Brock Lesnar in his UFC debut.

By Kevin Iole
Saturday, Feb 2, 2008 11:55 pm EST

LAS VEGAS — Brock Lesnar was everything he was purported to be in his UFC debut.

Unfortunately for the former WWE star, Frank Mir was, too. Mir, the ex-UFC heavyweight champ whose career was nearly derailed by a 2004 motorcyle accident, survived an early pounding to submit Lesnar at 1:30 of the first round Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Lesnar, a college wrestling national champion, easily took Mir down twice in the early going and was pounding away with fists and elbows to the grounded Mir. But Mir worked for submissions and eventually worked into a knee bar that forced Lesnar to tap out.

Mir had failed twice to get an arm bar on Lesnar, whose massive arms made it difficult.
“His legs were leaner, so I went for those,” Mir said.

Lesnar took Mir down only 10 seconds into the fight and it looked for a second as if the bout might end early. Lesnar was in Mir’s guard and pounding away, but punched Mir in the back of the head, a foul that cost him a point.
As soon as the bout resumed, Lesnar took him down again and began to repeat the pummeling.
“It feels spectacular, because I had Brock Lesnar dropping elbows on my head and I still pulled through that and got a submission,” Mir said.

The end came as Mir failed to get an arm bar on Lesnar. Lesnar tried to move away and Mir snatched his ankle and quickly slapped on the knee bar. Lesnar had to tap very quickly.
In only his second mixed martial arts bout, Lesnar took on the challenge of one of the top fighters in the world. He said he would continue to fight.

“I came out trying to pressure Frank (because) I questioned his heart,” Lesnar said. “I was just trying to get a bunch of shots in there and I left my leg out there. He’s a top-notch jiu-jitsu guy and he got me tonight. He’s the better fighter.”

NYC Marathon Applications

2008 NYC Marathon Applications

Sam Vasquez, MMA fighter dies

Sam Vasquez of Houston may have become the first fighter to die from injuries sustained in mixed martial arts competition in North America.

A report by The Fight Network cited the Harris County (Texas) medical examiner’s office confirming Vasquez’s death at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The cause of death was not released.

Vasquez had been battling for his life since taking a hard right to the chin from 21-year old Vince Libardi on Oct. 20 during a Renegades Extreme Fighting show at the Toyota Center in Houston. The blow knocked Vasquez out and he was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he stayed until moving to hospice care on Monday.

The 35-year-old Vasquez was competing in the featherweight division (145 pound weight class) in the third match of a 12-match card promoted by Saul Soliz, the longtime boxing coach of Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Tito Ortiz. The show was overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Calls to the department on Sunday were not immediately returned.

After taking a flurry of punches from Libardi, Vasquez collapsed in the ring and the fight was waved off at 2:50 of the third round. Emergency medical technicians worked on him in the ring for several minutes until he suffered what appeared to be a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.

Vasquez’s condition worsened from there. On Nov. 4, two weeks after being admitted, he underwent the first of two surgeries to relieve the pressure of a large clot in his brain, then had a massive stroke on Nov. 9 and was placed in a medically induced coma.

Vasquez, who had a seven-year-old son, came into the match with a 1-1 record, and had not fought in 13 months. Libardi, 14 years Vasquez’s junior, entered the match with seven pro fights and 10 rounds of action over three fights in the time since Vasquez had last fought in Sept. 2006.

“There was nothing out of the ordinary,” Paul Erickson, who was at ringside taking photos, said in an interview with The Fight Network. “They scrambled and hit the cage. Sammy stood up and looked a little wobbly. Then he went down and the referee called the doctor in. It didn’t seem like anything was out of the ordinary. Sammy was winded and looked exhausted, but he wasn’t unconscious when they carried him out. Everyone was puzzled at the time because no one could tell when or where he was injured.”

MMA had until recently been considered highly controversial, and a group of critics led by Sen. John McCain caused it to be banned in several states in the mid-to-late 1990s and pressured cable companies to not air its pay-per-view events.

In the past two-and-a-half years, though, the sport exploded in popularity due to television exposure of UFC, the sport’s major league franchise. UFC’s success has spawned hundreds of smaller promotions around North America with many states now holding more MMA events than boxing events.

Mixed martial arts officials and fans have long noted that there had never been a death in a sanctioned MMA match, a statistic no other combat sport could claim.

The only confirmed death prior to government oversight came when 31-year-old Douglas Dedge of Chipley, Fla. passed away on March 18, 1998, from severe brain injuries suffered in a match two days earlier at a non-sanctioned event called World Super Challenge in Russia. Dedge had passed out in a training session leading up to the fight, but went through with the match anyway.

Jeter’s Tax Woes

New York tax officials say Derek Jeter should have been taxed as a state resident from 2001-03, which potentially could cost the Yankees captain millions of dollars.

Yankees Memorabilia

 

Jeter says he is a Florida resident, but the State Division of Taxation of Finance argues that he had a New York residence during that period.

Jeter was given notice in February, then filed a petition for redetermination. In a five-page order from Administrative Law Judge Timothy J. Alston that was dated Nov. 7, the division was told to furnish Jeter with a more detailed bill specifying his “community involvement in jurisdictions other than Florida” and “public statements regarding his desire to be in New York.”

Alston also asked the agency to give specifics of its “vague claim” that Jeter became “immersed in the New York community.” He accepted the department’s assertion that Jeter had “items near and dear” in his New York apartment.

Florida does not have a state income tax, while New York state and city do have income taxes.

“As a Yankee, Derek has great affection for the people of New York and its amazing fans, but since the mid-1990s, he has made his home in Tampa, Florida,” Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, said in a statement.

The case was first reported by FoxNews.com.

Jeter’s contract with the Yankees called for him to receive salaries of $11 million in 2001, $13 million in 2002 and $14 million in 2003. In addition, he has a $16 million signing bonus payable between February 2001 and June 2008.

Jeter purchased an apartment at Trump World Tower in October 2001, according to New York City real estate records.

Jeter’s Tax Woes

New York tax officials say Derek Jeter should have been taxed as a state resident from 2001-03, which potentially could cost the Yankees captain millions of dollars.

NY Yankees Memorabilia 

Jeter says he is a Florida resident, but the State Division of Taxation of Finance argues that he had a New York residence during that period.

Jeter was given notice in February, then filed a petition for redetermination. In a five-page order from Administrative Law Judge Timothy J. Alston that was dated Nov. 7, the division was told to furnish Jeter with a more detailed bill specifying his “community involvement in jurisdictions other than Florida” and “public statements regarding his desire to be in New York.”

Alston also asked the agency to give specifics of its “vague claim” that Jeter became “immersed in the New York community.” He accepted the department’s assertion that Jeter had “items near and dear” in his New York apartment.

Florida does not have a state income tax, while New York state and city do have income taxes.

“As a Yankee, Derek has great affection for the people of New York and its amazing fans, but since the mid-1990s, he has made his home in Tampa, Florida,” Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, said in a statement.

The case was first reported by FoxNews.com.

Jeter’s contract with the Yankees called for him to receive salaries of $11 million in 2001, $13 million in 2002 and $14 million in 2003. In addition, he has a $16 million signing bonus payable between February 2001 and June 2008.

Jeter purchased an apartment at Trump World Tower in October 2001, according to New York City real estate records.

Midseason All Yahoo Sports Team

From Yahoo Sports –

As teams were preparing to report for training camp this summer, Arizona Cardinals general manager Rod Graves played the prophet. Waxing philosophically about an offseason filled with tragedy and tumult, Graves suggested the NFL would once again revive itself with irresistible storylines.

“That’s the beauty of this game,” Graves said. “You can go through so much negativity, but the healing process only takes a few weeks, and everyone is excited again. It’s always that way. Some teams will surprise people. Some young guys will come out of nowhere. Once the games start, everyone will be (celebrating) the players and teams and coaches that make the NFL what it is.”

One look at the midseason All-Yahoo! team reveals an abundance of those storylines, from the race toward the record books by Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson, to the newfound stardom of Braylon Edwards and Wes Welker, to troubled veterans Albert Haynesworth and Jared Allen having the best seasons of their careers.

While this year’s midseason team is predictably talented, keep these criteria in mind when looking over the list:

• The team includes the best talent at each general position. In other words, the list features our picks for the league’s two best tackles. Not the best left tackle and best right tackle.

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• The team features a 4-3 defense, but some players such as 3-4 nose tackles qualify as defensive tackles.

• To reflect the NFL’s trend toward more spread sets and pass attempts, the offense carries three wide receivers and one running back rather than two of each.

With those facts in mind, here is the midseason All-Yahoo! Team.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Is there any doubt? With 33 touchdowns, four interceptions, a 73.2 completion percentage and a 131.8 quarterback rating, Brady is well on his way to the greatest quarterback season in history. Like the difference between the Patriots and the rest of the NFL, Brady is light years ahead of other quarterbacks this season.

Honorable mention: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roethlisberger has finally found his total comfort zone as a passer in coordinator Bruce Arians’ offense, and he’s calling the line protections, too.

Running back: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
He already owns the NFL’s single-game rushing mark with 296 yards against San Diego. And with 1,036 yards through eight games, he’s on pace to shatter Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing mark of 1,808 yards. What’s most amazing: He’s averaging an eyelash under 20 carries per game.

Honorable mention: Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
He’s got 1,036 yards rushing and receiving and six touchdowns in only seven games. He’s the best multi-dimensional back in the NFL this season.

Wide receiver: Randy Moss, New England Patriots; Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns; T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals
Moss’ numbers speak for themselves. He’s making a run at two of Jerry Rice’s coveted single-season records: most touchdown receptions (22) and most receiving yards (1,848). Edwards has cut down on his drops and become one of the best playmaking wideouts in the league. With 10 touchdown catches, Houshmandzadeh has become a terror in the red zone, and taken the reins from Chad Johnson as Cincinnati’s go-to guy.

Honorable mention: Wes Welker, New England Patriots
On pace for 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns, Welker is the perfect complement to Moss from the slot. And his versatility in the return game makes him invaluable to the Patriots.

Tight end: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
The AFC has a plethora of super talented tight ends, but Gates’ combination of strength, speed and smarts makes him the most difficult to cover. And he can block, to boot. He’ll be Philip Rivers’ most dependable No. 1 passing option for years to come.

Honorable mention: Kellen Winslow, Cleveland Browns
Winslow’s NFL-leading 657 receiving yards, 15.6 per reception average, and wide receiver-esque athleticism give him the nod over Dallas Clark, Jason Witten, and Tony Gonzalez.

Tackles: Walter Jones, Seattle Seahawks; Matt Light, New England Patriots
With apologies to Jonathan Ogden, Jones has been the best left tackle in the NFL for three years. Despite Shaun Alexander’s diminishing skill level, Jones remains the best – and most balanced – at his position. Light is the kind of nimble-footed tackle that makes or breaks a West Coast offense.

Honorable mention: Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota Vikings
McKinnie is finally living up to the hype he had coming out of the University of Miami. He’s got the same devastating physical abilities of Jones, although he’s not as technically proficient.

Guards: Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Vikings; Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia Eagles
After a one-year period of adjustment with a new team, Hutchinson has returned to his perch as the best guard in the NFL. It’s not a coincidence that Shaun Alexander hasn’t been the same since he left Seattle, or that Adrian Peterson is flourishing behind Hutchinson. Andrews is the best run-blocking guard in the NFL under 25.

Honorable mention: Eric Steinbach, Cleveland Browns
The loss of Steinbach is one of the reasons Cincinnati’s line is falling apart. He’s well-rounded, and when the Browns need to get tough rushing yards in the red zone, they are running behind Steinbach.

Center: Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis Colts
Saturday is arguably the smartest center in the league, rarely making mistakes as he helps sort out all Peyton Manning’s adjustments at the line of scrimmage. He’s been Manning’s most consistent offensive lineman for eight years and carries a nasty demeanor most centers lack.

Honorable mention: Andre Gurode, Dallas Cowboys
Gurode has become the steadying force in the middle of an underrated Dallas offensive line.

DEFENSE

Defensive tackles: Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans; Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals
Haynesworth is playing out of his mind in his contract year. His troubles have been well-documented, but with five sacks and 30 tackles, he has anchored an overachieving Tennessee defense. Dockett is one of the NFL’s league leaders in sacks this season with eight, and has been a consistent force of chaos for opposing offensive lines.

Honorable mention: Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens
At 23 years old, the massive 340 pound Ngata is already one of the best run-stuffing nose tackles in the NFL. He’s an indispensable interior force that frees up players like Ray Lewis and Bart Scott.

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Defensive ends: Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers; Jared Allen, Kansas City Chiefs
Kampman is on pace for 18 sacks and might be the most underrated defensive player in the NFC. He’s the pressure player who makes life easier for Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Allen is having the best season of his career in a contract year, with 8½ sacks and 30 tackles in only six games. He’s the best player on an up-and-coming Kansas City defense.

Honorable mention: Trent Cole, Philadelphia Eagles
Darren Howard and Jevon Kearse are making the big bucks, but Cole has been Philadelphia’s best defensive end by far. He’s on pace for 18 sacks and is athletic enough to stand up against the run, too.

Linebackers: Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots; Julian Peterson, Seattle Seahawks; Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Vrabel (8½ sacks, 47 tackles, 5 forced fumbles) and Peterson (7 sacks, 47 tackles, 4 forced fumbles) are ideal disruptive forces at outside linebacker. Vrabel has taken over for Bruschi as the playmaking cog for the Patriots, while Peterson is looking like his Pro Bowl self again. Ruud is a prototypical tackling machine at middle linebacker. He gets overlooked for not being overly athletic, but he’s consistent and fills holes with the best of them.

Honorable mention: James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ever wonder why you don’t hear anyone in Pittsburgh complaining about the defection of Joey Porter? It’s because of this guy.

Cornerbacks: Asante Samuel, New England Patriots; Kelvin Hayden, Indianapolis Colts
Samuel has developed into one of the best cover corners in the NFL, and the Patriots are going to pay him like it this offseason. Hayden has added a physical presence to the Colts secondary, and isn’t shy about helping in run support.

Honorable mention: Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Steelers
Taylor still drops interceptions from time to time. However, he’s motivated again and is nearing the level that made him one of the NFL’s best young corners during Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl run.

Safeties: Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Colts; Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins
Pound for pound, Sanders was the best defensive player in the league over the first half. When healthy, he is as important to that defense as Dwight Freeney. Sean Taylor takes a few too many chances for the kill shot, but he is sufficient in coverage and many players say there isn’t a more feared free safety in the league.

Honorable mention: Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens
Reed is tied with Taylor for the NFL lead with five interceptions. The Ravens’ struggles aside, Reed remains one of the best defensive players in football.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Kris Brown, Houston Texans
Tennessee’s Rob Bironas had the monster game of the season, but Brown has been consistent all season long. He’s 18-of-20 on field goal attempts this season, and one of those misses was blocked. Most impressive, he’s converted all three of his attempts from beyond 50 yards.

Punter: Shane Lechler, Oakland Raiders
Lechler is averaging a ridiculous 50.3 gross yards per punt, and a league-leading 43.9 net. He has repeatedly bailed out an incompetent offense and given Oakland’s defense manageable field position.

Kick returner: Leon Washington, New York Jets
It takes someone special to wrestle this spot from Chicago’s Devin Hester, and Washington has been exactly that, returning three kicks for touchdowns in only 25 attempts. His 33.5 yard per return average leads the NFL.

Punt returner: Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
Hester is easily the most feared returner in the league, and he’s managed an absurd 19.6 yards on his 20 returns. Eight of his 20 returns have gone for 20 yards or more, including a pair of touchdowns.

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NASCAR FINDS WATER IN THE RACING FUEL

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — NASCAR conceded Monday that water got into the fuel supply of more than two cars during the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, apparently leading to a crash that took out several top contenders in the closing laps.

Denny Hamlin was leading the Pep Boys Auto 500 with three laps to go when his car stalled while taking the green flag after a caution period. Martin Truex, who led the most laps Sunday, smashed into the back of Hamlin’s car and finished 31st. Hamlin slipped to 24th.

NASCAR MEMORABILIA

“There are multiple teams that are showing positive for some level of water contamination level in their fuel,” said John Darby, NASCAR’s Nextel Cup director. “I can’t tell you the exact number. It’s more than two and less than 43 at the moment.”

Darby dismissed sabotage as a possible explanation, saying too many teams were affected for anyone to have been singled out.

“For those who have their evil, twisted conspiracy hats on, we want to put that to rest,” Darby said. “If it was sabotage, it would have to be the kind of thing where someone hates NASCAR racing across the board.”

He said extensive testing done by Sunoco, NASCAR’s official fuel supplier, showed no signs of problems in the underground storage tanks at the suburban Atlanta speedway. The problem likely occurred in the piping that runs from the tanks to the pumps, or in the pumps themselves.

“It’s a brownish-colored water,” Darby said. “If it was just water, it would be more clear. That should help us understand if it came from a failed pipe or a failed pump or some other source that allowed it to enter the fuel.”

In a “huge majority” of cars that tested positive for water in their fuel systems, the amount was so small that it didn’t affect performance. For example, winner Jimmie Johnson had some water in his carburetor during the post-race inspection.

But the amount of water was enough to affect at least two drivers: Hamlin and Dave Blaney, who had performance issues all day and finished 38th, 66 laps behind Johnson.

37 arrested after World Series

BOSTON (AP) — Police in riot gear cleared several large crowds gathered around Fenway Park early Monday after the Red Sox won their second World Series title in four years.

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Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said 37 arrests were made in the city, mostly for disorderly conduct. No serious injuries were reported.

An unruly crowd flipped a pickup truck to its side near Fenway Park and at least one car fire was reported. Young people sprayed each other with beer and some climbed street signs or utility poles.
“Two World Series in four years is pure heaven,” said Andrew Dumas, a Boston University student from West Boylston.
Police shut down access to Kenmore Square, near Fenway, as Game 4 neared its end in Denver Sunday night. The Red Sox won the game 4-3, touching off celebrations around New England.
Boston authorities cracked down on rowdy sports celebrations after an Emerson College student was struck and killed by a pepper pellet fired by police into an unruly crowd celebrating the Red Sox’s 2004 victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
On Sunday, hundreds of police officers took positions on foot, bicycle and horseback around Fenway, hoping to discourage fans from congregating around the ballpark. The police department had announced it would have more than 50 cameras trained on the city to record any vandalism.
Elsewhere around the region, some 1,500 University of Massachusetts-Amherst students poured out of their dormitories after Boston completed its sweep.
The university said on its Web site that the crowd was boisterous but peaceful, with no damage reported. Six people were arrested for disorderly conduct or for failing to obey a dispersal order that was issued at about 12:45 a.m.
One person suffered a minor injury when he fell to the ground while body surfing.
In Durham, N.H., several thousand University of New Hampshire students gathered on Main Street, many carrying brooms and chanting “sweep, sweep, sweep.”
Several dozen police officers, some in riot gear, pushed the crowds back toward campus and no arrests or injuries were reported.
The victorious Red Sox were expected to arrive back in Boston at about 3:30 p.m. Monday and head to Fenway Park. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the city would meet with team officials later in the day before announcing details of a public celebration, possibly as early as Tuesday.
Menino said he expected the parade to be similar to the “rolling rally” that was held after the 2004 title, in which players rode around the city in Duck Boats.

DALLAS vs. DYNAMO MLS SOCCER

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Clarence Goodson scored an unassisted goal in the 23rd minute as FC Dallas beat Houston 1-0 in the opener of their two-game playoff series Saturday night.

The second game of the aggregate-goal Western Conference semifinal series will be Friday in Houston, where the Dynamo had two wins as part of a 3-0-1 regular-season record against FC Dallas.

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Goodson, who was named the team’s defender of the year earlier in the day, knocked a shot into the left corner of the net from inside the goalie’s box.

The goal was set up by a throw-in from the right side by Adrian Serioux. The pass from 30 yards bounced off Dynamo defender Ryan Cochrane and directly to Goodson.

FC Dallas goalie Dario Sala made a two-handed save to stop a direct shot by Houston’s Brian Ching in the 87th minute. The ball deflected off Sala’s fingertips to Ching, who tapped it to teammate Dwayne DeRosario for a shot at an open net from 12 yards. DeRosario pulled his shot wide right.

Sala finished with four saves for his first playoff shutout.

The Dynamo finished with a 15-9 advantage in total shots and had nine corner kicks to none for FC Dallas.

The bad blood between FC Dallas captain Carlos Ruiz and Houston continued as Ruiz picked up a yellow card in the 19th minute after tripping Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson.

In the teams’ last meeting Sept. 30, Houston’s Ricardo Clark kicked Ruiz in the right shoulder while Ruiz was lying on the ground. Clark received a nine-game suspension, the longest in MLS history, and will miss the playoffs.

Tim Wakefield Out of the Series

BOSTON (AP) — Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is being left off Boston’s roster for the World Series because of a bad shoulder.

The 41-year-old Wakefield fought through back problems late in the season and was kept off the roster for the first-round series against the Los Angeles Angels. He has pitched once since Sept. 29, allowing five runs in 4 2-3 innings in Game 4 of the AL championship series against the Cleveland Indians.

Wakefield was 17-12 with a 4.76 ERA in the regular season.Also Tuesday, Red Sox manager Terry Francona saidJacoby Ellsbury would start Game 1 in center field in place of Coco Crisp.

Crisp struggled in the playoffs and was replaced in the lineup for Games 6 and 7 against Cleveland, and he also banged into the wall catching the final out of the ALCS.

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Green Bay Packers Max McGee Dies

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