Lauren Silberman of New York will become the first woman to try out in an NFL Regional Combine when she kicks in New Jersey on Sunday. (Photo: Lauren Silberman) Regardless of how her tryout goes, Lauren Silberman will make history Sunday at the NFL Regional Scouting Combine in Florham Park, N.J. The 28-year-old New York City resident will become the first female to participate in the weekend event, which features local players who weren't invited to last week's showcase in Indianapolis. Despite having no game experience at any level, the former club soccer player at the University of Wisconsin will try to advance to the Super Regional Combine next month in Dallas as a place-kicker. It's goal she chose to pursue after a video surfaced of her kicking NFL length field goals at an exhibition event. The regional combine won't be Silberman's first foray into professional sports. As a grad student at MIT, she wrote her Master's thesis on how college and pro athletes can use video games to improve their athletic performance. She built upon the results of the study to start her own consulting firm, Double Play Media. She wouldn't reveal the longest field goal she has made, but Silberman spoke about her ambition to become the first female NFL player with USA TODAY Sports: What led to your decision to register for the regional combine? I saw the opportunity and had to go for it. I love football, new experiences, and wanted to take the chance to learn more about the training process that leads to a successful NFL career. It was a bit of a surprise to some but mostly just an outcry of "That's my girl! (and) "You go, Silbs!" ... My family and friends seem to be getting a kick out of this. 'DO YOU LIKE GIRLS?' NFL to probe combine interviews BRENNAN: Combine questions out of bounds You were a club soccer player at Wisconsin. What is your background in football place-kicking? I played varsity soccer and lacrosse through high school. I've always been a big tennis and basketball player, too. I don't think there is a sport I don't like. My background in football place-kicking is quite limited, although I'm getting significantly better each day that I work with my great coach. I've been training in a few different locations in New Jersey since I heard I had the tryout. Some days we'll be inside at a turf facility and other days we'll have to be outside because we don't have access to the turf. I've been devoting a couple of hours a day whenever I can. It's been a unique challenge juggling my business and the recent media attention that I've received. I've been working with coach Ricky Krautman (a former Division 1 kicker at Syracuse). He's so positive about my potential pre-training camp time and I can see how much I'm improving my technique each day. How much did being the first woman in this event factor into your decision? I didn't think about my gender when I registered. I just wanted to go out and compete with the best, learn more about the combine process, and, above all, have fun. I am glad that it has focused attention on increasing opportunities for women and am so proud to be able to kick through this open door! I think the NFL should be applauded for giving women a chance. I hope my willingness to put myself out there inspires others to participate as athletes at this level. What are the most striking insights you've learned in your thesis and professional work regarding athletes and video games? Have you worked with any big names? My clients are confidential, but football, basketball and soccer players have been my primary client base. The ability to help players maximize their on-field play through video game play is incredibly exciting. It has been amazing to see how much they learn from virtually playing as their own avatars. The games naturally allow players to play through a close simulation and virtually vary all of the conditions to closely mimic what may occur on a physical field. It motivates and informs the real play and that's a truly unique dynamic. Who is your favorite NFL team? The team that takes me! Favorite NFL kicker? Chris Kluwe (the outspoken Minnesota Viking is technically a punter), because he's a huge gamer and I love his public stance on so many issues. Favorite video games? On my Xbox, I obviously love the big sport titles - Madden, NBA2k, FIFA Soccer, NHL 13, and MLB2K. Beyond sports, for a great game that you can also learn so much from, check out Kurt Squire's research on Civilization. I grew up primarily playing Super Nintendo. My favorites were Aladdin, Super Mario World, and Donkey Kong, because there was always a new challenge and it was fun to try to play through the whole game at one time without losing your avatar's life. Which team do you select when playing Madden? I'm a D.C. native, so this season, in Madden, I went with my hometown Redskins. You mentioned previously that regardless of how the tryout goes, you hope to contribute to and strengthen the league. If not as a player, what would your ideal role be in doing that? I couldn't think of a better role than inspiring young women and others to go for their dreams no matter how distant. I love hearing from all of the coaches of professional athletic teams who have learned about my work and want to allow me to work alongside them to execute a virtual training plan with their team. So, I guess my dream is to get paid to play virtual or real football. Can you blame me? Story Highlights
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/02/28/lauren-silberman-first-female-kicker-nfl-regional-scouting-combine/1954057/
Pitino: Catholic 7 'deserves' Big East name
Louisville coach Rick Pitino has a long history with the Big East, including coaching Providence to a Final Four in 1987. (Photo: Rob Grabowski, USA TODAY Sports) Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has endorsed the Big East Conference selling its 34-year-old name to the new college basketball league that will be created by the defection of the seven Catholic universities, and he added that their departure from the Big East is long overdue. "I think they should (get the name)," Pitino told USA TODAY Sports in a telephone interview Thursday. "I think without question, the Catholic 7 deserves the Big East name. They should have, in my estimation, broken away from the football schools three years ago. I think they waited way too long. They should have been fed up a long time ago. "You have some of the great, great traditions in college basketball. They should have gotten together, made their strong basketball league, sell their own deal and they should be the Big East. They should be playing in Madison Square Garden." Pitino later added, "Football is running our country right now." What becomes of the name of the Big East conference is just one issue that needs to be resolved over the next several months as the Catholic 7 — Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall and St. John's — move to creating their own league. Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Notre Dame (except in football) have decided to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. Rutgers decided to move to the Big Ten. West Virginia is playing its first season in the Big 12 this year. Southern Methodist will be among the schools to join the Big East next season. First-year Mustangs coach Larry Brown acknowledged an unclear future for what remains of the Big East. "All I know is next year I am pretty confident we will be in a great Big East," Brown said. "I don't know where the future lies. So our goal is to be competitive next year and then be a partner people will want because of our football program and our basketball program and our academics and location. … "I just hate where college athletics is going. When you are talking about the best interest of the student-athlete, and you're at Maryland (moving to the Big Ten) and you're going to play in Nebraska and get back to class? C'mon." Story Highlights
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/02/28/rick-pitino-larry-brown-big-east-future/1954569/
Barça have never gone to the Bernabeu with such a large lead in the league
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The current 16 point gap is three more than the 13 which separated the two when Barça visited the Bernabeu in the 90/91 season
Whatever Saturday’s result, Barça will come away from the game with the biggest lead ever following a game at the Bernabeu
This season’s sixth game between Barça and Real Madrid comes on the back of Tuesday’s defeat in the Spanish Cup Final, but it also marks the biggest ever difference between the two teams ahead of a game at the Bernabeu, with Barça sitting 16 points ahead of their hosts, who are third in the table. New record after 22 years The largest difference up until now had been the 13 point gap between the two in the 1990/91 season, when a win was still only worth two points. That game, which Madrid won 1-0, occurred towards the end of the season, week 38 - whereas this year’s game is being played in week 26- and Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team had already sealed the first of what was to be a run of four league titles. Game ends with a lead of more than 10 points on three occasions That defeat meant that Barça left the Bernabeu with an 11 point lead - equalling the largest lead previously set in the 1973/74 season after the historic 0-5 win, but whatever happens on Saturday, this season’s side will set a new record - if they lose, they’ll have a 13 point lead, if they draw it’ll stay at 16 and if they win, it’ll stretch to 19. Good record over last decade Over the last few years, Barça have come into the game at the Bernabeu with a lead – in fact only twice in the last ten years have Madrid kicked off against Barça at the Bernabeu ahead on points –in the 2007/08 and 2011/12 seasons. AC Milan have tied Stephan El Shaarawy to an improved deal that will see the club's top striker remain with the Rossoneri until 2018, the Serie A club announced Thursday. "Stephan El Shaarawy and Milan have confirmed today that the young striker's contract has been extended," a statement issued by the club said. El Shaarawy has been one of the few stand-out performers this season for a team which lost its backbone during a turbulent summer transfer period for the seven-times champions. The scorer of 16 league goals so far, the Italy international -- who has an Egyptian father and Italian mother -- helped keep Milan afloat during their worst ever start to a season in Serie A. Massimiliano Allegri's side have since battled their way back up the table in recent months and now sit in fourth place ahead of their date with third-placed Lazio on Saturday. The 20-year-old Italian's contract was due to run out in 2017 but Milan were desperate to extend as they see him as a key member of the side they are trying to build for future objectives. The statement added: "The player's growth has been fast and constant. El Shaarawy and Milan will continue to walk together. At least until 2018." Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said: "We want to build upon a young team for the future and now El Shaarawy is totally protected. "We have shown the fans we are not in the business of selling our top stars and this will make them happy." Milan host Lazio on Saturday with the incentive of a top three place in the event of a win at the San Siro. Swindon have appointed former Republic of Ireland assistant Kevin MacDonald as their new manager. The 52-year-old, who was caretaker manager at Aston Villa in 2010, has been handed the reigns at the County Ground after Paolo Di Canio resigned last week. McDonald inherits a Swindon side who are fourth in npower League One and just three points behind leaders Doncaster and will be in charge of Saturday's trip to Coventry. Jerry Lai, USA TODAY Sports Rest easy, Wisconsin: The Milwaukee Brewers' missing Italian racing sausage, Guido the sausage, has been found. After a local businesswoman offered up a case of mustard in exchange for the sausage's safe return, Steve Chamraz of WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee reported that two men brought the sausage into TJ Ryan's bar in Cedarburg – one of the sausage's last known locations during the bender that preceded its disappearance – dropped it off, told the bartender, "You didn't see this," and ran away. But there's more. Just before midnight on Wednesday, I received an email from the people claiming to be responsible. As proof, they offered this video of Guido the Italian sausage doing the Harlem Shake, before it was posted to YouTube:
El Shaarawy extends Milan stay until 2018
El Shaarawy extends Milan stay until 2018
Source : http://www.football.co.uk/ac_milan/el_shaarawy_extends_milan_stay_until_2018_rss3780813.shtml
McDonald lands Swindon job
McDonald lands Swindon job
Source : http://www.football.co.uk/swindon_town/mcdonald_lands_swindon_job_rss3780424.shtml
Milwaukee Brewers' sausage thieves reveal heist details
Source : http://www.football.co.uk/chelsea/abramovich_relationship__fine__-_benitez_rss3780022.shtml