Moderatoren Talk » ttling. Ponson got a sizable chunk of his $11.2 milli

This week, Stuart Barnes explains why he is excited by the appointment of Nigel Melville as RFU’s director of professional rugby. Plus, he looks at the winners and losers as the Premiership and PRO12 head towards the play-offs... 1. In England, the weekend rugby news was dominated by the imminent departure of Rob Andrew and his replacement, Nigel Melville. Andrew lost the faith of the general public and the media for not taking greater responsibility since his appointment in 2011.What I will say is that he had to take a share of criticism as a central protagonist in the appointments of Martin Johnson and Stuart Lancaster. Both were bad appointments for differing reasons. Nigel Melvilles USA experience will be invaluable, says Barnes To balance the negatives he is widely believed to have played the crucial role in the heads of agreement between club and country. That is no small achievement.However, more obvious rugby related results were expected. Melville will take back the development role Andrew lost. Great things are expected. Coming from Colorado to Twickenham, the very distance between the states and England will give him a fresh perspective.He has a sharp rugby mind, broad business experience and the knowledge of some of the most sophisticated sports thinking on the planet emanating from the US. The predominant reason for delight is Melvilles appointment, not Andrews imminent departure.2. Eddie has been setting out his time lines. The tour of Australia is a chance for England (as he sees it) to climb the world rankings.New Zealand, however, is in another league to every side and the target to overhaul them in Tokyo 2019 is ambitious enough. No more of this targeting 2023 nonsense, however. The age of excuses seems to have been left behind. Bring out the buntings! Jones plotting victory against Australia 3. Celebrations in Cardiff too where over 68,000 spectators were lured by a promise of exciting derby rugby and cheap tickets into the Principality Stadium for Cardiff Blues versus Ospreys; it is sad that such a great rugby nation as Wales needs something as corny as Judgment Day to lure the supporters, but in this instance it was a great success both on and off the field. Highlights of the Guinness PRO12 round 21 clash between Cardiff Blues and Ospreys Rhys Webb and the returning Scott Williams will have helped make the day of the Welsh management, too. Here is hoping Sam Warburtons injury is nothing too bad. Wales will need every man standing in New Zealand.4. It was billed as the shock of the weekend but was it really? Pat Lam rested most of his team against a Treviso side in a neck-and-neck battle with Zebre for the right to get hammered in the European Champions Cup. Highlights of the Guinness PRO12 round 21 clash between Benetton Treviso and Connacht. Any victories are rare for the Italian teams but a home win is hardly a once in a lifetime affair. Also, it has to be remembered that barring a draw against Glasgow next Saturday, nothing has changed in the Connacht versus Glasgow scrap for a home semi-final. The result in Treviso will not have knocked Treviso off their stride.5. The defending champions are in great form. I was starting to wonder whether there were any teams in the Pro12 league capable of giving them a game at the moment. Cue a trip to Belfast and a high paced, inventive, bustling and, more than anything else, an intelligent performance from Ulster. Highlights of the Guinness PRO12 round 21 clash between Ulster and Leinster This was only their second win in eight games against Leinster. The Dublin-based side have looked as if they would be vulnerable to good teams all season (as they were in Europe). With two sides playing so well I do not fancy their chances of regaining the Pro12 title this season; Glasgow remain my idea of firm favourites but if Ulsters half backs can keep playing as well as they did last weekend we have at the very least a serious challenger.Theyll need to play well just to make the play offs. The Ospreys have not given up on a European Champions Cup spot as they showed last Saturday and with Scott Williams back, the Scarlets have been reinvigorated ahead of their must win game in Limerick this weekend. Fourth place is in Ulsters hands but expect the Ospreys to make life incredibly difficult in Swansea.6. Saracens fans had a bit of a fright. Trailing 3-14 to Newcastle at half-time, there might have been a few worried Fez Heads but once they threw away their Dubrovnik holiday gear they stormed back to win the game and clinch top spot in the league table. All roads now lead to Lyon. Chris Wyles of Saracens shakes the hand of Jacques Burger as the Namibian walks off in his last match 7. I am sure they will have noted Racing 92s impressive win over Clermont. The Parisian side have a strong squad, some outstanding individuals and a determination to make this a memorable season. There is not much doubt a late Leicester breakaway in the semi-final would have made this an easier final for Saracens.8. It was Exeter who took a few weeks to put the misery of their last second European elimination at the hands of the Wasps behind them. On Sunday their quarter-final conquerors suffered the same fate after losing to Saracens in the semi-finals. One more win and the Chiefs will have the advantage of a home semi-final in the Premiership with Wasps expected to again be the visitors. However, Harlequins will be a tough final game. It will be Conor O Sheas Stoop farewell and the Quins will be looking to send him to Italy on a high.9. Wasps should have a fairly straightforward task of claiming maximum points with London Irish down and out. The Irish can start planning for an immediate return next season while Wasps must ready themselves for a tilt at the English title. Saracens are by some way the best team in England but with the European final before the domestic denouement who knows what victory or another defeat will do to them? Jack Tovey scores for Bristol against Bedford. 10. Bristol are overwhelming favourites to make it third time lucky after botching last years play-off finals against Worcester and, more unforgivably, London Welsh. Doncaster Knights are expected to face them in the final after an impressive away win of their own in Leeds. Bristol can enjoy next weeks second leg against Bedford before the pressure begins to pile on Andy Robinson and his heavily fancied team. Look at the respective squads of Bristol and the other three play-off teams. There are no excuses. Also See: WATCH Guinness PRO12 highlights Loss relegates London Irish Follow @SkySportsRugby Fixtures and results Cheap Nike Air Max 1 .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Air Max 1 Sale Canada . Phoenix got injured centre Emeka Okafor and a top-12-protected first-round draft pick in 2014 -- giving the rebuilding Suns potentially four choices in the opening round. The Suns also sent guards Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to Washington so the deal will work financially. http://www.airmax1canada.com/ . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario. Air Max 1 Online Shop . Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home last year. Cheap Air Max 1 Canada . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie.BALCO founder Victor Conte once said that when you become a doper you become a liar. In news that is as shocking as an Arian Foster soft tissue injury, it was revealed this week that New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez has been lying about his ties to Biogenesis and using PEDs. Writing for the Miami Herald, Jay Weaver is reporting that Rodriguez has admitted under oath to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that he used banned substances purchased from Biogenesis between 2010 and 2012. “Yes, he bought performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis of America, paying roughly $12,000 a month over about two years to fake doctor Anthony Bosch,” wrote Weaver. “Yes, the Biogenesis owner gave him pre-filled syringes for hormone injections into his stomach, and even drew blood from him in the men’s room of a South Beach nightclub. And yes, Rodriguez’s cousin, Yuri Sucart, was his steroid go-fer.” Rodriguez provided this information in the context of federal drug distribution charges facing his cousin Yuri Sucart. The DEA wanted evidence against Sucart and went to Rodriguez to get it. Ironically, it’s also been reported that Rodriguez paid Sucart nearly $1 million to keep quiet about his PED use. I’m guessing they aren’t that close anymore. In exchange for Rodriguez’s testimony against Sucart, the DEA granted the embattled Yankee immunity. Furious Rodriguez Vehemently Denied PED Use Just a couple of months before admitting to the DEA that he indeed cheated, an enraged Rodriguez went on Mike Francesa’s radio show on WFAN and denied taking PEDs. Francesa: Were you guilty of any of these charges? Rodriguez: No and I shouldnt serve one inning. Francesa: Did you do anything wrong? Rodriguez: No. Francesa: Did you do any PEDs? Rodriguez: No. Francesa: Did you obstruct jus... anybody, any witnesses? Did you do anything that they accused you of doing? Rodriguez: No. Francesa: Nothing? Rodriguez: Nothing. Francesa: So youre guilty in your mind of nothing? Rodriguez: I feel like I should be there opening day. Perjury is a Funny Thing Knowingly lying under oath is called perjury and it’s a crime. It’s a very serious charge and can include prison time. Just ask Marion Jones, who spent six months in jail for lying under oath. So Rodriguez could declare publicly all he wanted that he didn’t do PEDs. However, when the DEA came calling and directed him to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, he had a strong incentive to be truthful. That’s why this summer I wrote that Rodriguez wasn’t out of the woods, and that the criminal charges against his cousin Sucart could ultimately end up exposing Rodriguez. Yankees: Can They Void A-Rod’s Contract? The Yankees owe Rodriguez $61 million over the next three years. That’s a lot for a player that turns 40 next June. When Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games by MLB for is use of PEDs, the Yankees certainly didn’t want anything to do with him. However, more recently, they seemed resigned to his return. But what happens now? Could the Yankees void Rodriguez’s contract and cut him? That would be very tough. There are simply too many hurdles to overcome. Of course, it doesn’t mean the Yankees can’t try. If they do, here are a few things they could rely on. Breach of Contract The team could allege breach of contract. The Yankees would look to Paragraph 7(b)(1) of his contract, which provides that a team can terminate a contract if a player fails, refuses or neglects to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition or to obey the clubs training rules. As well, Paragraph 7(b)(3) allows for termination if a player fails, refuses or neglects to render his services hereunder or in any manner materially breach this contract. Relying on these sections, the Yankees would argue that by doping, Rodriguez failed to “obey the clubs training rule”. He also lied repeatedly about doing PEDs, and threw his teamm, union and the Commissioner under the bus not to mention obstructing MLB’s investigation.dddddddddddd None of that is terribly polite and constitutes a breach of his player contract. While not unreasonable, these arguments very likely wouldn’t be successful. Punishments for PED use are handled by the collectively bargained drug policy. That means that both baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) agreed the policy would govern punishments related to PEDs. Thats why the drug policy is there in the first place. If the sides had agreed to tougher sanctions for PED use and put them in the drug policy, then those tougher sanctions would govern. As well, courts really dont like it when a business has a specific policy in place dealing with a specific offence, and that business elects to ignore that specific policy and does its own thing. A-Rod Misrepresented Himself The Yankees could claim that Rodriguez misrepresented himself when he signed his contract. When Rodriguez signed his 10-year/$275 million contract in 2008, the Yankees would say they weren’t getting the player they thought they were getting. Rodriguez wasn’t being truthful about the nature of his abilities and how he achieved such a high level of success. The Yankees could argue that had they known Rodriguez was cheating they would not have signed him. Once again, though, the drug policy, is in place to deal with PED use, so this argument would be a real uphill battle for Yankees. PED Injuries The Yankees could also allege that Rodriguez’s injuries (including his recent hip injury) are the result of his PED use. Good luck showing a direct link. This argument has little to no chance. MLBPA Would Fight – And Probably Win The MLBPA has a long history of being a strong advocate for its players and vigorously fighting punishments imposed on players. The MLBPA is widely considered as the strongest union in sports and one of the strongest unions on the planet. As a result, players have enjoyed strong success at arbitration when appealing voided contracts. Here are some MLBPA wins: 1) In 1987, the San Diego Padres voided LaMarr Hoyt’s contract after he was jailed following multiple drug charges, including intent to distribute cocaine and attempting to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the U.S. This would seem to be specifically the type of conduct that would justify voiding a contract – right? Wrong. The Players Association filed a grievance and won. 2) In 2004, the Colorado Rockies tried to cut Denny Neagle after he was charged with soliciting a prostitute. The MLBPA stepped in, and ultimately the parties agreed to a payout of $16 million on his $19.5 million contract. 3) In 2005, the Baltimore Orioles voided Sidney Ponson’s contract for driving while intoxicated (as well as some other stuff). The MLBPA grieved, and the sides ended up settling. Ponson got a sizable chunk of his $11.2 million salary. There was a case where an arbitrator upheld the voiding of a contract. In 2008, Shawn Chacon refused to leave the team dining room to speak with GM Ed Wade in his office. This confrontation ended with Chacon grabbing Wade by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Each time Wade tried to get up, Chacon knocked him back to the ground. Chacon’s contract was terminated with cause. The move was appealed by the MLBPA, but the appeal was unsuccessful. So, short of strangling your employer, it can be tough to successfully terminate a contract (Latrell Sprewell got 68 games for choking NBA coach P. J. Carlesimo). Rodriguez Has Already Been Punished MLB already suspended Rodriguez for his PED use, links to Biogenesis and obstructing its investigation. As a result, MLB and the Yankees can’t punish him again for the same offences. Unless something new and dramatic comes to light, the discipline ship has sailed on the HMS A-Rod. Yankees Buyout If the Yankees want Rodriguez gone, the team would need to buy him out. Realistically, that’s their most viable option. 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