Hot Features Picture: August 2009

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So Manchester United are to lodge a £40m bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

This story which appeared in the Daily Mail over the weekend is why so many people lose faith in good sports journalism. OK, fine, if you plaster this story all over your back page the chances are you will sell a few more papers. But come on! Who are you trying to kid?

Lets think about this for a second. If this transfer was to go through then two certain American businessmen would be living in protective custody for the rest of their lives. If the Glazers had to bring in a security firm to protect their Florida home for simply buying Manchester United, then God knows what would happen to Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett if they were to sell El Nino to their most hated of rivals. The East Lancs Road would resemble a scene from ‘The Warriors’, with less face paint and more Kappa tracksuits.

I urge anyone who reads stories of possible transfers this Summer to take with a pinch of salt any quote which is credited to a ‘club source’ or an ‘insider’.

You cannot be naive enough to think that some of these ’sources’ are not simply fabricated to add a legitimacy to the story, no matter how spurious. But, it does make you wonder that who the ‘insider’ really is and how much their testimony would add any weight to an article if you knew who they were.

What about Big Derek who comes round once every three months to check the smoke alarms at Carrington?

Or Joyce in the tea room with the twitch and the club foot? Who’ll tell anyone anything for £50 because she’s collecting the full range of ‘Princess Diana Memorial Plates’ from QVC. Because “One day they’ll be worth something.”

I’m sure they will Joyce. But here is the issue. It is the time of the year when your average British male is left with a void in his life which will not be filled until the first kick of the Community (its Charity, we all know it, but such is life) Shield in August.

You start to hear your girlfriend coming out with quips such as “What shall we do on Saturaday?” without a hint of sarcasm , you haven’t heard this for nine months and its scares you to death, I know.

So the only alternative is to immerse yourself in the inner workings of the transfer market. You need it, its like methadone to a heroin addict.

It means you can walk around IKEA on a Saturday afternoon with ‘er indoors and tolerate it. Because as soon as you get to the check-out with a deck chair under one arm and a parasol under the other, you notice another addict in the aisle next to you, clearly a shell of his former self, and you can say:

“Looks like Ronaldo’s off then” and he’ll reply with “Good, I can’t stand the diving ponce. Looks like City are after Drogba” and you say “I dunno, he’s getting on a bit, they’d be better off with Tevez, I can’t believe Fergie’s not gonna keep him.”

And so it continues every week until your one true love returns to you. This is why we are happy to digest this claptrap that we read on the back pages over the hot months, because there is no alternative.

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Spain international Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool in the victory over Tottenham on the final day of the Premier League season and is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. Fernando Torres has agreed a new, improved contract with Liverpool, reflecting his standing as one of the world's top strikers.

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Picture Of Youth Basketball Players

Coaching Youth Basketball beginners level (5-7 year olds), the fundamentals and simple offensive plays that they can understand is challenging. I'm coaching for the second year a youth basketball YMCA team (last year kindergarten this year 1st graders).

They play on an 8 ft. goal and must play man to man defense and wear colored wristbands to match up defense oppositions equally (skill and/or size). Each player must play a minimum of 2 quarters and sit for at least 1 quarter. The score is cleared after each quarter.I'm interested in discussing and learning how to better develop the children's fundamental skills, terminology, teamwork concept and incorporate a few effective offensive plays (screening and picks are not allowed). I created a few simple plays that we attempted to execute depending on the opposing team's level of play and found that we were eventually successful executing some plays towards the end of the season as the players developed. One way I found to be effective in having the team remember plays was to name them after a favorite cartoon that was applicable to the play. For example, "Sponge Bob" meant that 2 players would drop down to the post where they would feel comfortable shooting from and that the ball handler would lob a pass over to them (this worked since Sponge Bob lives under the sea; the players remembered to drop below their defender).I'm interested in sharing ideas or receiving tips that have worked for others with this level of basketball play.

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Players on Spain's Olympic basketball team defended a photo in an ad showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.
The photo, which has been running as a newspaper spread in Spain since Friday, shows all 15 players making the gesture on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur, a Spanish courier company, and is being used only in Spain.
"It was something like supposed to be funny or something, but never offensive in any way," said Spain centre Pau Gasol, who also plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. "I'm sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive."
Point guard Jose Manuel Calderon said the team was responding to a request from the photographer.

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The question of “What do basketball players wear?” has been asked by many parents searching high and low for a particular item requested by their child. I’m sure every parent has been in a similar position when shopping for the right item. Styles and brands come and go so fast and frequently, it’s often hard to keep up. It seems that basketball styles change often and even more frequently than the latest runway fashions.
If you asked the average person what basketball players wear you’re most likely to hear sneakers as their first answer. Basketball sneakers exploded into popular culture with the Converse Chuck Taylor’s and then with the Air Jordan’s. When those sneakers debuted in 1984 they revolutionized the concept of a basketball shoe. New versions have been released year after year and to date, remain a top seller for Nike. Reebok produce a sneaker called the Pump that you could “pump up” to achieve a custom fit around your foot in an effort to compete with Nike. Unfortunately it didn’t quite pan out that way for Reebok and the sneaker was discontinued after a few years.
Today’s players favor large, baggy shorts and jerseys rather than the high riding shorts and tight fitting tank tops of the past. Companies such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok are all major players in the basketball apparel retail market. Not only do these companies sell basketball shorts and jerseys of your favorite teams, they also sell other team sanctioned items such as warm-up jackets, socks, t-shirts and hats. These companies also produce basketball warm-up pants. The main advantage of warm-up pants is their ability to fit over sneakers. By manufacturing the pants with either a zipper or series of buttons along the leg, the player has the ability to remove the warm-up pants without taking off his sneakers.
Unlike other sports like hockey and football, a basketball player does not require a tremendous amount of equipment. All you really need to play, besides a basketball and hoop, are a good pair of sneakers, shorts and a t-shirt. As new materials and fabrics become available, companies like Nike, Reebok and Under Armor are quick to incorporate them into their latest designs. The latest rage are “dry-fit” t-shirts pioneered by Under Armor but available through Nike and Reebok as well. These under shirts have the ability to wick moisture away from the body while the fabric stays dry. The reason why basketball players wear this type of shirt is that they actually cool the body down while providing a superior level of comfort.
What basketball players wear will continue to change as the game itself continues to evolve. Looking back at the history of the basketball sneaker, for example, shows that there has been some remarkable advancement in the last few decades alone. I’m sure the next decade will provide as many revolutionary basketball shoe designs as the last decade.

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This undated photo, taken in Madrid, shows some members of Spain's Olympic women's basketball team making gestures while posing for an Olympics publicity photo. The photo was originally part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur and is being used solely in Spain. (Seur/Associated Press)"We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture," Calderon, who plays for the NBA's Toronto Raptors, wrote on his ElMundo.es blog. "Without a doubt, some ... press didn't see it that way."
International media criticized the photo.
London's Daily Telegraph said Spain's "poor reputation for insensitivity toward racial issues has been further harmed" by the photo.
"This was clearly inappropriate, but we understand the Spanish team intended no offence and has apologized," Emmanuelle Moreau, a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee, said in an e-mail. "The matter rests there as far as the IOC is concerned."
The OCA, an organization representing Asian-Pacific Americans, also found the photo disturbing.
"It is unfortunate that this type of imagery would rear its head at a time that is supposed to be about world unity," George Wu, the group's deputy director, said in a statement.
'We never intended anything like that'
The Spanish women's basketball team also posed for photos doing the same thing, and four members of Argentina's women's Olympic football team were shown making similar faces in a photograph published last week.
Gasol said it was "absurd" people were calling the gesture racist.
"We never intended anything like that," he said.
The Spanish basketball federation declined to comment Wednesday.
"The players explained what happened," said Juan Antonio Villanueva, communications director for Madrid's 2016 Olympic bid. "We think that's enough."
A Seur official in Madrid said the company had not intended to offend the Chinese people, but has no immediate plans to withdraw the ad, which is scheduled to run on selected days until the end of the Games.
Seur has not received any formal protest or complaint from Chinese authorities, the official said on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.
It's not the first time Spanish sports has encountered questions over racist attitudes, and the photo comes at a time when Madrid is vying to host the Olympics.
"We're surprised by the remarks of racism," said Villanueva. "Spain is not a racist country — quite the opposite."
Spain extends contract with Li Ning
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton was subjected to abuse at a Barcelona circuit in February, while former Spain coach Luis Aragones also used a racist remark about France striker Thierry Henry to motivate one of his players. Monkey chants rained down on England's black players during an international friendly against Spain in a match played in Madrid in 2004, soon after Aragones's outburst.
The basketball federation had just signed a four-year contract extension with Chinese clothing brand Li Ning shortly after arriving in the Chinese capital for the games.
"We have great respect for the far East and its people, some of my best friends in Toronto are originally Chinese, including one of our sponsors, the brand Li Ning," Calderon wrote. "Whoever wants to interpret it differently is completely confusing it."
Frank Zhang, Li Ning's director of government and public affairs, played down the incident.
"We don't think this is an insulting gesture to the Chinese," Zhang said. "In fact, the gesture shows that the Spanish team is so humorous, relaxing and cute. They sat around a dragon pattern, which we think showed respect to the Chinese.
"Li Ning Ltd. will not change any business plans with the Spanish team because of this," Zhang added. "People should focus on great Olympic Games instead of something else."

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Western Michigan basketball players David Kool, left, and Andre Ricks, right, are blended in a photo illustration. While the players blend easily as teammates, views from the outside often seem to be based on stereotypes of black and white.
player David Kool did his best not to squirm. He simply couldn't help it, repeatedly replacing the phrase "white people" with "we" or "us" or "um, um."
His point was made -- both in what he was trying to get across and just how uncomfortable the subject matter remains.
"Growing up and seeing ... when you look on the other side of the floor, it was always a different feel," Kool said later, pausing rather than spitting out the term "African Americans" or "black kids."
"You get more butterflies in your stomach and think, 'Uh, oh, here we go again. We're going to get beat up again.' You get over that when you get a little older and realize that has nothing to do with it."
Kool's caution with his language is human nature, as are his thoughts, whether many of us will admit to it.
Spelling out every emotion or opinion you've ever had about race is dangerous in a world where one off-the-mark comment, even if only for discussion's sake, can permanently damage a reputation.
Western Michigan University's men's basketball team is different than most at the NCAA Division I level -- it starts four white players and has five more on its 15-man roster. A year from now, it'll be more the norm, as all six incoming players are black.
In a sport riddled with stereotypes about white and black players, this year's Broncos seem perfect for a study on racial perceptions in college basketball.
"Guys like Shawnee (Shawntes Gary) can jump out of the gym. You see me, I can't even dunk the ball," Kool, who is white, said of Gary, who is black.
In some ways -- vertical leaps included -- Kool and Gary and many of the other Broncos players drive the stereotypes that remain imbedded in college basketball's recruiting circles and the outside world.
But they are also examples of what happens when impressionable young people are thrown into an environment with balance -- racially and culturally. And, outside of a few uncomfortable stammers, they can articulate it profoundly.
"I think people look over that a lot, what all it brings to the table," Gary said. "People see us out on the court and they wouldn't know how close we are when it comes to being off the court. Besides a couple of people, I don't hang out with anybody here besides my teammates. You learn so much."
"Part of the world tells you not to be a family and likes to split us apart," Kool said. "I think being on an athletic team, being on the floor and spending each and every day with guys like this ... you really learn to value the heart of a person."
Kool may value the heart, but it was the quickness of his white feet -- or perceived lack thereof -- that was more the question for recruiters, and he's well aware of it.
"Just the perception of athleticism. That's a huge thing (coaches) look for when they're recruiting," said Kool, who won the state's Mr. Basketball award as a senior at Grand Rapids South Christian but didn't receive a scholarship offer from Michigan State University or the University of Michigan after tearing a knee ligament six months before the season. "That's what people didn't see in me. And I think the bigger teams like that kind of shied away, and, I mean, that's fine if that's what they want to do. I just live every day of my life trying to prove them wrong."
You could probably replace Kool's name with others across the country and read similar thoughts.
"You always talk about athleticism when you talk about white players," said Larry Butler, coach of one of the nation's elite AAU programs, the Illinois Warriors. "If a white kid is being recruited, how tough is he? With the black athlete, you're talking about skill and shooting."
The perceptions of black players, especially those from the inner-city, can be more insulting. It's one thing to question one's coordination -- most of us will admit our limitations there. It's another to belittle the mind.
"The stereotype on African American athletes is, 'I know he can play, I know he's athletic, but can he handle it through school?'" said Andre Ricks, a junior from Detroit who carries a grade-point average close to 3.0.
"Come in here and look at our grades," Kool added. "You wouldn't be able to tell the difference (between the white and black players) if there wasn't a name behind it."
"You go recruiting, there are stereotypes that have been in place for years," WMU coach Steve Hawkins said. "Some of them are legitimate and some of them aren't. Stereotypes are just that."
For example, center Joe Reitz is, admittedly, a plodding white guy. On the other hand, forward Andrew Hershberger, every bit as Caucasian, was recruited for his athletic ability. African-born Silver Laku is one of the best shooters on the team, but is not among its best athletes.
"Two years ago we had a lot of white guys on the team and couldn't shoot worth a dang," Hawkins said. "We were an awful shooting team. You want to talk about breaking stereotypes, we were miserable."
Off the court, as Hawkins is quick to point out, Reitz, a two-time Academic All-American, spends his free time laughing at "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy," while Gary plays Jazz piano.
Yet, even if unintentionally, Hawkins' program can feed the outside stereotypes this son of diversity-rich Ventura, Calif., says he's careful to not let cloud his judgment. Next season, WMU is replacing five white players and one originally from Sudan with five black players and a native of Gambia -- all as the program aims to become "more athletic."
"It just happened to work out that way. At the same time, not only were these kids athletic, but from a skill standpoint they were exactly what we were looking for," said Hawkins, who also praised the stereotype-busting personality and intelligence of the incoming class.
Why does this matter? Because building a roster too heavy on one race can make the families of potential recruits uncomfortable and leave a program as a target in a competitive, if not always ethical, recruiting landscape.
"We've definitely gotten to the point where colleges have to balance out their roster to avoid stereotypes," Scout.com scouting director Dave Telep said. "In recruiting ... whether you have too many white guys or too many black guys, too many of anything can be used against you in a hurry."
Hawkins is all too familiar with this.
"I'm not naive," he said. "I know it because I've heard it recruiting. I know that people have used the fact that we have a lot of white guys against us in the recruiting process.
"We need a balance of athleticism, a balance of size, a balance of ability to throw the ball inside and to shoot from the perimeter. How it comes in terms of color, it doesn't matter to me."
That it's come from so many different backgrounds recently, though, is a quality this team enjoys and benefits from.
The examples are many and, as is the case with most perceived racial differences, more cultural than skin tone.
Ricks' Thanksgiving trip to Gary's home in Elkhart, Ind., where the two came across an Amish buggy on the road, led to quick education.
"He said, ''Tes (Shawntes), what's that cart doing on the back of that horse?'" Gary said, laughing.
"I was like, 'Whoa, what's going on?'" Ricks said. "Then 'Tes was like, 'This is how we do it down here.'"
"I can remember when I first met Dre, and Dre, he's an interesting cat," began Reitz, a native of Fishers, Ind., a predominately white suburb of Indianapolis. "Just to talk to him about life growing up in inner-city Detroit. I remember calling my dad right after that and having a conversation about just how special it is that I've gotten to meet these guys from different places and different backgrounds. The stuff like that can help me relate to anyone I'm going to meet the rest of my life."
Said Hawkins: "If you will take the time to get to know people, not whether or not their pants are sagging, not whether or not they've got their hair braided, not whether or not they have earrings in or tattoos, not whether or not he's black, he's white or where he's from -- if you will take the time to get to know people, your faith in humanity can be restored."
We'll know that's actually taking place when Andre Ricks doesn't feel he's viewed as intellectually inferior and David Kool doesn't live to prove people wrong.
Whether they are actually victims of prejudice doesn't matter. This is about perception.

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