SPORTS NOTES - MESSI, TIGER WOODS, ALLAN IVERSON & MORE TOP THE NEWS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

FIFA… IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE - TIGER BY THE TAIL - MESSI, BARCELONA TOPS - ALLEN IVERSON QUANDARY - MARION JONES RETURNS TO BASKETBALL

Friday December 4, 2009

FIFA… IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE

You can say what you want but the saying if it ain't broke don't fix it most certainly applies to FIFA which is broke and needs fixing. The old guard has old ideas and has been in power too long and fixed in their ways. The Thierry Henry hand ball incident has gotten out of hand (pardon the pun) and now FIFA is planning to investigate Henry when it is themselves they should be looking at.

One of the reasons the US president can only serve two terms equating eight years in office is too keep things honest and fresh. FIFA hasn't done that. The Henry hand ball controversy would never be an issue had there been modern technology TV instant replay in place. Forget the addition of referees who can be blinded by the line of sight. Strategically fixed TV cameras could do the job.

For Henry to be humiliated by all of the controversy is nonsense. What happened was wrong but pre-planned... not hardly. Anyone who has played sports knows that in an instant some reactions are not according to rules but are instinctive as was Henry's. The focus of the problem should be directed at FIFA the supposedly governing body of the so called beautiful game whose lack of progressive governing requires an investigation.

MESSI - BARCELONA TOPS

As the Beatles sang, 'Money Can't Buy you Love,' Real Madrid can start singing that it can't buy them wins either. Though Real Madrid has spent over $300 million during the summer for player acquisitions they currently trial Barcelona by five points in the Spanish League standings. Barcelona has stars that play together evidenced by Lionel Messi winning the Golden Ball awarded to the European Footballer of the Year. Messi won the award by a landslide result garnering 473 of a possible 480 points and won it by a record-margin of 240 points.

Last season the 22-year-old Argentine tallied 38 goals in 51 games in all competitions. What sets this team apart from Real Madrid is their harmony that is exemplified the supporting and key role Thierry Henry has taken after being the main man at Arsenal at Barcelona he functions more so in a supporting role. The result being Barcelona has a true team that fits together.

TIGER BY THE TAIL

In the past some of the news media have been labeled sensationalist with their primary focus is to dig for dirt. The Tiger Woods accident has gotten out of hand as all of the news media including the highly respected BBC has jumped on the bandwagon trying to dig up as much dirt as possible to discredit an individual who is recognized by many as being the greatest golfer ever.

The dirt is that Woods has had an extramarital affair. If one were to investigate the news media reporting on this so called big breaking news story it is highly likely that the majority of them have had extramarital affairs. The bottom line is if Woods did… SO WHAT! He's receiving more media attention than Catholic pedophile priests having sex with children. As the saying goes those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

ALLEN IVERSON QUANDARY

Allen Iverson's legacy will probably be most noted as being one of the greatest players in the NBA who never was a member of an NBA championship team.

Iverson was selected with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1996-97 season. Iverson is a ten-time NBA All-Star which includes winning the All-Star MVP award in 2001 and 2005.

Winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2004-05 seasons, Iverson has become one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his small (6'0") stature, with a career scoring average of 27.1 points per game, being fifth all-time. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000-01 season and led his team to the NBA Finals that post-season.

He will also be remembered for his famous words after a clash with then 76ers coach Larry Brown who criticized Iverson for missing team practices. Iverson responded to the media by saying, "We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice," He went on a rant and included the word "practice" 14 times.

The eventual result was that after 11 ½ seasons with the Sixers Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets who later traded him to the Detroit Pistons.

It's that I'm bigger than the team attitude that has held Iverson back. The strange thing about the situation is that when we interviewed him during his rookie year he was one of the most pleasant and giving of his time of any NBA players that we have ever interviewed.

Having left the Philadelphia 76ers three years ago on sour terms events have gone full circle and Iverson has agree to return to the Sixers for a one-year, non-guaranteed contract. Coach Brown now in charge of the Charlotte Bobcats has stated that Iverson needs to be in the NBA because he is so talented. Iverson could be in a Sixers uniform this coming Monday in a game against his former club the Denver Nuggets. Stay tuned…

MARION JONES RETURNS TO BASKETBALL

Former Olympic Gold medalist Marion Jones is reported to be entertaining the idea of playing professional basketball. Jones who served jail time after admitting that she took steroids is now working out in San Antonio, Texas hoping to get in shape to pursue a pro basketball career in the WNBA.

Prior to becoming one of the greatest track stars in history the now 34-year-old, six foot tall Jones played on the North Carolina University NCAA championship team when she was a freshman at the school. Although she was a track star in high school she accepted a full basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina.

Jones won five medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia but has since agreed to forfeit all medals and prizes dating back to September 2000 after admitting that she took performance-enhancing drugs.

In October 2007, Jones admitted taking steroids before the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics and acknowledged that she had, in fact, lied when she previously denied steroid use in statements to the press, to various sports agencies, and—most significantly—to two grand juries. One was impaneled to investigate the BALCO "designer steroid" ring and the other was impaneled to investigate a check fraud ring involving many of the same parties from the BALCO case. As a result of these admissions, Jones accepted a two-year suspension from track and field competition, and announced her retirement from track and field on October 5, 2007.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency stated that the sanction "also requires disqualification of all her competitive results obtained after September 1, 2000, and forfeiture of all medals, results, points and prizes". On October 5, 2007, Jones formally pled guilty to lying to federal agents in the BALCO steroid investigation in the U.S. District Court. On January 11, 2008, Jones was sentenced to 6 months in jail. She began her sentence on March 7, 2008 and was released on September 5, 2008.

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