent a wedge over the green and took four shots to get down from there. He wound up with a quadruple-bogey 8 - known as a “snowman” in golf vernacular
which matched the highest score on the 18th hole in Masters history.
That dropped him to a 71, not bad considering his last two opening rounds at Augusta were an 80 and an 83, but still not what he wanted.
“You make a little mistake, and then you compound it with another one, and it just keeps on snowballing,” Stenson said. “And I got the snowman in the end. What to do?”
Paul Lawrie made two eagles on the back nine to join the group at 69 that included Miguel Angel Jimenez, Edoardo Molinari, Ben Crane and Jason Dufner, who lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship last summer.
Only nine players managed to break 70, and the scoring was so bunched that only eight of the 96 players were 10 shots behind, the measure for making the cut on Friday.
“There’s still a lot of world class players there and a lot of them playing well, and majors are hard to win as it is,” Westwood said. “I’m going to have to play as good, if not better, than I did today to carry on in the position I’m in.”
Woods had an inkling of what to expect. He was on his way to the putting green when he ducked into the clubhouse, glanced at the computer and was surprised to see so few birdies. Once he teed off, it all made sense.
The pins were tucked in some of the tougher positions at the Masters, especially for the opening round, such as a right pin on the par-3 12th typically only seen on a Sunday.
“It was what I expected throughout the week, but maybe not on Thursday,” Zach Johnson said after a 70.
And it sure wasn’t easy getting at some of those pins with splotches of mud on the ball. Keegan Bradley had to deal with it on the opening hole. His shot went left of the bunker and he made double bogey. Steve Stricker was trying to lay up on the par-5 eighth hole when mud on his ball caused it to veer sharply to the left and into the pines. He made bogey.
Kyle Stanley was asked where he had to cope with mud.
“One, two, five, 10, 11, 13, 15,” he said. “That was it.”
Woods had other issues.
With thousands of fans lining the first fairway, they looked toward the sky to find the flight of his ball and figured out where it went by the sound of a hard, hollow knock striking Georgia pine. On the next hole, he pulled his tee shot toward the creek for a penalty shot. In both cases, he escaped with par by making putts of 8 and 5 feet.
But there was no escaping the finish. A tee shot to the left on the 17th left him no angle to get on the green, so Woods hit into the front bunker and failed to save par. And on the 18th, another wild hook went into the trees. Woods had to take a penalty stroke to get relief, and only a delicate pitch left of the green allowed him to save bogey.
Woods usually talks about the shots that got away. This time, there weren’t many.
“Today I squeezed a lot out of that round,” he said. “I just felt my way around today. I know how to play this golf course. I think it’s just understanding what I need to do.”
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Stan Van Gundy
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| Stan Van Gundy |
Stan Van Gundy said Thursday that he expects to remain the Orlando Magic's head coach for the remainder of the season.
Van Gundy, who has been at the helm of the Magic since 2007, had said earlier in the day that he heard from management that superstar Dwight Howard had requested that he be fired. [Check out a video above from the news conference.]
Howard denied those claims, and after the team's 96-80 loss to New York on Thursday evening, he told reporters, "I'm not gonna talk about that."
Van Gundy said he intends to remain focused on helping his team, which has lost a season-high five games in a row.
"My job security is not what is important right now," he said after the game. "What Dwight wants is not what's important right now. What's important is we focus on getting better as a team. It's not like we’ve played five awful games in a row."
Van Gundy said he met with Howard and General Manager Otis Smith before Thursday's game, but he declined to reveal what was discussed.
"Look, we've been together all year this year," Van Gundy told reporters. "We've been together for five years. So we know each other very well, and Dwight will go out and play, and I'll coach, and that's the understanding. We know that."
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Bobby Petrino
Saying he was disappointed Bobby Petrino failed to tell school officials that he was riding with a 25-year-old woman when he crashed his motorcycle, Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long placed the football coach on paid leave pending a review.
"I don't know what I'm going to find," Long said at a news conference Thursday night, hours after a state police report revealed that the married, 51-year-old was riding Sunday with Jessica Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player who now works for the football program.
"I am disappointed that coach Petrino did not share with me, when he had the opportunity to, the full extent of the accident and who was involved," Long said.
Petrino broke four ribs and cracked a neck vertebra in the crash, which he blamed on the wind and having the sun in his eyes. He was forthcoming with police, but failed to tell school administrators – or reporters at a news conference on Tuesday – about his passenger.
"My concern was to protect my family and a previous inappropriate relationship from becoming public," Petrino said in a statement released by the school. "In hindsight, I showed a serious mistake in judgment when I chose not to be more specific about those details."
Through his agent, Petrino declined further comment Friday.
Long set no timetable for his investigation, which could conclude with penalties including suspension or firing for the highly successful coach.
"I hope to have a resolution soon," Long said. "I certainly don't have all the answers here tonight, as we meet. But again, I have an obligation and responsibility to obtain the information and then act appropriately on that information."
The emerging scandal also could deal a severe blow to the Razorbacks on the field, who Petrino has coached to appearances in the Sugar Bowl (a loss to Ohio State) and the Cotton Bowl (a win over Kansas State) in the last two seasons.
Arkansas, which had spring practice scheduled Friday afternoon, is led by a pair of Heisman Trophy hopefuls in quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis.
"I will fully cooperate with the university throughout this process and my hope is to repair my relationships with my family, my athletic director, the Razorback Nation and remain the head coach of the Razorbacks," Petrino said.
Petrino just completed his fourth season with the Razorbacks, who have developed into a national contender since he was hired away from the Atalanta Falcons during the 2007 season. He's 34-17 at the school, 21-5 over the last two years, and the Hogs finished last season ranked No. 5 after losing only to national champion Alabama and runner-up LSU.
He's in the midst of a seven-year contract under which his salary averages $3.53 million.
The coach has been criticized in the past for job hopping – first from Louisville to the Falcons, then for the in-season jump to Arkansas. He infamously met with Auburn officials in 2003 to talk about taking the Tigers' head coaching job while Tommy Tuberville still had it.
But Petrino was greeted as a savior by Arkansas fans, and had given them no reason not to trust him.
Long said he didn't hear about Dorrell being on the motorcycle until Petrino called him Thursday afternoon, minutes before a police report was released disclosing it. Dorrell, who did not return calls and messages from The Associated Press, does not appear to have been injured in the crash.
Dorrell was hired March 28 by Petrino as the student-athlete development coordinator after serving as a fundraiser with the Razorback Foundation. She is in charge of organizing the recruiting process for the football team, including initial eligibility for each incoming player.
Long said he had not decided whether to suspend Dorrell.
Petrino, who is married with four children, didn't mention he had a passenger during a news conference two days after Sunday's accident, and a school statement that day quoted Petrino's family as saying "no other individuals" were involved. Petrino said then that he had spent Sunday with his wife, Becky, at a lake and was going for an evening ride. His only mention of Dorrell was vague, and without identification.
"When I came out of the ditch, there was a lady there that had flagged down a car," Petrino said Tuesday. "The guy that was in the passenger's seat said, `Get in, we'll just take you right to the hospital instead of waiting,' and so I got in the car and they headed toward Fayetteville."
In Thursday's statement, Petrino apologized and acknowledged that he had kept quiet about Dorrell.
"I have been in constant pain, medicated and the circumstances involving the wreck have come out in bits and pieces. That said, I certainly had a concern about Jessica Dorrell's name being revealed," he said.
"Today, I've acknowledged this previous inappropriate relationship with my family and those within the athletic department administration."
The police report said Petrino was riding with Dorrell when he lost control of his motorcycle. Dorrell said in the report that she wasn't sure what caused the accident, during which Petrino was unable to maneuver a turn and laid the motorcycle down on its left side while sliding off a rural, two-lane road about 20 miles southeast of Fayetteville.
Petrino said in the report that wind and sun caused the accident. The police report said Petrino and Dorrell were taken by a passer-by to an intersection in southeast Fayetteville, where a state police officer took Petrino to the hospital.
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| Bobby Petrino |
The police report said Dorrell wasn't taken to a hospital, and that she was dropped off at her vehicle, which was parked at the intersection. State police spokesman Bill Sadler said Petrino didn't try to hide Dorrell's part in the accident when questioned.
"Coach Petrino was as cooperative as anybody that we could ever hope to encounter following the traffic crash," Sadler said.
Petrino, who wasn't wearing a helmet, was hospitalized but had since returned to practice.
Assistant head coach and linebackers coach Taver Johnson has been put in charge of the program in Petrino's absence. The former Ohio State assistant coach was hired in January.
Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino speaks during a news conference at a Fayetteville, Ark., on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, after being released from a hospital after he was injured in a motorcycle accident on Sunday, April 1. The 51-year-old says he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, which occurred on Arkansas Highway 16 in Madison County _ about 20 miles southeast of Fayetteville. State law does not require an adult rider wear a helmet.
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