Sports gear, athletic equipments

Alabama (12-7) at Arkansas (12-5)

GAME NOTES: The Alabama Crimson Tide have traveled to Fayetteville for an SEC clash with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Alabama has lost three of its last four games to fall to 2-3 in league play, overshadowing a 12-7 overall record. On Monday, head coach Mark Gottfried resigned, effective immediately. Gottfried had been the leader of the program since 1998 and led the Tide to five NCAA Tournament appearances. Philip Pearson takes over as the interim head coach. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide were held in check offensively in a 61-51 home loss to Kentucky. Now they are playing away from home and own a 0-3 record in true road games. As for Arkansas, it is 10-2 at home this season, but the team has yet to win a conference game (0-4). The Razorbacks are on a four-game losing skid, and the drought comes on the heels of a 10-game winning streak. On Saturday, they were handled rather easily at home by Auburn, 73-51, and all four league losses have come by at least nine points. Arkansas holds a narrow 25-21 edge in the all-time series with Alabama, and these teams will meet again next month.

Alabama shot a woeful 29.3 percent from the floor against Kentucky on Saturday, and the team finished with eight assists and 19 turnovers. A 42-36 rebounding disadvantage and a 19-13 deficit in points from the foul line also contributed to the setback. JaMychal Green was the only member of the Crimson Tide to reach double figures in scoring, as he tallied 15 points in 36 minutes of action. Alonzo Gee leads Alabama in scoring this season, and he has started all 19 games thus far. Not just a scorer, Gee is also pulling down 7.5 rpg. As for Senario Hillman, he is the only other double-digit scorer in the mix with 13.3 ppg, and he leads the club with 40 assists and 19 steals. The Crimson Tide is generating 71.5 ppg while allowing 66.1 ppg, but that positive differential is not reflected in the club’s 2-3 SEC record.

There are four double-digit scorers in the lineup for Arkansas, and Michael Washington leads the way with 16.8 ppg on 58 percent shooting from the field. He is also pulling down 10.4 rpg, impressive to say the least. Courtney Fortson checks in with 14.5 ppg and 106 assists, while Stefan Welsh provides 12.7 ppg. Rounding out the foursome is Rotnei Clarke with 10.4 ppg, but while the Razorbacks are averaging 76.2 ppg this season, they haven’t scored more than 65 points in any of the four SEC tilts played thus far. In Saturday’s loss to Auburn, Arkansas shot a lowly 30.2 percent from the field, including a 5-of-24 showing from three-point range. Welsh posted 14 points in the setback, and Fortson added 12 points. Washington only managed eight points, and Clarke finished with five points.

Arkansas will finally win an SEC game tonight, as the home crowd will push the Razorbacks to victory. Expect Washington to put up big numbers after the eight-point showing against Auburn.

Source:http://www.newsobserver.com/1589/story/1386397.html

The Tecumseh School Board is moving forward with plans to build a $2.2 million athletic complex at Tecumseh High School despite a failed bond proposal for the project. Last month the board approved a $120,000 design and construction management contract to get the project moving.

At Monday’s meeting, the board continued to pursue costly projects for Tecumseh High School. One, a $300,000 purchase for new technology equipment (new computers to replace those which are four years old) and $85,000 to replace weight lifting equipment. (The weight room and equipment were just upgraded two years ago when the schools hired Jason Mensing as the weight room supervisor. It should be noted that Tecumseh High School had brand new equipment for the weight room when the building first opened in 2001.)

An athletic complex, technology and weight lifting equipment. Who doesn’t want the latest and greatest for our district students?

The real question isn’t whether or not we want (or need) these improvements. The question the board should address is the timing of these costly projects.

The economy has many people frightened. Jobs and homes are being lost, businesses are closing, and yet the spending spree at Tecumseh Public Schools goes unabated.

We ask the Tecumseh School Board to reconsider its spending plans. We, too, want a new athletic complex at the high school, the latest technology and weight training equipment for our athletes, but now is not the time.

The board should take more time to study the reported safety issues at Indian Stadium, namely the bleachers. At least one board member, Jason Sines, had asked the board to consider other options when it voted for the management contract. Sines, unfortunately, was the only board member voting against the contract.

The proposed projects are worthy, but the timing is not. Reconsideration of other options is due.

Source: http://www.tecumsehherald.com/node/1443

Chinese athletics star Liu Xiang may not compete in this year’s world championships despite making a fast recovery from foot surgery, according to his coach.

The former world and Olympic 110m hurdles champion risks wrecking his confidence if he comes back too early and is unprepared, so is more likely to return to action in China later in the year, Sun Haiping said.

“Suppose Liu Xiang participates in the world championship, it would be meaningless for him to come up with a result of 14 seconds, and it could deeply hurt his confidence too,” Sun said, according to the Oriental Morning Post.

“So instead, we would prefer he did not participate in major competitions for the time being.”

The 2009 world championships will be held in Berlin in August but Sun said Liu’s more likely return to competition would be at the IAAF Golden Grand Prix meet in Shanghai in September or China’s National Games the following month.

Liu, 25, underwent surgery in the United States last month to repair an achilles tendon injury that saw him sensationally withdraw from the Beijing Olympics after pulling up in the first heat of the 110m hurdles.

Liu had gone into the Beijing Games as an overwhelming home-town favourite, after rising to international stardom with gold in the event at the Athens Olympics and then winning at the 2007 world championships in Japan.

Sun and Chinese officials were quoted in Wednesday’s Chinese press as saying his rehabilitation was going well.

But one of the nation’s sports chiefs was also cited as saying on Wednesday that there were fears Liu would never again be the athlete he was.

“A top athlete (like Liu) is only in his prime for three to five years,” said Luo Chaoyi, director of China’s Athletics Administrative Centre, according to the China Daily newspaper.

“Once he has passed his peak, it is almost impossible for him to get it back.”

But in the same article, Sun was more optimistic.

“It is possible that he could get back to his best,” Sun said.

Source:http://news.theage.com.au/world/chinas-liu-doubtful-for-world-athletics-champs-coach-20090107-7bwg.html

The St. Joseph’s College of Engineering will conduct n state-level inter-collegiate and school staff competition on January 7 at its premises. Events include (for men), ball badminton, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, football and carrom and (for women), badminton, table tennis, carrom and throwball. There is no entry fee for the competitors. Further details can be had from the Director’s office: 98409 86678, 98842 49676.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010761052000.htm