HDNets broadcast of Dream 12 to make history in Japanese Mixed Martial Arts
Network to deliver LIVE coverage of the debut of the ‘White Cage’ from Japan – Sunday, October 25
History will be made when the “White Cage” makes its debut on Sunday, October 25 as “HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12″ LIVE from Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan. For the first time, a major Japanese MMA event will take place in the cage as DREAM forsakes its traditional ring for a one-night-only extravaganza! The action airs exclusively throughout North America on HDNet beginning at 2:00 a.m. ET.
The event features a trio of champions as Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Allistair Overeem (29-11) faces James Thompson (14-10), consensus top-five lightweight and Bellator Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) squares off with Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1), and DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis (12-3) meets Myeon Ho Bae (8-4). In other action, MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba (25-12-1) tangles with Zelg Galesic (9-4), former WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe (12-5) takes on Yoshiro Maeda (25-7-2), and former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (18-1) faces Yoon Dong-Sik (4-7).
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon said, “The MMA world is watching to see what the ‘White Cage’ really is! There has been wild marketing around the cage in Japan which adds intrigue to a stacked card featuring 3 champions from 3 different organizations.”
HDNet’s live presentation of “HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12″ begins early morning Sunday, October 25, 2:00 a.m. ET/Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 p.m. PT. An encore presentation is scheduled for Friday, October 30 at 10:30 pm ET.
Source: HDNet
The wait is over: Troy Coughlin wins NMCA Pro Street Championship
For nearly three decades, drag racer Troy Coughlin has chased his dream of winning a national title. Sunday at Memphis Motorsports Park, the 45-year-old Coughlin finally realized his goal, taking the top division in the National Muscle Car Association by racing his JEGS.com Pontiac GXP Pro Street machine to the semifinal round of the season-ending Nitto Tire World Finals.
“Now I know what it feels like,” said Coughlin, one of four brothers who own and operate JEGS Mail Order in Delaware, Ohio. “I’ve celebrated all of my brothers championships over the years and enjoyed them all immensely, but I always wanted to get one for myself. Now I know the feeling, just like my brothers, just like John Force and Tony Schumacher and all the others who have been lucky enough to win it all. It’s pretty special.”
Earlier victories in Chicago and Charlotte, a national record of 6.279 seconds, and steady outings at all the other events left Coughlin needing only to show up and qualify for this weekend’s race to secure the title in the Scorpion Performance Pro Street class.
Leaving nothing to chance, he powered through to the semifinals and even reset both ends of the national record with a quarterfinal run of 6.277 at 225.08 mph to finish the year in grand style.
“I owe so much to my crew guys — Clint Allerton, Brian Metzenheim, and Mike Rees,” Coughlin said. “I’m so proud of them and for them. They’ve worked so hard for a long time to reach this goal. I could see on their faces this weekend how important it was to them. They were all business until we clinched the title, and then they stayed on it until the end, just to make sure we got it done. They are the best.
“Having my wife Julie and my girls, Meghan, Paige, and Kelly Jo with us was pretty special. They’ve been there for me from the start and it’s great to see how excited they are now. My son Troy Jr. would have been here too but he was racing with his Uncle Mike in Georgia. We’ve talked on the phone a bunch and I know he’s excited.
“I can’t wait to get home and have a big party. I know everyone at JEGS Mail Order will be pumped up. Their support has meant a lot. This championship is for all of them as much as anyone else.”
Coughlin already has pledged to come back and defend his title on the Edelbrock NMCA series in 2010.
Source: JEGS
Vicks to send a lucky fan to cheer on team USA at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
Vicks Partners with Apolo Anton Ohno and Lindsey Jacobellis in the Vicks “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA” Sweepstakes
Vicks, the brand consumers have trusted for more than five generations, announced this morning it has partnered with Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno and Lindsey Jacobellis in a viral campaign that will send one lucky fan and a friend to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to cheer on Team USA in Vancouver. The sweepstakes, “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA,” begins today and will run through January 4th.
“Athletes like myself train their whole lives to compete in the Olympic Games and having fans on the sidelines cheering Team USA at the biggest sporting event in the world makes all the difference for an athlete,” says Apolo Anton Ohno. “It’s so hard to get tickets to the Olympics, but now thanks to Vicks, all my fans have a chance to win a trip to 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver to support me and all of Team USA in person.”
To enter the Vicks “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA” sweepstakes, consumers must first “follow” Apolo and Lindsey on the communications platform, Twitter. Fans can then watch for Lindsey and Apolo to send the official URL to all their followers via Twitter. Click on the URL, enter your email and you’re automatically entered to win a fabulous, once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to Vancouver to attend the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to cheer on Team USA. You may also re-tweet a message about the sweepstakes to all of your followers for another chance to win and to spread the good news. Consumers can enter to win once a day, with an opportunity to earn a bonus entry per day. For fans without a Twitter account, more information on how to submit an entry using an email address is available at www.Tweet2CTeamUSA.com.
“Having fans support Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games really keeps the athletes spirits high,” says Lindsey Jacobellis. “I’m really excited to be a part of this sweepstakes because I love when the fans can come see us compete and cheer us on.”
Vicks is a proud sponsor of Team USA and is pleased to be the official sponsor of cough, cold and flu medicine of the U.S. Olympic Team. To learn more about Vicks and the “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA” sweepstakes, consumers can log on to www.Vicks.com.
Source: Vicks
Cheerleading injury risk well below that of many school sports
Study demonstrates cheerleading is comparable with other female sports but industry leaders emphasize need for proper training and supervision
Injury risks associated with cheerleading are no greater than most other sports, according to a recent study released by the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA).
Using two existing studies, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injuries annual study and emergency room data from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, AACCA conducted a thorough analysis of the number of injuries per participant to determine risk of injury.
Contrary to some recent media reports, the AACCA analysis found that the risk of injury from cheerleading is comparable with other female sports when participation is factored. In fact, cheerleading ranks third in female sports and eleventh in risk among injuries for all high school athletes.
“It can be readily documented that cheerleading in the U.S. is a reasonably safe and healthy activity for our youth,” says Dr. Gerald George, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Kinesiology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, a noted sports safety expert and the editor of several sports manuals, including the AACCA Manual. “Furthermore, a critical analysis of current injury statistics readily verify that the risk of injury associated with cheer participation is well below that of many popular sport activities currently being conducted in the elementary and secondary schools.”
Dr. George adds, “Like any sport or activity, the risk of injury rises to an unreasonable level in the absence of proper training and supervision. That is why it becomes so important that cheer coaches and school administrators take advantage of the Safety Certification and Educational Programs offered by AACCA.”
Jim Lord, executive director of AACCA and author of the report cautioned that, like all sports, safety must always take top priority. “The data analyzed in this study clearly shows that the risks associated with cheerleading are very much in line with the risk of other sports. It also shows that there is room for improvement in the enforcement of safe practices at all levels of cheerleading.”
In many states, high school cheerleaders follow the guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Beginning this year, the organization is adding cheerleading to its annual injury surveillance study conducted by The Ohio State University.
Susan Loomis, spirit director for the NFHS, has endorsed the AACCA study adding, “This study by the AACCA shows that our efforts to create reasonable safety rules and to encourage coaches’ education are critical to keep cheerleading as safe as possible, in line with other high school sports at the very least.”
Lord is optimistic that the use of correct data, along with a continuing emphasis on safe practices by coaches through its Safety Certification and Education Program, will further improve safety awareness.
“The AACCA formed a partnership with the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2006 that required that college cheerleading coaches must be safety-certified,” Lord said. “The NCAA has reported that there have been no catastrophic injury claims since that time. We see that as a success we can replicate in cheerleading at all age levels.”
To view AACCA’s full annual sports injury study, visit www.aacca.org/safetystudy
Source: American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators
U.S. Wheelchair Basketball Team wins Gold Medal in Australia
8 players, 4 coaches from Courage Center Rolling Timberwolves team
A wheelchair basketball team representing the United States is home after winning a Gold Medal at the inaugural Australian Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne, Australia. The wheelchair basketball team included eight athletes and four coaches, past and present, who compete on Courage Center’s Rolling Timberwolves. The Paralympic competition took place October 5-11 at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre and included teams from throughout Australia plus international teams of athletes age 20 years or younger.
The U.S. team was undefeated, going 7-0 in competition against five Australian teams. In the final game, Team U.S.A. was behind by two points at halftime, but pulled ahead by 6 points at the end of the 3rd quarter, keeping the pressure on to defeat Western Australia’s Westies 68-53.
Derrick Bisnett of Bismarck, N.D., led the team with 118 points, with Minneapolis’ Ben Kenyon scoring 64. Head Coach Mike Bauler was recognized as “Head Supervisor” of the tournament.
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