National poll finds the New York Yankees to be America’s Team
When asked to name the Major League Baseball team they consider to be “America’s Team,” the Yankees were named by 41.6% of respondents with an opinion, in a national poll conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute. This was followed by the Red Sox at 16.3% and the Braves at 6.9%. A total of twenty-five teams were named.
Which MLB team do you consider to be “America’s Team”? Sept. 2009
Yankees 41.6%
Red Sox 16.3
Braves 6.9
Cubs 7.3
Phillies 4.2
Cardinals 5.0
Mets 2.5
Tigers 2.5
Other teams named with less frequency included: White Sox, Blue Jays, Oakland As, Orioles, Tampa Bay, Dodgers, Rangers, Brewers, Reds, Giants, Pirates, Indians, Twins and Angels.
Source: Sacred Heart University
12 local athletes and coaches chosen for U.S. Wheelchair Basketball Team
naugural Australian Paralympic Youth Games set for Oct. 5-11
The United States has been invited to participate in the inaugural Australian Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne, Australia, in October. The wheelchair basketball team includes nine athletes and three coaches from Courage Center in Golden Valley, Minn. The competition takes place October 5-11 at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre. The Paralympic event includes teams from throughout Australia plus international teams of athletes age 20 years or younger as of December 31, 2009.
The U.S. roster includes:
(* Courage Center representative)
Athletes
Greg Anger, 20, Milwaukee, Wis., Missouri Tigers
*Robert Doyle, 16, Eden Prairie, Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
*Ben Kenyon, 18, Minnetonka, Minn., Wisconsin-Whitewater (Courage Center alum)
Dylan Fischbach, 14, Nebraska Red Dawgs, South Dakota
*Joe Dixon, 16, Lakeville, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
Jon Ruiz, 15, Chicago, Ill., Windy City Warriors
*Mark Braun, 15, Mounds View, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
*Rose Hollermann, 13, Elysian, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
*Derrick Bisnett, 16, Bismarck, N.D., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
*Robbie Wilhelm, 18, St. Paul, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
*Connor Downes, 18, Rosemount, Minn., Missouri Tigers (Courage Center alum)
Sam Blakley, 16, Utah, Utah Wheelin’ Jazz
Staff
*Mike Bauler, Head coach, New Hope, Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
Trent Thenhaus, assistant coach, Chicago, Ill., Windy City Warriors
*Brendan Downes, assistant coach, Rosemount, Minn., Arizona Wildcats
*Jeff Downes, team manager, Dallas, Texas, Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves
*Tim Kenyon, assistant team manager, Minnetonka, Minn., Courage Center
Junior Rolling Timberwolves
More Info:
www.wsv.org.au/events/australian-paralympic-youth-games.html
MMA returns to primetime on CBS with STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. ROGERS Live on Saturday, Nov. 7
Fedor, the #1 Ranked MMA Heavyweight in the World, To Be Seen for the First Time by Broadcast Television Audience
The CBS Television Network will return to the mixed martial arts (MMA) cage with STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. ROGERS, to be broadcast Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT). SHOWTIME Sports will produce the four-fight event with host Gus Johnson calling the action and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo serving as color analysts.
In 2008, CBS aired the first live MMA fights on network television, with three successful events earning time period-winning ratings in all key young adult and young men demographics. CBS’s most recent broadcast in October 2008 ranked as the night’s highest-rated program on both broadcast and cable in adults 18-34 and men 18-34, topping all other sports programming in those demographics, including the Major League Baseball playoffs and college football.
On Nov. 7, the world’s Number One-ranked MMA heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, will face undefeated American Brett Rogers of Minnesota in the marquee match up. The fight marks the first bout for the highly coveted Emelianenko since his promotional company M-1 Global signed an agreement with STRIKEFORCE to co-promote major events.
“There’s no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Prime Time, CBS Television. “We’re excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport. The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it.”
Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. He is a master of the Russian military combat system Sambo and boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions. The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds. He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the STRIKEFORCE brand to CBS,” said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of STRIKEFORCE. “We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world’s No. 1 heavyweight–Fedor–compete for the first time on live network television against one of America’s most promising young, undefeated stars–Brett Rogers.”
STRIKEFORCE has experienced significant growth since it launched its first MMA promotion on March 10, 2006. After signing a landmark deal to air live events on SHOWTIME earlier this year, STRIKEFORCE earned the premium network its highest MMA rating ever on August 15 with Carano vs. Cyborg. Shortly before the live telecast, the main event principals–Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos–were the most searched terms on Yahoo! and Google, while the fight was the most discussed subject on Twitter.
Source: CBS Television Network
Think London and UKTI’s Route to 2012 Roadshow arrives in Boston
VIP Business Events with the New England Clean Energy Council and the BBC Highlight Sustainable and Digital Business Opportunities in London
Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for London, and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) are hosting two high profile events as part of the ‘Route to 2012′ North American roadshow in Boston. The Route is aimed at highlighting business investment opportunities in London, especially around the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Think London, in partnership with UKTI, completed the first part of the roadshow in June 2009, when it engaged with businesses from a broad range of sectors including digital and sustainability on the West coast of the United States. Having already visited 8 cities, the ‘Route to 2012′ will continue on to Toronto and Chicago; culminating in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In addition to a series of one-on-one corporate meetings, two key events will take place while the delegation is in the Boston area. The first, a business breakfast, will be held the morning of September 17, 2009 and will focus on the subject of sustainability around the OIympic Games that are less than three years away. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has taken a strong stance on encouraging green development, and consequently there exists a wealth of opportunities for businesses operating in this sector.
Among the high profile speakers at the breakfast will be Nick d’Arbeloff, President of the New England Clean Energy Council. According to Nick, “London and the UK already represent a strong market for cleantech products and services. With the approaching 2012 Games in London–already being dubbed the ‘Green Games’–there exists an even greater opportunity for clean energy business here in New England to find fertile ground in the U.K. and European markets.”
The second event, a VIP business dinner that is being held at the British Consulate in Cambridge the evening of September 17, 2009, will have a particular focus on London’s digital credentials given the city’s objective to host the first truly “Digital Games”. Ben Gallop, who is leading the Digital Olympics project for the BBC, the domestic rights holder for the 2012 Games, will be speaking at the event. According to Gallop, “The BBC aims to broadcast every single moment of every sporting event at the Games. This will be achieved through online, mobile, interactive and ‘traditional’ TV but will naturally have a massive impact on new digital technologies ahead of the Games. The time is now ripe for innovative businesses in the digital field to consider the opportunities open to them in London.”
Michael Charlton, Chief Executive of Think London, added, “While in the Boston area, we’ve mainly focused on the digital media and sustainability sectors, however the London proposition is open to businesses from all sectors. Specifically, the 2012 Games are expected to generate approximately 7,000 direct contracts and form a supply chain of around 75,000 contracts open to businesses of all shapes and sizes. Outside of the Games the current economy offers companies a unique window of opportunity. In fact there has never been a better time to invest in London with a deeper and wider talent pool, lower commercial property costs, and the depreciation of sterling against the dollar, the global recession has opened a window of investment opportunity in London now.”
Lord Davies of Abersoch, the UK Minister for Trade, Investment and Business, concludes: “North America and the UK have a historically strong economic relationship, and we are seeing great interest from US companies in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I would certainly encourage them to either partner with a British company or to consider investing directly in the UK. Moreover the UK provides an excellent platform for wider growth in the European market. As an indication of the scale of the opportunities available, Lloyds TSB, sponsors of the 2012 Games, have predicted that there will be 21 billion pounds Sterling of business outcomes from the London Games in 2012.”
The ‘Route to 2012′:
The ‘Route to 2012′ is a business roadshow being hosted by Think London, in partnership with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), aimed at highlighting the business opportunities London has to offer, specifically around the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, and the 2012 Games legacy for those companies wishing to consider the longer term opportunities in London. The first leg of the roadshow took place in June 2009 and took in the cities of Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle and Dallas. This successfully generated over 30 new business leads. The aim of the second leg of the road show is to engage with companies from the sustainable and digital sectors in and around the cities of Atlanta; Washington DC, New York and Boston. The roadshow will culminate with an event in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics. UK Trade & Investment is working with Think London on the ‘Route to 2012′ roadshow by hosting events, offering key note addresses and delivering the broader UK messages for US companies.
Think London:
Think London is the foreign direct investment agency for London, connecting international businesses to London, helping them set up, succeed and grow. Think London is a not-for-profit, private-public partnership delivering expertise and advice to international businesses. The service is completely free, comprehensive and confidential. Think London works with government and the business community to help companies access the best people, places and opportunities in the city. Since 2000, Think London has assisted nearly 900 companies from North America expand their operations to London including Whole Foods Market, First Citizens Bank, Google, LinkedIn, Aramark, Microsoft, Amgen, Facebook and TerraCycle Think London’s principal funding partners are the London Development Agency and a network of Commercial Partners. Other key partners are the City of London Corporation, which also provides funding, UK Trade & Investment and the business community through London First. For more information, please visit the website at www.thinklondon.com
A Whole New Meaning for ‘Street Ball’ as New Yorkers of All Ages Dribble Basketball Astounding Seven Miles Through Manhattan Streets
Including Times Square, Harlem and Upper West Side
“Street ball” was taken to a whole new level today on the streets of New York by hundreds of New Yorkers of all ages as they dribbled a special ball over 122 city blocks and bounced it an estimated 10,000 times to celebrate an upcoming basketball game between the New York Knicks and a team from Israel to benefit the world’s largest orphanage.
Anchoring the pilgrimage to Madison Square Garden where the intrepid ball handlers were met by the Knicks were the playmaking legends of Rucker Park who did special wrist exercises in preparation for the unique undertaking. They and other participants – 200 strong which included children from nearby schools, were accompanied by special police escort to ensure the ball never stopped bouncing and found its way safely to “The World’s Greatest Arena.”
The ball utilized came all the way from the Middle East to Rucker Park – the most iconic outdoor basketball court in the nation. Through crowded intersections, past curious tourists and amused residents, the “downtown dribblers” received water while on the move and were closely monitored for safety.
It was all to celebrate an upcoming basketball game, which will be played on October 18 at Madison Square Garden between the New York Knicks and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv benefiting Migdal Ohr, the world’s largest orphanage in Northern Israel and home to nearly 7,000 orphaned, impoverished, underprivileged and new immigrant children.
Robert Katz, executive vice president of the American Friends of Migdal Ohr, said that when these teams played two years ago, it was the most successful exhibition basketball game in the history of the Garden. In 2005, Maccabi became the first international team to win on North American soil when they defeated the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
“The momentum building for this game has been amazing,” Katz said. “Who says lightning doesn’t strike twice? To see New Yorkers come together literally in the streets of New York to celebrate this great match between Maccabi and the Knicks is truly wonderful.”
The event concluded at Madison Square Garden, where the final dribbler, Israeli Consul General for New York Asaf Shariv, handed it off to members of the waiting New York Knicks for a special reception honoring all the ball handlers who braved New York traffic and crowds to deliver the special ball. The Rucker players who donated their time in support of the upcoming game are part of the legendary Entertainers Basketball Classic summer tournament.
Israel Prize Laureate Rabbi Y.D. Grossman founded Migdal Ohr in 1972 with 18 children in a small one-story building in Northern Israel. Today Migdal Ohr is roughly the size of the Columbia University campus, where each day thousands of children from all over the world are fed, clothed, housed, educated and nurtured on to productive lives. Migdal Ohr runs a network of schools, providing academic and vocational studies while integrating new immigrant children into Israeli society through specialized curricula and after-school programs.
Tickets for the October 18 Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv versus Knicks game at Madison Square Garden are available at migdalohrusa.org.
Source: Migdal Ohr