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curious thing happened in our corner of south east London last month. Normally quiet side streets were rammed with double parked cars, the babble of excited young fans with accents from around the country filled the air and the sold out signs went up at The Valley for the first time in many years. Since the absentee owner Roland Duchatelet began his one man war against Charlton Athletic’s fanbase, it has often been hard to tell when there is a home match in SE7 as a dispirited, desperate and dwindling band continue their estimable protest against an owner who has hollowed Adidas Cody Franson Womens Jersey out their proud club. Hashtag United, Wimbly Womblys and the virtual gamers striking it rich Read more But these hordes of youthful and giddy fans were wearing not the red of Charlton but the black and white replica shirts of Sidemen FC – an online phenomenon who were to play a team of YouTube Allstars in a charity match. As just the latest iteration of a dizzying set of developments that have left those of us who find the prospect of watching clips of other people playing the video game Fifa as baffling as parents of the 1950s found a Chuck Berry 45, it was a sign that something is shifting. There is a palpable nervousness among television executives, expensively attired sporting executives and the concentric circles of advisers and analysts that populate the industry that something may be happening beyond their immediate vision. Television ratings for live sport, the rights fees for which have for so long been the engine that has powered the growth of sport in the modern era, are down. The Olympics, once seen as the pinnacle of sport but now tainted by cynicism, are struggling to attract a younger audiencehe problem with highlighting golf’s struggles is that those at the summit of the game have never had it so good. The US Open this week offers a record prize fund of $12m (￡9.5m). One must look seriously hard at the PGA Tour’s schedule to find a tournament which does not http://www.authenticsandiegopadres.com/Rickey-Henderson-Jersey bestow immediate millionaire status on the winner. And yet the feeling persists that golf is a sport from a bygone age, being left behind by those considered more trendy. Other obvious realities play a part; golf remains time-consuming, not always easily accessible and generally expensive. In the United States 23.8 million people are considered golfers. “You see two and a half million players enter the game this past year,” says Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour’s commissioner. “That’s the highest number on record, exceeding the 2.4 million in 2000 when Tiger Woods was at the top of his game. Sport 2.0: crumbling traditions create a whole new ballgame Read more “We have 2.9 million juniors; that’s up 25% since 2011. You look at underneath that number, in 1995, 17% of those juniors were female. Now that’s 33%. So you are seeing growth at the junior level. I get the fact that there’s a lot of discussion on the health – and some of it is negative – but I think there are some really positive trends and storylines underneath it.” That negativity to which Monahan refers is more prevalent in the UK, where there are reportedly 4.5 million golfers and a steady rather than sharp annual drop. Partly linked to economic scenarios from 2008 onwards, clubs have shut down across the country. And many of those which remain have slashed entry costs in a desperate bid to pull in the generation which will take them into a new era. Basketball, volleyball and hockey feature regularly on school physical education curriculums whereas golf never does. Although impossible to measure, golf may suffer from historical and accurate perceptions of a Authentic Rollie Fingers Womens Jersey discriminatory environment. A firm upside might yet be provided by Olympic participation, which was restored for golf in Rio last summer. “In terms of the golf clubs themselves, I challenge them,” says Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s chief executive. “I challenge them to think differently. I challenge them to look beyond the rules that have always been there and I think this is critical for the success of our game going forwardball bowlers will look forward to bowling with this,” grinned Stuart Broad, just after zipping one past his best mate Luke Wright’s outside edge in a live demonstration on Sky last Friday. Broad was referring to the pink Dukes ball, which he will use at Edgbaston when England play West Indies in a day-night Test in August, and in nine Championship games from Monday. These rather lovely little pink things are made at the endearingly ramshackle warehouse that is Dukes’ north-east London home, and Dilip Jajodia, the company’s boss, is explaining the process to the Spin. It is a den of organised chaos and mastercraftmanship in which he estimates there are 120,000 balls. Everything is done by hand, from the milling and polishing of the balls to the notes and labelling, before they are distributed across the cricketing globe. Jajodia has a box he carries around containing the component parts of a Dukes that he explains to anyone who will listen, and another with a century-old Dukes to show how well they age. He says his white ball would end the need for a ball from each end in ODIs and reckons the England and Wales Cricket Board should use his orange ball for its new T20 tournament from 2020. He is most bullish regarding these pink balls, however. Hail the Unbelievables! How Pakistan found cricketing redemption Read more His confidence comes with good reason. It took 18 months to develop, with plenty of trial and error over the colour; the seam is black (it’s the same thread as a red ball, only dyed) and they have developed a new formula for the polish so the colour holds. Last August it handsomely outperformed its Kookaburra counterpart – in terms of behaviour http://www.panthersfootballprostore.com/cameron-artispayne-jersey-for-sale-c-21.html and condition (both colour and shape) – in a second XI match between Warwickshire and Worcestershire at Edgbaston last August. In Abu Dhabi in March, it produced a brilliant, bowler-friendly (but not bowler-dominated) match between Middlesex and MCC, containing two scores of 300 (including a successful chase), but also two below 200; a hat-trick for a seamer and a four-fer for a leg-spinner; eight ducks and seven scoreless partnerships, but runs, too, both stylish and grafted – batsmen reached 40 11 times. Wickets fell in clusters, particularly as the sun went down, but batting was a serene enough exercise in the afternoon and once darkness had fully fallen. The inbetween stage was more problematic, with visibility trickier from high in the stands, and the ball talking. The game became something of a meeting of minds, with a delegation from Edgbaston, including the groundsman, Gary Barwell, looking to learn as much as possible.
However, registrar Christine Derrett, who recalled watching him play, said it Don Barclay Authentic Jersey was “with regret” she had concluded there was a lack of credible evidence that his “substantial” debt would be paid soon and she refused to adjourn the case for a further 28 days. She said of Becker: “One has the impression of a man with his head in the sand.” The bankruptcy application was made by the private bankers Arbuthnot Latham & Co in connection with a judgment debt owed to them by Becker dating back to 2015. Becker’s lawyers had argued there was sufficient evidence to show that he would be able to pay the debt soon through a refinancing arrangement, involving remortgaging a property in Majorca, which was expected to raise €6m. His advocate told the registrar his instructions from Becker were that it was expected the deal would be approved by a Spanish bank in approximately one month. The advocate said: “I don’t want to play around in court. It is clearly in the interests [of Arbuthnot Latham] for there to be refinancing.” When the registrar was told that Becker was a television commentator, she replied that she knew who he was, adding: “I remember watching him play on Centre Court, which probably shows my age.” His advocate, John Briggs, told the registrar that someone in Becker’s position would not be prone to benefit from bankruptcy and it was likely to have an adverse effect on his “image”. The judge said: “He should have thought about that a long time ago.” She added: “It is not often the case that a professional person has a judgment [debt] outstanding against them since October 2015. This is a historic debt.” Advertisement Briggs said: “He is not a sophisticated individual when it comes to finances. I am asking for a real last chance for Mr Becker to come good … It has just taken longer than anticipated.” In a statement Becker said: “I was surprised and disappointed that Arbuthnot Latham chose to bring these proceedings against me. This order relates to one disputed loan which I was due to repay in full in one month’s time. It is disappointing that my request for today’s hearing to be postponed until this time was refused. “My earnings are well publicised and it is clear that I have the means to repay http://www.greenbaypackersauthorizedstore.com/ha-ha-clinton-dix-jersey-elite this debt.The value of the asset in question far exceeds the debt owed to Arbuthnot Latham. I intend to make an application to have this order set aside immediately. In the meantime, I will concentrate on my work and in particular my presenting duties at Wimbledon for the BBC and other international outletsNineteen cricket fans arrested in India for celebrating Pakistan’s win against India in the Champions Trophy “should be released immediately”, according to Amnesty International. On Monday police in Madhya Pradesh arrested 15 people in Burhanpur for allegedly committing “sedition” by shouting “pro-Pakistan” and “anti-India” slogans. Four more cricket fans were arrested in Karnataka allegedly for celebrating Pakistan’s 180-run win. Hail the Unbelievables! How Pakistan found cricketing redemption Read more The 19 men were accused of spreading “communal disharmony” which is considered sedition and is punishable by life imprisonment. “These arrests are patently absurd, and the 19 men should be released immediately,” said Amnesty International’s India programme director, Asmita Basu. “Even if the arrested men had supported Pakistan, as the police claim, that is not a crime. Supporting a sporting team is a matter of individual choice, and arresting someone for cheering a rival team clearly violates their right to freedom of expression.” According to Amnesty International, the initial report by Madhya Pradesh police states: “[The accused] chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in support of the Pakistan cricket team … They celebrated Pakistan’s win by bursting crackers and distributing sweets … Their actions suggested that they were trying to conspire against the Indian government by supporting http://www.atlantafalconsauthorizedstore.com/desmond-trufant-jersey-elite Pakistan in the cricket match … Because of them, there is an atmosphere of unrest in the village.” Unstoppable Pakistan crush India by 180 runs to win Champions Trophy final Read more India Today, however, reported that police were not concerned by which team the men supported but by the pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. But the local police chief, Raja Ram Parihar, told the AFP news agency the men were arrested after “a complaint from a local Hindu man who accused them of celebrating after India lost the match”. Indian law defines sedition as any act or attempt “to bring into hatred or contempt, or … excite disaffection towards the government.” Asmita Basu said: “These cases show just why the sedition law should be immediately repealed. This law is excessively broad and vague and makes it easy to silence people who are legitimately exercising their right to freedom of expression. Nobody should have to go to prison merely because they are accused of causing offense. The sedition law has no place in a rights-respecting society, let alone one that has a proud tradition of pluralism and debateBoris Becker has been declared bankrupt over a debt outstanding since October 2015. Lawyers for the three-times Wimbledon winner pleaded with a bankruptcy court registrar in London on Wednesday for “a last chance” to pay a long-standing Amos Youth Jersey debt. Boris Becker: from winner to wild child - and back Read more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will lead International http://www.authenticchicagoblackhawks.com/authentic-brent-seabrook-jersey?gender=Youth Yoga Day celebrations on Wednesday morning with 51,000 participants, including dignitaries, politicians and bureaucrats, in Lucknow. People in 195 countries will come together to celebrate India’s oldest fitness regimen on the summer solstice, which is the longest day in the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The participants will gather at Lucknow’s Ramabhai Ambedkar Sabha Sthal and begin yoga at 7am. To mark the importance of yoga — which began in India about 5,000 years ago — Indian missions in the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, among other countries, will hold programmes on yoga, with participants from various sections of the societyWhile the victory of the NDA nominee seems to be almost certain, the presidential election has become a test case for the opposition’s unity, the centrifugal idea behind efforts to field an opposition candidate. If opposition parties end up splintered, it would be a setback to the idea of non-BJP alliance referred to as mahagathbandhan, a term that gained currency after a successful experiment in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections. Kovind, who resigned as Bihar Governor on Tuesday, is likely to file his nomination papers on June 23, before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for abroad. Kovind will later go on a countrywide tour to seek support from members of Parliament and state legislatures who form the electoral college that votes in the presidential polls. He was given NSG cover on Tuesday. The Congress on Tuesday played down the significance of the BJP’s gambit, stating it had http://www.officialnikejetshop.com/brent-qvale-jersey-for-sale-c-57.html made a Dalit president 15 years ago. “We don’t want to comment on his personality, but will talk on merit. This is a fact that he is a hardcore BJP leader. How can one support a hardcore BJP leader? This seems a little impossible,” Azad told ANI, adding that a decision will be taken with consensus. Opposition parties will meet on Thursday to finalise their stand but the NDA move appeared to have flummoxed many of them. Senior JD(U) leaders will also meet on Wednesday but chief minister Nitish Kumar set the tone on Monday, expressing “happiness” over Kovind’s candidatureBSP supremo Mayawati has declared that she will support Kovind if the opposition grouping doesn’t field a Dalit candidate. BJP ally Shiv Sena also said on Tuesday it will vote for Kovind, swelling the ruling alliance’s already staggering votes. Other constituents of the NDA have endorsed Kovind’s candidature and while some non-NDA parties such as the YSR Congress, the TRS and a section of the AIADMK too have pledged support. Meanwhile, a comment Kovind had made as BJP spokesperson in 2010 returned to haunt him. “Islam and Christianity are alien to the nation,” he had said at a press conference, while demanding that the Justice Ranganath Misra commission, which had recommended inclusion of Muslim and Christian converts among Dalits, be scrapped. At least three senior BJP leaders refused to comment on it, saying they had not heard of it. Kovind reached Delhi on Monday night and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit ShahAdvertisement “The last time Chris Kaman Womens Jersey I was with Cristiano was in Cardiff. We were talking normally, he was delighted, he was enthusiastic, we talked about next season, he was normal, looking forward to it.” Asked if he had spoken to Mendes, Pérez replied: “No, no. All that reached me is that [Ronaldo] is annoyed because of this and his treatment from the media.” He added: “No one has told me anyone is annoyed with anyone.” Pérez defended Ronaldo, insisting that the structure set up for his image rights is the same as he had when he was a player at Manchester United. “I know him: he’s a good guy, a professional, not only with the ball but also as a person,” Pérez said. “All this is very strange. I will speak to him and let’s see what he has to say. We all have to fulfil our duty to Hacienda. We have complete confidence that he has always wanted to fulfil his fiscal duties. His lawyers, Baker & McKenzie, say he has the same structure in place as when he was in England. It would be absurd if [he was charged when] it is the same as there and all he has done is bring it here.” “Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and Cristiano even more so. I see some of the things that are said in the media and it hurts me and I have nothing to do with it. He does important things socially: he is a person of solidarity. It must be some confusion – life is long and I am sure we will find out, but what his lawyers have said publicly http://www.officialcapitalsauthentic.com/Brett_Connolly_Jersey is that there is nothing there. They don’t understand it and they ae going to defend him. Maybe there is some misinterpretation. There is no intention [to defraud], for sure. He believes he has not committed any crime and that has to hurt. It would hurt me“Cristiano understands that he has to fulfil his fiscal obligations. He does a lot for others. He is not a man who chases money. He wants to be the best player in the world, not to make money.”
A movement for a separate Gorkhaland state is sweeping the Darjeeling hills and women are at the Craig Robertson Authentic Jersey forefront of the protests. Thousands of slogan-shouting women led by the Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha confronting police and paramilitary forces is now a common sight. The Nari Morcha, the women’s wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), is headed by party chief Bimal Gurung’s wife, Asha. Most of the members of the group are housewives, who say they believe in Gandhi and non-violence . “Women power is more effective than any other form of violence and we believe that the Nari Morcha can achieve more in pressurising the Centre to fulfill our dream of Gorkhaland,” said Pratibha Rai, a senior women’s wing leaderWith most frontline leaders, including Bimal and Asha Gurung, having gone into hiding after police raids at the GJM office, the foot soldiers of the women’s wing are leading the rallies. “This is an emotional agitation and a people’s movement,” said Pratibha. “The Nari Morcha is always in the forefront during any peaceful demonstration or rally, as we do not believe in violence and never willThe hills have been gripped by violent clashes that have claimed three lives and injured scores. Angry protesters have torched vehicles and ransacked property but violence has dwindled ahead of all-party talks on Tuesday. Most Morcha leaders may have gone into hiding but they are constantly guiding the Gorkhaland supporters. “Women from different communities in the hills are mentally, physically and emotionally connected to Gorkhaland and we have thousands of active members across the hills and in neighbouring Dooars,” said Pratibha. The women protesters have also flummoxed security forces, says a Darjeeling-based journalist. “Women protesters are more vociferous on their protests and more effective in the manner in which they protest, as it attracts more media attention and wider coverage,” said the journalist who does not wish to be namedIt is http://www.officialauthenticsaintsstore.com/Nike-Dannell-Ellerbe-Jersey.html par for the course that most appointments to high office are needlessly politicised these days and it would seem that the presidential post is no exception. It is unfortunate that Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan should have chosen to drag the discourse down by saying that anyone opposing the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind as president will be seen as anti-Dalit. He went on to say this choice was a `tight slap’ for those who branded the Modi government as anti-Dalit. The Opposition meanwhile is said to be trying to put up another Dalit candidate to counter this, further reducing the level of the debate. The office of the president should be above all caste, religious or gender considerations. The candidate should not be part of a larger political agenda on the part of either the government or the Opposition. No one doubts the credentials of Ram Nath Kovind or the fact that him being chosen is a victory for equal opportunity. Similarly, when KR Narayanan became president much was made of his Dalit credentials, quite overlooking his distinguished diplomatic career. The media is adding to the politicisation by terming the choice as a masterstroke and one which has taken the wind out of the Opposition’s sails. The president ultimately presides over the government and armed forces and should not a partisan or divisive figure. If the government and Opposition were serious about giving the Dalits a level playing field, they must go much beyond this move. The Dalits need education, healthcare and jobs, something which politicians pay lip service to come elections. They are also often subject to caste violence and ostracisation in a hidebound casteist society. This should be addressed. In recent times, we have seen attacks on Dalits in various parts of the country. This is what http://www.authentichurricanestore.com/jay-mcclement-jersey_c-439.html should exercise political parties. As of now, it would seem that the NDA has the numbers to carry the day. Even if the Opposition were to put up a candidate, and it seems likely that it will, all parties should resolve to keep the discussion from degenerating into a political fight. As of now, the NDA is being accused of playing the Dalit card. This is to do a disservice to Kovind who has come up on his own merit and has not played any card. The office of the first citizen should really float above the fray and if going forward, the debate can be kept as non-partisan as possible, this would set the right benchmark for the futureAdvertisement “I haven’t spoken to anyone at all,” Pérez said. I’m a friend of Nasser and I have not spoken to him, or anyone. No one has sent us an offer, for him [Ronaldo] or Morata, or James. No one. And we have not sent any offers for anyone, either. There is no figure [for transfers], we do not contemplate anything right now other than carrying on with all the players we have, including James.” “But,” the interviewer insisted, “would you force Ronaldo to stay?” Pérez replied: “Let me talk to Cristiano Ronaldo, I have a good relationship with him and we have got on well for eight years. I have to speak to him to know, when the Confederations Cup ends. I’m not going to go there [to Russia] to talk to him. I’m not contemplating him leaving Madrid at the moment.” Asked about Jeff Skinner Womens Jersey Morata, with whom Manchester United have been negotiating, Pérez said: “In principle, we don’t want anyone to go. No one has offered anything. Not for James, not for Morata, not for me. At least let him enjoy his honeymoon. Whatever we have to do has to be at the right moment. No one wants him to go. We’re happy with him, he’s a Madrid player and in principle we’re happy with him. No one has offered us anything for him. I have read $75m, [but] I’m not contemplating it
It’s that time again during the term of a prime minister, when he has to prepare to call on the President of the United States, a country that is still seen as powerful enough to count as a desirable parti in times of stress. Apart from plans to buy a fleet of commercial aircraft Cameron Artis-Payne Womens Jersey guaranteed to catch the attention of an anxious industry, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States is also expected to focus on Pakistan’s proxy wars against India. As always when negotiating with the US, it is not only White House aides, bureaucracy and members of the Congress who matter, but also the think tanks and media who aim to influence policy at the Hill. Any diplomatic mission worth its salt aims to engage with these ‘expert’ groups and bring them into public debate preferably in aid of India, but at least not against its stated positions. This is where the difficulty starts. Major think tanks in Washington have a very different view on terrorism in the region. For instance, a prestigious think tank while classifying conflicts, cites Afghanistan as a “‘civil war’’ on its interactive map. This flies against facts, given that almost the entire top Taliban leadership lives, strategies and more importantly, banks in Pakistan. A civil war is an internal phenomenon, and the term ‘Af-Pak’ itself illustrates the cross border pall under which the war is being fought. The only instance of cross border terrorism that is cited in Asia is oddly enough limited to sectarian conflict in PakistanOther think tanks also have different views on what constitutes terrorism. One with an impressive ‘global’ database had put India at the eighth position on the top 10 countries affected by terrorism. This position was earned by taking into account attacks by Maoists in central India as well as those by Northeast insurgents. In relative proportion, terrorism in Kashmir was only an ‘also ran’ position. While the data is right, the context is wrong. The Northeast has long been classified as a classic insurgency. Indeed, it bears all its characteristics, apparent to any expert dealing with the subject. None of this is to say that sections of the US government which matter are http://www.officialsfalconsauthenticshop.com/Brett_Favre_Jersey_Cheap ignorant of the situation in India. The point here is that insofar as terrorism goes, there is little awareness or indeed much interest in our main terrorism pliant – that action should be taken against Pakistan as a terrorist sponsor. There is little interest in Pakistan’s actions in Kashmir, apart from the oft repeated fear that it occurs between nuclear rivals. The fact that Islamabad’s terrorist operations in Kashmir empower the deep state to play the same game in Afghanistan is hardly ever appreciated. The trouble is that India does not make its own task any easier. In a world where big data lies at the centre of analysis and public policy, New Delhi has no data to offer. The website of the ministry of home affairs ‘updates’ on Kashmir is more than a year old, and it requires an imaginative reading between the lines to understand its annual report. Think tanks in India are hardly any better. Most offer opinion pieces, without the backing of hard data. Where is the data that can show that districts affected by terrorism are less than 10 and that the whole of ‘Kashmir’ is not affected by terrorism. Barring one, no think tank offers updated information on the Jaish-e-Mohammad, at a time when India is working to get it notified as a terrorist group at the United Nations. Neither is there any precise coverage of the activities of the Lashkar e Taiba in Afghanistan, as a direct threat to US troops. Today’s wars, and the diplomacy that has to back it are fought through the medium of the media. Data is put out that colours thinking, and its lack is often at the core of post-truth politics. In an information age, we are constantly being bombarded by a ‘world according to some’ data that also complicates the debate at home. It’s too late, besides being downright unwise, to hide behind bureaucratic red tape. Accept that he who provides the data, lives to close the fileAnil http://www.officialathleticshop.com/authentic-62-sean-doolittle-jersey.html Kumble stepped down as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, days before the limited-overs tour of the West Indies begins on June 23. (Read | Anil Kumble steps down as Indian cricket team’s head coach) It has been learnt that Kumble’s decision came in the wake of reports claiming rifts between him and skipper Virat Kohli, and just two days after India’s embarrassing loss to Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy final. His one year contract expired at the end of the Champions Trophy but he was given the option to travel with the team to the West Indies for the five ODIs and a solitary T20. (Read | Rahul Dravid urges decisive call on MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh’s role in team) However, Kohli met the BCCI top brass along with Kumble in London before leaving for the West Indies on Tuesday. The meeting took place after the high-profile Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) communicated to the BCCI that it had failed resolve the differences between Kumble and Kohli. Here’s the full-timeline of the Kohli-Kumble spat - May 30: With just five days to go for the Champions Trophy 2017, reports emerge of trouble brewing between Kohli and Kumble, with the India skipper unhappy over Kumble’s functioning. May 31: BCCI invite applications for the post of Indian cricket team coach after the end of Kumble’s one-year contract. Virender Sehwag Tom Moody, Richard Pybus, Doda http://www.officialcardinalsbaseball.com/authentic-13-matt-carpenter-jersey.html Ganesh and Lalchand Rajput are some names to apply. (Read | Virat Kohli-led India look to continue dominant run against West Indies) June 1: Amitabh Chaudhary, acting secretary of BCCI, dismisses rumors of spat between Kumble and Kohli, says, “I cannot see any smoke at all.” June 3: Ahead of the Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, Kohli dismissed reports of a fight and took a swipe at the media. June 12: Vinod Rai, the head of the Committee of Administrators, announces that he will continue as coach for the West Indies series but it is subject to acceptance by the former Indian leg-spinner. June 13: The Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly tell both Kohli and Kumble to soften their stands and bury their differences to ensure a congenial atmosphere
not something I am contemplating.” The phrase was repeated often but that did not make it any more true. On Monday night Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, insisted he was not even thinking about a series of scenarios that he certainly is thinking about. He has to. As he said himself: “Things happen and you look for the best solution for everyone.” What happened was that the Portuguese daily A Bola broke the story that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Spain; the question now is whether that solution actually involves him walking away, eight years after his arrival. And if so, who provides an escape route? Who gives him somewhere to go? It is what he wants, the report said. Other reports followed, with none of them denied. A Bola is close to Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, and Pérez gave them a certain credence; although there was the usual proviso applied to press reports, this was no flat dismissal of baseless rumours. The headline that started it all was stark: “Ronaldo wants to abandon Spain.” Here is the thing: depending how this Dennis Johnson Youth Jersey is managed, it may not be such a bad thing for Madrid either. Their position is a strong one, if unexpected. Managing this is not just about getting what you really want or even what can be achieved in return; it also includes the apportioning of responsibility. “Abandon” is a word Madrid would have welcomed: if it happens, he did this. Roughly translated, two more words were also significant: “right now”. It is only June. Pérez said he has not spoken to Ronaldo yet. He said he would do so when the Confederations Cup ends. Even after that, there may be a long way to go. At the very end of the interview with Onda Cero radio when, having said that he was “not contemplating” any changes in the squad, he was talking about potential signings, Pérez noted that he liked those that get done just as the window is swinging shut, late on 31 August. “Let me rest a bit,” he said. “I pick up strength in August.” That is applicable to Ronaldo too, if need be. Time, he will feel, is on his side. Sportblog What does the future hold for Cristiano Ronaldo? – Football Weekly The podders discuss the rumours surrounding Ronaldo’s future in Spain. Plus, VAR controversy at the Confederations Cup; Sunderland’s search for a manager continues; and a bumper weekend for Craig David Listen But first, way before that, comes the next step: let’s hear from Ronaldo. Your move. Pérez’s appearance was, in essence, a means of returning the ball, sending it back into Ronaldo’s court. If he started the game, he has to play it. Pérez talked about finding out through the media, about how the last time he had seen Ronaldo the Portuguese had been excited about the future, and about how this was all a bit “strange”. He said he knew only what he had seen in the papers. He claimed, less conclusively and less convincingly, not to have spoken to Mendes. Now he wanted to talk to Ronaldo, he said. A way out of this mess, a http://www.rangersteamonline.com/Chris_Kreider_Jersey way back into Madrid, was offered – if not an easy one. Time was bought too, tranquillity. The A Bola story emerged because Ronaldo’s camp wanted it to; the lingering doubt is whether it really is an exit strategy or something else. Having taken that first step, Madrid had to act. Pérez chose to express his innocence, surprise and an image of serenity. In a sense, Pérez has called Ronaldo’s bluff. It is easy enough to hide behind the media – the story can always be denied if need be. The message was clear: if that’s what you want, say so publicly. Ronaldo was being forced to play his hand. It is some game now, with Mendes and Madrid on either side of the table. Pérez noted that Ronaldo remained under contract, said that he was “a Madrid player” and, in an interview with Marca which appeared the next day, that he would “continue to be”. He said: “The best thing for him and Madrid is for him to stay.” He also said: “Right now, Cristiano is a Real Madrid player and something very strange would have to happen for him not to be, and I am not [even] contemplating thatAll that is true, but there’s that “right now” again and he also said: “We’ll see what happens.” As for “something very strange”, this situation was already one he had described as strange. Pérez is more than capable of denying the truth but this was still not an absolutely unequivocal “not for sale”. Pérez didn’t even raise the buy-out clause of €1bn (￡882m), although he did confirm it when it was mentioned. He said: “We’ll listen to Ronaldo.” He also said there had been no offers. Which is one way of inviting them, perhaps. The door was not closed on any eventuality. There may never be a good http://www.officialkingsteamstore.com/Jake_Muzzin_Jersey time to lose Ronaldo, Madrid’s outstanding player as their most historic season reached its decisive chapter, but faced by his desire to leave – if that is really what it is – there may be ways of making this work. Madrid could see it as an opportunity, even if the timing is not perfect. At 32, he is still in remarkable shape, but they were going to have to face a post-Ronaldo future at some stage. If they can command a gigantic fee, that would enable them to do so with confidence, bringing the budget to sign others. Eden Hazard and Monaco’s Kylian Mbappé are players they have actively pursued, and the strength in depth this season allows for optimism, even in Ronaldo’s absence. If this situation can be resolved, with Ronaldo staying, then fine. If it cannot, they must make the best of it. His departure is an eventuality that must be allowed for, even if it is an uncomfortable one; it must be contemplated, even if they claim not to be contemplating it. The way it plays out matters, not just the way it ends – including how the fans respond. If he stays, that too must be managed and cannot come at any cost. Cristiano Ronaldo backed by Portugal coach amid transfer speculation Read more In the interview Pérez also offered up a defence of his player, who the following day was called before the judge to testify on 31 July charged with tax evasion, which he denies. The defence responded to the idea that Ronaldo has felt isolated, not protected by his club and criminalised by Spanish society. Yet if the threat of departure was designed to put pressure on the Spanish state, to encourage Madrid to intervene, or to engender sympathy from the public, it is not clear that it will work. Pérez’s defence, like the claim that he will stay, was not Jaccob Slavin Womens Jersey watertight, nor taken to extremes. Instead, the terms of any negotiation, to stay or to go, were already being hinted at. Pérez’s defence of Ronaldo, “an honest man”, “not driven by money”, who “does a lot for others”, stopped short of Madrid taking responsibility for his tax problems and focused on his irritation with the media rather than the club. Pérez said at one point it was “nothing to do” with Madrid, and it would make no sense for the club to pay any fine. He insisted that Ronaldo “would not want that”, although that is something he reportedly does want. Some of those reports are said to come from sources close to the presidency. Conversations with Mendes would clarify the veracity of those reports. They may already have done so. For now, Real Madrid’s president insisted, the next conversation will be with Ronaldo in 12 days’ time. We will listen, Pérez said. They will watch, too. It is Ronaldo’s move
The 2015 Women’s World Cup felt like a turning point. Women’s football was suddenly in the spotlight. As Davon House Womens Jersey England battled back from defeat by France in their first group game to reach the semi-finals, the country rallied behind them. Millions tuned in to watch. Not saddled with the weight of expectation, Mark Sampson’s side beat the hosts, Canada, and European champions, Germany, on their way to a historic third-place finish. Only an agonising Laura Bassett own-goal in the second minute of extra-time against Japan ended the Lionesses’ chance of a place in the final. But they had exceeded all expectations, challenged perceptions and changed attitudes. Euro 2017: England squad guide for the Netherlands finals Read more The wheels were already in motion in this respect. Team GB women’s team at the London 2012 Olympics feasted on a wave of support galvanised by the positivity surrounding the whole event. After the team had topped their group without conceding, 28,828 fans travelled to the City of Coventry stadium to watch a 2-0 quarter-final defeat by Canada. And yet in between the big summer tournaments, while progress has undoubtedly been made domestically, support has crept up at a steady but slow pace. The recently retired Arsenal and England striker Kelly Smith, whom many would describe as the best player England have produced, has said awareness of the domestic leagues is so low she would get asked why she plays only one game a year, the flagship FA Cup final – which is the one women’s game to get top TV billing annually and this year drew a record crowd of more than 35,000 to Wembley. As Women’s Sport Week unfolds, the 2017 Women’s European Championship is just under four weeks away. For the first time in a very long time, for the men’s or women’s team, England head into a major tournament as one of the favourites. Many of the players, and Sampson, have put the togetherness of the team, built through a collective http://www.greenbaypackersauthorizedstore.com/demetri-goodson-jersey-elite appreciation of what it has taken for each individual to ‘make it’ in the game, at the core of their success. Advertisement Maintaining that harmony is one reason why the manager was keen to pick his squad early, despite missing the chance to cast his eyes over players in the Spring Series – a one-off mini-league created to bridge the gap between the summer season and new winter season format being adopted by the Women’s Super League. As a result the top English WSL 2016 goalscorers, Chelsea’s Eniola Aluko and Arsenal’s Danielle Carter, miss out on the tournament in the Netherlands, a bold but potentially risky decision. England should find a group in which they are top seeds straightforward but longstanding national rivalries could well have a say in the outcome. The opening games of Group D pair the Lionesses with Scotland and Spain with bottom-ranked Portugal – who are making their Euro finals debut. In international tournaments England seem to grow and thrive as they progress. It is not just England’s chances that make this tournament exciting. The competitiveness of women’s international football is growing year on year. Euro 2017 is no different. France, ranked third in the world, have not lost this year and beat USA, Germany and England to the She Believes Cup in March. Players from the Champions League finalists Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain dominate their team, and the country will host the 2019 World CupGermany have dominated the competition since its inception and have lifted the European Championship trophy on http://www.atlantafalconsauthorizedstore.com/derrick-coleman-jersey-elite the previous six occasions. An improving Sweden were thwarted by them at the World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Norway, spearheaded by BBC’s player of the year and Champions League winner Ada Hegerberg, finished runners-up to Germany at Euro 2013. It is very much all to play for. Advertisement England are riding high after the men’s Under-20s won the World Cup. The Women’s Under-23s also beat Sweden, Norway and the US to the Nordic Cup. If the senior side have a strong tournament it would cap off a fine summer for English football. More than that, it would surely increase the participation and support for women’s football as previous tournaments have – except that this time there is more of a structure in place to aid growth. Providing consistent coverage will complement that work and offer greater access to the sport. The Football Association, after imposing a ban on women’s football in 1921 that lasted 50 years and overseeing decades of underfunding, has been attempting to atone for the wrongs it inflicted. In 2016 it drafted in the assistance of the personable and committed former UK Sport chairman, Baroness Sue Campbell, as head of women’s football to oversee a review. This year it announced it is aiming to double participation and support by 2020. Things are moving fast. Despite the seriousness there are many barriers to this ambitious task and how it will be achieved is not completely clear. The sports journalist Roger Domeneghetti’s brilliant book From the Back Page to the Front Room charts the history of football and its relationship with the media. It shows a mutually beneficial relationship. Where coverage grows, so does football; where the sport grows, so does Derrick Shelby Womens Jersey readership. The hope is that this new weekly column, which will cover key events in the sport both domestically and internationally, will build on the relationship between the media and women’s football in Britain and provide a national platform for the many voices within women’s football
Warren Gatland has raised the stakes before the forthcoming Test series by urging officials to crack down on illegal blocking tactics by New Zealand players. Gatland Boomer Esiason Jersey says members of his British & Irish Lions squad are repeatedly being held or pulled back off the ball and has raised the issue with Jaco Peyper, who is due to referee the first Test in Auckland. Purring Lions leave Warren Gatland bullish before All Blacks showdown Read more With the touring side’s spirits boosted by a commanding 32-10 win against the Maori All Blacks on Saturday, Gatland alleges the Lions are being deliberately targeted and wants Peyper and his assistants to keep an eye out for any sharp practice by the All Blacks on Saturday. “The frustrating thing for us is the amount of blocking that’s going on,” said Gatland, who will have a meeting with the South African official on Friday. “It makes it difficult to complete attacking opportunities because there is so much happening off the ball in terms of holding players or subtly holding players. “We’ve raised it with the ref already. If you listen to the ref’s mic they were talking about it constantly through the game [on Saturday] and gave us a couple of penalties for blocking. It’s one of the hardest things to pick up because it tends to happen quite a long way off the ball. We’ll keep raising it, because it was picked up on a couple of occasions last night they stopped doing it as much. That made it a lot easier for us to get up in the air and to compete. In a couple of games we haven’t been able to get up in the air because there has been that interferenceUp to now the Lions have been on the receiving end of persistent criticism of their scrummaging, their style of play and perceived splits in the camp. Gatland has been touched by the warm welcome his team have received from the majority of New Zealanders but has no wish to see a potentially decisive Test shaped by cynical http://www.nflbengalsofficialshop.com/Nike-Brandon-Lafell-Jersey.html on-field acts. “When you go back and look at the tapes and look at the stuff off the ball, some of it is very subtle. All New Zealand teams at the moment are doing it. We’ve just got to handle that and hope the refs, the assistant referees and the TMOs pick up what’s going on. “All I am asking is the officials are aware of it and look at it. If the referees pick up teams for that, that would be good. A few years ago people weren’t quite so subtle. They’re very, very subtle now.” Maro Itoje hot off the press and a must for British & Irish Lions Test Paul Rees Paul Rees Read more Gatland, back in familiar surroundings in his native city, has also confirmed Owen Farrell will be fit and available for selection for Eden Park, with the tour captain, Sam Warburton, and the centre Jonathan Joseph also in contention for the Test 23 after being omitted from the midweek squad to face the Chiefs on Tuesday. Farrell has been cleared to resume full training and appears certain to feature against the All Blacks. “He could have played on Saturday,” Gatland said. “If it was a Test match he would have played. We just made a Frederik Andersen Womens Jersey decision that it wasn’t worth taking that risk. I’ve no doubt he will be 100% fit for the first Test.” Advertisement While Johnny Sexton had an influential game at 10 against the Maori, Gatland has given absolutely no indication he is planning to start the Irishman and Farrell together as a 10-12 pairing. Maro Itoje, meanwhile, looks likely to earn the nod in the second row ahead of Alun Wyn Jones. “There’s no doubt there’s some pressure on certain players and certain combinations have gone well,” the head coach said. The Welsh winger George North is not yet assured of a starting place, however, with Gatland making clear the back three remains an area of selectorial concern. “We know what potential George has but he hasn’t quite fulfilled that at the moment,” Gatland said. “We are going to have some quite lengthy debates in terms of finalising that back three.” The six additional http://www.authenticducksstore.com/jacob-larsson-jersey_c-425.html squad players from Wales and Scotland called up as cover by Gatland over the weekend have all been named on the bench for Tuesday’s game
One might have thought a pat on the back would be in order. England, without 30 of their best http://www.authenticchicagoblackhawks.com/authentic-bobby-orr-jersey?gender=Youth players, have just won a series in Argentina for only the second time, purveying a brand of wit and bravery of which any one of the absent 30 might be proud. And Eddie Jones, the guru they are all so eager to please, wonders whether they want it enough. “England players need to be hungrier,” he said in the bowels of the Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López, whose field they had just conquered, surrounded by high fences, razor wire and an actual moat, the locals baying for their blood beyond. “They find it too easy. They play in the under-20s, they become Junior World Cup champions, they get a contract straight away. That doesn’t happen in any other country. I think the younger players are not hungry enough.” Maro Itoje hot off the press and a must for British & Irish Lions Test Paul Rees Paul Rees Read more But even Jones, perennially dissatisfied though he may be, can appreciate that experiences such as this, winning a second Test almost as wild and dynamic as the first, may be of benefit in changing that culture. “That’s what I’m hoping. I don’t know if it’s going to happen. They have changed with us but it is not about when they are with us. It is when they are by themselves.” The 35-25 win on Amos Youth Jersey Saturday represents a mere step on the road to Jones’s singular objective, the 2019 World Cup but it is the second of two great strides taken on this tour. Eleven new caps have been blooded and each victory, delivered under the ferocious pressure applied by a Pumas team of pace and power, has featured the flexibility of problem-solving that Jones prizes so highly. “We haven’t played great rugby but we have played smart rugby,” he said. “We have been able to change our game on the run and come up with different ways of winning. An England side does not tend to win a game like this 35-25 but we have been able to score 73 points [across the two Tests] against a side who were semi-finalists at the last World Cup.” Four tries in each Test is a fine return indeed, although the seven conceded will no doubt eat away at Jones as he heads to New Zealand to watch the Lions and then throughout the long months before England play again, in November. Many of the youngsters and debutants who have served him so well will have to be excluded from the 45-man Elite Player Squad he announces in August for the autumn internationals, having to content themselves with those lonely hours in front of the mirror asking themselves how hungry they are. Will Collier try seals second Test and series win for England in Argentina Read more Promising as their contributions have been, it was the sprinkling of senior players available who guided England through. George Ford followed up his 23-point haul from the first Test, in San Juan, with 15 here, including the 74th?minute drop goal, after Will Collier had scored their fourth try, that extended England’s lead to 10, the first time in the series that either side had managed to pull away from the other by more than a score. Chris Robshaw returned from injury for the second Test and was an infuriating obstacle to http://www.officialnikejetshop.com/brent-qvale-jersey-for-sale-c-57.html Argentina’s best efforts. Joe Launchbury, too, remained an unshakable point of reference but it was his young partner, Charlie Ewels, who impressed Jones as much as anyone. He started England’s try-scoring in only the fifth minute. Advertisement Argentina struck back almost immediately through Joaquín Tuculet. Four further times England managed to take the lead and three further Argentina replied in kind. Mike Brown was another senior player who thrived, setting up tries number two and three, finished in some style by Piers Francis and Danny Care. Francis looked good in his first start, having impressed off the bench the week before. His support play for the second was of the highest order and try established England’s 18-13 half-time lead. Unfortunately his chip in the second half ricocheted off the legs of Pablo Matera to set up Argentina’s second. But their third, by Emiliano Boffelli, was a fabulous exposition of movement and power. Argentina have much to work on in the composure department, but the core elements of pace, power and intuition will make them formidable opponents in England’s pool at the World Cup. Jones knows this only too well. “Our challenge is to build a bullet-proof team. At the World Cup you can get a team that on one day can be absolutely red hot. Every offload sticks; the 50-50 decisions go their way. You have Brian Winters Authentic Jersey got to be good enough to beat those teams, and we’re not there at the moment. We’re too close to Argentina. At the World Cup we need a gap
Michael Cheika made an insightful admission in his press conference following Australia’s inexcusable 24-19 loss to Scotland at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Commenting on the http://www.officialauthenticsaintsstore.com/Nike-Cameron-Jordan-Jersey.html failure to capitalise on breaks against the run of play, the coach said: “A lot of the breaks we made came off the back of work … but we didn’t perhaps create those holes the way we’d like to normally so therefore we didn’t have enough support in there behind them.” Gregor Townsend hails Scotland’s unity in hard-fought win over Australia Read more And there we have it, a perfect diagnosis of one of several diseases afflicting the Wallabies’ game: a coaching-ingrained inability to adapt and respond to unstructured play. It was surprising to hear Cheika lay bare this malady so matter-of-factly. But that pales in comparison to the incredulity of him not going on to condemn the fatal short-coming and offer assurances of plans afoot to ensure the pathosis is finally put down. What Cheika said, and more pertinently what he didn’t go on to say, suggests the Wallabies coaching philosophies are intellectually suspect for the modern game as defined by benchmark setters the All Blacks. The Wallabies, based on what Cheika said, operate in a thought bubble where defensive holes of the players’ own creation are the only opportunities they are prepared for. Again, to stress what Cheika openly admitted: “We didn’t perhaps create those holes the way we’d like to normally so therefore we didn’t have enough support in there behind them.” What ever happened to expect Amos Youth Jersey the unexpected? Not for these Wallabies. They are, it seems, by design clueless when there’s a deviation from pre-conceived scenarios. Of course, there can be no taking away from Scotland. They took the game to the Wallabies and thoroughly deserved to win. This is not the Scotland of old, of that there is no question. Finn Russell was without peer. The Scots’ line-speed was suffocating, and the full-blooded entries into the ruck left the Australians reeling from the start. Yet despite the many merits of Scotland’s game, the Wallabies still managed 59% possession, 70% territory, five line-breaks to three, and a 15-8 penalty advantage. Only the Wallabies could lose with stats like that. Advertisement Instead of picking out individual Australian players – there’s a groundhog day feel to that when it comes to Australian rugby media coverage – we should ask if Cheika is up to the job. Players – some good, some average – have come and gone since Cheika succeeded Ewen McKenzie in 2014. Yet the Wallabies, a lucky 2015 World Cup run aside, have excelled at being inconsistent. A reasonable win followed by garbage. In fact, if there has been any discernible pattern to the Wallabies Authentic Eric Staal Womens Jersey play, then this has been it. Does Cheika have the answers? Based on what he said on the weekend, he might not even know the questions. He offers plenty of motivational platitudes but there’s a hollowness to the Wallabies program right now, an absence of sound and innovative pedagogy of the kind we are seeing from Steve Hansen, Joe Schmidt, Eddie Jones and, at the level below Test rugby, Tony Brown at the Highlanders. Guardian Australia sport newsletter: subscribe by email Read more One of the rarely-mentioned losers from the McKenzie fiasco was the loss of Jim McKay, an unstructured attack guru who even did a Masters degree thesis on the subject at Sydney University. McKay guided the Queensland Reds attack during their glorious 2011 Super Rugby title-winning run. McKenzie snapped up McKay as an assistant as soon as he became Wallabies coach. Sadly, Cheika got rid of McKay soon after replacing McKenzie. It was a great shame as McKay, now head coach at Kobe Steel in Japan’s Top League, could have made a massive contribution in teaching players how to react to the game-winning opportunities that come from unstructured play. It’s why the All Blacks are so far ahead of everyone else. Even http://www.authentichurricanestore.com/james-wisniewski-jersey_c-438.html Scotland took their chances from broken play on Saturday. It’s why they won, come what may, and why the Wallabies lost
