Second-round tee times for Deutsche Bank Championship

Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner and was left doing the splits at the net. The shot put Denis Istomin within two points of tying the match at a set apiece. He couldn't manage to close the deal, though -- a recurring theme for Nadal's game-but-outclassed foil in the No.

The Minnesota Twins chose Matt Fox to start Friday's game not because of his dazzling stuff or eye-popping statistics. He was their only option. Turns out, he was the perfect choice. Denard Span delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, emergency starter Fox pitched 5 2-3 innings in his major league debut, and the depleted Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Friday night.

Searchers spotted the body of the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum on a rugged Washington state mountainside Friday afternoon, five days after they began looking for him in North Cascades National Park, authorities said. The body belonging to John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter at about the 7,700-foot level of the 8,500-foot...

Searchers spotted the dead body of the son of boxing promoter Bob Arum on a mountainside Friday, five days after they began looking for him, authorities said. The body of John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter about 7,700 feet up the 8,500-foot Storm King mountain in North Cascades National Park in Washington state, park spokeswoman Kerry Olson...

A sacrifice fly by Augie Ojeda in the bottom of the eighth helped lead the D-backs past the Astros, 4-3, on Friday night in front of 24,748 at Chase Field.

Luke French didn't make history with a no-hitter Friday, but his seven-inning, one-hit performance helped the Mariners eke out a 1-0 victory over the Indians.

The Cardinals' survival series started appropriately on Friday night, with the home team clinging to victory by its fingernails, with a 3-2 win over the Reds.

Jaime Garcia told himself it was just another game, and when Brandon Phillips came to the plate it was just another hitter. The rookie maintained his focus to beat the Reds for the fourth time, halting the free-falling St. Louis Cardinals' five-game losing streak and ending Cincinnati's four-game run in a 3-2 victory on Friday night.

"Let's go, Ryan!" Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap. "Let's go, Ryan!" Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap. On his way to victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Friday, the highest-seeded American man left in the U.S. Open, No. 18 John Isner, could hear the wild cheering and chanting going on at the adjacent Grandstand in support of another American man, Ryan Harrison, a qualifier who was the...

Searchers spotted the body of the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum on a rugged Washington state mountainside Friday afternoon, five days after they began looking for him in North Cascades National Park, authorities said. The body belonging to John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter at about the 7,700-foot level of the 8,500-foot...

Searchers spotted the dead body of the son of boxing promoter Bob Arum on a mountainside Friday, five days after they began looking for him, authorities said. The body of John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter about 7,700 feet up the 8,500-foot Storm King mountain in North Cascades National Park in Washington state, park spokeswoman Kerry Olson...

Those around Floyd Mayweather Jr. are clearly enabling his potential downfall.

Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao dismissed a derogatory online video posted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., calling it an "uneducated message" and choosing to instead focus on his upcoming fight with Antonio Margarito. In the widely circulated video, Mayweather goes on an expletive-filled and sometimes racist rant against Pacquiao, the newly elected Congressman from the Philippines who faces...

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

By GEORGE TIBBITS Associated Press Writer

Filed under: WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Top Rank Promotions

ARLINGTON, Texas -- WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion Manny Pacquiao dismissed a derogatory online video posted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., calling it an "uneducated message" and choosing to instead focus on his upcoming HBO pay per view televised WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title fight with ex-champion Antonio Margarito.

In the widely circulated video, Mayweather goes on an expletive-filled and rant against Pacquiao, the newly elected Congressman from the Philippines who faces Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium near Dallas.

Mayweather said during the video, which appeared this week, that he's on vacation "for about a year" and would easily defeat Pacquiao after that.

"I just heard about that, but I didn't see the video," Pacquiao said Friday, at the final stop of a three-city tour to promote his fight. "But it's an uneducated message."

Mayweather's publicist, Kelly Swanson, said in an e-mail that she had seen the video but had not been in touch with Mayweather and couldn't comment. Reached by FanHouse, Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said, "I know 100 percent that Floyd Mayweather is not a racist."

 

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Here's the first installment of one man's opinion of the 100 most influential people in boxing history.

Filed under: WBC, WBO, HBO, Top Rank Promotions

SEATTLE (A)) -- Crews aided by dog teams, specially equipped helicopters and sunny skies searched for a fifth day Friday for John Arum, an experienced mountain climber missing in North Cascades National Park.

However, park spokeswoman Kerry Olson said no further sign had been found of the 49-year-old Arum -- a Seattle environmental attorney and son of Top Rank Promotions boxing promoter Bob Arum -- since his day pack was discovered Thursday afternoon on the north flank of Storm King mountain, about 85 miles northeast of Seattle.

The search began Monday after Arum failed to return from a solo weekend trip to climb the 8,815-foot mountain, which family members said was part of his goal of reaching the summit of the 100 highest peaks in the state.

The small fanny pack was found at about the 8,000-foot level, in an area that suggested it fell because the terrain is so rough, Olson said earlier. She said Arum's larger backpack was found a day earlier on a trail about 900 feet below the summit on the less rugged south side, and searchers think it was deliberately left there with his climbing gear removed.

About 20 people, some using trained search dogs, were out Friday, along with four helicopters, two of them King County sheriff's aircraft with heat-seeking equipment. Counting coordinators and support workers, about 50 people were involved in the search, Olson said.

 

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Filed under: WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Top Rank Promotions

As part of the ongoing promotion of their HBO pay per view televised, Nov. 13 clash slated for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champ Manny Pacquiao and ex-titlist Antonio Margarito were guests of stadium owner, Jerry Jones, during his Cowboys' 27-25 preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins won on a field goal as time expired on Thursday night.

The Top Rank Promotions' tour began in Los Angeles on Tuesday, visited New York on Wednesday and continues at the Cowboys Stadium on Friday as the 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) pursues his record eighth crown in as many different divisions against the 32-year-old Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) for the WBC's vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) title.

On Thursday night, Jones allowed Pacquiao and Margarito to visit him in his private box seats, and the fighters also went down on the field during halftime where they were introduced to the wildly screaming crowd.

 

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A.C.E. Another Century's Episode R (PS3)
Unlockable: Extra Hard (Ace) Difficulty

A.C.E. Another Century's Episode R (PS3)
Unlockable: Konig Monster Destroid

A.C.E. Another Century's Episode R (PS3)
Point Gain Trick

Aladdin: Fate of Agrabah (PC)
Cheat: Codes

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable (PSP)
Unlockable: View Alternate Opening

Shank (X360)
Unlockable: Gamer Picture

Shank (PS3)
Unlockable: Concept Art

Shank (PC)
Unlockable: Concept Art

Firo & Klawd (PS)
Cheat: Node Passwords

See the sun, the sand and the supercars as Electronic Arts released a hot new trailer of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, the highly anticipated Need for Speed reboot handled by famed Burnout developers, Criterion Games.

Namco Bandai has announced that Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, a post-apocalyptic tactical action adventure game developed by Ninja Theory, has officially gone gold for the PS3 and Xbox 360, which means that game is currently on

More details have come to light regarding the Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition spotted on the GameStop website about a month back. According to the British Board of Film Classification, the UE will come with all of the

If you're still concerned about the future of Atlus and its games after the reassurances made by the company's forum staff, maybe this message will placate you. It's from the president of Atlus USA himself, Shinichi Suzuki.

After thirteen fruitless years, it looks like Duke Nukem Forever's seemingly neverending journey through development hell is now coming to an end. Well, not right now. Next year, actually, or so Gearbox Software says.

PS3 gamers will be gunning for the Helghast again in February 2011. It's been official for a while, but now it's even more so. Sony has just announced the official release date for Guerrilla Games' Killzone 3. That's

It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - Borderlands - 3D Realms

It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - 3D Realms - Borderlands

Now that I’ve been using the GM release for the past 24 hours, I can safely say- iOS 4.1 on iPhone (including the 3G) is the most solid, responsive iOS release to date. With some cool new features to boot.



iPhone - iPhone 3G - IPhone OS - Handhelds - Smartphones

Second-round tee times for Deutsche Bank Championship

Second-round tee times for Deutsche Bank Championship

Mark Calcavecchia shot an 8-under 64 on Friday at Del Monte to take a two-stroke lead over Tom Pernice Jr. in the Champions Tour's dual-course First Tee Open. Calcavecchia, in his first season on the 50-and-over tour after winning 13 times on the PGA Tour, capped his bogey-free first round with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole to equal his career low on the senior circuit.

Second-round tee times for Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach

Zach Johnson and Jason Day beat up on the course and beat the weather at the Deutsche Bank Championship. For Tiger Woods, it was the other way around. Johnson strengthened his Ryder Cup case Friday by rolling in putts from everywhere in easy scoring conditions ahead of Hurricane Earl, giving him an 8-under 63 and a share of the first-round lead with Day.

Mark Calcavecchia shot an 8-under 64 on Friday at Del Monte to take a two-stroke lead over Tom Pernice Jr. in the Champions Tour's First Tee Open. Calcavecchia, in his first season on the 50-and-over tour after winning 13 times on the PGA Tour, capped his bogey-free first round with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole to equal his career low on the senior circuit.

The Daily Wrap-up, Round 1: Deutsche Bank Championship

Second-round tee times for Mylan Classic presented by CONSOL Energy

Australia's Jason Day and American Zach Johnson shot eight-under 63s to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $7.5 million Deutsche Bank Championship on Friday, but Tiger Woods faces an uphill battle to stay in the tournament.

Zach Johnson and Jason Day beat the weather to claim a share of the lead Friday at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Tiger Woods wasn't so lucky, and faces missing the cut. Johnson strengthened his Ryder Cup case Friday by rolling in putts from everywhere in easy scoring conditions prior to the arrival of the fringes of Hurricane Earl, giving him an 8-under 63 and a share of the lead with Day.

The Minnesota Twins chose Matt Fox to start Friday's game not because of his dazzling stuff or eye-popping statistics. He was their only option. Turns out, he was the perfect choice. Denard Span delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, emergency starter Fox pitched 5 2-3 innings in his major league debut, and the depleted Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Friday night.

A sacrifice fly by Augie Ojeda in the bottom of the eighth helped lead the D-backs past the Astros, 4-3, on Friday night in front of 24,748 at Chase Field.

Luke French didn't make history with a no-hitter Friday, but his seven-inning, one-hit performance helped the Mariners eke out a 1-0 victory over the Indians.

The Cardinals' survival series started appropriately on Friday night, with the home team clinging to victory by its fingernails, with a 3-2 win over the Reds.

Jaime Garcia told himself it was just another game, and when Brandon Phillips came to the plate it was just another hitter. The rookie maintained his focus to beat the Reds for the fourth time, halting the free-falling St. Louis Cardinals' five-game losing streak and ending Cincinnati's four-game run in a 3-2 victory on Friday night.

If Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips isn't Public Enemy No. 1 in St. Louis, he's probably No. 1-A. It was one of the least surprising subplots to surface from of Friday's important series opener between the first-place Reds and second-place Cardinals.

Matt Garza yielded a run on five hits to win his third straight decision, and the Tampa Bay Rays didn't lose any ground in the playoff race, earning a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game road trip.

Led by Garrett Jones' pair of RBI doubles, the Pirates rolled to an 8-5 win over the Nationals as they opened up a homestand at PNC Park on Friday night.

Will Rhymes snapped a tie with a two-run triple in the 11th inning to boost the Tigers to a 9-5 victory over the Royals on Friday at Kauffman Stadium.

Matt Garza was well on his way to another win over the Baltimore Orioles when Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon headed to the mound in the sixth inning to make a pitching change. Garza left the game, but not without expressing his disgust over the move. That tarnished an otherwise solid performance by Garza, who earned his 14th win in Tampa Bay's 4-1 victory Friday night.

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive

Romulo "Rominho" Barral, a five-time BJJ world champion and one of the most respected grapplers in the world, is looking to make a serious run at mixed martial arts.

But unlike other recent crossovers such as Robert Drysdale and Braulio Estima, jiu-jitsu wasn't always Barral's dream.

"I came from a small town in Brazil and my friend showed me this MMA fight on tape and then I said, 'Man, this is nice. I want to do this,'" Barral recently told MMAFighting.com. "And he told me if you want to do this, you need to learn the ground game.'

"I was supposed to be a striker," Barral continued, with a laugh. "And then I turned until a jiu-jitsu guy."

Filed under: Bellator, News

Coming off a win three weeks ago over former UFC title challenger Thales Leites on the War on the Mainland pay-per-view, Matt Horwich has been booked for a Bellator 28 fight against season two semifinalist Eric Schambari on Sept. 9 in New Orleans.

The Bellator 28 card will be headlined by UFC veteran Rich Clementi (37-16-1) facing off against season two semifinalist Carey Vanier (9-3) in a lightweight showdown.

Filed under: WEC, News

It didn't take long for Zuffa to puts its official stamp on mixed martial arts in Asia.

Following UFC 118, UFC president Dana White announced the company had set up an office in Beijing, China, and hired Mark Fischer, formerly of the NBA's China branch, to run its operations in Asia as executive vice president and managing director.

On Thursday, the WEC, the UFC's sibling promotion, officially announced the signing of lightweight Tiequan Zhang, of Beijing. Zhang will be the first fighter from mainland China in the WEC's history. His first task comes later this month against Alex Karalexis at WEC 51 in Broomfield, Colo.

Filed under: UFC, News

The UFC 121 main event between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez is expected to be one of the most anticipated UFC fights of the year, and the organization is ensuring it will receive the full promotional push.

UFC announced on it's weekly Ultimate Insider show Thursday that a three-part Primetime series will air on Spike TV in the weeks leading up to the fight.

The series will debut on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 11 pm ET/PT, and subsequent episodes will air on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20 on the cable network.

Filed under: UFC

On The Ultimate Fighter 10, heavyweight Matt Mitrione tells the audience that the reason he fights MMA is to silence the voices in his head.

For his own well-being and others, it's nice to know Mitrione wasn't serious.

During an appearance on this past Monday's The MMA Hour (full video below), host Ariel Helwani asked the former NFL player if his villainy was all an act.

"Yeah, brother," Mitrione responded. "I don't really hear voices, man."

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

Chances are you've witnessed this scene before. A victorious fighter, flush with adrenaline, steps up to the mic for a post-fight interview. His face is lit up like a full moon and, at least in that triumphant moment, anything seems possible. He's just cold-clocked a qualified competitor on national TV. He feels like a giant among ants.

He's Julius Caesar. He's Alexander the Great. Conqueror of kingdoms and destroyer of worlds. So is it any surprise what he says when asked who he'd like to face next?

'I'll fight anybody they put in front of me.'

Really? Anybody? Because - and don't take this the wrong way, guy with only two or three UFC fights under his belt - 'anybody' covers a lot of territory. A lot of very, very dangerous territory.

And yet, to hear the fighters tell it, they've never turned down a fight. Not ever. Merely suggesting otherwise is enough to make you their enemy for life. But the thinking fan has to wonder, aren't there times when it's smart to turn down a fight? Isn't it sometimes better to know your own limitations, particularly early in your career?

Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive

It's just after 6 p.m. in an upscale steakhouse in Houston and already Jason "Mayhem" Miller is yelling at me. Maybe it's not so much at me. More like near me. More like near everyone in the room, and people are starting to notice.

"It's stupid, all these people who are so worried about communism if we get free health care," Miller says, his voice rising far past what most people would consider an indoor volume. "What if the fire department made you go through the same steps as the non-socialist health care system?"

Businessmen in ties glance up from their prime rib dinners at the next table. Any thought they may have had of asking Miller to keep it down vanish when they see the source of the commotion - a rangy, cauliflower-eared 29-year-old with a nose that looks as if it's been broken just for fun on more than one occasion, gesturing spastically as he becomes more agitated.

"Imagine, you call them up and they're like, 'Do you have fire insurance?' And you're saying, 'Uh, my house is burning down right now.' 'Are you PPO or HMO? 'The house is on fire!' 'What's your policy number?' 'Okay, it's, uh, 97JK39W2.' 'What's your group ID?' 'AHHHHHH! MY HOUSE IS GONE!'"

He erupts into his trademark laugh, an almost cartoonishly maniacal cackle that suggests he might be on the verge of either torturing James Bond or simply flipping the table over on a whim. It's the kind of laugh that makes me briefly wonder whether this whole dinner idea, where I would sit down with Miller to learn a little about what makes this enigmatic fighter tick, was really such a brilliant notion.

Filed under: UFC, News

The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission released Thursday the salary figures for last Saturday's UFC 118 event at the TD Garden. The biggest surprise is, without a doubt, James Toney earning more than any other fighter on the card. "Lights Out" walked away with a cool $500,000 for his 199-second MMA debut.

His opponent, Randy Couture, earned $250,000 for his win, while lightweight champion Frankie Edgar walked away with his belt and $96,000.

Of course, the salaries reported to the commission do not necessarily represent a fighter's final earnings once sponsorships and extra bonuses are factored in.

The purses (show/win bonus) are below.

Filed under: Bellator

In a classic fight for the Bellator bantamweight title, Joe Warren was beaten senseless for five minutes in the first round against Joe Soto, only to storm back and knock Soto out just 33 seconds into the second round.

It was one of the fights of the year, and a fight that showed that Warren, a world-class wrestler, also has an incredible chin and powerful striking.

"I had a bad first round," Warren said afterward. "I took a deep breath, got my focus back and pushed hard. You can't stop me. I'm the baddest man on the planet."

Filed under: Bellator

Ed West, Zach Makovsky and Ulysses Gomez all won decisions Thursday night at Bellator 27 to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator Fighting Championships bantamweight tournament.

In the first fight of the televised card, West beat Bryan Goldsby by unanimous decision in a bout that will be remembered mostly for the fact that the fans at home couldn't watch it: For most of the fight the Fox Sports Net broadcast lost its video feed, and viewers saw only a graphic saying "Bellator 27 technical difficulties." The Fox Sports Net audio was still working, but the announcers didn't seem to realize that the viewers at home couldn't see the action, and therefore weren't as descriptive as they should have been.

Todd Bodine tried to outrace Kyle Busch. When that didn't work, the NASCAR Trucks Series veteran decided to outsmart the Cup star.

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer

Cory McClenathan took the Top Fuel qualifying lead Friday with a record-setting run in the NHRA's playoff-opening U.S. Nationals.

The NASCAR Trucks Series will make two visits to Kentucky Speedway in 2011.

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer

Preview: Bowyer out to increase lead, not just hold on to it

Splash 'N' Go: List of drivers has plenty of heartthrob potential

Despite the results, Carl Edwards isn't sorry about spinning Brad Keselowski earlier this season at Atlanta.

Preview: Starr looks to keep shining with SS Green Light

Sam Ard didn't do it. Neither did Jack Ingram. Or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Or Martin Truex Jr. Or even Kevin Harvick.

L.A.-area congresswoman Grace Napolitano is the sponsor of a federal bill (HR 2531) which aims to establish a law that “provides for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and age appropriate.”

(Of course he is)

Introduced well over a year ago, the bill hasn’t gotten much traction since being referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

That lack of political action apparently is what led to Ron Artest’s first post-championship endorsement deal. (Sorry Wheaties!)
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Filed under: USA Basketball, Thunder, FIBA World Championship

ISTANBUL -- Kevin Durant loves to tell stories about times he doesn't get recognized. Apparently, it keeps him humble.

There's the tale Durant told recently about how a security officer mistook him for Miami forward Chris Bosh when he was at the airport in Las Vegas in July for Team USA training camp. Then there's a story about Durant walking around with some of his Oklahoma City teammates at a Charlotte shopping mall last season.

"Some people thought we were a college team,'' Durant said. "They said, 'Good luck and hopefully you'll make it to NBA.' We were like, 'All right.' "

Asked if he's been recognized much in Istanbul in the week the Team USA forward has been here for the World Championship, Durant said he really hasn't been out of the hotel except to go to games and practices.

One thing is for sure. There are no posters of Durant in Turkey. The American most often featured on posters promoting the Worlds is Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and he's not even here after dropping out, along with all the other members of the 2008 Olympic team, in early July. Either the printing deadline was quite early or nobody in Turkey bothered checking the Internet.

 

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LeBron James didn't change all his teams this summer. James posted on his Twitter feed Thursday that he's considering going to Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 11 to see the matchup between No. 2 Ohio State -- his longtime team of choice -- and No. 13 Miami. And no, the former Cleveland Cavaliers star isn't rooting for the Hurricanes.

Al Horford averaged 14.2 points per game last season for the Atlanta Hawks (along with 9.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 2.3 assists). According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the team would like to have the 6-10 forward/center continue putting up those kinds of numbers for the team for a few more years.

"Indications are that the Hawks plan to make an aggressive push to sign ... Horford to an extension but that process hasn't started," the paper reports.

Horford for one hasn't heard anything about it. "I think anything will start coming once training camp gets going," he told the paper. "I am just kind of leaving to that to the owners and my representation and just seeing what happens. I am going to keep working hard and keep doing what I've been doing."

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Rudy Fernandez is trying hard to get himself out of the City of Roses, saying that he'll never play there again. He's been rumored to be interested in heading to the other coast and joining the New York Knicks.

But the Knicks aren't having it for some reason, according to the New York Daily News. The paper is reporting that team president Donnie Walsh said no recently to a three-team deal that would have brought Fernandez to the Knicks.

A team source tells the paper that the deal would have had Anthony Randolph moving to the Indiana Pacers and a first-round pick from the Pacers to the Trail Blazers.

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

Filed under: WNBA, FIBA, USA Basketball, Thunder, FIBA World Championship

In The Works today: a report from the WNBA's super-heavyweight Storm-Mercury bout; the World Championship in maps; and readers teach us more about Ramadan.

But first, who is the real Kevin Durant, and why do we care so much?

The Man Who Wasn't There: Dateline, this week on the Internet. Tommy Craggs, writing for that hotbed of skepticism Slate, asked whether we've gone too far with the whole Kevin Durant, Goodness and Light, thing. Nate Jones, social media expert for the Goodwins -- Durant's representation -- weighed in the next day, via Twitter, with his thoughts on the article.

The first leg of disclosure: I am a big fan of Craggs, especially his writing for Slate; I think Jones is one of the best at what he does, and frequently consult him when social media issues invade the NBA news cycle.

The rest of it: I consider both of them friends, or at least web-pals. Tommy and I get together when I'm in New York, and Nate and I have been on-and-off colleagues for years. I finally met him in person the other night. Then I accidentally knocked over a table on press row at Key Arena. It was the table's fault.

So yeah, it goes without saying that I have to give my two cents about this one.

 

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Kirk Penney scored 25 points to help New Zealand surge into the knockout round of the basketball world championships with an 82-70 win over France on Thursday.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent center Etan Thomas to add bulk in the frontcourt. The 6-foot-10 Thomas spent most of his career with the Washington Wizards but finished last season with Oklahoma City. He's averaged 5.8 point and 4.8 rebounds per game over his eight-year career, which includes 74 starts.

Tibor Pleiss scored 23 points to give Germany a 91-73 win over Jordan on Thursday in a match between two eliminated teams at the basketball world championship.

Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson (pictured right) became the third WNBA player to be selected Most Valuable Player three different times, while her coach, Brian Agler, was chosen Coach of the Year, the league announced Thursday.

Jackson, a 6-foot-5 center from Australia, outdistanced Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings and New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter to join Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes as three-time MVP recipients. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, the 2009 MVP, finished fourth while Washington Mystics forward Crystal Langhorne finished fifth.

Jackson, who received 22 first place votes from a panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters, was fourth in the WNBA in scoring (20.5 ppg) and seventh in rebounding (8.3 rpg) -- and placed in the top seven in three other categories: blocks, free-throw percentage and double-doubles -- in leading the Storm to a franchise record 28 wins.

Agler, meanwhile, guided Seattle to a perfect 17-0 home record as well as to the league's second best start through the first 20 games. Agler, who previously coached at Minnesota in the WNBA and at Columbus in the defunct American Basketball League, received 17 of 39 firs t-place votes from the media panel, edgin g out New York's Anne Donovan (13 votes). Washington's Julie Plank placed third.

Agler and Jackson were expected to receive their trophies before Thursday's first game of the Western Conference finals between Seattle and Phoenix at Key Arena.

 

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Filed under: Temple, Big East, FCS

PHILADELPHIA -- The college football world was delivered a beauty of a game Friday -- at least for the 32,000 in attendance and perhaps hundreds more who witnessed the otherwise untelevised 31-24 thriller between Temple and Villanova on ESPN3.com.

Al Golden's resurgent Temple Owls rallied from a 21-13 fourth-quarter deficit to topple the defending FCS champion Villanova Wildcats and claim the Mayor's Cup. Owls quarterback Chester Stewart committed what Golden termed a "critical error," fumbling the snap on third-and-one from his own 22-yard line to set up a wild finish.

Before the fumble, Temple had scrapped to a 22-21 lead, and was looking to ice the final two minutes of the game. The lower-division Owls had steadily dominated Temple through nearly three quarters of play, something the Wildcats' coach readily admitted. Villanova's faithful were soon frothy as the Wildcats kicked a field goal for the 24-22 lead, spotting the Owls just 1:43 to attempt a rally without any remaining timeouts. Stewart and his teammates promptly rallied, collecting four first downs against the dwindling clock to set up a frenetic field-goal attempt from the 26 with eight seconds left.

From there, kicker Brandon McManus drove the 43-yard attempt through the uprights for the wild victory. In so doing, major college football outpost Philadelphia gifted observers with one heck of a ballgame, perhaps the best game of the opening week with an entire Saturday still to be played.

"I feel like the people in Philadelphia should really embrace college football in the area because you have two teams that can put on a game like that. I just thought it was tremendous ... for college football in general," Temple coach Andy Talley (pictured above) said afterward.

Added Temple's Golden, "There are a lot of irrelevant games in college football this weekend (but) this is not one of them."

Villanova's offensive trickery and steady play in the trenches slowed down Temple's mighty rush attack led by Heisman Trophy candidate Bernard Pierce. The sophomore had just 12 carries for 34 yards at the end of the third quarter.

However, Temple's talent and numbers edges finally materialized.

"Suddenly, they woke up" Talley said.

Perhaps metaphorically egged on by a cartoon-like cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee roaming the sidelines the entire game, the Owls took flight under the cover of night.

Their defense arrived first, holding the Wildcats to just 25 yards in the final frame. It wasn't for lack of trying by a steadily tiring Wildcat squad.

Said Talley, "We shot everything we had [offensively], and they were playing better."

Those stops provided just enough breathing room for an offensive rally sparked by Pierce's own fourth quarter awakening.

He carried the ball eight times for 45 yards and likely the clinching first-down carry had Stewart not fumbled. But Stewart also contributed heavily to the victory, tossing a 62-yard touchdown to Michael Campbell that gave the coffee-like jolt -- and 22-21 lead -- to the Owls.

On the final drive, Stewart completed four-of-seven passes for 28 yards and a crucial 13-yard scramble into field-goal range.

"Obviously he won the game for us, and I was excited for that," Golden said of Stewart. "He did show a lot of poise and a lot of maturity. We had a quarterback that won in the two-minute drill."

Golden said that the team rallied around Stewart, making the winning drive possible. But that rally was as much on the players as the coach, who said, "If you trust your players, they'll make you look good."

Indeed.

 

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Duke senior Kyle Singler is recovering from knee surgery. The school said last season's most outstanding player at the Final Four had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Friday afternoon at the Duke University Medical Center. He is expected to recover in time for the start of preseason practice Oct.

The Southeastern Conference has agreed to bring the men's basketball tournament to Nashville three more times this decade, making Music City home to four events through 2019. The league announced the multi-year agreement Friday. The SEC men's tournament already had been scheduled to be played at Bridgestone Arena in 2013, and now the event will be in Nashville in 2015, 2016 and 2019.

Michigan State junior guard Korie Lucious has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving. The plea was entered Thursday and sentencing was set for Dec. 20. The 20-year-old Lucious originally had been charged with operating while intoxicated after he was pulled over early Monday near the campus in East Lansing.

Filed under: Mississippi, Oregon

Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been ruled eligible to play this season. He was originally ruled ineligible earlier in the week and was not expected to play until 2011. However, a school source told ESPN's Joe Schad that Masoli, a graduate student at Ole Miss, will be cleared to play immediately.

Graduate student athletes must receive a special waiver in order to compete if they enroll at a university other than the place they received their undergraduate degree. Masoli, who played at Oregon last season, was originally given the waiver, but was told he could not compete until the 2011-12 academic year.

This was then appealed by Masoli and overturned by the NCAA Division I Subcommittee for Legislative Relief on Friday, allowing the quarterback to play immediately.

Masoli was kicked off Oregon's team after two incidents with police in 2010. Masoli, who has already completed his undergraduate degree, is enrolled in Mississippi's parks and recreation graduate program. The NCAA will sometimes rule a player eligible if he is enrolling at a university where a graduate program is not offered at the player's previous school.

 

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Filed under: Nebraska, Sports Business and Media

One shouldn't extrapolate from the notion that because Eric Crouch doesn't flaunt his Heisman Trophy, he isn't proud of winning it.

Let's face it: Winning college football's most prestigious individual honor, as Crouch did in 2001 for Nebraska, can open a few professional doors for a person.

Lugging the actual Heisman itself around can be a load, Crouch says. When you add the weight of the stainless steel carrying case the Downtown Athletic Club provides the winner to the statue itself, you're talking about 100 pounds easy.

"It becomes a challenge just getting it in and out of cars by yourself," Crouch said. "I've just elected to take it places very rarely."

And while his Heisman will be showcased at an Omaha museum during the college football season, Crouch himself will be showcasing his knowledge of the game as a studio analyst on Versus telecasts.

Crouch, who threw and ran for a combined 2,600 yards and 25 touchdowns in his Heisman year as an option quarterback, worked Thursday night's Utah-Pittsburgh game and will be back in the studio Saturday for the channel's airing of the Wisconsin-UNLV game at 11 p.m. ET.

 

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Filed under: Notre Dame

Five chafing questions as Notre Dame prepares for its season opener and the debut of the Brian Kelly era (only the fourth "era" since Dr. Lou departed 14 years ago) in South Bend versus Purdue on Saturday:

1. Body of Crist? Junior quarterback Dayne Crist will make his first start for the Irish since tearing an ACL last Halloween night versus Washington State in the Alamodome. Kelly was an absolute magician in his last two seasons at Cincinnati when it came to pulling quarterbacks out of his hat. In 2008, he won the Big East despite having to use a fifth-string quarterback. Last year, after Tony Pike was lost to injury, he inserted Zach Collaros, who only set a Big East record for total offense in one game with 480 yards passing and 75 yards rushing.

Kelly would prefer not to have to perform an encore in 2010. The Irish have depth at every offensive skill position except quarterback, where the inexperienced Crist's backups are freshman Tommy Rees and junior-juco-returnee Nate Montana. They've taken no snaps at the FBS level between them.

Crist is charismatic, mobile, big, strong and humble. Wally Cleaver looks up to him. He's the type of quarterback the priests here would consider an answered prayer. But he needs to stay healthy. If Crist starts all 12 games for Notre Dame, it has a chance to be a nine- or 10-win team. And headline writers from coast-to-coast will have a field day.

 

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Filed under: Florida, Video

The NFL Two-a-Days crew knows that great football is played on Saturdays as well, and they are ready to tackle it.

Former Buckeye LeCharles Bentley and host Pat McManamon discuss the new college football season, and you will be surprised on the forecast for the Gators.

Click to watch:

 

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Filed under: Nebraska, Big 12, Heisman

For a guy who would like nothing more than to blend in and go about his work, Nebraska junior defensive tackle Jared Crick can't escape the comparisons or the questions.

How much easier was life on the Cornhuskers defensive lineman last season opposite one of the most dominant defensive linemen in recent memory? What will it be like now that Ndamukong Suh is gone? Can Crick command similar attention from opposing offensive lines as Suh did with constant double teams?

You would think it would be near impossible to cast a shadow that would engulf Crick's massive 6-foot-6, 285 pound frame, but Suh managed to do so and to some degree still does despite now playing for the NFL's Detroit Lions.

Crick, however, doesn't seem to bow to the questions or even the high expectations that are being thrust upon him as life without Suh begins in earnest Saturday when the Huskers open their final Big 12 season.

 

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Filed under: LSU, UNC

Six North Carolina starters will not play in their season opener on Saturday against No. 16 LSU in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A kickoff, the university announced on Friday. The six starters -- defensive tackle Marvin Austin, cornerback Charles Brown, cornerback Kendric Burney, wide receiver Greg Little (right), defensive end Michael McAdoo and defensive end Robert Quinn have been declared ineligible for violating school and/or NCAA rules.

While the NCAA's investigation continues against North Carolina, six other players will be withheld from the game for the No. 18 Tar Heels - running back Shaun Draughn, defensive end Linwan Euwell, safety Brian Gupton, running back Ryan Houston, safety Da'Norris Searcy and safety Jonathan Smith.

It is still not clear how much time these 12 players will miss this season as the NCAA continues their two-pronged investigation against North Carolina. The NCAA is looking into possible agent-related benefit issues and allegations of academic misconduct.

North Carolina has been working with the NCAA to determine the eligibility status of three other unnamed players who did not travel to Atlanta with the team. The Tar Heels and coach Butch Davis left Friday morning.

"As I've said, there is no single game more important than the character and integrity of this university," Davis said in the release. "We are disappointed the players' choices have denied them the opportunity to compete alongside their teammates and represent the University of North Carolina."

The NCAA first visited the North Carolina campus in July, investigating whether Austin and Little were in contact with agents or had received any benefits. Since then, the probe turned two-pronged and has expanded into alleged academic misconduct.

 

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It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - Borderlands - 3D Realms

It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - 3D Realms - Borderlands

Now that I’ve been using the GM release for the past 24 hours, I can safely say- iOS 4.1 on iPhone (including the 3G) is the most solid, responsive iOS release to date. With some cool new features to boot.



iPhone - iPhone 3G - IPhone OS - Handhelds - Smartphones

Read about our eyes on with a very intriguing Portal 2 cooperative mode.

Not to be outdone by the phoenix-like return of a long dormant shooter franchise, Sony announced announced the release date of its own first-person powerhouse today. According to a post on the PlayStation.Blog, Killzone 3 will release on February 22, 2011. PAX attendees will also get a chance to try out the multiplayer at Sony's booth.

This narrows the game's release down from the earlier vague target of February, and makes a pre-order the perfect Valentine's gift for that Helghan-hating special someone in your life. Because nothing says "I love you" like brutal future warfare -- in three dimensions.

Amid swirling rumors of a PAX reveal, Gearbox has finally confirmed that they've taken the reins on Duke Nukem Forever. Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford delivered the news today, just as word hit the Wall Street Journal and eager gamers lined up at PAX to try the game for themselves. A live stream from 2K is still (as of now) showing off footage of the hands-on players.

"The approach and investment and process at 3d Realms didn't quite make it and it cracked in the end," said Pitchford in the WSJ interview. "With Gearbox Software we brought all of those pieces together. It's the game it was meant to be." The report claims the game is expected to ship in 2010, and Pitchford says it's in the "polishing" stage. But they're still working on a launch plan so he's hesitant to commit to a date.

Another game has been delayed out of the fourth quarter of 2010 and into 2011, with this time it being Sega's Conduit 2. The first-person shooter sequel to The Conduit will now be released at some point in the first quarter of 2011.

Nintendojo received word of the delay though they weren't given any reason for it. Its November 2 release date would have put it out the same day as GoldenEye 007 for Wii, arguably the biggest FPS release on the platform to date. It's entirely possible the game was delayed simply to avoid being lost in the buzz around GoldenEye or that of the crowded holiday release period.

Conduit 2, which will be playable for those attending PAX this weekend, will have support for not only MotionPlus, but the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro, if you'd rather play the game with a more traditional control scheme.

A new study suggests adolescents exposed to driving and racing games may be more inclined to drive recklessly when they get their driving license.



Racing video game - Grand Theft Auto - Video game - Games - Driving and Racing

Over three dozen musical artists are re-recording some of their current and upcoming songs for inclusion in The Sims 3 on consoles and the latest Sims 3 PC expansion pack, Late Night. They're re-recording their songs because they won't be sung in English, but in the Sims' language of Simlish.

A press release making the announcement quotes a number of the artists, many of which point out that they had fun but also found it challenging or weird to sing in Simlish. "Singing in Simlish was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was a blast!" said Travie McCoy. Flo Rida said of his decision to contribute to the game, "I'm always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences with my music and The Sims 3 was a perfect way."

The console versions of The Sims 3 will be released on October 26, the same day the Late Night expansion will be made available to owners of the PC version of The Sims 3.

Over three dozen musical artists are re-recording some of their current and upcoming songs for inclusion in The Sims 3 on consoles and the latest Sims 3 PC expansion pack, Late Night. They're re-recording their songs because they won't be sung in English, but in the Sims' language of Simlish.

A press release making the announcement quotes a number of the artists, many of which point out that they had fun but also found it challenging or weird to sing in Simlish. "Singing in Simlish was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was a blast!" said Travie McCoy. Flo Rida said of his decision to contribute to the game, "I'm always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences with my music and The Sims 3 was a perfect way."

The console versions of The Sims 3 will be released on October 26, the same day the Late Night expansion will be made available to owners of the PC version of The Sims 3.

Elvis Dumervil's season is officially sacked. The Denver Broncos had been holding out hope the league's top sacker would make a quicker than anticipated recovery from a torn chest muscle and return to action in December. Dumervil, however, posted a message on his Twitter account Friday night that confirmed an NFL.com report he'll be going on injured reserve, ending his season.

The New York Giants opted for experience over promise Friday, acquiring veteran Sage Rosenfels from the Minnesota Vikings to back up starting quarterback Eli Manning this season, a league source told NFL Network.

The New York Giants acquired quarterback Sage Rosenfels and running back Darius Reynaud from the Minnesota Vikings on Friday for undisclosed draft picks. The Vikings announced the deal on their website. They will receive a pick in next year's draft and a conditional selection in the 2012 draft. The deal is contingent on both players passing physicals on Saturday.

Outside linebacker Cody Brown, a second-round draft pick out of Connecticut a year ago, was among 16 players cut by the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. Meanwhile, coach Ken Whisenhunt says he has told rookie quarterbacks Max Hall and John Skelton they have made Arizona's 53-man roster. The fate of Matt Leinart remained uncertain.

Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt met with Matt Leinart on Friday and told his disgruntled quarterback that the team hasn't yet prepared to take any action regarding his future.

Patrick Crayton wanted out the minute the Dallas Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant. He finally got his wish Friday, and it might've been worth the wait. Crayton was dealt to the San Diego Chargers, where he'll be a bigger part of the offense than he would've been in Dallas and still will be playing for a contender.

Running back Ladell Betts has been released by the New Orleans Saints. Betts' agent, Anthony Agnone, confirmed the move in an e-mail Friday, one day before final cuts are due.

The Denver Broncos will place defensive end Elvis Dumervil on season-ending injured reserve Saturday, a source close to the player told NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi.

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired veteran offensive lineman Reggie Wells from the Arizona Cardinals on Friday in exchange for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick.

The Denver Broncos' tailback turnstile keeps on spinning. LenDale White is out for the season after rupturing his right Achilles' tendon Thursday night at Minnesota. White will undergo surgery on Tuesday, said Chris Brantley, who represents the fifth-year running back who spent his first four seasons in Tennessee and joined the Broncos last month as a free agent.

The NHL has signed off on Ilya Kovalchuk's latest contract with the New Jersey Devils. Five weeks after rejecting the Russian's landmark 17-year, $102 million contract with the Devils, the league approved a revised 15-year, $100 million deal on Friday after reaching an agreement with the NHL Players Association on an amendment covering long-term contracts.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Mike Comrie to a $500,000, one-year contract, giving them a proven scorer who might be capable of playing on one of their top three lines. The Penguins, looking for affordable scoring...

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Mike Comrie to a $500,000, one-year contract, giving them a proven scorer who might be capable of playing on one of their top three lines. The Penguins, looking for affordable scoring help because they have little salary cap space, signed forward Arron Asham to a $700,000, one-year contract two weeks ago.

Filed under: Devils, NHL Free Agency, NHL Economics

We've been down this road before, but it appears as if the Ilya Kovalchuk contract situation is finally, mercifully, close to an end result.

On Friday, multiple media outlets, including TSN's Darren Dreger, ESPN's EJ Hradek and Tom Gulitti of The Bergen Record are all reporting that the NHL and NHLPA have come to an agreement on an ammendment to the CBA in regards to the long-term contracts that have become the bane of the league's existence the past two years.

The 17-year contract that the Devils originally had with Kovalchuk this summer was obviously the breaking point, dragging out his free agency to this point in early September. After the Devils submitted a revised contract last week (a reported 15-year pact worth $100 million) the league was supposed to make a decision on whether or not to approve it by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Instead of reaching a decision, the deadline was pushed back to Friday, prolonging the situation even further. According to Friday's reports, the newest contract will be approved as part of the new CBA ammendment.

Not long after Wednesday's deadline was delayed, reports surfaced that the NHL had issued an ultimatum to the NHLPA regarding contracts like the ones signed by Roberto Luongo and Marian Hossa, among others. Those reports, however, were disputed in the sense that it wasn't necessarily an ultimatum, but simply a negotiation between the two sides. Either way, the agreement will also lead to the Luongo and Hossa deals being approved, as well.

According to Gulitti, via Twitter, the "CBA amendment would involve stipulations on cap hit for deals going past age 35 and age 40."

 

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Sept. 17 - Training camps open. Sept. 21 - Preseason games begin. Oct. 7 - Regular-season begins. Oct. 7-10 - NHL Premiere Games, at Helsinki, Finland (Carolina vs. Minnesota); Prague, Czech Republic (Phoenix vs. Boston); Stockholm, Sweden (Co...

Filed under: Penguins, NHL Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Penguins' quest to find forwards over the past couple of seasons has been well documented. Since they have so much cap space invested in their top three centers (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal) they've been forced to use a revolving door of reclamation projects, bargain bin free agent signings and trade deadline rentals to play on their wings: Petr Sykora, Bill Guerin, Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko. With two Stanley Cup Final appearances in three years, they've had a bit of success with this approach. And you can now add another name to the list: Mike Comrie.

The 29-year-old forward inked a one-year contract with the Penguins on Friday. The deal is for the league minimum ($500,000) according to the release on the Penguins website.

Comrie's agent, Ritch Winter, said on Team 1260 in Edmonton (which originally reported the signing) that Comrie has already spoken to Crosby, who is looking forward to having him skate on his left wing this season.

 

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Filed under: Canadiens, Eastern

After trading last year's playoff sensation, Jaroslav Halak, to the St. Louis Blues, it seemed set in stone that Montreal would use Carey Price as their No. 1 goaltender.

All they had to do was sign him.

They did that Thursday, giving Price what is reported to be a two-year contract worth more than $5 million.

Price started his NHL career like a superstar in the making when he debuted in 2007, but fizzled badly in his second year, culminating with a dreadful performance against Boston that left him expressing his displeasure with Canadiens fans.

 

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The Colorado Avalanche remain committed to their youth movement, signing forward Chris Stewart to a two-year deal. The 22-year-old Stewart led the team with 28 goals last season and finished with 64 points. The deal's terms weren't disclosed. Colorado general manager Greg Sherman says the team is looking forward to seeing Stewart "build on what he started a year ago." The Avalanche...

DENVER (AP) - The Colorado Avalanche remain committed to their youth movement, signing forward Chris Stewart to a two-year deal. The 22-year-old Stewart led the team with 28 goals last season and finished with 64 points. The deal's terms weren'...

The Nashville Predators owners have completed a purchase of the 26 percent stake in the team held by the bankrupt estate of a California financier jailed for fraud. Preadators Holdings LLC chairman Tom Cigarran announced Thursday that the NHL and Metro Nashville Sports Authority had approved the transaction for the ownership shares previously held by William "Boots" Del Biaggio III and...

Homebrew coder ant512 is back to update Woopsi, a handy GUI library for creating homebrew user interfaces for the Nintendo DS. Woopsi 0.99.4 is mainly a bug fix release to correct some issues from the previous versions.     Download:

This issue probably should've stayed buried in time

MyNotebook: Pearl (DSi)
Another trip to the virtual stationery aisle.

Music On: Learning Piano (DSi)
The best edutainment game I've played in a long time.

Cosmos X2 (DSi)
Old-school side-scrolling shooting.

Every new release for the entire month, evaluated and rated just for you.

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (DS)
See what the true king will face.

Japan is the bastion of role-playing games, so when you're looking at the Tokyo Game Show, you'd think they'd have RPGs left and right in the expo. That won't be the case this year. The total number

From Famitsu, we picked up on information that Square Enix ix remaking SaGa 3: The Ruler of Space and Time Shadow or Light for the DS. If you find that title too much of a mouthful

Treyarch has revealed an all new multiplayer modes for Call of Duty: Black Ops. Simple called "Wager Match", these are free for all game modes that will have players betting in-game currency called "CP" or CoD Points

Namco Bandai has announced that Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, a post-apocalyptic tactical action adventure game developed by Ninja Theory, has officially gone gold for the PS3 and Xbox 360, which means that game is currently on

More details have come to light regarding the Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition spotted on the GameStop website about a month back. According to the British Board of Film Classification, the UE will come with all of the

PS3 gamers will be gunning for the Helghast again in February 2011. It's been official for a while, but now it's even more so. Sony has just announced the official release date for Guerrilla Games' Killzone 3. That's

Not to be outdone by the phoenix-like return of a long dormant shooter franchise, Sony announced announced the release date of its own first-person powerhouse today. According to a post on the PlayStation.Blog, Killzone 3 will release on February 22, 2011. PAX attendees will also get a chance to try out the multiplayer at Sony's booth.

This narrows the game's release down from the earlier vague target of February, and makes a pre-order the perfect Valentine's gift for that Helghan-hating special someone in your life. Because nothing says "I love you" like brutal future warfare -- in three dimensions.

U.K.-based developer Just Add Water has announced that as their first project in cooperation with Oddworld Inhabitants, they'll be bringing a hi-def remake of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PlayStation Network "next Easter."

Stranger's Wrath was the last entry in the Oddworld series, and came out on the original Xbox in 2005. It featured a blend of third-person action and first-person shooting, with the stand-out feature being the use of "live ammunition" in the form of literally living critters like skunks and wasps. The remake will add improvements like updated graphics (with modern embellishments like "normal mapping and self-shadowing"), 720p HD support, re-mastered dialogue, and support for the PlayStation Move controller, in addition to other still-unannounced bonus features.

"Since word got out that we've been working with Oddworld Inhabitants there have been many rumors circulating about what we're working on," said Stewart Gilray, managing director of Just Add Water, in a statement. "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is the first project in what we believe will be a long and fruitful relationship. Having the chance to update this great title and release it on PS3 is just a brilliant opportunity, not least for us, but for the fans too."

Sony has already taken legal action to block PSJailbreak sales in Australia, and it looks like they're now taking the fight to the US. The company has reportedly filed a lawsuit Tuesday in California against an online

The Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 demo has been given a release date Konami, but only the PS3 and PC versions. Demo details past the jump.

Just Add Water's Oddorld game has been revealed to be a remake of 2005's Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, and it's a PSN exclusive.

Fans have been all up in Hideo Kojima's face requesting nay, demanding that he come up with something for the integration of Trophy Support and 3D for Metal Gear Solid 4. Thing is, Kojima would

A new trailer's been released for Sega's Yakuza 4. As per usual, it shows all them tough guys driving around in expensive cars, the whole tattooed, gun-wielding lot of them. Oh, and money. Lots and lots of

It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - Borderlands - 3D Realms

A new study suggests adolescents exposed to driving and racing games may be more inclined to drive recklessly when they get their driving license.



Racing video game - Grand Theft Auto - Video game - Games - Driving and Racing

GoldenEye 007 (Wii)
See what is included in the GameStop and Best Buy edition of the game.

Things are about to get a helluva lot weirder than Super Mario Bros. 2...

FIFA Soccer 11 (PS3)
The first is direct feed of arsenal vs Real Madrid.

FIFA Soccer 11 (X360)
The first is direct feed of arsenal vs Real Madrid.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (X360)
The age of humans is over.

History -- Great Battles Medieval (X360)
Join the fray with these screens.

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (Wii)
See what the true king will face.

DJ Hero 2 (X360)
What would this game be without representation from the Wu Tang Clan.

It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - Borderlands - 3D Realms

It took a completely different developer to get the game on track, but it looks like Borderlands developer Gearbox is going to make Duke Nukem Forever a reality at last.



Duke Nukem Forever - Gearbox - Duke Nukem - 3D Realms - Borderlands

Now that I’ve been using the GM release for the past 24 hours, I can safely say- iOS 4.1 on iPhone (including the 3G) is the most solid, responsive iOS release to date. With some cool new features to boot.



iPhone - iPhone 3G - IPhone OS - Handhelds - Smartphones

A new study suggests adolescents exposed to driving and racing games may be more inclined to drive recklessly when they get their driving license.



Racing video game - Grand Theft Auto - Video game - Games - Driving and Racing

GoldenEye 007 (Wii)
See what is included in the GameStop and Best Buy edition of the game.

Things are about to get a helluva lot weirder than Super Mario Bros. 2...

FIFA Soccer 11 (PS3)
The first is direct feed of arsenal vs Real Madrid.

FIFA Soccer 11 (X360)
The first is direct feed of arsenal vs Real Madrid.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (X360)
The age of humans is over.

History -- Great Battles Medieval (X360)
Join the fray with these screens.

The Ravens have to choose between carrying a third quarterback or devoting that roster spot to another position.In what could have been his last game with the Ravens, QB Troy Smith completed 18 of 38 passes for 237 yards and...

Eagles rookie S Kurt Coleman scored not once but twice while returning fumbles, something that has only ever been done once in an NFL regular-season game.His play on special teams could nail down a roster spot for WR Kelley Washington.Or...

[Editor's note:  The PFT crew divided up the 16 Thursday night preseason games for the one-liner treatment.  And three of us came through.  One of us is applying the "better late than never" approach.  Or, as some of you may...

Before Byron Leftwich sprained his MCL Thursday night, the conventional wisdom in Pittsburgh was that Charlie Batch was going to get cut this weekend.  Now he might start against the Falcons in nine days.Speaking on ESPN's Sportscenter Friday, Ed Bouchette...

The Chiefs have announced that safety Jarrad Page, a restricted free agent who boycotted all of the offseason, training camp, and preseason, has signed his restricted free agent tender.The team also announced that seven players have been cut.Gone are tight...

With quarterback Sage Rosenfels being frozen out in the offseason and showcased in the preseason, the message to the other 31 NFL teams was clear:  Sage is available.And now that the Vikings have traded the guy who was brought in...

The massive amount of injuries in Denver could make carrying injured linebacker Elvis Dumervil on the roster a luxury the team can no longer afford.Dumervil tore his pectoral muscle and there was some hope the team would keep him on...

Matt Leinart may not want to be a backup in New York (or anywhere else), but Sage Rosenfels will gladly take a ticket out of Minnesota.Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reports that Rosenfels is headed to the Giants to be Eli...

We'll take a break from players getting released to tell you about a player trying his best to get released.Colts defensive tackle Fili Moala was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Friday morning, according to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis...

The Steelers will be without their best offensive player for the first four weeks of the season, so it's only fair their AFC North rivals will be without their best defensive player for the first six weeks.NFL Network's Jason La...

Filed under: MLS, English Premier League, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew

He's arguably the most significant American soccer player ever. He was the first draft pick in MLS history, the first American to score in two World Cups, and he was a legend and former captain at an English Premier League club that thought so highly of him it named a stadium pub in his honor.

On Friday, Brian McBride, 38, announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the MLS season. The news gives teams and fans around the country time to recognize and congratulate a once-in-a-generation player who genuinely deserves it.

"Brian is one of the cornerstones of American soccer," Fire technical director and former U.S. national team forward Frank Klopas said. "He is a consummate professional and embodies everything that is good in the game. His leadership, everlasting commitment and work ethic on the field are parallel to his impact off of it."

Born outside Chicago, McBride was a true product of the American game. He won a state championship in high school, was an All-American at Saint Louis University (from which he also graduated) and then spent the 1994 season with a minor league team in Milwaukee. After giving German soccer a shot, he returned home to cast his lot with MLS and was drafted first overall by the Columbus Crew.

He spent eight seasons with the Crew and helped them win the U.S. Open Cup in 2002. That year, of course, was more significant for what he accomplished with the national team. McBride had scored the Americans' only goal at the 1998 World Cup, but tallied twice (both game-winners) in South Korea as the U.S. advanced to the quarterfinals.

McBride scored four goals during an impressive loan spell at Everton in 2003 and transferred to Fulham the following year, where he scored 40, was twice named the club's most outstanding player and wore the captain's armband. He returned to MLS in 2008 to play for his hometown Chicago Fire.

McBride played 96 times for the U.S., appeared in three World Cups, won the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup and scored 30 goals, good for third all-time behind Landon Donovan and Eric Wynalda.

In addition to those accomplishments and honors, McBride has been highly regarded for his commitment and selflessness on the field. A target forward who's lethal in the air but who possesses outstanding control and savvy in the penalty area, McBride was always willing to endure punishment for the cause. He suffered several significant injuries during his career (his head and knees seemed to be in the news constantly), and the iconic image of McBride may be the bloody face he suffered during the first half against Italy at the 2006 World Cup. He stayed in the game, naturally.

He's a player worth celebrating. Here are a couple of videos to get you started:

 

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Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Major League Soccer will welcome the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps into the fold next season, increasing membership to 18 clubs and creating a scheduling quandary -- with 30 regular season games on the docket, it would be impossible for each team to play every other team home and away.

The solution? Add four games to the schedule. A 34-game season would maintain the balanced, home-and-away format that leagues around the world employ and would ensure that fans in each city get the chance to see every other club. FanHouse understands that the expanded schedule is not a definite, but that there is a very good chance that it'll happen.

Do fans want more regular season games? Wouldn't it make more sense to use that time for a fun friendly or two? Perhaps more leeway in scheduling CONCACAF Champions League matches or a more sensible U.S. Open Cup structure?

Yes to that also, according to commissioner Don Garber.

Speaking to Examiner.com at this week's SuperLiga final in Foxborough, Garber said MLS is looking into tweaking its calendar in order to help those involved in other competitions.

His full quote:

"We've got to reassess the calendar quite a bit and we've been spending a lot of time doing that. I'm up here today actually, with our competitive guys doing some planning, just talking about how could we do a couple things -- capitalize on the excitement that took place during the World Cup, that clearly proved that Americans loved this game, and how do we build on that? Do we need to look at different formats? Do we need to look at our schedule again? How do we ensure that our teams are at full strength while we're playing in very, very crowded schedules? We're spending a lot of time planning and I want to be sure that we do well in all these tournaments. The first priority is our league tournament (MLS Cup playoffs), but certainly, so is the (CONCACAF) Champions League and again, I'd like to see the U.S. Open Cup be a bit more important to all of us.

"We've got to be sure that we can continue to do well in all these other competitions and not be disadvantaged. The schedule disadvantages us a little bit. In Champions League we're playing at the key time in our preseason, but at the same time we just have so many games and right now probably need to take a look at how we can be competitive in all those different tournaments."

All of that, plus four additional regular season games? It's just not going to happen. Something has to give. It can't be the Champions League, it better not be the Open Cup, and while many wouldn't mind seeing SuperLiga bite the dust, there really should be a place for a secondary international competition (like in Europe and South America) that gives more teams, players and fans the opportunity to enjoy some cross-border rivalries. It's good for the development of the game in the U.S.

(For those who argue that SuperLiga is just a "money grab," so what? Don't the people who've invested millions in MLS and in growing the game in this country deserve a little return on their investment? It's not like they're robbing people.)

The truth is, there's nowhere really for those four extra MLS regular season games to go, especially in the cold-weather cities, and the 34-game schedule will be moot anyway once Montreal enters the league in 2012 and the 20th team (perhaps New York?) comes aboard soon thereafter.

Garber cannot have it both ways. There is no room for the expanded schedule, relief for Champions League clubs and the Open Cup without adding a 13th month to the calendar.

Our hope is that Garber's comment about the MLS Cup playoffs being the "first priority" was genuine. The abbreviated four-game tournament, which uses a two-game first round that offers no home-field advantage for the higher seed, is the worst thing about MLS. It's too short, far too random and often fails to produce a deserving and worthy champion. It's like telling marathoners that only the last 100 yards of the race count.

If Garber can find some give in the schedule, he should do something about the playoffs. Expand them, and make them a true test for the teams involved. We don't need four additional regular season games.

 

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Last Thursday University of New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert returned to the pitch for the first time since she was captured on video physically bullying members of the BYU women’s soccer team during a game last November. Lambert was suspended from the team after the video went viral on the web and in the national media.

In a stunning coincidence, the night after Lambert’s return, an ugly spat broke out between two players on the Oregon and Oklahoma State women’s soccer teams in Eugene, Oregon - with the altercation captured on video by KVAL-TV in Oregon.

Though the incident was only innocuously noted in a game account on the Univ. of Oregon website:

Oregon senior defender Mercedes Walters and OSU forward Kyndall Treadwell were sent of the pitch in the 63rd minute following a skirmish which resulted in both receiving red cards. The two teams played with 10 players each for the remainder of the contest.

Curtis Anderson of the EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD also downplayed the brawl but did get a muted reaction from Oklahoma State coach Colin Carmichael: (more…)

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Filed under: Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham -- yes, he's still on the team -- hopes to make his very belated 2010 MLS debut on Sept. 11 when the Columbus Crew visit Home Depot Center in a match that will have heavy Supporters Shield implications.

Beckham, 35, has not played since tearing his Achilles tendon in March while on loan to AC Milan. The injury cost him a spot on England's World Cup team (but not on the bench) and the vast majority of his fourth season with the Galaxy.

"The doctors' original date was Oct. 1, but I always kind of said I want to be ready before then. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully will play in part of the game here against Columbus. I'll be on the bench, and hopefully I'll get on the field for 15-20 minutes. That's what I'm looking at," Beckham told the Galaxy's Web site.

The midfielder trained with L.A. for the first time on Aug. 11 and has gradually been increasing his workload. "You have good days and you have bad days," he said. "It's a bit difficult because when you don't play in games. That's where you get the real fitness from. But I'm doing what I can in the gym and what I can on the field, just trying to get strength back in my leg."

The road back has been a long one. In addition to the disappointment of missing out on what would have been his fourth World Cup, Beckham said he has been "kick(ed) up the backside" by the difficulty of overcoming such a damaging injury. He was on crutches for six weeks, and then it was another month before he could put any weight on his left leg. He couldn't jog without a limp until early August, and lately has had to endure additional intrigue surrounding his relationship with England coach Fabio Capello and his future with the national team

"The rehab has been tough. Being motivated to do the same thing over and over again, twice a day for the last four months has been difficult, but I'm getting there," he said. "I always set a target of when I first did it I was trying to get back before the six months was up. Hopefully I can do that."

Los Angeles will be hoping he can do that as well. Despite Beckham's absence, the club shot out to what looked like an unassailable lead in the standings in April and May. But since the World Cup, the Galaxy has fallen to Earth, enduring a 3-6-1 slump that's included elimination from both the CONCACAF Champions League and U.S. Open Cup. Its lead atop the MLS table has been trimmed to two points. The Galaxy is 13-5-4. The trailing team? Columbus (12-5-5), of course.

"I don't think it's a huge problem," Beckham said of the slide. "We had such a great start to the season, and in the middle of the season there's always going to be a point where you have a dip in form. We're going through that at the moment. We have to realize as individuals and as a team that to win the MLS Cup you have to go through the difficult moments. We enjoyed the first part of the season, and we have to find a way of getting ourselves out of this. It's not going to be hard because we've got the ability, we've got the players and we've definitely got the unity within the team."

Beckham has played in just 45 games in his MLS career, which began in the summer of 2007, tallying seven goals and 16 assists. The numbers certainly don't match his $6.5 million annual salary. Not even close. But if he can return and help the Galaxy capture their third MLS Cup, the infuriating fits and starts over the past three years certainly will be largely forgotten.

 

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Filed under: U.S. Men's National Team, Los Angeles Galaxy

Presented the chance to demonstrate some enthusiasm for Bob Bradley and the direction of the U.S. national team program this week, Landon Donovan took a pass.

There may be nothing to it, but given the opportunity to offer some complimentary platitudes when asked about Bradley's contract renewal by Goal.com in Los Angeles, American soccer's greatest star was aloof and unenthusiastic, saying he was "happy for Bob."

Donovan had hinted on FOX Soccer Channel recently that he didn't think Bradley would be back. We doubt that was wishful thinking, but the lack of obvious support from Donovan this week is interesting.

"For us, we weren't sure which way it was going to go. All we wanted was resolution, so we can now know and we can now move forward. Especially when we play a game, like the Brazil game, and you don't know what's going on, it makes it very awkward," Donovan said.

"Finally, we have resolution. I'm looking forward to when Bob gets back and we can sit down and talk and move forward, finally."

All he wanted was a resolution? Didn't matter who it was? Didn't think it was worth the effort to say something nice about the past four years and that he hoped for more of the same during the next four, etc.?

Donovan is usually very media savvy, and well aware of how his comments come across in the press and with fans. Perhaps he's in a bad mood because of the freefall his Los Angeles Galaxy are suffering, or perhaps there was more to the interview that wasn't published. Either way, the lack of overt support for the national coach from the national team's best player is somewhat surprising.

Donovan has offered more emphatic support for Bradley in the very recent past. After returning from the World Cup, he said:

"Bob has done a fantastic job with our group, and I think we've grown a lot in four years. The most telling thing about Bob's tenure with the national team is, and we talked about this, all the players talked about this after the game, that there's no game where we went into that we were in awe of or feared our opponent, and for the first time in a long time that's true.

"I remember when I came into the national team, there was a lot of teams we played against that you could see it in guys' eyes where we were almost scared, and that's never happened with Bob as a coach."

Perhaps Donovan thought that despite those positives, a change was needed for change's sake. Perhaps he was just caught on a bad day. But other than Jonathan Bornstein, whose loyalties are a given, it's been hard to find any current national team players who've gone out of their way to express or tweet support for Sunil Gulati's decision to rehire Bradley. Maybe they're just busy.

Regarding the Galaxy's aforementioned slide (a 3-6-1 slump that's seen L.A. eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League and U.S. Open Cup while its lead atop the MLS standings has been trimmed to two points), Donovan said the club is excited about David Beckham's imminent return from his Achilles injury.

"We need to liven things up a little bit," Donovan told the Daily Breeze. "I think David will help a lot. We need some fresh energy."

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said Beckham is week-to-week.

"He's in uncharted territory. Nobody really knows. You see certain estimates of how long it takes to come back from this kind of injury and most of that comes from other sports. Soccer's a lot different than other sports. We're really not that clear on what the timetable is. We're very close to it, we know that. We just need to see how he reacts every day when we get real soccer movements in. And that means playing," Arena said.

"You can't mimic what you do on a soccer field off the field with the trainer. We're putting him through the actual parts of playing soccer now and having a little contact and seeing how he reacts to it."

Follow Brian Straus on Twitter Follow FH Soccer on Twitter

 

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Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Seattle Sounders FC

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup semifinals in the nation's capital and the Seattle suburb of Tukwila were yet another sign that some take the 96-year-old national championship tournament very seriously, and that others (including the organizers) do not.

There was controversy and drama in the first game of the evening, as the Columbus Crew outlasted D.C. United, 2-1, in overtime. A D.C. red card, an 89th-minute equalizer and an extra time penalty kick propelled the Crew into the final for the first time since 2002.

Across the country, the Seattle Sounders dispatched Chivas USA, 3-1. The Sounders now are on the verge of becoming the Open Cup's first repeat champion since a mouthful of an amateur team called the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (which still exists) did the trick in 1983. The final will contested Oct. 5 at Qwest Field.

The Cup is a great idea, should be a lot of fun and is a legitimate piece of soccer tradition that genuine supporters of the American game can cling to. But in practice, it's only as good as the effort put into it by the U.S. Soccer Federation, the participating teams and fans. Wednesday night's games showcased the best and worst of both.

We'll start in D.C., where the hosts were clinging to the Cup as the only potential salvation in an otherwise brutal season. "It has been a tough year. We have all struggled," interim coach Ben Olsen said prior to the semifinal. "It's not been fun, and here is a chance to get into a final and raise a trophy, something that this club has always prided itself on. So it's huge. This is the biggest game we have had this season."

While Olsen and the club clearly regarded the Open Cup as a trophy worth winning (the coach even rested several regulars during last weekend's league match at Chivas USA), the United fan base did not. Wednesday night was their Super Bowl, or at least their conference title game, and they responded with a shocking attendance of 3,411. Yes, it's been a long and difficult season. Frustrations are high, and it really was pretty damn hot on Wednesday. But 3,411 is a Women's Professional Soccer crowd.

United didn't let the empty seats dampen its spirit, and they played with a commitment that revealed the importance of the game. Columbus did the same, fielding a first-choice lineup (except at goalkeeper) despite the fact that it's in the thick of the race for MLS's best record and competing in the CONCACAF Champions League. It was a game played at a high level.

U.S. Soccer however, did not afford the match the same respect. Controversy and anger was plentiful following the game because of referee Chris Penso, who ejected D.C. forward Pablo Hernández after an altercation with the Crew's Danny O'Rourke. It was the sort of play where a red or yellow card to either or both players could have been justified, but Penso chose red for Hernández and yellow for O'Rourke. It changed the game, forcing D.C. to play with 10 against a superior side.

Penso is not a regular MLS referee. He occasionally serves as a fourth official, but does not run the middle in the country's top league. Why then, would U.S. Soccer ask a less experienced ref to handle the semifinal of its own championship tournament? Additionally, Penso had a history with D.C. United. He threw out former coach Curt Onalfo in an Open Cup game against FC Dallas in April. The hosts were lived with his appointment on Wednesday, which demonstrated a real lack of attention from the sport's governing body.

The loss was devastating for D.C. Olsen could barely speak in the post-game press conference. "I mean, yeah, we had it. What do you want me to say? We had it," he muttered.

A continent away, the fans most certainly did care, although the Sounders once again limited attendance by hosting an Open Cup game at the very minor league Starfire Sports Complex. That sends only one message -- the Sounders consider the Open Cup a minor league tournament. But the fans showed their interest and produced a sell-out crowd of 4,547.

Nate Jacqua (two) and Fredy Montero scored the goals as Seattle advanced untroubled into next month's final.

Sounders coach Sigi Schmid: "Obviously playing at Starfire is a unique situation because the fans are so close to the field and we pack the place. It just lends itself to a completely different atmosphere. But I think every club wants to win trophies.

"In our first two years of existence to be able to get to two finals in the Open Cup, to win the first one and now have the possibility to win the second one, becoming the first team to win two in a row since MLS has joined the Open Cup is something that obviously we'd like to do, because it hasn't been done and it's something unique and special for our club to achieve."

Chivas USA, now in it's sixth year, hasn't accomplished nearly as much. In fact, Wednesday night's game was the first semifinal of any kind the red-and-white had played. One writer (on the club's own Web site, no less) said it comes down to a "lack of swagger."

Jonathan Bornstein, at least, showed he cared. The U.S. national team defender, who's leaving for the Mexican league after the season and who's won't play in this year's playoffs (Chivas is last in the Western Conference at 6-11-4), saw his final chance for a trophy evaporate and was in tears afterward, according to Goal.com.

"Where we are in league play, it would have been huge for our guys and our club to go to our first final," Chivas Coach Martín Vásquez said. "We were putting all our marbles in tonight's game."

Some went all in, others paid no attention at all. It was just another night in the U.S. Open Cup.

 

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Filed under: European Soccer, US Soccer

It wasn't just the stadiums in South Africa where you were subjected to the hideous drone of the vuvuzela. While Bafana Bafana was still in the tournament, the racket would begin at sunrise.

There was never a need to set the alarm -- someone walking outside the hotel would take care of your wake-up call for you. Fans brought them to shopping malls. You'd hear them while sitting in a restaurant eating a meal.

Tens of thousands of vuvuzelas, when united in the rhythmic blowing that would occur about once each half at the World Cup, ravaged the ear drums. Talking to the person sitting next to you could be impossible. Escaping onto the stadium concourse, or even to the bathroom, didn't always solve the problem.

For example, the toilets set up behind the media seating at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town were housed in trailers in areas accessible to fans, and several poked the plastic horns in through the little windows and sounded off, right in someone's ear, while they were using the urinal.

The buzzing was the soundtrack of the World Cup, and for most it was tolerable because it was temporary and, we were told, part of South Africa's unique soccer culture. But there were several signs of trouble -- most notably that many foreign fans seemed to delight in taking up the custom and that many were buying boxes of the things to bring home from South Africa. Would the plague spread?

A few days after I returned from the World Cup, a D.C. United fan unleashed his vuvuzela a few feet from my right ear as we were walking toward RFK Stadium. I jumped like one of the recently-returned soldiers in a movie who hears a car backfire.

Enough is enough, it seems. On Wednesday, UEFA put its collective foot down and outlawed the vuvuzela at its matches, and American soccer may be close behind.

 

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Filed under: European Soccer

Last time Icelandic club Stjarnan caught the public's fancy with a goal celebration, the team pantomimed the act of catching a live fish. This time, it appears the side might have downed some bad seafood.

Showing a level of creativity that would do Iceland natives Björk and Sigur Rós proud, the Stjarnan soccer club recently celebrated a goal during a match by using no fewer than three players to intricately create a toilet on the pitch. Which then gets used by the player who scored the goal in question, naturally.

 

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Filed under: US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

Bob Bradley answers to two entities -- the U.S. Soccer Federation and ESPN. So after signing his new contract to coach the national team through the 2014 World Cup in New York City, Bradley headed up to Connecticut for a sit-down on SportsCenter.

The interview took fewer than four minutes but was about as substantive as his hour-long conference call with reporters on Tuesday. TV doesn't look kindly on rambling answers full of run-on sentences and tangents (Soccer America's Paul Gardner put it brilliantly -- "Bradley rarely answers a question, he simply takes it and slowly nibbles it to death."), and Bradley was far more interesting when he got to the point.

 

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Filed under: US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

Nobody who hires a coach is going to be too concerned about his fashion sense or grim public persona. Wins matter, and by that metric, Bob Bradley really had only one mark against him during his four year tenure -- his team failed to defeat Ghana in the second round of the World Cup.

Should the U.S. have won that game? Ghana was ranked 32nd in the world heading into the tournament, compared to the Americans' 14th. But nobody takes those positions too seriously. The Black Stars boasted players who were regulars in the English, Italian, French and Spanish leagues, among others, along with a core of youngsters who won the 2009 Under-20 World Cup. They were the best African team in the competition.

The real issue, it seems, was that expectations soared when the U.S. won its group and when Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea emerged as the obstacles on the road to the semifinals. U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati admitted that immediately after the loss to Ghana and again on Wednesday, when he spoke to reporters following the announcement that Bradley will coach the national team through 2014.

"If we had finished second in the group and played Germany (in the round-of-16) and lost in overtime, 2-1, my guess is that we all would have felt differently, even though the final outcome would ahve been the same," Gulati said. "With a little time to reflect, and you look back, it was a good World Cup experience. It hasn't' changed my view that we all would have wanted another game or two."

Sure, but only the most myopic of American soccer fans would insist that the U.S. is among the best eight teams in the world. It's really difficult to make the World Cup quarterfinals, and no coach on the planet would be expected to take the U.S. there without a good dose of luck. The Ghana game was a 50/50 proposition, and the Americans took it to overtime and got beat. Beside that, Bradley won the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, finished first in the region's World Cup qualifying competition and beat Spain on the way to the 2009 Confederations Cup final.

Yet fans across the country seem apoplectic that Bradley's contract was renewed. His team gave up early goals too often in South Africa, but there's no real evidence that it came down to coaching. He played Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley against Ghana, yes. Hindsight suggests those were bad moves, but there aren't necessarily players who would have performed better. Plenty of other decisions worked out (Benny Feilhaber, Jonathan Bornstein, etc.), and all coaches have players who screw up. As Gulati said Wednesday, there were 31 teams wishing something had gone differently at the World Cup, not to mention the 170 or so that didn't even qualify.

So what, exactly, were the biggest arguments against retaining Bradley, other than the fact that he's a bit aloof, rambles a lot and not foreign enough to satisfy the legions of self-hating American soccer snobs? Bradley can't develop teenage players, nor can he spur more people to by tickets to MLS games, thereby boosting the revenue/salary cap for a league that needs to continue to improve. He has to work with what's available, and what's available is a team good enough to make the second round of the World Cup. Which isn't bad for a country that's been taking soccer seriously for only 25 years.

On Wednesday, FanHouse asked Bradley to reveal what he thought he should have done differently during his tenure as a whole or in South Africa. Where were the mistakes? What should he have improved upon?

"It's always the ability to be more successful in the hardest games," he said. "For example, we had stretches in the last four years where our defending as a team wasn't very good. We worked a lot to make sure that there's a good understanding on the field in terms of how we move, where we pressure, how we cover each other, and yet when you get to the most difficult games that doesn't always mean that you do it as well in those games as you need to in order to win. Things get put to the test. It may be at one point that things are quite good. A little while later it shows as much as we've improved, it must continue.

"We have really tried to make sure that our players, through this entire cycle, understand what the levels are, understand what the best teams do well. We've played in games that have tested us to perform at that level and to give players a real first-hand experience of how we need to continue improve, and when I talk about the work continuing, it's with all that in mind."

So his biggest regret is that there were moments where the U.S. simply couldn't match the best teams in the world, whether it was team defending, finishing or handling an untimely turnover. Lots of other coaches have those same regrets. And other, far more famous, accomplished and European coaches, have more. Fabio Capello's England was a petulant disaster, from John Terry's press conference mutiny to Wayne Rooney's post-game temper tantrum. Its second-round elimination was far more disturbing than the U.S.'s.

Raymond Domenech presided over the most embarrassing World Cup meltdown in history, and ended his tenure with France by refusing to shake the hand of South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. Marcelo Lippi selected an aging Italian side that was nowhere near good enough to handle the rigors of a World Cup, Sven-Göran Eriksson suffered a first-round elimination and Carlos Queiroz' Portugal played well in one of its four games. These are the types of coaches that angry American fans want to replace Bob Bradley. Did they all suddenly become morons after crossing the equator in June, or does soccer really come down to which players perform best at a given moment (or lousy referees)?

There are more accomplished coaches than Bob Bradley. But they all have strikes against them as well, and to his credit, Bradley runs a program that represents the United States with dignity and honor. And isn't that what it's all about? There are no strikes, player mutinies or scandals. His players work hard and enjoy playing with each other, and his team doesn't turn every big-game handshake into a fistfight like the Mexicans. Bradley didn't turn every press conference into an antagonistic battle like Diego Maradona and Dunga, and he's not a mercenary who will jump ship at the first sign of hardship. He fields a team that real American soccer fans can be proud of, for the most part, and with which they can identify.

Gulati said that he and Bradley were stopped three times Monday on the way to Starbucks to get coffee following their negotiation, and fans "thanked him for the World Cup performance."

There's that, and the on-field accomplishments outlined above. All of those, it seems, should outweigh the loss to Ghana. If Bradley continues putting Findley and Clark in positions they can't handle, then there's cause for consternation. But in the meantime, it's hard to figure out how Gulati could have gone in a different direction.

Jürgen Klinsmann is an almost allegorical representation of what we wish the national team coach to be. His record isn't that spectacular. Third place at the World Cup is great, but few traditional soccer powers hosting the tournament have done worse, and the Germans needed Argentina to shoot itself in the foot to get to the semifinals. Joachim Löw's work with the team in 2006 and 2010 may have had more to do with the performance, anyway. Klinsmann didn't last a full season at Bayern Munich in 2008-09.

Bradley isn't the perfect coach. But that doesn't mean that at this time and in this place, he wasn't the right man for the job. It's hard to find tangible evidence to the contrary. It would have been nice to have beaten Ghana. But if anyone is driven to improve, it's Bradley himself.

"I'm not easily satisfied," he said Wednesday. "There are always two sides to this. There is a side in terms of what the team is all about, how it competes, what are the performances like. We look back at this cycle and in those ways we felt good about those things. In those ways, the response around the world and at home was positive.

"At the same time, we recognize that at every tournament you want to go as far as you can. You want to win and you want to make the final. We feel good about what we have accomplished, but that doesn't mean that we think it's all perfect. That's what motivates us and our players so we'll continue to work at it."

 

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Second-round tee times for Deutsche Bank Championship

Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner and was left doing the splits at the net. The shot put Denis Istomin within two points of tying the match at a set apiece. He couldn't manage to close the deal, though -- a recurring theme for Nadal's game-but-outclassed foil in the No.

The Minnesota Twins chose Matt Fox to start Friday's game not because of his dazzling stuff or eye-popping statistics. He was their only option. Turns out, he was the perfect choice. Denard Span delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, emergency starter Fox pitched 5 2-3 innings in his major league debut, and the depleted Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Friday night.

Searchers spotted the body of the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum on a rugged Washington state mountainside Friday afternoon, five days after they began looking for him in North Cascades National Park, authorities said. The body belonging to John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter at about the 7,700-foot level of the 8,500-foot...

Searchers spotted the dead body of the son of boxing promoter Bob Arum on a mountainside Friday, five days after they began looking for him, authorities said. The body of John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter about 7,700 feet up the 8,500-foot Storm King mountain in North Cascades National Park in Washington state, park spokeswoman Kerry Olson...

A sacrifice fly by Augie Ojeda in the bottom of the eighth helped lead the D-backs past the Astros, 4-3, on Friday night in front of 24,748 at Chase Field.

Luke French didn't make history with a no-hitter Friday, but his seven-inning, one-hit performance helped the Mariners eke out a 1-0 victory over the Indians.

The Cardinals' survival series started appropriately on Friday night, with the home team clinging to victory by its fingernails, with a 3-2 win over the Reds.

Jaime Garcia told himself it was just another game, and when Brandon Phillips came to the plate it was just another hitter. The rookie maintained his focus to beat the Reds for the fourth time, halting the free-falling St. Louis Cardinals' five-game losing streak and ending Cincinnati's four-game run in a 3-2 victory on Friday night.

"Let's go, Ryan!" Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap. "Let's go, Ryan!" Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap. On his way to victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Friday, the highest-seeded American man left in the U.S. Open, No. 18 John Isner, could hear the wild cheering and chanting going on at the adjacent Grandstand in support of another American man, Ryan Harrison, a qualifier who was the...

Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner and was left doing the splits at the net. The shot put Denis Istomin within two points of tying the match at a set apiece. He couldn't manage to close the deal, though -- a recurring theme for Nadal's game-but-outclassed foil in the No.

"Let's go, Ryan!" Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap. "Let's go, Ryan!" Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap. On his way to victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Friday, the highest-seeded American man left in the U.S. Open, No. 18 John Isner, could hear the wild cheering and chanting going on at the adjacent Grandstand in support of another American man, Ryan Harrison, a qualifier who was the...

Because of a sprained left kneecap, Venus Williams took a lot more time off before the U.S. Open than originally planned. Those two months away from competition sure haven't presented any problems so far. Her play sparkling as much as her sequined dress, Williams easily eliminated 185th-ranked qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-1 on Friday night to reach the U.S.

Teenagers aren't exactly known for their sense of big-picture perspective. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Harrison managed to offer some up -- minutes after wasting three match points in the fifth-set tiebreaker at a Grand Slam event. "My ranking is still not even top 100 even if I win the match," Harrison said Friday after losing in the second round of the U.S.

Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic is back in the fourth round of the U.S. Open for the first time since 2007, and she'll take on defending champion Kim Clijsters next. Serbia's Ivanovic easily eliminated 157th-ranked wild card Virginie Razzano of France 7-5, 6-0 in the third round at Flushing Meadows on Friday.

Filed under: U.S. Open

NEW YORK -- He choked. Let's just get the ugliness out of the way right now, so there isn't any hinting about it or hiding from it.

Ryan Harrison, the 18-year-old American, fought all the way to the fifth set tiebreaker against Sergiy Stakhovsky, ranked No. 36, Friday in the second round of the U.S. Open. He was relentless, smart, fantastic. He was the buzz of Flushing Meadows, as everyone seemed to bull-rush the Grandstand court for any angle on the match, any fence to climb or tarp to pull back and peak through.

He was the future. He was hope for U.S. tennis. He was up six points to three -- three match points -- and was going to do it!

And then he lost the next five points. Harrison lost 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Balloon. Air. Goodbye.

"Winning builds confidence, confidence builds winning," he said.

I think he's wrong. Of course, he didn't actually win, anyway. But, to use his terms, this one is going to build winning.

Every tennis player who remembers competing as a kid felt for Harrison Friday. His choking wasn't a sign that he lacks guts or smarts. This was a different kind, a kind that almost everyone has to go through.

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French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat 29th-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-1, 7-5 Friday in the U.S. Open's third round. The sixth-seeded Schiavone compiled a 29-13 edge in winners. It's the fifth time Schiavone has reached the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows. Next up for Schiavone is a match against 20th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who eliminated Gisela...

Britain's Andy Murray has defeated Jamaica's Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 to move into the third round of the U.S. Open. The fourth-seeded Murray is seeking to make his second U.S. Open final in three years. He won this year's U.S. Open Series title, which means he could earn up to an extra $1 million in prize money if he wins the tournament.

Filed under: U.S. Open, WTA

Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic won the last nine games of her match on Friday to advance into the fourth round at the U.S. Open. She will face defending champion and No. 2-seeded Kim Clijsters in a matchup between two red-hot players.

Ivanovic defeated Virginie Razzano of France in straight sets 7-5, 6-0. Ivanovic, currently ranked No. 40, played solid all-around tennis -- generating 22 winners to Razzano's eight. She also converted on 78 percent of her first-serve points, while limiting her opponent to 49 percent.

Before the U.S. Open, Ivanovic was blistering the competition in Cincinnati, winning four matches in a row before injuring her left foot in a semifinal match against Clijsters. Ivanovic was forced to retire down 1-2 in the opening set.

Since Cincinnati, Ivanovic has recovered from her foot injury and is playing world-class tennis again at Flushing Meadows. The 2008 French Open Champion from Serbia last reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open in 2007.

Clijsters also won her third-round match earlier on Friday in straight sets. She defeated Wimbledon semifinalist and 27th-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-0. Clijsters has won 10 of her last 11 matches, including the tournament title in Cincinnati.

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Defending champion Kim Clijsters has moved to the round of 16 at the U.S. Open by winning the final 12 games in her 6-3, 6-0 victory over No. 27 Petra Kvitova. No. 2 Clijsters dropped two service games to fall behind 3-0 early Friday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, then ran off 12 straight against her opponent from the Czech Republic.

See the sun, the sand and the supercars as Electronic Arts released a hot new trailer of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, the highly anticipated Need for Speed reboot handled by famed Burnout developers, Criterion Games.

Another game has been delayed out of the fourth quarter of 2010 and into 2011, with this time it being Sega's Conduit 2. The first-person shooter sequel to The Conduit will now be released at some point in the first quarter of 2011.

Nintendojo received word of the delay though they weren't given any reason for it. Its November 2 release date would have put it out the same day as GoldenEye 007 for Wii, arguably the biggest FPS release on the platform to date. It's entirely possible the game was delayed simply to avoid being lost in the buzz around GoldenEye or that of the crowded holiday release period.

Conduit 2, which will be playable for those attending PAX this weekend, will have support for not only MotionPlus, but the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro, if you'd rather play the game with a more traditional control scheme.

Over three dozen musical artists are re-recording some of their current and upcoming songs for inclusion in The Sims 3 on consoles and the latest Sims 3 PC expansion pack, Late Night. They're re-recording their songs because they won't be sung in English, but in the Sims' language of Simlish.

A press release making the announcement quotes a number of the artists, many of which point out that they had fun but also found it challenging or weird to sing in Simlish. "Singing in Simlish was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was a blast!" said Travie McCoy. Flo Rida said of his decision to contribute to the game, "I'm always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences with my music and The Sims 3 was a perfect way."

The console versions of The Sims 3 will be released on October 26, the same day the Late Night expansion will be made available to owners of the PC version of The Sims 3.

Activision is remaking the Nintendo 64 classic GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, but one man isn't convinced it's coming from a genuine enthusiasm for the game: original GoldenEye designer Martin Hollis. Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine, Hollis accused Activision of making the remake primarily for the money.

"I imagine it is a business decision isn't it?" Hollis said. "This name is valuable, let's use it. I find it hard to picture Activision's top management being excited about the original and wanting to do it justice. In fact, I find it hard to imagine them being excited about any game. It's my perception that they are trying to be EA, only more so. I think they are doing a fine job at that."

Despite doubts about Activision's motivation, Hollis still offered support for remake developer Eurocom. "I know and like Eurocom. I think they are a good company. I'm confident they have done their very best," Hollis said.

If you stab Kirby, does he burst like a balloon or does his insides just kind of run out the hole all oozy-like? That question probably won't be answered by Kirby's Epic Yarn, especially since the pink

Those of you waiting eagerly for Sega's The Conduit 2 will have to wait a bit longer. The publisher has recently announced that the launch date of the said title has been moved from November 2 to

The wiibrew coders from the MPlayer CE project has released a new version of their exellent media player for the Nintendo Wii, MPlayer CE. Check out what's new in the latest release after the jump!     Download:

Activision has released the boxart images for GoldenEye 007 Wii and DS version. Not only that, we also have the image of what your pre-order freebie shirt from Walmart looks like.        

Take-Two has posted a better-than-expected results for its fiscal third quarter earnings, posting a US$ 354.1 million in sales, up significantly from the US$ 94.9 million reported last year during the same time period. The reason? thanks

The PlayStation 3's Move and Xbox 360's Kinect are right around the corner, but even when all three major consoles have dedicated motion controls, Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami thinks it'll still be a decade before such controls really become "mainstream."

Speaking to PSM3 magazine (via CVG), Mikami -- who, in addition to creating the Resident Evil series, also worked on the Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe series -- said he's still not interested in what motion controls currently have to offer. "I don't think motion controls will be in the gaming mainstream in the next ten years," Mikami explained. "When the technology gets to the point where you can just flick your eyeballs around and the computer can pick it up, you won't need a controller anymore. Obviously it's going to take a while to get there."

Well let's hope it does take a while, because by then we'll probably also have retina-scanning sensors all over civilization like in Minority Report. But then depending on your definition of "mainstream," it's arguable whether motion controls are there already, considering just how many Wiis Nintendo has sold since it released in 2006.

If you're still concerned about the future of Atlus and its games after the reassurances made by the company's forum staff, maybe this message will placate you. It's from the president of Atlus USA himself, Shinichi Suzuki.

After thirteen fruitless years, it looks like Duke Nukem Forever's seemingly neverending journey through development hell is now coming to an end. Well, not right now. Next year, actually, or so Gearbox Software says.

Read about our eyes on with a very intriguing Portal 2 cooperative mode.

Amid swirling rumors of a PAX reveal, Gearbox has finally confirmed that they've taken the reins on Duke Nukem Forever. Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford delivered the news today, just as word hit the Wall Street Journal and eager gamers lined up at PAX to try the game for themselves. A live stream from 2K is still (as of now) showing off footage of the hands-on players.

"The approach and investment and process at 3d Realms didn't quite make it and it cracked in the end," said Pitchford in the WSJ interview. "With Gearbox Software we brought all of those pieces together. It's the game it was meant to be." The report claims the game is expected to ship in 2010, and Pitchford says it's in the "polishing" stage. But they're still working on a launch plan so he's hesitant to commit to a date.

Over three dozen musical artists are re-recording some of their current and upcoming songs for inclusion in The Sims 3 on consoles and the latest Sims 3 PC expansion pack, Late Night. They're re-recording their songs because they won't be sung in English, but in the Sims' language of Simlish.

A press release making the announcement quotes a number of the artists, many of which point out that they had fun but also found it challenging or weird to sing in Simlish. "Singing in Simlish was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was a blast!" said Travie McCoy. Flo Rida said of his decision to contribute to the game, "I'm always trying to find new ways to reach different audiences with my music and The Sims 3 was a perfect way."

The console versions of The Sims 3 will be released on October 26, the same day the Late Night expansion will be made available to owners of the PC version of The Sims 3.

Seven45 Studios put out a full list of playable tracks for Power Gig: Rise of the SixString this morning. The full-band game will feature 70 songs, with exclusives from Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews Band, and Kid Rock.

In addition to a guitar controller that doubles as a fully-functioning guitar, Power Gig also lets you take your pick between vocals and the game's AirStrike drum controller. It's expected to launch in October of this year -- putting it pretty much head-to-head against Rock Band 3.

Feast your eyes upon the full list of Power Gig tracks below:

Crackdown 2 players have reported major issues with the recently released Toy Box DLC. According to posts on the official Ruffian Games forums (spotted by Shacknews), both the free and paid versions of the add-on are affected by bugs.

Upon acquiring the DLC, some players note that the game stalls on the title screen. Others report that unlocking certain Achievements can lead to the Achievement voiceovers repeating on an infinite loop -- eventually dragging the framerate down to an unplayable state.

Ruffian co-founder Gaz Liddon chimed in on the forum thread with an acknowledgement of the bugs, as well as offering some band-aid fixes while the devs work on a real solution. "We have confirmation of what the issue is now. The paid part of the DLC was incorrectly configured when mastered," reads his statement.

Following comments made by Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggesting that Mafia II was unlikely to be profitable, Take-Two has come out and stated that it not only expects the game to be profitable, but that it's "off to a great start."

"Mafia II's average Metacritic score of 74 is well below expectations, and consumer interest appears to be waning, as the game's position has dropped in many best-seller lists in its first week," Pachter recently said (via Gamasutra). "With six years in development, we believe the game is unlikely to achieve profitability."

Gamasutra reports Take-Two CEO Ben Feder countered such claims during an investors call, saying, "We're very proud of the game." He later said, "Based upon the initial launch, we expect this to be another profitable title for Take-Two." Sales figures have yet to be released, though the release of NPD sales figures for August later this month should give us some indication of how well Mafia II sold. Its release so late in the month (August 24 in North America) could hurt its chances to rank highly, however, especially with Madden topping sales charts, according to EA.

Following comments made by Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggesting that Mafia II was unlikely to be profitable, Take-Two has come out and stated that it not only expects the game to be profitable, but that it's "off to a great start."

"Mafia II's average Metacritic score of 74 is well below expectations, and consumer interest appears to be waning, as the game's position has dropped in many best-seller lists in its first week," Pachter recently said (via Gamasutra). "With six years in development, we believe the game is unlikely to achieve profitability."

Gamasutra reports Take-Two CEO Ben Feder countered such claims during an investors call, saying, "We're very proud of the game." He later said, "Based upon the initial launch, we expect this to be another profitable title for Take-Two." Sales figures have yet to be released, though the release of NPD sales figures for August later this month should give us some indication of how well Mafia II sold. Its release so late in the month (August 24 in North America) could hurt its chances to rank highly, however, especially with Madden topping sales charts, according to EA.

In space, no one can hear you scream...unless you're screaming into your voice chat headset, probably. GamerNode reports (via Eurogamer) that at the annual GameStop conference in San Antonio, Electronic Arts evidently revealed a little bit more about Dead Space 2's previously outed multiplayer mode.

The mode will apparently involve "soldiers" (which we assume means characters that'll play the same as single-player protagonist Isaac), and the series main enemies, Necromorphs. This would tie in with what EA CEO John Riccitello previously said about Dead Space 2's multiplayer being "innovative," in that it sounds like it'll try and replicate the horror atmosphere of the single-player game, while putting actual human beings in control of the horrors. This won't be the only multiplayer mode, either, as EA apparently also said there will be more modes to announce later.

GamerNode also says EA detailed some of the pre-order incentives that'll be offered for Dead Space 2, including an in-game "Rivet Gun" if you pre-order at GameStop, and (even better) the downloadable prequel Dead Space: Ignition for free no matter where you pre-order.