WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao was quoted in Golzka as stating that Floyd Mayweather Jr. no longer had a reason to avoid a possible fight between the two of them. A few months ago, Mayweather requested Pacquiao to take random drug tests until 14-days before a planned May fight. Pacquiao refused his demand but agreed to take the random tests until 24-days before their fight date.

Recently Pacquiao agreed to accept Mayweather’s request of 14-days. If Mayweather turns down the request, then Pacquiao thinks the real reason for the fight not taking place is simple “fear” on the side of Mayweather.

“He [Mayweather] will no longer have a reason [not to fight],” Pacquiao said.. “Let’s see if that is really the reason.”

Pacquiao does not want them to take too much blood during the drug tests. He only wants to give enough blood to comply with the tests in a proper way.

“I have agreed to it, but they should not draw much blood,” Pacquiao said. “They should only take what is necessary for the drug test.”

In February, Mayweather was very angry over their disagreement during the first round of negotiations. He promised to take the 14-day window off the table. He promised to issue a new demand where Pacquiao would have to get tested without any restrictions until their actual fight date. Mayweather has not issued that new demand since he first spoke about it in February. The promoters conducting the negotiations are not talking to the media about the crucial details involved and because of that we don’t know if Mayweather will honor his previous request of 14-days.

Manny Pacquiao: Floyd Mayweather too Scared to Fight Me is a post from: AroDrive

The final two rounds of the NBA playoffs are poised to determine not only the league’s next champion, but also which players make the biggest strides as corporate pitchmen this summer.

On that front, the 2010 postseason is shaping up as a classic battle of point guards: the Suns’ Steve Nash vs. the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo. Both are underdogs in their respective conference finals (though the Celtics’ Game 1 road win over Orlando gained them an early edge). But should they both advance to set up a Boston-Phoenix final, a lot of endorsement dough could be at stake.

Nash has been one of the league’s brightest stars for years, winning two MVP awards, but his less than explosive game (he doesn’t soar and dunk) and lack of a championship ring has left him off the radar of top advertisers. If he beats Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, and then goes on to win it all, a new audience appears, experts think.

“His strength is that he’s a player the average kid can identify with,” says sports marketing specialist Bob Dorfman of Baker Street Partners of the 6-foot-3, 180 pound guard. Often passed over by Nike ( NKE – news – people ) as a featured endorser, Nash set out to expand his marketing horizons by making humorous Vitamin Water videos and interning at a New York advertising agency during the off-season. The image of his wounded eye during the Suns’ second-round sweep of San Antonio would seem to make him ideal for a funny spot for Band-Aids or aspirin.

Rondo, meanwhile, has spent his first three seasons deferring to the Celtics’ veteran stars. But his recent dominant play has the 2010 playoffs shaping up as his coming out party–he outplayed LeBron James during the last round in front of a national audience. A title this year would be his second, but his first as top banana, almost always a springboard to riches off the court.

Among other key players in this year’s final four, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant has the least to gain after nabbing his first championship ring without co-star Shaquille O’Neal last year. At this point in his career, another league title (he had three during the Shaq years) might seem as routine as the fifth moon landing. Among the Lakers, there’s more marketing upside for center Pau Gasol, seen as an interesting guy who’s known to hang out with tenor Placido Domingo, and Zen master coach Phil Jackson, who has long encouraged his players to read novels on the road. A humorous cellphone spot for Gasol, perhaps chatting with Domingo or his brother Marc, a fellow NBA center, might hit the spot. For Jackson, why not match his voracious reading habits with technology in a plug for the Amazon Kindle?

Then there’s the subplot of the Eastern Conference final between Boston and Orlando: the battle of Gatorade big men Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. A featured player in Gatorade’s new “G” campaign a year ago, Garnett has yielded screen time to the younger Howard in this year’s “Gatorade has Evolved” version of the campaign.

Call it investing in the young and dynamic over the old and injured. But Garnett seems to be on the verge of turning things around, scoring lots of positive press for his willingness to play hurt and for his intense “win at all costs” approach. At the same time, there’s a growing sense that Howard, good as he is, hasn’t quite lived up to the hype generated by his wide marketing appeal. His popular Super Man imitations, used on ESPN SportsCenter ads, would resonate more with an NBA title.

“I think he’s got to win it this year,” Dorfman says. “And he hasn’t had a great playoff so far.”

Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo serious players for endorsement dough is a post from: AroDrive

Even after a complete and utter annihilation of the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, a game that the Celtics dominated early and never looked back, Doc Rivers insisted that this series wasn’t over. His team had won the game, yes, but they hadn’t broken the Magic’s spirits.

“They’re going to come back in the next game and they’re going to give us their best shot,” Rivers said after Saturday night’s 94-71 laugher. “They’re a competitive group, and we know that. Quite honestly, we’re not good enough to let up. I can tell you that. And they’re good enough to get it going. And so we have to be very conscious of that.”

There you have it. Straight from the coach’s mouth — the Celtics have this Magic team down, but not out.

But then you listen to the guy manning the other sideline. He’s singing a totally different tune.

“The most disappointing thing to me was that I didn’t have our team better ready to play,” said Stan Van Gundy, humiliated and crushed after Saturday’s loss. “That was what was disappointing to me — my job. That was the most disappointing. It starts with me. It’s my job. I’m the coach of this team. It starts with me. I’m not happy with where I had our team tonight, anything about what I did, my plan, any adjustments, anything.”

He sounds like a man who’s been thoroughly defeated. Outclassed, outwilled, outcoached by Rivers and the Celtics.

This series is a battle of the last two champions in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have proven their mettle in recent memory — the Celtics took down the East and won the NBA Finals in six games two years ago, and the Magic made the finals last spring. There should be no confusion at this stage. Everyone knows what they’re playing for.

And yet somehow, inexplicably, the Magic sound lost.

“I just think that right now we’ve got to find ourselves,” Dwight Howard said. “These last three games, we haven’t played like Orlando Magic. Seemed like tonight our bodies were here, but our minds weren’t. Our hearts seemed like they weren’t into it. I don’t know what happened.”

You could sense all night long that the Magic just didn’t have the heart — the “compete level,” to borrow a hockey term — to keep up in Game 3. Every loose ball, the Celtics dove for it and the Magic were a step slow. Every rebound, the Celtics were all over it and the Magic barely tried. The playoffs are a test of who can be tougher, who can fight harder. And the Magic got absolutely humiliated in that department.

“All season long, I don’t think there’s been a game where the other team outplayed us, outhustled us, and just worked harder than us,” Howard said. “But they’ve done that for the last three games. And that’s why they’re ahead.”

This is how bad it got: Early in the fourth quarter, with the Celtics up 30 and a 3-0 series lead for the men in green looking pretty much certain, the fans at the TD Garden broke into a full-on chant of “Beat L.A.” with Orlando, statistically the best team left standing and the absolute hottest team in the NBA over the last two months, right there soaking it in.

Fans in Boston can say a lot of nasty stuff, but “Beat L.A.?” That’s just offensive.

“A lot of things offend us on the court,” Howard said, “but we just have to keep playing. We can’t allow that to, like, mess with our heads. Like I said, we know we’re in a tough situation, but we’ve just got to keep fighting. Like I said, I won’t give up. You know, my team, we’re going to come out with a better effort and just try to make it a series.”

Of course they’ll try, but with their current mind-set and their defeated attitude, it’s hard to imagine them finding much success.

Stan Van Gundy, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in a State of Confusion is a post from: AroDrive

He can envision looking toward the home crowd and seeing President Barack Obama in the stands, cheering him on as he tries to resurrect the Washington Wizards.

“That would be big time,” he said.

That would also describe the task at hand if he winds up in Washington, where the Wizards are coming off a brutal 26-56 season that included the death of longtime owner Abe Pollin and Gilbert Arenas’ suspension for bringing guns into the Verizon Center locker room.

They finally got some good news on Tuesday when they won the draft lottery, and now, they have a decision to make.

Do they take Wall, the dynamic freshman point guard from Kentucky or Evan Turner, the national player of the year for Ohio State? Or someone else?

The NBA draft is June 24, and while Wall appears to be the front-runner, Turner isn’t conceding. Whoever doesn’t get picked by Washington, could wind up with Philadelphia at No. 2.

“That’s a goal for everybody growing up as a kid,” Turner said. “You want to be the one picked. If it doesn’t happen that way, I’m going to be cool with it. As long as I get to play in the NBA, that’s my dream come true.”

The same goes for Wall. The two figure to have some explosive matchups when they meet in the NBA, though the competition playing out at the moment is pretty intense, too.

“I think they could choose between two really good players,” Turner said Thursday at the NBA draft combine. “John’s a great player, he’s young, he’s smart, he’s a nice guy.”

Wall was a highlight reel staple last season while leading Kentucky to a 35-3 record, the SEC regular-season and conference tournament titles and the NCAA regional finals in its first season under coach John Calipari. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game and was SEC player of the year.

Now, he has a chance to be taken with the No.1 pick after one year in college, just like another spectacular point guard who played for Calipari — All-Star Derrick Rose, who went to the Bulls in 2008 after a year at Memphis.

If Wall doesn’t go to Washington?

“I won’t really be too surprised,” Wall said. “A lot of people say I should be the pick. That’s what I feel for myself. I work hard all year, and I’m going to keep working hard. It’s whatever the organization needs for their team at that time.”

Wall talked with Rose and LeBron James during the season, hoping to pick the brains of two players who were heavily hyped entering the NBA.

He said Rose told him, “You’ve got to work hard. You can’t let it get to you. They’re going to say certain things. Some of it’s going to be positive, some of it’s going to be negative. Whatever’s negative, you’ve just got to deal with it.”

If the Wizards go with the 6-foot-7 Turner, they would be getting a player who missed 4 1/2 weeks with broken bones in his back, yet wound up leading Ohio State to one of its best seasons.

The Chicago native averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field as a junior after being moved to point guard. Ohio State posted the second-most wins in school history while going 29-8, capturing a share of the Big Ten title, winning the conference tournament championship and reaching the NCAA’s round of 16 before falling to Tennessee.

Turner will work out with the Wizards, and he believes his versatility could sway them. After all, he made a smooth transition to the point after a decision by coach Thad Matta that raised a few eyebrows since he was prone to mistakes with the ball and had never played the position. Turner doesn’t care which guard position he plays in the NBA.

“I don’t think it matters at all,” Turner said. “As long as I’m out there being able to play basketball and compete, I’ll be fine.”

Asked why he should be the No. 1 pick, Turner said: “I did a lot of work this year, all the adversity I came back from, my maturity level now. Not to be arrogant or cocky, I won every national player of the year award. That kind of puts a little inner confidence toward me, and I think I can help a team.”

John Wall, Evan Turner: A Fight for the No 1 Draft is a post from: AroDrive

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $100,000 for making public his interest in Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James in advance of the July 1 start of the National Basketball Association’s free agency.

Cuban’s comments during an online interview May 18 violated the league’s anti-tampering rules, said Joel Litvin, NBA president of League and Basketball Operations.

Cuban was asked during his appearance on CNNMoney.com if he was interested in acquiring James.

“Come July 1st, yeah, anybody would be interested in LeBron James,” Cuban said. “If he leaves via free agency, it’s going to be tough. If he does like I’m guessing, I’m hoping that he will, which is to say ‘I’m not going to leave the Cavs high and dry’ — if he decides to leave — there’s still a better chance he’s going to stay — then he’ll force a sign-and-trade and that gives us a chance.”

Cuban acknowledged the fine on his Twitter Web site.

“For those of you who care about these things,” Cuban wrote. “NBA just fined me 100k for comments regarding another teams’ players.”

Steve Kerr, Phoenix Suns president of Basketball Operations, was fined $10,000 for violating the anti-tampering rules during Sports Illustrated’s radio broadcast, The Dan Patrick Show, on May 14.

Patrick asked Kerr where the Suns stood among those who wanted James.

“If he’ll take mid-level, we’ll give it to him,” Kerr said, laughing. “Five and a half million. I think he’ll take it, don’t you? I want him to stay in Cleveland. I think it’s good for the league when stars stay with their own team. It’s good business when teams can keep their core together and fans can get connected to those players.”

David Stern Fines Mark Cuban One Million Dollars is a post from: AroDrive

As the stadium loudspeakers announced the lineup for the Champions League final between Inter Milan  and Bayern Munich, the name of José Mourinho, Inter’s Portuguese coach, drew a thunderous shout of approval from the section of fans in Inter’s black and blue.

For those fans, Saturday night was probably their last chance to celebrate the man they call Mou, who crowned another remarkable coaching season by leading Inter to a 2-0 victory at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

It was Inter’s first triumph in Europe’s most prestigious club soccer competition since winning consecutive titles in 1964 and 1965, and it came in the kind of match that will almost certainly convince big-spending Real Madrid that Mourinho can help secure championships after this year’s trophyless season.

Even before Inter’s victory, Real Madrid was rumored to want Mourinho on its bench.

Mourinho, who also won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, seemed to agree that Madrid would probably be his next home.

“If you don’t coach Real Madrid then you always have a gap in your career,” he said.

By the final whistle, Mourinho’s tactical choices had certainly paid off.

Despite a big advantage in ball possession, Bayern never managed to pierce Inter’s defensive wall, marshaled by its two South American central defenders, the Brazilian Lúcio and the Argentine Walter Samuel. As Bayern tried to push forward, it left itself exposed to lethal counter-attacks, spearheaded by Inter’s Argentine forward Diego Milito, who scored both goals.

In the late 1990s, Mourinho was an assistant to Bayern Manager Louis Van Gaal at Barcelona. On Saturday, Van Gaal acknowledged the superiority of Mourinho’s more defensive approach.

“I’m very happy for Mourinho that he won with this style of play,” he said. “Attacking is much more difficult than defending — and so many German teams that we face also opt for defending. But Inter does it a bit better.”

Mourinho dismissed as “provocation” the suggestions that Inter managed to win only by playing defensively.

“We have demonstrated our identity throughout this Champions League,” he said. “We deserved this title.”

Milito’s performance was the climax of a season in which he justified his signing last summer from the smaller club Genoa. In recent weeks, Milito scored the decisive goals in Inter’s Italian Cup triumph over Roma and in the final match of the Serie A season, a victory that clinched the league title for Inter.

In the 35th minute Saturday, Inter goalkeeper Júlio César sent a powerful kick upfield, which Milito headed to Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder, Inter’s Dutch playmaker, quickly returned the pass, and Milito sent a perfectly timed chip over Bayern goalkeeper Hans Jörg Butt. On the second goal, in the 70th minute, Milito collected the ball far from the Bayern goal and charged forward with no obvious support in sight. Choosing once more a direct path to goal, he ran at the last defender, Belgium’s Daniel Van Buyten, bamboozled him with a beautiful dribble and put the ball in the net.

Bayern had its chances but rarely looked likely to translate its ball possession into goals. A perfect illustration of its sterile domination came in the final minute of the first half, when Bayern kept the ball close to the edge of the Inter penalty area without finding a way to penetrate the Italian fortress. By the final whistle, Bayern had managed 21 shots to Inter’s 12. But only six were on target, compared with seven for Inter.

Without the suspended French wing Franck Ribéry, Bayern lacked creativity and pace. Ribéry’s absence on the left also resulted in an imbalance in Bayern’s attack, helping Inter to focus on controlling Arjen Robben on the right.

For all his powerful running, Robben, who was returning to the Bernabéu after playing there for Real Madrid, rarely managed to worry Júlio César. Mourinho appeared to have given his defenders instructions to keep Robben at bay, and even physically to intimidate him. After only three minutes, Robben was rolling around on the grass after being brought down by the much larger Samuel.

The match, the first Champions League final played on a weekend and the first to be broadcast on an over-the-air network in the United States, never turned into the dirty and stale game some had predicted. The opening minutes of the second half provided end-to-end soccer, forcing great saves from Júlio César and Butt, who palmed away a shot by Goran Pandev.

European Champions Inter Milan To Lose Coach is a post from: AroDrive

EVA LASKARI is everything we love in a super fan, shes hot and personable:-)

And lets not forget, she loves her football as much as she loves her body.

Eva is a self proclaimed supermodel, I don’t know about that… but she sure is a super fan.

For more of EVA LASKARI

Facebook

Myspace

And just incase we didn’t mention, she loves to be naked and we love that too. Go Greece!!!

EVA LASKARI Greek’s Not so Hidden Secret – A-List South Africa 2010 Super Fans is a post from: AroDrive

Spain seems invincible, except of course, when it plays the United States. The surprise of the 2-0 defeat to the Americans in the Confederations Cup semifinals last summer in South Africa has worn off, but the lessons were retained.

The 2008 Euro title helped shed its reputation as an underachiever in international competition, but Spain still needs to prove itself in the World Cup.

Switzerland and Chile are likely to fight for the second slot, but Honduras is dangerous on attack and claims European-based players.

A-List Picks: Spain, Chile.

Chile

• Region: South America
• FIFA Ranking: 17
• World Cup appearances (titles): 8 (0)

Spain’s invincibly enforced by an easy group – World Cup Group H Breakdown is a post from: AroDrive

It’s the Group of Death! Leading to the draw, Ivory Coast was Africa’s best hope to go deep in the tournament and some had even hoped they might win it all and although sentiment remains that the Elephants will find a way to advance they will have to battle four-time champion Brazil and a Portugal side led by 2008 FIFA player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo are the early favorites.

A difficult group might help the Brazilians in the long run and since no European country has ever won the world cup outside of Europe, this might be Brazil’s world cup to lose.

North Korea will attempt to repeat the shock of 1966, when it upset Italy.

A- List Picks: Brazil, Ivory Coast.

Portugal

• Region: Europe
• FIFA Ranking: 5
• World Cup appearances (titles): 5 (0)

Brazil and Ivory Coast fight in the Group of Death – World Cup Group G Breakdown is a post from: AroDrive

Post main event brawl? Check.

Ratings down 30%? Check.

A high priced free agent ready to flee after defeating the high priced free agent that was just signed? Check.

Ugly and boring fights? Check.

Highlight of the evening was being uncomfortably close to one of King Mo’s dancers without a wad of one dollar bills? Check.

That looks like the makings of a complete and total disaster,and what do you know? That’s exactly what happened on CBS on Saturday night.

The monumental news of the evening was the melee that broke out in the cage after Jake Shields defeated Dan Henderson to retain his middleweight title. Was this hooliganism between Henderson’s corner and Shields’ teammates? Nope. But it did resemble something straight out of The Warriors.

A surly Jason “Mayhem” Miller snuck into the cage to confront Jake Shields during the post-fight interview. Miller said, “What’s up? Where’s my rematch buddy?” which seems like an innocent enough question, one that any fighter trying to sell a future fight would ask but this wasn’t a normal fight camp.

Miller quickly found out he punk’d the wrong crew, as the entire Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu team converged on “Mayhem” like a pack of velociraptors.  From there all mayhem broke out (sorry, I had to use it once). Jake Shields threw a punch as did Nick and Nate Diaz. Someone from Shields corner started curb stomping Miller when he briefly hit the mat and once the fight had been broken up another member of Team “Crazy”Gracie attempted to climb over the cage to chase Miller down but luckily, he was pulled off the cage after reaching the crest.

CBS announcer Gus Johnson tried to diffuse the situation saying, “Gentlemen, we are on national television. Gentlemen! We are on national television!”
I am glad you brought that subject up Gus. This event was on national television and considering the fact that MMA is still striving for mainstream acceptance (a photographer on site not attached to a MMA website told me that this really is human cockfighting) and its checkered past on CBS *cough Kimbo Slice cough,* the instant reaction was, “well, there goes Strikeforce’s network television deal.”

CBS officials were clearly not happy with how the card ended but they tried to put on their best face.  Programming vice president Kelly Kahl told Dave Meltzer that he didn’t believe the post-fight brawl would be an issue. And therein lies the double edged sword facing Mixed Martial Arts.

If the brawl is not mainstream news, then what does that say about the cultural relevance of a MMA card without the UFC logo? On the flip side, it’s actually better for MMA that the busy sports weekend might result in this unfortunate incident being brushed under the rug. The last thing MMA needs is a Helen Lovejoy, “oh, won’t someone please think of the children!” moment.

To a tee, all of the fighters involved were dazed and confused (for the record, that wasn’t a Nick Diaz pot joke) with what happened. Heading to the post-fight press conference “Mayhem” Miller was leaning against the wall checking his Twitter account and marveled out loud, “wow, I just got 700 [twitter] replies.” When asked about what happened he said it was “funny” though he later apologized on his website.

I would have asked the Diaz brothers about their involvement with the incident but was afraid that a question like “why did you feel the need to kick him in the face?” would be misconstrued as an insult and I like not having a broken nose.

While the brawl became the “it” story Strikeforce’s Nashville event wasn’t exactly peachy to begin with. Strikeforce’s big free agent acquisition, Dan Henderson, lost to Jake Shields. In the first round it looked like Henderson was going to pick up right where he left Michael Bisping, who now becomes a free agent. That sound you’re hearing right now, that’s Dana White salivating.

Shields and Strikforce CEO, Scott Coker, were both muted on the possible contact negotiations but Jake is a hot commodity in MMA and with Zuffa’s deep pockets it would come as no surprise if they swooped in and grabbed him.

The Shinya Aoki – Gilbert Melendez was a painful twenty-five minute affair. Put it this way, once Aoki resorted to butt scooting and Gilbert gave ground you knew you’re in for a long night. Melendez won a unanimous decision and retained the Strikeforce lightweight title; though he would end up landing more power punches in the brawl at the end of the night.

For DREAM lightweight champion, Shinya Aoki, the fight represented a battle of national pride for Japan. If the fight were an episode of Pacific it was, well, let’s just say that Japan lost World War II and leave it at that.

“King Mo” made his own Strikeforce champion ring in anticipation for his victory over Gegard Mousasi. Lawal must have known that Mousasi went to Josh Neer takedown defense school as “King Mo” spent an exhausting 20 minutes on top of Gegard. Lawal didn’t have a choice as the second the fight was standing Mousasi peppered him with punches causing Mo’s left eye to swell completely shut. But King Mo was able to shut Gegard down to win the wrestling.

Hands down the highlight of the evening was witnessing “King Mo” Lawal’s entrance. The Texas native hired a host of local women from a nearby watering hole to escort him to the cage. One young lady threw rose petals for his majesty to walk on while another woman held an umbrella I assume to block harmful U.V. rays inside the stadium. The rest of the crew danced, and I use that term loosely, along the catwalk to the delight of fans.

* Champ Jake Shields def. Dan Henderson via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-45, 48-45). Shields retains Strikeforce middleweight title.
* Champ Gilbert Melendez def. Shinya Aoki via unanimous decision (50-45 across the board). Melendez retains Strikeforce lightweight title.
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal def. Gegard Mousasi via unanimous decision (49-45 across the board). Lawal wins the Strikeforce light heavyweight title.
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller def. Tim Stout via TKO (strikes) – Round 1.

The Jake Shields vs Dan Henderson after fight a black eye for CBS is a post from: AroDrive

LeBron James scored 15 of his 40-point haul in a spectacular fourth quarter display as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 112-102 on Monday to seize a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

James added eight rebounds and eight assists in helping the Cavs retain homecourt advantage in the best-of-seven first round series over a determined Bulls team.

“(The Bulls) kept scrapping and every time they would do that (we) would hit a big shot,” James told reporters after making 16-of-23 shots from the field.

“In Game One, I was feeling out the defense too much and they were giving me the jump shot. I had to take it.”

The score was tied 77-77 at the end of the third quarter before the Cavaliers scored five unanswered points at the start of the fourth.

The Bulls twice pulled within three points in the final few minutes but Cleveland responded with three-pointers from James and Jamario Moon, who finished with 12 points.

The Cavaliers were strong from long range the entire game and shot 56 percent from the field while making 10-of-20 three pointers.

Joakim Noah scored 25 points and made 13 rebounds for Chicago, while Derrick Rose scored 23 and made eight assists.

Game Three is in Chicago on Thursday.

LeBron James shuts up Joakim Noah and the Bulls with 40 points is a post from: AroDrive

France, a country with some of the most fascinating football fans in the world. No french football fan is more fascinatingly sexy than France International Claude Makelele’s squeeze Noemie Lenoir.

She lived with Claude Makélélé of Paris Saint-Germain. They have a son named Kelyan Makélélé (born 2 February 2005). The couple split in early 2009. [3]  Despite widespread reports Lenoir was married to Makélélé, she wrote a blog in 2009 clarifying their former relationship, saying: ‘I’m not and have never been married. I do have a son. I have a wonderful baby’s father and have a great relationship with him, however I’ve been single for some time now.

What ever the case might be she’s still our favorite Football WAG and France hottest Super Fan.

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Noemie Lenoir is not Frances only very hot Super Fan, here are more of the Sexy Super Fans France has to offer:

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Noemie Lenoir A French Super Fan – A-List South Africa 2010 Super Fans is a post from: AroDrive

Italy is another logical choice for passage to the second round, but age is becoming an issue and the Azzurri is coming off subpar performances at the 2008 European Championship and 2009 Confederations Cup.

No team has won consecutive World Cup championships since Brazil in 1958 and ’62 and no European team has won the title outside of Europe.

New Zealand, anchored by former D.C. United defender Ryan Nelsen, is making its first appearance since 1982 and Slovakia is making its debut.

A-list Picks: Italy, Paraguay.

Slovakia

• Region: Europe
• FIFA Ranking: 34
• World Cup appearances (titles): 1 (0)

Italy looking to dance into second round – World Cup Group F Breakdown is a post from: AroDrive

Is time for the NBA playoffs a time where stars are made.

But first we thought we look back at the season that was and rank the best players in the league this season.

Please keep in mind this is not a lifetime achievement award the question here is: who played the best basketball in the NBA for the 2009 – 2010 season?

To rank these players we used a combination of individual stats, team’s performance and individual’s contributions to games outcome.

These are the A-List top 15 of the NBA 2009-2010

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15. Brandon Jennings – PPG: 15.5 RPG: 3.50 APG: 5.8

Brandon Jennings has been a spark for the perennial loosing Bucks, scoring 55 points — including 29 in the third quarter in a game this season and has revived the career of the big Aussie Andrew Bogut. Jennings’ amazing performance set an NBA record, passing LeBron James as the youngest player ever to score 50 points.

Jennings has Milwaukee Bucks set at the number 6 spots in the eastern conference and looking to make some noise in the post season for the first time in a long time thanks to the brilliance of A-List candidate for rookie of the year Brandon Jennings.

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14. Gerald Wallace – PPG: 18.3 RPG: 10.10 APG: 2.1

Charlotte Bobcats (or as I like to call them Jordan Bobcats(Add Link) have gone from a team nobody wants to see – to one of the most exciting franchise in the NBA. The Gerald Wallace – Steven Jackson combo has delivered the franchise’s first winning season.

Gerald Wallace’s amazing offense and he’s individual defensive prowess has lifted the play of his teammates and revived the spirit of basketball fans in Charlotte. Read Michael Jordan, the Face of the Bobcats – for more on the struggles, disappointment and emergence of the Charlotte Bobcats.

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13. Dwyane Wade – PPG: 26.5 RPG: 4.90 APG: 6.6

This is a no brainer, Wade is nothing short of spectacle unfortunately he’s playing for a very bad team and most nights he’s best efforts has not helped he’s team win. This is why he’s been ranked this low on our list.

The Miami Heat’s are playoffs bound again thanks to the play of Wade and partly due to the fact that the east is full of bad teams.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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12. Rajon Rondo – PPG: 13.7 RPG: 4.40 APG: 9.8

This is a team with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen but all three guys have had their struggles this season but Rondo has been as steady as a rock and is the main reason they are still competitive.

He has come through for the team when they needed a spark on offense with clutch shots or a crucial assist and is fast becoming one of the NBA’s best defensive players providing he’s team important stops or steals that has resulted in thrilling victories this season.

Rondo is young and gutsy and I strongly believe he will be a good leader on a Super Team, read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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11. Dirk Nowitzki – PPG: 25.1 RPG: 7.70 APG: 2.7

Dirk’s numbers over the years have always been solid and for the first time he might actually have a shot at going all the way and this time actually winning a title.

Dirk’s cast of characters includes future hall of famer Jason Kidd, the human Matrix Shawn Marion, a happy Caron Butler and a center I never liked in DC but seem to have found he’s second wind in Dallas – though he never had a first!

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10. Manu Ginobili – PPG: 16.6 RPG: 3.80 APG: 4.9

Manu like every other member of the San Antonio Spurs was bugged down by injury all season long but he came back with a vengeance and now has the Spurs positioned for a strong playoff push.

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9. Brandon Roy – PPG: 21.5 RPG: 4.40 APG: 4.7

The talent of Brandon Roy is undeniable and for another season he is playing out of he’s mind and has he’s team positioned for the playoffs again.

With Portland’s acquisition of Marcus Camby and Roy getting healthier this team will make some noise in the playoffs.

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8. Carmelo Anthony – PPG: 28.3 RPG: 6.60 APG: 3.3

This team is going through some very serious internal issues from George Karl’s re-occurring cancer to the whole team finding it hard to keep a winning streak going late in the season.

But this has been another monster season for Anthony and with the addition of Chauncey Billups this team looks like they could be ready to give the Lakers a run for their money if they can find their mojo this playoffs.

Anthony is the heart and soul of this very solid team and with he’s recent performances against the best teams in the league (Lakers, Orlando, Boston and Cavaliers) this team might be ready for an NBA finals appearance and might even be lifting the title in june.

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7. Kevin Durant – PPG: 30.1 RPG: 7.60 APG: 2.8

They might call LeBron James the King and that might be true in the Kingdom of Cleveland, Ohio but Durant is the undeniable emperor of the NBA this season, so far he’s been virtually unstoppable and for the first time Oklahoma Thunders are going to make the playoffs.

Am personally looking forward to the first round matchup of Kobe v Durant.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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6. Joe Johnson – PPG: 21.2 RPG: 4.60 APG: 4.9

The Hawks has improved tremendously since the arrival of Johnson in Atlanta and with excellent play in the clutch from Johnson this team has beating some of the best teams in the league this year in convincing fashion including a beat down of Boston earlier this year.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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5. Dwight Howard – PPG: 18.4 RPG: 13.20 APG: 1.7

I will like to rank Dwight Howard much lower than number 5 as I don’t think Howard really impacts games as much as he’s been hyped to be doing.

From the article Shaq is Superman and Dwight Howard?: Howard stands about 7 feet and yet he finds it hard to dominate around the basket, mostly because he’s fundamentals are flawed – for a big man he has yet to master the art of keeping the ball high above he’s shoulders when he catches or rebounds the ball, and lacks the know how to make a layup without bouncing the ball first, these are the reasons he’s easily stripped by 6 feet guards and why he turns the ball over so much under the basket. (Click here to read the article)

However, Howard is still one of the biggest presence in the middle and he’s team is the second best team in the NBA and he’s numbers are solid all around.

I also believe he can be a great center on a Super Team with the right coach and a pass first point guard. He has nonetheless been very vital in a couple of games this season hence he’s ranked number 5.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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4. Deron Williams – PPG: 18.7 RPG: 4.00 APG: 10.6

The Jazz are on a tear and Deron Williams is leading the charge with teammate Carlos Boozer this team had a breakout season that has not been seen in Utah since the days of Karl Malone and John Stockton.

Williams play is vital for a Super Team read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade to see which other stars he might fit best and for more on 2010 free agencies and NBA Super Teams.

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3. Kobe Bryant – PPG: 27.0 RPG: 5.40 APG: 5.0

The Black Mambo is the best player in the NBA but then again that is an argument that will go on for as long as this two players are are still playing, from the article: Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Is Bryant Better Overall? – Barber-Shop Conversations: Kobe breaks down opponents with finesse while hardly breaking a sweat. He reminds me of Jordan’s game after he came back from he’s first retirement for the 1995-1996 season. (Click here to read more)

The defending NBA Champions are in a very good position to win it all again and Kobe Bryant though hampered by injuries all season seem to have not lost a step hitting one game winner after another and still putting up big numbers.

If you are wondering why Kobe Bryant is ranked so low though he’s having a very remarkable year and he’s team has the best record in the western conference again.

Kobe has probably the best team in the NBA and though Ron Artest and Gasol have not played relatively well this season and Bynum can’t seem to stay healthy, they are still the best team in the league with arguably the best coach in Basketball.

So in my opinion they should have a better record.

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2. Steve Nash – PPG: 16.6 RPG: 3.30 APG: 11.0

The best all around offensive player in the NBA is at it again, pushing he’s team again into the playoffs.

No matter which players are removed or added to this team Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns never miss a beat thanks to the brilliant mind of the floor general.

I truly believe that the Phoenix Suns along with the Dallas Mavericks are the only threat to the Lakers in the west.

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1. LeBron James – PPG: 29.7 RPG: 7.30 APG: 8.6

What more can I say? From the article Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Is Bryant Better Overall? – Barber-Shop Conversations: For now LeBron is still improving on he’s game and adding new assets to he’s portfolio every day. Last year he added the long range shot and so far it seem like he’s 3 point shots are getting better. (Click here to read more)

LeBron James is a triple double waiting to happen every night and with the addition of Shaq and Antawn Jamison this team looks to be set to win it all this season.

This is LeBron James one chance to win a championship in Cleveland and I have a strong feeling both David Stern and the referees will ensure that happens.

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So what do you think of our rankings?

The NBA’s Best Players 2009-2010 is a post from: AroDrive

It’s been an exciting five months of competition to find the Hottest Cheerleader of the NBA for the 2009 – 2010 season.

For a while Odaymis (Miami Heat) looked liked the runaway favorite to win and Ashley Bond (Chicago Bulls) was a very close second. But, just like the NBA season a couple of candidates surged – Teresa (Phoenix Suns), Annie (Philadelphia 76ERs) and Jessica Marie (San Antonio Spurs) made an improbable run that lead to some really heated conversations between fans of the 76ERs and the Spurs and I know also lead to lots of friends been made.

So from all of us here at the A-List, we like to thank everyone who contributed by voting, marketing and suggested candidates for the contest.

Ladies and gentle men without further ado, your A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleader 2009-2010:

Hometown: San Antonio Texas

Occupation: A Teacher / Dance Director at a local High School

Team Status: 3nd year

Career Goal: To obtain a Master’s degree in Administration in the next couple of years. I would also love to go into to Fashion Merchandise and own my own boutique. (When I can pull myself away from my career now.)

For more on the Hottest Cheerleader in the NBA Jessica Marie Sanchez click here

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Here’s how the top five rounds up

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Annie – (Philadelphia 76ers)

Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ

What do you do when you aren’t dancing?
Relax with family and friends.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’m Jewish.

Besides dancing, do you have any other talents?
I can play the piano.

For more Annie Lynn click here

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Teresa (Phoenix Suns)

The Suns are a classy organization. Teresa is a classy chick—just makes good sense.

She is holding it down for the Suns this season as the team’s leader in hotness.

She also has a great asset[...]

For more on Teresa click here

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Odaymis Romero (Miami Heat)

Odaymis is a graduate of Florida International University and she has been with the Heat for 2 years.

Heading into her junior year with Miami, she hopes to bring the heat and really turn up the temperature for the crowd in American Airlines Arena this season.

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Alicia Erin (Washington Wizards)

in here own words: I just started modeling this year. I also am a pro cheerleader for the NBA, and a dance student at UMD. I have done a few shoots and would like to build up my modeling career, and see how far it takes me.

I cannot do nude pictures so don’t ask. I however will do bathing [...]

For more on Alicia Erin click here

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Here’s more Jessica Marie Sanchez

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For more on the Hottest Cheerleader in the NBA Jessica Marie Sanchez click here

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The final results:

Jessica Marie Sanchez – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleader 2009 – 2010 is a post from: AroDrive

Latin American sports fans are some of the most fanatic and hands down some of the sexiest too.

Mexico boast some really sizzling and unbelievable hotties, none hotter than Top 25 Sexiest Sportscasters (A-List Edition) 2010 nominee Ines Sainz.

Ines Sainz is one hot lady. Just ask T.O., he knows. She is the reporter who was the only person who could get T.O. to talk after he refused to speak with the media after one of his Cowboys games. This Mexican beauty can hypnotize many with her pretty face and her perfect 10 booty. I think her butt has it’s own fan club, and many people have become obsessed with her pants and how they are so tight! She without a doubt Mexico greatest export to sports fans every where.

Vote for her on Top 25 Sexiest Sportscasters (A-List Edition) 2010

Click here to check out her page on AroDrive.com

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Here’s more of Ines Sainz

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Here’s more Mexican Super Fans

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Mexico’s Sexiest Football Fans – A-List South Africa 2010 Super Fans is a post from: AroDrive

The Dutch are heavy favorites, but with dynamic forward Robin van Persie sidelined until probably April with an ankle injury, challenges lie ahead.

The primary contender is Denmark, which, after missing the 2006 tournament, came out ahead of Portugal and Sweden in arguably the most difficult qualifying group in Europe.

Japan has been beyond the first round just once (when it was a host in 2002), but with more players signing in Europe, the quality has improved. Cameroon seeks advancement for the first time since 1990.

A List Picks: Netherlands, Denmark.

Cameroon

• Region: Africa
• FIFA Ranking: 11
• World Cup appearances (titles): 6 (0)

Denmark looking to make a statement – World Cup Group E Breakdown is a post from: AroDrive

While Saturday’s much-hyped UFC 112 event was coming to its anticlimactic ending, the night’s real drama was going on Octagon-side and continued during the post-fight press conference.

UFC president Dana White was so disgusted with middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s circus act that he handed the belt to Ed Soares, “The Spider’s” manager, in the 4th Round and told him to wrap the gold around Silva’s waist because White wasn’t going to do it.

The brash promoter immediately stormed off backstage, leaving well before it was announced Silva had earned a unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia.

White’s anger only intensified as the night grew longer. He stated at the presser that he was “disgusted” with Silva’s antics and repeatedly apologized for the “embarrassing” show his organization put on in their Middle East debut.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more embarrassed in the 10 years I’ve been in this business,” White said. “It was the first time I have ever walked out on a main event.”

It was the Brazilian’s 12th consecutive win and bumped his record to a dominant 26-4. It was his seventh straight 185-pound title defense, however his last three have left a lot to be desired.

Below Dana White interview:

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UFC 112 Bonuses

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On a night that saw the crowning of a new lightweight champ, saw the crowd turn on another champion, and the fall of another Gracie, the UFC handed down $75,000 dollar bonuses to Mark Munoz, Kendall Grove, Rafael Dos Anjos, and DeMarques Johnson for their efforts at UFC 112.

“UFC 112: Invincible” took place on Saturday April 10th at the Concert Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event drew in a reported 11,008 spectators to the first ever outdoor event for a gate total of approx. $3.5 million, which works out to about $317.95 per ticket.

Munoz and Grove earned the “Fight of the Night” honor for their two round see-saw battle in the first televised bout of the event. “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” was in trouble in the first round but managed to hold on and turned on the ground-and-pound in the second round to finish Grove via TKO at 2:50.

Dos Anjos was awarded the “Submission of the Night” for sinking in an arm bar on opponent Terry Etim late in the second round. Etim attempted a submission of his own in the opening minutes of the bout, attempting a guillotine choke for 30 seconds, Dos Anjos waited for patiently for Etim to tire and eventually slipped out. In the second, Dos Anjos attempted several submissions moving from a north-south choke into a kimura attempt, and then securing an arm bar at 4:40 for the victory.

Johnson, a “TUF” 9 finalist, earned the “Knockout of the Night” after a come from behind victory over opponent Brad Blackburn on the preliminary card. Blackburn earned the first two rounds of the fight and had Johnson on his back in the third, but the welterweight managed to fight his way back to a standing position landing a kick to his opponents body to end the fight.

Dana White disgusted with Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia Fight is a post from: AroDrive

No one seem to be looking to Germany as favorite to win it all, I personally have never liked the Germans but they have been very predictable on footballs biggest stage.

Germany will advance because Germany always advances. In the modern era of the tournament, its worst performance was losing in the second round in 1978. A three-time champion and four-time runner-up, the nationalmannschaft has retained many of the key components that overachieved in 2006 to reach the semifinals.

This is a very predictable group with Ghana, Australia and Serbia, Germany should have no problem going 3-0 and waltz right into the round of 16.

Ghana might be the only competitor in this group, with a strong showing in the African Cup of Nations and an impressive qualifying run, they should be able to come out of this group.

Hey, here’s a surprise, the Ghana vs. Germany game in Johannesburg June 23 will be very interesting.

So I guess the scramble for the second slot will be intriguing with Ghana and Australia on the brink of an international breakthrough and a Serbian side determined to rebound from three losses in ’06.

A-List Picks: Germany, Ghana.

Ghana

• Region: Africa
• FIFA Ranking: 37
• World Cup appearances (titles): 2 (0)

This is Germany’s Tournament to Lose – World Cup Group D Breakdown is a post from: AroDrive

The fact that UFC 112  is being held Saturday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, is really like something out of Laurel & Hardy. Here’s hoping there’s nothing wrong according to Sharia law with paying to see two men hit each other.

As for the actual fistic business at hand, this has card-of-the-year potential all over it. Pound-for-pound impresarios Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn defend the middleweight and lightweight titles respectively in bouts that will either continue to nail down their status as all-timers or turn the rankings into a jigsaw puzzle. Batting behind the double headliners is a funky collection of violence including the return of the wrestling Paul Bunyan, Hawaii’s second favorite son and some guy who comes from this Gracie family I keep hearing about.

In preparation for this Saturday’s pay-per-view mega-card, you know you best get some knowledge in your system in time for the fights. So get reading and remember that if you hated me that much, you wouldn’t keep reading.

Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia

The Breakdown: Circumstance is a funny thing in fight sport. Demian Maia finds himself in the position of challenging arguably the greatest middleweight of all time, despite the fact that he wasn’t supposed to. Vitor Belfort was supposed to be the man making the trip to Abu Dhabi to face Silva for the middleweight title, and when injury forced him out, Chael Sonnen was supposed to be waiting in the wings to take his spot. Injuries did in Sonnen the same as Belfort, though. Now Maia’s so-called luck has him in a position to either make himself an instant legend or an instant highlight clip for the reigning and defending UFC middleweight champion.

Normally a bout of this caliber would be a bit more nuanced than a simplistic striker vs. grappler archetype, but the fact is that Maia will get the Phinneas Gage treatment if he doesn’t get Silva down with the quickness. This is where it gets interesting. Scoring takedowns has never been a problem for Maia, as he’s quite adept at closing the pocket and either pulling guard or using throws and trips to take top control.

Closing the pocket on Silva is theoretically a good idea the same way building the Large Hadron Collider is a good idea as long as it doesn’t explode the universe. In Maia’s perfect world, he gets inside on Silva, quickly executes a takedown and goes to work on a submission before his notoriously clumsy striking gets his head lopped off. The first step of that perfect fight is fraught with pain potential, though. Silva excels at catching fighters trying to crowd him, and even when opponents do get their hands on him, Silva’s Thai clinch does more rhinoplasty work than a Hollywood plastic surgery clinic.

Closing the pocket on Silva is theoretically a good idea the same way building the Large Hadron Collider is a good idea as long as it doesn’t explode the universe. In Maia’s perfect world, he gets inside on Silva, quickly executes a takedown and goes to work on a submission before his notoriously clumsy striking gets his head lopped off. The first step of that perfect fight is fraught with pain potential, though. Silva excels at catching fighters trying to crowd him, and even when opponents do get their hands on him, Silva’s Thai clinch does more rhinoplasty work than a Hollywood plastic surgery clinic.

Continue Reading>>>

Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia a Clash in Arabia – UFC 112 is a post from: AroDrive

For nearly three weeks, Butler took over the NCAA Tournament with an uprising against college basketball bluebloods that captivated the country.

Monday night, with the national championship at stake, Duke, the once and again king, put down the revolt.

The Blue Devils took the smallest of leads early in the second half and held on through a dozen Butler challenges to pull out a 61-59 victory before 70,930 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The tournament was a 64-game epic filled with last-second heroics. Before Duke could ascend to the throne once more, it had to survive the last. That came when Butler star Gordon Hayward corraled a defensive rebound with less than three seconds to play and managed to reach halfcourt to launch a prayer .

“Watching that ball go through the air, my heart stopped,” Duke senior Lance Thomas said.

For the Hollywood script to work, the greatest title game upset of all time, this low-percentage shot from the low-percentage Bulldogs would have to go in. It hit the backboard and the rim and came out.

“Felt good. Looked good,” Hayward said. “Just wasn’t there. … Just didn’t go in.”

“I had a great view,” Duke’s Kyle Singler said. “That son of a gun looked good. I can’t believe they didn’t get the lucky bounce or something. Those plays happen.

“When I saw it come off the rim, it was just a relief. We have something special that will last forever.”

Duke (35-5) is national champion for the fourth time and first time since 2001. Coach Mike Krzyzewski now has four crowns, moving him into a second-place tie with Adolph Rupp of Kentucky behind John Wooden’s 10 with UCLA. This may stand as his finest coaching job. Unlike previous Duke title winners, there is no clear NBA lottery pick on this veteran-filled team.

“Every time someone talked about what Duke had done in the past or that this might be our fourth national championship, I didn’t want them to think about those things,” Krzyzewski said. “It would have taken away from their moment. They can’t identify with that.”

Again it was the offense of Duke’s Big Three that carried the Devils. Singler had 19 points and nine rebounds, Jon Scheyer 15 points and five assists and Nolan Smith 13 points. For Smith, the end was an especially gratifying moment. His late father, Derek, won the 1980 national championship with Louisville in Indianapolis.

“I guess it’s like father, like son,” he said. His father died of a heart attack in 1996.

Hayward and Shelvin Mack each scored 12 points for the Bulldogs (33-5), but both were affected by Duke’s high-intensity defense. Hayward was just 2-for-11 shooting and Mack 5-for-14 as the team made only 35% from the field. The Bulldogs managed to stay in the game by somehow rebounding with the bigger Blue Devils; they had 14 offensive rebounds and turned them into 15 points.

Duke got a Scheyer 3-pointer and a Brian Zoubek layup on an inbounds play to go up 47-43 with 12:27 to play. It just couldn’t extend the lead much beyond that. Butler closed to within two or three points seven times. The Blue Devils, refusing to lose their grip, answered every time.

“We’re a persistent team. We know how to play with pressure,” Thomas said. “When things aren’t going our way, the tail isn’t between our legs. We know there’s a way to get through it and we do.”

No stand was tougher than the one Duke made against Butler’s last true possession. Matt Howard had scored a layup off a lob pass with 54.8 seconds to play to cut it to 60-59. On the other end, the Blue Devils got a great look at the basket, but Singler’s open jumper hit the front of the rim and went out off Zoubek to give the ball back to the Bulldogs.

Working after a timeout with 14 seconds to go, the Dawgs got Hayward the ball and he drove to the right side. The best individual talent on the court, the 6-8 sophomore got open for a fallaway along the baseline. It hit the far side of the rim and came out. Zoubek got the rebound and was fouled with 3.6 seconds left.

“That was the one I thought was going in,” Hayward said.

After Zoubek purposely missed the second of two foul shots, Hayward’s prayer bounced off.

Duke is again at the top of the college basketball world. It may not be going anywhere anytime soon. One of the top prospects in the country, Kyrie Irving from Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick, is coming and only three seniors come off the team.

Butler could be a top five team at the start of next season if Hayward doesn’t go to the NBA. But for now the dream story is done.

Said Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens: “I feel somewhat empty.”

Butler’s miracle ran out, Duke Blue Devils National Champions is a post from: AroDrive

In June South Africa will host the world’s largest sporting fiesta and for 30 days the they will showcase some of footballs loudest, most colorful and sexiest fans.

So we take a look at some of South Africa’s sexiest fans, we call them Super Fans.

South Africa is home to some of the most beautiful women on the planet and Sports Illustrated Model Tanya Manganyi is a very good example.

Tanya Maganyi is featured as the only black model on this year Sport Illustrated SA Swimwear issue and she sizzles!!!

The Pretoria hottie’s modeling career has taken off ever since she appeared on the pages of Sports Illustrated SA, she is now featured on the Ponds TV Commercials and Mag prints and Billboards across her home country..…

Tanya is 26 and married to fellow model Clifford Manganyi and they have a son.

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For more photos and videos of Tanya click here.

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The next South African hottie needs no introduction, Charlize Theron is more than just another South African star she is an Ambassador for the event.

Here are more of South Africa’s finest:

South Africa’s Sexiest Football Fans – A-List South Africa 2010 Super Fans is a post from: AroDrive

Should the United States join England as the group favorite? Yes and no. The Americans have a habit of alternating quality performances in the World Cup, and they are on schedule to rebound from 2006 shortcomings.

The stunning run to the Confederations Cup final two years ago should boost confidence, but long-term injuries to key players will make preparations more difficult. Algeria was tested in qualifying, beating Egypt in an extra group game, and Slovenia has grown since its World Cup debut in 2002.

England is the best team in this group and it seem like they might have no problem advancing to the round of 16.

Picks: England, United States.

Slovenia

• Region: Europe
• FIFA Ranking: 33
• World Cup appearances (titles): 2 (0)

Could this be the year for Team USA? – World Cup Group C Breakdown is a post from: AroDrive

The A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 has turned into a dog fight (no pun intended) between Jessica Marie Sanchez (Spurs) and Annie Lynn (76ers), with just 11 days to go in this contest the Spurs fans has voted Jessica into a narrow lead with 6,528 votes over Annie who currently has 6,371 votes.

For the best part of this contest the Miami Heat fans has done their best to keep their girl Odaymis Romero at the top of the table but that has changed as the Heat dancer has only been able to muster just 2,078 vote which accounts for just 10% of the total votes.

Votes will be closed on April 14, 2010 and it looks like is going to be a two way fight to the finish, so from all of us at the A-List we wish Jessica, Annie and all the other girls all the best.

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Here are the Top 5 vote getters (April 3, 2010)

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Jessica Marie Sanchez (Spurs) – 6,528 (32%)

Annie (76ers) – 6,371 (31%)

Odaymis Romero (Heat) – 2,078 (10%)

Alicia Erin (Wizards) – 1,406 (7%)

Megan Elizabeth Agrusa (Pistons) – 1,371 (7%)

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This is a 30 team contest people so vote for your favorite NBA Cheerleader today and vote as many times as you can. Votes close on April 14, 2010.

Click Here to Vote.

Jessica and Annie leaving the competition in the dust – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders – 2010 is a post from: AroDrive

Tiger Woods paid New York party girl Rachel Uchitel  a whopping $10 million to keep quiet about their alleged affair, TMZ.com reported Thursday.

The leggy lovely was offered the hush money just before she was supposed to publicly confirm a tabloid report about Woods’ adultery at a press conference arranged by high-powered lawyer Gloria Allred.

But Uchitel pulled the plug on the presser without explanation and has been as silent as a Sphinx ever since.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen other women – including a porn star and a cougar – have surfaced with their own claims of bedding the world’s best golfer.

TMZ’s story came after Woods apologized for cheating on wife Elin Nordegren with a bevy of babes – and a week before he tees off at the Masters tournament in Augusta and ends his self-imposed exile from pro golf.

There was no immediate response from either Uchitel or Team Tiger.

Woods’ good-guy image was totalled on Nov. 27 when he drove his SUV into a tree outside his Florida mansion after Nordegren confronted him about a report in the National Enquirer linking him to Uchitel.

Woods has since apologized but he has not named any of women he reportedly bedded behind his wife’s back.

For more on the Tiger Woods Saga click here.

Rachel Uchitel signs a $10 million Tiger Woods Contract is a post from: AroDrive