Ally White asked:


The 27-time Italian Serie A champion, Juventus, defeated a confused and disorganized AC Milan on Sunday with an outstanding score of 4-2. The game was incredibly well-played by Juve during the 90 minutes, especially with the two great goals from Amauri.

On the other hand, AC Milan had to play without some important players due to injuries, which is affecting tremendously the results of the club. Some of the injured players are Gattuso, Flamini and the co-star player Kaká.

In the game, AC Milan was really vulnerable in defense and their offense was completely disorganized. That was well noticed during the game, even though they scored two goals. Juve for its part controlled the match and took advantage of the key situations in it to have the lead at the end. With this win, Juve remains in second place of the table with 33 points and 6 points behind Inter. For its part, AC Milan dropped to the fourth place with 30 points and is behind Inter 9 points.

The game started with an early penalty executed by the striker Alessandro Del Piero, who was fouled at the 16 minute of the game opening the score for the Juve. Just 14 minutes later, Alexandre Pato equalized the score for Milan. Then, at minute 34 Juve took the lead again by getting a goal from defender Giorgio Chiellini, who scored a head corner. Minutes later, the Brazilian Amauri scored and put the game 3-1 at the end of the first half. At halftime, the “Rossoneri” came back with some changes and added a second goal at minute 56, when Massimo Ambrosini’s shot was deflected by “Zebras” defenders. However, the hopes of tying the game got lost for Milan when defender Gianluca Zambrotta was kicked out of the game with a second yellow card. The situation favoured Juve and Amauri took advantage of it scoring the fourth goal at minute 69 to confirm the victory for his team.

For his part, Coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed that his team Milan didn’t play good and one of the facts was the absence of some key players. “We were vulnerable at the back and gave them too many chances. Juventus took advantage of our errors. We didn’t play well in defense and they exploited that,” said Ancelotti.

However, the Coach also stated that things will change after the holidays when Kaká, Flamini and some other players return. Also Beckham will be an inclusion in the second part of the season, which could be a very positive sign for Milan.

On the other hand, Coach Claudio Ranieri was delighted with his team performance and the way the Brazilian Amauri is making contributions to the team. He stated that since the absence of Trezeguet, Amauri has been a key player for them, especially with his 10 goals scored already in the season.

The next game of Juve will be against Atalanta on December 21st and Milan will face Udinese on December 20th.  We expect to watch great football and hope for the both teams to achieve their expectations in the coming matches.

Ally White asked:


The English midfielder of 33 years old David Beckham and his current team AC Milan jumped to the second place of the standings of the Italian Serie A by beating Lazio in great way 3-0 this last Sunday at Rome. The Englishman, after scoring twice in the last four games as an AC Milan player, added two assists this last game against Lazio, setting up goals to the Brazilian striker Pato in the first half at minute 42 and to the Italian midfielder Massimo Ambrosini in the beginning of the second half.

Since Beckham started his participation with the AC Milan, the club has been unbeaten, winning 3 games and tiding just one match. With these last results the club has not only increased their chances at the table but also has raised the team’s performance. With Beckham inclusion Ancelotti has fixed the midfield problems and the lack chemistry with the strikers, which had been also an issue at the beginning of the season, and has build up a well-developed and more balanced team. 

Moreover, despite having a muscle injury in the last game, Beckham looked great against Lazio by playing the 90 minute mark and adding the contribution of the two assists goals to his teammates. After those two scorings, Kaka ended the victory with a great goal at minute 38. This victory represented for AC Milan a second spot in the standings while the leaders Inter tied against Torino and Juventus lost against Cangliari. Currently Inter has 50 points, AC Milan has 44 points and Juventus is now third with 43 points.  

For his part, the Vice-president of the AC Milan Adriano Galliani expressed that the club intentions are to acquire David Beckham since the club is doing so great with the English player who has contributed to these amazing results.

“We’re desperate to sign him and I will keep hoping until the last possible moment. When he first came to us I thought he would do well but I never thought to such a degree. It would be terrible to lose him so we’ll make little overtures to try to keep hold of him and then our fans can have a great party when Beckham stays,” stated Galliani.

Likewise, AC Milan Coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed his satisfaction with Beckham’s performance and has included the English midfielder in the UEFA Cup squad list for the two matches against Werder Bremen, which will be played on February 18th and 26th. Nevertheless, Ancelotti hopes for negotiations to turn out well so Beckham can stay with the club and play the rest of the season and the UEFA Cup.

The Beckham’s comeback to LA Galaxy is scheduled to be on March 9th, but AC Milan hopes they can negotiate with the US club to extend the loan until the end of the Italian League season or to acquire David Beckham with a good deal. However, it is impossible to know yet what will happen with AC Milan intentions and LA Galaxy decision and what will be Beckham’s decision at the end of this month. Whatever he decide we hope to keep watching his great football skills and talent during his time with AC Milan and later with the team he chooses to stay.

Ally White asked:


The 17-time champion of the Italian Serie A, the AC Milan, lost again another important game in the Italian Serie A after, being defeated for team Sampdoria 2-1 on Sunday. With this defeat, AC Milan is getting away from the top team Inter Milan, who has now 60 points. Currently AC Milan has 48 points, 12 points away from Inter and 5 points away from the second place Juventus, which has 53 points. Also, with this result, some critics’ doubt that AC Milan could even battle for the Scudetto this season, but Coach Ancelotti still has a hope for his team.

During these past two weeks, the results of AC Milan haven’t been positive; first losing against Inter Milan 2-1 on week 24 of the season, then exiting the UEFA Cup in the Round of 32 against Werder Bremen with an overall score of 3-3 (with the away goal rule in favour of the German squad) and now losing against the 14th place Sampdoria 2-1.

As well, there’s some rumours about that Carlo Ancelotti is in risk of getting replaced at the end of the season; however, the owner of the AC Milan franchise, Silvio Berlusconi, has expressed that the job of Ancelotti is safe for now, especially since he knows that the manager is dealing with injuries in some key players and as a result the positive outcomes have not been easy to accomplish.     

Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti is sure that his team will get better these following weeks as he expects that players like Kaka, Ronaldiho and some others will come back to the field.

“It is no doubt a difficult moment, but I am sure that things will get better soon. As soon as we recover our injured players and get a chance to train adequately, we will get back on track. I think it will take a couple of weeks but you will soon see a very different side,” stated Ancelotti.

Another concern for the AC Milan is the departure of the English midfielder David Beckham, who is leaving on March 9th to reunite with his team, the LA Galaxy. The retention of the midfielder has been a constant drama these past weeks in Italy, due to the fact that he was becoming an important part of the AC Milan late success and they want him to stay, however LA Galaxy did not want to make any negotiations over his player and now the superstar Beckhman has to leave to comply his contract with the MLS team.

Despite all these difficulties, AC Milan players, Coach Ancelotti and the franchise are hoping that things will get better, so they can achieve their only and last objective, which is obtaining the third place of the standings at the end of the season to get a berth in the Champions League.

The next game of AC Milan in the Italian Serie A will be against Atalanta on Sunday March, 8th at San Siro and the hopes are set in having several injured players back in the field. This also will be a special day as this will be David Beckham’s last game with the “Rossoneri”.

Audrey Nolan asked:


The AC Milan Captain Paolo Maldini is looking for a revenge against the Argentine team Boca Juniors in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. They are both the favorites to meet in the final on December 16th in Yokohama.

In 2003 Milan lost by penalties against the Argentine team during the Toyota Cup, the forerunners of the cup are trying to keep the crown for this year’s Club World Cup also.

“It’s not pleasant to think about matches we have lost in the past,” Maldini said Friday. “But we lost to Boca and that’s the team I think about the most”.

From December 7th to the 16th, the Club World Cup features the champions of FIFA’s continental club competitions. African champion Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, CONCACAF champion CF Pachuca of Mexico, Asian winners Urawa Reds, Oceania winner Waitekere United of New Zealand and Asian runner-up Sepahan of Iran are the other clubs participating.

The AC Milan and Boca joined the competition at the semifinal phase, with the Italians playing on Thursday against either Japan’s Urawa or the winner of Friday’s playoff between Sepahan and Waitekere.

This is very important for the Italians, as the Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said, it was important just as when they won the Champions League Cup against Liverpool in May.

“We have to put in all our energy to win the trophy,” said Galliani. “It’s a major objective to take this trophy home.”

The AC Milan Coach Carlo Ancelotti is a little concerned on the results or consequences the tournament will have on the team, since his mayor problem right now is that fact they are in 8th position 16 points away from the current leader Inter Milan.

“There are three matches waiting for us at home right after this tournament and we have to recondition ourselves immediately so we are at our best.” said Ancelotti.

Also Maldini, the 39-year old Italian announced that he is not planning on leaving his team before time, since he announced his retirement from football next year.

“I have a contract with Milan until next June and I have no intention of not honoring it,’ Maldini told reporters. ‘I am fit and focused on winning the Club World Cup.”

Ally White asked:


The English player of 33 years-old David Beckham, had his debut with the AC Milan on Sunday against the AS Roma, which ended with a tie of 2-2. The game was well-played by the England midfielder, who played for 89 minutes and who also was in charge of the majority of the free kicks and corners. Beckham looked sharp and in good condition despite the fact he was inactive for two months and the coach Carlo Ancelotti, the AC Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani, and players such as Seedorf and Kaka were really satisfied and pleased with Beckham’s performance. 

David Beckham joined AC Milan in a two-month loan from the LA Galaxy so he can stay in shape and could have the opportunity to earn a spot to play for his English National team. Beckham played for the first time in the US Major League Soccer during August 2007 with a 5-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy and he is currently the player with the highest salary in the MLS history.

Before Sunday’s game, Ancelotti was almost sure that he would not start the English superstar, but after witnessing some very good practice performances and the hard work and intelligence for the game that Beckham has, coach Ancelotti changed his mind and opened with him on Sunday’s game. His explanation to his decision was that Beckham deserved the starting position after his hard work during the last few days.

“I chose Beckham to start because he proved in recent days to be a very intelligent player and serious. The appearance against Roma is a small reward for him because he worked very hard and has adapted well to the team. This was only his second game with us and he will improve. I believe everyone is happy to have Beckham here,” stated Coach Ancelotti.

The superstar Kaka for his part, expressed he was really happy and satisfied of playing with a player such as David Beckham and he hopes that he would stay longer on the club. Kaka was impressed with his passing ability and the way of using his qualities in the game. The Brazilian star hopes for Beckham to stay more time in the club so he can play more beside him.

The striker and young Brazilian scorer Pato, also stated he was happy to play with him and that he was learning new things from him. As well, midfielder Clarence Seedorf was also pleased with the performance of Beckham especially in the second half of Sunday’s match.

Moreover, David Beckham affirmed that he really enjoyed the game and he felt great with the team. He also said he was happy with his performance and the opportunity that Coach Ancelotti gave him.

The next appearance of Beckham with AC Milan in the Italian Serie A will be in January 17th against Fiorentina at home. Currently, AC Milan is nine points behind the Italian Serie A leader, Inter Milan and five points behind second place Juventus. We hope the best for the English midfielder these two months in the Italian Serie A and we expect that with his contribution the AC Milan could get back to the best positions of the table.  

Julie Smith asked:


Florida State defender announces his plan to drop school to enter de NFL draft. NCAA Linebacker Ernie Sims has given up his senior year after 93 solo tackles in his three seasons, two as a starter. He also finished fourth at Florida State with 20 solo stops for 2005 including two during the College Football Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl was won last week by Penn State 26 to 23.

This 6 feet and 220 pounds NCAA player has also been having problems with concussions. For this reason Sims wasn’t able to participate on Florida State’s game at Duke last October.

Sims is the second Florida State’s player that makes the decision of leaving school to follow his dream playing at the National Football League. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie finds himself on top of this list. Cromartie missed 2005 season due to a knee injury.

Gen Wright asked:


Not many times would you hear hoorahs and wails at the same time coming out from a team! Knowing Michigan State Spartans, one can safely assume that they are at the end of such acts. This in spite of boasting some of the best college players up in their team! All you have to do is look at the team line up of the State Spartans. Quite clearly, you would find one thing ? There are just so many stars that you could expect those unexpected turns when the Spartans are playing.

But then, there is also a thought going around in circles that the best college players do not make good pros in the league. This is just not a thought but has been proven by latest findings. As many as 7 players from the team were found not fit to play in the next level. Now, that could mean two things ? 1) Either the players in the team just do not have it in them to move up the ladder or, 2) They are just too satisfied playing at the level they are now. Either ways, it surely is one of the dangerous prospects for the team to have as many as 7 players thought of not being able to play in the next level.

The performances of some of the professional league wannabes on the college level have been simply awe-inspiring. Considering all of them come from the Spartans team, there seems to be a serious problem with the management of the team. If all the guys or most of the guys in the team are rockstars on the college level, they could definitely make the grade in professional league as well. The fact that they have not been able to graduate to the next level makes one feel that the Spartans lack a transition program or a leadership program which will enable folks to move up the ladder.

The worrying factor is that the players from this team are not even considered fit for playing in the professional league. Clearly, there seems to be a gap, which possibly is wide enough for the guys to bridge. Either it is up there or in their playing skills itself. Playing in the professional league is a big enough motivation in itself. So, surely the players have it in their mind. This obviously brings us to the conclusion that somewhere down the line; the skills of the players would need to be uplifted.

And that is where the role of the Spartans’ management is questioned! Why have so many players failed to make the grade when the selection process is the same for all the teams? These and many more questions ? Surely the management does have a tough time ahead, but then considering the fact that its players are mired at the bottom, the sooner they answer it, the better it is for them.

tfsullivan asked:


In researching information for this article, the latest data for the presentation of the highest salaries in the NFL is for the 2008 season. It should be noted that this list changes from year to year. Also, the salary cap imposed by the NFL commission increases from year to year.

The salary cap is the amount of money an NFL team can spend on salaries for their players. The salary cap has progressively increased year by year since its inception back in 1994.

In essence the NFL salary cap, as negotiated by the players Union in the current collective bargaining agreement, is 62.24% of all football related revenue divided by 32 teams.

For the 2009 season that figure is 128 million dollars. The following shows the steady increase in salary cap since 1999:

Salary Cap Per Team for NFL Player Salaries by Year

2008 $116 million 2007 $109 million 2006 $102 million 2005 $85.5 million 2004 $80.5 million 2003 $75 million 2002 $71 million 2001 $67.5 million 2000 $62.2 million 1999 $58.4 million

As the salary cap increases, so does the salary of players. The real question is how is the money distributed to players. There is a type of salary distribution model that teams use which is not known to the general public. What is known is that the top 20 salaries for 2008 only had a couple of quarterbacks. Yet the highest paid player for 2008 was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. So who were the highest paid NFL players for 2008. The following table tells it all:

TOP 20 HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS IN 2008

1. QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh $ 27,701,920 2. DE Jared Allen, Minnesota $ 21,119,256 3. WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona $ 17,103,480 4. QB JaMarcus Russell, Oakland $ 16,872,400 5. RB Michael Turner, Atlanta $ 16,003,840 6. G Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants $ 14,890,000 7. CB Asante Samuel, Philadelphia $ 14,145,000 8. WR Randy Moss, New England $ 14,006,720 9. T Flozell Adams, Dallas $ 14,005,760 10 .DT Tommy Kelly, Oakland $ 13,978,480 11. WR Terrell Owens, Dallas $ 13,731,560 12. WR Bernard Berrian, Minnesota $ 13,705,000 13. T Michael Roos, Tennessee $ 13,505,520 14. C Jeff Faine, Tampa Bay $ 13,105,760 15. DE Will Smith, New Orleans $ 12,950,000 16. QB Tony Romo, Dallas $ 12,886,600 17. G Travelle Wharton, Carolina $ 12,850,000 18. DE Antwan Odom, Cincinnati $ 12,800,000 19. CB Terence Newman, Dallas $ 12,611,240 20. RB Marion Barber, Dallas $ 12,522,400

As previously stated, how teams pay their players and the value they place on them is known by only a few, including the player agent. It is interesting to note that having high salary players does not necessarily mean success to the team.

A case in point. One of the most successful NFL teams over the past ten years has been the New England Patriots. Yet only one player from the Patriots is in the top 20. That is wide receiver Randy Moss. Yet Oakland, over the past ten years, which has two players in the top 20, has not seen the success that the Patriots have had. As a mater of fact, they have not even gotten close.

Also, you can see five players from the Dallas Cowboys in the top 20 list for 2008, yet they have not been in the Super Bowl since 1995 (Super Bowl XXX). It appears that the New England Patriots like to spread their money around to their players, so that one or a few players do not get an enormous salary while the rest of the players make a fraction of that amount. Randy Moss may be an exception to this rule.

This team concept of salary distribution that the Patriots employ falls in line with the team concept they have set for their players when it comes to playing football. The Patriot’s organization believe that it requires a team effort to win football games, and not the effort of only a few players.Maybe that is one of the reasons the Patriots have been so successful over the past ten years. And lets not forget that the Patriots is one of the best managed teams in the NFL. Part of that management is salary distribution. Team owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick seem to know what they are doing.

In any case, NFL player salaries continue to increase year by year. Today the lowest rookie makes a bare minimum of $285,000.00 (at least for 2007). In terms of all professional sports, the NFL players are the highest paid. This is why so many college players seek to get into the NFL. But it should also be remembered that the average length of a career for a player in the NFL is only 4 years. So obviously a player needs to make all he can during that short career. The question is are the players worth these very high salaries.

A persons salary is dependent on one major factor. That is how many other people can do the job they are doing? The fewer the number of people that can perform a particular job, the higher the salary. Not to many people can play in the NFL. Also, the players do deserve most of the revenue that is produced simply because, without the players, you would not have any business entity. And since fans are willing to pay the high ticket prices, then I would have to answer the question that yes, the players do deserve the salaries they receive.

Football is a form of entertainment, but it is a form of entertainment Americans can not do without. Even in the Roman period, people had a need to see the gladiators fight in the coliseums. The difference is today, the players don’t kill each other.

The bottom line is, fans really seem to not care about the player salaries. They just like to watch their teams with the hope that their team will reach the Super Bowl, or in some cases, simply a winning season. And this season is developing into an interesting one indeed.

Information sources for this article:

Source: PayScale Resources Source: USATODAY.com

Trevor Sumner asked:


A youth football running back must be a “jack-of-all-trades” to play the position completely. He must be able to run, receive, block, and have a high level of physical and mental toughness. A talented and hardworking running back can break a game wide open by finding the right hole or securely running the ball to “eat up the clock” and protect the lead.

In order to meet the needs of this challenging position, future running backs must practice every day through a variety of football skills & drills to develop the fundamentals in each area of the position, particularly those they are weakest in. They should constantly be looking for ways to improve their football skills and can even find free tips from football pros online at sites like Weplay.com. Let’s look at some of the attributes an aspiring youth football running back should work on to improve their skills:

Position Training & Conditioning

The physical attributes of a running back can vary somewhat. What good running backs do have in common is overpowering speed, a low center of gravity, total body strength, and exceptional balance. A strength training program is highly recommended for a running back in youth football.

A running back needs quick reactions to locate holes in the defense and to exploit them. He must be able to change direction quickly while keeping his balance and protecting the ball.

A youth football running back should learn how to break tackles. He must keep his legs moving, driving them into the ground with forward momentum. An effective running back will be able to throw off larger tacklers with his arms and shoulders through sheer strength and balance.

A youth football running back must have good blocking skills. On passing plays, the running back must protect the quarterback. He is often the last line of protection and, if effective, can provide the quarterback with a couple of seconds to complete the pass. On plays with two running backs, he is called upon to block for his partner.

Mental Approach

The running back in youth football should learn how to read defensive positions and understand the blocking schemes of his offensive lineman. This will prepare him to spot the openings quickly during the heat of the play.

To be a quality running back, he must obtain mental toughness. He is hit hard and often throughout the game and must be able to shake it off. He must develop the ability to “never give up on the play” in order to get those extra inches that may result in a first down.

Receiving

He must know how to catch a football. The running back is often the target of an outlet pass when there are no other options. He must learn how to catch, tuck the ball, and run.

Drills for the Youth Running Back

Ball Protection Drill – This drill teaches youth running backs to run and protect the ball while maintaining balance. Have your running backs line up to receive a handoff. A running back carries the ball through a two-sided wall of defenders trying to strip the ball. As a running back, get down low, protect the ball and focus on four points of security. Each player then takes a turn.

Running Back Handoff Drill – This running back drill teaches the technical aspects of receiving a handoff. The player should create a pocket with the arms, the inside one on top and the lower arm cradling the ball. Line up players in two lines about 10 yards apart and facing each other. The first player takes the football and hands off to the player opposite him. That player then hands off to the running back coming from the other direction and so on. Speed is not important; it is the technical aspects that are essential. As the players become more adept you can speed up the tempo.

Brian Hog asked:


Numerous people take their hairs very seriously. Among football fans, the way football players color, cut, part, and curl their hairs is considered very admirable.

David Beckham, the captain of England football team, has always been changing his hair styles, which is now causing horrible damages to his hair. Beckham’s fans that followed him in terms of hair styling are also faced with the hair loss problem.

Fans of Michael Ballack, the footballer from Germany, have reportedly copied his hair style.

What can stop the Brazilian fans from getting inspired by Ronaldinho’s long curly hairs? Even after getting warned by their hair specialists, quite a big number of Ronaldinho fans attempted to have their hairs like him. Only few of them ended up with healthy hairs.

Even after knowing that they are not looking decent with their soccer stars’ hair styles, millions of football fans continue to have their favorite footballers’ hair styles. They even don’t consider the harm their type of scalp may suffer from having hair styles that may not be damaging to the type of scalp their favorite soccer players possess.

So, if you are a football fan, you can try copying your favorite soccer star’s hair as long as it is not causing you hair loss. If you yourself are a soccer player then you should know this:

• Excessive sun exposure from weekend soccer games can transform healthy hair into a brittle, filmy mess that may last for months.

• Damage is more common in the players who have blonde hairs.

So you should consult your hair specialist on regular basis. One of the things the hair expert will most probably advice you is the use of a good hair sunscreen. Strictly follow the expert’s advises; you may be the next Beckham.