January 27th, 2012 | 
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Published: 27 Jan 2012 – 16:01:24
Hughes eyes more new recruits Mark Hughes wants more new faces at QPR before the transfer window shuts next week. The Welshman replaced Neil Warnock at the Loftus Road helm earlier this month and has made no secret of his intention to bring in reinforcements. AC Milan left-back Taye Taiwo and Manchester City’s Nedum Onuoha were drafted in this week, while the Rs were thwarted in moves for Brazilian duo Alex and Henrique. Hughes has been linked with a host of other players and hopes there is more business to be done, with some reports suggesting a move for Wigan’s Hugo Rodallega could be on the cards. “I think there was some talk of that,” Hughes said when asked about the striker. “As you can imagine there are a lot of conversations going on at the moment. “Forward players, midfield players, defenders – that is what happens in the January window. “In terms of concrete movement on things it really isn’t worth discussing individual things until they put the kit on and start training with us. “January is what it is and is a time when you have conversations with people in regards to the position of players at people’s clubs. “Sometimes those conversations are misinterpreted as strong interest.” Hughes was also questioned about interest in Tottenham midfielder Steven Pienaar and Wigan’s Victor Moses to which he responded: “These are all names that get bandied about. “If you looked at the list of all the players in my office we would be here for a long time.” One player Hughes confirmed an interest in is Mali international Samba Diakite. Press Association Sport revealed yesterday that QPR are in talks to sign the Nancy defensive midfielder and Hughes hopes a deal can be thrashed out. “We are hoping to progress that,” he said. “He is a player I like and I think he will help us. “We’re hopeful that the conversations we’re having will lead to something but nothing is confirmed as yet.” QPR will be without a host of first-team players for the FA Cup fourth round tie against west London rivals Chelsea. Akos Buzsaky is struggling to feature with an Achilles injury, while Danny Gabbidon, Matthew Connolly and Heidar Helguson are also doubts. Strikers Jay Bothroyd (groin) and DJ Campbell (hamstring) are definitely sidelined, while Armand Traore and Adel Taarabt are on international duty. New signing Taiwo is also unavailable as he waits for his work permit to be rubber-stamped, although Onuoha could make his debut. Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has insisted QPR’s Anton Ferdinand should shake hands with John Terry before the game. Villas-Boas said he hoped and expected Ferdinand not to snub Terry, despite allegations the Rangers defender was the victim of a racist slur from the England captain during October’s Barclays Premier League game between the sides. The players square off for the first time since then, and just four days before the court case begins in which Terry stands accused of abusing Ferdinand. Ferdinand is reportedly agonising over whether to shake Terry’s hand before tomorrow’s match, amid fears it could be viewed as hypocritical. Asked if it was important he did so, Villas-Boas said: “Extremely important, extremely important.” He added: “This game is based on good values more than anything else. “These players should continue to promote these good values.” Villas-Boas confirmed the matter had been discussed with Terry, who denies having racially abused Ferdinand. The Chelsea boss said: “Everybody has been having conversations, from the top, to the players, to the manager.” Frank Lampard will miss the match at Loftus Road with the calf tear he suffered at Norwich on Saturday, while John Obi Mikel remains out with a hamstring problem.
QPR V Chelsea – view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.
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Published: 27 Jan 2012 – 16:16:56
Unsettled Manchester City star Carlos Tevez is likely to remain at the club until the end of the season after talks to secure a move during the transfer window collapsed, his advisor said Friday.
Tevez, who has not played for City since a bust-up with manager Roberto Mancini during the Champions League defeat Bayern Munich in September, had been hoping to seal a transfer in recent weeks.
But touted moves to AC Milan, Inter Milan and Paris St Germain all came to nothing meaning the 27-year-old Argentinian’s career is back in limbo.
Advisor Kia Joorabchian told TalkSport radio that the deals had foundered over City’s insistence on a £25 million pound transfer fee but a transfer to PSG could yet happen later this year.
“We’ve been in negotiations with three big clubs but I don’t think they have reached the figures Manchester City want,” Joorabchian said.
“Carlos will remain at Man City until the summer. They (City) would like to move him on but only at a certain price.”
Joorabchian said he expected to see renewed interest in Tevez in the summer, with top European sides planning for next season’s Champions League.
“This summer will open up a lot of markets. All of the big clubs are looking for players who can play in the Champions League,” he said.
“Carlos Tevez is cup-tied and that creates a big obstacle. You’re spending a lot of money on the transfer and the salary and he can’t play Champions League.
“You have three-and-a-half months and then you can restructure your team, and buy Carlos, in the summer.”
Joorabchian said he believed Tevez could eventually join French club PSG.
“PSG want to build a long-term project and I think Carlos is six months too early for them. But there is a big chance he will go there in the summer,” he said.
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Published: 27 Jan 2012 – 16:46:56
Mark Hughes refused to add to the pressure on Anton Ferdinand to shake John Terry’s hand before QPR’s FA Cup clash with Chelsea, after Andre Villas-Boas claimed it was ‘extremely important’ he did so.
Rangers boss Hughes said it was entirely Ferdinand’s decision whether to snub Terry during the pre-match handshake prior to Saturday’s west London derby at Loftus Road.
Ferdinand is reportedly agonising over whether shaking Terry’s hand could be seen as hypocritical amid claims he has been advised by Rangers that to do so would be the best course of action, but Hughes said: “If he feels it is not appropriate, that has to be his own decision. It won’t be influenced by myself or the club.”
Chelsea manager Villas-Boas hoped and expected Ferdinand would accept Terry’s hand, despite the latter having been charged with racially abusing his fellow defender, a charge the England captain denies.
Asked if it was important Ferdinand did shake Terry’s hand, Villas-Boas said: “Extremely important, extremely important.”
He added: “This game is based on good values more than anything else. These players should continue to promote these good values.”
Villas-Boas confirmed the matter had been discussed with Terry, who looks certain to offer his hand to Ferdinand.
The Chelsea boss said: “Everybody has been having conversations, from the top, to the players, to the manager.”
The game sees the players square off for the first time since allegations emerged that Terry had used a racist slur against Ferdinand during October’s Barclays Premier League match at Loftus Road.
The cup tie also comes four days before Terry is expected to enter a not-guilty plea at Westminster Magistrates Court, having repeatedly denied the charge against him.
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Published: 27 Jan 2012 – 16:16:58
Brazilian defender Alex has been presented as a Paris St Germain player in the French capital to indicate his move from Chelsea is complete.
PSG sporting director Leonardo joined Alex in addressing the media on Friday afternoon in a press conference broadcast live by PSG TV.
The 29-year-old joined Chelsea in 2004 but has struggled for first-team football under Andre Villas-Boas this season and has now been reunited with former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti.
French sports newspaper L’Equipe reported that the transfer fee was 5million euros (£4.18million).
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Published: 27 Jan 2012 – 16:16:55
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that skipper John Terry will start Saturday’s potentially explosive FA Cup tie with west London rivals Queens Park Rangers.
Terry, who is facing criminal charges which arose from the two clubs’ Premier League meeting at Loftus Road earlier this season, will line-up in defence as normal, Villas Boas said Friday.
It will be the first time Terry has faced QPR defender Anton Ferdinand since he was alleged to have racially abused the Rangers player during Chelsea’s defeat to QPR in October.
Asked if he had considered omitting Terry from the match, Villas-Boas replied: “No, not at all.”
“I have to count on the player, and the player is fit and available for the game,” he said.
Villas-Boas said he would not issue any special instructions to his team as they prepare to play in what is likely to be a highly charged atmosphere.
“I won’t speak to the players specifically about that before the game, not at all,” he said. “The environment was outstanding the last time we played there at Loftus Road, so I expect it to be the same.”
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But Mark Sobolewski — a third-base prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization — will always remember the events of Dec. 29 in detail. Five days after his 25th birthday, he received a diagnosis that, just months before, would have seemed unthinkable — skin cancer.
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Offseasoning Features ¬Mark SobolewskiAnthony SeratelliRyan TatuskoSwen HuijerTrent MummeyBryan KervinTommy WatkinsDaniel Wagner and Kyle ColliganJeremy BarfieldCody RogersEvan SharpleyJames Kang and Drew HedmanScott DruckerWande OlabisiTerry Doyle |
Melanoma, more specifically, what the National Library of Medicine characterizes as “the most dangerous type of skin cancer” and the “leading cause of death from skin disease.” As a result, Sobolewski, a young professional athlete in peak physical condition, suddenly found himself questioning his own mortality.
“Thursday, Dec. 29th — I’ll never forget it,” said Sobolewski, who often goes by the easier-to-pronounce nickname of “Sobo.” “Everyone was so upset and scared. It was a rough evening.”
The melanoma first made its appearance in early September, in the form of a pimple-like protrusion on the left side of Sobolewski’s throat.
“The season was winding down, and I saw it when I was shaving,” recalled Sobolewski, who spent the entire 2011 campaign with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. “I didn’t think anything of it. It didn’t seem suspicious, wasn’t dark-colored or anything crazy like that.”
Nonetheless, it didn’t go away. In December, Sobolewski asked his girlfriend’s mother, a nurse, for her opinion on his enduring “pimple.” She referred him to a dermatologist, who conducted a biopsy that resulted in the melanoma diagnosis. On Jan. 11, Sobolewski underwent surgery to remove the area surrounding where the melanoma first appeared as well as two surrounding lymph nodes. A few days later, Sobolewski received welcome news: The surgery had been successful, as the melanoma had not spread to anywhere else in his body.
Having now had some time to process this tumultuous — but ultimately triumphant — series of events, Sobolewski has decided to make his experiences public in the hopes of raising awareness about melanoma. His story was first publicized last week by Fisher Cats beat writer Kevin Gray, and shortly thereafter he posted pictures on his Facebook page of the melanoma “pimple” and the bandages on his neck following the surgery.
“If anybody has any questions [about melanoma], I’d be more than happy to talk about it,” he said. “I just want everyone to be aware, because there are people walking around with it now who have no clue. It could be under your hair, on your scalp, you never know. I want to stress the importance of getting looked at by a dermatologist.”
Melanoma has a genetic component, and as an individual with blonde hair and blue eyes who is prone to moles on his body, Sobolewski now realizes that he was at a greater risk to contract the disease than most. Going forward, he’ll do everything he can to take precautions.
“I’ve got to wear sunscreen now and re-apply it. Did I use it growing up? Yeah. But was I perfect? No. I played a lot of baseball out there under the sun, absolutely,” said Sobelewski, who grew up in Florida and played collegiately at the University of Miami. “I have to be smart now and get checked by the dermatologist every three to six months. There’s not a great chance of this happening again, but I have to keep getting those checkups.”
With his harrowing health scare now in the rear-view mirror, Sobolewski is once again dedicating himself to the single-minded goal of making it to the Major Leagues. After a solid 2011 campaign with New Hampshire (he batted .273 with eight homers and 49 RBIs over 112 games), he is hoping to begin 2012 with Triple-A Las Vegas and then take it from there.
“Whether you’re in [Class A], Double-A, Triple-A, it doesn’t matter. There are two leagues: Major and Minors,” he said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to put myself in a position to move up and get a shot in the big leagues. That’s got to be the goal. If you’re not playing for that, then I don’t know what you’re doing.”
Though Sobolewski’s goal isn’t changing, his outlook has.
“Obviously my perspective is a little different now. I feel grateful to be able to play this game and to be healthy,” he said. “When that little slump comes around in the middle of the summer, instead of feeling down about it, I can say, ‘Going 0-for-15 isn’t that bad.’ I’m just going to keep my head up and get it corrected.”
Smaily Borges appeared in 36 games for Class A Peoria in 2011. (Scott Jontes/MiLB.com)
Roe, one of the Rockies’ first-round picks in 2005, was suspended 50 games after testing positive for an amphetamine. Former Cubs prospect Smaily Borges also received a 50-game suspension after refusing to take a drug test.
Both free agents will begin serving their bans upon signing with an MLB organization.
Roe was the No. 32 overall pick in the ’05 Draft, going in the Compensation A Round after Colorado took Troy Tulowitzki at No. 7. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners for José López in December 2010 but was designated for assignment by Seattle on June 29, 2011, to create 40-man roster space for catcher Jose Yepez. The Stubenville, Ohio, native spent the entire 2011 season at Triple-A Tacoma, going 0-7 with a 6.59 ERA in 33 games, including 10 starts, and 99 2/3 innings.
Borges defected from Cuba in 2010 to sign with the Cubs, where he’s spent the last three seasons with stops in the Domincan Summer League, Class A Advanced Daytona and, in 2011, Class A Peoria. The outfielder, who turns 28 on Friday, was a player/coach on the Chiefs’ roster for 2011, the first time in team history that an Opening Day roster had utilized such a position.
The 6-foot-3 outfielder hit .233 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 36 Midwest League games last season through Aug. 15 before he was released in December.
“I am so happy my dream has come true,” Borges told MLB.com in April 2010 after participating in Cubs Spring Training. He escaped Cuba when he boarded a freighter to the Dominican Republic. “I am playing baseball in America.”
The suspensions are the fifth and sixth this week to be handed out — veterans Daryle Ward and Dustin Richardson was suspended 50 games apiece on Wednesday, and Mike Hart and Steven Shell received the same bans Tuesday. Major League Baseball has suspended eight Minor Leaguers in 2012 after handing out 69 bans in 2011.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make Rutgers coach Greg Schiano their next head coach, league sources told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora Thursday.
The sources said the team has notified other candidates of their decision.
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A deal is anticipated soon. The team is being cautious after University of Oregon coach Chip Kelly changed his mind about joining the team just before a deal was signed.
The Buccaneers have been searching for a head coach for most of this past month, but Schiano hadn’t been publicly mentioned in connection with the vacancy until Thursday. La Canfora had reported earlier in the day that Tampa Bay was considering the Rutgers coach.
Schiano was at Rutgers for 11 seasons, compiling a 68-67 record. The Scarlet Knights were 9-4 this season, including a 4-3 record in the Big East.
Former Green Bay coach Mike Sherman was among the candidates who lost out to Schiano, along with Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, also a candidate, told The Tennessean that he had pulled out of the running for the position, an indication the Bucs had narrowed down its search.
Schiano’s coaching experience is mostly in college football, including stints at the University of Miami and Penn State University, but he did spend time with the Chicago Bears, serving as a defensive assistant from 1996-97 and as a defensive backfield coach in 1998.
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The Newark Star-Ledger had reported earlier this month that Schiano did not want to coach in the NFL after his name had been linked to vacancies.
The Buccaneers have been looking for a new coach since they fired Raheem Morris following a 2-14 season. At the time, team co-chairman Joel Glazer said the organization would conduct “a thorough, wide search,” rebuffing the notion that they would hire a big-name coach just to drum up publicity.
The Buccaneers are known to have interviewed Chudzinski, Gray, Kelly, Sherman, new Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements and former NFL head coaches Brad Childress and Marty Schottenheimer for the job.
“The objective is to have a fundamentally sound long-term plan of winning,” Glazer said. “Selling a few extra tickets this week or next week is not the driver to this decision.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Colts owner Jim Irsay expects Chuck Pagano to bring more than tough talk to Indianapolis. He wants results.
A day after hiring Pagano as his new coach, Irsay introduced the former Baltimore Ravens‘ defensive coordinator as the man asked to rebuild the franchise.
“I really believe Chuck is bringing a toughness, the leadership we need at this point for the franchise,” Irsay told reporters, noting that eight candidates were considered before the hiring of Pagano.
The 51-year-old Pagano said the hiring had been a “whirlwind,” since the Ravens lost only a few days ago in the AFC Championship Game.
“Words can’t describe the emotions that I’m going through right now and the feelings,” Pagano said. “Coming off probably the most devastating loss that I’ve ever been a part of in the AFC Championship Game and to go in that locker room and see those faces and we all know how hard it is to get to that stage and to see the tears. It’s an all-time low, and the last thing I ever expected came across my table and now I sit here at an all-time high.”
Clearly, Pagano’s job won’t be easy.
The first-time head coach will be working with a first-time general manager, Ryan Grigson, and the next big move will be deciding what to do with four-time league MVP Peyton Manning, who missed the entire season after having his latest neck surgery in September. The Colts must play Manning $28 million by March 8 or risk losing him as an unrestricted free agent.
Pagano would only say the situation with Manning “will take care of itself.”
Another decision for Pagano, who ran a 3-4 defense in Baltimore, is whether or not he will make that switch in Indianapolis, which is built with personnel to run a 4-3 defense.
Pagano spent three years as the Ravens’ secondary coach before replacing Bryan Mattison as defensive coordinator a year ago. The Ravens ranked third in total defense and allowed the third-fewest points in the NFL this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Of all the juicy revelations that spilled out of the Jets’ camp after their lost season came to an end, Rex Ryan’s admission that he lost the pulse of the locker room might have been the most surprising development of all.
It was a stunning admission for a coach who prides himself on having healthy and open relationships with his players. How could he have been in the dark on the dysfunction that raged all around him? How could no player come to Ryan before the wheels came off in those last three doomed weeks?
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Cornerback Darrelle Revis, the Jets’ best player, talked about the disconnect on Thursday in Hawaii.
“After the season, we talked, and basically, he didn’t know a lot of things that were going on behind the scenes,” Revis told NFL Network from the Pro Bowl. “There was so much stuff, I’m really not going to get into because some of the stuff is real deep, but he didn’t know a lot of the things. He wanted people to say things to him, but obviously it didn’t come out.”
Revis expressed support for Mark Sanchez, and said he was “cool” with Ryan’s infamous guarantees, though he acknowledged “it didn’t work when the team wasn’t winning.”
As for how the team can avoid similar discord in the future, Revis said it has to begin with a talk when the Jets gets back together for OTAs.
“The leaders need to step up, talk to everybody in the building and say, ‘Hey man, look. this is our goal this year, this is what we need to accomplish,’ ” he said. “ ’Let’s not get into the bickering or the frustration, because it brings a team down.’ ”
Whether Revis considers himself one of those leaders is unknown.