| Spoil sports
The Gulf has more petrodollars than it knows what to do with and is spoiling the world's sports stars with lavish prizes and tournaments, and even paying Africans to switch passports. In the third part of our ground-breaking globalisation series, we focus on the spend, spend, spend sheikhs Next Monday a select group of British golf journalists will be flown from London to Dubai on a private jet. They will be royally entertained before listening to the announcement of a new addition to the European Tour schedule. Not just another golf tournament, but one that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and all the world's top players will not want to miss - the richest in the world. The prize fund is expected to be $20million and appearance money about as much again. .
Published November 29, 2007 Hooping it up: Over 400 kids sign up for recreation league basketball but high numbers ...
As a record-breaking soccer season winds down for the Pickens Recreation Department, another season gets ready to hit high gear with 440 boys and girls ready to play basketball this winter.
With soccer leagues ending in early November for all but All-Star players, basketball players and coaches are already in full swing with practices at area schools.
Recreation Department Director Greg Walker said the county had 300 soccer players this year, comprising 27 teams ranging in age from four to 14.
"We’ve had success at the (soccer) playoffs," Walker said. "We sent five All-star teams, and our Under-12 girls were in the finals and the Under-10 kids in the semi-finals. For being so late starting a soccer program, we’re really starting to make some noise at the district level.
Cardinals' La Russa pleads guilty to drunken driving
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. � St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence today, eight months after police found him asleep inside his running sport utility vehicle at a stop light and smelling of alcohol. La Russa said he had decided to plead guilty to the misdemeanor because it was in the best interest of all concerned. ``I accept full responsibility for my conduct, and assure everyone that I have learned a very valuable lesson and that this will never occur again,'' La Russa said in a statement released by his attorney, David Roth. La Russa did not appear in court to plead guilty. As part of his plea agreement, La Russa will serve at least six months' probation, pay a $678.50 fine, complete DUI school and any recommended treatment and complete 50 hours of community service, according to state prosecutors.
Coaches, players excited about Pete Hanna Center
Samford University unveiled its new $32 million Pete Hanna Center to the media on Wednesday and it was hard to tell who was happiest - the two basketball coaches who now have a state-of-the-art facility to recruit to, the athletics director who has a showcase for the program, or women's shooting guard Megan Wilderotter. "We have a bathroom in our locker room," said Wilderotter, a junior from New Orleans. "I know that sounds really weird, because most locker rooms should have bathrooms, but we didn't have one at Seibert. "The locker room is like quadrupled in size. I personally love Seibert, but now that we have this - it's great." The facility, which is scheduled to be open for its first athletics events on Monday at 5:30 for a women's and men's basketball exhibition doubleheader, features 5,000 chair-back seats on two levels.
Retailers gear up for big day
Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally gives retailers a significant sales boost - should wake up consumer's wallets with plenty of holiday shopping options this weekend.Greenwood Mall will begin its shopping blitz at 6 a.m., giving away shopping bags filled with goodies for the first 500 adult patrons who show up near the carousel entrance. Bags will be filled with retail discounts and randomly placed prizes, including a Nintendo Wii, and mall gift cards ranging from $50 to $250, according to Greenwood Mall marketing manager Shelli Rose."They typically go very fast," Rose said. "People have been known to line up as early as 4 a.m."Mall shoppers can also browse the mall's seasonal in-line stores, including Pet Dreams, which provides clothing, furniture and other trendy items for pets; Kitchen Collection, which specializes in gadgets for the kitchen; Quail Hollow Candles and Gifts, and Big Country Power Sports, Rose said.At Best Buy, product process manager Kyle Gerkins will accommodate those who flood the long lines at his store early Friday morning with port-a-potties."Last year, people started lining up on Thanksgiving morning," Gerkins said.Gerkins said the store has increased its stock to handle the crowds, especially those looking to stuff stockings with flat-panel, plasma or LCD TVs, MP3 players and video game systems.Gerkins expects the Nintendo Wii to garner considerable attention again this year, since shoppers are still hungry for the console because of supply shortcomings.Digital picture frames, which flash slideshows of snapshots loaded from a memory card, are also expected to be a huge seller.Doors will open at 5 a.m.
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