Sports Notes - - Dennis Rodman Is Back - Thailand's Coach Carvalho, Manager Sajakul Clash?

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Dennis Rodman Returns To Professional Basketball - A Rift With Thailand's Football Management? - FIFA President Seth Blatter Speaks Out ON RIO FERDINAND - Denver Nuggets Roll - Cambodian Football

Wednesday December 24, 2003

THE BAD BOY DENNIS RODMAN IS BACK

He's like a red wine stain on a white rug that won't go away. He's back. Love him; hate him or no opinion at all Dennis "Bad Boy" Rodman is back in professional basketball. Rodman signed a deal with the American Basketball Association's (ABA) Long Beach Jam. Rodman made he move to work his way back into shape in hope of signing with an NBA team at the age of 42. Terms of Rodman's contract with the Jam were not released. The ABA limits teams player payrolls for a total of $120,000 per season. His salary wasn't released.

Long Beach is a short distance from Rodman's Newport Beach residence and is adjacent to Los Angles where he played 23 games with the Lakers before being sacked during the 1998-99 season. A five-time winner on NBA championship teams (Detroit Pistons 2 - Chicago Bulls 3) and seven time NBA rebounding champ hasn't played with an NBA squad since his last stint with the Dallas Mavericks in 2000 where he was summarily dismissed. It was reported in October that Denver Nugget general manager KiKi Vandeweghe was considering giving Rodman a tryout.

"We might bring him in for a day for a tryout," he told The Denver Post. "We're just looking around. We've kind of kicked the idea around a little bit."

Denver is off to their best start in a decade with a 17-11 record. At present they are in third place and only two games behind the top of their division. Could they still be interested in an elderly Bad Boy down the stretch of the playoff race?

With so many accomplishments in his NBA career Rodman may be best remembered as being a cross dresser, sitting on the floor in the middle of an NBA contest while playing for Dallas and kicking a photographer in the family jewels when he was a member of the Bulls.

His relationships with Madonna and Carmine Electra took center stage in his personal life causing numerous problems. He's also been involved in several scrapes with the law that included being intoxicated and assault. Most recently the Rod-Man was arrested in October in Las Vegas, Nevada and charged with driving under the influence after crashing a motorcycle while doing stunts outside a strip club. He also was arrested in September in Newport Beach for investigation of being drunk in public. Think whatever you want but you can't deny that a person that was a janitor at a Dallas, Texas airport has done a lot with his colorful life.

DENVER CHANGES COLORS BUT NOT BLUE:

What's up with the Denver Nuggets? After being a perennial bottom of the table team for the last decade the Denver Nuggets have found winning ways. Could it be the new color of their uniforms, new players or general manager KiKi Vandeweghe or all of the above?

 

Carlos Roberto Carvalho - NR photo Thavatchai Sajakul - NR photo Teerathep `Leesaw' Winothai - NR photo Seth Blatter

Oddly enough the teams new light blue and gold colors are the same as Vandeweghe's Alma Mata UCLA. The addition of 19-year-old rookie sensation Carmelo Anthony has a lot to do with it as well as the addition of former Los Angeles Clippers point guard Andre Miller.

The question is can the Nuggets keep up their winning ways up for the season and make it to the NBA playoffs? They haven't been there since Dikembe Mutombo led them a decade ago. Will Dennis Rodman be a factor in their future.

CARVALHO, SAJAKUL RIFT IN THAILAND'S LAND OF SMILES??

Apparently after Thailand won the Sea Games Gold medal the honeymoon in their soccer management is having a rift. The Bangkok Post reported that coach Carlos Roberto Carvalho said he wouldn't listen to a politician.

The report noted that the manager of the squad Thavatchai Sajakul said form South Korea coach Gus Hiddink would be suitable if the FAT (Football Association of Thailand) wanted to change coaches. Sajakul is a politician being a member of parliament and an advisor to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatara.

Carvalho said he would talk to FAT officials FAT president Vijitr Getkaew & secretary general Worawi Makudi. He pointed out that during the Sea Games he was bothered by a politician.

Carvalho has control of who will play for the team. That responsibility was taken away from former coach Peter Withe when Sajakul returned as manager.

In a previous report in the Post it mentioned that Sajakul asked Carvalho to play Teerathep `Leesaw' Winothai, who was a star on Thailand's 2001 Sea Games Gold medal winning squad.

Winothai didn't see much action in this Sea Games competition and was left off the Asian Cup side. He is a member of the Crystal Palace academy squad. He has two years remaining on his Crystal Palace contract after which he says, "we'll see what happens."

FIFA PRESIDENT SETH BLATTER ON RIO FERDINAND

Rio Ferdinand case: statement from the FIFA President FIFA President Blatter issued the following statement in connection with the case of Rio Ferdinand, on whom the body responsible at The Football Association in England passed judgment on Friday, 19 December:

"I have noted with satisfaction that this case has finally been dealt with and a decision passed. FIFA will not make any comment until it has received the decision, the reasons for the decision and the file on the case from The Football Association. In this connection, I have to point out that I personally did not comment to the media on 20 and 21 December or to the English newspaper, The News of the World, which has wrongly attributed these quotations to me.

"I also have to reiterate the official legal channels available at FIFA. According to the Statutes of FIFA and its member associations, in this case, no recourse may be made to civil courts. The highest court would be the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

"I have to add, with every respect for the work and importance of the World Anti-Doping Agency, that it is not the duty of the WADA management to comment on any punishment pronounced by sporting bodies. WADA provides a service to sport and is not a judicial body."

CAMBODIA SEA GAMES FOOTBALL RESULTS

Cambodia lost all three games in their football competition at the Sea Games. The side lost to Malaysia 8-1, Myanmar 6-0 and Singapore 6-1.

CAMBODIAN FOOTBALL FAN WRITES NR

I am a mad keen football fan from England and have watched games of varying standards in just about every country I've ever visited. Normally I plan holidays at times I know matches are on (i.e: I'm in Tunisia when the African Nations Cup is on next month) but for Cambodia I've booked my flight already.

I've found absolutely nothing about football in Cambodia except for a couple of delightful articles by yourself . Do you know if I am likely to catch any games in May (for the Premiere League)?

Any info you can give me will be most gratefully received! Ian Bruce

NR

At present there is no information regarding when the Premiere League will start. Former Cambodian national team star Hok Sochetra said the league did play last May but there is no schedule for the coming season.

Sochetra is currently an executive with the cell telephone company Samart. He is a player/head coach for the side that won the Premiere League title last season. The squad is currently playing practice games in preparation for the new season. We'll keep you posted.