NASCAR Rookie Standings 2007

2007 Busch Series RotY standings

1. David Ragan (#6) – 199 points
2. Marcos Ambrose (#59) – 181 points
3. Juan Pablo Montoya (#??) – 165 points
4. Kyle Krisiloff (#14) – 164 points
5. Brad Coleman (#18) – 121 points
6. Brad Keselowski (#88) – 118 points
7. Robert Richardson (#28) – 84 points
8. Justin Diercks (#??) – 51 points
9. Sam Hornish, Jr. (#12) – 35 points
10. Timothy Peters (#??) – 27 points
11. Bobby Santos III (#91) – 21 points
12. Brian Conz (#??) – 0 points

2007 Truck Series Rookie Standings

1. Tim Sauter (#07)– 123 points
2. Aaron Fike (#??)– 122 points
3. Willie Allen (#13)– 115 points
4. Blake Bjorklund (#8)– 110 points
5. Joey Clanton (#09)– 91 points
6. Jason White (#7)– 77 points
7. Tyler Walker (#??)– 51 points
8. Kelly Bires (#??)– 49 points
9. Peter Shepherd (#50)– 32 points
10. Kevin Hamlin (#4)– 26 points
11. Casey Kingsland (#??)– 5 points
12. Brian Sockwell (#54)– 1 point

Vince Young Awards

• 2007 Pro Bowl
• 2002 Pete Dawkins Trophy
• 2005 Rose Bowl MVP
• 2005 Manning Award
• 2005 Maxwell Award
• 2005 Davey O'Brien Award
• 2005 Cingular All-America Player of the Year
• 2005 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
• 2005 Consensus First-Team All-American
• 2006 Rose Bowl MVP
• "4 weeks" 2006 NFL Rookie of the Week Awards
• 2006 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
• 2006 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

Spurs New Sign; Ian Mahinmi

Ian Mahinmi (born November 5 1986 in Rouen, France) is a French basketball player. At 6'10" and 225 lbs, he plays the position of power forward.

Mahinmi was born to a Beninese father and Jamaican mother. After playing with the French National Team he signed his first contract with the club STB Le Havre (France). He played two seasons with Le Havre, averaging 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2005-06. For 2006-07, he signed a contract with Pau Orthez in France's top professional league.

On August 2007 San Antonio Spurs have said that they have signed Ian Mahinmi.

who’s Dustin Pedroia?

Dustin Luis Pedroia currently play for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball.
Dustin Pedroia became the regular second baseman for the Red Sox in 2007. He has been known to be solid defensively. Pedroia's track record throughout his college and minor league career suggested continued success in the major leagues. However, early in the season, his batting average had fallen as low as .172. Such an average along with the great hitting of fellow teammate Alex Cora (who even batted above .400 at a point), had left Pedroia in a platoon role early in this season.

However, Pedroia has since picked up his batting average. On May 1st, his average was at a season-low .172, but Pedroia had raised his average to .322 by June 18th, aided by a 13-game hitting streak and a five-hit game against the San Francisco Giants on June 15, 2007.

Due to his production, he was named American League Player of the Week for May 28-June 3, and American League Rookie of the Month for May. So that no reason to throw out his name from Rookie of the Year nominates.

Brandt Snedeker win his first PGA title

Snedeker who born December 8, 1980 in Nashville, Tennessee began the day five strokes off the pace, fired 10 birdies against a lone bogey in the final round to finish 72 holes on 22-under par 266 and defeat countrymen Tim Petrovic, Jeff Overton and Billy Mayfair, who all finished on 268.

It was not even the best round of the debut season for Snedeker, who fired a 61 in round one of the Buick Inivtational to match the Torrey Pines course record on his way to a third-place finish, which had been his best PGA showing.

Snedeker gained a two-year US PGA exemption and a berth at next year's US Masters, an event which he had played as an amateur.

MLS Rookie of the Year Candidates

Adam Cristman, New England Revolution - Here is a guy that should get more votes and looks than he will get. He has played wonderfully so far this season I think. Stepping in for Taylor Twellman when he was gone with the national team for a few games. Four goals and four assists have made Cristman a fairly strong candidate for Rookie of the Year this season. This forth round pick has given prof that New England is still one of the best clubs at drafting young talent.

Maurice Edu, Toronto FC - I am beginning to think that Edu may be the best player on Toronto’s roster right now. The number one pick in the draft is showing us why more and more with his play. Thee goals and one assists in 17 games for Edu. He has become one of the league’s better defensive midfielders too. I think his chances of winning the Rookie of the Year award are fairly good as long as he keeps playing the way that he does. He doesn’t have to lead Toronto into the playoffs to win this award either I think.

Robbie Findley, Real Salt Lake - Here is a guy, drafted in the second round by LA and then later traded to Salt Lake when the Galaxy were roster dumping before Beckham’s arrival. Five goals on the year, Findley actually is one of the goal scoring leaders for Real this season (that isn’t saying much really). His chances in winning the award rest solely on how much more goals he scores this season.
Michael Harrington, Kansas City Wizards - The number three pick in the draft is showing his worth for the Wizards. Three goals and three assists. The better the Wizards do, the better the chances Harrington’s chances are at winning this award.

Morgan Pressel; Youngest Major Champion in LPGA

Morgan Pressel born May 23, 1988 is one of the most successful young golfers in the history of women's golf, and appears well on her way to a great LPGA Tour career.
Pressel is the youngest-ever major champion on the LPGA Tour, winning the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship when she was not yet 19, and has reached number 4 in the Women's World Golf Rankings.

Pressel began playing when she was eight years old, at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. She lived there with her parents, and her grandparents close by. An uncle, Aaron Krickstein, was a famous tennis player who turned pro at age 16.

Rolando 'Rolandinho' Bianchi

Rolando Bianchi is one of the latest hot prospects to come out of Italy, He is widely considered as one of the brightest promises of Italian football.

Bianchi is technically very strong, with high stats in ‘heading’, ‘first touch’, and ‘positioning’, his physical attributes aren’t too bad either and during preseason his stats usually stay at a reasonable level, and once back in training they shoot back up, to leave him in perfect stead, for a rigorous season, trying to bring Manchester City competent in Premiership.His ability has been attested to recently by his high-profile move to newly taken-over Man City.Bianchi scored on his debut for City.

Gerald Green; the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest champion

Gerald Green, Jr. born January 26, 1986 in Houston, Texas.currently play for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft. He is also the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion.

Green was one of the last players to enter the NBA directly from high school, as the collective bargaining agreement between NBA owners and the NBA Players' Association now mandates that American players who enter the NBA Draft must be at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school class and reach age 19 no later than December 31 of the calendar year of the draft.

Reed Sorenson, #41 Juicy Fruit car rider

Bradley Reed Sorenson currently drives the #41 Target Dodge Charger in the NEXTEL Cup and the #41 Wrigley's Dodge in the Busch Series for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Sorenson's career started at age six when he began racing quarter-midgets. He won the national championship in 1997. He moved up to Legends cars the following year, winning 13 out of 25 races, southeastern championships and breaking track records in the process. 1999 would turn out to be a better year as he won 30 out of the 50 races he competed in. He raced in Legends for the next two years and won 84 events.
Sorenson got his first career pole on July 28, 2007, during qualifying for the Allstate 400. Sorenson also became the youngest pole winner ever at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; at 21 years, 173 days old. He broke a record that stood for 72 years. Held by Rex Mays, who won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in 1935 at 22 years of age. Sorenson ended up leading 16 laps, and finishing in the 5th place, behind race winner, Tony Stewart.

Matías Nocedal; the next Ginobili

Manu Ginobili's success in the NBA has spawned the kind of fame normally reserved for soccer's elite, but now basketball is becoming a countrywide passion, and Ginobili is being heralded as the Michael Jordan of Argentina. As the search for the next Manu Ginobili heats up in Argentina the eyes of scouts have leveled on the thin frame of 17-year-old point guard prospect Matias Nocedal, of Argentino Castelar

Matias Nocedal, 1.94 meters of height and 17 years of age, has been yielded to Bruesa GBC for the next season. The player was signed by the Baskonia in April of 2006, signing both parts a contract of eight years of duration. At the present time, Matías has received specific training on the part of the vitoriano club, that chose to Iñaki Iriarte like its teacher in individual technique.

Nocedal is considered one of the Argentine players with greater future, and has been international with the albiceleste in all the inferior categories (until sub18). Its trajectory in Argentina is bound to the Argentinean of Castelar. For a reason or purpose individual, it was able to gain an aid of you kill in Adidas Superstar Camp de Lationamerica 2005. As far as its style of game, Nocedal can play as much of base as of escort. It knows to take advantage of his physicist to pentrar to basket and has good vision of game. In the equipment nocedal will share the perimeter with Pedro Sala, Ricardo Uriz, Isaac Lopez, Esteban Lopez and Salva Arco.

Players who's going to impact the NFL

The NFL draft is one of the most exciting times of the season for us NFL geeks. As the pre-season begins, it is time to discuss how these drafted players are going to impact the league. Each year, there is a player or two that stands out and really has an impact. Some of these players were expected to have a big influence, e.g., Reggie Bush, and some come out of nowhere, e.g. Marques Colston. This year should be no different; although I am not going to try and guess which seventh-round pick may have a positive effect on his team, I will mention some guys that could be this year’s high-impact offensive rookies. Some you know, and some you will get to know really soon:

* Marshawn Lynch - With the departure of Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch should step right in as the starting running back for the Buffalo Bills. Lynch is a good inside runner who can burst through the initial hole. He also has the ability to get to the corner and eat up yardage on outside runs. The thing that makes Lynch unique is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. If he can pick up the pass blocking assignments, he has the potential to be great and help his team from day one.

* Calvin Johnson - Some are touting Johnson as the best WR prospect in years. This tall, fast, physical receiver has landed in Detroit where he can be a star immediately. He’s in the perfect situation as he has a proven star, Roy Williams, playing opposite him. Williams should help him avoid double teams.He is also in Mike Martz’s pass-happy offense, and Jon Kitna is going to love throwing to this super star!

* Anthony Gonzalez – Gonzalez is just what the doctor ordered in Indianapolis. The Colts offense is designed to have three great receivers. With the loss of Brandon Stokley to Denver, the Colts needed a third receiver and they found him in Anthony Gonzalez. He is a smart receiver that runs good routes and isn’t afraid to go over the middle. He is not your typical home run hitter, but Indy has Wayne and Harrison for that. Gonzalez should have 50-60 catches, which will loosen things up for Manning and the other offensive weapons.

* Tony Ugoh - It seems odd that we have two rookies on this list from the Super Bowl Champs. The Colts didn’t expect Tarik Glenn to retire this off-season but are glad they drafted Big Tony Ugoh as his replacement. Tony will be thrust into the starting line-up and expected to protect Manning’s blindside. He needs to work hard on his footwork and his ability to get to the second level. He has to get the job done from day one or Manning may look like David Carr, on his back.

* Brandon Jackson - Jackson reminds me of another Green Bay runner, Ahman Green. He is quick and shifty with the ability to run up the middle and outside. He also has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. With a lack of experienced RBs, the Packers will count on Jackson to learn quickly and make an impact. He is the future in Green Bay, and the future has to be now.

These are the guys that have a real chance to be high-impact rookies. Guys like Adrian Peterson and Robert Meacham will struggle this year, although they may have great careers. Do you have other rookies you believe will be big contributors this year? I would love to hear from you.

Acie Law, Strengths and Weaknesses

Acie Law is the Atlanta Hawks point guard rookie. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists. Nicknamed "Captain Clutch" for his ability to take over the game late.

Strengths:
Law’s mental game may be his greatest asset, as he possesses all those intangible qualities that great point guards enjoy. He makes his teammates better, understands spacing and passing lanes, and uses his body and feet well to finish around the rim.

Law has developed an unbelievable reputation as a “clutch” performer, beginning with his game-winner against Texas. In his senior season, he hit a three-pointer to beat Kansas in Lawrence, and two simply unbelievable three point shots in a double-overtime loss to Texas (both threes extended the game an extra period). Law’s unafraid of the big shot, and seems to thrive when there’s a lot at stake.

Weaknesses:
Law needs to improve his consistency from the outside as a shooter to take a big step forward in his game. He’s already a great penetrator, but he needs the shooting game to complement it. Law also will need to add some upper body strength if he’s going to be able to be effective in the same way he was in college.

Lions Sign Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson

The Lions have finally signed their superstar wide receiver.
Rookie wide receiver Calvin Johnson has finally signed, while JaMarcus Russell is still holding out.

The Lions signed the star receiver to a six-year $64 million deal with $27.2 million fully guaranteed. The Signing allows Johnson to finally get to camp for workouts, he's already missed eight days of training camp.

"I know the expectations are really high, but I'm hoping I can live up to them," Johnson said. "Now that I'm here, I can start working on that."

Johnson and the team agreed to terms and signed the contract early Friday, said Lions executive vice president Tom Lewand.

"It's good to be on the field and not be dealing with contract stuff any more," Johnson said. "At first, I was trying to be patient, but it's been pretty nerve-racking for the last few days."

Johnson was regarded by some as the best player in the draft after catching 78 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns during his All-America junior season at Georgia Tech. He won the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top college receiver.

Anthony Gonzalez

Anthony Gonzalez was born in Avon Lake, Ohio. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, in the 2007 NFL Draft.Gonzalez is a receiver who teamed with Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn, Jr. in 2005 to give the Buckeyes three big-play receivers on what was one of the most explosive offenses in the country. His acrobatic 26-yard catch at Michigan in the 2005 regular season finale set up the game-winning score with 37 seconds to play. His role in 2006 increased with the departure of Holmes to the NFL via the 2006 NFL Draft. Gonzalez was selected with the 32nd pick of the first round by the Indianapolis Colts.

Unstopable Vaidisova

Nicole Vaidisova is a star in women's tennis, born April 23, 1989 in Nürnberg. Vaidisova debuted on ITF Circuit Plzen-CZE 2003. As of June 25, 2007, Vaidisova is ranked #10 in the WTA rankings. She is becoming the 12th-youngest player in Tour history to crack the Top 10, at 17 years, 3 months, and 2 weeks of age on August 9, 2006. The highest ranking she achieved is #7 on May 2007.

Many well known commentators have referred to her as the "other ova" (The principal "ova" being Maria Sharapova). She bears strong similarities to Sharapova in terms of physique and on-court concentration. They both have powerful groundstrokes, strong serves, are blond and tall (Vaidisova is 1.83 m, Sharapova is 1.88 m), and have slender figures. They are also both ethnic Europeans who trained in the USA from a young age.

John Tavares; the NHL's next superstar

John Tavares is a Canadian junior ice hockey player. born September 20, 1990, in Oakville, Ontario. He is currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals. Tavares is the youngest player to be drafted in the OHL at the age of 14.

Tavares was erased Wayne'The Great One'Gretzky's name from the record books, either. When Tavares scored his 71st goal on march 2007 for the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals.

In a league desperate for an infusion of marketable talent, the thought of another marquee superstar coming so close on the heels of Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin is tantalizing. Problem is, Tavares is not coming soon enough. The 6-foot, 183-pound center isn't eligible to start saving some struggling NHL franchise until the 2009 draft. Tavares in action