Herr Bettman re-arranged the financial playing field, Edmonton stood poised to once again regain professional and financial street cred. Only thing is, it's Edmonton. While the pro athlete could marvel at the celebrity in Los Angeles; the gang violence in Philadelphia and the lack of any discernible direction to anything in Toronto, what would he find appealing in Edmonton? OK, nice refinery, but other than that?

The capital of Alberta had virtually no attractive charms to woo potential players to the city or at least keep them from hypothetically running off to the better shopping available in cities like Milan, Paris or – I don't know – Anaheim. If large animals were cool, Edmonton was a gerbil.

Then along comes (gallantly rides in) one Sheldon Souray, a hulking and talented defenseman, from the mean streets of Montreal with an impressive resume and an old wedding album complete with the occasional un-retouched photo of a supermodel. He's good looking and, unlike most recent Oiler signings of late, is not described as “the poor man's version of” anyone. He has personally put Edmonton back on the hockey map faster than you can say Balsillie.

Thing is, he thought he had signed with Calgary.

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Next years Hall of Fame ceremony could be crowded and some players originally thought to be on the bubble could be waiting even longer to have their names join the likes of Glenn Anderson and Igor Larionov, both of whom were inducted to the Hall finally on Monday.
Steve Yzerman will be inducted into the HoF next November. That really goes without saying as he is eligible and there is no question that he belongs there. Along with Stevie Y, one can expect Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille, and Brett Hull to join the party. Thats already looking like a pretty crowded group, isnt it?
At this point and time, a 17-man panel is responsible for making the Hall selections and at least 75% of them endorse a candidate for him to gain election. The entire process is conducted in secret and voting results are never released, thus protecting some of the more boneheaded oversights of years gone by.
There is no formal criteria for inclusion to the Hall, as we alluded to in the Glenn Anderson article a few days ago. Interestingly, Anderson hinted on Monday that he wouldnt mind a system of some sort implemented to set up a form of criteria for Hall of Fame selection.
Regardless, it is becoming very clear that the wait to get into the Hall of Fame is a lot like the wait for the Early Bird special at Dennys. Pretty soon each person in line is going to be old and possibly wheelchair-bound, each with a need for the waitress to speak up and for the meal to be served at absurdly warm temperatures.
One such person that could be waiting in line for a while is Doug Gilmour. He, along with Adam Oates, is one of the highest eligible players in the NHLs all-time point list to have been passed over. Gilmour ought to be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame, having made a major impact on the game. Oates, too. In fact, Oates finished his career with 1,420 points and Gilmour is a spot behind him with 1,414 points.
But would anyone argue that Oates or Gilmour should go into the HoF before Steve Yzerman? Anyone?
Other players that should face at least some consideration for Hall of Fame entry include Pavel Bure (yeah, I said it!), Mike Vernon, Dino Ciccarelli, Steve Larmer, Dale Hunter, Vincent Damphousse, Kelly Hrudey, Mike Richter, Bernie Nicholls, etc. All good names, all probably Hall-worthy, all very likely to wait in line behind the likes of Oates and Gilmour. And as years pass, more and more players become eligible for consideration and more and more players continue to wait to get in.
Perhaps a different system is in order? First come, first serve? Or perhaps, like Glenn Anderson suggested, a more concrete form of criteria (or a form of criteria) would help. Time will tell what, if anything, the Hockey Hall of Fame will do with this virtual logjam of tremendous talents. But for the time being, its fun to debate and discuss our picks and what we think the process could use by way of a tune-up.
Posted by Jordan Richardson.

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Remarkable rally by IOB; Mumbai XI holds IOC
Hockey Correspondent

CHENNAI: Even as the spotlight was trained on identifying the qualifiers for the semifinals, the talking point at the end of Mondays programme in the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament centred around the commendable comeback by Indian Overseas Bank against Karnataka XI at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here.
Late in the evening, the crowd witnessed another pulsating contest when Mumbai XI, trailing 1-3 at half-time, surged back into contention with a 4-4 draw against IOC, the equaliser by Osaf-ur-Rehman synchronising with the hooter. It was a splendid show by Mumbai.
Fragrance of victory
The 3-2 verdict, the first in three encounters, for IOB amply mirrors the fortitude of a team which recovered from a 0-2 deficit at half-time to smell the fragrance of victory.
From day one, it has been a case of so near and yet so far for the local league champion. It almost levelled things against top outfit IOC and then shared points with Indian Railways. Monday produced IOBs finest hour.
In terms of technical excellence, IOB was a shade better. However, its frontline frittered away quite a few chances so assiduously created by the midfield, where the diminutive Senthil played an outstanding role. Senthil had a part in every move but the combination of Vimalanathan, Adam Sinclair and Vinod Rayar failed to translate all his efforts into goals.
On the contrary, Karnataka XI, banking heavily on the experience and expertise of Sandeep Michael and supported well by Somanna and Nithin Thimmiah, scored an early goal through a penalty corner by Rama Rao.
Midway through, Sandeep came up with a superb effort to hoist, what looked at that point, a comfortable lead.
After the break too, the trend was slightly in favour of the Karnataka outfit which was keen on holding on to its lead.
A speck of rough play reared its ugly head but the umpires ensured that the match stayed well under control.
A yellow card for Ramesh Kumar (IOB) and Sampath (Karnataka) cooled tempers a bit.
The transformation
IOBs transformation came midway through the second half when Gopinath deflected in a penalty corner. Even before the cheers died down came a crafty reverse flick by Senthil. This brought the teams on par.
Egged on by the goodly crowd, IOB intensified the sorties and Adam Sinclair shrugged off his sluggishness to slam home the match-winner amidst spontaneous cheers with four minutes remaining for the final whistle.
The victory took IOBs tally to four points in Pool A with a match remaining against Mumbai XI. Joga Singh and Osaf-ur-Rehman played a stellar role in the second half as the latter shared honours with the formidable IOC which has a tally of seven from three games.
On course
Air India was on course for a semifinal spot after its 7-3 win against the inexperienced Orissa Sports Hostel, whose players showed tremendous potential and enthusiasm.
The three goals the Sports Hostel boys scored against Air India underlined their competence. Air India leads the Pool B table with seven points.
The results: Air India 7 (V.S. Vinay, Girish Pimple, Vikram Pillay, Arjun Halappa 2, Sandeep Singh 2) bt Orissa Sports Hostel 3 (Neul Tirkey, Dilip Kerketta, Sanjay Ekka). IOB 3 (Gopinath, Senthil, Adam Sinclair) bt Karnataka 2 (Rama Rao, Sandeep Michael). IOC 4 (Raghunath, Deepak Thakur 2, Roshan Minz) drew with Mumbai XI 4 (Ajay Kumar, Joga Singh 2, Osaf-ur-Rehman).
Tuesdays matches: Orissa v BPCL; Air India v Namdhari.

Coimabatore:PSG corners glory TOI-Pune:
Fighting to restore the sporting legacy

Dibyajyoti Sarma Somnath Deshkar

The euphoria of India winning a record three medals at the Beijing Olympics is slowly dying down. As the dust settles down and we all forget the Olympics saga, this is probably as good a time as any to remember those Olympians who are completely forgotten in the ungrateful history of Indian sports. After Abhinav Bindra and the others secured medals for the country, they have been promised, among other things, monetary awards from various quarters. I hope they receive the benefits, says Sanjay Dudhane, sports activist and author. I hope these people, who are now worshipped as heroes, are not forgotten forever, like it happened to quite a few Olympians from the state, even those who were gold medallists. Dudhane rattles out the names of the forgotten gold medallists, members of Indias champion hockey teams. Theres Babu Nimal and Joe Phillips who were part of the gold medal winning hockey team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and Govind Perumal who won gold medals in 1952 and 1956. Among them, Babu Nimal and Joe Phillips were residents of the city. Dudhane continues: Agreed, hockey is a team event, not an individual sport. But its individuals that constitute a team. So, the team members also deserve their glory, which is sadly denied to them. Dudhane is a sport activist. He is a man with a mission, the mission to restore the lost glory of the past Olympians from the state. As part of this endeavour, he wrote Olympic Veer K.D. Jadhav, a book about Indias first individual Olympic medal winner Khashaba Jadhav. The book was published by the National Book Trust in January. And, it all began with Jadhav, who had bagged a bronze medal in wrestling in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. As a student of Fergusson College a few years ago, Dudhane wanted to write a piece on Jadhav for the college magazine. He realised that the world had forgotten him and his achievement. This was when I decided to do something to bring these sporting legends from the depth of oblivion. Dudhane visited Jadhavs house in Satara and met his widow, and also the families of the other medallists, the hock ey players. They are all from the state of Maharashtra and we should be proud of their achievements. Some medals winners are dead while their families lead a meagre existence. Some of them are still alive but no one knows about them. Dudhane argues his case. I am not saying they are poor, so give them money. Money is important. But more than money, what is important is recognition. I am fighting for this recognition. I have written to the state sports directorate. We are not going to stop till they are recognised by the government. Based on his meetings with the sportsmen and their families, Dudhane has so far published three books on the Olympics and the Olympians from the state. From the proceeds of one of his books, Dudhane has also donated Rs 5,000 to Olympian Bandu Patils son who is a watchman. We are demanding that the other Olympians be given the Shiv Chhatrapati award. Those who have already passed away can be given the award posthumously. There is another cause for which Dudhane has been fighting. Sportsmen receive a pension, however meagre it may be, from the state. But after his death, the pension stops. We are demanding that the pension should continue at least till his spouse is alive. This is the states responsibly towards the sportsmen who have brought glory to the state. As for the governments response to the demands, he replies, You know how the government machinery works. It will take time. But we are sticking to our guns. There is hope galore. For example, a portion of his book on Jadhav is now part of the std IX Marathi textbook. Again, talks are on to translate the book into several other Indian languages. Its time to tell others about the Olympic glory of the state.

FIRED UP FOR THE SPORT: Sanjay Dudhane

TOI-Bangalore:
Karnataka XI lose: Karnataka XI lost to Indian Overseas Bank in a Pool B match of the 84th All-India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament in Chennai Monday. Goals by Ramarao (7th) and Sandeep Michael (17th) put Karnataka in a sound position, but after the change of ends, IOB came into their own and scored thrice through Gopinath (56th), Senthil (57th) and Adam Sinclair (65th) for their first win in three outings. In Pool A, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) blew a 4-1 lead and were held to a 4-4 draw by spirited Mumbai. Raghunath (7th minute), Deepak Thakur (19, 41) and Roshan Minz (20) scored for IOC. Ajay Kumar (22), Joga Singh (61, 67) and Osafur Rehman (70) found the target for Mumbai.
TOI-Chandigarh:
Dilemma of foreign coaches

Aritra Mukhopadhyay TNN

Chandigarh: The expectations of my position have been entirely unrealistic. Given no support staff, impossible travelling and living arrangements, no tools of trade or freedom to act, the whole thing has proved very difficult if not impossible. Notwithstanding this difficult situation, I have fulfilled the conditions of the contract and according to its parameters, am offering my resignation. The above mentioned statement is an excerpt from the resignation letter, dated June 25, 2008, of Australian hockey legend Ric Charlesworth who was appointed Technical Advisor to Indian hockey . The relevance of the statement is related to the termination order issued to Indian cycling coach Otakar Josef Dolezel, a native of Canada, by the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) last week. While CFI claimed the orders were issued because of his demanding behaviour, Dolezel said all he wanted was proper training facilities for wards. All this points to the fact that Indian sports authorities have somehow failed to tackle issues related to handling foreign coaches they recruit for different sports. While Charlesworth claimed that despite being informally offered the post of national coach, nothing was done to provide necessary support to fulfil the offer, Dolezel told TOI that he was told people were not comfortable with his working style, as hes a strict disciplinarian and made undue demands like proper equipment and adequate technical support. Another common factor between Charlesworth and Dolezel is that both claimed that they werent paid their dues. While Charlesworth maintained that the promise made by Indian Hockey Federation and Sports Authority of India of clearing all outstanding dues wasnt fulfilled, Dolezel claimed that he didnt receive salary for the past three months. However, when contacted, Karamvir Singh, CFI secretary general, refuted the allegations. Dolezel demanded that he be paid in cash. But we went by rules and paid him salary through cheque and asked for his account number. He refused to give us the account number and accept the cheque. He even misbehaved with coaches and the trainees time and again. This forced us to request SAI to withdraw him, he said. Another foreign coach who stepped down because of not living up to the expectations of BCCI is Greg Chappell, who resigned from post of national cricket coach after Indias disastrous performance in last years World Cup. Though his contract was up to World Cup, he didnt seek an extension citing family and personal reasons for his reason to quit. But all said, one thing cant be argued that both these coaches found coping with those heading the respective sporting bodies they were associated with tough. It may be mentioned here that Indias golden boy Abhinav Bindra said recently that BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra heads Archery Federation of India since 1973. Priya Ranjan Das Munshi presides over AIFF since 1988. When he took over India was ranked around 95 in world football. Now it is 153. The truth is that politicians heading sports bodies have abysmally failed to deliver. They should make way for professionals. Professionalising sports bodies is a pre-condition to excelling in any sport. Also, foreign coaches come to India with a pre-conceived notion that facilities will be state-of-the-art and those heading sports associations will have proper knowledge of the game they are handling. However, reality tells a different story, as facilities arent adequate and those sitting at the helm of associations lack sporting background and have little knowledge about the games, which they are supposed to promote in a professional manner. This results in a big gap, which makes the job of foreign coaches all the more difficult.


New Indian Express:
IOB upset K Mumbai hold IOC
Chennai

DOWN two goals, and seemingly clueless till the 55th minute, Indian Overseas Bank stung thrice in 10 minutes to upset Karnataka 3-2, while Mumbai XI struck three goals, also in the final 10 minutes, to hold star studded Indian Oil Corporation 4-4 in the MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Monday.
Both Karnataka and IOB required full points to keep themselves alive.

Karnatakas extra quantum of urgency showed in Sandeep Michael, who was slitting IOBs defense with assurance. In the seventh minute, Rama Raos deflection of a penalty corner gave them a deserving goal and ten minutes later, Sandeep raised the lead.

Karnataka tightened the defense after half-time, with Sandeep and KA Nilesh doing a fine job. But just as the match seemed to be heading Karnatakas way, Gopinath revived IOBs hopes in the 56th minute. It was not the best of goals - deflection of an other haplessly furnished penalty corner - but it awoke the sleepy IOB players.

A minute later, Adam Sinclair fed Senthil with a precise ball, and he duly blistered home. In the 65th minute, it was Adam himself on target, and he masked his face with his jersey in delight as his teammates swarmed him.

Equally dramatic was the IOCMumbai XI contest. IOC waltzed to a 4-1 lead with Deepak Thakur setting patterns akin to an artist. Into the final 10 minutes, though, in the space of four minutes, Manish Saini and Joga Singh reduced the goal-margin to one.IOC went on the defensive, even IOC custodian Baljit Singhs best efforts couldnt prevent Osaf-UrRehmans fiery backhander.

Earlier, Air India had decimated Orissa XI 7-3.

RESULTS: Air India 7 (Sandeep Singh 37, 55, Arjun Halappa 33, 65, VS Vinnaya 10, Girish Pimpale 19, Vikram Pillay 25) bt Orissa XI 3 (Nuel Tirkey 11, Dilip Kerketta 51, Sanjay Ekka 68); IOB 3 (Gopinath 56, Senthil 57, Adam Sinclair 65) bt Karnataka 2(Rama Rao 7, Sandeep Michael 17); Mumbai XI 4 (Joga Singh 21, 65, Manish Saini 61, Osaf-U-Rehman 69) drew IOC 4 (VR Raghunath 6, Deepak Thakur 18, 39, Roshan Minz 17).
The Hindu:
Remarkable rally by IOB; Mumbai XI holds IOC
Hockey Correspondent
Photo: M. Vedhan
EAKING THROUGH: IOBs Adam Sinclair (left) gets past K.M. Sommanna of Karnataka XI in the Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament in Chennai on Monday.
CHENNAI: Even as the spotlight was trained on identifying the qualifiers for the semifinals, the talking point at the end of Mondays programme in the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament centred around the commendable comeback by Indian Overseas Bank against Karnataka XI at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here.
Late in the evening, the crowd witnessed another pulsating contest when Mumbai XI, trailing 1-3 at half-time, surged back into contention with a 4-4 draw against IOC, the equaliser by Osaf-ur-Rehman synchronising with the hooter. It was a splendid show by Mumbai.
Fragrance of victory
The 3-2 verdict, the first in three encounters, for IOB amply mirrors the fortitude of a team which recovered from a 0-2 deficit at half-time to smell the fragrance of victory.
From day one, it has been a case of so near and yet so far for the local league champion. It almost levelled things against top outfit IOC and then shared points with Indian Railways. Monday produced IOBs finest hour.
In terms of technical excellence, IOB was a shade better. However, its frontline frittered away quite a few chances so assiduously created by the midfield, where the diminutive Senthil played an outstanding role. Senthil had a part in every move but the combination of Vimalanathan, Adam Sinclair and Vinod Rayar failed to translate all his efforts into goals.
On the contrary, Karnataka XI, banking heavily on the experience and expertise of Sandeep Michael and supported well by Somanna and Nithin Thimmiah, scored an early goal through a penalty corner by Rama Rao.
Midway through, Sandeep came up with a superb effort to hoist, what looked at that point, a comfortable lead.
After the break too, the trend was slightly in favour of the Karnataka outfit which was keen on holding on to its lead.
A speck of rough play reared its ugly head but the umpires ensured that the match stayed well under control.
A yellow card for Ramesh Kumar (IOB) and Sampath (Karnataka) cooled tempers a bit.
The transformation
IOBs transformation came midway through the second half when Gopinath deflected in a penalty corner. Even before the cheers died down came a crafty reverse flick by Senthil. This brought the teams on par.
Egged on by the goodly crowd, IOB intensified the sorties and Adam Sinclair shrugged off his sluggishness to slam home the match-winner amidst spontaneous cheers with four minutes remaining for the final whistle.
The victory took IOBs tally to four points in Pool A with a match remaining against Mumbai XI. Joga Singh and Osaf-ur-Rehman played a stellar role in the second half as the latter shared honours with the formidable IOC which has a tally of seven from three games.
On course
Air India was on course for a semifinal spot after its 7-3 win against the inexperienced Orissa Sports Hostel, whose players showed tremendous potential and enthusiasm.
The three goals the Sports Hostel boys scored against Air India underlined their competence. Air India leads the Pool B table with seven points.
The results: Air India 7 (V.S. Vinay, Girish Pimple, Vikram Pillay, Arjun Halappa 2, Sandeep Singh 2) bt Orissa Sports Hostel 3 (Neul Tirkey, Dilip Kerketta, Sanjay Ekka). IOB 3 (Gopinath, Senthil, Adam Sinclair) bt Karnataka 2 (Rama Rao, Sandeep Michael). IOC 4 (Raghunath, Deepak Thakur 2, Roshan Minz) drew with Mumbai XI 4 (Ajay Kumar, Joga Singh 2, Osaf-ur-Rehman).
Tuesdays matches: Orissa v BPCL; Air India v Namdhari.

Coimabatore:
PSG corners glory
PSG College of Technology (Coimbatore) scored a hard-fought 1-0 win over Kongu Engineering College (Perundurai) in the final of the Anna University Zone-7 hockey tournament for men at the Coimbatore Institute of Technology grounds recently.
In the semifinals, PSG got past Park College of Engineering and Technology and Kongu defeated host Coimbatore Institute of Technology.
HT-Chandigarh:
Rural games from Sept 11
Ludhiana

THE DISTRICT Sports Department and Sports Authority of India will hold a District Level Inter-Block (Rural) Tournament from September 11 to 13 at Guru Nanak Stadium. Stating this District Sports Officer (DSO), Jaswinder Bhandari said various teams of the district would participate and compete in games like athletic, archery, kabbadi, kho-kho, hockey, tug of war, volleyball, wrestling, football and weightlifting (the last two for boys only) in under 16 of boys' and girls'. Besides this, a district level open tournament for men, featuring games like athletics hockey, kabbadi, volley ball and football would also be organized.

Malwa keep the winning streak going
Ludhiana

MALWA SCHOOL Hockey Wing, Ludhiana thrashed Moga XI 12-0 in the under 16 age group in the Punjab State Weekend Hockey Tournament being organised by the Punjab Sports Department at Prithipal Singh Memorial Astro Turf Stadium of Punjab Agricultural University campus, here today.
Earlier, Malwa hockey wing had defeated Mehta Gurukul Academy, Doraha by 5-0 on Saturday.

The match turned out to be a onesided affair with Malwa hockey wing players dominating the proceeding completely and gave no chance to their opponents to settle down. Kulbir Singh's struck the board in the 19th, 32nd, 37th, 40th and 59th minutes to saw his team to romp home victors.

Kulbir scored one goal in the first half and four in second half. Earlier, Kulwinder Singh opened the account of his team through a field goal and Ravinder Singh made it 2-0 three minutes later.

The other goals came through the sticks of Navpreet Singh, Ranjit Singh, Amanjot Singh, Gurvinder Singh and Ranjit Singh.

In the second match of the day, Patiala defeated Bathinda 6-1 in under 14 age group. For Patiala, Yuvraj Khosla scored three goals while Ripudaman Singh and Ashish scored two and one goal, respectively.

Vishal was the only scorer for Bathinda In another match, Barnala defeated Paatran 6-0. Sandeep Singh opened the account in the 23rd minute and six minutes later, Inderjit Singh sounded the board to make it 2-0.

Other goals were scored by Gaganpreet Singh in 31st minute, Sandeep Singh in 33rd minute and Inderjit Singh in 37th and 42nd minute.


The Asian Age:
Orissa hockey factory worried about IHF mess
By T.N. Raghu
Chennai
Gone are the days of Punjabs stranglehold on Indian hockey. Sansarpur is a village of yore, but Orissas Sundargarh district is now the national games hotbed.

"The ball is relayed from a Singh to a Singh to a Singh," was the famous description of a foreign journalist when India were ruling world hockey.
The sentence has to be tweaked a little now as Tirkeys, Ekkas and Kullus dominate national team roster. India, admittedly, have fallen by the wayside in recent decades but Orissas passionate tribal belt is offering some hope for the future.
Failures are common in sports. India can live with its lowly position in world hockey. The harshly reality is that we were not good enough to make it to the Beijing Olympics. But the mess that has engulfed hockey administration in the country is seriously threatening to snap Orissas famous assembly line. With no sign of a new body taking over the reins of the Indian Hockey Federation, youngsters at Rourkelas Panposh sports hostel are worried about their future.
K.C. Choudhury, a coach at the hostel, says: "We have more than 150 boys and girls in three categories (nursery, hostel and centre of excellence). Most of them are from Sundargarh district. Our players have their fingers crossed now because they have no clue about the conduct of junior nationals. If there are no nationals as a result of the problems in the IHF, where can our boys get exposure? Only national participation can get our juniors jobs. Most of our inmates are poor. They need jobs to continue playing hockey. Im having a difficult time to motivate my boys."
The MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup in the city has come as a boon for the Orissa boys. Choudhury says he is glad that his team has got an opportunity to play.
The coach says the national game is alive and kicking in Orissa. "You have to see to believe Sundargarhs passion for hockey. Every village has a competition in which live goats are given away as prizes. Even established players such as Dilip Tirkey and Ignace Tirkey participate in village events during their holidays. Dilip is a big inspiration for our youngsters. Whenever Dilip comes home, he makes it a point to gift sticks and balls to players in his village," he informs.
All national teams cutting across age groups have Orissa players in good numbers nowadays. Choudhary informs that the Indian junior team that won the Asia Cup in Hyderabad recently had three Orissa boys. "In our state-sponsored exclusive hockey academy, special care is given to nurture future stars, both boys and girls. We have a world-class gym apart from a good collection of CDs of international matches."
All is well with the Orissa production line but the problem is with the administration of the game. Ousted KPS Gill is plotting his comeback; IOA president Suresh Kalmadi is giving empty promises and the ad-hoc IHF committee is in a shambles. Then, what is the hope for the young guns of Orissa?TOI-Pune:
Fighting to restore the sporting legacy

Dibyajyoti Sarma Somnath Deshkar

The euphoria of India winning a record three medals at the Beijing Olympics is slowly dying down. As the dust settles down and we all forget the Olympics saga, this is probably as good a time as any to remember those Olympians who are completely forgotten in the ungrateful history of Indian sports. After Abhinav Bindra and the others secured medals for the country, they have been promised, among other things, monetary awards from various quarters. I hope they receive the benefits, says Sanjay Dudhane, sports activist and author. I hope these people, who are now worshipped as heroes, are not forgotten forever, like it happened to quite a few Olympians from the state, even those who were gold medallists. Dudhane rattles out the names of the forgotten gold medallists, members of Indias champion hockey teams. Theres Babu Nimal and Joe Phillips who were part of the gold medal winning hockey team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and Govind Perumal who won gold medals in 1952 and 1956. Among them, Babu Nimal and Joe Phillips were residents of the city. Dudhane continues: Agreed, hockey is a team event, not an individual sport. But its individuals that constitute a team. So, the team members also deserve their glory, which is sadly denied to them. Dudhane is a sport activist. He is a man with a mission, the mission to restore the lost glory of the past Olympians from the state. As part of this endeavour, he wrote Olympic Veer K.D. Jadhav, a book about Indias first individual Olympic medal winner Khashaba Jadhav. The book was published by the National Book Trust in January. And, it all began with Jadhav, who had bagged a bronze medal in wrestling in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. As a student of Fergusson College a few years ago, Dudhane wanted to write a piece on Jadhav for the college magazine. He realised that the world had forgotten him and his achievement. This was when I decided to do something to bring these sporting legends from the depth of oblivion. Dudhane visited Jadhavs house in Satara and met his widow, and also the families of the other medallists, the hock ey players. They are all from the state of Maharashtra and we should be proud of their achievements. Some medals winners are dead while their families lead a meagre existence. Some of them are still alive but no one knows about them. Dudhane argues his case. I am not saying they are poor, so give them money. Money is important. But more than money, what is important is recognition. I am fighting for this recognition. I have written to the state sports directorate. We are not going to stop till they are recognised by the government. Based on his meetings with the sportsmen and their families, Dudhane has so far published three books on the Olympics and the Olympians from the state. From the proceeds of one of his books, Dudhane has also donated Rs 5,000 to Olympian Bandu Patils son who is a watchman. We are demanding that the other Olympians be given the Shiv Chhatrapati award. Those who have already passed away can be given the award posthumously. There is another cause for which Dudhane has been fighting. Sportsmen receive a pension, however meagre it may be, from the state. But after his death, the pension stops. We are demanding that the pension should continue at least till his spouse is alive. This is the states responsibly towards the sportsmen who have brought glory to the state. As for the governments response to the demands, he replies, You know how the government machinery works. It will take time. But we are sticking to our guns. There is hope galore. For example, a portion of his book on Jadhav is now part of the std IX Marathi textbook. Again, talks are on to translate the book into several other Indian languages. Its time to tell others about the Olympic glory of the state.

FIRED UP FOR THE SPORT: Sanjay Dudhane

TOI-Bangalore:
Karnataka XI lose: Karnataka XI lost to Indian Overseas Bank in a Pool B match of the 84th All-India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament in Chennai Monday. Goals by Ramarao (7th) and Sandeep Michael (17th) put Karnataka in a sound position, but after the change of ends, IOB came into their own and scored thrice through Gopinath (56th), Senthil (57th) and Adam Sinclair (65th) for their first win in three outings. In Pool A, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) blew a 4-1 lead and were held to a 4-4 draw by spirited Mumbai. Raghunath (7th minute), Deepak Thakur (19, 41) and Roshan Minz (20) scored for IOC. Ajay Kumar (22), Joga Singh (61, 67) and Osafur Rehman (70) found the target for Mumbai.
TOI-Chandigarh:
Dilemma of foreign coaches

Aritra Mukhopadhyay TNN

Chandigarh: The expectations of my position have been entirely unrealistic. Given no support staff, impossible travelling and living arrangements, no tools of trade or freedom to act, the whole thing has proved very difficult if not impossible. Notwithstanding this difficult situation, I have fulfilled the conditions of the contract and according to its parameters, am offering my resignation. The above mentioned statement is an excerpt from the resignation letter, dated June 25, 2008, of Australian hockey legend Ric Charlesworth who was appointed Technical Advisor to Indian hockey . The relevance of the statement is related to the termination order issued to Indian cycling coach Otakar Josef Dolezel, a native of Canada, by the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) last week. While CFI claimed the orders were issued because of his demanding behaviour, Dolezel said all he wanted was proper training facilities for wards. All this points to the fact that Indian sports authorities have somehow failed to tackle issues related to handling foreign coaches they recruit for different sports. While Charlesworth claimed that despite being informally offered the post of national coach, nothing was done to provide necessary support to fulfil the offer, Dolezel told TOI that he was told people were not comfortable with his working style, as hes a strict disciplinarian and made undue demands like proper equipment and adequate technical support. Another common factor between Charlesworth and Dolezel is that both claimed that they werent paid their dues. While Charlesworth maintained that the promise made by Indian Hockey Federation and Sports Authority of India of clearing all outstanding dues wasnt fulfilled, Dolezel claimed that he didnt receive salary for the past three months. However, when contacted, Karamvir Singh, CFI secretary general, refuted the allegations. Dolezel demanded that he be paid in cash. But we went by rules and paid him salary through cheque and asked for his account number. He refused to give us the account number and accept the cheque. He even misbehaved with coaches and the trainees time and again. This forced us to request SAI to withdraw him, he said. Another foreign coach who stepped down because of not living up to the expectations of BCCI is Greg Chappell, who resigned from post of national cricket coach after Indias disastrous performance in last years World Cup. Though his contract was up to World Cup, he didnt seek an extension citing family and personal reasons for his reason to quit. But all said, one thing cant be argued that both these coaches found coping with those heading the respective sporting bodies they were associated with tough. It may be mentioned here that Indias golden boy Abhinav Bindra said recently that BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra heads Archery Federation of India since 1973. Priya Ranjan Das Munshi presides over AIFF since 1988. When he took over India was ranked around 95 in world football. Now it is 153. The truth is that politicians heading sports bodies have abysmally failed to deliver. They should make way for professionals. Professionalising sports bodies is a pre-condition to excelling in any sport. Also, foreign coaches come to India with a pre-conceived notion that facilities will be state-of-the-art and those heading sports associations will have proper knowledge of the game they are handling. However, reality tells a different story, as facilities arent adequate and those sitting at the helm of associations lack sporting background and have little knowledge about the games, which they are supposed to promote in a professional manner. This results in a big gap, which makes the job of foreign coaches all the more difficult.


New Indian Express:
IOB upset K Mumbai hold IOC
Chennai

DOWN two goals, and seemingly clueless till the 55th minute, Indian Overseas Bank stung thrice in 10 minutes to upset Karnataka 3-2, while Mumbai XI struck three goals, also in the final 10 minutes, to hold star studded Indian Oil Corporation 4-4 in the MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Monday.
Both Karnataka and IOB required full points to keep themselves alive.

Karnatakas extra quantum of urgency showed in Sandeep Michael, who was slitting IOBs defense with assurance. In the seventh minute, Rama Raos deflection of a penalty corner gave them a deserving goal and ten minutes later, Sandeep raised the lead.

Karnataka tightened the defense after half-time, with Sandeep and KA Nilesh doing a fine job. But just as the match seemed to be heading Karnatakas way, Gopinath revived IOBs hopes in the 56th minute. It was not the best of goals - deflection of an other haplessly furnished penalty corner - but it awoke the sleepy IOB players.

A minute later, Adam Sinclair fed Senthil with a precise ball, and he duly blistered home. In the 65th minute, it was Adam himself on target, and he masked his face with his jersey in delight as his teammates swarmed him.

Equally dramatic was the IOCMumbai XI contest. IOC waltzed to a 4-1 lead with Deepak Thakur setting patterns akin to an artist. Into the final 10 minutes, though, in the space of four minutes, Manish Saini and Joga Singh reduced the goal-margin to one.IOC went on the defensive, even IOC custodian Baljit Singhs best efforts couldnt prevent Osaf-UrRehmans fiery backhander.

Earlier, Air India had decimated Orissa XI 7-3.

RESULTS: Air India 7 (Sandeep Singh 37, 55, Arjun Halappa 33, 65, VS Vinnaya 10, Girish Pimpale 19, Vikram Pillay 25) bt Orissa XI 3 (Nuel Tirkey 11, Dilip Kerketta 51, Sanjay Ekka 68); IOB 3 (Gopinath 56, Senthil 57, Adam Sinclair 65) bt Karnataka 2(Rama Rao 7, Sandeep Michael 17); Mumbai XI 4 (Joga Singh 21, 65, Manish Saini 61, Osaf-U-Rehman 69) drew IOC 4 (VR Raghunath 6, Deepak Thakur 18, 39, Roshan Minz 17).
The Hindu:
Remarkable rally by IOB; Mumbai XI holds IOC
Hockey Correspondent
Photo: M. Vedhan
EAKING THROUGH: IOBs Adam Sinclair (left) gets past K.M. Sommanna of Karnataka XI in the Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament in Chennai on Monday.
CHENNAI: Even as the spotlight was trained on identifying the qualifiers for the semifinals, the talking point at the end of Mondays programme in the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament centred around the commendable comeback by Indian Overseas Bank against Karnataka XI at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here.
Late in the evening, the crowd witnessed another pulsating contest when Mumbai XI, trailing 1-3 at half-time, surged back into contention with a 4-4 draw against IOC, the equaliser by Osaf-ur-Rehman synchronising with the hooter. It was a splendid show by Mumbai.
Fragrance of victory
The 3-2 verdict, the first in three encounters, for IOB amply mirrors the fortitude of a team which recovered from a 0-2 deficit at half-time to smell the fragrance of victory.
From day one, it has been a case of so near and yet so far for the local league champion. It almost levelled things against top outfit IOC and then shared points with Indian Railways. Monday produced IOBs finest hour.
In terms of technical excellence, IOB was a shade better. However, its frontline frittered away quite a few chances so assiduously created by the midfield, where the diminutive Senthil played an outstanding role. Senthil had a part in every move but the combination of Vimalanathan, Adam Sinclair and Vinod Rayar failed to translate all his efforts into goals.
On the contrary, Karnataka XI, banking heavily on the experience and expertise of Sandeep Michael and supported well by Somanna and Nithin Thimmiah, scored an early goal through a penalty corner by Rama Rao.
Midway through, Sandeep came up with a superb effort to hoist, what looked at that point, a comfortable lead.
After the break too, the trend was slightly in favour of the Karnataka outfit which was keen on holding on to its lead.
A speck of rough play reared its ugly head but the umpires ensured that the match stayed well under control.
A yellow card for Ramesh Kumar (IOB) and Sampath (Karnataka) cooled tempers a bit.
The transformation
IOBs transformation came midway through the second half when Gopinath deflected in a penalty corner. Even before the cheers died down came a crafty reverse flick by Senthil. This brought the teams on par.
Egged on by the goodly crowd, IOB intensified the sorties and Adam Sinclair shrugged off his sluggishness to slam home the match-winner amidst spontaneous cheers with four minutes remaining for the final whistle.
The victory took IOBs tally to four points in Pool A with a match remaining against Mumbai XI. Joga Singh and Osaf-ur-Rehman played a stellar role in the second half as the latter shared honours with the formidable IOC which has a tally of seven from three games.
On course
Air India was on course for a semifinal spot after its 7-3 win against the inexperienced Orissa Sports Hostel, whose players showed tremendous potential and enthusiasm.
The three goals the Sports Hostel boys scored against Air India underlined their competence. Air India leads the Pool B table with seven points.
The results: Air India 7 (V.S. Vinay, Girish Pimple, Vikram Pillay, Arjun Halappa 2, Sandeep Singh 2) bt Orissa Sports Hostel 3 (Neul Tirkey, Dilip Kerketta, Sanjay Ekka). IOB 3 (Gopinath, Senthil, Adam Sinclair) bt Karnataka 2 (Rama Rao, Sandeep Michael). IOC 4 (Raghunath, Deepak Thakur 2, Roshan Minz) drew with Mumbai XI 4 (Ajay Kumar, Joga Singh 2, Osaf-ur-Rehman).
Tuesdays matches: Orissa v BPCL; Air India v Namdhari.

Coimabatore:PSG corners glory
PSG College of Technology (Coimbatore) scored a hard-fought 1-0 win over Kongu Engineering College (Perundurai) in the final of the Anna University Zone-7 hockey tournament for men at the Coimbatore Institute of Technology grounds recently.
In the semifinals, PSG got past Park College of Engineering and Technology and Kongu defeated host Coimbatore Institute of Technology.

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Ni Howdy! Beijings etiquette offensive By WARREN LEVINSON, Associated Press Writer
BEIJING (AP)Ni Howdy! APs Warren Levinson, who is covering his 8th Olympic games, is blogging daily about the sights and sounds of the host city.
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2008
There are some ways you go native and some ways you dont.
Eating with chopsticks, even when breakfast is sausage and eggs? I can do that.
Rolling your shirt up to the nipple line to keep cool in the Beijing heat?
Sorry.
Actually, the city went on a campaign to get the locals to stop altogether. It was part of the same etiquette offensive that seeks to keep Beijingers from spitting and get them to line up and wait their turn.
But men with exposed midriffs have resisted the drive to get them to cover up. Young men, old men, fat men, thin men.
Not this man, even though it has been awfully hot. Didnt bring enough sunscreen. And today, we actually did have sun. Our first after almost a full week of smoggy haze.
THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2008
A note about yesterdays visit with Jen Lin-Liu, in which she was puzzling over why the Chinese had turned back copies of her culinary and cultural tour, Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China.
Reader Tyler Haglund points out that Serve the People! is also the title of Chinese writer Yan Liankes sexy satire of life in the Peoples Liberation Army. Its banned in China. Mr. Haglund suggests that the overworked mail-openers at the border probably didnt bother to make the distinction. Thanks for the clarification.
Heres a look at both:
http://tinyurl.com/6axnp6
http://tinyurl.com/5vbupw
THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2008
Consider this my apology to the Chinese food delivery men of New York.
Mike Noble, the announcer here for team handball, has been riding a bicycle around Beijing during the games. He gave me a few pointers about how to ride against traffic, which you will have to do occasionally.
Maybe you, I thought. Not me.
In New York, I save my sternest approbation for cyclists coming at me as they ride against traffic.
I dont say anything, but I try to sneer. I try to convey with a look: You moron! They should take your bike away!
Bearers of takeout are far from the worst offenders, but theyre disproportionately represented.
Now after a few days in the minuet that is Beijing traffic, I realize riding the wrong way is not only necessary (I have to do it to get home or make a half-dozen complicated turns), its culturally ingrained.
Dui bu qi! Sorry!
Im not making any promises, but Ill try not to sneer when I get back.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2008
One of the great things about foreign travel is catching up with old friends and colleagues in distant places.
Jen Lin-Liu, who was a Newsweek on Air intern when I co-hosted that radio show in the 90s, is all grown up now. Shes a writer and cooking teacher whos been living in China since 2000, when she came here on a Fulbright Fellowship.
She made us lunch at her cooking studio in the Black Sesame Hutong (nothing fancy, salmon and fried rice, but a home-cooked meal at the Olympics is as rare as a bicycle helmet in Beijing), where we caught up and she talked about the security crackdown that makes the capital feel like a ghost town to its residents.
ve made restaurants put up signs that say No Gambling, No Prostitution, she reports. One of my restaurant owner friends says, m not going to put those up. People are going to start wondering, Do I have gambling? Do I have prostitution?s felt the sting of police state tactics herself. She had the publisher of her new book, Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China, ship her copies to give friends here, only to have the authorities ship them back. Not authorized material was the only explanation.
By the way, a lot has been said about the suspension of all construction projects in order to project the image of an orderly city. That includes home renovations, a Chinese passion. Theyre on hold until after the Paralympics next month.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2008
So what was that?
The tank ok, armored personnel carrier that was parked out front of the main press center yesterday is gone.
I know it was there. I sent a snapshot home of me posing with it.
No word from the Chinese on why they took it away, or why it was there in the first place.
Was there a real threat, now passed? (The two machine-gun toting guards posted yesterday are still there.)
Was it an advertisement? Was the Chinese military letting the international arms bazaar know what surplus equipment it has for sale? Certainly the government knew that an APC with a half-dozen troops parked in front of 25,000 journalists would immediately become the most photographed bit of military hardware in the world.
Today the commercial is over. The mystery lingers.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2008
Heres a scene that will be repeated in millions of Chinese living rooms where Olympic vacation photos are displayed.
Wow, that Birds Nest is really something! But whats that gray, filmy stuff in the foreground?
The organizers, in their infinite wisdom, have closed the Olympic Parkthe park they boast is the biggest in Olympic history to all but ticket holders to events.
So that means, at least until track and field starts, that the place is empty.
The Chinese are anxious to control everything, fearing real violence and some student wrapped in a Tibetan flag falling down in a puddle of fake blood.
So to be on the safe side, its ticket holders only. And instead of a vast, open promenade, its thousands of noses and cameras pressed up against the security fence.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2008
I have joined the army of bicyclists thronging Beijings streets. I bought a single-speed Giant without a bell, but brakes that, so far, squeal like a baby elephant going though a blender. How long could I watch people riding bikes without joining them?
Some observations:
They ride slow here. I like to go faster. Does this make people think I am stupid or rude? After one day, I havent decided.
This is an enormously complicated city. I navigated my way successfully from my accommodations to Tiananmen Square and back in the morning, but got disastrously lost (even with a map!) making the same trip in the afternoon.
No one wears a helmet. I saw three other people in helmets Tuesday. Two were foreigners on rental bikes.
Intersections are a fascinating ballet in which bikes seem to drift around the cars and pedestrians. For autos, right on red means right now on red no watching for walkers or cyclists. For everyone else, the traffic light is advisory only. If you can make it, you go. Slowly.
There are miles and miles of separated bike lines, but they are regularly ignored by drivers and pedestrians. The former treat them like an extension of the roadway; the latter like part of the sidewalk. Sometimes the safest way to get somewhere is to pull into the motor traffic lanes.
It isnt that hard to negotiate Beijing traffic by bike if youre an experienced urban cyclist. I dont recommend learning to ride here, any more than I would suggest you take up swimming by trying the shark tank at Sea World.
One more thing: want to buy my bike? Half price on August 24th. About $50, lock included.
TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2008
The thing about foreign languages is that they sound so, well, foreign.
To an outsider, everything said in French or Italian tends to sound more romantic than it really is. Everything in German seems to sound more threatening. In Mandarin, its the volume thats exotic.
At an early morning fruit and vegetable market in a narrow alley near the Forbidden City, buyers press in on heaps of peaches, beans, tomatoes, celery and yams, conducting transactions at a volume that would deafen a trader on the Chicago Merc.
To the outsider, it sounds like this:
You moron! I curse your ancestors to the eighteenth generation!
But hes really saying, Hey! Try the cauliflower! Its really good today!
MONDAY, Aug. 11, 2008
How eager are the Chinese to please?
sang out a voice at my elbow as I was waiting to cross a busy street. My name is Ivy! Where are you from?
Ivy was an eager volunteer whos taking time from an office job to work for the Business Club of Australia, an arm of the government in Canberra. She was so sweet, I did not have the heart to tell her that while her English was good, it was a little like talking to an audio tour.
New York! New York is also called the Big Apple. New York, New York. The city is so nice, they named it twice. Many young people enjoy living in New York. There are always exciting things to do. They can go to the theater, to concerts and the museums any time.
I was looking for a shop where I could buy a bicycle. She took me to a supermarket. They didnt have any.
Just between you and me, I was relieved. Im not sure Id be comfortable riding in Beijing traffic on something purchased between the beans and the bok choy.
SUNDAY, Aug. 10, 2008
If youve ever browsed the fake designer goods on the streets of a big American city, visiting Beijings Panjiayuan market is like tracing the Knockoff Nile to its source. The monster flea market is bursting with jewelry, scarves, purses, artwork, pretend antiques, toys, musical instruments I could go on. The tradition at this flea market is you haggle, which, when Im feeling bold, Im sort of good at and when Im feeling shy, not so much.
Sunday was a shy day.
I fingered a dining table runner (sorry, honey, I was too overwhelmed to even focus on jewelry) and immediately the overfriendly proprietor was on me with a price, punched into a calculator. About $100. I shook my head and walked awayt that how you haggle? indicate youre ready to walk?but she came after me, insisting on a counterproposal. I lowballed it. She made the international symbol for you insult me and generations of my ancestors with your offer. I walked again and we were off. My favorite part of the negotiation was how she reached down to the floor to indicate how low she was willing to go.
Eventually, it was $45 and Im sure I overpaid, despite her sign language demonstrating how elaborately the item was made. was her one word of English. Still, its a nice piece, and it will look good in our dining room or someone elses if my wife overrules my taste, as is her spousal prerogative.
Next week Ill go back for the jewelry.
SUNDAY, Aug. 10, 2008
I dont want to insult the New York City subway, which has made great strides after hitting bottom 30 years ago. But by comparison, the Beijing subway rocks.
For 2 yuanabout 35 centss a smooth, quiet ride. With video. My train was showing Olympic highlights, interspersed with commercials for the subway. Thankfully, no sound.
One thing the New York and Beijing subways have in common is public address announcements in Mandarin. At least I assume its Mandarin in New York. How else do you explain the noises that come out of the PA system on the R train?
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2008
Its probably just me, but the thing that may stand out in my mind about the Olympics opening ceremony isnt going to be Li Nings spectacular Peter Pan act lighting the cauldron.
Or the 2,008 drummers, chanting and drumming on their ancient instruments in perfect unison.
Or the flashing light suits. Or the spacewalkers and the giant globe.
Its those wind machines.
When the Chinese flag was raised early in the ceremony, it snapped smartly in the breeze for the rest of the evening. So did the Olympic flag when they ran that one up the flagpole near the end.
Only there was no breeze. The air was hot, humid and utterly still, as its been for most of the last week. Its starting to get the asbestos-like smell of a bad brake job. The way things are going, no ones going to have to worry about wind-aided track records.
Now, I know the Olympic opening ceremony isnt exactly a documentary. That Chinese scroll painting wasnt discovered by dancers rolling across a sheet with brushes attached to their hands and feet.
I know the Chinese have been doing their best to control the weather, trying to make it rain and not rain on command.
But still. There were 91,000 hot, sweaty spectators.
You had all that extra wind, and you couldnt blow any on us?
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2008
This is probably an easy target: Weird translations of Chinese business names into English. Still, I couldnt resist this one, on a Beijing beauty parlor.
Focusing attention scalding with Sharon.m sure being scalded by Sharon (or with Sharon) would focus my attention. Im just not sure its a service I want to pay for.
As a bald guy, my hair care experience is limited. Anyone care to guess what she means?
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2008
You could tell a big event was in the air even if the streets werent blocked off for miles in all directions around the Olympic Green, or the troop trucks werent disgorging loads of ramrod-straight soldiers.
The flags are out.
Unlike Americans, especially Americans post-9/11, the Chinese arent that into flag display. You see them everywhere and on sale everywhere. It seemed every snack bar and newsstand was selling at least little ones on the eve of the Olympics.

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I wanted to make a summary of my performance in hockey pools this year, so I figured this would be a good way to do it.

Regular Season
1. Main Local Draft, 20 players each, snake style, points only
Cost: 20$
Result: 1st of 5
Winnings: +80$
2. Fantasy hockey, Sporting News, season 1 (1st half)
Cost: 0$
Result: 1st of 7
3. Fantasy hockey, Sporting News, season 2 (2nd half)
Cost: 0$
Result: 2nd of 9
4. Box Style draft, point/penalty minutes/goalies
Cost: 20$
Result: ~15 of ~60
Winnings: -20$

Playoffs
1. Box Style Draft, points/goalies
Cost: 10$
Result: 1st of 11
Winnings: +90
2. Snake Style Draft, points/goalies
Cost: 5$
Result: 2nd of 6
Winnings: -5$
3. Vecima playoff pick'em pool, 3 points to pick series winner, bonus 2 points for correct # games picked
Cost: 0$
Result 1st of 31
Winnings: 40$ gas card

Overall, not a shabby year to come up with some wins and winnings of 145$ plus the gas card.

Now to dominate my 1v1 Euro pick'em pool versus Brett.

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