Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts: On The Way To 4-0

More photos »AJ MAST - AP

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Who: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts

When: Noon, Arrowhead time

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Colts on SBN: Stampede Blue

Listen to the Chiefs on the radio: 101.1 The Fox (Click listen live in the upper right hand corner)

And finally, the game you've been waiting patiently for two weeks for: Chiefs vs. Colts. On our way to 4-0.

Get your predictions in before the game starts. I'm guessing somewhere in the area of 60 total points, with a Chiefs win of course.

You ready to be 4-0? GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHIEFS!!!!!!

The Indian Pirate League: Royals and Kings thrown overboard

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may well be ushering in a new era of transparency and accountability. It has terminated the franchise agreements of Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals and Tom Moody’s Kings XI Punjab.

Warne the player/captain/coach and his sidekick Darren Berry may both be out of jobs. Tom Moody, who relinquished the WA coaching job, may also be out of a job.

The BCCI has terminated the agreement with the two franchises for reasons described as “transgressions of shareholding” and “ownership norms”.

This can be translated in common speak to “financial irregularities” and this in itself cloaks a multitude of sins.

To recap, earlier this year, the IPL was racked by allegations of just about every conceivable rort that businesses were capable of: insider trading, facilitation fees for TV rights, and kickbacks.

A junior parliamentary minister was forced to resign because it was alleged his girlfriend had shares in one of the new bidding franchises.

The Income Tax Directorate in India is conducting investigations into undeclared income and money laundering.

The IPL’s darling Modi is now an outcast and is in London and refuses to return to India for interrogation. He cites security fears and threats on his life if he returns.

The BCCI has meanwhile divested him of all connection with its running of cricket. There is a new Chairman of the IPL, Chirayu Amin, and he seems from the old school and has already indicated his desire to clean up the IPL.

The previous members of the IPL Governing council were reportedly paid the equivalent of $220,000 a year to govern. Shastri, Gavaskar and Pataudi, all former Indian Captains, were part of this council.

They all admitted they had taken their eye off the ball, so to speak, but in their own defense said they were only there to look at matters pertaining to cricket.

Surely when you are paid almost a quarter of a million dollars you should at least ask a few pertinent questions.

There is now doubt about the next IPL auction scheduled for November, and the fourth season of the IPL is in jeopardy.

Australian players, coaches and support staff contracted to these two franchises may have to put their mortgages on hold.

Adam Voges, Finch, Warne and Tait play for the Rajasthan Royals. Shaun Marsh, James Hopes and Brett Lee are contracted to Kings XI. Tom Moody is the coach.

Also affected are Graeme Smith, the South African Captain and Sangakkara the Lankan captain.

The IPL, which was being touted as a $4 billion business, is looking as shaky as Lehman Brothers and it is a timely reminder that all the glitters is not gold.

If in fact, this is an attempt by the BCCI to put its house in order then we must all applaud it, because in the past the BCCI has been less than pristine.

Cowboys Blow Another Game; Lose To Titans 34-27

More photos »Tim Sharp - AP

The Titans celebrate their win over the Cowboys.

Same as it ever was. The Dallas Cowboys blew another game that they could have won because they play stupid football. This team is wasting a talent-laden roster by proving that brains count just as much as brawn in football. The Tennessee Titans played a good game, they were a terror in the pass rush, and their receivers and Vince Young took advantage of the Cowboys secondary. They deserve a lot of credit for the 34-27 victory. But they can thank an error-prone, mistake-filled Cowboys team that can't get out of its own way.

From the very first series of the game, Dallas proved what kind of team they are. Mike Jenkins was flagged twice for pass interference, and not just routine inteference, but blatant interference that seemed like he wasn't even interested in covering the receiver. The Titans converted those gifts into a touchdown.Things continued to go downhill as the cowboys offensive line struggled to deal with the Titans pass rush. They were beat several times on straight-up one-on-one moves, other times they succumbed to the blitz.

Later, the Cowboys had the Titans stopped on third down, but a Stephen Bowen hands to the face penalty allowed the drive to continue, and the Titans eventually scored a touchdown. On offense, the Cowboys had a goodMarion Barber run wiped out by a Marc Colombo personal foul, then a long Miles Austin catch was brought back on a Doug Free hold. To punctuate that series, Colombo proceeded to give up a sack.

The Cowboys did have a stretch from late in the second quarter to early in the third quarter when they looked like the team they could be. Roy Williams and Miles Austin put together some great catches that resulted in touchdowns. Felix Jones also had a credible rushing day.

Then the mistakes started again. David Buehler missed a 44-yd field goal. Dallas wasted a timeout because they couldn't get set on offense. They managed to drive the ball to the Titans redzone, then Tony Romo forced a pass high into traffic that tipped off Martellus Bennett's hands for a Titans interception.

Even with all of that, the Cowboys were at the Titans 3-yd line poised to take a seven point lead. But Doug Free missed a second-level block that got Felix Jones decked, then Free had a false start that backed the Cowboys up to the 8-yd line. They settled for a field goal. Free wasn't done with his bad game, he missed a cut block on the Titans defensive end, the defender tipped Romo's pass for an interception and the Titans scored the go-ahead touchdown.

Dallas rallied, drove the ball down the field and eventually scored on a Jason Witten catch. Then the most maddening mistake of all appeared. Witten gave the ball to Colombo who spiked it, resulting in a celebration penalty. The penalty was enforced on the kickoff, meaning Buehler kicked from the 15-yd line. The Titans took advantage and returned the ball to the Cowboys 5-yd line, and scored the game-winning touchdown.

There's not much you can say for this team. They have everything you need to win, except the smarts to get it done. Sure, they made physical mistakes in the game, and the Titans played a very good football game. Still, if the Cowboys would quit shooting themselves in the foot, they may actually win games.

It's hard to have any confidence that could happen.

Packers Game Ball: Packers Fall In Overtime to Redskins, 16-13

I could have gone with a poll asking who was the most valuable player on the Green Bay Packers to have been injured and not returned during the game (TE Jermichael Finley, DE Ryan Pickett, LB Clay Matthews and TEDonald Lee would have been my choices), but I'm keeping it positive and handing out a game ball instead. Matthews is still nominated for what he did before he injured his hamstring in the middle of the second half.

One thing I'm upset about (besides the injuries) was the bad decision by Mike McCarthy to call a QB sneak on 3rd and goal, and then go for it on 4th down instead of kicking a FG. I hate walking away from points (and any decision that leads to QB Aaron Rodgers getting hit) and he did them both. It could have turned this loss into a win.

Braves Vs. Giants, NLDS Game 3: Tim Hudson Snaps Jonathan Sanchez No-Hit Bid

When you're a pitcher, and you're working on a terrific start, and your lineup isn't giving you any help, sometimes you just need to take things upon yourself. That's exactly what Tim Hudson did in the bottom of the sixth. After Rick Ankiel led off against Jonathan Sanchez with a fly out to right, Hudson stepped in and dropped a base hit in front of Cody Ross - the first hit the Braves have managed all game.

We'll see now whether they're able to build off this and mount some kind of rally. For the first time all day, the crowd has life, but Sanchez remains as difficult to square up as ever.

Swimmers sick at Commonwealth Games

Questions are being asked about the water quality at the New Delhi pool as 15 swimmers have caught a virus.

In the latest embarrassment to hit India’s troubled Commonwealth Games, English and Australian team doctors are blaming poor water quality for a stomach virus that has swept through their teams. Australian Andrew Lauterstein had to pull out of the 50-meter butterfly race yesterday. Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell said that officials are urgently looking into the conditions of the both the main pool and the warm-up pool at the Dr. S.P. Makherjee Aquatic Complex. The competition has been dogged by set-backs, including construction delays, security concerns, poor ticket sales, and an outbreak of dengue fever.

Boston Red Sox Buy Liverpool: Tom Hicks To Fight On, Says "Board Does Not Approve"

In an email exchange with the BBC's Brian Alexander, Liverpool FC co-owner Tom Hicks indicated ownership intends to stand in opposition as chairman Martin Broughton seeks a High Court's declaratory judgment approving the club's sale to New England Sports Ventures (NESV).

According to Hicks, NESV's offer should have never been approved, as the board of directors he put in place did not vote on the deal.

However, Hicks and Gillett claim Purslow and Ayre were replaced - believed to be by Hicks's son, Mack Hicks, and Lori Kay McCutcheon, a vice president at Hicks Holdings - giving the owners a majority on the board and with it the ability to block any sale.

When asked about the takeover by Alexander, Hicks replied: "We legally reconstituted the board and the board does not approve of this transaction."

Then asked how he and Gillett could block the move, Hicks added: "We have removed Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre."

That removal was rejected by Broughton, who claims to have been given the sole power to reorganize the board when he was appointed chairman in April.

Hicks attempted to place son Mack and business associate Lori Kay McCutcheon into Purslow and Arye's director position; however, Broughton rejected the move, claiming "written undertakings" made at the time of his April appointment gave him sole power to reorganize the board.

Randy Moss Traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a 3rd Round Draft Pick in 2011

Randy Moss has been traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft. The trade is both shocking and entirely believable. It’s shocking because, well, this rarely happens in the NFL – a star player traded during the season – especially from a team that is a playoff contender. The only comparable situation is Eric Dickerson in 1987.

Dickerson was a 27-year old star running back who was in a contract dispute with the team, and had stood on the sidelines and only received seven carries in his last game as a Ram. But that team started 1-5 at the time of the trade, and was transitioning in a new quarterback in Jim Everett. Here, the Patriots are 3-1, are still in the midst of a run of seven straight seasons with double digit wins, and just signed their future Hall of Fame quarterback to an extension.

It’s believable, though, because of the strong personalities involved. Randy Moss is among the most physically gifted of receivers, but has groused since the start of the season about not receiving a contract extension. Karen Gurgian of the Boston Herald has reported that Moss asked for a trade after week 1. I’d like to lack self-awareness and pronounce judgment on Moss, and certainly the difference between his Hall of Fame career and that of Jerry Rice is not distinguished by their immense physical abilities, but rather Rice’s singular, constant focus and drive But Moss’ response is an entirely human one. Gifted people can get moody and grouse when they feel underappreciated, or feel that they are not being rewarded for previous brilliance.

Belichick, of course, is gifted as well, one of the best coaches in the game’s history. His vision is singular, and if you do not buy in, he will move on. He has now jettisoned Richard Seymour and Randy Moss for draft picks. In Moss’ case, it is unlikely that the pick received will justify the production Moss could provide, even for one season, unless the Patriots were convinced that Moss would be the equivalent of Manny Ramirez as the season progressed. The Patriots are reloading with draft picks (they have two 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, and 4ths in the 2011 draft), but so far that has not translated into a reloaded defense on the field. It is an interesting gambit to play for the future with a team and quarterback that can compete now.

Moss’ move to Minnesota may mollify Favre and keep another gifted athlete interested in the 2010 season (and perhaps beyond, let the Favre retirement drama part VIII begin in earnest) after a slow start. It creates an interesting and talented dynamic once Sidney Rice returns. A team with Moss, Rice, Harvin and Peterson will have as sensational a group of playmakers as this game has seen playing together, but can they all be satisfied with their roles?

For the Patriots, they clearly like their other receiving options, including the young tight end Aaron Hernandez (who is in the Dallas Clark mode of tight ends) and Brandon Tate. So far, they have been successful spreading it around, but it will be interesting to see how much of the interplay in the passing game that saw Wes Welker be so effective will now be changed without the threat of Randy Moss.

New England Sports Ventures issue LFC statement

A statement has been issued by the potential new owners of Liverpool FC.

The sale of the club is, according to Reds chairman Martin Broughton, subject to a number of conditions, including the outcome of a legal challenge between the current owners and the remainder of the board.

New England Sports Ventures (“NESV”) can confirm that their bid for Liverpool FC has been
selected by the Club’s Board of Directors and agreement has been reached with the Board to purchase the Club. NESV wishes to extend its appreciation to the Board for their diligence and their efforts on behalf of Liverpool FC and its supporters.

NESV wants to create a long-term financially solid foundation for Liverpool FC and is dedicated to ensuring that the Club has the resources to build for the future, including the removal of all acquisition debt. Our objective is to stabilize the Club and ultimately return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successfully competing for and winning trophies.

Since 2001, New England Sports Ventures has made successful investments in sports and entertainment properties. Our portfolio of companies, including the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Roush Fenway Racing are all committed to one common goal: winning. NESV wants to help bring back the culture of winning to Liverpool FC.

We have a proven track record, shown clearly with the Boston Red Sox. The team has won two World Series Championships over the past six years. We will bring the same kind of openness, passion, dedication and professionalism to Liverpool FC.

We are hopeful with regard to the pending legal and English Premier League procedures now underway, however, in light of these issues, we will respectfully refrain from comment or further actions at this time.

The statement also included some official background on the company and people that could soon be taking charge of Liverpool FC.

Background on NESV
Created in 2001, New England Sports Ventures is one of the largest sports, media and entertainment companies in the world with a proven track record of success for each of its subsidiaries. NESV’s portfolio of companies includes: 100 percent of the Boston Red Sox, a Major League Baseball club; 80 percent of New England Sports Network, a regional sports television network; 100 percent of Fenway Sports Group, a sales and marketing company; and 50% of Roush Fenway Racing, a NASCAR racing team.

NESV is led by Principal Owner John Henry and Chairman Tom Werner, who collectively have more than 30 years of experience as owners in Major League Baseball. This ownership group has been voted as the best in MLB by the readers of the Sports Business Journal in each of the past two years, and in 2009 Sports Illustrated selected this group as the number one ownership group in MLB.

NESV Achievements
From 2002 through 2009, the Boston Red Sox have had the second highest regular season winning percentage in MLB, have qualified for the postseason in a club record six of the past seven seasons, and have won more postseason games and World Series Championships than any other club. In addition to a commitment to winning, NESV has made a significant investment into extensive improvements to Fenway Park, resulting in additional seating, more concourse space, expanded concessions options, and an overall enhancement to the Fenway Park fan experience. The Red Sox have also been deeply committed to supporting the community. Since 2002, the Red Sox Foundation has donated more than $38 million to worthy charitable programs throughout New England, and the team through its Community Relations efforts has given away more than 27,000 autographed items and Fenway experiences to be used in fundraising efforts, and has helped facilitate more than 4,000 player and alumni appearances in the community.

New England Sports Network has had the highest rated MLB games for the past six seasons from 2004 through 2009, and in 2009 delivered the highest television household ratings among all regional sports networks in the United States. NESN has also created a large amount of unique and original television content and is at the forefront of the industry in terms of digital media.

In addition to assisting with sponsorship sales for both the Red Sox and NESN, Fenway Sports Group serves as the exclusive sales agency for other tier one properties and brands such as Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Boston College, and the Deutsche Bank Championship PGA Tour event; helping many of its clients grow sponsorship revenues by more than 20% annually. FSG also manages all non-baseball events hosted at Fenway Park, including the hockey events centered around the 2010 NHL Winter Classic, the Fenway Football Challenge, and major concerts. FSG provides specialized sports business consulting services for other professional sports teams, assisting the Miami Dolphins in selling the naming rights deal for Sun Life Stadium.

Roush Fenway Racing is one of NASCAR’s premier racing teams and has won 32 championships and more than 360 races in drag racing, sports car and stock car racing; as well as five championships across NASCAR’s three premier series.

John Henry, Principal Owner
Henry’s background includes finance and agriculture, and he is a former limited partner of the New York Yankees and sole owner of the Florida Marlins. He is in the Futures Hall of Fame. He sits on the Executive Council of MLB and manages the Roush Fenway Racing relationship. He is an active board member of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) and specializes in digital media issues. Henry is passionate about soccer and lives in Boston, Massachusetts and Boca Raton, Florida.

Tom Werner, Chairman
Werner’s background includes Harvard, ABC, and Carsey-Werner, and he is the former owner of the San Diego Padres. He produced some of the biggest hit series in television history such as The Cosby Show, Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun and That 70′s Show. His primary responsibility within NESV is the New England Sports Network (NESN). Werner maintains a residence in Los Angeles and Boston and is passionate about the business of sports.

Source: http://www.nesn.com/2010/10/statement-on-the-purchase-of-liverpool-fc.html

Liverpool Football Club Sold to Boston Red Sox Owners: New England Sports Ventures Buy Anfield Club

Liverpool Fc Agrees Sale To Baseball Owners
A proposed deal to sell Liverpool Football Club to the owners of the Boston Red Sox has been agreed, the club has confirmed.
Sky News City editor Mark Kleinman said: “A deal was agreed to sell Liverpool Football Club to New England Sports Ventures, the owner of the Boston Red Sox.”
However, he added that completing a deal is still likely to be “pretty tricky”.
“The deal would effectively eradicate Liverpool’s long -term debt – which is about £250m – but there will not be much money left on the table.
“The current owners (Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr) do not want this deal to happen because they will not receive any or, if any, only a small amount of the proceeds.”

In a new twist in a bitter boardroom battle, Liverpool Fc statement last night confirmed Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett had tried to remove managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre from the board of directors and replace them with Mack Hicks and Lori Kay McCutcheon.
The statement added: “This matter is now subject to legal review and a further announcement will be made in due course.”
Liverpool – languishing in the relegation zone under new boss Roy Hodgson – has an October 15 deadline to repay debts to the Royal Bank of Scotland resulting from the 2007 takeover by Hicks and Gillett.

After that deadline, RBS would be allowed to take control of it, the asset against which the loans are secured, and sell the club on to recoup the cash.
RBS’ position over the loans has contributed to the reluctance of interested parties to submit formal bids.
Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett initially wanted around £800m for Liverpool, a figure that dropped to £600m.
Earlier this year, the American duo also turned down a £110m bid from New York-based Rhone Group for 40% of the club. (Sky News)

A deal has now finally been struck and the club appears to have finally rid itself of it’s American owners after they sold the club to…. new American owners. Luckily it appears New England Sporting Ventures have actual capital as opposed to a mountain of debts.

Does this signal a new era at Anfield? Only time will tell. Will Roy Hodgson be replaced? The next ten days will be most interesting indeeD