GolfTube: Tiger talk, NBC-Golf Channel, and Kaymer's neckwear

Follow Jonathan Wall on Twitter at @jonathanrwall. 

Sizing up the TV coverage from the WGC-Accenture Match Play ... and away we go.

NBC is one golf network that clearly has no interest in having viewers calling in rules violations during the middle of the telecast. It's clear Padriag Harrington's DQ from earlier this year has made everybody a little jumpy, including the network guys in the truck.

In their first telecast of the year, NBC had to go to the tape to make sure Martin Kaymer hadn't committed a rules violation during his match with Luke Donald. After hitting his ball into the desert, Kaymer was seen kicking a rock -- that appeared to be imbedded in the ground -- away to get better footing for his second shot. NBC caught the incident and quickly showed a replay.

"Well, guys, just before Martin Kaymer played his third shot…I want you to zoom in here. You see where Martin Kaymer kicks the rock with his foot?” NBC's Roger Maltbie said, as NBC's "NBCEE It" camera zoomed in for a slo-mo shot of Kaymer kicking the rock.

Lead announcers Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller immediately went to local Arizona rules offical Ed Gowan for the ruling. Gowan claimed the rock was a loose impediment, which meant Kaymer wouldn't be penalized for the incident.

"Those of you at home who were going to make a call about a rules violation, don’t bother to call, we’re OK," Maltbie joked after Gowan's on-air ruling. It was a moment that, while meaningless to most viewers, showed NBC was definitely keeping track.

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All Tiger, all the time

Even when Tiger misses the cut, he's still the biggest story ... three days later. Though Woods was upset on Wednesday, NBC did the unthinkable, starting off Saturday's broadcast with highlights of Woods' defeat to Thomas Bjorn. It was pathetic.

I know Woods is the lead story every time he shows up at a tournament, but there's no excuse to cut away from the players on the course to show highlights of something that happened three days before. Woods is a big name and he's a big reason why casual fans watch on the weekends, but his loss was old news at that point.

But the highlight package wasn't the only mention of Woods on the weekend. Johnny Miller also blasted Tiger's practice routine on Saturday. It just goes to show you that even when he's no longer at the tournament, Tiger Woods is still the biggest story.

The great scarf debate 

What the heck was the name of the neckgear Martin Kaymer was wearing during Saturday and Sunday's matches? Not even the Golf Channel and NBC could come to an agreement on what to call the darn thing.

While some called it a snood, scarf, or a keffiyeh, it was clear both networks were also split on the name. Faldo called it a "snood," because, obviously, that's what they call it across the pond; Johnny Miller called it a scarf during Sunday's telecast, even noting that he's seen the exact same one advertised in the fly fishing catalog he receives in the mail.

Whatever it is, Kaymer's new fashion trend was the talk of both NBC and the Golf Channel.

Start on time, finish late 

After CBS was blasted for going off air with five holes to play during last week's third round at Riviera, NBC and the Golf Channel decided to do things right this week. When Wednesday's opening round was delayed by frost, the Golf Channel decided to run coverage more than 60 minutes past their 6 p.m. EST time slot -- something they rarely ever do. It was a smart move with Tiger Woods and a host of other big names still on the course.

Not to be outdone, NBC did something CBS had failed to do in the past, and that's start the coverage on time. (Notice a trend here?) While CBS can claim college basketball games are the big culprit for starting late, they still have no excuse for running a post-game show after the game is over.

Cutting away from the action 

Whoever was mannig Golf Channel's cameras on Wednesday obviously cared more about Stewart Cink's reaction than the brilliant shot he hit on the deciding hole of his match with Ian Poulter. On the first playoff hole, Cink hit an approach shot that nearly went in the hole.

Only we never actually saw the ball roll past the hole. The Golf Channel cameras cut from Cink's ball rolling towards the cup, to a shot of Cink and his caddie watching the ball. The network then quickly showed a replay of how close the ball was from going in. It would have been nice to see that in real time.

NBC, Golf Channel fire up their new partnership 

NBC started a stretch of six weeks where the network will be televising weekend coverage of the PGA Tour. While it's always fun to see some new faces and hear a different opinion, the biggest change was the new partnership between NBC and the Golf Channel, which was made possible by the NBC-Comcast merger earlier this year.

Although it seem insignificant to the casual golf viewer, the merger of two of golf's biggest players is a big deal. You have the biggest cable golf brand matching up with one of golf's biggest networks. It's still too early to tell how things will work in the future, but so far it looks like the networks will mix and match on-course announcers in the same manner as CBS and the Golf Channel have in the past. Now if we could just get Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo in the same booth for four rounds...

Notes:

NBC's Jimmy Roberts did some interesting sitdown interviews with Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, and a host of other players throughout the weekened. The interviews hit on a number of topics and were a nice change of pace during the coverage. Bubba Watson and JB Holmes' match was a comedy of errors, topped off by a final hole that was painstakingly slow. However, the best part was the boom mic the Golf Channel placed near to Watson. He had a number of priceless quotes, including one where he told Holmes to "text me" when he found his ball in the desert. If the Golf Channel is looking for someone to wear the mic, Watson is your guy.

Quotes: 

"Swiss watchmakers should set their clocks to the heartbeat of this man," Golf Channel's Nick Faldo, in reference to how calm Martin Kaymer is under pressure.

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Ronaldinho scores Guanabara Cup winner, celebrates with conga line

Ronaldinho expertly curled a 71st minute free kick just inside the post to give Flamengo a 1-0 win over Boavista and the club's 19th Guanabara Cup (the first stage of the Rio de Janeiro state championship). Even more fun than his goal was the conga line celebration he organized right after, which was just flat-out hilarious. 

Here's your new computer background...

And Ronaldinho with the cup...

Photos: Reuters, AP

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Hokies' offense wasn't broke, but they're fixing it with bigger goals in sight

Bryan Stinespring is no stranger to the slings and arrows of Virginia Tech fans over nine seasons as the Hokies' offensive coordinator, the arrow on his much-maligned tenure was pointing unmistakably up over the last two seasons: The 2009-10 attacks were arguably the best Hokie offenses since Michael Vick was setting defenses aflame a decade earlier, both averaging upwards of 30 points per game and the latter leading the charge to an ACC championship, Tech's fourth in seven years with Stinespring calling the shots.

If you were head coach Frank Beamer, you might take that as vindication of your patience and loyalty to one of your righthand men through some truly ghastly efforts over the preceding three seasons. The actual Frank Beamer, on the other hand, has seen enough: Per an interview on his official website, Beamer has officially demoted Stinespring and handed play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain, former head coach at N.C. State and offensive coordinator under Beamer at Murray State from 1981-84.

The formal motivation: O'Cain's comfort level with sophomore Logan Thomas, a big (6-6, 240 pounds) pocket slinger expected to take the reins from outgoing senior Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback. "They spend so much time together in the film room, practice field, study sessions, that [O'Cain] just knows what they're thinking, knows what they like, knows what they can do, knows their body language, knows when to attack," Beamer said in the interview. "And it just makes sense, with Logan breaking in, to try and keep things as smooth as possible."

The implicit motivation, as suggested by the Virginian-Pilot's Kyle Tucker: At 63, Beamer is going all-in with Thomas as his last, best shot at a BCS championship before he retires.

No one would have batted an eye if Beamer had made the same bet two years ago on Taylor, a hyped up-and-comer entering his third season at the helm of an offense that had finished 99th, 100th and 103rd in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. But it looks like a legitimate gamble after last season, when Stinespring's veteran attack was as advertised. It remained a run-first affair, as always, with four different players – Taylor and running backs Darren Evans, Ryan Williams and David Wilson – combining for 2,600 yards and 30 touchdowns on almost 40 carries per game, good for the No. 2 ground game in the ACC, behind only the triple-option extremists at Georgia Tech.

But the attack really blossomed with Taylor's underrated efficiency in the play-action game: He led the conference in 2010 in passer rating, yards per attempt, yards per completion and completions covering at least 25 yards for the second year in a row, cruising to Offensive Player of the Year honors as the captain of the highest-scoring offense in the league.

That success came opposite unquestionably the worst Bud Foster defense since Virginia Tech defected from the Big East to the ACC in 2004. The Hokies yielded more points (20.6 per game) on more yards (361.5) than at any point since the transition and finished seventh in the conference against the run, a far cry from their usual perch in the top five or ten of the national rankings. Boise State dropped 33 points on Tech to open the season, Stanford unloaded for 40 to close the season, and the better attacks in the ACC seemed to find the Straits of Foster uncharacteristically manageable in between.

The fact is, Tech was a relatively offensive team in 2010 for the first time in recent memory, and certainly for the first time as a mamba of the ACC: Over six years from 2004-09, the Hokies won a grand total of seven games (and lost 15) in which they allowed at least 20 points. In '10 alone, they won six games when opponents scored 20, including the 44-33 win over Florida State in a shootout of an ACC Championship Game.

That night was one of the high points of Stinespring's career as a play-caller. From there, it was on to the second-half debacle against Stanford in the Orange Bowl and now the coaching equivalent of being shipped to the docks, focusing exclusively on offensive tackles and tight ends. (Offensive line coach Curt Newsome will continue to handle the interior positions.) It's a tough business, but how many other scorned coaches have ever appealed by asking their boss to look what they've done for him lately?

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Court Report Live Blog: Tony Parker out 2-4 weeks

• Tony Parker's calf injury is going to cost him between two and four weeks and puts his fanasy owners in h2h leagues in a tough spot. The short side of that timetable would mean he returns at the start of the default playoffs, while a worst-case scenario means he's not helping at all unless you get to the finals. Get him on the block immediately if you know you can't wait things out either way - at least try an offer or two before you straight drop him. George Hill will move into the starting five and makes for a solid pickup - his numbers in 51 career starts include 14.6 points on 48-percent shooting, 1.1 threes, 3.6 assists, 1.6 turnovers, and 0.8 steals in 33 minutes. Manu Ginobili erupted for 61 points, 12 boards, 13 assists, five steals, and two blocks over the past two games and will have an opportunity to make up for his long shooting slump while Parker is out. James Anderson and Gary Neal are also now in line for more minutes off the bench and deserve deep-league consideration.

• Andrew Bogut asked out of Saturday's game late and did not practice Monday because of what is being described as left ribcage pain. The Journal Sentinel is also reporting that Bogut continues to deal with pain in his surgically-repaired elbow and hand, so this qualifies as bad news getting worse. We should have more definitive word on the extent of Bogut's new injury by early Tuesday. The Bucks' depth chart behind Bogut includes Ersan Ilyasova (currently dealing with a concussion), Larrry Sanders, and Jon Brockman.  

• Antawn Jamison suffered a broken left pinky finger Sunday but we aren't likely to find out if it will cost him games until Tuesday. Estimates will vary in the interim, depending on how severe the break is and considering that it's his non-shooting hand, so fantasy owners can only sit tight and wait for a specific update. Losing Jamison for any length of time would be a blow for the Cavs' offense as a whole. Samardo Samuels and newly-acquired Semih Erden are the likely beneficiaries of surplus playing time.  

• John Kuester and Richard Hamilton met Monday and had a good conversation, after which Rip was back at practice and doing a good job, according to Kuester. Joe Dumars says that Kuester has his full support and the plan is for everyone to move forward "in a first-class manner." Alrighty then. 

• Bobcats coach Paul Silas said Monday that Tyrus Thomas could return to practice next week and the active roster one week later. Thomas is now five weeks removed from his January 21 surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, for which was given a rehabilitation timetable of six-to-eight weeks. Thomas is stash-worthy in deeper leagues if you can carry dead weight for the next few weeks, but be realistic with your expectations. Assuming Silas' guesstimates come to fruition, we're looking at Thomas' first playing time in two months coming during the first week of the default h2h playoffs. And the Gerald Wallace trade didn't move the meter much when it comes to playing time, so the 25 minutes he averaged in January before he was hurt has to be considered an optimistic ceiling. 

• Other status updates: Eric Gordon is still having problems shooting and we may not see him at all this week ... Baron Davis says his knee is "a little unstable" and is questionable for Wednesday ... Mo Williams is expected to play for the Clippers on Monday ... Andrea Bargnani missed Sunday's game with the flu and will be a game-day decision on Tuesday ... Jason Thompson (ankle) is questionable for Monday's matchup with the Clippers ... Andray Blatche (hip) is probable, Rashard Lewis (illness) questionable for Monday ... Mike Bibby has been bought out by the Wizards and could be headed to Miami. Corey Brewer will be bought out by the Knicks and will get interest from a number of contenders.

• Monday's most added players (as of 2:30pm PT): Randy Foye, Chase Budinger, Greg Monroe, George Hill, and Will Bynum

• Monday's most dropped players (as of 2:30pm PT): Tony Allen, Ryan Anderson, Mike Dunleavy, Tayshaun Prince, and Kendrick Perkins

These and many more topics will be discussed in the Monday live blog, so stop by and participate in the discussion or just lurk and take it all in. We'll get started at 7pm PT/10pm ET.

Check the comment thread for status updates or to post your own.

Follow Matt Buser on Twitter @busersports
Follow Justin Phan on Twitter @jphanned

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photo via Getty Images

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Analyzing Andy Roddick's shot through photographs

You've seen the video of Andy Roddick's spectacular, tournament-winning shot against Milos Raonic, now take a look at the still photographs which capture the greatness of the point even better:

In the video clip it all happens so fast that you don't get a chance to appreciate how tough the get was for Roddick. A few points earlier, Roddick charged for a ball at the net but hit it after it bounced for a second time. The chair umpire didn't see the second bounce and it ended up not mattering because Raonic easily returned Roddick's shot for a winner. Watching this match live, it appeared that this was going to be the same sort of shot, one that Roddick might be able to reach but one he wouldn't be able to control.

Look where the ball is in this picture. It's not more than 18 inches off the court and is dropping fast. (Also, note the concentration on his face. Roddick's eyes are locked in on the ball.)

Roddick's body is momentarily parallel to the court. It looks like he's on the pommel horse.

This is the end result of what happens when you're momentarily parallel to the court. The shot of Roddick's thinning hair caused a lot of conversation yesterday (Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon mentioned it on "PTI") but not here because I believe in hair karma.  Plus, why is it acceptable to poke fun at a man's bald spot? Shouldn't that be covered by the PC police? I'm starting to sound like Larry David, so I'll move on.

"I was like, ‘No, there's no way that went in.'"

"I guess it did."

The expression of the ball boy in the last two pictures is priceless. His mouth is agape in both shots. Maybe somebody in Memphis was as surprised as Roddick.

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Video analysis: What's next for Donaire? 'JuanMa' says stay away from 126

Before this weekend's fight, Nonito Donaire was highly regarded at 118 pounds, but after a second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel, the Filipino-American has vaulted to the top of the class. Now there's talk of Donaire jumping to 122 or 126.

Juan Manuel Lopez is the top dog at featherweight. He says Donaire better be careful before jumping eight pounds.

"I think that at 118, he should dominate without any problems and perhaps he can do the same at 122 pounds, but at 126 I think right now it’s a little too much for him," Lopez told BoxingScene.com. "Not only against me, but against [Yuriorkis] Gamboa and against Orlando Salido. So far he’s never felt a blow from a man at 126 pounds. It is not the same. [Donaire] is not a fight I would dismiss. It would be a good fight, but at the right time. Right now, I think he’s not ready [to be at featherweight]."

Yahoo! Sports' lead boxing writer Kevin Iole joined us to talk about the Donaire victory over Montiel and agrees with JuanMa, the hot shot should gradually move to 126.

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Injury report: Greg Norman, Ernie Els on the disabled list

Some golf legends are getting old and, as old things do, starting to break down a bit. Greg Norman has had surgery on his left shoulder -- you'll note that's not a current photo -- and hopes to start playing golf on a limited basis by July.

Norman's shoulders are, quite frankly, a mess. He had the arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder at the University of Pittsburgh medical center to repair a torn labrum, and had surgery on his right shoulder in 2009.

Sadly, the timetable for his return likely keeps the two-time British Open champion out of this year's major. He'll somehow have to comfort himself with his hundreds of millions and his vineyards.

Another international legend, Ernie Els, has had to withdraw from this week's Northern Trust Open because of a sore neck. He's not sure exactly how it happened, but he's just going to be out until next week's WGC-Accenture Match Play championship.

Also withdrawing: Nick Watney, Jesper Parnevik and Fred Funk. No reason given for their withdrawal, so we're going to go with: caught his hand in the garbage disposal, ate still-living sushi and bamboo splinters under the fingernails. Ouch!

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Henin is sorry for the Serena hand incident ... but not really

In a post-retirement interview with Belgian TV, Justine Henin reflected on her infamous 2003 confrontation with Serena Williams in the semifinals of the French Open. The seven-time Grand Slam champion said "it is not the best memory," but stopped way short of apologizing for her controversial gesture which led to a Serena collapse.

If your memory needs some jogging, read this post from last May for a refresher on the incident, which actually started on the point before Henin raised her hand. Or watch the clip below. Or do both. 

Here's what I wrote about it last year (after Serena defended herself to Jelena Jankovic by telling her "I'm not Justine" following a similar on-court incident):

It wasn't merely bad sportsmanship, it was bad gamesmanship, too. Henin didn't like the previous call, so she let Serena know it by raising her hand and interrupting her serve. Serena's move wasn't very sportsmanlike either, but it didn't warrant such a juvenile, petty and cheap move.

Henin seems to understand that it was wrong but doesn't express much regret about it. Here's a translation of the interview, as provided by Matt Cronin of Tennis.com:

"I think she saw [the hand raising] and she was disturbed by that. There is a lot of tension, actions are a bit by instinct. So it's true that it is not the best memory. At the same time what happened was magic. I don't know if that changed the match. Maybe it was a way to give me respect, because you know that Williams have an attitude, sometimes difficult. They play with a lot of intimidation. You need to know that when you play against a Williams and they walk on court."

That's not even a non-apology apology. That's merely acknowledging Serena was upset. Henin doesn't know whether it changed the match? She was down 2-4, 0-30 in the deciding set when it happened. If that didn't change the match, what did? And what's magical about cattily raising your hand because you didn't like the call before? By that definition, Serena blowing up at that chair umpire at the U.S. Open was enchanting.

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BREAKING: All distractions have been eliminated from baseball

Forget all those updates about so-and-so being in the best shape of his life. Claiming something will not be a distraction is the new line when it comes to cliché spring training hotness.

Indeed, this focused group is growing in numbers by the day. Michael Young of the Texas Rangers became the latest member of the club on Sunday. Despite demanding a trade that has yet to come about (but made a 3-year-old sulk anyway), Young insisted that everything will be copacetic when it comes to the team's clubhouse this season.

From the Associated Press:

"He said he wasn't going to be a distraction. That was it," manager Ron Washington said, relaying what Young said during a scheduled team meeting before the workout.

Young's implied meaning: Case closed. End of story. Nothing to see here. Move along. 

And he might be right. While those of us in the media and stands might be fascinated at the schism between Young and GM Jon Daniels, it doesn't mean that the jilted ballplayer will be bellyaching about it around the batting cage and on the bench every day this season.

Follow Big League Stew on Facebook and Twitter 

But it also doesn't change the fact that Young is engaging in a familiar practice of denial this preseason. Among the other figures attempting to drop a cloth on the large pachyderm in the corner of the room and zero in on the task at hand are:

• St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols, who said he's "more locked in this year than ever," despite admitting that the media circus surrounding his impending mega-contract is an undeniable "zoo."

• Cards manager Tony La Russa, who started off by saying that the Pujols situation could be a "spectacular distraction," then said it wouldn't be a distraction before creating a distraction on his own by claiming that the player's union was pressuring Pujols in contract talks. 

• Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who believes the potential on-field loss of star Miguel Cabrera to rehab — or even simple concern for a friend and teammate who is struggling with personal demons — is "not going to affect the team at all."

• New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, who said he won't let the possibility of opting out of his contract and potentially leaving the Yankees with no reliable pitchers to be a distraction.

• New Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who said his team won't be distracted by the fact that Prince Fielder will be a free agent next winter.  

And on and on.

Again, it's silly for anyone to think that any of these storylines would be a debilitating distraction on an everyday basis this season. But because the players and managers are so consistently adamant, it really makes you wonder what they would consider to be a distraction. The USC marching band tromping through the clubhouse? The return of Morganna? A moat filled with sharks and crocodiles between the on-deck circle and batter's box?

Ah, wait, we've just received word that there is at least one person concerned about a player's focus. It's Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker and he's worried that Brandon Phillips' recent entry into the world of Twitter might have an impact on his season.

"I just hope that it's not too time-consuming and distracting from what he has to do," Baker told reporters.  

So for those of you keeping score at home:

Possible rehab stints, $300 million contracts and looming free agency = Not a distraction.

Irrelevant updates comprised of 140 characters and social media = Distraction. 

Makes sense to me.

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Spring Snapshot: Dodgers can't get distracted by ownership ills

Every day in spring training until we finish the entire league, Big League Stew takes a brief capsule look at each team we visit in the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues. Next stop is Camelback Ranch to see if Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers can regain their playoff form of 2008 and 2009.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

2010 RECORD: (80-82, fourth place in NL West)

BIGGEST ACQUISITIONS: General manager Ned Colletti swiped infielder Juan Uribe from the rival Giants, and spent $12 million to sign reliever Matt Guerrier away from the Twins. Jon Garland makes for a stable fifth starter, though how Vicente Padilla is used will be up for grabs.

BIGGEST DEPARTURES: Joe Torre managed the squad to two berths in the NLCS, but has returned to managerial retirement. ... Russell Martin appeared to be a Dodgers icon-in-waiting after his first three seasons behind the plate, but after two down years he has moved on to the Yankees.

FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DODGERS

1. Is Don Mattingly the right guy to lead them?

It's a loaded question. It's not so much that managers aren't important — although their importance often is overstated — but there's just not a lot of difference between Manager "A" and Manager "B." Most of them manage in a similar way. There's only so much influence they can wield.

With that out of the way, Mattingly already had a harrowing experience that makes you wonder. Filling in for Joe Torre against the Giants in July, he was charged with two mound visits on one trip, which caused chaos for the Dodgers and the umpires. "They call him 'Donny Baseball,' not 'Donny Rulebook,' " Yahoo! Sports' own Tim Brown wrote at the time.

2. How does the McCourt divorce matter? As a group, major leaguers tend to be skilled at tuning out off-the-field issues. The turmoil in upper management has no bearing, for example, on how Matt Kemp rebounds from a disappointing season or who closes games. But the divorce and its financial fallout means nearly everything to the future of the organization. They're still in position to contend in 2011, but if leadership is distracted, indecisive or inefficient, there's no reasonable way to expect the Dodgers to win beyond this season.

3. How close is Clayton Kershaw to being the best pitcher in the majors? Going by Fangraphs' Wins Above Replacement stat, he was 14th-best in 2010 — just after CC Sabathia and just ahead of Roy Oswalt. As long as Kershaw continues to cut his walk rate and still strike out abundant amounts, he's on a trajectory of greatness. Mattingly wasted little time in naming him the opening day starter — so Kershaw can assume that he's at least the best pitcher on his own team. And that's saying something, considering that Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Ted Lilly also are in the rotation. Hey, if you're looking for positive signs about Mattingly, there's one; He didn't mess around in putting Kershaw at the top of the list.

4. Is Jay Gibbons really going to be the starting left fielder? It's pretty amazing, considering Gibbons seemed locked out of a job in the wake of the Mitchell Report connection. Yet, after two-plus seasons away from the majors, Gibbons slugged .507 in a trial 75 at-bats in '10 and appears poised to get a lot of playing time. He hit 115 homers from 2001-2006 with the Orioles, so he has produced before. 

5. By the way: *Is* Kemp going to turn it around? His attitude, reportedly, has been good so far. That's a good first step in returning to form. Kemp's production in all aspects dropped noticeably in 2010. His defense was bad, his baserunning was bad and his on-base percentage was barely above .300. The Dodgers seemed to nag him about it constantly, too. This time, Kemp can start fresh with Mattingly, and he could benefit from the baserunning coaching of Davey Lopes. He's just 26 years old and should be in good position to succeed.

Follow Dave on Twitter throughout his spring training journey — @AnswerDave

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If the Pac-12 wants its domain name, it has to go through Tupac

Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott comes across as a fairly visionary guy. Immediately upon assuming the title last year, he was talking about marketing the conference to Japan, went after the entire Big 12 South in an effort to expand membership to 16 teams, eventually added Colorado and Utah to transform the league into the Pac-12 and still plans to start the Pac-12 Network. But even with his farsighted track record, I can almost guarantee Larry Scott did not foresee a legal fight involving Tupac Shakur on the horizon.

But here we are. In its ongoing branding effort in the transition from the "Pac-10" to the "Pac-12," the conference filed a claim* last week with the World Intellectual Property Organization for rights to the domain name "pac12.com," which currently features – what else? – an Amazon.com widget offering visitors "A 12Pac from Tupac," a collection of MP3 downloads of a dozen albums by the dead rapper. The page title: "Tupac Lives!"

For the record, you can get to the league's current site, Pac-10.org, by typing in "Pac-10.com," but not "Pac10.org" or "Pac10.com," which redirect to a generic placeholder site despite the fact that the Pac-10 actually owns both. The URLs "Pac-12.com," "Pac-12.org" and "Pac12.org" are all registered to Bet-R Sites, LLC (host to the sublime Quotable Les Miles, among a handful of other sites), and all redirect to the same blank white screen. Clearly, the Pac-10/12 simply must have Pac12.com.

As for that site, the domain was initially created in July 2005, and the current owner's registration expires in six months. Whether it's ever been used as anything other than an obscure, mercantilist shrine to Tupac, I don't know. But it was last updated on Feb. 1 – a day before the Pac-10 filed its complaint with the WIPO, likely in an attempt to keep the conference from claiming the site as dormant and/or abandoned. I'm a fake doctor, not a lawyer, so I won't speculate on the possible outcome of an intellectual property case. But these domain squatters, man, they're harder than they look.

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* Here is the specific case in the WIPO database.
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Lesnar picks Fitch; White can already see his nightmare on the horizon

It's all coming together perfectly. Georges St. Pierre could be leaving the welterweight division soon and the man to beat will be Jon Fitch. Fitch is a great fighter, but seems to drive UFC management, led by the president Dana White, nuts because he usually wins by decision. When it was time for Junior dos Santos and Brock Lesnar, on the set of Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter," to pick UFC 127's main event they had trouble deviating from the usual Fitch script.

Both fighters picked Fitch to take out B.J. Penn via decision. That's not surprising since Fitch has won five straight decisions and his last eight have gone the distance. What was surprising was Lesnar actually throwing down some Fitch knowledge. when he made his selection, he seemed to be aware of Fitch's game.

Each time Lesnar has been asked in the past to pick a fight, it's clear he really doesn't own a computer or watch much television. He fights, but doesn't watch the stuff.

Penn is the smaller fighter at 170 pounds and may have trouble keeping Fitch off him. White's nightmare would be another three-round lay and pray with Fitch rolling to a win and into position to fight for an interim welterweight belt. 

White's first vlog for UFC 127 (NSFW) also includes the immediate aftermath of Anderson Silva's amazing kick that finished Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva calls the champ some sort of mother[expletive] and White kept saying "I've never even seen that before."

Watch UFC 127 right here on Yahoo! Sports.

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The Roger Federer era isn't over

By my count, this is the fourth passing of the torch by Roger Federer.

The first was in 2008 when he lost that epic Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal. The next was seven months later after another loss in the final of a major to his Spanish rival (remember the tears?). His loss to Juan Martin del Potro in the final of the U.S. Open in 2009 was yet another sign that the tennis landscape was shifting. And now, with his straight-set thumping at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open, the Roger Federer era has ended once again.

Or has it?

Once you get past the fact that Federer isn't the same player he was in 2006, it's easy to accept the fact that losing a Slam semifinal to the No. 3 player in the world doesn't mean the end is near. People like to act like Federer is still in his prime and should be winning every match he plays. They were spoiled by his success, ignoring the fact that it was completely unprecedented in the annals of the sport, and expect it to continue.

The truth is, the Roger Federer era that we romanticize ended long ago. The era of him competing in Grand Slams is very much alive. He's not going to win three in a calendar year or be in the finals of every one, like back in the old days, but the world No. 2 is a threat every time he steps on the court. It's not like he's going out and losing first-week matches at majors or getting upset by journeymen; he's losing late in Slams to top-ranked players. 

Yes, the loss will produce changes to the tennis hierarchy. It leaves Federer without a Grand Slam to defend for the first time since July 5, 2003. And, yes, he lost in uncharacteristic fashion: frustrated with Djokovic's antics, angry at the loudness of the people in Nole's box and squandering every opportunity to get back into the match. And, most importantly, Sunday will produce a major champion not named Federer or Rafael Nadal for only the third time in the past six years.

This was a long time coming, though. The Roger Federer era is very much alive. Waning, but alive. As he himself said after the match when asked whether it was over, "let's talk [about it] again in six months." 

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Ask Alex: Will Trevor Cahill be a Cy Young contender?

We all have questions about the 2011 season and Alex Remington luckily has some answers. The Stew's resident stats guru will address the big questions as opening day approaches.

The Situation: The 2010 Oakland Athletics were an extremely mixed bag: They combined the league's best rotation with some of its worst hitting, and finished at exactly .500, the fourth straight year they failed to win more games than they lost. Odds are, the 2011 A's will continue to pitch better than they hit, led by 22-year old All-Star Trevor Cahill, 23-year old Brett Anderson, 25-year old Gio Gonzalez, and 26-year-old All-Star closer Andrew Bailey.

A month younger than Anderson (who turned 23 on Feb. 1), Cahill is the team's youngest returning player — and was the team's biggest breakout star last year, leading the rotation with 18 wins and a 2.97 ERA despite a pedestrian 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings and mediocre 1.87 strikeout to walk radio. As Joe Stiglich of the Oakland Tribune noted, it was the first time a pitcher that young had won 18 games since Bret Saberhagen did so in 1985 — and Bret won the Cy Young for his troubles. (Cahill finished ninth in 2010.)

The Question: Will Trevor Cahill be a Cy Young contender after his breakout season?

The Analysis: It's not impossible, but it's extremely unlikely. He got really lucky last year, and he'll have to get an awful lot luckier — or start striking out a whole lot more batters — to have a shot at a Cy Young award. Despite possessing an average fastball velocity of 90.4 MPH last season, he struck out more than a batter an inning in his minor league career. But once he got to the majors, his strikeout rate fell by half.

Indeed, sabermetric red flags are everywhere: Cahill's swinging strike rate, overall strikeout rate, contact rate, and batting average on balls in play are all well below the major league average, but his strand rate is well above the major league average. This means that he's giving up a lot of contact, and often hard contact, but he's been lucky on two things that are largely outside his control: how many of the batted balls fall for hits, and how many of those baserunners score. Moreover, he benefits from Oakland Coliseum, one of the best pitchers' parks in the majors — for his career, he has a 3.26 ERA at home and a 4.40 ERA on the road.

On the bright side, Cahill is a young guy who has already won 28 games in the major leagues, and that isn't a fluke. He was a second round draft pick who blazed through the minors and has held his own in the majors despite a lack of a blazing fastball. Moreover, as Nico at Athletics Nation pointed out last week, Cahill brings other qualities to the table: He's very good at fielding his position and at inducing ground balls — which tends to suppress slugging — and he's very adaptable, constantly working on and refining his mechanics and secondary pitches. Even the bloggers at Athletics Nation don't think he's a Cy Young candidate, though, as DFA designated him as "a mid range No. 3 starter" and Nico considers him a 75 on a 100 point scale, writing:

This would mean that if in 2011, you are hoping to see an 18-game winner with an ERA under 3.00 who is in the conversation for "Top 10 Cy Young award candidates," you are going to be disappointed. It would also mean you have a pitcher who, as he makes his Cactus League debut on or about his 23rd birthday, is better than 3/4 of his major league peers — and that's a good thing to have.

Pretty much everyone from optimist to pessimist, fan to foe, has Cahill projected for a step backward this year. How much of a step backward, though, depends on whom you ask. Athletics Nation's Nico is the most optimistic: 15-10 with a 3.42 ERA and 5.7 K/9. The Bill James Handbook dials that back to 12-12 with a 3.67 ERA and 5.3 K/9. And Dan Szymborski's ZiPS projection system has him at 14-12 with a 4.07 ERA and 5.5 K/9.

In other words, they all pretty much agree that he won't get better at striking people out, but they disagree pretty strongly about how much that will hurt him. We have very good evidence that he can pull this off: his 2.97 ERA over 196 2/3 innings in 2010. We also have very good evidence that he can get hurt by it: his 4.63 ERA over 178 2/3 innings in 2009. All three of those projections split the difference, but Szymborski is the only one who sees 2009 as more indicative of his true talent than 2010. Unfortunately, as long as Cahill's strikeout rate remains this low, I'm inclined to agree with him.

The Forecast for 2011: Barring injury, Trevor Cahill will be a solid contributor to the 2011 A's, a starter who is especially strong in his home park. But he's a groundball pitcher who doesn't miss bats, and for all his tinkering, and his fine sinker, he hasn't found a pitch that major league hitters will swing and miss at. Until he does that, I just can't see him repeating his success over a sustained length of time. So I'll go with Szymborski, leaving the caveat that Cahill was a strikeout pitcher in the minors who could vastly beat my projections if he can find a way to translate those strikeouts to the majors. For now, I'm projecting major dropoffs in wins and ERA, with an ERA between 4.00 and 4.25, and between 11 and 14 wins.

Do you have a question about the 2011 season for Alex? Email him here.

Previous questions: Can the Red Sox win 100 games?, How many games will the Astros win?, Will the Phillies miss Jayson Werth?, Will Buster Posey experience a sophomore slump?

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Tony Stewart clips Clint Bowyer at finish for Nationwide Daytona win

Thanks to a push from Landon Cassill on the last lap, Tony Stewart beat Clint Bowyer by 0.007 seconds to win the Nationwide race at Daytona International Speedway Saturday afternoon.

That's about a foot or two, by the way.

The win was Stewart's third straight win in the Nationwide season-opener and his sixth in the last seven years. That's a pretty incredible accomplishment, especially given the unpredictability of restrictor-plate racing.

Stewart's pass was a pretty incredible accomplishment too. He pushed Cassill to the front after the two started outside the top 10 with six laps to go, and the two swapped positions on the penultimate lap, and that swap looked momentarily like it would derail the momentum that the cars had gained.

However, going into turn one on the final lap, Kyle Busch, who was paired with Joey Logano on the outside, pushed Logano a little too hard, sending Logano into the wall. The caution wasn't thrown, and that allowed Stewart and Cassill to catch up to Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt Jr. stuck to Bowyer's bumper as the two entered the trioval on the last lap and Stewart and Cassill went high. Bowyer went to block Stewart's charge, but Stewart stayed in the gas and nudged ahead just before the finish line.

Bowyer and Stewart -- both driving at Daytona for Kevin Harvick's race team -- had been drafting buddies most of the day, but got separated after the final caution when Stewart had to pit for a flat right rear tire.

Four of Stewart's six victories in this race have come with KHI, while the other two have come with Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

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Pearson takes decision over Fisher at UFC 127

"The Ultimate Fighter" winner Ross Pearson rebounded from a loss to Cole Miller by winning a unanimous decision over veteran lightweight Spencer Fisher at UFC 127 in Australia. The judges saw it 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Pearson.

Fisher started strong, bouncing around as he pushed forward on his feet and slamming Pearson to the ground. Pearson responded with an armbar attempt, but Fisher was able to shake him off, and the two returned to their feet where Fisher continued to stay aggressive for the remainder of the round.

In the second, the two traded back and forth, with Pearson growing stronger as the round went on. Fisher had good striking early on, but was slowed when Pearson tried for a takedown. That didn't work, but Pearson landed cleaner punches afterwards.

Between rounds, the two showed that they were still fresh as they bounced around, raising their arms and drawing cheers from the Australian crowd. Pearson started the third with a takedown, but Fisher didn't stay down long. Pearson continued to land strikes and hold off Fisher. Pearson caught a kick and used that to take Fisher down. He ended the round with a bevy of strikes and elbows but wasn't able to end the bout before the final horn sounded.

Pearson is now 4-1 in the Octagon, 12-4 overall while Fisher, a mainstay of the UFC lightweight division since 2005, falls to 24-7.

 

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Fitch finishes strong, but only gets a draw in UFC 127 main event

Jon Fitch has lost just once in the UFC, but always seems to find himself in a frustrating position in the UFC welterweight division. It happened again Saturday night at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia. The highly-rated contender at 170 pounds mauled B.J. Penn in the final round but the fight was scored 28-28 on two judges' scorecoards, resulting in an unfulfiling majority draw at Acer Arena. Fitch was a 29-28 winner on the third scorecard.

UFC analyst Joe Rogan asked Fitch if he won the fight:

"I thought so," Fitch said. "I gave up some positioning in the first and second round, but I finished out on top and did some damage of my own. I think I did enough at least to win a split decision." 

The "decision" has been the unfortunate story of Fitch's UFC career, but this one was tough to swallow. Fitch crushed Penn in the final round. He got the Hawaiian down for good with 3:39 left and pummeled him with punches, hammerfists and elbows. According to FightMetric, the final strike count in round three was an amazing 149-2. Compustrike said it was 134-0 and the final two rounds were 191-15. 

Fitch is now an impressive 13-1-1 with the promotion, but his grinding style has turned off some fans, and UFC management has been reluctant to throw Fitch back in the Octagon with champion Georges St. Pierre. GSP dominated Fitch in a decision victory back at UFC 87.

"I want the title more than anything," Fitch said. "At the end of the day, we don’t make the decision, the guys in the suits do and the fans do."

Things get interesting in April when GSP defends his title against Jake Shields at UFC 129. If he wins the fight, he plans on leaving the division and relinquishing his title to challenge Anderson Silva for 185-pound belt. That would essentially force the hand of the UFC.

There's no way, even with this draw, to justify not putting Fitch (23-3-1, 13-1-1 UFC) into an interim title fight, should St. Pierre vacate the title. The only alternative would be some sort of mini-tournament at 170 pounds, something the UFC has never put together since Zuffa took over the company back in 2001. 

Penn (16-7-2, 12-6-2 UFC) didn't exactly sell the fans on the fact that the fight was a draw. He openly admitted in the Octagon that he didn't think he'd done enough to get the decision. 

"I think I got some dominant positions in the first and second, but he kicked my butt in the third," said Penn.

Penn said he was open to a rematch.

"I guess I wasn't really sure what I would do with my career if I lost the fight," Penn said. "Since the gods were nice to me and gave me a draw, if he wants to do it again, I'll do it again."

Fitch echoed the sentiment, but also expressed some frustration with his position in the division.

"I'm down for whatever. I'm here to fight. If my 13 wins in the UFC isn’t enough to already put me in the spot for a title shot, I'm willing to prove myself more," said Fitch. 

Fitch gave Penn credit for confusing him in the first two rounds. Penn, the smaller fighter with better boxing, was expected to try to keep the fight standing. Instead, he charged forward at the start of the fight and tried to outgrapple the wrestler.

"It just threw me off," said Fitch. "I didn’t train at all for B.J. shooting takedowns. I did zero defensive wrestling this whole camp."

Penn scored takedowns in the first and second, that he turned into threats for a rear-naked choke. Fitch did a great job of defending against the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. In both cases, he fought off Penn and spun into a dominant position. That said, heading to the final 75 seconds of the second round, he was probably headed for a 2-0 deficit. After the second round escape, he capitalized on the top control by pounding away at Penn. Fitch set the tone for the final round and on the Cagewriter scorecard, stole back the second to even the fight.

"I was looking for him to come out, counterbox and counterwrestle," Fitch said. "I wasn’t expecting that at all. It was a great gameplan. It took me until the second round to really catch my groove."

The third round was an absolute blowout. A tired Penn made a terrible tactical error, swinging wildly at Fitch and attempting a flying knee. Fitch took him down easily and pounded away at Penn. The Hawaiian got back to his feet a minute later, but was taken down two more times. That last time spelled doom for Penn, who just couldn't contend with Fitch's size anymore.

This writer scored it 29-27 for Fitch, as did Adam Hill from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. FightMetric also gave it to Fitch 29-27. 

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Video analysis: What's next for Donaire? 'JuanMa' says stay away from 126

Before this weekend's fight, Nonito Donaire was highly regarded at 118 pounds, but after a second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel, the Filipino-American has vaulted to the top of the class. Now there's talk of Donaire jumping to 122 or 126.

Juan Manuel Lopez is the top dog at featherweight. He says Donaire better be careful before jumping eight pounds.

"I think that at 118, he should dominate without any problems and perhaps he can do the same at 122 pounds, but at 126 I think right now it’s a little too much for him," Lopez told BoxingScene.com. "Not only against me, but against [Yuriorkis] Gamboa and against Orlando Salido. So far he’s never felt a blow from a man at 126 pounds. It is not the same. [Donaire] is not a fight I would dismiss. It would be a good fight, but at the right time. Right now, I think he’s not ready [to be at featherweight]."

Yahoo! Sports' lead boxing writer Kevin Iole joined us to talk about the Donaire victory over Montiel and agrees with JuanMa, the hot shot should gradually move to 126.

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UFC 127 video analysis: What's next for Fitch and Penn?

Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn battled for 15 minutes, with little determined after the fight was scored a majority draw. Penn had his moments in the first two rounds, while Fitch completed dominated the third. Wouldn't it be nice for all MMA main events to be five-rounders regardless of whether there's a title on the line?

That's not the case now and this draw leaves the UFC's welterweight division with a lot of question marks.

Adam Hill from the Las Vegas Review-Journal joined us to break down the scoring and what the future looks like in the UFC's welterweight division.

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Stew Week In Review: Real, live baseball full steam ahead

Ah, it's good to be back in the swing of things. After a winter in which it seemed like interesting baseball news popped up with the frequency of Mike Kekich returning a phone call, we're back in the position of actually having too much to blog about. It'll be like that through the next eight months and we wouldn't have it any other way.

As we get into the 2011 season, I'd like to take a post each week to look back on the week just gone by. It's a good exercise to keep some perspective as we plow ahead through the year and a good way to point you toward some posts you might've missed. Remember that you can always keep closer tabs on us through Facebook and Twitter.

Among this week's highlights, we ...

• ... had the unbelievable privilege of interviewing Hank Aaron for our podcast.

... started our fourth annual spring swing by dispatching DB to the Cactus League.

• ... welcomed Rob Iracane, our newest Big League Steward, to the fold.

• ... took Iracane's list of Twitter do's and don'ts for baseball players to heart.

• ... celebrated the complete elimination of distractions from baseball.

• ... wondered why the Orioles handed Justin Duchscherer a misspelled jersey.

• ... flinched upon hearing the loss of Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery.

• ... queued up early for Chicago Cubs tickets because of Derek Jeter.

• ... asked Alex if Trevor Cahill can be a Cy Young contender in Oakland this season. 

• ... were impressed by Mike Moustakas' knowledge of the great Royals before him.

• ... mulled the complexity of the Miguel Cabrera situation in Detroit's camp.

• ... predicted a short leash for Brian Wilson if his season goes south like the life of his new pal, Charlie Sheen. 

Stay tuned this weekend as Dave will continue his posts from the Cactus League. And come back hungry on Monday morning, when my week-long tour of the Grapefruit League (Gulf Coast edition) begins with a look at the Philadelphia Phillies. 

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Tiger Woods uses Twitter to apologize for the spitting incident

Tiger Woods' Twitter account is never going to rank in the top ten of pro golfers you must follow, but it's moments like this weekend that make the website helpful to the top name in the sport.

Woods, as you can see above, apologized for spitting on a green during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic, an incident that eventually landed this response by the European Tour on Monday: "Tournament director Mike Stewart has reviewed the incident and feels there has been a breach of the Tour code of conduct and consequently Tiger Woods will be fined."

Woods said he was sorry, and admitted it wasn't the classiest of moves, and no matter what side of the fence you're on with if this is inappropriate, I think we can all agree that Woods probably wishes he hadn't done it.

So, yes, this is Tiger Woods, apologizing for spitting. And just when we thought his year couldn't get any weirder ... 

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Casual boxing fans make yourself familiar with Sergio Martinez

Manny Pacquiao is going to be on the sidelines for a while. Boxing has a chance to build some stars through the middle of 2011. Sergio Martinez is one of those guys. It's hard to believe that the middleweight champ with 45 wins isn't already a household name, but that's where we are right now in boxing.

HBO does a nice job of profiling Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) and his background athletically as he preps for his showdown against Paul Williams. They'll square off this weekend in Atlantic City in a rematch of their Dec. 2009 fight. Williams won the first meeting but the scoring was bizarre (119-110, 114-114, 113-115).

The winner of this fight should scream from the mountain top that if "Pac-Man" really wants to be recognized as the true junior middleweight champ, he needs to step in the ring. Both fighters can easily make 154 pounds.

It's important to note that Pacquiao won the WBC 154 title without allowing Margarito to come into the ring at 154. No doubt Pacquiao would have won the fight but on principle, Margarito shouldn't have been forced to cut down to 150.

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Talk of Klitschko-Haye in Las Vegas is silly

Rumors continue to swirl around a possible Wladimir Klitschko fight against David Haye. The fight hasn't come together yet, nor has a site. There's buzz about Golden Boy Promotion wanting to bring Haye to the U.S. Sunday, ABS-CBNNews in the Philippines was reporting that Las Vegas is still a possible destination. 

Talks between Haye and Klitschko's promoters were held this month in Las Vegas and the fight looks likely to be held Stateside.

Yahoo! Sports' lead boxing writer Kevin Iole says the fight makes sense, but holding it anywhere in the U.S. really doesn't.

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The uneventful life of a retired footballer

I'm Bert Tiddle and you've never heard of me. Joe Jordan and I once got in a fight after a match between Coventry and Southampton in 1986 because I repeatedly told him that he still had pasta sauce on his shirt from when he played in Italy. He said it was a stupid line and tried to hit me with a pipe. I only said it because Dave Bennett told me it was brilliant and laughed like a mental patient when I asked him if it was funny. Dave Bennett is a numpty.

I knew that Spurs-Milan match was going to be a good one, so I told my kids to go find some strangers and play in the street so I could watch it in peace. Best decision I've made all week. The match was a cracker and Zinfandel, one of my 18 kids, hasn't come home yet. The only thing I had a problem with was the business between Randy Gattuso and my old pal Jordy. What ugliness. I mean, it's an admirable show of character when an Englishman flips his lid and attacks everyone around him, but when an Italian does it? Disgusting. How am I supposed to dismiss them all as a bunch of diving fairies when that happens? Instead, I've started calling them wanklepusses. Just sounds right. 

The other bit of idiocy that's come from this is everyone saying what a hard man Joe Jordan is. It was nonsense in the '70s and it's nonsense now. First of all, if he was really that hard, he wouldn't have lost his front teeth. That's not hard. Losing your big toe and the top part of your index finger in two separate freak vending machine accidents is hard, but having your teeth fall out of your head is not hard. And of course he didn't react to getting headbutted. He's Scottish for God's sake. On average a 59-year-old Scot has been headbutted at least 9,174 times in his life. That's a fact I read in a book. I'm going to find Zinfandel. The wine, not the kid. 

Follow Bert on Twitter for more on why he probably hates you.

Photo: Reuters

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Gustafsson chokes out a tired Te Huna at UFC 127

James Te Huna was stoked to be fighting in front of the home crowd in Australia, but failed to manage his stamina. The Sydney resident fought at a frantic pace in the opening minute, then faded quickly before becoming a first round rear-naked choke victim of Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 127.

Te Huna (12-5, 1-1 UFC) scored a takedown less than 30 seconds into the fight and was incredibly active on top. Gustafsson did a nice job of weathering the storm. Te Huna was throwing punches and elbows from side control and looked to have an easy pass for the mount, but never seized the opportunity. Gustafsson settled Te Huna down by getting him, first in his half guard and then full guard. The Swede got back to his feet with three minutes left in the round.

A minute later, Gustafsson scored a takedown against Te Huna, who was clearly winded. He scored another when he reversed a Te Huna takedown attempt and quickly jumped on his back with 1:10 left. Te Huna didn't provide much opposition on the ground. Gustafsson flattened him out and applied a rear-naked choked. Te Huna survived and spun out, but Gustafsson stayed with it and got the New Zealander back to his stomach where he latched on the finishing submission and got the tap at the 4:27 mark.  

Gustafsson, 24, is an intriguing light heavyweight prospect at 6-foot-5. He's now 3-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming against super-prospect Phil Davis. He's also got wins over Jared Hamman and veteran striker Cyrille Diabate. 

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CFL schedule released, with several Hamilton concerns

Almost a month after it was initially promised (although, by some interpretations, it technically isn't all that late) the CFL's 2011 schedule was finally released Friday at noon Eastern. Two of the games that jump off the schedule (and in fact, attracted plenty of interest even before the official release) involve the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. As expected, they're going to be involved in Touchdown Atlantic II; Hamilton will be "hosting" Calgary in Moncton on Sunday, Sept. 25. What isn't so expected, though, is the news that for the first time since 1995, the Tiger-Cats won't be playing the Toronto Argonauts this Labour Day.

The Touchdown Atlantic move seems like a reasonably logical one. It makes sense to keep one eastern and one western team in the game, and it's also sensible to use two teams that didn't play in it last year. Calgary and Hamilton both turned in solid 2010 seasons, so they should put on a good show for Atlantic Canada. However, it does mean that the Tiger-Cats will have one less home game this season, and that could negatively affect their revenues right before they're preparing to be out of Ivor Wynne Stadium. From this standpoint, it might have made more sense to have Montreal or Winnipeg as the East Division representative this year, and (presuming Touchdown Atlantic will carry on for another couple of years) brought in the Tiger-Cats in the year they're without their home stadium.

That's likely to be seen as a minor quibble compared to the loss of the Labour Day clash with Toronto, though. The Labour Day Battle of Ontario has always been one of the most interesting fixtures on the CFL's schedule, and its demise is going to leave a lot of traditionalists unhappy. Now, the Tiger-Cats will still be playing on Labour Day, but they'll be facing the Montreal Alouettes in the early game instead. The Argos will be on the road that week, facing B.C. in another Braley Bowl on the Friday before Labour Day (Sept. 2). The late game remains the Edmonton-Calgary Battle of Alberta, so at least there's that, but you can imagine there will be Argonauts fans (like the one pictured above enjoying a few brews before the 2010 game) and Tiger-Cats fans upset with the decision, as well as general CFL fans miffed about losing one of the league's most famous games.

According to Drew Edwards of The Hamilton Spectator, the issue with the Labour Day game was the limited number of home dates available to the Argonauts at Rogers Centre. That's understandable; the facility also plays host to the Rogers-owned Blue Jays and tends to give them higher priority than the Argos. There also are concerts and other events held there, so Toronto doesn't have the easiest scheduling circumstances.

However, if a Labour Day date in Toronto was unachievable, why not simply hold the game in Hamilton? Yes, last year's game was there, and there undoubtedly would have been some Argos fans upset with having to go on the road two years in a row, but the Toronto - Hamilton trip isn't that difficult, and there are always fans from both sides at the game. Getting rid of it entirely sacrifices one of the CFL's top rivalries, and that's unfortunate.

(Update: CFL commissioner Mark Cohon has said a Labour Day game in Hamilton would have meant the Argonauts playing six of their first nine games on the road. The team likely wouldn't have been too happy with that from a competitive standpoint, so there is some logic to the move. However, from this perspective, it would have been more logical to use the Labour Day game as one of the starting points for the schedule and work everything else out around it. There aren't a lot of unique games on the CFL schedule, and this move means there will be one less this year.)

(Update 2: This post initially had the Tiger-Cats' Labour Day game in Montreal. They are playing Montreal, but the game is in Hamilton; I read the schedule wrong. Apologies for the error.)

Other notes of interest on the schedule:

— The season will start with the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes hosting the B.C. Lions on Thursday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Canada Day itself, July 1, has a doubleheader, with Winnipeg at Hamilton and Toronto at Calgary. There are no Saturday games on the opening weekend, which finishes with Edmonton at Saskatchewan Sunday.

— The first Grey Cup rematch comes in Week 2, with Montreal heading to Saskatchewan to face the Roughriders.

— B.C.'s home schedule isn't as bottom-heavy as one might have expected considering the projected Sept. 30 completion date of the B.C. Place renovations. The Lions will host Edmonton in the second Friday Night Football game that night (the first is Montreal at Winnipeg), but they only have three of their remaining five games at home afterwards. Their schedule's more bottom-packed than a random distribution would have it, which makes sense, but it's not entirely home games in the new building (which might have produced some competitive concerns).

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