Author: Ally White
Steve Asmussen, an ex- jockey who became an instructor after going up too big to continue riding competitively. Asmussen obtained his 4,000th career victory when J J’s Bud won the third competition on Sunday at Oaklawn Park.
The 42- years-old Asmussen got his jockey’s license when he was 16 and he spent three years riding in California, New York and New Mexico. Moreover; Steve Asmussen initiated his preparation and training career in New Mexico in 1986.
Presently, Asmussen who is a native from Gettysburg, South Dakota but who is now living in Arlington, Texas keeps an eye on numerous divisions of horses that yearly place him between the leading North American instruction by wins and reward earnings. Asmussen had 22 starters at six different paths this past Saturday.
Asmussen achieved 555 winners in 2004 to smash Jack Van Berg’s record of 496 wins which was reached in 1976. Asmussen also guided all North American trainers by victories in the season 2005 with a total of 474 victories. Steve repeated that accomplishment last year with 488 triumphs.
The 18,961 Asmussen’s starters had as well obtained 3,221 runner-ups and 2,717 third-places closes. Moreover they had compiled $110,856,103 in winning earnings all the way through Saturday. Asmussen obtained 76 of his victories in ranked stake competitions, obtaining the trainer 2007 Horse of the Year Recognition and leading the champion - three-year-old male Curlin.
Subsequent to posting a 12 3/4-length first appearance triumph last year in a maiden special heaviness race at Gulfstream Park intended for instructor Helen Pitts, Curlin joined Asmussen’s shed. The Smart Strik horse succeeds five of his next eight starts, including wins in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1) and in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
Asmussen’s has also been related to the three-year-old Triple Crown promising Pyro and Z Fortune, who are the first- and second-place finishers, respectively, in the Risen Star Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds on February 9th.
Keith, Asmussen’s father, is a former jockey and also a coach. On the other side his mother, Marilyn, trained horses. He initiated helping his parents when he was five. Steve walked the horses, cleaned stalls and mislaid part of his thumb in a youth age accident while he was holding a horse through a fence.
Asmussen’s brother, Cash, won the Eclipse Award as North America’s exceptional beginner jockey in 1979 and was also a champion jockey in Europe. The Asmussen family manages El Primero Training Center in Laredo, Texas.
Article Tags: Gambling, Sports, Betting, Horses, Sportsbook, Triple Crown, Steve Asmussen, Preakness Stakes
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/record-4000-career-win-for-asmussen-337284.html
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Liverpool 2-0 Inter Milan
By Sam Lyon
Liverpool left it late to take control of their Champions League tie against 10-man Inter Milan and ease the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez.
Marco Materazzi harshly saw red on the half hour for two clumsy challenges on Fernando Torres, but Inter held firm.
Torres forced a superb save from Julio Cesar, while Patrick Vieira was lucky not to concede a penalty for handball.
But Dirk Kuyt eased home nerves with a deflected shot on 85 minutes and Steven Gerrard's firm drive sealed a fine win.
News conference: Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez
It was a frantic finale for Liverpool, who had looked like being frustrated by a stoic Inter defensive display that had been led by the awesome Ivan Cordoba.
Instead Benitez, who has been feeling the heat all season from American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, was able to put his off-the-field problems and Saturday's FA Cup exit to Barnsley behind him.
606: DEBATE
We are Liverpool. We are back. No-one's gonna give Rafa the sack
Superredripper
And while the Spaniard might not be the mastermind Liverpool crave at domestic level, his record in Europe is far more impressive and the Anfield faithful gave him a rousing reception.
Similarly, Benitez's players started with an enthusiasm that suggested they were desperate to do their bit for the boss and Inter were rocked onto the back foot from the off.
Jamie Carragher had an early shout for a penalty denied when his shot struck Cordoba on the arm and Sami Hyypia then forced keeper Julio Cesar to tip over with a firm header.
But, despite the hosts' endeavour, chances were few and far between and the game was pretty balanced when Materazzi was controversially sent off.
Having already been booked for clipping Torres's heels, the Italian received a second yellow card for another clumsy tackle on the Spaniard - but it looked a harsh decision.
If the Anfield faithful were expecting a rousing end to the half, though, they were to be disappointed and when Gerrard got behind the defence late in the half only to see his cross cleared with not one Liverpool player in the box, it highlighted their lack of first-half ambition.
Materazzi reacts with disbelief after he is handed his marching orders
Benitez clearly had the away goal ruling in mind but Inter rarely looked like troubling that as they had their very first shot on goal - wide - on 49 minutes, before they reverted to a more defensive 4-4-1 formation.
It did not have the desired effect and Torres had a great chance when he ran through on goal, only for keeper Cesar to finger-tip his shot wide.
All of a sudden Liverpool were full of urgency and minutes after Hyypia had headed over from six yards, Vieira was fortunate to get away with a blatant handball on Gerrard's cross.
Peter Crouch was introduced as Benitez pressed for a winner and the frontman lashed a half-volley wide before forcing a great block from Maxwell.
It looked like turning into another frustrating match at Anfield - where Liverpool have been held or beaten nine times this season - but it turned on its head right at the end.
Kuyt finally broke the deadlock when he collected Jermaine Pennant's cross and lashed into the roof of the net via a deflection.
And as if that was not enough, Gerrard drove forward and drove into the far corner with an excellent shot from 25 yards to send the home masses into frenzy.
It was the first defeat in exactly five months for Inter and Liverpool will now be firm favourites to reach the quarter-finals when they defend a two-goal lead at the San Siro.
Liverpool left it late to take control of their Champions League tie against 10-man Inter Milan and ease the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez.
Marco Materazzi harshly saw red on the half hour for two clumsy challenges on Fernando Torres, but Inter held firm.
Torres forced a superb save from Julio Cesar, while Patrick Vieira was lucky not to concede a penalty for handball.
But Dirk Kuyt eased home nerves with a deflected shot on 85 minutes and Steven Gerrard's firm drive sealed a fine win.
News conference: Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez
It was a frantic finale for Liverpool, who had looked like being frustrated by a stoic Inter defensive display that had been led by the awesome Ivan Cordoba.
Instead Benitez, who has been feeling the heat all season from American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, was able to put his off-the-field problems and Saturday's FA Cup exit to Barnsley behind him.
606: DEBATE
We are Liverpool. We are back. No-one's gonna give Rafa the sack
Superredripper
And while the Spaniard might not be the mastermind Liverpool crave at domestic level, his record in Europe is far more impressive and the Anfield faithful gave him a rousing reception.
Similarly, Benitez's players started with an enthusiasm that suggested they were desperate to do their bit for the boss and Inter were rocked onto the back foot from the off.
Jamie Carragher had an early shout for a penalty denied when his shot struck Cordoba on the arm and Sami Hyypia then forced keeper Julio Cesar to tip over with a firm header.
But, despite the hosts' endeavour, chances were few and far between and the game was pretty balanced when Materazzi was controversially sent off.
Having already been booked for clipping Torres's heels, the Italian received a second yellow card for another clumsy tackle on the Spaniard - but it looked a harsh decision.
If the Anfield faithful were expecting a rousing end to the half, though, they were to be disappointed and when Gerrard got behind the defence late in the half only to see his cross cleared with not one Liverpool player in the box, it highlighted their lack of first-half ambition.
Materazzi reacts with disbelief after he is handed his marching orders
Benitez clearly had the away goal ruling in mind but Inter rarely looked like troubling that as they had their very first shot on goal - wide - on 49 minutes, before they reverted to a more defensive 4-4-1 formation.
It did not have the desired effect and Torres had a great chance when he ran through on goal, only for keeper Cesar to finger-tip his shot wide.
All of a sudden Liverpool were full of urgency and minutes after Hyypia had headed over from six yards, Vieira was fortunate to get away with a blatant handball on Gerrard's cross.
Peter Crouch was introduced as Benitez pressed for a winner and the frontman lashed a half-volley wide before forcing a great block from Maxwell.
It looked like turning into another frustrating match at Anfield - where Liverpool have been held or beaten nine times this season - but it turned on its head right at the end.
Kuyt finally broke the deadlock when he collected Jermaine Pennant's cross and lashed into the roof of the net via a deflection.
And as if that was not enough, Gerrard drove forward and drove into the far corner with an excellent shot from 25 yards to send the home masses into frenzy.
It was the first defeat in exactly five months for Inter and Liverpool will now be firm favourites to reach the quarter-finals when they defend a two-goal lead at the San Siro.
Friday, 1 February 2008
Top 3 - Soccer Players Salaries
Author: Niv Orlian |
The question as to whether or not athletes in general and soccer players in particular, should be earning the kind of money they're earning is more vibrant then ever these days, with clubs paying their players incredible amounts of money each year.
The comparison to other sports is also very relative. A gymnast will train all his life, miss out on a lot of his younger years only to be able to handle a world class performance, but he will still not win as much in his lifetime as one of the highest earning soccer players makes in a year. But that's the market's call and there's no "fair" in sales share.
Getting back to our topic, it's somewhat difficult to judge exactly how much a player makes simply from his club salary, because many wage details are private, due to obvious reasons. As a club manager, you want to create complete harmony in your team and with all of them knowing that player gets paid twice as much as the rest, won't help you out with that.
The highest earning soccer players can also be affected by having their salaries publicly available, because at every less than bright performance, they'll be confronted with a "My God! He really should have played better for the kind of money he's making" type of exclamation from fans, media and fellow players.
A soccer player's income also comes from several other sources than simply his wage. For example, the best ever soccer players always made more money from endorsements and ads than their wages; take a look at David Beckham if you don't believe me.
Other contractual bonuses will also earn them a fair amount. For example, many strikers that are confident in their ability to play regularly and score will have contract bonuses for each goal, assist or for a total number of goals at the end of the season, while agreeing for a lower wage cutout.
However, considering all of the above, it would be logical to say that the highest earning soccer players are also the ones with the highest wages. A club will want to keep a player that brings in incredible amounts of money through endorsements and merchandise sale, so they will offer him a high salary. According to Forbes Magazine, here are the top 3 earners:
Ronaldinho ($29.5 million, salary + endorsement deals) - one of the most famous and nonconformist personas in soccer, Ronaldinho has become the trademark of playing soccer as a game, not as a business. His constant smile while playing and his tricks made him one of the most popular figures today, despite the fact that he's not as handsome and clean-cut as Beckham or Kaka. Ronaldinho is also widely considered one of the best ever soccer players, despite the fact that he still has many years to play for FC Barcelona, or his future clubs.
David Beckham ($29.1 million, salary + endorsement deals) - no presentation required, Beckham is more than just a soccer players for close to a decade now. His recent move to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid for an impressive transfer fee was well worth it, since American finance analysts agreed that the transfer would soon turn to profit, as Beckham shirt sales and other endorsements would soon earn the club their money back.
Ronaldo ($23.4 million, salary + endorsement deals) - the ex-phenomenon, the chunky Brazilian who impressed the World with his speed and goal-hungry attitude is not at the peak of his game anymore, although his move to Milan seems to have revived him somewhat. Despite his declining form, Ronaldo remains one of the central figures in today's soccer, as he has an established name and image for over a decade.
The question as to whether or not athletes in general and soccer players in particular, should be earning the kind of money they're earning is more vibrant then ever these days, with clubs paying their players incredible amounts of money each year.
The comparison to other sports is also very relative. A gymnast will train all his life, miss out on a lot of his younger years only to be able to handle a world class performance, but he will still not win as much in his lifetime as one of the highest earning soccer players makes in a year. But that's the market's call and there's no "fair" in sales share.
Getting back to our topic, it's somewhat difficult to judge exactly how much a player makes simply from his club salary, because many wage details are private, due to obvious reasons. As a club manager, you want to create complete harmony in your team and with all of them knowing that player gets paid twice as much as the rest, won't help you out with that.
The highest earning soccer players can also be affected by having their salaries publicly available, because at every less than bright performance, they'll be confronted with a "My God! He really should have played better for the kind of money he's making" type of exclamation from fans, media and fellow players.
A soccer player's income also comes from several other sources than simply his wage. For example, the best ever soccer players always made more money from endorsements and ads than their wages; take a look at David Beckham if you don't believe me.
Other contractual bonuses will also earn them a fair amount. For example, many strikers that are confident in their ability to play regularly and score will have contract bonuses for each goal, assist or for a total number of goals at the end of the season, while agreeing for a lower wage cutout.
However, considering all of the above, it would be logical to say that the highest earning soccer players are also the ones with the highest wages. A club will want to keep a player that brings in incredible amounts of money through endorsements and merchandise sale, so they will offer him a high salary. According to Forbes Magazine, here are the top 3 earners:
Ronaldinho ($29.5 million, salary + endorsement deals) - one of the most famous and nonconformist personas in soccer, Ronaldinho has become the trademark of playing soccer as a game, not as a business. His constant smile while playing and his tricks made him one of the most popular figures today, despite the fact that he's not as handsome and clean-cut as Beckham or Kaka. Ronaldinho is also widely considered one of the best ever soccer players, despite the fact that he still has many years to play for FC Barcelona, or his future clubs.
David Beckham ($29.1 million, salary + endorsement deals) - no presentation required, Beckham is more than just a soccer players for close to a decade now. His recent move to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid for an impressive transfer fee was well worth it, since American finance analysts agreed that the transfer would soon turn to profit, as Beckham shirt sales and other endorsements would soon earn the club their money back.
Ronaldo ($23.4 million, salary + endorsement deals) - the ex-phenomenon, the chunky Brazilian who impressed the World with his speed and goal-hungry attitude is not at the peak of his game anymore, although his move to Milan seems to have revived him somewhat. Despite his declining form, Ronaldo remains one of the central figures in today's soccer, as he has an established name and image for over a decade.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Nfl Playoffs 2008 Week 3
Last week, I was 3 of 4 in predicting playoff winners. I correctly predicted that one of the Manning brothers, would be involved in an upset, but I think very few people saw the other one coming. The Colts loss was the only one that I missed out on.
That loss kind of takes some of the thunder out of this week's picks. I had Indy upsetting the Patriots and going on to win the Super Bowl. Wrong!! Maybe next year.
With that, let's get to this week's picks. Let's start with the easy game. I don't see anyone left who can stop the New England Patriots from going 19-0 and winning the Super Bowl. The Patriots will make quick work of the San Diego Chargers this week. This one won't even be close. The Patriots cruise this week, then rest up for the big finale on Feb. 3.
Now the other game this weekend is very intriguing. The New York Giants are on a roll. They have lost only once on the road this year and they avenged that loss last weekend. 8 in a row on the road and a pretty nice home stand against New England is very impressive. Although the ride has been nice, I think it stops here. I think the cold and the show will be too much for Eli and crew.
The Green Bay packers play well in the cold and I can see Brett Favre going out as a winner. Although I waver back and forth on this pick, one thing is for sure. Being a self professed homer, I can guarantee this one thing. There will be a Mississippi quarterback in the Super Bowl. It will either be Brett Favre from The University of Southern Mississippi or Eli Manning from The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).
That loss kind of takes some of the thunder out of this week's picks. I had Indy upsetting the Patriots and going on to win the Super Bowl. Wrong!! Maybe next year.
With that, let's get to this week's picks. Let's start with the easy game. I don't see anyone left who can stop the New England Patriots from going 19-0 and winning the Super Bowl. The Patriots will make quick work of the San Diego Chargers this week. This one won't even be close. The Patriots cruise this week, then rest up for the big finale on Feb. 3.
Now the other game this weekend is very intriguing. The New York Giants are on a roll. They have lost only once on the road this year and they avenged that loss last weekend. 8 in a row on the road and a pretty nice home stand against New England is very impressive. Although the ride has been nice, I think it stops here. I think the cold and the show will be too much for Eli and crew.
The Green Bay packers play well in the cold and I can see Brett Favre going out as a winner. Although I waver back and forth on this pick, one thing is for sure. Being a self professed homer, I can guarantee this one thing. There will be a Mississippi quarterback in the Super Bowl. It will either be Brett Favre from The University of Southern Mississippi or Eli Manning from The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).
How your Child Has Been Coached Out of Being a Great Footballer
It is possible that your child has within them the natural attributes to become a great player. If they display promise at an early age they may want to start playing for a local club...where their expert staff will crush their spirit, retard their technical development, subvert their instincts and suck all the joy out of playing the game to such an extent that your child may want to give up football altogether.
A little dramatic perhaps, but the way football is approached at youth level has damaged generations of players, meaning any technically competent English player carried an inflated price tag, resulting inevitably in the massive influx of foreign players and ultimately to the dismal failure of the national team. As a footballing nation, England appears to have stopped developing since winning the World Cup in 1966, believing in their divine right to win simply because they gave the game to the world and won the World Cup forty years ago, while more modest, forward thinking nations like Korea, Ivory Coast and Croatia have begun to bloom and at the current rate of progress will soon outstrip the stubbornly ignorant attitude within English coaching circles. English players now lag embarrassingly behind their European, Latin American and African counterparts in skill and technique. Is it any wonder then that the one English team that plays stylish technical football, Arsene Wenger's North London powerhouse Arsenal, rarely has an English player in its starting eleven?
So, that is the problem, it's acknowledged and frequently mentioned by all sides, both in England and with great glee abroad, but what is the solution? One man thinks he knows the answer, another legend of (North East) London football, Sir Trevor Brooking. His mission is to overhaul the English coaching philosophy which has stagnated generations of promising young players, and somehow move coaches and managers away from the traditional unsubtle hoof and clog style of football that is still endemic at every level from the national team through the lower leagues, which are still largely populated by home grown talent, to park football.
While many English managers and ex-players berate clubs such as South London spendthrifts Chelsea and their North London rivals Arsenal for packing not just their first teams, but their reserve and youth teams with imported talent Brooking sympathises: 'Clubs have scouting networks all over Europe and the world and the funding to bring young players here,' he says. 'To be honest, I don't blame them. At the moment children join their academies at nine. We should target them before that and ensure that they have already encountered a far better quality of coaches.'
He continues expanding on his vision with refreshing candour: 'We also need to change what is being coached. Let's have more small-sided games so that they have more ball time. Let's allow them to have fun, take away the importance of winning and stop the young players being afraid of making mistakes. Concentrate on first touch and technique, allow that a short pass can often be more of a killer ball than the big hoof up to the centre-forward.' Under the Brooking plan English football could finally move away from its current simplistic, caricatured form, where especially at youth level coaches seek out a group of 'big lads' pump them up and set them to crunching their way through whatever opposition is put in their way, rather than enjoying the game and trying to play. It is often noticeable that English youth teams are significantly bigger than their foreign counterparts and this is because many have been chosen for their advanced physical development rather than any talent for football they may have shown, however, when they reach full maturity many of them fall by the wayside.
Brooking also takes time to specifically address one of the major concerns those familiar with youth football frequently express - that of overly aggressive, over vocal parents coaching and abusing players from the sidelines: 'Any parents who are too enthusiastic should, as a last resort, be removed,' he says ominously.
And what if English football doesn't embrace Brooking's plan, what will happen to all the young English players? Sir Trevor thinks their future could be bleak: 'If we don't do all these things then even the kids identified as elite, when they join academies at nine, will still be starting behind. By the time they are competing at sixteen with a foreign youngster they have even less chance of being taken on.'
A little dramatic perhaps, but the way football is approached at youth level has damaged generations of players, meaning any technically competent English player carried an inflated price tag, resulting inevitably in the massive influx of foreign players and ultimately to the dismal failure of the national team. As a footballing nation, England appears to have stopped developing since winning the World Cup in 1966, believing in their divine right to win simply because they gave the game to the world and won the World Cup forty years ago, while more modest, forward thinking nations like Korea, Ivory Coast and Croatia have begun to bloom and at the current rate of progress will soon outstrip the stubbornly ignorant attitude within English coaching circles. English players now lag embarrassingly behind their European, Latin American and African counterparts in skill and technique. Is it any wonder then that the one English team that plays stylish technical football, Arsene Wenger's North London powerhouse Arsenal, rarely has an English player in its starting eleven?
So, that is the problem, it's acknowledged and frequently mentioned by all sides, both in England and with great glee abroad, but what is the solution? One man thinks he knows the answer, another legend of (North East) London football, Sir Trevor Brooking. His mission is to overhaul the English coaching philosophy which has stagnated generations of promising young players, and somehow move coaches and managers away from the traditional unsubtle hoof and clog style of football that is still endemic at every level from the national team through the lower leagues, which are still largely populated by home grown talent, to park football.
While many English managers and ex-players berate clubs such as South London spendthrifts Chelsea and their North London rivals Arsenal for packing not just their first teams, but their reserve and youth teams with imported talent Brooking sympathises: 'Clubs have scouting networks all over Europe and the world and the funding to bring young players here,' he says. 'To be honest, I don't blame them. At the moment children join their academies at nine. We should target them before that and ensure that they have already encountered a far better quality of coaches.'
He continues expanding on his vision with refreshing candour: 'We also need to change what is being coached. Let's have more small-sided games so that they have more ball time. Let's allow them to have fun, take away the importance of winning and stop the young players being afraid of making mistakes. Concentrate on first touch and technique, allow that a short pass can often be more of a killer ball than the big hoof up to the centre-forward.' Under the Brooking plan English football could finally move away from its current simplistic, caricatured form, where especially at youth level coaches seek out a group of 'big lads' pump them up and set them to crunching their way through whatever opposition is put in their way, rather than enjoying the game and trying to play. It is often noticeable that English youth teams are significantly bigger than their foreign counterparts and this is because many have been chosen for their advanced physical development rather than any talent for football they may have shown, however, when they reach full maturity many of them fall by the wayside.
Brooking also takes time to specifically address one of the major concerns those familiar with youth football frequently express - that of overly aggressive, over vocal parents coaching and abusing players from the sidelines: 'Any parents who are too enthusiastic should, as a last resort, be removed,' he says ominously.
And what if English football doesn't embrace Brooking's plan, what will happen to all the young English players? Sir Trevor thinks their future could be bleak: 'If we don't do all these things then even the kids identified as elite, when they join academies at nine, will still be starting behind. By the time they are competing at sixteen with a foreign youngster they have even less chance of being taken on.'
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